By TNV Desk

This is a weekly foreign media digest that tells you how India has been covered in the global media from July 16,2023 to July 22,2023

 Reuters – One-tenth of India’s population escaped poverty in 5 years – government report

• Nearly 135 million people, around 10% of India’s population, escaped poverty in the five years to March 2021, a government report found on Monday.
• Rural areas saw the strongest fall in poverty, according to the study, which used the United Nations’ Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), based on 12 indicators such as malnutrition, education and sanitation. If people are deprived in three or more areas, they are identified as “MPI poor.”
• According to UNDP estimates, the number of people, who lived below the $2.15 per day poverty line had declined to 10% in India in 2021.
• India’s federal government offers free food grain to about 800 million people, about 57% of country’s 1.4 billion population, while states spend billions of dollars on subsidising education, health, electricity and other services.
• The state that saw the largest number moving out of poverty was Uttar Pradesh, with 343 million people, followed by the states of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, according to the

(For detailed report click on the link – https://www.reuters.com/world/india/one-tenth-indias-population-escaped-poverty-5-years-government-report-2023-07-17/)

 

RFI – G20 energy ministers fail to agree on plan to reduce fossil fuels

• Energy ministers from the group of 20 nations meeting in India on Saturday failed to agree on a roadmap to phase down the use of fossil fuels in the global energy mix.
• Explaining the stalemate, G20 president India said that some members had emphasised the importance of seeking a “phase down of unabated fossil fuels, in line with different national circumstances”.
• But “others had different views on the matter that abatement and removal technologies will address such concerns,” it added.
• A report prepared for its G20 presidency estimated the cost of the energy transition at $4 trillion a year and emphasised the importance of low-cost financing for developing countries and technology transfers – a key demand of New Delhi’s.
• Some of the biggest energy-producing economies, such as Russia and Saudi Arabia, have also resisted a quick transition away from fossil fuels.

(For detailed report click on the link – https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20230722-g20-energy-ministers-fail-to-agree-on-plan-to-reduce-fossil-fuels)

 

The Guardian – India’s ban on rice exports raises fear of global food price rises

• India has banned non-basmati white rice exports to curb domestic inflation, raising fears of further increases in global food prices just days after wheat and corn prices were sent climbing by Russia’s termination of a key grain deal.
• The immediate ban, introduced after heavy rains hit domestic crops, follows the failure of a 20% duty on international exports introduced in September to curb foreign demand, which has soared after extreme climate conditions hit production in countries.
• India is the world’s largest rice exporter, accounting for more than 40% of global shipments. While the ban does not apply to higher-grade basmati rice – India’s best-known variety – non-basmati white rice accounts for about 25% of exports.
• International sales of Indian rice soared by 35% in the year to June, contributing to a 3% rise in domestic prices over the past month alone. People in India are paying 11.5% more for rice than a year ago, according to its ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution.
• The Indian government said the ban, introduced on Thursday evening, would “ensure adequate availability of non-basmati white rice in the Indian market” and lead to lowering of prices for domestic consumers.

(For detailed report click on the link – https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jul/21/india-ban-on-rice-exports-raises-fear-of-global-food-price-rises)

 

Al Jazeera – India, Sri Lanka agree to boost economic and energy ties

• Sri Lankan president’s visit to India signals growing ties between neighbouring countries as both agree to boost cooperation in various sectors.
• The leaders of India and Sri Lanka have agreed to improve their countries’ economic and energy ties, as well as consider building a land link between them.
• The announcements on Friday came during Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to India where he held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• Modi also said the two sides would work quickly to connect their electricity grids and study the feasibility of building a petroleum pipeline and a land bridge between the countries.
• Establishing “land connectivity” across the Palk Strait, which in places is only about 25km (15 miles) wide, would give India access to the key ports of Trincomalee and Colombo and strengthen a “millennia-old relationship”, the neighbours said in a strategic document.
• Wickremesinghe said he had updated Modi about the reform measures being taken by his government to resolve the island nation’s financial crisis and expressed appreciation for the support provided by India for the “most challenging period in modern history”.

