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@Noon: 😵💫 Political Crisis Brewing Within Rajasthan Congress
1. 🧨 Team Gehlot vs Team Pilot
These are troubled times for the Congress in Rajasthan.
Context: As many as 92 legislators have threatened to resign en masse if Sachin Pilot was picked as Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's successor.
These legislators have expressed allegiance to Gehlot.
Gehlot is bitterly opposed to the high command's idea of elevating Pilot as the party's legislative leader.
As is typical, he wants a loyalist as his successor.
A troubled relationship: It's been far from smooth sailing between the former deputy chief minister and Gehlot.
Pilot had briefly mounted a challenge to Gehlot's leadership in July 2020.
He and 18 MLAs had walked out on the government, protesting against Gehlot's 'autocratic' style of functioning.
The younger leader believes that his energetic leadership in the run-up to the 2018 state assembly polls was responsible for Congress coming to power in Rajasthan.
Presently, he seems to have the backing of the Congress high command to be Gehlot's successor.
Gehlot eyes bigger role. The Rajasthan Chief Minister recently announced his candidature for the Congress presidential election.
Gehlot is expected to file his nomination this week.
He is widely believed to have the backing of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty for the post.
He had expressed his desire to remain chief minister while taking over as the Congress party president.
However, Rahul Gandhi said the party would adhere to the “one man, one post principle.”
The Congress in Rajasthan: The ruling party holds a slim majority of 101 legislators in the 200-member Rajasthan assembly.
The state is set to go to polls next year.
It is the only large state left with the Congress.
2. ⚔️ India reorients focus on the Chinese threat
The Indian Army is now completely focused on meeting the Chinese threat across the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.
Context: Except for one brigade and a couple of smaller units, the entire eastern army has been reoriented to meet the threat from across the border.
All the four Corps under the Eastern Command — the 17 Corps (strike Corps) at Panagarh, the 33 Corps, 4 Corps, and 3 Corps — are focused completely on the LAC.
Until very recently, most units under the Army’s Eastern Command had a dual role — counter-insurgency and counter-terror (CI/CT) operations as well as guarding the LAC.
Quote. "This dual tasking obviously affects combat readiness and in the event of an outbreak of hostilities along the LAC, swift deployment of units engaged in CI/CT operations in the hinterland would have been impossible.
"Hence, it was felt that the Army should be returned to its primary responsibility of guarding the LAC and meeting threats from across it.” — a top staff officer of the Eastern Command told Swarajya.
Now, only the 73 Mountain Brigade in Assam is tasked with such operations.
The need to wean off the Army from CI/CT operations was felt acutely during the standoff at Doklam between Indian and Chinese troops in mid-2017.
Modi government at work: A series of major steps over the last seven years have helped.
Rooting out insurgency from the region and stitching peace deals with the militant groups was the prime mover.
Strengthening the police forces of the northeastern states as well as the central armed police forces was a significant step.
Primary responsibility for CI/CT operations in the region was handed over to Assam Rifles.
Top priority has been accorded to building and improving border infrastructure.
3. 📱 Apple manufacturing iPhone 14 in India
Apple's newest phone will be made in India.
Context: India is the world's second-largest smartphone market after China, after all.
It is forecast that nearly 25 per cent of all Apple products will be manufactured outside China by 2025.
Currently, this figure stands at 5 per cent.
India presents an excellent opportunity — New Delhi's electronics sector push has nudged large global suppliers to expand in India.
Apple manufacturing in India: The California-based company began manufacturing iPhones in India in 2017 with the iPhone SE.
Today, Apple makes some of its most advanced iPhones in India, including the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and now iPhone 14.
The homemade iPhone 14 will begin to reach local customers in the next few days, reports say.
The iPhone 14 will be shipped from Foxconn's Sriperumbudur facility on the outskirts of Chennai.
Foxconn is the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer and major iPhone assembler.
Phones manufactured in India will be both for the Indian market and exports.
The iPhone 14 was launched on 7 September.
It is said to have an improved camera, powerful sensors, and a satellite messaging feature to send SOS texts in emergencies.
The series features four phone models: iPhone 14, Plus, Pro and ProMax.
Apple is building its India presence. The tech company launched its online store in the country in September 2020.
It is set to launch its retail store soon.
Apple has reported a ''near doubling'' of revenue in India in the quarter ending June 2022.
4. 🔬 CSIR turns 80 today
Happy 81st Foundation Day to India's premier scientific body!
CSIR is an R&D organisation with a pan-India presence through a combination of national laboratories, outreach centres, innovation complexes, and more.
Established in 1942, it today forms a network of 38 laboratories and over 4,500 scientists.
It is currently led by Dr N Kalaiselvi, who became the very first woman director general of the organisation in August this year.
Quote. "Widely acknowledged towards its significant contributions in post independent India, it will continue play important role in the coming years. All the very best to the CSIR family," former CSIR DG Dr Shekhar C Mande said in a tweet.
5. 👩 Italy all set for their first female prime minister
Giorgia Meloni has claimed victory in Italy's election.
Context: She is set to win 26 per cent of the vote, based on provisional results, ahead of her closest rival, Enrico Letta.
Meloni is widely expected to form Italy's most right-wing government since the Second World War.
She is from the Brothers of Italy party, which is part of a right-wing coalition.
The alliance includes Matteo Salvini’s League and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia.
Quote. "We will not betray your trust. We are ready to lift up Italy again. THANK YOU!" — Meloni said in a tweet.
The challenge: Europe is facing a tough time. The next Italian government will have its task cut out.
6. 🐜 Monday Funday — mindboggling number of ants!
About 20 quadrillion ants roam the Earth alongside human beings!
Woah! That's 20 followed by 15 zeroes.
The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Researchers analysed 489 studies of ant populations.
The research spanned all continents and major habitats including forests, deserts, grasslands, and cities.
Although the estimate arrived at is humongous, "the true abundance of ants globally is likely to be considerably higher," the study says.
Ants. They are a crucial part of nature.
There are apparently more than 15,700 named species and subspecies of ants all over the planet, and probably an equal number that have yet to be described.
Nearly two-thirds of them are found in tropical forests and savannahs.
Ants do a lot — they aerate the soil, disperse seeds, break down organic material, create habitat for other animals, and form an important part of the food chain.
"It’s in humanity’s interest to monitor ant populations," the researchers write.
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