Morning Brief: In A First, Indian Agency Issues Sovereign Ratings; Israel Targets Nasrallah’s Presumed Successor In Latest Strike; Reservations To Apply In PM Internship Scheme

Dear reader, make sense of the day’s news with Swarajya's roundup of what’s making headlines this morning. 

In A first, An Indian Agency Issues Sovereign Ratings

An Indian agency, CareEdge, has made history by issuing sovereign ratings for global economies, challenging established foreign counterparts like Moody’s, Fitch, and S&P Global. The agency has assigned sovereign ratings to 39 countries, including India.

This move has been welcomed as a significant challenge to the Western hegemony in the global credit rating landscape, which has been dominated by agencies from developed nations for decades. While foreign agencies have been critical of India’s fiscal policies, CareEdge has assigned India a rating of ‘BBB+’, which is higher than Fitch’s recent confirmation of ‘BBB-’. It has assigned A rating to China.

Israel Targets Nasrallah’s Presumed Successor In Latest Strike

The Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs reportedly targeted a meeting attended by Hashem Safieddine, the likely successor to Hezbollah’s leadership following Hassan Nasrallah's killing in similar strikes last week. It is still unknown if Safieddine was injured in the attack, which ranks among the most severe in recent months.

According to Israeli officials, intelligence suggested that Safieddine and other senior Hezbollah figures were gathered in a bunker in Dahyia.

This escalation coincides with Israeli preparations to expand its ground operations in Lebanon as the conflict with Hezbollah intensifies. The Israeli military has urged residents in over 20 towns and cities in southern Lebanon to evacuate immediately and avoid moving closer to the Israeli border.

Reservations To Apply In PM Internship Scheme

The Centre's reservation policy for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes will be implemented in the Prime Minister Internship Scheme. Launched as a pilot on Thursday with a budget of Rs 800 crore, the scheme aims to provide 125,000 internships for youth aged 21 to 24 in FY25.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the scheme during her Budget speech on July 23, highlighting its goal to skill 10 million youth over five years by providing a 12-month exposure to real-world business environments. The pilot project will be funded using existing resources, with a full-scale launch requiring Cabinet approval.

Other Developments

India Played Key Role In Resolving Dispute Over Chagos Islands

India has played a key role in the UK's decision to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. This involvement was acknowledged in a joint statement from the UK and Mauritius, which emphasised that India's support was instrumental in reaching the agreement. India welcomed the agreement, reaffirming its backing of Mauritius's claim to the islands.

The new deal also allows the US to keep its military base on Diego Garcia, part of the Chagos Archipelago, for the next 99 years. This arrangement will help ensure that the balance of power in the Indian Ocean remains in India's favour as China looks to maintain a permanent presence in India's near waters over the next decade.

Centre Opposes Labelling Violation Of Wife’s Consent As 'Rape'

The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that while a husband has no right to violate his wife’s consent, labelling such violations as "rape" within marriage may be seen as excessively harsh and disproportionate. This marks the first time the government has officially opposed removing the marital rape exception in law.

In its submission, the Centre emphasised the need for a balanced approach to reconcile fundamental rights within the context of marriage. Previously, in 2022, the government had sought broader consultations on the issue while a review of criminal laws was pending.

Khamenei To Lead Rare Friday Sermon After Missile Attack On Israel

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is scheduled to lead a rare Friday sermon, marking his first in nearly five years, following a significant missile attack on Israel. This sermon comes just days before the one-year anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war, which began with an attack by the Iran-backed Palestinian group.

Khamenei, who holds the highest authority in Iran, will address Muslims at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla mosque in Tehran. The missile strikes, involving around 200 projectiles, were described by Iran's Revolutionary Guards as retaliation for Israel's recent killings of key figures associated with the group.

China, US Locked In A Race To Decide Time On Moon

The United States and China are locked in a race to establish a time standard for the moon, which will significantly influence the future of lunar exploration.

The US is leading an initiative to create Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC) through NASA, aiming to establish a time zone that supports safe and sustainable exploration as more nations and private entities plan lunar missions. This proposed system is set to be adopted by countries participating in the US-led Artemis Accords and is intended to become the international standard for lunar operations.

Meanwhile, China is pursuing its own lunar timing and navigation system, with plans to develop a coordinated communication and internet capacity for the moon by 2028.

From The States

EC Slams Jharkhand Govt's Letter Against Himanta, Shivraj

The Election Commission has criticised Jharkhand’s Cabinet Secretary Vandana Dadel's letter, which accused Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of inciting communal tensions in Jharkhand ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. Dadel also claimed that government officials were being intimidated, citing the case of IAS officer Manjunath Bhajantri.

In response, the EC called the letter "posturing and promotion of an avoidable narrative" aimed at avoiding compliance with lawful directives. The commission reiterated its stance, calling for action against Bhajantri and dismissing Dadel’s allegations as baseless.

UP Assembly Bypolls: Congress-SP Talks Stuck Over 3 Seats

Following their strong performance in Uttar Pradesh in the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress are facing challenges in seat-sharing talks for the upcoming bypolls in the BJP-ruled state. Three Assembly seats—Meerapur, Phulpur, and Majhawan—have become contentious as both parties lay claim to them.

While Congress is preparing for all ten seats, it is not aggressively pursuing the five that SP won in 2022, such as Karhal and Kundarki. The SP is willing to concede Ghaziabad and Khair to Congress, but this leaves the three disputed seats unresolved.

Cow, 'Vote Jihad': Maharashtra BJP Raises New Issues Ahead of Polls

As the Maharashtra elections approach, the ruling BJP is amplifying issues like cow protection and "love jihad" to sway voters. In a recent meeting, cow was designated as ‘Rajya Mata’ (State’s Mother), while Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis claimed at a rally that "love jihad" poses a significant threat, citing over a lakh cases in the state.

He further linked recent Lok Sabha election results in 14 of the 48 seats to "vote jihad," implying demographic influences in those constituencies. With the EC set to announce election dates soon, the BJP, which saw its seat count drop from 23 to nine in the last Lok Sabha elections, is under pressure to regain support.

Stay tuned for more insights throughout the day.