CURRENT AFFAIRS 24 OCTOBER 2019

CURRENT AFFAIRS

24 OCTOBER 2019

IMPORTANT TOPICS IN THE CONTEXT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, INDIAN POLITY,ECONOMY AND SOCIETY,ENVIRONMENT for TODAY TO LOOK AT

*1.Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program(gs-1,3)* *Context:Prakash Javadekar launches first national protocol to enumerate snow leopard population in India* *2. BCCI(gs-2)* *Context:I will lead BCCI the way I led Indian cricket team, says Sourav Ganguly* *3.The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit(gs-2,3)* *Context:Vice President to represent India at NAM Summit in Azerbaijan;* *Narendra Modi skips NAM summit again* *4.BSNL,MTNL(GS-2,3)* *CONTEXT:Cabinet Decisions: BSNL, MTNL to be merged* *5.Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs,MSP(GS-2)* *CONTEXT: MSP for wheat and pulses hiked* *6.World Bank’s ease of doing business report(GS-3)* *CONTEXT:Kolkata, Bengaluru to be included in World Bank’s ease of doing business report* *7..Massive galaxy found hidden amid cosmic dust(GS-3)* *8. What is the difference between GSLV and PSLV?(GS-3)* *CONTEXT:14 small foreign satellites to launch on next 3 PSLVs* *9.Nagaland Insurgency(gs-2)* *Context:Naga issue: Nagaland’s neighbours on edge* *10.Nilgiri Library(gs-1,3)* *Context:Native flora being introduced on Nilgiri Library grounds* *11.The Concept of 'Indo Pacific'(gs-2,3)* *Context:Taiwan should be part of inclusive Indo-Pacific: Envoy*

1.Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program

(gs-1,3)

Context:Prakash Javadekar launches first national protocol to enumerate snow leopard population in India
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change today launched the first national protocol to enumerate the snow leopard population in the country on the occasion of International Snow Leopard Day. The Day is celebrated on October 23 every year to protect and conserve the snow leopards and preserve the beautiful wildlife of the Himalayas.
Giving the keynote address at the Inaugural session of the 4th steering committee meeting of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program in Delhi, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar expressed confidence that all range countries can work together and enumerate the number of snow leopards. He said snow leopard range countries must strive to double the snow leopard population in the coming decade. He said it is time to think about the green economy and cross country cooperation for the conservation of wildlife. He also expressed happiness that 2,967 tigers reside in India, which is 77 per cent of the world tiger population.
India is believed to have 400 to 700 snow leopards spread across Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Poaching is a major threat for the snow leopards. Project Snow Leopard is an initiative of the Environment Ministry which aims to safeguard and conserve India's unique natural heritage of high altitude wildlife populations and their habitats by promoting conservation through participatory policies and actions. Snow leopards play a critical role in their ecosystem as top predators

SNOW LEOPARD/OUNCE((PANTHERA UNCIA) :

Vulnerable — IUCN :Ounce((Panthera uncia)
State animal of Himachal Pradesh
Native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia

Habitat

Inhabits alpine and subalpine zones at elevations from 3,000 to 4,500 m (9,800 to 14,800 ft), ranging from western Afghanistan to Mongolia and western China( Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau)
India — Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh

Threats

Habitat loss and degradation
Decline of the cats’ large mammal prey
Poaching — body parts used for traditional Chinese medicine

Protected areas

Hemis National Park — Jammu and Kashmir
Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary
Nanda Devi National Park — Uttarakhand

Global Snow Leopard Forum, 2013

12 countries encompassing the snow leopard’s range (Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan)

Bishkek Declaration – To protect the species and it’s environment

Global Snow Leopard and Eco-system Protection Program
joint initiative of range country governments, international agencies, civil society, and the private sector
Goal — secure the long-term survival of the snow leopard in its natural ecosystem.
2015 — International Year of the Snow Leopard

2. BCCI(gs-2)

Context:I will lead BCCI the way I led Indian cricket team, says Sourav Ganguly
Newly-elected BCCI President Sourav Ganguly today said he will lead the cricket body just the way he led the Indian cricket team.
Addressing a press conference in Mumbai after being elected unopposed to the post, Mr. Ganguly said there will no compromise on credibility, and the focus will be on providing a corruption-free administration.
He said he will work for what is best for Indian cricket. Ganguly said he will speak to skipper Virat Kohli tomorrow to assure him of whatever support is needed to make the Indian cricket team the best in the world.
When asked about the speculation surrounding the future of former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the BCCI President said champions do not finish very quickly. It may be noted Dhoni has been on a sabbatical since India's semifinal exit from the ODI World Cup earlier this year.

