Whatsapp 93125-11015 For Details
Days after the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), an ambitious infrastructure project to connect India to Europe via West Asia, was unveiled at the G20 Summit, India and Saudi Arabia signed eight agreements to boost cooperation in a range of areas — from energy to interconnectivity, digitalisation and electronic manufacturing to finance and security.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, who was on a day-long State visit after the conclusion of the G20 Summit.
Modi and MBS — as the Saudi Crown Prince is popularly referred to — co-chaired the first meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council which was set up in 2019.
We are adding a new and modern dimension to our relations, in sync with the changing needs of the time. For India, Saudi Arabia is among the most important strategic partners, as the world’s two large and fast growing economies, our cooperation is important for the peace and stability of the entire region.
On immunity to senior govt officers, SC says ruling retrospective (Page no. 1)
(GS Paper 2, Judiciary)
The already struck down provision in the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946, which made central government sanction mandatory for the CBI to prosecute officers of the rank of Joint Secretary and above, will stand nullified from September 11, 2003, when it was inserted in the Act, the Supreme Court ruled.
A five-judge Constitution bench presided by Justice S K Kaul said that its 2014 judgment in the Subramanian Swamy vs Union of India case, in which Section 6A(1) of the DSPE Act was held as invalid, will have retrospective effect.
The question before the bench, also comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna, A S Oka, Vikram Nath and J K Maheshwari, was “whether declaration of any law as unconstitutional by a constitutional court would have retrospective effect or would apply prospectively”.
The bench, which went into various rulings on the matter, concluded that “from the discussion, it is crystal clear that once a law is declared to be unconstitutional, being violative of Part-III of the Constitution, then it would be held to be void ab initio, stillborn, unenforceable in view of Article 13(2) of the Constitution and its interpretation by authoritative pronouncements.
Thus, the declaration made by the Constitution Bench in the case of Subramanian Swamy, will have retrospective operation. Section 6A of the DSPE Act is held to be not in force from the date of its insertion i.e. 11.09.2003.
Article 13(2) states that “the State shall not make any law which takes away or abridges the rights conferred by this part and any law made in contravention of this clause shall, to the extent of the contravention, be void.”
After 1 yr pause top science prizes announced: TB to astrophysics (Page no. 1)
(GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
After being held back for a year, the country’s top annual science prize, the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Awards that have celebrated and nurtured the best science talent under 45.
The awards for 2022 were declared at an unrelated low-key event in New Delhi acknowledging the work of 12 scientists. Two each were selected for five of the seven categories — physical sciences, biological sciences, chemical sciences, mathematics and engineering sciences — while one each was picked in the fields of earth and planetary sciences, and medical sciences.
The award has given me fresh impetus to keep continuing my work, and is truly inspirational. I would be happy to help in giving back to Indian science. Khare has authored a book titled Matrix Analysis and Entrywise Positivity Preservers.
Govt & Politics
Day after pledge not to arrest Putin, Lula says court’s call (Page no. 5)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he hoped Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro next year, even as he appeared to backtrack on his assurances a day earlier that Putin will not be arrested should he visit the South American country.
We will invite them. We hope they will participate,” da Silva said at a press conference, but added that it would be up to the judiciary to decide whether to arrest the Russian leader. Putin, as well as Xi, skipped the two-day event in New Delhi.
The Brazil President’s remarks came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed him the G20 gavel, marking the transfer of the grouping’s Presidency.
Soon after the symbolic gesture, da Silva told news website Firstpost that should Putin visit Brazil for the Summit scheduled in November 2024, “there’s no way” the Russian leader will be arrested “if I’m the president”.
Editorial
After the summit (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 2, International Organisation)
India’s G20 presidency came at a critical juncture — the international order is in flux, geopolitical contestation has sharpened and the global economy is facing strong headwinds.
It was, therefore, at once a challenge and an opportunity for India to showcase its leadership in global affairs. We have reason to be satisfied with the outcome.
Thanks to India’s growing clout and cordial relations on both sides of the divide, our diplomacy overcame the Ukraine war hurdle that had bedevilled the preparatory process.
It would also have been bad optics for any country to block the summit agenda, heavily tilted in favour of the developing world.
While noting the adverse consequences of the conflict for the global economy, endorsing the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states, and adhering to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the inadmissibility of use or threat to use nuclear weapons, the summit eschewed language deploring Russia as the aggressor as in the Bali Declaration.
The war, however, goes on with all its adverse consequences. The much-hyped absence of Xi Jinping had no impact on the outcome.
