web viewa) union minster described that article 370 of the constitution as a temporary and...

Current Affairs from The Hindu DATE:12-03-15

S.NO. NEWS ITEM SYLLUBUS ESSENCE OF THE ARTICLE1. India and

Mauritius announce security cooperation pact (0)

a) I.R a) India and Mauritius announced a new security cooperation agreement as part of PM Modis Indian Ocean outreach. PM Modi and Mauritian PM signed five agreements.

2. In Seychelles, PM boosts security cooperation (Page 10)

a) I.R a) India and Seychelles signed four agreements for cooperation hydrography, renewable energy, infrastructure development and hydro-graphic survey.

3. A neighbour difficult to please (Page 9)

a) I.R a) PM Modi is visiting Sri Lanka after several invitations by Sri Lankan Presidents to Indian PMs over the last 28 years were ignored.

4. PM likely to meet Rajapaksa during visit (Page 12)

a) I.R a) PM Modi is likely to meet the former Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa during his visit to the island nation.

5. Time to replace 13th Amendment with a more dynamic system (Page 12)

a) International a) Sri Lankas Northern Province CM said that it is time the 13th Amendment was replaced with a more dynamic system of devolution of powers.

6. Is Iran stealing Israels thunder? (Page 8)

a) International a) Israel PM continued playing a politics of fear, denouncing Iran as a threat to the peace of the entire world and urging US Congress to resist the emerging nuclear deal with Iran.

7. Govt agrees to send 2 Bills to select committees (Page 11)

a) National

b) Polity

a) Govt agreed in the Rajya Sabha to refer the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill 2015 and the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill 2015 to select committees of Parliament.

8. Article 370 temporary, transitional: Centre (Page 11)

a) National

b) Polity

a) Union Minster described that Article 370 of the Constitution as a temporary and transitional provision but sought to reduce worries about efforts to repeal or delete it.

9. A sketchy road map for health policy (Page 9)

a) National

b) Health

a) The National Health Policy is doomed to repeat past mistakes with none-the-wiser outcomes if it subscribes to the status quo of cut govt health spending.

10. Radical in promise, not in practice (Page 8)

a) National

b) Economy

a) PM Modis emphasis on the Indian private sector having to play a much larger role in the transformation of defence industrial base is laudable and overdue.

11. IMF raises India growth forecast to 7.2 percent this fiscal (Page 13)

a) Economy a) The IMF has forecast India will grow 7.5 percent in 2015-16 (up from 7.2 percent in the current year).

12. Endophytic algae a) S&T a) A species of algae previously reported to inhabit the

1


found in Indian Ocean (Page 14)

b) Geography

seas around the British Isles and the East China Sea has now been found growing in the Indian Ocean.

13. Sindhudurg comes alive with a pristine coral collection (Pg 7)

a) S&T

b) Geography

a) The Zoological Survey of India has found three new records of coral reef on the Sindhudurg coast near Malvan of Maharashtra during a recent survey.

S.NO. NEWS ITEM SYLLUBUS BACKGROUND IMPORTANT POINTS1. India and

Mauritius announce security cooperation pact (Page 10)

a) I.R a) India – Mauritius relations

b) Security cooperation agreement

c) Ocean economy or blue economy

d) Agalega Islands

a) India and Mauritius announced a new security cooperation agreement as part of PM Modis Indian Ocean outreach.

b) PM Modi and Mauritian PM signed five agreements, one on opening up the ocean economy or blue economy. Another is a MoU that will see India taking over responsibility to build transport infrastructure for the Agalega Islands.

c) This agreement would give India a strategic advantage in the Indian Ocean region, working closely with the Mauritius Defence Forces guarding the outer islands. India has extended a $500 million Line of Credit for development of security projects.

d) The highlight of Indias push for maritime lift during the visit will be the commissioning of a 1300 tonne, Indian-built coastal patrol vessel (MCGS Barracuda). It will showcase Indias commitment on maritime security, particularly along the

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African coast that faces the threat of piracy.

e) During Modis visit, India is expected to offer expertise and funding to help Mauritius move from its traditional economy of sugarcane crops and tourism.

