Time: 45 min Date:20-08-2022

Modern History

Lord Curzon
Syllabus: GS 1/Modern History
In News
● The 119-year-old Curzon Gate in Bardhaman in West Bengal is at the centre of a
political row.
About Lord Curzon
● Early Age:
○ Born in 1859 into British nobility.
○ He was educated at the elite Eton College school and attended Oxford.
● Role:
○ In 1891, he became Under-Secretary of State for India (the deputy minister
in the British cabinet responsible for India).
○ He served as Under-Secretary of State for India (1891-1892), and for
Foreign Affairs (1895-1898), before being appointed Viceroy of India in
1899.
■ India’s Viceroy between 1899 and 1905.
● He was both vexed and enraged by the growing nationalist movement in India.
and he sought to throttle the growing aspirations of the educated Indian
middle class.
Major moves
● He sent a British expedition to Tibet, established a separate police service, and
established the Archaeological Survey of India, in order to study and protect
historical monuments.
● He took a series of extremely unpopular measures, including passing, in 1899,
the Calcutta Municipal Amendment Act which reduced the number of elected
representatives in the Calcutta Corporation; the Indian Universities Act (1904),
that placed Calcutta University under government control, and the Indian
 Official Secrets Amendment Act (1904) that reduced the freedom of the press
even further.
● The partition of the undivided Bengal Presidency in 1905 was one of Curzon’s
most criticised moves, which triggered widespread opposition not only in Bengal
but across India, and gave impetus to the freedom movement.
○ In July 1905, Curzon announced the partition of Bengal into two
provinces. East Bengal and Assam, with a population of 38 million, was
predominately Muslim, while the western province, called Bengal, was
reduced to 55 million people, primarily Hindus.
Return to London
● In 1905, Curzon resigned and returned to England after losing a power struggle
with the commander-in-chief of the British Army, Lord Kitchener.
● The protests continued after his exit, and the colonial government in 1911
announced the reunification of Bengal, and the capital of the Raj was shifted
from Calcutta to Delhi
Famous Quotes
● He famously stated, “We could lose all our [white settlement] dominions and still
survive, but if we lost India, our sun would sink to its setting.”
● He stated in his budget speech in 1904, “Efficiency of administration is, in my
view, a synonym for the contentment of the governed.”(quoted in Sumit Sarkar,
‘Modern India 1885–1947’).
Why did the Partition of Bengal take place?
● Calcutta was the capital of the British Raj, and Bengal Presidency was one of
the largest provinces in India, populated by more than 78 million people,
encompassing present day West Bengal, Bangladesh, Bihar, parts of
Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Assam.
● For long, the British had maintained that Bengal was too large to efficiently
manage and administer; it was also believed that with Calcutta as the nerve
centre of the educated nationalists, the resistance to colonial rule would only
increase.
Consequences of the partition
● Popular anger against partition had been brewing since the British announced
their scheme, but grew into a stronger and more organised movement after it
was implemented in 1905.
● In opposition to the partition, nationalist leaders organised a campaign of
boycott of British goods and institutions, and encouraged the use of local
products.
○ After a formal resolution was passed at a meeting in Calcutta in August
1905, the Swadeshi movement began.
■ The Swadeshi movement and boycott was not restricted to
Bengal, and spread to other parts of the country, including
Punjab, Maharashtra, and parts of the Madras Presidency.
● There was a surge in nationalist rhetoric, and the song ‘Bande Mataram’, set to
music by Rabindranath Tagore, became the informal anthem of the movement.
○ He led the marches at many places, and composed many patriotic songs,
most famously ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’ (My Golden Bengal), which is
now the national anthem of Bangladesh.
Source: IE
Governance
Indian Deliberating on Ocean Diversity Pact
Syllabus: GS2/ Effect of Policies & Politics of Countries on India's Interests
In News
● A delegation from India and other member countries of the UN are in New York
to deliberate on a one-of-its-kind agreement to conserve marine biodiversity in
the high seas.
About
● The agreement is expected to be the final in a series set in motion since 2018 to
draft an international legally binding instrument under the 1982 United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
What are High Seas?
● The high seas are the parts of the ocean that are not included in the exclusive
economic zones, territorial sea or internal waters of a State.
