INDIAN EXPRESS DATED 17th SEP 2026.

Summary of Important News Items Editorials-464

INDIAN EXPRESS DATED 17th SEP 2026.

(for reading Indian Express News items from 1 to 463 please visit –

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1. India-Pakistan Naval Incident and the 1991 Confidence-Building Agreement

India summoned Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires after a Pakistani naval vessel collided with an Indian Navy ship in international waters. India described the conduct as unacceptable and said it violated Article 10 of the 1991 India-Pakistan Agreement on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements. The provision requires naval ships and submarines of the two countries to maintain at least three nautical miles of separation in international waters to avoid accidents. The agreement emerged from confidence-building efforts after periods of military tension, particularly the large Brasstacks exercise of 1987, and was intended to prevent misreading of military intentions. It also provides mechanisms for advance information and clarification regarding military exercises. The logic is that crisis-prevention mechanisms become especially important between nuclear-armed neighbours where an accident can rapidly acquire strategic significance. The broader stand is that existing bilateral agreements must be respected even during periods of political hostility. The gist is that communication, restraint and military-to-military confidence-building remain essential safeguards against inadvertent escalation.

2. UPI Merchant Discount Rate: Sustainability Versus the Zero-Cost Digital Model