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The trade pact with Australia that was ratified by the Australian Parliament on November 22 will “significantly open up opportunities” for many Indian business sectors.
Speaking at a press conference, Mr. Goyal welcomed the bipartisan support extended by Australia to the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) that was signed by India with the previous Australian administration under Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
The comments from Mr. Goyal came soon after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese personally announced the passing of the pact by the Australian Parliament.
Because of this agreement and businesses wanting to set up manufacturing in India, we also see a lot of potential for jobs by Australian investments coming to India — manufacturing in India at scale to serve the Indian market and the rest of the world from India.
This will create job opportunities for our young boys and girls,” said Mr. Goyal in his remarks thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for working with both the Morrison and Albenese administrations to ensure the signing and passing of the agreement.
He noted that India and Australia provide “complementarity” to each other saying, “We have nothing where we are competing with each other.
We are providing largely finished goods, capital goods and value added goods which gives us a lot of job opportunities for the people in India.
SC calls out Centre over short tenures of CECs (Page no. 1)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Governance)
The Supreme Court said the government pays mere “lip-service” to the independence of the Election Commissioners and this is evident from the way the tenures of Chief Election Commissioners (CECs) have “slid” down from over eight years in the 1950s to just about a few hundred days after 2004.
“Their (CECs) tenure is highly truncated and known from the very beginning… In this way, this so-called independence that you pay lip-service to, I am sorry to say, is completely destroyed by getting this kind of a term,” Justice K.M. Joseph, heading a Constitution Bench, addressed the Union government.
Justice Joseph said the previous UPA government had six CECs in just eight years. “After the present government took over, from 2015 to 2022, for seven years, we have had eight CECs!” Justice Joseph, leading a five-judge Bench, addressed Attorney General R. Venkataramani, appearing for the government.
Justice Joseph said successive governments, particularly after 2004, have “picked” people whom it knew would “never ever” get close to the full term of six years prescribed under the Election Commission (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners and Transaction of Business) Act of 1991.
Section 4 of the 1991 Act says the term of a CEC and Election Commissioners is six years or till the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
This is a very, very, very disturbing trend! After 2004, particularly, the slide has begun in terms of picking up those persons whom of course the government knows the date of birth of, they (government) know that these persons would never ever get anywhere close to six years,” Justice Joseph observed orally.
Justice Joseph said protections under Article 324, like removal through impeachment, available under the Constitution to the CECs would only be of any use if he or she had a full term.
States
Tamil Nadu gets its first biodiversity heritage site (Page no. 4)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
The Tamil Nadu Government on Tuesday, issued a notification declaring Arittapatti and Meenakshipuram villages in Madurai district the first biodiversity heritage site in the State.
The site comprising 139.63 hectares in Arittapatti village (Melur block) and 53.8 hectares in Meenakshipuram village (Madurai East taluk) will be known as the Arittapatti Biodiversity Heritage site, said a notification.
Arittapatti village, known for its ecological and historical significance, houses around 250 species of birds including three important raptors - birds of prey, namely the Laggar Falcon, the Shaheen Falcon and Bonelli’s Eagle.
It is also home to wildlife such as the Indian Pangolin, Slender Loris and pythons.The area is surrounded by a chain of seven hillocks or inselbergs that serve as a watershed, charging “72 lakes, 200 natural springs and three check dams,” the notification said. The Anaikondan tank, built during the reign of Pandiyan kings in the 16th century is one among them.
Several megalithic structures, rock-cut temples, Tamil Brahmi inscriptions and Jain beds add to the historical significance of the region.
The District Forest Officer S. GurusamyDabbala said notifying an area as a biodiversity heritage site would help in protecting its rich and exclusive ecosystem.
Editorial
The ‘India pole’ in international politics (Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 2, International Relations)
“Whose side is India on?” is one foundational question that constantly confronts practitioners, thinkers and commentators of India’s foreign policy.
The ongoing war in Ukraine on the one hand and the confrontation between Russia (India’s traditional partner) and the United States and the West (also India’s partners) on the other have increased the frequency/regularity of this question.
So whose side is India on, after all? Is India with Russia or with the U.S./the West in this war? The problem with these rather unidimensional questions is that they habitually assume that there are just a few select sides in world politics, and India is not a side with any geopolitical agency of major consequence. Notably, India gets asked “Whose side are you on?” far more than China does, for China is viewed as a side.
