trainee2's blog

(Current Affairs) India and The World | May : 2017

India & The World

  • India strongly condemned attack in Afghanistan (Free Available)
  • India and South Korea signed two agreements to build artillery guns (Free Available)
  • India and EU firmed up plans for holding the 14th bilateral summit (Free Available)
  • Consular access denied to Jadhav (Free Available)
  • Dalai Lama compared China’s actions in Tibet to the regime of Cambodian dictator (Free Available)
  • India urged Myanmar to contain violence against Rohingya Muslims (Only for Online Coaching Members)
  • UAV deal with Israel may get done during PM's visit (Only for Online Coaching Members)
  • India and Malaysia agreed to cooperate to defeat Islamic State (Only for Online Coaching Members)
  • China again warned India against visit of Dalai Lama (Only for Online Coaching Members)

India strongly condemned attack in Afghanistan

  • India strongly condemned attack in Afghanistan and blamed externally backed terrorists for the incident that killed at least 140 soldiers of the Afghan National Defence Forces.
  • Indirectly pointing at Pakistan for offering support to the Afghan Taliban that carried out the attack in Mazar-e-Sharif, India called for dismantling of safe havens of terrorism.
  • Following the attack which targeted soldiers praying in a mosque, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences on social media even as the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called for justice.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on a social media platform, “I strongly condemn the cowardly terror attack in Mazar-e-Sharif. Our prayers and condolences to the families who lost loved ones”.
  • No Indian citizens and diplomats were in the vicinity of the targeted area at the time when suicide attackers drove into the base and shot down dozens of soldiers who were just concluding their Friday prayers.

India and South Korea signed two agreements to build artillery guns

  • India and South Korea on Friday signed two agreements to build artillery guns for the Indian Army and for collaboration in shipbuilding.
  • One of them is an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) between the governments while the other is a manufacturing agreement between two private companies.
  • India has already nominated Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam while South Korea will designate their shipyard soon.
  • The MoU was conceived under the overall umbrella of the ‘Special Strategic Partnership’ between both sides, Defence Ministry said in a statement.
  • The MoU will come into effect from the date of signature by both sides and will be initially valid for a period of five years and would be automatically extended for further successive five year at a time.
  • The two sides will identify specific projects to work on and this cooperation is expected to enable HSL to upgrade and modernise its facilities.
  • Indian engineering conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Hanwa Techwin of South Korea signed a contract to manufacture the K9 Vajra-T tracked, self-propelled artillery guns for the Indian Army.

India and EU firmed up plans for holding the 14th bilateral summit

  • India and the European Union firmed up plans for holding the 14th bilateral summit to be held in India later this year.
  • EU’s High Representative met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and discussed common concerns like trade, counter-terror cooperation, maritime security and defence cooperation.
  • The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening their Strategic Partnership. They reviewed progress on the commitments made during the 13th India-EU summit in Brussels in March 2016.
  • Ms. Swaraj condemned the latest terror attack in Paris and said terrorism was the gravest threat to humanity.

Consular access denied to Jadhav

  • The Pakistan’s army ruled out consular access to former Indian Naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, days after India had made a strong case for access to the Indian prisoner now on death row.
  • Mr. Jadhav was awarded death sentence by the Field General Court Martial , evoking a sharp reaction in India which warned Pakistan of consequences and damage to bilateral ties if the “pre-meditated murder” was carried out.
  • “Under the law we cannot give consular access to Khulbhushan who was involved in spying,” Pakistan military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said.
  • However, Indian officials in New Delhi maintained that there was no communication from Pakistan on the denial of consular access.

Dalai Lama compared China’s actions in Tibet to the regime of Cambodian dictator

  • In his sharpest comments yet, the Dalai Lama compared China’s actions in Tibet to the regime of Cambodian dictator Pol Pot, who was held responsible for the death of more than a million Cambodians in the 1970s.
  • Speaking at the Tawang Monastery, the Tibetan leader and spiritual guru said that despite atrocities in Tibet he had decided to “forgive China” and was even willing to follow the “One China” policy.
  • In the run-up to his visit, the Chinese government issued several direct threats to India.
  • The Dalai Lama also accused China of spreading wrong information about his trip to Arunachal Pradesh, saying it is normal for Beijing to give “political colour” to his spiritual visits.

India urged Myanmar to contain violence against Rohingya Muslims

  • India urged Myanmar to contain violence against Rohingya Muslims in the western part of the country bordering Bangladesh.
  • India had been in consultation with Myanmar to restore normalcy in the Rohingya territory of the State of Rakhine but pointed out that the issue might not figure in the ongoing visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India.
  • India had previously extended a sum of money to the Government of Myanmar to restore communal harmony.
  • India’s comments followed a day after rights body Amnesty International cautioned New Delhi against forcibly relocating Rohingyas to Myanmar where the community faces discrimination.
  • Amnesty said media reports had suggested that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs was planning to “identify, arrest and deport” thousands of Rohingya refugees from various States of India.
  • Government of Bangladesh had been vocal in recent times, due to the difficulties it faced over movement of people across the Myanmar-Bangladesh border.
  • Amnesty International’s India branch issued a fresh appeal for protection of the Rohingyas, soon after Prime Minister Hasina reached India.

UAV deal with Israel may get done during PM's visit

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to get a display of the Heron TP armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) during his visit to Israel later this summer.
  • These would be India’s first armed drones, significantly expanding the aerial offensive capabilities of the military.
  • Armed UAVs for the Indian Air Force (IAF) are already being manufactured in Israel and did not rule out the possibility of them being handed over to the IAF in the near future.
  • The deal is expected to cost around $400 million for 10 drones. The discussion for the Heron TP drones has been going on for several years but the exact status of the deal is unclear as the progress is strictly under wraps.
  • India currently operates a large number of Israeli-built Heron and Searcher UAVs, which were inducted since the late 1990s, and the three services have been quite pleased with their performance.
  • With the indigenous efforts to build UAVs delayed, India has expanded its arsenal of Israeli drones.
  • India also procured a small number of Harpy loitering drones in the past which can destroy targets by direct hits. However the Heron TP would be the first true armed UAV in the arsenal.
  • UAVs have become routine tools for surveillance and the armed variants would give decision makers a new and safe option in planning short and swift strikes on terrorist camps.
  • The manufacturer stated on its website that Heron TP is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drone which can fly upto an altitude of 45,000 feet, has an endurance of over 30 hours and can carry a mission payload of 1,000 kgs.
  • The other defence deal expected during the visit is for two additional Phalcon long range Airborne Warning And Control Systems (AWACS) which would join the three systems in service with the Air Force.
  • The radars are mounted on Russian IL-76 transport aircraft and Russian industry officials have earlier stated that India has already ordered aircraft for the purpose.

