Indo-Japan Strategic Partnership

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What is the issue?

India & Japan currently have a “Special Strategic and Global Partnership”.
New Delhi accords this status to no other partner.
However, it largly falls short of a full fledged alliance.

Why did India confer such a status?

Geopolitics - The rise of China and doubts about USA’s commitments in Asia has pushed both the countries towards this relationship.
Economic Aspect - Japan is investing heavily in Indian projects.
The two countries are also working on a joint infrastructure development and connectivity drive traversing the Indian Ocean.
Their projects span from Myanmar to Sri Lanka to Iran and encompass the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor.
Defence – Indo-Japan joint naval exercises are being regularly organised together with the U.S. Navy.
Major arms deals like the ShinMaywa US-2i amphibious aircraft are on the cards.
Japanese investments in the strategically places like the Andaman & Nicobar Islands is also likely to help India enhance its security sentinals.

How is this different from an alliance?

Alliances have lacked their relevance in the post-cold war era and strategic partnerships have increasingly become the norm.
Lacking commitment - Unlike alliances, strategic partnerships don’t demand commitments to a partner’s disputes with other countries.
New Delhi does not take a strong position on Japan’s territorial disputes with China and Russia.
Likewise, Tokyo does not openly side with India in its quarrels with China and Pakistan.
Strategic partnership involves countries retaining their unconstrained diplomatic flexibility while continuing political engagement & economic cooperation.
Collaborative Approach – It also involves regular high-level interactions over a range of activities whereas an alliance is usually more pronounced in for defense & economy.
India and Japan are not only moving forward on economic and defence cooperation but are also cooperating on issues such as civil nuclear energy and UN reform.
It is also essential in the present times where states find themselves interdependent, even if their relationship is characterised by strategic tension.
e.g. India might confront China at Doklam but it also wants Chinese investment.
Source: The HIndu
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India-Japan ties: A new paradigm

India-Japan ties: A new paradigm

The PM Abe’s visit comes at a crucial time:

• Japan has been unsure of the US commitment to its allies ever since Donald Trump started his presidential campaign.
• The ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) capability of North Korea has aggravated Tokyo’s worries about the decoupling of the US-Japan alliance.
• It is not clear whether the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) will be able to hold its own in the face of increasing Chinese assertiveness in the region.
• Indo-Russian relations, a stabilizing factor in the past, are in flux. In this scenario, India and Japan are the only major forces of stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Emerging Geopolitical trends:

Indo-Pacific emerging as new playground:
The shift of the geopolitical centre of gravity from the Euro-Atlantic to the Indo-Pacific region. Most of the rivalries are being played out in the crowded geopolitical space of the Indo-Pacific, and Asian economies now account for more than half of global GDP and becoming larger in coming years.

Rise of China:

• The rise of China. China’s rise is reflected in a more assertive China. According to President Xi Jinping’s ‘two guides’ policy announced in February, China should guide ‘the shaping of the new world order’ and safeguarding ‘international security’.
• Today’s China is not just willing but eager to assume leadership and expects other countries to yield space.
• Its assertiveness in the East China Sea with Japan and in the South China Sea with its Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) neighbours sends a signal that while multipolarity may be desirable in a global order, in Asia, China is the predominant power and must be treated as such.
• Even though China has been a beneficiary of the U.S.-led global order, it is impatient that it does not enjoy a position that it feels it deserves, especially in the Bretton Woods institutions. During the last five years, it has set about creating a new set of institutions (the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New Development Bank) and launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to create a new trading infrastructure that reflects China’s centrality as the largest trading nation.
• The BRI is also complemented by a growing Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean. Beginning in 2009, the PLA Navy started rotating three ship task forces through the Indian Ocean as part of the anti-piracy task force off the Somalia coast. In addition to Gwadar, China is now converting the supply facility at Djibouti into a full-fledged military base.

Recent developments accelerating the trends:

• The outcome of the U.S. elections last year. By invoking ‘America first’ repeatedly, President Donald Trump has made it clear that the U.S. considers the burden of leading the global order too onerous.
• Recent nuclear and long-range missile tests by North Korea have added to South Korean and Japanese anxieties. Given the U.S. push for more sanctions that depend on China for implementation, most Japanese reluctantly admit that North Korea’s nuclear and missile capability is unlikely to be dismantled any time soon.
• Another significant development was the Doklam stand-off between India and China that lasted from June to August. Differences with China in Doklam was preceded by the stapled visa issue for Indians belonging to Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, growing incidents of incursions along the disputed boundary, blocking of India’s bid to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group last year, ensuring that no language relating to Pakistan-based terrorist groups found mention in the BRICS summit in Goa and preventing the inclusion of Masood Azhar from being designated as a terrorist by the UN Security Council by exercising a veto.