What is BCCI?

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the national governing body for cricket in India.
The board was formed in December 1928 as a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act.
It is a consortium of state cricket associations and the state associations select their representatives who in turn elect the BCCI officials.
BCCI covertly manages its annual revenue of Rs.2,000 crore.
About half of the revenue is earned by way of broadcast fees of Rs.43 crore per match.
Rest is from the International Cricket Council‘s fund, gate fees, and miscellaneous sponsorships.
It don‘t receive funds from the Government of India

Earlier bcci controversies:

What were Mudgal Committee‘s findings?

The Supreme Court appointed a special committee under Mukul Mudgal to investigate irregularities in the IPL and BCCI following the spot-fixing scandal.
In November 2014, the Committee found IPL COO, Sundar Raman, CSK Team Principal Gurunath Meiyappan and Rajasthan Royals owner Raj Kundra guilty of betting.
The report found BCCI Chief N Srinivasan guilty of not acting against the accused despite knowing their violations

What were Lodha Committee‘s recommendations?

In January 2015, the SC appointed a committee headed by Justice (Retd) RM Lodha to determine punishments for those named in the Mudgal Committee report and to recommend reforms for cricket in India particularly suggesting amendments to the processes followed by BCCI.
The Lodha Committee report banned the owners of CSK and RR for life, from taking part in any BCCI related cricket activities in India.
The CSK and the RR franchises have been barred in the IPL for 2 years.
Eligibility - As regards the office bearers of BCCI – president, VP, secretary, joint secretary and treasurer – certain eligibility criteria has been fixed. i.e
He must be an Indian,
not be above the age of 70,
not be a minister or government servant, and
who has not held office in the BCCI for a cumulative period for nine years.
Tenure - Each office bearer will have a tenure of three years and no office bearer can hold the office for more than three terms. No office-bearer can hold two terms consecutively.
Bringing BCCI under of the purview of RTI Act.
It legalized betting.
The panel felt that the move would help curb corruption in the game and recommended that except for players and officials, people should be allowed to place bets on registered sites.
Further, each state is to have only one official cricket association registered with the BCCI.
IPL and BCCI are to have separate governing bodies.
Three authorities, an ombudsman for internal disputes, an ethics officer and an electoral officer are to be appointed to oversee BCCI activities.
The Lodha committee stated that politicians and government officials may not hold posts in the BCCI.

What was BCCI‘s response?

The BCCI, in a Special General Meeting, unanimously decided to file an affidavit in the Supreme Court opposing the Lodha Committee‘s recommendations.
As the Supreme Court finds that the BCCI impedes and delays the progress of implementing the Lodha Panel recommendations, it has ordered to stop funding from BCCI to State Associations.
In an interim order it directed the board, and the banks, to not allocate funds to those state units which hadn‘t accepted the Lodha committee recommendations in totality.
This step is to make the BCCI fall in line.
Without money, the states will not be able to function in the manner that they do and will have to give up their unprecedented defiance of the last few months.
The apex court also said that contracts above a certain sum will require the Lodha panel‘s approval and that an independent auditor will scrutinise the BCCI‘s accounts and fix this ceiling.
It directed the Lodha panel to fix a limit on the value of contracts the board can enter.
An independent auditor will be appointed, whose clearance is required for all the high-profile contracts, besides fixing the financial upper limit for every contract.
The court‘s basic contention behind appointing the Lodha Committee in January 2015 to revamp the administration cannot be faulted: that the BCCI may be registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, but given the enormous following of the game and the public money it manages, it cannot be run like any other club or trust.