India and Malaysia agreed to cooperate to defeat Islamic State

  • India and Malaysia agreed to cooperate to defeat Islamic State militants and the growing threat of radicalisation and extremism.
  • Visiting Malaysian PM Najib Razak held talks here with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sealed six agreements, while extending support to India for a greater role in the maritime security of the Asia-Pacific region.
  • Mr. Razak, expressed support for greater synergy with India on the security front, especially in the maritime domain, and said, “We appreciate the greater role of India in the maritime security of the Asia-Pacific region.”
  • The visiting delegation’s comments on the maritime issue is significant as both the countries have been demanding freedom of navigation in the South East Asian region, where China has been flexing muscles and has claimed most of the South China Sea.
  • Both sides signed agreements on air services, sports, human resources, palm oil production and research, and technological development. An agreement that will allow India to build a fertilizer plant in Malaysia was also signed.
  • A bilateral joint statement issued by the India-Malaysia CEOs Forum emphasised the need for visa-free travel for Indians and Malaysians as travel and tourism in both countries contribute to their economic growth.
  • Both sides also highlighted that Malaysia would allow Indian Ayurveda and Siddha practitioners to serve in that country.
  • As part of the move to popularise courses in Ayurveda, the government of Malaysia and the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman would provide courses in Ayurveda.

China again warned India against visit of Dalai Lama

  • China again warned India that the proposed visit of the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh would cause “deep damage” to Sino-Indian ties, and stressed that New Delhi would have to make “a choice” in its dealings with the Tibetan leader.
  • “China and India are two major developing countries and we are close neighbours. It is very important for the two peoples to maintain sound and steady China-India relations.
  • But such relationship has to be built on (a) certain foundation,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said.
  • The spokesperson’s remarks are part of a sustained effort by the Chinese officialdom and academia to discourage India from green-lighting the Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh in early April.
  • China has been particularly emphatic about its claims over Tawang, which houses the famous Tawang Monastery — India’s largest monastery. It is also the second largest monastery in the world after the Potala Palace in Lhasa.
  • During his briefing Mr. Lu said that China was “seriously concerned about the news” about the Dalai Lama’s visit.

Click Here to Join Online Coaching for IAS (Pre.) Exam

<< Go Back To India & The World Main Page

(Current Affairs) Economy & Energy | June: 2017

Economy

RBI has revised the norms for prompt corrective action

  • As the financial health of banks had deteriorated over the last three years, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revised the norms for prompt corrective action, and has promptly imposed those norms on a couple of public sector lenders.
  • PCA norms allow the regulator to place certain restrictions such as halting branch expansion and stopping dividend payment. It can even cap a bank’s lending limit to one entity or sector.
  • Other corrective action that can be imposed on banks include special audit, restructuring operations and activation of recovery plan. Banks’ promoters can be asked to bring in new management, too. The RBI can also supersede the bank’s board, under PCA.
  • The provisions of the revised PCA framework will be effective April 1, 2017 based on the financials of the banks for the year ended March 31, 2017. The framework will be reviewed after three years.
  • The PCA is invoked when certain risk thresholds are breached. There are three risk thresholds which are based on certain levels of asset quality, profitability, capital and the like.
  • The third such threshold, which is maximum tolerance limit, sets net NPA at over 12% and negative return on assets for four consecutive years.
  • There are two type of restrictions, mandatory and discretionary. Restrictions on dividend, branch expansion, directors compensation, are mandatory while discretionary restrictions could include curbs on lending and deposit.
  • In the cases of two banks where PCA was invoked after the revised guidelines were issued — IDBI Bank and UCO Bank — only mandatory restrictions were imposed. Both the banks breached risk threshold 2.
  • Some more lenders are expected to come under the corrective action framework as and when their asset quality worsens, putting profitability under pressure.
  • Some public sector banks have breached the net NPA parameter as well as the profitability parameter. These banks are comfortable on the capital parameter, thanks to the government’s commitment to ensure the PSU banks are not starved of capital.
  • However, as the government has its own commitment for maintaining fiscal discipline, it remains to been seen how long it can afford to infuse capital in these banks.

FM will discuss potential areas of boosting cooperation between India and Africa

  • Finance Minister will discuss potential areas of boosting cooperation between India and Africa. Mr. Jaitley will open the India-Africa Cooperation session being held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the African Development Bank (AfDB).
  • The sessions will cover areas such as trade and investment, agriculture, renewable energy and manufacturing among others.
  • Total trade between India and Africa increased almost fivefold between 2005-06 and 2015-16, and stood at $52 billion in March 2016-17.
  • This is the first time that the African Development Bank is holding its annual meeting outside of the African continent.

Weaker U.S. dollar may help keep the profit momentum rolling

  • With S&P 500 companies set to notch their strongest quarterly earnings growth in about six years, a weaker U.S. dollar may help keep the profit momentum rolling and support share prices in the coming weeks.
  • After a dramatic week in Washington that rattled financial markets, one possible silver lining for stock investors was the weaker dollar, which can support earnings of U.S. multinational companies with large foreign operations.
  • The dollar weakened 0.5% against a basket of currencies following reports that U.S. President Donald Trump tried to interfere with an investigation into his former national security adviser’s ties with Russia, revelations that also sparked the S&P 500’s biggest one-day drop in eight months.
  • The currency was on track for its biggest weekly percentage drop in a year, and so far in 2017 the dollar has pulled back 5%, erasing post-U.S. election gains.
  • Dollar movements can be significant for U.S.-based multinationals. The stronger the greenback is against other currencies, the less valuable foreign sales become when translated into the U.S. currency for reporting purposes.
  • First-quarter profits are on pace to rise 15.2%, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Second-quarter earnings are expected to rise 8.5%, a figure that could swell depending on currency moves. The dollar has fallen 3.2% in the second quarter alone.
  • Companies with significant global operations have already showed strength as the dollar has weakened in the first quarter.
  • S&P 500 companies with more than half their revenue from outside the U.S. reported a 13.2% increase in earnings, excluding the energy sector, compared with a 10.6% increase for companies with half or more of revenues coming domestically

Cellular Operators Association of India disaapointed over 18% GST rate

  • The Cellular Operators Association of India has expressed its disappointment over the 18% rate of tax under GST for telecom saying it would make services more expensive for the consumers as the industry is currently taxed at 15%.
  • The Indian Beverage Association (IBA) has also voiced its dissatisfaction with sweetened aerated water and flavoured water being placed in the highest tax slab rate of 28% combined with an additional cess of 12%.
  • The IBA, in a statement, said it was “extremely disappointed” at the effective tax rate of 40% on sweetened aerated water and flavoured water.
  • This will have a negative ripple effect and hurt the entire ecosystem of farmers, retailers, distributors and bottlers.

(Current Affairs) Economy & Energy | May: 2017

Economy

(Current Affairs)International Events | May : 2017

International Events

UAE hardened military into Africa and elsewhere in the Middle East

  • The United Arab Emirates is better known for its skyscrapers and pampered luxuries, but its small size belies a quiet expansion of its battle—hardened military into Africa and elsewhere in the Middle East.
  • The seven-state federation ranks as one of Washington’s most prominent Arab allies in the fight against the Islamic State group, hosting some 5,000 American military personnel, fighter jets and drones.
  • But the practice gunfire echoing through the deserts near bases outside of Dubai and recent military demonstrations in the capital of Abu Dhabi show a country increasingly willing to flex its own muscle amid its suspicions about Iran.
  • Already, the UAE has landed expeditionary forces in Afghanistan and Yemen. Its new overseas bases on the African continent show this country.
  • The UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms, only became a country in 1971. It had been a British protectorate for decades and several of the emirates had their own security forces.
  • The forces merged together into a national military force that took part in the 1991 U.S.-led Gulf War that expelled Iraqi forces occupying Kuwait.
  • The UAE sent troops to Kosovo as part of the NATO-led peacekeeping mission there starting in 1999, giving its forces valuable experience.
  • Following the September 11, 2001, attacks, it deployed special forces troops in Afghanistan to support the U.S.-led war against the Taliban. Today, the UAE hosts Western forces at its military bases, including American and French troops.