● The high seas are open to all States, whether coastal or land-locked. Freedom of
the high seas is exercised under the conditions laid down by this Convention
and by other rules of international law.
● The high seas comprise nearly 45% of the Earth’s surface.
Why do we need the Ocean Diversity Pact?
● The agreement is deciding on the rights of companies that undertake
exploration for biological resources in the high seas: do companies have
absolute rights on any discovery or extraction in these regions or should they
share their gains, in terms of intellectual property and royalties with a
UN-prescribed body.
● Typically the focus of mining activity in the sea has been for gas hydrates,
precious metals and other fossil fuel resources. However with advances in
biotechnology and genetic engineering, several companies see potential in exotic
microbes and other organisms – several of them undiscovered
● Lack of monitoring and surveillance means human rights violations are
abundant in the open ocean.
● There is no single global mechanism to establish Marine Protected Areas
(MPAs) outside States’ territorial seas or uniform requirements for undertaking
environmental impact assessments.
● The Union Cabinet approved a ‘Blue Economy’ policy for India, a nearly
₹4,000-crore programme spread over five years. Studies on sustainable
utilisation of deep sea bio-resources will be the main focus.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
● UNCLOS is an acronym for the United Nations Convention for the Law of the
Sea.
● The convention is also sometimes referred to as the Law of the Sea Convention
or the Law of the Sea treaty.
● UNCLOS came into operation and became effective from 16th November 1982.
○ India became a signatory to the UNCLOS in 1982.
 ● It replaced the four Geneva Conventions of April, 1958, which respectively
concerned the territorial sea and the contiguous zone, the continental shelf, the
high seas, fishing and conservation of living resources on the high seas.
● As per UNCLOS, the sea is divided into 4 parts:
○ Territorial waters
○ Contiguous Zone
○ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
○ Continental Shelf
● It defines a distance of 12 nautical miles (approx. 22 km) from the baseline as
Territorial Sea limit and a distance of 200 nautical miles distance as Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ) limit.
○ Exclusive Economic Zone is an area of the sea in which a sovereign state
has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources,
including energy production from water and wind.
Source: TH

Governance
Indian Ports Bill 2022
Syllabus: GS 2/ Government Policies & Interventions
In News
● Recently, the government has prepared the draft Indian Ports Bill 2022 to
consolidate and amend the laws relating to ports.
o The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has issued the Bill for
Stakeholder Consultation.
Major Provisions of the Bill
● Repealing Indian Ports Act, 1908
o The draft bill seeks to repeal and replace the existing Indian Ports Act,
1908.
▪ The Indian Ports Act, 1908 is more than 110 years old.
● State Maritime Boards
o It will empower and establish State Maritime Boards for effective
administration and incorporate them in the national framework.
● Compliance with maritime treaties
o The bill will look for the prevention and containment of pollution at ports
and to ensure compliance with the country’s obligation under the
maritime treaties and international instruments to which India is a party.
● Non-major ports
o The bill will make a provision for control and management of non-major
ports in India.
● Adjudicatory mechanisms for redressal
o It will provide for adjudicatory mechanisms for redressal of port related
disputes and to establish a national council for fostering structured
growth and development of the port sector.
● Penalties
 o Existing penalties in the Act which are outdated have been updated with
respect to amounts and offences relevant to present day scenarios.
Primary objectives of the proposed bill
● Promote integrated planning between States inter-se and Centre-States through
a purely consultative and recommendatory framework;
● Ensure prevention of pollution measures for all ports in India while
incorporating India’s obligations under international treaties;
● Address lacunae in the dispute resolution framework required for burgeoning
ports sector;
● Usher-in transparency and cooperation in development and other aspects
through use of data.
Significance/ Importance of the Bill
● Streamline the development
o The proposed bill will homogenize and streamline the development of the
maritime sector, along with, promoting ease of doing business by
eliminating unnecessary delays, disagreements and defining
responsibilities.
● Cooperative federalism
o Maritime State Development Council will ensure cooperative federalism
where Centre and State/UT Governments will work together towards
preparing progressive road map for the country.
● Building Confidence
o Bill will help in instilling confidence among more players thereby
increasing their participation and promoting healthy competition in the
maritime sector.
● Other benefits
o It will lead to increased economic activity, wider markets, and a significant
increase in associated employment possibilities, resulting in achieving the
vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Facts/ Data
● India has a 7,500 kilometre long coastline.
