. P R O F I L E PRASHANT MAVANI MSc. in Management, University of Surrey (UK) Senior Faculty: StudyIQ Follow/Contact me: @PrashantTMavani Download PDF notes of this lecture from my FB Page
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It s time to reimagine South Asia- Blind nationalism: both sides of the border Indo-phobia, Pak-phobia Least integrated nations in the world South Asia too has become the least integrated region in the world. SAARC is in a coma. Sadly, the most populous region in the world has also remained home to the largest number of poor people in the world.
It s time to reimagine South Asia- Connectivity: Flight, Marine, Telecommunication Common Indians and Pakistanis, who need employment, education, health care and food-and-environmental security. These needs can be met only through regional cooperation, not regional rivalry. Hostility is profitable for arms dealers. China, part of the solution India: CPEC passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir
- 1. CPEC does not recognise PoK to be Pakistan s sovereign territory. 2. Article VI in the 1963 China-Pakistan boundary agreement 3. China and Pakistan have stated that they are open to India joining CPEC. 4. We would gain land access, through Pakistan, to Afghanistan, Iran, Central Asia and western China. 5. Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Corridor Blind nationalism and the unfriendly designs of extraregional powers.
High noon: Governments must ensure local-level interventions to deal with heat stress- IMD forecast of above-normal maximum and minimum temperatures across the country during the pre-monsoon March-May period. Timely alert for State authorities to review their preparedness. Even a marginal rise above the normal will lead to enormous heat stress for millions of Indians, given the deprived conditions in which they live. Summer of 2018 may pose a public health challenge Mortality: 2010-2015 ranges between 1,300-2,500
A gathering storm- World Justice Project released its Rule of Law Index 2017-18 report Measures the extent to which 113 countries have adhered to the rule of law in that period. India s rank was 62, better than China, Pakistan, Myanmar and Bangladesh; Denmark occupied the top spot. Eight areas: fundamental rights, which is measured by absence of discrimination, right to life and security, due process, freedom of expression and religion, right to privacy, freedom of association, and labour rights. The survey found that 71 out of the 113 countries have dropped in score.
- Even a cursory glance at the world is worrying. Turkey and China, the assault on civil liberties and freedoms has intensified. minorities in Poland and Hungary Australia and the U.S.: human rights of refugees are routinely negated The rise of majoritarian attitudes, hate speech and hate crimes is a growing concern, including in India. Mass atrocities: Iraq, Myanmar, Central African Republic, and Burundi. It is not just the erosion of human rights but the normalisation of it that is of concern.
- The Second World War and the horrors of the Holocaust were the impetus for the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. An environment in which rights are minimised or discarded provides fertile ground for a more concerted assault on rights. The gradual erosion of rights can result in a landslide unless efforts are made to halt and reverse this process.
Opacity in the banking sector- Bank fraud, has once again brought into focus the deficiencies in procedures and supervisory and regulatory controls in the banking sector. Landmark judgment in Reserve Bank of India v. Jayantilal N. Mistry and 10 other cases RBI s argument that if people, who are sovereign, are made aware of the irregularities being committed by the banks then the country s economic security would be endangered, is not only absurd but is equally misconceived and baseless.
- CIC has also directed disclosure of information in respect of wilful defaulters and absconders, overriding the ground of the fiduciary relationship of banks with their customers, which is one of the grounds for denial of information under the RTI Act Matter of larger public interest On the contrary, people ought to have all the information, good or bad, concerning such institutions so that they can make informed decisions about dealing with them. Above all, well-informed people can discharge the role of a watchdog far more effectively than all the regulatory bodies put together. Opacity deprives them of that role. The law on the issue would be clarified further as a result of future judicial pronouncements.
Protests derail Parliament - The first day of the second half of the Budget session of Parliament was washed out on Monday as Opposition parties in both Houses protested over a range of issues, from the Punjab National Bank scam to the demand for a special package for Andhra Pradesh. Relentless sloganeering on the D12,800 crore PNB scam and the issue of a special package for Andhra Pradesh forced adjournments in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
Two militants, four civilians killed in Shopian gunfight -
Don t pursue probe against Army officer - The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the Jammu and Kashmir government not to pursue any investigation against Major Aditya Kumar in connection with the killing of three persons after Army personnel allegedly opened fire on protesters in Shopian district. Attorney-General K.K. Venugopal said the State should not have filed an FIR against Major Kumar without taking prior sanction from the Centre. The Centre agreed with the Army officer s father that such criminal action demoralised soldiers fighting for the country. The Mehbooba Mufti government said Major Kumar was not named as an accused in the FIR, but only mentioned as the officer leading the convoy. Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, leading a three-judge Bench, was not convinced by the State s explanation.
