18TH NOVEMBER 2016

GS:2-INTERNATIONAL(INDIA AND ITS NEIGHBOUR)

Bhutan blocks Indias ambitious sub-regional road connectivity plan:
(The Hindu, Business Standard)
Why in news?
An ambitious road connectivity plan involving Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) --- an initiative pushed by
Prime Minister of India to boost trade -- has hit a roadblock with the upper house of Bhutan parliament.
Bhutan Concerns:
Protests from the Opposition, mainly over environmental concerns of vehicular pollution increasing have derailed
the process.
The concerns in Bhutan that the country is very small, roads are narrow and infrastructure limited. So the prospect
of millions of cars coming in, however remote that prospect might be is very scary.
Background:
This is the second time that the Indian governments subregional road connectivity plan has hit a hurdle. Earlier,
Pakistan scuppered the SAARC motor vehicle agreement by
refusing to come on board.
India then decided to tap its eastern neighbours to boost
regional connectivity. Bypassing Pakistan, India moved to
have an agreement with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan to
remove restrictions on vehicular movement in the
subcontinent.
BBIN Agreement:
Union Cabinet was approved the signing of Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement in
July 2016.
The agreement is similar to the SAARC Motor Vehicle
Agreement (MVA) seeks to regulate the vehicular traffic of
passenger, personal and cargo amongst BBIN countries.
BBIN agreement aims to promote safe, environmentally
sound and economical efficient road transport in the sub-region of BBIN.
BBIN agreement will benefit member nations for mutual cross border movement of passenger and goods for
overall economic development of the region.
For implementation of this agreement each signatory member will bear its own costs.
Impact on India:
The BBIN agreement will become operational only when all the four countries ratify it. India, Bangladesh and
Nepal have already ratified the pact.
This might also derail the entire plan as any restrictions which are beyond the reasonable wont be accepted by the
other member countries.
India is in a bilateral motor vehicle agreement with Nepal and Bangladesh, but a multilateral pact would go a long
way in boosting trade in the region.
GS:2-INTERNATIONAL(BILATERAL RELATIONS)
India is non-committal on market economy tag for China:
(The Hindu)
Why in news?
India is not inclined to automatically grant the coveted Market Economy Status (MES) to China under World
Trade Organization (WTO) norms.
The main reason India is reluctant because granting MES to China will severely curb the ability of nations
including India to impose anti-dumping duties on unfairly priced Chinese imports.
To refuse China the MES, India has taken sides with the U.S. and European Union in stating that unlike in 'market
economies' where prices of items are market determined (based on demand & supply conditions), there is still a
significant government influence in the Chinese market.
Market Economy Status (MES)?
Under WTO norms, once a country gets MES status, exports from it are to be accepted at the production costs and
selling price as the benchmark.

Prior to this status, country is considered as a Non Market Economy (NME).

Under the WTO norms, the importing countries are allowed to use alternative methodologies for the determination
of normal values for the exports from NME country.
It often leads to imposition of higher anti-dumping duties by importing countries to protect its domestic market.
Why India refuse to grant MES:
Chinese government influence is still seen in its market which in turn causes distortions in international trade and
export of cheap goods to other countries.
It includes government subsidies for various sectors, currency manipulation and the related price fixing, bad
loans of banks and absence of transparency in lending rates, minimum wages and property rights, lack of proper
business accounting standards etc.
Way forward:
MES status to China, will severely limit Indias ability to resort to anti-dumping on cheap imports from China.
It will have negative impact on Indias manufacturers in chemicals, steel, electrical and electronics sectors as they
will be severely hurt by unfairly low-priced imports from China.
GS:2-GOVERNMENT POLICIES
Not a pipe dream: Govt to set up national gas hub:
(Business Standard)
Why in news?
The government is to come up with a national gas hub, which would be a trading platform for gas at marketdetermined price.
Benefits:
It could transform the pricing scenario of domestic natural gas in India.
If the idea gets cleared, India will also have a gas-trading place similar to international hubs such as the US Henry
Hub.
Henry Hub is a physical point where several gas pipelines come together and the UKs National Balancing Point is
a virtual trading point.
What is a gas hub?
A gas hub is a physical point where several gas pipelines come together or intersect. It is a trading place for gas at
market determined prices.
Background:
The ministry of petroleum and natural gas is working towards setting up a common gas hub after the government
introduced a new gas pricing formula in 2014.
This gas price is applicable for six months wherein the average prices of US-based Henry Hub, the UK-based
National Balancing Point, Canadas Alberta Gas and Russian gas gets reflected.
GS:2- DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF SOCIAL SECTOR(HEALTH)
Takeaways from the International Conference on Brucellosis 2016:
(Press Information Bureau)
Why in news?
International Research Conference on Brucellosis was recently inaugurated in New Delhi.
The Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences has called for villagers to be trained to handle
animal diseases like Brucellosis on a cooperative basis, this is endemic in India and that it could spread to humans.
Key points:
Provide a technical platform for scientist and experts from all over the world including Participants from 26
countries.
Help endemic countries in designing effective control strategies and eradication methods as per the laws governing
the livestock production systems.
The conference is result of DBTs network programme on Brucellosis launched in 2012 to address the
epidemiology and development of new generation of vaccines and diagnostic kits.
They also launched programme of Brucella Free Villages for implementation on pilot scale in 50 villages
covering 10 states.
This programme will be supported by guidelines and standard operating practices along with an IT enabled
application.
Brucellosis:
It is a disease caused by the bacteria known as Brucella infecting various species of Brucella cows, buffalos, sheep,
goats, deer, pigs, dogs and other animals.

