Leaders – Global Records India

India to assume G20 presidency from today; 100 monuments to be illuminated for a week

India will assume the presidency of the G-20 grouping today. The Group of 20 (G20) is a premier forum comprising 19 of the world’s largest advanced and developing economies, as well as the European Union, which meets every year to discuss their most pressing global issues.

On this occasion, 100 monuments including UNESCO world heritage sites bearing the G-20 logo will be illuminated for seven days from December 1 to 7 including Srinagar’s Shankaracharya temple to Delhi’s Red Fort to Thanjavur’s Great living Chola temple.

Apart from this, Humayun’s Tomb and Purana Quila in Delhi to Modhera Sun Temple in Gujarat, and Konark Sun Temple in Odisha to Sher Shah Suri’s Tomb in Bihar, are in the list of these 100 sites.

During the course of this year’s presidency, India will host 200 meetings across the nations in over 50 cities and in 32 different sectors.

For next year’s Summit, India’s objectives include the supply of affordable technology for sustainable environmental development, highlighting the digital transformation of the country.

The G-20 was founded back in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis as a forum for Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors to discuss global economic and financial issues.

The Group of Twenty (G-20) comprises 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, the United Kingdom and the United States) and the European Union.

The G-20 members represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.

The group’s focusses on policy coordination between its members in order to achieve global economic stability, sustainable growth; to promote financial regulations that reduce risks and prevent future financial crises and to create a new international financial architecture.

India will host the G-20 leaders’ summit in New Delhi on September 9 and 10 in 2023 under its Presidency, said the Ministry of External Affairs press release.

As per the sources, the meetings will take place in less explored parts of the country at very exotic locations of India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision is to connect all districts and blocks with G-20 so that the message will reach to masses through Jan Bhagidari initiatives.

“Jan Bhagidari” refers to the participation of people in governance at the local level. The government of any country can stand on its feet only when the people of the nation consider themselves to be indispensable organs of it. Hence the involvement of people in governance at all levels is of utmost importance.

During the last Maan Ki Baat address, PM Modi had said, “the G20 has a partnership comprising two-thirds of the world’s population, three-fourths of world trade, and 85% of world GDP. You can imagine – India is going to preside over such a big group, such a powerful group, 3 days from now i.e. from December 1.”

During the G-20 presidency, India will kick off with celebrations at the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland. Recently, G-20 Chief Coordinator, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, discussed the opportunities to showcase the festival with Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphu Rio, reported The Border Lens.

In adherence to PM Modi’s recommendation to not limit G-20 to major urban cities and to use the opportunity to display India’s rich and diverse cultural landscape, Shringla is reaching out to various states to identify opportunities to showcase the country’s cultural heritage through G-20 events. “India’s G-20 is an opportunity for the state of Nagaland to showcase its cultural diversity, uniqueness, and tourism potential,” Shringla said.

Previously, for the year 2021, Indonesia officially handled the G-20 presidency. Before India assume the G-20 presidency, the G-20 Indonesia took Twitter and said, “The #G20BaliSummit marks the conclusion of the 2022 #G-20Indonesia Presidency. India will serve as the next holder of the G20 Presidency. G20 will continue to move forward to realize a global recovery as well as strong and inclusive growth under India’s G20 Presidency.”

The website G20.org has changed for India and it now reads ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,’ One Earth. One Family. One Future. Meanwhile, the username of Twitter is still G-20 Indonesia which will soon change with India’s presidency.

Earlier this month, the prime minister unveiled the logo, theme and website of India’s G-20 Presidency via video conferencing. The lotus in the logo symbolises India’s ancient heritage, faith and thought.

The Philosophy of Adwait, the Prime Minister said, emphasises the oneness of all creatures and this philosophy will be a medium of resolution of today’s conflicts.

This logo and theme represent many key messages from India. “Message of Buddha for freedom from war, Mahatma Gandhi’s solutions in the face of violence, through G-20, India is giving them a new height”, he said.

The Prime Minister remarked that India’s G-20 presidency is coming at a time of crisis and chaos. He said that the world is dealing with the aftereffects of a disruptive once-in-a-century global pandemic, conflicts, and economic uncertainty.

(With inputs from ANI)

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India takes charge of G20 presidency

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday formally took charge of the G20 presidency from Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Bali, with the former assuring it will be inclusive, ambitious, decisive and action-oriented.

