DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS 28 AUGUST 2019 BY SUMIT

IMPORTANT TOPICS FOR TODAY
http://dailycurrentaffairs-sumit.blogspot.com
BY SUMIT BHARDWAJ
28^thAugust 2019
1.Indo-Pacific one of new concepts in changing world: Jaishankar(GS-1,2)

CONTEXT:This is the External Affairs Minister’s first visit to Moscow since assuming office in May.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said here on Tuesday that the changing world had thrown up new concepts and approaches and the Indo-Pacific was one of them.

Mr. Jaishankar arrived here on Tuesday on a two-day visit to Russia during which he will hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and finalise the preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s forthcoming visit to the country.
“EAM S Jaishankar unveiled Gandhi statue at the Embassy premises on the occasion of 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi,” the embassy said in a tweet.
The Indo-Pacific area is our lifeline and also the highway for trade and prosperity. This is the key to our shared future in every sense,” he said during his first foreign visit since being elected to a second term in May.
Mr. Modi underlined that at the Shangri-La Dialogue forum in Singapore last June, he had stressed on working together “to create openness, integration and balance” in the Indo-Pacific region.
Indo-Pacific REGION:
The Concept of 'Indo Pacific'
First time, the term 'Indo Pacific' was used by the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Indian soil in 2007. Then, he said that there is a connect between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
After about ten years, the President of the United States used this term during his visit to East Asia. He repeatedly used this term instead of 'Asia Pacific'. The motive is to ensure that all the countries in the region are working in a direction to make it an open, free, inclusive, prosperous and rule based Indo Pacific system.
China is giving a tough competition to U.S in all sectors. In the trade war with China, U.S. wants to pump up as much as banding together of other nations as possible.
India considers two important aspects within the scope of this term:
One, centrality of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), which is necessary to take forward the notion of Indo-Pacific.
Second, respect for international laws, especially the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea, 1982 (UNCLOS) at the time of disputes, particularly over the South China Sea.
Significance of the Indo Pacific Region
It is a very rich region in terms of natural resources (fisheries, oil, gas) as well as mineral resources.
About 3.5 trillion dollars international trade flows through the South China Sea.
Trade of some of the major economies like China, Japan, Korea or the west coast of the United States goes through the South China Sea.
About 50% of India’s trade is conducted through the South China Sea.
India’s Role in the Indo Pacific Region
India has been one of the major players in the region. India conducts many naval exercises with the United States, countries of ASEAN, Japan, Korea and Vietnam.
Last time in 2015, with the United States, India issued a strategic vision for the Indian ocean and the Pacific, in which maintaining the security in the South China Sea, was also mentioned.
ONGC Videsh Ltd is prospecting for oil and gas in the exclusive economic zone of Vietnam. India imports 82% of its oil. It needs oil from wherever it can get. Therefore, explorations at the South China Sea is very important for it.
The international community including India wants freedom of navigation, freedom of over flights in the region, especially the South China Sea.
Claims Made by China in the South China Sea
The Chinese regime claims that it has historical ownership over nearly the entire region, which gives it the right to manufacture islands, declare defensive perimeters around its artificial islands, and to chase ships from other nations out of the South China Sea. The International Court of Arbitration rejected the claim in 2016.
China considers disputes in the South China Sea as territorial disputes and therefore considers that UNCLOS does not have a locus standi to pass the judgement over disputes.
What other littoral countries in the dispute are doing to counter China?
It was Phillipines only that took the case to the International Court of Arbitration in 2016. But it has been seen recently that it is ready to provide its islands to China provided China invests in its region.
None of the states in dispute is willing to or is capable of confronting China.
Economically, China is leading the region. Also, in general, China has a record of making countries fall into line with it either through warnings or by giving bribe in the form of investment.
Should India collaborate with US in the South China Sea?
To show its presence and to not allow China to do which is not as per the UNCLOS, it is necessary for India to have its ships in the South China Sea.
Participating in the exercises like Malabar that desist China from doing something unconventional.
The Malabar exercise started in 1992 as a bilateral one between the Indian Navy and the US Navy in the Indian Ocean. Japan became a permanent member of the Malabar exercise in 2015.
India shall not get sucked in with US, but rather have more and more naval exercise in other countries’ seas in their respective exclusive zones, close to the areas in the South China Sea which China claims.
India’s assets are not that large to be there permanently in the sea but in the name of maritime exercises, it can show its presence there to the world.

India needs to have maritime alliances like Quad (India, Australia, the US and Japan) with different countries including US to protect its interests in the South China Sea without provoking China.

