Daily PIB Analysis For UPSC/IAS | Free PDF Download- 13th October 2018 -

Table of Contents

USA-India-Russia

US President Donald Trump: India will find out “sooner than you think”
US reaction to its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defence system.
Will, USA put sanctions on India?
One thing is clear that the issue of India’s ties with Russia is not about to go away soon.
Russia/ Soviet Union has been a dependable source for India’s security policy.
Its arms transfers have enabled us to field a large and well-equipped military force at a relatively lower cost, and it has generally aligned itself with India’s regional policy.
Moscow’s adversarial relationships with China and Pakistan in the past did, of course, help.

More recently, India has sought to align itself with the US, a process that has gained some urgency as the gap between India’s and China’s comprehensive national power has grown.
The Americans insist that India line up with them and ignore their own interests.
In the 1980s, when the US sought to wean us away from the Soviet Union, they spoke a different language.
Aware that they could not match Soviet terms and conditions, they suggested that we collaborate to develop military technologies to make India self sufficient.
The two sides signed a 1984 MoU on technology transfer.
In three decades US arms sales to India have zoomed, but there has been little US-assisted enhancement of India’s military technological capabilities.
The Trump administration’s generally narrower focus on global affairs is ordering India to cease and desist in pursuing ties with the Russians.
In August 2017, their Congress passed a Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) which seeks to wean away countries from Russian weapons systems on the threat of sanctions.
India has to decide which way to go.
This is not an easy decision since it’s a no-brainer that a country should prefer closer ties with a global power like the US over those with a country whose economy is smaller than ours and whose population is shrinking.
First, Russia remains a country endowed by incredible riches in natural resources, as well as military-technological capabilities.
Second, it is more inclined to align itself with India’s regional interests in south Asia than the Americans.
Third, the isolation of Russia and its even closer alignment with Beijing is not in our interests.
Fourth, if India is to play a larger role in the Eurasian landmass, close ties with Russia are important.
Besides providing us a range of equipment from tanks to fighter aircraft and frigates, the Russians have helped us perfect our ballistic missiles and build a ballistic missile submarine.
They have leased us a nuclear attack submarine, and are a crucial partner in the ongoing BrahMos programme.
In the coming decade, new strategic capabilities are needed for us to maintain an effective and autonomous deterrent posture.
We need nuclear attack submarines and hypersonic technology, to name just two areas.
We cannot wait till Uncle Sam satisfies himself of our bona fides and actually unbelts the technology.
Given the urgent need – we must get going in the coming decade – it is more than likely that our best option here is Russia.
As for the longer future, there is no certainty that the American “enmity” with Russia will persist.
Trump has been in the forefront of those seeking to normalise ties with Moscow.
If a deal could be reached on Ukraine, things could change.
If the Americans are serious about taking on China, it is in their interest to separate Moscow from Beijing.
On India’s part, there is equally compelling interest to push collaboration with both the US and Russia in Eurasian regions like central and west Asia, and not just focus on the oceanic region around southeast Asia.

Vice President’s Secretariat

Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu: stories of great leaders like Shri Mylapore Ponnusamy Sivagnanam (Ma.Po.Si) should be taught in all schools.
VP Mr. Naidu released the autobiography ‘Enadhu Porattam’ on Ma.Po.Si
Mr. Naidu recalled the remarkable contribution made by Ma.Po.Si as a freedom fighter, a learned scholar of Tamil literature and great leader who forged a new identity for Tamil Nadu, Tamil language and Tamil Culture.
He further said that Ma.Po.Si’s literary expositions were immaculate and he delved into ‘Silappathikaram’ and helped spread the epic throughout Tamil Nadu.
His work on V.O Chidambaram Pillai, ‘Kappalottiya Thamizhan’ was so popular, it ended up becoming the great leader’s sobriquet, he added.
“Viduthalai Poril Thamizhagam” is a great compilation by him on the role of Tamilnadu in the Nationalistic movement, he added.
Ma.Po.Si gave the clarion call that resonated in every Tamil home. “Engum Tamil – Edhilum Tamil” meaning “Tamil Everywhere – Tamil Everything”, he added.
The Vice President said that the strong humanistic thread that has been spun by the great visionary leaders like Ma.Po.Si can bring diverse people together to strive for a better future.
Saying Ma.Po.Si a universal leader, the Vice President said that he did not discriminate between people based on anything, be it religion or caste or creed. He was a true leader to every Indian, h added.

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare

The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Government of India organized “World Egg Day” (12-10-18)
International Egg Commission has declared the second Friday of October every year as World Egg Day.
This is celebrated in countries all around the world, and is a unique opportunity to help raise awareness of the nutritional benefits of eggs.
India is the third highest producer of eggs in the world, but the per capita availability is around 69 eggs per person per year.
Egg is a wholesome, nutritious food with high nutrient density.
It is a high value protein and provides a wide variety of other nutrients like vitamins, essential amino acids and minerals etc. crucial for growth and good health.

PMO

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said National Human Rights Commission has an important role to play in the government’s efforts to achieve sustainable development goals.
Addressing an event in New Delhi today to mark the 25th anniversary of the founding of the NHRC, Mr Modi said the government is committed to improve the lives of people by ensuring their rights.
Prime Minister said NHRC has acted as the voice of the weaker sections and played an important role in nation-building.

Ministry of Women and Child Development

Ministry will set up a committee of senior judicial and legal persons as members to examine all issues emanating from the #MeTooIndia movement.
The panel will look into the legal and institutional framework which is in place for handling complaints of sexual harassment at workplaces and advise the Ministry on how to strengthen the frameworks.
Mrs. Maneka Gandhi said, sexual harassment cases at workplaces will be dealt with zero tolerance.

MEA

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today said, terrorism remains the most overwhelming threat to the common goals of development and prosperity.
Speaking at the SCO-Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Mrs Swaraj said, the Governments must assume their national responsibility and cooperate with each other.
She said, India is determined to work together in SCO on environmental friendly energy alternatives to ensure sustainable development.

DM

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the presence of terror infrastructure and state support to terrorists in the immediate neighbourhood is constantly testing India’s patience.
In an address at the Institute of Strategic Research in Paris, she said concerted efforts are required to choke financing and supply of arms to the terror groups besides disrupting the recruitment and mobilisation of “foreign terrorists”.

President

President Ramnath Kovind has said in a democracy, Information overload is always preferable to information deficit. Addressing the 13th annual convention of the Central Information Commission in New Delhi.
Mr. Kovind said, Right to Information is about nurturing the social contract of trust between the citizen and the state where both must have faith in each other.
The President said, a related and parallel implication is to ensure rational use of public resources to check instances of corruption or waste.