notes · 2019-10-17 · daily news simplified - dns 12 10 19 notes sl. no. topics the hindu page...
TRANSCRIPT
Daily News Simplified - DNS
12 10 19
Notes
SL.
NO. TOPICS
THE HINDU
PAGE NO.
1 Making a friend of the neighbour 10
2 Pm chose Mamallapuram as venue for Xi meet 13
3 India rejects RCEP e-commerce chapter 15
4 Industrial output shrinks by 1.1% in Aug. 01
5 Ethiopia PM Abiy Ahmed wins Nobel Peace Prize 01
6 ‘Graves’ of Chalukyan kings found in Karnataka 08
Dated: 12. Oct.2019 DNS Notes
Title 1. Making a friend of the neighbour (The Hindu, Page 10)
Syllabus Mains GS paper II – International Relations
Theme India – China
Highlight
s
The article highlights two important aspects:
1. Every government must factor in three geopolitical constituents while setting their
broader foreign policy trajectory and framework namely immediate neighbourhood,
extended neighbourhood and great powers.
2. Realistically, an emerging power should stay focussed on building capacities while
maintaining good ties with the neighbours, deep engagement with the extended
neighbours and balancing between great powers.
Rajiv Gandhi Momentum
• India and China sought to normalise relations more than three decades ago when
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi traveled to Beijing in 1988. The two sides have
experimented with different mechanisms to address the basic differences.
• They started with a dialogue at the level of foreign secretaries in 1988, elevated it to
empowered special representatives in 2003, and most recently, the informal summits.
• None of these have been able to resolve the boundary dispute, trade deficit and
China’s growing support to Pakistan in Islamabad’s contestation with Delhi.
Frequency of talks did not improve relations
• In the 20th century it was but rare when leaders of India or China traveled to the
other country.
• In the 21st century, the Indian Prime Minister runs often into the PM or President of
China and has talks on the margins of such regional and international settings such as
the East Asia Summit (EAS), the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO),
Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), the
Russia-India-China Forum, BRICS and the G-20.
• We can say that frequency of talks has not improved the ability to resolve the
problems facing the relationship.
Present Power Imbalance
• The current difficulties between India and China are not due to lack of mutual
understanding. The problem is the widening gap in the comprehensive national power
of the two Asian giants.
• China’s aggregate GDP, now at about $14 trillion, is nearly five times larger than that
of India, hovering at $2.8 trillion.
• China’s annual defence spending at $250 billion is four times larger than that of India.
More than the size of the spending, China has outpaced India in the much needed
modernisation of its armed forces and higher defence organisation.
• The power imbalance also impacts diplomatic negotiation in international affairs. So,
China can afford to displease India on certain issues vital to India’s near and long term
strategy such as blocking India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group or
opposing India’s Kashmir move and taking it to the UNSC.
• U.S.-China ties have turned hostile at a time when India is steadily enhancing its
strategic partnership with Washington. China under Mr. Xi is also a more assertive and
confident power.
• Both the U.S. and China see India as “a swing power”. Washington wants India to
swing to its side and join its Indo-Pacific strategy, the undeclared aim of which is to
contain China’s rise. Beijing, obviously, doesn’t want India to swing to the other side.
Dated: 12. Oct.2019 DNS Notes
• India has its own set of problems with China on support of Pakistan and unresolved
boundary issues.
Avenues of future
There are four constituents in the multidimensional India-China partnership that can take ties
to the next level.
1. Both India and China are seeking each other market. China wants to invest in India in
building infrastructure and fifth generation technology architecture. Whereas India
wants greater market access in China, and action by Beijing to address the trade
imbalance.
2. Both countries are pillars of emerging new world order and thereby champions
multilateralism. Both must come together on common areas affecting their region such
as security and stability in Asia addressing climate change and increasing maritime
trade.
3. Despite the international world on India’s side on Pakistan and terrorism, it is patiently
bargaining with China for action against Pakistan as China agreed to allow Pakistan to
be put on FATF Grey List and India offered support for China’s vice-chair push at the
FATF. Earlier this year, amid mounting international pressure, China removed its
technical hold on the declaration of Masood Azhar as an international terrorist.
4. India needs to be clear in its foreign policy as to whether it wants to compete with
China for dominance in Asia or shall it stay focus on its own rise.
