1. Bilateral relations
  2. International Summits & meetings
  3. International Tragedies / Crisis
  4. Internal security
  5. Defense and Science Tech
  6. Agriculture
  7. Climate/Pollution/energy
  8. Parks, Sanctuaries, Wildlife spots
  9. Culture
  10. States in News

Bilateral relations

India-China: Economy Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya will meet with China’s Development Research Centre (DRC) on topics related to economy and social development.
India-China: Terrorism
  • Two-tier structure setup between our Home Ministry and the Ministry of Public Security of China- consisting of ministers and bureaucrats from each side.
  • This will provide an institutional platform that will cover all issues that impact on the “internal security” of the two countries such as law enforcement, cybercrimes, terrorism, trans-border crimes and drug trafficking.
India UK
  • Modi visit to UK: Pacts signed to increase people-to-people ties, strengthen Indian diaspora community
  • Problem area: Trade between India and the UK has been dipping since 2011, mainly over regulation and taxation issues.
  • Modi inaugurated a memorial in London dedicated to B.R. Ambedkar and visited Wembley Stadium in London.
India Nepal
  • Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli criticised India and blamed Madhesi people for ongoing blockade which has led to shortage of fuel and medicine.
  • He accused the Indian Oil Corporation of not delivering fuel despite early and advance payment for fuel.
  • Nepali cable operators banned on Indian channels due to ongoing blockade .
  • Indian SSB jawans were detained by Nepal army but released.
  • India sent a delegation of journalist to show its perspective.
India Malaysia.
  • Modi  unveiled a 12-ft bronze statue of Swami Vivekananda in Malaysia.
  • The statue was a gift from a Belur Math devotee in India
India & Japan
  • 15,000 crore North East connectivity project
  • India-Japan will create a manufacturing hub in this region.
  • But differences between Indian agencies and JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) on cost and security angles.
  • Japan plus cell for expediting clearances for Japanese investments in India.
Li Yuanchao, Vice-President of China, visited India, Anjanta caves, signed agreements on river water management and cultural exchanges.
Dmitry Rogozin  Dy PM of Russia, cancelled planned visit to Delhi .

International Summits & meetings

APEC Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum meeting in Manila in Philippines.
ASEAN
  • ASEANS is a 10-member grouping founded in 1967
  • 27th Summit held at Kuala Lampur ,Malaysia
  • India will soon provide electronic visa facility to all 10 Asean members
  • India will set up an Asean-India innovation platform to facilitate commercialisation of low-cost technologies
  • India will focus on CMLV- Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam for its “Make Outside India” program.
ASEAN-India summit held at Kuala Lumpur.
BBIN
  • 4 nation Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal car rally  reached at Tripura.
  • It’ll follow the routes described in BBIN-Motor Vehicle Agreement signed between these four countries at Thimphu.
China Yuan included as a reserve currency in IMF-SDR with effect from 1st October 2016. For more details refer to powerpoint ML5/P4.
Delhi Global Focal Point Conference on Asset Recovery held.
G20
  • Annual G20meet @ Turkish city Antalya; President of Turkey is Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
  • Next G20 meeting @China.
  • India-Australia concluded the civil nuclear agreement for supply of Uranium.
  • Australia has about a third of world’s recoverable uranium resources. India will be the first country to buy Australian uranium without being a signatory to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty + Anti-terrorism coordination
Kosovo
  • 2008: Kosovo declared independence from Serbia.
  • Its bid for UNESCO membership rejected. Because such bid requires support of 2/3rd voting or 94 “yes” votes.
Malta Common wealth summit held. Nauru is the most smallest populous nation of commonwealth nations. But, most successful in terms of per capita income among common wealth nations.
Myanmar
  • Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won majority seats (364 seats out of 491)
  • Suu Kyi cannot become President herself under a Constitution drafted by the military, because her son has foreign citizenship.
Paris Climate change summit to be held in December 2015.

