SE Asian dither on joining solar alliance
The India-headquartered International Solar Alliance’s (ISA’s) drive to co-opt countries from South-East Asia is facing problems with some countries holding back because of New Delhi’s decision to not join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade deal.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22571-se-asian-dither-on-joining-solar-alliance.html
#SeAsian #solaralliance #RCEP #ISAs #solar #vietnam
DPIIT focus to push India's ranking
The Commerce and Industry Ministry has prepared a blueprint to further improve India's ranking in the World Bank's ease of doing business index with a focus on six parameters, including enforcing contracts and starting a business.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22570-dpiit-focus-to-push-india-s-ranking.html
#DPIIT #WorldBanks #Indiasranking #EoDB #registeringproperty
GoM to vet National Tariff Policy
Home minister Amit Shah will head a group of ministers to discuss the proposed National Tariff Policy that is being awaited as a major reform by the stressed power sector but being opposed by state governments and discoms due to clauses like penalties for load shedding.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22569-gom-to-vet-national-tariff-policy.html
#GoM #NationalTariffPolicy #Amitshah #Tariffpolicy
Russia pushes India’s entry into EAEU
Russia, ahead of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to India this month, has stated that Russia has pushed for Delhi’s entry into the Eurasian Economic Union or EAEU that will open up opportunities of third country partnerships in Central Asia-Eurasian region.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22568-russia-pushes-india-s-entry-into-eaeu.html
#Russia #EAEU #ForeignMinister #Lavrovs
The India-headquartered International Solar Alliance’s (ISA’s) drive to co-opt countries from South-East Asia is facing problems with some countries holding back because of New Delhi’s decision to not join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade deal.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22571-se-asian-dither-on-joining-solar-alliance.html
#SeAsian #solaralliance #RCEP #ISAs #solar #vietnam
DPIIT focus to push India's ranking
The Commerce and Industry Ministry has prepared a blueprint to further improve India's ranking in the World Bank's ease of doing business index with a focus on six parameters, including enforcing contracts and starting a business.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22570-dpiit-focus-to-push-india-s-ranking.html
#DPIIT #WorldBanks #Indiasranking #EoDB #registeringproperty
GoM to vet National Tariff Policy
Home minister Amit Shah will head a group of ministers to discuss the proposed National Tariff Policy that is being awaited as a major reform by the stressed power sector but being opposed by state governments and discoms due to clauses like penalties for load shedding.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22569-gom-to-vet-national-tariff-policy.html
#GoM #NationalTariffPolicy #Amitshah #Tariffpolicy
Russia pushes India’s entry into EAEU
Russia, ahead of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to India this month, has stated that Russia has pushed for Delhi’s entry into the Eurasian Economic Union or EAEU that will open up opportunities of third country partnerships in Central Asia-Eurasian region.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22568-russia-pushes-india-s-entry-into-eaeu.html
#Russia #EAEU #ForeignMinister #Lavrovs
Ksgindia
SE Asian dither on joining solar alliance | KSG India | Khan Study Group
The India-headquartered International Solar Alliance’s (ISA’s) drive to co-opt countries from South-East Asia is facing problems with some countries holding back because of New Delhi’s decision
Today's Headlines - 19 July 2023
BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ meet
GS Paper - 2 (International Relations)
The first-ever Foreign Ministers’ meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) began in Bangkok, Thailand. India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was also present, and said that areas of coordination challenge that were discussed, including health and energy security.
What is BIMSTEC?
BIMSTEC is a regional organisation that was established in 1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration.
Initially known as BIST-EC (Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation), the organisation is now known as BIMSTEC and comprises seven members, with Myanmar joining towards the end of 1997, and Bhutan and Nepal in 2004.
Around 22% of the world’s population lives in the seven countries around the Bay of Bengal, with a combined GDP close to $2.7 trillion.
All seven countries have sustained average annual rates of growth between 3.4% and 7.5% from 2012 to 2016. A fourth of the world’s traded goods cross the bay every year.
Cooperation within the BIMSTEC had initially focused on six sectors in 1997 (trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism, and fisheries) and expanded in 2008 to other areas.
In 2021, a reorganisation led to each of the Member States leading certain sectors. India focuses on security, along with counter-terrorism and transnational crime, disaster management and energy.