● 14,500 kilometres of potentially navigable waterways and strategic location
on key international maritime trade routes.
● About 95 per cent of India’s trade by volume and 65 per cent by value are
done through maritime transport facilitated by ports.
Way Forward
● Sagarmala project
o Under the aegis of the Sagarmala project of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping
and Waterways, several initiatives on port-led development have been
identified and launched.
● Scientific and consultative planning
o The ongoing developments and committed investments (public and
private) in ports needs to be aided by scientific and consultative planning,
with a keen focus on ever increasing safety, security and environmental
issues.
Source: PIB
International Relations
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
Syllabus: GS 2/ Agreements Involving India &/or Affecting India’s Interests
In News
● Recently, according to a report from the Green Finance and Development
Centre, China’s investments in infrastructure projects under its Belt and Road
Initiative (BRI) have declined while its short and medium-term assistance to
partner countries have increased.
Major outcomes of the report
● Declining Investments
o In the first half of 2022, China’s engagement through financial investments
and contracts in 147 countries amounted to $28.4 billion, up by 47% from
the previous year.
o This marked a decline from $48.5 billion in the same period in 2019.
● The report noted three clear trends in the BRI:
o A growing role for Chinese State-owned Enterprises
o The average size for project deals falling from $558 million in 2021 to
$325 million last year
o An increasingly uneven spread of engagement.
● Assistance to partner countries
o Several countries saw no Chinese engagement in the first half of the year,
including Russia, Sri Lanka and Egypt, while the figure in Pakistan was
down by 56%.
o In the past five years, China made nearly $26 billion in short and
medium-term loans to Pakistan and Sri Lanka alone marking a shift in
its overseas engagement from funding infrastructure toward providing
emergency relief.
About China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
● Launched in 2015, the CPEC is the flagship project of the multi-billion-dollar
Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a pet project of Chinese President Xi Jinping,
aimed at enhancing Beijing’s influence around the world through China-funded
infrastructure projects.
● The 3,000 km-long China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) consists of
highways, railways, and pipelines.
 ● CPEC eventually aims at linking the city of Gwadar in South Western Pakistan
to China’s North Western region Xinjiang through a vast network of highways
and railways.
● The proposed project will be financed by heavily-subsidised loans that will be
disbursed to the Government of Pakistan by Chinese banks.

Significance of the Plan

● The agreement is aimed at boosting Chinese investment in Pakistan as well as
transferring Chinese industrial capacity.
● The framework will promote industrialisation and development of economic
zones, and initiate, plan, execute, and monitor projects, both in the public as well
as the private sectors.
● The corridor links Xinjiang with Gwadar and also passes through
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) where China is investing in a number of
projects.
● CPEC’s early-harvest projects had transformed Pakistan’s economic landscape,
thus laying a solid foundation for sustainable economic growth.
Challenges associated with the plan
● Delays in execution: The CPEC projects were also facing delays because of the
change in taxation policies by the last government in violation of commitments
given to China.
● Pakistan’s failure: The Chinese authorities were irritated because of Pakistan’s
failure to honour its contractual obligations under the CPEC framework.
● Financial crisis: China is also concerned over the acute financial crisis faced by
Pakistan, prompting it to step in periodically to bail it out with induction of
foreign exchange loans.
 ● Pakistan was a critic of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
earlier for its secrecy and uneven investments neglecting certain provinces of the
country.
● India has protested to China over the CPEC as it is being laid through the
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
● A report by US-based international development research lab AidData said
that a substantial chunk of Chinese development financing under the CPEC
consists of loans that are at or near commercial rates as opposed to grants.
● Lack of transparency: As much as 40 percent of China’s lending to Pakistan does
not appear on the government’s books.
● Laxity: The project is behind schedule and only three of the total 15 projects
announced have been completed so far.
● China’s debt trap policy: Critics also foresee that the weak economic indicators
of Pakistan might lead to a possibility of the country defaulting on debt
repayments, as Chinese loans have high interest rates.
India’s Concerns
● Violation of Indian Sovereignty: 
o The project violates the sovereignty of India as it passes
through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), which is a disputed territory
between India and Pakistan. 
o As per well-established international conventions, no construction is
allowed in any disputed territory, without taking the other country into
confidence.
