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IASTODAY DAILY CAPSULES -General Studies-02

Indo-Thai Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT)

Source: PIB INDIA

News

• The 30th edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) between the Indian Navy and the Royal Thai Navy is being conducted from 18 – 20 November 2020.

Indo-Thai CORPAT

• Indian Naval Ship (INS) Karmuk, an indigenously built Missile Corvette and His Majesty’s Thailand Ship (HTMS) Kraburi, a Chao Phraya Class Frigate along with Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both the navies are participating in the CORPAT.
• As part of Government of India’s vision of SAGAR (Security AndGrowth for All in the Region), the Indian Navy has been involved in assisting countries in the Indian Ocean Region with EEZ Surveillance, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), and other capacity building and capability-enhancement activities, on their request.
• India and Thailand have especially enjoyed a close and friendly relationship covering a wide spectrum of activities and interactions, which have strengthened over the years.
• To reinforce maritime links, the two navies have been carrying out CORPAT along their International Maritime Boundary Line twice a year since 2005, with the aim of keeping this vital part of the Indian Ocean safe and secure for commercial shipping and international trade.
• CORPAT builds up the understanding and interoperability between navies and facilitates institution of measures to prevent and suppress Illegal Unreported Unregulated (IUU) fishing, drug trafficking, maritime terrorism, armed robbery and piracy.
• It further enhances the operational synergy by exchange of information for prevention of smuggling, illegal immigration and for conduct of SAR operations at sea.

The 30th Indo-Thai CORPAT will contribute towards Indian Navy’s efforts to consolidate inter-operability and forge strong bonds of friendship with Royal Thai Navy.

Ambassador of France to India, Emmanuel Lenain calls on Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh to discuss potential projects in North Eastern States

Source: PIB INDIA

News

• Ambassador of France to India, Emmanuel Lenain called on Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space and discussed potential projects in North Eastern States.
• The Ambassador conveyed to the Union Minister, the desire of the Government of France to explore the avenues and opportunities of collaboration in different sectors in the North Eastern States as well as tourism and other potentials in Jammu & Kashmir.

Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman attends the G20 Finance Ministers virtual meeting

Source: PIB INDIA

News

• Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs participated in the G20 Finance Ministers virtual meeting.
• Finance Ministers of the G20 countries gathered to discuss their views on the global economic outlook and downside risks in wake of the COVID-19 crisis and how G20 could carry forward the collective global action initiated during the crisis.
• The Finance Minister emphasized the need for further efforts by the G20 members to end the crisis and highlighted affordability and accessibility of vaccines for all as a crucial step in this direction.

To stop manual scavenging, Govt to amend law, make mechanised cleaning a must

Source: Indian Express.

News

• Amend the Manual Scavenging Act to make mechanised cleaning of sewers and septic tanks mandatory, replace the word “manhole” with “machine-hole” in official usage, set up a national 24×7 helpline to report violations.

Key measures

• These are some of the key measures that are being implemented by the Government with an aim to eliminate manual scavenging across the country by August 2021, according to senior officials.
• As part of this initiative, the Government launched a “challenge” for all states to make sewer-cleaning mechanised by April 2021 if any human needs to enter a sewer line in case of unavoidable emergency, proper gear and oxygen tanks, etc., are to be provided.
• The challenge will offer prize money in various categories totalling Rs 52 crore.
• Official records show that manual scavenging has led to 376 deaths over the past five years, including 110 in 2019 alone a jump of 61 per cent from 2018.
• With Swachh Bharat Mission identified as a top priority area by the 15th Finance Commission.
• The Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry, has decided to directly provide funds to workers to purchase cleaning machines, instead of giving money to contractors or municipalities.
• The employment or engagement of people to manually clean drains, sewer tanks, septic tanks is an offence punishable by imprisonment and fine under the Manual Scavenging Act, 2013. As per the provisions of the law, manual scavengers are to be identified and rehabilitated.

According to an assessment by the Social Justice Ministry, despite the Manual Scavenging Act and Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989 being in place, FIRs are seldom lodged in deaths caused by this practice, convictions are rare, and the Supreme Court-mandated compensation of Rs 10 lakh is not paid in all cases.

China sees rising India as rival, wants to constrain ties with US: State Dept

Source: Business standard

News

• China perceives a “rising India as a rival” and wants to constrain its strategic partnership with the US, its allies and other democracies, the US State Department has said in a report.
• It has underlined that China intends to displace the US as the world’s foremost power.