2. In Seychelles, PM boosts security cooperation (Page 10)

a) I.R a) India – Seychelles relations

b) Maritime security cooperation

c) Economic cooperation

d) Assumption Island

a) Terming Seychelles a trusted friend and a strong strategic partner, PM Modi started his three-nation tour of the Indian Ocean countries with both nations underlining the need for comprehensive cooperation in the region.

b) Highlighting Indias push for regional integration, he observed we also hope that Seychelles will soon be a full partner in the maritime security cooperation between India, Maldives and Sri Lanka.

c) During his meeting with Seychelles President, Modi announced that India will give a second Dornier aircraft to the island nation for coastal surveillance and called it a privilege to be a partner of Seychelles in the development of its security capabilities.

d) The two nations signed four agreements for cooperation in hydrography, renewable energy, infrastructure development and hydro-graphic survey. Another important

3


agreement relates to infrastructure development in the Assumption Island.

e) Stressing on economic and development cooperation, Modi said that Seychelles is one of the largest recipients of Indian assistance in this area. We intend to expand this further.

3. A neighbour difficult to please (Page 9)

a) I.R a) India – Sri Lanka relations

a) A visit to Sri Lanka by an Indian PM has been long overdue. The last visit to the island by Rajiv Gandhi almost ended in disaster. However, both Indian politicians and officials on several occasions gave their Sri Lankan counterparts hope of a prime ministerial visit. But the wait lasted 28 years. Many Sri Lankans saw the main reason for this as Delhis desire to satisfy Tamil Nadu.

b) Sri Lankan Presidents, Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers always made their trip to India to meet its leaders soon after coming to power. India always welcomed them with honour. But the reverse did not happen.

c) Manmohan Singh did not even attend the Commonwealth Heads of Govt Meeting in Colombo in Nov 2013. Sri Lanka saw this as giving in to Tamil Nadu. Sri Lankan leaders tried to understand the Indian side and were left frustrated.

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d) Both countries enjoyed of excellent relations between them. Both Indias direct help and support during the final stages of ending the danger of terrorism in Sri Lanka was welcomed and appreciated by Sri Lanka.

e) While India did not reciprocate Sri Lankas invitation, Sri Lanka became even closer to China. Rajapaksa visited and met the Chinese leadership more than five times during his tenure. It was an unprecedented move made by the Chinese to a leader of a small nation.

f) Rajapaksa also found it very easy to work with China on several projects. India could have responded and reached out, and a visit by an Indian PM would have done a lot for better ties.

g) With Modis invitation to all SAARC leaders to attend his swearing-in ceremony, there were renewed hopes of a visit in Sri Lanka.

h) Rajapaksa went out of his way to help Modi in his dealings with Tamil Nadu and released the Indian prisoners who were in Sri Lankan jails for smuggling narcotics. It was evident to Rajapaksa that Modi was extending his hand of friendship to both Sri Lanka and its President.

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i) As the Indian PM now starts on a historic visit to Sri Lanka this week, President Sirisena could be considered lucky. The Indian PMs visit is taking place without much effort on his part.

j) Continuous efforts by the Sri Lankan leadership including by two former Presidents (Kumaratunga and Rajapaksa during their tenure) to invite an Indian PM to Sri Lanka, must be commended. However, its to the credit of Modi that he is making a state visit to Sri Lanka supported by a strong govt in India without any undue influence of Tamil Nadu.

k) It is up to the new President and the new system in Sri Lanka to welcome their visitor with open arms but remain non-aligned and maintain good neighbourly relations with both relations and friends with no undue influence.

