INDIA & WORLD 3rd India – Republic of Korea Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue Held In Seoul The 3rd India – Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue (FPSD) was held in Seoul on 2 September .The Indian side was led by Mr. Ashok K. Kantha, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Republic of Korea (ROK) side was led by First Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Kim Kyou- hyun.Both nations discussed ways to further expand and deepen their Strategic Partnership. They undertook a comprehensive review of bilateral ties, including in the fields of economic collaboration, defense and security cooperation, cultural exchanges and people-to-people contacts.They agreed to step up cooperation in the spheres of maritime and cyber security.It was agreed that the 4th India-ROK Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue will be held at New Delhi at a mutually convenient time in 2014. Government Approves India-Abu Dhabi Air Services Agreement The India-Abu Dhabi bilateral air services agreement, which ran into controversy following the Jet-Etihad deal, was approved by the Government of India on 2 September enabling their airlines to fly 50,000 seats each week, up from the current level of 13,700.The agreement received post-facto approval of the Union Cabinet at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in NewDelhi 7th India-Laos Joint Commission Meeting Held In Vientiane The 7th India-Lao Joint Commission Meeting on bilateral cooperation was held in Vientiane on 9 September.In the meeting Indian side was led by External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and the Laos side was led by Dr. Thongloun Sisoulith, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.An Agreement under Line of Credit for four Irrigation Projects in three provinces in the Lao PDR for 30.94 million US dollars was signed and conversion of another Line of Credit to substitute the Nam Boun-2 hydro power plant by the extension of transmission lines to Thasala-Laksao amounting to 35.25 million US dollars was approved. The projects will contribute to socio-economic development in Lao PDR.The two nations identified agriculture, defence, ICT, culture, education, health, trade and investment promotion, mining as priority areas of cooperation between the two countries that would give further impetus to bilateral relations. India, Japan Signed Statement To Study LNG Pricing India and Japan on 9 September signed a statement on conducting a joint study on the pricing of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) with an aim to form a transparent and globally competitive LNG price in the Asia Pacific market.India’s Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Veerappa Moily and Japanese Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Toshimitsu Motegi signed the joint statement in Tokyo. India – China Agreed To Enhance Cooperation In Media Sector www.tnpscquestionpapers.com Page 1 India and China on 16 September have agreed to initiate steps to include media cooperation as part of 2014 celebrations being observed to commemorate “Friendly Exchanges” between the two countries.The agreement was a part of the first meeting of the India-China Media Forum being held in New Delhi. The meeting took place between Manish Tewari, Minister for Information & Broadcasting of India and Cai Ming Zhao, Minister of State Council Information Office of China. India and US signed First Commercial Agreement Under Nuclear Deal Five years after India and the US signed a landmark civil nuclear deal, the two countries have clinched the first commercial agreement on civilian nuclear power cooperation.President Barack Obama announced the agreement on 27 September after his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the White House Oval Office.India’s nuclear operator NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited) and US firm Westinghouse have signed an agreement that will pave the way for setting up an atomic plant in India. INTERNATIONAL Tony Abbott is Australia’s new Prime Minister Tony Abbott , Leader of the Liberal Party elected as the Prime Minister of Australia on 8 October.Liberal Party won the 44th Parliamentary elections. Liberal Party defeated the in-power Labor Party in the general elections held on 7 September 2013 to return back in power as the Liberal-National coalition for the first time in six years.With this win, Tony Abbott the leader of the Liberal-National Coalition will become the Prime Minister of the Country and successor of Kevin Rudd of the Labor Party.The coalition won 88 seats in the 150 seat Parliament. The ruling Labor Party was successful in winning 57 seats. US and Russia Agreement on Removing Chemical Weapons on Syria The United States and Russia have on 14 September agreed on a framework for removing chemical weapons from Syria .The break- through was announced after three day talks between the US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva.The USA and Russia have agreed that Syria’s chemical weapons must be destroyed or removed by mid-2014. USA outlined a six- point framework under which Syria must hand over a full list of its stockpile within a week. European Union Pledges 650 million euros To Somalia The European Union has pledged 650 million euros ($868 million) in aid to Somalia to back a three-year reconstruction plan aimed at building on fragile security gains in the country.International donors met in Brussels on 16 September to approve Somalia’s “New Deal.”International donors pledged 1.8 billion euros for Somalia. 