Table of Contents
JnK
• The All-Party Meeting chaired by Jammu & nKashmir Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti in
Srinagar has made a unanimous call for a cessation of hostilities for creating a
congenial and peaceful atmosphere on ground in the Valley.
• All the participants called for political outreach in Kashmir with a request to the
national leadership to take a leaf out of former Prime Minister Atal Behari
Vajpayee’s 2002 initiatives.
• The meeting was called in view of a fresh spurt in violence, including civilian killings
in counter-militancy operations at various places in south Kashmir and Srinagar.
MEA
• India today said all parties should engage constructively to address and resolve
issues concerning Iran’s nuclear deal.
• The response came a day after US President Donald Trump announced withdrawal from the 2015 landmark nuclear deal with Iran.
• New Delhi has always maintained that the Iranian nuclear issue should be resolved
peacefully through dialogue and diplomacy.
• Iran’s right to peaceful use of nuclear energy should be respected USA-NK.
• US President Donald Trump has said North Korea has released three Americans who
were in its custody.
• The country had been holding three Korean-Americans – a missionary and two
teachers.
• Trump tweeted that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is on his way back from
North Korea with the three men.
• He said all three are in good health.
• US President Donald Trump will meet North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un in
Singapore on 12th of next month for the historic meeting.
• Trump said, the highly anticipated meeting will discuss the denuclearize
on the Korean peninsula. In a tweet, the US President said, the two leaders will try
to make it a very special moment for World Peace.
• His early morning tweet came hours after three American nationals of South Korean origin
returned home after North Korea released them.
IMF
• The International Monetary Fund, IMF has reaffirmed that India will be the fastest
growing major economy in 2018, with a growth rate of 7.4 per cent that will
further rise to 7.8 per cent in 2019.
• The IMF’s Asia and Pacific Regional Economic Outlook report said India was
recovering from the effects of demonetization and the introduction of
Goods and Services Tax.
• The recovery is expected to be underpinned by a rebound from transitory
shocks as well as robust private consumption.
PMO
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi two day visit to Nepal.
• Mr Modi said, it is his third visit to Nepal as Prime Minister and reflects the high
priority that India attaches to the age-old, close and friendly ties with the Himalayan
Nation.
• Opportunity to take forward the recent wide-ranging discussions in New Delhi on
issues of mutual interest, and to advance partnership across diverse sectors.
• Visit will further cement people-centric partnership with the neighboring country
on the basis of mutual benefit, goodwill and understanding.
• High-level and regular interactions reflect his government’s commitment to the
‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
• India will continue to remain a steadfast partner of the neighboring country to
implement its vision of ‘Samriddha Nepal, Sukhi Nepali’.
• Janakpur and Muktinath as they are living testimony to the ancient and strong
cultural and religious ties between the peoples of India and Nepal.
President
• President Ram Nath Kovind today visited the Army base camp in Siachen, becoming
the first President of India to visit the world’s highest battlefield in 14 years.
• The previous visit was undertaken by former president APJ Abdul Kalam in April
2004.
• Interacting with the soldiers, Mr Kovind said, their bravery and valour has given
every Indian the confidence that the borders are safe and secure.
• Soldiers were guarding the toughest war field in the extreme climate.
MEA
• External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj reached Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar
• She was received by Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar
U Myint Thu.
• Mrs Swaraj will held discussions with Myanmar leadership to further reinforce
the bilateral ties.
• Seven agreements are expected to be signed during the visit.
Aadhaar
• The Supreme Court today reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions challenging
the constitutional validity of Aadhaar and its enabling 2016 law.
• A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra directed all the
concerned parties to file written submissions to put forth their case.
• The judgement was reserved after a marathon hearing which went on for 38
days spanning four months.
Union Minister of River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation
• Nitin Gadkari said, the Center has substantial funds to clean Ganga River.
Briefing media in New Delhi, Mr Gadkari said, efforts are being made round the
clock to clean Ganga.