4. Modi likely to meet Rajapaksa during visit (Page 12)

a) I.R a) India – Sri Lanka relations

a) PM Modi is likely to meet the former Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa during his visit to the island nation.

b) Modi will meet the former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Leader of the Opposition Nimal Siripala de Silva and senior leaders of political parties representing the minority Tamils and Muslims.

5. Time to replace 13th Amendment

a) International a) Sri Lankan internal a) Sri Lankas Northern Province CM Wigneswaran

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with a more dynamic system (Page 12)

issues

b) 13th Amendment

c) Indo-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987

said that it is time the 13th Amendment was replaced with a more dynamic system of devolution of powers.

b) He said we would recommend to Modi that it is time to reconsider the 13th Amendment which was a fallout from the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987 and to replace it with a more dynamic system that would ensure maximum power sharing for the North and East.

c) From the time Sri Lankas ethnic conflict ended in May 2009, India has been pushing Sri Lanka for the full implementation of the 13th Amendment, following up on former President Rajapaksas earlier assurance.

6. Is Iran stealing Israels thunder? (Page 8)

a) International a) Irans nuclear deal

b) Israels concerns

c) P5+1 group

a) Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu continued playing a politics of fear, denouncing Iran as a threat to the peace of the entire world and urging US Congress to resist the emerging nuclear deal with Iran.

b) There is reasonable hope in the international community (especially among European diplomats) that the nuclear deal may potentially be a viable alternative to the currently adversarial, sanctions-driven relations of the West with Iran.

c) The deal will attempt to regulate strictly Irans ability to produce nuclear fuel for at least ten years and then gradually

7


ease the restrictions. In turn, the West would ease its sanctions that currently reduce Irans oil exports and prevent it from accessing global financial markets.

d) In this context, Netanyahus call for a complete dismantling of Irans nuclear infrastructure seems unrealistic, outdated and worthy of being ignored.

e) Iran is playing a key role in defending Iraq against the IS attack and the US recognises the value of an Iran-supported militia fighting in Tikrit.

f) Though America is uncomfortable with the Syrian regime, it sees the strategic significance of Irans support to Bashar al-Assad in countering IS. So it is IS that is becoming a common cause for the US and Iran, giving reason for a rapprochement.

g) Netanyahus concern is understandable but when given an opportunity to present his case he has made little of it.

7. Govt agrees to send 2 Bills to select committees (Page 11)

a) National

b) Polity

a) Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill 2015

b) Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill 2015

c) Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2011

a) The govt agreed in the Rajya Sabha to refer two crucial bills (the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill 2015 and the Coal Mines Bill 2015) to select committees of Parliament.

b) So far, the govt has been able to get the Opposition to

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d) Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2015

give its consent only to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2011 and the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2015.

8. Article 370 temporary, transitional: Centre (Page 11)

a) National

b) Polity

a) Article 370

b) Jammu and Kashmir

a) Union Minister of State for Home described Article 370 of the Constitution as a temporary and transitional provision but sought to reduce worries about efforts to repeal or delete it, pointing out that the govt did not have the numbers to enact the Constitutional Amendment.

b) He was responding to questions in the Rajya Sabha on whether the govt was planning to remove the special status to J&K granted under Article 370.

c) The question hour discussion also saw Congress member Karan Singh lend a personal touch by recalling that Article 370 was added to the Constitution a few years after his father had signed the Instrument of Accession in October 1947.

9. A sketchy road map for health policy ()

a) National

b) Health

a) National Health Policy (NHP) 2015

b) National Rural Health Mission (NRHM)

c) Primary healthcare

d) Universal healthcare

a) Health impoverishment affects 63 million individuals in India every year. We are at an urgent situation in time for making health policy work for the poor in India.

b) The 2015 draft NHP is filled with possibilities. The first federal health bill to come out in more than a decade is a salient opportunity for the Modi govt to present a logical plan to deliver equitable, efficient and

9


sustainable health care to Indias billion plus citizenry.

