Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 18 June 2018

India and world

China's envoy to India Luo Zhaohui informally pitched a summit among India, Pakistan and China on the sidelines of a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to improve regional relations.
We cannot stand another Doklam incident. Let's make a joint effort to maintain peace along the border," he said referring to last year's three month-long border standoff at the India-China-Bhutan trijunction.
We need to control, manage and narrow differences through expanding cooperation.
Luo then outlined his four-point vision for the future of India-China cooperation.
Sign a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, negotiate a bilateral Free Trade Agreement, enhance connectivity and work for early harvest on boundary issue.

HIGHLIGHTS

Luo said China, Russia and Mongolia had a similar summit, so he sees no reason why India, Pakistan and China can't
He added that peace along the borders is in the interests of all nations
Luo said China will import more sugar, non-Basmati rice and high-quality medicines from India to reduce trade imbalance

India is striving to become a $ 5 trillion economy and the world’s third largest consumer market by 2025
Mr. Kovind, the first Indian President to travel to Greece in 11 years, arrived on the first leg of his three-nation tour.
“Greece and India presented the ideals of civilisation and culture in the ancient world. The relations between the two countries are very old and deep. Greek historian Megasthenes introduced India to the world through his book ‘Indica’.
We are working towards making India a $ 5 trillion economy and the world’s third largest consumer market by 2025. According to the World Bank and IMF, our growth rate is going to be high.
Currently India’s economy is estimated at $ 2.5 trillion. M r. Kovind said India had a very strong position in the world with the perspective of democracy, demographic divided and demand.
India-Greece bilateral trade stands at $ 530 million and some Indian companies are also present in the infrastructure, pharmaceutical and steel sectors in the central European nation.
Greece is home to a 12,000-strong Indian diaspora.

North Delhi Mayor Adesh Gupta says All wards of North Delhi Municipal Corporation are open defecation free.
The corporation meets all the requirements of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in terms of number of community and public toilets.
Apart from government-constructed toilets, he said, a total 2,064 seats for men and 3,257 seats for women are available in public washrooms, including the ones at petrol pumps, restaurants, metro stations and DDA markets.

The government is committed to meet the fiscal deficit target of 3.3 per cent for the current fiscal.
The government will maintain stability in the economy and meet all economic parameters fixed by the government,.
Fiscal deficit stood at 3.53 per cent of the GDP, broadly in line with the government’s revised estimates for 2017-18.
The revenue deficit was 2.65 per cent of the GDP. In absolute terms, the fiscal deficit was Rs 5.91 lakh crore, or 99.5 per cent, of the Budget estimates.
The government, in the Budget in February, had revised the fiscal deficit target for 2017-18 to 3.5 per cent from the earlier estimate of 3.2 per cent.

A US association of immigration advocates recently filed a lawsuit against the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), seeking to procure documents, which would explain increased scrutiny and denials of H-1B petitions by the government unit.
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), which filed this suit, is a voluntary body of 15,000 plus immigration attorneys and academicians.
In 2017, AILA got reports from its members of an increasing number of requests for evidence (RFEs), followed by an increase in the rejection of H-1B visa applications
Concerned that these trends indicated a shift in USCIS adjudication standards, AILA filed two separate requests seeking documents (especially on wage and speciality occupation determination).
For the 2018-19 season, which would permit successful H-1B visa applicants to work from October 1, USCIS received 1.90 lakh applications, far outstripping the annual quota of 85,000 (which includes 20,000 under the Masters Cap restricted for applicants having advanced degrees from US universities).
When an RFE is issued, the employers sponsoring the H-1B visa and their attorneys have to provide further evidence to prove the need of such as visa and eligibility of the beneficiary (employee) for whom the visa is sought.
Focus is on speciality occupation: An H-1B visa is a temporary non-immigrant work visa for professional workers in speciality occupations, which require a minimum qualification of a bachelor's degree.

HIGHLIGHTS

The American Immigration Lawyers Association filed a lawsuit against USCIS, seeking to procure documents, which would explain denials of H-1B petitions
For 2018-19, which would permit successful H-1B visa applicants to work from October 1, USCIS received 1.90 lakh applications, far outstripping the annual quota of 85,000

Mexicans jumping in jubilation on Sunday shook the ground hard enough to set off earthquake detectors and throngs danced in the streets after their team scored a surprise victory over World Cup defending champion Germany.
Mexican football jerseys had watched on a giant screen in front of a towering cathedral as Mexico beat Germany 1-0 in Moscow.
star player Hirving Lozano scored a goal in the 35th minute, supporters jumped up and down, shouting.