Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 15 April 2015

:: National ::

Growth paths of economies divergent this year: IMF

In its World Economic Outlook released, the IMF said that economic growth in India will result from the Modi government’s recent policy reforms, a consequent pickup in investment, and lower oil prices. Lower oil prices will raise real disposable incomes, particularly among poorer households, and help drive down inflation, it said.
The latest projections released are pegged higher than those in the IMF’s January 2015 Outlook update, which had forecast 6.3 per cent growth for 2015 and 6.5 per cent for 2016.
Both the World Bank and the IMF’s projections for the current year are less optimistic than that of the Reserve Bank.
The Central Bank-projected growth in 2015-16 (7.8 per cent) will be barely 30 bps faster than in 2014-15 (7.5 per cent) last week in its first bi-monthly monetary policy statement of 2015-16.
Speaking to reporters after the release of the Outlook, IMF Chief Economist Olivier Blanchard said there was an increasing divergence in the growth paths of the world’s major economies this year, as a pick-up in the euro zone and India is expected to be offset by diminished prospects in other key emerging markets.
Responding to a question, he said, he agreed with the general consensus that the U.S. Federal Reserve would raise interest rates later this year.

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:: International :

U.N. imposes arms embargo on Huthi rebels

World powers imposed an arms embargo on Yemeni rebels and demanded they relinquish territory seized in a sweeping offensive that forced U.N.-backed President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi to flee overseas.
The U.N. Security Council vote came soon after Iran, a key ally of the Huthi Shia rebels, proposed a peace plan for Yemen calling for a ceasefire followed by foreign-mediated talks by all sides.
U.N. rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein called on Tuesday for investigations into the high level of civilian casualties that account for almost half of the at least 736 deaths recorded in the conflict.
Also, in a setback for the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, it said its ideological leader Ibrahim al-Rubaish had been killed in a drone strike.
Russia, which has friendly relations with Iran, abstained from the U.N. Security Council vote, but did not veto the measure that was put forward by Jordan and Gulf countries and backed by the other 14 of the 15 Council members.
The U.N. resolution was the first formal action taken by the Security Council since the start of the Saudi-led bombing raids.
The resolution demands that the Shia Huthis withdraw from Sana’a and all other areas seized during their months-long offensive.
It slaps an arms embargo on Huthi leaders and their allies, a measure that Russia sought to extend to all sides in the conflict.
The resolution puts Huthi leader Abdulmalik al-Huthi and ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s eldest son, Ahmed, on a sanctions list, imposing a global travel ban and an assets freeze on the two men.

Will support India’s U.N. bid: Cameron

David Cameron has promised that a Conservative government will support India’s bid for permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council.
Launching the party’s election manifesto in Swindon, Mr. Cameron said that his party will, if elected, “Build on our strong relationship with India, push for an ambitious EU-India trade deal and support India’s bid for permanent representation on the U.N. Security Council.”
The manifesto also calls for strengthening ties and economic links with China, “doubling support for British firms selling goods there and championing an EU-China trade deal.”
The reference to India comes at the end of the 81-page manifesto of what Mr. Cameron referred to as the “party of the working people.” The manifesto presents his party as the go-to place for working people “offering security at every stage of your life.”
He promised a range of measures in keeping with that pledge that had a definite Labour ring to them — from lifting taxes on working people who work at minimum wages for 30 hours a week; to increasing spending on the National Health Service to £8 billion a year by 2020, and double free childcare to 30 hours a week.
The Green Party also released its manifesto on Tuesday, choosing the Arcola theatre in east London as a venue to showcase the fuel-efficient business that it runs. The party had only one MP in the last elections, but could play a role in government formation if it performs better, more so there is a hung Parliament.
The focus of its manifesto was on ending economic austerity and addressing the environmental crisis. Hopeful of a green surge, the Green Party leader Natalie Bennett said that they would support a Labour government on issues.
The manifesto has promised £85bn of spending on energy saving schemes, an increase in welfare benefits, re-nationalising the railways and a £10 per hour minimum wage by 2020.
The only party to launch a separate manifesto for the BAME (Black African Minority Ethnic) population, the Labour chose Leicester to do so — a city where 55 per cent of the population is non-white, and where the high-profile Indian-origin Labour politician Keith Vaz is standing.
Promising a “better plan” to break down the barriers still faced by people from non-white backgrounds in Britain, Labour leader Ed Miliband pledged a “cross-government race equality strategy to drive progress across government.”
On the crucial issues of immigration, terrorism and the radicalisation of British Muslim youth, the manifesto had nothing to say.