Way forward
• India must play the China card wisely and play along the areas of mutual interest
rather and not on conflicts and rivalries.
• India should help focus on small and pragmatic steps to narrow differences with China
on bilateral issues especially the boundary dispute, trade deficit and the development
of regional infrastructure.
• India must acknowledge the power imbalance with Beijing and must not harbour false
hopes about building a new global order.
• India and China are still in a tactical engagement, not in a strategic partnership. But
it’s a tactical engagement with depth, not a short-term foreign policy adjustment.
India must have a broader but a realist vision to expand the avenues of deep tactical engagement
with a powerful China.
Dated: 12. Oct.2019 DNS Notes
Personal
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Dated: 12. Oct.2019 DNS Notes
Title 2. PM chose Mamallapuram as venue for Xi meet (The Hindu, Page 13)
Syllabus Mains: GS Paper II: International Relations
Theme India - China
Highligh
ts
The Start
• The second “informal summit” between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China’s
President Xi Jinping began on Friday at Mamallapuram, a town famously associated with
Pallava rulers.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally chose as the venue for his informal summit with
Chinese President Xi Jinping considering China’s historical association with Pallava Kings on
the issue of Tibet.
• In April 2018, the first summit took place in Wuhan in the wake of the Doklam crisis. The
present meeting is being held following China’s strong reaction to the Indian government’s
decision on Article 370 and the bifurcation of Jammu & Kashmir.
Cultural Significance
• Prime Minister took President Xi on a cultural tour of monuments Arjuna’s Penance along
with Varaha Cave located behind the cave, Panch (Five) Rathas and the Shore Temple.
• The meeting was accompanied by cultural event where traditional dance like
Bharatanatyam and Kathakali were performed.
• In the end, an old Tamil classical song ‘Shanti nilava vendum (Let peace prevail)’ was sung
to the accompaniment of dance. The song refers to peace everywhere and building
spiritual strength depicting Mahatma Gandhi’s message for peace, compassion and unity.
• The song at the cultural event was seen as a hint to the government’s stand that it is for
peace.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will gift Nachiarkoil, a six-feet Annam lamp made of bronze
and richly coated with gold, and a three-feet high Thanjavur painting of dancing
Saraswathi to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Dated: 12. Oct.2019 DNS Notes
Areas of Co-operation
• The two leaders deliberated to encourage areas of investment and also touched upon
issues concerning trade, especially “trade deficit and unbalanced trade.”
• They agreed to work together to ensure that “radicalisation and terrorism” did not affect
the fabric of the “multi cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious societies” of their
countries.
• The discussions also covered historical and trade links between Tamil Nadu under Pallava
and Chola dynasties, and the eastern coast city of Quanzhou in Fujiyan Province, where
Tamil inscriptions and fragments of architecture, reflecting a possible temple built by Tamil
traders in the 12th Century CE, were recently discovered.
Personal Notes
Dated: 12. Oct.2019 DNS Notes
Title 3. India rejects RCEP e-commerce chapter (The Hindu, Page 15)
Syllabus Mains: GS Paper III: Economy
Theme Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
Highlights 9th Intersessional Ministerial Meeting is to be held at Bangkok in Thailand on 11-12 October
2019. This will be the last Ministerial before the 3rd Leaders Summit to be held on November 4th
2019. RCEP is scheduled to be announced as concluded in November 2019.
The RCEP negotiations were launched by leaders from 10 ASEAN member states (Brunei
Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand and Vietnam) and 6 ASEAN FTA partners (Australia, People’s Republic of China, India,
Japan, Republic of Korea and New Zealand).
The objective of launching RCEP negotiation is to achieve a modern, comprehensive, high
quality and mutually beneficial economic partnership agreement among the ASEAN member
states and ASEAN’s FTA partners. The RCEP negotiations commenced in early 2013.
RCEP Agreement has 25 chapters of which negotiations have been concluded on 21 chapters.
Crucial chapters of Investment, Electronic Commerce, Rules of Origin and Trade Remedies are
yet to be settled.
India plans to put in appropriate safeguards including auto-trigger mechanism against sudden
surge in imports from RCEP countries.
Electronic Commerce:
- India wants to retain the right to implement data localisation laws. This has led Indian
negotiators to block the e-commerce chapter of RCEP.
