India’s Outreach to the Global South: A Strategic Diplomatic Tour of Five Nations

 Introduction

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is embarking on a significant 9-day, 5-nation diplomatic tour across the Global South, making it one of his longest overseas visits. Beginning July 2, 2025, the visit includes strategic stops in Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia. This move reflects India’s evolving foreign policy to strengthen South-South cooperation in trade, technology, energy, and cultural ties.

This visit is crucial from the Current Affairs 2026 and CLAT Current Affairs 2026 perspective as it underlines India’s commitment to global diplomacy and multipolar engagement. For aspirants preparing with the best online coaching for CLAT, this development showcases how international relations play a vital role in shaping domestic and international law, trade regulations, and cross-border cooperation mechanisms.

 Why in News?

• PM Modi’s diplomatic tour is being closely watched due to its scale, timing, and strategic focus on the Global South, a term referring to developing nations in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
• The trip reflects India’s increasing soft power influence and the need to build bilateral relationships for trade, renewable energy, diaspora engagement, and global governance reforms.
• It is Modi’s first bilateral visit to Ghana, the first Prime Ministerial visit to Trinidad & Tobago in 25 years, and first visit to Namibia.
• The tour aligns with India’s G20 Presidency (2023) outcomes and growing importance in forums like BRICS, IBSA, and South-South Cooperation.

 Country-wise Summary of PM Modi’s Visit

🇬🇭 Ghana (July 2–3)

Highlights:

• PM Modi’s first-ever bilateral visit to Ghana and the first Indian PM to visit the nation since Indira Gandhi’s participation in the 2015 India-Africa Forum Summit.
• Ghana, one of West Africa’s fastest-growing economies, has seen a steadily improving trade relationship with India.
• Modi will hold bilateral meetings with President John Mahama and discuss economic engagement, energy cooperation, and cultural exchange.

Significance for CLAT Aspirants:

• The India-Ghana relationship underscores the relevance of international trade law, Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs), and regional development pacts.
• India is the largest destination for Ghanaian exports, primarily gold, and aims to reduce dependency on traditional partners by strengthening ties with African nations.

🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago (July 3–4)

Highlights:

• This marks the first Indian Prime Ministerial visit since Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure in 1999.
• Approximately 40–45% of the Caribbean Indian diaspora lives in Trinidad & Tobago.
• Modi will meet PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar, strengthen cultural ties, and announce cooperation in education, renewable energy, and IT.
• India is the second-largest trading partner of the Caribbean, with bilateral trade at ₹3416.01 crore in FY 2024–25.

Significance for CLAT Aspirants:

• This leg is crucial to understanding the role of diaspora diplomacy in shaping foreign policy.
• The Indian Constitution’s provisions on overseas citizenship (OCI) and engagement with the diaspora can be linked to the visit’s objectives.

🇦🇷 Argentina (July 4–5)

Highlights:

• Modi to meet President Javier Milei, known as Trump’s “favourite President”.
• This is the first visit by an Indian PM to Argentina in 57 years.
• Discussions to focus on agriculture, energy (especially lithium), nuclear cooperation, and technology.
• India and Argentina signed space cooperation agreements in 2023, and both nations are strategic partners in climate change and multilateral forums.

Significance for CLAT Aspirants:

• Argentina’s lithium reserves are crucial for India’s energy transition and Electric Vehicle (EV) goals.
• Legal frameworks for resource sharing, climate law, and space law become important topics of current legal discourse.

🇧🇷 Brazil (July 5–8)

Highlights:

• PM Modi to attend the BRICS Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro and meet President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
• Discussion points include:
  • Global South cooperation
  • WTO reforms
  • Global taxation
  • South-South partnerships
• Modi will also visit Brasília, participate in the India-Brazil Business Forum, and push for collaboration in the pharmaceutical and agriculture sectors.

Significance for CLAT Aspirants:

• Brazil’s active role in BRICS and WTO gives CLAT aspirants a practical understanding of multilateral treaties, trade conflict resolution, and international economic law.
• Also relevant are IPR law and access to generic medicines, which India and Brazil both champion.

🇳🇦 Namibia (July 9)

Highlights:

• First-ever Indian Prime Ministerial visit to Namibia.
• Modi will meet President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, the country’s first female head of state.
• Talks to revolve around:
  • India-Namibia cooperation in mining (uranium) and rare earths
  • Wildlife conservation (related to India’s Cheetah reintroduction program)
  • Renewable energy and military training

Significance for CLAT Aspirants:

• Namibia is key to India’s strategic mineral security, highlighting the legalities of transnational mining contracts and wildlife conservation treaties (e.g., CITES).
• The India-Namibia defence cooperation agreement reflects elements of international humanitarian law and peace-time military treaties.

