12 Jun 2023: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Cyclone Biparjoy
2. India - UAE CEPA
3. Exercise Ekuverin
4. ADB, India signed a loan agreement to promote horticulture in Himachal Pradesh
5. Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)

1. Cyclone Biparjoy

Syllabus – GS1, Important Geophysical Phenomenon – Cyclones.

Prelims – Cyclone Biparjoy.

Context – Cyclone Biparjoy to make landfall near Jakhau, Gujarat on 15th June.

Details –

• As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the extremely severe cyclonic storm Biparjoy is likely to make landfall near Jakhau port on June 15. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting today to review preparations to mitigate the impact of the cyclone.
• The extremely severe cyclonic storm ‘Biparjoy’ developed over the Arabian Sea and is likely to move nearly northward till the 14th morning, and then move north-northeast wards and cross Saurashtra and Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi (Gujarat) and Karachi (Pakistan) near Jakhau port (Gujarat) by noon of 15th June.
• Cyclone Biparjoy, which is expected to generate wind speeds of 125-135 kmph with gusts reaching up to 150 kmph by the time it reaches land, is a tropical cyclone. 
• National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 12 teams and 3 additional teams are kept in readiness in Gujarat. Also, 5 teams each at Arakkonam (Tamil Nadu), Mundli (Odisha), and Bathinda (Punjab) are kept on alert mode for airlifting on short notice. Rescue and relief teams of the Coast Guard and the Army along with ships and aircraft have been kept ready on standby.
• ‘Biparjoy’ was suggested by Bangladesh and the word means ‘disaster’ or ‘calamity’ in Bengali. The naming of cyclones is done by countries on a rotational basis, following certain existing guidelines.
• Worldwide, there are six regional specialised meteorological centres (RSMCs) and five regional Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs) mandated for issuing advisories and naming of tropical cyclones.
• IMD (Indian Meteorological Department) is one of the six RSMCs to provide tropical cyclone and storm surge advisories to 13 member countries under the WMO/Economic and Social Commission for Asia-Pacific (ESCAP) Panel including Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

2. India – UAE CEPA

Syllabus – GS2, Bilateral agreements involving India and/or affecting  India’s interests.

Prelims – India-UAE CEPA.

Context – India and UAE successfully held the first meeting of the Joint Committee (JC) of the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

Details –

• A high-level delegation from the UAE, comprising senior officials of the Government of UAE and representatives from the Business Community led by the Minister of State for Foreign Trade of the UAE visited India.
• India and UAE successfully held the first meeting of the Joint Committee (JC) of the India-UAE CEPA. During the JC, both sides reviewed the bilateral trade under CEPA, agreed on the mutual exchange of preferential trade data on a quarterly basis for effective monitoring of the CEPA, and discussed matters related to the implementation of the agreement. The two sides also agreed to set up a UAE-India CEPA Council (UICC) as a B2B collaboration mechanism, with a focus on startups and MSMEs for optimising CEPA benefits.
• The two countries also agreed to set a target of USD 100 billion in trade in non-petroleum products by 2030 from the USD 48 billion at present.
• The bilateral trade from the agreement is growing at around 16.5% and touching an all-time high of around USD 84.84 billion during FY 2023-24.
• The other important initiatives that are being discussed between the two countries include – Virtual Trade Corridors, the setting up of offices of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority in GIFT City, Gujarat, UPI Partnership and the potential development of an efficient system for direct Rupee-Dirham trade.
• India-UAE CEPA is a full and deep agreement signed on 18 February 2022 and the CEPA entered into force on 01 May 2022.

3. Exercise Ekuverin

Syllabus – GS3, Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate. 

Prelims – Indo-Maldives Joint Military Exercise – Ekuverin (11th-24th June 2023).

Context – The 12th edition of Exercise Ekuverin commenced at Chaubatia, Uttarakhand.

Details –

• The 12th edition of Exercise Ekuverin commenced at Chaubatia, Uttarakhand. ‘Ekuverin’ meaning ‘Friends’ is a military exercise conducted alternately between India and the Maldives.
• A platoon strength contingent from Indian Army and Maldives National Defence Force will be participating in the 14-day-long bilateral exercise.
• Its 11th edition was held in the Maldives in December 2021.
• The aim of the exercise is to enhance interoperability in Counter Insurgency/Counter Terrorism Operations under the United Nations mandate and carry out joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations. The exercise helps in boosting ties between the two countries.

4. ADB, India signed a loan agreement to promote horticulture in Himachal Pradesh

Syllabus – GS2, Important International Institutions.

Prelims – ADB 

Context – The GoI and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $130 million loan to promote horticulture in Himachal Pradesh.

Details –

• The $130 million loan agreement aims to increase agricultural productivity, improve irrigation facilities, and promote horticulture agribusinesses to raise farmers’ income in the state of Himachal Pradesh.
• The project interventions will help increase the income and resilience to the effects of climate change of at least 15,000 farm households across 7 districts of the state. 
• The project will improve on-farm irrigation and water management in about 6000 hectares of farmland by rehabilitating or building on new irrigation schemes and strengthening the capacity of WHAs (water user associations) for micro-irrigation management through joint efforts from the Water Resources Department and the Department of Horticulture. 
• The project will help in creating an ecosystem to enhance farmers’ access to markets of subtropical horticulture.
• The project will also modernise public and private subtropical horticulture nursery facilities for improved plant health, and boost beneficiary farmers’ access to information and communication technologies, and other digital agri-technology systems for real-time farm advisories.

5. Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)

Syllabus – GS2, Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population.

Prelims – PVTGs

Context – The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu interacted with the members of PVTGs at Rashtrapati Bhawan. 

Details –

• Smt Droupadi Murmu interacted with the members of 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) and also witnessed cultural performances. The tribes included Siddi of Gujarat, Mal Pahariya of Bihar, Irula of Kerala, Baiga Pardhauni of Madhya Pradesh, Sahariya of Rajasthan and Budigali of Odisha. 
• The president urged members of PVTGs to give utmost importance to education.
• Under the Tribal Sub-Plan, 41 Ministries and Departments of GoI share part of their budget for the welfare of tribal communities, including PVTGs. The PVTG Development Mission has been launched by the GoI for the development of PVTGs.

Read the previous PIB articles here.

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