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Complete Government Scheme for Prelims 2019

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VisionIAS 08:21

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The HINDU Notes – 15th May 2019

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VisionIAS 08:12

📰 U.S. curbs: India to decide on Iran crude imports after polls

Foreign Minister Zarif’s visit to update Delhi on developments in Persian Gulf

•India will take a call on the purchase of Iranian energy after the general elections, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told her Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif here on Tuesday.

•The discussions come in the backdrop of escalating tensions in the Gulf after the U.S. waivers for supply of Iranian energy ended on May 2, prompting Tehran to declare that it would no longer be bound by the 2015 nuclear deal.

•“On purchase of oil from Iran, External Affairs Minister reiterated the position that a decision will be taken after the elections keeping in mind our commercial considerations, energy security and economic interests,” said a source familiar with the discussion held between the two sides at the Jawaharlal Nehru Bhavan here.

Rising tensions

•The Indian side said the visit of the Foreign Minister was undertaken “at his own initiative” to update about the developments in the Gulf region where tension escalated over the weekend as incidents of sabotage were reported in Saudi Arabia. Tehran, meanwhile, indicated that it would leave the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that was agreed upon during the second tenure of U.S. President Barack Obama.

•Following Tuesday’s meeting, Mr. Zarif had described the talks he held in India and Turkmenistan as “excellent”.

•“Those who actually live in our fragile neighbourhood have a real national security interest in promoting peace, stability, cooperation and connectivity. Iran remains a most accessible, sustainable and secure partner,” he said in a social media message after meeting Ms. Swaraj.

•Indicating continued energy trade, Mr. Zarif had told reporters that Tehran and New Delhi have devised plans to ensure supply. “The two sides have designed a special financial system to augment trade and economic cooperation,” the Minister said. However, India has not announced any such plans as yet.

•The visiting minister also informed India that as per the announcement of President Hassan Rouhani, Iran has given a 60-day timeline to the EU-3 and other parties to the nuclear deal for restoring oil and banking channels. As part of the JCPOA, Iran was required to sell its surplus enriched uranium abroad, rather than store it inside the country. Mr. Rouhani had declared on May 8 that Iran would not keep this part of the promise after U.S. withdrew from the deal.

•Ms. Swaraj conveyed India’s position on the critical nuclear deal that had restored banking and trade rights to Tehran after decades, and urged the stakeholders to resolve differences peacefully.

•“India would like all parties to the agreement to continue to fulfill their commitments and all parties should engage constructively and resolve all issues peacefully and through dialogue,” the source said.

📰 WTO: India moots ‘unbiased’ assessment of trade policies

Daily Current Affairs, 15th May 2019

vision ias current affairs

VisionIAS 07:30

1) International Day of Families: 15 May

•In 1993, the General Assembly decided in a resolution that 15 May of every year should be observed as The International Day of Families. The Theme for 2019 International Day of Families is “Families and Climate Action: Focus on SDG 13″.

•This day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase the knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families.

2) India To Co-Chair Consultative Group Of Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery

•India is unanimously chosen as co-chair of the Consultative Group (CG) of Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) for the fiscal year 2020. The decision was taken during the CG meeting of GFDRR held in Geneva, Switzerland, on the margins of the 6th Session of the GPDRR 2019.

•The CG Meeting was co-chaired by Africa Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, the European Union (EU) and World Bank. Additionally, GFDRR in cooperation with the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the European Union had also organized the 4th edition of the World Reconstruction Conference (WRC). This is the first time that the country has been afforded the opportunity of co-chairing the CG meeting of GFDRR.

3) UN Imposed Sanctions On Terror Group ISIS Khorasan

•The UN has imposed sanctions on terror group ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) for its links with Al-Qaeda and involvement in several attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is now subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.

•The group, formed in 2015 by a Pakistani national and a former commander of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, has killed over 150 people. The United Nations Security Council’s 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee sanctioned Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan (ISIL-K).

4) MoU Signed For Rudraksh Plantation In Ganga Basin

•A tripartite MoU was signed between National Mission for Clean Ganga, HCL Foundation and INTACH for taking up a project of ‘Plantation of Rudraksh Trees in Uttarakhand’ as a part of CSR initiative under the ‘Namami Gange’ Programme.

•The project aims at planting 10,000 Rudraksh trees in the catchment area of river Ganga in Uttarakhand in association with local community and other stakeholders. It will also help in generating income for people residing in those areas.

5) RBI Appoints R Gandhi On YES Bank Board

•The Reserve Bank of India has appointed its former Deputy Governor, R Gandhi, on the board of private sector lender YES Bank as an additional director.

•The appointment has been done in exercise of powers conferred under sub-section (1) of Section 36AB of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. The RBI has the power to appoint additional directors on the board of a bank if it feels it is in the interest of the banking company or its depositors.

6) Maj Gen A K Dhingra Appointed As 1st Special Operations Division Commander

•Ace Special Forces operative and Sri Lanka war veteran Major General AK Dhingra has been appointed as the first head of country’s first tri-services Special Operations Division comprising commandos from all three services.

•The Armed Forces Special Operations Division has been set up by the government to undertake joint operations by three services and will have elements from the Army’s Parachute Regiments SF, Marine Commandos (MARCOS) of the Navy and the Garud Commandos of the Indian Air Force.

7) Indian Navy’s 1st Full-Fledged SSB Opened At Kolkata

•The Indian Navy’s first full-fledged Services Selection Board (SSB) was inaugurated by Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba at Diamond Harbour near Kolkata, West Bengal. Spread over 27 acres on the banks of Hooghly, the SSB (Kolkata) has the capacity to screen 5,000 officer-candidates annually.

•The SSB (Kolkata) is located at a place that was previously occupied by a Naval Coastal Battery. This is the fifth SSB of the Indian Navy and will cater for a selection of both permanent and short service commission (SSC) officers. The other boards are located in Bhopal, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam and Coimbatore.

8) WPI Inflation Slides To 3.07% in April

•Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation for April eased to 3.07%, from 3.62% in April 2018. The latest WPI print was also lower than 3.18% recorded in March this year. Build up inflation for the financial year so far was 0.75%, lower than 0.86% in the corresponding period of the previous year.

•The overall WPI print for April was dragged down by a sharp decline in manufactured products (which accounts for two-third weightage in the WPI basket), which came in at a 30-month low of 1.7% (2.16% in March 2019).