What’s in Today’s Article?

• 6th BIMSTEC Summit Latest News
• Key Highlights of the Speech delivered by PM Modi
• 6th BIMSTEC Summit FAQs

6th BIMSTEC Summit Latest News

• Recently, PM Modi attended the 6th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit in Bangkok. 
• During the summit, PM Modi unveiled a comprehensive 21-point action plan aimed at revitalising BIMSTEC, positioning it as a key platform for regional connectivity, trade, and security—especially important given SAARC’s current dormancy.
• The summit brought together the leaders of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Key Highlights of the Speech delivered by PM Modi

Appreciation of BIMSTEC Leadership and Vision

• Commended Thailand’s leadership over the past three years.
• Welcomed the enforcement of the BIMSTEC Charter.
• Supported adoption of the Bangkok Vision 2030, highlighting its role in regional prosperity and inclusiveness.

Strengthening Institutional Mechanisms

• Proposed expansion of BIMSTEC’s institutional capacity.
• Welcomed the institutionalization of the Home Ministers’ Mechanism and offered to host its first meeting in India.
• Stressed the role of this mechanism in combating cybercrime, terrorism, and human trafficking.

Enhancing Connectivity

• Advocated for simultaneous growth of physical, digital, and energy connectivity.
• Noted the operationalization of the BIMSTEC Energy Centre in Bengaluru.
• Proposed acceleration of efforts for electric grid interconnection.

Promoting Digital Public Infrastructure

• Offered to share India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) experience.
• Suggested a pilot study on DPI needs in BIMSTEC countries.
• Proposed integration of India’s UPI with payment systems of BIMSTEC countries to boost trade and tourism.

Trade, Business and Economic Integration

• Proposed a BIMSTEC Chamber of Commerce and an Annual Business Summit.
• Suggested a feasibility study for trade in local currencies to strengthen economic collaboration.

Maritime Cooperation

• Welcomed the Maritime Transport Agreement for enhanced shipping and trade.
• Proposed creation of a Sustainable Maritime Transport Centre in India to support policy coordination and maritime security.

Disaster Management Initiatives

• Recalled India’s role as a first responder during disasters.
• Proposed establishment of a BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence for Disaster Management in India.
• Announced that the 4th Joint Disaster Management Exercise will be held in India this year.

Health and Agriculture Cooperation

• Announced support for training in cancer care.
• Proposed Centres of Excellence in:
  • Traditional medicine.
  • Agriculture (knowledge sharing, best practices, and capacity building).

Space Cooperation

• Offered Indian support in space technology for BIMSTEC countries.
• He proposed:
  • A ground station for training.
  • Nano-satellite development and launches.
  • Use of remote sensing data for regional development.

Youth Development and Education

• Launched the BODHI initiative (BIMSTEC for Organized Development of Human Resource Infrastructure).
• Announced:
  • Training of 300 youth annually in India.
  • Scholarships at the Forestry Research Institute and Nalanda University.
  • An annual training programme for young diplomats.

Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges

• Highlighted shared heritage through festivals like Odisha’s Bali Jatra.
• Announced:
  • The BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival.
  • BIMSTEC Young Leaders’ Summit.
  • Launch of a BIMSTEC Hackathon and Young Professional Visitors Programme.
  • BIMSTEC Athletics Meet in 2025.
  • BIMSTEC Games in 2027 on the organization’s 30th anniversary.

Concluding Remarks

• Reiterated BIMSTEC as a model for inclusive development and collective security.
• Quoted “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Prayas” as the spirit guiding India’s commitment.
• Welcomed Bangladesh as the incoming Chair and wished success in its leadership.

6th BIMSTEC Summit FAQs

Q1. What is BIMSTEC?

Ans. BIMSTEC is a regional organization linking South and Southeast Asia, focusing on economic cooperation, trade, and security.

Q2. What was PM Modi's proposal on connectivity?

Ans. PM Modi proposed boosting physical, digital, and energy connectivity, including UPI integration and electric grid interconnection.

Q3. What is the BODHI initiative?

Ans. The BODHI initiative focuses on the organized development of human resource infrastructure, training 300 youth from BIMSTEC countries annually.

Q4. How does India support disaster management in BIMSTEC?

India proposed a BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence for Disaster Management and hosting the 4th Joint Disaster Exercise this year.

Q5. What cultural initiatives were announced?

