Weapons to VDCs, 75 forest camps: Govt plan to tackle terror in Jammu

Over 75 camps with personnel of the Special Operations Group (SOG) in forest areas; regular training for Village Defence Committees (VDCs) with traditional as well as semi-automatic weapons; and increased deployment of BSF personnel on the border with a special focus on tunnels-these are some of the key points of a security plan the Centre has prepared for Jammu,

In the wake of an uptick in terror attacks in the region, including many that inflicted casualties on security forces, multiple meetings were held by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and senior ministry officials with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and senior officials from the Army and CRPF. 

Hamas chief killed in Tehran, Iran vows revenge on Israel

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran, an attack that drew threats of revenge on Israel and fuelled further concern that the conflict in Gaza was turning into a wider Middle East war. The Palestinian Islamist militant group and Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed Haniyeh's death. 

'Constructive': India, China hold talks to resolve standoff at LAC

Less than a week after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, India and China held "constructive" and "forward-looking" conversations to resolve the border standoff between the two countries.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said restoration of peace and tranquillity, and respect for the LAC are "essential basis" for restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations.

The bilateral meeting was held in Delhi under the framework of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC).

The MEA described the discussion at the meeting as "in-depth, constructive and forward-looking", adding both sides agreed on the need to jointly uphold peace and tranquillity on the ground in accordance with relevant bilateral agreements and protocols. 

Centre urges SC to declare mineral royalty judgment 'prospectively'

Pointing out the "impact" of the July 25 judgment, which held that states are entitled to collect a royalty on minerals "is substantial and far-reaching", the Centre urged the Supreme Court "to declare that "it... shall apply" only "prospectively".

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a 9-judge Constitution bench presided by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud that "a preliminary estimate of the potential financial impact of the judgment due to past State levies which may become due (in the form of additional state levies of taxes, interest and penalties) on the public sector units engaged in mining, and in production activities dependent on minerals (like power production), is Rs 70,000 crore".

While states like Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh also backed the prospective application of the judgment, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand said they were for retrospective application. 

For direct-seeded rice, zero-tillage wheat, RiceTec & Mahyco form JV

Rice and wheat breeding-cum-research in India has traditionally been a public sector monopoly. But now, two private sector seed majors - the Alvin (Texas)- headquartered RiceTec Inc and Jalna (Maharashtra)-based Mahyco Pvt Ltd - have come together to form a joint venture (JV) for making the rice-wheat cropping system "more climate-smart and sustainable".

Paryan Alliance Pvt Ltd, as the 50:50 JV is called, will focus on technologies for farmers to grow rice by direct seeding (instead of transplanting and flooding of field) and wheat through zero tillage (without burning the left-over stubble from the paddy crop and ploughing the field before sowing).

What are these crops?

Growing paddy using less water without burning stubble, and wheat by not ploughing the land has been a holy grail for agricultural scientists and policymakers alike. 

Direct-seeded rice and zero-tillage wheat based on non-genetically modified herbicide-tolerant technology can offer a way out. That's an opportunity the RiceTec-Mahyco JV is also eyeing. 

THE SLIPPING LAND

The mounting toll in Wayanad is a grim reminder of the dangers of giving short shrift to Kerala's ecological frailties. 

Warnings were issued more than a decade ago by two expert committees that mapped the eco-sensitivity of the Western Ghats in great detail. In 2011, a panel chaired by the eminent ecologist Madhav Gadgil underlined the need to regulate developmental activities in the entire 1,60,000 sq km stretch of the Ghats. 

The Gadgil committee's recommendations were met with resistance by all states and parties across the political spectrum in the biodiverse region, especially in Kerala and Karnataka. 

High Level Working Group (HLWG) headed by scientist K Kasturirangan sought to strike a new balance between environment and development. It recommended that 37 per cent of the Western Ghats be demarcated as an ecologically sensitive area (ESA) and called for a complete ban on mining and quarrying in these protected zones. 

The HLWG report, whose suggestions to remain on paper, had included parts of Wayanad where landslides struck on Tuesday. The Gadgil committee, likewise, demarcated the area reeling under the tragedy as "highly sensitive". 