China bans some muslim names in western China

  • The Chinese government, further tightening its grip on Muslims in western China, has prohibited parents from choosing names like “Muhammad,” “Arafat” and “Jihad” for their children.
  • The ban, introduced this month, as part of an effort to “curb religious fervour” in the western region of Xinjiang, home to more than 10 million Uighurs.
  • The government considers Xinjiang a hotbed of Islamic extremism, violence and separatist thought. But many Uighurs say the government’s strict limits on worship and speech are responsible for tensions in the region.
  • The list of names, a copy of which was provided to The New York Times by Uighur activists, is titled, “List of Banned Ethnic Minority Names.” It bans more than two dozen names, including “Mujahid” and “Medina.”
  • Rights advocates said the ban showed the lengths to which the government would go to limit the civil liberties of Uighurs in the name of fighting terrorism.

Madhesis declared that they would participate in the upcoming elections

  • Marking a major shift in strategy, agitators from Nepal’s plains declared that they would participate in the upcoming elections if Kathmandu addresses “some” of the concerns about constitutional amendments.
  • This was discussed in a meeting between the Madhesi leaders and the government of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, even as five political parties from Nepal’s plains united to form a single platform.
  • The new shift is a significant development in view of the earlier Madhesi position on boycotting the three-tier elections to be held in Nepal.
  • The discussion between two sides that began is likely to continue. There are unconfirmed reports that a high-level special envoy from New Delhi has also reached Kathmandu to assist the negotiations.
  • The unification of the political parties took place a few days after Nepal’s Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat said that the Madhesi parties are unprepared to face the electorate.

Tougher requirements to gain citizenship of Australia

  • Canberra unveiled plans to put “Australian values” at the heart of tougher requirements to gain citizenship, days after scrapping a visa programme for temporary foreign workers.
  • The moves came against a background of growing populist pressure and a resurgence of the anti-immigration One Nation party led by Pauline Hanson.
  • These fundamental values are what make us Australian. Our citizenship process should reflect that.
  • The new requirements include competent English, belief in gender equality and a four-year qualification period.
  • Candidates for citizenship will be required to be permanent residents for four years against the current one-year period. They will also need to demonstrate a job record and how they have integrated into the local community.
  • The current “civics” test for would-be Australians would be expanded to include issues such as domestic violence, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said.
  • Some 1,14,109 people sat the Australian citizenship test in 2014-15, with 1,12,474 passing it, according to the latest immigration figures.

China wants India’s participation in the Belt and Road connectivity initiative

  • China reinforced its call for India’s participation in the Belt and Road connectivity initiative, telling that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), on which India has its reservations, was not linked to the Kashmir issue.
  • India has objected to the CPEC as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. But Mr. Wang said that China’s stance on CPEC projects “had no relationship with the [Kashmir] dispute”.
  • Mr. Wang pointed out that China had even earlier taken up projects, like the Karakoram highway, in the area. They, however, did not have any bearing on China’s position on Kashmir.
  • “I want to mention that the CPEC is economic, and for the purpose of serving economic cooperation and development. It has no direct link with political or border disputes.”
  • Referring to the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor — one of the major economic corridors China is planning in its neighbourhood — Mr. Wang said that the four countries are ready to advance it within the framework of Belt and Road.

Mother of all bombs did huge damage to the IS

  • Afghan authorities reported a jump in fatalities from the American military’s largest non-nuclear bomb, declaring some 90 Islamic State fighters dead, as U.S.-led ground forces advanced on their mountain hideouts.
  • Dubbed the ‘Mother Of All Bombs’, the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast was unleashed in combat for the first time, hitting IS positions in a remote area of eastern Nangarhar province.
  • The bomb smashed the terrorist organisation’s hideouts, a tunnel-and-cave complex that had been mined against conventional ground attacks, engulfing the remote area in a huge mushroom cloud and towering flames.
  • Mr. Shinwari said American and Afghan ground forces were slowly advancing on the mountainous area blanketed with landmines, but there were still some pockets of resistance from insurgents.
  • Security experts say IS had built their hideouts close to civilian homes, but the government said thousands of local families had already fled the area in recent months of fighting.

US President changes his stand on NATO

  • The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the military alliance of the U.S., Canada, 25 European countries and Turkey, is the “the bulwark of international peace and security”, President Donald Trump said.
  • “I said it’s obsolete. Now it’s no longer obsolete,” Mr. Trump said, overturning a campaign position that drew intense criticism from Democrats and Republicans.
  • Mr. Trump has also reversed his positions on China, Syria and Russia in recent days, aligning his thinking closer to U.S. orthodoxy.
  • The President’s supporters point out that because of his tough stance, partner countries have committed more spending and the alliance is reorienting itself towards fighting the Islamic State.
  • NATO has been involved in the war on terror for long, however. The only time the alliance has invoked its principle that an attack on one is an attack on all was after the September 11, 2001 terror attack on the U.S. NATO has recently started training Iraqi troops to combat the IS.
  • Member countries have also expressed willingness to increase defence spending. Only five of the 28 members now meet the target of 2% of GDP on defence expenditure.

(Current Affairs) International Events | June : 2017

International Events

U.S. President called on Middle East to combat a Islamic extremism

  • U.S. President Donald Trump called on Middle Eastern leaders to combat a “crisis of Islamic extremism” emanating from the region, casting the fight against terrorism as a “battle between good and evil”, not a clash between the West and Islam.
  • Mr. Trump’s address was the centrepiece of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, his first stop overseas as President.
  • During a meeting of more than 50 Arab and Muslim leaders, he sought to chart a new course for America’s role in the region, one aimed squarely on rooting out terrorism, with less focus on promoting human rights and democratic reforms.
  • Even as the President pledged to work alongside Middle Eastern nations, he put the onus for combating terrorism on the region.
  • Bellowing into the microphone, he implored Muslim leaders to aggressively fight extremists — “Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities.”
  • Sitting alongside Mr. Trump, Saudi King Salman declared: “The Iranian regime has been the spearhead of global terrorism.”
  • Mr. Trump’s welcome in the region was also put on display during a series of individual meetings with Arab leaders.
  • Reinforcing his theme of U.S. economic deals, the U.S. President told Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani they would discuss “lots of beautiful military equipment because nobody makes it like the United States”.
  • For Mr. Trump the visit has been a welcome escape from the crush of controversies that have consumed his administration in recent weeks.
  • The President’s trip to Saudi Arabia also served as something of a reset with the region following his presidential campaign, which was frequently punctured by bouts of anti-Islamic rhetoric. He once mused that he thought “Islam hates us”.
  • That ban was blocked by the courts. A second order, which dropped Iraq from the list, is tied up in federal court and the federal government is appealing.
  • That speech was denounced by many Republicans and criticised by a number of the United States’ Middle East allies as being a sort of apology.