3.The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit(gs-2,3)

Context:Vice President to represent India at NAM Summit in Azerbaijan;Narendra Modi skips NAM summit again
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will lead an Indian delegation at the 18th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan on October 25, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday.
The theme for the summit is “Upholding the Bandung Principles to ensure concerted and adequate response to the challenges of the contemporary world”.Mr. Modi’s absence indicates a decisive move away from past practice at the 60-year-old organisation that India was a founding member of, by the NDA government. In 2016 as well, India was represented by then Vice-President Hamid Ansari at the NAM summit in Venezuela.
Vice President will deliver India’s national statement during the plenary meeting of the NAM Summit. He is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other NAM member countries on the sidelines of the summit.
On October 25, the vice president will meet members of the Indian community in Azerbaijan at a reception organised by the Indian embassy.
India is a founding member of NAM, which is one of the largest gatherings of world leaders.
The Vice President’s visit is expected to further strengthen India’s engagement with NAM and its member countries, the ministry said in a statement.

NAM Summit, 2019:

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit is to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan. The summit is to be held between October 25 and October 26, 2019. The 18th NAM summit will be preceded by Ministerial meetings and senior official meetings.

Nepal and Bangladesh

Nepal PM Oli and Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina are to attend the summit. Nepal is a founding member of NAM and has been an active participant since its inception. The principles of non-alignment constitute one of the basic tenets of Nepal’s foreign policy

NAM

The Non-Alignment Movement was founded in 1961. It was based on Bandung principles that was adopted at the Belgrade Summit (an Afro-Asian Conference) in 1955. It was founded during the collapse of colonial system and independence struggles of Asia, Africa and Latin American countries. The movement worked towards the attainment of independence for many countries. India is a founding member of the NAM summit.

4.BSNL,MTNL(GS-2,3)

CONTEXT:Cabinet Decisions: BSNL, MTNL to be merged
The government on Wednesday decided to merge loss-making telecom firms MTNL and BSNL as part of a revival package that includes raising sovereign bonds, monetising assets and voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) for employees.
Briefing reporters on decisions taken by the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government will put in Rs 29,937 crore for revival of the two state-owned telecom companies.
The revival package includes raising of Rs 15,000 crore sovereign bonds and monetising Rs 38,000 crore of assets in next four years.
Also, voluntary retirement will be offered to employees to cut cost, he said.
He said BSNL and MTNL will be merged. Pending this, MTNL will act as a subsidiary of BSNL.

BSNL:

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (abbreviated BSNL) is an Indian state-owned telecommunications company headquartered in New Delhi. It was incorporated on 1 October 2000 and assumed the business of providing telecom services and network management from the erstwhile Central Government Departments of Telecom Services (DTS) and Telecom Operations (DTO) as of 1 October 2000 on a going-concern basis.
It is the largest provider of fixed telephony with more than 49% market share, and is the fourth largest mobile telephony provider in India. BSNL is India's oldest communication service provider and its history can be traced back to the British era.
During the British era, the first telegraph line, was established between Calcutta and Diamond Harbour. The British East India Company started using the telegraph in 1851 and till 1854 telegraph lines were laid across the country.
In 1854, the telegraph service was opened to the public and the first telegram was sent from Mumbai to Pune. In 1885, the Indian Telegraph Act was passed by the British Imperial Legislative Counsel. After the bifurcation of post and Telegraph department in 1980s, the creation of Department of Telecom by 1990s eventually led to the emergence of the State owned telegraph and telephone company BSNL.
BSNL then continued the telegraph services in India until it shut down telegraph services completely on 15 July 2013.

MTNL:

Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) is a state-owned telecommunications service provider in the metro cities of Mumbai and New Delhi in India and in the island nation of Mauritius in Africa. The company had a monopoly in Mumbai and New Delhi until 1992, when the telecom sector was opened to other service providers.
"Transparency makes us different" is the motto of the company.
The Government of India currently holds 57% stock in the company with the rest being held by public and institutional investors.
The company's shares are listed on Bombay Stock Exchange, Global depository receipts on London Stock Exchange and American depository receipts on New York Stock Exchange.As of January 2019, it has 6.71 million subscribers

5.Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs,MSP(GS-2)

