Current Affairs for IAS Exams – 23 August 2016

:: National ::

Reaching out to the people of the troubled Kashmir Valley, PM Modi said there had to be a dialogue to find a “permanent and lasting solution” to the problem within the framework of the Constitution.
In a meeting with leaders of Opposition parties from Kashmir, the Prime Minister stressed that all those who had lost their lives were “part of us” – be they youth, security personnel or policemen.
Speaking in Jammu on Sunday, Finance Minister ArunJaitley had described stone-throwers as “aggressors” and blamed Pakistan for the current unrest in the Valley.
Meeting was expected to last half-an-hour but the Prime Minister gave a “patient hearing” to the concerns of the delegation for over 55 minutes and also discussed ways to tackle the worsening situation in the State.
National Conference president Omar Abdullah, who led the delegation, welcomed the Prime Minister’s statement and extended his support for bringing normality in the State.

Noting that the judiciary has its limits, the Supreme Court indicated that a political solution across party lines might probably bring peace to Kashmir, where street clashes between security forces and mobs and curfew continued to choke normality.
Referring to the Opposition parties’ talks with the Centre as an effort in the right direction, a Bench led by Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur said such talks offered more chances of reaching a well-rounded solution than court hearings did.
In its report, the Centre said that despite the violent fallout of the killing of three Hizb-ulMujahideen terrorists, including Burhan Wani, normality was returning.
The Centre accused social media of inflaming passions after the killing of the terrorists. It said the public address systems of some mosques were used to raise “pro-freedom slogans” to incite youth.
Home Ministry said curfew was initially imposed in 10 of the 22 districts, but was now reduced to some areas.
The report showed that security forces and civilians had clashed 872 times between July 9 and August 3. During this period, 2,656 civilians had been admitted to hospital and 58 major eye surgeries done to save their eyesight.

Highlighting “close” friendship between the two countries, India reached out to the government of President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan and said that New Delhi will “always” be there to support the country.
Inaugurating the newly restored ‘Stor Palace’ in Kabul, a stately building which had been damaged in the civil war, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the palace, which is also known as the Star Palace or ‘Kasre-estar’, is a sign of the rich heritage of Afghanistan.
Mr. Modi stressed that, “whatever may be the odds, India will work with you for a bright future for all Afghans.”
Presenting the views of the Afghan side, President Ghani said the “logic” of peace and benevolence will defeat the logic of terror and violence. India and Afghanistan have always been close friends, he added.
The Stor Palace was built during the reign of Amir Abdul Rahman Khan in 1880. It underwent a series of renovations till 1965 when most of the functions were shifted to another building.
The building is expected to regain its stature with the restoration process now completed.

The Centre is framing a policy to enable all major ports to set up subsidiary companies to develop inland waterways. This is part of its plan to cut logistics costs for exporters by moving more cargo on water instead of over land.
The establishment of separate units will facilitate easy foreign funding for inland waterway projects by capitalizing on the financial credentials of the government owned ports.
The objective of the government is to reduce logistics costs to make exports competitive and all ports will be asked to improve inland waterways in their periphery to divert large part of the cargo on waterways which is cost effective.
India’s biggest container port Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), which posted a profit of Rs.1,000 crore last year, has been asked to set up a subsidiary for this purpose.
JNPT will develop waterways on seven to eight rivers in Maharashtra which flow from Madhya Pradesh. Goa Port will be the next to follow and will develop inland waterways on two rivers. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been prepared.
All major ports have a combined turnover of Rs.4,000 crore and based on that an amount of Rs.50,000 crore can be raised as foreign loans at 2.75 per cent interest as against 12 per cent from Indian banks for inland waterway projects.
The shipping ministry has also urged the finance ministry to allocate 5 per cent of the money collected as cess on diesel and petrol for inland waterways.

National swimming coach S. Pradeep Kumar has expressed delight at being chosen for the Dronacharya Award, calling his career “a fantastic journey full of sound and fury”.
Pradeep, who hails from Thiruvananthapuram, has spent nearly three decades as head coach at the Basavanagudi Aquatic Centre here.
“It's not my achievement. I'm getting this award only because my swimmers have performed over the last 29 years. I'm honoured for them and their parents. I'm so happy,” he said.
Pradeep was grateful to the BAC and the Karnataka Swimming Association. “It's been a fantastic journey,” he remarked.