● Exploitation of Natural Resources: 
o Under CPEC, China plans to build two mega-dams on Indus,
named Bunji Dam and Bhasha Dam. 
o This will put a heavy strain on the Indus Water Basin.
● Security Concerns for India: 
o Increase in China’s Activities in IOR: 
▪ With Gwadar being a part of CPEC, India fears an escalation of
PLA Navy activities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). 
o Threat to Indian Trade and Connectivity: 
▪ Majority of Indian tangible imports pass through the Strait of
Hormuz. 
▪ China can easily create impediments to its access to the Middle-east
in case of a conflict, jeopardizing India’s energy security.
o Enhanced threat from Pakistan: 
▪ With the overhauling of the Karakoram Highway, Pakistan will
enjoy an advantage in mobilizing troops as well as heavy military
equipment to PoK. 
▪ At the same time, an increase in financial returns to
Pakistan through CPEC may expand its ability to fund military
infrastructure as well as state-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir, thus
destabilizing the region.
Way ahead
● Maintain Communication: 
 oExperts have advocated that India maintain communication and cordial
relations with its neighbours. 
o In such a context, India has done well to keep participating in forums
like Shanghai Cooperation Organization to maintain communication
with both Pakistan and China.
● International Collaboration: 
o It is well settled that India cannot compete with China in the matter of
financing developmental projects like CPEC in other developing
countries. 
o Therefore, it needs to collaborate with agencies like Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) to offer soft loans to save them from falling
into the Chinese debt trap.
● Security Concerns: 
o Developing countries, especially the countries of Southeast Asia have
pinned their hopes on India to counter China’s hegemony in the region. 
o Here, India needs to build on alliances like Quad to maintain the balance
of power in the Indo-pacific region.
Source: TH
Environment and Biodiversity
Tilapia Aquaculture Project
Syllabus: GS 3/ Biodiversity
In News
● Recently, TDB-DST (Technology Development Board – Department of Science
and Technology) entered a new domain by funding its first ever Aquaculture
project using state of the art Israeli technology for production of Tilapia Fish.
What is Aquaculture?
● Cultivating aquatic organisms
o Aquaculture can be simply put as the controlled process of cultivating
aquatic organisms, especially meant for human consumption.
● According to FAO of the United Nations
o The farming of aquatic organisms including fish, molluscs, crustaceans
and aquatic plants. Farming implies some sort of intervention in the
rearing process to enhance production, such as regular stocking, feeding,
protection from predators, etc.
● Ownership
o Such farming also implies individual or corporate ownership of the stock
being cultivated, the planning, development and operation of aquaculture
systems, sites, facilities and practices, and the production and transport.
Why is Fisheries Important for India?
● Fastest growing sectors
o A fishery is one of the fastest growing sectors amongst the primary
producing sectors.
● Sunrise sector
o The sector plays a vital role in the economic and overall development of
the country also referred to as the sunrise sector.
 o It is poised to bring in immense potential through equitable and inclusive
growth.
● Providing employment
o The sector is recognized as a powerful engine for providing employment
to 14.5 million people and sustaining livelihood for the 28 million
fishermen community of the country.
What is the Neel Kranti Mission (Blue Revolution)?
● Vision
o The Neel Kranti Mission has the vision to achieve economic prosperity of
the country and the fishers and fish farmers as well as contribute towards
food and nutritional security through full potential utilization of water
resources for fisheries development in a sustainable manner, keeping in
view the bio-security and environmental concerns.
● Integrated development
o Its vision is to create an enabling environment for integrated development
of the full potential of fisheries of the country.
● Improving income status
o It aims to improve the income status of fishers and fish farmers keeping in
view the sustainability, bio-security and environmental concerns.
● The objectives include:
o To increase the overall fish production in a responsible and sustainable
manner for economic prosperity
o To modernise the fisheries with special focus on new technologies
o To ensure food and nutritional security
o To generate employment and export earnings
o To ensure inclusive development and empower fishers and aquaculture
farmers
What is Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana?
● It is a flagship scheme for focused and sustainable development of the fisheries
sector in the country with an estimated investment of 20,050 crore for its
implementation during 2020-21 to 2024-25 as part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat
package.
Aims
● To bring about the Blue Revolution through sustainable and responsible
development of the fisheries sector in India.
