1. Diplomacy in News: Sept.2016
    1. Indus water treaty 1960
    2. Should India stop water to Pakistan?
    3. Bilateral Diplomacy- Sep.2016
  2. GSM2: International Org. / Groupings
    1. G20 Summit, 2016
    2. What is G20 Sherpa?
    3. Other Intl. org in news
  3. India not Involved: Sept.2016
    1. Columbia Referendum & Nobel Peace Prize 2016
    2. Middle East in News: Sept.2016
  4. Defense in news: Sept.2016
    1. PAVA Shells for crowd control
    2. Defense: Exercise, Tests & Purchases in Sept-2016
    3. Defense: Controversies in Sept-2016
  5. Terrorism in News: Sept.2016
  6. Dead in News: Sept.2016
  7. Diaspora and Awards related
  8. Controversial in News: Sept.2016

Diplomacy in News: Sept.2016

In previous part, we saw Environment, Science-Tech, Public health care related current affairs in Sept.2016.
Now moving to Diplomacy and international relations related current affairs for various competitive exams.

Indus water treaty 1960

It was signed between between India and Pakistan with World Bank as negotiator.
Indus river water treaty 1960

Treaty Divides Indus river system in 2-parts
3 Western Rivers 3 Eastern Rivers
  1. Chenab
  2. Jhelum
  3. Indus**

hint: CJI: Chief Justice of India has no jurisdiction over Pakistan! Hence we’ve to give water of these rivers to Pak.

  1. Sutlej**
  2. Beas
  3. Ravi

Hint: SBI nahi “R”. “S” for saffron =Hindustan’s exclusive right.
(कोई भी तुक लगाके रट्टा मारो जिंदाबाद!)

  • India has to let the western rivers flow to Pak in ‘unrestricted’ manner to Pak.
  • India can use this water for ‘non-consumptive’ purpose only.
  • India may use it for irrigation, storage, electricity only as specified in treaty. (though we’ve not done it yet).
India has full rights over Eastern Rivers

 

  • ** these two rivers originate in China. Others originate in India.
  • Each country has to appoint a commissioner, they’ve meet @ every 6 months.

Should India stop water to Pakistan?

  • Pakistan’s 65% geographical area and 90% irrigated area will be dried. Millions of Pakistanis will be deprived of water, electricity and food (cause no water no crops).
  • But, India always complied with treaty, even during Kargil war, we didn’t stop water. We are a peaceful, humanitarian, law abiding country.
  • Srinagar, Jammu and Punjab will get floods, if we stop the water going to Pak.
  • Besides, unlikely that Pak will stop terrorism. In fact, water shortage may be used as another propaganda to incite jihadis and ordinary Pak.Youth against India.

 

Pakistan: other developments in September 2016
MFN
  • Under WTO’s Most favored nation (MFN) status,  a country is supposed to treat all members as their most-favoured nations during international trade.
  • We’ve given this status to Pak but they have not reciprocated.
  • After Uri-Terror attack, India thinking of revoking this status but experts say we already have trade-surplus with Pak so if trade-barriers imposed, it’ll only hurt our exporters more than their exporters, especially in raw-cotton and vegetables.
SAARC
  • SAARC Finance minister’s summit was  be held in Islamabad. Jaitley didn’t go for political reasons, sent one of the IAS secretaries instead.
  • 19th SAARC Summit was to be held at Islamabad, but India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Lanka and Afghanistan boycott it due to Uri terror attack.  Nepal holds the ‘chair’ for this round.
Baluchistan
  • At UN human rights council Geneva, India raises concerns over Pak atrocities in Baluchistan.
  • Brahumdagh Bugti: this Baloch separatist leader in Switzerland wants asylum in India.
Republic Day 2017 Chief guest at republic day of India on 26th January

