CLAT 2021 21 Year Experienced Team
Affairs (MEA)-run think tank Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS).
f Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated the 306- km New Rewari-New Madar section of the Western
Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) to the nation. Through video-conferencing, Modi also flagged off the
world’s first double-stack long-haul 1.5-km-long container train hauled by electric traction from New
Ateli-New Kishangarh.
f The Government of Japan has committed Official Development Assistance loan of 30 billion Japanese Yen
which is approximately Rs 2113 crore rupees for a programme loan to support India’s efforts at providing
social assistance to the poor and vulnerable households, severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
f Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari will be launching an innovative new paint
developed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission. The eco-friendly, non-toxic paint, called ―Khadi
Prakritik Paint is a first-of-its-kind product, with anti-fungal, anti-bacterial properties.
f According to External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava, due to the global COVID-19
situation, it has been decided that this year there will not be a foreign Head of State or Head of
Government as the Chief Guest for the Republic Day event. President Ramnath Kovind will take the
salute at the parade this time. This will be the first time in over five decades that India will not have a chief
guest at the Republic Day parade.
f The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has launched a month-long mass awareness campaign titled
‗SAKSHAM' to spread awareness about green and clean energy. The campaign has been organised by
the Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA), to motivate consumers to switch to cleaner
fuels and bring in behavioural change to use fossil fuel intelligently.
f SAKSHAM stands for Sanrakshan Kshamata Mahotsav. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off
eight trains connecting the Statue of Unity in Kevadiya, Gujarat with different regions of the country
through video conferencing. PM Modi informed that it was the first time in history that so many trains
from different locations were flagged off for a common destination.
f Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched Rs 1,000-crore ‗Startup India Seed Fund' on 16 January
2021, while addressing the ‗Prarambh: Startup India International Summit' 2021. This initiative will
help in setting up new startups and promote their growth.
f The first-ever National Road Safety Month was inaugurated by Union Minister for Defence Shri Rajnath
Singh and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways & MSME Nitin Gadkari on 18 January 2021. It
will be held till 17 February 2021.
f The Union Cabinet has approved 850 megawatts (MW) Ratle hydropower project worth an Rs. 5281.94
crore on Chenab river in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir. The project will be developed by a new
joint venture company between state-run National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Ltd and
Jammu & Kashmir State Power Development Corporation Ltd (JKSPDC), where NHPC will have a 51%
stake in the JV firm, while the balance will be held by JKSPDC.
f India has announced a pledge of USD 150,000 to the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) for the
year 2021 to support the activities and programs this year. The Peacebuilding Fund has put forth its
fiveyear strategy, which requires 1.5 billion dollars for 2020-2024. This was announced by TS Tirumurti,
India's permanent representative to the United Nations on January 25, 2021.
f Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman has virtually inaugurated the
Chennai Bench of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). This will be the second NCLAT
Bench in the country, after the Principal Bench in New Delhi.
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f Vaccine Maitri Initiative is an initiative launched by India to gift COVID-19 vaccines to neighbouring
countries. Recently, Sri Lanka and Bahrain have received the COVID-19 vaccines from India under the
initiative. The Vaccine Maitri initiative was launched by India on January 20 to gift COVID-19 vaccines to
neighbouring countries.
f The Central Government has approved the Rs 945- crore „Start-up India Seed Fund Scheme' (SISFS),
which aims to provide financial assistance to start-ups for the product trials, market-entry, proof of
concept, prototype development and commercialization.
f India's first hot air balloon wildlife safari in a tiger reserve was launched in the world-famous
Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve by Madhya Pradesh forest minister Vijay Shah. Now like Africa's forests,
tourists in India will also enjoy hot air balloon wildlife safari. The state was planning to introduce this
service in Pench, Kanha and Panna tiger reserves as well.
f The country's first pollinator park with over 40 species of butterflies, honeybees, birds and insects has
been developed over four acres at Haldwani, Uttarakhand. The objective behind developing the park is to
conserve various pollinator species, create awareness among people in general about the importance of
conservation of these species and to promote further research on various aspects of pollination,
including a threat to habitat and impact of pollution on pollinators.
f The Journalist Day is observed by Maharashtra state government on 6th January every year in the
memory of late journalist Balshastri Jambhekar. The first newspaper in the Marathi language named
Darpan', was published on January 6, 1832, the date which also marks the birth anniversary of Balshastri
Jambhekar.
f The New Development Bank (NDB) has signed loan agreements worth USD 646 million with the
Government of India for two road projects in Andhra Pradesh. Each project costs USD 323 million. These
projects will improve mobility and connectivity to the socioeconomic centres, enhance transport
efficiency, improve road safety and riding quality, and provide all-weather accessibility for the State's
road users.
f The 4th edition of the Cherry Blossom Festival, Mao in Manipur was virtually inaugurated by Chief Minister
N Biren Singh. However this year, the authority decided to scale down the festival due to the COVID-19
pandemic. The Festival featured the picturesque landscape of Mao adorned with beautiful cherry trees
laden with blooming flowers which have traditionally attracted visitors from across the world.
f The 4th edition of the Cherry Blossom Festival, Mao in Manipur was virtually inaugurated by Chief Minister
N Biren Singh. However this year, the authority decided to scale down the festival due to the COVID-19
pandemic. The Festival featured the picturesque landscape of Mao adorned with beautiful cherry trees
laden with blooming flowers which have traditionally attracted visitors from across the world.
f Kerala has become the 8th State in the country to successfully undertake ―Ease of Doing Business
reform stipulated by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance. Kerala has become eligible to
mobilise additional financial resources of Rs.2,373 crore through Open Market Borrowings.
f The Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated the 8th India International Silk Fair on Virtual Portal
on 31st January 2021. The five days event is being held on the Indian Silk Export Promotion Council's
virtual platform due to COVID-19 pandemic. The fair is considered to be India's biggest silk fair.
f The Vice President of India Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the National Tribal Festival “Aadi
Mahotsav” at Dilli Haat, INA, New Delhi. The Aadi Mahotsav 2021 is being organized from February 1-15,
2021. The festival aims to familiarise the people with the rich and diverse craft, the culture of the tribal
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CLAT 2021 21 Year Experienced Team
communities across the country, in one place.
f Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the centenary celebrations of the Chauri Chaura incident
on February 4 via videoconferencing. February 4, 2021 marks 100 years of the 'Chauri Chaura' incident, a
landmark event in the country's fight for independence. PM Modi also released a postal stamp dedicated to
the Chauri Chaura incident, to mark the beginning of the event. The state government of Uttar Pradesh
has planned a year of celebrations in all 75 districts of the state in the memory of the martyrAs per the
recent data by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), four more states
have completed the reforms in the 'Ease of Doing Business', as stipulated by the Department of
Expenditure, Ministry of Finance. The four states are- Assam, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
f The Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Kailash Choudhry has inaugurated the
National Horticulture Fair (NHF) 2021 on February 08, 2021, in Bengaluru via virtual mode. The five-day-
long event has been organised by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), from February 8 to
February 12 at its IIHR campus situated in Hesaraghatta, Bengaluru. The theme of NHF 2021 is
'Horticulture for Start-Up and Stand-Up India'.
f The Government of India will organise the firstever 'The India Toy Fair, 2021′ from February 27, 2021, to
March 02, 2021, on a virtual platform. The official website for India Toy Fair-2021 is
www.theindiatoyfair.in. This initiative is in line with the Prime Minister's vision of making India a global
hub for the Toy Industry.
f Union road transport and highways minister, Nitin Gadkari has launched India's first-ever diesel tractor,
converted to a much cleaner (compressed natural gas) CNG variant. With this, farmers will be able to save
more than 1 trillion annually on fuel cost, which will help them to improve their livelihood.
f Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently launched an online portal 'e-Chhawani' and mobile app, to
facilitate 'ease of living' and 'ease of doing' for the residents of the Cantonment Boards across the country.
The 'e-Chhawani' portal will provide online municipal services to more than 20 lakh citizens across all 62
Cantonment Boards of India while sitting at home.
f The National Informatics Centre (NIC), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has
launched an instant messaging platform called “Sandes”. Similar to WhatsApp, the new government
instant messaging systems (GIMS) platform can be used for all kinds of communications by anyone using
a mobile number or email id.
f Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually launched 'Mahabahu-Brahmaputra' initiative in Assam. He laid
the foundation stone for the Dhubri Phulbari bridge. PM also perform the bhumi puja for the construction
of Majuli Bridge in Assam. PM has announced the details stated that the landmark day in the development
journey for Assam as Mahabahu-Brahmaputra initiative is going to be launched.
f The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar, inaugurated the Atal
Paryavaran Bhavan at Lakshadweep. During the visit, the minister attended high-level meetings with the
Secretaries of various departments in the Lakshadweep administration, participated in various official
programmes at Suheli, Kadmat and Bangaram islands.
f Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has inaugurated the 26th edition of 'Hunar Haat' in New Delhi. The “Hunar
Haat” will be held from February 21 to March 01, 2021, with the theme of “Vocal for Local”. More than 600
artisans and craftsmen from more than 31 states and UTs are participating.
f Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri and Minister of Electronics and IT Ravi
Shankar Prasad launched the National Urban Digital Mission' (NUDM) at a virtual event, to create a digital
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CLAT 2021 21 Year Experienced Team
infrastructure for cities in India. The NUDM has been launched jointly by the Ministry of Housing and Urban
Affairs along with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
f The Union Cabinet has approved to dissolve the Puducherry Assembly and impose President's rule in the
Union Territory, following the resignation of the Chief Minister, V Narayanasamy, whose government lost
majority power in the assembly. The decision was taken as no party claimed to form a government,
following which, Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan had recommended President's Rule.
f Prime Minister Narendra Modi has delivered the inaugural address at the 2nd Khelo India National Winter
Games through a video conference. The second edition of the Khelo India-Winter Games has been
organised at the world-famous ski-resort Gulmarg in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir.
f Lucknow Metro has become the 1st metro in the country to use ultraviolet rays to sanitise train coaches.
For this, the LMRC has procured UV sanitization apparatus from M/s FB TECH, an Indian firm in Jaipur,
Rajasthan. The Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) has taken inspiration from the New York
Metro's experiment to sanitise trains with UV lamp rays.
f In Nainital district of Uttarakhand, a first of its kind botanical garden named 'Shivalik Arboretum' has been
inaugurated, for conserving over 210 species of trees found in the Shivalik range of Himalayas. Shivalik
Arboretum aims to spread nature education among people so that they are able to feel an emotional
connect with the trees, and make them more active towards conservation.
f Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has virtually launched the 'Har Ghar Pani, Har Ghar Safai'
mission as part of the government's campaign to accomplish the goal of 100 per cent potable piped water
supply in all rural households. The scheme is being funded by the World Bank, Jal Jeevan Mission of GoI,
NABARD, and State Budget.
f The glacier burst took place at the Rishiganga power project after a portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off
in Tapovan area of Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on 7th February morning and damaged the
Rishiganga dam on Alaknanda river. National Thermal Power Corporation's (NTPC) Tapovan Vishnugad
project on Dhauliganga river and Rishi Ganga Power Corporation Ltd's project, with a planned capacity of
520 MW and 13.2 MW, respectively, have been nearly washed away.
f Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the 'Asom Mala' programme in Dhekiajuli of Sonitpur district,
Assam. As per the PMO, this initiative will boost the state's road infrastructure and contribute to Assam's
economic progress and improve connectivity.
f Uttar Pradesh government has introduced a system of issuing a unique 16-digit Unicode to mark all kinds
of landholdings in the state. The main purpose of the system is to check the cases of land disputes, put an
end to fake registries of the disputed land and save people from falling into the trap of fraudsters.
f The health department in Madhya Pradesh has launched the Social Awareness and Action to Neutralise
Pneumonia Successfully ('SAANS') campaign. The main purpose of the campaign is to reduce the death
rate due to pneumonia among infants a strategy is being chalked out under the Social awareness
campaign in which medical staff is being trained.
f The Central government has given its approval for the creation of a fifth tiger reserve in Tamil Nadu that
will encompass the Meghamalai and Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuaries. It will be the 51st
Tiger Sanctuary of India.
f The Karnataka government issued an official gazette notification to declare Vijayanagara as the 31st
district of the state. The new district has been carved out of Ballari and named after the Vijayanagara
empire that ruled from this region.
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CLAT 2021 21 Year Experienced Team
f A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Meghalaya police and the State Bank of
India for implementation of the e-Challan within the jurisdiction of the Shillong Traffic Police (STP). The e-
Challan system which will be launched in the days to come is a digital traffic enforcement solution
whereby, imposing penalties on violators of traffic rules and generating of challan will be done digitally.
f Indian Govt and Chhattisgarh Govt has signed a $100 million for CHIRAAG (Chhattisgarh Inclusive Rural
and Accelerated Agriculture Growth) project with the World bank. The main purpose is to develop
sustainable production systems that allow tribal households in remote areas of Chhattisgarh to practice
round-the-year production of diversified and nutritious food.
f The state government of Madhya Pradesh has launched a water conservation campaign called
'Jalabhishekam', under which more than 57,000 water structures has been constructed. The campaign
was inaugurated by the Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh virtually.
f In order to recognize the sacrifice and services rendered by the Covid warriors who lost their lives fighting
the pandemic, the government has decided to construct a Covid Warrior Memorial in Odisha. The Biju
Patnaik Park in Bhubaneswar has been selected for this purpose.
f The three-day famous “Mandu Festival” began at the historic town of Mandu in Dhar district of Madhya
Pradesh on February 13, 2021. The festival will culminate on February 15, 2021. The festival is organised
by the state government of Madhya Pradesh to showcase each and every aspect of the ancient Mandu city,
ranging from food, music, history & heritage, art & craft etc.
f Maharashtra government has signed an MoU with Flipkart to promote wooden toys, local artefacts,
handicrafts. Maharashtra Small Industries Development Corporation and Maharashtra State Khadi &
Village Industries Board have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Flipkart.
f The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has been conferred the Skoch Chief Minister
of the Year Award. The Award has been presented to the CM by Chairman, Skoch Group, Sameer Kochhar
personally at Tadepalli in Andhra Pradesh. The award selection was based on a study of project-level
outcomes in various States.
f West Bengal government launched “Maa” canteens for providing subsidised cooked meals for the poor
and the destitute at a nominal cost of 5. The govt will give a subsidy of 15 and people have to pay 5.