India-Japan ties:

A new strategic landscape:

• The contours of a new relationship were defined during Mr. Abe’s earlier tenure, in 2006-07, when annual summits were introduced, the relationship became a ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership’, Japan was invited to join in the Malabar naval exercises and a Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation was concluded.
• A singular achievement was the conclusion of the agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy in 2016. Under negotiation for five years, this was a sensitive issue for Japan given the widespread anti-nuclear sentiment and faith in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
• To deepen strategic understanding, the two sides initiated a 2+2 Dialogue involving the Foreign and Defence Ministries in 2010. A memorandum on enhancing defence and technology/security cooperation was signed and talks on acquiring the amphibious maritime surveillance ShinMaywa US-2i began in 2013.
• Trilateral dialogue involving both the U.S. and Japan and covering strategic issues was elevated to ministerial level in 2014.
• Japanese participation in the Malabar exercises, suspended because of Chinese protests, was restored in 2015.
• A new trilateral at the foreign secretary level has been initiated with Australia as the third country.
• India has also extended to Japan an offer denied to any other country, which is to assist in infrastructure development in the Northeast.
• The numbers on Japanese foreign direct investment (FDI) and overseas development assistance (ODA) to India have been climbing. FDI flows from Japan have almost tripled in last three years.
• Other than the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail, many other high-profile projects like the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) and Mumbai Trans-harbour link project are under different stages of execution.

The two countries are exploring cooperation on infrastructure and human development projects beyond India.

• The Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail corridor is more than symbolism, in demonstrating that high-cost Japanese technology is viable in developing countries and that India has the absorption capacity to master it.
  Completing it in five years is a management challenge but the bigger challenge will be to transfer the know-how of best practices to other sectors of the economy.
• Another major initiative is the recently launched Asia-Africa Growth Corridor to build connectivity for which Japan has committed $30 billion and India $10 billion. This adds a critical dimension to the ‘global partnership’ between the two countries. If pursued with an unwavering focus, the AAGC, has the potential to become a serious counterweight to China’s BRI. Unlike BRI, the AAGC promises to evolve a consultative mechanism towards identification and implementation of projects.

Joint statement:

• Both the title of the joint statement, “Toward a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific”, and substantive paragraphs on cooperation in the region, indicate a much closer alignment between India and Japan in countering China’s influence in the South China Sea, its forays into the Indian Ocean, and investments in South Asia and Africa.
• The joint statement calls for a “rules-based order” in the Indo-Pacific region where “sovereignty and international law are respected, and differences resolved through dialogue, and where all countries, large or small, enjoy freedom of navigation and overflight, sustainable development, and a free, fair and open trade and investment system”.
• The joint statement also took a swipe at China’s OBOR initiative by calling for transparency in the development of connectivity and infrastructure development in the region, and reaffirmed the India-Japan project to connect Africa and Asia.
• The statement condemns North Korea, but for the first time, includes “the importance of holding accountable all parties” that helped that country develop its nuclear programme, which is not just an allusion to China, but also Pakistan.
• The joint statement also endorses the principles on which India decided to sit out the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

In a way, India and Japan show themselves to be an open and democratic bulwark against the malafide conduct of the Rawalpindi-Beijing-Pyongyang axis.

Way ahead:

It is imperative that India and Japan also look beyond their lofty geopolitical aims, at the more basic aspects of bilateral engagement.

• Stronger economic times needed: The strategic partnership needs stronger economic ties. Today, India-Japan trade languishes at around $15 billion, a quarter of trade with China while Japan-China trade is around $300 billion. The trade numbers—below $15 billion annually in the last two years—do not reflect the economic ties between the third and the fourth largest (on purchasing power parity terms) economies in the world. Long pending defence deals—especially the sale of US-2 amphibious aircraft to India—too haven’t moved forward.
  While Japan is India’s largest donor and the third largest provider of FDI, bilateral trade has steadily declined since 2013, and is down to $13.61 billion in 2016-17 from $14.51 billion the year before.
  The decision to finalise four new locations for special Japanese industrial townships may be only one way of addressing the difficulties businessmen face in India.
• Both New Delhi and Tokyo have to keep in mind that they have independent relations with China, with problems unique to their own bilateral histories. As they join hands, they cannot wish China away. Thus, the next step in the India-Japan partnership has to be constructive engagement with China.
• The two countries should work on strengthening security cooperation. If the emerging geopolitical environment helps Japan become a “normal” military power—it is currently restrained by its own Constitution—it will help New Delhi and Tokyo in evolving a robust security architecture in the Indo-Pacific.
• India needs to change its style of implementing projects abroad, most of which have been plagued by cost and time over-runs. Ensuring effective implementation and setting up mechanisms for delivery will align Mr. Modi’s Act East policy with Mr. Abe’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy. This alignment sets the stage for the reordering of the Asian strategic landscape.

