Daily PIB Analysis For UPSC/IAS | Free PDF Download- 30th October 2018 -

Table of Contents

Missiles and Treaties

Trump’s announcement 10 days ago about American plans to withdraw from the three-decade-old missile treaty with Russia.
Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty of 1987
Presidents Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev
It has been hailed as one of the most important arms control agreements between Washington and Moscow.
Under the INF treaty, the US and Soviet Union agreed not to develop, produce, possess or deploy any ground-based ballistic and cruise missiles that have a range between 500 and 5,500 km.
It exempted the air-launched and sea-based missile systems in the same range.
The agreement came in the wake of huge public outcry in Europe in the 1980s at the Russian deployment of the SS-20 ballistic missiles and the US response with Pershing-2 rockets.
The INF treaty helped address the fears of an imminent nuclear war in Europe. It also built some trust between Washington and Moscow and contributed to the end of the Cold War.
But the treaty had loopholes that have now come to haunt America and Russia.
The INF treaty was a bilateral agreement between Washington and Moscow.
It left the other nuclear weapon powers free to develop groundbased intermediate range forces.
Since then, many countries have developed missiles in the range of 500 to 5,500 km, including India, Pakistan and North Korea.
But it is China that has dramatically expanded its missile arsenal in the last three decades.
According to American officials, nearly 90% of China’s vast missile armoury — estimated at around 2,000 rockets — is in the intermediate range and would be illegal if Beijing were to be a part of the INF treaty.
India’s problem is less with the arms control diplomacy than the nature of its missile programme.
But as the US conflict with Russia deepens, Delhi’s partnership with Moscow on advanced military systems will come under increasing scrutiny and pressure.
Delhi, then, will have to think long and hard about its missile programme by focusing on the urgent need to ramp up the domestic effort as well as diversify its international collaboration on hypersonic weapons.

India-Japan

13th bilateral summit
Signed 6 agreements
2 key announcements on defence and development projects
2+2 dialogue mechanism between the Foreign Ministers and the Defence Ministers of the two countries to augment bilateral defence and strategic ties.
Mr. Modi said, the new 2+2 arrangement is aimed at furthering world peace and stability.
An agreement on the implementing arrangement for deeper cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force has also been inked.
Both the sides also exchanged notes concerning the provision of seven different Yen-loan projects.
Construction of MumbaiAhmedabad High Speed Rail, the third phase of the Delhi Mass Rapid Transport System, the North East Road Network Connectivity Improvement and the Chennai Peripheral Ring Road.
Japanese entrepreneurs have announced that they will be investing 2.5 billion US dollars in India.
30-thousand new employment
Prime Ministers Mr Modi and Mr Shinzo Abe reiterated their unwavering commitment to work together for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
They also shared their willingness to expand concrete cooperation with the U.S. and other partners for common good.
They stressed on furthering collaborative projects between India and Japan in the Indo-Pacific region, including in Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Bangladesh and in African continent. Prime Minister Modi’s Tokyo visit has helped in consolidating the special strategic and global partnership between the two nations.

India-Qatar

India and Qatar today decided to establish a joint commission to strengthen their relations in various fields with a view to furthering the common interest of the peoples of the two countries.
The joint commission is being set up in pursuance of the decision taken by Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the visit of the latter to Doha on 4-5 June 2016.
The joint declaration signed by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Qatar counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in Doha today highlights the decision to set up the joint commission.
The joint declaration said that the joint commission has been tasked with formulating the basis to strengthen the relations between India and Qatar.
The proposed joint commission will focus on various areas including economic, commercial, cultural, scientific, technological, Information Technology and educational fields. It will be cochaired by ministers of External Affairs and Foreign Affairs of the two countries or their representatives.
Earlier Mrs. Swaraj held delegation level talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.

Vice President’s Secretariat

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has advised the youth to shun sedentary lifestyle, junk food and stay healthy and also called up on people to make Yoga an integral part of their daily routine to combat lifestyle diseases which have acquired menacing proportions.
He was addressing the gathering after releasing the Book ‘Yoga and Mindfulness’ authored by well known Yoga exponent, Ms. Mansi Gulati.
Yoga would help in combating severe stress, life style diseases and helps the overall wellbeing of an individual.
Practicing yoga will aid in strengthening muscles, improving respiration, lung functions, metabolism and circulation, he said.
It would also help in improving immune system and mind relaxation, he added.
Yoga to be free of Roga
Underlining that Yoga has nothing to do with religion, the Vice President expressed concern that some people with bigoted mindset and a tunnel vision were attempting to give it a religious colour.

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways

Shri Nitin Gadkari and Kerala Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan will lay the foundation for India’s largest Dry Dock at Cochin Shipyard in Kerala tomorrow.
The Dry Dock will give an impetus to “Make in India” initiative under Sagarmala and raise India’s share in global shipbuilding to 2 percent.
India currently occupies 0.66 % share in global shipbuilding market.
The commercial ship building industry in India is worth Rs. 3,200 Crore and focuses primarily on smallmedium sized offshore vessels and cargo/bulk carriers.
The dock will also have a water treatment plant and Green Belt Development.
The project is expected to be completed by May 2021 and generate employment opportunities for about 2000 people.