Comprehensive Current affairs 22 August 2020

 

NITI Aayog fastracks development of poverty index to rank states.

The NitiAayog has fasttracked the development of India's own poverty index to rank states on measures they have adopted to pull people out of poverty.

The exercise, in line with the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), is aimed at compelling states to take aggressive poverty reductions measures.

Top officials of all stakeholder ministries as well as from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) attended the meeting, where discussions were held on targets, reform action and progress by states.

The International Labour Organisation said recently that about 400 million people working in the informal economy in India were at risk of falling deeper into poverty due to the Covid-19 induced economic crisis, which it said was having "catastrophic consequences".

In 2014, a committee led by former RBI governor C Rangarajan had pegged the total number of India’s poor at 363 million, or 29.6% of the population. The Suresh Tendulkar committee had in 2009 estimated it at 269.8 million (21.9% of the population).

These poverty estimates were, however, based on a poverty line defined by both the committees after taking into consideration certain fixed parameters. Currently, India does not officially have a poverty line and there is no fresh estimate of the total number of poor people.

Indore wins cleanest city award in SwachhSurvekshan 2020

Indore of Madhya Pradesh has become the cleanest city in the country for the fourth consecutive time, leaving behind 4,242 cities of the country.

Bhopal has been selected as Best Self Sustainable Capital with inclusion in the top-10.AIR correspondent reports, Madhya Pradesh has ranked third in the category of states with more than 100 urban bodies performing best in the survey.

Madhya Pradesh received a total of 10 awards in various categories.14 municipal corporations of Madhya Pradesh have been included in the list of top-100 cities of the country.

India demands international community to isolate Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism.

India has said that the international community should isolate Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism.

India yesterday exercised its Right of Reply to the statement by Pakistan at the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament. In its reply, India said that Pakistan's Prime Minister had admitted to nearly 40 thousand militants on its soil.

India accuses Pakistan of their Intrusion against in 1965, 1971, 1999, attack on Mumbai and Parliament, Uri, and Pulwama show Pakistan's State - sponsored policy of terrorism as evident in the inaction against likes of Hafiz Saeed, MasoodAzhar and Ehsanullah Ehsan.

India stated that Jammu and Kashmir has been and will remain an integral part of India. It called upon Pakistan to end cross-border terrorism.

LokSabha Speaker Om Birla led an Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament. The two-day long virtual event was organized jointly by Geneva headquartered Inter Parliamentary Union and the Parliament of Austria with the assistance of the United Nations.

Pakistan imposes more restrictions on terrorists.

The federal government has proscribed 88 leaders and members of terrorist groups, in compliance with the new list, issued by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) recently.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government issued two notifications on August 18, announcing sanctions on key figures of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Taliban, Daesh, Haqqani Group, al-Qaeda, and others.

The notifications order seizure of all movable and immoveable properties of these outfits and individuals, and freezing of their bank accounts. These terrorists have been barred from transferring money through financial institutions, purchasing arms and travelling abroad, etc.

Srilanka ready to draft new constitution.

Sri Lanka will draft a new Constitution, jettisoning the 19th Amendmentpassed in 2015 that imposed curbs on presidential powers and strengthened Parliament, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has said.

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP, or People’s Front), along with its allies, secured an impressive two-thirds majority in the recent general election, making possible swift passage of new legislation. The ruling party’s poll campaign sought such a majority from the electorate, promising to abolish the 19th Amendment.

Outlining his plans further, President Rajapaksa told Parliament that it was “essential to make changes to the current electoral system” while drafting a new Constitution, retaining elements of the proportional representation system currently followed.

On the government’s task of reviving the country’s economy, he called for “out-of-the-box thinking” to overcome local and global challenges.

ISRO claims Chandrayaan-2 completed 1 year around the moon.

India's second lunar mission. Chandrayaan-2 completed one year in orbit around the moon on Thursday and all instruments are currently performing well and there is adequate onboard fuel to keep it operational for about seven more years, space agency ISRO said. Chandrayaan-2 was launched on July 22, 2019 and inserted into the lunar orbit on August 20, exactly one year ago.

"Though the soft-landing attempt (of the lander carrying the rover) was not successful, the orbiter, which was equipped with eight scientific instruments, was successfully placed in the lunar orbit. The orbiter completed more than 4,400 orbits around the Moon and all the instruments are currently performing well," the Indian Space Research Organisation said.

However, the lander Vikram hard-landed in September last year. The scientific payloads, including high resolution camera, onboard the oribter for mapping the lunar surface and study the exosphere (outer atmosphere) of the Moon.

Chandrayaan-2 was launched to further expand the knowledge about the moon through a detailed study of its topography, mineralogy, surface chemical composition, thermo- physical characteristics and atmosphere, leading to a better understanding of the origin and evolution of the moon.