- The present e-commerce chapter contains clauses that if India had agreed to them,
would have prevented it from implementing data localisation rules on companies doing
business in india.
- Also, the annexe on financial services chapter already agreed by all RCEP countries says
that the domestic laws of a country regarding keeping financial data within a country
supersede the RCEP agreement. Meaning that India cannot be prevented from asking
financial companies to maintain a copy of their data within India, but it is unclear still
whether India can mandate that such data must only reside within the country.
Discussions on these issues need to be finalised before the final launch of RCEP in November
2019.
Personal
Notes
Dated: 12. Oct.2019 DNS Notes
Title 4. Industrial output shrinks by 1.1% in Aug. (The Hindu, Page 01)
Syllabus Prelims: Economy
Theme Index of Industrial Production
Highlights About IIP
It is published by National Statistical Office, under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation.
Base Year for the Index is 2011-12.
It captures changes in output of Mining Sector (14.37% weight), Manufacturing Sector
(77.63% weight), Electricity (7.99% weight). It measures these changes by Gross Value
Added and Gross Value of Output method.
It is released on a monthly basis.
IIP also gives Use based Categories:
1. Primary goods: Only such goods which are directly obtained from natural sources
and used for further processing and consumption in manufacturing and power-
generating activities.
2. Capital Goods: Plants, machinery and goods used for further investments.
3. Infrastructure/construction goods: Finished goods which are primarily used in
infrastructure industry or construction industry as an input.
4. Intermediate Goods: Any good/ product produced as incomplete product or which
goes as input in production for further finishing or forming a part of a product.
5. Consumer durables: Products directly used by consumers and having a longer
durability (more than 2/3 years).
6. Consumer non-durables: Products that are directly used by consumers and can’t
be preserved for long periods.
Indices of Industrial Production for mining, manufacturing and electricity for the month of
August 2019 have growth rates of 0.1 percent, -1.2 percent and -0.9 percent as compared to
August 2018. The cumulative growth in these sectors during April-August 2019 over the
corresponding period of 2018 has been 2.8 percent, 2.1 percent and 5.0 percent.
15 out of the 23 industry groups in the manufacturing sector have shown negative growth
during the month of August 2019 as compared to the August 2018.
The industry group ‘Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers’ has shown the
highest negative growth of (-) 23.1 percent followed by (-) 21.7 percent in ‘Manufacture of
machinery and equipment n.e.c.’ and (-) 18.0 percent in ‘Other manufacturing’. On the other
hand, the industry group ‘Manufacture of basic metals’ has shown the highest positive growth
of 11.8 percent followed by 11.3 percent in ‘Manufacture of wood and products of wood and
cork, except furniture; manufacture of articles of straw and plaiting materials’ and 10.3 percent
in ‘Manufacture of wearing apparel’.
As per Use-based classification, the growth rates in August 2019 over August 2018 are 1.1
percent in Primary goods, (-) 21.0 percent in Capital goods, 7.0 percent in Intermediate goods
and (-) 4.5 percent in Infrastructure/ Construction Goods (Statement III). The Consumer
durables and Consumer non-durables have recorded growth of (-) 9.1 percent and 4.1 percent
respectively.
Dated: 12. Oct.2019 DNS Notes
Personal Notes
Dated: 12. Oct.2019 DNS Notes
Title 5. Ethiopia PM Abiy Ahmed wins Nobel Peace Prize (The Hindu, Page
01)
Syllabus Prelims: Awards
Theme Nobel Peace Prize
Highlights The 2019 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed who made peace with Eretria in the year 2018.
• He was awarded the prize for his efforts to "ACHIEVE PEACE AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION".
• Mr Abiy's peace deal with Eritrea ended a 20-year military stalemate following their 1998-2000 border war.
• He was named as the winner of the 100th Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, where he will receive the award in December.
• It is worth some nine million Swedish crowns (about £730,000; $900,000).
• In this context of the peace prise let us briefly understand major issue between Ethiopia and Eretria.
• Eretria became independent from Ethiopia in 1993 and since then has been fighting Ethiopia on border issues. The cold war between the two nations seemed irresolvable. An uneasy stalemate had endured since 2000, when a UN-brokered peace agreement ended two years of trench warfare that claimed about 80,000 lives and displaced more than half a million.
• The deal was swiftly ignored by Ethiopia, which refused to cede the border town of Badme and other disputed territories.