International Tragedies / Crisis

Egypt
  • Russian airliner carrying 224 passengers crashed into the mountainous area of Sinai Peninsula.
France
  • Terrorist attack at 6 locations of Paris, over 120 killed. Europe’s largest Muslim population lives in France.
  • French President Francois Hollande chief guest at the Republic Day parade of India
Maldives
  • Emergency declared between 4 to 10th November.
  • Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Ghafoor was the vice president of Maldives, but police arrested him on the charges of hatching plot to assassinate President of Maldives Mr. Abdullah Yameen through a boat blast.

Internal security

Anup Chetia Bangladesh handed over this ULFA leader to India. He was arrested 18 years ago.
Asiya Andrabi Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief, separatist leader of Kashmir, praised by Nawaz sharif.
Chhota Rajan Arrested from Bali, Indonesia. Indonesia is the biggest country in ASEAN.
David Headley Pakistan-born American terror operative and former source of FBI. He has been granted pardon by Mumbai special court to turn approver and a witness against 26/11 mastermind Abu Jundal (In December 2015)
Greenpeace NGO its registration cancelled for violating various norms under FCRA act. More details under Powerpoint Mains_L5_P1.pptx
Interpol chief  Jurgen Stock  met modi @Global Focal Point Conference on Asset Recovery in New Delhi
Kashmiri Migrants Union’s Rs.2000 crores for rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants- 3000 government jobs, 6000 homes. Although Kashmiri Pandits unhappy since similar scheme in 2008 was a fiasco due to apathetic attitude of state regime.

Defense and Science Tech

Barak NG Next Generation Missile

Image taken from Times of India

AIIMS Delhi
  • country’s first Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) outlet.
  • AMRIT programme is aimed at lowering treatment cost of cancer and cardio-vascular diseases here drugs will be sold at highly discounted rates.
Defence procurement policy 2015
  • To provide level playing field for Micro, Small and medium enterprises (MSMEs)
  • first DPP was drafted in 1992 and has since been revised several times, last time in 2013.
GSAT-15
  • This communications satellite was launched Using Ariane-5 launch vehicle.
  • from Kourou in French Guiana in South America.
  • It also included GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) payload, expected to work for next 12 years.
Indian Air Force By June 2017, the first batch of women fighter pilots will be serving the Indian Air Force after graduating from Dundigal academy.
INS Virat
  • oldest serving aircraft career (57 years)
  • It’s to be decommissioned next year.
  • Andhra Pradesh is the first to approach the Defence Ministry to convert this into a tourist attraction to inspire people.
Barak NG
  • Barak NG (next generation) missile is a super sonic Long range surface to air missile (LR-SAM) jointly developed by DRDO (India) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) of Israel.
  • This 100 km range missile provides all weather defense to a ship against incoming enemy helicopters, drones, missiles, fighter jets.
  • Its test-firing being done from stealth destroyers P15-A, INS Kolkata and INS Kochi.
Pilatus Aircraft Switzerland delivered 75th Aircraft to delivered to Indian air force.
Rafale deal
  • 26th January 2016, French President Fancois Hollande to be the chief guest for republic day parade.
  • India and France are working to finalise the agreement for the direct purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets during that visit.
 Teju
  • India’s easternmost strategic airfield at Teju, Arunanchal Pradesh.
  • New runway to host heavy lift aircraft and bombers (against China)
  • Total six such strategic airfields planned for Arunachal Pradesh.
Tonbo
  • The only indigenous manufacturer and exporter of thermal imaging-based devices.
  • It’s bidding for Army’s Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicle programme.

Agriculture

Agribot
  • Robot to perform Agricultural activities. can plough the field, water it and sow seeds for a fixed period of time, with the help of a timer and GPS coordinates.
  • Created by Hyderabad’s P. S. V. Kisshann, filed patent recently, cost approx Rs.1.2 lakh
Himachal Swan river in Una district – state govt demands funds from centre for its flood management project.
Jyothi
  • Rice variety made by Kerala scientist.
  • It is tolerant to salinity, iron toxicity and resistant to flash floods up to two weeks.

