Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 24th July 2024

 

National News 

TIDCO gets site clearance from the centre to develop Parandur airport 

• The greenfield airport at Parandur near Chennai is closer to becoming a reality as the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation gets the site clearance from the Centre. 
• The Steering Committee on Greenfield Airports has recommended for grant of Site Clearance to Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) for developing the Greenfield airport at Parandur, Kancheepuram District. 
• An investment of ₹20,000 crore is being planned to develop a greenfield airport at Parandur, which would annually handle 10 crore people; it will have two runways, terminal buildings, taxiways, an apron, and a cargo terminal. 
• The Chennai airport handles around 2.2 crore people annually. After the ongoing modernization work, it can handle 3.5 crore people a year for the next seven years. 

Department Of School Education and Literacy to observe Shiksha Saptah 

• The Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education (MoE) has begun its week-long observance of ‘Shiksha Saptah’ (Education Week), to mark the fourth anniversary of the National Education Policy 2020. 
• The event is scheduled from July 22 to July 28 with the first day being observed as the Teaching-Learning Material (TLM) Day. 
• This event, organized under the ambit of the Ministry of Education, Govt. of India, aims to present a common platform to resonate and live the spirit of achievements gained over the last four years of NEP 2020 implementation. 
• During the week theme-based days will be observed. It includes Teaching-Learning Material Day, Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Day, Sports Day and Cultural Day. 

Atal Innovation Mission and WIPO sign a Letter of Intent towards building joint innovation programs in global south 

• A high-level delegation from World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) comprising of Mr. Sherif Saadallah, Executive Director, WIPO Academy and Ms. Altaye Tedla, Head WIPO Academy visited NITI Aayog for signing of a Joint Letter of Intent (JLoI) between Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and WIPO. 
• The JLoI is aimed at building programs for Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Intellectual Property (IP) for countries in the Global South. 
• This pathbreaking partnership between AIM and WIPO will take the best of India’s innovation models to countries that are on similar development trajectories, and will enhance understanding and awareness about IPR right from the school-level and unlock the innovation potential of the world as well as foster inclusive and sustainable economic growth. 
• Atal Innovation Mission is a flagship initiative by the NITI Aayog to create a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across India.

 NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd. to set up Green Charcoal plant in Haryana 

• NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVNL) will set up two green charcoal plants in Gurugram and Faridabad, Haryana. These plants will convert municipal waste into charcoal or green coal. 
• The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Power Minister Manohar Lal, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Minister of State for Urban Local Bodies Subhash Sudha.
• NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited, a subsidiary of National Thermal Power Corporation Limited, will set up this plant under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. 
• These green charcoal plants will be set up in Bandhwari in Gurugram and Mothuka in Faridabad. Each plant will cost around 500 crore rupees. 
• These plants will convert 1,500 tonnes of waste collected daily from Gurugram and Faridabad into charcoal. 

China makes world’s first high-speed carbon fiber train 

• China has shown off a revolutionary passenger train made of only carbon fiber. This is a big step forward in high-speed rail technology. 
• According to Interesting Engineering, the country has unveiled the first carbon fiber-only passenger train in history. The world looks to China’s vast high-speed rail network, which currently covers around 28,000 miles. 
• This advanced train can reach a top speed of 87 mph. It is expected to consume 7% less energy than a typical steel train, according to Qingdao Sifang. 
• This is a notable advancement in sustainable transportation since the decrease in energy usage is in line with larger environmental objectives. 

About China 

• Capital – Beijing 
• Currency – Yuan 
• President – Xi Jinping 

Hardik Pandya teams up with FanCode Shop to launch his brand 

• Allrounder Hardik Pandya has inked an exclusive licensing pact with FanCode Shop, the online merchandise store of Dream Sports-owned FanCode, to launch his performance wear range. 
• FanCode will design, manufacture, and market the items. Rise Worldwide’s Nikhil Bardia noted this is Pandya’s first licensing venture. 
• The launch includes key items like t-shirts, vests, and jackets, diversifying from his typical endorsement deals. 
• The initial product lineup includes t-shirts, vests, polos, shorts, and jackets, with prices ranging from Rs 999 to Rs 2299. 