CONTEXT: MSP for wheat and pulses hiked
The government also hiked the minimum support price for wheat by Rs 85 to Rs 1,925 a quintal and for pulses by up to Rs 325 per quintal.
A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The MSP is the rate at which the government buys grains from farmers.
“In a move to increase farmers’ income, the Cabinet has increased the MSP of rabi (winter-sown) crops for the current year,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters after the meeting.
The CCEA has approved Rs 85 per quintal hike in wheat MSP to Rs 1,925 per quintal for the 2019-20 rabi crop, up from Rs 1,840 per quintal last year.
Barley MSP has also been increased by Rs 85 to Rs 1,525 per quintal from Rs 1,440 per quintal last year.
To encourage the cultivation of pulses, the support price of masoor has been increased by Rs 325 to Rs 4,800 per quintal from Rs 4,475 per quintal last year.
Similarly, the MSP for gram has been hiked by Rs 255 to Rs 4,875 per quintal for this year from Rs 4,620 per quintal last year.
Among oilseeds, rapeseed/mustard MSP has been increased by Rs 225 to Rs 4,425 per quintal for 2019-20 rabi crop from Rs 4,200 per quintal during 2018-19.
The minimum support price for safflower has been hiked by Rs 270 to Rs 5,215 per quintal from Rs 4,945 per quintal last year.
The MSP for rabi crops announced for this year is in line with the recommendation of the government’s farm price advisory body CACP.
Wheat is the main rabi crop, sowing of which will begin next month. The crop will be marketed from next April onwards.

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs:

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs(CCEA) is committee given the task to review the economic trends on a regular basis and the problems associated with it. This committee is headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the present government.

Functions of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)

It has to review the trends in the economy and identify the problems and the effects of those problems.
The outlook should be such that the review is consistent and as per the policy of the government.
It controls the price of industrial raw material, industrial licensing for Joint Sector Undertakings.
It also reviews the performance of Public Sector Undertakings(PSU) along with their financial and structural changes and modifications mostly related to matters like strategic sale etc.
It is given the responsibility of coordinating all the policies at the high level including foreign investment which requires policy level decision making. Price fixation of agricultural products along with reviewing the progress made in rural development activities.
To asses, the market and monitor the general prices of essential commodities and to take necessary steps for an efficient Public Distribution System. All matters related to finalising reports on the achievements of various Ministries, Departments, PSUs etc.
It is responsible for setting up the priorities of PSU and revising the investment proposals from time to time.
It also looks into the matters which are related to international bodies like World Trade Organisation (WTO).

MSP:
About MSP:

What is it?

In theory, an MSP is the minimum price set by the Government at which farmers can expect to sell their produce for the season. When market prices fall below the announced MSPs, procurement agencies step in to procure the crop and ‘support’ the prices.

Who announces?

The Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs announces MSP for various crops at the beginning of each sowing season based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). The CACP takes into account demand and supply, the cost of production and price trends in the market among other things when fixing MSPs.

Why is it important?

Price volatility makes life difficult for farmers. Though prices of agri commodities may soar while in short supply, during years of bumper production, prices of the very same commodities plummet. MSPs ensure that farmers get a minimum price for their produce in adverse markets. MSPs have also been used as a tool by the Government to incentivise farmers to grow crops that are in short supply.

6.World Bank’s ease of doing business report(GS-3)

CONTEXT:Kolkata, Bengaluru to be included in World Bank’s ease of doing business report
India’s rank is expected to improve further from the current 77th position in the annual World Bank’s Doing Business 2020 report
The World Bank will now include Kolkata and Bengaluru, besides Delhi and Mumbai, for preparing ease of doing business report to provide a holistic picture of business environment of the country, an official has said.

“The country of the size of India was not properly represented by just two cities, and now with the inclusion of Kolkata and Bengaluru, Indian ranking in the World Bank’s report will present a much better picture,” the official said.
The report ranks 190 nations based on ten parameters, which includes ease of starting a business, construction permits, getting electricity, getting credit, paying taxes, trade across borders, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency.