The kitchen will run by Self-Help Groups (SHG). The government allocated 100 crores for this project.
f The state government of Odisha, under Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, has launched the development
work for the SAMALEI Project (Samaleswari Temple Area Management and Local Economy Initiatives), to
offer the divine experience to tourists & devotees. The project involves the development of 108 acres of
land in & around the 16th-century shrine of Maa Samaleswari, the presiding deity of western Odisha.
f The state government of Kerala has sanctioned Rs. 9 crores to build 'smart anganwadis', by converting the
conventional anganwadis into “smart” structures with better amenities. The state Department of Women
and Child Development has given permission for 48 anganwadis in the state to construct new buildings
under the Smart Anganwadi scheme.
f The Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal has laid the foundation of the first skill university of
eastern India in Darrang district in Assam. The state-of-the-art skill university would be built with a
financial outlay of Rs 1,000 crore. It will impart training to over 10,000 students in 12 disciplines. The
university is expected to be completed by 2026. It will have “understandings” with countries like
Germany, Taiwan, South Korea, Israel, Japan, England.
f Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated to the nation INDMAX Unit at Indian Oil's Bongaigaon
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CLAT 2021 21 Year Experienced Team
Refinery, Oil India Limited's Secondary Tank Farm at Madhuban, Dibrugarh, and a Gas Compressor
Station at Hebeda Village, Makum, Tinsukia remotely from Dhemaji in Assam. He also inaugurated the
Dhemaji Engineering College and laid the foundation stone for Sualkuchi Engineering College in Assam.
f The 47th Khajuraho Dance Festival began in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh which is based on the Indian
classical dance tradition. Khajuraho Temples come alive with splendour, beams, and the hustlebustle of
art lovers at the Festival. The first-day event is dedicated to Bharatanatyam performance by Geeta
Chandran and her troupe and Kathak performance by Deepak Maharaj.
f Hoshangabad city in the state of Madhya Pradesh will be renamed Narmadapuram. This was announced
by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan during the Narmada Jayanti programme held in
Hoshangabad. Hoshangabad was earlier named after an attacker Hoshang Shah, the first ruler of Malwa.
f The Karnataka State Horticulture Department is setting up a “Flower Processing Centre”, in collaboration
with the International Flower Auction Bangalore (IFAB), to convert unsold flowers into various useful
products. The facility will provide support to the flower farmers who suffer huge losses whenever there is a
glut or market disruption. Growers can learn the art of flower processing from the centre.
f Governor of Kerala, Arif Mohammed Khan has inaugurated India's first Digital University named Kerala
University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology. A Digital University has been set up in Kerala's
Technocity, Mangalapuram. Kerala University is established by upgrading the twodecade-old state
government's Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management Kerala (IIITM-K).
f The Punjab Cabinet has approved the implementation of the mission 'Lal Lakir' aimed at facilitating
villagers to monetise property rights and availing benefits provided by government departments,
institutions and banks in all villages across the state. As no record of rights is available for such properties
within the 'Lal Lakir', the same cannot currently be monetised as per the real value of the property and no
mortgages can be created on such properties.
f India's first-ever geothermal power project will be implemented by state-owned Oil and Natural Gas
Corporation (ONGC) at Puga village of eastern Ladakh. The project, known as Geothermal Field
Development Project, will be implemented in three phases and is planned to commission by the end of
2022.
f The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has launched the Mahatma Gandhi National
Fellowship (MGNF) programme in partnership with nine Indian Institutes' of Management (IIM) across
India. Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey chaired the event on
'Transforming skilling through strategic partnerships under SANKALP' and rolled out the MGNF and other
initiatives
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International
Issues
COMPENDIUM
FUTURE OF SAARC
SAARC Charter Day is observed annually on 8th December. It marks the signing of the SAARC Charter in
1985 by the Leaders of SAARC Countries, Heads of State or Government of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,
Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the First SAARC Summit held in Dhaka.
f The Charter recognises the region's shared history and the determination of the Member States.
f The SAARC Development Fund (SDF) Board has also approved funding of USD 7.75 M to support COVID-
19 projects of the SAARC Member State Governments through their ministries of health.
About SAARC
f It is the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of states in South Asia.
f The SAARC was founded in Dhaka on 8th December 1985.
f Its secretariat is based in Kathmandu, Nepal.
f The objective of SAARC is to accelerate the process of social, economic and cultural development in the
region.
f Member countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
f It also has nine Observers, namely China, EU, Iran, Republic of Korea, Australia, Japan, Mauritius,
Myanmar and USA.
f The SAARC maintains permanent diplomatic relations at the United Nations as an observer and has
developed links with multilateral entities, including the European Union.
SAARC Specialized Bodies
f SAARC Development Fund (SDF) South Asian University South Asian Regional Standards Organization
SAARC Arbitration Council
Role and achievements of SAARC:
f Promoting peace and overall growth: The underlying idea behind SAARC was to promote peace,
accelerate economic growth, social advancement and ensure better standard of living of the people of
South Asia.
f Promoting regional cooperation: Despite numerous problems, SAARC has made remarkable
achievements and played a vital role in realizing its aims and objectives to promote The 36th South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Charter Day was observed in Thimphu on 8th December.
regional cooperation. This cooperation may be witnessed in the establishment and initiation of various
programs and forums for mutual benefits.
f Scope and Sectors: SAARC agenda has expanded considerably, exhibiting the intent and capacity to
work collectively on issues of agriculture, rural development, health, population, women empowerment
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CLAT 2021 21 Year Experienced Team
and economic development.
f Economic integration: A breakthrough in this regard came with the SAARC Preferential Trade
Agreement (SAPTA), opening the way for a certain expansion of intra-SAARC trade. The objective of
SAFTA include; elimination of all sorts of barriers in trade and facilitation of free and fair movements of
products; promoting fair competition and free trade environment in respect of existing economic
conditions which will ensure the maximum benefit and establish an institution frame to promote regional
cooperation.
f SAARC convention on suppression of Terrorism: Terrorism has been one of the serious problems faced by
almost all the countries of the South Asian region. To deal with this problem, the SAARC convention on
suppression of Terrorism was signed and later the Additional Protocol on Terrorism was signed taking in
to account the terrorist financing.
f Financial cooperation: The Meetings of Finance Ministers of SAARC take place at regular intervals. The
establishment of an Inter-Government Export Group on Financial matters was the outcome of such
meetings which laid down a roadmap for achieving the South Asian economic cooperation in phased
manner.
Major problems of SAARC:
f Regionalism: It has a different meaning and purpose for each nation especially when they become a
part of any regional organization. In most cases states that join hands in any regional cooperation
mechanism, have certain basic differences, for most regional cooperation is limited to economics
through free-trade agreements.
f Inability to tackle inter-state conflicts: It has often made it hostage to bilateral conflicts and national
interests of member countries.
f The lack of trust among member states: It has often led manifestation itself in the ineffective
administration of several of the initiatives taken by SAARC.
f Some other problems: Strict rules followed at the official level and by the SAARC Secretaries.
f Redtapism, paper work and bureaucratic hurdles at the secretariat level. Unnecessary formalities. Lack
of political will at the leadership level.
f Absence of collective vision for rejuvenating region in the face of the globalization challenge.
SAARC and India
f Founding member: India is a founding member of the SAARC which aims to build a connected and
integrated South Asia with the larger aim of promoting the development and progress of all countries in
the region.
f Neighbourhood First policy: India's engagement with SAARC countries is based on a consultative,
non-reciprocal and outcome-oriented approach, while focussing on delivering benefits like greater
connectivity, improved infrastructure, stronger development cooperation in various sectors.
f Technology transfer: India has been steadfast in its commitment of sharing the fruits of technological
advances. In this context, India has extended its National Knowledge Network (NKN) to the countries of
South Asia.
f South Asian University (SAU): India is home to South Asian University (SAU). It aims to provide world
class educational facilities and professional faculty to students and researchers from SAARC countries.
f SAARC Disaster Management Center: India also hosts the Interim Unit of SAARC Disaster
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Management Center (IU) at the Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (GIDM), Gandhinagar. It
serves the needs of all SAARC member states through policy advice, technical support on system
development, capacity building services and training for holistic management of disaster risk in the
SAARC region.
f Terrorism: India is fully aware of challenges in South Asia, with cross-border terrorism being the most
serious of those challenges.
f SAARC COVID19 Information Exchange Platform (COINEX)' platform:
f India has developed a 'SAARC COVID19 Information Exchange Platform (COINEX)' platform for use by
all SAARC countries to facilitate exchange of specialized information and tools on COVID-19 among
designated health professionals.
Chinese investment in Sri Lanka
About:
f Recently, Sri Lanka's Cabinet has approved the setting up of the tyre plant by Shandong Haohua Tire Co
Limited under legislation that allows generous tax concessions.
f Western nations, as well as regional power India, have long been concerned about Chinese influence in
Sri Lanka through projects under its gargantuan Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.
f The factory will be adjacent to the Hambantota port, which was leased to a Chinese company in 2017
after Sri Lanka failed to service the $1.4-billion debt from Beijing, used to build it. Shandong Haohua
Tire Co Limited will export at least 80% of production, with the option of selling the rest on the local
market.
f The announcement came just weeks after Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa unveiled the country's
2021 budget, banking on a huge Chinese real-estate development in Colombo to attract more
investment and revive the island's economy.
f The Colombo Port City — a $1.4 billion land reclamation project which started in 2014 — has almost
doubled the size of Sri Lanka's current financial district.
India's Strategic Concerns:
f India's stand-off with China in Ladakh and on its eastern border has only exacerbated its fears of
strategic encirclement by China in the IOR.
f New Delhi remains uneasy about China's influence in Sri Lanka and its presence in Hambantota port,
Gwadar in Pakistan, Chittagong in Bangladesh and Kyaukphyu in Myanmar.
f The April 2019 terror attacks in Colombo added to New Delhi fears of a rise in Islamic extremist militancy
in Sri Lanka since any spill over would almost inevitably jeopardise its own national security. India
viewed the attacks as the result of repressive measures enacted on a minority of the Sri Lankan
population.
f India endeavours, therefore, to attain socio-economic influence in a politically stable and prosperous Sri
Lanka that abstains from human rights violations and respects all its communities.
f Balancing India: Prime Minister Rajapaksa has stated, however, that relations with India will not suffer,
since his country cannot afford to become a proxy battleground between the two major Asian powers in
their quest for influence in the Indian Ocean region.
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India's efforts to gain ground in Sri Lanka:
India, being Sri Lanka's geographically-closest neighbour, needs to maintain a robust posture in regard to its
economic aid to Sri Lanka.
f Countries like the United States, Australia and Japan expect India to gain and maintain substantial
influence in the region as that would support their Indo-Pacific strategies.
f In November 2019, India offered a line of credit of US$400 million ($556.5 million) for development
projects and another US$50 million ($69.5 million) to help Colombo's counterterrorism effort.
f Currency exchange: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced President Rajapaksa to seek a US$1.1 billion
($1.5 billion) currency exchange facility from India and also to request a debt-repayment pause, which is
under consideration.
f New Delhi may draw some comfort from Colombo's current favourable foreign policy and attitude
towards its neighbours, but must remain conscious that does not mitigate the potential threat posed by
the Chinese presence in the IOR.
Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus
About:
f Tenth anniversary: The meeting was organized online at Hanoi, Vietnam on the 10th anniversary of
ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) Plus.
f ADMM Plus is an annual meeting of Defence Ministers of 10 ASEAN Countries and eight partner countries.
The eight members apart from ASEAN countries are Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South
Korea, Russian Federation and the United States.
f Emphasis was given on Indo-Pacific region in particular as it confronts numerous traditional and non-
traditional security threats.
f India reiterated support to freedom of navigation and overflight for all in International waters in
accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
f Fight Terrorism: A stronger commitment and need to strengthen International mechanism to fight
terrorism, jointly and vigorously was called upon.
CAATSA
About:
f Sanction of Turkey: The United States has imposed sanctions on Turkey over its acquisition of Russian
S-400 air defence systems. US have long been threatening sanctions on Turkey and had removed the
country from an F-35 jet program.
f India's special case: India is set to get the consignment of the S-400 air defence system early next
year. While it has got a waiver from the outgoing Trump administration, it hopes that the incoming Biden
administration would not work towards reversing the decision.
CAATSA:
It stands for Countering America's Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
f It is a federal law and was enacted in August 2017 to counter the aggression by Iran, Russia and North
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Korea through punitive measures e.g. imposing sanctions.
f Section 231 of the Act empowers the US President to impose sanction on persons engaged in a
“significant transaction” with Russian defence and intelligence sectors. Two of the most stringent of
these sanctions are: Suspending export licences related to munitions, dualuse and nuclear-related
items; and Ban on American investment in equity/debt of the sanctioned person.
