“You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.”
Evan Esar
“आप अपने जीवन काल के लिए कुछ नहीं कर सकते हैं, लेकिन आप इसे मूल्यवान बनाने के लिए कुछ अवश्य ही कर सकते हैं।”
इवान ईसार
Thursday, September 07, 2023
Quote of the Day September 7, 2023
Manipur Proposes More Autonomy for Hill Councils Amid Conflict
Manipur’s state government has proposed granting more autonomy to existing autonomous hill councils in an attempt to address the ongoing conflict and appease the Kuki community. The Kuki community has been demanding separate administration since the violence erupted on May 3, but the state government is opposing this demand and suggesting increased autonomy for the existing councils as an alternative solution. However, sources indicate that the Kuki community may not be willing to compromise, arguing that the hill councils have proven ineffective.
Manipur’s hill areas were never included under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, unlike other northeastern states, which enjoy more extensive legislative powers. The proposed solution aims to bridge this gap but faces resistance from various quarters.
What is the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, and how does it relate to autonomous councils?
The Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution provides for the formation of autonomous administrative divisions within states, known as autonomous district councils (ADCs). These ADCs have legislative, judicial, and administrative autonomy within their respective states, particularly in matters related to tribal areas and their governance.
How do Manipur ADCs differ from Sixth Schedule ADCs?
Manipur ADCs differ from Sixth Schedule ADCs in terms of their legislative powers. While Sixth Schedule ADCs enjoy wider legislative authority, Manipur’s ADCs have limited powers, primarily focusing on personal matters like marriage, divorce, and social customs. Additionally, Sixth Schedule ADCs receive central grants, while Manipur’s ADCs depend on the state government for financial support.
Why did the hill people in Manipur boycott ADC elections for two decades?
The hill people in Manipur boycotted ADC elections for two decades (1990-2010) due to dissatisfaction with the provisions and alleged non-cooperation from the state government. They felt that the ADCs did not effectively represent their interests and demands.
What challenges have hindered the functioning of ADCs in Manipur?
ADCs in Manipur have faced challenges such as inadequate devolution of powers, budgetary constraints, and non-cooperation from the state government. Some powers granted to ADCs remained recommendatory, and budgetary allocations were insufficient, leading to non-functional ADCs in some cases.
How has the Ministry of Home Affairs viewed the functioning of ADCs in Manipur?
The Ministry of Home Affairs has observed that ADCs in Manipur have operated haphazardly, with poor budgetary allocations resulting in ADCs struggling to pay salaries. For practical purposes, many ADCs in Manipur are considered non-functional, according to official sources.
Current Affairs-September 6, 2023
INDIA
- Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), unveils the G20 Tourism and SDG Dashboard.
- ‘Green Hydrogen Pilots in India’ Conference was held in the run-up to G20 Summit.
- India Post and Shiprocket partner to strengthen e-commerce export ecosystem.
- India rejected the concerns of a team of United Nations experts about the current situation in Manipur, saying the report was ‘unwarranted’.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden will hold bilateral talks in New Delhi.
- Aditya-L1 enters new orbit, in the second earth-bound manoeuvre of the Aditya L-1 mission.
- President Droupadi Murmu honours 75 teachers with national awards on Teachers’ Day
- Dharmendra Pradhan launches the Malaviya Mission – Teachers Training Programme by University Grants Commission.
- Jal Jeevan Mission Achieves Milestone of 13 Crore Rural Households Tap Connections.
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
- India enters MoUs with 8 countries to offer them Digital Stack, DPI at no cost.
- Union Education Ministry signed an agreement with Adobe to help children develop creative expression.
- SEBI issued guidelines to strengthen cyber security and cyber resilience framework for stock exchanges and other market infrastructure institutions (MIIs).
WORLD
- India extends support to SCO Member Countries to enhance legal and judicial capabilities.
- Southeast Asian leaders decided that Myanmar won’t be allowed to lead ASEAN in 2026.
- EU Chief warns that return of wolves to Europe a danger for livestock and also for humans.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to restore the Black Sea Grain deal.
SPORTS
- Amul is official sponsor of Indian contingent at Hangzhou Asian Games.
- Divya Deshmukh clinched the women’s rapid title at the Tata Steel Chess India tournament
India, that is Bharat: A short history of the nation’s names, from the Rig Veda to the Constitution 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.”
So where does the name ‘Bharat’ come from?
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. ‘Bharata’ refers to the “supraregional and subcontinental territory where the Brahmanical system of society prevails”, Clémentin-Ojha wrote in her 2014 article, ‘India, that is Bharat…’: One Country, Two Names (South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal).
