1. G20: While Xi, Putin skip G20, Biden to reach India 2 days before summit to meet PM Modi
2. Govt calls special session of Parliament later this month, gives no reason
3. One Nation One Election: Govt Forms Panel Headed By Ex-President Kovind
4. PM Modi in Indonesia to attend ASEAN, East Asia Summit on Sept 6-7
5. PM Modi not attending UNGA high-level session, EAM to address on Sep 26

What Else

6. Nepal Asks China to ‘Respect’ Its 2020 Map, Kathmandu Mayor Cancels China Visit
7. I.N.D.I.A. alliance to contest 2024 elections together, slams ‘One Nation, One Election’ plan
8. As India’s Aditya-L1 heads to study the Sun, Moon mission Chandrayaan-3 to fall asleep
9. China objects to former Indian service chiefs attending security conference in Taiwan
10. SIA Arrests 8 Absconding Terrorists Involved In 3-Decade-Old Terror Crimes In Doda
11. Manipur Violence: Woken from Sleep, forcefully moved, allege last Kuki families shifted from Imphal
12. Indian Defence Ministry Seals ₹2.87 Billion Contract For Spike Anti-tank Missiles
13. Indian police condemn BBC for article on press freedom in Kashmir
14. Situation in G-B ‘completely peaceful’, asserts Solangi
15. AJK Admin Structure is justifiable only for the Kashmir Freedom Movement AJK Premier
16. At Least 11 Soldiers Killed In Armed Attack In Pakistan’s Restive South Waziristan
17. Myanmar junta troubled by ‘unfit for operation’ ‘Pakistan-made’ JF-17 fighter jets
18. China’s fragile recovery keeps policymakers on alert

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G20: While Xi, Putin skip G20, Biden to reach India 2 days before summit to meet PM Modi

• While Russian and Chinese presidents have decided to skip the summit in Delhi, US President Biden will arrive, 2 days in advance to hold a bilateral meeting with PM Modi
• The WH on Fri informed Biden will travel to India on Sept 7 to attend the summit, scheduled to take place on Sept 9-10 and expected a meeting with PM Modi on Sept 8^th
• Among other topics of discussion, the economic and social impacts of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine may also feature heavily in the talks. 
• Putin to visit China: Notably, the statement came hours after Putin in an address, called his Chinese counterpart a ‘friend’, adding that he was planning to visit Beijing soon. 
• “He (Xi) calls me his friend, and I am happy to call him my friend, because he is a person who does a lot for the development of Russian-Chinese relations.”
• Earlier this week, Putin announced that he was not traveling to India to attend the G20 summit in person, in a telephonic conversation with PM Modi.  
• Similarly, a day after releasing a controversial map that antagonized the entire neighborhood, reports claimed that Xi was giving the G20 summit a miss. 
• Premier Li Qiang is expected to represent Beijing, but New Delhi is waiting for official words (here)
• Ahead of the G20, HV Shringla, Chief Coordinator, has reiterated New Delhi’s steadfast commitment to inclusive global governance and its unwavering support for the Global South. (here)
• On the G20, joint statement, Russian Envoy Denis Alipov says: if the Ukraine issue is retained on the agenda, that would take into account Russia’s legitimate concerns
• Xi’s G-20 Snub Marks Shift From Statesman to China ‘Emperor’: President Xi Jinping began his 3^rd term with a diplomatic blitz that bolstered his image as a global statesman.
• Now, he’s set to skip the world’s premier international forum of world leaders — and it’s not exactly clear why.
• It could be due to diplomatic sparring with India that Xi is snubbing the Group of 20 meeting in India. Or he wants to bolster the newly expanded BRICS forum.
• Maybe he wants to stay home to handle China’s economic troubles, with one of the nation’s largest property developers on the brink of default. (here)
• It is certainly not a snub to India’s PM Modi as some commentators have surmised, since he has backed out of other foreign commitments too. (here)
• Tensions between China and India threaten to prevent Group of 20 leaders from issuing a joint communique for the 1^st time since the forum was created in 1999, Bloomberg reported citing sources. (here) [As all other things are on the tract]

Govt calls special session of Parliament later this month, gives no reason

• In a surprise statement Thu, the govt said a special session of Parliament was being convened from Sept 18-22, which would have five sittings, without giving any reason.
• There is speculation that the Modi govt could go for a big-ticket move like initiating the process for ushering in simultaneous elections or the Women’s Reservation Bill.
• (Sources)- were tight-lipped about the session agenda but said the House could meet in the new Parliament House building inaugurated in May.
• The session will follow the G20 and is expected to be an occasion to showcase its “successes” in various sectors, including the global summit and the Chandrayaan-3.
• Another source familiar with the govt’s strategy said the special session is “intended for domestic as well as international politics”. (here)

