(1) G20 and the key takeaways from the summit
The G-20 Summit in New Delhi held from September 8-10 saw the formation of the New Delhi Declaration which forged a consensus between the G-20 nations, that were bitterly divided between the G7-EU and Russia-China, on the issue of Ukraine. The final language is a shift from the ‘Bali Paragraphs’, with language critical of Russia erased, on a firm proposal from G-20 hosts of past and future years — Indonesia, India, Brazil and South Africa. The final 83-paragraph declaration, with eight paragraphs on “geopolitical issues”, on which consensus was reached included language on everything from climate action, financing, and fossil fuel phaseout, to debt restructuring, the biofuel alliance, health, digital infrastructure, regulating crypto currency and other issues.
At the inaugural session of the summit in the national capital, PM Narendra Modi also welcomed the 55-nation African Union (AU) as a new member of the grouping. The following map shows that the G-20 now looks like, with the induction of the AU.
The following topics of discussion were taken up by the leaders too:
What are the emissions-related NDCs of G-20 countries?
According to Climate Watch, all G-20 countries except Russia and Argentina submitted their updated first NDCs between December 2020 and April 2023. Russia submitted its first NDC in 2020 and has not presented an update yet, while Argentina submitted its second NDC in November 2021. The major emissions-related targets listed in the latest versions of the G-20 NDCs are as follows:
Argentina: Cap net emissions at 349 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) in 2030.
Australia: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions 43% below 2005 levels by 2030.
Brazil: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 2025 by 37%, compared with 2005. Additionally reduce emissions in 2030 by 50%, compared with 2005.
Canada: Reduce emissions by 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2030.
China: Lower carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by over 65% from the 2005 level by 2030.
EU: Reduce net domestic GHG emissions by at least 55% by 2030.
India: Reduce emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% by 2030 compared to 2005 level. India also aims to achieve about 50% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.
Indonesia: Reach emission level of 1,953 MtCO2e (unconditional, which is a 31.89% reduction in emission compared to baseline), and 1,632 MtCO2e (conditional) by 2030.
Japan: Reduce GHG emissions by 46% in fiscal year 2030 from its fiscal year 2013 levels.
Mexico: 35% reduction GHG emissions by 2030.
Russia: Reduce GHG emissions by 2030 to 70%, relative to the 1990 level.
Saudi Arabia: Reduce and avoid GHG emissions by 278 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually by 2030, with the year 2019 as the base year.
South Africa: Keep GHG emissions in a range of 350-420 MtCO2e in 2030. (Reduction compared to base level has not been specified).
South Korea: Reduce total national GHG emissions by 40% from the 2018 level, which is 727.6 MtCO2eq, by 2030.
Turkiye: Reduce GHG emissions by 41% through 2030 (695 MtCO2e in year 2030) compared to the Business-as-Usual scenario specified in Türkiye’s first NDC considering 2012 as the base year (reference year).
UK: Reduce economy wide GHG emissions by at least 68% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
US: Economy-wide target of reducing its net GHG emissions by 50-52% below 2005 levels in 2030.
(2) ‘One Nation, One Election’ plan feasibility will be explored by Centre
On September 1, the Central government set up a panel headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind to explore the feasibility of the ‘one nation, one election’ (ONOE) plan.
The idea of ONOE centres around the concept of synchronising the timing of Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections across all States to reduce the frequency of polls throughout the country.
holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies would require at least five constitutional amendments and a large number of additional electronic voting machines (EVMs) and paper-trail machines.
The proposal for simultaneous elections has raised many concerns. Foremost among them is the impact it will have on federalism. Then there is the question of feasibility – what happens if a state government falls, for instance? Then there are the legal aspects – what are the various constitutional amendments that would be needed, and would the states have to ratify it as well?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been advocating simultaneous polls for Assemblies and the Lok Sabha for many years now, with the first such mention being in an address to the BJP’s national executive in Delhi in March 2016. He has also been raising this issue at various public fora for many years.
Also Listen |One Nation, One Election: How feasible is it and what would be its impact? | In Focus podcast
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the step would ensure ‘prosperity’ and the ‘stability’ of democracy. The State’s principal Opposition party, the Samajwadi Party, termed the idea of One Nation-One Election as anti-constitutional and a malicious attempt to establish monarchy.
(3) India’s first solar mission - Aditya-L1
India’s first sun mission - Aditya L-1 - launched last week and completed the second orbit-raising manoeuvre around Earth this week. The satellite will orbit the Earth three more times before setting off towards the Sun. The mission’s findings would shed light on how changes in the Sun would affect our planet. For instance, one payload in the satellite - SUIT - would measure ultraviolet radiation from the Sun to better understand how it impacts climate on Earth.
For long, researchers have tried to see if there are any significant correlations between the amount of UV radiation the Sun emits and the surface temperature on Earth. However, nothing has yet been established with statistical significance.
