Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 2 July 2017
::National::
Government has cancelled the registration of one lakh companies
- The government has cancelled the registration of one lakh companies that had suspicious and questionable operations, identified on the basis of data mined from the deposit of bank notes following last November’s demonetisation.
- More such action will follow soon on two lakh similar companies and another 38,000 shell companies, Mr. Modi said, adding that the action was undertaken “48 hours before”.
- “The fate of one lakh companies has been locked with one stroke of a pen in one minute. The Registrar of Companies has removed these one lakh companies.
- More will be found and even tougher action can be expected against shell companies,” Mr. Modi said, addressing chartered accountants.
- Stressing that the decision to scrap such fake companies could hurt some political parties, he said someone had to take the tough call and “live for the country.”
- Arguing that his government was running a Swachh Bharat Abhiyan as well as a parallel campaign to clean up the economy, he said the tough steps taken against black money in the last three years had begun yielding results, and cited the record low balances held by Indians in Swiss banks last year.
Mangrove Forest Cover Changes report depicts dampening picture
- In a development that will ring alarm bells for both environmentalists and policy makers, the mangrove forest cover in the Indian Sunderbans has been depleting alarmingly over the past few decades.
- Mangrove Forest Cover Changes in Indian Sundarban (1986-2012) Using Remote Sensing and GIS , a publication by the School of Oceanographic Studies, Jadavpur University, reveals that from 1986 to 2012, 124.418 sq. km. mangrove forest cover has been lost.
- The total forest cover of the Indian Sunderbans as assessed by remote sensing studies for the year 1986 was about 2,246.839 sq. km., which gradually declined by 2,201.41 sq. km. in 1996, then down to 2168.914 sq km in 2001 and to 2122.421 sq km in 2012.
- The loss in the mangrove forest in the Indian Sunderbans is about 5.5 %.
- The paper also notes that the mean sea level rise at the Sagar Island Station, measured from 1985 onward till 2010, shows a rise by 2.6-4 mm a year, which can be considered a driving factor for coastal erosion, coastal flooding, and an increase in the number of tidal creeks.
- The publication highlights a time series of the erosion of at least 18 mangrove forested islands of the Indian Sunderbans from 1986 to 2012.
- For instance, the loss in mangrove cover at Gosaba has been about 20%, down from 517.47 sq km in 1986 to 506.691 sq km in 2012.
- In Dulibhasani West, the loss of mangrove cover has been about 9.7% — from 180.03 sq. km. in 1986 to 163.475 sq. km. in 2012.
- The mangrove forest cover of Dalhousie, another island, has depleted by 16%, from 76.606 sq. km. in 1986 to 64.241 in 2012.
- Bhangaduni has one of the highest erosion levels of mangrove forest land, from 40.4 sq. km. in 1986 to 24.9 sq km in 2012, taking the loss to over 37%.
- Jambudwip, one of the smallest uninhabited islands at the mouth of the sea, also has reduced forest cover from 6.095 sq. km. in 1986 to 5.003 sq. km. in 2012, or about 10%.
- While earlier studies also expressed concerns over the fragile ecosystem of the Indian Sunderbans that, other than being home to the Royal Bengal Tiger, also harbours a population of 4.5 million people, this study presents definite proof of the loss of land and mangrove cover.
Rate of growth for India students goint to US is currently the highest
- In 1998-99, there were just 707 Indian students in American colleges. In the years since — except for one dip between 2010 and 2012 — there has been a steady rise. 2015-16 saw a 25% increase, the third successive year of rising numbers.
- Since Donald Trump’s ascension to the American presidency, however, there have been disturbing incidents where discrimination against Indians has escalated to violence; since February, seven Indians have been killed in racially motivated hate crimes.
- Education consultants say this atmosphere has caused a drop in the number of students planning for a U.S. degree. “Enquiries have declined,” says Narsi Gayam of Promac, a GRE coaching institute in Hyderabad.
- Jimeet Sanghavi of Collegepond, a Mumbai-based consulting service for students, agrees. Unwilling to share the exact numbers, as those would help his competitors, he said demand was 49% higher than last year.
- U.S. consulates in India were unable to provide statistics for the current year, but the overall trend in student visa applications been growing over the last five years.
- The Open Doors Report says the rate of growth for India is currently the highest among the top 25 places of origin among international students in the U.S. America would certainly be keen to see that trend continue.
- The figures for this year will become clearer towards August, when the number of approved student visas for the fall semester (when most courses commence) will be available.
New Delhi has a very special relationship with Bhutan
- The present standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in Doklam is a rare insight into New Delhi’s very special relationship with Bhutan, which includes military responsibilities towards it.
- In India’s only official statement on the standoff, the Ministry of External Affairs said that on June 16, a “PLA (People’s Liberation Army) construction party entered the Doklam area and attempted to construct a road.
- It is our understanding that a Royal Bhutan Army patrol attempted to dissuade them from this unilateral activity.”
- The MEA statement went on to say that the Foreign Ministry of Bhutan “has also issued a statement underlining that the construction of the road inside Bhutanese territory is a direct violation of the 1988 and 1998 agreements between Bhutan and China and affects the process of demarcating the boundary between these two countries.”
- MEA statement said, “In keeping with their tradition of maintaining close consultation on matters of mutual interest, RGOB (Royal Government of Bhutan) and the Government of India have been in continuous contact through the unfolding of these developments.”
- It further said that “in coordination” with the Bhutanese government, “Indian personnel, who were present at general area Doklam, approached the Chinese construction party and urged them to desist from changing the status quo. These efforts continue.”
- Under the 2007 India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty, the two sides have agreed to “cooperate closely with each other on issues relating to their national interests. Neither Government shall allow the use of its territory for activities harmful to the national security and interest of the other.”
- Under the previous treaty, India was to “guide” Bhutan on foreign and defence policies. The language of the 2007 treaty is meant to respect the sensitivities of Bhutan regarding its sovereignty.
- But the reality is that the Indian military is virtually responsible for protecting Bhutan from the kind of external threat that the Chinese military poses.
- The Eastern Army Command and the Eastern Air Command both have integrated protection of Bhutan into their role. The Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT), headed by a Major General, plays a critical role in training Bhutanese security personnel.
::International::
French President Macron will meet with heads of state from Sahel region
- French President Emmanuel Macron will meet with heads of state from five nations across Africa’s vast Sahel region in Mali.
- It is to support a new 5,000-strong multinational force meant to counter a growing threat from extremists who have targeted tourist resorts and other high-profile areas.