Climate/Pollution/energy

2015 WMO says it was the hottest year on record and Next year may be even worse
Bharat fuel norms
  • According to Auto Fuel Policy, Bharat Stage-5 (BS-V) norms were to be implemented from April 1, 2022 and BS-VI from April 1, 2024.
  • But now Government decided to implement them from 2019 and 2021 respectively. to combat pollution at earliest.
Jaitapur
  • Japanese companies Mitsubishi, Toshiba and Hitachi provide technology to French Areva and the U.S. – based Westinghouse and GE respectively for developing nuclear plants.
  • Villagers of Jaitapur region petitioned Japanese PM Abe not to sign nuke deal with India.
Mysuru
  • Global meet on safe use of chemicals in pepper farming.
  • By International Pepper Community (IPC) under the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).
Pampa river, Kerala
  • Pollution problem due to abandoning of clothes in the river by pilgrims returning from Sabarimala.
  • Kerala High Courts’ stern directive to treat it as criminal offence.
Taj Mahal The fumes from nearby public crematorium are damaging the marbles of Taj Mahal. Supreme Court judge, Justice Kurian Joseph visited Taj Mahal, ASI also supported the findings of Judge.

Parks, Sanctuaries, Wildlife spots

Karnata
  • Bandipur and Nagarhole national parks are part of 6000 sq.km  Nilgiri biosphere,
  • This biosphere supports single largest Asian elephants population in the world.
Kawal Tiger Reserve Adilabad- has become a safe zone more for the Maoists than tigers.
Kaziranga national park
  • CAG  highlighted the nuisance of hotels and commercial tourism enterprises near the park.
  • NGT asked about the steps taken by the State of Assam to prevent animal deaths on roads caused due to vehicular traffic.
Nallamala forests High quality Red sanders grow in the Nallamala hills of Andhra Pradesh. It has become a hot smuggling zone, but this year, heavy rains made it difficult for smugglers to operate.
Thailand star tortoise will soon come into extinction category. Its trade is banned in India but not in Thailand.
Vizhinjam sea port Kerala govt  diluted the environment norms for supplying building materials to Vizhinjam seaport. Environment activist opposed this move.

Culture

Bidar, Karnataka
  • 96 monuments +  Dogs and parrot tombs found.
  • They even have monuments for saintly animals such as Tota Kabr (parrots’ tombs), two are Kutte Ka Kabr (dog’s tombs).
  • But some historian believe these may be tombs of the enemies of the Bahmani kings. Hence the derogatory names.
Vizianagaram fort Listed in heritage structure in ASI list. Based on Gothic architecture with traditional Indian ‘vaasthu’ principles.  Problem: Unauthorised construction

States in News

Bihar ban on the sale and consumption of liquor would be imposed in Bihar from the next fiscal year, beginning April 1, 2016.
Cochin Shipyard  first IPO among the major ports is issued.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced a number of sops for Scheduled Caste people- free laptops for girls and Sanskrit University after Maharishi Valmiki.
Odisha Tata Steel commissioned Kalinganagar Steel Plant in odisha +  the largest single-location greenfield steel project in India + group will soon build another plant at Gopalpur (odisha)
Punjab Punjab Cabinet gave its nod for life imprisonment as maximum punishment for those convicted for acts of sacrilege.
Rajasthan
  • Pushkar Fair held in Pushkar Rajasthan. one of the largest camel fairs in the world.
  • Resurgent Rajasthan Partnership Summit and New Rajasthan MSME Policy 2015 launched at Jaipur. >90% of industries in this state fall under MSME classification.
  • Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group will develop a 6,000 megawatt Solar Power Park in Rajasthan. It has to attract an investment of Rs. 60,000 crore.
Varanasi Microsoft picks Varanasi for experimental Internet pilot project.

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