Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 8 June 2015

Current Affairs for IAS Exams – 08 June 2015

:: National ::

BSF may take over security along India-Myanmar border

The back-to-back attacks on security forces in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh in the past week have prompted the Union government to reconsider the Union Home Ministry’s long-standing demand for handing over the India-Myanmar border to the Border Security Force, Ministry sources said.
Khaplang Pangmi, chairman of the Myanmar-based NSCN(K); Kughalu Molatonu, general secretary; Alezo Chakesang from Nagaland, information secretary; and other senior members of group and its affiliate organisations have been named in the first information report filed by the National Investigation Agency in the Manipur case.
The Army has initiated an internal inquiry into procedural and intelligence lapses in the Manipur attack. Well before reinforcements reached the ambush spot in Manipur and the Assam Rifles sealed the 1,643-km border, the suspected NSCN(Khaplang) group militants crossed over to Myanmar. Within three days, the insurgents struck at an Assam Rifles’ camp at Tirap in Arunachal Pradesh.
“Over the years, Assam Rifles has not been that effective in containing cross-border smuggling and infiltration attempts by insurgent groups such as the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang), the United National Liberation Front, the People’s Liberation Army of Manipur and the People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak. These outfits have set up camps in Myanmar,” a government official said.
The Defence Ministry last year agreed to hand over the border to the BSF, which also mans the borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh.

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:: International ::

G7 summit opens with tough line on Ukraine

The leaders of Germany and the United States hammered home a tough line on Russia at the start of a G7 summit dominated by crises in Ukraine and Greece.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel kicked off the day by treating U.S. President Barack Obama to some traditional Bavarian beer garden hospitality, with frothy ale, pretzels and oompah brass music played by locals in lederhosen.
But after the smiles in the sunshine, both leaders issued a stark warning to President Vladimir Putin over what Mr. Obama said was his “aggression” in Ukraine.
The Greek crisis threatened to overshadow the G7 summit, which Ms. Merkel has hoped to focus on other pressing global issues — from climate change and Islamist extremism to women’s rights, public health initiatives and the fight against poverty.

:: Science and Technology ::

Risk-based inspection of all food products vital: experts

India should move away from end-point control to risk-based inspection of all food products from farm-to-plate to ensure safety of every item, including raw ones consumed by people, food safety experts have said.
Countries all over world, including many ASEAN nations, have moved away from the traditional system of end-point control, where the final product would be subject to testing by food control/safety agencies, observed Ramesh V Bhatt, international food safety specialist and consultant to the FAO, the WHO, the UNIDO, the ADB and former scientist at the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN).
Talking to, he said in the risk-based food inspection system, the commodity that poses the highest risk to human health in the entire food chain (from farm-to-plate) would be subjected to greater inspection and analysis. “In such an approach, foods that are consumed raw without further processing such as coriander leaves and tomatoes need to be inspected to minimise health hazards.”
Referring to the Maggi noodles controversy, he said the masala given along with the noodles was probably responsible for higher than permissible limits of lead.
He also suggested that India should put in place a mechanism similar to Europe’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF).
“In case, they detect any food contaminant, the authorities in Europe stop it at the border to prevent it from entering the food chain and also alert other countries.”
Apart from this, good agricultural, hygiene and manufacturing practices would go a long way in ensuring food safety, he said.
Dr. Ramesh said food safety should be a shared responsibility of the government, industry (including agriculture) and consumer. “It is the system world over. Unfortunately in India we think it is the responsibility of the government alone,” he said.
President of the Indian Pharmacological Society of India and scientist at NIN, B. Dinesh Kumar, also called for frequent audit and inspection of manufacturing facilities of not only well-known brands of instant and other food products but also locally made and unknown brands. In addition, reports of certificate of analysis for all products should be placed in the public domain.

:: Sports ::

Russia, Qatar face losing World Cups if bribery proven: FIFA official

Russia and Qatar could lose the 2018 and 2022 World Cups if irregularities are proven in them being awarded the hosting rights, a FIFA official told a Swiss newspaper published.
“If evidence exists that Qatar and Russia received the (World Cup) awards only thanks to bribes, then the awards could be annulled,” head of FIFA’s auditing and compliance committee Domenico Scala told the Sonntagszeitung weekly.
He stressed though that “this evidence has not been provided” so far. His comments are the first by a senior FIFA official to even open up the possibility of either Russia or Qatar not hosting the football showpiece in the wake of the recent scandals that have engulfed football’s world governing body.
The scandal, which also involves a Swiss probe into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar, has led to the resignation of long serving FIFA president Sepp Blatter last week, just four days after his re-election for a fifth successive term.
On Thursday, Britain said it was ready to step in and hold the 2022 World Cup if it was taken away from Qatar, whose hosting has consistently been dogged by controversy.
Late last month, FIFA ruled out a revote for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, insisting the hosts would not change.
Meanwhile, a 2007 email shows Blatter and then-South African President Thabo Mbeki held “discussions” over $10 million that ultimately went to allegedly corrupt soccer executives as payback for supporting the country’s World Cup bid, a newspaper claimed.
South Africa’s Sunday Times reported that the email from FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke to the South African government asks when the $10 million will be transferred.
The newspaper said that in the email, which was not published, Valcke wrote that the $10 million was “based on discussions between FIFA and the South African government, and also between our President (Blatter) and President Thabo Mbeki.”
American investigators alleged in their indictment into corruption in world soccer that the $10 million went to Jack Warner, who is currently under arrest, as payback for him and two other senior FIFA executives voting for South Africa to host the 2010 World Cup.
It was wired from FIFA to accounts controlled by Warner in three payments in early 2008, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
FIFA and the South African government have said it was money given legitimately by South Africa through FIFA to help soccer development in Warner’s Caribbean region. Mbeki’s office denied any involvement in bribes in a statement when the FIFA corruption scandal broke.
A former Egyptian minister of youth and sports, Aley Eddine Helal, has revealed that Warner asked for money in 2004.
“Warner was the one who approached us from FIFA. He said he could guarantee us seven votes... He asked for one million dollars for each vote,” Helal claimed.
Egypt was a candidate to host the 2010 World Cup, but it received no votes in the 2004 FIFA ballot. South Africa was chosen to host the tournament.
“We didn’t pay any bribes. That was one of the reasons why we didn’t get any votes,” Youssef el—Dahshori, who was Egyptian Football Association president at the time, said.