Today Update

चाबहार पोर्ट से जुड़ी परियोजनाओं को लेकर संशय
दुनियाभर में मौजूद हथियारों के जखीरे में भले ही कमी देखी जा रही हो पर बीते 12 महीनों में परमाणु युद्ध का खतरा काफी बढ़ गया है। कुछ हद तक इसके लिए अमेरिका और ईरान के बीच बढ़ते तनाव को भी जिम्मेदार ठहराया जा सकता है। दरअसल, एक नई रिसर्च में दावा किया गया है कि संख्या में भले ही दुनिया के परमाणु हथियारों में कमी आई हो लेकिन तबाही लाने वाले परमाणु युद्ध का खतरा कम होने की बजाय बढ़ गया है।
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20588-2019-06-19-05-01-48
#ChabaharPort #Afghanistan #Iran #NarendraModi #HassanRouhani #Pakistan

परमाणु जंग का बढ़ा खतरा
पहले अफगानिस्तान को लेकर अनिश्चितता और अब ईरान और अमेरिका के बीच बढ़ता तनाव। इन दोनों वजहों ने ईरान में चाबहार पोर्ट बना कर अफगानिस्तान व मध्य एशिया में रणनीतिक पैठ बनाने की भारत की योजनाओं पर सवाल खड़े कर दिए हैं। जानकारों का कहना है कि अब जब तक समूचे क्षेत्र में हालात स्पष्ट नहीं होते हैं तब तक भारत के लिए चाबहार पोर्ट से जुड़ी परियोजनाओं पर सोच समझ कर आगे बढ़ने की नीति अपनानी होगी।
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20587-2019-06-19-05-01-36
#nuclearwar #UnitedStates #SIPRI #Israel #Russia #START

World Food India 2019
Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Smt Harsimrat Kaur Badal has on 18 June 2019 said that World Food India 2019 will be the biggest gathering of all global and domestic stakeholders in Food Processing Sector. WFI 2019 will be held from 1-4th November 2019 in New Delhi and will position India as Food Processing Destination of the World.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20592-world-food-india-2019
#WorldFoodIndia2019 #HarsimratKaurBadal #CEOs #B2B #NewDelhi #WFI2019

EU questions to double farmers income
Massive farm-support plans in the United States and India are being scrutinised by other World Trade Organization members, questions submitted to the WTO’s quarterly agriculture committee meeting showed. The WTO has strict rules about the size and nature of payments, and member governments keep a close watch for any competitors who might be cheating.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20591-eu-questions-to-double-farmers-income
#EU #WTO #DonaldTrump #NarendraModi #EuropeanUnion #NewZealand #farmersincome

Libra cryptocurrency
Facebook Inc revealed plans on 18 June 2019 to launch a cryptocurrency called Libra, the latest development in its effort to expand beyond social networking and move into e-commerce and global payments. Facebook has linked with 28 partners in a Geneva-based entity called the Libra Association, which will govern its new digital coin set to launch in the first half of 2020.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20590-libra-cryptocurrency
#Libra #Facebook #digital #WeChat #Bitcoin #cryptocurrency

Secrets of Sun’s mysterious past
The Moon contains clues to the ancient mysteries of the Sun, which are crucial to understanding the development of life, according to NASA scientists, including one of Indian origin. Around four billion years ago, the Sun went through violent outbursts of intense radiation, spewing scorching, high-energy clouds and particles across the solar system.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20589-secrets-of-sun-s-mysterious-past
#Sun #NASA #EarthPrabalSaxena #solartantrums #atmospheres #Apollo

भारत और मालदीव के बीच स्‍वास्‍थ्‍य क्षेत्र में समझौते को मंजूरी
केंद्रीय मत्रिमंडल ने भारत और मालदीव के बीच स्‍वास्‍थ्‍य क्षेत्र में समझौते को मंजूरी दे दी है। इस समझौता ज्ञापन पर दोनों देशों ने 8 जून, 2019 को हस्‍ताक्षर किए थे। इस समझौता ज्ञापन के तहत निम्‍नलिखित क्षेत्र आयेंगे:
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20768-2019-07-04-04-36-01
#Maldives #health #India #PMModi #agreement #MoU #Telemedicine