(For detailed report click on the link – https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/21/india-sri-lanka-agree-to-boost-economic-and-energy-ties)

 

Reuters – Exclusive: India to push G20 to raise share of taxes on firms where they earn ‘excess profit’ – sources

• India will push its Group of 20 partners at a meeting it is hosting to support its proposal to raise the share of taxes multinational companies pay to countries where they earn “excess profits”, government officials said.
• India’s proposal, which has not been previously reported, could temper optimism among G20 members such as Australia and Japan that the meeting of finance ministers and central bankers in Gujarat would make progress on a long-awaited overhaul of global corporate taxation.
• India’s finance and external affairs ministries and the OECD did not respond to requests for comment. India, fighting for a higher share of taxes for markets where firms do business, is the world’s most populous country and set to become one of the biggest consumer markets. Indian people’s average income is set to grow more than 13-fold to $27,000 by the end of 2047, according to a survey by the People’s Research on India’s Consumer Economy.
• The G20 host nation will also propose that withholding taxation be de-linked from the excess profit tax principle. The rules now say countries offset their share of taxes with the withholding tax they collect

For detailed report click on the link – https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-push-g20-raise-share-taxes-firms-where-they-earn-excess-profit-sources-2023-07-16/

 

 

Arab News – Four held over India naked women video, may face death penalty

• Indian police have arrested four men accused of parading two women naked in front of a mob in a northeastern state where months of ethnic violence have left at least 120 dead.
• The suspects were identified from a video clip of the incident in early May that went viral on social media on Wednesday, causing outrage across the country.
• “Four main accused arrested in the Viral Video Case,” police in Manipur said on Twitter late Thursday.
• A “thorough investigation” was under way, the state’s chief minister N. Biren Singh tweeted.
• “We will ensure strict action is taken against all the perpetrators, including considering the possibility of capital punishment,” he added.
• The incident came at the start of the violence in Manipur, which was sparked by a dispute over access to government jobs and other perks.

(For detailed report click on the link – https://www.arabnews.com/node/2341611/world)

 

Al Jazeera- Photos: Armed mobs rampage through Indian state of Manipur

 

• Zuan Vaiphei is armed and prepared to kill. He is also ready to die. Vaiphei spends most of his days behind the sandbag walls of a makeshift bunker, his fingers resting on the trigger of a 12-gauge shotgun.
• Ethnic clashes between different groups have occasionally erupted in the past, mostly pitting the minority Christian Kukis against mostly Hindu Meiteis, who form a narrow majority in the state. But no one was prepared for the killings, arson and a rampage of hate that followed in May, after the Meiteis had demanded a special status that would allow them to buy land in the hills populated by Kukis and other tribal groups, as well as a share of government jobs.

(For detailed report click on the link – https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2023/7/16/photos-armed-mobs-rampage-through-indian-state-of-manipur)

 

The Economist – Why are politics in West Bengal so violent?

• Last month police in the east Indian state of West Bengal took 11,000 people into “preventive detention”. They confiscated more than 20,000 licensed weapons, along with piles of ammunition and explosives. The election commission asked the central government in Delhi to deploy 80,000 paramilitary troops across India’s fourth-biggest state, home to more than 100m people.
• The purpose was not to fight an insurgency. It was to prepare for local elections in the sweltering Bengali countryside, which typically see eye-watering levels of violence. Despite the measures, bloodshed ensued. Some 50 people have been killed in clashes involving rival party activists since the announcement of the polls in June, with many killed on or after polling day.
• The violence was so disruptive the vote had to be re-run in some places. It eventually produced a landslide victory for the Trinamool Congress, a regional party led by West Bengal’s charismatic chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, whose activists accounted for many of the dead.

(For detailed report click on the link –https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/07/20/why-are-politics-in-west-bengal-so-violent)

 

Reuters – India’s Adani confident of governance, slams Hindenburg

• India’s Adani Group is confident of its governance and disclosure standards after a top court panel found no lapses at the conglomerate, its chairman said on Tuesday, calling a U.S. short-seller’s report earlier this year a “malicious attempt” at damaging its reputation.
• The panel “confirmed the quality of our group’s disclosures and found no instance of any breach,” Adani Chairman Gautam Adani said in his first comments on the findings.
• A court-appointed panel said in May India’s markets regulator had “drawn a blank” in its investigations into suspected violations in overseas investments in the group and its ongoing pursuit of the case could be a “journey without a destination”.
• He also added that Adani Ports, in the next 12-24 months, will commission India’s largest transshipment hub.