Shangri-La Dialogue:

The Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) is a “Track One” inter-governmental security forum held annually by an independent think tank, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) which is attended by defense ministers, permanent heads of ministries and military chiefs of 28 Asia-Pacific states. The forum gets its name from the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore where it has been held since 2002. The summit serves to cultivate a sense of community among the most important policymakers in the defence and security community in the region. Government delegations have made the best out of the meeting by holding bilateral meetings with other delegations on the sidelines of the conference.

2.Ram Sethu was built by Indian engineers, says HRD Minister(GS-1,2)

CONTEXT:Ramesh Pokhriyal calls for more research on Sanskrit

Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on Tuesday said Ram Sethu was built by Indian engineers and Sanskrit was the oldest language in the world. The Minister urged engineers to conduct research on Ram Sethu and Sanskrit.

Ram Sethu :
Ram Sethu, also known as Adam's Bridge

3.Tank-like structure, pipeline unearthed in Keezhadi

(GS-1)

CONTEXT:
After wall structures and ring well, the State Department of Archaeology has found a tank-like brick structure and terracotta pipelines during the excavation at Keezhadi.

4.U.S. religious commission concerned about “potential abuse” of NRC

(GS-2)

CONTEXT:A U.S. federal government bipartisan commission that looks into matters of international religious freedom has said it is concerned about the finalisation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam. United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Chairman Tony Perkins and one of its commissioners Anurima Bhargava said the process to finalise the NRC by August 31 could undermine religious freedom for vulnerable minorities and potentially be used to “render stateless” Muslim communities in the northeast.

National Register of Citizens (NRC):

Why was it updated?

The process of NRC update was taken up in Assam as per a Supreme Court order in 2013. In order to wean out cases of illegal migration from Bangladesh and other adjoining areas, NRC updation was carried out under The Citizenship Act, 1955, and according to rules framed in the Assam Accord.
Why is March 24, 1971 the cut-off date?
There have been several waves of migration to Assam from Bangladesh, but the biggest was in March 1971 when the Pakistan army crackdown forced many to flee to India. The Assam Accord of 1985 that ended the six-year anti-foreigners’ agitation decided upon the midnight of March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date.
Who is a citizen in Assam?
The Citizenship Act of 1955 was amended after the Assam Accord for all Indian-origin people who came from Bangladesh before January 1, 1966 to be deemed as citizens. Those who came between January 1, 1966 and March 25, 1971 were eligible for citizenship after registering and living in the State for 10 years while those entering after March 25, 1971, were to be deported.
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) :
USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission, the first of its kind in the world, dedicated to defending the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad. USCIRF reviews the facts and circumstances of religious freedom violations and makes policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress. USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and the Congressional leadership of both political parties.

5.Railways to offer up to 25% discount in some Shatabdi, Tejas trains: Official(GS-2)

CONTEXT:The discount will be given on the base fare of trains with AC chair car and executive chair car seats and charges like GST, reservation fee, superfast charges and others will be levied separately

Faced with stiff competition from roadways and low-cost airlines, railways is set to offer up to 25% discounts in trains like

Shatabdi Express, Tejas and Gatiman Express which have low occupancy, to bump up ticket sales, according to a senior official.

The discount will be given on the base fare of trains with AC chair car and executive chair car seats and charges like GST, reservation fee, superfast charges and others will be levied separately, the official said on Tuesday.

Shatabdi Express:

Shatabdi Express trains are a series of fast (called superfast in India) passenger trains operated by Indian Railways to connect Metro cities with other cities important for tourism, pilgrimage or business. Shatabdi Express are day-trains and they return to the station of origin the same day.
The Shatabdis along with The Rajdhani and the Duronto are among the fastest trains in India and the Indian Railways consider Rajdhani and Shatabdi as prestigious. The Shatabdi Expresses get second highest priority, after Rajdhani Expresses which get the highest priority. The Shatabdi Express trains run over short to medium distances while the Rajdhani Expresses and the Duronto Expresses are long-distance trains. Rajdhani Expresses connect the nation's capital New Delhi to capitals of states and other major cities while Duronto Expresses connect major cities to other major cities. All three series of trains have a maximum speed of about 120 km/h (75 mph). The 12001 Bhopal Shatabdi express, however, runs at a peak speed of 155 km/h (96 mph), which makes it the third fastest train in India after the Gatimaan Express and Train 18.
Tejas EXPRESS:
The Tejas Express is India’s first semi-high speed fully air-conditioned train Introduced by Indian Railways. It features modern onboard facilities with automatic doors. Tejas means "sharp", "lustre" and "brilliance" in many Indian languages. These trains are among the fastest trains in India along with Rajdhani Express, Gatimaan Express, Shatabdi Express, Vande Bharat Express and Duronto Express and get the highest priority on the Indian railway network
Gatiman Express:
Gatimaan Express is India's first semi-high speed train that runs between Delhi and Jhansi. It operates at a maximum speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) and is currently the fastest train in India after Train 18.The train takes 265 minutes to cover the 403 km (250 mi) journey from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Jhansi Junction railway stations with an average speed of 91.25 km/h (56.70 mph) from 1 April 2018
6.India to rejuvenate 50,000 hectares of degraded land(GS-1,3)

