Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 20 March 2015

Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 20 March 2015

:: National ::

Centre yet to name two Anglo-Indians for Lok Sabha

  • Ten months into its term, the Modi government is yet to nominate two members of the Anglo-Indian community to the Lok Sabha despite at least two reminders from the All India Anglo-Indian Association about the unprecedented delay.

  • In all previous Lok Sabhas — including during NDA-I — the nominations were made soon after a new government was voted in.

  • Members of the community felt that the delay is in line with the Modi government’s attitude towards minorities, though some are privately hoping that things may change if the government has to convene a joint session of Parliament to get the contentious Land Bill passed.

  • With some of the BJP’s allies also against the Bill, the numbers may not add up for the government even in a joint session scenario and every additional vote will count. “Then this forgotten minority will probably matter for the government,’’ said a member of the community, recalling how the former Prime Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao, had nominated two members from the community before the vote of confidence for his minority government.

  • With no evident effort being made by the government to fill the two vacancies, another representation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi was made on March 14 in which the association president, Neil O’Brien, a former nominated MP, expressed concern over the delay on two counts.

  • First, the 1.5 lakh-strong Anglo-Indian community had gone unrepresented for four sessions including the Budget Session.

  • And, second, if the nomination is not made before March 31, then the community would lose out on the entire year’s allocation of funds under MPLADS. Soon after the change of guard at the Centre last year, the association sent two names to the government hoping that at least one of them would be selected. It had also given a written assurance that if an association nominee is selected, the person would vote for the government in a no-confidence motion, Mr. O'Brien said.

Panel pushes for minority status to Pandits (Register and Login to read Full News..)

:: International :

European countries express readiness to join China-led infrastructure bank

  • The queue to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has lengthened with Germany, France and Italy expressing readiness to join the China-led initiative, overriding objections from the United States, which has been accused by Beijing of adopting a “hypocritical” stance.

  • “Unfortunately, the bank’s launch is being obstructed by the United States — not only does the U.S. itself refuse to join the bank, it is doing its best to prevent some of its allies from becoming founder members as well,” says a commentary published in the People’s Daily , the official newspaper of the Chinese government.

  • The financial cracks within the post-war Atlantic Alliance, led by the U.S. became visible after Britain decided to participate in negotiations for joining the AIIB. London’s move has reverberated from Europe to the Asia-Pacific.

  • While core European Union (EU) members led by Germany, a pivotal industrial heavyweight, are shoring up one geographic flank, Australia has also signalled its intent to join AIIB.

  • The People’s Daily article accused Washington of hypocrisy by not matching its words with deeds. “In recent years, the United States has been urging China to exercise leadership commensurate with its growing strength and to provide more resources to support international development and other constructive initiatives and global goals.

  • However, as soon as China tries to assume more responsibility, initiate the establishment of the AIIB, and make a greater contribution to Asian and international development, the United States sticks a spoke in the wheel. Such conduct goes further than short-sightedness; it is blatantly hypocritical”.

‘Two-state solution impossible under Netanyahu’

  • A two-state solution to the Middle East conflict will be impossible with an Israeli government headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said.

  • “Netanyahu’s statements against a two-state solution and against a Palestinian state... are proof, if correct, that there is no seriousness in the [future] Israeli government about a political solution that will lead to t’e establishment of two states,” he said a day after the Israeli leader snatched an upset election victory.

  • In a last-ditch appeal to Israel’s far right just hours before polls opened on Tuesday, Mr. Netanyahu ruled out the establishment of a Palestinian state and pledged to build thousands of new homes for Jewish settlers in annexed Arab east Jerusalem.

  • Mr. Abbas said the Palestinians would continue to “demand international legitimacy,” in reference to their attempts to achieve statehood through the United Nations and other international bodies.

  • The Palestinian leader also pointed to the likely inclusion in the new Israeli government of Avigdor Lieberman, head of the ultranationalist Yisrael Beitenu party.