Ans. PM Modi announced events like the BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival, Young Leaders’ Summit, and BIMSTEC Games in 2027.

Source: IE | MEA | TOI

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Star-Rating System for Environmental Clearances Latest News
• Introduction of the Star-Rating System
• Details of the Star-Rating System
• Technology Integration - PARIVESH Portal
• Legal Challenges and Withdrawal of the Star-Rating System
• Conclusion
• Star-Rating System for Environmental Clearances FAQs

Star-Rating System for Environmental Clearances Latest News

• The MoEF&CC has officially withdrawn the January 2022 Office Memorandum (OM) that introduced a star-rating system for evaluating State Environmental Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAAs).
• This was done by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) following a legal challenge and intervention by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

Introduction of the Star-Rating System

• Introduced on: January 17, 2022
• Purpose: To incentivise SEIAAs to grant timely environmental clearances under the 2006 Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification.
• Objective: Promote ease of doing business by ranking states based on efficiency in clearance processes.
• Origin: Decision followed a November 2021 meeting chaired by the then Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba.

Details of the Star-Rating System

• Criteria for rating:
  • Time taken to process and grant environmental clearances.
  • Adherence to stipulated timelines.
  • Performance in pre-approval and approval stages.
  • Scores ranged from 0 to 7 stars.
• Targeted bodies:
  • SEIAAs responsible for Category B projects.
  • Category A projects continued to be appraised by the MoEF&CC at the central level.

Technology Integration - PARIVESH Portal

• The star-rating system was integrated with PARIVESH 1.0, a single-window platform for environmental clearance processes.
• The ministry had planned to migrate and revise the rating criteria for PARIVESH 2.0, but this is now on hold due to the withdrawal.

Legal Challenges and Withdrawal of the Star-Rating System

• Petition filed by: Meenava Thantai, a Tamil Nadu-based fishermen’s association.
• Grounds of challenge:
  • The system was arbitrary.
  • Allegedly weakened environmental scrutiny and diluted the EIA process.
• NGT proceedings and order: 
  • The OM dated 17.01.2022 is declared inoperative on March 27, 2025.
  • MoEF&CC stated that a new set of criteria may be developed in the future.

Conclusion

• The case highlights following issues in environmental governance -
  • Balance between development and environmental regulation.
  • Role of NGT in environmental jurisprudence.
  • Ease of doing business vs. environmental safeguards.
• The withdrawal of the star-rating system reflects a step back in promoting administrative efficiency through ratings.
• The Centre now acknowledges the need for review and revision of criteria to ensure that environmental integrity is not compromised.

Star-Rating System for Environmental Clearances FAQs

Q1. What was the objective behind the introduction of the star-rating system by the MoEF&CC in 2022?

Ans. The star-rating system aimed to evaluate and incentivise State Environment Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAAs) for their efficiency and timeliness in granting environmental clearances.

Q2. Why did the National Green Tribunal (NGT) declare the star-rating system inoperative?

Ans. The NGT declared it inoperative after the MoEF&CC informed the tribunal that it had withdrawn the January 2022 Office Memorandum and intended to revise the criteria in future.

Q3. What was the primary concern raised by the petitioners against the star-rating system?

Ans. The petitioners argued that the system was arbitrary and risked diluting the scrutiny of development projects under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification of 2006.

Q4. What is the significance of the PARIVESH portal in the environmental clearance process?

Ans. PARIVESH is an online single-window platform developed to streamline, monitor, and manage the environmental clearance process for various projects.

Q5. Distinguish between Category A and Category B projects under the EIA Notification, 2006.

Ans. Category A projects are appraised by the central MoEF&CC, whereas Category B projects fall under the jurisdiction of SEIAAs at the state level.

Source: IE 

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Supreme Court on Seniors' Right to Evict Latest News
• About Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007
• Previous Ruling on the Power to Evict
• Background of the Present Case
• Supreme Court on Seniors' Right to Evict FAQs

Supreme Court on Seniors' Right to Evict Latest News

• The Supreme Court recently dismissed a suit filed by a senior couple seeking to evict their son from their home under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007. 
• The Act primarily aims to ensure that senior citizens receive financial support and care from their children, providing a simplified legal route for seeking maintenance.
• While the Act does not explicitly grant eviction rights, the Supreme Court has interpreted provisions related to property transfer to permit eviction in certain cases.

About Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007

• Senior Citizens Act provides a streamlined process for senior parents to file suits seeking maintenance from their children.

