GlobE Network, L69, C10 and G4, Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project

(General Studies III – Internal Security section – Security Challenges and their Management in Border Areas – Linkages of Organized Crime with Terrorism. Various Security Forces and Agencies and their Mandate.)

• The concept of the Indian Defence University (IDU) aims to enhance strategic thinking and academic rigor within India’s armed forces.
• Despite initial proposals dating back to 1967, progress has been slow, with ‘in principle’ approval granted in 2010.

Need for IDU –

• The nature of warfare, though constant, requires evolving military education to address dynamic security challenges.
• Professional Military Education (PME) is crucial for empowering officers to handle complex scenarios with limited initial information.
• Nations like Pakistan and China have established multiple defence universities, fostering strategic thinking and integration within their armed forces.
• The U.S. model, reformed under the Goldwater-Nichols Act and Ike Skelton’s recommendations, offers valuable parallels for India’s theatreisation aims.
• India’s armed forces have numerous training institutions, but they lack an integrated PME framework and multi-disciplinary strategic approach.
• Existing affiliations with universities for degree courses do not adequately address the unique requirements of military education.

Benefits of IDU –

• Enhanced Strategic Thinking: Develops a cadre of military leaders with advanced strategic and analytical skills to address complex security challenges.
• Inter-Service Integration: Promotes jointness among the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, fostering better coordination and interoperability.
• Comprehensive Curriculum: Offers a diverse curriculum covering national security, defence management, technology, international relations, and ethics, integrating sciences and humanities.
• Research and Innovation: Encourages cutting-edge research in defence technologies and strategies, enhancing India’s military capabilities and self-reliance.
• Global Collaboration: Facilitates international partnerships and exchanges, allowing Indian officers to benefit from global best practices and insights.
• It would offer a curriculum encompassing sciences and humanities relevant to national security and defence, supported by a well-qualified faculty of academicians and military officers.

Establishing the IDU is crucial for defence preparedness, fostering a strategic culture, promoting inter-service integration and for bolstering India’s security framework. By integrating strategic thinking, inter-service coordination, and advanced military education, the IDU will address the evolving nature of warfare and enhance national defence capabilities.

• India was elected to the 15-member GlobE Steering Committee during a plenary session in Beijing, following a multistage voting process.
• India will help shape the global agenda against corruption and asset recovery, utilizing its expertise in combating corruption.
• The Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (GlobE Network) was established to enhance cooperation in tackling transnational corruption among anti-corruption law enforcement authorities across UN Member States and parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).
• Governed by its members and supported by UNODC’s secretariat.
• The Riyadh Initiative in 2020 under the G20 Anti-Corruption Ministerial Meeting led to the creation of the GlobE Network.
• Officially launched in June 2021, following expert group meetings and guidance from UNODC and Permanent Missions to the UN.
• Globe Network Report: The Bi-Annual Report highlights progress in enhancing global anti-corruption cooperation.

Dig Deeper: Read about the UN Convention against Corruption.

• The Union Home Ministry has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in parts of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for another six months.
• The areas under the Act’s purview remain unchanged from the last notification in March.
• The Act grants broad powers to the armed forces and Central Armed Police Forces in “disturbed areas” to maintain law and order.
• It allows forces to kill or arrest anyone acting against the law without facing legal consequences.
• Both the State and Union governments have the power to declare areas as “disturbed” and bring them under AFSPA’s jurisdiction.
• Armed forces personnel have the special powers under AFSPA like authority to:
• Use force, even to the extent of causing death, against any person acting in contravention of the law.
• Arrest individuals without a warrant on the suspicion of committing or intending to commit a cognizable offence.
• Enter and search premises without a warrant to make arrests or recover property.
• Protection from Prosecution: No legal proceedings can be initiated against armed forces personnel for actions taken under AFSPA without the central government’s sanction.

Dig Deeper: Read about SC judgement on Mon Civilian killings in Nagaland.

• The L69 group and the C-10 group of African nations called for reform during meetings on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
• The Group of Four (G4) nations—India, Brazil, Germany, and Japan—also echoed similar sentiments of the UN Security Council (UNSC) reforms to make it more representative and effective.
• L69 and C-10 Groupings: The L69 group met with the C-10 African nations to discuss reform.
• The L69 Group is a coalition of developing countries from Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean advocating for comprehensive reforms in the United Nations, particularly the UN Security Council (UNSC).
• The C-10 countries, also known as the Committee of Ten, are African nations tasked with promoting the Common African Position on UN Security Council reform. The member countries of the C-10 are Algeria, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Libya, Namibia, the Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Uganda.
• Both groups reiterated that transformative reform of the UNSC must include better representation of the Global South.
• They reaffirmed support for the Common African Position (CAP), based on the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, while warning that delays in reform undermine the UN’s credibility.
• IBSA: India, Brazil, and South Africa (IBSA) Foreign Ministers also discussed convergent views on UN system reforms, reinforcing their support for an expanded and reformed UNSC.

Dig Deeper: Read about the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration.

• Bhagat Singh, a revolutionary thinker and ideologue, whose birth anniversary provides an opportunity to dwell on his insights on social, political, and ideological issues.

• Singh’s letters, like the one to Sukhdev, reflect his belief in the elevating power of love and the strength it provides in times of struggle.
• Bhagat Singh’s writings offer a profound critique of societal norms and his revolutionary ideals, making them essential reading for a deeper understanding of his legacy beyond political rhetoric.

Dig Deeper: Read about ‘Naujawan Bharat Sabha’ and the ‘Hindustan Socialist Republican Association’.

• A new memorandum of agreement will be signed between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to implement a modified project linking the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) with the Parvati, Kali Sindh, and Chambal rivers.
• The project aims to ensure optimal utilization of water resources in the Chambal basin.
• Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh Chief Ministers met with the Union Jal Shakti Minister to discuss the project.
• The project aligns with the Central government’s national river-linking perspective.
• It will be beneficial for at least 13 districts of Rajasthan.
• The Navnera-Bisalpur-Isarda link, Mahalpur barrage, and Ramgarh barrage’s work already started.

Dig Deeper: Read about the Yamuna Water Agreement in the context of Water to Shekhawati Rajasthan.