UPSC Key—6th October, 2023: Enforcement Directorate, First Information Report and Gender Wage Gap in India

SC questions ED: ‘Where is the evidence against Sisodia? This will fall flat’

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies II: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.

• General Studies III: Money-laundering and its prevention

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Underlining that stringent requirements have to be fulfilled to trigger a charge under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the Supreme Court Thursday questioned the Enforcement Directorate (ED) about the admissibility of its evidence to link AAP leader Manish Sisodia to a money laundering offence in the Delhi excise policy case and asked if it had any proof other than the statement of a co-accused-turned-approver against the former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister.

• The Supreme Court Thursday questioned the Enforcement Directorate (ED) about the admissibility of its evidence to link AAP leader Manish Sisodia to a money laundering offence in the Delhi excise policy case-What exactly Supreme Court asked?

• What Enforcement Directorate (ED) said?

• Who is Manish Sisodia?

• In recent years, many political cases are handled by the Enforcement Directorate (ED)-Discuss role and function of the Enforcement Directorate

• Enforcement Directorate is a statutory body-True or False?

• Directorate of Enforcement (ED) comes under which Ministry or Organisation?

• The Directorate of Enforcement is a multi-disciplinary organization mandated with investigation of offence of money laundering and violations of foreign exchange laws. The statutory functions of the Directorate includes enforcement of certain acts-What are those acts?

• What makes Enforcement Directorate so powerful?

• The significant increase in ED cases is mainly attributed to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)-Discuss

• Why these days the Enforcement Directorate (ED), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), are in the limelight?

• For your Information-Formed in 1956, the ED became a prime agency following enactment of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in 2002, implemented from July 1, 2005.

• What was the recent verdict of the Supreme Court (SC), in the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) sweeping powers under the PMLA?

• Over the past few years, major amendments in key Acts have given teeth to central agencies-Discuss

• ‘With this investigation, It is quite clear that the central agencies are now the big brothers of investigations, while state and city police forces function in their shadows with limited powers and jurisdictions’-How far you agree with the same?

• Central investigation agencies and politics-connect the dots

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍More teeth and bigger muscles: ED’s lengthening arm

📍Big Brothers of investigation

Hand FIR copy to NewsClick, court tells cops; 10 journalists questioned

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

• General Studies IV: Ethics and Human Interface

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story– A DELHI COURT directed the Delhi Police Thursday to provide news portal NewsClick a copy of the FIR under which its editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha and administrative officer Amit Chakraborty were arrested two days ago.
The police had opposed Purkayastha’s demand for a copy of the FIR.

• What is an FIR?

• For Your Information-The term first information report (FIR) is not defined in the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973, or in any other law, but in police regulations or rules, information recorded under Section 154 of CrPC is known as First Information Report (FIR). Section 154 (“Information in cognizable cases”) says that “every information relating to the commission of a cognizable offence, if given orally to an officer in charge of a police station, shall be reduced to writing by him or under his direction, and be read over to the informant; and every such information, whether given in writing or reduced to writing as aforesaid, shall be signed by the person giving it, and the substance thereof shall be entered in a book to be kept by such officer in such form as the State Government may prescribe”.
Also, “a copy of the information as recorded…shall be given forthwith, free of cost, to the informant”. In essence then, there are three important elements of an FIR: (1) the information must relate to the commission of a cognizable offence, (2) it should be given in writing or orally to the head of the police station and, (3) it must be written down and signed by the informant, and its key points should be recorded in a daily diary.

• What are the types of FIR?

• What is the difference between FIR and Complaint?

• Can police refuse to file FIR?

• can police refuse FIR copy to accused?

