GS PAPER II NEWS
India and Turkmenistan Agreement in the field of Disaster Management
Why in News
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- The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has given its approval for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Turkmenistan on cooperation in the field of Disaster Management.
Key point
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- The MoU seeks to establish a mechanism whereby both India and Turkmenistan would benefit from each other’s disaster management mechanisms and strengthen the areas of preparedness, response and capacity building in the area of disaster management.
- The MoU envisages cooperation on a mutually beneficial basis in the following areas:
- Monitoring and forecasting emergencies and assessing their consequences;
- Interaction through competent authorities with appropriate organizations involved in disaster management;
- Joint planning, development and implementation of research projects in the field of disaster management, exchange of scientific and technical publications and results of research work;
- to exchange information, magazines or other publications, video and photographic materials as well as technologies by mutual consent within the scope of this MoU;
- To jointly organize conferences, seminars, workshops as well as exercises and trainings in related fields;
- Exchange of experts and experiences in disaster management;
- Training and capacity building of first responders to search and rescue operations; Exchange of trainees and experts to help in capacity building in the area of disaster management;
- Provide mutually agreed assistance for providing technical facilities and equipment in disaster management, augmentation of early warning systems and capacity building of the Parties;
- Providing mutually agreed assistance in emergency response;
- Sharing of knowledge and expertise support for building disaster resilient infrastructure;
- Providing mutually agreed quality management systems in accordance with internationally recognized standards;
- other activities related to disaster management, as may be mutually agreed upon by the competent authorities of both the parties;
- Presently India has signed bilateral/multilateral MoUs/MoUs/Joint Declaration of Intent/Memorandum of Intent with Switzerland, Russia, SAARC, Germany, Japan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Bangladesh and Italy for cooperation in the field of Disaster Management Huh.
GS PAPER II
India and Spain approve agreement on cooperation in customs matters
Why in News
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- The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has approved the signing of the Agreement between India and Spain on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters.
The benefit:
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- This agreement will help in making available reliable, quick and cost-effective information and intelligence for the prevention and investigation of customs related offenses and apprehending customs offenders.
- The agreement will provide a legal framework for information sharing between the customs authorities of the two countries and facilitate proper administration of customs laws and identification and investigation of customs offenses and lawful trade.
The agreement contains the following provisions:
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- accurate assessment of customs duties, in particular information about the customs value, tariff classification and country of origin of goods traded between the two countries;
- the authenticity of any document produced in support of the declaration (eg certificate of origin, challan etc.) made to the requesting authority;
Customs offenses relating to illegal movement of the following:
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- arms, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices;
- art and antiquities, which are of significant historical, archaeological, cultural importance;
- Toxins and other substances hazardous to the environment and public health;
- goods subject to substantial customs duties or taxes;
- New means and methods employed to commit customs offenses against customs law.
GS PAPER III
Green Energy Corridor Phase-II
Why in News
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- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today approved the plan for Green Energy Corridor (GEC) Phase-II for Inter-State Transmission System (INSTS).
Key point
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- Under this, additional addition of about 27,500 Mega Volt-Ampere (MVA) transformer capacities of about 10,750 circuit kilometers of transmission lines and sub-stations has been approved.
- The scheme will support grid integration and power evacuation projects of about 20 GW of renewable energy in seven states- Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
- The target has been set to launch this scheme at an estimated cost of Rs 12,031.33 crore, in which Central Financial Assistance (CFA) will be equal to 33 per cent of the project, i.e. Rs 3970.34 crore.
- The transmission system will be developed over a period of five years from the financial year 2021-22 to 2025-26.
- Central financial assistance will help in adjusting the intra-state transmission charges and thereby keep the cost of electricity low.
- Therefore, the end users of electricity – the citizens of the country will only benefit from government support.
- This scheme will help in achieving the target of 450 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2030.
- The scheme will contribute to sustainable energy security in the country and promote ecologically sustainable growth by reducing carbon emissions.
- This will generate direct and indirect employment on a large scale for both skilled and unskilled workers in power and other related sectors.
- This scheme is in addition to GEC-Phase-I which is already underway in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu in terms of grid integration and renewable energy extraction of about 24 GW.
- It is expected that it will be completed by 2022. Sub-stations having transmission projects with an estimated cost of Rs 10,141.68 crore including Central Financial Assistance (CFA) of Rs 4056.67 crore, the scheme is to provide 9,700 circuit km of additional transmission lines and additional capacity of 22,600 MVA in those sub-stations.
GS PAPER III
Anti-Terrorism Committee (CTC)
Why in News
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- India’s Permanent Representative TS Tirumurti assumed the post of Chairman of the Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) for 2022. However, India is currently a non-permanent member of the 15-member Security Council and its two-year term will end on December 31, 2022.
Key point
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- On the eve of taking over as CTC chairman, India voted in favor of a proposal to renew the mandate of the Executive Directorate of Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTED). The resolution was passed by the United Nations Security Council.
- The United Nations Security Council, through its written tacit process, renewed the mandate of the Executive Directorate until December 31, 2025.
- Voting in favor of the renewal proposal of the CTED, India said that as chair of the CTC for 2022, India will endeavor to enhance the role of the CTC in strengthening the multilateral response to counter-terrorism.
- Establishment of Anti-Terrorism Committee
- The Anti-Terrorism Committee (CTC) was set up in 2001 in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001) established the Anti-Terrorism Committee as a subsidiary body of the Council.
Who is TS Tirumurti?
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- TS Tirumurti is the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations. Since joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1985, TS Tirumurti has served the nation in various capacities.
- Being an International Diplomat, he has handled many big responsibilities for India.
- Prior to becoming India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, he served in the Embassy of India in Cairo, Egypt and has also represented India in the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in Geneva. Along with this he has also served as India’s first representative to the Palestinian Authority in Gaza.
GS PAPER I
Open Rock Museum
Why in News
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- Recently India’s first open rock museum has been inaugurated in Hyderabad.
Key point
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- ‘Open Rock Music’, established with the aim of educating and informing the public about many lesser known facts.
- It contains about 35 different types of rocks from different parts of India, ranging in age from 3.3 billion years to about 55 million years of Earth’s history.
- The Ministry of Earth Sciences said that these rocks also represent the deepest part of the Earth up to a distance of 175 kilometers from the Earth’s surface.
- Geology is contributing significantly towards self-reliance and national priorities in New India.