When great powers seek India’s support during geopolitical contestations, such as the one over Ukraine, they end up facing a stubborn India that is reluctant to toe the line.
The inherent reason behind Indian reluctance, however, is not stubbornness but a sense of self which views itself as a pole in the international system, and not as a satellite state or a camp follower. India refuses to take sides because it views itself as a side whose interests are not accounted for by other camps or poles.
Some reflections on ‘India as a pole’ is perhaps appropriate at a time when India assumes the chair of the G20 and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), two institutions that are geopolitically significant today.
Think local climate action, think Meenangadi (Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 2/3, Governance/Environment)
If India has to achieve the set of goals enunciated in the ‘Panchamrit’ resolution of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow 2021, it is necessary that panchayati raj institutions, the third tier of government which are closest to the people are involved.
Although international and national policies have been formulated with large-scale investments, it is necessary to have a suitable local action plan for implementation and enforcement, initiated and coordinated by local governments.
In the context of greater devolution that has taken place, panchayats, as local governments, can play a pivotal role in tackling many of the causes and effects of climate change.
Over the past few decades, there has been a manyfold increase in the number of climate-related national disasters. Much of India’s population still lives in the rural areas and is involved in agriculture and other agri-based activities.
The greater variability in rainfall and temperatures, etc. experienced of late has directly affected the livelihood and well-being of millions of rural households. India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change 2008 identifies a range of priority areas for coordinated intervention at the national and State levels.
However, there would have been better results had panchayati raj institutions been given a greater role. Through the ongoing decentralisation process which ensures people’s participation, panchayats can play a crucial and frontline role in coordinating effective responses to climate risks, enabling adaptation and building climate-change resilient communities.
The climate change discussion also focuses on the emerging and widely accepted concept of ‘carbon neutrality’ which puts forth the notion of zero carbon developments, nature conservation, food, energy and seeds sufficiency, and economic development. As human activities are the cause of the current climate crisis, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to growing and extreme weather events are critical.
Zero carbon development which promotes sustainable living is the effective solution to reducing anthropogenic emissions and improving climate resilience.
Strategy to save (Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Governance)
The best first step towards addressing a malaise is to recognise that it exists. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s recently published National Suicide Prevention Strategy fits right there.
It has been a long time coming, but the Strategy, finally in the public realm, calls attention to the massive burden of suicides in the country, and initiates steps to achieve a reduction in suicide mortality by 10% by 2030.
At the same time, it has measured the paces forward with a time-bound action plan that takes into account the grim realities of a varying ground situation in India.
The problem is indeed dire, and without targeted intervention programmes, and stigma reduction strategies, a public health crisis of gargantuan proportions is imminent.
Globally, suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds and also the second leading cause of death for females aged 15-19 years, as per WHO estimates.
In India, more than one lakh lives are lost every year to suicide. In the past three years, the suicide rate has increased from 10.2 to 11.3 per 1,00,000 population.
As per National Crime Records Bureau statistics, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Karnataka have the highest percentage share of suicides (2018-2020), ranging between 8% to 11%.
The most common reasons include family problems and illnesses, while other causes include marital conflicts, love affairs, bankruptcy, substance abuse and dependence.
Further, in approximately 10% of cases, the cause for suicide remains unknown. Importantly, the document notes that contrary to belief, the majority of suicides are preventable.
Explainer
RBI’s concerns on slow deposit growth (Page no. 8)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
The Governor, Deputy Governor and a few other senior officials of apex banking regulator, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), met MD and CEOs of public and certain private sector banks on November 16.
Acknowledging the role played by private commercial banks in supporting economic growth during the pandemic and in the ongoing financial market turmoil, the Governor advised that banks “remain watchful” of the evolving macroeconomic situation, including global spillovers.
Discussion points included the lagging growth in deposits in relation to credit growth, asset quality and adoption of new-age technology solutions among other things.
Global headwinds at present are emanating from three sources; Russian actions in Ukraine impacting energy supplies and prices (especially in Europe), economic slowdown in China because of frequent lockdowns due to its zero-COVID policy, and the increased cost-of-living because of resulting inflationary pressures.
Thus, monetary policies across the globe, especially of advanced economies, are being tightened, spurring concerns about financial stability risk in emerging and developing economies.
The ‘drag’ occurs in two broad ways. Firstly, lower external demand drives down export demand obligating economic growth to be solely driven by domestic demand which might not be sufficiently strong.