Thus, it is time to get down to brass tacks and address some of the issues in order to facilitate closer ties between India and Japan, even as the two leaders and militaries forge closer bonds.

Conclusion:
The emerging India-Japan alignment surely sets the stage for the reordering of the Asian strategic landscape. India and Japan are infusing bilateral ties with a sharper geopolitical agenda. Only time will tell if Japan can be new Russia or much more than that for India.

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Takeaways from 2017 BRICS Summit

Key Highlights

1. Terrorism has been mentioned strongly and terror groups listed categoricaly. This is advancement from the Goa declaration.
2. 5 guests were invited outside BRICS by china- Thailand, Mexico, Egypt, Guinea and Tajikistan. Pakistan was not invited despite being an ‘all weather friend’.
3. In the entire declaration, there is no mention of OBOR as there were strong reservations by India and Bhutan not in its favour.

China’s stand on terrorism

It has to be wait and watched if the Chinese position on Masood azhar changes when the time comes as it has mentioned LeT and JeM. It would be presumptuous to think that in a declaration, the Chinese have shifted their policy towards Pakistan.
There is reference to Taliban and Haqqani network and strong statement in favour of afghan government and afghan national security forces and their fight against terrorism. When this is added together, it will be seen in future if it means a shift in Chinese position or not. The Chinese are encouraging the talks between afghan government and Taliban. So they are playing both sides of the game.
Border settlement
The appearances shouldn’t be always accepted. There was a successful meeting in Astana and right after it, Doklam happened.
The Chinese way of diplomacy is to make the fight very hard for India when the measures to solve them are actually reasonably simple steps that the world understands should be taken in such an event.
The leaders have said that the relationship will be forward looking . Thus they will not be looking into past that much. There was a need of constructive discussion on where the relationship should be headed. Peace and tranquillity at the border is pre-requisite for the relationship to go forward.
Border issue can be talked in a routine manner but when Doklam like issues happen, it derails the other relation such as economics.
India-China relations are entering a very difficult stage with standoffs occurring in 2013(Aksai Chin region) and 2014 (Chumar, Eastern Ladakh). Given the dynamics between two countries and the positioning they are looking for in the global system, it is bound to be natural that there are going to be areas of contestation between two sides.
In a setting where there are many contentious issues at bilateral level, when the strategic contestation is added, then it becomes more difficult to manage this relationship. However, both sides did reasonably well despite the Doklam standoff.

Other areas

There is a need for India-China connections on other bilateral issues like building of trade relations, access to Indian pharmaceutical companies into china, river water (Brahmputra) data sharing etc.
Way forward
The way forward is to enhance strategic communications. It is not sufficient that the leaders meet as per schedule as they don’t have so much time to discuss these issues in detail. More dialogues are required between range of senior officials, middle level officials and junior officials. USA and china have huge amount of dialogues. Unless India and china don’t enter into those dialogues and have exchanges between government officials, military officials and academics and people to people level, ties will remain on tight rope. However, it is difficult as though there will be dialogues between India and china, china doesn’t accept India as a strategically equal partner. So it doesn’t show interest or provide platform to India to discuss things as it does with USA.
Also it is well known that Chinese economic involvement with other countries is extension of its military involvement which is why India will take care of unnecessary Chinese domination when India and its strategic interests are concerned.
BRICS is an interesting avenue where these things could come up and settled down. BRICS has made comments on global issues such as climate change, IMF, promoting effective use of fossil fuels etc. So there is a direction where all countries can go together. There is also been mention of BRICS credit rating agency and solar alliance as it can’t solely depend on western countries.
However, the group needs to be balanced in multiple ways when it comes to making it sustainable. China and India are bigger economic players and more significant political players. If the other three economies are not able to get their act together, than BRICS has problem going forward. It now needs to be seen how India and China make the entire group working together in economic terms as well as long term bilateral partnerships.

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India Myanmar relations

What is the issue?
India needs to move swiftly to build on its friendly ties with Myanmar

What are the highlights of PM’s recent visit to Myanmar?

The trip’s timing was awkward because Myanmar’s army had launched brutal counter-attack against Rohingya rebels in Rakhine province which lies close to Mizoram.
India chose to ignore worldwide condemnation of the assault which has sent 1,25,000 fleeing to Bangladesh.
It issued a statement condemning “the recent terrorist attacks in northern Rakhine State, wherein several members of the Myanmar security forces lost their lives”.
India has taken the view it must be sensitive to Myanmarese fears of secessionist ethnic groups.
Eight MOUs were signed between both the nations during this visit.

Why Myanmar is important to India?

