Current Affairs for IAS Exams – 20 September 2016

:: National ::

SC body slashed the quantum of Cauvery water that Karnataka is required to release

• A technical body, empowered by the Supreme Court, has slashed by three fourths the quantum of Cauvery water that Karnataka is required to release downstream between September 21 and September 30.

• However the body has failed to get Karnataka and Tamil Nadu closer to a lasting solution over the water-sharing dispute.

• Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are expected to approach the Supreme Court to seek fresh directions.

• The Cauvery Supervisory Committee (CSC) on Monday ordered Karnataka to release 3,000 cubic feet of water per second (cusecs) for the rest of the month.\

• The decision on the quantum of release arrived at after calculating water availability in the river, monsoon performance, agricultural and drinking water requirements in both States, was rejected by both States.

• The supervisory committee, at its previous meeting on September 12, had failed to arrive at any decision for want of adequate information on water availability.

Government stepped up diplomatic offensive against Pakistan

• A day after the attack on an Army base in Uri, the government stepped up a diplomatic offensive against Pakistan to have it declared a global “terrorist state”, and Army said it reserved the right to respond at the time and place of its choosing.

• “UN should take up this issue in a serious manner because terrorism is an enemy of humanity. Pakistan has become an epicentre of terrorism; it’s high time that United Nations comes forward to declare Pakistan a terrorist state” said the government.

• While the U.S. has designated Iran, Syria and Sudan as “state sponsors of terror”, the U.N. designates entities and not states.

• After the U.S. and U.K.’s statements of condemnation, France, Canada, Russia and China issued strong statements supporting India, even as France and China called for talks between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir dispute.

• The government plans to raise the issue of cross-border terror at the U.N. when External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj addresses the General Assembly on September 26.

• Among the options being discussed are targeted strikes on terror camps and targeting of Pakistani posts along the LoC which allow terror groups to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir.

• However, defence officials are understood to have indicated that a “swift strike” may be unfeasible, and could cause “civilian casualties.”

• Meanwhile security installations across J&K have been put on high alert with personnel being told not to venture out to civilian areas.

• Intelligence inputs have indicated that there could be more terrorists who have infiltrated in recent days.

Lancet report points to high no. of maternal deaths in India (Register and Login to read Full News..)

:: India and World ::

Fantasy epic Game of Thrones made history at Emmy

• Fantasy epic Game of Thrones made television history at the 68th Emmys on Sunday, becoming the most decorated fictional show since the awards began nearly seven decades ago.

• The HBO series picked up 12 Emmys, television’s equivalent of the Oscars: nine awards in technical categories and three top prizes at the glitzy ceremony in Los Angeles.

• That gives it a total haul over the years of 38, overtaking the record of 37 won by long-running comedy Frasier .

Non Allignment movement summit ends in Venezuela (Register and Login to read Full News..)

:: Business and Economy ::

India’s external debt stand at $485.6 billion

• India’s external debt at the end of March 2016 stood at $485.6 billion, up 2.2 per cent from over its level at over end-March 2015, largely driven by the increase in long-term external debt, particularly NRI deposits.

• At end-March 2016, long-term external debt was $402.2 billion, showing an increase of 3.3 per cent over the level of 2015. Long-term external debt accounted for 82.8 per cent of total external debt at end-March 2016 as compared to 82.0 % at 2015.

• In contrast, short-term external debt declined by 2.5 per cent from $84.7 billion at end-March 2015 to $83.4 billion at end-March 2016.

• Of total external debt, the government’s share stood at 18.9 per cent or $93.4 billion at end-March 2016 compared to 18.8 per cent ($89.7 billion) at March 2015.

The Centre has notified the Bharat Stage (BS)-VI emission standards

• The Centre has notified the Bharat Stage (BS)-VI emission standards for two-wheelers and four-wheelers from April 2020 across the country.

• With this, the government has decided to skip the BS-V emission standards and move directly to BS-VI from the BS-IV norms currently being followed in various cities.

• Automobile makers have urged the government to make available the testing BS-VI compliant fuel a year sooner across the country.

• Oil companies will be investing more than Rs.60,000 crore towards BS-VI fuels. BS-VI is the Indian equivalent of the Euro-VI norms. At present, BS-IV norms are being followed in over 30 cities while the rest of the country followBS-III norms.

• The government had earlier planned to implement BS-V norms from 2020 and BS-VI norms from 2022. However, it decided to skip BS-V norms and advance the implementation of BS-VI norms following the Supreme Court’s intervention.

India's banking system is moving past the worst says Moody’s (Register and Login to read Full News..)

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Sources: Various News Papers & PIB