• However, Mr Abiy came to power in April last year was the peace deal signed three months later, which ended a nearly 20-year military stalemate with Eritrea following their 1998-2000 border war.
Personal Notes
Dated: 12. Oct.2019 DNS Notes
Title 6. ‘Graves’ of Chalukyan kings found in Karnataka (The Hindu, Page 08)
Syllabus Prelims: Ancient history
Theme Chalukyas
Highlight
s
Context:
• Chalukyan kings were famous for building gigantic temples with intricate architecture in
places such as Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal in Bagalkot district. Though the
Chalukyan kings built marvellous monuments and temples, there are no clear details
available of the places where they lived. Neither they have left behind documents nor
evidence of their graves
• Recently graves of Chalukyan rulers have been found in a village near
Huligemmanakolla in Pattadakal of Bagalkot district.
Hereby discussing the Pallavas and Chalukyans Architecture.
Pallavas & their Architecture
• The Pallavas were one of the ancient South Indian dynasties that were active in the
Andhra region from the second century CE onwards and moved south to settle in Tamil Nadu. Their history is better documented from the sixth to the eighth century, when they
left many inscriptions in stone and several monuments.
• Their powerful kings spread their empire to various parts of the subcontinent, at times reaching the borders of Odisha, and their links with South–East Asia were also strong.
Although they were mostly Shaivite, several Vaishnava shrines also survived from their
reign, and there is no doubt that they were influenced by the long Buddhist history of the Deccan.
• Their early buildings, it is generally assumed, were rockcut, while the later ones were
structural. However, there is reason to believe that structural buildings were well known even when rock-cut ones were being excavated.
• The early buildings are generally attributed to the reign of Mahendravarman I, a
contemporary of the Chalukyan king, Pulakesin II of Karnataka. Narasimhavarman I, also
known as Mamalla, who acceded the Pallava throne around 640 CE, is celebrated for the expansion of the empire, avenging the defeat his father had suffered at the hands of
Pulakesin II, and inaugurating most of the building works at Mahabalipuram which is known after him as Mamallapuram.
Dated: 12. Oct.2019 DNS Notes
• The shore temple at Mahabalipuram was built later, probably in the reign of
Narasimhavarman II, also known as Rajasimha who reigned from 700 to 728 CE. Now it is oriented to the east facing the ocean, but if you study it closely, you will find that it
actually houses three shrines, two to Shiva, one facing east and the other west, and a
middle one to Vishnu who is shown as Anantashayana.
• This is unusual, because temples generally have a single main shrine and not three areas of worship. This shows that it was probably not originally conceived like this and different
shrines may have been added at different times, modified perhaps with the change of patrons.
Chalukyas & their Architecture
• Pulakesin I established the early western Chalukya kingdom when he secured the land
around Badami in 543. The early western Chalukyas ruled most of the Deccan till the mid-eighth century when they were superseded by the Rashtrakutas.
• Early Chalukyan activity also takes the form of rock-cut caves while later activity is of
structural temples. The earliest is probably the Ravana Phadi cave at Aihole which is known for its distinctive sculptural style.
• One of the most important sculptures at the site is of Nataraja, surrounded by larger-
than-life-size depictions of the saptamatrikas: three to Shiva’s left and four to his right.
The figures are characterised by graceful, slim bodies, long, oval faces topped with extremely tall cylindrical crowns and shown to wear short dhotis marked by fine incised
striations indicating pleating.
• They are distinctly different from contemporary western Deccan or Vakataka styles seen at places such as Paunar and Ramtek. The hybridisation and incorporation of several
styles was the hallmark of Chalukyan buildings.
• The most elaborate of all Chalukyan temples at Pattadakal made in the reign of Vikramaditya II (733-44) by his chief queen Loka Mahadevi, for instance, shows complete
knowledge of Pallava buildings at Kanchipuram and as a corollary, Mahabalipuram.
• The temple is one of the best early examples of the dravida tradition. By contrast other
eastern Chalukyan temples, like the Mahakuta, five kilometres from Badami, and the Swarga Brahma temple at Alampur show a greater assimilation of northern styles from
Odisha and Rajasthan.
Dated: 12. Oct.2019 DNS Notes
Personal Notes
Dated: 12. Oct.2019 DNS Notes