PM must be present when 'Pahalgam-Op Sindoor-Trump' discussed in Parliament: Congress
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh also took a swipe at Modi over his foreign visit this week, saying "48 hours later, the Super Premium Frequent Flyer" will start yet another foreign visit and the "people of Manipur will have more cause for disappointment".
Prime Minister Modi will pay a four-day visit to the United Kingdom and the Maldives from Wednesday to shore up overall bilateral ties and formalise the landmark India-UK free trade deal.
In a post on X before the start of the session, Ramesh said, "Very shortly the nattily dressed Prime Minister will give his usual Desh ke Naam Sandesh through the media outside the Parliament Building before the commencement of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
This will be full of his usual platitudes and hypocrisy.
"Prime Minister Modi is very, very, very rarely present in Parliament.
He speaks once a year on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address.
But this time he owes it to the country to be present when the issue of Pahalgam-Operation Sindoor-President Trump is finally taken up for discussion," Ramesh said.
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Indian Express
24 minutes ago
- Indian Express
UPSC Key: India-Singapore ties, Agnipath scheme, and Income Tax Bill 2025
Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for August 14, 2025. If you missed the August 13, 2025, UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here. Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests. What's the ongoing story: INDIA AND Singapore on Wednesday finalised around ten as the top ministers from both sides met in Delhi, ahead of a possible visit by Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong next month. Key Points to Ponder: — What is the history of India-Singapore relations? — What are the areas of cooperation between both the countries? — What is the Act East policy? — How is Singapore an important facilitator of India's Act East policy? — In the light of India's semiconductor push, what is the significance of Singapore for India? Key Takeaways: — Pacts were signed on areas including connectivity, digitalisation, healthcare and medicine, skills development and advanced technology, an official statement said. — External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw held the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable with six Singaporean ministers. — At the third ISMR, the two sides are also understood to have deliberated on an ambitious proposal to lay an undersea cable to carry solar energy from India to Singapore that will also provide data connectivity. — An Indian statement said the two sides reviewed the progress of various bilateral cooperation initiatives under the six pillars of the ISMR — advanced manufacturing, connectivity, digitalisation, healthcare and medicine, skills development and sustainability. — It said India views Singapore as an important partner in its 'Act East' policy. The inaugural ISMR was held in New Delhi in September 2022 and the second meeting was held in Singapore in August 2024. Do You Know: — Underlining the strategic partnership between India and Singapore, Modi said in his visit to Singapore last year: 'Over the past 10 years, our trade has more than doubled. Mutual investment has increased almost threefold to cross US$150 billion. Singapore was the first country with which we launched the UPI person-to-person payment facility.' Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Singapore & Semiconductors Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (1) What is the correct sequence of occurrence of the following cities in South-East Asia as one proceeds from south to north? (UPSC CSE 2014) 1. Bangkok 2. Hanoi 3. Jakarta 4. Singapore Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 4 – 2 – 1 – 3 (b) 3 – 2 – 4 – 1 (c) 3 – 4 – 1 – 2 (d) 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Main Examination: General Studies-III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. What's the ongoing story: A new draft on the plastics treaty shared Wednesday on the penultimate day of the global negotiations has left out provisions on plastic production cuts, chemicals of concerns, and no clear definition of plastics, threatening to derail consensus on an agreement. Around 190 countries have assembled in Geneva to negotiate the first-ever treaty to end plastic pollution. Key Points to Ponder: — Read about plastics and their different categories. — Why is a global plastic treaty required? — What are the challenges faced by global leaders in drafting a legally binding treaty to address plastic pollution. — What is the significance of the Global Plastic Treaty in the context of international environmental agreements? — What is India's position on the plastics treaty? — Read about the Plastic Waste Management Rule 2021. Key Takeaways: — The talks in Geneva reached a critical point as the chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), leading the task to thrash out a treaty, shared the draft at a stocktake plenary, drawing sharp reactions from several countries. Luis Vayas Valdivieso, the Ecuadorian diplomat chairing the INC of UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said during the plenary that he had shared a draft in his capacity as the chair, capturing areas of convergence and disagreements. — The draft text and the procedural pathway expressed by Valdivieso drew sharp reactions from countries. The draft was unequivocally slammed by both, a bloc of countries pushing for production cuts and called 'imbalanced' and the bloc of countries led by Kuwait and other oil producing countries, who want to focus on plastic waste management. — Countries have been pushing to address the full life-cycle, which includes addressing upstream issues such as limiting manufacturing of polluting plastic products, prohibiting use of toxic chemicals, and including a list of products for