Appointment 

Bibhuti Bhusan Nayak elected new president of ICMAI for 2024-25 

• Bibhuti Bhusan Nayak has been elected unanimously as the new President of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI) for the 2024-25 period. 
• He will succeed Ashwin Dalwadi, who was the president for the 2023-24 period. 
• TCA Srinivasa Prasad has been elected as the vice president of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India for 2024-25. 

About Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI) 

• The Institute of Cost Accountants of India was set up as a statutory body on 28 May 1959 under the provisions of the Cost and Works Accountants Act, 1959. 
• A statutory body is an institution set up under the provision of a law made by the Parliament or by a competent state legislature.
• The Institute of Cost Accountants of India comes under the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
• The Institute of Cost Accountants of India is the regulator of Cost and Accounting Management in India.
• The Institute of Cost Accountants of India has four Regional Councils in Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, 113 Chapters in India and 10 overseas Centers. 

Kristen Michal nominated Estonian Prime Minister 

• Kristen Michal was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Estonia for the Estonian Reform Party (Eesti Reformierakond). 
• The Estonian Parliament voted in favour of Michal, previously the Minister of Climate, to become the country’s new leader after he was nominated for the position by his party to replace outgoing Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. 
• Estonian liberals retain the Prime Minister position as well as six ministerial roles. Yoko Alender, Member of the Estonian Parliament, is the new Minister of Climate and Erkki Keldo has become the Minister of Economic Affairs and Industry.

 About Estonia

• Capital – Tallinn
• Currency – Euro 
• Official language – Estonian 
• President – Alar Karis 
• Prime Minister – Kristen Michal 

Sports 

Nuno Borges beat Nadal to Lift Swedish Open Men’s Singles Trophy 

• In Swedish Open Tennis, Nuno Borges of Portugal defeated Spaniard Rafael Nadal in the final, 6-3, 6-2, to win the men’s singles tennis title at Bastad in Sweden. 
• It was Borges’s first ATP Tour title. 
• He became the second Portuguese player in the Open Era to win a main tour singles title, after João Sousa. It was also Nadal’s first final since the 2022 French Open. 

Important day 

23 July – National Broadcasting Day 

• National Broadcasting Day is celebrated in India every year on July 23. 
• It is a day to remember and appreciate the impact of radio as a medium of communication, entertainment, and education. 
• Radio has played a significant role in connecting people across India, sharing news, music, and stories that have shaped the nation’s cultural and social landscape. 
• The history of National Broadcasting Day dates back to July 23, 1927. On this day, the Indian Broadcasting Company (IBC) made its first radio broadcast from Bombay (now Mumbai). 
• This event marked the start of organized radio broadcasting in India. The IBC was later taken over by the government and renamed All India Radio (AIR) in 1936. Since then, AIR has become one of the largest radio networks in the world, reaching millions of listeners across the country. 

24 July – National Income Tax Day

• India celebrates the Income Tax Day, or Aaykar Divas, every year on July 24.
• This day commemorates the historical evolution of tax administration in India and the ongoing reforms that aim to enhance tax compliance and simplify the process for taxpayers.
•  On this day, Income tax was first levied as a duty in India in 1860. The department celebrated this day for the first time in 2010 marking 150 years of the introduction of Income tax in India. This year marks the 165th occasion of National Income Tax Day. 
• The history of National Income Tax Day dates back to 1860; it was first imposed by Sir James Wilson in 1860. The initial implementation laid the groundwork, it was the comprehensive Income Tax Act of 1992 that truly established a structured tax administration in the country. 