CONTEXT:Country faces a severe problem of soil becoming unfit for cultivation

A week ahead of a United Nations conference here that will see experts from over 90 countries deliberate ways to combat

desertification, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said India had committed to rejuvenate 50 lakh hectares (5 million) of degraded land between 2021 and 2030.

India faces a severe problem of land degradation, or soil becoming unfit for cultivation. About 29% or about 96.4 million hectares are considered degraded.

This January, India became part of the

“Bonn Challenge”, a global effort to bring 150 million hectares of the world’s deforested and degraded land into restoration by 2020, and 350 million hectares by 2030. At the UNFCC Conference of the Parties (COP) 2015 in Paris, India also joined the voluntary Bonn Challenge and pledged to bring into restoration 13 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2020, and an additional 8 million hectares by 2030. India’s pledge is one of the largest in Asia.

India for the first time will be hosting the 14th session of the

Conference of Parties (COP-14) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) from September 2 to 13.

Desertification:
Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas. It is caused primarily by human activities and climatic variations. Desertification does not refer to the expansion of existing deserts.
It occurs because dryland ecosystems, which cover over one third of the world‘s land area, are extremely vulnerable to overexploitation and inappropriate land use. Poverty, political instability, deforestation, overgrazing and bad irrigation practices can all undermine the productivity of the land.
Bonn Challenge:
The Bonn Challenge is a global effort to restore 150 million hectares of the world's degraded and deforested lands by 2020. It was hosted and launched by Germany and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Bonn on 2 September 2011, in collaboration with the Global Partnership on Forest/Landscape Restoration and targets delivery on the Rio Conventions and other outcomes of the 1992 Earth Summit. As at 2013 over 20 million hectares of land had been pledged for restoration from countries including Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Rwanda, and the United States. South Korea, Costa Rica, Pakistan, China, Rwanda and Brazil have embarked on successful landscape restoration programmes.
The IUCN estimates that fulfilling the goals of the Bonn challenge would create approximately $84 billion per year in net benefits that could positively affect income opportunities for rural communities.It is also estimated that a reduction of the current carbon dioxide emissions gap by 11-17% will be achieved by meeting the challenge. Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa pledge has the distinction of being the first sub-national pledge, the first pledge to be fully implemented, and the first pledge to be increased. 'Billion Tree Tsunami' is an initiative in that direction.|
Bonn challenge will address the issue of economic security, water security, food security and climate change. Landscape restoration through Bonn Challenge augments the international commitments to Climate Change. The restoration of 150 million hectares of the world's degraded and deforested lands by 2020 will help in sequestration of 1 billion metric ton of carbon dioxide which will reduce the current emission gap by 20%.
The African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative fits within the Bonn Challenge and has a goal of having 100 million hectares in the process of restoring by 2030. 28 African countries have made a total commitment of 113 million hectares to the initiative. Ethiopia has made the largest single commitment with 1t million hectares. Franklin's Prime Minister announced in May 2019 the country had set a goal of planting 4 billion trees in 2019 alone
Conference of Parties (COP-14) :
Families and communities are breaking up, losing their homes and sources of livelihoods, often from single instances of droughts, flashfloods and forest fires. These negative impacts of unpredictable and extreme climatic conditions are now recurrent, more frequent and intense in many parts of the world. Today, over a million species are on the verge of extinction, threatening global food security, largely due to habitat loss and land degradation. Three out of every 4 hectares of land have been altered from their natural states and the productivity of about 1 in every 4 hectares of land is declining. Poor land health is on the rise, and is impacting 3.2 billion people all over the world. Land degradation working in tandem with climate change and biodiversity loss may force up to 700 million people to migrate by 2050.
UNCCD is reducing these impacts by promoting investment in the land to unlock opportunities for change, deliver hope and action, and help build a more sustainable path for the future.
We are especially focused on the over 1.3 billion people who rely directly on the land to survive, and suffer the most from the biophysical impacts of land degradation and drought. They can enjoy a better, healthier future if they are able to protect, manage and restore their own land. Communities that rely solely on the land should be supported to become resilient in the face of environmental, social and climatic pressures.
Reversing land degradation and its outcomes while accelerating positive achievements for people and for ecosystems with a view to deliver on Sustainable Development Goals is the core agenda of the fourteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP14). COP14 will take place on 2-13 September 2019 at the India Mart and Expo, in the Greater Noida area of New Delhi, India.

