Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC - 10th September 2023

 

National News

1. G-20 clinches New Delhi Declaration 

• G-20 members agreed to a joint statement, forging consensus on the contentious "Ukraine paragraphs", and also accepted the membership of the African Union into the grouping on Saturday.
• "I just got some good news right now," Mr. Modi said, to the leaders gathered. 
• Due to the hard work of our team and your support, we have achieved consensus on the New Delhparagraphsi G-20 Leaders' Summit Declaration. I propose we adopt this Leaders' declaration," he added and then pronounced it adopted with a bang of his gavel, a day before the summit ended. 
• Asked at a press conference by the G-20 Presidency, both External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and India's G-20 Sherpa said that the consensus had come about due to the stand taken by Indonesia, India, Brazil, and South Africa, consecutive hosts of the G-20. Japan, as the current President of the G-7+ EU bloc, also played a role in bridging the differences, Sources said. 
• Eventually, everybody helped, but the emerging markets took a lead on this and we have a strong history of working together," said Mr. Jaishankar, possibly referring to the earlier membership of all four countries in the Non-Aligned Movement. 

2. Chandrababu Naidu held in multi-crore scam case 

• Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Chandrababu Naidu was arrested for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore "skill development scam" at Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh in the early hours of Saturday 
• About 12 hours later, the CID was questioning him over his alleged complicity in the scandal ahead of producing him in a local court. Mr. Naidu's arrest evoked strong resentment among the Opposition parties, and the TDP cadres picked up confrontations with the police at several places in the State. Additional Director.
• Police General (CID) N. Sanjay, who announced the arrest, told press persons that he played a key role in siphoning off approximately 371 crore belonging to the A.P. Skill Development Corporation APSDC) through fictitious companies during the TDP rule between 2014 and 2019. The case pertained to the establishment of centers of excellence by the APSDC at a project cost of about 3,500 crore. 
• A team of CID sleuths cordoned off his place of stay and then took him into custody amid stiff resistance by the TDP leaders and Mr. Naidu himself, who objected to the arrest. 
• However, after a heated argument, he signed a notice of arrest served by the CID under Section 50 (1) (2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). 
• CID officials took Mr. Naidu into custody after medical tests and shifted him by road To: Vijaya - Wada. As news of his arrest quickly spread, TDP cadres took to the streets, resulting in detentions and house arrest of scores of leaders. The police had to quell the protesting TDP cadres by force as they try to stop his convoy.

3. Reviving grain deal will cool global food inflation: FM 

• The G-20 leaders' recommendation to revive the Black Sea Grain Initiative to help the movement of grains, food, and fertilizers from Russia and Ukraine to the rest of the world, would help ease inflation in several countries, but may not affect India's own "There's a lot of inflation trajectory," Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.
• "But largely, India's domestic inflation is influenced by the vagaries of monsoon and supply side issues, not as much as other countries that depend a lot more on grain imports for their consumption," she said. 
• Speaking after the leaders adopted the New Delhi Declaration, the External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar noted that leaders recognized the significant implications for the global economy arising from the ongoing war in Ukraine and the impact it has had especially in developing and least developing nations that are still recovering from the pandemic and economic disruption. "The three F's Food, Fuel, and Fertilizers - were issues of special concern," he said. G-20 Leaders' Declaration notes the need for more finance to Arrest global warming 
• The Declaration "...noted the need for $5.8-5.9 trillion in the pre-2030 period required for developing countries....as well as $4 trillion per year for clean energy technologies by 2030 to reach net zero by 2050." 
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021, while committing that India would achieve net zero by 2070, also underlined that "trillions of dollars" were needed to achieve this. 
• The Declaration recognizes the need to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030 (relative to 2019 levels) and notes that global peaking must occur before 2025  
• The tripling of renewable energy and access to low-cost finance to the tune of $4 trillion annually, is on facilitating and not committing to it. While the process is good, a time commitment on both the renewable energy target and allocation of finance to energy and developing countries would have strengthened the commitment from nations on the climate crisis," said Vibhuti Garg, Director, South Asia, Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), "The net zero target needs much higher investment and if that is not enhanced, it will be difficult for developing countries to achieve their climate goals." 

4. Govt. Hide poor people and animals from G-20 guests' 

• Congress on Saturday accused the government of covering up or demolishing slums and rounding up stray animals in view of the G-20 Summit, with its leader Rahul Gandhi says "there is no need to hide India's reality from our guests". The Congress shared a video on X, formerly Twitter, showing some slum areas being covered with green sheets ahead of the two-day summit, which began here on Saturday and was attended by leaders of the largest economies in the world. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh also attacked the PM over the matter. "President Putin may have stayed away, but Prince Potemkin is on full display with slums being either covered up or demolished, rendering thousands homeless. Stray animals have been cruelly rounded up," he said. 

