G20 Archives - Page 4 of 8 - Lokmarg

Modi Welcomes Meloni, Erdogan, Kishida, Ramaphosa At G20 Venue

By LokMarg 9th September 2023

As the footfall of global leaders begins at the G20 Summit’s venue, Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the heads of States with handshakes and hugs.

Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa were seen shaking hands with PM Modi.

President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol, President of the European Council Charles Michel, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and many other leaders have reached the G20 venue in the national capital.

India is hosting the G20 Summit, scheduled for today and tomorrow, under its Presidency amid divisions in the grouping over the Russia-Ukraine war.

The summit is being attended by more than 30 heads of state and top officials from the European Union and invited guest countries and 14 heads of international organisations.

The first session of the G20 Summit: ‘One Earth’ will take place now gets underway. This session will focus on accelerating climate action through increased mitigation and strengthening the agenda of global net zero emission as soon as possible.

The theme of this year’s G20 Summit, which is taking place under India’s presidency, “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth · One Family · One Future” – is drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishad. Essentially, the theme affirms the value of all life – human, animal, plant, and microorganisms – and their interconnectedness on the planet Earth and in the wider universe.

This is the first time that the G20 Summit is being hosted by India.

The countries taking part in the G20 Summit include Nigeria, Argentina, Italy, the AU (represented by Comoros), and South Africa. Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Japan Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Egypt, Australia, the United States, Canada, China, UAE, Brazil, Indonesia, Turkey Spain, Germany, France, Mauritius, the European Union and Singapore.

A warm welcome was accorded to leaders who arrived in Delhi for the G20 Summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing confidence that the gathering of world leaders will chart a new path in human-centric and inclusive development. (ANI)

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Jet Deal, Civil Nuclear Technology On Agenda As Modi Holds Bilateral With Biden

By LokMarg 8th September 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden on Thursday sat down for a bilateral meeting in the national capital, ahead of the G20 Summit starting Friday.

The ongoing talks being held at Prime Minister Modi’s official residence — 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi — will cover wide-ranging issues and will be focused on deepening bilateral ties.

“Prime Minister @narendramodi and @POTUS @JoeBiden are holding talks at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in Delhi. Their discussions include a wide range of issues and will further deepen the bond between India and USA,” read a post by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on X.

The bilateral meeting between the two leaders will be an opportunity for both leaders to pick up from where they left off during PM Modi’s maiden State visit to the US in June.

The bilateral meeting is expected to see meaningful advancements on the GE jet engine deal and civil nuclear technology, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was quoted as saying in a Reuters report.

President Biden arrived in New Delhi earlier on Friday for the G20 Summit. This is his first visit to India as President.

He was received at the airport by Union Minister of State, Gen (retd.) VK Singh.

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti was also present at the airport with his daughter to receive President Biden.

The US President interacted with Garcetti’s daughter while also having a brief chat with the Union minister. He also cheered the group of dancers who performed a folk dance to welcome him.

The 18th G20 Summit is being hosted at the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre in New Delhi on September 9 and 10.

A Leaders Declaration will be adopted at the conclusion of the New Delhi summit. (ANI)

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UAE Prez Nahyan Arrives In Delhi To Attend G20 Summit

By LokMarg 8th September 2023

The President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Friday arrived at Delhi’s Palam airbase to attend the G20 summit.

The two-day summit, being hosted in the national capital under India’s presidency of the 20-member bloc, will get underway at the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam from Saturday.

President Al Nahyan was received by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai.

Meanwhile, ahead of the G20 summit, which will bring together some of the most powerful leaders of the free world as well as delegates representing international organisations, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said, “The coming together of the 41 Heads of delegations, Heads of State/Govt, Heads of international organisations in India, starting yesterday is under PM’s personal leadership and direction. It is essentially a celebration of the coming together of the G 20 family…This is the largest-ever participation of the Global South in India.”

India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1, last year, with about 200 related meetings organised across 60 Indian cities.

The 18th G20 Summit will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies.

One of the takeaways of India’s G20 presidency is the revolutionisation of Digital Payment Infrastructure, as initially very few people knew about it, but it has taken forward extensively, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said on Friday.

After concluding his recent official visit to the UAE, PM Modi shared a video clip of his trip to the Gulf nation saying both countries will continue to work closely for the global good.

Sharing the video on Twitter, which showed him attending important events in the UAE, PM Modi posted, “India and UAE will keep working closely to further global good!”