राजद्रोह कानून खत्म करने का इरादा नहीं'
केंद्रीय मंत्री नित्यानंद राय ने कहा कि सरकार का राजद्रोह कानून खत्म करने का विचार नहीं है। मोदी सरकार के पहले कार्यकाल में राजद्रोह कानून को लेकर कुछ राजनीतिक दलों और सामाजिक कार्यकर्ताओं ने काफी आपत्ति जाहिर की थी। राजद्रोह कानून को सख्त बनाने की जरुरत है। वोट का अधिकार सरकारी नौकरी एवं सुविधाओ से वंचित लोक सभा राज्य सभा सहित किसी भी चुनाव मे लड़ने पर रोक लगनी चाहिये।
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20767-2019-07-04-04-35-50
#laws #NityanandRai #Modi #LokSabha #IPC #RajyaSabha #JNU #KanhaiyaKumar

RBI forms working group CICs
The Reserve Bank on 3 July 2019 said it has constituted a working group that will review the regulatory and supervisory framework for core investment companies.
In August 2010, RBI had introduced a separate framework for the regulation of systemically important core investment companies (CICs), recognising the difference in the business model of a holding company relative to other non-banking financial companies.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20772-rbi-forms-working-group-cics
#RBI #CICsCorporateAffairs #investment #framework #TapanRay

NDIAC Bill introduced
A bill to set up an independent and autonomous regime for institutionalised domestic and international arbitration was introduced in Lok Sabha on 3 July 2019.
The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC) Bill, 2019, seeks to replace an ordinance issued in March this year by the previous government.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20771-ndiac-bill-introduced
#NDIAC #LokSabha #ICADR #RaviShankarPrasad #NewDelhi #SupremeCourt

Code on Wages Bill approved
The Union Cabinet on 3 July 2019 approved the introduction of a bill that will codify relevant provisions of four existing laws and intends to increase the legislative protection of minimum wage to the entire workforce. The Codes on Wages Bill, 2019 would benefit about 50 crore workers.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20770-code-on-wages-bill-approved
#UnionCabinet #WagesBill #BonusActAct #EqualRemuneration #Act1976

UNESCO report on disabilities
More than one in four children with disabilities between ages 5 and 19 in India have never attended any educational institution, while three-fourths of five-year-olds with disabilities are not in school. A report by UNESCO and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences released on 3 July 2019 recommends structural, funding and attitudinal changes to ensure that no child is left out of the right to education.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20769-unesco-report-on-disabilities
#UNESCO #India #primaryschool #RTEAct #SocialScience #TataInstitute

Tax cut means for economy
In its boldest gambit yet to stir up the economy, the government on 20 September 2019 issued an ordinance to reduce the corporate tax rate for domestic firms and new manufacturing units by 10 to 12 percentage points, effectively bringing India’s tax rates on par with its competing Asian peers.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21531-tax-cut-means-for-economy.html
#NirmalaSitharaman #Tax #budget #manufacturing #economy #EastAsia

Chandrayaan-2 achieved 98% objectives
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Sivan on 21 September 2019 said the Chandrayaan-2 mission has achieved 98 per cent of its objectives, even as scientists are working hard to establish contact with lander 'Vikram'. Chandrayaan-2 orbiter is doing well and performing scheduled science experiments.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21530-chandrayaan-2-achieved-98-objectives.html
#Chandrayaan2 #ISRO #Vikram #ChairmanKSivan #mission

Mysterious magnetic pulses on Mars
The magnetic field of Mars at times tends to pulsate in ways which have never been observed before in the middle of the night. But, the reason behind this is currently not known.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21529-mysterious-magnetic-pulses-on-mars.html
#Mars #NASA #Mysterious #EPSC #InSight #HP3 #SEIS

PTA with Chile
For further expansion of the existing Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), India and Chile have signed the terms of reference. According to the ambassador of Chile to India Juan Angulo Monsalve.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21528-pta-with-chile.html
#PTA #Chile #MoP #TPCI #NewDelhi #PacificAlliance

G-20 finance chiefs meet
Finance chiefs and central bankers from the world’s 20 largest economies say they see downside risks to global economic growth persisting and have agreed on a “menu of policy options” amid a viral outbreak that’s disrupted supply chains worldwide.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22944-g-20-finance-chiefs-meet.html
#G20 #finance #OECD #COVID19 #Riyadh #IMF

India to block EU’s WTO panel request
India will block the European Union’s request for a dispute settlement panel at the World Trade Organization (WTO) against New Delhi’s customs duties on imports of certain information and communications technology (ICT) products.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22943-india-to-block-eu-s-wto-panel-request.html
#India #WTO #ICT #EU #NewDelhi #EuropeanUnion