India's ranking

According to the official, India’s rank is expected to improve further in the report from the current 77th position.
India improved its ranking on the World Bank’s ‘ease of doing business’ report for the second straight year, jumping 23 places to the 77th position on the back of reforms related to insolvency, taxation and other areas.
India was ranked 100th in the World Bank’s Doing Business 2018 report.
In the 2019 report, India had improved its rank on six out of the 10 parameters relating to starting and doing business in a country.
New Zealand topped the list of 190 countries in ease of doing business, followed by Singapore, Denmark, and Hong Kong.
The United States is placed eight and China has been ranked 46th. Neighbouring Pakistan is placed at 136.
Ranking helps in improving parameters which are essential to attract both domestic and foreign investors.

Ease of doing business index:

The ease of doing business index is an index created by Simeon Djankov at the World Bank Group. The academic research for the report was done jointly with professors Oliver Hart and Andrei Shleifer.Higher rankings (a low numerical value) indicate better, usually simpler, regulations for businesses and stronger protections of property rights. Empirical research funded by the World Bank to justify their work show that the economic growth impact of improving these regulations is strong.
"Empirical research is needed to establish the optimal level of business regulation—for example, what the duration of court procedures should be and what the optimal degree of social protection is. The indicators compiled in the Doing Business project allow such research to take place. Since the start of the project in November 2001, more than 3,000 academic papers have used one or more indicators constructed in Doing Business and the related background papers by its authors

7.Massive galaxy found hidden amid cosmic dust(GS-3)

Researchers, including those from the University of Massachusetts in the U.S., said the discovery provides new insights into the first steps of some of the biggest galaxies in the universe
Astronomers have found a massive galaxy, dating back to the early universe, lurking in cosmic dust clouds– an advance that may open the doors for discovering a new galaxy population type.
The researchers, including those from the University of Massachusetts in the U.S., said the discovery provides new insights into the first steps of some of the biggest galaxies in the universe.
As part of the study, published in the Astrophysical Journal, the researchers used the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, or ALMA– a collection of 66 radio telescopes located in the high mountains of Chile.
According to the researchers, the signal came from so far away that it took nearly 12.5 billion years to reach the Earth, when the universe was still in its infancy.
The astronomers believe the discovery may solve a long-standing puzzle in astronomy about how some of the biggest galaxies in the early universe appear to have grown and matured very quickly against theoretical predictions.
Additionally, smaller galaxies seen in the early universe with the Hubble space telescope are not growing fast enough, the
researchers said.

8. What is the difference between GSLV and PSLV?(GS-3)
CONTEXT:14 small foreign satellites to launch on next 3 PSLVs

The PSLV, the Indian space vehicle for light satellites, has bagged new rides for 14 small spacecraft of four international customers.
All 14 are being accommodated as minor secondary passengers on the next three successive PSLV flights, according to Spaceflight, the U.S. company that arranges such flights for agencies seeking to put their spacecraft in orbits.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will have one of its earth observation satellites as the larger primary payload on each of the three PSLV flights.
Payloads will launch on the PSLV’s C47, C48 and C49 missions, scheduled to launch in November and December 2019 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. Customers aboard the missions include Analytical Space, Spire, iQPS and Kleos Space,” Spaceflight announced on Monday night.
All but Spire will be new users of the PSLV.
Curt Blake, CEO and president of Spaceflight, said, “The PSLV continues to be a reliable launch partner for us. By the end of 2019, we will have executed 11 launches on PSLVs and sent more than 100 satellites to orbit on this vehicle.”
In all, the PSLV has launched around 300 mostly small (1kg-100kg) satellites to low-earth orbits for many foreign customers.

What is the difference between GSLV and PSLV?