• Quick Recall- Purkayastha and Chakraborty were arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell which had registered an FIR in August under sections of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code.
The Special Cell questioned 46 people, including journalists who were associated with the portal in the past, asking them if they had covered the anti-CAA protests, Delhi riots and the farm protests. Their digital devices were also seized.
Advocate Arshdeep Singh, representing NewsClick, had moved the Patiala House Courts for a copy of the FIR and the police remand application. On Wednesday, the court had granted him the police remand application, but not the FIR since the Public Prosecutor was not present in court.
On Thursday, 10 journalists were questioned for a second time in connection with the UAPA case. Police called the journalists to the Special Cell’s office in Lodhi Colony to join the investigation around noon and questioned them for 5-7 hours.
In the court of Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur, lawyers for the prosecution and defence argued on the “illegality” of the arrest.
Citing a judgement of the Supreme Court, NewsClick said the grounds of arrest must be given to the accused in writing.
Public Prosecutor Atul Kumar Srivastava countered this and said that the judgement relied upon by NewsClick referred only to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and not to UAPA cases.

• What is NewsClick?

• Why Delhi police took this action?

• What are the main allegation in the FIR?

• But why the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is invoked?

• Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA)-Key Highlights

• Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Human Rights-Connect the dots

• Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Article 22 of the Constitution-Connect the Dot

• For Your Information-UAPA presents an alternate criminal law framework where the general principles of criminal law are reversed. By relaxing timelines for the state to file chargesheets and its stringent conditions for bail, the UAPA gives the state more powers compared with the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Enacted in 1967, the UAPA was strengthened by the Congress-led UPA government in 2008 and 2012. The test for denying bail under the UAPA is that the court must be satisfied that a “prima facie” case exists against the accused. In 2019, the SC defined prima facie narrowly to mean that the courts must not analyse evidence or circumstances, but look at the “totality of the case” presented by the state. In NIA v Zahoor Ahmed Watali, the SC read the bail provisions strictly, holding that courts must only be satisfied that a prima facie case can be made out to deny bail, and not consider the merit or the admissibility of the evidence.
Section 43D(5) reads: “Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code, no person accused of an offence punishable under Chapters IV and VI of this Act shall, if in custody, be released on bail or on his own bond unless the Public Prosecutor has been given an opportunity of being heard on the application for such release.”
It adds: “Provided that such accused person shall not be released on bail or on his own bond if the Court, on a perusal of the case diary or the report made under section 173 of the Code is of the opinion that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accusation against such person is prima facie true.”

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What UAPA sections have been invoked against NewsClick

For India Inc, climate change is new ‘single biggest business risk’

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- It’s not just Hindustan Unilever Ltd, the country’s largest FMCG company, for which weather is the “single biggest business risk” today. From carmaker Hyundai to skincare company Emami and PepsiCo bottling firm Varun Beverages, unseasonal showers in summers, irregular weather patterns, and diverse rainfall patterns – or climate change, in general – have started impacting the bottom line of India Inc.

• What exactly India Inc have said?

• “Weather is the “only single business risk”-Comment

• How climate change impacts companies and their profits?

• For Your Information-WEATHER influences sales, and the bottomline. And irregular climate is an uncertainty that is biting companies plans, and profits. The year so far hasn’t made it easier for India Inc. If February was the warmest in over a century, March was unusually rainy, 26 per cent more rainfall than long-period average (LPA); August has been the driest since 1901, receiving 36 per cent less rainfall than its LPA.

• What is the evidence of climate change?

• How vulnerable is India to climate change?

• What is the macroeconomic impact of climate change on India?

• For Your Information-Climate change can adversely impact both the supply side (read the productive potential) as well as the demand side. It can stroke inflation, reduce economic output, trigger uncertainty and change consumer behaviour.
Over the years, there have been several predictions and assessments made about the impact of climate change on India’s economy. Some are listed below:
1. According to Niti Aayog in 2019, around 600 millions of India’s population are facing severe water stress, with 8 million children below 14 years in urban India at risk due to poor water supply.
2. The World Bank in 2020 said that India could account for 34 million of the projected 80 million global job losses from heat stress associated productivity decline by 2030.
3. The IPCC Working Group in 2022 stated that India is one of the most vulnerable countries globally in terms of the population that would be affected by the sea level rise. By the middle of the present century, around 35 million people in India could face annual coastal flooding, with 45-50 million at risk by the end of the century.
Typically the risks from climate change are categorised in two main ways. One is the physical risks and these include chronic issues (such as a gradual and sustained change in temperature and precipitation) as well as acute events such as extreme weather occurrences).
The second category of risks are called transition risks; simply put, these refer to economy-wide changes arising from the transition towards a low-carbon economy. This is best encapsulated by a paradox called “success is failure”. This phrase was used by Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, in 2016. Carney meant that if the shift towards becoming a low-carbon economy is too rapid, it could materially damage a country’s financial stability.