Towards dispute irresolution

The government outlined new guidelines for arbitration and mediation in contracts related to domestic public procurement. 

While the memorandum ostensibly promotes mediation, it explicitly signals a shift away from arbitration for government undertakings. 

Consequently, once the current pipeline of arbitration cases dries out, future contracts are likely to resort to litigation through the traditional court system, thereby significantly increasing the burden on an already stretched legal system.

Despite representations from industry bodies and the Arbitration Bar of India advising against this memorandum, it appears, at least for the time being, to be a fait accompli. 

Top court verdict on sub-classification of SCs and STs 

The Supreme Court will pronounce its judgment Thursday on the question of whether sub-classification of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes is permissible for reservation.

A seven-judge Constitution bench presided by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud had on February 8, 2024, reserved its judgment on the reference made to it.

The bench also comprised Justices B R Gavai, Vikram Nath, Bela M Trivedi, Pankaj Mithal, Manoj Misra, and Satish Chandra Sharma.

Reserving its decision, the top court had said that not allowing the sub-classification will lead to a situation where the "advanced among" them "would grab all benefits".

Import of tur dal from Mozambique resumes after Centre's intervention

The Shipments of Tur/Pigeon peas from Nacala Port in Mozambique, disrupted by an "anti-India" group, have resumed after the Ministry of Consumer Affairs raised the issue with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian High Commissioner there persuaded the matter with the local authorities. 

According to sources, the Indian High Commissioner to Mozambique has informed the Consumer Affairs Ministry that 1,400 containers carrying about 35,000 tons of Tur/Pigeon peas have already left for India from Nacala port. 

The remaining 400 containers - apart from some containers from Malawi – which also uses the same port to export Tur/Pigeon peas to India - are expected to leave by mid-August.

India is the world's largest producer of pulses, but it is still dependent on imports to meet its domestic demand. The country imports about a dozen types of pulses from different countries, in which Mozambique is its main source for Tur/Pigeon pea imports. 

'AXIS OF RESISTANCE'

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in an air strike in Tehran in the early hours of Wednesday. Although Israel has not claimed responsibility for Haniyeh's killing, Hamas and Iran have blamed Israel for the strike, and promised "major repercussions".

Experts believe that Iran could hike up attacks against Israel through its allies - a coalition of Iranian-backed groups known as the 'axis of resistance'. Hezbollah, Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and the Houthis are some of the major groups in the alliance. 

Anti-conversion law in UP

The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, which prohibits religious conversion through "unlawful" means, was passed by the state assembly four years ago. The assembly passed an amendment to this Act, making it stricter and more widely enforceable. 

Overall bank credit growth drops; sharp rise in gold, housing loans

An unfavourable base effect brought down the overall non-food credit growth of the banks to 13.9 per cent at Rs 163.46 lakh crore as of June 30, 2024, as against 16.3 per cent in June 2023, even as gold and housing loans rose sharply, according to the Reserve Bank's latest data. 

The growth in credit card outstanding, meanwhile, declined during the 12 months.

Analysts have attributed the slower rate to RBI measures such as higher risk weights on unsecured loans, a higher base effect and banks' focus on managing the credit-to-deposit ratio. 

Gold loan outstanding jumped by 30.5 per cent to Rs 123,776 crore as of June 2024 from Rs 94,872 crore (19.3 per cent growth) in June 2023. 

Credit card outstanding rose by Rs 51,000 crore to Rs 273,044 crore, showing a slower growth of 23.3 per cent as against 37.6 per cent a year ago, according to RBI data. 

US Fed holds rates steady, says inflation 'somewhat elevated'

The Us Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday but opened the door to reducing borrowing costs as soon as its next meeting in September as inflation continues coming into line with the US central bank's 2 per cent target.

"There has been some further progress towards the Committee's 2 per cent objective," the central bank's Federal Open Market Committee said in a statement at the end of a two-day policy meeting in which it kept its benchmark overnight interest rate in the 5.25-5.5 per cent range, but also set the stage for a rate cut at its September 17-18 meeting, just seven weeks shy of the November 5 US elections.