(For detailed report click on the link – https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-adani-confident-governance-disclosure-standards-chairman-2023-07-18/)

 

Bloomberg – India Seeks to Relax Data Storage Rules in Boost for Business

• India plans to further relax its approach to data storage, processing and transfer beyond its borders, a boon for global companies such as Alphabet Inc.’s Google as well as Indian firms seeking growth abroad.
• India, like governments around the world, is trying to balance the needs of business with individuals’ rights to data privacy. With its population of 1.4 billion, the country is an attractive growth market for global internet giants, but corporations are regularly clashing with authorities focused on protecting consumers’ interests and aiding home-grown enterprises.
• Other key aspects of the bill — such as the setting up of a Data Protection Board of India to determine non-compliance and impose penalties for breaches, and the requirement for companies such as Amazon.com Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. to appoint India-based data protection officers — remain unchanged from the previous drafts. An order of the Data Protection Board can be challenged in an appellate tribunal and then a high court

(For detailed report click on the link – https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-07-18/india-seeks-to-relax-data-storage-rules-in-boost-for-business)

 

Reuters – Why Indian farmers worry despite ‘average’ monsoon rains

• India has received average monsoon rains since the start of the season on June 1, despite concerns that an El Nino weather pattern could lead to lower rainfall this year.
• While average monsoon rains are ordinarily good for Indian farmers, uneven distribution this year has created new worries. Only a third of the country has received average rainfall so far this season, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data. Meanwhile, about 34% of India has received deficient rains and 32% excessive rainfall, the data shows.
• Vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplant, capsicum and spinach are also affected by erratic rainfall distribution. Standing crops in northern India have been damaged by floods, while southern planting has been delayed. As a result, prices of certain vegetables including tomatoes have hit record highs.
• Delays in planting after mid-July typically result in lower yields in much of India. As mid-September approaches, temperatures begin to rise in many regions, which can hurt pod formation and pod filling in crops that were planted late.
• Weather agencies have predicted a strong El Nino during the Indian winter months, and that could mean higher than normal temperatures and reduced yields of wheat and rapeseed.
• India has struggled to control wheat prices for over a year, and lower output in the upcoming season could complicate those efforts. Lower rapeseed output may necessitate an increase in vegetable oil imports.

(For detailed report click on the link – https://www.reuters.com/world/india/why-indian-farmers-worry-despite-average-monsoon-rains-2023-07-18/)

 

Arab News – India’s PM Modi and Muslim World League chief discuss diversity

• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Secretary-General of the Muslim World League Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa during his visit to New Delhi, India, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
• The Indian Islamic Cultural Center celebrated the visit by the MWL delegation by organizing a lecture delivered by Al-Issa, in the presence of senior Islamic religious leaders in India, including muftis, scholars.
• He said that Muslims were guided by their faith to comprehend the wisdom of God in human diversity.
• Al-Issa also stressed that the Islamic component in India was proud of its patriotism and state institutions and its affiliation with the Indian nation, emphasizing the need for religious awareness to promote understanding, coexistence and cooperation.

(For detailed report click on the link – https://www.arabnews.com/node/2338606/world)

 

Gulf Today – UAE-India ties make impressive strides

 

• The past few years have seen phenomenal, accelerated growth in the bilateral relations between the UAE and India, two countries that share decades-long deep-rooted ties, strengthened through cultural exchange, trade and political engagement.
• As part of this strategy, the country launched the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPA) programme in September 2021, which encompasses its CEPA with India, highlighting the rapid advancement in their relations. The UAEIndia partnership is a driver for economic growth that creates trade and investment opportunities for over 3.8 billion people.
• The agreement aims to facilitate trade between UAE and India by eliminating unnecessary technical barriers (TBT) for UAE and Indian exporters, using international standards as a basis for technical regulations. It also offers UAE businesses access to Indian government procurement opportunities, along with a 10 per cent price preference in UAE government procurement tenders

(For detailed report click on the link – https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2023/07/15/uae-india-ties-make-impressive-strides)

 

 

Saudi Gazette – Indian PM Modi and Al-Issa discuss aspects of fostering interfaith harmony

• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL) and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa at the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi on Tuesday.
• During the meeting, they discussed various aspects of furthering interfaith harmony, peace and working towards human progress. During the meeting, a number of issues of mutual interest were reviewed, including Indian diversity within the framework of the country’s constitution.
• After the meeting, Dr. Al-Issa tweeted that he had an insightful discussion with the Indian PM Modi on a variety of issues, including ways to further human-centric development and the importance of promoting understanding and harmony among the followers of faith and culture.
• He appreciated Modi’s passionate perspective towards inclusive growth.
• There was also agreement on the importance of working together on confronting all aspects of extremism and hatred, regardless of their source and reason, as peace and prosperity in our diverse world can only be achieved with awareness and comprehensive citizenship, the MWL chief pointed out.