Both PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) and GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) are the satellite-launch vehicles (rockets) developed by ISRO. PSLV is designed mainly to deliver the “earth-observation” or “remote-sensing” satellites with lift-off mass of up to about 1750 Kg to Sun-Synchronous circular polar orbits of 600-900 Km altitude.
The remote sensing satellites orbit the earth from pole-to-pole (at about 98 deg orbital-plane inclination). An orbit is called sun-synchronous when the angle between the line joining the centre of the Earth and the satellite and the Sun is constant throughout the orbit.
Due to their sun-synchronism nature, these orbits are also referred to as “Low Earth Orbit (LEO)” which enables the on-board camera to take images of the earth under the same sun-illumination conditions during each of the repeated visits, the satellite makes over the same area on ground thus making the satellite useful for earth resources monitoring.
Apart from launching the remote sensing satellites to Sun-synchronous polar orbits, the PSLV is also used to launch the satellites of lower lift-off mass of up to about 1400 Kg to the elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
PSLV is a four-staged launch vehicle with first and third stage using solid rocket motors and second and fourth stages using liquid rocket engines. It also uses strap-on motors to augment the thrust provided by the first stage, and depending on the number of these strap-on boosters, the PSLV is classified into its various versions like core-alone version (PSLV-CA), PSLV-G or PSLV-XL variants.
The GSLV is designed mainly to deliver the communication-satellites to the highly elliptical (typically 250 x 36000 Km) Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). The satellite in GTO is further raised to its final destination, viz., Geo-synchronous Earth orbit (GEO) of about 36000 Km altitude (and zero deg inclination on equatorial plane) by firing its in-built on-board engines.
Due to their geo-synchronous nature, the satellites in these orbits appear to remain permanently fixed in the same position in the sky, as viewed from a particular location on Earth, thus avoiding the need of a tracking ground antenna and hence are useful for the communication applications.
Two versions of the GSLV are being developed by ISRO. The first version, GSLV Mk-II, has the capability to launch satellites of lift-off mass of up to 2,500 kg to the GTO and satellites of up to 5,000 kg lift-off mass to the LEO. GSLV MK-II is a three-staged vehicle with first stage using solid rocket motor, second stage using Liquid fuel and the third stage, called Cryogenic Upper Stage, using cryogenic engine.

9.Nagaland Insurgency(gs-2)

Context:Naga issue: Nagaland’s neighbours on edge
Nagaland’s neighbours in the northeast — Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Manipur — are on edge with the “deadline” for settling the Naga political issue drawing near.
Nagaland Governor R.N. Ravi, also the interlocutor for the Naga issue, had in a statement said that the peace talks would conclude by October 31.
Representatives of the Centre, the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) and other Naga stakeholders are expected to meet for a final push in New Delhi on Thursday.
There have been indications that the NSCN-IM has dropped this demand, but its insistence on a separate “Naga national flag” and “Naga Yezabo (Constitution)” has raised fears about a Nagalim-like arrangement in some form or the other.
The map of Nagalim, released by NSCN-IM a few years ago, spreads over 1,03,473 sq km beyond the 16,527 sq km area of Nagaland.
It includes the Anjaw, Changlang, Lohit, Longding, Namsai and Tirap districts of Arunachal Pradesh; Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong districts and parts of Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Jorhat, Sivasagar and Tinsukia districts in Assam; and Chandel, Kamjong, Kangpokpi, Senapati, Tamenglong, Tengnoupal and Ukhrul districts of Manipur.

History of Nagaland Insurgency

The British annexed Assam in 1826, and in 1881, the Naga Hills too became part of British India.
In 1946 Naga National Council (NNC) was formed under the leadership of Angami Zapu Phizo. It declared Nagaland “an independent state” on August 14, 1947.
On March 22, 1952, Phizo formed the underground Naga Federal Government (NFG) and the Naga Federal Army (NFA).
The Government of India sent in the Army to deal with insurgency and, in 1958, Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act was enacted.
The Naga Hills, a district of Assam, was upgraded to a Nagaland state in 1963.
On November 11, 1975, the government got a section of NNC leaders to sign the Shillong Accord, under which this section of NNC agreed to give up arms.
A group of about 140 members led by Thuingaleng Muivah, who were at that time in China, refused to accept the Shillong Accord, and formed the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) in 1980.
In 1988, the NSCN split into NSCN (IM) and NSCN (Khaplang) after a violent clash. While the NNC began to fade away, the NSCN (IM) came to be seen as the “mother of all insurgencies” in the region.

Loopholes in the Naga Peace Accord

The foremost challenge of the peace accord is the framework without clear mandate or objectives. The accord although remains out of public view but there has been talks about ‘special arrangement’ providing great scope of confusion to both government and the insurgents.
The Naga issue not only pertains to the Nagas but also impacts the whole region, including Naga-inhabited areas of Myanmar.
The issue of integration of contiguous Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in view of the demand for territorial unification of ‘Greater Nagalim’ will trigger violent clashes in the different affected states.
There is a demand for a separate “frontier Nagaland or Eastern Nagaland” under the aegis of the Eastern Nagaland Public Organization (ENPO) which will undermine any attempt at making one greater nagalim.
Another major hindrance to the peace process in Nagaland is the existence of more than one organisation, each claiming to be representative of the Nagas.