During the visit, PM Modi and UAE President Al Nahyan affirmed that India’s G20 presidency will play an important role in accelerating cooperation in combating climate change, said the India-UAE joint statement on Climate Change.

PM Modi and the UAE President recognized the urgent need to address the global challenge of climate change through global collective action while respecting the foundational principles and obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on the Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, read a joint press release.

PM Modi also congratulated UAE on being chosen as the host country for COP28 in 2023 while pledging the country’s full support to the Gulf nation as it assumes the COP28 Presidency. President Al Nahyan, in turn, congratulated India on its leadership role in the G20.

Both leaders affirmed the importance and significance of India’s G20 presidency while stressing the grouping’s role in fostering and accelerating cooperation in combating climate change, with emphasis on finance and technology as critical enablers, as well as on just, inclusive and sustainable energy transitions, the joint statement said.

The leaders committed to enhancing cooperation on climate ambition, decarbonization, and clean energy, and work together to have tangible and meaningful outcomes from the 28th Session of the UNFCCC Conference of Parties. (ANI)

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G20 Summit: L-G To Keep Tab On Security From Raj Niwas

By LokMarg 8th September 2023

As elaborate motorcades of world leaders on Friday rolled out of the Palam airbase in the national capital towards the designated hotels, ahead of the G20 Summit, the office of Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena informed through a release that he will keep a close tab of the security situation in the city from the Raj Niwas.

The city has been turned into a veritable fortress ahead of the big-ticket summit, which will see world leaders hold deliberations on global economic challenges.

The 18th G20 summit is to be hosted at the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam on September 9 and 10.

“He (L-G) will be in constant touch with the Command Room of the state-to-art Control Room of the Delhi Police Headquarters on September 9,” read the statement from Raj Niwas.

“He will remain in touch with the Police Commissioner and will keep an eye on every road and hotel detailed for G-20 requirements, apart from taking livestock of the development in the City, through the hi-tech gadgets installed at the Control Room,” it added.

Officials at the Raj Niwas informed further that the L-G, on a visit to the Control Room recently, held a detailed discussion with the Delhi Police Commissioner on the deployment of armed forces personnel and high-tech security measures adopted to keep a hawk-eye over the city.

The L-G was informed that live visuals would be captured by more than 5,000 CCTVs installed in different parts of the city, the Raj Niwas informed through a press note.

“Two teams comprising 25 security personnel will be monitoring in different shifts, the digital information being beamed into the Control Room, around the clock. The Control Room is getting district-wise visuals and a special Command Room has been set up for 30 senior police officials to monitor the minutest of developments in the City and its roads” the press note stated further.

It added that besides normal-sized monitors, 2 giant screens, in which the images can be magnified, have been also installed in the Control Room.

“The Command Room which has the capacity of making arrangements for the sitting of 30 senior officers has been designed in such a way that those working in the Control Room are visible to them,” the LG office added in the press note.

The Control Room is manned by technical experts to ensure that everything goes off without any glitches, the L-G Office stated, adding that the police commissioner apprised Saxena that information is being received from each district round the clock and there has been a full deployment of the police personnel across the city.

The press note stated that Saxena also took stock of security arrangements at public spaces to be visited by the G20 leaders and delegates.

“Besides the VVIP areas, high-resolution CCTVs have also been installed in sensitive parts of the city which in the past have been the nerve centre of mischief,” the L-G office added.

The G20 summit will witness participation by over 30 heads of state and top officials from the European Union, as well as guest countries and 14 heads of international organisations.

India assumed the G20 presidency in December 2022 and will pass the mantle to Brazil at the end of its term in November this year.

The next G20 Summit will be hosted by Brazil where India will formally hand over the presidency of the bloc to the host country.

Prior to the G20 leaders’ summit, about 200 meetings were organised across 60 cities.

The 18th G20 Summit will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies. (ANI)

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Moon Mission, G20, Cricket WC…Great Year For India: Sunak

By LokMarg 8th September 2023

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday said 2023 is shaping up to be a great year for India, with the Moon mission, G20 and the cricket World Cup.

“In India, just this year, the moon mission, what an extraordinary success, this G20, which is going to be a huge success and, of course, the Cricket World Cup to come as well. So this is shaping up to be a great year for India,” the British Prime Minister said.

Sunak added that this demonstrates India’s place on the global stage and its importance to geopolitics. “I know everyone here will be incredibly proud of the year that India is having,” he said.

