AIR Discussions(December 1St Week)

AIR Discussions(December 1st week)

December 2. Various meetings on the sidelines of G 20 Summit

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the second session of the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires presented a nine-point programme aimed to take action against fugitive economic offenders.  RIC-PM Modi met the presidents of China and Russia in a trilateral meet-Deepening engagement with valued partners.  PM Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe had a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit to discuss major issues of global and multilateral interests. The meeting assumed importance in the wake of China flexing its muscles in the strategic Indo-Pacific region. PM Modi-The 'JAI' (Japan, America, India) meeting is dedicated to democratic values...'JAI' stands for victory (in Hindi).  PM Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping on sidelines of G20 summit- his 4th meeting with him (JAI, BRICS, RIC).  Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed bin Salman met PM Modi and offered to supply oil to India. During the meeting, the two sides discussed the horizons of bilateral cooperation between the two friendly countries in the various political, security, economic, investment, agricultural, energy, cultural, and technological fields.  PM Modi at BRICS informal meeting in Buenos Aires -We have to talk in one voice for the interest of developing nations in the United Nations and other multilateral organizations. This is the reason we have come together for BRICS. Terrorism and radicalism are a threat to the world and those who commit financial crimes are also a big threat. We have to work together against black money.  PM Modi met Netherland President Mark Rutte on the margins of G-20 Summit.  PM Modi met with Chancellor Angela Merkel on the sidelines of G-20 Summit. The strategic relations between India and Germany are founded on common democratic principles and marked by mutual respect.

December 4. Safe Childhood Strong Nation

 India is one of the 193 countries that are signatories to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). These rights include-promoting healthy lives (addressing survival, nutrition, health care services etc.), providing quality education, and protection against abuse, exploitation and violence (combating child labor, child trafficking and child sexual abuse).  Child Sex Ratio- 1. Pre-Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994 2. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao 3. Supreme Court Guidelines for female foeticide  Child Marriage- 1. UN Convention on Rights of Child 2. The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006-makes it illegal for girls to marry under 18 years and for boys under 21 years. 3. Other laws that may provide protection to a child bride include the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, the Domestic Violence Act, 2005, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.  Crimes against Children- 1. Sexual abuse Laws in India a) The Government had acceded to the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992. b) Crimes against children were protected by section 354, 375, 377, 509 of Indian Penal Code, 1860, without any proper legislation until 2012. Finally, in the year 2012 the Parliament of India passed the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) for the victims of child sexual abuse below 18 years of age. c) The issue of pornography, affecting children, was dealt with Young Persons (Harmful Publication) Act, 1956. d) There are various constitutional provisions that deal with Rights of Child, viz Article 21, Article 24, Article 39(f). e) WHO Guidelines on Responding to Child Sex Abuse. f) Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018-ensures stringent punishment for those convicted of raping girls below 12 years of age.  Child Labor- 1. Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016 2. National Policy on Child Labour (1987) which focuses upon rehabilitation of such children 3. Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015 4. India has recently ratified two of the ILO (International Labour Organisation) Conventions on Child labour i.e. Minimum Age Convention 1993, Worst forms of Child Labour Convention 1999 © APTI PLUS ACADEMY FOR CIVIL SERVICES

 Safety of Children in the digital world is of paramount importance.  Creche facilities under MGNREGA, Anganwadi, labor act etc.  National Commission for Protection of Child Rights- school safety guidelines  Initiatives under Ministry of Women and Child Development and others 1. Integrated Child Development Scheme 2. CHILDLINE 1098 3. Integrated Child Protection Scheme 4. SABLA - Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls 5. SAKSHAM - Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Boys 6. Kishori Shakthi Yojana 7. Maternity Benefit Programme- Pradhan Mantri Vyay Vandana Yojna 8. National Nutrition Mission 9. Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra 10. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme (BBBPS) 11. Digital Gudda Guddi Board 12. Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana 13. UJJAWALA Scheme 14. Dhanalakshmi Scheme 15. SHe-box Portal 16. Sakhi 17. Gender Champions Scheme 18. Laqshya Initiative 19. Khoya Paya web portal 20. There is also portal named „Track Child„- belongs to the Ministry of Home Affairs, but in that portal only police communicates with the police. 21. Portal PENCIL 22. Jan Sampark