S-400 Air Defence Missile System
f The S-400 Triumf, (NATO calls it SA-21 Growler), is a mobile, surface-to-air missile system (SAM)
designed by Russia.
f It is the most dangerous operationally deployed modern long-range SAM (MLR SAM) in the world,
considered much ahead of the US-developed Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD). The
system can engage all types of aerial targets including aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and
ballistic and cruise missiles within the range of 400 km, at an altitude of up to 30 km.
f The system can track 100 airborne targets and engage six of them simultaneously.
f It represents the fourth generation of long-range Russian SAMs and the successor to the S-200 and S-
300.
f The S-400 Triumf air defence system integrates multifunction radar, autonomous detection and
targeting systems, anti-aircraft missile systems, launchers, and command and control centre.
f It is capable of firing three types of missiles to create a layered defence.
f It can also be integrated into the existing and future air defence units of the Air Force, Army, and the
Navy.
f India's acquisition is crucial to counter attacks in a twofront war, including even high-end F-35 US fighter
aircraft.
Currency Manipulator List
About:
f India has been included in the list a year after it was removed from the watch list in the US Treasury
Department's semiannual foreign-exchange report to the US Congress.
f Vietnam and Switzerland have been labeled as currency manipulators.
f In 2019, the US Treasury Department had removed India from its currency manipulator watch list of
major trading partners. India was last included in the currency watchlist in October 2018.
Currency Manipulator:
f This is a label given by the US government to countries it feels are engaging in “unfair currency practices”
by deliberately devaluing their currency against the dollar.
f The practice would mean that the country in question is artificially lowering the value of its currency to
gain an unfair advantage over others.
f This is because the devaluation would reduce the cost of exports from that country and artificially show a
reduction in trade deficits as a result.
f An economy meeting two of the three criteria in the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015
is placed on the Monitoring List. This includes: A “significant” bilateral trade surplus with the US — one
that is at least $20 billion over 12 months. A material current account surplus equivalent to at least 2
percent of gross domestic product (GDP) over 12 months. “Persistent”, one-sided intervention — when
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net purchases of foreign currency totaling at least 2 percent of the country's GDP over 12 months are
conducted repeatedly, in at least six out of 12 months.
Rohingya Migrants In Bhasan Char Island
About:
f Authorities in Bangladesh sent the first group of more than 1,500 Rohingya refugees to an isolated
Bhasan Char island in the Bay of Bengal.
f Concerns have been raised over the habitability of the island.
f Flood Proofing: The Bangladeshi navy has spent over $112 million (€92 million) to build flood
protection, along with barracks, hospitals, and mosques.
f Voluntary: Bangladesh's government has repeated that relocation will be entirely voluntary and no
refugee will be forced. But, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) have published
statements from Rohingya who claim to have been forced or lured into relocating to the island.
f Easing congestion: Bangladesh has also said that the necessity of easing overcrowding in Cox's Bazar
outweighs the concerns.
Bashan Char:
f The Bashan Char Island is located 34 kilometers from mainland Bangladesh.Its name in Bengali means
“floating island.”
f The Bhashan Char, also known as Thengar Char, is an uninhabited island around 30 kilometers east of
Hatiya island in South-East Bangladesh.
f Bhashan Char island was formed about two decades ago on the mouth of the river Meghna.
f During the full moon or new moon half of the Island goes under the water, and during monsoon, 60% of
the Island submerged under the wate
Concerns Raised by the United Nations and other NGOs:
f Fragile Island: The Bhashan Char which has formed recently from the sea falls in an ecologically fragile
area prone to floods, erosion, and cyclone.
f Unanswered questions: Too many serious questions remain unanswered regarding protection,
freedom of movement, access to livelihoods, logistics, and the availability of services.
f UN has also voiced concern over whether the Rohingya have been allowed to make a “free and informed
decision” about relocating to the island.
f It is also unclear how NGOs will be able to provide relief services at this remote island
The Rohingya Crisis
Who are the Rohingya?
f Rohingya are an ethnic group, largely comprising Muslims, who predominantly live in the Western
Myanmar province of Rakhine. They speak a dialect of Bengali, as opposed to the commonly spoken
Burmese language.
f They are descendants of Arab traders and other groups who have been in the region for generations.
Myanmar's stand on Rohingyas
f Myanmar sees them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
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f Myanmar has not granted Rohingyas full citizenship.
f According to the 1982 Burmese citizenship law, a Rohingya (or any ethnic minority) is eligible for
citizenship only if he/she provides proof that his/her ancestors have lived in the country before 1823.
Else, they are classified as “resident foreigners” or as “associate citizens” (even if one of the parents is a
Myanmar citizen).
Why did they flee their homes?
The exodus began in 2017 after Rohingya Arsa militants launched deadly attacks on more than 30 police
posts.
Rohingyas arriving in Bangladesh said they fled after troops, backed by local Buddhist mobs, burnt their
village.
What is India's stand on Rohingyas?
f Refugee Card: Approximately 40,000 Rohingyas are living in India. While UNHCR has provided
refugees card to half the refugees from Myanmar, India does not recognize their cards, since it is not a
signatory to the UN Convention on Refugees.
f They have reportedly reached India from Bangladesh through the land route being a burden on the
limited resources of the country.
f India maintains that Rohingyas are a threat to its national security. India has so far refused to exert any
pressure on Myanmar for taking them back. UN convention on Refugees 1951
f India is not a signatory to the Refugee convention of 1951 and the optional protocol of 1967.
f It is a United Nations multilateral treaty that defines who is a refugee and sets out the rights of
individuals who are granted asylum and the responsibilities of nations that grant asylum.
f The Convention also sets out which people do not qualify as refugees. e.g. War criminals.
f The core principle is non-refoulement, which asserts that a refugee should not be returned to a country
where they face serious threats to their life or freedom.
f Countries that have ratified the Refugee Convention are obliged to protect refugees that are on their
territory
India-Uzbekistan Virtual Summit
f India and Uzbekistan conducted a virtual summit to discuss bilateral relations and strengthen
cooperation in the postCovid world.
About:
f Both India and Uzbekistan have been involved in the Afghan Peace process, with a focus on connectivity
with the country.
f India, via the Chabahar Port in Iran and the India-Afghanistan air corridor and Uzbekistan via a planned
rail project connecting the 2 countries.
f India and Uzbekistan have been engaging under various formats including India Central Asia Dialogue at
the foreign minister's level.
f The two Asian countries have maintained high-level exchanges in the recent past.
f India and Uzbekistan have strategic partnerships in various sectors such as political, trade and
investment, defence, security, counter-terrorism, science and technology, nuclear energy, space,
Information Technology and have promoted cultural and academic linkages.
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Key Outcomes:
f BIT: India and Uzbekistan have agreed to work towards an early conclusion of Bilateral Investment
Treaty to facilitate investment promotion and protection for further improvement of trade and economic
cooperation
f Line of Credit: The Indian side confirmed the approval of a 448 million US dollar Line of Credit to be
extended by India for four developmental projects in Uzbekistan in the fields of road construction,
sewerage treatment and information technology.
f India-Central Asia Dialogue: The Indian side reiterated its commitment to further deepen the
development partnership between India and Uzbekistan, including under the framework of India-Central
Asia dialogue.
f The Uzbek side conveyed its desire to explore the possibility of implementing priority developmental
projects in Uzbekistan as part of the one billion US dollar Line of Credit offered by India for Central Asian
countries during the second meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue.
f Security: Noting the importance of a safe and secure regional environment for development and
prosperity, the two sides agreed to cooperate in addressing threats and challenges to national as well as
regional security.
f Law enforcement: Both sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation between the law enforcement
agencies and special services of the two countries, including under the framework of the Uzbekistan-
India Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism.
f Anti-terrorism: They also emphasized on the need for every country to ensure that its territory is not
used to launch terrorist attacks against other countries. Both sides also called for an early finalization of
a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.
f Peace in Afghanistan: The leaders noted that establishment of peace and stability in Afghanistan is of
great importance to the security and stability of the entire region. They called for the settlement of the
Afghan conflict on the principle of Afghanled, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled peace process.
f Both sides agreed to strengthen their cooperation, including through mutual support, in the United
Nations and other international and regional organizations.
f They called for comprehensive reform of the UN structures including the Security Council with expansion
in both categories of membership. Uzbekistan reaffirmed its support to India's candidature for
permanent membership of the UN Security Council.
India Myanmar Thailand Trilateral Highway Project
About:
f For enhancing connectivity between South and South East Asia, Bangladesh has expressed interest to
join the on-going India Myanmar Thailand trilateral highway project.
f India has requested the neighbouring country to allow connectivity from West Bengal (Hilli) to
Meghalaya (Mahendraganj) via Bangladesh.
f Since India has been working towards increasing its engagements with South East Asia under its 'Act
East Policy' the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway is one of the biggest infrastructure projects
in the region.
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f Also at the one-day virtual summit, India requested for one Land Port with a minimal negative list,
beginning with Agartala-Akhaura and for transportation of goods from Chattogram port to the North East
of India, it has proposed that its trucks use the Feni Bridge, on completion.
f It has been decided that the recently-constituted High Level Monitoring Committee headed by Secretary,
Economic Relations Division from Bangladesh and the High Commissioner of India in Dhaka will regularly
review the progress of the LOC Projects for their early completion. India-
Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway (IMTTH):
f This highway is expected to help greatly in the transport connectivity – 1, 3660 km long cross border
highway network and is currently under construction, expected to be completed by 2021. It will be
linking Moreh (India) -Bagan (Myanmar) -Mae Sot (Thailand).
f India has agreed to help build two vital road sections — Kalewa-Yagyi of 120 km, and 69 bridges on the
TamuKyigone-Kalewa (TKK).
f From Indian side the work is going on since 2017 and according to sources by 2021 it is expected to be
completed.
f The decision to extend the Trilateral Highway to Lao PDR and Cambodia to help deepen the India-ASEAN
Relations was taken at the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit 2012.
f Shadhinota Shorok: To commemorate the historic significance of the road from Mujib Nagar to Nodia
on Bangladesh-India border during the Liberation War, the neighbouring country has proposed to name it
as “Shadhinota Shorok”.
f The National Highways Authority of India has been appointed as the technical executing agency and
project management consultant for implementing this project.
f Benefits of India Myanmar Thailand Trilateral Highway:
f Connect ASEAN: The India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) highways project is aimed at opening the gate to
ASEAN through the land.
f The project will boost trade and commerce in the ASEAN–India Free Trade Area, as well as with the rest of
Southeast Asia.
f Once completed, greater flows of trade and investment will take place along the route, stimulating the
movement of goods and people, creating jobs, promoting tourism as well as raising the livelihoods of the
peoples in the region.
f India has also proposed extending the highway to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
ACT EAST POLICY
f India's 'Act East' policy is a diplomatic initiative to promote economic, strategic and cultural relations
with the vast AsiaPacific region at different levels.
f When India launched the Look East policy in 1991, its own economic strength, its global status and the
external environment were not what they are at present.
f At the time of its launch, India was struggling to transition from a state-controlled economic regime to a
more liberalised one.
f It took many years for the country to get adjusted to the newly emerging economic environment.
f India has upgraded its relations to strategic partnership and forged close ties with all countries in the
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Asia-Pacific region.
f India has also been actively engaged in regional fora such as Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral
Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), Mekong Ganga
Cooperation (MGC) and Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).
f When in 2014, Prime Minister launched the Act East policy, India's economy was relatively robust and its
global profile was higher than it was in the decades prior.
f India through this policy gave a new thrust to intensify economic, strategic and diplomatic relations with
countries that share common concerns with India on China's growing economic and military strength and
its implications for the evolving regional order.
f The ASEAN-India Agreement on Trade in Service and Investments has entered into force for India and
seven ASEAN countries from 1 July 2015.
f On strategic issues, we have increasing convergence on security interests with key partners both in
bilateral and multilateral format.
f Closer cooperation in combating terrorism, collaborating for peace and stability in the region and
promotion of maritime security based on international norms and laws are being pursued.
CLAT 2020 34
RESULT 100 AIR
In
Top
Highest
Selections
from Classroom/Online Coaching
No Misleading
Test Series Claims like
Gunjan Modi
other Institute
www.lawpreptutorial.com
lawpreptutorial
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CLAT 2021 21 Year Experienced Team
Myanmar Military coup
Myanmar's military staged a coup on 1st February 2020 and declaring it had taken control of the country for
one year under a state of emergency.The arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi and the political leadership of the
National League of Democracy (NLD), are a repeat of events thirty years ago.
About Myanmar
Myanmar or Burma (officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar) is a country in Southeast Asia bordered
by:
f Bangladesh and India to its northwest,
f China to its northeast,
f Laos and Thailand to its east and southeast,
f The Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal to its south and southwest. Its capital city is Naypyidaw, and its
largest city is Yangon (Rangoon).
f Early civilisations in Myanmar included the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu city-states in Upper Burma and
the Mon kingdoms in Lower Burma.
f Following the establishment of the Pagan Kingdom in the 1050s, the Burmese language, culture, and
Theravada Buddhism slowly became dominant in the country.
The story so far: Situation of chaos in Myanmar
f For most of its independent years, the country has been engrossed in rampant ethnic strife and its
myriad ethnic groups have been involved in one of the world's longest-running ongoing civil wars.
f During this time, the United Nations and several other organisations have reported consistent and
systematic human rights violations in the country.
f In 2011, the military junta was officially dissolved following a 2010 general election, and a nominally
civilian government was installed.
f This, along with the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners, had improved the country's
human rights record and foreign relations and has led to the easing of trade and other economic
sanctions.
f There is, however, continuing criticism of the government's treatment of ethnic minorities, its response
to the ethnic insurgency, and religious clashes.
f In the 2015 election, Aung San Suu Kyi's party won a majority in both houses –however, the Burmese
military remained a powerful force in politics.