India’s Secular Constitution — Even Without the Word

 INTRODUCTION

The recent statement by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar reignited a longstanding debate around the inclusion of the words “socialist” and “secular” in the Preamble to the Indian Constitution. He referred to their inclusion via the 42nd Amendment during the Emergency era as a “sacrilege to the spirit of Sanatan,” a phrase echoed by several BJP leaders and members of the RSS.

This discussion is of crucial relevance for CLAT 2026 aspirants, as it relates directly to Constitutional Law, the Preamble, and key fundamental principles such as secularism and socialism. Understanding the political, legal, and historical nuances of this issue is essential for mastering both Legal Reasoning and Current Affairs sections in the exam.

This article aims to decode the controversy, explain the origin and interpretation of “secularism” in Indian Constitutional Law, and highlight its implications for the rule of law and governance in India.

 WHY IN NEWS?

• Vice President Dhankhar criticized the inclusion of the terms “socialist” and “secular” in the Preamble through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment (1976).
• He termed it an “Emergency-era alteration” and questioned the legitimacy of adding these expressions to the original constitutional text.
• The debate reflects on the constitutional morality, intentions of the founding fathers, and the judiciary’s evolving interpretation of secularism, especially in light of recent Supreme Court observations and political discourse.

This makes it a key topic under CLAT Current Affairs 2026 and Current Affairs 2026 for students seeking the best online coaching for CLAT.

 POINT-WISE SUMMARY OF THE ARTICLE

1. Background of the 42nd Amendment (1976)

• During the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi, the Constitution was amended significantly.
• The words “socialist” and “secular” were inserted into the Preamble via the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976.
• This changed the description of India to a “Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic.”

2. The Original Preamble

• Before the 42nd Amendment, the Preamble read:

“We, the People of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign Democratic Republic…”

• The words “socialist” and “secular” were not part of the original 1950 Constitution.

3. Purpose of the Amendment

• Aimed to align the Constitution with Indira Gandhi’s economic and political ideology.
• It was part of a larger set of constitutional changes, including:
  • The nationalization of banks
  • Garibi Hatao campaign
  • Strengthening of the Directive Principles of State Policy (Part IV)

4. Controversy Over the Amendment

• Critics argue it was a politically motivated move done during a time of democratic suppression.
• Many leaders of the Opposition, including Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani, were jailed.
• The Janata Government that came to power in 1977 did not repeal the amendment, although they reversed many others.

5. Role of the Founding Fathers

• The Constituent Assembly did not include “socialist” or “secular” deliberately, though the values were inherent.
• Leaders believed secularism and social justice were embedded within the fabric of the Constitution without needing explicit labels.

6. Preamble as a Source of Law

• While symbolically important, the Preamble is not enforceable in a court of law.
• However, it plays a critical role in constitutional interpretation and understanding basic features of the Constitution.

7. Judicial Interpretation of “Secularism”

• Despite the late addition of the word, Indian courts have interpreted the Constitution as secular since the beginning.
• Landmark judgment: Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973) declared secularism a part of the Basic Structure Doctrine, even before the 42nd Amendment.
• Minerva Mills v. Union of India (1980) upheld the socialist and secular components but warned against using them to override Fundamental Rights.

8. Secularism in Other Provisions

• Secularism is implicit in:
  • Article 14 – Right to equality
  • Article 15 – Prohibition of discrimination on religion, caste, sex, etc.
  • Article 16 – Equality in public employment
  • Article 25–28 – Freedom of religion

9. Not Just in the Preamble

• The article asserts: Even without the term, secularism is evident across several provisions and judicial precedents.
• Emphasizes that India’s Constitution enshrines positive secularism (equal respect for all religions), unlike the western concept of absolute separation.

10. Current Political Debates

• The removal or retention of “secular” in the Preamble is now being debated in the context of India’s Sanatan roots versus constitutional modernity.
• Some RSS leaders and ministers support dropping the term to reflect India’s ancient ethos, while constitutionalists argue for its continued presence.

The Thali Index: Rationalising India’s Food Subsidy — A CLAT 2026 Current Affairs Insight

 Introduction

In January 2025, the National Statistics Office (NSO) released the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey for 2023–24, prompting a wave of national and international analyses on poverty levels in India. The estimates, though differing slightly, highlighted a significant decline in poverty. This created space for discourse on public distribution systems (PDS), food subsidies, and their rationalisation.