5. G-20 nations to focus on global food security 

• The leaders' declaration adopted at the G-20 meeting here on Saturday was laid out. emphasis on ensuring global food and nutritional security for all in line with the G-20 Deccan HighLevel Principles on Food Security and Nutrition 2023. 
• The leaders said in their declaration that they will encourage efforts to strengthen research cooperation in climate-resilient and nutritious grains such as millet, quinoa, sorghum, and other traditional crops, including rice, wheat, and maize. 

Use of fertilizer 

• Welcoming the outcomes from the G-20 members' engagement in the 12th G-20 Meeting of Agriculture Chief Scientists Strengthening AMIS (MACS), they emphasized the importance of increased access to, availability, and efficient use of fertilizer and agricultural inputs, including through strengthening local fertilizer production, and to improve soil health. 
• leaders committed to accelerating innovation and investment focused on increasing agricultural productivity and reducing food loss and waste across 
• value chain, and improving marketing and storage to build more sustainable and Climate-resilient agriculture and food systems 
• "Commit to supporting developing countries' efforts and capacities to address their food security challenges, and work together to enable access to affordable, safe, nutritious and healthy diets, and to foster the progressive realization of the right to adequate food," the declaration said. 
• It added that the G-20 will also facilitate open, fair, predictable, and rules-based agriculture." food, and fertilizer trade, do not impose export prohibitions or restrictions, and reduce market distortions, in accordance with relevant WTO rules. 

6. Leaders pledge for high-quality education 

• The G-20 leaders' declaration, adopted here on Saturday, suggested several structural changes to deliver quality education around the world. The leaders pledged their commitment to inclusive, equitable, and high-quality education and skills training for all, including those in vulnerable situations. "We recognize the importance of investment in supporting human capital development," the declaration said. The leaders resolved to recognize the importance of foundational learning (literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional skills) as the primary build-up block for education and employment. They reiterated their commitment to harness technology to overcome the digital divide for all learners. The meeting extended support to educational institutions and teachers to enable them to keep pace with emerging trends and technological advances, including Al. They emphasized expanding access to Technical and Vocational Education and Training. 

7. Centre denies CMS' charge that they did not get a flight permit 

• The Union Home Ministry on Saturday denied the allegations by the Chief Ministers of Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan that their helicopters were denied permission to land in Delhi due to restrictions imposed over the ongoing G-20 summit in the national capital. 
• Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot retorted that the Ministry was "spreading confusion" by providing incorrect information. Mr. Gehlot said he was trying to avoid any controversy during the G-20 Summit. The Ministry's spokesperson posted on X (formerly Twitter) that four requests were received from Mr. Gehlot for flight permissions, including for Sikar, and all of them were approved by the Ministry. 
• Mr. Gehlot took to X to clarify that the Ministry's permission to fly to Sikar was delayed on Friday, citing G-20 protocol, as part of which the aircraft could only travel if the Chief The minister himself was on board. The Chief Minister had a plan to go from Udaipur to Jaipur by plane and later to Sikar and Niwai by helicopter. Though permission for the A helicopter was sought on Friday morning and the MHA only cleared it to operate late that afternoon. Mr. Gehlot said he could not reach Sikar and informed the seer of Sangliya Peeth there of his inability to come, even as people who had gathered continued to wait. Mr. Gehlot said he left for Jaipur by plane and later traveled to Niwai by road. 
• "I did not want to create any controversy during the G-20 Summit, hence I did not condemn the MAN's attitude and only inform the public about the facts. But I am sad now that the MHA has made an unsuccessful attempt to spread confusion among the public by providing misinformation," Mr. Gehlot said.