Bharata is also the name of the ancient king of legend who was the ancestor of the Rig Vedic tribe of the Bharatas, and by extension, the progenitor of all peoples of the subcontinent.
Writing in January 1927, Jawaharlal Nehru alluded to the “fundamental unity of India” that has endured from “the remote past”: “a unity of a common faith and culture. India was Bharata, the holy land of the Hindus, and it is not without significance that the great places of Hindu pilgrimage are situated in the four corners of India — the extreme South overlooking Ceylon, the extreme West washed by the Arabian Sea, the East facing the Bay of Bengal and the North in the Himalayas.” (Selected Works Vol. 2)
And what about ‘India’ and ‘Hindustan’?
The name Hindustan is thought to have derived from ‘Hindu’, the Persian cognate form of the Sanskrit ‘Sindhu’ (Indus), which came into currency with the Achaemenid Persian conquest of the Indus valley (northwestern parts of the subcontinent) that begin in the 6th century BC (which was the time of The Buddha in the Gangetic basin).
The Achaemenids used the term to identify the lower Indus basin, and from around the first century of the Christian era, the suffix “stan” came to be used with the name to create “Hindustan”.
The Greeks, who had acquired knowledge of ‘Hind’ from the Achaemenids, transliterated the name as ‘Indus’. By the time the Macedonian king Alexander invaded India in the 3rd century BC, ‘India’ had come to be identified with the region beyond the Indus.
By the time of the early Mughals (16th century), the name ‘Hindustan’ was used to describe the entire Indo-Gangetic plain. Historian Ian J Barrow in his article, ‘From Hindustan to India: Naming Change in Changing Names’ (Journal of South Asian Studies, 2003) wrote that “in the mid-to-late eighteenth century, Hindustan often referred to the territories of the Mughal emperor, which comprised much of South Asia”.
From the late 18th century onwards, British maps increasingly began to use the name ‘India’, and ‘Hindustan’ started to lose its association with all of South Asia. “Part of the appeal of the term India may have been its Graeco-Roman associations, its long history of use in Europe, and its adoption by scientific and bureaucratic organisations such as the Survey of India,” Barrow wrote.
“The adoption of India suggests how colonial nomenclature signalled changes in perspectives and helped to usher in an understanding of the subcontinent as a single, bounded and British political territory,” he added.
How did ‘Bharat’ and ‘India’ come into the Constitution?
In his monumental ‘Discovery of India’, Nehru referred to “India”, “Bharata” and “Hindustan”: “Often, as I wandered from meeting to meeting, I spoke to my audiences of this India of ours, of Hindustan and of Bharata, the old Sanskrit name derived from the mythical founders of the race.”But when the question of naming India in the Constitution arose, ‘Hindustan’ was dropped, and both ‘Bharat’ and ‘India’ were retained
During the Constituent Assembly debates the “Name and territory of the Union” was taken up for discussion on September 17, 1949. Right from the time the first article was read out as “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States”, a division arose among the members. There were quite a few members who were against the use of the name ‘India’, which they saw as being a reminder of the colonial past.Hari Vishnu Kamath suggested that the first article should read, “Bharat, or in the English language, India, shall be and such”. Seth Govind Das, representing the Central Provinces and Berar, proposed: “Bharat known as India also in foreign countries”.
Hargovind Pant, who represented the hill districts of the United Provinces, made it clear that the people of Northern India “wanted Bharatvarsha and nothing else”.
Pant argued: “So far as the word ‘India’ is concerned, the Members seem to have, and really I fail to understand why, some attachment for it. We must know that this name was given to our country by foreigners who, having heard of the riches of this land, were tempted towards it and had robbed us of our freedom in order to acquire the wealth of our country. If we, even then, cling to the word ‘India’, it would only show that we are not ashamed of having this insulting word which has been imposed on us by alien rulers.” None of the suggestions were accepted by the committee. However, as Clémentin-Ojha pointed out in her article, they “illustrated contrasting visions of the budding nation’.
Source: Indian Express, 5/09/23
G20 Summit in Delhi: Everything you need to know about the organisation, its working, processes
Leaders from the most powerful nations in the world will flock to New Delhi for the G20 Heads of State and Government Summit to be held on September 9-10.
The culmination of India’s year-long presidency of the G20, the summit will be concluded with the adoption of a G20 Leaders’ Declaration, which will state the participating leaders’ commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings (more on that later). Here is everything you need to know about the G20 – from why the group came into existence and what exactly it does, to the specifics of the Summit that New Delhi is set to host.
What is the G20 and what does it do?
The G20, or the Group of Twenty, comprises 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States) and the European Union.
These members represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population. As a forum for international economic cooperation, it plays an important role in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance on all major international economic issues.
