India Hails U.S.-Russia Talks In Alaska, Cites PM Modi's 'Not An Era Of War' Remark
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First Post
37 minutes ago
- First Post
India voices concern over China's mega dam project on Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet
India is concerned about China's mega dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, fearing impacts on South Asia's ecology and water security, urging transparency and consultation. read more The Indian government has expressed serious concern over China's reported construction of a massive hydropower dam on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, the upper course of the Brahmaputra, warning of potential risks to South Asia's water security, ecology and livelihoods. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it is 'carefully monitoring' the project, which was first announced in 1986 and has long been viewed in New Delhi as a strategic and environmental threat. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh told Parliament that India has repeatedly conveyed its concerns to Beijing, urging transparency and consultations with downstream nations. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This project, first made public in 1986, has been a subject of concern for India due to its potential impact on the country's interests and the livelihoods of local tribes. Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, said that the government carefully monitors all developments related to the Brahmaputra River and takes necessary measures to protect its interests. The government has consistently conveyed its views and concerns to the Chinese authorities, emphasising the need for transparency and consultation with downstream countries. 'The Government of India has taken note of reports about the commencement of construction of the mega dam project by China on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo (upper reaches of the Brahmaputra) River in Tibet. This project was first made public as far back as 1986 and since then, preparations have been underway in China,' the MEA stated in response to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha. The MEA said that the government remained committed to safeguarding Indian interests in the region. 'Government carefully monitors all developments relating to the Brahmaputra river, including plans by China to develop hydropower projects, and takes necessary measures to protect our interests, including preventive and corrective measures to safeguard life and livelihood of Indian citizens residing in downstream areas,' the statement said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Yarlung Tsangpo originates in Tibet's Jiema Yangzong Glacier near Mount Kailash, flows into Arunachal Pradesh as the Siang, becomes the Brahmaputra in Assam, and eventually merges with the Ganges in Bangladesh before reaching the Bay of Bengal. Any disruptions upstream could directly affect ecosystems, agriculture, and livelihoods across the entire region, Phayul reported. The project is situated in a seismically active and ecologically fragile part of the Himalayas. Environmentalists, quoted by Phayul, have warned that such large-scale infrastructure in this region could have devastating consequences, including disrupted river flows, loss of biodiversity, and increased flood risks. India and China have discussed such issues under the Expert Level Mechanism set up in 2006, as well as through ongoing diplomatic engagement. Singh highlighted that India has urged China to ensure transparency and to engage in meaningful consultations with downstream nations before moving ahead with any hydropower developments, Phayul noted. India has also pressed for the resumption of hydrological data sharing, which China has suspended during crucial monsoon periods in the past. The issue was brought up again during External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's visit to China from July 14-16 for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, according to Phayul. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While China has promoted the dam as part of its renewable energy strategy, India remains wary that the project could allow Beijing to exert control over water flows in South Asia, a strategic tool with far-reaching consequences, Phayul reported.
New Indian Express
37 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
MEA, Commerce Ministry to brief panel on US-India trade talks amid rising tariff tensions
NEW DELHI: Officials from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Commerce Ministry will brief the MEA Standing Committee on Monday at 4 pm, focusing on the latest developments in India's foreign policy, with particular attention to the ongoing US-India trade negotiations and tariff issues. The briefing comes amid escalating trade tensions between the two nations, following the imposition of additional tariffs by the United States on Indian exports. These tariffs have strained bilateral trade relations and sparked concerns about the future trajectory of the economic partnership between the world's two largest democracies. Officials are expected to update the committee on the current status of negotiations, highlight challenges faced, and discuss possible strategies to mitigate the impact of tariffs while advancing India's trade interests in the context of additional tariffs on India for Russian oil imports, sources said. The meeting will also review diplomatic efforts aimed at finding common ground to facilitate smoother economic cooperation while keeping the national interests in mind, without any compromise. With both sides eager to reach a mutually beneficial agreement, the briefing will provide crucial insights into India's approach to managing these complex trade issues amid broader geopolitical considerations.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
