9 PM Current Affairs Brief – May 12th, 2018

Citizenship bill: Assam minister says protests unfounded Citizenship bill; Assam Accord News The Assam government has demanded an end to protests as the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 has not yet submitted its report Important Facts The Assam government has not yet taken any stand on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 which… Continue reading Citizenship bill: Assam minister says protests unfounded

India to help settle Rohingya back in Rakhine Rohingya issue; India Myanmar News: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is on a two day trip to Myanmar. Important Facts: An agreement on assistance to the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee was signed. This committee monitors the ceasefire implementation between the government of Myanmar and ethnic militant organisations… Continue reading India to help settle Rohingya back in Rakhine

A river in distress Cauvery Dispute; Ecology and Environment Article: The riverine ecosystem of the disputed Cauvery River is in a dismal state. Analysis: The Cauvery River originates from Talakaveri in Kodagu district, Karnataka, flows into Tamil Nadu, and reaches the Bay of Bengal at Poompuhar. Parts of three Indian states – Tamil Nadu, Kerala,… Continue reading A river in distress

A time to think fast Iran Nuclear deal; Articles 1.Happymon Jacob,Associate Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, observes that Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is bound to have serious implications for the international system, and for India. Important Analysis:  Immediate impact of US withdrawal from Iran Nuclear deal on various… Continue reading A time to think fast

Set up sexual harassment probe panels in courts: SC Supreme Court; gender issue News: The Supreme Court has directed the Chief Justices of all high courts to set up anti-sexual harassment committees in all courts Important Facts: The directions came on a petition filed by a woman advocate who had alleged that she was assaulted… Continue reading Set up sexual harassment probe panels in courts: SC

Nepal tops in India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy: Modi India- Nepal; PM visit; Neighbourhood first News: PM modi during his Nepal visit assured Nepal that it is at the top of India’s Nieghbourhood First Policy. Important Facts: 2. The present Indian PM has visited Nepal 3 times in his current term. 3. In Janakpur, Nepal, PM… Continue reading Nepal tops in India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy: Modi

Unseen for decades, rare butterflies re-emerge Species; ecology News: Nature enthusiasts have recently spotted rare Black wind-mill butterfly in Dibang Valley in the Lower Dibang District, Arunachal Pradesh which was unseen for decades. Important facts: This butterfly has its mention only in two books: Lepidoptera Indica (1913) by Fredric Moore and The Fauna of British… Continue reading Unseen for decades, rare butterflies re-emerge

Oil near multi-year highs on Iran sanctions Inflation; oil prices News: Oil prices remained near three-and-a-half-year highs on May 11th Important Facts: Iran produces around 4 percent of global oil supplies The top exporter of oil is Saudi Arabia and the top producer of oil is Russia Since 2017, both Saudi Arabia and Russia have… Continue reading Oil near multi-year highs on Iran sanctions

Industrial growth slows to 5-month low Economic growth; Industry News: Data released by Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that industrial output growth has slowed to a 5-month low of 4.4% in March Important Facts: The slow industrial output growth has been attributed to a fall in capital goods production and deceleration in mining activity The… Continue reading Industrial growth slows to 5-month low

India to counter U.S. plaint on farm subsidies in WTO WTO dispute News: The Indian government will challenge US’ accusation that India is under-reporting its food subsidies at the World Trade Organization (WTO) Important Facts: US had alleged that India has underreported its minimum Support Price (MSP) for rice and wheat US had further raised… Continue reading India to counter U.S. plaint on farm subsidies in WTO

Navy to opt for Big Data, AI in operational functioning Cyber security News: The Indian Navy has finalised plans to incorporate contemporary cybersecurity measures Important Facts: The biannual Naval Commanders’ Conference was held from 8th to 12th May, 2018 A new digital library is inaugurated which is available across the Navy for knowledge management and retrieval… Continue reading Navy to opt for Big Data, AI in operational functioning

Loss of innocents Mob lynching; Security Article: The recent instances of mob lynching in Tamil Nadu highlights the importance of understanding the underlying mob psychology and take effective measures to avoid such instances Analysis: Measures to be taken: Strong response from police- Police should spread the news of action taken against the guilty The local… Continue reading Loss of innocents