Some of its major objectives are as follows:
- Policy coordination between its members in order to achieve global economic stability, sustainable growth;
- To promote financial regulations that reduce risks and prevent future financial crises; and
- To create a new international financial architecture.
When did the G20 come into being? Why?
The Soviet Union fell in 1991, bringing an end to the Cold War. At the same time, vibrant economies were emerging in the Global South, in countries such as Brazil, China and India. It was in this context that a need for reform emerged in global governance and international institutions. Simply put, existing fora such as the G7, or international organisations such as the World Bank, were incapable of handling crises in the emergent global order.
In 1997, the Asian financial crisis ripped through some of the fastest-growing economies in East Asia. It soon spread to Latin America. It was in the context of this crisis that the G22, G20’s earliest iteration, was set up in 1998. While initially conceived as a one-time crisis-response meeting, in early 1999, two more meetings were convened including 33 members (G33) to discuss reforms of the global economy and the international financial system. It was in late 1999 that the G20, with its current composition, was finally founded as an informal forum for Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of its members to meet annually.
Between 1999 and 2008, the G20 operated mostly outside the public eye. While annual meetings were held, they were not the big deal they are today. The global financial crisis of 2008 would, however, catapult G20 to its present status. As the world reeled from the greatest economic crisis to hit since the Great Depression (1929-39), France, which held the EU presidency at the time, argued for an emergency summit meeting to address the crisis.But whom to invite? The G8 (comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the UK and the US) was not sufficiently influential on its own to stabilise a crisis on this scale. Typically, diplomats would deliberate for months to decide which countries to call, but amid the ongoing crisis, there was simply no time. The G20 was the obvious answer.
The first G20 Leaders’ Summit (the ‘Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy’) was convened in Washington DC in November 2008. In addition to the leaders of its 20 members, the heads of the IMF, the World Bank and the United Nations were invited, along with Spain and the Netherlands. Annual summits have been held ever since.
How does the G20 work?
It is important to note that the G20 is an informal grouping. This means that unlike the United Nations (UN), it does not have a permanent secretariat or staff. Rather, the G20 presidency rotates annually among the members and is responsible for bringing together the G20 agenda, organising its workings and hosting summits.
The presidency is supported by the “troika” – previous, current and incoming presidencies. India holds the presidency from December 1, 2022, to November 30, 2023, with the troika comprising Indonesia (the previous presidency), India, and Brazil (the incoming presidency).
The G20 is also informal in another sense – while the decisions of the G20 are important, they do not get implemented automatically. Rather, the G20 is a forum where leaders discuss various issues and make pronouncements, which signals their intentions. Then, they are implemented by relevant nations or international organisations. For instance, if the G20 makes a pronouncement on trade, the actual implementation of the pronouncement will be done by an organisation such as the World Trade Organization (WTO).
How is the G20 presidency determined?
The G20 presidency is rotated among its members who (except the EU) are divided into 5 groups.
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 | Group 5 |
| Australia | India | Argentina | France | China |
| Canada | Russia | Brazil | Germany | Indonesia |
| Saudi Arabia | South Africa | Mexico | Italy | Japan |
| USA | Türkiye | UK | South Korea |
The presidency rotates from group to group. However, each country within a group is eligible for presidency when it is their group’s turn. Thus, the countries in the eligible group negotiate among them
What does the G20 presidency entail?
As previously mentioned, the presidency is responsible for setting the G20 agenda for the year. This is done in consultation with other members as well as pertinent global developments.
The president also gets to host various meetings and the G20 Leaders’ Summit, which is the culmination of all the work done by the group at lower levels through the year. It is in charge of all logistics and in absence of a permanent secretariat, provides the human and material resources to successfully conduct the workings of the forum for the year. Moreover, the G20 president also has the prerogative to send invitations to other guest countries and organisations to take part in G20 processes for the year (more on that later).selves to determine the group’s presidency. In short, the G20 presidency is a major honour and responsibility, one which allows the country to determine the workings of the group for a year.
What is the working structure of the G20?
The G20 works in three major tracks — two of them are official and one is unofficial, former Indian diplomat JS Mukul, who served as sous-sherpa for the G20 process and was involved in six G20 summits between 2008 and 2011, told The Indian Express. The official tracks are the Finance Track and the Sherpa Track. The unofficial track includes engagement groups or civil society groups.
FINANCE TRACK: Headed by the finance ministers and central bank governors, who usually meet four times a year, it focuses on fiscal and monetary policy issues such as the global economy, infrastructure, financial regulation, financial inclusion, international financial architecture, and international taxation. It currently has 8 working groups.
