Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 23 June 2018

::NATIONAL::

42 Indians have been detained at a facility in New Mexico for illegal entry into the United States, in the second such episode that has come to light this week.
Indian officials approached the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after hearing from community leaders about the new batch of detainees.
The ICE confirmed that at least 42 detainees at the Otero County Detention Centre in New Mexico, not far from the El Paso border crossing from Mexico, are Indians.
It is likely that more cases of Indians being detained will emerge, as the Trump Administration continues with its ‘zero tolerance’ enforcement of immigration laws.

According to the Centre’s Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016, all States have to annually apprise the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the steps taken to reign in plastic use, whether a ban is in force, and the strength and performance of a recycler and waste-processing network.
The latest such report as of July 2016 notes that only 24 States and Union Territories have complied with these directions. Most States, while claiming a ban, qualify it by saying that the ban is imposed in specific towns or cities. Or that it is focussed on particular categories of plastic.
The law requires that all plastic waste recyclers register themselves butIt is observed that most of the States/UTs have not set-up proper monitoring system for use of carry bags as per the specified guidelines.
It has been observed that those States/UTs, who have imposed complete ban on use and sale of plastic carry bags, the plastic bags are stocked, sold and used indiscriminately.
India generates an estimated 32 million metric tonnes of packaging waste each year, of which plastic waste constitutes 16%. But only 60% of the collected plastic waste is recycled.
Around 43% of manufactured plastics are used for packaging, most of it “single-use” plastic. So far, not a single one of the 24 States that report their plastic waste management performance have plans in place to tackle single use plastics.

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) made a case for limitedAadhaar data access for the police to crack crimes, the UIDAI asserted that use of Aadhaar biometric data for criminal investigation is not allowed under the Aadhaar Act.
The “very limited” exception to this, said UIDAI, is allowed under Section 33 of the Aadhaar Act, which permits use of or access to biometric data in cases involving national security, only after pre-authorisation by an oversight committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary.

With an aim to woo passengers with deep pockets, cash-strapped Air India on Friday relaunched its business and first-class cabins on international flights offering them iPads, an enhanced choice of food, a range of wines, new upholstery and night kits.
First to benefit from these offers will be passengers destined to the U.S., with the business and economy class of the airline’s Boeing 777 planes expected to be revamped by July-end, followed by the Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

The Parliament of the Seychelles will not ratify India’s plans to build a naval base in the western Indian Ocean region.
The state visit of President Faure is part of regular high-level exchanges between India and the Seychelles, and will accord an opportunity to review our wide-ranging bilateral cooperation, including in the fields of defence and security and development partnerships.
Seychelles has indicated that instead of allowing India to run the base, it would like to develop a coast guard facility at the Assumption. The Indian project was to include facility for Indian ships and an airstrip that would allow New Delhi to guard the energy lanes vital to India’s economy.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in will visit India in July and hold meetings with Prime Minister NarendraModi when the two countries are expected to sign a number of MoUs and strengthen the bilateral economic engagement.
The main purpose of his visit to India is to upgrade the partnership. When Prime Minister Modi visited South Korea in 2015, launched a special strategic partnership. This time it is to mature this partnership.
The country wants to expand the scope of its diplomacy beyond North-East Asia.
It would help Korean companies in India if more ‘Korea Plus’ desks are set up in south India.Right now there are 450 companies and 6,000 Korean nationals in south India.