Right to Maintenance

• Who can claim: Parents aged 60 and above who are unable to maintain themselves from their own earnings or property.
• Against whom: Children or legal heirs (relatives) are legally obligated to support their senior parents.
• Purpose: To ensure that parents can lead a “normal life” with basic needs met.

Dedicated Legal Mechanism

• Tribunals: The Act establishes Maintenance Tribunals for speedy resolution of cases.
• Appellate Tribunals: Set up to hear appeals against the orders passed by Maintenance Tribunals.

Protection in Property Transfers – Section 23

• Section 23(1): Conditional Property Transfers
  • A senior citizen may transfer or gift property on the condition that the transferee (usually a child or relative) provides basic amenities and physical needs.
  • If this condition is not fulfilled, the transfer is considered to have been made through fraud, coercion, or undue influence.
  • The Tribunal can declare the transfer void upon the senior citizen’s request.
• Section 23(2): Maintenance from Transferred Estate
  • If a senior citizen is entitled to maintenance from a property that is later transferred (fully or partly), this right of maintenance continues against the new owner—provided the new owner was aware of this obligation.

Previous Ruling on the Power to Evict

• A dispute arose involving senior parents, their son, and the daughter-in-law (DIL), who was living in the parents' property.
• Multiple parallel legal proceedings were ongoing, including:
  • A divorce case between the son and DIL.
  • A maintenance case filed by the DIL.
• In 2015, the Assistant Commissioner ruled that the property belonged to the senior parents and that the DIL had no independent right over it.

Supreme Court’s Ruling

• The DIL appealed to the Supreme Court in 2020, arguing her right to stay in the shared household.
• The SC held that under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, a woman has the right to reside in the shared household, even without legal ownership.

Clarifying Tribunal's Power to Evict

• The Court addressed whether tribunals under the Senior Citizens Act could issue eviction orders.
• A bench led by then CJI D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee held:
  • Eviction can be ordered if it is “necessary and expedient” to protect the senior citizen and ensure their maintenance.
  • Under Section 23(2), the power to order eviction is implicit in the senior citizen’s right to receive maintenance from an estate.

Limits and Procedural Safeguards

• The Court emphasized that:
  • Eviction orders by the tribunal must consider the competing claims involved.
  • Eviction is permissible when there is a breach of obligation by the child or relative to maintain the senior citizen.
• This ruling established a judicial interpretation that, although not explicitly stated in the Act, tribunals do have the power to evict, provided it serves the purpose of protecting the rights and well-being of senior citizens.

Background of the Present Case

• The elderly couple filed a suit seeking to evict their son, alleging: Neglect of care; and Mental and physical torture by the son.

Tribunal’s 2019 Order

• The Maintenance Tribunal granted partial relief, stating:
  • The son must not encroach on any part of the house without parental permission.
  • He was allowed to continue operating his utensil shop and residing in a room with his wife and children.
• The tribunal added that eviction proceedings could be revived if the son misbehaved again.

Appeal to the Supreme Court (2023)

• The parents, dissatisfied with the limited relief, appealed to the Supreme Court.

Supreme Court’s Reasoning for Denial

• The Court found no evidence of further misbehavior or humiliation by the son after the 2019 tribunal order.
• It emphasized that:
  • It is not necessary and mandatory to pass an order of eviction in every case.
  • Hence, eviction was not warranted under the circumstances.

Conclusion

• This decision reflects the Court’s approach to weigh competing interests and avoid eviction unless it is clearly justified by continued misconduct or violation of earlier orders.

Supreme Court on Seniors' Right to Evict FAQs

Q1. What is the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act?

Ans. The Act ensures senior citizens' maintenance, provides a legal framework for disputes, and safeguards property transfer conditions.

Q2. Can seniors evict relatives under this Act?

Ans. The Act doesn’t explicitly grant eviction rights, but tribunals can issue eviction orders if needed to protect seniors.

Q3. What did the Supreme Court rule in this case?

Ans. The Court denied eviction, emphasizing eviction is not mandatory unless continued misconduct or breach of orders occurs.

Q4. What is Section 23 of the Act?

Ans. Section 23 protects seniors from property transfers that violate their right to maintenance, allowing tribunals to cancel such transfers.

Q5. What safeguards are in place for eviction under the Act?

Ans. Eviction can occur if a relative fails to maintain the senior, with tribunals considering competing claims and circumstances.