phase-out. — India aligned with Kuwait and said there are some 'serious concerns' and 'fundamental elements' were missing, said Naresh Pal Gangwar, Additional Secretary, Environment Ministry. — In the crucial article on 'plastic products', the draft said that countries should take measures 'as appropriate' and 'in accordance' with national circumstances and capabilities to manage, reduce, or not allow import or export of plastic products. This was seen as a major dilution by several countries, who slammed the draft for being 'weak' and lacking any legally binding goals. Do You Know: — The Plastic Waste Management Rule 2021 banned the use of single-use plastics covering 19 categories in 2022. Single-use plastic refers to plastic items that are used once and discarded. Single-use plastic has among the highest shares of plastic manufactured and used — from packaging of items, to bottles (shampoo, detergents, cosmetics), polythene bags, face masks, coffee cups, cling film, trash bags, food packaging etc. — According to the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, there are 7 categories of plastics on the basis of their recyclability. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Why the world needs a global plastic treaty Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (2) Consider the following: (UPSC CSE 2025) 1. Cigarette butts 2. Eyeglass lenses 3. Car tyres How many of them contain plastic? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All the three (d) None (3) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2024) Statement-I: Many chewing gums found in the market are considered a source of environmental pollution. Statement-II: Many chewing gums contain plastic as gum base. Which pone of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I (b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I (c) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect (d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies-III: Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security. What's the ongoing story: The Armed Forces are discussing a reassessment of the Agnipath scheme, keeping in mind the requirement for an ideal ratio between technically proficient and trained manpower and a reduced age profile of soldiers in the military, The Indian Express has learnt. Key Points to Ponder: — What is the Agnipath scheme? — What are the issues related to this scheme? — How is Agnipath different from regular military service? — Do Agniveers draw pensions post-retirement? — What is the rationale for introducing the Agnipath scheme? Key Takeaways: — The services have been periodically reviewing the scheme — for recruitment of soldiers, airmen and sailors for a limited period of four years — ever since it was introduced in 2022. — While there have been discussions between the services and the Department of Military Affairs on possible tweaks, no major changes have been cleared so far. — However, according to sources, following Operation Sindoor in May, there have been discussions on increasing the retention of Agniveers, based on factors such as training, experience and expertise acquired by them in their four years. — The first batch of Agniveers will complete their four years by 2026-end, and a decision on making changes to the scheme is likely to take place around that time. — According to current rules, at the end of the four-year tenure, up to 25% of the Agniveers can join the services, subject to merit and organisational requirements. — According to sources, discussions are underway in the Army to increase this retention percentage — with the number varying in different departments. — While there are increasing efforts to procure and induct a range of new generation military platforms, equipment and modern technologies in the Armed Forces after Operation Sindoor, much of the discussions stem from the requirement of a bigger manpower trained to use them. — In the Army, for instance, most of such specialised training is done after Agniveers join their respective units after the initial six months of training at their regimental centres. — Earlier this year, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi had said that efforts to align Agniveers' leave policies with those of regular soldiers and to harmonise benefits in case of casualties were also being considered. — He also mentioned the requirement for technically skilled recruits and spoke about the possibility of increasing the upper age limit from 21 to 23 years. Do You Know: — Agnipath was aimed at recruiting personnel below officer ranks — soldiers, airmen, and sailors who are not commissioned officers — to the Indian Armed Forces for a period of four years. — At the end of this tenure, upto 25% of these recruits, the so called 'Agniveers', can join the services on a permanent commission (another 15 years), subject to merit and organisational requirements. — Aspirants between the ages of 17.5 years and 23 years are eligible to apply (the upper age limit was increased from 21), and the recruitment standards remain the same as with regular service, prior to Agnipath. — The scheme was announced in June 2022, after military recruitment was paused for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. — Agniveers draw a basic salary of Rs 30,000-Rs 40,000 per month, and are entitled to other risk and hardship allowances. — They contribute 30% of their monthly emoluments to the Seva Nidhi fund, which the government matches. At the end of their service, they receive approximately Rs 11.71 lakhs (with interest) as a lump sum severance package from this fund, which is exempt from income tax. — If they die on duty, their family receives a lump sum of Rs 1 crore (including the Seva Nidhi package), and full pay for the period which the soldier could not serve. In case of disability, an Agniveer can receive upto Rs 44 lakh as compensation, depending on the percentage of disability suffered which is attributed to, or aggravated by military service. — Unlike soldiers in regular service, Agniveers do not draw pensions post-retirement. Only the 25% of Agniveers who get absorbed into the forces after four years will receive pensionary benefits, although the initial four years of service will not be considered for these. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Explained: What is the Agnipath scheme and the opposition to it? Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: The diverse nature of India as a multi-religious and multi-ethnic society is not immune to the impact of radicalism which has been in her neighborhood. Discuss along with the strategies to be adopted to counter this environment. (UPSC CSE 2014) Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times. What's the ongoing story: During a discussion in the state Assembly last week, legislators across party lines demanded the legalisation of bull fighting in Goa. The MLAs said that bull fighting, locally referred to as dhirio or dhiri, is an integral part of Goa's cultural fabric. Key Points to Ponder: — What is the bull festival of Spain called? — How is dhiri different from Spain's bull fight? — Are there any constitutional provisions related to cruelty against animals? — What are the other traditional sports in India that involve animals? — What is the Supreme Court ruling on the Jallikattu festival? — What is the objective of enacting the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960? Key Takeaways: — In the book Goa, Cradle of My Dreams (1988) Nora Secco de Souza described Goan bull fighting as a 'less complicated' and 'less colourful affair' than its Spanish counterpart 'for there are no flamboyant matadors [in dhiri]'. — These bull fights have traditionally been held in paddy fields and football grounds of Goa, with village shepherds bringing in their animals. — Dhiri was a 'part and parcel of every Church fest' and villagers from miles around would gather to witness the popular sport in which 'two thorough-bred bulls fight each other'. — The bull that gets pushed out of the arena first or turns and runs away loses the fight, unlike in Spain where the animal has to die for the fight to end. A fight can be over in a few minutes or stretch for more than an hour. — 'It is a straight fight till one bull falls or flees. Often a bull is seriously injured,' said one bull owner who was previously involved in the practice. Bulls can even be gored to death at times. Agitated bulls may also charge at spectators, causing grievous injuries. — The bulls often had names such as (Mike) Tyson and Rambo (the famous Sylvester Stallone character), and had a devoted fan following, Gracias said. — In September 1996, Xavier Fernandes from Cana-Benaulim was killed by a 'violent' bull at a fight organised at Ambaji-Fatorda. After the incident, the NGO People for Animals filed a petition in the High Court of Bombay at Goa contending that bull fights were occurring illegally in contravention to the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. — The High Court subsequentlly found bullfights to be illegal and said they 'cannot be permitted to be organised'. The Court directed the state to take immediate steps to ban 'all types of animal fights including bull fights and 'dhirios' in the state of Goa.' — In 2021, a contempt petition was filed in the High Court, alleging that bull fights were taking place despite orders of the court. In April this year, a bull died during a bullfight in a paddy field in Betalbatim. In January, a spectator was gored to death at a bull fight near Benaulim. — Supporters and bull fight aficionados argue that bull fights are a traditional 'sport of Goa'. — 'There is no cruelty. It is a sport where the strength of bulls is put to test. It is like boxing. It can be regulated. The horns of bulls can be capped, but a ban goes against the tradition,' Francis, a resident of Taleigao, told The Indian Express. — In 2023, AAP MLA from Benaulim, Venzy Viegas sought an amendment to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act to exclude dhirio, along the lines of a similar legislation passed by Tamil Nadu, which excludes the traditional sport of jallikattu from the ambit of the law. Do You Know: — A five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court on May 18, 2023 upheld the amendments made by the legislatures of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Karnataka to The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, allowing bull-taming sports like jallikattu, kambala, and bullock-cart races. — The five-judge Bench overruled the view taken by a two-judge Bench of the court in its 2014 ruling in 'Welfare Board of India v. A. Nagaraja', banning such sports including jallikattu. — Jallikattu, also known as eruthazhuvuthal, is a bull-taming sport traditionally played in Tamil Nadu as part of the Pongal harvest festival. The festival is a celebration of nature, and thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest, of which cattle-worship is part. — In 2017, Tamil Nadu amended the PCA Act to allow jallikattu in the state. The amending Act sought to preserve the cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu, and to ensure the survival and well-being of the native breeds of bulls. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Supreme Court upholds Tamil Nadu law allowing jallikattu: What is this decade-old case? Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (4) Consider the following pairs: 1. Jallikattu : Tamil nadu 2. Kambala : Karnataka 3. Dhirio : Goa How many of the above pairs are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation . General-Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation, of resources, growth, development and employment. What's the ongoing story: Parliament on Tuesday passed a new income tax Bill to replace the six-decade-old Income Tax Act, 1961. The new Bill removes redundant provisions and archaic language, and is likely to come into effect from April 1, 2026. Key Points to Ponder: — What is income tax? Who levies the income tax? — Is Income tax a progressive taxation system? — What is the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) remittances? — How has the new income tax bill defined virtual digital space? — What are the national pension system (NPS) and unified pension scheme (UPS)? Key Takeaways: — The new Income-tax Bill, 2025 was first introduced in February, and then sent to a Parliament Select Committee. On August 12, the government introduced a new version, the Income-Tax (No.2) Bill, 2025, incorporating most recommendations of the Committee. — The first draft of the Bill, introduced in February, had included a provision — Clause 263(1)(a)(ix) — that implied that taxpayers could only claim a refund if they had filed tax returns on or before the due date. The new version has removed this provision. — The new Bill also clarified that there will be nil TCS on Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) remittances for education purposes financed by any financial institution, a provision that had gone missing in the earlier version. — The Bill has corrected other drafting errors such as those related to inter-corporate dividend deductions for companies availing concessional tax rates. — The Bill has also allowed taxpayers who do not have any I-T liability to obtain a nil-TDS certificate. — The government has corrected the anomaly regarding donations linked to non-profit organisations in line with the recommendation of the Select Committee. Exemption has been allowed to NPOs for 5 per cent of the 'total' donation instead of just 5 per cent of 'anonymous' donations, as is the case in the existing Act. — The new Bill introduces the concept of 'tax year', which has been defined as the 12-month period beginning April 1. The concept was introduced in the first draft in February. — The new Bill removes redundant provisions and archaic language and reduces the number of Sections from 819 in the Income Tax Act of 1961 to 536 and the number of chapters from 47 to 23. — The government has, however, retained the contentious definition of 'virtual digital space' — the powers to call for information by income tax authorities during surveys, searches and seizures, including email servers, social media accounts, online investment, trading and banking accounts, remote or cloud servers and digital application platforms. — Separately, the government also brought in the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which amends the Finance Act, 2025. — The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill also extended income tax benefits under the market-linked national pension system (NPS) to the guaranteed unified pension scheme (UPS), by allowing tax-free withdrawal of lump sum payments or the accumulated UPS corpus, up to 60 per cent, at the time of retirement. Do You Know: — Overseas remittances by Indian residents under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) fell by 29 per cent to $1,964.21 million in February 2025 from $2,768.89 million in January. — Under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, resident individuals, including minors, can freely remit up to $2,50,000 per financial year for permissible current or capital account transactions. These transactions include education, medical treatment abroad, purchase of property, and investments in foreign stocks. — The new I-T bill has defined 'virtual digital space' in the powers to call for information by income tax authorities during surveys, searches and seizures. — It defines a virtual digital space as 'any digital realm that allows users to interact, communicate and perform activities' through computer technology. It also allows tax authorities to override the access code to any said computer system, or virtual digital space, where the access code thereof is not available. — The National Pension Scheme (NPS) replaced the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) on January 1, 2004. — Like the OPS, the UPS provides a guaranteed pension. It aims to give stability, dignity, and financial security to government employees after retirement, assuring their well-being and a secure future. More importantly, the UPS promises retirees a fixed pension, unlike the NPS. This was one of the major criticisms of the NPS. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Overseas remittances by Indians under LRS were down 29% in February to $1,964.21 mn: Here's why 📍New Income Tax Bill defines virtual digital space for searches, seizures Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (5) With reference to India's decision to levy an equalization tax of 6% on online advertisement services offered by non-resident entities, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. It is introduced as a part of the Income Tax Act. 2. Non-resident entities that offer advertisement services in India can claim a tax credit in their home country under the 'Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements'. Select the correct answer using the code given below : (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance, Economic Development Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Government policies and interventions, Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation, of resources, growth, development. What's the ongoing story: The much-awaited bill to amend the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who said that the proposed changes are aimed at reducing delays, maximising value for all stakeholders, and improving governance of all processes under the Code. Key Points to Ponder: — What is the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)? — Read about the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India. — What were the first generation of economic reforms? — Why was the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code introduced? — What are the issues associated with IBC? — What steps should be taken to address the issues and challenges associated with the functioning of the IBC? — What are the key changes proposed in the