● To enhance the fish production by an additional 70 lakh tonne by 2024-25,
increasing fisheries export earnings to Rs.1, 00,000 crore by 2024-25.
● To double the incomes of fishers and fish farmers, reducing post-harvest losses
from 20-25% to about 10% and the generation of gainful employment
opportunities in the sector.
Implementation
● It will be implemented as an umbrella scheme with two separate components
namely
● Central Sector Scheme the project cost will be borne by the Central
government.
 ● Centrally Sponsored Scheme All the sub-components/activities will be
implemented by the States/UTs and the cost will be shared between
Centre and State.
● A well-structured implementation framework would be established for the
effective planning and implementation of PMMSY.
● For optimal outcomes, ‘Cluster or area-based approach’ would be followed with
requisite forward and backward linkages and end to end solutions.
Intended benefits of the scheme
● This scheme will address critical gaps in fish production and productivity,
quality, technology, post-harvest infrastructure and management and logistics.
● It will help to improve the availability of certified quality fish seed and feed for
international trade.
● The scheme helps in better traceability in fish and effective aquatic health
management.
● It will create direct employment opportunities to about 15 lakh fishers, fish
farmers, fish vendors and other rural and urban populations in fishing.
● This will further boost investments from states and private players in the
fisheries sector and the increase in competitiveness of fish and fisheries products.
The scheme will also help in doubling the incomes of fish farmers and fish
workers by 2024.
Tilapia Fish
● Tilapia has emerged to be one of the most productive and internationally
traded food fish in the world.
● The culture of tilapia has become commercially popular in many parts of the
world and fishery experts have dubbed the tilapia as “aquatic chicken” due
to its quick growth and low maintenance cultivation.
● If any fish could be named a global fish, no better name can be thought of
than Tilapia.
Major Reforms undertaken by the Government
● Some of the major reforms and steps taken by the Union Government to harness
the potential of the Fisheries sector in a sustainable and responsible manner
towards ushering the Blue Revolution in Fisheries include:
o Creation of a separate Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and
Dairying in the Union Government.
o Setting up a new and dedicated Department of Fisheries with
independent administrative structure.
o Implementation of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme on Blue Revolution:
Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries during the period
2015-16 to 2019-20.
o Creation of Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development
Fund (FIDF).
o Launching of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
Conclusion
● Thus, the sector urges young entrepreneurs of the country to come forward and
offer solutions, resolving on-ground challenges through technology interventions
and innovative solutions.
Source: PIB
Facts In News
Polity & Governance
Jal Jeevan Abhiyan
Syllabus: GS2/ Government Policies & Interventions
In News
● Recently, the Prime Minister congratulated the Goa government for becoming the
first state to be Har Ghar Jal certified.
○ It means every household in the state had a piped water connection.
About
● The Union Territories of Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu had
achieved the feat as well.
● The people from all the villages have declared their village as Har Ghar Jal
through a resolution passed by Gram Sabha, certifying that all households in
the villages have access to safe drinking water through taps.
Jal Jeevan Mission
● Launched: August 15, 2019.
● Aim: To provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual
household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India.
● Ministry: It comes under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
● Funding Pattern: The fund sharing pattern between the Centre and states is:
○ 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States
○ 50:50 for other states
○ 100% for Union Territories.
 ● Focus Areas:
○ recharge and reuse through grey water management
○ water conservation
○ rain water harvesting
● Four pillars:
○ people’s participation,
○ stakeholder participation,
○ political will and
○ optimum utilization of resources.
● Significance:
○ Local people and Gram Sabhas and other institutions of local governance
have been given an unprecedented role in the campaign.
○ Local women are trained for water testing and are members of ‘Paani
Samitis’.
○ It is a scheme run by the community, for the community.
Source: IE

Economy
CAROTAR Rules
Syllabus: GS3/ Indian economy & related issues
In News
● The Union Finance Ministry recently clarified certain provisions of Customs
(Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements) CAROTAR
Rules.
About
● The Ministry has advised customs field officers to be sensitive in applying
CAROTAR and maintain consistency with the provisions of relevant trade
agreements or its Rules of Origin.
● It also clarifies that the exemptions specified in a Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
with regard to the country of origin would prevail in case of a conflict between
the revenue department and an importer.
