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Barely two weeks before Parliament meets for a special session, the agenda of which is still under wraps, a political row erupted over the name of the country after the government sent out a G20 Summit dinner invitation in the name of the “President of Bharat”, and not the President of India.
As the Opposition attacked the ruling BJP, a government booklet on the Prime Minister’s visit to Indonesia for the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit referred to Narendra Modi as the “Prime Minister of Bharat”. It was tweeted by BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra who too mentioned “Prime Minister of Bharat”.
Rejecting as “rumours” the speculation, especially in the Opposition camp, that the special session of the House had been called to effect a name change from India to Bharat, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Arunag Thakur told.
There is nothing new in it. G20-2023 (branding, logo) will have both Bharat and India written. This shows their mentality, that in their hearts they are against India or Bharat. When they go overseas, they criticise Bharat. When they are in India, they have objection to the name of Bharat.
India versus China is also Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam versus One Belt One Road (Page no. 1)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
As Chinese President Xi Jinping has decided to skip the G20 summit, the negotiators of India and China are in talks about the One Belt, One Road concept to be part of a joint communique, while India wants Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam to be included as well.
So, while the Russia-Ukraine war has polarised the G20 grouping for the last nine months, India and China are negotiating on the text to put their own philosophical imprint on the final summit declaration.
Beijing has moved an idea that India’s theme, “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, is actually inspired from China’s “One Belt, One Road”, which is often referred to as the Belt and Road Initiative. So it can be part of the communique. India doesn’t agree to this and has resisted its inclusion in the joint document.
Instead, India wanted Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam to be included in the joint communique, saying that this is part of India’s theme.
But the Sanskrit experts in the Chinese delegation have pointed out that Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam means “the world is a family”, and India’s theme — One Earth, One Family — does capture the meaning in a way. But in India’s theme, there is “One Future” as well, which is not part of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
UPI for G20 delegates to credit platform, India to showcase digital infra (Page no. 1)
(GS Paper 2, International Organisation)
UPI service for foreign delegates without needing a bank account, RuPay payments that can be made through accessories such as smartwatches, India’s digital rupee, and a database platform that can be used to lend money for various purposes — these are the tools in India’s digital public infrastructure arsenal that will be on display for foreign delegates during the G20 Summit later this week.
We obviously want to showcase our technological platforms to set us apart in the Global South, but we also want the developed countries to take a look at them. We want to show case the platforms we have built for a country of India’s scale.
Throughout India’s presidency of the G20, it has played up the country’s efforts at creating digital public infrastructure and has also explored other nations’ interest to adopt the underlying technologies that power India’s digital public infrastructure (DPI) push, which it brands as the India Stack.
Industry analysts see this as India’s bid to set itself up as a nation pioneering digital governance, especially as it aspires to assume a leadership role in the Global South.
Within government circles, this is also being pegged as a differentiator from rival China, which is funding physical infrastructure development in other developing countries.
Govt & Politics
PM leaves for ASEAN, East Asia summits today (Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 2, International Organisation)
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads to Jakarta for the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit, officials are working on a new initiative to boost India-ASEAN maritime security cooperation.
Modi, who will leave for the Indonesian capital on, will attend the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and 18th East Asia Summit. Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said that Modi will review the progress in ASEAN-India relations and provide them further direction at the summit.
The prime minister will depart Delhi on the night of September 6 and return on September 7. Given that the G20 summit follows shortly after the ASEAN summit, it will be a short visit.
When asked whether the issue of China’s release of the so-called “new standard” map would figure in the summit talks, Kumar said, “It is difficult to anticipate what would be discussed when the leaders meet, but issues which are of mutual concern — regional and international— would all come up.”
On August 28, Beijing released the 2023 edition of the “standard map of China” that includes Taiwan, the South China Sea, Arunachal Pradesh, and Aksai Chin as Chinese territories. India has dismissed the ‘map’ and lodged a strong protest with China over it. After China’s territorial claim over the South China Sea, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines have already rejected the claim.
Express Network
Tropical cyclones, especially in the Arabian Sea, are becoming more and more frequent (Page no. 7)
(GS Paper 1, Geography)
Dr R Krishnan, Director, Centre of Climate Change Research at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, analyses the factors behind extreme weather events and predictive models. The session was moderated by Amitabh Sinha, Deputy Editor
Not every heavy rainfall event is caused by climate change. There is natural variability as well. But in many instances, global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions could be playing an important role.
We undertake, what are known as attribution studies, to assess whether any particular event was decisively influenced by climate change. In such cases, we run climate models with and without the effects of global warming.
