At SCO meeting, India refuses to endorse Belt and Road Initiative (GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Why in news?
- Recently, India once again refused to endorse Chinese President Xi Jinping's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) during a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), saying connectivity projects should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states.
- In a joint communique issued at the end of the 21st Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of SCO member states chaired by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang via video link, India's name was not among the member states that supported the BRI.
- Like in the previous SCO meetings, India refrained from supporting China's BRI.
What is Belt and Road Initiative?
- The multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) aims to connect China with the rest of the world through sea corridors and shipping routes.
- The project is described as a “21st-century silk road” that consists of a “‘belt’ of overland corridors and a maritime ‘road’ of shipping lanes”.
- The ‘belt’ refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt that comprises a series of overland routes– connecting China, Central Asia, Russia and Europe. This belt will link China with the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea through Central Asia and West Asia, and connect China with Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Indian Ocean.
- The ‘road’ refers to the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road that includes developing new sea trade infrastructure connecting China to Europe through the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, and from China through the South China Sea towards the South Pacific.
- This maritime silk road would include fuelling stations, ports, bridges, industry, and infrastructure through Southeast Asia and into the Indian Ocean.
- For this, Pakistan is probably the most ‘crucial partner country’ for China through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, Chatham House reports.
- As of now, nearly 147 countries have joined the Belt and Road Initiative by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China.
India’s stance on BRI:
- India has opposed the Belt and Road Initiative mainly because the project passes through parts of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) claimed by India.
- Under CPEC, mainland China is linked to the Arabian Sea via Kashgar in China’s Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region to Gwadar port in Pakistan’s southwestern Baluchistan.
- Further, this arm of the BRI enters Indian territory occupied by Pakistan in Gilgit Baltistan, and covers the complete length of Pakistan before reaching the Arabian Sea.
- The investment project includes the renovation and upgradation of Pakistan’s National Highway 35 — the Karakoram Highway or China-Pakistan Friendship Highway as well as revamping the highway connecting Gilgit with Skardu to the north of the Line of Control (LoC).
- In August 2022, India had lodged protests against China and Pakistan inviting other countries to join projects related to CPEC, calling the move “illegal” and “unacceptable.”
- Addressing the UN Sustainable Transport Conference hosted by China, India had said in October 2021 that the CPEC project “impinges on India’s sovereignty.”
What did EAM say about BRI?
- In a series of tweets after the SCO meeting, External affairs minister (EAM) attacked China’s BRI, saying “connectivity projects should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States and respect international law”.
- India has refused to be a part of BRI and has instead been promoting the Shahid Beheshti terminal at Chabahar and the link through the INSTC to counter China’s BRI and the transit trade through Pakistan.
About SCO
- SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation.
- It’s a Eurasian political, economic and military organisation aiming to maintain peace, security and stability in the region.
- It was created in 2001.
- The SCO Charter was signed in 2002, and entered into force in 2003.
- The SCO's official languages are Russian and Chinese.
- In SCO Summit to be held in September 2022 in Uzbekistan, Varanasi has been selected as the SCO region’s first “Tourism and Cultural Capital for 2022-23.
- India will host the SCO summit next year in 2023.
- Prior to the creation of SCO in 2001, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan were members of the Shanghai Five.
- Shanghai Five (1996) emerged from a series of border demarcation and demilitarization talks which the four former Soviet republics held with China to ensure stability along the borders.
- Following the accession of Uzbekistan to the organisation in 2001, the Shanghai Five was renamed the SCO.
- There are eight member nations of SCO, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan.
- Iran and Belarus are likely to be the two newest additions to the SCO.
Can convicted legislators be disqualified from Assembly
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Governance)
Context:
- Two Uttar Pradesh legislators were convicted on criminal charges in recent days, but only one of them has been disqualified and his seat declared vacant by the State’s Legislative Assembly secretariat.
Details:
- Azam Khan, the Samajwadi Party MLA for Rampur, was sentenced to a three-year jail term, for making an inflammatory speech in 2019.
- As disqualification upon conviction on a criminal charge, accompanied by a prison sentence of two years and more is immediate, the Assembly secretariat declared his seat vacant.
- However, there has been no such response in regard to Vikram Singh Saini, MLA from Khatauli, after he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment in connection with the Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013.
When does conviction attract disqualification?
- Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951, contains provisions aimed at decriminalising electoral politics.
There are two categories of criminal cases that attract disqualification upon conviction:
Disqualification for a period of six years:
- In the first category are offences that entail disqualification for a period of six years upon any conviction.
- If the punishment is a fine, the six-year period will run from the date of conviction, but if there is a prison sentence, the disqualification will begin on the date of conviction, and will continue up to the completion of six years after the date of release from jail.
- Major IPC offences are included under this head: making speeches that cause enmity between groups (Sec.153A) and doing so in a place of worship (Sec.505), bribery and personation during elections and other electoral offences, offences relating to rape and cruelty to women by husband and latter’s relatives. Besides, serious provisions of special laws such as the Protection of Civil Rights Act, Customs Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act etc are among the category of offences that entail disqualification regardless of the quantum of punishment.
- Laws for prevention of Sati, corruption, terrorism and insult to national flag and national anthem etc are also part of this group.
Conviction will not entail disqualification:
- All other criminal provisions form a separate category under which mere conviction will not entail disqualification.
- A sentence of at least two years in prison is needed to incur such disqualification.
Is there legal protection for legislators against disqualification?
- Under Section 8(4) of the RPA, legislators could avoid immediate disqualification until 2013. The provision said that with respect to a Member of Parliament or a State legislator the disqualification will not take effect for three months.
- If within that period, the convicted legislator files an appeal or revision application, it will not take effect until the disposal of the appeal or application.
