ईरान ने संवर्धित यूरेनियम भंडार की तय सीमा तोड़ी
ईरान ने वैश्विक शक्तियों के साथ उसके परमाणु समझौते के तहत तय की गई संवर्धित यूरेनियम भंडारण की सीमा तोड़ दी है। यह जानकारी विदेश मंत्री जवाद जरीफ ने दी। इसके साथ ही माना जा रहा है कि ईरान पी5+1 और यूरोपीय संघ के साथ 2015 में हुए ऐतिहासिक समझौते को तोड़ने की दिशा में आगे बढ़ गया है जिस दौरान यूरेनियम भंडारण की सीमा तय की गई थी। उधर, परमाणु कार्यक्रमों पर नजर रखने वाली संयुक्त राष्ट्र की एजेंसी IAEA ने भी ईरान के इस कदम की पुष्टि कर दी है।
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20745-2019-07-02-05-06-34
#Iran #JawabJaffar #nuclear #IAEA #DonaldTrump #uranium #EuropeanUnion

BRI से मुकाबला
चीन का बॉडर रोड इनिशिएटिव (BRI) जहां अपने तय पैमाने और अपनी महात्वाकांक्षा से पिछड़ता दिख रहा है, वहीं भारत रियायती लाइन्स ऑफ क्रेडिट (LOC) पर आधारित विकासात्मक सहयोग साझीदारी के तहत 63 देशों में आर्थिक परियोजनाओं पर काम कर रहा है। मौजूदा समय में 63 देशों को 279 लाइन्स ऑफ क्रेडिट दिया गया है।
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20744-bri
#BRI #LOC #China #VMuralidharan #India #economic #BoulderRoadInitiative

अफस्पा के तहत पूरा नगालैंड 'अशांत' घोषित
अफस्पा के तहत पूरे नगालैंड को और छह महीनों (दिसंबर अंत तक) के लिए 'अशांत क्षेत्र' घोषित कर दिया गया। सशस्त्र बल (विशेषाधिकार) कानून (AFSPA) के तहत सुरक्षा बल कहीं भी कार्रवाई और बिना पूर्व नोटिस किसी को भी गिरफ्तार कर सकते हैं। नगालैंड में कई दशकों से अफस्पा लागू है।
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20743-2019-07-02-05-06-12
#AFSPA #turbulent #Nagaland #disturbedarea #JammuandKashmir

Teachers reservation bill Passed
Lok Sabha on 1 July 2019 passed a bill that proposes to make university or college as a unit instead of department for the purpose of providing reservation for filling teachers posts in central education institutions.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20750-teachers-reservation-bill-passed
#SC #EWS #LokSabha #ScheduledCaste #AllahabadHighCourt #NarendraModi

Assam NRC date extended
The government has given the process an extension of one month. The final list of National Register of Citizens in Assam was to be published on July 1. It will now be published on July 31.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20749-assam-nrc-date-extended
#Assam #NRC #India #HimachalPradesh #citizens

ILO report on Climate change
As climate change worsens, growing heat stress on workers in agriculture and other sectors will cause a productivity loss equal to 80 million full-time jobs over the next decade, the UN warned 1 July 2019. A report from the International Labour Organization estimated that in 2030, 2.2 percent of total working hours worldwide will be lost because of higher temperatures.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20748-ilo-report-on-climate-change
#ILO #agriculture #Organization #worldwide #Asia

Iran breaches stockpile limit
Dubai | Vienna: Iran has breached the limit of its enriched uranium stockpile set in a 2015 deal with major powers, foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on 1 July 2019, according to the ISNA news agency, defying a warning by European co-signatories to stick to the deal despite US sanctions.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20747-iran-breaches-stockpile-limit
#Iran #UF6 #IAEA #MohammadJavadZarif #ISNA #stockpile #Dubai

Garuda Exercise
Indian Air Force (IAF) landed at Mont-de-Marsan Air Base in France to participate in the two-week ‘Garuda’ exercise with the French Air Force starting on 1 July 2019.
According to the embassy of France, as part of their Indo-Pacific cooperation, the fortnight-long Garuda exercise, will take place at Mont de Marsan (southwest of France).
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20746-garuda-exercise
#GarudaExercise #IAF #India #IndianAirForce #C135 #aircraft

