🚨 The Indian Categorical UPSC Necessities brings to you the August version of its month-to-month journal. Click Here to learn. Share your views and solutions within the remark field or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨
FRONT PAGE
India lends Ukraine a shoulder
UPSC Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Present occasions of nationwide and worldwide significance
Mains Examination: Worldwide Relations
What’s the continued story- Marking a historic milestone in India’s diplomacy in Europe which has been roiled by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv Friday and requested him to take a seat with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discover a approach out of the disaster.
Stipulations:
— What’s the Russia-Ukraine conflict all about and what have been the important thing occasions?
— How was Ukraine created?
— Map work: Essential locations in information on the subject of Russia and Ukraine
— How has been the worldwide help for Ukraine and what peace efforts have been made to this point.
Key takeaways:
— PM Modi: “We now have stayed away from the conflict, however we aren’t impartial, we’re in favour of peace. We come from the land of Buddha and (Mahatma) Gandhi with a message of peace. I had advised President Putin on his face that this isn’t the period of conflict. I advised him final month that options can’t be discovered on the battlefield.”
— Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy : In a put up later, Zelenskyy stated, “At present, historical past was made. The Prime Minister of India @narendramodi made his first go to to Ukraine since our nation’s independence, on the eve of our Independence Day.” “India helps Ukraine’s nationwide sovereignty and territorial integrity. And that is important as a result of everybody on this planet should equally respect the UN Constitution,” he stated.
— Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on India’s vitality commerce with Russia: He stated it got here up throughout the discussions and it was defined to the Ukrainian facet concerning the “tight vitality market”. “India is a giant oil client. It’s a giant oil importer as a result of we don’t produce oil. So, it’s not like there’s a political technique to purchase oil. There’s an oil technique to purchase oil. There’s a market technique to purchase oil… The truth that the market is tight, that at present large suppliers like Iran and Venezuela, who used to produce India, are constrained from working freely within the markets… This issue must be taken into consideration,” he stated.
— India on Friday took a outstanding step to proactively supply New Delhi’s assist — on the highest stage by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself — to any “energetic position” that may assist finish the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
— That is the primary ever go to by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine because it turned unbiased in December 1991, and diplomatic ties had been established between the 2 nations in January 1992.
— The truth that Modi visited Moscow on July 8-9 to fulfill Russian President Vladimir Putin and adopted it up six weeks later with a go to to Kyiv to fulfill President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — places him in an distinctive place of growing direct contact between the leaders of the 2 warring sides.
— India selected to distance itself from the US-led Western bloc’s place of imposing sanctions on Russia, nevertheless it additionally expressed “heartbreaking” concern on the killing of harmless kids. Modi conveyed to the Russian President Putin that “this isn’t the period of conflict”.
— New Delhi has stayed away from contributing to the conflict efforts on each side instantly, and as a substitute, despatched humanitarian help to Ukraine.
— The Indian place of abstaining from the UN resolutions over the previous two-and-half years, and making it clear that “dialogue and diplomacy” is the way in which ahead tasks Delhi as a participant working in direction of peace.
— The vital aspect of India asking Putin and Zelenskyy to take a seat collectively — signifies that Delhi is able to nudge each to have a direct dialog, as a substitute of peace summits that are unrepresented by one facet — Russia was not a part of the Ukraine summit in Switzerland’s Burgenstock in June this yr.
— India has been a part of a number of multilateral summits which have talked concerning the course of to resolve the battle, however there has not been any headway to this point.
— Quickly after reaching the Ukrainian capital right here from Poland, Modi was greeted by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the multimedia Martyrologist Exposition on kids on the Nationwide Museum of Historical past of Ukraine right here.
— After watching the multimedia displays — that gave details about scores of kids who died throughout the battle — as a part of the Exposition, Modi and Zelenskyy each stood in entrance of a wall-like construction, which already had lots of toys positioned within the reminiscence of the kids and honoured the reminiscence of the fallen younger Ukrainians with a second of silence. The multimedia undertaking ‘Youngsters’ was created in June 2022 on the Day of Remembrance of Youngsters Killed by Russia’s Armed Aggression in opposition to Ukraine, the assertion from Zelenskyy’s workplace stated.