Second, higher global inflation and interest rates impact the flow of capital into the economy, putting downward pressure on domestic currency and in certain circumstances, higher imported inflation.
To this effect, the regulator had stated in its November bulletin, “The (domestic) macroeconomic outlook can be best characterised as resilient but sensitive to formidable global headwinds.”
The SC ruling on pension for women IAF officers (Page no. 8)
(GS Paper 3, Defence)
In an order on November 16, the Supreme Court asked the Indian Air Force (IAF) to consider the grant of pensionary benefits to 32 Short Service Commission (SSC) women officers, who fought for 12 long years to be reinstated and granted permanent commission.
This is the latest in a series of legal judgements related to women officers in the armed forces, giving them equal opportunities along with their male counterparts.
A Bench comprising of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) D. Y. Chandrachud, Justice Hima Kohli and Justice J.B. Pardiwala said in their order that “These women SSC officers had the legitimate expectation of being granted an opportunity to claim permanent commission in terms of prevailing policy”. The Bench further remarked that, “we are of the view that these women SSC officers be considered for grant of pensionary benefits,” while exercising its extraordinary power under Article 142 of the Constitution for doing complete justice in any matter pending before it.
The officers had joined the service between 1993-1998 and were granted extensions of six and four years successively before being released from service between 2006 to 2009.
Reinstatement cannot be a viable option keeping in mind the requirement related to exigencies of serving the nation. The cases of the appellants will be evaluated on the basis of the HR Policy of November, 2010, the court said while making it clear that the officers shall not be entitled to arrears of salary. The CJI also appreciated the IAF for taking a “fair approach”.
The Navy and the IAF had opened up permanent commission to women much before the Army.
Text & Context
The political project of savarkarite international (Page no. 9)
(GS Paper 1, History)
For the longest time in independent India, the works of V. D. Savarkar had a limited following, restricted to the Hindutva ecosystem.
The ideas of a man charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi were unlikely to get mainstream attention without a dramatic change in the political and cultural climate.
Post-2014, such a change has indeed come to pass, and there have been systematic efforts to build Savarkar into an icon on par with Gandhi.
This development has sparked renewed academic interest in his ideas. It was, after all, Savarkar who articulated for the first time a historically embedded vision of ‘Hindus’ as a political community and presented a version of the past as well as a program for the future aligned to that vision.
If we set aside for a moment the question of how much of Savarkarite history is nationalistic myth-making — there is a great deal of it — a close engagement with it could be analytically rewarding, especially for a nuanced understanding of contemporary dynamics in Indian politics.
Central to Savarkarite history, as also to Hindutva, is the idea of South Asia as the ancient homeland of the Hindus, named Bharat.
As expounded in Savarkar’s last work, ‘Six Glorious Epochs of Indian History’ (SGE), the history of ‘Bharat’ is essentially a history of the Hindus’ martial triumphs over a series of foreign aggressors.
News
Rajnath proposes role for women in U.N. peacekeeping (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 2, International Relations)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made two proposals for expanding the scope and the depth of the India-ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) defence relations.
These include an initiative for women in United Nations Peace Keeping (UNPK) operations and another initiative on marine plastic pollution.
He made these at the inaugural India-ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting held today at Siem Reap in Cambodia to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of India-ASEAN relations.
On the sidelines, Mr. Singh also held a bilateral meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin during which he emphasised the need for both countries to “work together for capability building in critical domains such as military aviation, artificial intelligence and cyber technology.”
Mr. Singh emphasised that the centrality of ASEAN in the Indo-Pacific region is the cornerstone of India’s Act East Policy.
One of the initiatives proposed by the Defence Minister was the ‘India-ASEAN Initiative for women in UNPK operations’ which includes conduct of tailor-made courses for women peacekeepers of ASEAN member states at the Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping in India and conduct of a ‘Table Top Exercise’ in India for women officers from ASEAN incorporating facets of UNPK challenges.
The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Singh and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence of Cambodia General Tea Banh. It preceded the 9th ‘ASEAN-Defence Ministers Meeting’ Plus scheduled to take place.
The second initiative on marine plastic pollution includes channelising of the energy of the youth towards addressing the critical issue of marine pollution, the statement said. Mr. Singh informed the ASEAN members of the significant work done by the NCC in the cleaning of Indian beaches and raising awareness about plastic pollution in the coastal community, the Ministry said. “He suggested coordination between the NCC and the equivalent youth organisations of ASEAN countries for a collective effort in this direction in the region.”
