PM CALLS FOR SAARC STRATEGY, MASKS AND SANITIZERS NOW ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES, CORONAVIRUS STRAIN ISOLATED
Focus: GS-II International Relations, GS-III Science and Technology, Disaster Management, Prelims Why in news? Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 14th March 2020 called for a videoconference summit of leaders of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to discuss a common strategy to tackle COVID-19. Masks and hand sanitisers have been declared as essential […]
INDIA JOINS INDIAN OCEAN COMMISSION AS OBSERVER
Focus: GS-II International Relations, Prelims Why in news? India has joined as an observer of the Indian Ocean Commission — the inter-governmental organisation that coordinates maritime governance in the south-western Indian Ocean — a move that will bolster Delhi’s Indo-Pacific vision. What are the benefits? This move has strategic importance as the Commission is an […]
IN PUSH FOR NEIGHBOURHOOD FIRST POLICY: INDIA PLANS A COMMON ELECTRICITY MARKET
Focus: GS-II International Relations, GS-III Industry and Infrastructure, Indian Economy Why in news? The Union government plans to set up a regional grid that will be leveraged to create a common electricity market for nations in India’s neighbourhood, said power and new and renewable energy minister. The proposed market, which will include Myanmar, Sri Lanka, […]
AFGHAN WAR CRIMES PROBE TO GO ON: ICC
Focus: GS-II International Relations Why in news? International war crimes judges ruled on 5th March 2020, that a probe into wartime abuses in Afghanistan must go ahead, including looking into possible atrocities committed by U.S. forces, as they overturned a previous court ruling. The move was immediately hailed by human rights organisations as a “pivotal […]
INDIA COMMITTED TO TWO-STATE SOLUTION – ON PALESTINE
Focus: GS-II International Relations Why in news? Members of UN said: India has remained “steadfast” in its support for Palestinian rights and has consistently voted in favour of Palestine at the United Nations on “15 key resolutions”. They called for New Delhi to play an “enhanced” role in the search for a solution to the […]
PM MODI CALLS FOR COVID-19 EMERGENCY FUND FOR SAARC
Focus: GS-II International Relations, GS-III Science and Technology, Disaster Management, Prelims Why in news? The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) should create a fund to fight the threat of COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on 15th March 2020 – Addressing the first ever video conference among the heads of governments of the […]
UN RIGHTS BODY TO MOVE SC ON CAA
Focus: GS-II Governance, International Relations, Prelims Why in news? In an unprecedented and rare move, the Geneva-based Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has announced that it plans to file an application in the Supreme Court, asking to be impleaded in petitions challenging the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). And the Ministry of […]
RETURN TO CHAOS IN AFGHANISTAN?
Focus: GS-II International Relations Why in news? Recently, the U.S. signed a deal (at Qatar’s capital-Doha) with the Taliban that could pave the way towards a full withdrawal of foreign soldiers from Afghanistan over the next 14 months and represent a step towards ending the 18-year-war in Afghanistan. Background of the Deal Inhuman violence by Islamist terror group al-Qaeda, and […]
INDIA MONITORING IMPACT OF U.S. – TALIBAN DEAL
Focus: GS-II International Relations Why in news? External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on 2nd March 2020 that India was “watching the space” closely to ensure that gains of the past two decades were not lost after U.S. signed a deal with Taliban. India’s Concerns Not Addressed While India has raised concerns over the future […]
A BIG, BAD DEAL
Focus: GS-II International Relations Why in news? The deal signed between the U.S. and the Taliban in Doha on 29th February 2020 sets the stage for America to wind down the longest war in its history. The Afghan war is estimated to have cost $2-trillion, with more than 3,500 American and coalition soldiers killed. Afghanistan lost hundreds […]