One Nation One Election: Govt Forms Panel Headed By Ex-President Kovind

• The govt has formed a committee headed by Ex-President Kovind to explore the possibility of a ‘One Nation One Election’ to hold general and state elections parallelly.
• The move comes a day after reports said that the govt may introduce a ‘One Nation, One Election‘ bill in the special session of Parliament, to be held from Sept 18 to 22.
• The setting up of the panel opens up the possibility of Lok Sabha polls being advanced so that they could be held with a string of assembly elections to be held later this year.
• Sources said that Ram Nath Kovind is expected to speak to experts and may also consult leaders of different political parties regarding the issue. (here)
• Amit Shah, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Harish Salve, Subhash C Kashyap, Sanjay Kothari and N K Singh are on the panel, which will be headed by Ram Nath Kovind.
• Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has withdrawn from the panel.

PM Modi in Indonesia to attend ASEAN, East Asia Summit on Sept 6-7

• PM Modi will visit Indonesia from Sept 6-7 to attend the ASEAN-India and the East Asia Summit to boost the trade and security ties with the ASEAN.
• Modi is traveling to Jakarta for the meetings at the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, the external affairs ministry stated.
• Indonesia is the current chair of ASEAN and the two crucial meetings will be held days before India hosts the G20 Summit in New Delhi during Sept 9-10.
• The ASEAN -India Summit will be the first since the elevation of India-Asean relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022.
• Prior, there was speculation that Modi could hold talks with President Xi on the margins of the Asean-related meetings, but Xi is not attending the meetings. (here)

PM Modi not attending UNGA high-level session, EAM to address on Sep 26

• PM Modi will not attend the annual UNGA session later this month and EAM Jaishankar will address the high-level week, as per the latest interim list of speakers.
• The high-level General Debate of the 78^th session of the UNGA will begin on Sept 19, with Brazil as the traditional first speaker of the session, followed by the US.
• According to the list of speakers, Jaishankar will address the General Debate on the morning of Sept 26, the last day of the high-level week.
• In the first provisional list of speakers, India’s Head of Government (HG) was scheduled to address the session in the afternoon of Sept 22.
• Considered the busiest diplomatic season of the year at the UN Headquarters, the high-level session opens in Sept annually. (here)

Nepal Asks China to ‘Respect’ Its 2020 Map, Kathmandu Mayor Cancels China Visit

• After China’s new map antagonized India, Nepal is a bit miffed – albeit cautiously – as the map does not show the territories on the Indian border claimed by Kathmandu.
• China had unveiled the 2023 edition of its standard map on Mon, which continued to show Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin within its boundary.
• While the political opposition raised the pitch, the Ministry of External Affairs said it had lodged a “strong protest” with China.
• The new map also drew attention in Kathmandu, as it doesn’t include the areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura, which were incorporated into the official Nepali map in May 2020.
• After Nepal had issued the map, India termed it as an “unjustified cartographic assertion” and has not yet discussed the matter bilaterally. (here)
• China New Map and responses from the region: India– Lodges strong protest; Rejected; Vietnam: Rejected; Philippines: Rejects; Malaysia: Rejects; Indonesia: Comply with UNCLOS; Taiwan: can’t change our country’s existence; Nepal: Respect our 2020 Map; Brunei – Reminds obligations to UNCLOS, and Russia: Nothing changes on the ground.

I.N.D.I.A. alliance to contest 2024 elections together, slams ‘One Nation, One Election’ plan

• The 2-day meeting of the opposition I.N.D.I.A. coalition held in Mumbai, concluded on Fri with the party leaders releasing a joint statement saying the 28 parties in the coalition will contest the upcoming 2024 general elections “together as far as possible.”
• The meeting was attended by 28 political parties and 63 members, across the country huddled together to finalize the strategy for taking on the BJP-led NDA in the 2024
• Speaking about the upcoming general elections, the opposition parties announced the formation of a 14-member coordination panel after brainstorming for the last 2 days.
• The I.N.D.I.A. in a resolution, said that they will soon come up with a seat-sharing formula among its members for next year’s Lok Sabha polls.
• I.N.D.I.A. alliance and its three resolutions: Speaking at a press conference, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray said that their coalition has adopted three resolutions.
• The INDIA parties to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections together as far as possible.
• The INDIA parties, hereby resolve to organize public rallies at the earliest in different parts of the country on issues of public concern and importance.”
• The INDIA parties, to coordinate our respective communications and media strategies and campaigns on the theme of ‘Judega Bharat, Jeetega INDIA’.
• Opposition slams ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal: The incumbent BJP-led central govt announced on Fri that it had set up a committee to study the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal which refers to holding the Lok Sabha and state assembly polls simultaneously across the country. (here)