Swiss referendum to withdraw the country from nuclear power

  • Swiss voters are supporting a referendum to withdraw the country from nuclear power in favour of renewable energy.
  • A projection from referendum shows a majority of cantons (States) voted for the plan. Under Switzerland’s direct democracy system, initiatives need a majority of both cantons and votes to pass.
  • The projection for SRF public television showed 58% of voters in favour and 42% against the proposal.
  • The government wants to ban the construction of new nuclear power plants and decommission the country’s five existing ones at the end of their technically safe operating lives.

Rouhani promises to keep moderate policies

  • It was a referendum on Hassan Rouhani’s more moderate political policies, which paved the way for the landmark 2015 nuclear deal that won Iran relief from some sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme.
  • His resounding victory suggests that Iranians largely approve of the President’s policies.
  • Mr. Rouhani has come to embody more liberal and reform-minded Iranians’ hopes for greater freedoms and openness at home, and better relations with the outside world.
  • “Great nation of Iran, you are the winner of the election. I humbly bow down before you. I will remain loyal to my promises to you,” he wrote.
  • Iran’s President is the second-most powerful figure within the country’s political system. He is subordinate to the supreme leader, who is chosen by a clerical panel and has the ultimate say over all matters of state.
  • Although considered a moderate by Iranian standards, Mr. Rouhani was nonetheless the favourite pick for those seeking more liberal reforms in the conservative Islamic Republic.
  • One of the first world leaders to congratulate Mr. Rouhani was Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose government is backed by Tehran.
  • Iran’s President oversees a vast state bureaucracy employing more than 2 million people, is charged with naming Cabinet members and other officials to key posts, and plays a significant role in shaping both domestic and foreign policy.

Japan approved a one-off Bill allowing ageing Emperor Akihito to step down

  • The Japanese government approved a one-off Bill allowing ageing Emperor Akihito to step down from the Chrysanthemum Throne, in the first such abdication in two centuries.
  • The Bill will now be sent to Parliament for debate and likely receive swift final approval, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet signed off on the legislation.
  • Abdication must take place within three years of the Bill becoming law.
  • Earlier this year reports suggested that 83-year-old Akihito could step down at the end of December 2018 and be replaced by Crown Prince Naruhito on January 1, 2019.
  • Reports of his desire to retire surprised Japan when they emerged last July. In August he publicly cited age and declining health, which was interpreted as his wish to hand the crown to his eldest son.
  • But current Japanese law has no provision for abdication, thus requiring politicians to craft legislation to make it possible.
  • The status of the Emperor is highly sensitive in Japan given its 20th century history of war waged in the name of Akihito’s father Hirohito, who died in 1989.
  • Revered as a demigod before and during the conflict, Hirohito was reduced to a mere figurehead as part of postwar reforms.
  • Akihito has won plaudits for seizing upon the constitutionally-prescribed role of national symbol and there is wide sympathy for his wish to retire.

China reinvoked doctrine of Panchsheel to remove India’s concern

  • China re-invoked the doctrine of Panchsheel — or the five principles of peaceful co-existence — as the template for addressing India’s concerns over the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Belt and Road Initiative.
  • India had decided to skip the summit hosted by China on grounds that the economic corridor infringed New Delhi’s sovereignty as it passed through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
  • Ms. Hua stressed that “we would like to follow the five principles of coexistence in developing friendly relations with other countries, including our efforts in promoting regional connectivity”.
  • Ms. Hua reiterated that the CPEC did not contradict the “five principles” as China has not changed its original position on the territorial status of Kashmir.
  • Regarding the status of Kashmir, she reiterated that “as we said before, it is an issue between India and Pakistan and the Belt and Road Initiative will not change China’s position on the Kashmir issue”.
  • In his keynote address at the summit, President Xi highlighted that China “will enhance friendship and cooperation with all countries in the world on the Belt and Road Initiative.
  • Panchsheel lists mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit and peaceful co-existence, as the touchstones for international conduct.

Relations between China and Japan improved through Belt and Road forum

  • The recently concluded Belt and Road Forum in Beijing has triggered a cycle of diplomacy between China and Japan, which could yield a summit between Chinese President Xi and Japanese PM, as well as Tokyo’s participation in the AIIB.
  • Japan reported that China’s top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, is heading for Tokyo next month to lay the groundwork for a possible summit between the two leaders. Mr. Abe said he hoped to meet Mr. Xi on the sidelines of the G20 summit.
  • But there are also fresh signals that a dialogue between the two could materialise in their respective capitals. Japan decided to send a delegation, notwithstanding contested sovereignty with China over a set of reefs in the East China Sea.
  • The Global Times reported that in his meeting with Mr. Nikai, President Xi said Tokyo is welcome to discuss cooperation with China under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative

Pakistan under fire in its own country for CPEC

  • Opposition leaders slammed Pakistan govt after the Dawn daily disclosed the “master plan” of theCPEC, which will link the port city of Gwadar in Balochistan to China’s Xinjiang province via a network of highways and railways.
  • Member of Parliament from the Opposition Pakistan Peoples Party, said the government must come clean on the long-term plan for the corridor.
  • Dawn reported it had acquired exclusive access to the original document that discloses what the Chinese priorities are in Pakistan for the next decade and a half.
  • The master plan, drawn up by the China Development Bank and the National Development Reform Commission of China, states that thousands of acres of agricultural land to be leased out to Chinese enterprises to set up projects in areas ranging from seed varieties to irrigation technology.
  • The Pakistani government challenged the report, saying the details were quoted from one of the working papers prepared to be discussed with the Chinese leadership during the recently-held Belt and Road Forum in Beijing.
  • The report states that Chinese enterprises will also operate their own farms, processing facilities for fruit and vegetables and grain, while logistics companies will operate a large storage and transportation system for agrarian produce.
  • China’s plan is to gradually create a favourable industry image and reputation for Pakistan by relying on domestic demand, states the document.
    In the Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces of the CPEC, the focus is on mineral extraction, with potential in chrome ore and gold reserves and diamonds

Chinese investments related to the Belt and Road initiative have totalled $60 billion

  • Chinese investments related to the Belt and Road initiative have totalled $60 billion since 2013, and Beijing plans to invest $600 billion to $800 billion in the next five years.
  • Chinese investments were expected to touch $120 billion to $130 billion a year over the next five years.
  • “This will be a big driving force for a steady recovery in the global economy, and for free trade and investment,” he said. The scrutiny of outbound investments by Chinese regulators will not affect the Belt and Road projects, Mr. Ning said.
  • China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China have extended $110 billion in loans for the Belt and Road projects by the end of 2016 and China has signed currency swap deals with the countries along the Belt and Road routes totalling 900 billion yuan.

