Current Affairs 21st November 2018

Current Affairs 21st November 2018 - Important Points

• India asks WTO to set up panel against US for high import duty on – Steel and Aluminium
•  SC to direct states to implement draft - Witness protection scheme
• Government to set up first National Institute of Inter-Faith Studies in Punjab
• Sulabh International introduces India’s first sewer cleaning machine to - End unsafe manual scavenging
• India-USA joint military exercise Vajra Prahar commences - in Jaipur
• Indian Army selects Russian - Lgla-S missile system
• West Bengal Assembly passes Bill to give land rights to enclave dwellers in - North Bengal
• AAI inks agreement with US Trade and Development Agency to prepare - Modernisation roadmap

Current Affairs 21st November 2018 - Details

India asks WTO to set up panel against US for high import duty on – Steel and Aluminium

India’s trade conflict with America has reached to a next level in the WTO, as India asked the World Trade Organization to formulate a panel against the United States for executing high import duties on aluminium and certain steel items.
India finalised to urge World Trade Organization to form panel came after both nations failed to solve the problem in a bilateral talk procedure under the World Trade Organization’s dispute settlement process.

Impacts on India

According to the specialists, America’s decision to execute tariffs will influence India’s export of these goods and hit global business. The whole basis of the United States action is grounded on its own insight of security threat issue.

However, few specialists are also in the favour that dragging the United States in the conflict over the matter is not a positive step, since India had a business excess with USA.
Both nations are also complicated in numerous other disputes in the World Trade Organization, consisting in the areas of poultry, export incentives, solar and steel.

In connection to the execution of duties by the United States, India had finalised to upsurge customs duty on 29 American items including almond, walnut, pulses, iron and steel products. The duties would be effective from December 17th.

SC to direct states to implement draft - Witness protection scheme

The Supreme Court of India on November 19th, 2018 informed that it would guide all the states to executing the draft witness protection scheme developed by the Centre in consultation with the National Legal Services Authority. 

The Supreme Court bench consisting Justices A.K.Sikri and S Abdul Nazeer took the conclusion in response to the appeal made by Attorney General KK Venugopal that the draft scheme, which has presently has been finalised, would be made into a law in due course, but till then the court should guide the states to begin executing it.

Important Highlights

• The matter of the witness protection scheme had cropped-up previously, when the supreme court was hearing a public interest litigation looking for fortification for witnesses in rape cases involving self-styled preacher Asaram Bapu.
• During the hearing on November 19th, advocate Gaurav Agrawal, supporting the court as an amicus curiae in the issue, informed the bench that the government has completed the draft witness protection scheme in discussion with National Legal Services Authority, grounded on the contributions got from a majority of the states. 
• The advocate explained that the system has 3 groups of witnesses grounded on the threat acuity, and recommended that the states should initiate enforcing it.
• The requesters, who are witnesses in cases concerned to Asaram Bapu, had pursued a probe into the illustrations of suspected attacks and desertions of witnesses in these cases.
• The topmost court had in March 2017 interrogated Haryana and UP over the status of execution of witness protection schemes till then and had guided them to deliver security cover to witnesses in rape cases against Asaram Bapu, who is presently in jail.

Government to set up first National Institute of Inter-Faith Studies in Punjab

Union Government will form 1st-of-its-kind institute of Inter-Faith Studies in Punjab to encourage
brotherhood and diversity. It is being set-up as part of year-long actions to celebrate 550th birth
anniversary of 1st Sikh Guru and founder of Sikh religion Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
The institute will be developed on lines of preaching of Guru Nanak Dev ji who taught qualities of
brotherhood, diversity and the idea of unity in diversity. Government will part specialists and form
committees to supervise and finalise concept of this institute.
Important Points

• Union Government has finalised to celebrate 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev ji at national as well as international level. The years long commemoration will consist of a number of honoring and constructive actions will be taken up during the celebration period.
• Number of religious activities including Nagar kirtan, Prabhat Pheris, Katha, langar and educational activities consisting seminars, workshops, lectures will be planned. Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee- SGPC, which is the top religious body of the Sikhs, will be the acquaintance partner for the event.
• Government will also develop Sultanpur Lodhi in Punjab where Guru Nanak is supposed to have spent most of his life. The area will be advanced as heritage city including “Pind Babe Nanak Da”.
• Moreover, high resolution telescope will be installed on Indian side to have a view of Kartarpur Sahib, in Pakistan, where the 1st Sikh guru spent his last days.

Sulabh International introduces India’s first sewer cleaning machine to - End unsafe manual scavenging

Sulabh International has presented India’s 1st sewer cleaning machine to decrease sewer deaths and
finish unsafe practice of manual scavenging. The machine was revealed on event of World Toilet Day
2018, which was celebrated on 19th November, by mayors of all 3 Municipal Corporations of Delhi in the presence founder Sulabh International Bindeshwar Pathak.
Sulabh International is social service firm that works to encourage human rights, environmental
sanitation, non-conventional sources of energy, waste management and social reforms via education. It is major non-profit organization in India. It was originated by social activists Bindeshwar Pathak in 1970.
Sulabh sewer cleaning machine

• The machine will do away with 99 percent of manual scavenging.
• With help of it, manual cleaner does not have to enter sewer, however, if needed person has to go, then machine is completely loaded with gas checking machine, protective gears and clothing to safeguard workers from harmful gases.
• It is electro-hydraulically machine, with quick-view pipe inspection camera which outspreads up to 20 feet.
• The quick-view pipe view camera is fabricated to felicitate inspection of sewer, manholes, tunnels, tanks, mainline and other lateral pipeline facilities with outstanding zoom function, ascendable carbon fibre rods and sunlight presentable controller.
• The new machine costs around Rupees 43 lakh and is ideal for periodic mechanical desilting of manholes and to flush out sewer lines with the help powerful jetting pump capable of producing 150 BOP and flow of 150 litres/minute.
• It is also capable of de-choking sewer lines with the help of specially designed flexible steel rods.

