(Current Affairs) India and The World | January: 2017

India & The World

• New Bill could pave for India’s entry into NS G (Free Available)
• US increased sanctions on LeT (Free Available)
• Nepal is not open to India's open sky offer (Free Available)
• Hong Kong altered its visa agreement with India (Free Available)
• India and Kyrgyzstan plans to act against terror (Only for Online Coaching Members)
• China raises objections over Dalai Lama invite (Only for Online Coaching Members)

New Bill could pave for India’s entry into NS G

• A new draft proposal circulated among NSG member-states early this month could pave the way for India to become a member of the elite club, but this is unlikely to happen before the end of the Obama presidency next month.
• The American push for India to become a full-fledged NSG member would now have to be pursued by the incoming Trump administration.
• The outgoing Obama administration is unlikely to fulfil its promise made to the Modi government before its term expires on January 20.
• A draft formula for NSG membership to countries like India and Pakistan, that are not a signatory to the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), was submitted by Rafael Mariano Grossi, the former NSG Chair, who prepared the report on behalf of South Korea, the current NSG chair.

US increased sanctions on LeT

• Tightening the noose around Lashkar-e-Taiba, the U.S. designated the terror group’s student wing Al-Muhammadia Students a terrorist organisation and slapped sanctions against its two top leaders.
• LeT was designated as a terrorist organisation by the United States in December 2001.
• Since the original designation occurred, LeT has repeatedly changed its name and created front organisations in an effort to avoid sanctions, said the State Department.
• Simultaneously, the U.S. Treasury Department designated two LeT senior leaders, Muhammad Sarwar and Shahid Mahmood, as global terrorists. Both the LeT leaders are based in Pakistan.