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Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 03 October 2020

::NATIONAL::

PM inaugurates all weather tunnel road at Rohtang

Prime Minister NarendraModi today inaugurated the strategically important all-weather Atal Tunnel at Rohtang in Himachal Pradesh. Mr Modi was accompanied by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Jai Ram Thakur, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur, Chief of Defence Staff, CDS Gen BipinRawat and Army Chief General Manoj MukundNaravane.
Atal Tunnel, the longest highway tunnel in the world was built by the Border Roads Organisation. The tunnel reduces the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 km and the travel time by four to five hours. The 9.02-km tunnel connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley throughout the year, the valley was earlier cut off for about six months every year due to heavy snowfall.
The AtalBihari Vajpayee government had taken the decision to construct a strategic tunnel below the Rohtang Pass on June 3, 2000, and the foundation stone for the access road to the south portal of the tunnel was laid on May 26, 2002.
In December 2019, the Government decided to name the Rohtang Tunnel as Atal Tunnel in honour of the former Prime Minister and scholar AtalBihari Vajpayee who had passed away the previous year.

Tribal affairs ministry launches Tribes e- marketplace

Minister of Tribal Affairs ArjunMunda today virtually launched India’s largest handicraft and organic products marketplace- Tribes India E-Marketplace. Keeping in line with the vision of the Prime Minister of making India Aatmanirbhar and self-reliant, this initiative of TRIFED will showcase the produce and handicrafts of tribal enterprises from across the country.
It will help them market their products directly. On this occasion, Mr Munda also flagged off several other TRIFED initiatives that are aimed to support the tribal brethren.
These include the inauguration of Tribes India’s 123rd and 124th outlets in Rishikesh and Kolkata, inclusion of new tribal product ranges from the states of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh and partnership of TRIFED and Tribes India with Amazon in their Seller Flex programme. The Minister also launched Pakur Honey which is 100 per cent natural honey, gathered by SanthalTribals from Pakur in Jharkhand.
Addressing the occasion, Mr ArjunMunda said TRIFED aims to onboard 5 lakh tribal producers for sourcing of various handicraft, handloom, natural food products across the country.

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::ECONOMY::

NCLAT issues guidelines on resolution plan

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has said that once a resolution plan for a debt-ridden company is approved by the lenders, the successful bidder cannot be permitted to withdraw its offer.
A three-member NCLAT bench said the sanctity of the resolution process has to be maintained and such withdrawal by a successful bidder ‘frustrates’ the entire exercise of Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process.
Moreover, there is also no express provision in the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code to allow any successful resolution applicant to ‘stage a U-turn’, it added.
“Provision for submission of a Performance Bank Guarantee by a resolution applicant while submitting its resolution plan, as required under the amended provisions of IBBI [Insolvency Resolution Process of Corporate Persons] Regulations, 2016 is a step in this direction, but may not be deterrent enough to prevent a Successful Resolution Applicant from taking a U-turn,” the NCLAT said.

Jalshakti ministry launches campaign to supply piped water to schools

Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat today launched 100-days campaign to provide potable piped water supply in Schools and Anganwadi Centres.
This mission was envisaged by the Prime Minister NarendraModi on 29th of last month, while releasing the ‘Margdarshika’ for Gram Panchayats and PaaniSamitis for implementation of JalJeevan Mission. Prime Minister had appealed to the States to make best use of this campaign to ensure provision of potable piped water supply in these public institutions.
Under the JalJeevan Mission States and Union Territories are to ensure that during the campaign, Gram Sabhas are convened at the earliest to pass a resolution for providing safe water in all schools, anganwadi centres and other public institutions in the village in the next 100 days. These facilities will be operated and maintained by the Gram Panchayat and its sub-committee.
The Ministry said, this is a befitting tribute to the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his 151st birth anniversary. JalJeevan Mission aims at the universal coverage of provision of tap water connection to every rural home by 2024. Under the mission, special focus is on women and children.

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::INTERNATIONAL::

India aims achieving nuclear disarmament gradually

Foreign Secretary Harsh VardhanShringla has said that India reiterates its long-standing and unwavering commitment to universal, verifiable and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament leading to the complete elimination of nuclear weapons.
Mr Shringla said this while addressing the high-Level Plenary meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
He said, India believes that nuclear disarmament can be achieved through a step-by-step process underwritten by a universal commitment and an agreed multilateral framework. India remains convinced of the need for meaningful dialogue among all States possessing nuclear weapons, for building trust and confidence.
The Foreign Secretary said, India espouses the policy of No First Use against nuclear weapon states and non-use against non-nuclear weapon states. India is a key partner in global efforts towards disarmament and strengthening the non-proliferation order.

Armenia agrees for mediation with Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani forces on Friday struck Stepanakert, the main city in Azerbaijan’s breakaway NagornyKarabakh region, wounding “many” people, an Armenian official said as fighting raged for a sixth day.
The two neighbours have been locked in a simmering conflict for decades over the region and new fighting that erupted on Sunday has been the heaviest in decades.
In a joint appeal, Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron urged the two sides to return to negotiations aimed at resolving the longstanding dispute.
Mr. Macron has warned NATO member Turkey — which backs Azerbaijan — against the alleged deployment of militants from Syria to the Karabakhconflict.The separatist government in Stepanakert said Azerbaijani forces destroyed a bridge linking Armenia to Karabakh.

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::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::

India-Bangladesh naval exercise gets underway at bay of Bengal

The 2nd edition of Indian and Bangladesh Navy Bilateral Exercise Bongosagar is scheduled to commence in Northern Bay of Bengal today.
Exercise is aimed at developing interoperability and joint operational skills through conduct of a wide spectrum of maritime exercises and operations. The Ministry of Defence in a statement said, ships from both navies will participate in surface warfare drills, seamanship evolutions and helicopter operations.
This exercise will be followed by the 3rd edition of Indian and Bangladesh Navy Coordinated Patrol in Northern Bay of Bengal from 4th to 5th October , wherein both the units will undertake joint patrolling along the International Maritime Boundary Line.
This edition of Exercise Bongosagar assumes greater significance since it is being conducted during MujibBarsho, the 100th birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh MujiburRahman.

::SPORTS::

Sports ministry flags off CRPF DivyangYodha Cycle rally

Youth Affairs and Sports Minister KirenRijiju today flagged in CRPF DivyangYodha Cycle rally that began its journey from Sabarmati Ashram, Gujarat and culminated at Rajpath today on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.
The cycle rally covered about one thousand kilometre to reach Delhi in the last 16 days. The rally team consisted of six women of CRPF Mahila Battalions.

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