India-Saudi Arabia | Enforcement Directorate (ED) | Gita Mittal Committee

India-Saudi Arabia

Syllabus: GS2/ International Relations

Context

• The 3rd India–Saudi Arabia Security Working Group meeting was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Key Highlights

• Counter-terrorism cooperation, including emerging threats.
• Countering extremism and radicalisation.
• Combating terror financing.
• Preventing misuse of technology for terrorist purposes.
• Addressing the nexus between transnational organised crime and terrorism.
• Institutional Framework: The dialogue operates under the India–Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC), providing continuity and predictability to cooperation.

India Saudi Arabia Relations

• Political Relations: The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1947.
• The royal visit of 2006 resulted in the signing of the Delhi Declaration, which was followed in 2010 by the Riyadh Declaration that elevated bilateral ties to a strategic partnership.
• The Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) Agreement was signed during the 2019 visit of the Indian PM to Riyadh, which established a high-level council to steer the Indo-Saudi relationship.
• Economic Relations: India is Saudi Arabia’s second-largest trade partner; Saudi Arabia is India’s fourth-largest trade partner.
• Energy Cooperation: Saudi Arabia was India’s third largest crude and petroleum products source for FY23.
• Defence Cooperation: Saudi Arabia has procured the 155mm Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) from Bharat Forge.

Joint exercises:

• Sada Tanseeq: The inaugural Army exercise held in Rajasthan in January 2024.
• Tarang Shakti: Saudi Arabia participated as an observer in India’s largest air exercise.
• Al Mohed Al Hindi: Bilateral naval exercise initiated in 2022.
• Indian diaspora: As of 2025, there were 2.7 million Indians in Saudi Arabia. This is the second largest number of foreign workers in the country, after Bangladesh.

Enforcement Directorate (ED)

Syllabus: GS2/ Governance

Context

• The Supreme Court agreed to examine whether the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is entitled to invoke the writ jurisdiction of constitutional courts to seek relief.

Enforcement Directorate

• Established in – On 1st May 1956, an ‘Enforcement Unit’ was formed. In the year 1957, this Unit was renamed as ‘Enforcement Directorate’.
• Established under – It is a specialized financial investigation agency under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance.
• Functions – ED enforces the following laws

1. Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA)
2. Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA)

Gita Mittal Committee

Syllabus: GS2/ Social Justice

In News

• The Supreme Court extended the tenure of the Justice Gita Mittal Committee by six months till July 31, 2026, to continue overseeing humanitarian relief for Manipur violence victims.

Justice Gita Mittal Committee

• Constituted by – It was constituted by the Supreme Court of India
• Objective – to intervene and monitor relief and rehabilitation, and restoration of homesteads, religious places of worship, and to oversee relief and rehabilitation of victims of violence in Manipur.
• Members – It is a three member committee, headed by former Jammu and Kashmir high court Chief Justice Gita Mittal. It has Justices Shalini Phansalkar Joshi and Asha Menon, as other two members.