Economic recovery fragile
India’s economic recovery remains "fragile" due to rising number of coronavirus cases and states "intermittently" ordering lockdowns to contain the disease, said the Finance Ministry on 4 August 2020 about July.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/24830-economic-recovery-fragile.html
#Economicrecovery #recoveryfragile #fragile #Economic

First economic contraction in 4 decades
India’s gross domestic product (GDP) contracted 23.9 per cent in the April-June quarter of 2020-21 from that in the same quarter last financial year, showed official data released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) on 31 August 2020.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/25341-first-economic-contraction-in-4-decades.html
#GDP #economic #NSO #grossdomesticproduct #GVA #UPSCOnlineClasses #OnlineClassses #IASOnlineclasses

KSG Podcast - Barbell strategy in economic survey | best daily editorial analysis for upsc #prelims
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rHNnaTsuOU
#UPSCOnlineClasses #OnlineClassses #IASOnlineclasses

KSG Podcast - Barbell strategy in economic survey | best daily editorial analysis for upsc #prelims
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rHNnaTsuOU&list=PLCUwtp5IghZmJBi1h7xiAhsORKmmumVsR&index=61
#UPSCOnlineClasses #OnlineClassses #IASOnlineclasses

KSG PODCAST | Cardless cash withdrawals at ATMs using UPI #upsc #editorial The Indian Express
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J00__3M6Tgg
#UPSCOnlineClasses #OnlineClassses #IASOnlineclasses

KSG PODCAST | Cardless cash withdrawals at ATMs using UPI #upsc #editorial The Indian Express
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J00__3M6Tgg&list=PLCUwtp5IghZmJBi1h7xiAhsORKmmumVsR&index=81
#UPSCOnlineClasses #OnlineClassses #IASOnlineclasses

KSG PODCAST | Cardless cash withdrawals at ATMs using UPI #upsc #editorial The Indian Express
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J00__3M6Tgg&list=PLCUwtp5IghZmJBi1h7xiAhsORKmmumVsR&index=196
#UPSCOnlineClasses #OnlineClassses #IASOnlineclasses

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 - 01 August 2023
Key takeaways of WMO report
GS Paper - 3 (Environment)

According to a new report, released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Asia is the world’s most disaster-prone region and it experienced 81 weather, climate and water-related disasters in 2022. These events directly affected more than 50 million people with about 5,000 getting killed and economic damage worth $ 36 billion, the report added. Although, in 2021, the continent had been affected by around 100 natural disasters, the extent of these hazards was more prominent in 2022 — the number of people and facilities affected, and economic damage has increased.

What are the key takeaways from the report?

According to the report, while the mean temperature over Asia in 2022 was about 0.72 degree Celsius above the 1991–2020 average, it was about 1.68 degree Celsius above the 1961–1990 average.
This rise in temperatures has had some severe fallouts, including an uptick in the occurrence of extreme weather events.
For instance, droughts ravaged numerous parts of Asia in 2022. China particularly suffered the most as last year, the Yangtze River Basin, located in the country’s southwest, experienced the worst drought in the last six decades.
This not only affected crops and vegetation, as well as the drinking water supply but also caused an economic loss of about $ 7.6 billion.
Many other regions were hit by severe floods and extreme monsoon rainfalls. Pakistan is the most notable example – it received 60 percent of normal total monsoon rainfall within just three weeks of the start of the 2022 monsoon season, and the heavy rains resulted in urban and flash floods, landslides, and glacial lake outburst floods across the country.
More than 33 million people were affected, over 1,730 people died and almost eight million people were displaced, according to the report.
Apart from natural disasters, climate change has exacerbated glaciers melting in Asia due to high temperatures and dry conditions.
Four glaciers in the High Mountain Asia region, centred on the Tibetan Plateau, have recorded significant mass losses, with an accelerating trend since the mid-1990s.
At the same time, these four glaciers show an overall weaker cumulative mass loss than the average for the global reference glaciers during the period 1980–2022.
Even thesea surface temperatures in Asia are getting warmer than ever before. The report pointed out that in the north-western Arabian Sea, the Philippine Sea and the seas east of Japan, the warming rates have exceeded 0.5 degree Celsius per decade since the 1980s. It is about three times faster than the global average surface ocean warming rate.