‘Kafkaesque restrictions’ on reporter: WaPo

Paper calls charges against its detained journalist ‘absurd’ and reveals that Rezaian only gets an hour to meet with lawyer before next month’s trial
The Washington Post has accused Iran of imposing “Kafkaesque restrictions” on the case of Jason Rezaian, the paper’s Tehran bureau chief who has been imprisoned there for nearly nine months.
Martin Baron, the newspaper’s executive editor, said that Iran has displayed “abject unfairness” in the case of Mr. Rezaian, who was arrested at gunpoint in July 2014.
Iran’s official Fars news agency reported on Sunday that Mr. Rezaian — who holds dual Iranian and American citizenship — will be tried on charges of “espionage” and “acting against national security”.
The Post ’s editorial board said the charges, if accurately reported by the Iranian press, were “absurd” and said the case against the reporter would be “laughable were it not being used to justify an outrageous human rights abuse”. Mr. Rezaian was detained in July 2014 after security forces raided his home in Tehran and arrested him, his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, who is also a journalist, and two friends.
After months of being restricted access to a lawyer, Mr. Rezaian’s family said the journalist was finally permitted to visit with his attorney, Leila Ahsan, but the meeting was held in the judge’s chambers, and they were not allowed to discuss her client’s case.
Mr. Baron said on Tuesday that Ms. Ahsan and Mr. Rezaian are scheduled to meet next week, but the meeting has been limited to one hour. It is the only visit allowed in advance of the upcoming trial before Iran’s Revolutionary Court.
Since his arrest, Rezaian has been subject to solitary confinement, lengthy interrogations and limited access to counsel and visits from family members. He was forced to sleep on the floor, and suffered from infections that went untreated for some time and other health concerns.
Mr. Rezaian was formally charged in January, but the Iranian government has yet to publicly disclose the charges, and the local media report did not disclose the source of its information. A trial is expected to begin next month.
“These kinds of Kafkaesque restrictions reflect the abject unfairness that Iran has shown at every turn in its handling of Jason’s case,” Mr. Baron said. He called reports in the Iranian press “fanciful” and “transparently absurd”.

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:: Business and Economy ::

Wheat procurement will be lower this year

There is a growing concern in official circles about untimely rain and hail in the northern parts of the country hitting wheat procurement for the Public Distribution System by an estimated three million tonnes this year.
This may not augur well for a country that is committed to providing cheap foodgrains to 67 per cent of its population under the National Food Security Act.
The target was to procure 28 million tonnes of wheat, but it is likely to slip to 25 million tonnes, well-placed sources told.
This will be five million tonnes lower than what the Food Corporation of India and its agencies had procured last year.
This is on the back of the downward revision of wheat production this rabi season — from 96 million tonnes to an estimated 92 million tonnes — due to damage to standing crop.
The Agriculture Ministry estimates the loss in wheat production to the tune of about 4 million tonnes on account of late rain and hail that has played havoc with standing wheat crop in parts of Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
At places, the standing mustard and horticulture crop has suffered huge damage.
As State after State is sending memorandum to the Centre for help, the government on Tuesday relaxed the quality norms for purchase of wheat in Haryana as it had done earlier for Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
The relaxation for shrivelled and broken wheat grains has been raised by three per cent to nine per cent for Haryana. However, the farmers whose below-par wheat is purchased for the central pool will face a cut of Rs.14.50 paise per quintal in the minimum support price for their produce.
The MSP is fixed for the Fair Average Quality of grain that is purchased by the FCI and its agencies. For the 2015-16 marketing season it is set at Rs.1,450 per quintal.
The Central government has decided that the grain that has suffered lustre loss of more than 10 per cent and up to 50 per cent of the affected kernels will also be purchased with a value cut of Rs.3.63 paise per quintal.

:: Science and Technology ::

Invisible dark matter mapped at cosmic scale

In a first, cosmologists have generated an enormous map of the distribution of dark matter in our universe, tracing the invisible substance by monitoring its gravitational effects on light.
The picture maps clumps and voids of dark matter in a patch of sky covering around two million galaxies and showing features hundreds of millions of light years across, Nature reported.
“The observations fit the standard picture of cosmology strikingly well, as dark matter is thought to be the main driver in the formation of large-scale cosmic structures,” said lead developer Chihway Chang.
Using a 570-megapixel camera at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, the researchers photographed about two million galaxies.

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:: Sports ::

Roland Garros prize money increased

The prize money at the Roland Garros will rise to €28 million this year, an increase of €3 million from last year.
The men’s and women’s champions will receive €1.8 million each, €150,000 more than 2014, and losing finalists will receive €900,000, a raise of €75,000.
Tournament director Gilbert Ysern said: “This notable increase in Roland Garros prize money is part of the four-year plan that was put in place for 2013 until 2016.”
There are also notable increases for players losing during the first week of the tournament.
The tournament begins on May 24.

India holds Australia

After two consecutive defeats, the Indian women’s hockey team put up a much-improved show to hold world No. 2 Australia to a goalless draw in their third match of the Hawke’s Bay Cup .
India, thus, opened its account in the points table while it was Australia’s third consecutive draw. India had earlier lost 2-1 to China and 4-2 to USA.
Indian custodian Savita pulled off numerous saves to leave the Australians frustrated.
The defenders were also excellent and kept the Australians at bay in the first quarter. Hockeyroos had two penalty corners in the opening 15 minutes but on both occasion, Savita came up with brilliant saves.
India next plays host New Zealand on April 16.