Demands of the Insurgents

The current demands of the NSCN (IM) have toned down from complete sovereignty to greater autonomous region within the Indian constitutional framework with due regard to the uniqueness of Naga history and traditions.
NSCN (IM) seeks a “Greater Nagalim” comprising “all contiguous Naga-inhabited areas”, along with Nagaland. That includes several districts of Assam, Arunachal and Manipur, and also a large tract of Myanmar.

What Affects the Land of Nagas

Armed Cadres or Military Wing of insurgent groups remains Intact in-spite of Ceasefire and despite Suspension of Operations and have not shrunk, neither their resources have dried up which remains a constant threat to peace in the region.
Insurgent groups have become a way of life in the region, with every group running their own parallel government and extorting huge amount of money from Nagas as well as non-Nagas.
There are violent differences between the NSCN (IM) and the NSCN (K) led by S.S. Khaplang which are a huge roadblock for any accord to succeed in the region.
Politics has played a far greater role in destabilising the region. Insurgent groups have been used, raised and protected by political parties to settle scores or to come to power.
One of the major drivers of any insurgent movement is ideological belief and hope of success. However, the Naga movement seems to have lost its original goals and ideological stand on the basis of which it was initially established.
The leaders and cadres now seem to be motivated by the more materialistic benefits coming out of the conflict and most of the Naga insurgent groups are no more than extortion and crime syndicates.
Government has often exploited villager’s land for their resources, violating the constitution which results in corrosion of the tribal’s belief in any governmental scheme.
Despite resource rich region, development has remained a distant dream for tribal people with very few jobs and scarcity of basic amenities.

The Road to Resolution

The history of Indo-Naga conflict shows that various past agreements have broken down due to different interpretations of the provisions by the parties at their convenience.
Failure of government to address the issue holistically will result in new revolutionary Naga movement which will be much dangerous due to globalisation, greater availability of resources for sustaining any rebellion, and greater scope for international intervention in case of a violent struggle.
A greater understanding of the issue, especially the tribal factor and changing aspirations of the civil society, needs to be developed in order to bring an acceptable and comprehensive solution to the Naga problem.
One way of dealing with the issue can be maximum decentralisation of powers to the tribal heads and minimum centralisation at the apex level, which should mainly work towards facilitating governance and undertaking large development projects.
For any peace framework to be effective, it should not threaten the present territorial boundaries of the states of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. As it will not be acceptable to these states.
Greater autonomy for the Naga inhabited areas in these states can be provided which would encompass separate budget allocations for the Naga inhabited areas with regard to their culture and development issues.
A new body should be constituted that would look after the rights of the Nagas in the other north-eastern states besides Nagaland.
Any final resolution package must also have the consent of the NSCN (K) as well. Only then will the Naga inhabited areas in Northeast India witness real peace after decades of violence.
A non-territorial resolution for one of the oldest armed ethnic conflicts in the Northeast will offer a way forward to resolving many other ethnic conflicts such as those involving the Kukis, Meiteis, Bodos, Dimasas, Hmars, and Karbis.
Any arrangement thus worked out should lead to social and political harmony, economic prosperity and protection of the life and property of all tribes and citizens of the states.

10.Nilgiri Library(gs-1,3)

Context:Native flora being introduced on Nilgiri Library grounds
Native flora is being introduced to the grounds of the Nilgiri Library in Udhagamandalam. The more than 150-year-old heritage building is known for its remarkable Victorian architecture and its huge repository of books dating back to the 1600. The expansive grounds of the library had been planted with exotic trees such as cypress and eucalyptus since its construction.
However, with the permission of the library committee, the Rotary Club of Nilgiris West has begun introducing native flora in the grounds of the library.

