Current Affairs from The Hindu DATE: 17-08-15
S.NO. / NEWS ITEM / SYLLUBUS / ESSENCE OF THE ARTICLE1. / PM makes a statement with mosque visit (Pages 1 and 12) / a) I.R / a) The UAE leadership broke protocol to welcome PM Modi, with Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nayhan of Abu Dhabi turning out with five of his brothers to greet him at the airport in a rare gesture.
2. / India, Bangladesh tofight fake currency (Pages 1 and 12) / a) I.R / a) Indian and Bangladeshi security agencies have agreed to work in close coordination to control the smuggling of counterfeit currency notes, posing a threat to national security.
3. / India summons Pakistan envoy, protests LoC firing (Page 1,12) / a) I.R / a) The govt summoned High Commissioner Abdul Basit to register Indias protest against unprovoked firing by Pakistani troops on the Line of Control since Aug 8.
4. / Made-in-India vehicles for UN mission in Mali (Page 13) / a) I.R / a) In a sign of increasing Indian defence exports in the global market, Tata Motors has supplied 520 vehicles to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali.
5. / War embers that continue to simmer (Page 10) / a) International / a) In considering the Chinese invitation to anniversary celebrations of V-J Day, India will have to disentangle the historical and contemporary dimensions. While there is good reason to participate, India needs to ensure that the event does not stoke Asian nationalisms.
6. / Sri Lanka heads to the polls (Page 14) / a) International / a) On Aug 16, the stage was set forover 1.5 crore Sri Lankan voters toelect their representatives to the 225-member Parliament. The country on Aug 17 will witness its eighth general election in the last 37 years.
7. / China, Russia set for naval assertion in Sea of Japan (Page 14) / a) International / a) China and Russia are stepping up their military collaboration by holding another round of naval exercises (this time in the Sea of Japan), following recent measures adopted by Tokyo that could deepen its military ties with US.
8. / Iran submits nuclear records to IAEA (Page 14) / a) International / a) The UNs atomic watchdog has confirmed that Iran has submitted documents linked to its past nuclear activity, a key condition of a probe into suspected efforts to create nuclear arms.
9. / A last chance for Syria (Page 11) / a) International / a) The latest proposal from Iran (backed by Russia) offers the war-devastated nation a glimmer of hope.
10. / Go in for organic farming: LS panel (Page 13) / a) National / a) A statutory committee of Parliament has told the Union govt that a switch to organic agriculture could end the problems of agrarian distress for farmers and toxic food and groundwater consumption for consumers.
11. / A bank account for Mary (Page 11) / a) National
b) Social issue / a) The PMJDY celebrates success on its website, but thousands of members remain outside the banking system. This wont change unless the scheme alters both design and implementation.
12. / On a recovery path (Page 16) / a) National
b) Economy / a) The Reserve Bank of Indias inflation target of 6 percent in January 2016 looks very much achievable.
13. / China yuan to move both ways, more adjustments unlikely (Page 15) / a) Economy / a) Official said that Chinas move to weaken the yuan last week could head off further similar adjustments, and the yuan is likely to move in both directions as the economy stabilises.
S.NO. / NEWS ITEM / SYLLUBUS / BACKGROUND / IMPORTANT POINTS
1. / PM makes a statement with mosque visit (Pages 1 and 12) / a) I.R / a) India – UAE relations
b) Security cooperation
c) Investment ties / a) In the UAEs trip, the high point of first days engagement was Modis visit to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the worlds third largest mosque.
b) During talks with the UAE leadership, Modi is expected to discuss energy security (negotiation of long-term oil supply contracts), security cooperation and investment ties.
c) Officials admitted that the visit would be great to the domestic constituency. On the whole, the UAE visit will have a huge impact on Indian honour and Muslims, though the PM has visited several Central Asian countries and Bangladesh in recent past.
2. / India, Bangladesh tofight fake currency (Pages 1 and 12) / a) I.R / a) India – Bangladesh relations
b) Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) / a) Indian and Bangladeshi security agencies have agreed to work in close coordination to control the smuggling of counterfeit currency notes, posing a threat to national security. They have signed a MoU to this effect.
b) The Indian side gave a presentation on the magnitude of the threat posed by high-quality fake currency notes and shared the modus operandi adopted by masterminds. It said Such acts have been included as terror offences under UAPA.
c) The team said that fake notes were being used by some state agencies to fund terror activities in India. Indian agencies have strong reasons to believe that high-quality fake notes being pushed into country are being printed in Pakistan.
d) The Bangladesh agencies also gave a presentation on the adverse impact of fake notes on economy. In Bangladesh, such notes are being used to fund human and drug trafficking, besides anti-state activities.
e) The Bangladeshi delegation accepted a proposal from the Indian side to help establish state-of-the-art facilities for examination of fake currency notes and maintain a digital record of seizures and analysis.