The

UNCCD’s Conferences of the Parties (COP) is the place where governments agree on strategic and effective land use and sustainable land management goals to ensure nature and ecosystems thrive. COP14 will focus on the critical gaps in land management and planning, but also on practical actions to ensure the successes we are achieving, which are becoming more evident on the biophysical level, increase human well-being everywhere.

Over 3,000 participants from all over the world are expected to participate in COP14. The Parties to the Convention will agree on the actions each will take over the next two years and beyond to get us on a sustainable development path.

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification:

It was established in 1994, the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. The Convention addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, known as the drylands, where some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and peoples can be found.
UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework: It is the most comprehensive global commitment to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) in order to restore the productivity of vast expanses of degraded land, improve the livelihoods of more than 1.3 billion people, and reduce the impacts of drought on vulnerable populations to build.
The Convention’s 197 parties work together to improve the living conditions for people in drylands, to maintain and restore land and soil productivity, and to mitigate the effects of drought.
The UNCCD is particularly committed to a bottom-up approach, encouraging the participation of local people in combating desertification and land degradation. The UNCCD secretariat facilitates cooperation between developed and developing countries, particularly around knowledge and technology transfer for sustainable land management.
As the dynamics of land, climate and biodiversity are intimately connected, to meet these complex challenges with an integrated approach and the best possible use of natural resources. The UNCCD collaborates closely with the other two Rio Conventions:
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
7.Rare tarantula sighted in Villupuram district
(GS-1,3)

CONTEXT:The known habitat of Peacock Parachute Spider is in degraded forests near Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh

In an interesting find, researchers have sighted a critically endangered species of tarantula for the first time beyond its known habitat in the

Eastern Ghats.

The spider belonging to the genus

Poecilotheria, commonly known as the Peacock Parachute Spider or Gooty Tarantula was spotted by a team of researchers of the Puducherry-based Indigenous Biodiversity Foundation (IBF) in the Pakkamalai Reserve Forests near Gingee in Villupuram district. The species, known to be endemic to India, was found at different locations in the reserve forests. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorised it as Critically Endangered. Eastern Ghats:
Eastern Ghats
The eastern ghats run parallel to the eastern coastal plains of India. Unlike the western ghats, they are discontinuous in nature and is dissected by the rivers that drain into the Bay of Bengal. As discussed above, most of these rivers have their origin in the western ghats. It must be noted that the eastern ghats are lower in elevation than the western ghats. The highest peak of western ghats is the Mahendragiri. The difference in the elevation levels of the highest peaks in both the ghats can also be compared. Anaimudi which is the highest peak of the western ghats has a height of 2695 mts whereas Mahendragiri of eastern ghats is of 150 mts. This gives us a fair idea of the differences in elevation levels of the hills in both the ghats. The main crop produced in the eastern ghats is the Rice, which is also the staple food of the people living in the region.
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN):
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
Created in 1948, IUCN has evolved into the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network. It harnesses the experience, resources and reach of its 1,300 Member organisations and the input of 15,000 experts. IUCN is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. Our experts are organised into six commissions dedicated to species survival, environmental law, protected areas, social and economic policy, ecosystem management, and education and communication.

8.Astra Rafael opens facility for defence communication system(GS-2,3)

CONTEXT:JV poised to become first private sector firm to make software defined radios

A state-of-the-art, over 20,000 sq ft facility of an Indo-Israel joint venture to design, develop and manufacture tactical communication systems for Indian armed forces was inaugurated here on Tuesday.

With this,

Astra Rafael Communication System (ARC), the JV, has positioned itself to become India’s first private sector firm to manufacture cutting-edge software defined radios in multiple variants. While the initial focus will be software defined radios and supplies to the country’s defence forces, the 51:49 JV between Astra Microwave and Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems intends to over the time get into development and manufacture of a wide range of other advanced capabilities and export too.

Tactical communications system:

In telecommunication, a tactical communications system is a communications system that (a) is used within, or in direct support of, tactical forces, (b) is designed to meet the requirements of changing tactical situations and varying environmental conditions, (c) provides securable communications, such as voice, data, and video, among mobile users to facilitate command and control within, and in support of, tactical forces, and (d) usually requires extremely short installation times, usually on the order of hours, in order to meet the requirements of frequent relocation.