India shares a 1,640-km border with Myanmar, is central to its strategic North-East considerations.
India’s keen to keep Myanmar in its orbit, mindful of how China is courting its neighbour.
Myanmar is in need of more diplomatic friends as it has irritants with its neighbours like Thailand and Laos.
Thus Myanmar has been one diplomatic success for India in its backyard.
What can be done?
India needs to build on its firmer relations by boosting its economic interests in the country.
The Sittwe port build by India in troubled Rakhine province, but I has not been maintained India need to concentrate on that.
India could encourage creation of a fisheries industry in the area.
India need to push forward in many ways and the Government has been generous with foreign aid.

Source: Business Line

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SSC CGL TIER I 2017 QUESTION WITH ANSWER KEY PDF - PDF DOWNLOAD OF ALL SHIFT

SSC CGL TIER I 2017 QUESTION WITH ANSWER KEY PDF - PDF DOWNLOAD OF ALL SHIFT

Click Here to Download SSC CGL 2017 Tier 1 Question Papers with Answer Key ALL SHIFT

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Mahanadi River Water Dispute

What is the issue?

Sharing of Mahanadi river water has been a bone of contention between the states of Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
Odisha is now increasingly showing its resentment to the centre for not intervening and resolving the water dispute.

What are Odisha's concerns?

• Odisha is arguing that
• Chhattisgarh has been constructing dams and weirs (small dams) upstream the Mahanadi river.
• This is being allegedly carried on by the Chhattisgarh government without consulting Odisha.
• Odisha says this would affect the flow of the river downstream and affect drinking water supply.
• Also, it would impact the irrigation facilities in Odisha and adversely affect the interests of the farmers.
• It is also alleged that Chhattisgarh would utilise water far in excess of the equitable share of the waters of Mahanadi.
• Moreover, the weirs and other projects would impact the flow of water in the Hirakud reservoir, a multipurpose river valley project, which is a lifeline for many in the state.

What is the way forward?

• Under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 a tribunal can be formed to resolve water disputes.
• A tribunal could be formed if a state government requests the Centre and the Centre is convinced of the need to form the tribunal.
• Odisha has long been demanding the formation of a tribunal for resolving the Mahanadi river water dispute.
• However, notably only three out of the eight existing tribunals have given awards accepted by the states concerned.
• The Centre has recently put forward the idea of a
• permanent tribunal to adjudicate all inter-state river water disputes for speedy resolution.
• Materialising this idea could be a solution to the Mahanadi River Water Dispute and many such water disputes among different states.

Source: The Hindu, Indian Express


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WHAT IS REMOTE SENSING SATELLITE, EXPLAIN SIGNIFICANCE OF REMOTE SENSING FOR INDIA AND APPLICATIONS OF CARTOSAT 2 SERIES SATELLITE THEREOF. .

What is Remote Sensing:

Remote sensing is the science of obtaining information about objects or areas from a distance, Remote sensors collect data by detecting the energy that is reflected from Earth. These sensors can be on satellites or mounted on aircraft.
Remote sensors can be either passive or active. 
Passive sensors respond to external stimuli. They record natural energy that is reflected or emitted from the Earth’s surface.

The most common source of radiation detected by passive sensors is reflected sunlight.
In contrast, active sensors use internal stimuli to collect data about Earth. For example, a laser-beam remote sensing system projects a laser onto the surface of Earth and measures the time that it takes for the laser to reflect back to its sensor.
In India, Remote sensing has the following applications:
1. Coastal applications: Monitor shoreline changes, track sediment transport, and map coastal features. Data can be used for coastal mapping and erosion prevention.
2. Ocean applications: Monitor ocean circulation and current systems, measure ocean temperature and wave heights, and track sea ice. Data can be used to better understand the oceans and how to best manage ocean resources.
3. Hazard assessment: Track hurricanes, earthquakes, erosion, and flooding. Data can be used to assess the impacts of a natural disaster and create preparedness strategies to be used before and after a hazardous event.
4. Natural resource management: Monitor land use, map wetlands, and chart wildlife habitats. Data can be used to minimize the damage that urban growth has on the environment and help decide how to best protect natural resources.
CartoSat-2 Series:
Cartosat-2 Series Satellite is the primary remote sensing satellite of India at present. This remote sensing satellite is similar in configuration to earlier satellites in the series with the objective of providing high-resolution scene specific spot imagery.
The imagery sent by satellite will be useful for cartographic applications, urban and rural applications, coastal land use and regulation, utility management like road network monitoring, water distribution, creation of land use maps, change detection to bring out geographical and manmade features and various other Land Information System (LIS) as well as Geographical Information System (GIS) applications.

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What is the significance of BRICS in India’s context? Can the present India-China issues negatively impact the BRICS agenda?