10 lakh education loan with annual 3% interest subvention 

• As part of the new loan scheme announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the Union Budget for 2024-25, e-vouchers will be given to one lakh students every year to secure loans up to 10 lakh to pursue higher education in domestic institutions. The annual interest subsidy will be 3% of the loan amount.
• Educationists say the move will help in reducing the financial burden on students and promoting enrolment in domestic institutions. 
• "This initiative will undoubtedly empower many aspiring students to pursue their academic goals without the burden of financial constraints and increase job opportunities," Professor Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, Indian Institute of Management, Sambalpur, said. 
• Barring supporting loans for higher education, the Budget speech did not contain any major proposals on education. 
• The allocation for the Ministry of Education at 1.2 lakh crore has seen a slight increase at 7.14% as compared with last year's 1.12 lakh croгe. 
• This initiative will undoubtedly empower many aspiring students to pursue their academic goals 
• However, compared with the Revised Estimates for 2023-24, which stand at *1.29 lakh crore, this year's Budget Estimates have decreased by 6.97%. 
• Revamped scheme 
• The Budget also announced that the Model Skill Loan Scheme will be revised to facilitate loans up to 27.5 lakh with a guarantee from a government promoted fund. This measure is expected to help 25,000 students every year. 
• Official sources in the Ministry of Skills told The Hindu that this scheme is a revamped version of the Skill Loan Scheme that was launched in 2015, but later discontinued. 
• As per information provided by the Indian Banks Association with respect to 21 banks, a total skill loan of ₹29.06 crore was dispersed during the year 2018-19. 

With 2.55 lakh cr. outlay, Railways to prioritize safety 

• The Railway Ministry has received a record allocation of over 2.55 lakh crore in the financial year 2024-25, a jump of 4.9% from the previous year's *2.43 lakh crore, show Union Budget documents. 
• The outlay for capital expenditure includes ₹2.52 lakh crore from general revenues, 200 crore from the Nirbhaya Fund, ₹3,000 crore from internal resources and ₹10,000 crore from extra-budgetary resources, bringing it up to 2.55 lakh crore. This amount will be spent on assets, acquisitions, construction and replacement, the Budget says. 
• In 2014, only *35,000 crore was spent towards capital expenditure on the Railways. "Compared with that, current Budget estimates are a record allocation for capital expenditure for Railways. And a majority of this fund will be spent on ensuring safety works," Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. 
• The operating ratio, or the rupees spent to earn every hundred rupees, of the Railways for the financial year 2022-23 stood at 98.1%. In the Budget Estimates of 2024-25, the Union Minister says priority will be on comfort and increasing capacity and infrastructure gone up a bit to 98.22%. 
• He said the priority of the Railways would be safety, comfort, and increase in capacity and infrastructure. Having received approvals for Kavach 4.0, the pace of installation of the automatic train protection system would be rapid. 
• "Kavach consists of multiple components like hardware, software, and optical fiber. And India has a diverse network of Railway systems, so the challenge is to combine all networks for deployment of Kavach," he said. 
• He said there was a major focus on generating employment in the Railways and 38,000 to 40,000 new jobs were being created. "In the first two terms of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, up to five lakh jobs were created," he said. There would be focus on new projects, connectivity with Kashmir, and connecting all capitals of the northeastern States. The thrust would be on procuring new rolling stock, developing Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat trains and Vande Metro. 

Jaishankar to attend ASEAN and Quad meetings this week 

• Amid the ongoing budget session, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will be busy with a flurry of bilateral and multilateral meetings this week, including some with his counterparts from the U.S., U.K., Japan, Australia, China and Russia. On Thursday, Mr. Jaishankar will travel to Vientiane on Thursday as Laos hosts the annual out reach meetings of the 10 nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) from July 25 to 27, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced. 
• In Vientiane, the External Affairs Minister will attend the ASEAN-India meet, as well as the East Asia Summit (EAS), which will include Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. He will also attend ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), with more than 25 countries, including Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts on the sidelines. 
• On Sunday, Mr. Jaishankar will fly to Tokyo for the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting (July 28-30) along with the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, to be hosted by Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa. 