India in report

In India, heavy rainfalls “lasting from May to September triggered multiple landslides and river overflows and floods, resulting in casualties and damage”.
In total, this flooding resulted in over 2,000 deaths and affected 1.3 million people — the disaster event caused the highest number of casualties of any disaster event in 2022 in India.
The report also said economic loss due to disasters relating to floods exceeded the average for the 2002–2021 period. Pakistan incurred a loss of over $ 15 billion, followed by China, over $ 5 billion, and India, over $ 4.2 billion.
Another extreme weather event that became a mainstay in Asia last year was heat waves.
The report noted that India and Pakistan experienced “abnormally warm conditions” in the pre-monsoon season (March–May), the report mentioned. China, Hong Kong and Japan also saw the mercury rising to record high levels in 2022.

#upsc #news #headline #WMO #report #enviroment #world #meteorological #organization #disasters #economic #temperature #asia #china #yangtze #river #basin #country #rainfalls #monsoon #pakistan #tibetan #plateau #mountain #celsius #arabian #sea #philippine #japan #glaciers

Today's Headlines - 13 August 2023
India's first Agricultural Data Exchange (ADeX)
GS Paper - 3 (Economy)

The government of Telangana, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) launched India's first Agricultural Data Exchange (ADeX) in Hyderabad. The Telangana government also launched the Agriculture Data Management Framework (ADMF) - a framework for facilitating consent-based responsible data sharing.

More about Exchange

Developed as a digital public infrastructure (DPI) for the agriculture sector, ADeX is an open-source, open-standard, and interoperable public good.
The software platform facilitates a secure, standards-based exchange of data between agricultural data users (agri application developers) and agricultural data providers (government agencies, private companies, NGOs, universities, etc.).
ADMF is applicable to all government departments dealing with agricultural activities, as well as, all agriculture information users and providers. The framework provides a grievance redressal mechanism.
Both ADeX and ADMF provide the right platform to ensure fair and efficient usage of agricultural data by the industry and startups and provide a big boost to the data economy specifically in the agriculture sector.
These initiatives help Telangana lead the country in using innovation and technology to drive food systems transformation and improve the livelihoods of farmers."
Data and digital ecosystems are critical for responsible innovation in the agriculture sector.
The agriculture data exchange and the agriculture data management framework highlight the power of multi-stakeholder communities and collective action in addressing complex challenges in the agriculture sector.

#upsc #news #headline #india #agricultural #data #exchange #ADEX #economy #world #economic #forum #institute #science #IISC #ADMF #DPI #digital #grievance #mechanism #NGO #privatecompanies #universities #agencies #mechanism #software #technology #telangana #ecosystems #sector #data

Today's Headlines - 25 August 2023
BRICS currency in BRICS Summit
GS Paper - 2 (International Relations)

Brazil's President called for the BRICS nations to create a common currency for trade and investment between each other, as a means of reducing their vulnerability to dollar exchange rate fluctuations. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva made the proposal at a BRICS summit in Johannesburg. Officials and economists have pointed out the difficulties involved in such a project, given the economic, political and geographic disparities between Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Why does Brazil want a BRICS currency?

Brazil's president doesn't believe nations that don't use the dollar should be forced to trade in the currency, and he has also advocated for a common currency in the Mercosur bloc of South American countries.
A BRICS currency "increases our payment options and reduces our vulnerabilities," he told the summit's opening plenary session.
What do other BRICS Leaders think?

South African officials had said a BRICS currency was not on the agenda for the summit.
In July, India's foreign minister said, "there is no idea of a BRICS currency". Its foreign secretary said before departing for the summit that boosting trade in national currencies would be discussed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the gathering, which he attended via videolink, would discuss switching trade between member countries away from the dollar to national currencies.
China has not commented on the idea. President Xi Jinping spoke at the summit of promoting "the reform of the international financial and monetary system".
Is the US Dollar in trouble?

BRICS leaders have said they want to use their national currencies more instead of the dollar, which strengthened sharply last year as the Federal Reserve raised interest rates and Russia invaded Ukraine, making dollar debt and many imports more expensive.
Russia's sanctions-imposed exile from global financial systems last year also fuelled speculation that non-western allies would shift away from the dollar.
The objective, irreversible process of de-dollarisation of our economic ties is gaining momentum, Putin told the summit.