These are not straightforward exercises, and have to account for a large number of variables and uncertainties. The simulations are run several times to get a fair idea of the signal-to-noise ratio, and then we interpret the results.
Even then we can offer conclusions only in terms of probabilities. Sometimes these probabilities are very clear. There could be a very high probability that a certain event could not have occurred in the absence of climate change. But, at other times, the data is not very conclusive. So, we then say we are not sure.
Editorial
Tradition and its discontents (Page no. 8)
(GS Paper 4, Ethics)
Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remark calling for the eradication of Sanatan Dharma has thrown open the deepest fissure in modern Indian identity.
To understand the stakes, it might be worth beginning with a recent Udhayanidhi starrer, Maamannan. The film centres on the plight of a Dalit MLA in Tamil Nadu with a heart-breaking dignity about him.
This MLA, Maamannan (Vadivelu), is subject to the indignities of caste. A local political rival, Rathnavelu (Fahadh Faasil), is the embodiment of upper-caste political privilege.
But the centre of the film is Athiveeran, Maamannan’s son (played by Stalin) traumatised by caste thrice over: A childhood witness to a traumatic caste atrocity, a daily encounter with his father’s humiliation, and then Rathnavelu’s attempts to destroy the one thing that allows Dalits social mobility — a coaching centre. The film centres on Athiveeran’s revolt and his refusal to be pacified in the face of a society that wants to put him in his place.
The practice of the Indian caste system is vile and oppressive. We can debate its theological complexities, the periodic revolts against it and its transformation during modernity.
There is still a remarkable invisibility to the depth of its persistence. One surest sign of this is the following. Many votaries of “Sanatan Dharma” claim it to be eternal, encompassing and ecumenical.
Ideas Page
North & South, East vs West (Page no. 9)
(GS Paper 2, International Organisation)
It can now be said plainly. Post-Cold War multilateralism is past its peak — at both the global and regional levels. This week’s East Asia Summit in Jakarta and the G20 summit in Delhi highlight the deep and arguably irreversible crises in the old multilateral order.
The dying embers of old multilateralism are marked less by the absence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at both summits than by their deepening conflicts with the rest of the world.
Russia is locked in a war with the West over Ukraine, and China is at odds with many of its Asian neighbours, including India, Japan, the Philippines, and Vietnam, as well as the US.
The gloomy prospect for multilateralism is in contrast with India’s brightening opportunities to shape regional and global orders. Delhi’s role is critical in the Indo-Pacific Quadrilateral Forum, in the attempt to broaden the ambit of the G20 to address the concerns of the Global South and in the promotion of balanced globalisation that will help all countries.
Although there is much focus on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the problems it has created for the world economy and the forging of a consensus at the G20, it is Xi’s China that presents enduring challenges to multilateralism.
With its new-found economic clout and growing military power, Chinese expansionism has begun to pose a great challenge in Asia, and its staunch support for Russia is part of the problem in Europe.
Explained
India that is Bharat: How constituent assembly decided (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 2, Governance)
“India, that is, Bharat, shall be a Union of States.” From whether two commas were necessary to the order of the words to the name of the newly independent nation itself, what would become Article 1 of the Constitution of India was passionately debated in the Constituent Assembly.
The first debate on Article 1 was to begin on November 17, 1948. However, on the suggestion of Govind Ballabh Pant, the discussion on the name was postponed to a later date.
On September 17, 1949 Dr B R Ambedkar presented to the House the final version of the provision, which included both ‘Bharat’ and ‘India’. Several members expressed themselves against the use of ‘India’, which they saw as a reminder of the colonial past.
Seth Govind Das from Jabalpur preferred to place Bharat over India. A popular demand by several members was also to underline that India was a substitute for Bharat in “English language”.
India, that is, Bharat” are not beautiful words for, the name of a country. We should have put the words “Bharat known as India also in foreign countries.
Hari Vishnu Kamath used the example of the Irish Constitution to argue that the word ‘India’ was only a translation of Bharat.
What is the black sea grain deal and why is it significant? (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (September 4) said he was confident Russia would “soon” revive the Black Sea grain deal, which was signed in July 2022 and assured safe passage to ships carrying grain from Ukraine. In July this year, Russia refused to extend the deal.
Since then, Turkey has repeatedly pledged to renew it to help avoid a food crisis in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, however, said the deal will not be restored until the West meets its obligations to facilitate Russian agricultural exports. The comments came after they held talks on Monday at the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.
Ukraine is among the world’s biggest exporters of food grains, such as wheat and corn, and a major contributor to the UN’s food aid programmes.