Form of government in Myanmar
f In 1948, Burma achieved independence from Britain, and became a democracy based on the
parliamentary system. A bicameral parliament was formed, consisting of a Chamber of Deputies and a
Chamber of Nationalities.
f The military succeeded in its coup d'état of 1962 and established a nominally socialist military
government that sought to follow the "Burmese Way to Socialism".
f Myanmar's army-drafted constitution was overwhelmingly approved in 2008, and the Multi-party
elections in 2010 ended 5 decades of military rule in Myanmar.
f The 2015 elections in Myanmar were the first openly contested elections held in Myanmar since 1990 –
and this resulted in a resounding victory of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy raising
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hope for a successful political transition from a closely held military rule to a free democratic system.
f Now, Myanmar operates de jure as a unitary assembly-independent republic under its 2008 constitution.
f The president is the head of state and de jure head of government, and oversees the Cabinet of Myanmar.
f The Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Defense Forces has the right to appoint 25% of the members
in all legislative assembly which means that legislations cannot obtain super-majority without support
from the Military. This prevents the democratically elected members from amending the 2008
Constitution of Myanmar.
f Burma's judicial system is limited. British-era laws and legal systems remain much intact, but there is no
guarantee of a fair public trial.
f In Burma, the judiciary is NOT independent of the executive branch.
New Director General of WTO
Nigeria's Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was appointed was appointed as Director-General of the World Trade
Organisation (WTO) as it seeks to resolve disagreements over how it decides cases involving billions in sales
and thousands of jobs.
World Trade Organization (WTO)
f The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that is concerned with the
regulation of international trade between nations.
f It is the largest international economic organization in the world.
f The headquarters of the World Trade Organization is in Geneva,Switzerland.
f The WTO deals with regulation of trade in goods, services and intellectual property between participating
countries by providing a framework for Negotiating trade agreements and a dispute resolution process
aimed at enforcing participants' adherence to WTO agreements, which are signed by representatives of
member governments.
f The WTO prohibits discrimination between trading partners, but provides exceptions for environmental
protection, national security, and other important goals.
f Trade-related disputes are resolved by independent judges at the WTO through a dispute resolution
process.
f The WTO has 164 members (including European Union) and 23 observer governments (like Iran, Iraq,
Bhutan, Libya etc.)
f India is a founder member of the 1947 GATT and its successor, the WTO.
Origin of WTO
f The WTO is the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which was created in
1947.
f The Uruguay Round (1986-94) of the GATT led to the WTO's creation.WTO began operations on 1st
v
January, 995.
f The Agreement Establishing the WTO, commonly known as the “Marrakesh Agreement”, was signed in
Marrakesh, Morocco in 1994.
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Functions of WTO
1. Trade negotiations: The WTO agreements cover goods, services and intellectual property. They spell
out the principles of liberalization, and the permitted exceptions. They set procedures for settling
disputes.
2. Implementation and monitoring: WTO agreements require governments to make their trade policies
transparent by notifying the WTO about laws in force and measures adopted. Various WTO councils and
committees seek to ensure that these requirements are being followed and that WTO agreements are
being properly implemented.
3. Dispute settlement: The WTO's procedure for resolving trade quarrels under the Dispute Settlement
Understanding is vital for enforcing the rules and therefore for ensuring that trade flows smoothly.
4. Building trade capacity: WTO agreements contain special provision for developing countries, including
longer time periods to implement agreements and commitments, measures to increase their trading
opportunities, and support to help them build their trade capacity, to handle disputes and to implement
technical standards.
5. Outreach: The WTO maintains regular dialogue with non-governmental organizations,
parliamentarians, other international organizations, the media and the general public on various aspects
of the WTO and the ongoing Doha negotiations, with the aim of enhancing cooperation and increasing
awareness of WTO activities.
Dealing with the Bigger Neighbour China
Core of the border issues:
f Issue of Tibetan Sovereignty: The usual broadside about India “belittling” China's sovereignty in Tibet
followed. How could India support the McMahon Line when Tibet had “never possessed the right” to
conclude sovereign agreements with the outside world.
f Issue of McMahon Line: China had practiced “restraint” (hinting ominously that it could well do
otherwise) in the Eastern Sector (the sector covered by the McMahon Line) of the boundary with India.
f Eastern and Western Sector: the Western Sector of the boundary China was “practising a forward policy
because there are so many grey areas”. On the other hand, if India launched “a new edition of the forward
policy” in this sector,problems would “re-occur”.
An unravelling
f Border issues vs Other areas of cooperation: To the outside world, the two countries held up their
relations as an example of how despite an unresolved boundary question, they had not allowed these
differences to prevent the development of relations in other areas, including:
f trade and economic ties as well as people-to-people interaction in various spheres.
f Peace and tranquillity in the border areas had also been maintained for over four decades. But the
unravelling had begun.
f Unbalanced of power between two countries: Two nationalisms were contending and the untrammelled
rise of China was generating new global power equations and alignments. The gulf between India and
China was growing.
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Measures to strengthen peace and tranquillity and confidence-building in the border areas had obviously
been rendered obsolete and inadequate as armed confrontation replaced a flimsy structure of so-called
peaceful coexistence.
Peace agreements over time
Since 1993, India and China had arrived at a number of agreements to maintain peace and tranquillity and
promote confidence building measures (CBMs) in the border areas. These were starting with 1993:
1. The Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control in the India-
China Border Areas;
2. The Agreement Between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the People's
Republic of China on Confidence-Building Measures in the Military Field Along the Line of Actual Control in
the India-China Border Areas (1996);
3. Protocol between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the People's Republic of
China on Modalities for the Implementation of Confidence Building Measures in the Military Field Along
the Line of Actual Control in the India-China Border Areas (2005);
4. Agreement between The Government of the Republic of India and The Government of the People's
Republic of China on the Establishment of a Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on
India-China Border Affairs (2012);
5. Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the People's
Republic of China on Border Defence Cooperation (2013).
Objectives of these agreements:
f The boundary question would be resolved peacefully;
f Neither side would use or threaten to use force against the other “by any means”; that the two sides
would respect and observe the Line of Actual Control (LAC);
f That they would jointly check and determine the segments of the LAC where they had different views as
to its alignment and further,
f Speed up clarification and confirmation of the LAC since a common understanding of the Line was
necessary;
f That military forces (including field army, border defence forces, paramilitary forces) and major
categories of armaments in mutually agreed geographical zones along the LAC would be kept to a
minimum level compatible with friendly and good neighbourly relations and the “requirements of mutual
and equal security”;
f Military exercises would be undertaken only at specified levels with prior notification being given for such
exercises near the LAC;
f Prior notice would be given regarding flights of combat aircraft within 10 kilometres from the LAC;
f If border personnel of the two sides came face-to-face due to differences inalignment of the LAC they
would exercise self-restraint and avoid an escalation of the situation;
f Channels of communication and border personnel meetings in case of contingencies were stipulated.
The China-Russia thread
f Confidence building measures: The inspiration for the first two of these Agreements, signed in 1993 and
1996, came from the example set by first the Soviet Union and then Russia in concluding such
understandings on CBMs with China.
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f Normalizing border issues: At the heart of the normalization of Russia-China relations was the resolution
of the border dispute between the two and the development of CBMs in the border regions.
f Military confrontation — a defining feature in their relations from the 1960's (the bloody incident of 1969
on the Damansky island may be recalled) — was removed.A strategic partnership of equality and trust
oriented towards the 21st century was developed.
f Shared common threat: Russia and China continued to improve relations, their strategic convergence
spurred on by shared suspicion about the overwhelming preponderance of U.S. global power at the end of
the Cold War.
Lalandar 'shahtoot' dam in Afghanistan
A signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Afghanistan took place,
for the construction of the Lalandar “Shatoot” Dam in Afghanistan. While signing the agreement, President
Ghani thanked India and PM Modi for the "gift of water".
About the Lalandar “Shatoot” Dam
Shahtoot Dam is a proposed dam in the Kabul river basin, one of the five river basins in Afghanistan.
f This project will provide drinking, irrigation and Environmental water for Kabul province.
f Shahtoot dam is the second major dam being built by India in Afghanistan, after the Friendship Dam or
Salma dam in 2019.
f Pakistan has in the past opposed plans to build the dam on a tributary of the Kabul river that flows into its
Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa province, saying the project will reduce the flow of water.
India hosts BRICS Summit
India hosted a Meeting of BRICS Finance and Central Bank Deputies virtually which included BRICS Finance
and Central Bank Deputies of Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa.
What is BRICS?
f BRICS is the international grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
f This was set up as a move towards greater multipolarity; hence the spread across three continents and
both hemispheres.
f In 2001, the British Economist Jim O'Neill coined the term BRIC to describe the four emerging economies
of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
f It comprises 42% of the world's population, has 23% of the global GDP and around 17% of the world
trade.
f The grouping was formalised during the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers in 2006.
f South Africa was invited to join BRIC in December 2010, after which the group adopted the acronym
BRICS.
f The chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members, in accordance with the acronym
B-R-I-C-S.
f The BRICS Leaders' Summit is convened annually.
f India has assumed the Chairmanship of BRICS for 2021 and will be hosting this year's summit.
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Contribution of BRICS to global growth
f In terms of GDP, China occupies the second position; India the fifth; Brazil the ninth; Russia the 11th;
and South Africa the 35th.
f In terms of growth rates, China grew at 6%; India at 4.5%, Russia 1.7%, Brazil 1.2% and South Africa
0.1%.
Achievements of BRICS
f The main achievement of BRICS is the New Development Bank, with each country contributing equally to
its equity
f The bank has so far financed over 40 projects at a cost of $12 billion
f The BRICS countries are also developing a joint payments mechanism to reduce foreign trade
settlements in U.S. dollars
f An offshoot of the group, dealing with climate change, is BASIC (BRICS without Russia), which met at the
Spain conference in December 2019 and reiterated its support to the Paris Agreement
China extends support to India's BRICS Chairmanship 2021
f China had stated on February 2021 that they support India for hosting the BRICS Summit 2021 and
expressed interest in working with India to strengthen the cooperation among the five-member group of
emerging economies of which both China and India are critical members.
f Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said BRICS had become an influential grouping and Beijing
supported New Delhi's efforts as host.
f Chinese Foreign Ministry also stated that China attaches great importance to the BRICS mechanism and
it supports the Indian side in hosting the meeting and is willing to work with India and other BRICS
countries in expanding cooperation on economy, politics and people-to-people exchanges.
f The statement comes a day after India and China "positively appraised"the smooth completion of
disengagement of frontline troops in the Pangong Lake area.
Grand Renaissance Dam
Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan resumed their years-long negotiations over the controversial Grand Renaissance
Dam hydropower project which Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile.
About
Led by Ethiopia, the 145-meter tall hydropower project will be Africa's largest dam after completion.
The construction was initiated in 2011 on the Blue Nile tributary of the river that runs across one part of
Ethiopia.
About Nile river
Nile river is the longest river in the world .
Location: Nile river rises south of the Equator and flows northward through northeastern Africa and drains
into the Mediterranean Sea.
Historical significance: The Nile River basin covers about onetenth of the area of the continent, the area
was the stage for the evolution and decay of advanced civilizations in the ancient world. On the banks of the
river dwelled people who were among the first to use the plow and grow crops. All the cultural and historical
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sites of Ancient Egypt are found along river banks.
Countries: The Nile is the primary water source of Egypt and Sudan. The Nile flows through eleven countries
in the African continent namely Egypt, Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Eritrea, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.
Tributaries: The Nile is formed by three principal streams, namely, the Blue Nile, the Atbara (which flow
from the highlands of Ethiopia), and the White Nile.
The Blue Nile river: It contains 80% of the Nile's water and silt. It begins at Lake Tana in Ethiopia and flows
into Sudan from the southeast.
The White Nile river: It is longer and rises in the Great Lakes region of central Africa. It flows north through
Tanzania, Lake Victoria, Uganda, and South Sudan.
Meeting point: The two rivers meet just north of Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.
India in Gavi Board
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare has been nominated by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and
Immunization (GAVI) as a member on the GAVI Board.
About:
f The GAVI Alliance is a global health partnership of public and private sector organizations dedicated to
“immunization for all”.
f GAVI and the WHO: GAVI has observer status at the World Health Assembly of the World Health
Organisation.
f The functions of the Board: The GAVI Board is responsible for strategic direction and policy-making,
oversees the operations of the Vaccine Alliance and monitors program implementation.
f Members: Membership includes developing country and donor governments, the World Health
Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry in both industrialized and developing
countries, research and technical agencies, civil society organizations, the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation, and other private donors.
f Functions: Gavi supports vaccine programs in developing countries. Vaccine program includes
Rotavirus vaccine, Polio Vaccine, Ebola vaccine, etc.
f Involvement in Covid-19 Pandemic: GAVI is one of the organizations leading the COVAX vaccine
allocation plan, Gavi would ensure that any new COVID-19 vaccine would be shared equally between the
world's richest and poorest countries.
f GAVI programs can often produce quantified, politically appealing, easy-to-explain results within an
election cycle, which is appealing to parties locked in an election cycle.
India Mongolia Relationship
Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel comprehensively reviewed Bilateral cooperation in
hydrocarbons and steel sector
About:
f India is supporting establishment of Mongolia's first petrochemical refinery. The GoI would establish
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required infrastructure and develop capacity of Mongolian workers to facilitate the project. India is
looking forward to Mongolian companies for supplying coking coal to the Indian steel industry.
Significance of India-Mongolia relations:
f Strategic angle: It is said that Mongolia is to China what Nepal is to India. Northern neighbor trying to
break free of perceived big brother south of it. Presently, when China is making inroads to Nepal, New
Delhi can utilize Mongolia for containing China's aggressive stance.
f Mineral resource: Mongolia has vast untapped mineral resources including uranium, copper, coal,
molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and gold
Russia Pulls Out of Open Skies Treaty
Russia announced of pulling out of the Open Skies treaty citing the reason that the pact had been seriously
compromised by the withdrawal of the United States.