“Together with every country’s efforts, we can make the G20 summit a catalyst for global welfare,” Modi said at a brief ceremony. In the Bali Declaration to which India had constructively contributed, members deplored in the strongest terms Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and demanded its complete and unconditional withdrawal from the annexed territories. It also deplored Russia’s veiled threats on the use of nuclear weapons, saying it was inadmissible.

“Today’s era must not be of war,” the declaration said, echoing Modi’s remark during his bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Samarkand in September. It acknowledged differences among members on the Ukraine war but emphasised the need to adhere to international law, including the protection of civilians caught in conflicts.

Earlier in the day, while addressing a session on digital transformation, Modi said it could be a force multiplier to fight global poverty. “Can we take a pledge together that in the next 10 years we will bring digital transformation into the life of every human being so that no person in the world will be deprived of the benefits of digital technology?’’ Modi added.

On the sidelines of the G20 meet, Modi held bilateral talks with six heads of state — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong and Australian PM Antony Albanese.

One interesting talking point was on how Chinese President Xi Jinping went after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the leaked reports of their bilateral meeting. An agitated Xi was seen saying, “Everything we discuss has been leaked to the paper, that’s not appropriate.” Trudeau responded, saying: “We believe in free and open and frank dialogue.” Xi retorted, “Let us create the conditions first.”

UK, India door opens for 3,000 grads
Britain on Wednesday announced the contours of the UK-India Young Professionals Scheme, under which the UK will offer 3,000 places annually to 18-30-year-old degree-educated Indian nationals to come to the UK to live and work for up to two years. The scheme will be reciprocal. The announcement was made after the first bilateral meeting Modi had with Sunak

newindianexpress.com

Justice DY Chandrachud takes oath as 50th Chief Justice of India

Supreme Court judge, Justice DY Chandrachud on Wednesday was sworn in as the 50th Chief Justice of India. The oath was administered by President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Justice DY Chandrachud as CJI will have a tenure of more than two years and will demit office on November 10, 2024.

Appointed as SC judge in 2016, Justice DY Chandrachud overturned the verdicts of his father in 2017 and 2018. In the famous Aadhaar verdict, the judge had starked a discordant node by dissenting with the majority and ruling that Aadhaar was unconstitutionally passed as a money bill and violative of fundamental rights. He had also dissented in a case related to the arrest of five human rights activists who had allegedly incited violence at Bhima Koregaon when the other two judges of the bench had allowed Pune police to continue their investigation as per law.

Justice Chandrachud has been a part of many constitution benches that have delivered path-breaking verdicts such as the decriminalisation of same-sex consensual sex by striking down section 377 of IPC which criminalises consensual unnatural sex between consenting adults and recognising “living will’ made by terminally-ill patients for passive euthanasia which have played a major role in strengthening the human rights jurisprudence in the country. He was was also part of the five-judge bench that delivered the famous Ayodhya verdict and that allowed the entry of women into Sabarimala temple.

The judge has also authored judgements that have batted for empowering women and breaking the shackles of patriarchy. In a ruling penned by him, the judge gave a massive boost to the reproductive rights of women by ruling that prohibiting unmarried or single pregnant women with pregnancies upto 24 weeks from accessing abortion while allowing married women to access them during the same period fell foul of the spirit of right to equality. In his most recent judgment, Justice Chandrachud remarked that two finger test re-victimizes & re-traumatizes women who may have been sexually assaulted and asked the centre to ensure that the practice is stopped.

newindianexpress.com

National Unity Day: HM leads birth anniversary celebrations of Sardar Patel in Delhi

The celebration will also include the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas pledge ceremony near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in New Delhi.

Union home minister Amit Shah will on Monday participate in the ‘Tribute to Sardar Vallabhai Patel’ programme to mark the 147th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in New Delhi, also observed as the National Unity Day or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas.

Shah will flag off the ‘Run for Unity’ marathon from the national stadium where around 8,000 people are expected to participate. The Delhi Traffic Police has issued an advisory citing alternate routes and diversions from 6:45 am to 9 am to ensure safety for the participants of the marathon.

Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan will lead the ‘Run for Unity’ from Delhi University. DU vice-chancellor professor Yogesh Singh, along with principals, teachers, senior officials, administrative staff and students of CBSE schools, Kendriya Vidyalaya will also participate.

The celebration will also include the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas pledge ceremony near the Mahatma Gandhi statue and an address by Pradhan. Special exhibits on the life of Sardar Patel will be displayed at Jawahar Park.

Shah has written to all states asking them to organise 75,000 unity runs – 100 in each of the country’s 750 districts.

As part of the celebrations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kevadia in Gujarat to pay homage to Sardar Patel at the Statue of Unity, participate in the Ekta Diwas parade and later address civil service trainees of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration.

UNSC’s Counter Terrorism Committee To Meet In India This Weekend For The First Time

The United Nations Security Council’s Counter Terrorism Committee will meet in India this weekend. At a time when the world is distracted by Russia’s Ukraine war, the two-day anti-terror meeting will help remind the international community that terror groups continue to threaten world peace and though many major groups like the Al Qaeda and ISIS may be lying low at the moment, they can resurface any time. It is important for countries to stay one step ahead and put in place a system to counter the use of new technology by terror outfits. Since 9/11 the UN has been actively engaged in encouraging countries to work together to fight this scourge.

A host of dignitaries, including British foreign secretary James Cleverly, foreign secretary of Gabon who is also president of the United Nations Security Council Michael Moussa ADAMO, Ghana’s foreign minister Shirley Ayorkar Botchwey, UAE’s minister of state for international cooperation Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Albania’s deputy foreign minister of Albani Megi Fino is expected to attend. The UN counter terror delegation headed by under-secretary general Vladimir Voronkov, will also be present. This is the first time that the Special Meeting of the UN Counter Terrorism Committee is meeting in India.

The high profile two-day event will take place in Mumbai and Delhi. Symbolically the meeting will begin with UN members paying homage to the victims of the deadly 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai’s Taj Mahal hotel. India’s foreign minister Subramanyam Jaishankar will attend along with representatives of the UN Security Council. A wreath will be laid in memory of the victims.

Some family members of the victims of the 26/11 attack will speak at the ceremony. “We will be honoured to hear the voices of the victims of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks as well as the 2016 Brussels bombings. The meeting will be followed by an informal session on combating terror financing in the local and regional context,” Ruchira Kamboj, India’s permanent representative to the UN said. She was addressing a news conference in Delhi. She is the chair of the UN Counter Terrorism Committee.

Kamboj also made the point that there can be nor “good or bad terrorists” and pointedly added: “Those who propagate this distinction have an agenda and those who cover up for them are just as culpable.” This was an obvious reference to the China-Pakistan axis, and the fact that China had blocked India’s recent move to sanction some Pakistan based terrorists.

“We cannot think of a better place to hold this meeting than right here in India. Not just because it is the world’s largest democracy, but also because India is a society where a host of cultures and religions coexist and because India is an innovation and technology powerhouse,” ANI quoted David Scharia, the head of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (UN-CTED), as saying : “Sadly, India is also the right place to hold this meeting because of its own long and tragic experience with terrorism,” he added.

On Saturday the members will travel to Delhi for a high level ministerial plenary session, where Jaishankar and the visiting dignitaries will get down to take stock of the situation. The focus will be on terror financing online , possible use of drones and social media by terror groups.

“The special meeting will serve to reflect on recent developments and the latest evidence-based research regarding the threats posed by the use of these technologies for terrorist purposes as well as global efforts to counter these threats while respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms,” Ruchira Kamboj said.

outlookindia.com

“Greatest Privilege”: Rishi Sunak, First Indian-Origin UK Prime Minister

UK is facing an economically toxic combination of recession and rising interest rates. Critics blame the economic downturn on the Conservative Party and what they call its “series of miscalculations”.

Rishi Sunak is the next Prime Minister of UK, tasked to steer the economically floundering nation days after his predecessor Liz Truss stepped down, conceding defeat. At age 42, he is the youngest and the first person of colour to hold the post.

ndtv.com

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella receives Padma Bhushan in US

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has said it is an honour for him to receive the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award and he looks forward to continuing to work with people across India to help them use technology to achieve more.

Nadella, who plans to visit India next January, formally received the award for distinguished service, from India’s Consul General in San Francisco, Dr T.V Nagendra Prasad, last week.