After Russia attacked the country and blockaded its ports, it sent food prices soaring and raised fears of food security in the poorer nations of the world. For example, Pakistan witnessed wheat prices skyrocket to crisis levels.
A short history of nation’s names from Rig Veda to the constitution (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 2, Governance)
Opposition politicians have been posting images of an official invitation to a G20 dinner hosted by “The President of Bharat” instead of the usual “President of India”.
There is speculation of an official change in the name of the country from India to Bharat, even though Article 1 of the Constitution uses the two names interchangeably: “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.”
Also, several names such as Reserve Bank of India and the Indian Railways already have Hindi variants with “Bharatiya” in them.
In June 2020, the Supreme Court had dismissed a PIL seeking to remove “India” from the Constitution and retain only Bharat in order to “ensure the citizens of this country get over the colonial past.
The roots of “Bharat”, “Bharata”, or “Bharatvarsha” are traced back to Puranic literature, and to the epic Mahabharata. The Puranas describe Bharata as the land between the “sea in the south and the abode of snow in the north”.
Social scientist Catherine Clémentin-Ojha explained Bharata in the sense of a religious and socio-cultural entity, rather than a political or geographical one.
Economy
Need to set up framework to handle challenges related to crypto assets (Page no. 15)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called for setting up a framework for handling challenges related to crypto assets.
Besides, cyber threat is another area which needs global cooperation.
India’s Presidency has put on table in the G20 issues related to regulating or understanding that there should be a framework for handling issues related to crypto assets,” Sitharaman said while addressing the Global Fintech Fest.
She said active discussions are happening on this. Even the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Financial Stability Board (FSB) have submitted synthesis paper on crypto assets.
Crypto (is a) threat as well as an opportunity. But crypto is also an example to say how unless global cooperation works out well, you are not going to be able to have a responsible financial ecosystem which can regulate it as well.
In December last year, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das warned that private cryptocurrencies, if allowed to grow, would lead to the ‘next financial crisis’ and reiterated his stance to prohibit them.
This comes in the wake government plans to move ahead with its ongoing discussions for formulating an overarching regulatory and taxation framework for crypto assets, a move which had been stalled in wait for a global framework. In last year’s Budget, even though the government brought in a tax for cryptocurrencies, it did not proceed ahead with framing any futher regulations for it despite the Reserve Bank of India having proposed a ban on it. In July last year, underscoring that the RBI has expressed concerns over cryptocurrencies and sought a ban on them from the government, Sitharaman said in Parliament that “international collaboration” would be needed for any effective regulation or ban on cryptocurrency as the digital currency is borderless in nature.
SEBI to launch one hour settlement of trades: How it will benefit investors (Page no. 15)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), which had in July announced it was working to launch real-time settlement of trades, is now planning to implement one-hour settlement of trades first.
The regulator is aiming to launch one-hour settlement of trades by March next year, its Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch said.
She also said the Application Supported by Blocked Amount (ASBA)-like facility for trading in the secondary market will likely be launched in January 2024.
Settlement is a two-way process which involves the transfer of funds and securities on the settlement date. A trade settlement is said to be complete once purchased securities of a listed company are delivered to the buyer and the seller gets the money.
The current cycle of T+1 means trade-related settlements happen within a day, or 24 hours of the actual transactions. The migration to the T+1 cycle came into effect in January this year. India became the second country in the world to start the T+1 settlement cycle in top-listed securities after China, bringing in operational efficiency, faster fund remittances.
Recurring food price shocks pose risk to inflation: RBI Guv (Page no. 15)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das said the recurring food price shocks pose a risk to anchoring inflation expectations.
Retail inflation or consumer price-based inflation (CPI) rose to a 15-month high of 7.44 per cent in July from 4.81 per cent in June.
This surge was primarily driven by a rise in prices of vegetables, cereals, pulses, spices and milk and products.
The frequent incidences of recurring food price shocks pose a risk to anchoring of inflation expectations, which has been underway since September 2022. We will remain watchful of this while delivering a lecture at Delhi School of Economics.
He said the role of continued and timely supply side interventions, as being undertaken by the government, assumes criticality in limiting the severity and duration of such food price shocks.
In these circumstances, it is necessary to be watchful of any risk to price stability and act timely and appropriately. We remain firmly focused on aligning inflation to the target of 4 per cent.
The government has mandated the central bank with keeping CPI at 4 per cent, with a comfort band of +/- 2 per cent.
Das reiterated that given the likely short-term nature of the vegetable price shocks, monetary policy can await the dissipation of the first-round effects of such shocks which may produce short-lived spikes in headline inflation.