Daily Briefing: G20 tourism meet in Srinagar; Dr Arvind Panagariya at Idea Exchange; and more

The third G20 tourism working group meeting is set to begin in Srinagar amid elaborate security arrangements today. The three-day meeting will be the first such international event in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019, when it became a Union Territory. Sources said an unprecedented security apparatus has been put in place in Srinagar.

Meanwhile, in what is being read as a reference to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region, PM Narendra Modi, who was attending a session “Toward a Peaceful, Stable and Prosperous World” at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, called for raising voice against “unilateral attempts to change the status quo”.

⚡ Only in the Express

In the latest Idea Exchange, economist Dr Arvind Panagariya, talks about the need to push for Free Trade Agreements with the EU, how India should approach net-zero 2070 and the impact of withdrawing the Rs 2,000 note.

📰 From the Front Page

State Bank of India (SBI) has now said that no requisition form and identity proof are required to exchange Rs 2,000 notes. On May 19, the day the notes were withdrawn from circulation by the Reserve Bank of India, SBI had instructed its branches to exchange the notes with a requisition slip. Here is a lowdown on the “passive withdrawal” of Rs 2,000 notes, and the events so far.

The zoos at Delhi and Mysuru are grappling with a tall order. Can they — and should they — find mates for Shankar and Richie, the only two African elephants in the country? While all elephants are social animals, the search for their prospective mates has run into a quagmire of monetary, legal, logistical and, importantly, ethical considerations. Not to mention, availability.

“Being a father, I accepted my daughter’s love. But under the current circumstances, because I am also a public representative and Nagar Palika chairman, my responsibility is also towards my people” – this is what a BJP leader in Uttarakhand told reporters, after he was pushed to put off his daughter’s wedding to a Muslim man following online backlash and protests by right-wing groups.

👩🏽‍💻 Must Read

Over the last decade, incidents like building collapse and fires have become common in Bhiwandi, one of India’s largest logistics hubs located near Mumbai. We take a deep dive into the vortex of illegal structures and disregard for safety norms, and how workers end up paying the price for administrative neglect.

As the dust settles on the swearing-in ceremony of the new Karnataka Chief Minister, we take a look at the state’s long wait for a Dalit CM, and why Congress passed up a chance to break with the past.

In our Opinions section, Pratap Bhanu Mehta writes on the Centre’s new ordinance related to the control of services in Delhi: “By negating the court’s ruling to take over services, the government has intentionally created a full-blown constitutional crisis.”

⌛ And Finally…

IPL 2023: In a battle between the present and future of Indian cricket, Shubman Gill again showed he is ready to take the baton forward from Virat Kohli. 

On Sunday, Jyotiraditya Scindia had to clarify that the claims that he had removed all traces of his links with the BJP from his official Twitter handle were baseless. Find out why in today’s Delhi Confidential!

🎧 In the latest episode of the 3 Things podcast, we discuss the withdrawal and history of the Rs 2000 note, the controversial ordinance passed by the Central government, and why filmmakers are flocking to J&K again. 

Until next time, 

Ayesha Jain and Arushi Bhaskar