Table of Contents:
A. GS1 Related:
B. GS2 Related:
POLITY
1. Act tough against Maoists, States told
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. China offers to rename OBOR to allay India’s fears
2. ‘India can play great role in peace efforts’
C. GS3 Related:
ECONOMY
1. Centre to raise with U.S. non-tariff barriers
ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
1. Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary hitches wagon to star tortoises
INTERNAL SECURITY
1. Push for private sector in defence production
D. GS4 Related:
E. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn
F. Bills/Acts/Schemes/Orgs in News
G. Practice Questions for UPSC Prelims Exam
H. Archives
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Useful News Articles for UPSC Current Affairs
A. GS1 Related
Nothing here for Today!!!
1. Act tough against Maoists, States told
Context:
- Meeting of Chief Ministers and top-officers of the Left Wing Extremism affected states
Highlights:
- States to take ownership in leading operations against the Maoists.
- An aggressive approach needs to be adopted to solve the menace
- No deployment of army in anti-naxal operations , even for the purpose of training.
- Unified Coordination and Command is needed on the LWE front.
- Central armed police forces to actively co-ordinate with the States.
States voice concern:
- States having meagre resources to cater to the needs of such operations alone.
- Several States also raised the issue of discontinuation of central schemes such as Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS) and Integrated Action Plan (IAP) and a considerable reduction in central funds as an impediment to winning the war against the Maoists.
Way forward:
- Prevention of Money Laundering Act needed a review to make it more effective in choking funds to the Maoists
- Additional deployment of forces.
- Proper implementation of schemes in the LWE areas.
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. China offers to rename OBOR to allay India’s fears
Context: Chinese One Belt One Road and India’s apprehensions. India has refused to confirm or regret its attendance at China’s Belt and Road Forum to be held in Beijing on May 14-15.
What’s in news?
- China is planning to consider renaming the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) if it would end India’s reservations over its One Belt One Road (Or Belt and Road Initiative) passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
- China insists that the OBOR has no connection to sovereignty disputes.
4-point solution:
- Chinese 4-point solution to “manage differences” between India and China, including –
- New treaty on cooperation
- Restarting talks on a free trade agreement (FTA)
- An early resolution to the border issue
- Aligning the B&R with India’s “Act East policy.”
Territorial dispute
- China has no intention to get involved in the sovereignty and territorial disputes between India and Pakistan
- The CPEC is for promoting economic cooperation and connectivity. It has no connections to or impact on sovereignty issues.
Key point:
- According to the Chinese government more than 100 countries will participate, and all SAARC countries minus India have already signed on to the 60-nation infrastructure initiative first proposed in 2013.
2. ‘India can play great role in peace efforts’
What’s in news?
- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to arrive in India.
- The visit aimed at strengthening old ties.
- Palestinian wants India to play important role in the Israel-Palestine peace process.
C. GS3 Related
1. Centre to raise with U.S. non-tariff barriers
What’s in news?
- India is planning to take up with the Trump adminisration the barriers”imposed by the U.S., which are hurting Indian goods exports to that country in sectors including agriculture, pharmaceuticals and other industrial products.
- The issue would be the agenda of the next India-U.S. Trade Policy Forum (TPF) — the main bilateral platform for discussing and resolving trade and investment issues.
U.S. “non-tariff/Sanitary & Phyto-Sanitary (SPS) barriers
- The U.S. non-tariff/Sanitary & Phyto-Sanitary (SPS) barriers include those imposed under laws concerning bio-terrorism, child-labour, national security, ‘Buy America’ norms preferring U.S.-made items
- American suppliers in U.S. Government purchases, registration fee hikes (in sectors such as pharma), food safety as well as animal and plant health regulations.
Various protectionism measures
- Child labour: According to the Indian Commerce Ministry, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has arbitrarily listed 23 items produced in India on the ‘List of Goods Produced by Child Labour or Forced Labour’ — which is in effect a ban on their import.
- X-ray scanning of containers: The Ministry has also referred to the U.S. Government measures envisaged within an initiative to counter potential terrorist threats to the international maritime container trade system.
X-ray scanning of containers cause additional costs for Indian exporters across sectors.
- The Trade Expansion Act of 1962 of the U.S.: allowing American manufacturers to petition for curbing imports from third nations on national security grounds without providing proof from industry. This move restricts foreign competition.
- Pharma exports: increase in registration fees, approval delays and low approval rates for registrations mandatory for sale of all new drugs in the U.S. Ayurveda and traditional Indian medicines are hit by the U.S. requirement of clinical trials while the practice of traditional Indian medicine systems such as Siddha and Unani are not allowed by the U.S. Federal Government.
Agricultural commodities:
- S. Environmental Protection Agency registers, approves and fixes a tolerance level for certain pesticide residues. Indian Basmati Rice exports will be hurt owing to import alerts due to the presence of such pesticide residues.
- S. requirement of irradiation treatment and inspection of mangoes prior to shipping from India. It is a time-consuming and costly certification process hurting the competitiveness of Indian mangoes in the U.S. market. Indian grapes, litchis, pomegranates, honey, marine and meat products are also impacted.
The U.S. has imposed countervailing duties on Indian exports, including those by steel and paper industries.
Category: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
1. Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary hitches wagon to star tortoises
What’s in news?
- An ambitious project of the Kerala Forest Department at the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) to rehabilitate Indian star tortoises (Geochelone elegans) seized from smugglers has turned into a major success.
- CWS is the only rehabilitation centre for star tortoises in the country.The CWS is the only place in Kerala where star tortoises are known to occur in the wild.
- The sanctuary is haven for tortoises seized from poachers.
1. Push for private sector in defence production
What’s in news?
- The Government has accelerated efforts to finalise the ambitious Strategic Partnership (SP) model, which would give a major boost to private sector participation in defence manufacturing.
- The policy, which is part of the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2016, will set out guidelines on how major Indian private sector companies can tie up with global Original Equipment Manufacturers in critical military systems and platforms.
- The final clearance would be accorded by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC).
Defence Acquisition Council:
- The Government has set up a Defence Acquisition Council headed by the Defence minister for decision making in regard to the totality of the new planning process, which inter-alia involves according ‘in principle’ approval of Capital Acquisitions in the long term perspective plan and according ‘in principle’ approval for each Capital Acquisition programme.
- The decision flowing from the Defence Acquisition Council are to be implemented by the following three Boards:-
- Defence Procurement Board headed by the Defence Secretary;
- Defence Production Board headed by the Secretary (Defence Production);
- Defence Research & Development Board headed by the Secretary (Defence Research & Development).
Nothing here for Today
PIB Articles Editorials Roundup
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G. Practice Questions for UPSC Prelims Exam
Question 1: The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated every year on January
9th to mark __________.
a) The date of return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa for good
b) The date of departure of Mahatma Gandhi to South Africa from India
c) The date when Independent India first received a Non-Resident Indian’s remittance
d) The date of return of indentured labourers from the Caribbean in 1948
Question 2: The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development
Authority (APEDA) is under the _______.
a) Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
b) Ministry of Agriculture
c) Ministry of Food Processing Industries
d) None of the above
Question 3: Which among the following contributes the maximum number
of troops to the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations?
a) India
b) North America
c) Africa
d) Asia Pacific
Question 4: Consider the following statements:
- India, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh have signed the Motor Vehicles Agreement
- The Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950 between India and Nepal is still in force
Which of the above statements are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both
d) None
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H. Archives:
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