India as a rival

• The Chinese People’s Liberation Army, recently provoked skirmishes along its disputed border with India, which killed dozens on both sides, and remains in a tense standoff with India’s military.
• The detailed policy document by the State Department highlights that China is undermining the security, autonomy and economic interests of many nations in the region.
• China perceives rising India as a rival and seeks to impel it to accommodate Beijing’s ambitions by engaging economically while constraining New Delhi’s strategic partnership with the US, Japan, Australia and its relations with other democracies.
• China is undermining the security, autonomy, and economic interests of many others in the region such as member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including those in the vital Mekong Region, as well as the nations of the Pacific Islands.
• The 70-page report states that awareness has been growing in the US and in nations around the world that the ruling CCP has triggered a new era of great-power competition.
• Prime targets include US treaty-based allies Japan, South Korea, Australia, Thailand, and the Philippines as well as emerging strategic partners such as India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Taiwan.
• The report also highlighted Beijing’s hard relations with Taiwan, which it claims as its territory.

The report also highlighted the outbreak of the contagious coronavirus from China’s Wuhan city.

PM Modi, Bhutan PM to launch Rupay card Phase-2 project

Source: Financial Express

News

• Indian Prime Minister along with his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering will launch RuPay card Phase-II that will allow Bhutanese card holders to access RuPay network in India.

RuPay card Phase-II

• The prime ministers of the two countries had jointly launched Phase-I of the project during Modi’s state visit to Bhutan.
• The implementation of Phase-I of RuPay cards in Bhutan has enabled visitors from India to access ATMs and Point of Sale (PoS) terminals across Bhutan.
• Phase-II will now allow Bhutanese card holders to access RuPay network in India.
• The RuPay card is an Indian debit and credit card payment network, with acceptance at ATMs, POS devices and e-commerce websites.

Delhi HC seeks Centre’s response on pleas to recognise same-sex marriages

Source: LiveMint

News

• The Delhi High Court issued a notice to the Centre in connection with a PIL seeking recognition of same-sex marriages under the Hindu Marriage Act.

Same-sex marriages

• The Centre in September had opposed the petition and submitted that “our law, legal system, society, our values” do not recognise the marriage of same-sex couples. Solicitor General of India had submitted that allowing the prayer would run contrary to statutory provisions already in place.
• The bench tagged has the petition with two other pleas — one filed by two women seeking to get married under the SMA and challenging provisions of the statute to the extent it does not provide for same sex marriages, and the other by two men who got married in the US but were denied registration of their marriage under the Foreign Marriage Act (FMA).

IASTODAY DAILY CAPSULES -General Studies-03

 Release of Interest Sub-vented Loan from Micro-Irrigation Fund (MIF)

Source: PIB INDIA

News

• Micro Irrigation Fund with a corpus of Rs. 5000 crore created with NABARD was operationalised in 2019-20.

Objective

• The objective of the Fund is to facilitate the States in availing an interest subvented loan for expanding coverage of Micro Irrigation by taking up special and innovative projects and also for incentivising micro irrigation beyond the provisions available under PMKSY-Per Drop More Crop to encourage farmers to install micro irrigation systems.

Merchant vessels/ships can use IRNSS to obtain position information similar to GPS

Source: PIB INDIA

News

• The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) has been accepted as a component of the World Wide Radio Navigation System (WWRNS) for operation in the Indian Ocean Region by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

IRNSS accepted

• This will enable merchant vessels to use IRNSS for obtaining position information similar to GPS and GLONASS to assist in the navigation of ships in ocean waters within the area covered by 50°N latitude, 55°E longitude, 5°S latitude and 110°E longitude (approximately up to 1500 km from Indian boundary).
• The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) of IMO during its recent meeting (102nd session) has approved the recognition of the IRNSS as a component of the World-Wide Radio Navigation System.
• This is a significant achievement of Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) towards “Atmanirbhar Bharat”.
• After detailed analysis, the sub-committee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue [NCSR] of IMO (during the 7th session held in January 2020) recommended to the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) of IMO for accepting the IRNSS as a component of the World-Wide Radio Navigation System.
• IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system developed by India. It is designed to provide accurate position information service to assist in the navigation of ships in Indian Ocean waters.

Despite calls for restraint, Pak forces providing support to infiltrators: India

Source: Indian Express

News

• India said that despite repeated calls for restraint and adherence to the ceasefire understanding of 2003, Pakistani forces continue to provide supporting cover fire to infiltrators.
• Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson said the incessant infiltration of terrorists and induction of weapons to fuel terror activities continue unabated.

India slams Pakistan for GB elections

• India slammed Pakistan for holding elections in Gilgit-Baltistan, saying it was aimed at hiding Pakistan’s illegal occupation of the territory.
• Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson asserted that Gilgit-Baltistan was an integral part of India since 1947.