About:
f In May 2020, the US administration announced its intention of withdrawing from the OST, accusing
Russia of “flagrantly and continuously violating the Treaty in various ways for years” Earlier, several
times Russia refused to allow reconnaissance flights over Kaliningrad, its exclave in Eastern Europe that
sits between NATO allies Lithuania and Poland.
f In November 2020, the United States left the OST first after accusing Russia of violating the pact–
allegations that Russia denied.
f After the US left the OST, Russia sought assurances from NATO allies who continued to remain on the
treaty that they would not transfer data collected by their reconnaissance flights over Russia to the USA.
Russia alleged that this request was not acknowledged by the NATO members.
f Now Russia has announced it would also pull out of the treaty.
Open Skies Treaty:
f Open Skies Treaty (OST) is an agreement that allows countries to monitor signatories' arms development
by conducting unarmed reconnaissance surveillance flights over the territory of treaty countries. Under
the treaty, a member state can “spy” on any part of the host nation, with the latter's consent. A country
can undertake aerial imaging over the host state after giving notice 72 hours before, and sharing its exact
flight path 24 hours before. The information gathered by any party, such as on troop movements,
military exercises and missile deployments, has to be shared with all member state.
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'Maitri Bridge'
On 7 March 2021, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually inaugurated 1.9km long 'Maitri Bridge'
over the Feni River at Sabroom in south Tripura. This bridge connects Sabroom in South Tripura to Ramgarh
in Bangladesh.
About the Bridge
The name 'Maitri Setu' symbolises growing bilateral relations and friendly ties between India and
Bangladesh. The 1.9 km-double lane bridge, which also includes approach roads, was constructed at a cost
of Rs 133 crore by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), a
government-owned company under the road transport and highways ministry. It is being developed as a
corridor for trade and commerce between India's North-East and Bangladesh.
Significance of the Bridge
With the opening of the Feni Bridge, Agartala will become the first Indian city closest to an international sea
port-- Chittagong International Seaport in Bangladesh. The bridge would also benefit south Assam, Manipur
and Mizoram to flourish in trade and tourism. At the same time it will also create opportunities in Bangladesh.
Further, the entire region is being developed as a kind of trade corridor between eastern, north-eastern India
and Bangladesh. The Maitri bridge is rightly being called the “gateway of Northeast” as it will connect the
landlocked region with Chittagong port in Bangladesh, unlocking the untapped markets of other east and
south east economies.
It would serve as a new trade corridor between the two countries, helping the Northeast states grow. It will
enhance people-to-people contact.
Besides improving connectivity between the people of India and Bangladesh, this bridge has created new
opportunities for tourism, trade and port-led development. Subroom and its adjoining areas will become a
very big centre of international trade due to its connectivity with the port.
New Plan of Afghan Peace Process and India's Interest
Recently, the President of United States Joe Biden has proposed a New Peace Initiative (Plan), to the Afghan
government and the Taliban, seeking to bring violence to a halt and form an interim government.
Background
In February 2020, the US struck a deal with the Taliban, to begin withdrawing its troops in return for security
guarantees and a commitment to kickstart peace talks with the Afghan government. Currently, some 2,500
troops are in Afghanistan - are set to leave the country by May 1. The Taliban have warned that if the US
troops are not out by the deadline, they will step up fighting. The Taliban and the Afghan government started
peace talks in Doha in September last year but reached no breakthrough.
On the other hand, India is stepping up its support for Afghanistan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
President Ashraf Ghani recently held talks virtually and the government signed a long pending agreement to
build the Shahtoot Dam. The question is what's next - for Afghanistan and its future ties with India?
Key Highlights of the New Initiative
It urges both Afghan government and Taliban, to reach a consensus on Afghanistan's future constitutional
and governing arrangements; find a road map to a new “inclusive government”; and agree on the terms of a
“permanent and comprehensive ceasefire”.
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The new plan has kept open the possibility that the 2500-odd US troops, currently deployed in Afghanistan,
might stay on for a while. Under the agreement with the Taliban, the US had promised to withdraw all troops
by May 1 this year.
The new plan is pressing the Taliban to accept an immediate agreement to reduce violence for 90 days that
will provide the space for the peace initiative. This would help prevent a decisive spring offensive by the
Taliban with the support of Pakistan.
According to the new plan, US will not dictate terms to the Afghan parties, but facilitate the movement
towards an inclusive interim government, an agreement on the “foundational principles” for a new political
order, and a “permanent and comprehensive ceasefire”.
The US is asking Turkey to convene a meeting of the government in Kabul and the Taliban to finalise a peace
settlement. This new role for Turkey in the Afghan peace process comes as a surprise for many but Pakistan
might welcome it, given the current close ties between Islamabad and Ankara. ¡ The US has asked the UN to
convene a meeting of the foreign ministers from China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, India and the United States to
develop a “unified approach” to peace in Afghanistan. The absence of NATO allies from this process is bound
to raise European eyebrows.
Afghan Government's Stand
The Ghani administration has consistently been critical of the US's direct outreach to the Taliban. The Trump
administration held direct talks with the Taliban, excluding the government. Later, Washington put pressure
on Kabul to release Taliban prisoners as part of an agreement it reached with the insurgents. Even when the
Doha talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government were under way, Mr. Ghani made it clear that he,
as elected President, is the only legitimate representative of the Afghan people and he resisted making
concessions to the Taliban.
Roadblocks
There are elements in the Biden package unacceptable either to Kabul or the Taliban or both. ¡ Kabul, which
spent so much time and energy persuading the Taliban to accept peace over the last few years, is now
convinced that it is a waste of time engaging it. Ghani is not willing to accept power-sharing with the Taliban
in an interim arrangement.
Therefore, if he rejects the American offer, the war will continue forever. The Taliban have already taken over
much of the country's hinterlands and are breathing down the neck of its cities. If he accepts the proposal, he
will have to share power with the Taliban and discuss amendments to the Constitution and the future
governance framework.
On the other hand, the Taliban is even less willing to share power, given its confidence in taking over Kabul
the moment the US forces leave. It is certainly not willing to give up its sanctuaries in Pakistan. Nor will it
accept any dilution of the strict Islamic system that it wants to enforce.
India's Interest
f India is finally at the table with five other countries to decide on the roadmap for peace in Afghanistan after
six months of hectic behindthe-scenes diplomacy.
f From Delhi's point of view, the Biden proposals are a huge shift. The US now wants all regional players to
discuss a “unified” approach to supporting peace in Afghanistan under UN auspices. Cut out by the Trump
Administration and Pakistan, India had no role in the previous process, but was keen not to appear a
spoiler, and had declared its support for an Afghanled process and the talks at Doha.
f By being part of the team, New Delhi hopes to have a role in setting the terms — especially concerning
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terrorism, violence, women's rights and democratic values. India's refrain has been that it wants an
Afghan-led, Afghan-controlled and Afghan-owned process but ground realities have been such that other
players have dictated terms.
f India has played a key role in the restoration of peace and stability in Afghanistan, having invested $2
billion in aid and reconstruction activities in the country.
f Approximately 150 developmental projects in Afghanistan are underway, as announced by the Indian
government in 2020 including the Afghan Parliament, the Zaranj-Delaram Highway, and the Afghanistan-
India Friendship Dam (Salma Dam).
f Recently, New Delhi and Kabul signed a $236 million dollar deal for the construction of Shahtoot Dam on
February 9. This developmental project would provide safe drinking water to approximately 2.2. million
people and boost cross-country irrigation facilities.
First Quad Summit and India
On March 12, 2021, the first-everleader-level summit of the QUAD (Quadrilateral Framework) was hosted
virtually by United States.
The virtual meeting marked the most significant upgrade to the 'Quad' format, which began first in 2007 as a
tentative grouping of officials from four countries (United States (US), India, Australia and Japan) who had
coordinated the disaster relief to the Indian Ocean tsunami and earthquake of 2004. After the first Quad
summit, there was also a joint statement, with the poetic title – “Spirit of the Quad”.
Key Highlights of Spirit of the Quad
f Quad countries strive for a region that is free, open, inclusive, healthy, anchored by democratic values,
and unconstrained by coercion. Today, the global devastation wrought by COVID-19, the threat of
climate change, and security challenges facing the region summon us with renewed purpose. On this
historic occasion of March 12, 2021, the first-ever leader-level summit of the Quad, member countries
pledge to strengthen their cooperation on the defining challenges of our time.
f Quad countries are committed to promote a free, open rules-based order, rooted in international law to
advance security and prosperity and counter threats to both in the Indo-Pacific and beyond and support
the rule of law, freedom of navigation and overflight, peaceful resolution of disputes, democratic values,
and territorial integrity. Quad countries also reaffirmed their strong support for ASEAN's unity and
centrality as well as the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. Full of potential, the Quad looks forward to
the future; it seeks to uphold peace and prosperity and strengthen democratic resilience, based on
universal values.
f Quad countries are pledged to respond to the economic and health impacts of COVID-19, combat
climate change, and address shared challenges, including in cyber space, critical technologies,
counterterrorism, quality infrastructure investment, and humanitarian-assistance and disaster-relief as
well as maritime domains.
f Member countries also agreed to strengthen equitable vaccine access for the Indo-Pacific, with close
coordination with multilateral organizations including the World Health Organization and COVAX. They
also called for transparent and results-oriented reform at the World Health Organization.
f Quad countries will continue to prioritize the role of international law in the maritime domain,
particularly as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and facilitate
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collaboration, including in maritime security, to meet challenges to the rules-based maritime order in the
East and South China Seas.
f Member countries also reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea in
accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions, and also confirm the necessity of
immediate resolution of the issue of Japanese abductees. As longstanding supporters of Myanmar and its
people, they emphasized the urgent need to restore democracy and the priority of strengthening
democratic resilience.
f The four Quad countries will ensure emissions reduction based on the Paris accord as well as cooperate
on technology supply chains, 5G networks, and biotechnology.
About Quad
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is an informal strategic forum between the United States, Japan, India
and Australia that is maintained by semi-regular summits, information exchanges and military drills
between member countries.
India's engagement with the Quad goes back to China's expanding footprint in South Asia and the Indian
Ocean Region over the last few years. ¡ Largely as a result of their shared concerns relating to the rise of
China, India has been deepening its security ties with the Quad is criticised by China as Asian version of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
CLAT 2020
RESULT
34
In AIR
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100
Highest Selections
from Classroom/Online Coaching
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Test Series Claims like other Institute www.lawpreptutorial.com
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CLAT 2021 21 Year Experienced Team
Prime Minister of Pakistan Visited Sri Lanka
This is also the first visit by a Head of the State in Sri Lanka after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
f The Prime Minister of Pakistan invited Sri Lanka to utilize the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to
improve trade ties and to get access to resource-rich Central Asia.
f China is the leading trade and investment partner of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka's proximity with China and
Pakistan pose a threat to our security, integrity and national interest.
f Earlier, Sri Lanka had declared to follow 'India first' policy. New Delhi reiterated that Sri Lanka is India's
'priority one' defence partner.
Importance of Sri Lanka:
f Strategic location: The island-nation is strategically positioned location at the centre of the Indian
Ocean region. Cooperation with Sri Lanka is critical while India aims to project itself as 'net security
provider' in the Indian ocean region.
f Issues of Tamil sentiment: The Tamils in India shares deep emotional, fraternal and cultural ties with
the Tamil minority population in Sri Lanka. Often, New Delhi's approach towards Sri Lanka is guided by the
regional politics and local Tamil sentiment.
f Regional support: Both countries have acknowledged the increasing convergence on regional and
international issues of mutual engagement within the frameworks the United Nations system, the World
trade organisation or the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). Both are part of regional organisations
such as (SAARC), South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme, South Asian Economic Union and
BIMSTEC.
f Colombo port: The transhipment port serves as an important terminal in India's overseas trade due to
its strategic location in the Indian Ocean.
f Combat piracy, drug trafficking and terrorism: New Delhi needs support from Colombo to combat
terrorism and drug trafficking. The joint effort includes gathering of intelligence, information sharing, de-
radicalization and capacity building.
Present state of relation:
f Trade and Investment: India is one of the largest investors in Sri Lanka with cumulative investments of
around USD 1 billion. Sri Lanka is one of India's largest trading partner in SAARC. The India-Sri Lanka Free
Trade Agreement came into force in 2000. In 2018, the bilateral trade amounted to around 5 billion US
Dollar.
f Development assistance: Sri Lanka is among the major recipients of development assistance from the
Government of India. India's overall commitment stands close to 3 billion US Dollar, out of which around
560 million US dollar are in grants. The Indian Housing Project is Government of India (GoI)'s flagship
project of developmental assistance to Sri Lanka. India built 50,000 houses for the war affected as well as
the estate workers in the plantation areas.
f Joint Working group on Fishermen issue: The group has made progress in areas such as co-
operation on patrolling, setting up of a Hotline between two Coast Guards, introduction of effective
tracking systems for fishing vessels, release of Indian boats in Sri Lankan custody, SOPs for release and
handing over of arrested fishermen and measures to phase out bottom trawling in Palk Bay.
f Human resource development: Under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Scheme and
the Colombo Plan, India offers short and medium term training courses in a wide variety of technical and
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professional disciplines to Sri Lankan nationals.
f Vaccine diplomacy: India announced to send COVID-19 vaccines under grant assistance to Sri Lanka
and seven other countries (Bhutan, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles,
Afghanistan and Mauritius) under its 'Neighbourhood First' policy. India donated around 5 lakh doses of
'Covishield' vaccine to Sri Lanka.
f People to people contact: Government of India has launched the e-Tourist Visa (eTV) scheme for Sri
Lankan tourists.
f Cultural connection: India provided the grant assistance of US$ 15 million for promotion of Buddhist
ties between the two countries. The grant will assist in strengthening people-topeople linkages the sphere
of Buddhism through construction/ renovation of Buddhist monasteries, capacity development, cultural
exchanges, archaeological cooperation etc.