232 Million Global Migrants Living Abroad World Wide www.tnpscquestionpapers.com Page 2 On 12 September According to the new figures from the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) showed that 232 million people, or 3.2 percent of the world’s population, live abroad worldwide, compared with 175 million in 2000 and 154 million in 1990.With more people than ever living abroad, Asia sees the largest increase of international migrants in the past decade, and the US remains the most popular destination.New figures from the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) showed that 232 million people, or 3.2 percent of the world’s population, live abroad worldwide, compared with 175 million in 2000 and 154 million in 1990.The new estimates include breakdowns by region and country of destination and origin, and by sex and age. The north, or developed countries, is home to 136 million international migrants, compared with 96 million in the south, or developing countries. Egyptian Court Bans Muslim Brotherhood The Egypt court on 23 September has banned the Muslim Brotherhood from carrying out any activities in the country.The court also ordered the seizure of any assets held by the Brotherhood, estimated by the interim military-backed government to have more than a million members.The administrative court gave the ruling after a lawsuit was filed by the leftist Tagammu Party to review the Islamist group’s status as a non-governmental organisation. NATIONAL Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Launched ‘ Gandhi Heritage Portal ‘ In NewDelhi Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 2 September launched the ‘ Gandhi Heritage Portal ‘ in New Delhi.The Gandhi heritage Portal is set up to preserve, protect and disseminate original writings of Gandhiji.The Gandhi Heritage Portal is a technology-driven initiative aimed at making Gandhiji accessible all over the world on an electronic platform. It would be one of the most authentic open source archives on the life and work and thought of Mahatma Gandhi. 3rd All India Survey on Higher Education Launched On 3 September Minister of State for Human Resource Development Jitin Prasada launched the third All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE)-2012-13 .The survey was initiated in the year 2011 to prepare a robust data-base on higher education.Data for the year 2010-11 was collected during the first year of the survey.Keeping in view the usefulness of data collected during the very first year, Ministry has decided to make this survey an annual exercise of data collection in higher education sector. The survey covers all the Higher Education (HE) Institutions of the country including Universities, Colleges, and Stand-Alone Institutions.The main items of data collection under survey are Basic details, Programme details, Teaching & Non-Teaching Staff, Student Enrolment, Examination Results and Scholarships. Judicial Appointments Commission Bill Passed In Rajya Sabha www.tnpscquestionpapers.com Page 3 The Rajya Sabha on 5 September passed the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, which seeks to scrap the collegium system of appointing judges to higher courts.The bill, which entails Constitutional amendment, seeks to set up a Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) to recommend appointment and transfer of Supreme Court and High Court judges. Lok Sabha Passed Bill To Set Up First National Aviation University Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University Bill, 2013 was passed by the Lok Sabha on 6 September.The purpose of the bill is to establish the first-ever national aviation university in India, called Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University, which is named after Rajiv Gandhi. The University would train the cabin crew, pilots as well as aircraft engineers.The proposed university would come up at Sonia Gandhi’s constituency of Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh. Cabinet Committee On Economic Affairs Approved Proposal For Restructuring SJSRY The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 3 September approved the proposal for restructuring of the centrally sponsored Scheme of Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) in the 12th Plan and as the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) with an allocation of approximately Rs. 6,405 crore.The mission of National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) is reduction of poverty and vulnerability of the urban poor households by enabling them to access gainful self- employment and skilled wage employment opportunities.The mission will also aim at providing shelter equipped with essential services to the urban homeless in a phased manner.