• Can policies provide some solutions?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍2023 on track to be hottest year on record

📍India seventh on index of countries impacted by climate change in 2019

EXPRESS NETWORK

Re-examining ruling on immunity to MPs & MLAs, SC reserves order

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies IV: Probity in Governance: Challenges of corruption.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- A seven-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its judgment on the question whether the immunity available to MPs and MLAs under Articles 105 (2) and 194 (2) of the Constitution from prosecution will extend to cases of bribery as well.

The bench presided by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud was constituted to re-examine the correctness of the 1998 five-judge Constitution Bench judgment in the P V Narasimha Rao case wherein the majority held that legislators were immune to prosecution on bribery charges for their speech or vote in Parliament.

• What was the 1998 ruling that the SC is referring to?

• What is P V Narasimha Rao case?

• Do You Know-The PV Narasimha Rao case refers to the 1993 JMM bribery case concerning Shibu Soren, who also happens to be the father-in-law of Sita Soren, the petitioner in the present case. In Shibu’s case, he, along with some of his party MPs, was accused of taking bribes to vote against the no-confidence motion against the then PV Narasimha Rao government.
Out of the five judges on the Bench in this case, two opined that protection under Article 105(2) or 194(2) and the immunity granted could not extend to cases concerning bribery for making a speech or vote in a particular manner in the House.
However, the majority view was that while the court was “acutely conscious of the seriousness of the offence”, the Bench’s “sense of indignation” should not lead to a narrow construction of the constitutional provisions, as this may result in hampering the guarantee of “parliamentary participation and debate”. Thus, the top court in 1998 quashed the case against the JMM MPs, citing immunity under Article 105(2). Essentially, this five-judge bench ruling saved Soren from criminal prosecution.

• What Articles 105(2) and 194(2) of the Constitution says?

• For Your Information-The P V Narasimha Rao case refers to the 1993 JMM bribery case, in which Shibu Soren and some of his party MPs were accused of taking bribes to vote against the no-confidence motion against the then P V Narasimha Rao government. The Supreme Court had quashed the case against the JMM MPs, citing immunity under Article 105(2).

• What is the current case with the SC?

• What exactly Supreme Case recently in this regard?

• What are the provisions that grant legislators immunity from prosecution?

• Do You Know- Broadly, Article 105 of the Constitution deals with the “powers, privileges, etc. of the Houses of Parliament and of the members and committees thereof”.
Article 105(2) states, “No member of Parliament shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said or any vote given by him in Parliament or any committee thereof, and no person shall be so liable in respect of the publication by or under the authority of either House of Parliament of any report, paper, votes or proceedings.”
In a nutshell, this provision exempts MPs from any legal action for any statement made or act done in the course of their duties. For example, a defamation suit cannot be filed for a statement made in the House. Additionally, this immunity extends to certain non-members, like the Attorney General of India or a Minister who may not be a member but speaks in the House. In cases where a member oversteps or exceeds the contours of admissible free speech, the Speaker of the House will deal with it, as opposed to the court. Meanwhile, Article 194(2) extends this immunity to MLAs and states, “No member of the Legislature of a State shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said or any vote given by him in the Legislature or any committee thereof, and no person shall be so liable in respect of the publication by or under the authority of a House of such a Legislature of any report, paper, votes, or proceedings.” In the present case, the court has to decide if the legal immunity enjoyed by parliamentarians extends to prosecution for demanding or taking a bribe.

• What is Bribery and Corruption?

• What are the types of corruption?

• What are the reasons for corruption in India?