c) The draft of the NHP recommendations reads thus - make health a fundamental and justiciable right; increase public expenditure on health from 1 percent of GDP to 2.5 percent of GDP; raise revenues mainly through general taxation while exploring the possibility of sin taxes and earmarks for health; and strengthen health services provisioning through strategic purchasing from the public and private sector.

d) While an excellent proposition in principle, it is unrealistic as the basic institutional framework, infrastructure and personnel needed to deliver health care for all is lacking. An effort to make comprehensive primary care deliverable needs to precede the declaration of health as a justiciable right.

e) While recognising weak health systems capacity as a major impediment in achieving desired health outcomes, the NHP is woefully silent on augmenting state govts technical and administrative capacity to do better on health metrics like child and infant mortality rates, especially in the laggard States.

f) While claiming that efficiency considerations given

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the limited public spending (at 2.5 percent of GDP) mandate that most of the purchasing will have to come from public providers, the NHP is reluctant to drop the private sector in mentioning purchasing from private sector only for supplementation.

g) Lower than needed public financing for health (2.5 percent as opposed to 4 to 5 percent of GDP) is premised on a false argument of low absorptive capacity and inefficient utilisation of funding.

h) The NHP refutes itself while describing the main reason for the NRHMs failure to achieve stronger health systems - strengthening health systems for providing comprehensive care required higher levels of investment and human resources than were made available.

i) The budget received and the expenditure thereunder was only about 40 percent of what was expected for a full revitalisation in the NRHM framework. The NHP is doomed to repeat past mistakes with none-the-wiser outcomes if it subscribes to the status quo of cut govt health spending.

j) The Modi govt was widely censured for a recent 20 percent cut to the health budget and the

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expanding in the NHP does nothing to inspire trust or check fears of future cuts in health allocations.

k) The NHP puts forth a multitude of criteria to determine the agenda for reducing health disparities to the end of achieving greater health equity. This includes targeting vulnerable population subgroups, geographical areas, health services and gender-specific health issues.

l) The policy provides an unhelpful laundry list without so much as a perfunctory attempt at making sense of it. This can be addressed by proposing contextual priority weights for various criteria as well as by outlining an institutional decision-making framework. The policy also fails to locate how competing priorities will be resolved and how far they will be determined by context, if at all.

m) The NHP presents a comprehensive problem statement but falls short on practicable strategy. An evidence-informed policy with an intersectoral ethos; clear-eyed priority setting; considered stands on matters of policy salience sensitive to contextual differences; and reforms aimed at plugging leaks and inefficiencies is the need of the hour.

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10. Radical in promise, not in practice (Page 8)

a) National

b) Economy

a) Defence Budget

b) FDI

c) Investment from foreign institutional investors (FIIs)

d) Make in India

e) The India-US Defense Trade and Technology

a) The defence Budget for the next fiscal year conforms to the overall pattern of the Budget presented by the Finance Minister. It is radical in promise but incremental in practice. There was a modest raise in defence allocation of just about 11 percent.

b) Arun Jaitleys claim that he has provided adequately for the needs of the military surely turns on a generous interpretation of the operative word. More important was his assurance that the govts Make in India policy would help achieve greater self-sufficiency in defence equipment, including aircraft.

c) Modi highlighted that the defence industry was at the heart of the Make in India programme. By increasing the share of domestic procurement of military equipment from 40 percent to 70 percent in five years, India could double the output of its defence industry. More significantly, he noted that the Indian private sector would have to play a much larger role in this transformation of our defence industrial base.

d) The PMs decision to give a boost to the private sector is laudable and overdue. Some initial moves have already been made. The cap on FDI in defence has been raised from 26 percent to 49 percent.