Public Administration Weekly Answer Writing Challenge - Module-76

Weekly Mains Exam 2017 Answer Writing Challenge- Public Administration

The main idea behind Weekly Answer Writing Challenges is to make your exam preparation more result oriented. For this exam (UPSC Civil Services), just ‘reading’ is not enough. The most advantageous part of this writing exercise is to make your answer visible to everyone, someone may correct you if they find a mistake in your answer plus it must be also supported by our experts , you may see others answers also. It is free and definitely will improve your writing ability and marks in your final examination. Here all topics from syllabus will be covered.

Public Administration- Paper I "Syllabus Topic –  Administrative Thought : Weber’s Bureaucratic Model"

  • 1. “The core of bureaucratic neutrality is more superfluous and redundant in the context of development administration” – Explain.

Indian Administration- Paper II "Syllabus Topic –  Administrative Reforms Since Independence : Major Concerns"

(Current Affairs) National Events | June : 2017

National Events

Indian Railways will now carry out a cleanliness survey of tracks on busy routes

  • Widening its sanitation drive, the Indian Railways will now carry out a cleanliness survey of tracks on busy routes and rank its 16 zones based on performance.
  • The railways had recently released results of a similar survey of 407 stations, carried out by the Quality Council of India.
  • All-out efforts will be made to keep the tracks clean as part of the government’s ongoing cleanliness campaign, said a senior railway ministry official.
  • Railway tracks at many stretches resemble garbage dump with leftover food, plastic bottles and paper boxes strewn all over. Discharge of human waste from trains is also a cause for concern.
  • In fact, several railway divisions have pressed into service a mechanised system for cleaning of tracks near stations. Besides, installation of bio-toilets in several trains has reduced discharge of human waste on the tracks.
  • The Indian Railways is the third largest rail network in the world, covering 66,000 km and having more than 8,000 stations.
  • It was after the launch of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on October 2, 2014, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the railways launched ‘Swachh Rail, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’.
  • The railways has also made operational a ‘Swachh Rail’ portal to showcase cleanliness rankings of various stations.

Scientists have developed sensor that can detect disease markers in one’s breath

(Current Affairs) National Events | May : 2017

National Events

Attorney-General to defend India in UNHRC

  • India will highlight its “impartial” justice system when it sends its top law officer, Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi, to the Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
  • Mr. Rohatgi will defend India’s case against allegations of violations in Jammu and Kashmir, torture, minority rights and recent strictures against NGOs.
  • Mr. Rohatgi said he would convey that the treatment of 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab and 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yaqub Memon proves the Indian legal system’s “impartial” standards.
  • “These are two people who committed crimes against the state. They orchestrated, and were directly involved in, the massacre of hundreds of innocents, both Indian and foreign, in the heart of our financial capital.
  • Yet, both were tried impartially by a court of law, provided legal aid, were given every opportunity to appeal till the last stage even as their petitions for clemency were entertained at the highest level,” Mr. Rohatgi told.
  • In the run-up to the hearings at the UNHRC, held once in five years for every country, reports from governmental and non-governmental agencies from other countries in the 47-member council, including from the U.S.
  • Congress and civil society groups, and international agencies, have been sought.
  • Sweden and Spain have asked for the government to explain its stand on homosexuality rights and the repeal of Article 377 that criminalises same-sex relationships.
  • The Attorney General, who will respond to the questions during a four-hour session in Geneva, said he would speak about constitutionally-mandated protections to minorities in India.

Turkey is keen on expanding defence industrial cooperation with India

  • Turkey is keen on expanding defence industrial cooperation with India and will offer its armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) during the upcoming visit of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
  • Turkey’s support to Pakistan on Kashmir at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation was likely to continue.
  • Turkey said the areas of cooperation were aviation, space and ammunition, etc.
  • On Pakistan’s continued support to cross-border terrorism and Kashmir, he said the issue was for the two countries to discuss.

Strict law will increase tax compliance says FM

  • Union Finance Minister said the fear of consequences owing to strict and expeditious enforcement of law would ensure that as India evolved from a developing to a developed economy, it would be a highly tax compliant society.
  • Advocating use of technology for detecting evasion, Mr. Jaitley said the Enforcement Directorate should expeditiously use the penalising powers to deal with any non-compliance, particularly money laundering.
  • “Full compliance in taxation and currency laws has always been one of the features of developed states. If you go to the developed world, violations are rare.
  • Those who violate are strictly called upon and are answerable to the law and there are very strict penal consequences,” Mr. Jaitleysaid.
  • Mr. Jaitley said over the years, in India, non-compliance was never considered a moral wrong, it was rather considered smart.
  • “Non-compliance has hit the larger public and national interest,” he said, adding that compliance would help generate funds for development in various sectors.

Japan has selected former Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar for top honour

  • The Japanese government has selected former Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar for the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun , in recognition of his achievements in bolstering India-Japan ties.
  • Indians who have in the past received the Decoration — conferred in recognition of distinguished accomplishments— include industrialist Ratan N. Tata.
  • Dr. Kumar served as the Special Envoy of former PM Manmohan Singh to Japan during the visit of the Emperor and Empress of Japan to India in December 2013, “and significantly contributed to the success of the visit.”

FICCI-India Sanitation Coalition prize to Aga khan foundation

  • The Aga Khan Foundation has bagged an award for implementing a development model that aims at improving access to water and sanitation for marginalised communities across urban and rural areas of the country.
  • The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) of the prestigious foundation received the FICCI-India Sanitation Coalition prize for the initiative that seeks to contribute towards building an open-defecation free India by 2019 under the ‘Swachh Bharat’ mission.
  • The initiative aims at improving access to water and sanitation for marginalised communities across urban and rural India, including helping 1,00,000 families and 538 schools, as well as building toilets in the States of Bihar,
  • Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.
  • The integrated block-level sanitation model is being piloted in rural Bihar.

Supreme court offered to set the stage for J&K talks

  • Even as the Supreme Court offered to set the stage for peace talks between influential voices in Kashmir and the Centre to facilitate the return of normality to the Valley.
  • The government put its foot down, saying it will not break bread with secessionist forces and cannot brook the risk of withdrawing security forces from the sensitive border State.\
  • Appearing before a Bench led by CJI J.S. Khehar, Attorney-General Mukul said the government cannot negotiate with separatists. The Centre said it would “absolutely” not entertain any talks of azadi with these leaders.
  • Mr. Rohatgi read portions of submissions filed in court by petitioners, suggesting the route to peace in Kashmir would be for talks between India and Pakistan. He pointed to how the petitioners felt that even the accession of Jammu and Kashmir was “controversial.”
  • The court asked the stakeholders in Kashmir to “take two steps back” as a resolution can be initiated only if there are no stones and pellets fired on the streets of Kashmir.

Maharastra govt to set up panel for welfare of transgenders

  • The Maharashtra government will soon set up an executive committee under the ministry of Women and Child Welfare to activate functioning of Transgender Welfare Board, conceptualised in 2014.
  • The government will implement Central schemes for welfare of the transgenders through this committee, Women and Child Welfare Minister said.