MPC decides to maintain status quo on interest rates.

➡RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das had emphasised that although there was headroom for further monetary policy action, the ‘arsenal’ has to be kept dry and used judiciously for promoting growth,

which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the MPC minutes released on Thursday.

➡All the six members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) had opted for status quo and left interest rates unchanged.

➡The Governor noted that low capacity utilisation amid subdued domestic and external demand was likely to delay revival of investment.Generalised inflationary pressures, in a situation where growth is expected to contract sharply, is a matter of serious concern, he added.

➡Deputy Governor and MPC member Michael DebabrataPatra said that even when the economy improved, the expectation was for a slow, hesitant recovery, with the situation likely to worsen before it gets better.

➡Upticks that easing of lockdowns yielded were likely to be ephemeral and vulnerable to flattening out due to lack of underlying vigour, he said.

MSME ministry signs MoU with ministry of shipping for skill development in maritime sector.

A Memorandum of Understanding, MoU was signed between Ministry of Skill Development and Ministry of Shipping today for skill development in port and maritime sector.

➡Speaking on the occasion, Skill Development Minister said, maritime transport is a critical segment that propels the economic development of the country.

➡He congratulated the Ministry of Shipping for undertaking endeavour to create a job-ready workforce by skilling them and build their competencies up to the global standards.

➡Mr Pandey said, the vision of making India the Skill Capital of the World will continue to prosper if we work together.

➡Shipping Minister MansukhMandaviya said that this partnership will provide vast employment opportunities and better prospects to the youth of coastal areas.

Special Focus on mains.

Cheetah from South Africa Reach Mysuru Zoo.

The century-old Mysuru zoo has become the second Indian zoo to house the African cheetah, the Fastest land Animal.

About the News:

• A male and two female African cheetahs from Cheetah Conservation Centre in South Africa were brought under exchange programme and placed in 30-day quarantine.

• In 2009, Sakkarbaug Zoo became the only zoo in India to hold African cheetahs when it traded three of its lions with a Singapore zoo for two pairs of cheetahs.

• In India, the Zoos are regulated as per the provisions of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and are guided by the National Zoo Policy, 1992. The Wild Life Protection Act was amended in 1991 to establish the Central Zoo Authority.

About Central Zoo Authority:

• Central Zoo Authority is a statutory body whose main objective is to enforce minimum standards and norms for upkeep and health care of animals in India zoos and restrain mushrooming of unplanned and ill-conceived zoos that were cropping up in the country as adjuncts to public parks, industrial complexes and way sides.

Central Zoo Authority is headed by Minister of State for Environment & Forests (Forests & Wildlife), Government of India.

• The authority has several functions such as recognition of the Zoos; evaluation of the Zoos; coordination in the planned conservation breeding programme for endangered species in Indian

zoos’ approval of the exchange proposals of animals between Indian zoos and between Indian and foreign zoos; preparing and maintaining the studbooks etc.

About Cheetahs:

• Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are large cat of the subfamily Felinae and are considered as the fastest land animal.

• The 4 subspecies of cheetahs are Southeast African cheetah, Asiatic cheetah, Northeast African cheetah and Northwest African cheetah.

• They are found in North, Southern and East Africa, and a few localities in Iran.

• It inhabits a variety of mostly arid habitats like dry forests, scrub forests, and savannahs.

• The African Cheetah has been classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN; while the Asiatic Cheetah (found only in Iran) has been classified as Critically Endangered and both are listed under Appendix I of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species).

Reasons behind Extinction of Cheetahs in India:

• Loss of Grassland Habitat: Inability to breed while in captivity meant that wild cheetahs were only found in natural habitats. Thus loss of habitat meant detrimental to Cheetah population.

• Cheetahs were classified as vermin (harmful to crops and spreads diseases) during British period. This led to rewarding the act of killing of Cheetah.

• Problems like human-wildlife conflict, loss of prey, and illegal trafficking, have also decimated their numbers.

About Cheetah Reintroduction Programme:

• The last Cheetah died in Chhattisgarh in 1948 after which it was declared extinct in India in 1952.

• Since 1970s India is trying to bring back the big cat from Iran. However due to lower number of cheetahs in Iran it was not considered being feasible.

• In 2009, the reintroduction project has got a fillip and India was exploring a plan of importing the South African cheetah from Namibia for reintroduction in India.

• 3 regions were shortlisted for reintroduction including:

• The Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary and Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh and the Shahgarh bulge landscape in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

What is Chahbahar Project?Why Iran kicked India from Chahbahar Rail Project ?What should be the strategy of India if any sanctions imposed on its partner countries? Cite a few recent examples

Context :

Iran has decided to drop India from the Chabahar Rail Project connecting Chabahar port to Zahedan (Iran's bordering region to Afghanistan).