amendment bill? Key Takeaways: — The proposed modifications include provisions to ensure faster admission of insolvency cases, an out-of-court mechanism to address 'genuine business failures', and introduction of group and cross-border insolvency frameworks, and a slew of others. — Introduced in 2016, the IBC promised an overhaul of insolvency resolution with the aim to rescue and reorganise distressed companies through a time-bound process, prioritising their survival as going concerns. — While the IBC has fostered a culture of accountability and credit discipline among debtors, its efficiency has been undermined by procedural delays, shortage of personnel, deviations from key principles, and slow implementation of critical provisions. — Although the IBC has had a few successes, it has been marred by issues like high case backlog, lengthy delays in admission and resolution, and steep haircuts for creditors. Over the past couple of years, various stakeholders flagged concerns and the need to rethink the IBC's design. — The amendment bill—referred to a select committee for consultations—is expected to help make the insolvency resolution process swifter and efficient, in addition to being in line with international best practices. The proposed amendments are to facilitate faster admission, resolution, and liquidation, maximise asset value, and improve governance. — One of the key changes proposed in the amendment bill is that an insolvency application filed by a financial creditor 'must' be admitted if the default is proven, procedural compliance is met, and there are no disciplinary proceedings against the resolution professional. This means that there will be no real scope for rejecting such applications on additional grounds, and the default would be the only real ground for consideration of an insolvency application. — The bill also clarifies that records from financial institutions are to be considered as sufficient and conclusive proof of default by the debtor. — The amendment bill also stipulates that the adjudicating authority — the NCLT — should strictly enforce the 14-day timeline to decide on admission of insolvency applications, and if there is a delay, it would need to 'record the reasons for such delay in writing'. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍With long delays and steep haircuts, chorus for revamping IBC grows louder ALSO IN NEWS This AI-tool will automatically generate minutes of meetings of gram sabhas, the primary body of the Panchayati Raj system, consisting of all registered voters of a gram panchayat. The visits are taking place in the run-up to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin in China, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to travel on August 31-September 1. Delhi is following its multi-alignment foreign policy, and will be careful not to become part of an anti-Western grouping. Delhi likes to portray itself as a non-Western, and not an anti-Western country, keeping intact its strategic autonomy. Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for July 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at
Hindustan Times
27 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
40 years of Assam Accord: A lookback at gains and unfulfilled clauses
On Tuesday, leaders from Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), a regional party in Assam, met Congress MP and leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, in Delhi. Also present were Assam Congress president and the party's deputy leader in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, and two other Congress MPs from the state Pradyut Bordoloi and Rakibul Hussain. Leaders from Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), a regional party in Assam, met Congress MP and leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, in Delhi. (@INCAssam) Among other issues including next year's assembly polls in the northeastern state and a likely alliance between AJP and Congress, the leaders discussed the Assam Accord and its implementation. The regional party's president Lurinjyoti Gogoi later told journalists that he urged Gandhi to raise the issue of non-implementation of critical clauses of the accord in Parliament. The accord, which was signed on August 15, 1985 to mark the end of a six-year agitation against illegal immigrants (especially those from Bangladesh), to which Gandhi's father, the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was also a signatory, will complete 40 years this Friday. The accord signed by the union government and All Assam Students Union (AASU) and All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP), the two organisations from the state that had spearheaded the 1979-1985 agitation, is considered as the most important deal to stop illegal immigration, detect and deport foreigners residing in the state and give constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards for Assamese people. Over the past four decades many of the clauses in the accord have been fulfilled. But the core issues of fencing the entire border with Bangladesh to prevent entry of illegal immigrants, detection and deportation of all foreigners who entered the state after March 25, 1971 (the day Bangladesh came into being) and providing constitutional safeguards to Assamese people remain unfulfilled despite assurances by successive governments from different political parties including Congress, Asom Gana Parishad (formed after signing of the accord) and Bharatiya Janata Party. Assam has a separate government department, set up in 1986, to implement the accord The agitation and the accord The Assam Agitation started in 1979 after names of several thousands of dubious citizens got included in the electoral rolls of Mangaldai constituency ahead of the 1980 Lok Sabha polls. This led to fears among indigenous groups that if the influx from Bangladesh continued unabated, it would lead to political, social and demographic sidelining of the original inhabitants. The protests over the next six years were led by AASU and organisations like AAGSP and saw participation from all sections of society. Though the agitation was mainly non-violent, over 800 people were killed in police action and nearly 2,000 killed in a single night in 1983 when members of indigenous groups attacked villages in Nellie of Bengali-speaking Muslims with origins in Bangladesh. The agitation came to an end following signing of the accord. 