December 4. Glorious History of Indian Navy

 HISTORY- 1. India has a rich maritime history dating back 5,000 years. The world's first tidal dock may have been built at Lothal around 2300 BCE during the Indus Valley Civilisation, near the present day Mangrol harbour on the Gujarat coast. 2. The Rig Vedas written around 1700 BCE, credits Varuna with knowledge of the ocean routes and describes naval expeditions. 3. Sea lanes between India and neighboring lands were the usual form of trade for many centuries, and are responsible for the widespread influence of Indian culture on other societies, particularly in the Indian Ocean region. Powerful navies included those of the Maurya, Satavahana, Chola, Vijayanagara, Kalinga, Maratha and Mughal empires. 4. Pre-colonial dynasties such as the Cholas used naval power to extend Indian trade and influence overseas, particularly to Southeast Asia. 5. The Maratha Navy of the 17th and 18th centuries fought against British and Portuguese colonisers. 6. The British East India Company organised its own navy, later known as the Bombay Marine. 7. With the establishment of the British Raj during the 19th century the naval force became "His Majesty's Indian Navy", then "Her Majesty's Indian Marine", and finally the "Royal Indian Marine". 8. This navy transported large numbers of Indian troops overseas during World War I, and – as the Royal Indian Navy – took part in combat and protected communications during World War II. 9. When India became independent in 1947 part of the Royal Indian Navy was allotted to the new state of Pakistan; the remaining Indian force took the title of Indian Navy in 1950. The Indian Navy took part in the annexation of Goa in 1961, in wars with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971, and in more recent smaller-scale operations.  Navy day in India is observed on 4th of December every year to celebrate the magnificence, achievements and role of the naval force to the country. The Maratha emperor, Chhatrapati Shivaji Bhonsle of the 17th century is considered as “Father of the Indian Navy”.  Theme of Navy Day 2018 was „Indian Navy, Mission-deployed and Combat-ready‟.  Navy Day in India is celebrated to commemorate the courageous attack on the Karachi harbor during the Indo-Pakistan war (at 4th of December in the year 1971) by the Indian Naval Missile boats as well as to reverence all the martyrs of that war. The Operation Trident was launched by three Vidyut class missile boats – INS Nipat, INS Veer and INS Nirghat. This was also the first time that anti-ship missiles were used in the region that‟s why it was regarded as the most successful attack by the Indian Navy.

December 4. Need to remove trade barriers to accelerate economy

 The 80th Session of the Policy Commission Meeting of the World Customs Organization Mumbai- discussed the issues of menace of illicit financial flows, including Trade Based Money Laundering and ways to control them; issues related to Small Island Economies and how to bring them in the mainstream of the supply chain and Free Trade Zones. Member countries exchanged their experiences and best practices in different areas of cross border trade.  Also discussions were held on Strategic Plan (2019-2022) of WCO to carry forward their work on trade facilitation, revenue collection, protection of society and capacity building. Delegates also discussed the importance of measuring performance for various procedures related to cross border clearance and methodologies to be adopted which would enable the Customs administrations to measure their performance on different areas related to clearance of import and export goods.  Finance Minister Jaitley made a strong pitch for free global trade, stressing it was in the larger interests of consumers around the world which would enable them to get the best products and services at a competitive cost. India remains committed to improving all hindrances in trade facilitation and easing trade across barriers. The remarks assume significance at a time when protectionist tendencies in the developed world have triggered trade wars and built barriers to free movement of goods and services.  Jaitley - No nation can manufacture all products or specialise in all forms of services. And therefore, trading across the barriers of nations is an economic imperative of the time. Trade barriers will have an impact on transactional costs. Any delay adds to the costs, takes away competitiveness, and domestic economies themselves start suffering.  Recalling the initial resistance from some countries to trade facilitation measures when they came up on the WTO‟s agenda in 1996, the Minister said that over time, every country realised the importance of the subject and its implications for domestic reforms as well as the performance of individual economies. It is this recognition that has led countries to invest a lot in airports, ports, railways and other infrastructure to support trade in both goods and services.  India has, of course, been at the forefront of increasing its capacity. And this is evident from the fact that in the last three years, India has moved from 140 to 77 in the World Bank‟s ease of doing business rankings. On trading across barriers, India ranked 146th out of 190 countries just a few years ago. Its rank now is 80th.  Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey- India‟s focus in improving customs clearances is on the reduction in dwell time of cargo, transaction costs and bringing transparency in rules and regulations with simpler procedures which is in sync with the WCO‟s current focus theme of creating smart borders for seamless trade, travel and transport. But the Customs department also needs to be effective and lethal when required, even as it seeks to facilitate seamless movement at the borders.