- In other words, the mere filing of an appeal against conviction will operate as a stay against disqualification. In Lily Thomas vs. Union of India, the Supreme Court struck down clause (4) as unconstitutional, thus removing the protection enjoyed by lawmakers.
Can the disqualification be removed?
- The Supreme Court has the power to stay not only the sentence, but also the conviction of a person.
- In some rare cases, conviction has been stayed to enable the appellant to contest an election. However, the SC has made it clear that such a stay should be very rare and for special reasons.
- The RPA itself provides a remedy through the Election Commission. Under Sec. 11 of the Act, the EC may record reasons and either remove, or reduce the period of, a person’s disqualification.
- The EC exercised this power for Sikkim Chief Minister P.S. Tamang, who served a one-year sentence for corruption, and reduced his disqualification so as to contest a byelection and remain in office.
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Denmark on cooperation in the field of Water Resources Development and Management
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Union Cabinet was apprised of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and Denmark on cooperation in the field of Water Resources Development and Management.
Broad areas of cooperation envisaged in the MoU are:
- Digitalisation and ease of information access
- Integrated and smart water resources development and management;
- Aquifer mapping, groundwater modelling, monitoring and recharge;
- Efficient and sustainable water supply at household level, including reduction of non-revenue water and energy consumption;
- River and water body rejuvenation to enhance liveability, resilience and economic development;
- Water quality monitoring and management;
- Sewage/wastewater treatment including circular economy for reuse/recycling of wastewater, including comprehensive sludge management and maximizing use of renewable energy in field of water supply and sanitation;
- Climate change mitigation and adaptation, including nature based solutions.
- River centric urban planning including urban flood management
- Nature based liquid waste abatement measures for peri-urban and rural areas.
Background:
- Prime Minister of Denmark and Indian PM, co-chaired a Virtual Summit between India and Denmark on 28 September 2020 and launched a Joint Statement on Establishment of Green Strategic Partnership between the two countries.
- The joint statement, inter-alia, envisioned co-operation in the field of Environment/Water and circular economy and Sustainable Urban Development including Smart Cities.
- Prime Minister of Denmark during her visit to India on 09th October 2021, as follow up of Joint Statement on Green Strategic Partnership, Prime Minister, amongst other things made following declaration:
- Establishment of Centre of Excellence for Smart Water Resources Management (CoESWaRM)
- Establishment of a Lab for Clean Rivers in Varanasi on the lines of Smart City Lab in Panji
Letter of Intent:
- A Letter of Intent was signed between Ministry of Jal Shakti, Gol and Ministry of Environment, Govt. of Denmark in May, 2022 during visit of Indian Prime Minister to Denmark.
- Letter of Intent was signed with an intent to enter into a broad-based MoU that will inter -alia cover two new initiative; a Centre of Excellence for Smart Water Resources Management and a smart Lab on Clean River waters in Varanasi.
- Basic purpose of the proposed cooperation is to ensure safe and secure water to meet present & future demands through holistic and sustainable approach.
Way Forward:
- The MoU will thus broadly strengthen cooperation in the field of water resources development and management; rural water supply; and sewage/wastewater treatment through direct collaboration between officials, academics, water sectors and industry in the areas under scope of cooperation.
IPPB conducts Indias First Floating Financial Literacy Camp
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
Why in news?
- Recently, the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), conducted India’s First Floating Financial Literacy Camp with an initiative called ‘Niveshak Didi’ to promote Financial Literacy ‘By the women, for the women’concept, in Srinagar, J&K.
Why it matters?
- India, being a large & growing economy, still finds it challenging to spread financial literacy across demography, as an enormous share of population still resides in rural areas.
- In a pursuit to carry the GoI mandate, IPPB initiated Financial Inclusion journey to resurgent rural India where reach and communication always remained a barrier.
- Right from the inception, Postmen/ Gramin Dak Sevaks have been reaching out to the masses in every corner of the country, offering digital banking services at their doorsteps.
Niveshak Didi:
- To take the Financial Literacy drive ahead, IPPB, in collaboration with Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) under the aegis of Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), launched the initiative called ‘Niveshak Didi’.
- Niveshak Didi’ initiative is based on the ideology of women for women as rural area women feel more comfortable to share their queries with a female itself.
- Niveshak Didi, a female dakiya, having deep social connect to rural masses, will be able to collaborate and resolve their queries in a comfortable environment, at the same time enhancing the financial awareness, especially for the women.
- The Floating Financial Literacy Camp was conducted among the local residents around the world-famous Dal Lake of Srinagar, J&K.
- Since Shikara is part & parcel of their life, the gathering did take place on multiple Shikaras and the ‘Niveshak Didi’ held the Financial Literacy session in local Kashmiri language from Shikara itself, thus the whole session was conducted in the waters of Dal Lake.
About IPPB:
- India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has been established under the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communication with 100% equity owned by the Government of India.
- IPPB was launched by the Prime Minister on September 1, 2018.
- The bank has been set up with the vision to build the most accessible, affordable and trusted bank for the common man in India.
Mandate & Pillars:
- The fundamental mandate of IPPB is to remove barriers for the unbanked and under-banked and reach the last mile leveraging a network comprising 160,000 post offices (145,000 in rural areas) and 400,000 postal employees.
- IPPB’s reach and its operating model is built on the key pillars of India Stack - enabling Paperless, Cashless and Presence-less banking in a simple and secure manner at the customers' doorstep, through a CBS-integrated smartphone and biometric device.
- Leveraging frugal innovation and with a high focus on ease of banking for the masses, IPPB delivers simple and affordable banking solutions through intuitive interfaces available in 13 languages.
- IPPB is committed to provide a fillip to a less cash economy and contribute to the vision of Digital India.