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Investment from FIIs has been allowed up to 24 percent.

e) For a start, the categorisation under the Defence Procurement Procedure needs to be considered afresh. While increasing focus on Make and Buy & Make (Indian) is important, it will not automatically harness private sector participation.

f) A related problem is the use of direct or indirect nomination of defence PSUs or ordnance factories. This too loads the dice against the private sector. The govt should also take on board a suggestion made by the Kelkar Committee almost 10 years ago.

g) More broadly, the regulatory regime for private sector participation in defence production needs a host of changes - total elimination of licensing; removal of the differential and regressive tax and duties treatment for Indian private industry vis-a-vis the defence PSUs and foreign manufacturers; easing the availability of capital, land and infrastructure; and ensuring better planning and strict implementation of offsets.

h) The larger challenge is to attract FDI with technology transfer. Increasing the FDI limit to 49 percent is unlikely to

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be sufficient to ensure this. More importantly, the govt must recognise that FDI in defence does not work as in most other sectors.

i) The key difference is that most countries have export control laws that regulate the participation of defence manufacturers in ventures abroad. Strategic partnerships are therefore crucial to unlocking the doors for meaningful FDI in defence.

j) New Delhi will have to take some tough-minded calls on which relationships it wants to highlight as far as defence production is concerned. The India-US Defense Trade and Technology Initiative has been talked up quite a bit.

k) The management of strategic partnerships abroad is as important as recasting the regulatory framework at home. If defence production is indeed at the heart of Make in India then the govt has to focus on integrating its efforts at both ends.

11. IMF raises India growth forecast to 7.2 percent this fiscal (Page 13)

a) Economy a) Economic growth

b) GDP

c) IMF

d) Economic reforms

a) The IMF has forecast India will grow 7.5 percent in 2015-16, a projection less optimistic than that of the Modi govt. In the Union budget 2015, the govt estimated growth of up to 8.5 percent in 2015-16.

b) It said that the Indian economy is the bright spot in

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the global landscape, becoming one of the fastest-growing big emerging market economies in the world.

c) The report stressed the urgency of certain key reforms, including the bottlenecks in the energy, mining and power sectors; infrastructure gaps, land acquisition processes and environmental clearances.

d) It said the Indian economy is reviving, helped by positive policy actions that have improved confidence and lower global oil prices. To continue on this trend, India needs to revitalise investment cycle and accelerate structural reforms.

12. Endophytic algae found in Indian Ocean (Page 14)

a) S&T

b) Geography

a) Endophytic algae

b) Taxol

c) British Isles

d) East China Sea

a) A species of algae previously reported to inhabit the seas around the British Isles and the East China Sea has now been found growing in the Indian Ocean.

b) The algae belong to a type known as endophytic, meaning they are microscopic in size and found living inside macroscopic seaweeds. Belonging to the species, they are believed to confer ecological advantage to the host such as disease resistance.

c) The discovery in the Indian Ocean gains significance because these algae may very well be an important source of anticancer compounds such as Taxol and this discovery may

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contribute in anticancer drug development.

d) Taxol or Paclitaxel is a well known anti cancer drug currently in use for many cancers including ovarian cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer and pancreatic cancer.

13. Sindhudurg comes alive with a pristine coral collection (Pg 7)

a) S&T

b) Geography

a) Coral reef

b) Sindhudurg

c) Gulf of Mannar

d) Gulf of Kutch

e) Lakshadweep

f) Andaman and Nicobar Islands

g) Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)

h) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

i) World Bank

a) The ZSI has found three new records of coral reef on the Sindhudurg coast near Malvan of Maharashtra during a recent survey.

b) Efforts are on to protect the reef with the assistance of the UNDP, which has sanctioned Rs. 80 lakh towards capacity building of the local people.

c) Experts said unlike the reefs found in other parts of the country (Gulf of Mannar, Gulf of Kutch, Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands), those in Malvan are pristine and still unbleached.

d) The ZSI had earlier transplanted coral reef from the Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu to the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat over one square km with assistance from World Bank.

NOTE: Read all articles in S&T Page 14.

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web viewa) union minster described that article 370 of the constitution as a temporary and...

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