  • 2015: Obama
  • 2016: Francois Hollande (France)
  • 2017: Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Abu Dhabi). UAE considered a strong ally of Pak, so, he’s invited to make Pak. Nervous.
Hindu marriage
  • Hindus account for 1.6% of Pak population, until now they couldn’t legally register their marriage.
  • Bunt finally Pak-Loksabha cleared Hindu marriage bill.
Chaman border Its bab-e-Dosti  gate connects Afghanistan with Pak. Recently opened again.
Kashmir
  • All party delegation goes to Kashmir to talk with all stakeholders.
  • Government planning to downgrade security protection of separatist leaders, scrutinize their bank accounts but later on u-turn after opposition parties oppose

Bilateral Diplomacy- Sept. 2016

India-USA
  • Signed LEMOA: Logistics exchange memorandum of agreement – so both militaries can use each others’ base for repair and restocking.
  • Now Pak-China also exploring similar security-pact. China to gain more- in its military reach towards Western Asia.
  • Navtej Sarna becomes India’s new ambassador to USA.
Afghanistan
  • Prez Ashraf Ghani met Modi @New Delhi.
  • Afghan government signs peace deal with terrorist/warlord “Gulbudding Hekmatyar” to absorb him into mainstream politics.
68 countries Where no minister has gone before- Modi government will send ministers- to improve bilateral ties and attract more FDI.
Estonia
  • Launched “E-residency” program, meaning outsider can establish, own and run EU-based companies online in Estonia. IT minister Prasad is given e-residency.
India-Egypt
  • President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi to visit Modi @Delhi.
Erbil
  • Erbil is the capital of Iraqui Kurdistan. India will open a consulate here.

GSM2: International Org. / Groupings

For Prelim-MCQs: Venue, Themes, Participants, Outcomes are important.

G20 Summit, 2016

Location? At Hangzhou, China.
Theme? an innovative, invigorated, interconnected and inclusive world economy.
  • India to oppose USA’s move for subsidy end on fossil fuel, and oppose China’s move to setup an info-sharing center against corruption.
  • India unhappy with China because 1) signing of CPEC economic corridor between Pak-China 2) no support to declare Masood Azhar as Terrorist 3) no support for NSG membership.
  • India demands sanction against Pak for sponsoring terrorism.
  • Due to pressure by India-China, No mention of Paris Summit ratification deadline in G20. (but anways, we ratified it on 2nd Oct 2016, China ratified in Sept.2016)

G20 summit & Sherpa

What is G20 Sherpa?

  • Sherpa: is a personal representative of a country’s leader. He ensures smooth proceedings and background coordination during NSG, G8 and G20 summits- just like the Nepali Sherpas do, during Mount Everest climbing they help the adventurers.
  • NITI Vice-chief Arvind Panagariya acted as Sherpa for G20 summit in both 2015 and 2016.

Other Intl. org in news

UN peacekeeping UN deducts Rs.338 crores from payment to India, because we had supplied defective equipments to our peacekeeping forces in Congo and Sudan
NAM
  • Nonaligned movement (NAM) founded in 1961,
  • latest 17th Summit in Venezuela’s Margarita island (2016, sept.); President of Venezuela is Nicolas Maduro.
  • Theme: Peace, Sovereignty and Solidarity for Development.
  • Modi becomes 2nd PM not to participate in it, after Charan Singh (1979).
  • India will be represented by VP Hamid Ansari.
BRICS BRICS summit planned next month, but their NSAs met in 2016-July, decided to launch joint fight against terrorism coming from WANA (West Asia, N.Africa)

India not Involved: Sept.2016

Columbia-FARC & Nobel Peace Prize 2016

  • Columbia (Capital Bogota): civil war raging between government vs. Leftist rebel groups-FARC and ELN.
  • After 52 years of blooth-bath, president Juan Manuel Santos signed peace agreement with FARC at Cartagena, Spain. (and got Nobel Peace Prize 2016 for it).
  • FARC guerrillas agreed to end armed conflict and join political process.
  • But later on public-referendum rejected this peace deal by less than 60,000 votes,  because a section of public is unhappy that guerilla leaders will get away unpunished for their crimes and murders under this peace deal!
  • Now, government will have to go back on negotiation table with FARC.

