India, China reach agreement on patrolling along LAC, stage set for Modi and Xi meeting at BRICS Summit

After Chinese incursions in eastern Ladakh triggered a military standoff along the Line of Actual Control and sent bilateral ties south, India and China have reached an agreement on patrolling arrangements in the border areas, leading to disengagement in areas where 50,000 to 60,000 troops are stationed on either side. 

The announcement on the agreement was made by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in New Delhi, setting the stage for a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the two-day BRICS Summit starting in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan in Russia's southwest.-

BRICS Summit begins in Kazan, the first since the grouping's expansion in Jan

As The BRICS Summit begins in Kazan, all eyes are on a possible meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping there. This is the first summit that will be taking place after the first-ever expansion of BRICS.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the Prime Minister is expected to have "a few bilaterals during his visit, which are presently being worked out". Modi and Xi had previously met briefly in South Africa in August 2023, on the sidelines of the last BRICS Summit. 

Secularism core feature of Constitution says SC

The Supreme Court underlined that secularism is a "core feature" of the Constitution which has been held to be a part of the basic structure.

Justice Khanna said that "as far as secularism is concerned when the Constitution was adopted and discussion was going on, we only had the French model. The way we have evolved is something different. The rights we have given, we have balanced it out". 

Berlin-Delhi reconnection

Unlike the Russians and the Chinese, the Germans might not be good at selling dreams of a new global order; but they bring solid capabilities that India needs to transform itself at home and accelerate its global rise. 

Delhi and Berlin have had a special bond before and after India's independence; they have had a formal strategic partnership in place since 2000. 

What is a Z-Morh tunnel? Why is it strategically important?

What is a Z-Morh tunnel?

The 6.4 km long tunnel connects the town of Kangan to the tourist spot of Sonmarg in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district. 

The tunnel is being constructed near Gagangir village. which lies roughly 10 km away from Sonmarg. The tunnel's name comes from the 2-shaped stretch of road at the location of its construction. 

What is the importance of the tunnel? 

The strategically vital Srinagar-Leh high-way National Highway-1) is one of only two roads that connect Ladakh to the rest of India -the other being the Manali-Leh highway (NH-3). 

The Z-Morh tunnel is a part of the larger Zojila tunnel project which seeks to provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar, Drass, Kargil, and Leh on NH-1.-

The population question

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said the government is working on a law to incentivise residents of the state to have more children. "We are already in deficit. Having less than two children leads to the rapid decline of the young population," he said. 

What is satellite spectrum, and why most countries prefer not to hold auctions

Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified that spectrum for satellite communication (satcom) would be allocated "administratively", rather than through an auction of airwaves, which was proposed by Reliance Jio. 

However, the fact is, given the nature of the satellite spectrum, it is not feasible for any one country to auction it. 

Unlike terrestrial spectrum, which is used for mobile communication, satellite spectrum has no national territorial limits. 

Due to this international character, the satellite spectrum is coordinated and managed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN). 

India's Growth Outlook Supported by robust domestic engines: RBI bulletin

Despite Geopolitical tensions, the country's growth outlook is supported by robust domestic engines, a Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) article said. 

The article said as per its economic activity index (EAI), the gross domestic product (GDP) growth is projected at 6.8 per cent in the July-September 2024 quarter, lower than the RBI's projection of 7 per cent for the same period. 

In the quarter ended June 2024, the real GDP growth slipped to a five-quarter low of 6.7 per cent due to slower growth in agriculture, government spending and services. 

India likely to be world's 3rd-largest economy by 2027: FM

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India is poised to continue its growth trajectory and is likely to become the world's third-largest economy by 2027. India currently is the fifth largest economy in the world with a GDP of around $3.9 trillion. 

Addressing the Roundtable on 'Investment Opportunities in India' at the New York Stock Exchange, the oldest and the largest stock exchange in the world, the Finance Minister said India is poised to continue its sustained growth trajectory and enhance its contribution to global growth significantly.

At the current rate, India is likely to be the world's third-largest economy by 2027, Sitharaman said.