8. Magistrates appointed to record statements in CBI cases in Manipur violence 

• Manipur High Court has appointed 13 magistrates to record the statements of witnesses under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in the 27 cases related to the ethnic conflict being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBD). 
• The High Court said they will record statements ``irrespective of their territorial jurisdiction and as per convenience and availability, taking into consideration the overall situation in the state of Manipur ''. The High Court notification is in compliance with the directions issued by the Supreme Court on August 25. 
• A senior judicial officer in Churachandpur said their court had recorded only two statements under Section 164 related to the ethnic conflict so far. 
• Others in the Thoubal district said they had not yet recorded any Section 164 statements in any case related to the ongoing ethnic conflict. In one case within their jurisdiction, the victim was elsewhere and could not appear so the statement was recorded where they were. 
• According to officials aware of the process, for now, the 13 Chief Judicial Magistrates and Judicial Magistrates First Class will be allotted one district each, allowing witnesses and victims to record their statements with the magistrate nearest to them and if there are there any issues that come up in the system that are to be taken with the Nodal Officer in the Manipur High Court Registry. 
• One judicial officer said it was possible that the magistrate closest to the victim was from another communities communities and in such cases, it would not be possible to ensure physical presence while recording the statement
• Another said in any case, no witness or victim of the "other community" could realistically be expected to come to the court's jurisdiction to record their statements. Another officer said "no clear direction as of now" had been issued on how the cases would be assigned. 

International News

9. Over 1,000 dead in Morocco earthquake 

• A rare, powerful earthquake struck Morocco late on Friday night, killing at least 1,037 people, injuring another 1,204, and damaging buildings from villages in the Atlas Mountains to the historic city of Marrakech. 
• The deaths were mostly reported in Marrakech and five provinces near the 6.8-magnitude quake's epi-center, Morocco's Interior Ministry reported on Saturday morning. Of the injured, the ministry wrote. 
• 721 were in critical condition. The full toll was not known as rescuers struggled to get Through the boul-de-strewn roads to the remote mountain villages hit hardest. 
• Morocco's King Mohammed VI ordered the armed forces to mobilize air and land assets, and specialized search and rescue teams, according to the military. In Marrakech, the famous Koutoubia Mosque, built in the 12th century, was damaged. 

10. Japan, as G-7 chair, bridged the gap with the West on Ukraine 

• Japan, as it currently presents a group of ad-taking economies, played key roles in bringing The West is on board with a compromise in reference to Russia's war against the UK twine in the New Delhi Leaders Declaration at the G20 Summit. 
• Japan suggested as a way out of the stalemate an emphasis on the UN Charter and the need for all states to refrain from the threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition against the territorial integrity, sovereignty or political independence of any state", as mentioned in the declaration paragraph on Ukraine 
• However, the New Delhi declaration did not, as in last year's Bali declaration, refer to "the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine '', language that Russia and China had opposed. 
• Despite the absence of a clear reference to Russian aggression, Japanese officials rejected the suggestion that the statement was "worse" than Bali on Ukraine, and took the view, as India has also suggested, that one year on the context had evolved and it was time to focus on a forward-looking peace that was, as the declaration said, "a comprehensive, just, and durable peace in Ukraine". 
• "The leaders' declaration is a strong statement of support as you can see, for a comprehensive just, and durable peace in Ukraine that will uphold the purpose and principles of the UN Charter," Hikariko Ono, spokesperson for the Japanese Foreign Ministry told press persons 
• Mr. Ono said Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had in his remarks to the G-20 on Saturday "stressed that PR was upholding a free and open international order based on the rule of law and the importance of principles enshrined in the UN Charter, including sovereignty." "These points were agreed upon by the G-7 and India," she said.
• Indian and Japanese officials said the concurrent t presidencies of India and Japan of the G-20 and G-7. respectively, played a role in bridging differences between the West and the Global South on many key issues beyond Ukraine. 
• Following talks on Saturday between Mr. Modi and Mr. Kishida, the two sides "acknowledged the constructive dialogue between the two countries throughout the year on their priorities for their respective... presidencies," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement. 
• Both sides have also signed an agreement for a fifth tranche of funding of 400 billion Yen (22,494 crore) for the slow-moving Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor.