As India’s Aditya-L1 heads to study the Sun, Moon mission Chandrayaan-3 to fall asleep

• Within 10 days of having successfully soft-landed Chandrayaan-3 near the Lunar South Pole, the ISRO has launched a craft to study the Sun from afar.
• As Chandrayaan-3 nears the end of its planned operational life (14 earth days or one Lunar day) and goes to sleep soon, it is now for Aditya-L1 to stay awake and continue on its 125-day journey to the Lagrange Point 1 position.
• The Aditya-L1 mission was placed in its designated elliptical (egg-shaped) orbit around 1:00 pm (local time) on Sat.
• Over the last 10 days, the Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover have been performing in-situ experiments with their respective payloads and sharing the data.
• However, the end of the Lunar day time is closing in fast on the Vikram Lander and Pragyan Rover.
• As the duo are solar-powered, they would not be able to function during the fortnight-long Lunar night. (here)

China objects to former Indian service chiefs attending security conference in Taiwan

• China on Thu said it firmly opposed all forms of official interaction between the Taiwan authorities and countries having diplomatic relations with Beijing.
• Replying to a question raised by a Pak journalist on reports that 3 former top Indian military officials attended a security dialogue held by Taiwanese authorities in Taipei
• Chinese FM said that China firmly opposes all forms of official interaction with Taiwan.
• China, which considers self-ruled Taiwan as part of its mainland, routinely objects to any high-level visits to Taipei, saying that it is a violation of the one-China principle.
• According to the media reports, the former Navy, Army, and Indian Air Force chiefs respectively – recently attended Ketagalan Forum’s 2023 IPSD held in Taiwan. (here)

SIA Arrests 8 Absconding Terrorists Involved In 3-Decade-Old Terror Crimes In Doda

• The SIA on Thu said that it has arrested 8 fugitive terrorists and their aids for terrorism and activities involved in TADA cases registered around 30 years ago in the Doda.
• According to a statement, the police said that all the arrested persons have been charge-sheeted in the TADA Court Jammu.
• These terrorists had managed to escape from the clutches of the law for decades by going underground and then resurfacing to enjoy normal family life. (here)
• NIA nabs 2 for aiding Rajouri terror attack: The premier investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested 2 terror operatives who had allegedly provided shelter and logistical support to the attackers of the Dhangri terror attack on Jan 1 this year.
• They had transported ammunition for the attack.
• At least 7 civilians, including a 4-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl were killed in 2 back-to-back terror attacks on Jan 1 and 2 at Dhangri village in Rajouri district. (here)

Manipur Violence: Woken from Sleep, forcefully moved, allege last Kuki families shifted from Imphal

• The last 10 remaining Kuki families, residing in the New Lambulane, Imphal, have been evacuated by the BJP-led Manipur govt.
• In a post-midnight operation carried out by uniformed armed personnel, 24 individuals who stayed in Imphal amid the strife in the state, were moved to the hills in the adjacent district.
• The evacuation was reported carried out on the intervening midnight of Sept 1-2, when these were ‘woken’ from sleep and asked to move, without getting time to even ‘pack their belongings.’
• The 10 families were taken 27 km away from Imphal to Kangpokpi, a hilly area inhabited by Kuki and other tribal people. (here)

Indian Defence Ministry Seals ₹2.87 Billion Contract For Spike Anti-tank Missiles

• The MoD has inked a contract worth $34.7 mn with Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems for the procurement of Spike anti-tank guided missiles destined for the Armed Forces.
• This represents a major step in bolstering defense capabilities and is expected to be fulfilled over the next 12 months.
• KRAS, a joint venture company, is a collaboration between Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd, the defense subsidiary of Bharat Forge Ltd, and Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defence Systems (Rafael) Ltd.
• In this partnership, KSSL holds a majority stake of 51%, with Rafael owning the remaining 49%. (here)

Indian police condemn BBC for article on press freedom in Kashmir

• Kashmir Police have “strongly objected” to an article published by the BBC on press freedom and threatened to take legal action for “unfairly castigating” its work.
• The report by the BBC, headlined “Any story could be your last” – India’s crackdown on Kashmir press, was published on Fri
• It highlights the case of several Kashmiri journalists incarcerated on “terrorism” charges, under which bail is difficult to get.
• “The article unfairly castigates efforts of J&K Police in maintaining law and order and security in J&K as biased against journalists,” the J&K Police said in a post on X, (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Situation in G-B ‘completely peaceful’, asserts Solangi

