Current Affairs for IAS Exams – 18 August 2016

:: National ::

India said that Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar was “willing” to travel to Islamabad to discuss “cross-border terror in Kashmir”, but not to discuss Kashmir itself, as Pakistan had proposed.
In a letter handed over to Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhury by High Commissioner, the government said any talks would have to focus on terror.
Underlining India’s position in an address to journalists, the Foreign Secretary also referred to the “centrality of the issue of terrorism” when discussing India’s difficulties in dealing with Pakistan within South Asia.
He said that despite a “great” effort to reach out to Pakistan by the Modi government, India has faced several terror attacks which have made “the relationship difficult to grow.”

The Maharashtra and Karnataka governments made forceful pleas to the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal against any steps to reallocate the Krishna river water afresh between the four riparian States.
The purpose of incorporation of Section 89 in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 was to make allocation between the two successor States and not between the four riparian States.
The Tribunal should not touch the allocations made to Maharashtra as project-wise allocations had already been made.
It was for the two successor States to arrive at an amicable understanding to resolve the impasse without disturbing the allocations made to the two upper riparian States.
The two States were permitted to approach the Apex Council if they were unable to arrive at a consensus over the allocation in line with the provisions of the Reorganisation Act.

Bangladesh came out in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stand on the Balochistan issue, saying Dhaka would soon make a policy declaration on Pakistan’s human rights abuses in Balochistan.
The visiting Minister of Information said Balochistan was facing the brunt of Pakistan’s military establishment, which “targeted” the Bengalis in East Pakistan in 1971 before the creation of Bangladesh.
“Bangladesh is constitutionally bound to support liberation struggles and we will soon declare an official policy on Balochistan,” he added.
His comment comparing the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 with the situation in Balochistan came a day after Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar compared East Pakistan of 1971 with “simmering Balochistan”.
“Bangladesh wants India to partner a joint effort to control distortion of Islam and history, which can safeguard the memory of 1971,” the minister said.
In the last few years, Dhaka has detected multiple cases where Pakistani diplomats posted in Bangladesh were found to have been involved in terror plots.
Bangladesh, he said, is worried of the fallout of Pakistan’s official policies regarding nationalities and promotion of cross border violence.

The number of Internet users in India is likely to more than double to 730 million by 2020, according to a new report.
As per the report ‘The Future of Internet in India’, compiled by Nasscom and Akamai Technologies, there were about 330 million Internet users in the country as of December 2015.
India, which has an Internet user base next only to China, will remain the fastest growing market, the report’s authors wrote, adding that 75 per cent of the new users would come from rural areas.
Interestingly, a majority (75 per cent) of new users are expected to consume data in local languages.
Overall, the e-commerce market in India, which was valued at $17 billion in 2015-16, is expected to double to $34 billion by 2020. The number of online shoppers is likely to more than triple to 175 million in that time, from 50 million in 2015.
This will also present a great opportunity for enterprises to harness the power of the Internet to innovate and scale up operations.
Currently, online ticketing and room booking facilities are used by more than 50 million Indians on a regular basis.
By 2020, online travel is estimated to account for 40-50 per cent of all travel-related transactions, up from 12 per cent in 2015, according to the report. The growth is being driven by demand as a larger, younger population comes online.

Dipa Karmakar’s fourth place finish at the ongoing Rio Olympics has made gymnast Dipa Karmakar a household name across India overnight.
And, now, her historic achievement is all set to fetch her the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the highest sporting honour in the country.
Dipa, alongwith shooter Jitu Rai, has been recommended for the Khel Ratna by the awards committee.
While both failed to finish on the podium at Rio, Dipa became the first Indian woman to reach the final of a gymnastics event at the Olympics while (10m) pistol shooter Jitu was the only marksman other than Abhinav Bindra to reach the final.
Dipa will be the first gymnast and the 10th woman athlete to receive the award. The 23-year-old Tripura-born gymnast missed bronze in the vault final by 0.150 points.
India Test captain Virat Kohli was also in the reckoning but missed out in an Olympic year.
The committee, however, has left the door open for inclusion of more names, with anyone winning a medal at Rio being automatically recommended for the Khel Ratna.