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Defence cooperation with Myanmar
India and Myanmar signed a defence co-operation agreement providing for boosting bilateral military engagement, weeks after the two countries carried out a coordinated operation targeting several militant groups operating in the Northeast.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21093-defence-cooperation-with-myanmar
#cooperation #Myanmar #India #AungHlaing #military

UNAMA report
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on 30 July 2019 said more civilians were killed by NATO and Afghan forces than by the Taliban and other militant groups during the first half of 2019.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21092-unama-report
#UNAMA #NATO #Afghanforces #Taliban #US #Islamic

Consumer Protection Bill passed
Lok Sabha on 30 July 2019 passed the Consumer Protection Bill that seeks to establish the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to protect and enforce consumer rights.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21091-consumer-protection-bill-passed-2
#ConsumerProtectionBill #CCPA #CDRCs #LokSabha #RamVilasPaswan #CPB

Anti-microbial peptide (AMP)
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) have designed an anti-microbial peptide (AMP) that, researchers say, can effectively and quickly kill a notorious multidrug-resistant bacterium called Acinetobacter baumannii.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21090-anti-microbial-peptide-amp
#AMP #IISc #AMP #WHO #Omega76 #AntiMicrobialPeptide #healthcare

Another warship at Visakhapatnam
The sixth ship of the ‘Class of Eight’ Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Mark-IV vessels ‘IN LCU L-56’ was commissioned by Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21089-another-warship-at-visakhapatnam
#Visakhapatnam #LCU #AtulKumarJain #GRSE #IBS #IndianNavy #IPMS
Today's Headlines - 19 July 2023
BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’
meet
GS Paper - 2 (International Relations)

The first-ever Foreign Ministers’ meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) began in Bangkok, Thailand. India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was also present, and said that areas of coordination challenge that were discussed, including health and energy security.

What is BIMSTEC?

BIMSTEC is a regional organisation that was established in 1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration.
Initially known as BIST-EC (Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation), the organisation is now known as BIMSTEC and comprises seven members, with Myanmar joining towards the end of 1997, and Bhutan and Nepal in 2004.
Around 22% of the world’s population lives in the seven countries around the Bay of Bengal, with a combined GDP close to $2.7 trillion.
All seven countries have sustained average annual rates of growth between 3.4% and 7.5% from 2012 to 2016. A fourth of the world’s traded goods cross the bay every year.
Cooperation within the BIMSTEC had initially focused on six sectors in 1997 (trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism, and fisheries) and expanded in 2008 to other areas.
In 2021, a reorganisation led to each of the Member States leading certain sectors. India focuses on security, along with counter-terrorism and transnational crime, disaster management and energy.

Growth of BIMSTEC as a regional forum

Despite having been in existence for many years, the grouping had been largely ignored until India gave it a renewed push in October 2016, a month after the terrorist attack in Uri.
Alongside the BRICS summit in Goa, India hosted an outreach summit with leaders of BIMSTEC countries.
Weeks earlier, some of these countries had supported New Delhi’s call for a boycott of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit scheduled in Islamabad that November.
SAARC includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka as its members. When that summit was postponed, India claimed victory in isolating Pakistan.

China on mind

The Bay of Bengal is crucial for an increasingly assertive China in maintaining its access route to the Indian Ocean.
As China has undertaken a massive drive to finance and build infrastructure in South and Southeast Asia through the Belt and Road Initiative in almost all BIMSTEC countries, except Bhutan and India, BIMSTEC is a new battleground in the India-China battle for dominance.
BIMSTEC could allow India to push a constructive agenda to counter Chinese investments, and instead follow best practices for connectivity projects based on recognised international norms. The Chinese projects are widely seen as violating these norms.
The two organisations — SAARC and BIMSTEC — focus on geographically overlapping regions. However, this does not make them equal alternatives.
SAARC is a purely regional organisation, whereas BIMSTEC is inter-regional and connects both South Asia and ASEAN.
Since the SAARC summit has only been postponed, not cancelled the possibility of revival remains.

