Nepal set to face fresh election
Paper:
Mains: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations.
What’s in News?
Nepal’s Prime Minister has got the Parliament dissolved after weeks of tension within the government.
- In an emergency Cabinet meeting Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli recommended the dissolution of Parliament of Nepal and called for general election.
- The decision was ratified by the President. The President has called for a two-phase election in 2021.
- The dramatic move came after weeks of tension with challenger Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, who has been demanding that Mr. Oli change his style of governance.
- The move to dissolve Parliament has drawn strong criticism both from the Opposition and the members of the ruling coalition.
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- It was argued that the decision was unconstitutional as there is no provision in the 2015 Constitution to dissolve Parliament that is functioning perfectly well.
New virus strain out of control: U.K.
Paper:
Mains: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations.
What’s in News?
- The British Health Secretary has said that the government has imposed a strict Christmas lockdown in London and southeast England because a new strain of the coronavirus was “out of control”.
- The World Health Organization is calling on its members in Europe to step up measures against COVID-19.
- Outside Britain, nine cases of the new strain have been reported in Denmark, the Netherlands and Australia.
- Scientists first discovered the new variant in a patient in September 2020.
- It is found that the new virus strain could be 70% more transmissible.
NGT panel for protection of Mahanadi floodplain
Paper:
Mains: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations.
What’s in News?
- The National Green Tribunal has constituted a high-level committee to identify floodplain zones of the Mahanadi (Odisha’s largest river).
- This comes in the wake of the State government reclaiming 424 acres of land from the river for development projects.
- The Chief Minister had announced that every inch of the 424 acres reclaimed land would be utilised to add ecological, recreational, sporting, cultural and technological value in the lives of the people of Cuttack.
- An activist had moved NGT to prevent irreversible damage to the riverine ecology by enforcing the applicable rules.
India, U.S. mull over unfinished work
Paper:
Mains: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations.
Why in News?
With exactly a month left in U.S. President Donald Trump’s tenure, the U.S. Ambassador to India has begun a series of farewell discussions.
Key Details:
- The calls highlighted the achievements of the India-U.S. partnership in the past four years.
- These included great strides in diplomatic, defence, commercial, energy and health areas.
- What top the list of achievements are
- The growing defence partnership
- Enhanced military exchanges bolstered by the signing of four foundational agreements: GSOMIA, LEMOA, COMCASA and BECA.
- S. grant of the STA-1 Strategic Trade Authorisation to India capped by intelligence sharing and quick procurements during the ongoing standoff between Indian and Chinese troops at the Line of Actual Control (LAC)
- The crystallisation of the “Quad” arrangement.
- However, talks on waivers for possible sanctions, trade negotiations, and nuclear deals are in the category of unfinished business.
Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA):
- The U.S. recently imposed sanctions on NATO-ally Turkey for its purchase of Russia’s S-400 missile defence system.
- The issue of sanctions under Section 231 of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for purchase of Russian arms is of particular interest to India, which is also in the process of buying the S-400 from Moscow.
- Despite hopes being raised in 2018 by the U.S. Congress’s amendment to the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), that allowed the U.S. President to waive sanctions on India’s purchase of the S-400 missile systems from Russia, Mr. Trump has not made the decision to give India a pass.
India to bring more nations into coastal radar network
Paper:
Mains: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations.
Why in News?
Efforts are in advanced stages to set up coastal radar stations in the Maldives, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Key Details:
- The coastal radar chain network is meant to enable real-time monitoring of the high seas for threats as also expand India’s assistance for capacity building to Indian Ocean littoral states.
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- Under Phase-I of the coastal radar chain network, 46 coastal radar stations have been set up across India’s coastline.
- Under Phase-II of the project, which is currently underway, 38 static radar stations and four mobile radar stations are being set up by the Coast Guard and are in the advanced stage of completion.
- The recent developments are part of efforts to further expand the coastal radar chain network.
- Mauritius, Seychelles and Sri Lanka have already been integrated into India’ coastal radar chain network. Similar proposals are being pursued with some more countries.
- Two of the coastal radar stations in the Maldives were functional as of 2019 and work was underway on the third station.