India-USA joint military exercise Vajra Prahar commences -  in Jaipur

India, United States Joint Special Forces Exercise 2018 called Vajra Prahar started at Mahajan Field
Firing Range, Bikaner, Rajasthan. The exercise was organised between Special Forces of both nations to deal with operations for combat terrorism and is being done at unit and sub-unit levels.
Important Facts

• For this exercise, United States Army is represented by contingent of 1 officer and 10 Other Ranks from Special Forces Group of US Pacific Command.
• They will carry out 12 days rigorous mutual training in semi desert and rural terrain with objective to augment inter-operability of the two-armed forces and further military to military cooperation.
• The contingents of both nations in this exercise, will train on aspects including hostage rescue, building intervention, desert survival, medical aid and fight firing.
• At the conclusion of training, they will undertake a 3 days outdoor exercise to authenticate their best practices.

Indian Army selects Russian - Lgla-S missile system

Indian Army has chosen Russia’s Igla-S missile system as choice for its multibillion-dollar agreement for Man-Portable Air Defence Systems. Igla-S tender approximately $1.47 billion from Russia’s
Rosoboronexport which had came as lowest bidder for Indian Army’s Very Short-Range Air Defence
pact. The other bidders were MBDA of France and SAAB of Sweden. The deal is anticipated to be signed when Indian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Military-Technical co-operation meeting will take place in Moscow in December 2018.
Concerns for this deal

• There is tail of United States financial authorizations for arms purchases from Russia under Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) law that bans defence purchases from Russia, Iran and North Korea. United States is yet to fund India waiver for $5.43 billion S-400 surface-to-air missiles defence system and naval warship deal with Russia inked in early October 2018 under CAATSA.
• United States had forced approvals on China for purchasing Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 surface-to-air missiles defence system from Russia as it dishonoured United States permissions under CAATSA.
  More about IGLA-S
• It is latest model of Russian Man-Portable Air Défense System technology. It proposes superior
  performance over previous supplied SA-18 missiles to India.
• It is planned for use against visible aerial targets at short-range including tactical aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicle, cruise missile, head-on, in presence of natural clutter and counter-measures.
• According to the needs of Indian Army, it will have extreme range of 6 kilometres, altitude of 3 kilometres along with all-weather capability.
• Igla-S missile system will replace the present Igla in service which is in crucial necessity of replacement.

West Bengal Assembly passes Bill to give land rights to enclave dwellers in - North Bengal

West Bengal Assembly consistently passed West Bengal Land Reforms (Amendment) Bill, 2018 to issue land rights to enclave dwellers in North Bengal. The bill will finish era of indeterminate future for the people residing in those enclaves because it will aid them to get full-fledged status as citizens of India, along with all civic facilities and rights. It will also aid in distribution of land rights documents people of enclaves in border district of Cooch Behar. The procedure will result in formation of 13 administrative district, while remaining area will be combined with existing 31 administrative districts. Plot-to-plot verification has been undertaken to ascertain the ownership status of the land to the dwellers.
Did you know?
Bangladesh and India had inter-changed overall 162 enclaves in August 2015 according to the historic
1974 Land Boundary Agreement, finishing one of the world’s most-complex border disagreements that had lingered for 7 decades since Independence. In Cooch Behar, 111 Indian enclaves, spread over 17,160 acres, became part of Bangladesh territory and 51 Bangladesh enclaves, including 7,110 acres, joined India. The enclave residents were permitted to either reside at their current location or move to the other nation. Approximately, 37,334 people residing in enclaves in Indian side refused to go to
Bangladesh, whereas 922 enclave dwellers from Bangladesh side favoured to be in India.

AAI inks agreement with US Trade and Development Agency to prepare - Modernisation roadmap

State operated Airports Authority of India- AAI has signed pact with United States Trade and Development Agency to progress a roadmap for modernisation of its Air Traffic Services. Air Traffic Services comprises Air Traffic Management and Communication, Navigation and Surveillance. Airports Authority of India is statutory body under the guidance of Ministry of Civil Aviation. It is
accountable for creating, upgrading, maintaining and managing civil aviation infrastructure in India.
Important Points

• The collaboration is aimed at developing Communication, Navigation and Surveillance/Air Traffic
  Management roadmap for the Airports Authority of India for modernisation of the National Airspace System.
• Under the pact, United States aircraft manufacturer Boeing will deliver technical assistance, thus form roadmap to augment communications, expand present systems and airspace capacity and invest in Communication, Navigation and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management amenities.
• It will assist in enlightening safety and dropping congestion for flights in India.
• At the same time, it will form market access for high quality United States exports that can advance India’s aviation targets.
  Did you know?

The double-digit growth in air passenger traffic over past 49 months in India has brought numerous
challenges with it, consisting maintaining safe and efficient aircraft operations. In this backdrop, Airports Authority of India has finalised to draw healthy roadmap for sustained ANS infrastructure to match the growth challenges in a planned way. By using global and regional best practices as benchmark, technical assistance will mention roadmap and implementation plan to Airports Authority of India for enlightening airspace utilisation and implement Communication, Navigation and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management air and ground equipage in short, medium and long term.