3. / India summons Pakistan envoy, protests LoC firing (Page 1,12) / a) I.R / a) India – Pakistan relations
b) Border disputes
c) Line of Control (LoC)
d) International Border (IB)
e) Director-General Military Operations (DGMO) / a) The govt summoned High Commissioner Abdul Basit to register Indias protest against unprovoked firing by Pakistani troops on the LoC since Aug 8. Pakistan had summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Islamabad to protest what it claimed to be unprovoked firing from the Indian side.
b) According to defence officials, Pakistani troops targeted six sectors of the LoC on Aug 16: Poonch, Balakote, Hamirpur, Sujiyan, and Mandi, all falling under Poonch district; and Manjakot sector of Rajouri district.
c) Basit told reporters that Pakistan too was concerned over close to 70 ceasefire violations from this side of the LOC and IB in July and Aug.
d) During the upcoming talks between NSA Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz on Aug 23, both sides are expected to discuss the DGMO meeting that was agreed to when PMs Modi and Nawaz Sharif met in Ufa.
e) Sources said that Pakistan wants to broaden the scope of the talks by also discussing a new mechanism for dealing with LoC firing.MEA said that the issue of firing had already been taken up at the DGMO level over the past few days.
4. / Made-in-India vehicles for UN mission in Mali (Page 13) / a) I.R / a) Indias defence exports
b) United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission (MINUSMA)
c) Make in India initiative / a) In a sign of increasing Indian defence exports in the global market, Tata Motors has supplied 520 vehicles to the UNMINUSMAin Mali, including ambulances, jeeps, water and fuel tankers, recovery and refrigeration trucks and buses.Tata Motors exports its range of specialised defence vehicles to SAARC, ASEAN and African regions.
b) Recently, Tata Motors won a contract to supply 1239 units of High-Mobility Vehicles with material handling cranes and 500 units of General Service vehicles to Myanmar Army in addition to signing cooperation agreement with Malaysia.
c) With India embarking on a major defence modernisation drive and govt opening up the sector for private participation with ambitious Make in India initiative of PM Modi, private companies are increasingly investing in lucrative but highly competitive defence sector.
5. / War embers that continue to simmer (Page 10) / a) International / a) Second World War
b) China – Japan disputes
c) East China Sea
d) Japans Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)
e) Chinese Communist Party / a) Wars are invariably associated with dates. Yet the global conflict that we call the Second World War is surprisingly difficult to date, especially in Asia. In some ways, the Second World War in Asia has yet to end. The controversies over the war are now overlaid on current geopolitical competition and they are mutually aggravating.
b) In a time of tension with Japan, it is not surprising that China has decided to mark the 70th anniversary of Victory over Japan (V-J) Day with a massive military parade on Sept 3. It is equally unsurprising that Japan has accused China of politicising the event. More interesting is Beijings decision to invite contingents from other countries (including India) to join the parade.
c) From Indias standpoint, the invitation presents a delicate choice. Given the participation of an Indian military contingent as well as the President of India in the celebrations in Moscow earlier this year, it would seem churlish to skip the Chinese parade. At the same time, India is mindful of Japanese concerns on this issue.
d) Over the past year, India has sought to work closely with Japan on matters relating to security - not just bilaterally but also with other countries such as the US and Australia. The tightening strategic ties between India and Japan are obviously spurred by common concerns about Chinas muscle-flexing in Asia.
e) The historical case for Indian participation in Chinese parade is rather strong. During the Second World War, China and India were military allies against Japan. The foundations of this forgotten alliance were laid in early 1930s, when Indian nationalists strongly supported China during the Japanese aggression in Manchuria and also denounced the League of Nations for averting its eyes. Political support for China grew stronger from 1937 onwards.
f) The problem is continuing conflict over memory and history of the war. The Chinese and the South Koreans feel that Japan has never really come to terms with its past aggression nor genuinely paid for its brutal war-time record. Japanese leaders have apologised on several occasions, but these are seen as evasive and insincere. Given the make-up of post-war Japanese governments, this is understandable.
g) However, it is interesting to note that disputes over Japans war-time conduct were not prominent in the early post-war period. When Japans ties with South Korea were normalised in 1965, Seoul accepted a reparations agreement, though on American pushing. When ties with China began to be normalised from 1972, Beijing dropped question of reparations altogether. Why then has Japans war-time conduct become such a charged issue in more recent decades?
h) On the one hand, the LDP has sought more strongly to blur Japans record of aggression and brutality during the war. Paradoxically, this is because the Japanese people have deeply internalised notions of pacifism and opposition to the nationalism and patriotism that are seen as drivers of past aggression. This inwardly driven agenda naturally impacts on how other countries perceive Tokyos apologies and denials.
i) On other hand, with demise of Marxism as a state ideology in China, consciousness of the war has gathered greater public salience. The version of nationalism purveyed by the Chinese Communist Party is a cocktail of several ingredients, including the memory of the Japanese jackboot. Further, as China and Japan are locked in dispute over islands in the East China Sea, the history and memory of those years have acquired additional layers of complexity.
