💡 @Sunrise: What Europe Is Realising Amid Russia-Ukraine War

1. 🕊️ Europe to make peace with Russia?

Europe has been waging a proxy war with Russia over the Ukraine issue. But something is changing now.

Europe's troubles: Inflation, fuel shortages and recession are hitting Europe.

• The welfare system is under severe strain.

• People are finding it impossible to make ends meet.

• With winter approaching, survival will be difficult without cheap and adequate energy.

Why such a situation: Europe had imposed sanctions on Russia which disrupted oil, gas and coal supplies.

• Europe could not cover the shortfall as America didn't help much.

• While America has increased LNG exports to Europe, total exports have not risen commensurately.

What's happening now: Europe is realising that it cannot rely on America for its energy and security needs and it will have to make peace with Russia.

• German Economy Minister Robert Habeck accused "friendly gas suppliers" (he meant Norway and America) of charging high prices.

• European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell suggested Europe learn to fend for itself as they neither get cheap energy from Russia now, nor can rely on America for regional security.

• Jiří Šedivý, head of the European Defence Agency (EDA), said he was advised by American colleagues to invest in strategic enablers as America might be unable to support them.

France has initiated efforts to enhance energy supplies from Algeria.

• Algeria currently supplies slightly less than 10 per cent of France’s gas needs. The French want to double this volume.

• It upsets America as apart from being a member of OPEC, Algeria is also a Russian ally. However, France doesn't care.

• French Finance Minister Bruno La Marie targeted America for selling gas to Europe at four times the domestic rate.

Weighing the situation: Bruno La Marie warned the house, “The conflict in Ukraine must not end in American economic domination and a weakening of the EU."

• Protests in Germany witnessed the chants of “We can’t afford this war”.

• Perhaps an end to this meaningless conflict will finally be found by Europe.

2. ✌️ Should Kejriwal take credit for Delhi schools?

The 'Education World' has placed Delhi’s Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya, Sector 10, Dwarka at the top of its state government schools’ rankings for the year 2022-23.

• In the list of top 10, five of the schools belong to Delhi’s Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya (RPVV) project.

The truth: The RPVV project was started in 1997 by the then BJP government in the state.

• Out of the five schools, four RPVVs which include RPVV, Sec-10, Dwarka (2003); RPVV, Yamuna Vihar (2001); RPVV, Sec-11 Rohini (1997); and RPVV, Surajmal Vihar (1997) were established and bore results way before AAP was even formed.

What Kejriwal did: Till 2017, the number of Pratibha schools was 17.

• Post-2017, five more RPVV schools were opened, taking the number to 22. This included RPVVs in Sector 21, Rohini (2017); I.P. Extension (2017); Sectors 5 and 19, Dwarka (2018) and Gautam Puri (2018).

• In 2015, the AAP government launched the ‘Chief Minister's Super Talented Children Scholarship Scheme 2015-16’ on the same lines.

• Students studying in Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya and 54 Model Delhi Government Schools were the only ones to be eligible for the scheme.

Milking healthy cows: There are allegations that the best available resources are being concentrated on producing results in only the 22 RPVV schools while the rest of the 1022 (approx.) schools suffer.

• In fact, the best faculty is chosen for the RPVV schools while the other schools have to do with guest teachers.

• There are also apprehensions that the burden of producing results has been completely shifted to the students studying in RPVVs as vocational and ‘non-academic’ subjects were scrapped from here.

• Over the years, the stupendous performance of RPVVs has been used by the state governments to hide their failures to bring any change in the condition of government schools and this includes the AAP era.

3. 📘 Book recommendation

Let Bhutto Eat Grass: This Cold War series of 4 spy novels traces Pakistan's theft of nuclear weapons technology, and India's efforts to stop it from 1974 to 1987.

• Months after India's nuclear weapons test in 1974, an expat Pakistani offers stolen nuclear weapons technology. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto tasks the ISI with running him as a spy.

• A low-level analyst in India's R&AW finds out, but without support from his superiors, finding the spy is an uphill battle.

• Hostile European governments, indecisive leadership, and limitations of real-life spycraft complicate matters.

• And in Pakistan, Indian spies must find and sabotage the weapons facility being constructed.

• Jaded Indian spymasters are faced with an impossible choice.

Buy your copies from here!

4. 👨‍⚖ Bombay HC supports Rutuja Latke

Rutuja Latke is 'Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray' party's candidate for the upcoming Andheri East assembly by-poll.

• However, she could not file her nomination papers yet because she is a BMC employee and the corporation was not accepting her resignation.

• The last date for filing the nomination papers is 14 October.

Bombay HC granted her relief by asking Mumbai civic body to accept her resignation.

• The bench directed the competent authority of the BMC to accept the resignation and issue an appropriate letter by 11 am on Friday.

• The Uddhav Thackeray faction had blamed Eknath Shinde group for the delay in acceptance of Latke's resignation.

5. 💪 Indian Army soon to get light tanks

By mid-2023, the light tank being developed by the DRDO and L&T will be ready for testing.

• L&T's JD Patil has said, "The development is on at full speed."

The light tank is being developed under the 'Make-I' or 'Government Funded' category of the Defence Procurement Procedure.

• The Army had issued a Request for Information (RFI) for light tanks in April 2021.

• It plans to induct 350 light tanks in the 25-ton weight category.

• Under Project Zorawar, the Army wants to induct indigenous light tanks for quick deployment and unhindered mobility in high-altitude areas.

6. ⚖️ Disturbed level-playing field: Shashi Tharoor

Differential treatment: Shashi Tharoor said that some leaders are openly coming out in support of his opponent Mallikarjun Kharge and summoning meetings in the latter's favour.

• He also alleged that several PCC chiefs and senior leaders were not available for a meeting with him, but they warmed up to Kharge when he visited them for support.

• While maintaining that the presidential election will be held in a 'free and fair' manner, Tharoor said the attitude of some leaders is disturbing the level-playing field.

7. 🪑 What Sourav Ganguly said over not continuing

Sourav Ganguly reportedly wanted to continue as the BCCI chief but his departure is imminent.

• He is set to be replaced as board president by 1983 World Cup winning-team member Roger Binny.

• While the politics is heated over the issue, he said that he "can't be an administrator forever" and "rejections" are part of life.

• Ganguly said that he will go for bigger things in future and expressed "faith in his abilities" which will "keep him going".

8. 🗒️ ED files a chargesheet against Rana Ayyub

Rana Ayyub has been accused of "cheating" the public and utilising charity funds worth Rs 2.69 crore for creating her personal assets.

• She did so by launching three fundraiser charity campaigns on the 'Ketto platform'.

• This money got deposited in the accounts of Ayyub's father and sister and subsequently transferred to her personal accounts.

• ED charged her with violating the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).