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Hailstorm damages rabi crops - Unseasonal rain and hailstorm have damaged rabi crops in some parts of Rajasthan, while the harvest of wheat, mustard and barley is barely a fortnight away. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has expressed concern over the situation and ordered a survey of crops at the earliest in order to assess the extent of damage. The District Collectors and Disaster Management Department will shortly submit a report to the State government in this regard.
Centre invites Cauvery basin States for talks - Chief Secretary-level meet to be held in Delhi on March 9 to discuss SC verdict The Union Water Resources Ministry has invited Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry to participate in a Chief Secretary-level meeting Cauvery Management Board would be set up within six weeks as per the verdict of the apex court.
Threat of new malware looms over cyberspace- Saposhi, which is capable of taking over electronic devices and turning them into bots, which can then be used for any purpose, including a Distributed Denial of Service attack which, with enough firepower, can cripple entire industries. A senior cyberpolice officer told The Hindu that Saposhi was detected around 15 days ago, and is currently being watched and studied. In October last year, the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), a Central government body that deals with cyberattacks, had issued an alert about Reaper, a highly evolved malware capable of not only hacking devices like Wi- Fi routers and security cameras, but also hiding its own presence in the bot a device taken over by a malware.
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Andhra MPs back at protest-
Jaitley promises special package - Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday assured the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) that announcements would be made soon on a special package for the State and four of the other 19 demands of the party. While Mr. Jaitley has not given a definite timeline, he said they could be made before the end of the Budget Session on April 6. We will brief Chief Minister tomorrow [Tuesday] about Mr. Jaitley s plan and he will take a final call about whether we need to continue our protests, a TDP leader said.
China hikes military budget by 8.1%- Prime Minister Li says Beijing will target a GDP growth of 6.5% this year, and lift 10 million from poverty Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Monday that will raise its defence budget this year by a hefty 8.1% over 2017, signalling the country s intent to build world-class armed forces.
French Minister affirms support for Iran deal - France s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian visited Iran on Monday on a delicate mission to affirm Europe s support for a nuclear deal. France says Iran must address concerns over its ballistic missile programme or risk new sanctions. Reuters
U.S. aircraft carrier makes a historic visit to Vietnam- A U.S. aircraft carrier arrived in Vietnam on Monday for the first time since the end of the Vietnam War, dramatically underscoring the growing strategic ties between the former foes at a time when China s regional influence is rising.
RBI to inject extra liquidity of 1 lakh cr.- The Reserve Bank on Monday said it would inject additional liquidity of 1 lakh crore in banks through longer tenor instruments to enable flexibility towards meeting their fund needs. After reviewing the current and evolving liquidity conditions in the banking system, it has been decided to conduct additional variable rate repo operations for longer tenors to provide additional liquidity support to banks in March 2018, it said. The RBI will conduct four variable rate term repo auctions of 25,000 crore each in March 2018.
Services PMI contracts to 47.8 - Business activity in the services sector contracted in February due primarily to a decline in new orders, according to a survey. The Nikkei India Services Business Activity Index came in at 47.8 in February compared with 51.7 in January. A reading above 50 implies an expansion while one below 50 denotes a contraction.
Villagers gut organs of Sumatran tiger - Villagers in a remote Indonesian community disemboweled a critically endangered Sumatran tiger and then hung the big cat from a ceiling after it attacked a pair of locals. Human-animal conflicts are rampant in the archipelago, especially in areas where the rainforest is being cleared for palm oil plantations.
Beetles face extinction due to loss of old trees- Nearly a fifth of Europe s wood beetle species face extinction because the old, decaying trees they depend on have been cleared from forests, scientists warned on Monday. Eighteen per cent of the 700 beetle species surveyed were found to be at risk, but the percentage is likely higher because there was not enough data to classify a quarter of those examined, said a report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The 3,000 known species of saproxylic beetles need dead and decaying wood at some point during their life cycles. Efforts need to focus on long-term strategies to protect old trees across different landscapes in Europe, said Jane Smart, director, IUCN s Global Species Programme.
Wells, rail tracks turn death traps for Gir lions- As many as 32 lions died due to unnatural causes, like falling into wells or being run over by trains in 2016 and 2017 in Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat. A total of 184 lions died in the State in two years: 104 in 2016 and 80 in 2017. As per the 2015 census, there were 523 lions in and around the Gir sanctuary.
Answers- 1. Seals in Harappan period were normally made of A. Lead B. Gold C. Silver D. Steatite 2. Salts of which of the following elements provide colours to fireworks? A. Zinc and sulphur B. Potassium and mercury C. Strontium and barium D. Chromium and nickel
Questions- 1. Who is the guardian of Fundamental rights? A. Supreme Court B. Parliament C. Constitution D. President 2. Uniform Civil Code mentioned in the Directive Priniciples of State Policy ensure A. Economic equality B. National security C. National integration D. Support of weaker sections of society
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