The HIndu 

Introduction about BRICS:

• It began as an acronym coined by investment bankers at Goldman Sachs in 2001to symbolise the engines of economic growth in the twenty first century.
• BRICS has evolved into something much bigger –a representation of the changing geo-political and geo-economic world order.

Significance to India:

• It attaches high importance to the BRICS forum for promoting global economic growth, peace and stability.
• International:
  • Being part of this grouping is the first for India to become a global power.
  • Sheer clout and hegemony expressed by these countries will show a strong voice in international relations and foreign policy issues.
  • Through G4 (Brazil, Germany, India and Japan) and through BRICS it can ask strongly for UNSC reforms to make India as a Permanent Member.
• Economical:
  • Through BRICS, the countries can have multilateral relations in their local currencies. Thus, weakening the “US Dollar”. This helps all of them directly as the forex is not depleted and their own currencies are strengthened.
  • BRICS Banks will help in infrastructure development of all countries unlike IMF or World Bank.
  • India has also played an important role in the setting up of New Development Bank.
  • India is in utmost need of Investment in Industrial and Agricultural sectors.Indians see BRICS and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which was created under its umbrella, as a source for new opportunities.
• Cooperation:
  • They promote South-South cooperation and North-South dialogue.
  • India sees BRICS as a platform to build multilateral relations with Latin American, African and Asian countries.
  • India has over the years, developed closed strategic relationship with the other member countries.
• Resolve issues:
  • India has also tried to use BRIC as a forum to resolve the age-old mistrust and complicated relationship with China.
  • Also for India, co-operation with the BRICs is very important in terms of addressing its food and energy security issues, and combating terrorism.
  • It will also help its member countries in fulfilling Sustainable development goals.

Yes, India China issues would affect:-

• The duration of Doklam standoff betrays trust deficit between India and China – two biggest economies of the BRICS.
• Their rivalry for global influence and fears of containment by the other threaten to overshadow those aspirations.
• Indian fears of Chinese encroachment in the Indian Ocean.
  • Recently China announced it had carried out military drills in the western Indian Ocean, advertising its growing presence there.
• China is also cooperating with Pakistan, Sri Lanka and other coastal nations on port access, including for its navy which is a concern for India
• Indian wariness about the motives behind Beijing’s flagship “One Belt, One Road” infrastructure initiative.
  • That adds to Indian frustration over lopsided trade that saw China record a trade surplus of about $40 billion with India last year.
• China has thwarted attempts by India to gain permanent membership on the UN Security Council and join the Nuclear Suppliers Group, or to label Pakistani militant Masood Azhar a terrorist.
• India’s refusal to be a part of the BRI over sovereignty issues, coupled with its broader objections to the transparency and agenda of the project, was a cause for tensions.
• Beijing resents India’s providing a base for the Dalai Lama, and complained bitterly when the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader was permitted to visit an Indian region claimed by China earlier this year.
• A major challenge for India is likely to arise from China’s plan for a “BRICS-Plus” or “Friends of BRICS” grouping, to include Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Mexico to an expanded version of BRICS.
• Beijing fears what it sees as a U.S.-led encirclement of China by Washington’s allies and neighbors, including India and Japan.
• All these insecurities show that BRICS is loomed with the issues of these countries

No it will not affect because:-

• India and China lie at the helm of this new order and they realise the importance of it.
• BRICS grouping holds considerable allure for both countries, underscoring their support for regular meetings over the past decade to discuss economic concerns and issues such as climate change.
• Some observers see a multilateral arena like BRICS as being one of the few places where the world’s two most populous countries can work together despite tensions
• Both countries cannot hold the other three, as in South Africa, Russia and Brazil, hostage to our narrow nationalistic rivalries.
• The summit is a great opportunity to communicate face-to-face and exchange views on the two countries problems and contradictions and the solutions to them.
• The fact that India and China released statements indicating disengagement at Doklam just a few days before the BRICS summit shows a realisation on both sides that the opportunities in cooperation for a greater say on the world stage far outweigh individual territorial ambitionsthat either of them might have.
• lack of coherence among BRICS nations, especially India and China, has often been over emphasized in western media outlets.

Way ahead:

• Indiaon the other hand must continue to advocate for an increased joint collaboration with China in multi-lateral institutions,

Conclusion:

• Russia, Brazil and South Africa will surely count on India and China to speak in one voice in the upcoming summit and showcase the points of convergences among the BRICS nations to the world. In line with the theme of the summit, which is “Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future”, India and China must use BRICS to build a house

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Xiamen Declaration

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Why in news?

Recently adopted Xiamen Declaration of BRICS forum is seen as a triumph for Indian diplomacy.

What is Xiamen declaration about?