The 55-year-old CEO of Microsoft was named one of 17 awardees earlier this year. On receiving the award, Nadella said: It’s an honour to receive a Padma Bhushan Award and to be recognised by so many extraordinary people.

“I’m thankful to the President, Prime Minister, and people of India, and look forward to continuing to work with people across India to help them use technology to achieve more.”

During the meeting, Nadella discussed with Prasad the critical role digital technology plays in empowering inclusive growth in India.

The discussion focused on India’s growth trajectory and the country’s potential to be a global political and technology leader, according to Microsoft.

” We are living in a period of historic economic, societal and technological change,” said Nadella following his meeting with Dr Prasad.

” The next decade will be defined by digital technology. Indian industries and organisations of every size are turning to technology to help them do more with less, which will ultimately lead to greater innovation, agility and resilience,” Nadella said.

Hyderabad-born Nadella was named CEO of Microsoft in February 2014.

In June 2021 he was also named the company’s Chairman, an additional role in which he will lead the work to set the agenda for the board.

The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India announced annually on the eve of Republic Day.

The Awards are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher order) and Padma Shri (distinguished service).

The award seeks to recognise achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved.

The Padma Awards are conferred on the recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.

Nadella plans to visit India in January 2023, his first visit to the country in nearly three years, Microsoft said.

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President appoints Justice DY Chandrachud as next CJI with effect from November 9

November 9 will be a historical day for the Indian judiciary as it will get its first father-son duo reaching the topmost position in the judiciary.

“In exercise of the power conferred by the Constitution of India, Hon’ble President appoints Dr Justice DY Chandrachud, Judge, Supreme Court as the Chief Justice of India with effect from 9th November, 22,” Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in his tweet said.

The Minister on October 30 initiated the drill to appoint the next CJI by writing to the incumbent CJI UU Lalit requesting him to recommend his successor’s name.

The CJI on October 10 had recommended to the centre Justice Chandrachud’s appointment as his successor and next CJI.

Justice Chandrachud, son of YV Chandrachud the longest serving CJI , who will swear in as the 50th CJI on November 9, will have a tenure of almost two years and will demit office on November 10, 2024.

November 9 will be a historical day for the Indian judiciary as it will get its first father-son duo to reach the topmost position in the judiciary.

He was the youngest advocate to be designated as Senior Advocate by the Bombay High Court in 1998 at the age of 39 and thereby served as the Additional Solicitor General of India from 1998 to 2000.

He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Bombay HC on March 29, 2000 and took oath as CJI of Allahabad HC on October 31, 2013.

On 29 March 2000, he was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court. He took oath as the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court on 31 October 2013.

Ever since his appointment as the SC judge in 2016, he has been part of many constitutional benches that have delivered path-breaking verdicts such as the decriminalisation of same-sex consensual sex by striking down section 377 of IPC which criminalises consensual unnatural sex between consenting adults and recognising “living will’ made by terminally-ill patients for passive euthanasia which have played a major role in strengthening the human rights jurisprudence in the country.

He has also authored judgements that have batted for empowering women and breaking the shackles of patriarchy.

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Lt. General Anil Chauhan (retd.) appointed next Chief of Defence Staff

The appointment comes more than nine months after the post fell vacant following the death of General Bipin Rawat.

The Government on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, appointed former Eastern Army Commander Lt. General Anil Chauhan as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). The post has been vacant since the death of the country’s first CDS Gen. Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash in December 2021.

“The Government has decided to appoint Lt. Gen. Anil Chauhan (Retired) as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) who shall also function as Secretary to Government of India, Department of Military Affairs with effect from the date of his assumption of charge and until further orders,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

In a career spanning over nearly 40 years, Lt. Gen. Anil Chauhan had held several command, staff and instrumental appointments and had extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and North-East India, the statement said.

In June, the Government amended Service Rules of the Army, Navy and Air Force allowing retired Service Chiefs and three star rank officers eligible for consideration to the country’s top military post. However, with an age limit imposed that the retired officer should not have attained 62 years on the date of appointment, retired Service Chiefs were largely ruled out especially so for the present consideration.

Post retirement, Lt. Gen. Chauhan took over as the Military Advisor in the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) from Lt. Gen. Vinod G. Khandare who stepped down from the post in October 2021.