Tiny particles in polluted air can lead to heart attack

  • Tiny particles in polluted air can travel from the lungs into our bloodstream and increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke, a new study warns.
  • Nanoparticles in air pollution have been associated with cardiovascular disease, which can lead to premature death. However, how particles inhaled into the lungs can affect blood vessels and the heart has remained a mystery.
  • Scientists have found that inhaled nanoparticles can travel from the lungs into the bloodstream, potentially explaining the link between air pollution and cardiovascular disease.
  • The World Health Organisation estimates that in 2012, about 72% of premature deaths related to outdoor air pollution were due to ischemic heart disease and strokes.
  • Pulmonary disease, respiratory infections and lung cancer were linked to the other 28%.

NITI Aayog says industry not doing enough to create jobs

  • Industry should take responsibility for the failure to create adequate jobs in India in recent years, NITI Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya said in a brusque response to a query about the Centre’s strategy for job creation.
  • Mr. Panagariya said: “I am sorry you are asking the wrong question. What is industry doing on this? Government makes policies. Why is it that no industrialist thinks of the 500 million workers in our abundant workforce at a relatively low wage level.”
  • “I understand you will naturally go for profits. But if jobs is a big issue, why doesn’t the industry act?” he said.

India Sri Lanka to dicuss various important issues

  • Sri Lankan Prime Minister is set to announce several MoUs on developing energy and infrastructure projects in Trincomalee and fast-tracking negotiations for an upgraded free trade agreement — the Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA).
  • Mr. Wickremesinghe, whose visit is expected to confirm a number of agreements to be announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka from May 12 to 14, will meet Mr. Modi, Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari.
  • Indian Govt hoped to see the agreement on the Trinco Oil storage and the development of infrastructure — highways, power plants, a refinery and an SEZ — around the key port town of Trincomalee to be wrapped up.
  • Oil union workers in Colombo went on a strike against the planned MoU with India for 84 tanks in the Trincomalee upper oil tank farm, of which Sri Lanka is keen to retain at least 10 for use by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.
  • The unions called off the strike that hit fuel supplies in the country on Monday, but claim they have an assurance that their concerns over leasing the tanks to India will be taken into consideration before any announcement is made.
  • Commerce Ministry said India had sent a team to Sri Lanka recently to make presentations on the benefits of widening the FTA and had formally asked the government for a list of perceived “non-tariff barriers” that businessmen were complaining about.

India assured Nepal of all possible help for elections

  • PM Modi assured his Nepali counterpart of “all possible help” in organising the three-phase election — covering covering local, provincial and central levels — that will begin in the Himalayan country on May 14.
  • The PM’s statement, which indicates a softening of official policy towards Nepal’s democratic process, came two days after Madhesi agitators agreed to participate in the elections.
  • The breakthrough was achieved after two days of consultations between the Madhesis and the government. This comes after Mr. Dahal received a financial package from Beijing.

UPSC PRE 2017 Direct Questions Asked from IAS EXAM PORTAL

UPSC PRE 2017 Direct Questions Performance

Dear Aspirants,

This article is designed to show how we work day in and day out to guide the UPSC aspirants through our Daily Current Affairs, MCQ and innovative Printed Study Kits and Online Courses. 

Prelims exam could have been cleared easily by following the steps mentioned by us. In our previous articles we have talked about the books to be followed and how they should be read.

More than half of the questions came directly or indirectly from the portal and if you have read basic books which we have prescribed more than 75 questions could have been easily attempted. Now we will substantiate what we are are claiming through this article. Also we are giving links for questions that came in the UPSC prelims from the IAS EXAM PORTAL.

Follow IAS Exam Portal & Get Ahead from others!

Join Online Coaching UPSC 2018 Exam

Get Study Material for UPSC Prelims Cum Mains EXAM

1. Which one of the following was a very important seaport in the Kakatiya kingdom?

(a) Kakinada
(b) Motupalli
(c) Machilipatnam (Masulipatnam)
(d) Nelluru

2. With reference to ‘Global Climate Change Alliance’, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. It is an initiative of the European Union.
2. It provides technical and financial support to targeted developing countries to integrate climate change into their development policies and budgets.
3. It is coordinated by World Resources Institute (WRI) and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

3. With reference to the religious history of India, consider the following statements:

1. Sautrantika and Sammitiya were the sects of Jainism.
2. Sarvastivadin held that the constituents of phenomena were not wholly momentary, but existed forever in a latent form.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

4. Mediterranean Sea is a border of which of the following countries?

1. Jordan
2. Iraq
3. Lebanon
4. Syria

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 3 and 4 only

Source: https://iasexamportal.com/todays-important-news/mcq/30-may-2016

5. With reference to ‘National Investment and Infrastructure Fund’, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. It is an organ of NITI Aayog.
2. It has a corpus of Rs. 4, 00,000 crore at present.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Source: https://iasexamportal.com/todays-important-news/mcq/02-june-2016

6. The Global Infrastructure Facility is a/an

(a) ASEAN initiative to upgrade infrastructure in Asia and financed by credit from the Asian Development Bank.
(b) World Bank collaboration that facilitates the preparation and structuring of complex infrastructure Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to enable mobilization of private sector and institutional investor capital.
(c) Collaboration among the major banks of the world working with the OECD and focused on expanding the set of infrastructure projects that have the potential to mobilize private investment.
(d) UNCTAD funded initiative that seeks to finance and facilitate infrastructure development in the world.

Source: https://iasexamportal.com/current-affairs/10-october-2014

7. For election to the Lok Sabha, a nomination paper can be filed by

(a) anyone residing in India.
(b) a resident of the constituency from which the election is to be contested.
(c) any citizen of India whose name appears in the electoral roll of a constituency.
(d) any citizen of India.

Source: https://iasexamportal.com/courses/igp/csat-paper-i/polity/parliament-of-india

8. Consider the following statements:

1. In India, the Himalayas are spread over five States only.
2. Western Ghats are spread over five States only.
3. Pulicat Lake is spread over two States only.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1 and 3 only

Source: https://iasexamportal.com/daily-current-affairs/mcq/9-june-2017

9. Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) is a standard criterion for

(a) Measuring oxygen levels in blood
(b) Computing oxygen levels in forest ecosystems
(c) Pollution assay in aquatic ecosystems
(d) Assessing oxygen levels in high altitude regions

 

Important Articles:


10. With reference to the role of UN-Habitat in the United Nations programme working towards a better urban future, which of the statements is/are correct?

1. UN-Habitat has been mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities to provide adequate shelter for all.
2. Its partners are either governments or local urban authorities only.
3. UN-Habitat contributes to the overall objective of the United Nations system to reduce poverty and to promote access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1 only

Covered under June 2015 Civil services mentor

11. With reference to ‘National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF)’, which of the statements given below is/are correct?

1. Under NSQF, a learner can acquire the certification for competency only through formal learning.
2. An outcome expected from the implementation of NSQF is the mobility between vocational and general education.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Source: https://iasexamportal.com/government-plan-programme-policies/all-india-survey-on-higher-education

12. In the context of Indian history, the principle of “Dyarchy (diarchy)” refers to

(a) Division of the central legislature into two houses.
(b) Introduction of double government i.e., Central and State governments.
(c) Having two sets of rulers; one in London and another in Delhi.
(d) Division of the subjects delegated to the provinces into two categories.

