National Current Affairs – UPSC/iAS Exams- 7th October 2019

by Mentors4ias · October 9, 2019

India Bangladesh Relations

Topic: International Relations

In News: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India marks another positive step in the relationship between India and Bangladesh.

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In the recent visit MOUs inked by Bangladesh and India include Establishment of a coastal surveillance system, cooperation in youth affairs, a cultural exchange programme and the withdrawal of 1.82 cusec of water from Feni River by India under a drinking water supply scheme for Tripura.
Agreements on the use of the Chattogram and Mongla ports for movement of goods to and from India and the renewal of a line of credit committed by New Delhi to Dhaka were also signed along with an MoU between Dhaka University and the University of Hyderabad.
The two premiers also launched three joint projects via video link.
These involve the import of liquefied petroleum gas or LPG from Bangladesh to northeast India, the inauguration of Bangladesh-India Professional Skill Development Institute in Khulna and the Vivekanand Bhawan at the Ramakrishna Mission in Dhaka.
Over the last decade, Bangladesh and India have witnessed remarkable progress in cooperation in a large number of areas.

Challenges in India Bangladesh relations:

River disputes: India shares 54 transboundary rivers, big and small.
In 1996, the sharing of the Ganga waters was successfully agreed upon between the two nations. However, the major area of dispute has been India’s construction and operation of the Farakka Barrage to increase water supply to the river Hooghly. Bangladesh complains that it does not get a fair share of the water in the dry season and some of its areas get flooded when India releases excess waters during the monsoons.
Bangladesh has been demanding to stop the construction of the Tipaimukh Hydro-Electric Power Project on the Barak River on the eastern edge of Bangladesh.
Teesta River is a major source of irrigation to the paddy growing region of Bangladesh.In 1983, an ad hoc arrangement on sharing water was made. The transient agreement could not be implemented.Bangladesh has sought an equitable distribution of Teesta waters, on the lines of Ganga Water Treaty of 1996. In 2011 India and Bangladesh finalized an arrangement, by which India would get 42.5% and Bangladesh 37.5% while remaining 20% would flow unhindered in order to maintain a minimum water flow of the river. This agreement was not signed due to opposition from chief minister of West Bengal.
Bangladesh has been demanding to stop the construction of the Tipaimukh Hydro-Electric Power Project on the Barak River on the eastern edge of Bangladesh.
Border Management: The Indo Bangladesh border is of porous nature which provides pathway for smuggling, trafficking in arms, drugs and people.
Illegal immigrants: Since the 1971 war of independence that created the state of Bangladesh, millions of Bangladeshi immigrants (the vast majority of them illegal) have poured into India. This is changing the demography of northeastern states which is causing unrest.
China factor: The ever-increasing presence of China in India’s neighborhood is a major cause of concern. The smaller countries like Bangladesh uses China card to supplement its bargaining capacity against India.
Rohingya crisis: There are almost 11 lakh Rohingyas refugees living in Bangladesh. While India has supplied humanitarian aid to Bangladesh under ‘Operation Insaniyat’ for the Rohingya crisis but Bangladesh expects India to put pressure on Myanmar for repatriation of over a million of Rohingyas.
Increasing radicalisation: Presence of groups like Harkat-alJihad-al-Islami (HUJI) and Jamaat-e-Islami fuel Anti-India sentiments in Bangladesh. Their propaganda could spill across border.

