Quick Revision Module- Current Affairs(Social Issues,IR )

Mamallapuram Summit

• 2nd informal summit between India and China 
• 2020 will be designated as Year of  India-China Cultural and People to People Exchanges.
• High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue mechanism to be set up.
• ‘Sister-state relationship’ between Tamil Nadu and Fujian Province.
• First informal summit took place in Wuhan in 2018.

Sister Cities

(for match the following type questions)

o Aurangabad –  Dunhuang (China)
o Hyderabad – Qingdao (China)
o Chennai – Chongoing (China)
o Ahmedabad – Kobe (Japan)
o Delhi – Chicago (USA)

Motihari Amlekhgunj Oil Pipeline

• first transnational petroleum pipeline from India
• first South Asian oil pipeline corridor
• first oil pipeline in Nepal.
• It will ensure smooth, cost-effective and environment-friendly supply of petroleum products to Nepal from India.

Trans-Himalayan Multidimensional Connectivity Network

• THMCN is an economic corridor between Nepal and China and part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
• Kathmandu to Tibet Autonomous Region

HICDP

• India and Maldives signed  5 MoUs for establishing the Addu Tourism zone in five islands of Addu atoll.
• MoU was also signed to set up a bottled water plant in Hoarafushi (an inhabited island of the northern-most atoll, Haa Alif Atoll in Maldives)
• All six projects are grant projects fall under India’s High Impact Community Development Scheme (HICDP).
• HICDP constitute an important dimension of  development partnership between India and Maldives and projects under it are driven by needs of  communities on the islands.

Addu Tourism Zone

• Also known as Seenu Atoll- the southernmost atoll of the Maldives
• An atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef that surrounds a body of water called a lagoon
• There are small lakes, wetlands, and marshy taro fields (a tropical plant grown primarily for its edible corms i.e. a root vegetable) that are unique to Addu Atoll.

Bhabhatron 2

• Medical radiation equipment Bhabhatron II for treatment of cancer patients- India gifted to Myanmar.

Paletwa-Zorinpui road

• Final leg of the Kaladan project- India Myanmar

TAL Shyena

• India’s first locally produced anti- submarine torpedo– was bought by Myanmar also.

CMEC- China Myanmar Economic Corridor

• Proposed economic corridor of China under Belt and Road Initiative involving  a central road and rail transport infrastructure leading from Southern China’s Yunnan Province  through Muse and Mandalay to Kyaukphyu in Rakhine State in Myanmar.
• It provides China another  access to the Indian Ocean.

BBIN  Motor Vehicles Agreement

• The sub-regional Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) seeks regulation of passenger, personnel and cargo vehicular traffic between the four BBIN countries- Bangladesh ,Bhutan ,India and Nepal.
• Ratified by all except Bhutan due to environmental concerns.
• Under South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) programme, Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been providing technical, advisory, and financial support

Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project

• It will connect the seaport of Kolkata with Sittwe seaport in Myanmar by sea.
• It will then link Sittwe seaport to Lashio in Myanmar via Kaladan river boat route and then from Lashio on to Mizoram by roa transport.

BIMSTEC-DMEx 2020

• The 2nd BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise (BIMSTEC-DMEx) 2020 is a 3-day exercise that discussed standardization of protocol, formulation of policy and guidelines for protection of heritage sites during disasters and their conservation post-disaster.
• BIMSTEC- Bay of Bengal Initiatives for Multi-sectoral, Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional group of seven members: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, and Nepal, established in 1997 through Bangkok Declaration.

Indo Pacific Oceans’ Initiative (IPOI)

•  India launched an open global initiative Indo Pacific Oceans’ Initiative (IPOI) at the East Asia Summit held in Bangkok, Thailand.
• It draws on existing regional cooperation architecture and mechanisms to focus on 7 central pillars conceived around Maritime Security; Maritime Ecology; Maritime Resources; Capacity Building and Resource Sharing; Disaster Risk Reduction etc.

Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership- RCEP

• India did not join.
• RCEP is Free Trade Agreement (FTA) involving 15 countries, including the 10 ASEAN countries and China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India.
• It seeks to provide a framework aimed at lowering trade barriers and securing improved market access for goods and services for businesses in the region.