#upsc #news #headline #brics #currency #summit #internationalrelations #bricsnations #investment #ratefluctuations #vulnerability #lunae #economic #political #geographic #disparities #brazil #russia #india #china #southafrica #currency #mercosur #southamerican #leaders #videolink #trade #indiaforeignminister #USDOLLAR #ukraine #globalfinancial #economic

Today's Headlines - 11 September 2023
India-Middle East-Europe mega economic corridor
GS Paper - 2 (International Relations)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of the India-Middle East-Europe mega economic corridor. The project includes India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the European Union, France, Italy, Germany and the US.

What is the project?

The rail and shipping corridor is part of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment (PGII) — a collaborative effort by G7 nations to fund infrastructure projects in developing nations. PGII is considered to be the bloc’s counter to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
The project will aim to enable greater trade among the involved countries, including energy products.
It could also be one of the more ambitious counters to China’s massive infrastructure program, through which it has sought to connect more of the world to that country’s economy, AP said.
The corridor will include a rail link as well as an electricity cable, a hydrogen pipeline and a high-speed data cable, according to a document prepared by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The document also called the project “a green and digital bridge across continents and civilizations.”
Why is the project being proposed?

First, it would increase prosperity among the countries involved through an increased flow of energy and digital communications.
Second, the project would help deal with the lack of infrastructure needed for growth in lower- and middle-income nations.
Third, it could help “turn the temperature down” on “turbulence and insecurity” coming out of the Middle East

#upsc #headline #news #india #middle #East #Europe #mega #economic #corridor #international #relations #UAE #saudiarabia #europeanunion #france #Itlay #germany #US #project #rail #PGII #China #BELT #Road #intiative #ountries #trade #hydrogen #pipeline #speed #data #cable #civilizations #infrastructure #income #nations #turbulence #insecurity #prosperity

Today's Headlines - 12 September 2023
A new member in G20
GS Paper - 2 (International Relations)

The African Union (AU) was admitted as a new member of the G20, barely three months after India floated the idea of including the organisation. The development took place at the ongoing 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in New Delhi.

What is the AU?

The AU is an intergovernmental organisation of the 55 member states located on the continent of Africa.
The grouping is guided by its vision of “An Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.
Although the AU was officially launched on 9 July 2002, its roots go back to the 1960s when the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was established.
The OAU was also an intergovernmental organisation and it aimed to bring African nations together and resolve common issues through collective action.
Its main focus, however, was to help liberate the colonised countries in the continent. To do so, OAU mustered diplomatic support and provided logistical aid to liberation movements across Africa.
Notably, the man spearheading the idea of the AU was the Libyan dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.
He also did more than any other leader to ensure the creation of the African Union (AU) in 2002, hosting several meetings, and forcing Nigeria and South Africa to react to his frantic drive towards creating a federal body, an analysis published in The Guardian said.
What are the objectives of the AU?

Unlike the OAU, the AU concentrates its energy and resources on achieving greater unity and solidarity between African countries and their people.
It seeks to accelerate the process of the political and socio-economic integration of the continent.
Moreover, the AU addresses the multifaceted social, economic and political problems that the African nations have been facing.
Its key objectives also include promoting peace, stability, and security across the region. Protecting and promoting human rights are also part of the agenda.
What are the notable achievements of the AU?

Many of the AU’s peacekeeping missions have helped governments tackle terrorism across Africa, from the Sahel to northern Mozambique. Over the years, the organisation’s interventions have prevented violence in countries like Burundi, the Central African Republic, Comoros, Darfur, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Mali.
AU’s diplomatic efforts have also resulted in resolving conflicts in Africa. Last year, it brokered a peace deal between the Ethiopian Government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in South Africa, almost two years after the two entities began fighting.
The establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which came into force in 2021, is yet another achievement of the organisation.
With 54 member countries as signatories, AfCFTA is the world’s largest new free trade area since the establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1994.

#upsc #news #headline #newmember #G20 #internationalrelations #AU #newdelhi #africa #peaceful #prosperous #libyan #dictator #muammargaddafi #resources #unity #stability #peace #achivements #TPLF #AFCFTA #WTO #trade #area #social #economic #integration #resources #members