Steps taken by India to improve relations:

Trade: Steps were taken including reduction in customs and immigration documents, establishment of 49 land customs stations, integrated check posts etc. India is developing Boarder Haat with Bangladesh. This includes establishment of traditional system of marketing the local produce through local markets.
Connectivity: BBIN Initiative aims to facilitate movement of vehicles carrying cargo and passengers in each other’s territory without the need for trans-shipment of goods. Through Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWTT), India is assisting Bangladesh to capture the potential of waterways for both inter and intra border connectivity of Bangladesh. India has extended National Knowledge Network for digital connectivity of education with Bangladesh.
Energy: Rooppur atomic energy project, an Indo-Russian project in Bangladesh. India currently exports 660 MW of electricity, on a daily basis, to Bangladesh. Recently a project to supply additional 500 MW of power supply from India to Bangladesh was inagurated. Another inaugurated project included the construction of 130-kilometre India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline Project for the transportation of oil.
Defence: Through defence cooperation framework pact, India is providing Military equipment and technology transfer for enhancing cooperation in the field of strategic and operational studies.
Space: South Asian Satellite (SAARC Satellite) has been launched to boost regional connectivity in the areas of disaster management, tele-education, tele-medicine inter-government networks etc.

Mains Question: “The long-sustained image of India as a leader of the oppressed and marginalised Nations has disappeared on account of its new found role in the emerging global order” Elaborate

Source: Hindu

MOSAiC Mission

Topic: Science and Technology

In News: Vishnu Nandan is the only Indian aboard the multidisciplinary drifting observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition.

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Objective of the MOSAic mission is studying the impact of climate change on the Arctic and how it could affect the rest of the world. The ice, the ocean, the atmosphere, even the wildlife will be sampled. The year-long investigations are designed to give more certainty to the projections of future change.

Key highlights of proposed mission:

The German icebreaker ship RV Polarstern has found a location to begin its year-long drift in Arctic sea-ice. It will settle next to a thick ice floe on the Siberian side of the ocean basin.
They will anchor the ship to a large piece of sea ice and allow the water to freeze around them, effectively trapping themselves in the vast sheet of white that forms over the North Pole each winter.
The scientists will build temporary winter research camps on the ice, allowing them to perform tests that wouldn’t be possible at other times of the year or by satellite sensing.
Participants: Scientists from 17 nations will take part in the year-long mission. The mission has received funding from U.S. institutions such as the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and NASA.

Source: The Hindu

Goa Maritime Conclave, 2019

Topic: International Relations

In News: The Goa Maritime Conclave was inaugurated by the National Security Advisor of India.

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The Conclave was held under three sessions. It focused on capacity building of IOR (Indian Ocean Region) Navies to encounter emerging maritime threats
Theme of the conclave was Common Maritime Priorities in IOR and need for Regional Maritime Strategy.

India’s objectives in the Indian Ocean Region:

To spread its influence across the entire Indian Ocean Region, through trade and investment, diplomacy and strategic partnerships.
Upgrading relations with Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia; regions that hold mineral deposits and energy reserves critical to India’s economic development and great power aspirations.
Positioning itself to emerge as the dominant Indian Ocean power in the decades ahead.
Ensuring that China does not gain a significant strategic foothold in the region
Strengthening influence and control over Indian Ocean choke points through security relationships with key littoral states such as Singapore, Mauritius and Oman.
(The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean of the world and covers nearly 20% of water surface. Four critically important access waterways are the Suez Canal (Egypt), Bab el Mandeb (Djibouti-Yemen), Strait of Hormuz (IranOman), and Strait of Malacca (Indonesia-Malaysia)).

Maritime Threats in the IOR:

Maritime Terrorism: Explosives are smuggled through the region. The Mumbai serial blasts in 1993 and infiltration of 10 Pakistani terrorists were executed by using sea routes. The 2008 Mumbai attack also proved how vulnerable the coasts are.
Piracy: Somalia and Gulf of Aden are predominantly attacked by pirates. The attacks were in their peaks between 2005 and 2012.
Smuggling and human Trafficking Illegal Migration, Infiltration and Refugee Influx are the other threats.

Source: Hindu

Financial Action Task Force

Topic: International Organisations

In News: India called for increased cooperation between the United Nations (UN) and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to deal with the nexus of terrorist groups India.