j) In his carefully prepared statement on 70th anniversary, Japans PM Abe sought to address multiple audiences. He used words such as aggression, colonial domination and deep remorse, but couched them as observations on previous apologies that he was reaffirming. He also spoke of the devastation visited by Japan on other Asian countries, but only after talking of Japans own war-time suffering.
k) Yet, his affirmation of the need for remembrance would have carried more conviction, if he had addressed Japanese agency in kick-starting the war rather than presenting it as a victim of world historical forces. Both Beijing and Seoul were quick to criticise speech as inadequate. The history wars look set to continue.
l) So, in considering the Chinese invitation, India will have to extract the historical and contemporary dimensions of this anniversary. While there is good reason to participate, we also need to ensure that the event does not provide further fuel to Asian nationalisms. Unless history ceases to be used either to rouse popular passions or club erstwhile adversaries into contrition, the Second World War in Asia will never really end.
6. / Sri Lanka heads to the polls (Page 14) / a) International / a) Sri Lankas internal issues
b) United National Party (UNP)
c) United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA)
d) Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) / a) On Aug 16, the stage was set forover 1.5 crore Sri Lankan voters toelect their representatives to 225-member Parliament. The country on Aug 17 will witness its 8th general election in the last 37 years.
b) In tune with Sri Lankas electoral tradition, no single political formation is expected to win a majority this time too.After the adoption of the 1978 Constitution providing for proportional representation, a partycould muster a majority on its own only on 2 occasions.While the UNP secured 125 seats in the1989 polls, its main rival (UPFA) led by the SLFP,won 144 seats five years ago.
c) In this election, Ranil Wickremesinghe (UNP leader and PM) and Mahinda Rajapaksa (UPFAs poll team leader andformer president) are contesting from the electoral districts ofColombo (Western Province) and Kurunegala (North Western Province).
7. / China, Russia set for naval assertion in Sea of Japan (Page 14) / a) International / a) China – Russia relations
b) Military cooperation
c) US Pivot to Asia
d) Sea of Japan
e) Mediterranean Sea
f) Peter the Great Gulf / a) China and Russia are stepping up their military collaboration by holding another round of naval exercises (this time in the Sea of Japan), following recent measures adopted by Tokyo that could deepen its military ties with Washington.
b) The drills are an extension of Joint Sea-2015 (I), another naval exercise that the two countries had held in May in the Mediterranean Sea, on the doorstep of Europe, and in the backdrop of crisis in Ukraine.
c) Apart from Sea of Japan, these drills will also take place in the Peter the Great Gulf and waters off the Clerk Cape.
d) The Joint Sea-2015 (II) is being timed with the growing militarisation of Pacific under President Obamas Pivot to Asia doctrine, which empowers the US Pacific Command to draw nearly two-thirds of all American forces under its wing.
e) In tandem, Japan is taking legal measures that could detach Tokyo from its postwar pacifism, and, instead, allow it join forces with the US in operations that do not necessarily pose a direct threat.
8. / Iran submits nuclear records to IAEA (Page 14) / a) International / a) Irans nuclear programme
b) Iran – P5+1 nulcear deal
c) International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) / a) The UNs atomic watchdog has confirmed that Iran has submitted documents linked to its past nuclear activity, a key condition of a probe into suspected efforts to create nuclear arms.
b) IAEA signed a road map with Iran in July to investigate its nuclear programme, as part of an overall accord with major world powers.
c) The historic deal is aimed at curbing Irans nuclear activity in exchange for relief on painful economic sanctions.
9. / A last chance for Syria (Page 11) / a) International / a) Syrian war
b) Islamic State (IS)
c) Syria and Iraq crisis
d) Kurdish forces
e) Syrian Kurdish militias (YPG)
f) Turko-Kurdish PKK / a) In early August, the Foreign Ministers of Iran and Syria and Russias Deputy Foreign Minister met in Tehran to discuss the Syrian war. The Iranians (now strengthened by thenuclear deal) presented a plan for a solution to the fratricidal Syrian war.
b) Irans plan has four steps: 1. Forge an immediate cease-fire; 2. Create a national unity government; 3. Rewrite Syrias Constitution with a more expansive inclusion of minorities; 4. Hold national elections under international supervision. These points are not new. The call for a ceasefire has been on the agenda since 2011, and the other steps have been discussed in the UN and in various regional gatherings over the past four years.
c) What is novel is that the proposal comes from Iran, with Russian and Syrian backing.The idea of a national unity govt implies that President Bashar al-Assad would not have to withdraw from politics. But it does suggest that Damascus has softened in its view that President Assad must be allowed to serve out his new term in office.
d) Western capitals should look at this proposal as an olive branch. This proposal does not roll out acompletepath toward peace, but it does open the door to negotiations. Other Westernapproachestoward Syria have failed. The most recent attempt to create a moderate rebel force to take on both the IS and the Assad govtcollapsed. The al-Qaeda affiliatedJabhatal-Nusraeasily defeatedWestern-trainedDivision 30, seizing its arms and killing many of its fighters.