CURRENT AFFAIRS 5-6 NOVEMBER 2019

CURRENT AFFAIRS

5-6 NOVEMBER 2019

1.RCEP(GS-2,3)

CONTEXT: India decided not to be part of RCEP agreement in national interest: Piyush Goyal
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has said that the Free Trade Agreements, FTAs with Japan, South Korea and ASEAN countries are being reviewed. Mr Goyal said, India is also exploring trade agreements with the USA and European Union, where Indian industry and services will be competitive and benefit from access to large developed markets

CURRENT RCEP ISSUE(SOURCE:INDIA TODAY)
5 reasons why PM Modi pulled out of RCEP in Bangkok:

HIGHLIGHTS

India pulled out of RCEP calling the now 15-nation pact unsatisfactory
India pushed for auto-trigger clause in RCEP to protect its domestic industries
China made other members of RCEP seal the pact without further delay

ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN

India's economy is passing through a difficult time. The rate of GDP growth has been slowing down for five consecutive quarters, that is, since January-March 2018. The GDP growth figures have been a topsy-turvy curve since the roll out of goods and services tax.
Combined with demonetisation move in November 2016, the GST rollout proved to be a double-disrupter of the economy, which is yet to fully come to terms with these two key decisions.

TRADE DEFICIT

India, as a whole, is a 'bad' business entity. It has massive trade deficits with almost all economic powerhouses of the world. Of the 15 RCEP countries, India has serious trade deficits with at least 11.
India's trade deficit with these countries has almost doubled in the last five-six years - from $54 billion in 2013-14 to $105 billion in 2018-19. Given the export-import equation with the bloc, a free trade agreement with the grouping would have increased it further

INDUSTRIES AND FARMERS

RCEP was one of those pacts that was opposed by both the industry and farmers alike. Manufacturing sector in India is in crisis. The sector has seen contraction in recent months. Manufacturing output grew at its slowest pace in two years in October, according to Nikkei Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index INPMI=ECI, compiled by IHS MarkEt.

PAST EXPERIENCE

The Niti Aayog, in 2017, had published a report that pointed out that free trade agreements have not worked well for India. It analysed multiple free trade agreements that India signed in the past decade. Among those were FTA with Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea

CHINAA'S GAMEPLAN

Finally, RCEP has come up as a Chinese gameplan to save its manufacturing industries from crumbling under their own weight. Several industrial players in India red-flagged the Chinese agenda of flooding the Indian market using the RCEP countries as a connecting network.
China has already covered most markets united under RCEP umbrella. The same Niti Aayog report pointed out that China has changed the trade equation with the ASEAN countries after inking ACFTA - standing for ASEAN-China free trade agreement - in 2010

2.S-400 missiles(GS-2,3)

CONTEXT:Speed up delivery of S-400 missiles, India to tell Russia
India wants Russia to speed up the delivery schedule of the advanced S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile systems , which can detect, track and destroy hostile strategic bombers, jets, spy planes, missiles and drones at a range of 380-km, after having now paid the first instalment of around Rs 6,000 crore for them. The faster delivery of the five squadrons of S-400, under the $5.43 billion (Rs 40,000 crore) deal inked in October 2018, will be discussed in the 19thIndia-Russia intergovernmental commission on military and military technical cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) to be held in Moscow on Wednesday, said sources.

S-400 missiles:

What is the S-400 air defence missile system?

A missile defence system is intended to act as a shield against incoming ballistic missiles.
The Russian-built S-400 Triumf — identified by NATO as the SA-21 Growler — is the world’s most dangerous operationally deployed modern long-range surface-to-air missile system, and is considered much more effective than the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system developed by the US.

The S-400 is a mobile system that integrates a multifunction radar, autonomous detection and targeting systems, anti-aircraft missile systems, launchers, and a command and control centre. It can be deployed within five minutes, and is capable of firing three types of missiles to create a layered defence.
It can engage all types of aerial targets including aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and ballistic and cruise missiles within a range of 400 km, at an altitude up to 30 km.
It can simultaneously track 100 airborne targets, including super fighters such as the US-built F-35, and engage six of them at the same time.
The S-400 was made operational in 2007, and is responsible for defending Moscow.
It was deployed in Syria in 2015 to guard Russian and Syrian naval and air assets. Units have also been stationed in the Crimean peninsula.

