Commonwealth can solve uncertainties by coming together: MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh
London (PTI): The disruptions to the world order due to ongoing conflicts can be overcome by the Commonwealth as the largest gathering of democratic countries by pooling its resources to move forward together, Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh has said.
Singh concluded his UK visit to attend the 26th Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting (CFAMM) with a special reception at St James' Palace in London on Monday. The minister, who also holds the portfolio for environment, forest and climate change, discussed aspects of climate action during an audience with King Charles III -- the host of the annual Commonwealth-Day reception.
"His Majesty has a very keen interest in the conservation and preservation of the environment, and he said that we have to do this so that our generations do not suffer," Singh told PTI.
This year's Commonwealth-Day theme centred around "Unlocking opportunities together for a prosperous Commonwealth" and followed a weekend of packed engagements, with Singh leading the Indian delegation at the wide-ranging discussions.
"At the (CFAMM) meeting, the overarching thought echoed by all the countries was that we have to make our Commonwealth more relevant in today's times. One of the major points of the discussions was how the countries can use their comparative and competitive advantages for positive, sustainable growth for all our countries," Singh said.
Asked if the conflict in West Asia featured heavily during the discussions, the minister shared: "The present disruptions and the changes that are happening in the world order were very much a part of our discussions at the meet.
"We are the largest gathering of democratic countries -- some of them are developed, some are developing -- and we all just have to put our human resources and natural resources together to move forward. Together, we can solve the uncertainties that we are facing today regarding supply-chain disruption, regarding energy security."
Singh said India, with its strong information technology and digital public infrastructure, can be an important resource for other developing countries in the organisation.
"We all are very happy with the way the Secretary General (Shirley Botchwey) is taking the reforms of the Commonwealth forward and putting in measures that make it more inclusive, more democratic and more transparent," he added.
Earlier, the MoS met the UK's Minister for the Indo-Pacific and Minister for Equalities Seema Malhotra at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Their discussions revolved around the importance of a "free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific, including maritime security collaboration under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and the proposed Regional Maritime Security Centre of Excellence (RMSCE)".
Following floral tributes at the memorials of Mahatma Gandhi and B R Ambedkar and bilateral engagements on the sidelines of the CFAMM, Singh wrapped up the UK leg of his two-nation tour, which takes him next to Chile.
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Chapter on 'judicial graft': NCERT issues public apology, says book withdrawn
New Delhi (PTI): The NCERT issued a public apology on Tuesday for including a chapter on judicial corruption in a recent book that had earned the Supreme Court's ire, and said the entire textbook has been withdrawn.
The social science textbook for Class 8 stated that corruption, a massive backlog of cases and the lack of an adequate number of judges are among the challenges faced by the judicial system.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the NCERT said, "The National Council of Educational Research and Training has recently published a social science textbook, 'Exploring Society: India and Beyond' Grade 8 (Part 2), which contained Chapter 4 titled 'The Role of Judiciary in our Society'."
"The director and members of NCERT hereby tender an unconditional and unqualified apology for the said chapter four. The entire book has been withdrawn and is not available," it added.
A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi had taken suo motu cognisance of the "objectionable" statements about the judiciary in NCERT textbooks after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, alongside Abhishek Singhvi, mentioned the matter for urgent consideration.
CJI Kant strongly objected to a chapter on judicial corruption in the NCERT's Class 8 curriculum, saying nobody on earth would be allowed to defame the judiciary and taint its integrity.
The Supreme Court imposed a "complete blanket ban" on any further publication, reprinting or digital dissemination of the NCERT's Class 8 social science book as it contains "offending" content on corruption in the judiciary, saying a gunshot has been fired and the institution is bleeding.
The government, on its part, expressed anguish over the inclusion of the controversial section in the book, with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan promising to fix accountability and take action against those involved in drafting it.