 

Other developments where India not involved: Sept.2016
USA
  • USA to lift economic sanctions from Mynmar after military junta regime replaced by democratic regime under leadership of Suu Kyi.
  • USA to provide $38 billion to Israel for its security, under the biggest American defense deal signed so far.
  • JASTA law: permits US families to sue Saudi Arabia for damages in 9/11 bombing. Obama uses presidential veto to block it, fearing that other countries might sue USA for similar thing / Saudis may pull investment from USA. But US lawmakers reject veto.
Brazil President Dilma Rousseff impeached. Her vice president Michel Temer tookover- he’ll be president for the remainder of the term I.e. 28 months. But opposition demanding his resignation as well.
N.Korea Tested biggest nuclear bomb.

Middle East in News: Sept.2016

Intifada Arabic word “shake off”- Palestinians used in context of throwing Israelis off the West Bank and Gaza.
Aleppo Syrian city under control of Rebels. Syrian government, with help of Russia, has launched air strike, bombing on this city.
Saudi-Russia Signed crude oil pact so in future during global glut (excessive supply) of crude oil- they may limit output to control the fall in prices.
Kuwait New  law- all have to submit DNA samples before entering/leaving- Bidoon Minority may be persecuted.

Defense in news: Sept.2016

For MCQs and Interview Questions in CAPF, CDS, SSB and AFCAT.

PAVA Shells for crowd control

PAVA shells riot

Meaning
  • Pelargonic acid Vanillylamid is a synthetic pepper extract
  • This organic compound also found in World’s hottest Chill- “bhot Jolokiya” (North Eastern States of India.)
  • Shell can be launched from teargas gun. Range: ~135 meters.
  • Bulk production at Tear Smoke Unit (TSU) of the BSF in Gwalior
Why introduced?
  • PAVA shells introduced after pellet shotgun injuries led to blindness among rioters in Jammu and Kashmir.
  • PAVA shells biosafe, less-lethal, more effective than tear gas and chilli bombs.
Ineffective for crowd control?
  • CRPF-jawans complained PAVA shells not effective in crowd control, their chemical is very dilute and releases very slowly.
  • Besides, PAVA shells useless when rioter is very close to policemen, about to throw petrol bomb etc- in those situations pallet gun is the only solution.
  • JK HC says Pallet guns can’t be banned, because if protest/mob turns violent then use by security forces is inevitable.
  • US/UK police use “Skunk” – a non-toxic malodorant. May be we can explore it

Defense: Tests & Purchases in Sept-2016

LRSAM Long range surface to air missile developed jointly with Israel. DRDO tested @Chandipur.
Rafael
  • India-France conclude 59k crore deal to purchase  Rafael aircrafts
  • 28 single seaters +  8 two-seaters. = 36 aircrafts will be purchased
  • They’ll be Fitted with meteor and scarp missiles and 14 India specific enhancement.
  • Detailed features and positive-negative features (for CDS/SSB interviews) are given in this article

Defense: Controversies in Sept-2016

Scorpene Submarine
  • 2005: under Project 75,  India making these stealth submarines with help of French company DCNS.
  • But an Australian newspaper says confidential data leaked about this submarine’s design.
Embraer This Brazilian company sold three AEW&C earlier warning aircrafts to DRDO in 2008. Now  allegations of bribery in the deal.
AN-32 This IAF aircraft went missing in Bay of Bengal, in 2016-July. IAF now officially declared that all 29 people onboard are “presumed dead.”
Porters
  • Indian army uses 12,000 portals to send ration to soldiers in Siachen and Kargil. But porters denied pension, treated like animals-observed SC.

Terrorism in News: Sept-2016

Relevance: GSM2 (IR) and GSM3 (Internal Security)

Uri Attack, Kashmir

  • Deadliest terror attack on Indian Army. 17+ soldiers killed.
  • Indian army retaliates by conducting a surgical strike on 4 terror-launch pads in PoK.