India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Forum
The Sixth India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Women's Forum meeting was held virtually.
About:
f India is the current chair of IBSA Dialogue Forum.
f In the meeting India was represented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government
of India.
f The Forum discussed key issues that contribute towards the transformation of women's lives.
India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum:
f The IBSA Dialogue Forum is a tripartite grouping (India,Brazil, South Africa) for Promoting south-
south cooperation.
f The grouping was formalized and named the IBSA Dialogue Forum when the Foreign Ministers of the
three countries met in Brasilia (Brazil) on 6th June 2003 and issued the Brasilia Declaration.
f IBSA does not have a headquarters or a permanent executive secretariat. At the highest level, it counts
on the Summits of Heads of State and Government.
f Till date, Five IBSA Leadership Summits have been held. The 5th IBSA Summit was held in Pretoria
(South Africa) in 2011.
f The 6th IBSA Summit is to be hosted by India.
f IBSA Fund for Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger:
f The unique fund was established in 2004, It is utilized for funding of the development projects in fellow
developing countries.
f IBSA has supported several development project in partner developing countries in the areas of safe
drinking water,agriculture and livestock, solar energy, waste management,health etc., with the aim of
contributing to the achievement of the SDGs (earlier MDGs).
f The IBSA Fund has been the recipient of several key recognitions including the UN South-South
Partnership Award in 2006 (for projects in Haiti and Guinea-Bissau), an MDG Award for South-South
Cooperation in 2010 and the South-South Champions Award in 2012 recognizing the work of the three
countries in using innovative approaches to share development experiences in other parts of the world.
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f Joint naval exercise IBSAMAR (IBSA Maritime Exercise) is an important part of IBSA Trilateral defence
cooperation.
Suez Canal Blockade
f The Suez Canal was blocked in both directions by the ultralarge Golden-class container ship 'Ever Given'.
About:
f The ship was stuck due to a mishap caused by bad weather.
f This is causing a huge jam of vessels at either end of the vital international trade artery.
f The ship became stuck near the southern end of the Suez Canal.
f The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said the ship had lost the ability to steer amid high winds and a dust
storm.
f The ship remained in place for six days before it was being freed on 29 March 2021.
The Ship:
f The EVER Given is 400-metre-long and weighs 220,000 tons.
f It is operated by container transportation and shipping company Evergreen Marine, a Taiwanese
company.
f On 23 March 2021 the ship was traveling from Malaysia to Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
Rescue Operation:
f 14 tugboats pulled and pushed the Ever Given at high tide to try to dislodge it and they were able to move
the ship "30 degrees from left and right'.
The Cost of the Blockage:
f About 12% of global trade, around one million barrels of oil and roughly 8% of liquefied natural gas pass
through the canal each day.
f The Suez Canal Authority revealed that the Canal's revenues were taking 14-15 million US Dollar hit for
each day of the blockage.
f The Suez Canal blockage doesn't just affect the global shipping industry or the Egyptian economy -
countless businesses, from domestic transport providers to retailers, supermarkets and manufacturers
are also impacted.
About Suez Canal:
f The Suez Canal is one of the most important waterways in the world. Suez Canal is the sea-level waterway
running northsouth across the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt to connect the Mediterranean and the Red seas.
f It is 120 miles (190 km) long, 24 metres (79 ft) deep and 205 metres wide Construction of the canal
started in 1859 and was completed by 1869 and the construction was commissioned by the regional
authority of the Ottoman Empire.
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Asian Development Outlook, 2021
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has released Asian Development Outlook report for 2021.
More about the recent report-
f The Indian economy is projected to grow at 11% in the current financial year (which ends on March 31,
2022) amid the “strong” vaccine drive.
f However, the recent surge in COVID cases may put the country's economic recovery at “risk”.
f India was one of the 45 economies across Asia and the Pacific that were assessed by the report.
f The 45 economies that excluded Japan, Australia and New Zealand, were to grow 7.3 per cent this year,
supported by a healthy global recovery and early progress on COVID-19 vaccines.
f It noted that while growth was forecast to be the strongest in East and South Asia, central and Southeast
Asia as well as the Pacific was to see more moderate growth.
f Rising exports are boosting some economies in Developing Asia (46 members of ADB list on the basis of
geographic group) amid strengthening global economic activity, including a rebound in manufacturing.
f The GDP of South Asia is expected to rebound to 9.5% in 2021, following a contraction of 6% in 2020,
before moderating to 6.6% in 2022.
f Increasing geopolitical tensions, production bottlenecks, delay in vaccine rollouts or major new
outbreaks, financial turmoil and long-term scarring like learning losses due to school closures are the
main risk factors.
Operation Samudra Setu- 2
The Indian Navy has initiated Operation Samudra Setu-II to aid in the faster transportation of medical
oxygen and other supplies from abroad due to the surge in Covid-19 cases.
About the Operation-
f Nine warships from all three Naval Commands (Mumbai, Visakhapatnam and Kochi) have been deployed
to bring relief material from friendly foreign countries in Persian Gulf and South-east Asia.
f These warships will undertake shipment of liquid oxygen-filled cryogenic containers and associated
medical equipment.
f INS Kolkata and INS Talwar were the first batch of ships that were immediately diverted for the task and
entered the port of Manama in Bahrain on April 30.
f On the Eastern seaboard, INS Airavat is scheduled to enter Singapore for embarking Liquid oxygen tanks
and INS Jalashwa is standing by in the region to embark medical stores at short notice.
f The second batch of ships comprising Kochi, Trikand and Tabar missions deployed in Arabian Sea has also
been diverted to join the national effort.
f From the Southern Naval Command, the landing ship tank INS Shardul is being readied to join the
Operation.
f All these have been designed and developed in-house by the Indian Navy and are all made in India
Operation Samudra Setu- 1
f Indian Navy launched Operation “Samudra Setu” – meaning “Sea Bridge”, as a part of national effort to
repatriate Indian citizens from overseas during COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in 2020.
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f The operation progressed in close coordination with Ministries of Defence, External Affairs, Home Affairs,
Health and various other agencies of the Government of India and State governments.
f It is part of Vande Bharat mission.
f As part of Phase 1, Indian Naval Ships Jalashwa and Magar conducted evacuation operations from the port
of Malè, Republic of Maldives.
f INS Shardul took part in evacuation from Iran and on it, all the innovative products made by the Indian
Navy to stop the spreading of the global pandemic were available. Special provisions were made for the
evacuation operation onboard all these ships and were fully equipped with medical supplies, doctors,
hygienists and nutritionists.
Arctic science ministerial
f India participated in the 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3).
About the ASM-
f India shared its plans to contribute observing systems in the Arctic, both in-situ and by remote sensing.
f The country would deploy open ocean mooring in the Arctic for long-term monitoring of upper ocean
variables and marine meteorological parameters.
f ASM3, jointly organised by Iceland and Japan, is the first Ministerial meeting being held in Asia.
f The meeting was designed to provide opportunities to various stakeholders, including academia,
indigenous communities, governments and policymakers, to enhance collective understanding of the
Arctic region, and engage in constant monitoring, and strengthen observations.
f The theme for this year is 'Knowledge for a Sustainable Arctic'.
f The first two meetings- ASM1 and ASM2, were held in the USA in 2016 and Germany in 2018, respectively
Al-Aqsa mosque
f There was an outbreak of violence at Al-Aqsa mosque, as tensions were building between Jews and
Palestinians across Israel.
About the mosque-
f Originally built as a small prayer house, the mosque was reconstructed by the Umayyad caliph Abd al-
Malik in 705 CE.
f It underwent renovations under various dynasties, including the Ottoman empire, the Supreme Muslim
Council, and Jordan.
f In Arabic, “aqsa” translates as farthest, and is a reference to Islamic scripture and its account of the
Prophet Muhammad traveling from Mecca to the mosque in one night to pray and then ascending to
heaven.
f The mosque sits inside a 35-acre site known by Muslims as Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary and
by Jews as the Temple Mount.
f The site is part of the Old City of Jerusalem, sacred to Christians, Jews and Muslims.
f Though Jerusalem's Old City is under Israeli control, the mosque has remained under the administration
of the Jordanian and Palestinian-led Islamic Waqf since 1967.
f The Waqf is a religious trust that manages Islamic historical sites around the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
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f Jews and Christians are allowed to visit, but unlike Muslims, are prohibited from praying on the grounds
under the status quo arrangement.
f For Jews, the Temple Mount, known in Hebrew as Har Habayit, is the holiest place because it was the site
of two ancient temples.
f UNESCO has classified the Old City of Jerusalem and its walls as a World Heritage Site.
Iron dome system
In the recent conflict between Israel and Palestine, rockets fired from Gaza were being intercepted by the
Israeli Iron Dome air defence system.
More about Iron dome-
f It is a short-range, ground-to-air, air defence system that includes a radar and Tamir interceptor missiles
that track and neutralise any rockets or missiles aimed at Israeli targets.
f It is used for countering rockets, artillery & mortars (C-RAM) as well as aircraft, helicopters and
unmanned aerial vehicles.
f The system can equally intercept unwanted helicopters, aircraft, or UAVs that enter the airspace without
permission
f Its genesis goes back to the 2006 Israeli-Lebanon war, when Hezbollah fired thousands of rockets into
Israel.
f The Iron Dome was developed by Rafale Advanced Defence Systems jointly with Israel Aerospace
Industries and deployed in 2011.
f The Iron Dome has three main systems that work together to provide a shield over the area where it is
deployed.
f It has detection and tracking radar to spot any incoming threats, a battle management and weapon
control system (BMC), and a missile firing unit.
f It is capable of being used in all weather conditions, including during the day and night.
Similar systems with other countries-
f S-400 air defence systems of Russia.
f Sky Hunter is the US version of the Iron Dome system which has been developed jointly by
Raytheon and Rafael.
f India has Akash short-range surface-to-air missiles, and Russian systems including Pechora which
are being gradually replaced with more modern systems.
f India is buying two National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System-II from the US.
China's 17+1 initiative
Lithuania recently announced that it is quitting the China-led “17+1” grouping by blaming the platform
'divisive' from the European Union's perspective.
About 17+1 initiative-
f It is an initiative by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs founded in 2012 in Budapest.
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f Its aim is to expand cooperation between Beijing and the 16 Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) member
countries, with investments and trade for the development of European countries that are less developed
as compared to the Western European states.
f The framework focuses on infrastructure projects such as bridges, motorways, railway lines and
modernisation of ports in the member states.
f The initiative includes China, 12 EU member states and 5 Balkan states - Albania, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia,
Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.
f Its secretariat is in Beijing, with 17 "national coordinators" in each of the partner CEE countries.
f The 17+1 meets annually with the recent summit held in Dubrovnik (2019).
Digital border by UK
The UK Home Office has launched a scheme to create a digital border as part of its plans for immigration
reform.
About the scheme-
f The UK's 'New plan for immigration: legal migration and border control' sets out how it aims to achieve a
“fully digital end-to-end experience” in all aspects of immigration and border crossings.
f It includes the way people apply online, how they prove their identity, how they provide evidence that
they meet the relevant criteria, to how they receive and use proof of their status to cross the border and
demonstrate any entitlements in the UK.
f Hence it includes delivering a digital system allowing for online evidence of immigration status.
f This system has already been put in place for European Economic Area (EEA) nationals to apply for the
right to remain in the UK post-Brexit.
f The Home Office originally launched an e-Borders programme in 2003, aiming to improve the use of
information to track people across borders but failed to deliver.
f It then launched a replacement programme, Digital Services at the Border (DSAB), in 2014.
f The original aim was for DSAB to be completed by March 2019, delivering three main systems: Advance
Border Control, Border Crossing, and Advanced Freight Targeting Capability.
f By March 2019, only one of the three systems was in live operation, Border Crossing.
f By 2021 end, the border crossing capability will be extended to the e-gates.
f The government will also put in place an electronic travel authorisation system, similar to the US's ESTA
system, which means everyone wishing to travel to the UK (except British and Irish citizens) will need to
seek permission in advance of trave
f The fully digital border will provide the ability to count people in and count people out of the country which
helps to tackle the broken asylum system.
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Currency swap between Bangladesh and Srilanka
Bangladesh's central bank recently approved a $200 million currency swap facility to Sri Lanka.
More about the arrangement-
f Bangladesh Bank, the country's central bank, has in principle approved a $200 million currency swap
agreement with Sri Lanka to help Colombo tide over its foreign exchange crisis.
f Sri Lanka, staring at an external debt repayment schedule of $4.05 million in 2021 is in urgent need of
foreign exchange.
f Its own foreign exchange reserves in March year stood at $4 million.
f The two sides have to formalise an agreement to operationalise the facility approved by Bangladesh
Bank.
f A currency swap is effectively a loan that Bangladesh will give to Sri Lanka in dollars, with an agreement
that the debt will be repaid with interest in Sri Lankan rupees.
f For Sri Lanka, this is cheaper than borrowing from the market, and a lifeline as it struggles to maintain
adequate forex reserves even as repayment of its external debts looms.
f The period of the currency swap will be specified in the agreement.
f This may be the first time that Bangladesh is extending a helping hand to another country.
f It is also the first time that Sri Lanka is borrowing from a SAARC country other than India.
f In July 2020, the Reserve Bank of India had extended a $400 million credit swap facility to Sri Lanka,
which the Central Bank of Sri Lanka settled in February, 2021.
Permanent Commission proposed for Israel human rights
violations
Member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have called on the U.N. Human Rights
Council to set up a permanent commission to report on human rights violations in Israel, Gaza and the West
Bank.
