Amid Sikkim standoff, Ajit Doval to attend Brics summit in China

Diplomatic channels with India remained 'unimpeded' to discuss military stand-off in Sikkim: China

Beyond boundaries 

National Security Advisor A K Doval will be in China to attend the BRICS Summit on Thursday and Friday. Ministry of external affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay said diplomatic channels and communication between the two countries had never stopped functioning. Asked who had initiated Doval's visit, Baglay said, "In such sensitive matters, who has made an offer and who reacted or not is best left to diplomats, to conduct what they are good at."

Baglay said differences between India and China should not become disputes. "Our approach is to find peaceful solutions to border issues." 

China on Thursday said diplomatic channels with India remained "unimpeded" to discuss the military stand-off in the Sikkim sector but reiterated that withdrawal of Indian troops from the Doklam area was a "precondition" for meaningful dialogue. "Our diplomatic channel is unimpeded," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters, confirming talks between the Indian and Chinese missions to resolve the standoff.

In New Delhi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has said the matter could be resolved through talks. "We are willing to talk but both sides have to first take back their armies," she told the Rajya Sabha. The minister said the boundaries between India and China were yet to be finalised and the two countries will do that through discussions; sop would that between China and Bhutan through bilateral talks. She accused China of building roads using bulldozers and excavators, which has been protested by Bhutan in writing to China.

Empowering Bill

The Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill, 2017, which constitutes a commission for socially and educationally backward classes and empowers it to hear grievances, was passed by the Lok Sabha in April. It was referred to a Rajya Sabha committee, which has given its report. Discussion and passage of this Bill is likely this week. 

Vehicles Act

The Bill to amend the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, will be taken up by the Rajya Sabha this week. The Lok Sabha has cleared it. The Bill addresses issues such as third-party insurance, regulation of taxi aggregators and road safety. Under the Act, liability of a third-party insurer for motor vehicle accidents is unlimited. The Bill caps the maximum such liability in an accident at Rs 10 lakh in case of death and Rs 5 lakh for grievous injury. It provides for a Motor Vehicle Accident Fund to offer compulsory insurance cover to all road users for certain types of accidents.

For Ola and Uber users, passage of the Bill is important as it defines taxi aggregators, the guidelines for which will be determined by the central government. 

The Bill also provides for: 

(i) Amending the existing categories of driver licensing (ii) recall of vehicles defects (iii) protection of good samaritans from civil or criminal action and (iv) increase of penalties for several offences under the 1988 Act.