  • Mr. Abbas said Mr. Lieberman had made “racist calls to kill Arab Israelis”, a reference to reported comments earlier this month in which he said any Arabs who were disloyal to the Jewish state should be beheaded.

Probe points to genocide against Yazidis (Register and Login to read Full News..)

:: Business and Economy ::

New tourism policy will have the taste of food

  • The new tourism policy 2015, expected to be announced in May, will have several measures to develop the market for culinary tourism to India.

  • “We have made our recommendations to the Union Ministry of Tourism to popularise our cuisine across the world. We have told the Ministry that food must be an important part of our tourism promotion campaigns,” Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA) President Manjit Singh Gill said while discussing the 6th International Chefs Conference.

  • “While many countries across the world are still in the process of developing their cuisines, India, a home to heritage cuisine that also has a lot of science in it, has not told its cuisine story strong enough. We have to tell the world that our food is safe and healthy,” he added.

  • With good health gaining prominence and healthy living being seen as the order of the day, Mr. Gill felt the time was ripe now to popularise Indian cuisine as “our’s is a scientifically-designed one’.

  • The IFCA members pointed out that the Tourism Ministry was also in favour of promoting Indian cuisine to the international community in a big way. While the Ministry has incorporated some measures to promote Indian cuisine in the new tourism policy, it is also establishing two management institutes — Indian Culinary Institute (ICI) in Noida and Tirupati.

  • These are expected to be ready by 2017. “This is first-of-its-kind initiative in the country. They are the need of the hour.

  • The U.S. has about 800 culinary institutes, while we are just establishing such institutes,” said Mr. Gill. “The IFCA has been entrusted with the task of recording Indian cuisine,” he added.

  • ICIs are expected to help address the concerns relating to preservation of heritage Indian cuisine and research and training in culinary.

Tata to head Railways’ Kaya Kalp council

  • Moving ahead to fulfil his budget promises, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu constituted the Kaya Kalp council and appointed Ratan Tata as its head.

  • The purpose of the council is to recommend innovative methods and processes for the improvement, betterment and transformation of the Railways, Prabhu told PTI.

  • Besides Tata group’s Chairman Emeritus, the Kaya Kalp council will have two railway union leaders Shiv Gopal Mishra and M. Raghuvaiah.

  • “Today we are announcing the appointment of Ratan Tata, who is no longer in business, but he has rich experience, as Chairman of the Kaya Kalp council, which will be looking at business re-engineering,” Mr. Prabhu said.

NSE launches Quality 30 index (Register and Login to read Full News..)

:: Sports ::

India storms into the semifinals

  • India galloped into the semifinals of the World Cup with a resounding 109-run victory over Bangladesh.

  • Rohit Sharma crafted a century of the highest quality and stitched a crucial 122-run partnership with Suresh Raina as India overcame some early bother to post an imposing total of 302.

  • Bangladesh was dismissed for 193 in response, without threatening to make a serious bid on the target at any stage.

  • Umesh Yadav took four for 31 as India bowled out its opposition for a seventh straight time in the tournament.

  • A hugely vocal crowd of 51,552 had gathered at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for a quarterfinal that, on paper at least, was a mismatch.

  • Bangladesh, though, demonstrated that its progress into the last eight was no fluke. Rubel Hossain and Shakib Al Hasan bowled parsimonious early spells to tie India in knots.

  • Rohit, however, had other ideas. His 137 was as measured and responsible as it was aesthetic. Raina did not hold back either, making a rapid 65 as India registered a sizeable score.

  • The victory was Dhoni’s 100th in 177 outings as captain. India, which will now feature in the second semifinal to be played on March 26 in Sydney, will face the winner of the Australia-Pakistan contest.

Click Here to Register for Full News

Click Here for Archive

Sources: Various News Papers & PIB

This is a Part of Online Coaching Programme for IAS Exam