9.Kerala, TN, Himachal tops India’s child well-being index, says report(GS-2)

CONTEXT:Meghalaya, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh feature at the bottom, says NGO
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Puducherry topped the charts in the child well-being index, a tool designed to measure and tracks children’s well-being comprehensively. Meghalaya, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh featured at the bottom, as per a report released by the non government organisation World Vision India and research institute IFMR LEAD on Tuesday. The report is an attempt to look at how India fairs on child well-being using a composite child well-being index.

24 indicators
“Focusing on the three key dimensions, 24 indicators were selected to develop the computation of the child well-being index. The report highlights the multi-dimensional approach towards measuring child well-being — going beyond mere income poverty. Children have the potential to transform the country, but if neglected, they will exacerbate the burden of poverty and inequality. It is imperative that all stakeholders prioritise and invest in the well-being of our children,” added Cherian Thomas, CEO, World Vision India.
10.Focus to be on cooperation in Russian Far East during Modi-Putin meet: Indian envoy(GS-2)

CONTEXT:PM Narendra Modi has been invited as the chief guest of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok by Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 5.

India sees Russia as a long-term, reliable partner and at the coming bilateral summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin, both nations are set to add new areas of cooperation beyond the traditional ones, said Indian envoy in Russia D.B. Venkatesh Varma.

“Russian Far East is a priority for us, it’s a priority for Russia. We see commonalities in terms of economic cooperation and investment. You can expect some major announcements on how India-Russia relations are going to be diversified. And cooperation in the Russian Far East will be a major component of that diversification,” Mr. Varma told a small group of journalists from New Delhi at the Indian Embassy in Moscow.

Eastern Economic Forum :

Eastern Economic Forum is an international forum held each year since 2015 in September, at Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia, for the purpose of encouraging foreign investment in the Russian Far East.The Russian president and the Japanese premier have attended this forum since its beginning.
Far East Economic Forum is sponsored by the organizing committee appointed by Roscongress, an association of the Russian Government, which also sponsors other international forums, such as St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
India's Look East policy is an effort to cultivate extensive economic and strategic relations with the nations of Southeast Asia in order to bolster its standing as a regional power and a counterweight to the strategic influence of the People's Republic of China. Initiated in 1991, it marked a strategic shift in India’s perspective of the world.It was developed and enacted during the government of Prime Minister Narsimha Rao (1991–1996) and rigorously pursued by the successive administrations of Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1998–2004) and Manmohan Singh (2004–2014).

The success of Look East policy enthused the Mandarins of South-Block to develop the policy into more action oriented, project and outcome based policy. After a couple of decades, India’s Act-East Policy, which was announced in 2014 by the Prime minister Narendra Modi's administration, became a successor to the Look-East Policy.

11.BSVI fuel will cost more as oil companies

plan to hike prices from April 2020(GS-2,3)

CONTEXT:Move aimed at recovering RS 30,000 crore invested in upgrading refineries to meet BS-VI norms.
State-owned oil marketing companies (OMCs) are set to increase the prices of petrol and diesel with effect from April 2020 to recover over RS30,000 crore of investments made by these firms in upgrading their refineries to meet the BS-VI standards.
BS-VI standards:
Difference between BS-IV and the new BS-VI:
The major difference in standards between the existing BS-IV and the new BS-VI auto fuel norms is the presence of sulphur.
The newly introduced fuel is estimated to reduce the amount of sulphur released by 80%, from 50 parts per million to 10 ppm.
As per the analysts, the emission of NOx (nitrogen oxides) from diesel cars is also expected to reduce by nearly 70% and 25% from cars with petrol engines.
Why is it important to upgrade these norms?
Upgrading to stricter fuel standards helps tackle air pollution. Global automakers are betting big on India as vehicle penetration is still low here, when compared to developed countries. At the same time, cities such as Delhi are already being listed among those with the poorest air quality in the world. The national capital’s recent odd-even car experiment and judicial activism against the registration of big diesel cars shows that governments can no longer afford to relax on this front.

With other developing countries such as China having already upgraded to the equivalent of Euro V emission norms a while ago, India has been lagging behind. The experience of countries such as China and Malaysia shows that poor air quality can be bad for business. Therefore, these reforms can put India ahead in the race for investments too.

TODAYS SOURCES:THE HINDU,WIKIPEDIA,PTI,USCIRF,UNCCD,IUCN