Skill training of MGNREGS workers lags; Centre blames it on the States (Page no. 12)
(GS Paper 2, Welfare Schemes)
Facing less than a lukewarm response to project Unnati, which aims to reduce dependence on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) by imparting skill training to its beneficiaries, the Union Rural Development Ministry wants to link performances of the States under the project with its labour budget for the upcoming financial year.
Since its inception in 2020, just a little over 25,000 persons have been trained under the project, falling far short of its target of 2 lakh. The project was slated to end on March 2022 but has now been extended by two years.
Speaking to The Hindu, Union Minister for Rural Development Giriraj Singh said, “The State governments’ indifference towards Unnati project is emblematic of their apathy for the workers. But we can’t turn a blind eye to it and therefore the labour budget of the States will be influenced by their performance under the project.”
Unnati was launched with the intention of upgrading the skill base of the MGNREGS workers to help them transition from partial employment to full employment, thereby reducing their dependence on the employment guarantee scheme.
The aim of the project is to train one adult member (18-45 years) of a household that has completed 100 days of work under the MGNREGS.
“If a household is working for 100 days under MGNREGS that shows that they are completely dependent it for their livelihood and are the poorest of the lot. Thus, this criterion was used as the baseline,” a senior official explained.
The selected candidate is eligible for wages on a par with that given under the MGNREGS during the period of the training.
India and the UAE hold talks on food security cooperation (Page no. 12)
(GS Paper 2, International Relations)
India and the United Arab Emirates are going ahead with food security cooperation under the I2U2, a new West Asian quadrilateral that includes Israel and the United States.
The cooperation under this initiative was discussed during a meeting between visiting Foreign Minister of the UAE Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
On food security cooperation under I2U2, a delegation led by CEO of ADQ visited India in October 2022 to take discussions forward with different stakeholders,” the MEA said in a press note.
The I2U2 leaders’ summit was held in July in which a decision was taken to harness private capital among the member countries for projects on agriculture, infrastructure, digital connectivity, water, energy and transportation. ADQ is an “active investor” and a Sovereign Wealth Fund located in Abu Dhabi.
On Tuesday, the two sides took note that bilateral ties witnessed an “appreciable” growth since the conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement or CEPA that came into force on May 1.
India’s exports to UAE between April-September 2022 were about $16 billion which was an increase of 24% year to year while India’s imports increased 38% to reach $28.4 billion in the same time period.
Apart from, bilateral trade the two sides also discussed, energy, healthcare, defence, space, climate change, skills, fin-tech and start-ups.
The two Ministers also discussed “global situation and various regional hotspots” during the talks, the MEA added.
Business
Europe to be hit hardest in a global slowdown, says OECD (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 2, International Organisations)
The global economy should avoid a recession next year but the worst energy crisis since the 1970s will trigger a sharp slowdown, with Europe hit hardest, the OECD said, adding that fighting inflation should be policymakers' top priority.
National outlooks vary widely, although Britain's economy is set to lag major peers, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said on Tuesday.
It forecast that world economic growth would slow from 3.1% this year — slightly more than the OECD foresaw in its September projections — to 2.2% next year, before accelerating to 2.7% in 2024.
"We are not predicting a recession, but we are certainly projecting a period of pronounced weakness, OECD head Mathias Cormann told a news conference to present the organisation's latest Economic Outlook.
The OECD said the global slowdown was hitting economies unevenly, with Europe bearing the brunt as Russia's war in Ukraine hits business activity and drives an energy price spike.
It forecast that the 19-country euro zone economy would grow 3.3% this year then slow to 0.5% in 2023 before recovering to expand by 1.4% in 2024.
That was slightly better than in the OECD's September outlook, when it estimated 3.1% growth this year and 0.3% in 2023.
The OECD predicted a contraction of 0.3% next year in regional heavyweight Germany, whose industry-driven economy is highly dependent on Russian energy exports — less dire than the 0.7% slump expected in September.
Even in Europe outlooks diverged, with the French economy, which is far less dependent on Russian gas and oil, expected to grow 0.6% next year. Italy was seen eking out 0.2% growth, which means several quarterly contractions are probable.
Outside the euro zone, the British economy was seen shrinking 0.4% next year as it contends with rising interest rates, surging inflation and weak confidence. Previously the OECD had expected 0.2% growth.