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Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 27 July 2014

PM launches engagement platform

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched an online platform mygov.nic.in to engage citizens in the task of “good governance” (surajya) as he completed 60 days in office. MyGov is a technology-driven platform that would provide people with the opportunity to contribute towards good governance.
Groups and corners are an important part of MyGov. The platform has been divided into various groups namely Clean Ganga, Girl Child Education, Clean India, Skilled India, Digital India, Job Creation. Each group allows for online and on-ground tasks to be undertaken by contributors.
In a video address posted on the Prime Minister’s website, Mr. Modi pointed out there was a widespread belief in the country that after a government is elected, a gap develops between the people and the executive.

In a forecast that would bring cheer to vast swathes of the country, weather officials have said that the momentum picked up by southwest monsoon in July is likely to continue in August with normal rainfall expected next month.
While July is likely to receive rainfall of 93 per cent of the long period average (LPA), rainfall of 96 per cent of the LPA is expected in August.
According to the India Meteorological Department, 96-104 per cent of the LPA means normal rainfall whereas 90-96 makes for below normal monsoon showers.

India said at the WTO General Council meeting in Geneva that the failure of the trade body to work in the interests of all its members and to deliver meaningfully on the development mandate of the Doha Development Round would pose a far more serious risk to its credibility than any other factor.
India suggested that the adoption of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) be postponed till satisfactory progress is made on the issue of finding permanent protection for India’s minimum support prices to farmers against the WTO subsidy caps that are benchmarked to food prices of the 1980s.
India said it was not opposed to the TFA but demanded that other decisions of Bali be taken forward in the same time frame and demanded that the adoption of the TF Protocol be postponed till a permanent solution on public stockholding for food security is found.
India proposed modifications to the Protocol, including setting December 31, 2014 as the deadline for finding a permanent solution on public stockholding for food security, Other suggestions include the immediate establishment of an institutional mechanism such as a dedicated Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture to arrive at the permanent solution by the deadline.
India pointed out that the developing countries had accepted the Bali package in good faith reassured by the renewed affirmation of commitment to the Doha Development Agenda and its development dimension.

The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) moved to the Supreme Court to get transferred its case in the Jabalpur High Court challenging the decision to raise the height of the Sardar Sarovar dam in Gujarat to the final level of 138.7 metres from the present 121.9 metres.
The three-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice T.S. Thakur declined NCA’s plea and sought to know why it should be done.
Appearing personally Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the apex court that the NBA has sought to put on hold NCA’s decision on raising the dam height of the multi-state Sardar Sarovar (or Narmada) dam under construction in Gujarat. The other states involved in the project are Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Various court orders and the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal award say that oustees have to be resettled at least six months in advance of raising the height of the dam.

The Israeli military says a 12-hour humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza will start on 26th july morning. The statement warns that the military “shall respond if terrorists choose to exploit” the lull to attack Israeli troops “or fire at Israeli civilians.”
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry failed to broker a weeklong truce as a first step toward a broader deal and Israel’s defence minister warned Israel might soon expand its Gaza ground operation “significantly.” Palestinians across the territory staged protests against Israel’s Gaza operation and the rising casualty toll there.
Thousands of Gaza residents who had fled Israel-Hamas fighting streamed back to devastated border areas during a lull on Saturday. At least 985 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed and more than 6,000 wounded over the past 19 days.
The Israeli government has also begun suggesting that Gaza be demilitarised as a condition for a permanent ceasefire so that Hamas cannot rearm itself ahead of yet another round of fighting. The current war is the third in Gaza in just over five years. Gaza militants have fired close to 2,500 rockets at Israel since July 8.

Sources: Various News Papers & PIB

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