9 PM Current Affairs Brief – February 22nd, 2018

Learning from Cauvery Context:   Supreme Court judgement on Cauvery water dispute highlights the role of water sharing issues on election outcomes About the Judgement: The overall allocation of Karnataka was increased by 14.75 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) at the cost of Tamil Nadu. The enhanced allocation includes 4.75 tmc ft exclusively for… Continue reading Learning from Cauvery

Bangladesh fears exodus of Bengalis from Assam Context: According to senior officials of Bangladesh government, the country fears an exodus of Bengalis from Assam Details: Bangladesh has said that the ongoing process of compiling the National Register of Citizens in Assam may trigger an exodus of Bengalis and create one more Rohingya-like refugee crisis for… Continue reading Bangladesh fears exodus of Bengalis from Assam

Pakistan Supreme Court rules ousted PM Sharif cannot lead his party Context: Pakistan’s Supreme Court has ordered that ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif be removed as head of the political party he founded Details The decision has come six months after the court disqualified him as the Pakistan’s Prime Minister over unreported income. Nawaz Sharif… Continue reading Pakistan Supreme Court rules ousted PM Sharif cannot lead his party

India dismayed at Male’s move Context: India has its disappointment over the Maldives government’s decision to extend the state of Emergency for another month despite India’s objections Details: Indian External Affairs Ministry has issued a statement stating Maldives government’s decision to extend the state of Emergency as unconstitutional However, the Maldivian Ambassador to India has… Continue reading India dismayed at Male’s move

Fire and fury Context: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has demonstrated once again that his regime cares little about the lives of its own people. Why in news? The barbaric campaign of airstrikes and bombardments launched by government forces in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta, on the outskirts of Damascus, have killed at least 270 people in three… Continue reading Fire and fury

Canada will not support separatists, says Trudeau Context: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has assured the Punjab government that Canada would not support any separatist movement in India Details: During a meeting, Punjab Chief Minister has sought the Canadian Prime Minister’s cooperation in cracking down on separatism and hate crime by a fringe element, constituting… Continue reading Canada will not support separatists, says Trudeau

Meet Avani, first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo Context: Flying Officer Avani Chaturvedi has become the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo Details: She flew a MiG-21 Bison She undertook the sortie from IAF’s Jamnagar base Three women pilots — Ms. Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh — had… Continue reading Meet Avani, first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo

Magnificent launch Context: On February 7, U.S. tech and automobiles billionaire Elon Musk made history when the Falcon Heavy, the world’s most powerful rocket, was successfully launched by SpaceX About Falcon Heavy: The Falcon Heavy is a large cargo-lifting rocket developed by private spaceflight company SpaceX The rocket lifted from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in… Continue reading Magnificent launch

‘Niti Aayog working on new list of sick PSUs’ Context : CEO Amitabh Kant has said that NITI Aayog has been working on a new list of sick and loss making Public Sector Units (PSUs) that could be privatised Details: NITI Aayog has already given recommendations with regard to strategic disinvestment of 40 PSUs. Department… Continue reading ‘Niti Aayog working on new list of sick PSUs’

RBI: inflation could spur shift in stance Context: RBI Governor Urjit Patel observed that consumer price inflation was the main yardstick to determine policy rates. Why in news? The Monetary Policy Committee of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) could shift from its current ‘neutral’ policy stance to a ‘withdrawal of accommodation’ stance if headline… Continue reading RBI: inflation could spur shift in stance

The nuts and bolts of a fraud Context: Recently, PNB found that the SWIFT system had been misused by junior-level branch officials, who had fraudulently issued letters of undertaking (LoUs) on behalf of some companies for availing buyers credit from overseas branches of Indian banks. How did the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam work? Diamond… Continue reading The nuts and bolts of a fraud

As the borders begin to close Context: After the global financial crisis in 2008, the world has begun looking to developing nations to show the way to high economic growth and development. Emerging economies involved in influencing global economic policies: Emerging economies, India and China for example, have become increasingly involved in influencing global economic… Continue reading As the borders begin to close

‘New law cannot cure past breach’ Context: Mere absence of a law can be cured by subsequently enacting one with a retroactive effect, but this new law cannot cure “breaches” that occurred prior to it, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud observed orally during a Constitution Bench hearing in the Aadhaar challenge. Introduction: The judge, who is a… Continue reading ‘New law cannot cure past breach’