13. Consider the following in respect of ‘National Career Service’:

1. National Career Service is an initiative of the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India.
2. National Career Service has been launched in a Mission Mode to improve the employment opportunities to uneducated youth of the country.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Source: https://iasexamportal.com/current-affairs/voice-notes/22-july-2015

14. Which of the following statements best k describes the term ‘Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets (S4A)’, recently seen in the news?

(a) It is a procedure for considering ecological costs of developmental schemes formulated by the Government.
(b) It is a scheme of RBI for reworking the financial structure of big corporate entities facing genuine difficulties.
(c) It is a disinvestment plan of the Government regarding Central Public Sector Undertakings.
(d) It is an important provision in ‘The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code’ recently implemented by the Government.

Source: https://iasexamportal.com/daily-current-affairs/06-05-2017 (First news under business and Economy )

15. Consider the following statements:

1. Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to Reduce Short Lived Climate Pollutants is a unique initiative of G20 group of countries.
2. The CCAC focuses on methane, black carbon and hydrofluorocarbons.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Source: https://iasexamportal.com/ias-current-affairs/25-september-2013

16. With reference to ‘Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)’ sometimes mentioned in the news while forecasting Indian monsoon, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. IOD phenomenon is characterised by a difference in sea surface temperature between tropical Western Indian Ocean and tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean.
2. An IOD phenomenon can influence an El Nino’s impact on the monsoon.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Source: https://iasexamportal.com/daily-current-affairs/mcq/7-june-2017

17. If you want to see gharials in their natural habitat, which one of the following is the best place to visit?

(a) Bhitarkanika Mangroves
(b) Chambal River
(c) Pulicat Lake
(d) DeeporBeel

Source: https://iasexamportal.com/courses/ias-pre-environment/biosphere-reserves-national-parks

18. Consider the following in respect of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS):

1. Inaugural IONS was held in India in 2015 under the chairmanship of the Indian Navy.
2. IONS is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime co-operation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

19. The painting of Bodhisattva Padmapani is one of the most famous and oft-illustrated paintings at

(a) Ajanta
(b) Badami
(c) Bagh
(d) Ellora

20. Consider the following pairs:

Traditions- Communities

1. Chaliha Sahib Festival- Sindhis
2. Nanda Raj JaatYatra- Gonds
3. Wari-Warkari- Santhals

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched ?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) None of the above

(Current Affairs) Science & Technology, Defence, Environment | April: 2017

Science & Technology, Defense, Environment

  • NASA’s ‘Europa Clipper’ set to launch in the 2020s (Free Available)
  • Great Barrier Reef is experiencing second straight year of mass coral bleaching (Free Available)
  • Indian researcher has been able to increase wheat grain yield by 20% (Free Available)
  • Despite high institutional delivery, breastfed children are still low (Free Available)
  • Using biofuels to help power jet engines can reduce particle emissions (Free Available)
  • GRAPES-3 experiment at TIFR’s Cosmic Ray Laboratory in Ootacamund is getting upgraded  (Free Available)
  • A group of marine researchers from Kerala is attempting to combat corrosion of steel (Free Available)
  • Air Force will have 123 Tejas jets by 2024-25 (Free Available)
  • Scientists have developed a new wireless Internet based on infrared rays (Free Available)
  • Large Hadron Collider accelerator helps in finding 5 new sub-atomic particles (Free Available)
  • Govt proposed a law to provide social security net to the 47.41 crore workforce (Only for Online Coaching Members)
  • Rapid pace of melting of earth’s polar ice (Only for Online Coaching Members)
  • Hubble space telescope has detected a supermassive black hole (Only for Online Coaching Members)
  • Indian researchers found a new target that can be used for new antibiotics (Only for Online Coaching Members)
  • A protein “switch” within the tiny capillaries of the brain controls the blood flow (Only for Online Coaching Members)
  • Tupolev-142M anti-submarine warfare aircraft to be decommissioned (Only for Online Coaching Members)
  • India in discussions with Sri Lanka and several Southeast Asian nations for Dhruv (Only for Online Coaching Members)

NASA’s ‘Europa Clipper’ set to launch in the 2020s

  • NASA’s ‘Europa Clipper’ set to launch in the 2020s will probe the habitability of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa.
  • When the mission was still in the conceptual phase, it was informally called Europa Clipper, but NASA has now adopted that name as the formal title for the mission.
  • The moniker harkens back to the clipper ships that sailed across the oceans of Earth in the 19th century.
  • The mission plan includes 40 to 45 flybys, during which the spacecraft would image the moon’s icy surface at high resolution and investigate its composition and the structure of its interior and icy shell.
  • Europa has long been a high priority for exploration because it holds a salty liquid water ocean beneath its icy crust.
  • The ultimate aim of Europa Clipper is to determine if Europa is habitable, possessing all three of the ingredients necessary for life: liquid water, chemical ingredients, and energy sources sufficient to enable biology.

Indian researcher has been able to increase wheat grain yield by 20%

  • Indian researcher has been able to increase wheat grain yield by 20% and also improve the resilience of wheat to environmental stress such as drought.
  • By using a precursor that enhances the amount of a key sugarsignalling molecule (trehalose-6- phosphate (T6P)) produced in wheat plant, Dr. Ram Sagar Misra, has been able to increase the amount of starch produced and the yield.
  • The technique The T6P molecule stimulates starch synthesis, which in turn, increases the yield. Since the pathway of T6P molecule is the same in other plants, the yield can potentially be increased by using suitable precursors.
  • While genetic methods can increase the T6P level two-three fold, the four precursor compounds were able to achieve 100-fold increase in the sugar-signalling molecule level compared with plants that did not receive the molecule.
  • In field trials using wheat, a tiny amount of precursor given to the plant increased the yield significantly — the grains produced were bigger as the amount of starch content in the grains increased by 13-20% compared to controls that got only water.
  • To study the resilience of wheat to drought-like conditions when treated with the precursor molecules, the researchers carried out two different studies.
  • Resilence to drought In the first case, four-week-old wheat plants already treated with the precursor molecules were not watered for nine days to simulate a droughtlike condition.
    More trials on a larger scale are needed to confirm the role of the precursor molecules in increasing yield and withstanding drought-like conditions.

Using biofuels to help power jet engines can reduce particle emissions

  • Using biofuels to help power jet engines can reduce particle emissions in their exhaust by as much as 50 to 70%, according to a new NASA study that bodes well for airline economics and Earth’s environment.
  • The observations quantify the impact of biofuel blending on aerosol emissions at cruise conditions and provide key microphysical parameters, which will be useful to assess the potential of biofuel use in aviation.
  • Contrails are produced by hot aircraft engine exhaust mixing with the cold air that is typical at cruise altitudes several miles above Earth’s surface, and are composed primarily of water in the form of ice crystals.
  • Researchers are most interested in persistent contrails because they create long-lasting, and sometimes extensive, clouds that would not normally form in the atmosphere, and are believed to be a factor in influencing Earth’s environment.
  • Soot emissions also are a major driver of contrail properties and their formation.
  • The tests involved flying NASA’s workhorse DC-8 as high as 40,000 feet while its four engines burned a 50-50 blend of aviation fuel and a renewable alternative fuel of hydro processed esters and fatty acids produced from camelina plant oil.