• Implication of corruption-Know in detail

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: Immunity of legislators from bribery charges

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

Unpredictability of Putin

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Pratap Bhanu Mehta writes: Political developments in America and Europe over the last few weeks are again putting a spotlight on the global politics of the war in Ukraine. In the US, the Republican Party seems to be hardening its scepticism over funding to Ukraine, while pro-Russia political forces are gaining strength in Europe. In the rest of the world, the war is becoming increasingly invisible. So where do we stand in the war, and how might it play out?

• “Political developments in America and Europe over the last few weeks are again putting a spotlight on the global politics of the war in Ukraine”-What political developments is the author talking about?

• “It is worth iterating and re-iterating what was at stake in this war, especially in India, where tacit support for Russia has dominated the discourse”-What is the author implying?

• “If Vladimir Putin’s aggression towards Ukraine had succeeded, it would have upended three important principles of international politics”-What are those three important principles of international politics?

• For Your Knowledge-There are three issues at stake. First, how do the objectives of the war now get defined? Ukraine has every right to defend its territory. But the rest of the world, it seems, had more sympathy for Ukraine reasserting its sovereignty rather than reclaiming all of its territory. The world had let the Russian invasion of Crimea pass by relatively unpunished. The moral stakes in a war where an entire country is being gobbled up and its sovereignty obliterated, versus a war where the issue is whether Ukraine can reclaim the last 15 or 20 per cent of its territory look very different. Is a protracted war for another year or more, with possibly another couple of hundred thousand casualties, the deferred return of refugees and the postponed project of rebuilding, worth it? This question looks very different from the question: Should Ukraine exist as a viable sovereign country? Ultimately, this is a question for Ukraine to answer. But it is a question that is being asked around the world.
Second, one of the most remarkable things about this war has been how we have constantly been surprised by the way the secondary effects of the war have played out on economies and societies. Putin may have gambled that Europe’s energy dependence on Russia would make it vulnerable to the point that it could not stand up to Russia. But perhaps equally, predictions about how sanctions might get the Russian economy to collapse proved to be unfounded. Russia’s long-term growth prospects may have been hit, but it is nowhere near being in the zone of an unsustainable economy on the verge of collapse. And, after some initial concerns, the rest of the world has shrugged off the costs of the war. Putin’s initial calculation that the cost of the war would cause a polarising rift in the West as energy prices rise may have been off the mark. But, there is a sense in which the cost of the war is belatedly becoming a domestic political issue in the West. So in the end, the outcome of the war may depend not on the question of objectives, but on the question of capabilities. There is absolutely no doubt that Russia has imperial ambitions. But it has discovered it does not have the material and organisational capabilities to execute that ambition in the face of resistance. In a different way, the West has to confront the question of the degree to which democracies can sustain material support for this war. Do these limits now push the parties to at least some negotiated settlement?
The third question is the situation on the ground in Ukraine. It is striking, the degree to which the current status quo on the ground is being increasingly described as a stalemate, as if Ukraine did not manage to achieve its objectives. This, perhaps, an unfair description of what Ukraine has managed to achieve, and what the nature of the war is like. But it is an open question how this war of attrition, with incremental gains, will play out for Ukraine. Putin now has everything to play for in terms of time, at least till the next presidential election in the US. His best hope is that Western financial and military support for Ukraine will dwindle, driven largely by the pressures of domestic politics in the US and Europe. The war has reached a stage where its future may now depend as much on election results in the West, and its calculations of opportunity costs, as it does on military realities on the ground.

• What is India’s stand on this entire issue?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Arun Prakash writes: Ukraine crisis highlights India’s need to reduce dependence on military imports

THE VALUE OF THEIR WORK

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies I: Social empowerment

• General Studies II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

• General Studies II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Shiney Chakraborty and Priyanka Chatterjee writes: As the International Day of Rural Women approaches, it is disheartening to note that India not only recorded one of the lowest female labour force participation rates (LFPR) in the world, but that it was also lower than other South Asian countries except Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data indicates that for women in the working age group (15-59 years), LFPR is only 35.6 per cent in India with the participation rate being 39.3 per cent and 26.5 per cent, respectively, in rural and urban areas in 2021-22. Notably, from 2017 to 2021, women’s LFPR increased relative to men, particularly in rural areas because of the larger engagement of rural women in agriculture and allied activities.

