Must Read News Articles I 2nd March 2020

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A plural legacy more vital than ever

The article talks about the importance of Jawaharlal Nehru legacy especially in the present time. His commitment to liberal democracy and plural democracy is more important today than ever.

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A big, bad deal

The USA signed deal with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar. The U.S. seeks to exit Afghan­istan with assurances from the Taliban that the insur­gents will not allow Afghan soil to be used by transnational terrorist groups such as al­Qaeda and that they would engage the Kabul government directly to find a lasting solution to the civil war.

The article highlights the various issues related with the US – Taliban deal. The fundamental issue with the U.S.’s Taliban en­gagement is that it deliberately excluded the Afghan go­vernment because the insurgents do not see the govern­ment as legitimate rulers. By giving in to the Taliban’s demand, the U.S. has practically called into question the legitimacy of the government it backs. The U.S. deal with Taliban leaves the Afghan people at the mercy of violent, tribal Islamists

A deal that increases uncertainty

The article mentions that the US – Taliban agreement achieves some objectives, but may not bring lasting peace.

Whither Tribunal independence

The article highlights that the reframed Tribunal rules are in contempt of several constitutional bench decisions of the Supreme Court.

Foreign Secretary to visit Bangladesh

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla is expected to reach Dhaka for a two-day visit on Monday to prepare the grounds for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh later this month. 

The visit will give space to both sides to revive their bilateral relationship, which has been tense since India passed the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA).

Experts raise concerns for India over US -Taliban Agreement

The diplomatic and security expert say that the impact of US- Taliban Agreement on India may be a cause of worry for the Indian Government.

The main focus of the concern are – 1) Does the term US and allies include India  2) Impact of prisoner release and lifting sanctions 3) Handling powers to taliban 

Experts have warned the Afghanistan­Pakistan dia­logue facilitated by the U.S. on cross­border terrorism and mechanisms must not cut India out of the region’s security architecture.

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Viral economies

The Coronavirus has hit the global economy hard. The virus has crippled global supply chains, hit air travel and convulsed markets as it appears all set to adversely impact the U.S. economy, the global economic engine. 

The article says that the coronavirus is putting the world into a recession and India cannot be immune to it