The difficult path for Trump's ‘one big budget bet'
The most debated government downsizing reform that has been implemented in recent history has been the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative under the Donald Trump administration in its second term. The initiative aims to reduce U.S. federal spending, deficit, debt and interest burden, streamline government operations, and enhance government efficiency. The initiative was much in the news with the appointment of Elon Musk, to advise and guide the government on the initiative, and his declaration that the overall goal is to achieve a leaner government by cutting the deficit and reducing the number of federal agencies from over 400 to 99. Root cause of deficit and debt The need for a smaller government was felt by the Trump administration due to enormous government spending and deficits. The size of the U.S. government, measured by public expenditure as a percentage of GDP, on average, was 36.49% from 2001 to 2024. Surprisingly, this was the smallest among the seven major advanced economies (MAE). France (56.53%) had the largest government, followed by Italy (49.81%), Germany (46.64%), Canada (41.24%), the United Kingdom (41.09%), and Japan (37.56%). The size of the government in the U.S. has remained the smallest among the MAE for most of the last 25 years. Yet, overall fiscal balance and government debt have been higher in the U.S. when compared to the MAE. In the triennium ending (TE) 2024, the U.S. had a fiscal balance and debt burden of (-)6.0% and 119.5% of GDP, respectively, compared to the figures of (-)4.1% and 108.6%, respectively, for the MAE. The underlying reason is the lower revenue collection in the U.S. The total revenue of the U.S. government as a percentage of GDP on an average was the lowest (30.55%) during the period 2001–2022 compared to France (51.48%), Italy (45.93%), Germany (44.93%), Canada (39.92%), and the U.K. (36.63%). Between 2001 and 2022, the U.S. has clocked the lowest tax-GDP ratio of 19.27% as against 28.59% for Italy, 28.12% for France, 27.99% for Canada, 26.89% for the U.K., 22.70% for Germany, and 32.74% for OECD countries. Initiatives and outcomes The several expenditure reforms the DOGE has implemented are the termination of unused federal government office space leases, cancellation of wasteful contracts, recovery of misallocated funds, federal workforce optimisation involving initiatives such as hiring restrictions, workforce reduction, and offering voluntary buyouts, deregulatory measures aimed at ensuring lawful governance and reducing red tape. There is also Artificial Intelligence-based monitoring of federal employee activity, productivity assessment, and detection of inefficiencies, identifying and consolidating overlapping functions across departments, and cutting down overseas humanitarian and development spending. DOGE follows a transparent communication strategy by publicly sharing updates (on X or DOGE's portal) on the outcomes. The total estimated expenditure savings from contract/lease cancellations and renegotiations, grant cancellations, fraud and improper payment detection and elimination, asset sales, employee reductions and regulatory changes have been $190 billion, which amounts to $1,180 per taxpayer. DOGE has made the distribution of government grants transparent through a payments portal, which allows citizens to see recipient-wise payments of federal grants. DOGE's Workforce Portal provides information on the agency-wise size of the U.S. government civilian workforce. To streamline layoffs, it has implemented the 'Workforce Reshaping Tool', a modernised version of the Pentagon's Automated Reduction in Force (AutoRIF) software, which assists in terminating federal employees based on criteria such as seniority and performance. So far, approximately 2,60,000 federal employees have been laid off, retired early, or accepted buyouts. Several federal regulations were repealed and modified, with a cost savings of $30.1 billion due to reduced regulatory compliance; also, 1.8 million words have been deleted from the rules of several Federal regulations. DOGE publishes a unique unconstitutionality index (UI) measuring the extent of bureaucracy's role in shaping federal policy. As per UI, for every law passed by Congress in 2024, there were about 19 rules created by the bureaucracy. The path ahead However, DOGE's journey has seen an unexpected turn after Elon Musk publicly disagreed with U.S. President Donald Trump over the provision incorporated in the much-debated One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) for removing tax credits offered to purchase electric vehicles. The OBBB is a legislative extension of the DOGE reform, as it aims to embed multiple fiscal priorities and DOGE-style government efficiency reforms into a single federal law. Ironically, by opposing OBBB, Mr. Musk contradicted his initiatives as an adviser to DOGE. However, the bigger challenge facing the DOGE initiative is that its extended form, the OBBB, is unlikely to resolve the U.S.'s deficit and debt problem, as the tax cuts proposed in the OBBB far exceed the spending cuts, leading to an addition of $3.2 trillion to the U.S. national debt over the next decade. Currently, the U.S. has the lowest and below-OECD-average corporate tax rates among the MAE, lower effective tax rates on the rich, and tighter secrecy laws that enable tax evasion by wealthy individuals and corporations. Therefore, unless efforts are made to boost government revenues, Mr. Trump's 'One Big Budget Bet' of reducing America's deficit and debt through DOGE-style expenditure reforms is unlikely to pay off. Sthanu R Nair teaches Economics and Public Policy at the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode, Kerala. Pratik Sinha is a consultant for a multinational firm. He was an Assistant Director, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India