Recent events :

Iran has inaugurated track-laying project from Chabahar port to Zahedan without involving India citing reasons for delayed funding from India.

Iran is investing Dollar 400 million from its National Development Fund of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

India's owned Ircon International Limited (IRCON) was associated with this rail project.

India has developed Chabahar port facilities which have grown over the years & now compromises of a port, a free trade zone & the 628km long railway line to Zahedan.

About Chabahar Project :

Chabahar literally means 'four seasons'. Chabahar port project is lying at Iran's Sistan-Baluchistan province along its southern coast with proximity to the Persian Gulf & the Gulf of Oman, Gwadar port in Pakistan developed by China is nearly 100km away by sea route from Chabahar port.

Chabahar port project was agreed between Iran & India in 2003 & further strengthened by 2016 trilateral agreement between India, Iran & Afghanistan connecting Chabahar port to Zahedan & then to Kabul in Afghanistan.

This project will permanently bypass its troublesome neighbor Pakistan & is also a strategic answer to the Gwadar port of Pakistan.

Importance of Chabahar to India :

India & Iran have historic relations over the centuries & both have sought to maintain these ties in the face of any challenges.

India maintained these relations despite challenges from Iran’s adversaries like the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.

India has facilitated & invested in its ambitious & strategically located Chabahar project which will bypass Pakistan’s Karachi & Gwadar port to reach Afghanistan, Central Asia, Russia & eventually to Europe someday.

Chababahr trade region is important for India’s energy imports & food and material exports from its Kandla and Mundra ports.

Chabahar rail project would have allowed India, an independent corridor to Afghanistan, Russia, Central Asia.

The Persian Gulf is a storehouse of petroleum & natural gas & the Gulf of Oman is a gateway to the Persian Gulf. This is an opportunity for India to increase its influence over the region.

Its proximity to the Persian Gulf can further save the transportation & storage cost of the petroleum products for India.

Chabahar project can assist in the inflow of the foreign capital to India through its trade, employment & uses by other countries as a trans-shipment terminal.

It can check the growing influence of China over the Arabian sea region & its neighboring countries.

Chabahar Rail Project :

Chabahar port development has moved ahead in the last few years while the Chabahar Rail project was lingering.

Chabahar rail project proposed to connect Chabahar port to Zahedan (In Iran bordering Afghanistan). Zahedan will further connect to Afghanistan's Kabul & INSTC (International North-South Transport Corridor).

Thus, Chabahar is a gateway for India to Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Russia & Europe.

As per the Ministry of External Affairs sources, IRCON has completed its feasibility study by December 2019, three years after the agreement & after that, it has not heard anything from Iran's side.

Where is the issue?

In spite of all these geo-political & economical advantages of the Chabahar project, India has mostly seemed to be in captivity to International policy shifts on Iran.

USA policy particularly on Iran keeps on shifting to & fro in the last two decades.

USA placed sanctions on Iran in 2006 which ended with the ‘Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action’ (JCPOA) in 2015.

In between these years, India continued its discussions with Iran but finally make headway after lifting sanctions by the USA.

A trilateral agreement was signed in 2016 between India, Iran & Afghanistan for establishment of International Transport and Transit Corridor.

This agreement included the port project & the railway line to be constructed & funded by India's owned IRCON.

However, in 2018 USA overturned JCPOA & re-imposed heavy sanctions on Iran.

Since Iran constitutes be third-largest energy supplier to India, energy imports from Iran had to be dropped to nearly NIL.

Rupee-Rial exchange mechanism for bilateral trade between India & Iran stopped.

Although India got a waiver from the USA for Chabahar port & railway line, sanctions made it very tough for companies dealing with the USA to participate in this project, throwing a set back to this ambitious project.

What about other projects?

ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) has been in discussion with the Iranian gas field project, Farzad B since 2009. Now, this project will also go to an Iranian company due to a combination of US sanctions, fluctuating prices & India's delayed response.

What’s the future of India with respect to Chabahar project :

After losing these two important projects definitely a major setback to India.

India should ensure that this setback should not be an advantage for other countries like China or Pakistan.

Since China is always looking for such type of prey to trap in its debt trap.

India’s position at Chabahar port will remain strong doesn't matter who builds the railway line.

Although it’s a big loss to the reputation of India & can be a gain for China.

Way Forward :

By acting proactively India should find a way out to this situation. Citing the geo-political & economical importance of this project & to counter the effect of troublesome neighbors like China & Pakistan, it is in the larger interest of India to solve this issue & grab this opportunity without any delay.