#upsc #news #bimstec #foreignminister #bangkok #technical #economic #cooperation #affairsminister #thailand #jaishankar #energy #security #bangladesh #myanmar #bhutan #nepal #sevencountries #terrorism #disaster #management #SAARC #finance #india #china #south #asian #newdelhi #maldives #srilanka
Today's Headlines - 22 July 2023
India, Sri Lanka adopt vision document
GS Paper - 2 (International Relations)

India and Sri Lanka adopted an ambitious vision document to significantly expand economic partnership after wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. In his statement, the PM, referring to the economic difficulties in Sri Lanka last year, said India stood "shoulder-to-shoulder" with the people of the island nation during the crisis as a close friend.

More about the document

An agreement for launch of the UPI payment system in Sri Lanka will result in fintech connectivity between the two sides.
The security interests and development of India and Sri Lanka are intertwined and it is necessary to work together keeping in mind each other's security interests and sensitivities. A vision document for economic partnership has been adopted.
The vision is to accelerate mutual cooperation in areas of tourism, power, trade, higher education, skill development and connectivity.
The vision is to strengthen maritime, air, energy and people-to-people connectivity between the people of both the countries.
It was decided that talks will start soon on an agreement on economic and technological cooperation.
A feasibility study will be conducted on the India-Sri Lanka petroleum pipeline.
On the fishermen issue, the prime minister said it should be handled under a humanitarian approach.

#upsc #news #india #srilanka #document #ambitious #economic #launch #agreement #UPI #payment #development #cooperation #tourism #technological #cooperation #feasibility #study #petroleum #pipeline
Today's Headlines - 24 August 2023
Naval wargame Exercise Malabar concludes
The 27th edition of Exercise Malabar concluded on the east coast of Australia, off Sydney. The four-nation exercise witnessed the participation of ships, submarines, and aircraft from the Indian Navy, Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF), and the US Navy (USN).

More about the Exercise

The exercise was conducted in two phases – a harbour (or planning) phase from 11 to 15 August, and a sea phase from 16 – 21 August, which saw the four navies actually implementing the plans that they had made.
The Indian Navy was represented by the indigenously built guided missile destroyer, INS Kolkata, the multi-role stealth frigate INS Sahyadri, and P-8I Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.
There was a strong aircraft presence, including fighter aircraft, maritime patrol aircraft and shipborne helicopters.
The sea phase of Exercise Malabar witnessed complex and high intensity exercises in air, surface and undersea domains, weapon firings and cross deck helicopter operations.
The joint exercises at sea honed the war-fighting skills and enhanced interoperability between the four navies to undertake advanced maritime operations.
The seamless integration of air assets also showcased the exceptional coordination and interoperability between the Indian, Australian, and US maritime patrol aircraft units.
Exercise Malabar reaffirmed the ability of the four navies to operate together as an integrated force, while also highlighting their shared commitment to maritime security and regional stability through collaborative training and mutual understanding.
Flashback

At the culmination of five days of multifarious exercises, Exercise Malabar vividly showcased the strong cooperation, shared values, and the collective ability of the four participating nations to ensure a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, promoting peace and security for all.
China has made it clear to the four participating countries that it sees Malabar as an inimical military grouping.
After Malabar 2007, China conveyed its displeasure in writing, seeking to know whom the exercise was directed against. Since then, the number of participating navies has doubled from two to four.

#upsc #news #headline #navalwargame #excercise #malabarconcludes #eastcoast #australia #sydney #fournation #submarines #aircraft #indiannavy #RAN #JMSDF #usnavy #USN #ships #seaphase #INS #Kolkata #sahyadri #patrol #fighter #helicopters #warfighting #air #surface #interoperability #integratedforce #indianaustralian #malabarchina #pacific #cooperation #multifarious #guidedmissile
Today's Headlines - 29 August 2023
Crew-7 mission to space station
GS Paper - 3 (Space Technology)

Four astronauts from four countries, including the US, Denmark, Japan, and Russia, launched aboard a SpaceX rocket towards the International Space Station (ISS) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This was the first US take-off in which all the astronauts atop the spacecraft belonged to a different country — until now, NASA had always included two or three of its own on its SpaceX flights. The mission has been known as Crew-7.

Why has such a diverse group of astronauts gone to the ISS?