One notable concept that emerged from this conversation is the “Thali Index” — a metaphorical and analytical representation of how the cost of a basic meal (thali) can help assess food affordability and, indirectly, poverty. It also has implications for discussions around India’s food subsidy policies and rationalising welfare schemes without undermining food security.

For CLAT aspirants preparing for CLAT 2026, this issue presents an opportunity to examine intersections between law, public policy, economics, and fundamental rights. Students enrolled in online coaching for CLAT or the best online coaching for CLAT platforms should consider this a crucial topic in CLAT Current Affairs 2026.

 Why in News?

• The NSO Household Consumption Survey 2023–24, released in January 2025, highlighted a notable reduction in rural and urban poverty in India.
• Reports by State Bank of India and the World Bank soon followed, providing alternative estimates and validating a broader trend of improvement.
• These developments have renewed debates on the future of food subsidies in India.
• The article proposes that the Thali Index can offer a more grounded and culturally relevant measure of food consumption and poverty estimation in India.

 Point-wise Summary of the Article

1. Decline in Poverty: The Official and Global Reports

• SBI Report (January 2025) and World Bank estimates indicated a 4.86% rural poverty rate and 4.09% urban poverty rate for FY24.
• The World Bank, more optimistic, pegged “extreme poverty” at just 2.8% in rural and 1.1% in urban India for 2022–23.
• Such findings sparked optimism and policy debates.

2. Questions Raised by Critics

• Critics question the methodology of such estimates, as they are based on expenditure patterns, not income or capability.
• They argue this does not reflect the actual level of deprivation, particularly in food consumption and health access.
• The NDA government has been criticized for leveraging these numbers to defend its welfare performance.

3. Concept of the Thali Index

• Instead of using calorific values alone, the authors suggest using the cost of a basic thali (vegetarian meal) to measure food affordability.
• A “Thali Index” uses prices of locally prepared meals (ingredients sourced from markets) across Indian regions — north, east, west, and south — to compare the value of money spent on food.

4. The Price of a Thali

• The Consumer Resource Information System (CRiSIL) and other agencies price a thali at around ₹30.
• This includes rice/wheat, vegetables, lentils, oil, and spices — the basic food items in a home-cooked meal.
• Comparing this price with household spending can indicate access to food security.

5. Poverty and Food: Rethinking Measurement

• Traditional poverty measurement in India focused on calories sufficient to sustain life — a physiological approach.
• But this ignores satisfaction, nutrition, food preferences, and regional diversity.
• A food-based index considers not just survival but well-being and food dignity.

6. Food Subsidy Debate: Rationalisation, Not Elimination

• Expenditure on food is often a residual category in poor households — what’s left after rent, bills, etc.
• The authors argue that rationalising subsidies must ensure access to affordable food is preserved, even if the delivery method (PDS or DBT) evolves.
• Elimination of subsidies without ensuring alternative support mechanisms would deepen deprivation.

7. Expansion of Public Food Programmes

• Government schemes like the PM-GKAY (Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana) helped during COVID-19 by expanding free food distribution.
• Now, with declining poverty, some suggest rolling back such schemes.
• The article advises caution, stressing that while targeting of subsidies can be improved, withdrawal would be premature.

8. Thali as a Culturally Rooted Metric

• The “Thali Index” is suggested as a better public communication tool, rooted in everyday life and easily understood.
• It personalises economic data and ties it to lived experiences — something often missing in GDP- or calorie-based estimates.

 Notes: Explanation of Peculiar Terms

 Thali Index

A concept using the cost of a simple, home-cooked Indian meal (thali) to assess affordability and food consumption trends. It reflects how much a person spends to meet their basic nutritional needs.

Household Consumption Expenditure Survey

A key data collection process by the NSO that measures how much families spend on essentials — food, health, education, housing — to calculate poverty and inequality.

Food Subsidy Rationalisation

Improving the targeting, delivery, and efficiency of food subsidy programmes rather than removing them. Rationalisation may involve Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT), digitisation, or exclusion of affluent households.

CRiSIL

A global analytical company providing ratings, research, and risk and policy advisory services. Used here for thali cost estimation.

 Residual Spending

Expenditure made with whatever money remains after meeting essential fixed costs like rent, EMIs, and utilities. For poor households, food is often bought with what remains.