— In Could 2024, UNICEF stated that almost 2,000 kids have been killed for the reason that starting of the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
MUST-READ:
Raja Mohan writes: “It took the tragic and a globally disruptive conflict to deliver Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kyiv, the first such visit since Ukraine re-established itself as an unbiased nation amid the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.
However by displaying up in Ukraine and lending a shoulder to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who’s main a badly battered nation to defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty, Modi has initiated three vital processes: insert India into Europe’s quest for peace; develop Delhi’s room for manoeuvre within the international geopolitical churn triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine; and reclaim Delhi’s misplaced bonds with Kyiv within the post-Soviet period.”
For Your Data:
Assessing Ukraine’s deep incursion in Russia from Defined web page
—President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday stated Ukrainian troops proceed to seize territory and Russian troopers in Russia’s Kursk Oblast for the reason that launch of Ukraine’s shock incursion into the area greater than two weeks in the past.
— Russia on its half stated that it had foiled a Ukrainian try to seize land within the neighbouring Bryansk Oblast, about 240 km away from the positioning of the incursion into Kursk.
— Ukraine’s assault in Kursk, which started early on August 6, got here after months of regular positive aspects by Russia on the battlefield.
— Many consultants see the incursion as a significant second within the conflict that’s now in its third yr — a hit that has helped Kyiv change the narrative that had taken root following its losses and setbacks suffered elsewhere.
— Observers have listed three possible aims of the incursion:
A BARGAINING CHIP: Ukraine needs to make use of the captured territory as a bargaining chip for any future negotiation with Russia. If Donald Trump returns to the White Home early subsequent yr, he might drive Kyiv to barter by withdrawing American military-technical help.
TO BOOST MORALE: It has been prompt that Ukraine wished to spice up the morale of its folks and troops after failing to cease the Russian advance within the east. Ukraine additionally wished to show to the West that serving to it with arms and funds isn’t but a misplaced trigger.
BATTLEFIELD TACTIC: The incursion may very well be a tactic to drive Russia to divert its forces from the most well liked battlefields in jap Ukraine, the place they’re coming near fulfilling their objective of capturing the entire Donetsk area.
BHISHM from GOVT & POLITICS Web page
— After his bilateral talks with President Volodymr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted 4 BHISHM cubes — compact, cellular medical models aimed toward offering emergency care — to his authorities.
— Bharat Well being Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri (BHISHM) cubes have been developed underneath the federal government’s Undertaking Aarogya Maitri, a programme to supply important medical provides to growing nations as humanitarian help.
Factors to Ponder:
— Delhi firmly believes Moscow and Kyiv want to speak to one another, and never discuss at one another — to place an finish to the conflict. That’s simpler stated than completed. Focus on.
— Has Ukraine might have made a mistake in going deep into Kursk?
— What has been India’s stand on the Russia-Ukraine conflict?
Publish Learn Query:
1. As regards to PM Modi’s current go to to Ukraine, think about the next statements:
1. India gifted 4 BHISHM cubes to Ukraine which have been developed underneath the federal government’s Undertaking Ayushman Bharat.
2. This was the primary ever go to by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine because it turned unbiased.
Which of the next statements isn’t true?
(a) Just one
(b) Solely 2
(c) Each 1 and a pair of
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Different Essential Articles Overlaying the identical matter:
Two years on, global support for Ukraine won’t falter
Why Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ukraine is significant
Ukraine: A short history of its creation
India, US sign key defence supply pact as Rajnath begins 4-day visit
UPSC Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Present occasions of nationwide and worldwide significance
Mains Examination: GS-II: Worldwide relations
What’s the continued story- As Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reached Washington DC on a four-day official go to, India and US on Thursday signed two key pacts — a non-binding Safety of Provide Association (SOSA) and a Memorandum of Settlement relating to Task of Liaison Officers.
Stipulations:
Bilateral relations between India-US
What are the 4 Defence agreements between India and the US?
Key takeaways:
— The Safety of Provide Association (SOSA) will mandate the US and India to supply reciprocal precedence help for items and companies that promote nationwide defence.
— “The association will allow each nations to accumulate the commercial assets they want from each other to resolve unanticipated provide chain disruptions to fulfill nationwide safety wants,” stated a press release issued by the US Division of Defence.
— The SOSA signed in Washington DC encourages the defence industrial ecosystems of each nations to work collectively, and enhances the availability chain resilience.