Meanwhile, on his arrival in India on Friday, the UK PM met students and staff at the British Council in Delhi.

Sunak said India’s youth represent its future and India’s trajectory over the coming years and decades inspires confidence.

“The schoolchildren I spent time with today, with Akshata, are so bright, so confident. They are going to ensure that India has an incredibly important role to play in world affairs for years to come. Because their energy, their confidence, their intelligence is fantastic. And it’s an inspiration to see,” the British PM said.

Taking to his official handle on X, Sunak posted, “Before meeting the world leaders of today I’ve been meeting with the world leaders of tomorrow. It’s been fantastic to visit students and staff here at @inBritish- a reflection of the living bridge that exists between the UK and India.”

He further called the little ones “a living bridge between the UK and India”.

Rishi Sunak arrived for his maiden India visit on Friday to attend the G20 Summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 9 and 10. He was received by Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ashwini Choubey.

On his arrival at the national capital, the British PM said the G20 has been a huge success for India and it is the “right country at the right time to be hosting this”.

The UK PM said that he will make sure that the G20, under India’s presidency, achieves success.

“G20 has been a huge success for India. India is the right country at the right time to be hosting this.I feel we are going to have a very good couple of days of deliberations and decisions made,” the British Prime Minister said, adding that the coming two days will witness hectic deliberations.

Referring to the theme of the 18th G20 Summit, ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’, UK PM said, “I think it’s a great theme. I am an example of the incredible living bridge that Prime Minister Modi described between UK and India.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with Sunak on Friday, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, sources said. (ANI)

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Digital Payment Infrastructure, One Of Key Takeaways At India’s G20: Sherpa Kant

By LokMarg 8th September 2023

One of the key takeaways of India’s G20 presidency is the revolutionization of Digital Payment Infrastructure, as initially very few people knew about it, but it has been taken forward extensively, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said on Friday.

He further said that the digital payment infrastructure has been widely accepted as a way to bring financial inclusion.

Addressing the pre-summit briefing, Kant said, “When India started the G20 Presidency, very few people knew about Digital Payment Infrastructure and the open source model of it. This has been extensively taken forward, by both the Finance track and Sherpa track in a very rigorous manner. Digital Payment Infrastructure, has broadly been accepted as…the way to bring financial inclusion. This is the way to do fast payments, this is the way to drive the innovation of the future”.

“One of the key takeaways of India’s presidency is that it has completely revolutionalised digital payment infrastructure, which is a unique model. Its definition, its framework and how we take it forward, all of this has come into discussion in India’s G20 presidency,” he added.

He also said that the New Delhi leaders’ declaration at the end of the G20 Summit will reflect the voice of the Global South.

“The New Delhi leaders’ declaration that you will see post the Summit, you will see it as a Voice of Global South and the developing countries. No document in the world would have such a strong voice for the Global South and the developing countries,” he stated.

During the briefing, Ajay Seth, Secretary, of the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India’s G20 presidency has focussed on issues that can make a difference in people’s lives.

“Under the leadership of our PM, the focus and the vision of India G 20 presidency is to bring focus to the global discourse issues which could make a difference to people’s lives,” he stated.

India is geared up to host the G20 Leader’s Summit in the national capital at the newly inaugurated Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan.

India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 were organized in 60 cities across the country.

The 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in New Delhi will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies.

A G20 Leaders’ Declaration will be adopted at the conclusion of the New Delhi Summit, stating leaders’ commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings. (ANI)

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Glad To See You In Delhi: Modi Welcomes EU Prez Leyen

By LokMarg 8th September 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday extended a welcome to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on her arrival at the national capital for the G20 Summit.

The EU president will be among the sizeable complement of world leaders and delegates attending the big-ticket summit, which will get underway at the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam in the national capital on Saturday.

Responding to a post by the EU President on social media platform X, Prime Minister Modi wrote, “Glad to see you in Delhi for the G20 Summit, @vonderleyen. Grateful for the @EU_commission’s support and commitment. Collectively, we shall address the pressing challenges we face. Looking forward to fruitful deliberations and collaborative actions.”

The EU chief touched down in the national capital on Thursday evening and was received by the Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Anupriya Patel.

India and the EU have a common interest in ensuring security, prosperity and sustainable development in a multi-polar world. Both India and the EU agreed to further build on these convergences and foster new synergies for jointly contributing to a safer, greener, cleaner, more digital, resilient and stable world, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement.