Growth of BIMSTEC as a regional forum
Despite having been in existence for many years, the grouping had been largely ignored until India gave it a renewed push in October 2016, a month after the terrorist attack in Uri.
Alongside the BRICS summit in Goa, India hosted an outreach summit with leaders of BIMSTEC countries.
Weeks earlier, some of these countries had supported New Delhi’s call for a boycott of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit scheduled in Islamabad that November.
SAARC includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka as its members. When that summit was postponed, India claimed victory in isolating Pakistan.
China on mind
The Bay of Bengal is crucial for an increasingly assertive China in maintaining its access route to the Indian Ocean.
As China has undertaken a massive drive to finance and build infrastructure in South and Southeast Asia through the Belt and Road Initiative in almost all BIMSTEC countries, except Bhutan and India, BIMSTEC is a new battleground in the India-China battle for dominance.
BIMSTEC could allow India to push a constructive agenda to counter Chinese investments, and instead follow best practices for connectivity projects based on recognised international norms. The Chinese projects are widely seen as violating these norms.
The two organisations — SAARC and BIMSTEC — focus on geographically overlapping regions. However, this does not make them equal alternatives.
SAARC is a purely regional organisation, whereas BIMSTEC is inter-regional and connects both South Asia and ASEAN.
Since the SAARC summit has only been postponed, not cancelled the possibility of revival remains.
#upsc #news #bimstec #foreignminister #bangkok #technical #economic #cooperation #affairsminister #thailand #jaishankar #energy #security #bangladesh #myanmar #bhutan #nepal #sevencountries #terrorism #disaster #management #SAARC #finance #india #china #south #asian #newdelhi #maldives #srilanka
BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ meet
GS Paper - 2 (International Relations)
The first-ever Foreign Ministers’ meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) began in Bangkok, Thailand. India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was also present, and said that areas of coordination challenge that were discussed, including health and energy security.
What is BIMSTEC?
BIMSTEC is a regional organisation that was established in 1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration.
Initially known as BIST-EC (Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation), the organisation is now known as BIMSTEC and comprises seven members, with Myanmar joining towards the end of 1997, and Bhutan and Nepal in 2004.
Around 22% of the world’s population lives in the seven countries around the Bay of Bengal, with a combined GDP close to $2.7 trillion.
All seven countries have sustained average annual rates of growth between 3.4% and 7.5% from 2012 to 2016. A fourth of the world’s traded goods cross the bay every year.
Cooperation within the BIMSTEC had initially focused on six sectors in 1997 (trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism, and fisheries) and expanded in 2008 to other areas.
In 2021, a reorganisation led to each of the Member States leading certain sectors. India focuses on security, along with counter-terrorism and transnational crime, disaster management and energy.
Growth of BIMSTEC as a regional forum
Despite having been in existence for many years, the grouping had been largely ignored until India gave it a renewed push in October 2016, a month after the terrorist attack in Uri.
Alongside the BRICS summit in Goa, India hosted an outreach summit with leaders of BIMSTEC countries.
Weeks earlier, some of these countries had supported New Delhi’s call for a boycott of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit scheduled in Islamabad that November.
SAARC includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka as its members. When that summit was postponed, India claimed victory in isolating Pakistan.
China on mind
The Bay of Bengal is crucial for an increasingly assertive China in maintaining its access route to the Indian Ocean.
As China has undertaken a massive drive to finance and build infrastructure in South and Southeast Asia through the Belt and Road Initiative in almost all BIMSTEC countries, except Bhutan and India, BIMSTEC is a new battleground in the India-China battle for dominance.
BIMSTEC could allow India to push a constructive agenda to counter Chinese investments, and instead follow best practices for connectivity projects based on recognised international norms. The Chinese projects are widely seen as violating these norms.
The two organisations — SAARC and BIMSTEC — focus on geographically overlapping regions. However, this does not make them equal alternatives.
SAARC is a purely regional organisation, whereas BIMSTEC is inter-regional and connects both South Asia and ASEAN.
Since the SAARC summit has only been postponed, not cancelled the possibility of revival remains.
#upsc #news #bimstec #foreignminister #bangkok #technical #economic #cooperation #affairsminister #thailand #jaishankar #energy #security #bangladesh #myanmar #bhutan #nepal #sevencountries #terrorism #disaster #management #SAARC #finance #india #china #south #asian #newdelhi #maldives #srilanka