(For detailed report click on the link – https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/634243/SAUDI-ARABIA/Indian-PM-Modi-and-Al-Issa-discuss-aspects-of-fostering-interfaith-harmony)

 

Gulf Today – Local currency trading big shift in UAE-India ties

• The agreement between the UAE and India to promote the use of their respective national currencies, the dirham and the rupee, in cross-border transactions, marks a tectonic shift in relations between the two countries, particularly where trade and investment are concerned. The framework will also seek to streamline payment services in both countries, benefiting their respective people, through the linkage of their instant payment platforms (IPPs), local payment card systems, and financial messaging systems.
• It also helps boost India’s efforts to cut transaction costs by eliminating dollar conversions. Moreover, the pact allows opening and use of correspondent accounts for the benefit of financial institutions in both countries, promotes direct exchange rates between the two national currencies, and provides options for liquidity management in accordance with the laws and regulations of the two countries.
• Last year, the UAE and India agreed to work together to combat climate change. The two sides concurred to establish a partnership between their public and private sectors to collaborate on climate action, by focusing on increasing renewable energy and green hydrogen, creating carbon markets, improving agricultural efficiency, and supporting sustainable finance. The leaders noted the significant global roles played by both countries in 2023, with India’s presidency of the G20 and the UAE’s presidency of COP28.

(For detailed report click on the link – https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2023/07/16/local-currency-trading-big-shift-in-uae-india-ties)

 

Bloomberg – India, Indonesia Plan Local Currency Trade, Payments Links

• Indonesia and India are planning to settle bilateral transactions in local currencies and link up their fast payments systems to spur cross border fund transfers, according to a senior Indian government official.
• The proposed agreements with Indonesia comes as India inked similar pacts with the United Arab Emirates over the weekend, which will see more trades done in rupees and dirhams and allows for domestic credit cards in processing retail transactions.
• The moves are part of India’s push to internationalize the rupee and reduce its reliance on the US dollar. Success remains elusive with trade volumes below $120 million since the Reserve Bank of India allowed more than a dozen banks to settle trade in rupees with 18 nations last year.
• However, countries like Indonesia are still tying up with India given its fast-growing economy and hunger for food commodities. Indrawati told Bloomberg in an interview that Indonesia wants to work with India to shield against the impact of China’s lackluster performance.

(For detailed report click on the link – https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-07-17/india-indonesia-plan-local-currency-trade-fast-payments-links#xj4y7vzkg)

 

Bloomberg – India’s Hydropower Restarts as Floods Recede Yet More Rain Looms

• Hydropower projects in India’s Himalayan states are gradually coming back online as waters recede, although the flooding has raised concern about more development in the region.
• The severe flooding that has wreaked havoc in northern India has caused fatalities, triggered power outages and damaged infrastructure. While the nation sees hydropower as vital to its energy transition, environmental and social challenges have slowed capacity additions and boosted costs.
• There’s also concern that the construction of hydro projects and the supporting infrastructure is exacerbating the impact of heavy rains, which are becoming more common due to global warming, in the ecologically fragile Himalayan region.
• Generation has also resumed at NHPC’s Salal plant in the Jammu and Kashmir region and it has also partially restarted at its Dulhasti plant in the area, the company said NTPC Ltd. has operated its Koldam plant in Himachal Pradesh at full capacity, barring a day’s closure on July 11, project head R.P. Ahirwar said by phone

(For detailed report click on the link – https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-07-17/india-s-hydropower-restarts-as-floods-recede-yet-more-rain-looms)

 

The Globe and Mail – Canada’s Sikh Khalistani movement mobilizes thousands of diaspora votes against India

• Signs posted on the gates of a Sikh temple in the shadow of Toronto’s Pearson Airport declared it a “referendum war zone.”
• But in the Indian state of Punjab they are a religious majority, and Hinduism is the second most common faith.
• India is Canada’s largest source country for immigrants and international students, and it is increasing its role as a vital Canadian trade partner. But Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government sees the Sikh secessionist dream as a major security threat. It has blacklisted several organizers of the ballot -casting exercise as subversives under its domestic laws, though many are out of reach – including those living in Canada
• In 2019, Sikhs for Justice was deemed a subversive entity under India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. That was shortly after the group announced the Khalistan referendum campaign

(For detailed report click on the link – https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-khalistan-sikh-india-canada/)

 

(The report is curated by Dr Vinay Nalwa)