• He said, there is a need to address the issue of solid waste management and
create ways to utilize recycled water for different purposes.
• The Minister also said, government is ensuring accountability, transparency and
monitoring of projects involved in cleaning Ganga.
ATL
• Center aims to set up five thousand Atal Tinkering lab (ATL) by March next year in
all the districts of the country.
• Atal Tinkering Labs are dedicated work spaces where students from Class 6th to
Class 12th learn innovation skills and develop ideas.
• NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar said, Atal Tinkering labs are hubs of
innovation where young minds will accelerate their ideas to solve unique
local problems.
Make in India
• Two recent developments
1. Harvard University’s Center for International Development : India has diversified into more complex sectors and hence would be the fastest growing economy in the coming decade, with an annual GDP growth rate of 7.9%.
2. Ongoing US-China trade tiff has unwittingly created a window of opportunity for Indian manufacturing.
• US accuses China of systematic theft of intellectual property and China sets harsh
terms for MNCs, many large firms look for manufacturing locations outside of China.
• India’s manufacturing story can take shape if we can get just a few large firms
to relocate.
• India’s IT outsourcing story started with two firms in 1997 when British Airways
and GE set up operations to India.
• We need to do the same with manufacturing.
• This will require an in-depth look at the issues faced by the sector.
• Why do firms located in Germany, Japan or the US develop most new products and
not firms located in other countries?
• Why do east Asian countries trade mostly in textiles and electronics?
• Let us imagine a giant wheel on which every manufacturing technique is
represented.
• The central core of the wheel houses techniques that require expertise in basic
sciences, chemistry, metals, electronics, etc.
• These are so complex that most new developments vie for the Nobel prize.
• 3D printing technology, which may shift manufacturing of shirts, shoes and toys
from developing countries to near customers in developed countries, is one
example.
• Germany, Japan and the US are masters of such core techniques.
• They have developed this expertise through policies and long-term
investments in R&D.
• Firms located in other countries do not have access to this patent protected and
fiercely guarded expert ecosystem.
• While core techniques are located in the central area of the wheel, sector-specific
and less complex techniques are located at different points in the outer region of
the wheel.
• These relate to processing of raw materials, agriculture and mining
products.
• Or techniques for use within the same product groups like apparel or electronics
only.
• Since the two techniques are located at a distance from each other, expertise in one
does not help in developing expertise in the other.
• This is unlike core products which are densely located at the central core.
• This explains why east Asia mostly specializes in the textile and electronic products and could not diversify to say advanced chemicals or engineering products.
• Most African and Latin American countries are stuck with mining and agriculture related
goods.
• The manufacturing wheel example illustrates that a single strategy for manufacturing is not adequate.
• India needs simultaneous focus on the core as well as many peripheral products.
• This will require targeting four product groups.
• Factory machinery, which makes goods in an automated and intelligent way.
• Some technology can be bought but most critical needs should be developed
through in-house industrial R &D centers.
• Specialty materials, 3D printing, nanotechnology, precision mechanical
devices, integrated circuits, medical imaging devices, etc. Manufacturing these
would require commitment and long-term investments in R&D institutions.
• Computers, TV, mobile phones and other electronic and telecom equipment.
Manufacturing in China, Korea and Taiwan revolves around this product group. These
account for over 15% of GDP of each of these countries. Reduction in import bill
will be the immediate visible impact.
• Auto components, toys, furniture, footwear, low-end engineering products.
India can move quickly as the factories are easy to develop and can employ
millions of people who can move from agriculture or informal sector to formal
jobs.
• Announce sector-specific integrated policy packages keeping in view similar offerings
by other countries.
• Develop a few manufacturing zones/ clusters with plug and play infrastructure.
• And get one anchor firm for each new cluster to kick-start the operations.
• Anchor firms bring a large number of ancillary units needed and quickly ramp
up production and exports.
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