December 5. India and UN Peace Keeping Forces

 The United Nations celebrated the 70th anniversary of UN Peacekeeping in 2018.  3 basic principles of UN peacekeeping operations: 1. Consent of the parties 2. Impartiality 3. Non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate  UN Peacekeeping is a technique designed to preserve the peace, however fragile, where fighting has been halted, and to assist in implementing agreements achieved by the peacemakers. It is a unique and dynamic instrument to help countries torn by conflict transition to lasting peace.  The first UN peacekeeping mission was established in May 1948, when the UNSC authorized the deployment of UN military observers to the Middle East to form the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization to monitor the Armistice Agreement between Israel and its Arab neighbours.  In the early years, goals were limited to maintaining ceasefires and stabilizing situations on the ground. Today goals- maintain peace and security, facilitate the political processes, protect civilians, disarm combatants, support elections, protect and promote human rights and restore the rule of law.  India- 1. So far India has taken part in 43 Peacekeeping missions with a total contribution exceeding 180,000 troops and a significant number of police personnel having been deployed. 2. In 2014 India was the third largest troop contributor. 3. Past Missions-Korea (1950–54), Indo-China (1954–70), Middle East (1956–67), Congo (1960–64)-A flight of six Canberra bomber aircraft of the IAF also participated in the operations, Cambodia (1992-1993), Mozambique (1992–94), Somalia (1993–94), Rwanda (1994–96), Angola (1989-1999), Sierra Leone (1999-2001) and Ethiopia-Eritrea (2006–08). 4. Current Missions- Lebanon (Since Dec 1998), Congo (Since January 2005), Sudan and South Sudan (Since April 2005), Golan Heights (Since February 2006), Ivory Coast (Since April 2004), Haiti (Since December 1997) and Liberia (Since April 2007).

December 5. India UAE Bilateral Relations

 Recent Developments- 1. External Affairs Minister recently visited Abu Dhabi for 12th India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting. 2. Extradition of AugustaWestland VVIP Chopper scam middleman Christian Michel  Background- 1. India and United Arab Emirates enjoy strong bonds of friendship based on age-old cultural, religious and economic ties. The relationship flourished after the accession of H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan as the Ruler of Abu Dhabi in 1966 and subsequently with the creation of the UAE Federation in 1971. Both countries soon established diplomatic relations in 1972 with UAE Embassy in India opening in 1972 and Indian Embassy in UAE opening in 1973. Since then, both sides have made sincere efforts to improve relations in all fields. 2. Political Relations: The historic visit of Prime Minister of India to UAE in 2015 marked the beginning of a new comprehensive and strategic partnership. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince visited India in 2016 on a State visit and this was followed by another visit to India in 2017 as the Chief Guest at India‟s Republic day celebrations. Prime Minister Modi visited UAE in 2018 and he was also the guest of the honor at World Government Summit held at Dubai. 3. India and UAE have last year elevated their relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreement and have move beyond just buyer-seller relationship. 4. Commercial Relations: India-UAE trade is around US$ 52 billion (2016-17) making India the largest trading partner of UAE, while UAE is India‟s third largest trading partner (after China and US). UAE is the second largest export destination of India of over US$ 30 billion for the year 2016-17. UAE is the tenth biggest investor in India in terms of FDI. 5. Cultural Relations: The two nations share historical ties and have maintained regular cultural exchanges both at official and people to people levels. The Embassy continues to organize various cultural activities at its own as well as by collaborating with Indian Associations/Cultural Organizations based in UAE. 6. UAE is home to 2.8 million Indian expatriates, the largest expatriate community in the UAE. The Indian community has played a major role in the economic development of the UAE. The annual remittances made by the large Indian community in UAE amount to over US$ 13.75 billion (2015).  Importance of UAE- 1. Energy Security: UAE is the 5th largest import source and accounts for about 6% of our total crude imports. Ratnagiri project- ADNOC, Aramco will invest 44 billion $. Also agreement on filling of strategic petroleum reserve in Mangalore. 2. Investment: The UAE government has committed USD 75 billion towards developing Indian infrastructure. 3. Important trading Partner 4. Indian Community 5. Shared Security Concern- The two countries have a common interest in ensuing maritime security in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf region. Further, given the current state of flux in West Asia, India sees the UAE as an important partner to maintain peace and stability in the region. Similarly cooperation with UAE to counter terrorist threats, fugitive offenders and combat online radicalization. 6. Defense- Defense exercises are increasingly undertaken. For example, „Desert Eagle‟.