 It is endemic in India and that it could spread to humans.

Its symptoms are Similar to the flu and may include fever, sweats, headache, back pain and physical weakness.
GS:2- GOVERNANCE
The Kerry effect: Centre lifts curbs on fund transfers by NGO:
(The Hindu)
Why in news?
The Centre has allowed US-based NGO, Compassion International (CI) to disburse funds to ten NGOs in India. The NGO
was put on the governments watch list after security agencies reported that it was funding Indian NGOs involved in
religious conversions.
General Issues with NGOs
Religious conversion: some investigations found that several foreign-funded NGOs in India were involving in
religious conversion.
Poor financial statement: CBI records found
that only 2 lakhs NGOs file annual financial
statements of a total 29 lakhs registered ones
under the Societies Registration Act.
An impediment to development: Number of
Indian NGOs funded by donors based in the
US, UK, Germany, the Netherlands and
Scandinavian countries are using people-centric
issues to create an environment which lends
itself to stalling development projects.
Security threat: Foreign donors lead local
NGOs to provide field reports which are used to
build a record against India and serve as tools
for the strategic foreign policy interests of the
Western government.
The biggest danger of foreign-funded NGOs is
that they bring in foreign spies and
missionaries, who are creating numerous
difficulties for India.
Foreign Contribution Regulation Act:
The Foreign Contribution Regulation Bill, 2006 replaces the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 1976 (FCRA).
The Bill seeks to regulate the acceptance and utilization of all foreign funds through donations, gifts or grants.
The 1976 Act lists a number of organisations and individuals that are prohibited from accepting foreign
contribution.
It adds organisations of a political nature and electronic media organisations to the list.
The Bill requires organisations to register under FCRA to accept foreign contribution.
The central government may deny, suspend or cancel certification under certain conditions.
It allows the government to conduct separate audits for FCRA certified organisations and grants it the power of
search and seizure.
GS:2- RIGHTS
Death of a child (Rights of Children):
(Indian Express)
Why in news?
Thirteen-year old Aradhana Samdariyas death due to observance of 68 days of upavasa (fasting), a customary
practice to attain purity, pardon and prosperity in Jainism, reveals yet another facet of harmful traditional practices
in India.
customary practices against children:
A crucial group that has been the silent victim of harmful traditional practices is children.
Children constitute about 39 per cent of the total population of the country.
The practices that they suffer include female genital mutilation, unscientific male circumcision, ritualistic piercing
of the skin and the public celebration of puberty.
Rights for children:
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was adopted in the United Nations General Assembly in 1989.
India ratified the convention in the year 1992. This treaty institutionalised concepts of international law as it

