Comprehensive News Analysis - 09 February 2016

Useful News Articles

A. GS1 Related:

— Nothing here today, folks! —

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B. GS2 Related:

1. TRAI rules in favour of Net neutrality

Topic: Governance

Category: Government policies and interventions

Location: The Hindu, Page 1

Key Points:

• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Monday barred telecom service providers from charging differential rates for data services.

• This step effectively prohibits Facebook’s Free Basics and Airtel Zero platform by Airtel in their current form.

• The prohibition was necessary to keep the Internet open and non-discriminatory.

• TRAI said a fine of Rs. 50,000 would be levied per day, subject to a maximum of Rs. 50 lakh, for any violation of these regulations by the service providers.

• An exemption, however, has been made for offering emergency services.

• The regulator and Facebook have been at loggerheads over the issue with the authority terming the social networking giant’s attempt to lobby for its Free Basics initiative a “crude” attempt at turning the consultation over differential pricing of data services into an “orchestrated opinion poll” on Free Basics.

Positive indication

• Net Neutrality activists see it as a positive indication for future regulations on issues such as regulation of over the top applications such as WhatsApp and Skype.

2. Many pacts await Abu Dhabi Prince’s visit

Topic: International Relations

Category: India, U.A.E

Location: The Hindu, Page 12

Key Points:

• India and the United Arab Emirates are set to strengthen cyber security mechanism to track radicalisation of youth in South Asia and West Asian region.

• Over the last several months, India-UAE cooperation has prevented several radicalised youths from joining the ranks of the Islamic State (IS).

• Cyber security experts have pointed out that the cooperation between the UAE and India on cyber security has helped in tracking radicalisation in India as well as inside Pakistan.

• Agreements on security and cyber security will be part of a total of 16 agreements that are expected to be signed during the visit which will also include an agreement on nuclear research and development, and aerospace collaborations.

3. U.K. firms keen to build hospitals in Smart Cities

Topic: Governance

Category: Government policies and interventions

Location: The Hindu, Page 12

Key Points:

• Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu met a business delegation from the U.K. that advocated setting up hospitals in Indian smart cities.

• The delegation expressed their interest in investing in healthcare infrastructure that Smart City projects aspire to build.

• Mr. Modi and Mr. Cameroon had agreed to support opening of 11 Indo-UK Institutes of Health in India with an investment of £1 billion.

• Later, Mr. Naidu met another delegation of U.S. businessmen and assured them that Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV), one of the key administrative bodies for Smart Cities, would be given ample powers to ensure timely execution of smart development projects.

4. Pakistan seeks to protect China’s Gwadar investment

Topic: International Relations

Category: India and its neighborhood- relations

Location: The Hindu, Page 14

Key Points:

• Pakistan’s powerful military seeks to protect billions of dollars of Chinese investment in Gwadar.

• As a result, heavy police presence, guarded convoys, new checkpoints and troop reinforcements have turned parts of the southern port city of Gwadar into a fortress.

• Securing the planned $46 billion economic corridor of roads, railways and pipelines from northwest China to Pakistan’s Arabian Sea coast is a huge challenge in a country where Islamist militants and separatist gunmen are a constant menace.

• Gwadar skirts the tribal belt along the Afghan-Pakistan border where Islamist militant groups including the Pakistan Taliban and al Qaeda have long been based.

5. Beijing, Moscow slam U.S. missile plans

Topic: International Relations

Category: U.S., North Korea, South Korea

Location: The Hindu, Page 14

Key Points:

• China and Russia have slammed the possible deployment of an American anti-missile defence shield in South Korea following North Korea’s satellite launch.

• China is “deeply concerned” about the decision by the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) to start official negotiations on the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.

• The THAAD system comprises advanced U.S. anti-missile defence batteries.

• Analysts say that each THAAD missile battery would cost $1.3 billion and will be capable of covering half or two-thirds of South Korean airspace.

• Washington is of the view that following North Korea’s nuclear test in January, the THAAD system would be required to protect the 27,000 American troops that have been deployed in South Korea.

Topic: Internal Security

Category: Security challenges and their management in border areas

Location: The Hindu, Page 10

Key Points:

• The February 3 avalanche on the Siachen glacier that buried 10 Indian Army soldiers is a stark reminder to both India and Pakistan about the cost of military deployment in such inhospitable territory.

• This was not an isolated incident but part of a growing trend in that region, as global warming dramatically affects the glacier.

• Avalanches are a threat not just to Indian soldiers, but also to the Pakistani troops.

• It is not just avalanches; the challenging terrain of the glacier and its surroundings as a whole have been regularly claiming lives.

• Ever since the two militaries began a costly engagement on the glacier, there have been numerous efforts by both countries to find a way to demilitarise the glacier.

• In June 1989, they came very close to clinching a final deal. Ever since then, India and Pakistan have tried diplomatically to find away to demilitarise the region. However, a lack of political will on both sides has meant that the status quo holds, and soldiers continue to pay a very high price.

• India has in the past suggested delineation of the Line of Control north of NJ 9842, redeployment of troops on both sides to agreed positions after demarcating their existing positions, a zone of disengagement, and a monitoring mechanism to maintain the peace.

Conclusion:

The demilitarisation of Siachen is definitely doable. This is not only because it is diplomatically possible, but also because there is a critical mass of opinion in both India and Pakistan that neither can sacrifice, or put in harm’s way, so many lives on the inhospitable glacier.

If the initiative is not seized by both sides now, the vagaries of nature will continue to exact a toll on forces deployed in Siachen, even if peace holds.

Question 1: Which of the following statement about Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) or SPE is incorrect?

Question 2: At Siachen an area is a bone of contention between India and Pakistan. The area is formed by which of the following points?

Question 3: Which of the below is not the key subcontractor of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)?

 Question 4: Minimum import price limits fall under which of the below Non-Tariff Barriers?

Question 5: Which of the below statement about Aditya-L1 is incorrect?

Check Your Answers

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