Aditya-L1’s findings will help establish a better understanding of how much solar UV radiation plays a part in climate, among other natural and man-made factors.
Another payload - VELC - will monitor solar flares, or sudden eruptions of the Sun’s corona. The corona is the outer part of the Sun’s atmosphere. The VELC telescope’s ability to look beyond the glare of the Sun’s light and into the inner part of the corona is what enables it to understand how solar flares happen. No telescope has been able to look at this region of the Sun before, making VELC’s findings all the more important.
The third payload aboard Aditya-L1 - ASPEX - will predict solar storms. Solar storms will heat the upper atmosphere and make it denser. This will have an impact on satellites in low-earth orbit. Down on Earth, geomagnetic storms can induce magnetic-induced currents in the power grid and pipelines, resulting in power outages and fire. ASPEX’s findings will help predict probable geomagnetic storms and better understand space weather dynamics. The changes in the solar wind’s density, speed and direction is called space weather. Solar winds or storms, in turn, are caused by solar flares.
The Aditya-L1 mission comes amidst NASA’s reports that the year 2025 will see a ‘solar maximum’. A ‘solar maximum’ is when the Sun’s activity peaks. This would mean more solar flares and more ultraviolet radiation. These peaks occur roughly once in 11 years, and the next peak is predicted to be in July 2025 by the Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel. This means we would see an upswing in space weather, according to NASA’s website.
(4) Bypoll results: INDIA alliance wins 4, BJP secures 3 seats
The by-election which was viewed as a significant test for the opposition INDIA alliance as they face off against the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), saw the former win 4 seats in total, as opposed to the saffron party winning three. The results for the bypolls to seven Assembly seats in six States were declared on September 8.
The opposition alliance tasted victory in the Ghosi assembly seat in Uttar Pradesh, where it backed the Samajwadi Party (SP), and in Jharkhand, where the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) retained the Dumri assembly seat. Congress retained the Puthuppally seat in Kerala, while Trinamool Congress (TMC) won Dhupguri assembly seat in West Bengal.
On the other hand, BJP maintained its hold on the Bageshwar assembly seat in Uttarakhand and Dhanpur in Tripura, and wrested the Boxanagar assembly seat from CPI(M) in the northeastern state, where the INDIA alliance parties had joined hands.
Also read | BJP in panic after INDIA bloc’s bypoll wins: Kejriwal
The Congress said the victory of opposition INDIA candidates proves that the people have accepted the bloc as an alternative to the BJP. However, BJP leaders hailed the party’s victory in Tripura and Uttarakhand, and its in-charge of the northeastern region Sambit Patra said the results have shattered the arrogance of the “ghamandiya” alliance of opposition parties.
Editorial | Uniting front: On the INDIA bloc
The bypolls were the first electoral test for the INDIA alliance of 28 parties formed recently to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls next year. Of the seven seats where the by-election was held on September 5, three were earlier held by the BJP, and one each was with the Congress, SP, CPI(M) and JMM.
(5) India’s World Cup squad announced
The inclusion of wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul, whose fitness was under scrutiny, headlined the announcement of India’s 15-member World Cup squad on September 5, as the selectors strived for all-round balance. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rahul has not played competitively since May after suffering a thigh injury but is due to join the team in Sri Lanka for the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup.
Also read | Focus was on eight batters, six bowling options for every game
The selectors also named Ishan Kishan as the second wicketkeeper-batter, and captain Rohit Sharma did not rule out the possibility of playing both Kishan and Rahul in the 11 if the situation warrants so. The selection of both Rahul and Kishan meant that there was no place for Sanju Samson, who is currently in Sri Lanka as a travelling reserve for the Asia Cup.
Also read | Ishan Kishan’s rise: from Patna to Ranchi to India’s trusted wicketkeeper-batter
Shreyas Iyer, who played against Pakistan in the Asia Cup, occupied one spot in the middle-order, and there was a two-way tie for the remaining position between Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma. However, Suryakumar was preferred over the youngster despite the former not having a good run in the ODIs.
Also read | A stern test awaits K.L Rahul as he returns from injury
On the bowling front, the selectors went on expected lines picking up Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami as three frontline pacers. Bumrah has recently returned from a long injury layoff during the T20I series against Ireland, and he is also a part of India’s Asia Cup squad. However, pacer Prasidh Krishna could not find a place, though he might get a chance to show his wares in the ongoing Asia Cup.
Vice-captain Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur will give India the option of two more pacers.
Also read | As an all-rounder, I carry double or triple workload compared to specialists: Hardik Pandya
As expected, India opted for left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel, the left-arm spinners, in the squad. Hence, veteran leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal continued to be on the sidelines, while the absence of R Ashwin and Washington Sundar ensured that India will not have the services of an off-spinner during the World Cup.