— India is the 18th SOSA associate of the US after Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.
For Your Data:
— The SOSA represents a pivotal second within the US-India main defence associate relationship and will probably be a key consider strengthening the Defence Know-how and Commerce Initiative (DTTI) between the 2 nations.
— Underneath the Association, the US and India have dedicated to help each other’s precedence supply requests for procurement of important nationwide defence assets, the assertion stated.
— It stated the US will present India assurances underneath the US Protection Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS), with programme determinations by DoD and ranking authorisation by the Division of Commerce (DoC).
— India will in flip set up a government-industry Code of Conduct with its industrial base, the place Indian companies will voluntarily comply with make each cheap effort to supply the US precedence help.
— The US industrial base coverage states that the SOSA is carried out underneath overarching Declarations of Rules for Enhanced Cooperation in issues of defence gear and {industry} which were signed with choose nations.
Factors to Ponder:
— Which different nations are concerned in SOSA with the US?
— Logistics Alternate Memorandum of Settlement
— Communications Compatibility and Safety Settlement
Publish Learn Query:
2. Contemplate the next:
1. Initiative on Essential and Rising Know-how (iCET)
2. International semiconductor provide chains
3. Logistics Alternate Memorandum of Settlement
On how lots of the above does India have signed Memorandum of Settlement with the US?
(a) Just one
(b) Solely two
(c) All three
(d) None
Different Essential Articles Overlaying the identical matter:
India-US together can ensure global peace, prosperity, stability: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
Govt & politics
Insult an offence under SC/ST Act only if based on caste: SC
UPSC Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Present occasions of nationwide significance
Mains Examination: GS-II: Indian polity and governance
What’s the continued story- The Supreme Court docket on Friday reiterated that “insults or intimidations” of a member of Scheduled Castes (SC) or Scheduled Tribes (ST) aren’t an offence underneath the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, except it’s on the bottom that the sufferer belongs to an SC or ST.
Stipulations:
— Examine SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989
— Learn constitutional provisions for Scheduled Castes (SC) or Scheduled Tribes (ST)
Key takeaways:
— In its ruling, a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra additionally stated that Part 18 of the Act doesn’t impose an absolute fetter on the ability of the courts to look at whether or not a prima facie case attracting the provisions of the 1989 Act is made out or not.
— “The courts mustn’t shrink back from conducting a preliminary inquiry to find out if the narration of info within the criticism/FIR in reality discloses the important components required to represent an offence underneath the Act, 1989,” the bench stated.
— The courtroom’s ruling got here because it granted anticipatory bail to Shajan Skaria, the editor of the Malayalam YouTube information channel ‘Marunadan Malayalee’ who was booked by Kerala Police for making alleged derogatory remarks in opposition to CPI(M) MLA PV Sreenijan.
For Your Data:
— The courtroom stated that the phrase “intent to humiliate” underneath the Act’s Part 3(1)(r) (intentional insult or intimidation with intent to humiliate a member of a SC/ST inside public view) is “intently linked to the caste identification of the individual subjected to intentional insult or intimidation”.
— “It isn’t the purport of the Act, 1989 that each act of intentional insult or intimidation meted by an individual who isn’t a member of a SC or ST to an individual who belongs to a SC or ST would appeal to Part 3(1)(r) of the Act, 1989 merely as a result of it’s dedicated in opposition to an individual who occurs to be a member of a SC or ST. Quite the opposite, Part 3(1)(r) of the Act, 1989 is attracted the place the explanation for the intentional insult or intimidation is that the one who is subjected to it belongs to a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe,” the courtroom stated.
— Nonetheless, the judgement stated, “if the required components to represent the offence underneath the Act, 1989 aren’t disclosed on the prima facie studying of the allegations levelled within the criticism or FIR, then in such circumstances, as per the constant exposition by varied choices of this courtroom, the bar of Part 18 wouldn’t apply and the courts wouldn’t be completely precluded from granting pre-arrest bail to the accused individuals”.
Factors to Ponder:
— Part 18 of the Act, 1989
— Part 438 of CrPC
Publish Learn Query:
Mains
Focus on the Supreme Court docket’s current clarification on the applicability of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, within the context of the intention to humiliate and the need of proof.
Different Essential Articles Overlaying the identical matter:
Explained: Supreme Court’s verdict on sub-classification of SCs and STs