Source: IE | LT | LL

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Structural Shift in India’s Remittance Patterns Latest News

Structural Shift in India’s Remittance Patterns Latest News

• According to the recently released RBI’s Remittances Survey 2023-24, Advanced Economies (AEs) - led by the US, UK, Canada, Singapore, and Australia - have overtaken Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as the top source of remittances to India.
• It reflects a structural shift in India’s migration and remittance patterns, raising policy and developmental implications.

Declining Gulf Dominance in Remittances

• Traditional role of GCC nations: Historically dominant due to large numbers of low-skilled Indian migrant workers.
• Major contributors: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain.
• Reasons for decline:
  • COVID-19 impact: Job losses, salary cuts, and return migration.
  • GCC nationalisation policies: Saudi Arabia’s “Nitaqat” (Saudisation) - preference for local over foreign labor.
• Statistical trends:
  • UAE: Remittances fell from 26.9% (2016-17) to 19.2% (2023-24).
  • Saudi Arabia: ↓ from 11.6% to 6.7%.
  • Kuwait: ↓ from 6.5% to 3.9%.

Rise of Advanced Economies in Remittances

• Major contributors:
  • United States: Largest share - accounting for 27.7% of total remittances in 2023-24, up from 22.9% in 2016-17.
  • Others:
    • UK: ↑ from 3% to 10.8%.
    • Singapore: ↑ from 5.5% to 6.6%.
    • Canada: ↑ from 3% to 3.8%.
• Key reasons:
  • Higher wages and living standards: Better income potential due to higher minimum wages and stronger currencies.
  • Professional migration: Increase in high-skilled Indian migrants in STEM, finance, and healthcare. Per capita remittances are higher than from Gulf countries.

Migration Policy Shifts and Future Trends

• US immigration policy impact: Restrictive immigration reforms (e.g. green card backlog, end of birthright citizenship).
• Potential return migration: Uncertainty may push Indian migrants to return or remit more instead of investing locally.
• Global right-wing politics:
  • Rise in anti-immigration sentiments in Western countries.
  • Migrants may diversify risk by increasing remittances to India.

Role of Indian Students Abroad

• Contribution to remittances:
  • Pay education loans, remit income after graduation.
  • Significant numbers in Canada, UK, Australia.
• Challenge - Wilful deskilling:
  • Overqualified graduates working in low-skill jobs (retail, delivery service, hospitality) to qualify for permanent residency.
  • Reduces earning potential and limits remittance capacity.

Policy Recommendations - Enhancing Remittances Potential

• Skill harmonisation:
  • Align domestic training with global job requirements.
  • Prevent underemployment and ensure dignity of labor.
• Bilateral and multilateral mobility agreements:
  • Need for strategic migration partnerships.
  • Ensure rights protection, fair wages, and long-term career growth.
• Maximising developmental impact:
  • Encourage productive use of remittances (e.g. education, health, investments).
  • Leverage diaspora networks for economic and knowledge transfers.

Conclusion

• India’s remittance landscape is undergoing a major transformation, shifting from low-skilled Gulf migration to high-skilled migration to AEs.
• Proactive migration diplomacy, education policy reforms, and labor market alignment are critical for sustaining and optimising this vital source of foreign exchange and socio-economic development.

Structural Shift in India’s Remittance Patterns FAQs

Q1. What is the key finding of the RBI’s Sixth Remittances Survey (2023-24)?

Ans. The survey revealed that remittances from Advanced Economies (AEs) like the US, UK, and Canada have overtaken those from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as the largest source of inward remittances to India.

Q2. What factors have led to the decline in remittances from GCC countries to India?

Ans. The decline is due to COVID-19-induced job losses, salary cuts, and nationalisation policies such as Saudisation, which reduce employment opportunities for foreign workers.

Q3. Why are per capita remittances from Advanced Economies higher than those from the Gulf region?

Ans. Higher wages, strong currencies, and the presence of highly skilled Indian professionals in sectors like STEM and healthcare contribute to greater per capita remittances from AEs.

Q4. How do immigration policies in Western countries affect India’s remittance inflows?

Ans. Restrictive immigration policies and political uncertainty in AEs may lead migrants to remit more money to India as a financial safeguard.

Q5. What steps can India take to enhance the developmental impact of remittances?

Ans. India should promote skill harmonisation, prevent deskilling, and sign mobility agreements to ensure better job opportunities and protection for migrant workers abroad.

Source: IE