He acknowledged that without U.S. support, the Afghan national army would not last more than six months and the government would collapse.

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4 The siege at the hotel: 12 hours and claimed 22 victims, including 14 foreigners Afghan President Ashraf Ghani: 21 international terrorist groups operating in this country and factories producing suicide bombers He acknowledged that without U.S. support, the Afghan national army would not last more than six months and the government would collapse. Horrid figures: 31k civilians died in last 16 years. 4k/year now Security forces 7k/year

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6 USA s contribution Blood and treasure: losing more than 2,400 lives in pursuing the longest war in its history. Trillion dollars: considerably more if long-term veterans care is included. $120 billion has been spent on reconstruction and development, more than the inflation-adjusted expenditure under the Marshall Plan for rebuilding Western Europe after World War II.

7 India is a significant partner, having spent over $2 billion on humanitarian assistance, infrastructure building and human resource development, with an additional billion dollars committed. U.S. President Donald Trump is determined to bring about a change in American policy. Authorising a limited increase in U.S. Troop presence by 4,000 soldiers Has also been critical of pakistan On January 1 he tweeted: The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!

8 Eroding legitimacy National Unity Government (NUG) consisting of Mr. Ghani as President and Abdullah Abdullah as Chief Executive (a newly created position) is increasingly under question. A constitutional amendment creating the post of prime minister, which has not happened Lack of clear division of power and responsibility Parliamentary elections: due in 2015, may take place in 2019 Security matters: 45% territory will not see elections Emergence of warlords: Balkh Governor Atta Mohammad Noor: Jamiat-i-Islami Ismail Khan: Karzai cabinet and governor of Herat Abdul Razik: Police chief, Kandahar, Achakzai militia are loyal to him

9 The global imperative Russia acknowledges that it has opened up communication channels and is prepared to both provide a venue and facilitate peace talks. The newly created Afghan institutions are unable to address the challenges without significant international support, both financial and material.

10 2017: 25 years of partnership, 15 years of summit-level interaction, and 5 years of strategic partnership. ASEAN leaders at Republic Day celebration: India s intent is to boost ties with it Sense of disillusionment on both sides: ASEAN: India continues to punch below its weight in the region ASEAN s inclination to harness New Delhi for regional stability remains circumscribed by its sensitivities to other powers. New Delhi: more robust support for its regional outreach India s capacity to provide development assistance, market access and security guarantees remains limited We have Act East Policy, but our main focus is South Asia and Indian Ocean.

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12 Our exports with ASEAN is weak. We are sending wrong signals: countries think that we want membership in various different groups. 3Cs: commerce, connectivity and culture Focus on areas such as digital technologies India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway: Moreh in Manipur to Mae Sot in Thailand via Myanmar Cultural connect between the two needs strengthening

13 New Delhi brims with Look East vibes Symbolism and ceremony will mark the 25th year commemorative summit of the ASEAN-India dialogue partnership Security issues in the Indo-Pacific will be the focus of discussions Vietnam, tasked with drafting the statement Delhi Declaration, which would be seen as a strong message to China. Bharat-ASEAN Maitri Park: Contains all languages of ASEAN

14 22,533 government buses/ national total Tamil Nadu provides reliable access to its remotest towns by government-run buses. Safety and comfort are issues. Employment: staff strength of 1,43,195 in 2017 With much of India s creaking bus system, the STU model has lost its way Neglected: reforms for expansion, modernisation of services and acquisition of new technologies By contrast, personal mobility choices led by cars and twowheelers have kept pace with global trends, adding features of comfort and convenience.

15 Rather than respond quickly to new opportunities flowing from technology such as mobile phone applications and geographical location features, bus corporations are lobbying for price control and heavy-handed regulation to obstruct new entrants. Indian buses are outdated in design. It is up to the operator to provide access to buses, trains and Metro rail, and use innovations in technology and ticketing to unify them.

16 5 species in Indian waters Leatherback, Loggerhead, Hawksbill, Green and Olive Ridley. Protected under: Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, under the Schedule I Part II Bycatch As turtle populations in general decline, so does their ability to play a vital role in maintaining the health of the world s oceans. TEDs have been found to reduce turtle captures by 90%. All trawl boats should be fitted with a vessel monitoring system

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19 Govt. unveils E2.1 lakh crore bank recapitalisation plan

20 Centre determined to stabilise population growth The UN s World Population Prospect report may state that India s population will equal China s in the next seven years, but the government seems determined to slow down the growth before that deadline. The TFR is defined as the total number of children born or likely to be born to a woman in her lifetime at the prevailing rate of age-specific fertility. Population stabilisation is said to be achieved at a TFR of 2.1 because a population just replaces itself at that rate

21 UDAN 2 to link 73 airports, helipads The Centre on Wednesday said 73 underserved and unserved airports and helipads would be connected under the phase 2 of the regional connectivity scheme UDAN. The scheme will provide around 26.5 lakh seats per annum that will be covered with [an] airfare cap of D2,500/hr of flying, said R. N. Choubey Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation. This was the first time bids were received from helicopter operators under the scheme.

22 Answers 1. Non-navigable river in India? A. Brahmaputra B. Godavari C. Narmada D. Chenab 2. First Indian Railway Train in 1853, journeyed between A. Bombay and Pune B. Pune and Ahmedabad C. Bombay and Thane D. Howrah and Kharagpur 3. Delhi and Mumbai are connected by National Highway number A. 6 B. 8 C. 10 D. 12

23 Questions 1. Civil Disobedience Movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi in A B C D Gandhiji was profoundly influence by the writing of A. George Bernard Shaw B. Karl Marx C. Leo Tolstoy D. Lenin 3. Identify:

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