A.P. to get ₹15,000 cr. for capital Amaravati 

• The Union Budget spells a boost to Andhra Pradesh, with a special financial support of ₹15,000 crore for developing its capital Amaravati, besides assistance for the Polavaram irrigation project, grants for backward regions. 
• "Recognising the State's need for a capital, we will facilitate special financial support through multilateral development agencies. In the current financial year, ₹15,000 crore will be arranged, with additional amounts in future years," Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her Budget speech on Tuesday. She said the government has made concerted efforts to fulfill the commitments in the AP Reorganization Act. Ms. Sitha-Raman said the Centre would come up with a plan named 'Purvodaya' for the overall development of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. 
• A few days ahead of the Budget, Chief Minister and TDP chief N. Chandra-babu Naidu, a key NDA ally, had apprised the Centre of the "dismal" financial situation in the State. 

Nitish hails Budget as Bihar gets ₹58,900 cr. 

• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday announced development projects worth *58,900 crore for Bihar in the Union Budget. 
• While ₹26,000 crore will be allocated for road projects, a 2,400-MW power plant will be set up in Pirpainti at a cost of 21,400 crore, and 11,500 crore will be used for flood control. 
• Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar, a key NDA ally, called the announcements a big gift to the State, which was denied the Special Category Status by the Centre on Monday. Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) termed them an eyewash. 
• "We had proposed that if special status was not feasible for technical reasons, Bihar should receive special assistance from the Centre in another form, which has been announced today," Mr. Kumar said. He evaded a direct reply to a query as to whether he was giving up the demand for special status. Later, Mr. Kumar welcomed the Budget in a post on X. 

Emission standards may be imposed on polluting industries 

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget speech has, for the first time, signaled that polluting industries such as iron, steel, and aluminum will have to conform to emission targets. 
• "A road map for moving the 'hard to abate' industries from 'energy efficiency’ targets to 'emission targets' will be formulated. Appropriate regulations for transition of these industries from the current 'Perform, Achieve, and Trade' mode to 'Indian' have usually applied to large industries, her Budget address suggests a tightening of norms for even small and micro-scale industries. "An investment-grade energy audit of traditional micro and small industries in 60 clusters, including brass and ceramic, will be facilitated. Financial support will be provided for shifting them to cleaner forms of energy and implementa 
• Carbon Market' mode will be put in place," Ms. Sitha- Raman said in her address. While emission norms tion of energy efficiency measures. The scheme will be replicated in another 100 clusters in the next phase," Ms. Sitharaman said. 
• These directives come in the backdrop of the proposed India Carbon Market that has been in the works for a few years. A carbon market or an emission trading scheme works as a trading platform where carbon credits, created as a consequence of preventing carbon emissions, can be bought and sold on nego- tiated prices on a portal. The system only works if an industry is required to curb annual emissions. 
• Currently, industry in India has no curbs on emissions in lieu of carbon credits but are incentivised to achieve energy efficiency targets via a scheme called Perform, Achieve, Trade that has been operational since 2015. 

FM allots 10 lakh cr. for housing scheme 

• To address the housing needs of the urban poor and middle class families, the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced an investment of 10 lakh crore under the PM Awas Yojana-Urban 2.0, including Central assistance of 2.2 lakh crore in the next five years. 
• While tabling the Union Budget 2024-25, the Finance Minister said that a provision of interest subsidy to facilitate loans at affordable rates is also envisaged. 
• The Union Budget 2024-25 also stated that rental housing with dormitory type accommodation for industrial workers will be facilitated in public-private partnership mode with viability gap funding support and commitment from anchor industries. 
•  Besides, three crore additional houses under the PMAY in rural and urban areas in the country have been announced, for which the necessary allocations are being made. 
• "The specific creation of dormitory-style rental housing for industrial workers marks the beginnings of a much-needed rental housing market in the country. The ₹1.48 lakh crore outlay dedicated to employment generation should play an important role in boosting incomes for home buyers in the affordable housing segment," said Knight Frank India CMD Shishir Baijal. The announcement of huge allocation in both rural and urban locations under the PMAY has been welcomed by the construction companies and housing finance companies, particularly those focused on low ticket housing. They also said that the credit-linked subsidy is a big boost for the affordable housing segment. 
• "Lower stamp duty for women purchasing property is likely to drive the growth of more first-time home buyers. Digitisation of land records will improve transparency, boost revenue compliance and improve overall credit flow," said Sundaram Home Finance Managing Director D. Lakshmina- rayanan. 

