Daily Current Affairs : 07 September 2020

1. Germany's Indo-Pacific Strategy

Recently, Germany has launched its Indo-Pacific strategy with India.

Importance of Indo-Pacific Strategy of Germany

• It is expected to play a key role in Berlin’s outreach in the region where China’s aggressive foreign policy has rattled countries.

• It suggested an opening of dialogue with institutions where India plays a key role such as BIMSTEC and SAARC, in the areas of business and maritime safety, as well as disaster risk management.

• The strategy will work to maintain rules-based order together with partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

• It is proposed to promote the enforcement of rules and norms of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea as a comprehensive maritime regulatory and cooperation framework.

• The Indo-Pacific guidelines foreground maritime security cooperation, human rights, and the diversification of Germany’s economic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.

Role of Germany in Indo-Pacific

• It is an internationally active trading nation and proponent of a rules-based international order.

• It has a great interest in participating in Asia’s growth dynamics and in being involved in shaping the Indo-Pacific region.

• It supports a substantive and legally binding Code of Conduct between China and the ASEAN members States for the South China Sea (SCS) region.

Source: The Economic Times

2. UNSC Reform initiated by India

Recently, India has joined hands with Brazil, Germany and Japan to call for expediting the process for reforming the UN Security Council.

Key Highlights of UNSC Reform initiated by India

• It called for ensuring that the inter-governmental negotiations (IGN) process is not held hostage, procedurally and substantially, by those who do not wish to bring about reforms in the security council.

  • The Intergovernmental Negotiations framework (IGN) is a group within the United Nations that looks into UNSC reforms but it has made no progress since 2009 when it was formed.

• The G4 have also called for an urgent need for transparency and application of general assembly's rules of procedure to the intergovernmental negotiations.

• The "Common African position" for UNSC expansion has been stipulated under Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration, both of which call for at least 2 permanent and 5 to 2 non-permanent UNSC seats to be given to African countries.

  • The Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration, containing the common African position on reform of the UN Security Council, were developed by a committee on UN reform established by the African Union Summit in 2005.

Counter Arguments to UNSC Reforms

• The Chinese mission argued that the beginning of text-based negotiation in a haste or to impose a single document is not conducive to building a consensus and promoting unity.

• The Italian mission to UN, chair to the coffee group, also reacted and in a letter called for "necessary political will and flexibility".

G4

It is a group of 4 countries comprised of India, Brazil, Germany and Japan.

Unlike the G7, where the common denominator is the economy and long-term political motives, the G4's primary aim is the permanent member seats on the Security Council.

Coffee Club

It is a movement, also known as Uniting for Consensus.

It is developed in the 1990s in opposition to the possible expansion of permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council.

3. SVAYEM Scheme

Recently, the Assam government re-launched the SVAYEM Scheme.

About SVAYEM Scheme

• It is a scheme to provide self-employment to around 2 lakh youths of the Assam state.

• The SVAYEM scheme stands for Swami Vivekananda Assam Youth Empowerment.

• Its objective is to provide 50 thousand rupees each as seed money to selected youths to start business ventures.

• It is a flagship program to provide financial support to the youths of Assam to take up income generating activities in the manufacturing, trading and service sector.

• The eligibility criteria for the beneficiary under the scheme are:

  • Residents of Assam above 18 years of age. 

  • There will be no income ceiling for getting assistance under this scheme.

  • The individual beneficiary should have skills, experiences, knowledge, etc., to undertake the income generating activities.

  • The beneficiary should possess educational qualification of at least Class VII standard.

  • PMEGP beneficiaries of the last 5 years will not be eligible under the scheme.

Source: Hindustan Times

4. Vishnupad Temple 

Recently, the Patna High Court has reprimanded the private managing body of Vishnupad temple in Gaya asking it to manage the temple properly for lakhs of devotees who visit every year.

About Vishnupad Temple

• The origin of the temple is unknown but it is believed that Ahilya Bai Holkar, the queen of Indore, had the present octagonal shrine built in 1787.

• The temple is located on the banks of Falgu River and draws devotees from across the country.

• It is famous for the 40 cm long footprint, having nine symbols including Shankam, Chakram and Gadham.