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The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 on the initiative of the G7. It is a “policy-making body” which works to generate the necessary political will to bring about national legislative and regulatory reforms in various areas. The FATF Secretariat is housed at the OECD headquarters in Paris.
The objectives of the FATF are to set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.
The FATF monitors the progress of its members in implementing necessary measures, reviews money laundering and terrorist financing techniques and counter-measures and promotes the adoption and implementation of appropriate measures globally.
In collaboration with other international stakeholders, the FATF works to identify national-level vulnerabilities with the aim of protecting the international financial system from misuse.
FATF maintains two different lists of countries, those that have deficiencies in their AML/CTF regimes, but they commit to an action plan to address these loopholes, and those that do not end up doing enough. The former is commonly known as grey list and latter as blacklist.

Source: Hindu

e-Waste Clinic

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In News: India’s first e-waste clinic is going to be setup in Bhopal.

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The clinic would ensure scientific handling and disposal of electronic waste generate from both households and commercial establishments.
The Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) have signed an MoU to this effect.
The project would be taken up as a pilot project in Bhopal for three months and will be subsequently replicated across India.
It has been conceived as per the Solid Waste Management Policy, 2016.

Source: Hindu

Electric Vehicles Guidelines

Topic: Government Policies

In News: Ministry of Power has recently approved amendments in Electric Vehicles charging guidelines and specifications.

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Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) nominated as the Central Nodal Agency to facilitate installation of charging infrastructure.
It envisages at least 1charging station should be available in a grid of 3 Km X 3 Km in the cities and 1 charging station at every 25 Km on both sides of highways/roads.
Fast Charging Station for long range and/or heavy duty EVs like buses/trucks etc., shall be installed at every 100 Kms.
Phases of Development: It covers cities in two phases for distributed and demonstrated effect.
Phase I (1-3 years): All Mega Cities with population of 4 million plus as per census 2011, all existing expressways and highways connecting it.
Phase II (3-5 years): State Capitals, UT headquarters
Further, setting up of Public Charging Stations shall be a de-licensed activity and any individual/entity is free to set up public charging stations.
The tariff to be charged has also been mentioned in the guidelines.

Source: PIB

RTI and Government Financed Institutions

Topic: Polity and Governance

In News: Supreme Court in its judgment in the D.A.V. College Trust and Management Society Vs. Director of Public Instructions case held that NGOs which were substantially financed by the appropriate government fall within the ambit of ‘public authority’ under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005.

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Under the Act, ‘public authority’ means any authority or body or institution of self-government established or constituted by or under the Constitution.
In the judgement, ‘substantial’ means a large portion which can be both, direct or indirect.
It need not be a major portion or more than 50% as no straitjacket formula can be resorted to in this regard.
g. if land in a city is given free of cost or at a heavily subsidised rate to hospitals/educational institutions/other bodies, it can qualify as substantial financing.

RTI and Political Parties:

National political parties are ‘substantially’ financed by the Central government.
The various concessions for them include land allocation, accommodation, bungalows in the national and State capitals, tax exemption against income under Section 13A of the Income Tax Act, free air time on television and radio, etc
These can easily satisfy the prerequisite of Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, to be called a ‘public authority’.

Efforts in this Regard:

CIC – In 2013, a full bench of the CIC delivered a historic judgment. It declared that all national parties came under ‘public authorities’ and were within the purview of the RTI Act.
Accordingly, they were directed to designate central public information officers (CPIOs) and the appellate authorities at their headquarters within 6 weeks.
Notwithstanding the binding value of the CIC’s order, none of the 6 national political parties complied with it.
All the parties were absent from the hearing when the commission issued show-cause notices for non-compliance.
In 2013, The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill was introduced in the Parliament; it lapsed after the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha. The Bill aimed at keeping the political parties explicitly outside the purview of RTI.
In 2019, a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court seeking a declaration of political parties as ‘public authority’, and the matter is under judicial consideration.
It is important to have political parties under the RTI regime to have a transparent, corruption free and ethical democracy.