About the proposed Commission-
f A special session of the council was held to address the grave human rights situation in Gaza, the West
Bank and east Jerusalem.
f The meeting was sought by Pakistan, as the OIC's coordinator.
f A vote on the draft resolution was held which was largely virtual.
f The draft resolution calls on the council to urgently establish an ongoing independent, international
commission of inquiry appointed by the council president to investigate violations of international
humanitarian and human rights law in Israel and Palestinian areas.
f The commission would also investigate all underlying root causes of recurrent tensions, instability and
protraction of conflict including discrimination and repression.
f A commission of inquiry (COI) is the highest level of scrutiny that the council can authorize.
f The special session is the 30th at the council, and the ninth on the issue of the Occupied Palestinian
Territories alone, the last was in May 2018.
f The council's most recent special session on Myanmar was held in February, 2021 f
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POINTERS
f The Myanmar Navy has officially inducted the submarine INS Sindhuvir, which was handed over by the
Indian Navy to the country in October 2020. This is the first submarine in the Myanmar Navy's arsenal.
The submarine has been refurbished for the Myanmar Navy by state-run defence shipbuilder, Hindustan
Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam.
f USA's plan to set up the first nuclear reactor on the moon by the end of 2026. In early 2021, the US
Department of Energy in collaboration with NASA intends to solicit industry design proposals. It also got
an impetus with a recent White House directive. The outgoing President Donald Trump, issued the
“National Strategy for Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion” on 16 December.
f The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has become an Associate Member of the
International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). The Headquarter of IOSCO is at Madrid,
Spain.
f The U.S. Congress has passed the ‗Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act' to increase the number of
scholarships for Pakistani women in higher education under merit and needs-based programme. The bill
was passed by the United States Senate by a voice vote on January 1.
f Alexander Ellis has been appointed British high commissioner to India and will take up the key role later
this month. He has held several posts, including deputy national security adviser in the cabinet office,
director-general in the department for exiting the European Union, and the British ambassador to
Portugal.
f President-elect Joe Biden will nominate federal appeals judge Merrick Garland to be the next U.S.
attorney general. He serves as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit,
one of 13 federal appeals courts. Indian-American Dr Raj Iyer has taken over as the first Chief
Information Officer of the US Army, after the Pentagon created the position in July 2020. Dr Raj Iyer is
one of the highest-ranking Indian American civilians in the US Department of Defence.
f Japan's Sumitomo Forestry company and Kyoto University aims to launch the world's first woodbased
space satellite by 2023 to combat the problem of space junk.
f The Pakistan Army successfully conducted the test flight of an indigenously developed Guided Multi
Launch Rocket System, Fatah-1. The Fatah-1 weapon system is capable of precisely delivering
conventional warheads deep into “enemy territory.” According to Director General of Army, Media Wing,
Major General Babar Iftikhar, Fatah-1 weapon system can hit targets up to a range of 140 km.
f Faustin-Archange Touadera was re-elected as the president of the Central African Republic with more
than 53% votes. The 63-year-old president has been in power since 2016 but has struggled to seize
control of vast parts of the nation from armed militias.
f US President-elect Joe Biden named Indian-American Sumona Guha as senior director for South Asia
and Tarun Chhabra as senior director for Technology and National Security. Guha was co-chair of the
South Asia foreign policy working group on the BidenHarris campaign and serves on the transition's
State Department Agency Review Team.
f The frontrunner in Kyrgyzstan's presidential election, Sadyr Japarov, has won by a landslide. According
to the Central Election Commission, Mr Japarov had won 79% of votes cast. Mr Japarov, who served time
in jail for taking a rival hostage, will also have sweeping new presidential powers after voters by a similar
margin opted to amend the constitution in a referendum.
f Incoming First Lady, Jill Biden has named IndianAmerican Garima Verma as her digital director and
Michael LaRosa press secretary, the Biden transition team has announced. She served as audience
development and content strategist on the BidenHarris campaign.
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f The United States has recently designated the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
as the ―major strategic partners of the country. This has been announced before the formal transition of
the president's office from Donald Trump to Joe Biden. This announcement of ―major strategic partners
was done by Kayleigh McEnany, the White House Press Secretary.
f Pakistan has issued special permission to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the Dubai Ruler;
the crown prince, and 5 members of the royal family for hunting houbara bustard during the 2020- 21
hunting season.
f Uganda's incumbent President Yoweri Museveni has been declared as the winner of the country's
presidential election for 2021. Museveni secured 58.64 per cent of the total votes cast, to win the sixth
term as the President.
f The Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte and his entire Cabinet has resigned recently over the childcare
subsidies scandal, in which thousands of families were wrongly accused of child welfare fraud. However,
the Rutte government will stay on in a caretaker role until parliamentary elections in March 2021.
f Joe Biden became the 46th president of the United States. He swore the oath of office moments after
Kamala Harris, who became America's first woman vice president, turning the page on Donald Trump's
tumultuous four years. At 78, Biden is the oldest president in US history and only the second Roman
Catholic president.
f The Prime Minister of Mongolia, Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, has resigned along with his entire government,
following protests and public outrage over the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
f China overtook Germany to become the country with the world's largest current account surplus in the
year 2020, as per a survey by the Munich-based Ifo institute. The current account surplus of China more
than doubled to $310 billion in 2020, while the current account surplus of Germany shrank for the fifth
year in a row in 2020 to $261 billion. The United States remained the country with the world's largest
current account deficit which rose roughly by a third to $635 billion in 2020 or 3.1% of economic output.
Japan ranked third with a current account surplus of $158 billion.
f The incumbent President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has won a second five-year term after
winning the 2021 Portuguese presidential election with a landslide victory.
f Kaja Kallas, the leader of the Reform Party will become Estonia's first female prime minister. The Reform
Party, led by Kallas, won the 2019 parliamentary election in Estonia with 34 MPs in the country's 101-seat
parliament, Riigikogu.
f Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte resigned after losing his Senate majority, plunging the country
into political uncertainty just as it's battling the pandemic and a recession. He tendered his resignation to
President Sergio Mattarella, the ultimate arbiter of Italian political crises, who invited him to stay on in a
caretaker capacity pending discussions on what happens next.
f India to chair 3 key subsidiary bodies of UN Security Council- The permanent Representative of India to
the UN, T S Tirumurti has announced that India has been asked to chair three important committees of
the UN Security Council (UNSC), during its tenure as a non-permanent member of the powerful 15-
nation UN body.
f The three highly significant committees include:
1. Taliban Sanctions Committee 2. Counter-Terrorism Committee
3. Libyan Sanctions Committee
Among these, India will chair the Counter-Terrorism Committee of UNSC in 2022, which coincides with
the 75th anniversary of India's independence. India began its two-year term at UNSC from January 01,
2021. It is the eighth time that the country has joined UNSC as the nonpermanent member. In 2021,
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along with India, Norway, Kenya, Ireland and Mexico joined as non-permanent members in the Council.
f Indian-American Bhavya Lal was appointed by NASA as the Acting Chief of Staff of the US space agency.
She served as a member of the Biden Presidential Transition Agency Review Team for the agency and
oversaw the agency's transition under the administration of President Joe Biden.
f In Myanmar, a military coup was put in place on 1st February 2021, after the country's military detained
State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi along with President Win Myint and other members of the ruling party.
Myanmar military (also known as the Tatmadaw), took this step because they declared the November
2020 Myanmar general election results fraudulent, in which Aung San Suu Kyi won a landslide victory in
Parliamentary election 2020 to form next Government.
f The ruling Community Party of Vietnam has reelected its 76-year-old General Secretary Nguyen Phu
Trong for a third five-year term. He is serving the post since 2011. Trong was granted an exemption to
contest in the election, though he was above the age limit of 65. The General Secretary is the highest
office within the Communist Party of Vietnam. Trong also holds the position of the President of Vietnam
since 2018.
f The Government of Denmark has approved a project to build the world's first energy island, in the North
Sea that will produce and store enough green energy to meet the electricity needs of three million
households in European countries. The hub will strengthen the integration of Europe's power grids and
increase renewable electricity production necessary for a climate-neutral Europe.
f President Moon Jae-in-led, South Korea Government has approved a plan to build the world's largest wind
power plant in the country by 2030. Currently, the world's largest offshore wind farm is Hornsea 1 in
Britain, which has 1.12 GW capacity. The project will help to foster an environmentally-friendly recovery
from the COVID-19 pandemic and fasten the step to achieve the target of becoming carbon neutral by
2050.
f The 14th International Children's Film Festival of Bangladesh (ICFFB) came to an end in Dhaka. A total of
12 awards were presented to the winners at the concluding ceremony. Dutch Film Jackie and Oopjen were
awarded the Best International Feature Film Award. Bangladeshi film Maati got The Young Talent Award
while Lottery won the Special mention under the Young Talent Award.
f The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has put a probe called Hope in the orbit around the MARS. UAE has
become the fifth country to launch the spacecraft into the orbit of MARS after United States, Soviet Union,
Europe and India. With the successful launch of spacecraft in orbit, UAE scientists can now study the
planet's atmosphere.
f The Pakistan Army conducted a successful testfiring of a short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile
'Babar' on February 11, 2021. This test was the third missile test carried out over the past three weeks.
f The former European Central Bank Chief Mario Draghi has been sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Italy
on 12 February 2021.
f The United States has extended the “New START” nuclear disarmament treaty with Russia for a period of
five years. The New START, which stands for Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, is a nuclear arms reduction
treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation.
f The People's Republic of China has overtaken the United States (US) as the biggest trading partner of the
European Union (EU) in 2020, according to the data by the European Union statistics agency, Eurostat.
Britain, which left the European Union in 2020, was the third-largest trading partner for the bloc, behind
China and the United States.
f The first day of the spring called 'Pahela Phagun' was celebrated in Dhaka, Bangladesh despite the
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continued shadow of Corona pandemic in the country. Cultural organisations held programmes at
different venues in the city to herald the beginning of the spring. Programmes were held at the
Suhrawardy Udyan, Nandan Manch of Shilpakala Academy and several other locations.
f The Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Gakharia has announced his resignation. The 45-year-old Gakharia
served as the Prime Minister from 8 September 2019 to 18 February 2021. He was stepping down because
of disagreements within his own team over the decision to arrest Nika Melia, chairman of the United
National Movement opposition party.
f The United States has officially rejoined the Paris Agreement, under the Presidency of US President Joe
Biden. Earlier, in November 2020, the US had officially exited the agreement on the order of thenPresident
Donald Trump.
f Israel has launched a coronavirus “green pass” system, which allows people who have been vaccinated to
access public facilities that would otherwise be off-limits. As of Sunday COVID-19 inoculation is a sort of
status symbol in Israel.
f China has regained its position as the top trading partner of India in 2020, which was held by the United
States, since 2018-19. The two-way trade between India and China stood at $77.7 billion in 2020 despite
the conflict along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the rising anti-China sentiment. The India-US
bilateral trade stood at $75.9 billion, according to provisional data from the commerce ministry.
Meanwhile, the UAE continues to remain India's third-biggest trading partner.
f The Parliament of Georgia confirmed Irakli Garibashvili as Prime Minister along with a vote of confidence
in the cabinet Garibashvili put forward. Garibashvili pledged to create a long-term development strategy
for Georgia in his first one hundred days in office.
f Russian supermodel and philanthropist Natalia Vodianova has become a United Nations goodwill
ambassador, to promote the sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls and tackle stigmas
surrounding their bodies. She will be a campaigner for the UN Population Fund, which now calls itself the
UN”s sexual and reproductive health agency, known as UNFPA
f The first India-Bahrain Joint Working Group meeting in the field of Renewable Energy was held in a virtual
format on February 04, 2021, for promoting bilateral cooperation in the field of Renewable Energy.
f External Affairs Minister (EAM), S. Jaishankar was on a two-day official visit to the archipelago nation the
Maldives to review bilateral ties and development cooperation. During this visit, Mr S Jaishankar handed
over 1 lakh additional doses of the made-in-India COVID-19 vaccine to the Maldives. With this, the total
Covid vaccine doses gifted by India for the Maldives reaches two lakh. Jaishankar also offered a $40-
million line of credit (LoC) to support the development of sports infrastructure in the Maldives.
f India and Ethiopia signed two agreements related to visa facilitation and leather technology. The Ethiopia
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen Hassen is on a 4-day visit to India to hold
useful and productive discussions on a range of bilateral and regional issues.
f The Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar was on an official visit to two key Indian Ocean region countries-
Maldives and Mauritius. The External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar visited the Island nation
Mauritius to review the comprehensive and important bilateral relationship between the two nations.
India signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) or (Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Partnership
Agreement-(CECPA)) with Mauritius.
f India and Afghanistan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding MoU over video-teleconferencing
(VTC), for the construction of the Shahtoot Dam (Lalander Dam) on a tributary of the Kabul river in
Afghanistan. The project, which costs nearly $ 300 million, is a part of the New Development Partnership
between India and Afghanistan
f The Russian space corporation Roscosmos successfully launched its first satellite to monitor the Arctic's
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climate and environment. The satellite called “Arktika-M”, was launched on February 28, 2021, onboard
Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. This satellite will help to collect
information to solve operational meteorology and hydrology problems, and monitoring the climate and
environment in the Arctic region.
f The United Nations Committee for Development Policy (CDP) has recommended the graduation of
Bangladesh from the category of Least Developed Country (LDC). Bangladesh has fulfilled the eligibility
criteria in terms of per capita income, human assets and economic and environmental vulnerability.
f Ghana has become the first country in the world to receive vaccines acquired through the United Nations-
backed COVAX initiative with a delivery of 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine made by the Serum
Institute of India.
f Israel's president has formally received the firstever ambassador from the United Arab Emirates,
following last year's historic agreement between the countries to normalise ties. UAE envoy Mohamed Al
Khaja, who arrived in Israel, delivered his credentials to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at a ceremony in
Jerusalem.
f Australian conservationists have unveiled plans to build the world's first refuge for the platypus, to
promote breeding and rehabilitation as the duckbilled mammal faces extinction due to climate change.