SHERPA TRACK: Established after the inception of G20 Leaders’ Summit in 2008, it is headed by Sherpas, who are the appointed representatives of the member countries’ president/prime minister. It focuses on socio-economic issues such as agriculture, anti-corruption, climate, digital economy, education, employment, energy, environment, health, tourism, trade, and investment. It currently has 13 working groups.
ENGAGEMENT GROUPS: The unofficial track comprises non-government participants from each member country dealing with a gamut of issues. These groups draft recommendations to the G20 leaders that contribute to the policy-making process. There are 11 Engagement Groups at the moment.
What is on the G20 summit agenda and what has happened at the meetings so far?
The end of such summits usually results in a declaration or joint communique agreed to by all of the members. It outlines common positions on matters such as international conflicts, climate change-related commitments, the areas of future cooperation, etc.
While no concrete agenda is mentioned at the outset, broader climate change-related cooperation and sustainability have been pointed to in official statements. India, which has pitched itself as a voice of the Global South, will also have to balance its interests related to the West and Russia over a common statement on the Ukraine War.
The absence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the summit could make this more complicated. However, the two countries will be represented by senior officials: Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov from Russia and Chinese Premier Li Qiang. As of last month, India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said that 185 meetings, including 13 ministerial-level meetings, had been held so far. This includes meetings of Finance Ministers and Central Bank governors, and other Ministerial Meetings on Health, Tourism, Agriculture, Climate, etc.
Twelve outcome documents and 12 other deliverables had been adopted with consensus but no joint communique has been adopted, largely because of Russia’s objections to language concerning the Ukraine War and China’s opposition to the matter being brought up at the forum’s meetings in the first place. It has said the forum should focus on economic issues.
Who is invited to this year’s G20 Summit?
In addition to the member countries, each year, the G20 president invites guest countries to participate in the G20 meetings and the Summit. This year, India has invited Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and UAE as guest countries during its G20 presidency.
The president also invites certain international organisations (IOs). India has invited the International Solar Alliance (ISA), the Coalition of Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as guest IOs in addition to the regular G20 IOs (who participate every year) which include the UN, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank (WB), the World Health Organization (WHO), the WTO, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Financial Stability Board (FSB) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
India has also invited the chairs of the following regional organisations (RO): the African Union (AU), the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Do the invitees remain the same every year?
One of the main prerogatives that comes with the G20 presidency is the ability to invite guest countries, IOs and ROs. These invitations are a tool for the president to set the agenda and guide G20’s workings.
For instance, experts have pointed out that India’s invitations to African countries and ROs this year are part of a concerted Africa outreach by the Narendra Modi government, an effort to counter China’s ever-growing presence in the continent. India has even made calls for AU to be made a permanent member of the G20.
Why are the International and Regional Organisations invited?
IOs and ROs are important for the G20 to achieve its aims of furthering international cooperation and implementing any pronouncements made by the group.
As mentioned previously, the G20 itself is an informal grouping, in the sense that it does not have any direct power to govern or implement any pronouncements made. Rather, it depends on its members and IOs to do that. This is why it is crucial to involve IOs in the workings of the G20. For instance, one of the areas India’s G20 presidency has emphasised has been health. An organisation such as the WHO is crucial in this regard, as decisions made in the G20 can be implemented and carried forward by it.
Similarly, ROs being a part of the G20 helps further the group’s reach to countries that otherwise might not be members but who remain crucial to the G20’s agenda nonetheless. For instance, ASEAN as an RO can represent the interests of all its member countries including the likes of the Philippines and Thailand which are not otherwise a part of the G20.
What is the theme of the G20 this year?
According to the official G20 website, this year’s theme is “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — One Earth, One Family, One Future”. It is drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishad. “Essentially, the theme affirms the value of all life – human, animal, plant, and microorganisms – and their interconnectedness on the planet Earth and in the wider universe,” it adds.
Further, the website says the theme also spotlights LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), “with its associated, environmentally sustainable and responsible choices, both at the level of individual lifestyles as well as national development, leading to globally transformative actions resulting in a cleaner, greener and bluer future.”
What is the 2023 G20 logo?
A government press release says: “The G20 Logo draws inspiration from the vibrant colours of India’s national flag – saffron, white and green, and blue. It juxtaposes planet Earth with the lotus, India’s national flower that reflects growth amid challenges. The Earth reflects India’s pro-planet approach to life, one in perfect harmony with nature.”
Source: Indian Express, 7/09/23
Thursday, August 31, 2023
Quote of the Day August 31, 2023
“If I feel depressed, I go to work. Work is always an antidote to depression.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
“यदि मैं उदास महसूस करती हूं तो मैं काम पर चली जाती हूं। काम में व्यस्तता उदासी का उत्तम प्रतिकार है।”
एलेनोर रूजवेल्ट
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