Nilgiri Library in Udhagamandalam:

148 years old. Housing more than 40,000 books, holding more treasures than all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island, where one can spend ‘two lifetimes’ is the Nilgiri Library, a heritage building in Ootacamund. Containing very rare and valuable source materials, covering a period from the 1600s to the present day, the colossal collection has many a bibliophile exclaim wistfully for lifetimes that transport you to a time lost in history.
The Nilgiri Library stands tall, spectacular in her white and terracotta garb, classy Victorian architecture embraced by a splendid serenity. She has weathered the ravaging Ooty climate, particularly the plundering rains and withstood the test of time. It is interesting to look at her two lifetimes: in her incipient days on the one hand and the post-centennial struggle to preserve this world-class landmark, on the other.
Records from Fredrick Price’s Ootacamund a History say that Mr. Sullivan, founder of the Nilgiris, breathed life into the concept of a library in 1829 : “A subscription has been set on foot for a public reading room at Ooty.”
A Committee was appointed.
It found that the Government would not help them realize this dream. They and the members resolved to make the public bungalow of the present premises a Library. The land was bought for Rs. 2,250 and the building was completed at a cost of Rs. 25,468. Quite a challenging accomplishment considering the little help they got from external sources; the Library in its present structure was completed only in 1869.
In her second lifetime (if we may call it so), there was a proposal from the local administration in 1966 for the amalgamation of the Central Library with the Nilgiri Library.
The then Chairman of the Committee sent the following reply to the Collector, “I am directed to inform you that the members of the Committee have no wish to see this century old private Library merged with any other institution.” The proposal was withdrawn. Notwithstanding early inception struggles and her growth challenges in later years, today the Nilgiri Library stands tall and is a symbol perhaps, of wisdom that comes with age.
Among the Library’s most interesting facets is the 50 by 30 reading room with teak wood flooring and ceiling, unique in South India. The ambience is perfect for any fervent scholar or an ordinary reader lazily turning the pages of magazines and journals reclining on the large but cozy sofas. The large windowpanes shed such wonderful light inside, and the term ‘temple of learning’ may be very appropriate.
First editions, copyright editions, only editions, priceless editions and original manuscripts are all found here.
Roman and French books line teak wood glass cases in the Wardrop Room where Queen Victoria’s oil painting imparts an imperial touch to the tranquil ambience. A 16th century Bible in Greek, bound volumes of the classic Punch magazine, exhaustive recording of the World Wars in embellished leather-bound magazines, erudite literary commentaries by literateurs in Contemporary Reviews dating 1875 glint in gold letters on the shelves hitting the ceilings.
The expanse of fiction right from Aesop’s Fables vaults across oceans of books to The Inheritance of Loss. Look no further also, if you are looking for a book on the Nilgiris itself.
As for the heritage status of the Nilgiri Library, William James of British Columbia, Canada a visitor to the Library rightly observes, “It is so great to see this Library has lasted this long.” The members and management of the Library have preserved the heritage and culture of Nilgiris where ‘lifetimes can be spent’. Mr. I.K.Gujral, former Prime Minister of India, during his visit to the Library wrote, “It is a joy and great satisfaction to visit this historic Library. It is indeed a heritage place that preserves such a treasury of old and valuable books. I must say a word about the building too. It is a heritage by itself that needs and gets very tender care. My all good wishes and moral support for this effort of labour.”
Among the many scholars, writers and readers who visited the Library were Hugh and Coleen Gantzer, eminent travelogue writers. They chronicled: “It is a wonderful experience to visit a good library and from our brief visit (we think) this is a Great Library.”
The Nilgiri Library as she grows older ensconces for us what is precious and very dear to us in these days of turbo-charged times – serenity and the eternally fascinating world of books.
Ross Macdonald’s lines come to the mind as golden beams of the setting sun coruscate through the majestic French windows: “The walls of books around, dense with the past form a kind of insulation against the present world and its disasters.”

11.The Concept of 'Indo Pacific'(gs-2,3)

Context:Taiwan should be part of inclusive Indo-Pacific: Envoy
Taiwan is in the first line of countries facing China in the Indo-Pacific region and violation of Taiwanese sovereignty will impact other countries in the region, said the envoy of Taiwan to India. Speaking to a small group of journalists, Chung-Kwang Tien described China as a hostile neighbour and suggested that Taiwan should be part of the Indo-Pacific vision.

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.

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