Mystery even scientists can’t crack
The amount of water in the atmosphere of Jupiter has been a mystery scientists have been unable to crack. U.S space agency NASA recently had sent a mission to the planet which has found results contrary to the findings of an earlier mission sent by NASA in 1995.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22942-mystery-even-scientists-can-t-crack.html
#Mystery #NASA #telescope #Junoprobe #planet

Archaeological discovery in Haryana
Sirsa, a district in Haryana, houses a mound which is believed to unravel some clues about the ancient city ‘Sarishika’. In order to study the ancient ruins, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has to relocate nearly 50,000 people residing on around 82 acres of land.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22941-archaeological-discovery-in-haryana.html
#Archaeological #Haryana #ASI #Sarishika #FY19 #Sirsa

Parliament passes amendments to IBC
Parliament on 12 March 2020 passed amendments to the insolvency law that will help ring-fence successful bidders of insolvent companies from risk of criminal proceedings for offences committed by previous promoters.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23087-parliament-passes-amendments-to-ibc.html
#IBC #Amendment #NCLT #LokSabha #NirmalaSitharaman

Best bet to beat corona
NEW DELHI: With countries looking at lockdown mode to curb the spread of coronavirus that has reached almost every continent, here’s the lowdown on how viruses self-assemble into a functional active menace, and how they can be tackled with something as simple as soap.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23086-best-bet-to-beat-corona.html
#corona #NEWDELHI #RNA #Covid19 #coronavirus

Influential women in sports
Nita Ambani, the owner of Mumbai Indians cricket team franchise, has been named in the list of the 10 most influential women in sports for 2020 alongside the likes of tennis superstar Serena Williams and gymnast Simone Biles.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23085-influential-women-in-sports.html
#Influential #women #ICC #SreeVarma #NitaAmbani

Unspent under MPLAD scheme
A cumulative amount of Rs 5,275.24 crore remained unspent under Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme as on March 4, 2020, Parliament was informed on 11 March 2020.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23084-unspent-under-mplad-scheme.html
#MPLAD #LokSabha #RaoInderjitSingh #MPs

Leh to host International Yoga Day
Leh, the capital of the Union territory of Ladakh will be the venue for the main event for International Yoga Day on June 21 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend it, AYUSH Ministry officials said.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23083-leh-to-host-international-yoga-day.html
#InternationalYogaDay #FICCI #NDMC #CII #NarendraModi

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 - 19 July 2023
India, US notify WTO of mutual resolution
GS Paper - 2 (International Relations)

India and the US have mutually resolved all six trade disputes pending at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), in line with the commitment made by the two countries during the US visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently. Both countries have informed the WTO's dispute settlement body (DSB) about the resolution of all the pending disputes. The WTO has already issued a communication with regard to one of the disputes related to the imposition of additional customs duties by India on 28 US products.

More about the News

The United States and India are pleased to notify the DSB (dispute settlement body), in accordance with Article 3.6 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes, that the parties have reached a mutually agreed solution to the matter raised in this dispute, according to a communication of the WTO dated 17 July 2023.
The two countries have urged the dispute panel that its report should be confined to a brief description of the case and information that a solution has been reached by the two.
The trade dispute which was resolved pertains to a complaint filed by the US in 2019 against India.
India had imposed additional customs duties on 28 US products including chickpeas, lentils and apples in retaliation to the US increasing duties on certain steel and aluminium products.
Against this resolution, India would remove additional duties on eight US products, including chickpeas, lentils and apples, which were imposed in 2019 in response to America's measure to increase tariffs on certain steel and aluminium products.
During the recent state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US, both countries decided the termination of six WTO (World Trade Organisation) disputes and the removal of these retaliatory tariffs on certain US products.
Flashback

In 2018, the US imposed an import duty of 25 per cent on steel products and 10 per cent on certain aluminium products on grounds of national security. In retaliation, India in June 2019 imposed customs duties on 28 American products.
The US is the largest trading partner of India. In 2022-23, the bilateral goods trade increased to USD 128.8 billion as against USD 119.5 billion in 2021-22. The six disputes include three initiated by India and as many by the US.
These included a complaint by India against the US with regard to the imposition of countervailing duties on certain hot rolled carbon steel flat products from India.
On 9 September 2016, India filed a case against the US pertaining to domestic content requirements and subsidies instituted by the governments of the states of Washington, California, Montana, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Michigan, Delaware and Minnesota, in the energy sector.
Another dispute filed by the US against India was related to domestic content requirements under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission for solar cells and solar modules. In 2018, the US filed a case against India's alleged export subsidy measures.
Similarly on 3 July 2019, the US filed a dispute against New Delhi on imposition of additional duties with respect to certain products originating in the US.