'Foreigners who came to Assam on or after March 25, 1971 shall continue to be detected, deleted and expelled in accordance with law. Immediate and practical steps shall be taken to expel such foreigners,' stated one of the main clauses of the agreement. It added that the international border (with Bangladesh) shall be made secure against future infiltration by erection of physical barriers like walls. barbed wire fencing and other obstacles at appropriate places. Strengthening of security arrangements to prevent future infiltration adequate number of check posts would be set up, it mentioned. Clause 6 of the accord stipulates, 'Constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, as may be appropriate, shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people'. Over the past decades some of the demands raised by AASU and few included in the accord have been met. Establishment of the sprawling Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati for preservation, promotion and upliftment of culture of the people of Assam is one. Setting up of the Numaligarh Refinery Limited, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Guwahati and two central universities, Tezpur University in Tezpur and Assam University in Silchar are other such completed projects. But issues like fencing the 267-km border Assam shares with Bangladesh, which is crucial to put an end to infiltration from the neighbouring country, is yet to be completed. Of the total border around 61 km, most of which falls in riverine areas, remain unprotected. Minister for implementation of the accord, Atul Bora, told the state assembly that fencing has been completed while the rest 39-40 km still remain open. Implementation of another prominent clause regarding detection and deportation of illegal immigrants also remains partial. While there is no exact number of such persons residing in Assam some estimates say they could be anywhere from 1 to 4 million or even more. The final report on updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) for the state, which was supervised by the Supreme Court with the aim of weeding out illegal immigrants and got over in August 2019, had left out 1.9 million applicants. But that figure is debated, the list is yet to be ratified by the Registrar General of India and several petitions are pending in the apex court seeking partial or complete overhaul of the 5-year-long exercise. In the same reply to the assembly in February, Bora had mentioned that since signing of the accord, and until December 31, 2024, at least 165,531 illegal immigrants residing in Assam had been detected and declared as foreigners by tribunals specially set up for that purpose--cases against nearly 85,000 others who are suspected to be illegal foreigners are still pending. Bora had told the assembly that of those detected 30,115 were deported. Details on the rest are sketchy. In May this year, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had stated that nearly 30,000 of those declared foreigners by tribunals had gone missing with no details of their whereabouts at present. Contentious Clause 6 But the most highlighted and controversial of all things in the accord is Clause 6 that promised 'constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards' to protect the identity and heritage of 'Assamese people'. But since the accord doesn't clearly define who would be considered as 'Assamese people', there's confusion on who would enjoy the constitutional safeguards. Implementation of Clause 6 remained in the backburner for over three decades till the BJP-led government in Centre formed a committee in 2019 to suggest recommendations. The 13-member committee headed by Justice (Retd) Biplab Kumar Sarma had submitted its report to the then chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal in February 2020. It had stipulated 1951 as the cut-off date to determine who an Assamese is (those who themselves or their ancestors were living in the state in that year). Other recommendations of the committee include protection of the state's culture, heritage and languages, job safeguards (100% reservation in Grade III and IV jobs and 70% in Grade I and II jobs for Assamese people), protection of land of indigenous people as well reservations in parliamentary and assembly seats for indigenous people. The recommendations again took a backseat for five years till the state government and AASU reached an agreement in February this year on implementing 38 of the 52 recommendations of the committee. CM Sarma stated that those would include mandatory inclusion of Assamese language as a subject in all schools of Brahmaputra Valley and Assamese and Bodo languages as subjects in all schools in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR). Similarly, all schools will have to teach students about Assam's history and geography mandatorily till Class 8. It was decided that the state government and AASU would continue deliberations on how to implement the rest of the recommendations and also urge the Centre to find ways to take forward some other recommendations like reservations in Lok Sabha and assembly seats for indigenous people, which don't fall under purview of the state government. With elections happening in few months and issues like illegal immigrants, evictions of 'suspected Bangladeshis' from government and forest lands, rights of indigenous people coming to focus again, the Assam Accord and its implementation will again hit headlines with parties doling out assurances and blaming rivals for the long delay in reaching its stated objectives.