• It explicitly called out several Pakistan-based terror organisations and expressed concern on the security situation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.
• It also referred to violence caused by the Taliban, Al-Qaida and its affiliates, including theEastern Turkestan Islamic Movement Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan etc.
• The Chinese government, as is evident from the inclusion of the Uighur-focused Eastern Turkestan Islamic Movement in the above list, is concerned about growing Islamist activity in its western provinces.

What is the significance of this?

• India-China Saw the importance of building a durable security architecture for their increasingly fraught relationship.
• People’s Republic of China a signatory to this declaration, had till recently been blocking the designation of the head of the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group, Masood Azhar, as an international terrorist by the United Nations.
• This was done presumably to protect Beijing’s clients in Pakistan, where Azhar continues to move around freely and address massive rallies.
• It is not yet certain whether this declaration represents a change in China’s stand on Azhar.
• But India’s efforts to make Beijing yield its obstructive position at the United Nations should continue.
• It is a sign that relations between the India-China have not been harmed by the doklam stand-off, but remain cordial and co-operative.

Source: Business Standard

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Discuss India’s achievements in the field of Space Science and Technology. How the application of this technology has helped India in its socio-economic development

Introduction:

India is one of the front runners in space technology .With the multi dimensional applications space technology ensures, India is moving in the right direction.
India’s achievements in space science and technology:
Recently PSLV launched 104 satellites in to space in one launch.This is the first for any space agency.
Mangalyaan, 2014:
India joined an exclusive global club when it successfully launched the Mars Orbiter Mission on a shoestring budget that was at least 10 times lower than a similar project by the US.
Chandrayaan, 2008:
India’s first unmanned lunar probe was launched almost a decade ago and was a landmark in India’s space mission.
Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, 2016:
The seven-satellite system created India’s very own satellite navigation system e terrestrial and will provide services in marine navigation, disaster management, vehicle tracking and fleet management, and navigation aide for drivers.
Reusable Launch Vehicle, 2016:
In May 2016, India successfully tested the Reusable Launch Vehicle.
Successful launch of GSLV with Indigenous Cryogenic Stage
Development of Next Generation Geo-Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk III
GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation):
It is primarily being used in aviation sector for precise position information services.
With this, India becomes the third country in the world, after USA and European Union, to offer Global Navigational Satellite System (GNSS) based precision approach services to civil aviation sector.
Application of space technology in socio-economic development :-
1.Economic:-
Agriculture:-
Remote sensing satellites provide key data for monitoring soil,snow cover,drought and crop development.
Rainfall assessments from satellites,for example, help farmers plan the timing and amount of irrigation they will need for their crops.
Accurate information and analysis can also help predict a region’s agricultural output well in advance and can be critical in anticipating and mitigating the effects of food shortages and famines.
Acreage and production estimates for the principal crops such as wheat, rice, sorghum, cotton, mustard, and groundnut using Forecasting Agriculture Output using Space Agrometeorology and land based observations (FASAL).
Precision farming using IRNSS.
Identification of diseases of crops through hyper spectral method.
Wasteland mapping, watershed development and monitoring as well as help in fisheries sector for augmentation of income.
Agro Metrological (AGROMET) Towers to measure soil temperature, soil moisture, soil heat and net radiation, wind speed, wind direction, pressure and humidity; Flux Tower for multi-level micrometeorological observation as well as subsurface observations on soil temperature and moisture over the vegetative surfaces.
A number of academic and research institutions as well as industries participate in the Indian space Programme.Several Indian industries have the expertise to undertake sophisticated jobs required for space systems.
Resources:
The other major application of space technology is the use of earth observation satellites for resources survey.
Investment:
Space science always puts high demands on technology and these technologies could be n important investment for sophisticating future application missions to bring increased benefits to society.
The successful conduct of planetary missions like Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan puts India in an exclusive club and this in turn gives the right credentials for international collaboration and cooperation on an equal partnership basis.This will develop both scientific and space manufacturing industry in India
Foreign Exchange source through revenue.
Commercialization of space launching technologies by ANTRIX has resulted into economic gain.
The data is used for several applications covering agriculture, water resources, urban development , mineral prospecting, environment, forestry, drought and flood forecasting, ocean resources and disaster management.
2.Social:
Disaster management:
It plays a vital role in delivering cyclone warnings and is used in search and rescue operations
Use of INSAT for e-governance and developmental communication applications is also fast expanding.
Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) to monitor severe weather events such as cyclone and heavy rainfall.
Satellite communication:
Another application of satellite communication is Satellite Aided Search and Rescue (SAS&R), as a part of India’s commitment to the International COSPAS- SARSAT programme for providing alerts and position location services for aircraft and ships in distress.
Scientific Temper :
ISRO through it’s achievements can attract millions of young minds towards science and further ISRO can ignite these young minds through collaborations with various colleges, schools and universities like NASA.
Finding prospective groundwater zones to provide drinking water in villages, providing land and water resources development plans at watershed level using IRS.
Tele-fishery:
VRCs located at coastal tracts are being provided with near real time information on satellite derived Potential Fishing Zones (PFZ). Information pertaining to inland fisheries, aquaculture, etc., is also provided through VRCs as relevant.
Telemedicine:
Introducing telemedicine via satellite for making speciality treatment accessible to people in remote areas of India.Places around Bangalore,Kolkata and Tripura are networked with a hub using VSAT terminals.
Biodiversity information system:
Use of space technological tools for characterization of biodiversity at a landscape level.