The EU is India’s second-largest trading partner (after the US) and India’s second-largest export market. India is the EU’s 10th largest trading partner, accounting for 2 per cent of EU total trade in goods. Trade in services between the EU and India reached 40 billion euros in 2021.

For the summit, which is being hosted under India’s presidency of the G20, extensive preparations and arrangements have been made not only to showcase the country’s soft power but also its emergence as a prominent global player.

Formed in 1999, the G20 was formed to maintain global financial stability by incorporating middle-income countries.

India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 were organized in 60 cities across the country. The 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies. (ANI)

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G20 Summit: DP, BSF Heighten Security, Patrol Yamuna River On Boat

By LokMarg 8th September 2023

Ahead of the G-20 meeting in Delhi, local police and BSF jawans patrolled the Yamuna river on a boat in Delhi’s Shahdara district to prevent any untoward incidents from happening.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police have heightened security across the city and continued their security checks on Friday morning.

Zenon, Ming, Zone, Zozo, and Zinger are among six NSG dog squad members with their handlers as well as bomb disposal units that kept checking inside and outside the periphery of Rajghat from the beginning of the day on Thursday till late at night on different occasions to ensure a safe and secure event.

These specially trained security members of NSG’s dog squad are among their other colleagues who are also strategically deployed at the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) and the Pusa campus– other venues where the Summit and related events are scheduled.

Curbs on traffic regulations have also come into force in the national capital.

The New Delhi district has been designated Controlled Zone-I from Friday at 5 am until Sunday at 11.59 pm because of the summit.

Delhi Traffic Police said on Friday morning that the movement of buses into the city from the Rajokari border has been stopped with effect from September 8 till September 10.

Online delivery services, except for medicines, have been barred in the area where the G20 summit venue and hotels for delegates are located.

According to the gazette notification issued by the Delhi Government on Tuesday, all types of goods vehicles, commercial vehicles, interstate buses, and local city buses have been stopped from operating on Mathura Road (beyond Ashram Chowk), Bhairon Road, Purana Quila Road, and inside Pragati Maidan Tunnel from 00:00 hours on the intervening nights of September 7 and 8 to 23:59 hours on September 10.

However, interstate buses are being allowed to enter from other borders of Delhi.

The movement of buses into Delhi from the Rajokari border has also been stopped.

India is all set to host the G20 Summit in New Delhi from September 9-10.

The G20, or the Group of Twenty, comprises 19 countries– Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States– and the European Union.

During the summit, the national capital will play host to US President Joe Biden, Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, among others. (ANI)

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Culture Corridor To Digital India: Bharat Mandapam’s Experience Zones For G20 Guests

By LokMarg 8th September 2023

The national capital has started welcoming foreign delegates and leaders from all across the world for the G20 Summit. As a host nation, the Centre has taken special care of the arrangements and experiences of foreign dignitaries while they are in India.

For a unique experience for guests arriving at Bharat Mandapam, various exhibitions are being set up. These exhibits would showcase India’s technological prowess and innovation and offer a multitude of unique experiences for foreign guests. The Global Summit will be held at the Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre in Pragati Maidan on September 9 and 10.

Speaking of Indian tradition and culture, as part of the arrangement, a “Culture Corridor” has also been set up at the venue for the G20 guests, which will showcase a unique international project called ‘Culture Corridor: G20 Digital Museum’. The culture corridor will represent and celebrate the shared heritage of G20 members and invitee countries. It will incorporate iconic and notable cultural objects and the heritage of the G20 members and nine invitee countries.

This Culture Corridor will serve as a powerful platform for promoting understanding and appreciation of diverse cultural expressions, knowledge sharing, inclusivity, and equality, and fostering a sense of shared identity.

Digital India Experience Zone

The Digital India Experience Zone, being set up in Halls 4 and 14, will offer visitors a unique opportunity to experience the power of technology being implemented by India firsthand. The Zone will provide key insights into the crucial initiatives of Digital India. Initiatives being showcased include Aadhaar, DigiLocker, UPI, eSanjeevani, DIKSHA, Bhashini, ONDC, and Ask GITA.

Ask GITA—Guidance, Inspiration, Transformation, and Action—combines the ancient wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita with cutting-edge AI technology. The Zone will also include MyGov, CoWIN, UMANG, JanDhan, e-NAM, GSTN, FastTag, and other such initiatives of the government.

