USCIRF DOWNGRADES INDIA IN 2020 LIST
Why in news? The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has downgraded India to the lowest ranking, “countries of particular concern” (CPC) in its 2020 report. India was categorised as a “Tier 2 country” in last year’s listing. This is the first time since 2004 that India has been placed in this category. The […]
AFGHAN PEACE AND INDIA’S ELBOW ROOM
Why in news? Earlier in April, the United Nations Secretariat held a meeting of what it calls the “6+2+1” group on regional efforts to support peace in Afghanistan. This “6+2+1” group includes six neighbouring countries: China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan; global players the United States and Russia, and Afghanistan itself. India was conspicuous […]
PAKISTAN REMOVES THOUSANDS OF NAMES FROM TERRORIST WATCH LIST
Why in news? Pakistan is reported to have removed around 1,800 terrorists from its watch list, including that of the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind and LeT operations commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, ahead of a new round of assessments by the global anti-money-laundering watchdog FATF. The so-called proscribed persons list, which is maintained by Pakistan’s National Counter […]
BEIJING NAMES ISLANDS IN DISPUTED SOUTH CHINA SEA
Why in news? China on Tuesday (Apr 21) defended its naming of 80 islands and other geographical features in the South China Sea in a move likely to anger neighbours as the country asserts its territorial claims. Details A joint announcement of the names on Sunday from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry […]
SAARC COUNTRIES UNITE TO COMBAT COVID-19
Why in news? The unprecedented coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has united the SAARC countries as they adopted international travel bans, enforced strict lockdowns, announced special economic packages, set up a joint fund and banned all religious gatherings to battle the pandemic, earning them a praise from the World Bank for their quick response. Throughout South Asia, […]
INDIAN ENVOY CONDEMNS HATE-SPEECH
Why in news? Cautioning Indians in the United Arab Emirates against a spate of religiously derogatory posts, India’s Ambassador to the UAE said any discrimination would not be tolerated. Details India and UAE share the value of non-discrimination on any grounds. Discrimination is against our moral fabric and the Rule of law. Indian nationals in […]
ADDITIONAL TRADE BARRIERS VIOLATE WTO’S PRINCIPLE
Why in news? India’s recently adopted policy to curb opportunistic takeovers of domestic companies goes against the principles of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India said on 20th April 2020. This is the first response from the Chinese side after the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in an April […]
NATIONS OPTING TO TRADE WITH ECONOMIES HAVING POLITICAL TRUST
Context For decades, the West, led by US strategic thinking, bet that full-on engagement with Beijing would alter the opaque nature of Chinese politics, making it more liberal and open. The free and open liberal world order has run into the great political wall of China with deleterious consequences. Many liberal democracies have also adopted […]
AT THE EDGE OF A NEW NUCLEAR ARMS RACE
Why in news? In mid-April, a report issued by the United States State Department on “Adherence to and Compliance with Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments (Compliance Report)” raised concerns that China might be conducting nuclear tests with low yields at its Lop Nur test site, in violation of its Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty […]
PANDEMIC IS CHINA’S BIGGEST CRISIS SINCE TIANANMEN
Challenges the Party had to face? The global financial crisis in 2008-2009 was a big challenge for China. They got through that through a massive stimulus programme. The COVID-19 Crisis is probably the longest downturn for China post-Tiananmen or maybe since the late seventies. They now have a sort of global political crisis or global […]