#upsc #news #international #relations #WTO #primeminister #DSB #mutually #solution #termination #india #domestic #jawaharlalnehru #national #solar #mission #measures #newdelhi

Today's Headlines - 08 August 2023
Centre to look into ‘Havana Syndrome’
GS Paper - 3 (Health and Diseases)

The Central government has told the Karnataka High Court that it will look into the matter of the ‘Havana Syndrome’ in India, in response to a Bengaluru resident’s recent petition. The petitioner had approached the court requesting a writ of mandamus for an enquiry on Havana Syndrome in India and the prevention of high-frequency microwave transmission in India.

What is Havana Syndrome?

Havana Syndrome refers to a set of mental health symptoms that are said to be experienced by United States intelligence and embassy officials in various countries.
It is worth noting that in general, the word ‘syndrome’ simply means a set of symptoms. It does not mean a unique medical condition, but rather a set of symptoms that are usually experienced together whose origins may be difficult to confirm.
What is known as the Havana Syndrome typically involves symptoms such as hearing certain sounds without any outside noise, nausea, vertigo and headaches, memory loss and balance issues.
As the name suggests, it traces its roots to Cuba in late 2016. This was about a year after the US opened its embassy in the capital city of Havana after ties between the two countries were normalised in 2015.
Some US intelligence officials and members of the staff at the embassy began experiencing sudden bursts of pressure in their brains followed by persistent headaches, feelings of disorientation and insomnia.

Where else has Havana syndrome been reported?

Since the Cuban incident, American intelligence and foreign affairs officials posted in various countries have reported symptoms of the syndrome.
In early 2018, similar accusations began to be made by US diplomats in China. The first such report was in April 2018 at the Guangzhou consulate.
An American employee reported that he had been experiencing symptoms since late 2017. Another incident had previously been reported by a USAID employee at the US Embassy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in September 2017.
In 2019 and 2020, such incidents have been reported from within the US — particularly in Washington DC. One incident was even reported at The Ellipse, a lawn adjacent to the White House.
In India, the first such case was reported in the same year, when a US intelligence officer travelling to New Delhi with CIA director William Burns reported symptoms of Havana Syndrome.

What are the causes of Havana Syndrome?

No one is entirely sure. But initially during the Cuban experience, being in a country that had been hostile to the US for over five decades, the suspicion was on Cuban intelligence or a section within the Cuban establishment that did not want US-Cuba relations to normalise. It was then speculated to be a “sonic attack”.
However, further study by scientists in the US and medical examination of the victims began to suggest that they may have been subjected to high-powered microwaves that either damaged or interfered with the nervous system.

#upsc #news #headline #health #diseases #havana #syndrome #karnataka #highcourt #india #bengaluru #mandamus #resident #transmission #symptoms #embassy #unique #medical #cuba #roots #US #guangzhou #consulate #washington #newdelhi #sonicattack #cuban #microwaves #nervous #system

Today's Headlines - 13 August 2023
Katchatheevu island a political issue
GS Paper - 2 (Polity)

Ahead of Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremsinghe’s visit to New Delhi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote to PM Modi requesting him to retrieve the island. The transfer of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka, by the Union government, without the state government’s consent, has deprived Tamil Nadu fishermen’s rights and adversely impacted their livelihoods.

Where is the island of Katchatheevu?

Katchatheevu is a 285-acre uninhabited speck in the Palk Strait, between India and Sri Lanka.
It is no more than 1.6 km in length and slightly over 300 m wide at its broadest point.
It lies northeast of Rameswaram, about 33 km from the Indian coast. It is about 62 km southwest of Jaffna, at the northern tip of Sri Lanka, and 24 km away from the inhabited Delft Island, belonging to Sri Lanka.
The only structure on the island is an early 20th century Catholic shrine – St Anthony’s church. During an annual festival, Christian priests from both India and Sri Lanka conduct the service, with devotees from both India and Sri Lanka making the pilgrimage.
This year, 2,500 Indians made the journey to Katchatheevu from Rameswaram for the festival.
Katchatheevu is not suited for permanent settlement as there is no source of drinking water on the island.
What is the island’s history?