3.INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA)(GS-3)

CONTEXT:Iran has no credible reason to expand uranium enrichment programme: US
US says, Iran has no credible reason to expand its uranium enrichment programme. State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said, Washington fully supports. The International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA in conducting its independent verification role in Iran and look to the IAEA to report on any developments. He said, Iran's expansion of uranium enrichment activities in defiance of key nuclear commitments is a big step in the wrong direction and underscores the continuing challenge to international peace and security.

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA):

Set up as the world’s “Atoms for Peace” organization in 1957 within the United Nations family.
Reports to both the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council.
Headquarters in Vienna, Austria.

Functions:

Works with its Member States and multiple partners worldwide to promote the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies.
Seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons.\

Board of Governors:

22 member states (must represent a stipulated geographic diversity) — elected by the General Conference (11 members every year) – 2 year term.
At least 10 member states — nominated by the outgoing Board.
Board members each receive one vote.
Recommendations to the General Conference on IAEA activities and budget.
Responsible for publishing IAEA standards.
Responsible for making most of the policy of the IAEA.
Appoints the Director General subject to General Conference approval.

General Conference:

169 member states — one vote per member.
Forum for debate on current issues and policies.
Meets once a year.
Approve the actions and budgets passed on from the Board of Governors.
Approves the nominee for Director General.

Programs:

Program of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT).
Human Health Program.
Water Availability Enhancement Project.
International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles, 2000.

4.South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme(GS-2,3)

CONTEXT:Union Minister Prakash Javadekar to attend 15th meeting of Governing Council of SACEP in Dhaka today
Environment, Forest & Climate Change and Information & Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar will attend the 15th meeting of the Governing Council of South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme, SACEP in Dhaka today.
The SACEP is an inter-governmental organization which was established in 1982. Its member countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka aim to promote and support protection, management and enhancement of the environment in the region.
The 14th meeting of the SACEP Governing Council was held in March last year in Colombo.

South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme:

Vision

The SACEP was created to fulfill a vision based on the following three assumptions
Recognition of environmental degradation caused by factors like poverty, over population, over consumption and wasteful production threatening economic development and human survival,
Integration of environment and development as essential prerequisites to Sustainable Development, and
Importance of co-operative action in the South Asian region where many ecological and development problems transcend national and administrative boundaries.

Mission

To promote regional co-operation in South Asia in the field of environment, both natural and human in the context of sustainable development and on issues of economic and social development which also impinge on the environment and vice versa; to support conservation and management of natural resources of the region and to work closely with all national, regional, and international institutions, governmental and non governmental, as well as experts and groups engaged in such co-operation and conservation efforts

5.Paris climate accord

CONTEXT:US notifies UN of its withdrawal from landmark Paris climate accord
The US has formally notified the UN of its withdrawal from the 2015 Paris climate accord, a landmark global agreement which brought together 188 nations, including India, to combat global warming.
The Paris Agreement, in which Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi played instrumental roles, was adopted at the UN climate conference “COP 21″ held in the French capital in 2015 with an aim to reduce the hazardous greenhouse gas emissions.
Although Trump announced his decision to withdraw from the historic agreement on June 1, 2017, the process began on Monday with the formal notification and the US will be out of the pact on November 4, 2020

Paris climate accord:

Mostly because of human actions, the concentration of gases like Carbon-di-oxide, Methane etc has increased in earth’s atmosphere and has resulted in phenomena called Green House Effect.
Because of Green House Effect, the average global temperature has increased, which is known as Global Warming.
The 2016 average temperatures were about 1.3 °C (2.3 degrees Fahrenheit) above the average in 1880 when global record-keeping began.
It is estimated that the difference between today’s temperature and the last ice age is about 5°C.
Global Warming is dangerous all life on earth.
The only way to deal with the change in climate is to reduce the emission of Green House Gases (GHGs) like Carbon Di Oxide and Methane.

