Table of Contents
Apart from an inquiry into the latest violence, there must be an aid package for the territory
Egypt has also joined the blockade, cutting off the strip from the rest of the world.
Flow of both goods and people into and out of Gaza is heavily restricted.
Life has become miserable
Despite international calls and repeated warnings by rights groups, Israel has
not eased its restrictions on the strip
It says they are in place for “security reasons”
Hamas is designated a terrorist group
UN appointed commission probing the 2009 Gaza war
U.S. has already blocked a move in the UN Security Council seeking such an inquiry
Tit for tat: China imposes
Confidence in the House
Speaker expresses that he is unable to conduct the House and adjourns for the day.
Repeat this for several days
Speaker has enough powers to restore order in the Lok Sabha and act upon a notice for a
no trust vote
No – confidence motion against the current council of ministers.
Rules of procedure require the Speaker to verify whether 50 Members of Parliament
support the motion by asking them to stand at their seats and taking a count.
March 16, the Speaker has every day expressed her inability to count the members
supporting the motion
Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers can hold office only as long as they have the
confidence of the Lok Sabha
What can the Speaker do if some MPs are not allowing the House to function?
There are a number of occasions when MPs have been suspended.
Indeed, during the term of current Lok Sabha, 25 members were suspended in August 2015
for not allowing the House to function
Till now, there have been 26 no confidence motions.
Many of these were symbolic in nature, such as the first one against Jawaharlal Nehru
in 1963, three against Lal Bahadur Shastri
No-confidence motion was given priority over all other business.
It is this tradition that the Speaker must follow.
Speaker has the responsibility of ensuring that the House functions and taking whatever steps
are necessary — including suspension of members, if needed
Heeding the lines on the map
China-India-Pakistan-Bangladesh axis would be a game changer for all of South Asia
At the heart of South Asia‟s poor integration is India-Pakistan rivalry,
further complicated by China-Pakistan proximity and India-China hostility.
A new dimension has been added with souring of Pakistan-Bangladesh relations and the
India-China tug of war over Bangladesh.
Time has come to make a paradigm shift in South Asia‟s regional integration strategy.
Politics and religion aside, across India, Pakistan and Bangladesh (IPB) there are common
sociocultural bonds and people-to-people connectivity remains positive.
Remaining five Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan are paying the price of
regional disintegration caused by unresolved puzzles having roots in China-IPB (CIPB) axis
If the big three can have a strategic partnership that also factors in China, the remaining five
can effortlessly fit into positive regionalism with a win win situation for all.
IPB account for approximately 95% of South Asia‟s GDP and population.
Along with China, they account for 18.5% of global GDP and 41% of global population.
South Asia‟s intraregional trade, currently 5% of total trade, can grow to $80 billion from
the current $28 billion, the lion‟s share being within IPB.
Pakistan and India have potential trade capacity of $20 billion compared to the current
$3 billion.
Underdeveloped transport and logistics services and bureaucratic procedures are deterring
India Bangladesh cross border trade, which can grow by 300%
Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM-EC) has a pivotal position in
developing joint investment agreements
Although the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is being developed as a bilateral
initiative, if Indian sensitivities can be addressed, it can be a multilateral project, integrating
India as well as other South Asian and Central Asian regions
Due to cross-border barriers and lack of transport facilitation among IPB, freight movement
is taking place along expensive routes
Rail connectivity is restricted
Supply-demand gap of power in IPB is estimated to be 18,707 MW
By 2050, China, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh will experience water shortages.
Three transboundary river basins, Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra, are all within CIPB
This represents a huge potential for water-sharing and hydro power projects
India and China are leading globally in terms of Internet and smartphone users
Bangladesh, Cambodia and China have signed a framework to strengthen digital trade
Digital connectivity can act as the gateway to a holistic transformation of the region via CIPB
IPB fail to attract sufficient tourists due to poor civil aviation connectivity complex regulations
and lack of visa liberalisation procedures
China is unable to attract students from South Asia against the improved facilities provided
by the U.S. and U.K
Only 5% of outbound students of IPB go to China, compared to 22% to the U.S.
CIPB axis is an open ended chess game.
Anti-forest, anti-forest dweller
Compensatory Afforestation Fund is a deeply flawed(त्रुटिपूर्ण) and unjust mechanism
Mahesh Sharma informed Parliament that his Ministry has collected over ₹5•,000 crore
in a Central compensatory afforestation fund (CAF).
This money is to be used though the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF)
Act, 2016
Purported mechanism to offset forest loss.
Before issuing forest clearances to a mine, dam or industry, Ministry fixes a monetary
value for the forest that is to be destroyed and collects this as “compensation”.
The funds are to be then used to “afforest” alternative land
PVTG (particularly vulnerable tribal group)
Since the CAF Bill was floated, forest rights advocates report that over 2,500 gram
sabhas across India have opposed it.
Anti-forest dweller
Prelims Focus Facts-News Analysis
Page-1- Panel to probe CBSE question leaks
HRD Ministry‟s seven-member committee has to submit its report by May 31
Retired secretary (higher education) VS Oberoi will be the chairperson of
this 7 member committee- We cannot interfere, says SC
Page-1- Monsoon likely to be normal
Monsoon 2018 is likely to be „normal‟ with „zero chance‟ of a drought, according to
private forecaster Skymet.
“2018 is likely to remain normal at 100% (with an [model] error margin of +/-5%)
Ranil wins no-confidence vote in Parliament
Following a marathon 11- hour debate, 122 MPs in the 225-member House voted
against the motion
Seventy six MPs, including ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa, voted in its favour, while 26
of them were absent
139 Pak. entities, including
LeT, part of UN terror list
„India third most vulnerable country to cyber threats‟
U.S. remains most vulnerable to such attacks, followed by China,
„EC backs one seat, one candidate policy‟
Oli‟s visit will chart the course for future ties
Keeping with the tradition in India-Nepal ties, Prime Minister Khadga Prasad
Sharma Oli will visit India first after taking over.
India, Japan, U.S. stress keeping sea lanes open
Trilateral focusses on counter-terrorism and connectivity
India-Russia to bolster defence ties
Aimed to reinforce defence cooperation between the two countries focusing
specifically on Military Technical Cooperation
WhatsApp