● India has inked FTAs with several countries, including UAE, Mauritius, Japan,
South Korea, Singapore, and ASEAN members.
● Under FTA, the trading partners agree to significantly reduce or eliminate
import/customs duties on the maximum number of goods traded between them,
besides relaxing norms to promote trade in services and investments.
Customs (Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements) or CAROTAR
Rules
● These Rules came into effect from September 21, 2020.
● It empowers the customs officers to ask the importer to furnish further
information, consistent with the trade agreement, in case the officer has reasons
to believe that the country-of-origin criteria have not been met.
● Where the importer fails to provide the requisite information, the officer can
make further verification consistent with the trade agreement.
Source: FE
Environment & Biodiversity

Arctic Snailfish with Freeze Proteins

Syllabus: GS3/ Species in News
In News
● A glowing snailfish (Liparis gibbus) with antifreeze proteins flowing through its
veins has been found by scientists underneath a Greenland iceberg.
○ This allows snailfish to prevent ice crystals from accumulating in their
cells and body fluid.
About the Discovery
● The discovery of the Greenland snailfish also leads to the first documented
biofluorescent fish in the Arctic.
● Experts claim that it is rare for a marine animal to exhibit biofluorescence, the
ability of some living organisms, including fish and insects, to absorb sunlight
and reemit it as a different color.
● In the past, notothenioid fishes are known for possessing the antifreeze
compound in their bloodstream which prevents them from freezing to death.
Snailfish
● The Liparidae, commonly known as snailfish or sea snails,are a family of marine
scorpaeniform fishes.
● The Snailfish releases biofluorescence, which allows it to glow green and red in
the dark arctic waters.
● Snailfish is the only polar fish reported to have biofluorescence. Biofluorescence
is the ability of an organism to convert blue light into green, red, or yellow
light.
● Snailfish are found in cold water—in the North Atlantic and North Pacific and
the Arctic and Antarctic seas.

Source: DTE
Science & Technology
Exo-moons
Syllabus: GS3/ Space Technology
In News
● Recently, Scientists have discovered nearly five thousand exoplanets with the
help of ground-based and space telescopes.
Exomoons
● Exomoons are considered to be those natural satellites that revolve around
exoplanets.
● However, exomoon around any of these planets continues to remain untraceable.
● The signals of exo-moons are too weak, because of their small sizes.
● Origin:
○ The solar system consists of a large number of natural satellites with
numerous masses and sizes.
○ A number of these satellites influence the ambient environment of the
Solar planet.
○ It is for this reason that a huge number of exomoons are expected to be
present, which may also play an important role in the habitability of
rocky exoplanets in the habitable zone of stars.
Exoplanets
● An exoplanet is any planet beyond our solar system, i.e., planets that orbit
around stars other than the sun.
● Most orbit other stars, but free-floating exoplanets, called rogue planets, orbit the
galactic center and are untethered to any star.
● Nearly five thousand exoplanets have been discovered outside our solar system.
Source: FE
Defence
Excercise Vinbax & Exercise UDARASHAKTI
Syllabus: GS3/ Defence
In News
● Recently, Vietnam-India Bilateral Army Exercise VINBAX 2022 concluded at
Chandimandir, Haryana.
About Vinbax 2022
● Vietnam has deployed a contingent in UN peacekeeping operations for the first
time in South Sudan while India has a long and rich tradition of contributing to
UN peacekeeping operations.
● The final validation exercise nicknamed ‘Men in Blue’ was built around the
setting up of a base in a remote African location faced with myriad challenges.
● Importance:
○ It was the first time ever that the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) was
undertaking a Field Training Exercise with any foreign Army.
 ○ The fact that Vietnam chose India for this honour, speaks volumes about
the value the two countries place on their mutual relationship.
○ Signifies the close relationship and convergence of interests between
Vietnam and India.
About Exercise UDARASHAKTI
● The bilateral exercise between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Royal
Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) culminated at the RMAF Air Base Kuantan.
● Spanning four days, the exercise saw the two Air Forces work in cohesion
through a series of complex aerial combat drills in multiple domains and
exercise settings.
● Significance:
○ It provided both the Air Forces an opportunity to share each others' best
practices.
○ The exercise was characterized by the display of a high degree of
professionalism by all participants.
Source: PIB + PIB

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