New scheme to focus on uplift of tribal villages 

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday announced that the Union government will launch the PM Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyaan with the aim of achieving full saturation of basic facilities among five crore Scheduled Tribe families across 63,000 villages in tribal- majority areas and aspirational districts. 
• The scheme, designed after the PM-JANMAN to achieve saturation of basic facilities for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, will be for Scheduled Tribe populations across the country, the Finance Minister said in her 2024-25 Budget speech on Tuesday, without going into the details of how much funds are being set aside for this or how this package would be implemented or overseen. 
• Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram hailed the announcement of the "transformative scheme", expressing gratitude, adding in a social media post that it would "uplift the socio-economic conditions of tribal communities".
• This came as the government allocated ₹13,000 crore in the Budget Estimate 24-25 for the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, which showed an increase of 4.31% compared to BE 23- 24 even as the Revised Estimate for FY 23-24 had been pegged at ₹7,605 crore. 
• This transformative scheme will uplift the socio-economic conditions of tribal communities, covering 63,000 villages 
• The last available Actual Expenditure for the FY 2022-23 showed that the Ministry had spent a total of ₹7,273.53 crore. More than half of the Tribal Affairs Ministry's allocation in this year's BE 24-25 - ₹6,399 crore has gone to the scheme for Eklavya Model Residential Schools for tribal students. 
• Meanwhile, BE 24-25 for the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment showed an allocation of 14,225.47 crore, which is 1.08% more than BE 23-24. 
• The Budget Estimate for 2024-25 showed that the National Fellowship for OBC students was allocated ₹55 crore compared to ₹57 crore in BE 23-24 even though the Revised Estimate 23-24 was at ₹90 crore for the scheme. 
• The Budget documents also showed that the allocation under Interest Subsidy on Overseas Studies for OBC and EBC students had decreased from ₹29 crore in BE 23-24 to ₹25 crore in BE 24-25 significantly lower than the government's RE 23-24. 

To implement new criminal laws, forensic infrastructure gets a boost 

• Under the Budget allocation for the Ministry of Home Affairs, funds of *700 crore and ₹150 crore have been earmarked for 'Modernisation of Forensic Capacity' and 'National Forensic Infrastructure Enhancement', respectively, which is crucial for the implementation of the three criminal laws that came into effect on July 1. In June, the Cabinet approved the forensics scheme with a total finan- cial outlay of 2,254.43 crore for the period 2024-25 to 2028-29. Another component, the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network Systems, along with the modernisation of State police forces, key to the criminal laws, has seen an increased allocation from 264 crore to ₹520 crore in 2024-25. 
• Meanwhile, funds of about 88 crore have been allocated for holistic development of islands in Union Territories. 
• The Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) to develop villages along the China border has been allocated 1,050 crore in 2024-25. While no separate allocation was done in 2023-24, the Ministry was granted *300 crore for implementation of projects under the VVP in 2023-24, revising estimates. 