RBI’s Innovation Pavilion

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will display cutting-edge financial technologies at the G20 Summit, showcasing their potential to revolutionise the financial landscape. It will include products demonstrating unique facets of India’s innovation in the financial sector. These include Central Bank Digital Currency; the Public Tech Platform for Frictionless Credit, which uses technology to provide loans in a digitised, paperless manner; and unique payment system products such as UPI One World, Rupay on the Go, and cross-border bill payment through Bharat Bill Payments.

Payment system experience centre

UPI One World is UPI designed for inbound foreign travellers who do not have bank accounts in India. Foreign nationals can open a prepaid payment instrument linked to UPI to experience hassle-free and secure payments during their stay in India.

Delegates will be onboarded on UPI One World. Their wallets will be prefunded with Rs. 2000, which they can utilise as they desire.

Crafts Bazaar

A ‘Crafts Bazaar’ is being set up in Hall No. 3 at Bharat Mandapam. It will showcase handicraft products from different parts of India, with a special focus on One District, One Product and GI-tagged items. It will offer delegates the unique opportunity to purchase locally sourced products.

Around 30 states and UTs, as well as central agencies like Khadi Village and Industries Commission, TRIFED, etc., will be participating in the Crafts Bazaar. To showcase the skills and exquisite workmanship of artisans, special live demonstrations by master craftsmen have also been planned.

This is the first time that the G20 Summit is being hosted by India. Extensive preparations have been underway to portray India’s tradition and strength.

The countries taking part in the G20 Summit include Nigeria, Argentina, Italy, the AU (represented by Comros), and South Africa. Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Japan Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Korea, Egypt, Australia, the United States, Canada, China, Russia, the U.A.E., Brazil, Indonesia, Turkey Spain, Germany, France, Mexico, the European Union, and Singapore. (ANI)

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Change Constitution If You Have Guts: Omar Abdullah Amid India-Bharat Row

By LokMarg 8th September 2023

As controversy has erupted on the ‘Bharat-India’ name, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Friday challenged the Centre to ‘change’ the Constitution first if they have ‘guts’.

Talking to the reporters here, the NC leader said nobody will support the union government if it will change the Constitution to rename the country.

“Nobody can change it… It is not so easy to change the name of the country. To do this, you will have to change the Constitution of the country. If you have the guts, then do it, we will also see who supports you…,” Omar Abdullah said.

Speculations have gained ground that the Centre might change the name of the country to Bharat from India after Rashtrapati Bhawan sent out invitations for a G20 dinner on September 9 on behalf of the ‘President of Bharat’.

The opposition alleged that the government was resorting to “drama” just because they got together and called their bloc INDIA. BJP leaders have strongly supported the move by the government.

National Conference (NC) patriarch Farooq Abdullah also commented on the same on Friday and said, “Read the Constitution first; it is mentioned there that Bharat and India are one. You (media) create controversy.”

However, the Ladakh administration announced a new schedule for elections to the fifth Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) in the Kargil region, following a directive by the Supreme Court, Omar Abdullah said that his party is now looking forward to getting the support of the people in the region after the verdict.

“It is unfortunate that we had to fight for the thing that was our right as a political party. Election guidelines are very clear about the allocation of the symbol. Clearly, the administration and Ladakh had a biased agenda which is why they went all the way to the Supreme Court. But if you read the verdict, particularly the detailed judgement and the imposition of Rs 1 lakh on Ladakh administration is itself an indication how seriously the court viewed the conduct of Ladakh government,” the NC leader said.

As per the notification, elections to 26 seats of the 30-member LAHDC will be held on October 4. The LAHDC Kargil had come into effect in 2003.

As per the previous notification the Union Territory of Ladakh had announced that elections to the LAHDC were scheduled to be held on September 10 and counting to be held on September 14.

According to the new notification, the process for filing nominations will start on September 9 and the last date for filing nominations is September 16. The last date for withdrawing nominations has been fixed on September 20, it said.

The counting of votes will take place on October 8.

“Voting will be held between 8 am to 4 pm,” it said.

The notification further said that the entire election process should be completed before October 11.

The Supreme Court Wednesday set aside the August 2 notification issued by the Ladakh administration for elections to LAHDC and directed that a fresh notification be issued within seven days.

The bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanulla imposed a cost of Rs 1 lakh on the Ladakh administration and also dismissed its appeal against an August 14 order of a division bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court which had upheld an interim order by a single-judge bench for grant of the ‘Plough’ poll symbol to the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC). (ANI)

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