BREXIT — WHAT IS ARTICLE 50?
British Prime Minister Theresa May will on March 29 trigger Article 50, a provision of the Treaty of Lisbon which will allow the UK to kick-start Brexit, the process of leaving the 28-member European Union What does it say?
The five-paragraph provision says any member that wishes to quit must notify the European Council and negotiate its withdrawal with the EU. The country wishing to exit the bloc must do so within two years. Any exit deal must be approved by 72% of the remaining 27 EU states with the backing of Members of the European Parliament Why did May wait so long to trigger it? The UK voted for Brexit in June 2016, but it was up to the government to decide when to formally notify the European Council. In October, May said she did not want to "rush" into the withdrawal process before Britain's objectives had been agreed What will negotiations cover?
The UK says a trade deal n should be part of negotiations, but the EU wants the withdrawal agreement and a trade deal to be handled separately
Other issues likely to be n discussed are rights of EU citizens living in the UK and Britishers living in EU nations, cross-border security, and cooperation on foreign policy, including sanctions How will Brexit affect India?
Around 800 Indian firms n use the UK as a base to do business in the EU market. Experts are divided over whether the impact of Brexit will be positive or negative
May plans to crack down n on immigration, which will make it difficult for British firms to hire foreign workers. The government also plans to "further scrutinise" student visas