S.NO.
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NEWS ITEM
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SYLLUBUS
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BACKGROUND
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IMPORTANT POINTS
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1.
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High point in Indo-French strategic ties (Page 8)
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a) I.R
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a) India – France relations
b) Indo-French naval exercise
c) VARUNA
d) Rafale
e) Atlantique 2
f) INS Viraat
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a) The fourteenth edition of Indo-French naval exercise (VARUNA) concluded with Goa CM, reviewing the progress of the exercise from on board French Navys aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle.
b) The exercise goes a long way in enhancing interoperability between the two navies and showcases the close ties between the two countries.
c) Charles de Gaulle carried its complement of the fighter aircraft Rafale M, strike aircraft Super Etendard, E2C Hawkeye AWACS and helicopters Dauphin and Alouette 3. The aircraft carrier INS Viraat, destroyer Mumbai, stealth frigate Tarkash, guided missile frigate Gomati, replenishment tanker Deepak, submarine Shankul and a few fast-attack craft participated from the Indian side.
d) The scope of the exercise included the entire gamut of maritime operations from aircraft carrier operations, anti-submarine warfare exercises, maritime interdiction operations and a multi-ship replenishment exercise.
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2.
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Kerry praises new Sri Lankan leadership (Page 12)
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a) International
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a) US – Sri Lanka relations
b) Sri Lankan internal issues
c) 19th Constitutional Amendment
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a) US Secretary of State John Kerry praised the Sri Lankan leadership for its commitment to constitutional and democratic reforms.
b) Kerry (who arrived here a few days after the Sri Lankan Parliament adopted the 19th Constitutional Amendment) told that what impressed him the most was the readiness of this govt to open its doors and open its mind to different ideas.
c) Referring to Samaraweeras recent speech in Parliament wherein he talked of the need for upholding and preserving multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-religious nature of the Sri Lankan society, he said we have seen those words backed up by action.
d) Samaraweera said his country was well on its way to becoming a fully fledged parliamentary democracy, laying the foundations for a new Sri Lanka, built on the pillars of democracy and ethnic harmony. He pointed out that ensuring accountability in the new Sri Lanka will feature as a key component of the reconciliation process.
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3.
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Nepal aid: govt working on amend PMs relief fund rules (Page 8)
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a) International
b) National
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a) Nepals Earthquake
b) Prime Ministers National Relief Fund (PMNRF)
c) India-Nepal Friendship Treaty 1950
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a) The meeting of the Crisis Management Committee discussed the ongoing relief operations in Nepal launched by the Indian govt. The govt will now move from sending supplies by air to using the land route and is discussing how to change the rules of the PMNRF to help more Nepali citizens.
b) According to the rules of PMNRF and the tax exemption granted to donors, the fund can be used to provide relief only to the citizens of India.
c) As the rules stand now, the PMNRF money can only be used for the earthquake victims in India or for affected Indian citizens in Nepal.
d) If the govt agrees, Modi could use his discretionary powers to extend the fund for Nepali citizens, given that the India-Nepal Friendship Treaty (1950) accords them national treatment, and they are treated on a par with Indian citizens with regard to property and commercial rights.
e) Contributions to the PMNRF would only be a small part of the massive total package of assistance that the govt is providing to Nepal and intends to provide for the reconstruction process. Even so, the change in rules would allow thousands of Indians to contribute to the work India is doing in Nepal.
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4.
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Resolve NJAC issue at earliest: Kharge (Page 8)
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a) National
b) Polity
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a) National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) law
b) 99th Constitution Amendment Act
c) Supreme Court
d) CJI
e) High Court
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a) Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said the refusal of CJI H.L. Dattu to be part of panel to select eminent persons as members of the NJAC has created a crisis and would have an impact on judicial appointments if the issue was not resolved at the earliest.
b) Kharge (who is a member of the three-member panel which included PM Modi and Justice Dattu) refused to say anything further on the NJAC since the Supreme Court was hearing a public interest litigation petition challenging the validity of the NJAC.
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5.
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A bitter pill for pharma units (Page 13)
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a) Economy
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a) US Trade Representative (USTR)
b) Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
c) TRIPS agreement
d) FDI
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a) The growing Indian generic pharmaceutical industry has (over the past decade) earned its stripes globally as a source of reliable and cheap generic versions of exorbitantly priced medicines made by multi-national pharmaceutical companies.
b) However, Indias pre-eminent position could take a hit if the changes in the Indian patent regime sought by the USTR are put in place.
c) Last week, in its annual report on IPR laws and patents and its partner countries, USTR announced it was continuing to keep India under priority watch list even as it stopped short of imposing an out-of-cycle review of Indias IPR laws.
d) The report praised Govt efforts to increase bilateral engagement in IPR matters. But the industry was surprised with the Indian PMs statement that India needed to align its patent laws with international standards. There have also been fears raised on unpredictability of Indias IPR regime.
e) Official said that India should not bend under any pressure as our patent laws are already TRIPS-compliant. On a possible fall in FDI in the sector if it did not comply, Multi-national pharma companies have been divesting their interests here and world-wide, there is no correlation between an IPR and FDI.
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6.
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Virtual Harappans to come alive (Page 7)
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a) National
b) History
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a) Harappan civilization
b) Rakhigarhi
c) Harappan sites in India
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a) Using the DNA to be extracted from the four full-sized skeletons excavated from a Harappan site at Rakhigarhi in Haryana and a novel software developed in South Korea, archaeologists are confident of projecting how Harappans looked like 4500 years ago - their build, colour of their skin or hair, their facial features and so on.
b) The skeletons belonged to Mature Harappan period (2600 BCE-1900 BCE). Rakhigarhi is a big Harappan site, 25 km from Jind in Hisar district. 21 trenches were dug during excavation that began on Jan 23 and lasted till April-end.
c) The 21 trenches yielded typical Harappan painted pottery, including goblets, terracotta figurines of wild boar and dogs, and furnaces and hearths that provided evidence of a bangle and bead-making industry.
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