Source: All India Radio

5. Solar Powered Battery

Recently, the CSIR-CMERI has developed two variants of solar powered battery operated spray systems.

Key Highlights

• The Back Pack Sprayer having the capacity of 5 litres is made for “marginal farmers”.

• The Compact Trolley Sprayer having capacity of 10 litres is made for “small farmers”.

• The Sprayers are equipped with two separate tanks, flow control and pressure regulator to handle different water requirements of the crops, target/site specific irrigation and maintaining appropriate dilution of pesticide/fungicide to control the pest.

• The flow control feature of the Sprayers helps achieve multiple levels of Water/Pesticide flow and enhancing the flexibility and dynamicity of the coverage area as well as the intensity of the application.

Source: PIB

6. Indra Navy-Bay of Bengal

Recently, the 11th edition of the Indra Navy exercise has commenced in the Bay of Bengal.

About Indra Navy

• It is a biennial bilateral maritime exercise between Indian Navy and Russian Navy.

• It was started in 2003 with an aim to enhance understanding and procedures for multi-faceted maritime operations.

• The Indian Naval ships i.e. INS Ranvijay (Destroyer), Sahyadri (Frigate) and Kiltan (Corvette) and Shakti (Tanker) and helicopters will be carrying out drills during the Indra Navy 2020.

• The exercise is aimed at enhancing interoperability, improving understanding and imbibing best practices between the two navies.

INS Ranvijay

• It is the fifth and the latest ship of the Rajput class Guided Missile Destroyers.

• It was commissioned in 1987 at Poti in erstwhile USSR.

  It is equipped with Brahmos Missile.

• INS Sahyadri
• • It is the Shivalik-class advanced, stealth-minded, guided-missile frigate warship.
  • It is built by the Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai.
• INS Kiltan
• It is India's first major warship to have a superstructure of carbon fibre composite material resulting in improved stealth features, lower top weight and maintenance costs.
• It is an indigenously-built anti-submarine warfare stealth corvette.
• It is the third of the four Kamorta-class corvettes being built under Project 28.
• It derives its name from one of the islands in Aminidivi group of the strategically located Lakshadweep and Minicoy group of islands.
• It is designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house organisation Directorate of Naval Design and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata.

Source: The Indian Express

7. 5th BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meet

Recently, the Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism had virtually attended 5th BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting.

Key Highlights of the 5th BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meet

• It was held virtually under the Chairpersonship of Russian Federation.

• The suggestions/events proposed by Indian side are:

  • To explore possibilities of hosting a Digital Online Exhibition on a Shared theme towards end of 2021 under the auspices of BRICS Alliance of Museums.

  • Opening the BRICS Corner under the auspices of BRICS Alliance of Libraries proposed to be inaugurated during the India’s BRICS Presidency in 2021.

    • The Corner will disseminate information related to the history and culture of BRICS countries.

    • The corner will display the books, periodicals and other e-resources gifted by the BRICS countries, viz, Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa.

  • The National Gallery of Modern Arts, New Delhi will host the BRICS Joint Exhibition titled ‘Bonding Regions & Imagining Cultural Synergies’ under the auspices of the BRICS Alliance of Art Museums and Galleries.

    • The exhibition is proposed to be organized in 2021 coinciding with the BRICS event that India would be hosting in 2021.

    • The exhibition aims to present around 100 works of art from the five prestigious institutions under the BRICS Alliance.

Source: PIB

8. Virtual Buyer and Seller Meet for Loose Diamonds

Recently, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry has inaugurated the first Virtual Buyer and Seller Meet for loose diamonds.

About Virtual Buyer and Seller Meet for Loose Diamonds

• It is being organized by the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council of India (GJEPC).

• The purpose of the meet is to give an opportunity for buyers and exhibitors to connect and talk business over the virtual platform.

• The salient features of the Virtual Buyer Seller Meet are:

  • Cloud storage for secure online trading; buyer-seller matching;

  • Optimal choice for buyers and sellers to choose gamut of options exhibited by the exhibitors;

  • Buyers will be able to search specific product types to find the exact merchandise they need

  • The GJEPC website will make it easy for the buyer to view online product directory, even during live video meetings

  • Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council of India

  • It is the apex body for promotion of Gems and Jewellery Exports.

  • It is under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

Source: PIB

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