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BRICS And India’s Ideology

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What is the issue?

India being an active participant in BRICS forum, feels harder to address Chinese led globalisation.

What is the significance of BRICS?

• Building a multipolar world has been one of the central themes of India’s foreign policy.
• The construction of a “multipolar Asia” or balancing China is turning out to the search for a “multipolar world”.
• BRICS has been the main forum for the pursuit of that objective.
• India was tempted to privilege the BRICS over the partnership with the West.
• Many in India see the BRICS forum as a continuation of the past attachment to non-alignment and third worldism.
• China sees BRICS as an instrument to expand its own global economic influence.

What are the issues with BRICS?

• The willingness of both Russia and China to cut deals with the US makes the BRICS less about ideological posturing, more about repositioning India in changing great power equations.
• The internal changes within the BRICS and external environment altered the dynamics of the BRICS and posing new challenges for India’s engagement with the forum.
• India seems more inclined towards judging BRICS by implications for its national interest rather than the metric of a presumed ideological correctness.

How china intervenes India’s Ideology?

• China’s rapid rise has compelled India to rethink the virtues of a multipolar world.
• It becomes a lot more assertive in the bilateral disputes.
• China’s economic weight in BRICS is nearly $12 trillion is now more than twice that of the other four members put together.
• Rise of China dramatically altered the orientation of the BRICS, the internal favour of the nation within the forum has elevated.
• B&RI has become the main vehicle for Beijing’s economic power projection, has added to India’s concerns about China’s rise.
• India has a hard time endorsing the free market, due to a massive annual trade deficit of nearly $50 billion with China.
• How the issues can be addressed?
• India should conscious of the fact that the BRICS is not about North-South politics.
• Nor is it about staying away from the great powers and maintaining equidistance between them.
• India should stand up to China where necessary and cooperating with it where possible.
• Retrieving the essence of the long-standing partnership with Russia and recognising its own imperatives is needed.
• Deepening the strategic ties with Washington and acknowledging its sharp internal divisions is important to counter china.
• 
  

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Source: Indian Express

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Nirmala Sitharaman: India’s first full time woman Defence Minister

Nirmala Sitharaman (58) became first full time woman Defence Minister of India after she was promoted to the Union Cabinet. She takes charge of the crucial ministry from Union Finacne Minister Arun Jaitley.

Ms Sitharaman is second woman to become Defence Minister of India. First was former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who was holding additional portfolio as Defence Minister from 1980-82.

Nirmala Sitharaman

Nirmala Sitharaman was born 18 August 1959 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Currently, she is Rajya Sabha MP representing Karnataka. She hails from Andhra Pradesh. She had obtained BA degree from Seethalakshmi Ramaswamy College, Tiruchirappalli and MA degree in economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University followed by Ph.D in Indo-European textile trade within GATT framework and MPhil. She has served at Pricewaterhouse Coopers as a Senior Manager and later for the BBC World Service.
Before her elevation to Union Cabinet in NDA Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she was Minister of State (MoS) for Finance and Corporate Affairs and Minister for Commerce and Industry with independent charge. Before that she was national spokesperson for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She was member of National Commission for Women (NCW) from 2003-05. She is founder member of Pranava School in Hyderabad

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Good and service tax -Yojana magzine (PDF )

‘Yojana’ is a very useful and essential magazine for UPSC /JKPSC CSE aspirants where they find the discussion on problems of economic and social development of our country. Many UPSC JKPSC CSE aspirants end up losing a lot of time to extract major discussions from it. Hence, we provide you a comprehensive gist of the Yojana Magazine.

