Current Affairs from The Hindu DATE:10-05-15
S.NO. / NEWS ITEM / SYLLUBUS / ESSENCE OF THE ARTICLE1. / Pranab meets Putin, signals solidarity (Pages 1 and 10) / a) I.R / a) Officials said that President Pranab met Russian President Putin to discuss the full range of India-Russia ties.
2. / Presence of Pranab, Xi appreciated (Page 10) / a) I.R / a) The Commemoration event has also seen the emergence of Russia-India-China (RIC) bloc at a time the West has not only shunned President Putins grand parade but imposed major financial sanctions on Russia.
3. / Continuity likely in ties with India (Page 14) / a) I.R / a) The election of a Conservative govt under David Cameron will mark a continuation rather than a fresh start in building ties with India, as both countries have already established a fairly strong relationship, especially on the economic front.
4. / Three schemes launched (Pages 1 and 10) / a) National
b) Social issue / a) Two of the schemes launched (Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana) are insurance schemes, while Atal Bima Yojana would address old age income security needs.
5. / Bastar will be free from dance of death: Modi (Pages 1 and 10) / a) National
b) Social issue / a) Inaugurating two projects with an estimated investment of 24,000 crore in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh where Maoists hold control, PM Modi urged the banned outfit to avoid violence and support the governments development efforts.
6. / Experts dispute premise of juvenile law amendments (Page 10) / a) National
b) Polity / a) As the proposed amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act 2000 (passed in Lok Sabha) faces the Rajya Sabha hurdle, several child rights experts have begun to challenge its premise for treating adolescents accused of heinous crimes on a par with adults.
7. / New GST Bill elements need scrutiny (Pages 1 and 10) / a) National
b) Polity / a) Ahead of the Rajya Sabha vote next week on the Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill to introduce GST nationwide, the former PM Manmohan Singh said the draft legislation should be referred to a Select Committee since there were several new components which have not been put through legislative scrutiny.
8. / Rosetta spacecraft begins to listen out for Philae contact (Page 9) / a) S&T
b) Geography / a) The European Rosetta spacecraft began to listen out for its robotic lander among hopes that the comet-riding probe may soon have enough solar power to wake from hibernation.
S.NO. / NEWS ITEM / SYLLUBUS / BACKGROUND / IMPORTANT POINTS
1. / Pranab meets Putin, signals solidarity (Pages 1 and 10) / a) I.R / a) India – Russia relations
b) Defence ties
c) Trade ties
d) Energy cooperation
e) Annexation of Crimea
f) Ukraine crisis
g) World War II / a) Officials said that President Pranab met Russian President Putin to discuss the full range of India-Russia ties.
b) Foreign Secretary Jaishankar said that they had a wide-ranging review of bilateral cooperation, including in energy and defence sectors.
c) According to him, the two Presidents discussed all the initiatives agreed to when Putin visited Delhi in December, including ongoing talks on joint development of the Ka-226T helicopters as well as MoUs with ONGC for Sakhalin oilfields and Arctic explorations as well as GAIL for gas pipelines from Russia.
d) They agreed that current trade levels of about $10 billion must be raised to $30 billion and investment levels to $15 billion, and talked about developing the North-South trade route at the earliest.
e) Russia celebrates Victory Day also for the day Nazi forces were defeated in Europe, as opposed to the victory over Japanese forces in Asia that came some months later in 1945.
f) Ironically the boycott by US and European countries has turned this years event into a celebration with Russias Asian neighbours instead.
g) The US and most of the EU nations had refused to send their leaders, as a mark of protest over Russias annexation of Crimea last year. Many of the countries in the former Soviet Union also boycotted the event and in a significant break from the past, Ukraine decided to commemorate World War II victory a day prior to Russias annual event, all of which have caused deep anger in the Russian government.
2. / Presence of Pranab, Xi appreciated (Page 10) / a) I.R / a) Russia-India-China (RIC) bloc
b) India – Russia relations
c) Russia – China relations / a) The commemoration event has also seen the emergence of the RIC bloc at a time the West has not only shunned President Putins grand parade, but imposed major financial sanctions on Russia.
b) These have led to a significant weakening of the Russian Rouble, and restrictions on banks and oil companies have damaged Russias key export industries. At this time, the presence of Chinese and Indian Presidents has been appreciated in Russia as a strong signal of solidarity.
c) President Pranabs meeting came a day after Xi met Putin and finalised infrastructure deals worth an approximate $6 billion. Russia and China signed 32 agreements and MoUs including high-speed rail projects and the construction of a pipeline.
d) The visit also comes four days ahead of PM Modis big visit to China, where the two sides are expected to announce several trade and infrastructure measures.