India’s 2+2 Mechanism

• Japan is the second country with which India has 2+2 ministerial dialogue (USA being the other one)
• India and Australia also have the 2+2 at the official level.
• With this, India has 2+2 mechanism with all the
  Quad countries at some level.

Indian Ocean Dialogue

• flagship initiative of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
• Track 1.5 discussion for an open and free flowing dialogue by academia and officials on strategic issues of the IOR.
• Track 1.5 diplomacy involves both officials and non-officials
• Track 1– Govt diplomacy,Track 2 -backchannel diplomacy

Power of Siberia Project

• First cross border pipeline between China and Russia to pump natural gas to China from Russia’s far-east regions like Yakutia. 

Future Investment Initiative (FII)

• It is an initiative by Saudi Arabia to diversify the kingdom’s economy and reduce its dependence on petroleum products.
• FII- also called as ‘Davos in the desert’

 Shahid Behesthi Port of Chabahar

• Jointly being developed by India, Iran and Afghanistan for multi-modal transport of goods and passengers.
• It is located in the Gulf of Oman
• Counter to Pakistan’s Gwadar port.

Blue Dot Network

• Launched in 2019 on the sidelines of the 35th ASEAN Summit by the US, Australia and Japan. 
• Initiative will evaluate projects on various parameters, in line with ‘G20 Principles for Quality Infrastructure Investment’ including level of public consultation, transparency in funding, debt traps and basic environment norms. Projects that meet the norms will get a “blue dot” certification, which will enable them to attract private funding and not have to depend on  state funding alone.
• Being seen  as a counter to China’s debt trap diplomacy through BRI.

NATO Ally like Status

Benefits of status for the country

• Eligible for entry into cooperative research and development projects with the Department of Defense (DoD) 
• Purchase of depleted Uranium antitank rounds
• Priority delivery of ships and military ration.
• Allow possession of War Reserve Stocks of Department of Defence owned equipment that are kept outside of American military bases.
• No need to fund NATO.

Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement

• India USA decided for early conclusion BECA.
• It is one of the four ‘foundational’ or enabling agreements with U.S. meant to improve interoperability between the militaries and allow transfer of high-end military platforms.
• Will allow India to use US geo-spatial maps.

“Foundational” agreements that US has signed with India:

• General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA): enables sharing of  military intelligence and requires to protect each  others’ classified information.
• Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA): permits (not binding) the military of either country to use the others’ bases for resupplying or  carrying out repairs.
• Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA): enables the two countries to share secure communication and exchange information on approved equipment.

QUAD

• An informal but increasingly being formalized strategic dialogue between the United States, Japan, Australia and India.
• The dialogue was initiated in 2007 by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan.
• To develop one mechanism,to promote the free and open Indo-Pacific.

USA removes India,Brazil ,Indonesia and South Africa from list of Developing countries

Why– Because United States Trade Representative (USTR) employed methodology that excludes countries which have-

• per capita GNI above $12,375 as per World Bank data,
• are members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), G20,
• classified as “high income” by the World Bank
• account for more than 0.5% of global merchandise trade

Under the WTO rules, any country can “self- designate” itself  as a developing country.

H1-B and H4 Visas

• The lottery-based H-1B visas allow US companies to employ foreign workers temporarily in specialised occupations for three years, extendable to six years.
• Max- 85000/year- exemptions to universities and non profit research.
• 74% applicants are from India
• H4- for spouses of H1B visa holders,through which some are allowed to work in USA.

“A New Passage to India”

• “Indo-German Partnerships on Higher Education” (IGP) was signed as part of the overall programme “A New Passage to India” to increase the number of Indian students studying in Germany.

UN Peacekeeping Forces

• Indian peacekeepers in South Sudan received prestigious UN medal.
• 1st UN peacekeeping mission – 1948– to the Middle East to monitor the Armistice Agreement between Israel and its Arab neighbours.
• India has provided more than 2 lakh officers to UN  Peacekeeping over 70 years, in more than 50 missions, starting from Korean War in 1950
• India has lost the highest number of its peacekeepers in various UN peacekeeping operations.

First UN-HABITAT Assembly

• Held at UN Habitat headquarters in Nairobi,Kenya
• India elected to the Executive Board.
• Theme – “Innovation for Better Quality of Life in Cities and Communities”.
• (UN–Habitat) is the United Nations programme for human settlements and sustainable urban development- since 1978.

Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961

• International treaty which gives a framework for diplomatic relations between independent countries.
• It specifies the privileges of a diplomatic mission that enable diplomats to perform their functions without fear.
• It forms the legal basis for diplomatic immunity.
• India is a party .

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation  (CTBTO)- 1996

• India invited as an observer.
• Multilateral treaty that bans all nuclear explosions, for both civilian and military purposes, in all environments.
• It will come into force when all the 44 countries which possess nuclear capability and research reactors  ratify it.
• Neither signed nor ratified– India, North Korea and  Pakistan– (asked in earlier Prelims exam)
• Signed but not ratified– China, Egypt, Iran, Israel and the United States.

BRICS-11th Summit- 2019

• Brasilia, Brazil
• Theme “Economic Growth for an Innovative Future.”
• Adopted- Brasilia Declaration.
• It was officially formed in 2006, originally including Brazil, Russia, India and China.Now South Africa is also a member.
• 1st summit in Russia in 2009.(asked in past Prelims exam)
• British economist Jim O’Neill coined the acronym “BRIC” .

SCO 19th- Bishkek Summit -2019

• Adoption of Bishkek decalaration
• SCO is a Eurasian political, economic, and military organisation headquarted in Beijing, China.
• 8 Member States – China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,  Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan,India and Pakistan
• 4 observer countries– Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia
• 2020 Summit will be held in India.

Arctic Council

(asked in past Prelims exam)

• India  re-elected as an Observer.
• Established by the 8 Arctic States through the Ottawa  Declaration of 1996— Canada, Denmark , Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States.
• Intergovernmental forum for discussing issues related to Arctic region such as scientific research, and peaceful and sustainable use of resources in the region.
• Does not prohibit commercial exploitation.

Himadri– India’s only research centre in Arctic.

IndARC–  India’s first underwater moored observatory in the Arctic region (asked in past Prelims exam).

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)

• also called Pasdaran, is a branch of the Iranian armed forces, independent of Iran’s regular army.
• Quds Force is a wing of IRGC which is responsible  for its foreign operations.

Financial Action Task Force- FATF

• Paris headquartered intergovernmental body  established in 1989.
• 39 members including India
• Aim– Set standards and promote effective  implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.
• Pakistan– is in Grey list of FATF.
• Iran,North Korea– Black list.

Operation Sunrise

• Armies of India and Myanmar carried out operation in their areas to bust camps of militant outfits.

New and Emerging Strategic Technologies (NEST)

• Nodal division within the Ministry of External Affairs for issues pertaining to new and emerging technologies.

Cape Town Agreement

• The Cape Town Agreement was adopted by the International Maritime Organisation in 2012 to help combat illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing.

SOLAS

• International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)—an internationally binding treaty on safety for merchant vessels that entered into force in 1980.

Operation Sankalp

• Launched by Indian navy in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman for safety of  Indian flagged vessels transiting through strategic shipping lane between Strait of Hormuz, Persian/ Arabian Gulf Region .
• INS Chennai and INS Sunayna have been deployed.

Global Peace Index- 2019

• Released by Institute for Economics & Peace (Australian Think Tank)
• Based on 3 dimensions — the level of societal safety and security, the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict and the degree of militarisation.
• For the first time global peace increased in last 5 years.
• Iceland– most peaceful
• Afghanistan replaced Syria as the least peaceful
• India- 141 (136 in  2018)

Global Terrorism Index- 2019

• Released by the Sydney based Institute for Economics  & Peace (IEP)
• Summary of the key global trends and patterns in terrorism since 2000 providing ranking of countries on the impact of terrorism.
• No of global deaths decreased
• Countries affected by terrorism increased
• Afghanistan– most impacted country-followed by Iraq,Nigeria and Syroa
• India- 7th rank.

UNCLOS

• United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea or the Law of the Sea treaty – a came into operation and  became effective from 16^th November 1982.
• Its binding on members.
• USA has not ratified it.
• The law of the sea provides for full money rights to nations for a 200-mile zone by their shoreline. The sea and oceanic bed extending this area is regarded to be Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and any country can use these waters for their economic utilisation.
•  IMO (International Maritime Organisation) plays a vital role in the operation of UNCLOS. 
• International Whaling Commission and the International Seabed Authority are vital parties in the functional areas of the nautical law.
• 160 members.