GOODS AND SERVICES TAX
G.S.T. is the highlighted issue of August 2017 Yojana Magazine
Features of Yojana Magazine August 2017
Summary of 10 Articles

CONTENTS OF YOJANA SUMMARY

1. GST Regime -A Fillip to Make In India
2. Creating a Unified Taxation Regime
3. GST- Dawn of a New Era
4. Creating A Strong It Backbone
5. Removing Cascading Effect of Taxes
6. Balancing Federal Fiscal Relations
7. GST Means Ease of Doing Business
8. Profiteering, A GST Implementation Challenge
9. National Anti-Profiteering Authority
10. Transitional Challenges Ahead

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Indian polity and constution PDF mcqs

Hello guyz, iam going to share some Pdf of important Multiple choice questions from indian polity and constution, which are important for Jkpsc prelims jkssb and various other upcomming exams eg Sub inspector J&k police and banks etc

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Indian constution 3000+ Questions and answers, to get PDF click here

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Indian and World Geography by Majid HusainPdf Download

Indian and World Geography by Majid Husain (Tata Mcgraw Hill)

• Author Majid Husain
• Language English
• Subject : College Books Geography
• Publisher Tata Mcgraw Hill

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India and World Geography contains all the information on Geography required by students to crack the UPSC JKPSC Preliminary and other Examinations. India and World Geography (Paper-1) is exhaustive in and covers all aspects of Geography required for cracking the UPSC and JKPSC Preliminary Examination.


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Rohingyas – The Citizens Of Nowhere

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Why in news?

Rohingyas Muslims of Myanmar are fleeing their homes for Bangladesh in the face of an intensive state supported pogrom & rising insurgency.

What is the current situation?

• A state supported pogrom of the minority Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar is snowbowling into a major humanitarian crisis.
• The recent clashes in the western State of Rakhine has claimed over 70 lives and forced thousands of Rohingya to flee across the border into Bangladesh.
• The latest flare-up began when militants suspected to be from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army attacked military outposts.
• Most of the victims are women and children, according to the UN’s International Organisation for Migration, which has called for additional aid to cope with Dhaka’s refugee situation.

What are the underlying political currents?

• A high-headed attitude in the corridors of power to address the Rohingya issue was what had led to the rise of insurgency.
• The government’s failure to act decisively and urgently to protect civilians from the raging crossfire between the security forces and insurgents is another shocker.
• Als0, an excessive counter-insurgency operation is currently underway, which has been widely condemned as disproportionate.
• The UN had described the slaughter of thousands and displacement of even larger numbers as crimes against humanity.
• But, on the contrary, the radical Buddhist nationalists who have traditionally refused citizenship to the Rohingyas, have demanded even tougher action from the government.

What has Ms.Suu Kyi done?

• It has been perceieved that Nobel peace laureate and “Foreign Minister Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi”, has failed to exert any moral pressure to secure humanitarian assistance for the systematically persecuted Rohingya.
• She has rightly come under criticism for her continued silence over the army brutalities and for irresponsible statements that could potentially disrupt aid and relief activity.

What does the future hold?

• The Myanmar government has an obligation to act on the recommendations of the UN appointed Commission, on the guarantee of citizenship rights to the Rohingya, freedom of movement and enforcement of the rule of law.
• While democracy was restored in Myanmar some years ago, a further consolidation will remain an arduous task so long as a large minorities are systematically excluded from the political process.
• While, stopping the crisis is the urgent need, a pro-active work to ensure that ethinic peace is established is the needed for the l0ng run.

Source: TheHindu
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BRICS – The Core Agenda

Why in news?

Ninth BRICS summit is going to be held in Xiamen, China.
China has invited Egypt, Kenya, Tajikistan, Mexico and Thailand as guest countries for the summit.

What is BRICS?

BRICS is the acronym for an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
BRICS countries represents 40% of the world population and account for 22% of global GDP.
Since 2009, the BRICS nations have met annually at formal summits.

What are the problems faced by the BRICS countries?

• Bilateral relations among BRICS nations have mainly been conducted on the basis of non-interference, equality, and mutual benefit.
• The future of this partnership has lately come under serious interrogation due to various internal and external problems experienced by them.
• Brazil and South Africa have experienced prolonged internal instability.
• Russia has had to face continuous distractions from Georgia, Ukraine and Syria to the current US sanctions.
• Also, the recent China-India military standoff at Doklam became formidable stumbling block.
• Hence, the theme of the current Summit “Stronger Partnership for Brighter Future” is very apt to the present situation for the group.

What is its agenda?

• Originally, BRICS was envisioned to usher in reforms in the global financial governance.
• At a broader level, it was to pursue democratisation of international relations and provide developing nations a greater say in global governance.
• Of late, BRICS has drastically expanded its scope & become more of a political forum, thereby diluting its founding principles.
• The expanded agenda now includes several non-financial issues from climate change and terror to women empowerment, human trafficking and so on.
• While these issues are indeed pressing, experts allude that expansion of agenda takes a toll on efficacy.

What is the best path for BRICS?

• Experts feel that focus should be on consolidation of the agenda and not expansion.
• Creating a dedicated organisational structure with its own cadre of BRICS personnels should be prioritized.
• To nourish cohesion and momentum, the organisation should be a mission oriented framework rather than being a vague conglomerate.
• People to people contacts & co-operation in other fields shouldn’t dilute the core issues at hand.

Source: The New Indian Express

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