Current Affairs from The Hindu DATE: 10-04-16

S.NO. / NEWS ITEM / SYLLUBUS / ESSENCE OF THE ARTICLE
1. / India may sign pact against terror with the Maldives (Page 12) / a) I.R / a) A crucial counter-terror pact is likely to be among the list of agreements that the President of the Maldives Abdullah Yameen may conclude during his visit to India on April 10.
2. / Pathankot case Pakistan probe teams visit divides NDA (Page 12) / a) I.R / a) The Union governments decision to allow Pakistans Joint Investigation Team into the Pathankot airbase has evoked different responses from two oldest allies of the ruling National Democratic Alliance.
3. / China, Sri Lanka to redefine Colombo Port City project (Pages 1 and 14) / a) International / a) China and Sri Lanka have decided to redefine the controversial Colombo Port City project by making it an international financial outpost in the Indian Ocean as part of a 20-year framework plan.
4. / N. Korea tests engine for missile that can target US (Page 14) / a) International / a) North Korea said that it had successfully tested an engine designed for an inter-continental ballistic missile that would guarantee an eventual nuclear strike on the US mainland.
5. / Kerry asks Taliban to enter peace process (Page 14) / a) International / a) US Secretary of State John Kerry called on the Taliban to re-enter peace talks with Kabul during an unannounced visit on April 9 to show his support for Afghanistans unity government, which he helped create 18 months ago.
6. / UN to observe 125th birth anniversary of Ambedkar (Page 13) / a) International
b) National / a) The birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar (father of the Indian Constitution) will be observed on April 13 at the UN for the first time with focus on combating inequalities to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
7. / SpaceX rocket booster makes breakthrough landing at sea (Page 20) / a) S&T
b) Geography / a) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Florida on a NASA cargo run to the International Space Station on April 8, and its reusable main-stage booster landed on an ocean platform minutes later in a dramatic spaceflight first.
S.NO. / NEWS ITEM / SYLLUBUS / BACKGROUND / IMPORTANT POINTS
1. / India may sign pact against terror with the Maldives (Page 12) / a) I.R / a) India – Maldives relations
b) Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement
c) Counter-terror agreement
d) Islamic State / a) A crucial counter-terror pact is likely to be among the list of agreements that the President of the Maldives Abdullah Yameen may conclude during his visit to India on April 10.
b) The Maldives has been seeking regional support to deal with extremism as 40 of its citizens are reportedly fighting alongside the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
c) The issue was discussed between India and the Maldives during the March visit of Maldivian Foreign Secretary Ali Naseer Mohammed and Foreign Secretary Jaishankar when both sides agreed on information sharing to counter terror.
d) Diplomats on both sides are also working on welcoming an agreement on double taxation avoidance in the field of international air transport.
e) Experts have noted that the visit of President Yameen which comes just two days before the beginning of the Indian Ocean Region dialogue in Indonesia gives India one more opportunity to convince the Maldives to join the Indian Ocean Region Association.
f) Yameen is likely to use the day-long meetings of April 11 to seek Indias support for the political process in his country. The issue of exiled former President Mohammed Nasheed is also likely to feature in bilateral talks.
2. / Pathankot case Pakistan probe teams visit divides NDA (Page 12) / a) I.R / a) India – Pakistan relations
b) Terrorism
c) Pathankot terror attack
d) Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)
e) Joint Investigation Team (JIT) / a) The Union govts decision to allow Pakistans JIT into the Pathankot airbase has evoked different responses from two oldest allies of the ruling NDA. The Shiv Sena has said the decision reflects a fatal obsession of every Indian PM.
b) Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said that the govt has turned blind to Pakistans intentions, and Pakistans High Commissioner Abdul Basits remarks reflect how deluded the Indian govt is over the question of engaging with Pakistan.
3. / China, Sri Lanka to redefine Colombo Port City project (Pages 1 and 14) / a) International / a) China – Sri Lanka relations
b) Colombo Port City project
c) Hambantota port
d) Chinas One Belt One Road initiative
e) Maritime Silk Road / a) China and Sri Lanka have decided to redefine the controversial Colombo Port City project by making it an international financial outpost in the Indian Ocean as part of a 20-year framework plan.
b) Visiting Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said the Colombo Port City project (which both China and Sri Lanka have decided to develop into a financial hub) will not have any impact on Indian security.
c) He said it will be a joint venture with a Chinese company and a Sri Lankan company and we want to put 40 percent out into stock market and it will give an opportunity to Indian companies to invest in the Sri Lankan venture.
d) He pointed out that the Port City would become part of efforts to turn Sri Lankas western province into a mega-polis of eight million people.
e) He highlighted that his government wanted to turn the port of Hambantota into another Shenzhen - the city that was at the heart of former Chinese leader Deng Xiaopings reforms.
f) He said the Sri Lankans were talking to Andhra Pradesh CM Chadrababu Naidu about greater cooperation between Sri Lankan ports and Visakhapatnam once an economic and technology agreement with India is materialised.
g) A Joint Statement issued at the end of the visit said the two sides will use development of a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road as an opportunity to further advance infrastructure development, the China-Sri Lanka FTA negotiations and promote joint ventures.
4. / N. Korea tests engine for missile that can target US (Page 14) / a) International / a) North Koreas nuclear arsenal / a) North Korea said that it had successfully tested an engine designed for an inter-continental ballistic missile that would guarantee an eventual nuclear strike on US mainland.
b) It was the latest in a series of claims by Pyongyang of significant breakthroughs in both its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.
c) Kim Jong-un said that North Korea can tip new type inter-continental ballistic rockets with more powerful nuclear warheads and keep any cesspool of evils in the earth including the US mainland within our striking range.
5. / Kerry asks Taliban to enter peace process (Page 14) / a) International / a) US – Afghanistan relations
b) Afghan government – Taliban peace process / a) US Secretary of State John Kerry called on the Taliban to re-enter peace talks with Kabul during an unannounced visit on April 9 to show his support for Afghanistans unity govt, which he helped create 18 months ago.
b) His visit comes as Kabul desperately tries to bring the insurgent group back to the negotiation table to end their conflict which began in 2001.
6. / UN to observe 125th birth anniversary of Ambedkar (Page 13) / a) International
b) National / a) UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
b) Inequality / a) The birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar (father of the Indian Constitution) will be observed on April 13 at the UN for the first time with focus on combating inequalities to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
b) The landmark 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognises that combating inequality within and among countries, creating sustained, inclusive and sustainable growth and fostering inclusion are interdependent.
c) The vision of Ambedkar (the architect of the Indian Constitution) to achieve social justice and equality also finds resonance in the core message of the 2030 Agenda.
7. / SpaceX rocket booster makes breakthrough landing at sea (Page 20) / a) S&T
b) Geography / a) SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket
b) Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM)
c) International Space Station (ISS)
d) NASA / a) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Florida on a NASA cargo run to the ISS on April 8, and its reusable main-stage booster landed on an ocean platform minutes later in a dramatic spaceflight first.
b) The two-stage SpaceX rocket separated, turned around and headed toward a landing platform floating in the Atlantic about 300 km northeast of Cape Canaveral.
c) For first time, the ISS will be equipped with an expandable habitable structure that has the potential to revolutionise work on the orbital laboratory.
d) SpaceXs Dragon capsule is delivering almost 3175kg of cargo (including the BEAM) to the ISS.

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