December 7. Armed forces Flag Day

 The Armed Forces Flag Day/Flag Day of India- dedicated towards collection of funds from people of India for the welfare of the Indian Armed Forces personnel. It has been observed annually in India on December 7 since 1949.  Over the years, it has become a tradition to commemorate this day as an honour to the soldiers, sailors and airmen of India. In an attempt to honour the martyrs as well as men and women in uniform, the day is celebrated to act as a reminder of our obligation towards the veterans, disabled soldiers, war widows and dependents of those who have laid down their lives for the safety, honour and integrity of the motherland. Every year, on this day, small flags and car flags, in red, deep blue and light blue colours representing the three services, are distributed to the general population in return for donations.  HISTORY- 1. Immediately after India achieved independence, a need arose for the government to manage the welfare of its defence personnel. On August 28, 1949, a committee set up under the defence minister decided to observe a Flag Day History annually on December 7. 2. In a Government resolution dated 07 Sep 1919, Government of India suspended the functioning of the Central Recruiting Board and at its place a new Board was established called the Indian Soldiers Board to advise on matters affecting the interest of serving, discharged and deceased Indian soldiers and non-combatants & their dependents. Due to steady expansion of the Navy and Air Force during the Second World War, the need for a single organization to perform the same functions in

relation to all the three services was felt and the Board was consequently reconstituted in 1944. In March 1951, it was renamed as the Indian Soldiers‟, Sailors‟ and Airmen Board. The designation of the Board was changed to the Kendriya Sainik Board at the Centre and Rajya Sainik Board and Zila Sainik Board at State and district level in 1975.  The Flag day is mainly observed to serve three basic purposes- 1. Rehabilitation of battle casualties 2. Welfare of serving personnel and their families 3. Resettlement and welfare of ex-servicemen and their families.  In 1993, the Defence Ministry of India consolidated related welfare funds into a single Armed Forces Flag Day fund. The fund collection is managed throughout the country by the local arms of the Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB), which is part of the Ministry of Defence. There are more than 30 lakh ESM Including 6.5 Iakh widows and around 60,000 ESM are added every year due to early superannuation.  INITIATIVES- 1. The War Memorial Hostels (WMHs) were constructed with a view to provide shelter to the children of War widows or war- disabled service personnel. 2. Financial Assistance for Daughters‟ marriage/ widow remarriage 3. Financial Assistance for ex-servicemen in penury 4. Financial Assistance for education of children/widow of ESM 5. Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centres (PRCs) located at Kirkee and Mohali.  The constitution of Kendriya Sainik Board is as follows: 1. Raksha Mantri - President. 2. Raksha Rajya Mantri - Vice President. 3. Members: Minister of State, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pension; Minister of State for Home Affairs; Minister of State for Finance, MPs; Chief Ministers; Lt Governors of UTs; Chief of the Army Staff, Chief of the Naval Staff and Chief of the Air Staff etc.