3. / Continuity likely in ties with India (Page 14) / a) I.R / a) India –UK relations
b) Joint Statement on the India-UK Summit
c) Bilateral trade / a) The election of a Conservative government under David Cameron will mark a continuation rather than a fresh start in building ties with India, as both countries have already established a fairly strong relationship, especially on the economic front.
b) In its party manifesto, the Conservative Party promised to support Indias demand for a permanent Security Council seat.
c) Cameron has demonstrated a personal commitment to building ties with India during his last tenure as PM.Of the three visits he made, the one in Feb 2013 was the occasion for the signing of a Joint Statement on the India-UK Summit - a comprehensive document of bilateral intent in the areas of trade and investment, scientific and educational collaboration, and diplomacy.
d) The UK would like to increase its investments in India, which are currently of the order of $22billion and growing. Bilateral trade has however stopped at the level of $ 15-16 billion.
e) The UKattracts more Indian investment than the rest of the EU put together.
4. / Three schemes launched (Pages 1 and 10) / a) National
b) Social issue / a) Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana
b) Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana
c) Atal Bima Yojana / a) Two of the schemes launched (Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana) are insurance schemes, while the Atal Bima Yojana would address old age income security needs.
b) PM Modi arrived in Kolkata to launch three social security schemes and inaugurate a new steel plant in Asansol. Speaking on occasion after handing over insurance certificates to recipients, he said the schemes have been launched to give more power to the needy.
5. / Bastar will be free from dance of death: Modi (Pages 1 and 10) / a) National
b) Social issue / a) Bastar region of Chhattishgarh
b) Maoists / a) Inaugurating two projects with an estimated investment of Rs. 24,000 crore in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh where Maoists hold control, PM Modi urged the banned outfit to avoid violence and support govts development efforts.
b) Hestarted a mega steel plant at village Dilmili in Dantewada and an extension of the 140-km Rowghat-Jagdalpur railway line (second phase).
c) He stressed on the need to produce steel in India rather than exporting iron ore and blamed previous governments for slow progress in utilizing Bastars rich resources.
6. / Experts dispute premise of juvenile law amendments (Page 10) / a) National
b) Polity / a) Juvenile Justice Act 2000
b) Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill 2015
c) Child rights
d) UN Convention of the Rights of the Child / a) As the proposed amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act 2000 (passed in the Lok Sabha) faces the Rajya Sabha hurdle, several child rights experts have begun to challenge its premise for treating adolescents accused of heinous crimes on a par with adults.
b) Their primary contention is that the basis for proposing such amendments for strict action is faulty and unlikely to act as a deterrent.
c) Contrary to the growing perception that juvenile criminals are increasingly committing offences such as rape, they are often victims of abuse themselves.
d) Experts argue that strict punishment as a deterrent to juvenile crime is a misleading. The need of the hour is meaningful investment in care and protection.
7. / New GST Bill elements need scrutiny (Pages 1 and 10) / a) National
b) Polity / a) Goods and Services Tax (GST)
b) Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill
c) Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of Tax) Bill 2015
d) Parliament
e) Lok Sabha
f) Rajya Sabha
g) Select Committee / a) Ahead of the Rajya Sabha vote next week on Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill to introduce GST nationwide, the former PM Manmohan Singh said the draft legislation should be referred to a Select Committee since there were several new components which have not been put through legislative scrutiny.
b) Also, Opposition points out that even a completely new piece of legislation like the Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of Tax) Bill 2015 was not referred to a standing committee.
c) Criticising the Opposition for stopping important Bills in Parliament, Finance Minister Jaitley said that passing of the new GST Bill would bring in more transparency in the tax system of the country.India will become one seamless market with the introduction of the GST and result in economic integration of India
d) The GST Constitution Amendment Bill was approved by the Lok Sabha earlier this week. The Bill is now pending before Rajya Sabha, where the BJP government is not having a majority. The Constitution Amendment Bill needs to be approved by two-third majority in both Houses of Parliament.
8. / Rosetta spacecraft begins to listen out for Philae contact (Page 9) / a) S&T
b) Geography / a) Rosetta spacecraft
b) Philae
c) Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
d) European Space Agency (ESA)
e) Solar system / a) The European Rosetta spacecraft began to listen out for its robotic lander among hopes that the comet-riding probe may soon have enough solar power to wake from hibernation.
b) Philae lander has not been heard from since its batteries ran out three days after its dramatic and bouncy landing on comet 67P in November.
c) The lander touched down on the comet exactly where mission controllers had planned but when anchoring harpoons failed to fire, Philae bounced off the surface twice and finally came to a rest against a rock face that cast a shadow over its solar panels.
d) Scientists at the ESA switched on Rosettas receivers in case the probe moves to life in the coming days. Until May 17, the lander will be in sunlight twice a day when the Rosetta spacecraft is overhead and able to pick up its signals.
e) They said the rotation of the comet means that Philae has an hour and twenty minutes of sunlight twice a day during which it could call the orbiter.As we get closer and closer to the sun we hope the lander will get more and more power.
f) The chances of Philae recharging its batteries will rise until midAugust when comet passes closest to the sun before speeding back out into darkness of the distant solar system.
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