Quite disappointing
From Modi-Biden meet agenda to traffic restrictions in New Delhi: Top G20 stories you must read today
New Delhi is all set to host the G20 Heads of State and Government Summit on September 9 and 10.
With Chinese President Xi Jinping’s absence from the event to US President Joe Biden’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and from a visit to a millet farm to a traditional welcome and lunch at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) for spouses of G20 leaders, the national capital is gearing up for the summit.
The Delhi government has ordered all government offices and educational bodies in the city to remain closed, with the Delhi Police continuing to ramp up security and imposing major traffic restrictions.
Here are the top stories on the Summit that you must read today:
As US President Joe Biden visits India, New Delhi and Washington are working on an ambitious set of deliverables for their bilateral engagement during the G20 summit.
These include a possible nuclear pact on small modular nuclear reactors, an academic programme tailored for Indian students, movement on the drone deal, progress on US Congress approval for a defence deal on jet engines, a joint humanitarian aid for Ukraine, a more liberal visa regime for Indians and new consulates in each other’s countries.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s absence from the G20 Summit sends a strong political message given that the G20 is considered the world’s “premier economic forum.”
Xi’s absence comes at a time when India is in a strained relationship with China. His absence also means that the consensus on the G20 communique is potentially at risk.
The Chinese President’s absence may also cost him politically: G20, being the gathering of the world’s most powerful economies, shapes the rules of the world, gives strategic direction to the issues and challenges in front of the world. By not being in the room, and sending a leader much junior to him in hierarchy and power, he also misses the ability to play a role in shaping the rules of the world.
According to Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) officials, all civil, electrical and horticulture work across key stretches in the city are complete.
The department has beautified about 40 key stretches across Delhi, including ITPO area, Bhairon Marg, Purana Qila, airport road, Rajghat, ISBT, ITO, Ring Road and others.
The department conducted a ‘dry run’ on Monday to ensure that equipment, fountains, lighting, mobile pumps, permanent pumps, LED panels, all emergency vehicles and other items are in working condition.
The Delhi Police on Monday withdrew its earlier order requesting closure of certain metro stations and gates during the upcoming G20 summit in the city.
The Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Surender Singh Yadav stated that while traffic restrictions will be in place, people are encouraged to use metro services. All stations will operate, except Supreme Court metro station, subject to security requirements.
He also said that certain gates at sensitive areas will also be shut, subject to security restrictions during the days of the Summit.
Delhi Police’s official communication on G20 security arrangements will now take place on an Indian instant messaging platform, Sandes.
In order to avoid a security breach, an order in this regard was issued by the Delhi Police a few days ago. On the Sandes app, if you are a user, you can only access (information) and cannot forward it to anyone whose number is not registered on the app.
Inspectors to Special CP-rank officers have been asked to download this app for all G20-related communication. Information to all constables to sub-inspectors will be shared verbally, said an officer.
Further tightening the security arrangements during the two days of the G20 Summit, the Delhi Police Monday said no delivery services and commercial work, except medical services, will be allowed in the New Delhi district from September 8 to September 10.
All cloud kitchens, commercial establishments, markets, food delivery, and commercial delivery services will be shut for three days.
All ambulances and other emergency services will ply on all routes. Police said ambulances will be provided with separate corridors and the services will remain unaffected.
Certain traffic regulations in and around New Delhi have been put by the Delhi Police between September 7 and 11, with the police encouraging people to use Metro services, which will operate unhindered, except the closure of the Supreme Court metro station.
People looking to travel via the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport or the New Delhi Railway Station are advised to plan ahead and follow the traffic police’s route advisories.
We have compiled the best routes for commuting to the airport and railway station here:
The NDMC formally opened a waste-to-art park at Kautilya Marg, Chanakyapuri, to the public.
The park’s highlight is sculptures representing animals and birds from G20 nations, fashioned from scrap metal sourced from construction sites and automobile waste dumps. About 25 artists from Lalit Kala Academy worked on building 22 unique animal structures.
Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena inaugurated the park on Monday. Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, Meenakshi Lekhi, also visited the park.
On September 9, as talking heads of the world deliberate upon geopolitics, food security and mitigation of conflicts at Bharat Mandapam, less than 2 km away at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), their spouses will inaugurate “an exhibition dedicated to India’s civilisation prowess and artistic excellence”, titled ‘Roots and Routes: Past Present and Continuous’, being put together by the Ministry of Culture.
The 500-piece exhibition will also display Indian antiquities and sculptures (some even 2,500 years old), pre-modern paintings and manuscripts, sourced from various central government museums and galleries and ASI’s site museums, becoming the first-ever showcase that puts up all these priceless objects at one place.
To highlight the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) great find, straight from the excavations in Uttar Pradesh’s dusty hamlet Sanauli, the remains of a 4000-year-old chariot have been brought to the NGMA, as part of an exhibition of hundreds of such landmark objects that aims to put India’s civilisation glory on the world map.
From a visit to a millet farm at Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa, to a traditional welcome and lunch at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) to shopping at an exhibition of curated Indian crafts, a busy itinerary awaits the spouses of G20 leaders who are arriving in Delhi.
The spouses of the G20 leaders will visit IARI-Pusa, where the officials have planned a millet field tour for them. They are also expected to interact with women millet farmers and entrepreneurs, and participate in other activities like live cooking demonstrations, millet street and millet rangoli.
The sources said the purpose of these events is to showcase India’s strength of agri start-ups ecosystem and achievements in the field of research and development.
From Delhi’s Dhyan Chand National Stadium being renovated for the 1951 Asian Games, to the Asian Games Village (also known as Khelgaon) being constructed in South Delhi’s Siri Fort to house the athletes during 1981 Asian Games, and a flurry of construction and beautification work ahead of the 2019 Commonwealth Games, we take a look at how the major international events have shaped Delhi’s infrastructure over year.
And now, more than a decade after the Commonwealth Games, India will be hosting the G20 Heads of State and Government Summit on September 9 and 10 this year. As the Summit draws closer, officials are making last-minute inspections to ensure things are in order.
Express Web Desk – 2023-09-05 15:22
+ There are no comments
Add yours