India should avoid direct war because

  • Not sufficient ammo, and we rely on 6-7 nations for military supplies- some of them are unreliable in emergency, while Pak relies mainy on China.
  • deep state within Pak. State- run by army and ISI
  • Lack of proper policy against attack, kidnap, hijack
  • Need chief of defense staff; need to remove civil-military bureaucratic dissonance
  • Desi military-industrial complex has to be upgraded, by revamping DRDO-DPSU

Terrorism -other news: Sept.2016

Zakir Naik Televangelist under lens for allegedly inciting youth to join terrorism/ISIS. In news because of the controversy surrounding the renewal of his NGO-license.
Preet Bharara
  • USA attorney who played instrumental role in indictment of IFS officer Devyani. He recently visited India for a counter-terror conference.
  • USA intel agencies agreed to exchange terrorism related info via internet to India agencies, under “Emergency Disclosure request (EDR).”
Manhattan bombing Deshi (=crude/homemade) bomb explodes in Manhattan, NY- injuring 29.

Dead in News: September 2016

Donald Ainsle (DA) Henderson Epidemiologist from USA who played an important role in the fight against Smallpox.
Reinhard Selten This German economist had won Nobel for “Game theory” in 1994.
Mother Teresa
  • Born as Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhlu in an Albanian family in Maceodonia (1910)
  • Known for humanitarian work in Kolkata.
  • Will be canonized as “Saint Teresa of Calcutta” at Vetican, in 2016- Sept.
  • External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to attend.
Isabelle Dinoire This french woman was world’s first recipient of face transplant but died of cancer, after the face-transplant drugs decreased her immunity to cancer.
Islam Karimov President of Uzbekistan. Died after iron rule over the country for >25 years.
Deen Dayal Upadhyay
  • Born on 25th Sept. 1916, Vilalge Nagla Chanrabhan, near Mathura in UP.
  • Birth centenary in 2016. Two committees formed by PM to commemorate it in grand manner.
Simon Peres
  • 1993: Signed Oslo Accord for peace deal with PLO.
  • Won 1994 Nobel Peace prize along with Rabin and Yasser Arafat.
  • Ex-President of Israel, till 2014.
  • Died of Stroke
BK Bansal
  • EX DG in Corporate affairs ministry, committed suicide along with son, after alleged harassment by CBI.

Diaspora and Awards related

Miss Priyanka Yoshikawa Daughter of Indian father and Japanese mother- she won Miss Japan title. She has license to train elephants.
Abid Riaz Qureshi This Pakistani American became the first Muslim federal judge of USA. He was nominated by Obama.
Ramesh Raskar This Nasik born Indian-American scientist has won Lemelson-MIT prize worth 5 lakh dollars.
Abraham Verges This India-American physician is given 2015 National humanities Medal by Prez. Obama.
Ig Nobel Prize Given for ridiculous researchers in science e.g. effect of polyester pants on sexual life of rats.

Controversial in News: Sept.2016

Keith Vaz Longest serving Indian origin-UK MP,  implicated in sex-scandal.
Nicholas Sakozi Ex-President of France, accused of overspending during previous election campaign.
Rodrigo Duterte
  • President of Philippines. Called Obama a “son of whore”.
  • Said just like Hitler killed 3 million jews, I’ll kill 3 million drug junkies.
  • Said he’d not mind stopping jt. Military exercises with USA and will warm up with China- if USA continues to treat him like a ‘doormat’. (Oct 2016)
SPS Rathod Ex-DGP of Haryana found guilty of molesting Ruchika Girhotra in 1993, but spared from Jail
Scarlett Keeling Raped and murdered in 2008, accused acquitted.
Marc Anwar Pak actor removed from UK-sitcom after he posted racially abusive tweets against Indians.

Next Polity and economy related Current Affairs in September 2016.