1. BIMSTEC FM’s meet in New Delhi: “Discussions will help in infusing new energies, resources”: Jaishankar
2. PM Modi met with eminent economists and took their suggestions for Union Budget 2024
3. Manipur Police arrest two Arambai Tenggol members from Imphal
4. “Strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation would cultivate more inclusive, democratic BRICS partnership”: LS Speaker Om Birla
5. ‘No war is distant’: Eric Garcetti’s blunt message to India over PM Modi’s Russia trip

What Else

1. SC Collegium recommends judge from Ladakh for his first High Court Chief Justiceship
2. Cauvery panel asks Karnataka to ensure flow of water to Tamil Nadu
3. Pakistan, Azerbaijan sign 15 MoUs to boost bilateral ties
4. NATO allies call China a ‘decisive enabler’ of Russia’s war in Ukraine
5. Pakistan: IMF proposes 45% tax on agriculture income
6. Pakistan: Bodies of two security officials found in Tank
7. Nepal: Certain to lose, Prime Minister Prachanda to take 5th round of confidence motion today

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BIMSTEC FM’s meet in New Delhi: “Discussions will help in infusing new energies, resources”: Jaishankar

• As FMs from the BIMSTEC member countries gathered in New Delhi for a 2-day retreat meeting on Thu to bolster cooperation among Bay of Bengal countries, EAM Jaishankar said that the thoughts will help infuse new energies, resources, and commitment towards cooperation.
• Jaishankar welcomed colleagues from across the region for the 2^nd Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation FMs Retreat.
• FMs and top officials from BIMSTEC nations, including FMs of Thailand Maris Sangiampongsa, B’desh Hasan Mahmud, Bhutan DN Dhungyel, Sri Lanka Tharaka Balasuriya and Myanmar’s Dy PM and FM U Than Swe and Nepal’s FS Sewa Lamsal,  were in attendance.
• Jaishankar will host his counterparts for the 2^nd BIMSTEC FM’s Retreat in New Delhi on July 11-12. (here)

PM Modi met with eminent economists and took their suggestions for Union Budget 2024

• In preparation for the Union Budget 2024, PM Modi convened a meeting with economists and sectoral experts on Thu.
• This meeting, which also saw the presence of Fin Min N Sitharaman, was a key step as the govt gears up to present its comprehensive Budget for its third term on July 23.
• The pre-Budget meeting was attended by notable figures including Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery and other members of the planning body.
• The Budget document is expected to outline a strategic roadmap for India’s growth, targeting the goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
• Earlier, the Pre-Budget consultations that started on Jun 19^th, 2024 onward in the Fin Min and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman concluded on Jul 5. (here)

Manipur Police arrest two Arambai Tenggol members from Imphal

• The Manipur police arrested 2 members of the radical armed Meitei outfit Arambai Tenggol in the heart of Imphal city’s Paona Bazaar area on Wed.
• The police also seized arms and ammunition, including an INSAS rifle with 16 live rounds of ammunition and a pistol with three live rounds.
• The arrest comes within days of fresh tensions erupting in parts of Kangpokpi district and in Jiribam district, which has seen violence and arson since June.
• The Arambai Tenggol group has come into prominence as one of the largest armed actors in the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur, which began in May 2023.
• Looted weapons: In the 1^st weeks after the conflict broke out between the valley-based Meitei community and the hills-based Scheduled Tribe Kuki-Zo people, multiple India Reserve Battalion camps across the valley area reported having their armories “looted” of over 5,000 weapons, including INSAS rifles, and accompanying ammunitions.
• In the course of the conflict, it came to be widely believed that these weapons had armed large parts of the civilian population, including members of Arambai Tenggol.
• Over 4,000 of the stolen weapons are yet to be recovered. (here)
• PM Modi’s heart bleeds for innocents killed in Ukraine but not in Manipur: Meitei body– The Delhi Meitei Coordinating Committee (DMCC), 1 of the many conglomerates of Meitei organizations in Delhi, on Thu questioned PM Modi’s commitment to solving the crisis in Manipur while preaching peace at the international stage about the conflict in Ukraine.
• The DMCC, in a statement, said the PM had “no heart to bleed” for the hundreds killed in Manipur but had one for the innocent lives lost in conflicts such as the one in Ukraine. (here)
• Rahul Gandhi says Manipur still ‘burning’, calls out PM Modi in 5-min video: Congress leader and LoP in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi shared a video of his visit to relief camps in Manipur on X and appealed to PM Modi to visit the state which has been marred by the ethnic violence.
• The Congress MP, on Thu, in a 5-min video, emphasised that the violence-stricken state is still in distress.
• “Houses are burning, innocent lives are in danger and thousands of families are forced to live in relief camps,” wrote Gandhi in the caption posted. (here)

“Strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation would cultivate more inclusive, democratic BRICS partnership”: LS Speaker Om Birla

• Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at the 10^th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in Russia, emphasized that strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation would cultivate a more inclusive and democratic BRICS partnership.
• Birla is currently leading the Indian Delegation to the 10^th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, in St. Petersburg, Russia.
• Birla addressed the 1^st plenary session, which had the theme, ‘The BRICS Parliamentary dimension: prospects for strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation’ on Thu (here)
• BRICS could establish its own parliament in future: Russian President Putin: Addressing participants at the 10^th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in St. Petersburg, Putin said regular meetings of lawmakers from BRICS countries will help the process of establishing a parliament.
• “BRICS does not yet have its institutionalized parliamentary structure. But I believe this idea will be realized in the future. Your forum, I am sure, will contribute to this,” he asserted.
• Putin highlighted the pressure on those with independent positions, arguing that forceful coercion, unilateral sanctions, selective application of trade rules, and blackmail are being used contrary to international law. (here)

‘No war is distant’: Eric Garcetti’s blunt message to India over PM Modi’s Russia trip

• Strategic autonomy cannot apply in times of conflict and India and the US must uphold principles when other countries go against the rules-based order or violate sovereign borders, US ambassador Eric Garcetti said on Thu in a swipe against PM’s visit to Russia.
• The remarks came in the backdrop of the WH and US State Dept concerned about India’s relationship with Russia and hoping that New Delhi uses its long-standing ties with Moscow to urge President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
• Without referring to Modi’s trip, Garcetti was critical of the outcomes of the India-Russia Summit and the stand taken by the Indian side – that a solution cannot be found on the battlefield and New Delhi stands for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
• Garcetti also sought to compare Russia’s violation of Ukraine’s borders with the military standoff between India and China on the LAC.
• There was no immediate response from Indian officials to the US envoy’s comments.
• People familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that the US raised the visit with the Indian side both in Washington and New Delhi.
• The US side was miffed as India hadn’t given any indication about the visit when US NSA Jake Sullivan visited New Delhi last month.
• Bloomberg – US Dy Secy of State expressed concern about the visit in a phone call to foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra and said its timing was “particularly problematic for Washington”. (here)

SC Collegium recommends judge from Ladakh for his first High Court Chief Justiceship

• The Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud on Wed recommended Justice Tashi Rabstan to be appointed CJ of the High Court of Meghalaya.
• Justice Rabstan would be the first Chief Justice from the region of Ladakh which has otherwise little or no representation among the judges of the High Court and no representation at all so far in the office of Chief Justice.
• He is currently serving as the seniormost puisne judge in the HC of J&K-Ladakh.
• The Collegium recommended Justice K.R. Shriram, a senior Judge of the Bombay High Court, for appointment as Madras High Court Chief Justice.
• Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, was recommended for appointment as the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
• Justice Nitin Madhukar Jamdar, seniormost puisne Judge of the Bombay High Court, was recommended for appointment as Chief Justice of the High Court of Kerala.
• Justice Manmohan, currently the Acting Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, was recommended to be appointed as its regular Chief Justice. (here)

Cauvery panel asks Karnataka to ensure flow of water to Tamil Nadu

• The Krishnaraja Sagar dam breached the 100-foot mark on Jul 5, against the full level of 124.80 feet.
• Karnataka informed the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) that between Jun 1^st, and Jul 9^th, the total inflow into 4 reservoirs in Karnataka was 41.651 tmc ft, which is a 28.71% deficit when compared to the average inflow in previous years.
• The CWRC on Thu asked Karnataka to ensure the flow of 1 tmc ft (11,500 cusecs) of water at Biligundlu every day till July 31 to supply water for Tamil Nadu.
• Karnataka had cited deficit water flow and urged the committee to defer any decision till July 25.
• Tamil Nadu’s annual realization of Cauvery water may be the 2^nd lowest in 50 years.
• The note said Tamil Nadu argued that Karnataka had not maintained the flow of water into the river for environmental purposes between February 2024 and May 2024. (here)

 [Neighborhood]

Pakistan, Azerbaijan sign 15 MoUs to boost bilateral ties

• Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev witnessed the signing ceremony at the PM House.
• Dy PM and FM Ishaq Dar, along with Azerbaijan’s Dy FM Samir Sharifov, signed an MoU between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of both countries on Consular Affairs.
• Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan and Azerbaijan’s Dy Economy Minister Sahib Mammadov signed a Preferential Trade Agreement between the govts
• Similarly, Minister for Privatization Abdul Aleem Khan and Azerbaijan’s Deputy Minister of Economy Sahib Mammadov signed an MoU on cooperation between both countries in the privatization of state property.
• An agreement on Transit Trade between the two govts was also signed.
• The two sides agreed on a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between two with the  Ministry of Law and Justice, for Defence Industry Vugar Mustafayev.
• An MoU between the two on cooperation in mineral resources and geology was signed by Petroleum Minister Dr. Musadik Malik and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Energy. (here)
• Azerbaijan President always supports and will continue to support Pakistan on the issue of Kashmir– “Azerbaijan always supports and will continue to support Pakistan on the issue of Kashmir,” President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in his press statement following an expanded meeting with Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, Report informs
• “And in all international organizations, we demonstrate this support and solidarity. And mutual support of course unites our countries and our peoples even more,” the head of state emphasized. (here)