• The home department of Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) stated on Sun to assert that the “situation in G-B is completely peaceful” terming media reports about the deployment of the Pakistan Army as “completely baseless”.
• “All roads, trade centers, business activities, and educational institutions in G-B are open as usual. The services of Pakistan Army and Civil Armed Forces have been requisitioned only to maintain law and order on the eve of Chehlam of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA),” he said.
• The interim added that “special measures have been taken for the security of procession routes and Imambargahs as per past practice”.
• Referring to the provincial department’s statement, he said that “Section 144 of the CrPC 1898 has been imposed across the region to maintain law and order “. (here)
• US, UK, Canada update travel advisory for GB amid protests: The US joined the British High Commission in Islamabad on Sat to advise its citizens against all but essential travel to GB due to recent demonstrations and protests in the region.
• Even large gatherings intended to be peaceful may become violent with little or no warning, it added.
• “The US Embassy strongly encourages U.S. citizens to avoid large gatherings, monitor local media reports, and to remain vigilant of their surroundings at all times.”
• Arandu town in Lower Chitral, the road between Mirkhani and Arandu in KP, the southern coast of Balochistan, Gwadar, and Nawabshah city of Sindh are among the areas the High Commission says should be avoided by the UK nationals (here)

AJK Admin Structure is justifiable only for the Kashmir Freedom Movement AJK Premier

• AJK Premier Chaudhary Anwar ul Haq said that the AJK Admin Structure is justifiable only for the Kashmir Freedom Movement and if seen in any other, it will have no standing
• He mentioned the Pak Army Chief’s remark on Kashmir is encouraging for Kashmiris.
• The PM added that he would step down if failed to resolve the issues of the people.
• He further said that AJK is not a burden on the federation but we are putting a big share in the national economy.
• In the Senate Standing Committee for Fin meeting, AJK PM Haq took a strong stand that the people of AJK should get their rights and that the IMF is not a problem of AJK.
• He argued that the Pakistan Government is not giving us our share and hydel revenues.
• He strongly objected to additional taxes on electricity bills and demanded to revoke all.
• He informed the standing committee that every June, the distribution companies are putting additional charges under the guise of line license in AJK’s account.
• We are not a burden on the Federal govt and therefore the federation should also not put so much burden on us that the future generation would lose love for Pakistan.
• The GoP has cut Rs.61 billion in arrears from the AJK budget and it seems to have no intention to pay back Rs.425 billion of the profit from hydel projects. (Siasat)

At Least 11 Soldiers Killed In Armed Attack In Pakistan’s Restive South Waziristan

• Pakistani officials said 11 soldiers were killed and three others injured in an armed attack by religious militants early on Aug 22 in the South Waziristan tribal of Barah.
• The banned TTP movement — also known as the Pakistani Taliban — claimed responsibility for the attack, claiming that 18 soldiers were killed.
• On Aug 19, five soldiers were killed in an armed attack that the TTP also claimed responsibility for.
• The group is the Sunni Islamist nationalist and pro-Pashtun movement founded in the 1990s that ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until Oct 2001. (here)

Myanmar junta troubled by ‘unfit for operation’ ‘Pakistan-made’ JF-17 fighter jets

• The military junta seems to be miffed with Pakistan as the JF-17 Thunder, a multi-role combat aircraft, supplied by Islamabad in 2019-21 has been stated “unfit for operations”.
• Military junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has expressed his displeasure over the faulty condition of the aircraft, with none of the jets being in operational condition.
• Currently, Myanmar has 11 JF-17 aircraft, developed jointly by China and Pakistan.
• Junta’s frustrations have increased, especially after Islamabad dispatched a technical team for repair and maintenance, in a rather clandestine manner, last year.
• Nearly 5 years after they were commissioned, still cannot be used by the Air Force.
• Consequently, Myanmar’s Air Force is forced to depend on Russian-made Yak-130 and MiG-29 fighter jets and Chinese K-8 fighters.
• Isolated by the West, the junta has created a military-industrial partnership with Pakistan at China’s behest.
• Yet, both countries are notorious for their faulty, plagiarised, and cheap tech. (here)

China’s fragile recovery keeps policymakers on alert

• China’s trade and inflation data this week will likely signal that the economy’s recovery remains fragile, keeping pressure on policymakers to roll out more stimulus.
• Thu’s trade report is expected to show exports and imports contracted again in Aug from a year earlier, although at a milder pace than in July.
• Deflation may also have eased, with figures due Sept. 9 probably showing an increase in consumer prices, according to state media.
• Bloomberg warns that China’s growth outlook remains far from certain despite the likely improvement in the data. (here)

• China’s factory activity shrinks for fifth month: China’s manufacturing activity contracted for a 5^th straight month in Aug, maintaining pressure to provide support to shore up economic growth.
• On the brighter side, new orders reverted to expansion for the 1^st time in 5 months and factory owners indicated that producer prices were improving.
• The official purchasing managers’ index rose to 49.7 from 49.3 in Jul, according to the NBS, staying below the 50-point level demarcating contraction from expansion.
• The reading was above a forecast of 49.4. (here)