Nepal, Sri Lanka, Seychelles secure more funds under Budget allocation for MEA 

•  India-funded projects in the neighborhood received the bulk of the allocation for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in the Union Budget.
•  Nepal secured an allocation of ₹700 crore, which is a jump of ₹150 crore from the previous year's allocation of ₹550 crore. Sri Lanka received 245 crore, an improvement of ₹95 crore over last year's funding of *150 crore. The Seychelles, which had an allocation of 10 crore, got a boost with the infusion of ₹30 crore. 
• Bhutan, the largest recipient of the annual allocation under the MEA, has seen a dip in funding by *332.02 crore. Total funding for Bhutan this year stands at ₹2,068.56 crore. Bhutan and India are close economic partners and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Thimphu last week, when the two sides cleared 61 projects amounting to ₹4,958 crore. 
• The slight reduction in the annual allocation therefore does not indicate a reduction in funding for projects in Bhutan. 
• Dips in funding were seen for Myanmar, Mauritius, Bangladesh, and Mongolia. Conflict-torn Myanmar, which had an allocation of ₹400 crore last year, received ₹250 crore this year. Mauritius, with an allocation of ₹370 crore, has received ₹90.79 crore less than the previous year. The allocation for Mongolia, which earlier received 27 crore, has been scaled down to 25 crore. 
• Allocation for Bangladesh has dropped by ₹80 crore to 120 crore. Both Afghanistan and the Maldives, with ₹200 crore and ₹400 crore, respectively, have secured the same allocation as last year. 

New U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrives today 

• In the first high-level visit by the newly elected Labour government in the United Kingdom, U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy will arr
  
  ive on Wednes- day morning for a day-long visit, where a "full reset" of ties and "economic, domestic and global security" will be at the top of the agenda, the British Foreign Office (FCDO) announced.
•  Mr. Lammy, who is coming to Delhi on his way to Laos for ASEAN meetings, will hold bilateral talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
• He is expected to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hold meetings with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal as well before leaving for Vientiane on Thursday morning. Mr. Lammy is also expected to discuss plans for the new U.K. PM Keir Starmer and Mr. Modi to exchange visits. 
• "I am traveling to India in my first month as Foreign Secretary because resetting our relationship with the Global South is a key part of how this government will reconnect Britain for our security and prosperity at home," Mг. Lammy said in a statement ahead of his departure, calling India the "emerging superpower of the 21st century", one of the fastest growing economies, with the world's largest population. With his visit, Mr. Lammy will be fulfilling a pro- mise made at an Indian diaspora event shortly before the U.K. election on July 4 that he would visit India "within the month" if the Labour government was elected. He is expected to revive India- U.K. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks for an early conclusion at the top of his agenda and will also dis- cuss the next steps in the Strategic Partnership. While most of the FTA negotiations, which began in 2022, were completed with the previous Rishi Sunak government; they were put on hold earlier this year with both countries heading to general elections. Officials said that a few issues, including the question of business mobility, tariffs and market access for certain goods still remain unresolved. 
• Shared interests 
•  "Our Free Trade Agreement negotiations are the floor not the ceiling of our ambitions to unlock our shared potential and deliver growth, from Bengaluru to Birmingham. We have shared interests on the green transition, new technologies, economic securi- ty and global security," Mr. Lammy said. 
• According to the FCDO statement, Mr. Lammy's agenda in India includes a visit to a high-tech facility, meetings with Indian business leaders, and discussions on cooperating on clean energy initiatives, as well as assisting climate resilience projects for small island states in the Global South. Apart from these bilater- all issues, India is expected to discuss its concerns. about anti-Indian, pro-Khalistan groups operating in the U.K., which have been raised several times in the past. Officials are ex- pected to bring up the long-pending extradition cases against businessmen Vijay Mallya and Lalit Modi, who are wanted in India. 
• Mr. Lammy may also raise the continued imprisonment of two British nationals in high-profile and controversial cases: Jagtar 
• Singh Johal, arrested in 2017 for his alleged role in targeted killings by pro-Khalistan groups in Punjab, and Christian Michel, who India extradited from the UAE in 2017, wanted in India as the alleged middleman in the Agustawestland corruption case. 
• In both cases, the U.K. government, the UN and U.S.-based human rights agencies have questioned their continued imprisonment without trial, as well as allegations of torture and arbitrary detention in India. 
• Mr. Sunak had raised the Michel case with Mr. Modi on the sidelines of the G-20 summit last year. In the case of Mr. Johal, Mr. Starmer, then in Opposition, had himself written to the U.K. government demanding that the U.K. push for Mr. Johal.