• What do you understand by Labour Force and Labour Force participation rate (LFPR)?

• Female Labour Force Participation Rate-Know about this in detail

• “Notably, from 2017 to 2021, women’s LFPR increased relative to men, particularly in rural areas because of the larger engagement of rural women in agriculture and allied activities”-How?

• For Your Information-Education and age group-wise classification of LFPR reveals that the recent increase in rural women’s LFPR is entirely explained by the increase in self-employment. Nearly three-fourth of rural working women were involved in agriculture and allied activities and more than half worked as unpaid family helpers (in household business without getting any payment) during 2021-22. Furthermore, married women were more prone to taking on the role of unpaid family helpers or engaging in domestic chores.

• “Rural women working as regular and casual wage workers faced a higher gender wage gap compared to urban women and self-employed women received less than half of men’s earnings, indicating a higher gender earning gap as compared to other categories of workers in rural areas”-Analyse

• What do you understand by gender wage gap?

• What causes gender wage gap?

• What is the gender wage gap in India?

• What are the policies/initiatives/schemes taken by Centre as well as State governments to reduce gender pay gap?

• “A significant proportion of women are involved in unpaid but essential activities and are not considered within the labour force in India”-Discuss

• What is the percentage of domestic workers in India?

• Is there any law for domestic workers in India?

• What are the social security for domestic workers?

• Who conducted All India Survey on domestic workers?

• What is the labour law for domestic workers in India?

• Who are the workers of unorganised sector in India?

• What are the problems faced by domestic workers in India?

• “The Ministry of Labour and Employment, has acknowledged the importance of domestic work to households and the need to improve welfare and regulatory measures for promoting decent work for domestic workers. Also, for the very first time, domestic workers have been recognized as workers in the Unorganized Sector Social Security Act, 2008”-Critically Analyse India’s unorganised sector especially in the context of domestic workers

• Do You Know-According to official statistics, there are 4.75 million domestic workers in India, three million of whom are women, the International Labour Organisation, along with others are firm that the real number is much more, ranging from a wide 20 to 80 million.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Domestic worker draft policy for minimum wages, social security

📍Migrant and informal workers must have social security

EXPLAINED

Delhi liquor case: ED charges against AAP leaders

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary—Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- A Delhi court on Thursday remanded Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member of Rajya Sabha Sanjay Singh in Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody until October 10. Separately, the Supreme Court, hearing the bail plea of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, asked the ED some tough questions before adjourning the matter to October 12.

Singh was arrested on Wednesday; Sisodia on February 26. Both leaders are accused of corruption in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, which came into force in November 2021 but was scrapped in July 2022.

• What are the allegations in the “Delhi excise policy scam”?

• How did the ED come into the picture?

• How was Delhi’s new excise policy different from the existing policy?

• So, what went wrong?

• What have the ED chargesheets said so far?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Who are the so-called ‘South Group’, accused by ED in the Delhi Excise Policy case?

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and India

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh is called one of the “frozen conflicts” of the world.

This conflict erupted on September 19, when Azerbaijan launched an offensive and within 24 hours, declared victory over the separatist province of Nagorno-Karabakh. Authorities of the province have now said the ethnic Armenian enclave would dissolve on January 1, 2024.
Though far away, the recent developments in the South Caucasus region have implications for India, in connectivity and ties with the region.

• What is Nagorno-Karabakh?

• Where is Nagorno-Karabakh?