The Taronga Conservation Society Australia and the New South Wales State government said they would
build the specialist facility, mostly ponds and burrows for the semiaquatic creatures, at a zoo 391 km from
Sydney, by 2022.
f Google has launched a new web platform 'Women Will' on March 8, 2021, on the occasion of “International
Women's Day”. This platform will provide its support to 1 million rural women in India in order for them to
become entrepreneurs with the help of accelerator programmes, business tutorials and mentorship.
f In the 50th year of Indian victory over Pakistan in the 1971 Liberation war, Indian Naval Ships arrived in
the port town of Mongla for a three-day visit to Bangladesh. The Indian Naval Ships is on a threeday visit
between March 8 to 10. This is the first time ever that any Indian Naval Ship is visiting the port of Mongla in
Bangladesh.
f Switzerland has voted in favour of a proposal banning full facial coverings including the burqa and niqab in
almost all public places. In the public referendum, around 51.21 per cent of voters voted in support of the
controversial proposal
f Mahamadou Issoufou, the incumbent President of Niger has won the “2020 Ibrahim Prize for Achievement
in African Leadership”, the world's largest leadership prize, worth $5 million. He is the sixth winner of the
Ibrahim Prize since it was introduced in 2006, by Sudanese billionaire Mo Ibrahim's foundation to promote
good governance in the world's poorest continent.
f The Japanese scientific research institute called RIKEN and Fujitsu started developing the “Fugaku” six
years ago. It is the world's most powerful supercomputers. Fugaku has been named after an alternative
name for Mount Fuji.
f El Salvador is the first country in Central America to be certified malaria-free by the World Health
Organization. WHO grants a certification of malaria elimination when a country proves “beyond a
reasonable doubt” that there has been no indigenous transmission of the disease nationwide for the
previous three consecutive years.
f The largest floating solar farm in the world is being built in Singapore. The country has resorted to set up
energy plants off the coasts and reservoirs across it. This floating solar farm is being set up in the light that
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despite being one of the smallest countries across the world, it is one of the biggest per capita carbon
dioxide emitters in India.
f Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in as the sixth President of Tanzania, becoming the first female leader of
the East African country. Prior to taking charge as President, Hassan was the Vice-President of Tanzania,
also being the first female vicepresident of the country, since November 2015.
f Netherlands Prime Minister, Mark Rutte has won the 2021 parliamentary elections with most seats to be
sworn in as the Prime Minister for the fourth straight term.
f Russian space agency 'Roscosmos' successfully launched 38 foreign satellites into orbit, onboard Soyuz-
2.1a carrier rocket from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The 38 satellites belonged to 18
countries including South Korea, Japan, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy and Brazil. One of these
satellites named 'Challenge-1' was the first-ever satellite made completely in Tunisia, which was created
by the Telnet telecommunications group.
f Sri Lanka has signed a 10 billion yuan (about USD 1,5 billion) currency swap deal with China with the main
motive to promote bilateral trade and direct investment between the two countries. The agreement
signed between the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and the People's Bank of China is valid for three years. China
remains Sri Lanka's largest source of imports.
f The Norwegian Coastal Administration has received the green signal to start working on the construction
of the world's first tunnel, being built exclusively for ships. The tunnel is dubbed as “Stad Ship Tunnel” and
would be built under the mountainous Stadhavet peninsula in northwestern Norway.
f The longtime president of the Republic of Congo, Sassou Nguesso is set for another five-year term after
getting over 88% of the vote. The election day was marred by the death of his main opponent, Guy Brice
Parfait Kolelas.
f New Zealand's parliament has passed legislation giving mothers and their partners the right to paid leave
following a miscarriage or stillbirth, becoming only the second country in the world to do so. India is the
only other country with similar legislation.
f The Bank of England unveiled the design of the new GBP 50 banknote, which features British scientist and
World War II codebreaker Alan Turing
f New Zealand's parliament has passed legislation giving mothers and their partners the right to paid leave
following a miscarriage or stillbirth, becoming only the second country in the world to do so. India is the
only other country with similar legislation.
f India's First Indo-Korean Friendship Park was jointly inaugurated at Delhi Cantonment by Hon'ble Raksha
Mantri, Shri Rajnath Singh, and Hon'ble Minister of National Defence, Republic of Korea Mr Suh Wook. The
park has been developed in joint consultation with the Ministry of Defence, the Government of India, the
Indian Army, the Delhi Cantonment Board, the Embassy of Korea and the Korean War Veterans
Association of India.
f The world's first animal vaccine against the novel coronavirus has been registered in Russia, the country's
agriculture safety watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor. The vaccine for animals, developed by a unit of
Rosselkhoznadzor (Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance), was named Carnivac-
Cov.
f Kosovo's parliament elected Vjosa Osmani as the country's new president. Osmani received 71 votes from
the lawmakers at the third round of voting in the Assembly of Kosovo.
f Vietnam's legislature voted to make Pham Minh Chinh, a member of the Communist party with a history
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as a security official, the country's next Prime Minister. Outgoing Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc was
appointed the new President.
f Niger President Mohamed Bazoum appointed Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou to head his new cabinet as the
country's new prime minister. He was previously served as a minister in charge of the finance and mining
portfolios.
f Singapore ratified the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, the world's
largest free trade agreement, led by China. In doing so, Singapore became the first among 15
participating countries to ratify RCEP
f The United Arab Emirates named the next two astronauts in its space programme on 10th April, including
the country's first female astronaut. Noura al-Matroushi is the UAE's first female astronaut. The
announcement gave no biographical information about her or her male counterpart, Mohammed alMulla.
f A Sanskrit learning app 'Little Guru' has launched in Bangladesh by the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre
(IGCC) of the High Commission of India. The Sanskrit learning app is part of the campaign being run by
the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) to promote the Sanskrit language among students,
religious scholars, Indologists and historians across the world.
f An Indian-American Congressman has introduced a resolution in the US House of Representatives for a
second consecutive year to honour Bhimrao Ambedkar, the architect of India's Constitution, on his 130th
birth anniversary so that young leaders around the world can be inspired by his vision for equality.
f US President Joe Biden has announced that all American troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by
September 11 this year, thus bringing to end the country's longest war. US troops, as well as forces
deployed by our NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Allies and operational partners, will be out of
Afghanistan before the 20th anniversary of that heinous attack on September 11 (2001).
f New Zealand is about to become the world's first country to bring a law into force that demands
environmental accountability from financial firms by asking them to report on how their businesses affect
climate change. The aim is to bring the financial sector on board with the efforts being made towards
achieving the country's target of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
f Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel has been officially sworn in as the 'First Secretary of the Communist Party of
Cuba', following the resignation of Raul Castro. The Secretary of the Communist Party is the most
powerful position in one party ruling Cuba. DíazCanel now holds Cuba's two most important positions,
head of the party and president of the state.
f Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have launched the construction of an international center for trade and
economic cooperation named "Central Asia" on the border of the two countries. The capsule was laid at
the construction site of the logistics center, which is located in the vicinity of the border checkpoint Gisht
Kuprik (called Zhibek Zholy in Kazakhstan).
f China has named its first-ever Mars rover "Zhurong" after an ancient fire god ahead of a landing attempt
on the Red Planet in May. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) revealed the name at the sixth
China Space Day held in Nanjing. The Chinese name for Mars, "Huoxing," literally means "fire star."
f Albania's ruling Socialist Party (PS) has secured its third consecutive mandate in a parliamentary election.
Prime Minister Edi Rama claimed victory for his party with 49% of the vote. Democratic Party (PD) leader
Lulzim Basha conceded defeat.
f Daniel Smith has taken charge as the US interim envoy to India. The position of US Ambassador to India
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had been lying vacant since January 20, when Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United
States.
f Ethiopia has added two armed groups to its “terror list”, including the Tigray People's Liberation Front
(TPLF). The council of ministers approved a resolution to designate the TPLF as a “terrorist” organization,
along with the OLF-Shene. They have been launching attacks against civilians and public infrastructure to
achieve political objectives.
f The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) officially declared the end of the 12th Ebola outbreak, which
killed six people in its eastern province of North Kivu. The recent resurgence was genetically linked to the
2018-2020 epidemic in the northeastern part of the country, in which 3,470 people were infected and
2,287 were killed.
Canada is authorizing the use of Pfizer Inc's (PFE.N) COVID-19 vaccine for use in children aged 12 to 15,
f
the first doses to be allowed in the country for people that young. The Pfizer vaccine, produced by US
company Pfizer with German partner BioNTech.
f The European Union recently approved the requests of Norway, Canada and the United States to
participate in the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) defence initiative. This is the first time, the
European bloc has allowed a third state to participate in the PESCO project. The countries will now
participate in the Military Mobility Project in Europe.
f Nepalese climber, Kami Rita has scaled Mount Everest for the 25th time, breaking his own record for the
most ascents of the world's highest peak. Rita, 51, first scaled Everest in 1994 and has been making the
trip nearly every year since then. He is one of many Sherpa guides whose expertise and skills are vital to
the safety and success of the hundreds of climbers.
f Former Senator Bill Nelson was sworn in as the 14th NASA administrator tasked with carrying out the
Biden-Harris administration's vision for the agency. Nelson served in the U.S. Senate for 18 years from
Florida and as a payload specialist on space shuttle mission 61-C in 1986.
f Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has lost the vote of confidence in the House of Representatives. K P
Sharma Oli got 93 votes in his favour while 124 voted against him. In the 275- member House of
Representatives, he required at least 136 Votes to win the trust vote in the lower of the House of
Representative.
f The Israeli military has bombarded rockets in different areas in Gaza. It is the most intense airstrikes in
Gaza since 2014. Hamas had red hundreds of rockets towards Israel on Monday. After that, Israel has
carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Gaza. The Gaza-based Palestinian group, Hamas, had red rockets
towards Israel in protest of the clash between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters in the Al-Aqsa
Mosque. AlAqsa Mosque is located in Jerusalem. It is the third holiest place for Muslims. In Nepal, KP
Sharma Oli was re-appointed as the Prime Minister of the country by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari. Oli
was administered the oath of office by the President on May 14, 2021. Now, he must prove that he has
majority support in the House within 30 days. This will be his third stint as Prime Minister.
f Sir David Attenborough, world-renowned broadcaster & natural historian, has been named COP26
People's Advocate for the U.K.'s Presidency of UN climate change summit in Glasgow this November.
f China will become the world's first country to ban all synthetic cannabinoid substances. The ban is likely to
come into effect on July 1. The move comes as China tries to curb the manufacturing & trafficking of the
drug. The synthetic cannabinoids are highly camouflaged, as some are found in ecigarette oil, and some
are found in cut tobacco made from various flower petals, or plant stems and leaves. In Xinjiang, it has a
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CLAT 2021 21 Year Experienced Team
commonly known nickname of "Natasha."
f The World Health Organization has classified a coronavirus variant found in India as a global “variant of
concern”. This variant has been named B.1.617. According to World Health Organization, this variant is
already spread to more than 30 countries. It is more transmissible than other variants. This variant is also
called the “double mutant variant”. It was 1st identified by the United Kingdom health authorities.
f China successfully achieved the feat of landing its first Mars Rover 'Zhu Rong' on the red planet, on May
15, 2021, becoming the only second nation to do so. Till date, only the United States has successfully
landed its rover on Mars. All other countries that have tried have either crashed or lost contact soon after
reaching the surface.
f The former speaker of Tibet's parliament-in-exile, Penpa Tsering, has been elected the new president of
the exile government.
f Moctar Ouane is reappointed as Prime Minister of Mali. He was appointed as Prime Minister of the
caretaker government in August 2020 after the removal of Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Ouane will have to
form a new government with room for the political class, under the instructions of President Bah N'Daw.
f China has successfully sent a new oceanmonitoring satellite into orbit as part of its effort to build an all-
weather and round-the-clock dynamic ocean environment monitoring system that would provide early
warning on marine disasters. The satellite was launched by a Long March-4B rocket carrying the Haiyang-
2D (HY-2D) satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China.
f Martha Karambu Koome is Kenya's first woman chief justice. She is the first woman to head any of the
three branches of government. Koome, 61, a calm but staunch women's rights crusader, takes over the
judiciary ahead of next year's general elections and would likely play a decisive role in adjudicating any
eventual election disputes.
f The United Kingdom has become the first country to announce regulation for the use of self-driving
vehicles at low speeds. The UK wants to be at the forefront in rolling out autonomous driving technology.
The Government of the UK forecasts that around 40% of UK cars will have self-driving capabilities by
2035. The United Kingdom will develop an advanced international pathogen surveillance network to
identify Covid-19 variants and emerging diseases. This Global Pandemic Radar will ensure the early
detection of new variants and emerging pathogens, so vaccines and treatments needed to stop them can
be rapidly developed. Prime minister Boris Johnson announced the plans, ahead of the Global Health
Summit hosted by Italy and the European Union (EU).
f The International Monetary Fund has proposed a $50 billion global vaccination plan that would cover at
least 40 per cent of the global population by the end of 2021 and at least 60 per cent by the first half of
2022. The vaccination target requires additional upfront grants to Covax, donating surplus doses and free
cross-border flows of raw materials and finished vaccines.
f The President of the Republic of Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso has appointed Anatole Collinet Makosso as
the country's Prime Minister. He replaced Clement Mouamba, in-office since 2016. Before this
appointment, Makosso was the education minister of the Central African country. He was also minister of
youth and civic instruction from 2011 to 2016.
f Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed David Barnea as the new head of the country's spy
agency, the Mossad. Barnea, a former longtime Mossad operative, will succeed Yossi Cohen as head of
Israel's intelligence agency on June 1. Cohen has served as Israel's spymaster since taking office in 2016.
f Guillermo Lasso, a conservative, assumed the presidency of Ecuador and has become the first right-wing
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