1. China supports Pakistan to resolve issues with India through talks

Transcription

1 1. China supports Pakistan to resolve issues with India through talks Topic: India and its neighbourhood relations Why in news: China backs Pakistan for trying to resolve outstanding issues with India through dialogue, and appeared to support Islamabad on two other key topics the expansion of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and counterterrorism. More on the topic: In a joint statement, China stated that it appreciated Pakistan's quest for peace through dialogue, cooperation and negotiation, on the basis of mutual respect and equality, and supports Pakistan s efforts for improvement of Pakistan-India relations and for settlement of outstanding disputes between the two countries. Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)?? The NSG was founded in response to the Indian nuclear test in May 1974 and first met in November Nations already signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) saw the need to further limit the export of nuclear equipment, materials or technology. The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a group of nuclear supplier countries that seeks to contribute to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons through the implementation of two sets of Guidelines for 1.nuclear exports and 2.nuclearrelated exports. The NSG Guidelines also contain the so-called Non-Proliferation Principle, adopted in 1994, whereby a supplier, notwithstanding other provisions in the NSG Guidelines, authorises a transfer only when satisfied that the transfer would not contribute to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The NSG Guidelines are consistent with, and complement, the various international, legally binding instruments in the field of nuclear non-proliferation. These include the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America (Treaty of Tlatelolco), the South Pacific Nuclear-Free-Zone Treaty (Treaty of Rarotonga), the African Nuclear-Weapon- Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Pelindaba), the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear- Weapon-Free Zone (Treaty of Bangkok), and the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Semipalatinsk). The NSG Guidelines are implemented by each Participating Government (PG) in accordance with its national laws and practices. Decisions on export applications are taken at the national level in accordance with national export licensing requirements. 1 P a g e

2 During a state visit to India in November 2010, then U.S. President Barack Obama announced U.S. support for India's participation in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Wassenaar Arrangement, the Australia Group and the Missile Technology Control Regime, "in a phased manner," and to encourage the evolution of regime participation criteria to that end, "consistent with maintaining the core principles of these regimes. However, China is opposing India's membership citing Pakistan's non-admission in the exclusive group and started for inclusion of Pakistan in the group. As of 2018, the NSG has 48 participating governments. Counter-terrorism incorporates the practice, military tactics, techniques, and strategy that government, military, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or prevent terrorism. Counter-terrorism strategies include attempts to counter financing of terrorism. India is a main victim due cross-border terrorism and brought Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) and asked countries to adopt it to root out terrorism. However Pakistan is motherland for terrorism denying adopting it and now said not yet ready to join a global counter-terror treaty, pointing out that a consensus should be forged on the text of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) first. 2. Refused derived Fuel (RFD) Topic: Issues regarding environmental conservation Why in news: Cement factories located around Bangalore have stopped picking up RFD claiming that it is not economically viable. More on the topic: "Refused derived fuel"(rdf) means fuel derived from combustible waste fraction of solid waste like plastic, wood, pulp or organic waste, other than chlorinated materials, in the form of pellets or fluff produced by drying, shredding, dehydrating and compacting of solid waste. 2 P a g e

3 Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC) has revised guidelines for usage of Refused derived fuel (RDF). As per Solid waste Management Rules 2016,has mandated cement factories which are within 400 km of RDF plants, must ensure that combustible waste forms at least 5% of their fuel consumption. In India on an average we are generating 200 grams to 600 grams of waste every day by every person. Mandating usage of RDF will reduce the menace of waste disposal in a purposeful way. Though the fuel is given for free, for the cement plants, the high transportation costs became a major problem. However, Bangalore has always faced problems with getting cement factories to pick up RFD as most of them are located over 500km away. 3. Water ATMs may help in bridging safe water gap Topic: Issues relating to development. Why in news? With 82 Crore people who still do not have access to piped water and 70% of water in the country contaminated by pollutants, the government is increasingly starting to accept small water enterprises such as water ATMs and community purification plants as an alternative solution to the safe drinking water challenge. More on the topic A new report by Safe Water Network (SWN) says the government needs to spend Rs. 44,000 crore on 2.2 lakh small water enterprises to provide safe drinking water to about 37 crore people, mostly in urban slums where piped water infrastructure is difficult to build, and in rural areas with contaminated water sources. A recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) pointed out that only 18% of the rural population has access to potable piped water, failing to meet the 2017 target of 50%. 3 P a g e

4 India is ranked at 120 out of 122 countries on the Water Quality Index, said Niti Aayog, adding that 70% of the country s water supply is contaminated. Community water purification plants have grown from less than 12,000 in 2014 to almost 50,000 in 2018, according to the SWN, as they have been incorporated into government planning. To reach the government s Har Ghar Jal target of 100% piped water by 2030, almost Rs. 5 lakh crore of infrastructure investment will be required, says government data. SWN estimates that if the government is willing to spend less than 10% of that amount on small water enterprises, it could provide safe drinking water at a fraction of the cost. 4. Greater Flamingos at Hope Island Topic: Conservation of environment Why in news? After a long a gap, a flock of five greater flamingos has been spotted along the Coast of Hope Island, a part of the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh. More on the topic Spread over 235 sq. km., the wildlife sanctuary is an abode for about 35 species of mangrove plants and another 120 species of rare birds. In addition, 236 species of migratory birds are spotted in and around the sanctuary with over 60,000 water birds visiting the sanctuary every year. A group of greater flamingos, however, was last seen here in P a g e

5 Greater flamingos (IUCN status: Least concern) are filter feeders and get their characteristic pink colour from their diet of brine shrimps and algae available in coastal wetlands. We feel the flamingos are indicators of a healthy coastal environment forest officials said. Other Important news Bhungroo: a water harvesting system. Shifting diet for a sustainable future. 5 P a g e

6 National IAS Academy , Lucky Paradise, 2nd floor, 8th 'F' main road, 22nd cross, Opp. ICICI bank, 3rd Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore P a g e