India.com
27 minutes ago
- India.com
Former US ambassador makes massive statement, explains why Donald Trump imposed 50 percent tariff on India, lack of response led to...
Donald Trump- File image New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has imposed a steep 50 percent tariff on India over its purchases of Russian oil. The new rate will come into effect in 21 days, so on 27 August, according to the executive order. A response from India's foreign ministry said Delhi had already made clear its stance on imports from Russia, and reiterated that the tariff is 'unfair, unjustified and unreasonable'. To recall, in May, the Modi government outrightly rejected Trump's so-called role in the ceasefire with Pakistan. Former Indian ambassador and renowned author Vikas Swarup revealed that Trump's displeasure is also linked to India joining the BRICS organisation and refusing to bow to US pressure during trade negotiations. While talking to news agency ANI, the former Indian ambassador said that India–US relations are strategic, whereas US–Pakistan relations are merely a money game. The ambassador also praised India's firm stance. He also warned that Trump's tariffs would lead to a rise in inflation within the United States itself. What Vikas Swarup say: In an interview with ANI, Vikas Swarup, who is a former High Commissioner to Canada, said steps being taken by the US President Donald Trump will eventually lead to ratcheting up inflation in America. 'US called India a 'Tariff King'. But now the 'Tariff King' in the world is the United States because our average tariff is about 15.98%. The US tariff today is 18.4%. So, it is now the 'Tariff King' of the world. But the fact is, tariffs are bringing in money. They will bring in about a 100 billion dollars a year for the US. But the issue is that eventually who will pay for these tariffs? By American consumers. So, what's going to happen is this is going to ratchet up inflation in America, it's going to ratchet up prices in America. I think that's when the chickens will come home to roost,' he said. 'If you cave in to a bully then the bully will increase his demands. Then there will be even more demands. So, I think we have done the right thing. India is too large, too proud a country to become a camp follower of any other country. Our strategic autonomy has been the bedrock of our foreign policy right from the 1950s. I don't think that any Govt in Delhi can compromise on that,' says former diplomat Vikas Swarup on the tariff rift between India and the US,' he added. President Trump announced 25 per cent tariffs on Indian goods plus an unspecified penalty in July, even as there were hopes of an interim India-US trade deal that would have otherwise helped avoid elevated tariffs. A few days later, he imposed another 25 per cent tariff, taking the total to 50 per cent, over India's imports of Russian oil. On Opposition questioning India's Foreign Policy and diplomacy, Vikas Swarup said India should not cave in to any pressure as India's strategic autonomy is non-negotiable'. Here, I would not blame our diplomats at all. I think what has happened is Pakistan, through some intermediaries, has gotten the ear of the US President and that is why, two visits by Asim Munir to Washington, the so-called 'deal' with America on so-called 'oil reserves' of Pakistan. More importantly, I think Pakistan is now trying to position itself as the 'Crypto King' of South Asia and there, through World Liberty Financial in which Trump's family has stakes, Steve Witkoff's family has a stake, through that I think Pakistan has managed to project an image of itself as a reliable partner…All these things have led to Trump having a softer approach towards Pakistan,' he said.