A group of marine researchers from Kerala is attempting to combat corrosion of steel

  • Turning to nanotechnology, a group of marine researchers from Kerala is attempting to combat corrosion of steel used for making fishing boats.
  • Corrosion of steel has been a major cause of concern for the fishing sector of Kerala where steel vessels have almost replaced wooden ones.
  • There is enhanced threat of corrosion in the case of welding joints and the hull of a vessel. The non-availability of good quality steel (BIS 2062 Grade B steel) as specified for boat-building has compounded the problem.
  • Conventional methods of coating of steel materials with ceramic, polymeric and electro-deposition are effective only to a limited extent. Corrosion-protection methodologies usually employ organic or inorganic-based coatings on steel.
  • The researchers pointed out that the major disadvantages shown by these coatings are poor adhesion, coating defects, poor scratch resistance, optical transparency, low coating flexibility and vulnerability to abrasion.
  • Even the recently introduced nanomaterial-incorporated polymer coatings have their own set of challenges — they tend to develop pinholes and pores, which could lead to the penetration of corrosive agents into the matrix followed by corrosion.

Air Force will have 123 Tejas jets by 2024-25

  • If the present development and capacity enhancement plans go as scheduled, the Indian Air Force will have 123 Tejas jets, indigenously made light combat aircraft, on its fleet by 2024-25.
  • To enable this, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) is in the process of setting up a new assembly line for the jets and is involving the private sector in a big way.
  • The IAF has placed orders for 40 jets in two batches of which the first 20 are in the initial operational configuration (IOC) and the remaining 20 in the final operational configuration (FOC).
  • Last July, the IAF operationalised the first Tejas squadron, 45 Flying Daggers, with three aircraft. Two more aircraft will join the squadron shortly.
  • Last November, the Defence Acquisition Council gave initial clearance for 83 aircraft in the Mk-1A configuration with specific improvements sought by the IAF.
  • Apart from the development, the low production rate of eight aircraft a year is delaying the induction of Tejas into the IAF.
  • The government recently gave sanction for setting up another assembly line to increase the production rate to 16 a year.
  • The IAF is in urgent need of new fighters and the LCAs will replace the MiG fighters which are being phased out. The IAF is scheduled to phase out all 11 squadrons of MiG-21 and MiG-27 fighters by 2024 on completion of their technical life.

SASEC (South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation) : Important Topics for UPSC Exams

SASEC (South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation) : Important Topics for UPSC Exams

SASEC (South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation)

  • South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) program of Asian Development Bank (ADB) is expanding towards the East with Myanmar formally becoming the 7th member of SASEC in 2017.
  • Established in 2001, the SASEC program is a project-based partnership to promote regional prosperity by improving cross-borderconnectivity, boosting trade among member countries and strengthening regional economic cooperation.
  • The Manila, Philippines-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) serves as the Secretariat for the SASEC member countries.
  • The SASEC program was formed in 2001 in response to the request of the four countries of South Asia – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal – from ADB to assist in facilitating economic cooperation among them.
  • These four countries comprise the South Asia Growth Quadrangle (SAGQ), formed in 1996, as a vehicle for accelerating sustainable economic development through regional cooperation.
  • Maldives and Sri Lanka joined SASEC in 2014, further expanding opportunities for enhancing economic linkages in the sub-region.
  • The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a total of nine projects costing $2.42 billion as part ofthe Operational Plan (OP) 2016-2025 of the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) program.

Buy Printed Study Material for IAS Pre General Studies (Paper-1)

Online Crash Course for UPSC PRE Exam

<< Go Back to Main Page

Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm Conventions : Important Topics for UPSC Exams

Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm Conventions : Important Topics for UPSC Exams

Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm Conventions

  • An inter-ministerial Indian delegation headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, left to participate in the 2017 Conference of Parties (COPs) to the Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm (BRS) Conventions.
  • Conference of Parties (COPs) to the BRS Convention include –
  • 13th meeting of the Conference of Parties to “Basel Convention (BC COP 13);
  • 8th meeting of the Conference of Parties to “Rotterdam Convention (RC COP 8)
  • 8th meeting of the Conference of Parties to “Stockholm Convention (SC COP 8)
  • It was held in Geneva.
  • The theme of the meetings and the high-level segment will be - "A future detoxified: sound management of chemicals and waste".
  • While the Basel Convention discussed the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal, the Rotterdam Convention deliberated on the prior informed consent procedure for certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides in international trade” and the Stockholm Convention is on persistent organic pollutants (POPs)”
  • The Basel Convention was adopted on March 22, 1989 by the Conference of Plenipotentiaries in Basel, Switzerland, in response to a public outcry, following the discovery, in the 1980s, in Africa and other parts of the developing world of deposits of toxic wastes imported from abroad.

Buy Printed Study Material for IAS Pre General Studies (Paper-1)

Online Crash Course for UPSC PRE Exam

<< Go Back to Main Page

(Download) UPSC IAS Mains General Studies (Paper-2) Exam Paper - 2016

(Download) UPSC IAS Mains General Studies (Paper-2) Exam Paper - 2016

Exam Name: UPSC IAS Mains General Studies (Paper-2)

Year: 2016

Exam Date: 5-12-2016

File Type: PDF

MTCR :Civil Services Mentor Magazine: JUNE - 2017

::MTCR::

After facing the disappointmet at the Nuclear security council, India has received a great strategic benefit in the Missile Technology Control regime. The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) is an informal political understanding among states that seek to limit the proliferation of missiles and missile technology. The Missile Technology Control Regime was formed in 1987 by the G-7 industrialized countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the United States). There are now 35 members in the regime with India being the latest one joining in 2016. India's inclusion would help country in many ways like in buying high end missile technologies from other countries and in buy Surveillance drones from the other promising parties : India is very keen to use. The MTCR was initiated by likeminded countries to address theincreasing proliferation of nuclear weapons by addressing the most destabilizing delivery system for such weapons. In 1992, the MTCR's original focus on missiles for nuclear weapons delivery was extended to a focus on MTCR the proliferation of missiles for the delivery of all types of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), i.e., nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. Such proliferation has been identified as a threat to international peace and security.

As with all MTCR decisions, the decision to admit a new partner is taken by consensus. In making membership decisions, partners tend to consider whether a prospective new member would strengthen international non proliferation efforts, demonstrates a sustained and sustainable commitment to non proliferation, has a legally based effective export control system that puts into effect the MTCR Guidelines and procedures, and administers and enforces such controls effectively. The group does not have an observer category. MTCR partners hold an annual Plenary Meeting chaired on a rotational basis. The Plenary host becomes the Chair of the MTCR for the period extending to the next Plenary. The MTCR has no secretariat.Distribution of the Regime's working papers is carried out through a Point of Contact (POC), the functions of which are performed by the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of France.

The aim of the MTCR is to restrict the proliferation in the following:

  • missiles;
  • complete rocket systems;
  • unmanned air vehicles;
  • and related technology for those systems capable of carrying a 500 kilogram payload at least 300 kilometres;
  • as well as systems intended for the delivery of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - trainee2's blog