NATO allies call China a ‘decisive enabler’ of Russia’s war in Ukraine

• In their most serious rebuke against Beijing, NATO on Wed called China a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war against Ukraine and expressed concerns over Beijing’s nuclear arsenal and its capabilities in space.
• The sternly worded final communiqué, approved by the 32 members at their summit in Washington, makes clear that China is becoming a focus of the military alliance.
• The European and North American members and their partners in the Indo-Pacific increasingly see shared security concerns coming from Russia and its Asian supporters, especially the PRC.
• Beijing insists that it does not provide military aid to Russia but has maintained strong trade ties with Russia throughout the conflict.
• It also accuses NATO of overreaching and inciting confrontation in the Indo-Pacific region.
• In the communiqué, members said China has become a war enabler through its “no-limits partnership” with Russia and its large-scale support for Russia’s defense base.
• “The PRC cannot enable the largest war in Europe in recent history without this negatively impacting its interests and reputation,” the document says. (here)
• China is outraged after NATO accuses it of involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine for the first time: China lashed out at NATO on Thu, accusing it of smearing the country after the Western alliance called it a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war in Ukraine (here)
•  NATO’s statement was “filled with Cold War mentality and belligerent rhetoric” which was “provocative” and filled with “obvious lies and smears,” a spox for China’s mission to the EU said in a statement.
• “We firmly reject and deplore these accusations and have lodged serious representations with NATO.” FM Spox accused NATO of “malicious intent.”
• Biden’s gaffe has ruined months of our hard work, say European officials: Biden’s gaffes have ruined months of hard work and undermined the summit, (sources)- Telegraph.
• On stage, Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz defended the president over a slip of the tongue in which he called Volodymyr Zelensky “President Putin”.
• The US leader went on to call Kamala Harris “vice-president Trump”.
• But roaming the corridors of the summit, aides were more frank in their verdict of the president’s performance. 
• “It was awful,” an official said, describing standing in the crowd as events unfurled.
• The consensus amongst diplomats and officials who spoke to The Telegraph, and were granted anonymity to speak more freely, was that it took less than a minute to change the narrative of an entire summit.
• There was reason to feel optimistic about the outcome. (here)

Pakistan: IMF proposes 45% tax on agriculture income

• As Pakistan seeks a multibillion-dollar bailout from the IMF to stabilize its chronically ailing economy, the global lender has suggested the imposition of a standard individual income tax rate of up to 45% on agriculture income – something that may end the disparity in income tax regime without the need to amend the Constitution.
• The condition is part of the structural benchmarks the IMF has defined for the next bailout program that Pakistan is negotiating, according to sources in the Ministry.
• Subject to the signing of the new agreement, the sources said that the IMF has set the Oct 2024 deadline to amend the existing provincial laws to bring them at par with the federal income tax law.
• The IMF has also asked for rescinding any income tax exemption for the livestock sector by Oct this year.
• Under the Constitution, the federal govt cannot impose taxes on agricultural income.
•  The provinces are authorized to collect agriculture taxes that contribute 24% of the economy but do not contribute even 0.1% of the total taxes across the country. (here)

Pakistan: Bodies of two security officials found in Tank

• SDPO Rural said the bodies, identified as those of Constable and Frontier Corps Sepoy from Kirri Maruti, Tank, were found around 8 am.
• Both officials had been reported missing a day ago.
• The remains were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Tank for postmortem before being handed over to their families.
• A militant wanted for his involvement in an attack on the Daraban police station has been killed in an operation by the CTD in DIK, the department stated on Thu.
• Other accomplices of Kifayat managed to escape under the cover of darkness. (here)

Nepal: Certain to lose, Prime Minister Prachanda to take 5^th round of confidence motion today

• Nepal PM Prachanda is heading for his 5^th round of vote of confidence motions amid the certainty of losing it.
• Dahal, the former Maoist rebel who entered mainstream politics after the political change of 2006 is taking his fifth vote of confidence in less than 20 months in power.
• Majority weighing parties in the House — the Nepali Congress, CPN- UML, and Janata SP have issued a whip to its members to stand against the motion set to be tabled today.
• The secretariat meeting of the UML that commenced on Wed had issued a whip to vote against Prachanda who always has been flipping the sides to remain afloat the govt.
• The largest CPN has a total of 78 votes out of the 275-seat parliament.
• The Nepali Congress, the largest and the oldest party having 89 seats in the parliament also issued a whip to vote against the confidence motion to be tabled on Fri.
• Prachanda came to power amid the certainty of losing it as the parties who announced to go against the motion already had 206 votes.
• Other parties namely the RPP (14), JP (6), JSP (12), LSP (4) and NUP (3) have already fielded themselves to vote against the confidence motion. (here)