• Map Work-Nagorno-Karabakh

• For Your Information-Nagorno-Karabakh, known as Artsakh by Armenians, is a landlocked mountainous area in the South Caucasus. It was claimed by both Azerbaijan and Armenia after the fall of the Russian Empire in 1917 and has remained a point of tension ever since. The territory is internationally recognised as part of oil-rich Azerbaijan, but its inhabitants are predominantly ethnic Armenians and have their own government which has enjoyed close links to the government in neighbouring Armenia but has not been officially recognised by it or other U.N. member states. Armenians, who are Christians, claim a long historical dominance in the area, dating back to several centuries before Christ.
Azerbaijan, whose inhabitants are mostly Muslim, links its historical identity to the territory too. It accuses the Armenians of driving out Azeris who lived nearby in the 1990s. It wants to gain full control over the enclave, suggesting ethnic Armenians take Azeri passports or leave.

• What is the history?

• What is happening now in Nagorno-Karabakh?

• What led to the latest fighting?

• What led to war?

• What happened in 2020?

• Who do Russia and Turkey support?

• What the international community has to say?

• What is India’s position?

• For Your Information-On the conflict, India has always steered clear of taking sides.
In 2020, after the conflict broke out, it had said, “India believes that any lasting resolution of the conflict can only be achieved peacefully through diplomatic negotiations. In this regard, we support OSCE Minsk Group’s continued efforts for a peaceful resolution of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.”
This time, after the conflict, Delhi has made it clear on Thursday that it “encouraged the parties to move forward on ensuring long-term peace and security in the region through dialogue and diplomacy, which includes the safety and well-being of all civilians”.
India has ties with both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Importantly, the region is central to its plans of connectivity through the south Caucasus region.
India’s ties with Armenia date back millenia. Historians have suggested that when Assyrian warrior queen Semiramis invaded India in 2000 BC, some Armenians accompanied her. According to literary evidence, Indian settlements in Armenia were established by two princes (Krishna and Ganesh escaping from Kannauj) in 149 BC.
The first guidebook to Indian cities in Armenian was written in the 12th century. A few Armenian traders had come to Agra during the Mughal Empire. Emperor Akbar, who is believed to have an Armenian wife Mariam Zamani Begum, granted them privileges and considerable religious freedom.
In the 16th century, Armenian communities emerged in Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai and Agra. Today, the vestigial community is mainly settled in Kolkata.
In contrast, historical ties between India and Azerbaijan have been more recent — the ‘Ateshgah’ fire temple in the vicinity of Baku is an 18th-century monument, with a much older history, and has wall inscriptions in Devanagari and Gurmukhi. It is a surviving proof of the hospitality that Indian merchants on the Silk Route to Europe enjoyed in Azerbaijani cities such as Baku and Ganja.
In modern times, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, India recognised the independence of Armenia and Azerbaijan and established diplomatic relations.
With Armenia, India opened its embassy in 1999, has a treaty relationship, and has received as many as three Heads of State. There have been two visits from India at the level of Vice President.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Armenian counterpart in New York in September 2019, which was followed by the External Affairs Minister’s visit to Yerevan in 2022.
Armenia publicly endorses India’s position on the resolution of the Kashmir issue on a bilateral basis and supports India’s aspiration for a permanent seat in the expanded UN Security Council.
In fact, in 2022, the India-Armenia deal to supply Armenian armed forces with PINAKA multi-barrel rocket launchers (MBRL), anti-tank munitions, and ammunitions and warlike stores worth US $250 million was viewed as Delhi siding with Yerevan.
In contrast, Azerbaijan’s proximity to Pakistan has been perceived as an irritant in the ties. There has not been a single visit at the level of Head of State/ Government between India and Azerbaijan.
India’s Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, former President Dr S. Radhakrishnan (as Vice President in 1956) and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru (in 1961) had visited the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. In recent years, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu visited Baku for the NAM Summit in 2019, accompanied by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Former External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had also visited Azerbaijan for the NAM ministerial meeting in 2018.
Because of the geographical location of Armenia and Azerbaijan, the region is important as a viable corridor for India’s connectivity with Russia and Europe through Central Asia and Iran.
Armenia and Azerbaijan are members of the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which India is keen to develop. India supports Armenia’s proposal to include Iran’s Chabahar port in INSTC.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh surrender: What is the Azerbaijan-Armenia dispute over the region

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