11. India, Saudi Arabia join EU and U.S. in economic corridor project 

• India and Saudi Arabia joined the European Union and the U.S. to launch the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) and India - Middle Eastern-to-Europe Economic Corridor. The launch of the twin initiatives came hours after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrives here to participate in the G-20 summit which will be followed by his state visit to India on Monday. 
• We look forward to the integration of the initiative and the Economic Corridor Project which was announced in this meeting. I would like to thank those who worked with us to reach this founding step to establish this important economic corridor," said Crown Prince Bin Salman in his brief remarks at the event, which was also addressed by President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and U.S. President Joe Biden, President Macron of France and Prime Minister Narendra Modi 
• We believe connectivity between different countries increases not only business but trust between them by promoting connectivity initiatives," Mr. Modi said. In his remarks, President Emmanuel Macron of France described the initiative as "a very important project" and said, "our intention is as well to make it real and to be sure that after this commitment that we have concrete results and especially to have the first global green trade road meaning having net infrastructure. 
• During the state visit, the Saudi Crown Prince will hold a bilateral delegation-level discussion with Mr. Modi and co-chair of the First Leaders' Meeting of the Strategic Partnership Council. "They will review the progress made under the two Ministerial Committees of the Strategic Partnership Council i.e. Committee on Politics and Security, Social and Cultural Cooperation and the Committee on Economy and Investments Corporation," said the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement. 
• Saudi Arabia and India have been increasing syn-energy which has been reflected in the military-to-military exchanges, including bilateral exercises. Earlier last month, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were among the new permanent members inducted into the BRICS The grouping also included former rival Iran. 
• The visit coincides with a three-day long event to highlight the most significant projects and initiatives under the "Vision 2030" of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Ministry of Media is organizing the event in Col Senior Laboration with NEOM, the Saudi Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Sports, and the Saudi Tourism Authority. The event is called, "Media Oasis is expected to be attended by several Saudis the country be as plans to showcase Red Sea International to showcase the leading tourism objectives of the Mountains and seaside resorts on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. The exhibition has sections to highlight the sports sector of Saudi Arabia and the energy potential of the Saudi economy. 
• This is the second state visit to India by the Crown Prince. Mr. Modi visited Saudi Arabia in October 2019 when the two sides established the Strategic Partnership Council. India and Saudi Arabia have been cooperating in multiple formats to deal with Contemporary Challenges 
• The MEA said India is the second largest trading partner in Saudi Arabia, and bilateral Trade between the two sides reached $52.75 billion during 2022-23. 

12. China backs Delhi Declaration move 'from geopolitics 

• Beijing's opposition to references to Ukraine's New Delhi Declaration - dropped the mention of Russia's aggression against Ukraine as had been stated in last year's Ball Dedara’s time has been the most significant of several sticking points in forging a consensus. The declaration & so "reaffirmed) that the G-20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation", a point repeatedly emphasized recently by Chinese officials as a criticism of the West 
• Vasudhaiva Kutumba kam, a Sanskrit phrase from ancient Indian scriptures, means 'the The world is one family. This is especially true given the global economy's fight against supply chain instability, a result of the 'high fence' and small-yard protectionism led by the United States, an increasingly fragmented world plagued by bloc politics, and an unfair global economic genetic system dominated by the West that is long overdue for reform, the official commentary said. "However, certain countries will likely try to dominate the agenda with a focus on geopolitical tensions and ideological confrontations to fuel disagreement, putting unity in jeopardy." 
• That was also the message of Chinese Premier and second-ranked leader Li Gang's speeds to the summit on Saturday when he urged all countries to respect one another, Seeking common ground alle shelve differences" 

13. Health of democracy' vital for India-U.S. ties: White House officials 

• The "health of democracy" is an important issue for the India-U.S. relationship, senior White House officials said here on Saturday. They said U.S. President Joe Biden had raised these issues at every meeting he had held with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 
• There was a clear appreciation on the part of India that President Biden is here, and that he made the trip," said Kurt Camp-bell, the National Security Council's Coordinator. for the Indo-Pacific. 
• Mr. Campbell said that talks were still going on with all the parties present in Delhi, and this would be a "major breakthrough that would help fundamental delays with respect to infrastructure and communications from India with the Middle East (West Asia) and then on to Europe, 
• Mr. Campbell said that this had been raised with India, and stressed that despite India's objections, the U.S. held a press interaction with Prime Minister Modi and President Biden during a June state visit in Washington. 
• "I do want to just under-score for you that in every meeting that I've been in, the president is very clear about the importance of the health of democracy. He doesn't do this in such as to focus on security of the value chain, improving marketing and storage, to build a more sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture and food way that suggests that one country is lecturing to another but rather that we all face shared challenges, and we think it's important that we are constantly asking hard questions about our democracy

State News

14. Man booked for flying drone in central Delhi 

• A man has been booked for allegedly flying a drone in central Delhi's West Patel Nagar, the police said on Saturday.
• Officers said a PCR call was received about a drone being spotted on Friday evening and a team was sent to the spot. The police discovered that a [photographer, Harmanjeet Singh used the drone to film a birthday party. He has been booked under Section 188 of the IPC. 