Cautiously on AI (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
The G20 Delhi Declaration stresses the importance of responsible artificial intelligence (AI) practices, including the protection of human rights, transparency, fairness, and accountability.
This month, the G7 nations agreed to draft an international AI code of conduct, focusing on drawing voluntary company commitments to prevent harm.
Approximately 700 policy instruments are being discussed to regulate AI. A broad agreement exists on the regulatory principles even though there is minimal intervention in the mechanism to realise them. The root of many concerns lies in control, or the potential lack thereof.
As fire once illuminated dark caves, AI now lights up our digital age, redefining progress. According to Stanford’s Artificial Index Report of 2023, private investment in AI has increased 18-fold since 2013, and company adoption has doubled since 2017.
McKinsey projects that the annual value of AI could range from $17.1 trillion to $25.6 trillion. AI is on the ascent, with rising capabilities, affordable access, and widespread applications. Its potential is as captivating as the gravity of its risks.
Explained
India-Europe trade, c.100CE (Page no. 12)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor announced at the G20 Summit harkens to an ancient trade route between the subcontinent and the Roman Empire.
The existence of this trade, which peaked in the early centuries of the common era, has been known for long; however, evidence of its scale — eclipsing the more romanticised overland Silk Road— has only recently emerged strongly.
William Dalrymple’s upcoming book, The Golden Road, delves into this subject in detail. Here, he speaks to The Indian Express regarding the ancient Red Sea trade route, much bigger and historically more significant than the overland route from China.
For years, we have known that there was trade between Rome and India in Antiquity. Sir Mortimer Wheeler was digging south of modern Pondicherry at Arikamedu in the 1930s and 40s, and established the existence of Indo-Roman trade in the 1st century CE.
However, he incorrectly interpreted his finds solely in terms of Roman merchants trading to India: he failed to give Indian merchants and ship owners any agency in this trade, which they undoubtedly had.
Economy
Indian start up to have head start due to G20 presidency says working group chair (Page no. 13)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
With the Start-up 20 working group – which was introduced by India under its G20 presidency – to be continued in future presidencies as per the New Delhi Leaders’ declaration, the engagement group’s chair during India’s presidency has said that Indian start-ups will have a head-start over others given that it has spurred a conversation among domestic founders.
Indian start-ups may have a head start compared to businesses from other geographies since the the Start-up 20 discussions spurred in firms having conversations independently,” Chintan Vaishnav, chair of the Start-up 20 engagement group under New Delhi’s G20 presidency, when asked how the continuation of the group could help them under future presidencies.
He said that the G20 countries willing to continue the Start-up 20 working group beyond India’s presidency was an “important decision” as it will allow start-ups to “have a collective voice in terms of putting out a communique for world leaders”.
India-S Arabia can look at doubling trade to $100 billion: Piyush Goyal (Page no. 13)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
India and Saudi Arabia can look at doubling bilateral trade to USD 100 billion in the coming years from about USD 52 billion at present, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said. He said the two countries can also look at a more balanced trade.
The minister suggested Saudi Arabia to open an office of their sovereign wealth fund in GIFT city in Gujarat and industry chamber Ficci set up an office in Riyadh in partnership with Invest India, and the commerce ministry to facilitate investments.
Maybe this could be a way to kick-start a better flow of trade and investments and also to see how we can double our trade, which is currently about USD 52 billion.
Can we be more ambitious and take it to USD 100 billion, can we look at a more balanced trade, can we look at India becoming the provider of food security to Saudi Arabia, while Saudi Arabia helps us provide more energy security like oil and fertiliser. So, it will really be a win-win and complimentary relation.
World
Bangladesh inks deal with France for Airbus aircraft (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
Bangladesh inked a deal with France for the purchase of 10 Airbus aircraft worth USD 3.2 billion and a letter of intent was exchanged for an earth observation satellite system as French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held wide-ranging talks to boost bilateral ties.
Macron, whose visit to Dhaka, the first by a French president in 33 years, is widely seen as a move by Paris to consolidate its Asia-Pacific strategy and counterbalance a “new imperialism” in this part of Asia where China’s influence is growing steadily.
Based on democratic principles and the rule of law, in a region facing new imperialism, we want to propose a third way — with no intention to bully our partners or to lead them to an unsustainable scheme
All our strategy is focused on strengthening the independence and the strategic autonomy of our friends to give them the ‘freedom of sovereignty’.”
Macron and Hasina discussed a “commitment” from Bangladesh’s flagship carrier Biman Airline to purchase ten A350s from European aircraft maker Airbus, a potential contract that could be worth as much as USD 3.2 billion.