9 PM Current Affairs Brief – March 17th, 2018

Arbitration and Conciliation Act: Proposed amendment by govt to put earlier changes on backburner, warns SC What has happened? The Supreme Court has warned that an amendment being proposed by the Centre to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act may ultimately have the effect of putting on the backburner changes made to the Act in 2015. Background… Continue reading Arbitration and Conciliation Act: Proposed amendment by govt to put earlier changes on backburner, warns SC

Won’t not touch Ram Sethu; will explore alternative route, Centre tells SC What has happened? The Union government told the Supreme Court that it will not touch the Ram Sethu, an underwater coral formation in the Indian Ocean referred in mythology Ramayana, for the implementation of the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project. Why? The government said… Continue reading Won’t not touch Ram Sethu; will explore alternative route, Centre tells SC

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to visit India next week What has happened? India will host German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier next week. The visit is the first major outreach from Germany after the new government led by Chancellor Angela Merkel was sworn in on March 14 Cooperation on Cleaning Ganga Steinmeier will attend programmes in Varanasi and Chennai… Continue reading German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to visit India next week 

‘Can’t compare Sri Lanka refugees and Rohingya’ What has happened? Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, who fled the war in the island nation in the 1980s, stood on a “different footing” from the Rohingyas who seek shelter from persecution in native Myanmar. Any comparison between the two is misconceived, the Centre has told the Supreme Court. Why?… Continue reading ‘Can’t compare Sri Lanka refugees and Rohingya’ 

The self-blinding Russia prism The ‘Russia collusion’ narrative in the U.S. has rendered any diplomacy between the two countries impossible. Push for tougher retaliation against Russia           Russia as main adversary: With two documents in recent months, the National Security Strategy and the Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), the U.S. has declared Russia as its main adversary,… Continue reading The self-blinding Russia prism

The long fight against TB Context Fight against TB What is the rate of incidence of TB in India? The incidence rate of tuberculosis (TB) in India is estimated at 200-300 cases per 100,000 population per year. As a comparison, in Western Europe it is five per 100,000 per year Situation in India India’s estimated annual TB… Continue reading The long fight against TB

Grounding of aircraft won’t hit services: Jayant Sinha Context Indigo and GoAir cancellations of close to 630 domestic flights this month Backdrop Recently some concerns had been raised in the media regarding grounding of aircraft with specified neo engines and resultant cancellations of flights Government’s response Government stated that The capacity impacted by this measure,… Continue reading Grounding of aircraft won’t hit services: Jayant Sinha

‘Export promotion schemes opposed by U.S. not subsidies’ Context Latest Indo US trade dispute related to export promotion schemes at WTO Government’s response As per government, textile ministry is not giving subsidies. Industries face high logistics costs and State levies and these are not reimbursed. Schemes such as the Merchandise Exports From India are to… Continue reading ‘Export promotion schemes opposed by U.S. not subsidies’

Higher trade deficit pushes up Q3 CAD to 2% of GDP at $13.5 bn Context Rise in Current Account Deficit (CAD) What has happened? The current account deficit (CAD) rose to 2% of the GDP or $13.5 billion in the December quarter, up from $8 billion or 1.4% in the year-ago period, on the back… Continue reading Higher trade deficit pushes up Q3 CAD to 2% of GDP at $13.5 bn