The Crew-7 mission is a result of the ongoing cooperation among different countries in space, especially since the launch of the space station in 1998.
The International Space Station Program involves the US, Russia, Canada, Japan, and the participating countries of the European Space Agency, and is one of the most ambitious international collaborations ever attempted.
The program “brings together international flight crews, multiple launch vehicles, globally distributed launch, operations, training, engineering, and development facilities; communications networks, and the international scientific research community”.
What is the mission?

The Crew-7 is the eighth flight operated by NASA and Elon Musk-owned SpaceX as part of the agency’s commercial crew program, which has been taking astronauts to the ISS since SpaceX’s first crewed mission in 2020.
During their stay at the space station, the Crew-7 astronauts will conduct more than 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations to prepare for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
The research will include a collection of microbial samples from the exterior of the space station.
The team will also analyse how sleeping in the microgravity environment differs from Earth by examining astronauts’ brain waves while they sleep.
Yet another experiment will look at the formation of biofilms in wastewater on the space station, which could be key to finding better ways to recycle water for drinking and hygiene while in space (Yes, astronauts have long used recycled sweat and urine to drink and shower on the station).

#upsc #headline #crew #mission #spacestation #spacetechnology #astronauts #internationalspacestation #NASA #denmark #japan #russia #takeoff #earth #brain #microgravity #hygiene #recycle #waves #commercialcrew #biofilms #wastewater #moom #mars #microbial #samples #program #station #cooperation #denmark #rocket
Today's Headlines - 09 September 2023
India, ASEAN agree to deepen strategic ties
GS Paper - 2 (International Relations)

India and 10-nation ASEAN agreed to deepen their comprehensive strategic partnership with concrete actions through practical implementation of the 'Plan of Action' to implement the ASEAN-India partnership for peace, progress and shared prosperity.

More about agreement

In a joint statement on maritime cooperation, it was agreed to support India's connectivity initiatives in the region to ensure seamless connectivity in the Indo-Pacific, besides boosting cooperation in a range of areas including blue economy, space and food security among others.
The two sides agreed to deepen their comprehensive strategic partnership with concrete actions through practical implementation of the 'Plan of Action' to implement the ASEAN-India partnership for peace, progress and shared prosperity.
They reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, maritime safety and security, freedom of navigation and overflight in the region, and other lawful uses of the seas and unimpeded lawful maritime commerce and to promote peaceful resolutions of disputes, in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The two sides agreed to further strengthen ASEAN-India cooperation on maritime safety and security, promote cooperation in a Blue Economy and develop new and renewable energy including marine-based renewable energy, among others.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region, and India and several other countries including the US, China, Japan and Australia are its dialogue partners.
ASEAN-India dialogue relations started with the establishment of a sectoral partnership in 1992.
This graduated to a full dialogue partnership in December 1995 and a summit-level partnership in 2002. The ties were elevated to a strategic partnership in 2012.
What is ASEAN?

On 8 August 1967, five leaders – the Foreign Ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – came together in Bangkok.
Thailand was brokering some disputes among Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, and it eventually led to the signing of a document.
The five Foreign Ministers who signed it – Adam Malik of Indonesia, Narciso R. Ramos of the Philippines, Tun Abdul Razak of Malaysia, S. Rajaratnam of Singapore, and Thanat Khoman of Thailand – would subsequently be hailed as the Founding Fathers of probably the most successful inter-governmental organisation in the developing world today. And the document that they signed would be known as the ASEAN Declaration.
The ASEAN Declaration signed by the five leaders conveyed the aspiration to further regional cooperation. These were about cooperation in the economic, social, cultural, technical, educational and other fields, and in the promotion of regional peace and stability and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter.
Its major pillars that help lay out a blueprint for cooperation are Political-Security Community (APSC), Economic Community (AEC) and Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC).

#upsc #news #headline #india #ASEAN #internationalrelation #strategic #ties #10nations #planofaction #partnership #concrete #agreement #prosperity #peace #progress #maritime #cooperation #boosting #connectivity #blueeconomy #foodsecurity #freedom #UNCLOS #safety #law #sea #US #JAPAN #CHINA #AUSTRALIA #THAILAND #SINGAPORE #PHILIPPINES #MALAYSIA #INDONESIA #BANKOK