15. Police get bomb threat at Jama Masjid, call turns out to be hoax 

• A 14-year-old boy allegedly made a hoax call about a bomb placed at the Jama Masjid, the police said on Saturday. 
• According to a senior officer, a PCR call was received at the Jama Masjid police station around 7:50 a.m., Friday about the bomb at the mosque.
• A police team, along with a bomb squad, reached the spot and carried out searches, he said. 
• found to have been made by a 15- 15-year-old boy studying in a local madrasa. Further inquiries revealed the involvement of another boy, also studying in Madrasa. They had planned for the call to take leave from Madrasa," the officer added. 
• A day earlier, a 21-year-old man was arrested in north Delhi's Bhalswa Dai while trying for a hoax alert on social media about an autorickshaw carrying arms to the G-20 Summit.
• The city is under heavy security for the two-day "Later, the call was a meeting of the world leaders.

16. Civilian traffic will not be stopped for movement of Army Convoys in Kashmir

• It was decided that no civil traffic will be stopped with immediate effect on National Highways during VVIPS and senior officers' movements," a police spokesman said. 
• Officers from different wings of the security agencies were asked to conduct joint surveys and prepare SOPs to facilitate the free flow of traffic without compromising the security of convoys in a phased manner. 
• New SOPs will be submitted to higher-ups for further approval," the police said 
• Mr. Kumar, the spokesman, asked officers to recommend some changes to the SOPs to maintain a smooth flow of civilian traffic during the movement of convoys without unnecessary hindrance.
• The officers of the J&K Police, Central Armed Police Forces, and Army were asked to identify spots on the National Highways "where engineering intervention is required in raising the heights of dividers, direct lateral entries and U-turns". 
• "They were also advised to identify the spots where a service lane is required and also send a joint recommendation as to where an underpass or overpass is required to maintain the smooth flow of traffic," the spokesman said. 

17. Assam to now use EVMS in rural polls 

• The Assam Cabinet has approved an amendment to certain provisions of the Assam Panchayat Act to introduce electronic voting machines (EVMS) in panchayat elections to disqualify elected representatives for violating the legal age of marriage, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said here on Friday night. 
• The amended provisions will include the constitution of the District Delimitation Commission to determine the size of the constituencies for zilla parishad, anchalik parishads, and goal Mr. Sarma Panchayats said that Panchayats 
• The amendment will also fix the minimum educational qualification for matriculation for gaon Panchayat members and pass the higher secondary for An-Chalik and Qilla Parishad members. Scheduled Castes, tribes, and back-ward cast members will be required to pass the matriculation examination 
• "EVMS will be introduced in panchayat polls. Panchayat elected representatives, if found to have violated the legal marriage age, will be disqualified and members of the political "Parties are also liable to be disqualified under the anti-defection law," Mr. Sarma said.

Indian Polity

18. TDP leaders were detained, and buses were confined to depots for hours in many districts

• All Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders were either put on house arrest or shifted to various police stations following the arrest of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu. 
• Former Education Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao was arrested along with his son by a team of police at his residence and later shifted to Disha Police Station in Yendada. 
• Before being taken to the police station, Mr. Srinivasa Rao told Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy deliberately wanted to put Mr. Naidu behind bars, just because he (Jagan) was in jail for over one-and-a-half years. 
• Mr. Naidu is one of the most senior politicians in the country, and his tenure includes 14 years as the Chief Minister and over 10 years as the main Opposition leader, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said. 
• Former Minister and TDP Politburo Member Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu was put under the house arrest in Narsipatnam. In a video message, Mr. Patrudu questioned the need to arrest Mr. Naidu around midnight.
• He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah should intervention and protection of democracy in Andhra Pradesh. 'Do not panic' 
• He also appealed to the party workers not to panic and extend their support to Mr. Naidu. 
• Former MLA Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy was also placed under house arrest and later shifted to Atchutapuram police station. 
• Former MLA and Visakhapatnam Parliamentary Constituency president Palla Srinivasa Rao was shifted to Visakhapatnam police commissioner by a team of police from his residence in Gajuwaka. 
• YSRCP West MLA P.G.V.R. Naidu (Gana Babu) was shifted to a police station by a team of Pendurthi police. 
• Former MLA and president of TDP Mahila wing V Anitha locked herself in her house anticipating arrest by the police. 
• Former Minister Kidari Sravan Kumar was arrested at Araku Valley. Former MLA Peela Govinda Satyanarayana was arrested at Pendurthi. 
• Meanwhile, RTC buses from Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, and Alluri Sitarama Raju districts were confined to the depots from early morning. Number of passengers facing severe inconvenience as the buses did not run.