In December 2019, the Government approved the creation of the post of CDS who would also function as the Principal Military Adviser to Defence Minister and Permanent Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC). In addition, the DMA was created as the fifth department in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) with the CDS functioning as its Secretary.

While the tenure of Service Chiefs is 62 years of age or three years whichever is earlier, the age limit for the CDS is 65 years of age with no fixed tenure defined.

Gen. Bipin Rawat who had served as the 27th Army Chief from December 31, 2016 till December 31, 2019, took over as the first CDS on January 1, 2020. He, along with his wife Madhulika Rawat and 12 others were killed in a chopper crash on December 08, 2021.

Born on May 18, 1961, Lt. Gen. Chauhan was commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army in 1981. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.

In the rank of Major General, he had commanded an Infantry Division in Baramula sector in Jammu and Kashmir. Later as Lt. General, he commanded a Corps in the North East and subsequently became the Eastern Army Commander in September 2019 and held the charge until his retirement from service on May 31, 2021. In addition to these command appointments, Lt. Gen. Chauhan also served as Director General of Military Operations.

Major task ahead

General Rawat was pushing forward the ambitious plan for reorganisation of the armed forces into integrated theatre commands among other measures to bring in synergy and efficiency.

The broad mandate of the CDS includes bringing about “jointness” in “operations, logistics, transport, training, support services, communications, repairs and maintenance of the three Services, within three years of the first CDS assuming office”.

This task now falls on the new CDS to build consensus and take the reorganisation process forward, which has been delayed due to lack of complete consensus and objections on certain aspects from the Air Force. Detailed studies have already been carried out, and table top exercises executed in the recent past to fine tune the modalities. Additional studies have also been carried out in this direction.

In addition, the war in Ukraine has added urgency on the need to indigenise critical military technologies and systems and reduce dependence on imports.

PM Modi inaugurates Kartavya Path, unveils Netaji statue at India Gate

PM takes a walk around Kartavya Path

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday Inaugurated the the newly-christened Kartavya Path — a stretch from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, and unveiled a 28-ft-tall statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at India Gate. The PM also took a walk around the Kartavya Path.

According to the government, it symbolises a shift from erstwhile Rajpath being an icon of power to Kartavya Path being an example of public ownership and empowerment.

These steps are in line with the prime minister’s second ‘Panch Pran’ for New India in Amrit Kaal: ‘remove any trace of colonial mindset’, it said

The statue is part of the Centre’s ₹13,450-crore Central Vista project, which will have a new Parliament building, new office and residences for the Prime Minister and Vice-President and new ministry buildings. The North and South Blocks, the secretariat buildings flanking Rashtrapati Bhavan, will be converted into museums.

The black granite statue has been carved from a monolithic block of granite weighing 280 metric tonne. The block of granite picked for the statue was transported to Delhi from Telangana and the statue was carved out of it in over two months.

The traffic police made arrangements to ensure smooth vehicular movement in central Delhi where restrictions were imposed for the event. General traffic movement has been diverted from specific roads from 6 pm to 9 pm, officials said.

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has replaced the erstwhile Rajpath signages with new signboards of ‘Kartavya Path’. On Wednesday, the NDMC had approved a proposal to rename Rajpath as ‘Kartavya Path’.

Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Limited has executed the redevelopment of the entire stretch from Vijay Chowk to India Gate. The project was tendered at ₹477 crore.

The CPWD has set up five vending zones where 40 vendors each will be allowed and two blocks near the India Gate with eight shops each. Some states have shown their interest to set up their food stalls.

The entire stretch has been revamped under the Modi government’s ambitious Central Vista redevelopment project.

In a statement, the prime minister’s office said over the years, Rajpath and adjoining areas of the Central Vista Avenue had been witnessing pressure of increasing traffic of visitors, putting stress on its infrastructure.

It lacked basic amenities like public toilets, drinking water, street furniture and adequate parking space. Further, there was inadequate signage, poor maintenance of water features and haphazard parking.

Also, a need was felt to organise the Republic Day parade and other national events in a less disruptive manner with minimal restrictions on public movement.

“The redevelopment has been done bearing these concerns in mind while also ensuring the integrity and continuity of architectural character,” the statement said.

(With inputs from PTI)