The island is relatively new in the geological timescale, being the product of a 14-century volcanic eruption.
In the early medieval period, it was controlled by the Jaffna kingdom of Sri Lanka. In the 17th century, control passed to the Ramnad zamindari based out of Ramanathapuram, about 55 km northwest of Rameswaram.
It became part of the Madras Presidency during the British Raj. But in 1921, both India and Sri Lanka, at the time British colonies, claimed Katchatheevu in order to determine fishing boundaries.
A survey marked Katchatheevu in Sri Lanka, but a British delegation from India challenged this, citing ownership of the island by the Ramnad kingdom.

What is the agreement now?

In 1974, Indira Gandhi made attempts to settle the maritime border between India and Sri Lanka, once and for all.
As a part of this settlement, known as the ‘Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime agreement’, Indira Gandhi ‘ceded’ Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka.
At the time, she thought the island had little strategic value and that ceasing India’s claim over the island would deepen its ties with its southern neighbour.
Moreover, as per the agreement, Indian fishermen were still allowed to access Katchatheevu “hitherto”. Unfortunately, the issue of fishing rights was not ironed out by the agreement.
Sri Lanka interpreted Indian fishermens’ right to access Katchatheevu to be limited to “rest, drying nets and for visit to the Catholic shrine without visa”.
Another agreement in 1976, during the period of Emergency in India, barred either country from fishing in the other’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
Again, Katchatheevu lay right at the edge of the EEZs of either country, retaining a degree of uncertainty with regards to fishing rights.

#upsc #news #headline #katchatheevu #island #political #issue #polity #lankan #president #ranilwickremsinghe #newdelhi #tamilnadu #chiefminister #stalin #PMMODI #island #rameswaram #history #srilanka #border #maritime #visa #emergency #catholic

Today's Headlines - 26 August 2023
BRICS gets six new members
GS Paper - 2 (International Relations)

The five-member BRICS invited six more countries to join the alliance, in a move which can strengthen its claim of being a ‘voice of the Global South’ on one hand, while raising concerns about China’s increasing dominance on the other. BRICS consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. In its ongoing summit at Johannesburg, South Africa, it has invited Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, and Ethiopia. Their membership will begin in January.

Why New Members

Adding new members strengthens the group’s heft as a spokesperson of the developing world. BRICS currently represents around 40% of the world’s population and more than a quarter of the world’s GDP.
With the additions, it will represent almost half the world’s population, and will include three of the world’s biggest oil producers, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran.
The rush towards BRICS is driven by two basic impulses: “First, there is considerable anti-US sentiment in the world, and all these countries are looking for a grouping where they can use that sentiment to gather together.
Second, there is a lot of appetite for multipolarity, for a platform where countries of the Global South can express their solidarity.”
The formation of BRICS in 2009 was driven by the idea that the four emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India, and China would be the future economic powerhouses of the world. South Africa was added a year later.
While the economic performance of BRICS has been mixed, the war in Ukraine — which has brought the West together on the one hand and strengthened the China-Russia partnership on the other — has turned it into an aspiring bloc that can challenge the western geopolitical view, and emerge as a counterweight to Western-led fora like the Group of 7 and the World Bank.
What this means for India

If India’s presence at the recent G7 summit in Hiroshima, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi also participated in an informal Quad summit, was seen as a sign of New Delhi’s US tilt, it continues to attach importance to the “anti-West” BRICS.
India is also part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and despite problems, it has relations with Russia, with China.
While China does want BRICS to be an anti-western group, the Indian view is that it is a “non-western” group and should stay that way.
Among the new members, while India looks at all of them as partnerships worth developing, concerns have been raised that the group could become more pro-China and sideline New Delhi’s voice and interests.

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International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a specialised agency of the United Nations, was one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference in Rome.
The conference was organised by the United Nations in response to the food crises of the early 1970s, when global food shortages were causing widespread famine and malnutrition.
Global Environment Facility (GEF)

Established in 1991 on the eve of the 1992 Rio Summit, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) provides grant funds to developing countries for projects and activities that aim to protect the global environment.
This is to cover areas like biodiversity, climate change, international waters, ozone depletion, land degradation, primarily desertification, deforestation and persistent organic pollutants.
African Development Bank (AfDB)

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) comprises (i) the African Development Bank, (ii) the African Development Fund and (iii) the Nigeria Trust Fund. It was established in 1963 with membership being open only to regional countries, initially.
To mobilise external resources for the development of Regional Member Countries, AFDB extended its membership.

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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