In short, Paris Agreement is an international agreement to combat climate change.
From 30 November to 11 December 2015, the governments of 195 nations gathered in Paris, France, and discussed a possible new global agreement on climate change, aimed at reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and thus reduce the threat of dangerous climate change.
The 32-page Paris agreement with 29 articles is widely recognized as a historic deal to stop global warming.

Aims of Paris Agreement

As countries around the world recognized that climate change is a reality, they came together to sign a historic deal to combat climate change – Paris Agreement. The aims of Paris Agreement is as below:
Keep the global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level.
Pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change.

Paris Agreement: Things to note

In French, the Paris Agreement is known as L’accord de Paris.
The key vision of Paris Agreement is to keep global temperatures “well below” 2.0C (3.6F) above pre-industrial times and “endeavour to limit” them even more, to 1.5C.
Paris Accord talks about limiting the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by human activity to the same levels that trees, soil and oceans can absorb naturally, beginning at some point between 2050 and 2100.
It also mentions the need to review each country’s contribution to cutting emissions every five years so they scale up to the challenge.
Rich countries should help poorer nations by providing “climate finance” to adapt to climate change and switch to renewable energy.
The Paris Agreement has a ‘bottom up’ structure in contrast to most international environmental law treaties which are ‘top down.
The agreement is binding in some elements like reporting requirements, while leaving other aspects of the deal such as the setting of emissions targets for any individual country as non-binding.

6.UNSC(GS-3)

CONTEXT:Pakistan exporting terror, says India at UNSC.
India lashed out at Pakistan for raising the issue of women’s rights in Kashmir in the UN Security Council, saying the country represents a system that has been exporting terrorism and “regressive” extremist ideologies and “stifling” women’s voices for narrow political gains.
India’s strong response came after Pakistan’s outgoing UN envoy Maleeha Lodhi commented on the situation in Kashmir, revocation of Article 370 and women’s rights in the Valley during the debate on October 29.

UNSC:
What is it?

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security.
Its powers include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization of military action through Security Council resolutions; it is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.

Members: The Security Council consists of fifteen members. Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, and the United States—serve as the body’s five permanent members. These permanent members can veto any substantive Security Council resolution, including those on the admission of new member states or candidates for Secretary-General.
The Security Council also has 10 non-permanent members, elected on a regional basis to serve two-year terms. The body’s presidency rotates monthly among its members.

7.Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)(GS-3)

CONTEXT:Defence Minister urges Russian defence industries to jointly manufacture in India
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh on Tuesday called upon the Russian defence industry to work jointly to modernise India's defence platforms and manufacture equipment to give a massive boost to the two nations' exports to third countries.
The defence minister said the Indian government is encouraging Orignal Equipment Manufacturers to make use of the 'Make in India' initiative.
Rajnath singh was addressing the CEOs of OEMs from the Russian defence industry after jointly inaugurating the 'India-Russia Defence Industry Cooperation Conference' with Russian Minister of Industry and Trade in Moscow

original equipment manufacturer (OEM) :

An original equipment manufacturer (OEM) makes equipment or components that are then marketed by its client, another manufacturer or a reseller, usually under that reseller's own name. An OEM may make complete devices or just certain components, either of which can then be configured by the reseller.
An example of this relationship would be a large automobile manufacturer that uses an OEM's components in the production of the cars it makes and sells.
Originally OEM was an adjective only used to describe a company that produced items, usually hardware or component parts, to be marketed under another company's brand.
Although this is still the norm, OEMs have begun in recent years to sell their products more widely and in some cases, directly to the public.
Developments within the computer industry have played a role in this expansion.
As people choose to upgrade their PCs with new parts, they often wish to do so by purchasing replacement parts that have been produced by the same manufacturer that made the originally installed item.
The assumption in this case is that components and other processed items may work better or fit better if they come from the OEM.
They are more likely to meet the original standards and product specifications established for the product.
OEM parts can be contrasted to other replacement parts that may be referred to as "functionally equivalent" or "of like kind and quality.