pertains to children.
Without the convention, the children would have been treated as objects of charity and as the property of their
parents, this treaty changed the way the world looked at children.
Children were to be seen as individual human beings and as the carriers of rights.
By ratifying this treaty, India committed itself to the pursuit of the standards set forth in the treaty, necessary to
uphold the human rights of children in the country.
Indian Acts on Rights of Children:
There have been some progressive policy changes, post ratification.
For instance, corresponding to Article 28 of the CRC, the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education was
enacted in the year 2009.
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act was enacted in 2012, with reference from Articles 19 and 34
of the CRC.
The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act (JJ Act), enacted in 2016, drew inspiration from Articles
3, 9, 16, 20, 25, 27, 32, 37, and 39 of the CRC.
The Child Labour (Prohibition and regulation) Act of 1986 was amended in 2016 to meet the provisions laid out in
Article 32 of the CRC.
Political attitude to Religious Practice:
Owing to the political credence accorded to religious groups, the Indian state has chosen to remain strangely
ambiguous in its stand against unscientific practices.
For centuries, caste-based discrimination has been responsible for some of the worst forms of human rights
violations, cutting across gender lines, in the country.
Post-independence, the caste based discrimination was institutionally abolished through the enactment of
the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in 1989.
However, fears of political ramifications have possibly been the reason for the survival of some of the traditional
practices in our country.
Lack of implementation:
The reasons for the lack of effective implementation of Indian laws vary from institutional drawbacks.
The individual behavioral transgressions on the part of those holding positions of authority.
The tedious judicial processes resulting in limited conviction.
The lack of general awareness.
The acceptance of harmful traditional practices as a part of the social and political mainstream.
Way ahead:
Aradhanas death bears witness to the inadequacy of the Indian state to protect the rights of its children.
Jain leaders have passed an edict barring the state from interfering in the religious affairs of the community, despite
the death of a child.
The failure so far to bring to book the parents for violations under the Indian Penal Code and the Juvenile Justice
Act is indicative of the fear of retribution, owing to the influence of the community in the larger political spectrum.
It is important to ensure that, under the veil of preservation of traditions, the human rights of our children are not
infringed upon.
To prevent more deaths like Aradhanas, India must outlaw all forms of harmful traditional practices.
India has abolished Sati and the prohibition on widow remarriage. Now it is necessary to re-look into the practice
of fasting amongst children according to religious practice.

GS:
Jammu and Kashmir Government launches Jhelum-Tawi Flood Recovery Project:
(Indian Express)
Jammu and Kashmir Government has launched Jhelum-Tawi flood recovery project to give push to the
reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure post2014 floods in the state.
The project which is funded World Bank was formally
launched by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in
Srinagar.
Key Points:
The project was conceptualized and pursued by former
Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed in the
aftermath of devastating floods of 2014 in the state.

It aims at reconstructing and recovering support in flood-affected areas in which public infrastructure and
livelihoods were impacted severely. It will focus on 20 flood-affected districts in state.
As a follow up the Union Government and World Bank had signed a $250 million credit agreement for the project.
The loan was provided by International Development Association, the World Banks concessionary lending arm.
It has maturity of 25 years, including a 5 year grace period. Background In September 2014, continuous
unprecedented heavy rainfall had caused Jhelum, Chenab and Tawi rivers and their tributaries to flow above the
danger mark.
These overflowing rivers had flooded the catchment areas, particularly low lying ones for more than two weeks. It
had severely affected livelihoods and had damaged the basic infrastructure in the state.
GS:3 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Chinas Sunway Taihulight wins fastest supercomputer title:
Chinas Sunway Taihulight has won the fastest supercomputer title in the recently released 48th edition of Top500
list of supercomputers.
Sunway TaihuLight is built entirely using processors designed and made in China. It had made its first public
appearance in June 2016.
It can perform 93 quadrillions calculations per second (petaflop/s) almost three times as fast as Tianhe-2.
Other positions:
Second position: An Intel-based Chinese Tianhe-2 supercomputer
Third position: Supercomputer Titan of the US Department of Energy (DOE).
Fourth position: IBM Sequoia Supercomputer system installed at US DOEs Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory. Fifth position: The Cori supercomputer, installed at US Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
MISCELLANEOUS
National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC):
NSFDC is a Central Public Sector Enterprise of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
NSFDC has 11 loan schemes and 1 grant scheme and are implementing schemes for the benefit of Scheduled
Castes and other target groups.
Financial assistance is provided under the loan schemes ranging from Rs.50,000 to Rs.30.00 lakh to Scheduled
Castes entrepreneurs for setting up their own business ventures through channel partners. Under Grant Scheme,
NSFDC is providing 100% grant for Skill Development Training Programme and stipend @ Rs.1,500 per month
per trainee.
Women commandos by CRPF:
For the first time, CRPF has deployed a team of women commandos in anti-Naxal operations in Jharkhand.
The 135 women belonging to the 232 battalions Delta company are currently undertaking operations under the
close supervision of CRPFs 133 battalion in Naxal-infested forests on the outskirts of Ranchi near Khoonti area.
Iran becomes Indias top crude oil supplier:
Iran for the first time ever has surpassed Saudi Arabia to become Indias top crude oil supplier.
It was revealed by ship tracking data and a report compiled by Thomson Reuters Oil Research and Forecasts.
Earlier, Iran used to be Indias second-biggest oil supplier after Saudi Arabia till 2010-11.
However, it had ceded its position to Iraq after the tougher western countries sanctions imposed on Iran over its
nuclear development programme.