CURRENT AFFAIRS - 01.12.2023

 

1. Predictions: Cong 2, BJP 2 and debutant in Mizoram Exit poll predictions on Thursday suggested that Congress and BJP may have a 2-2 scoreline in the latest round of elections in five states. In Mizoram, a fledgling party is predicted to win or emerge as the largest party. Rajasthan Three of nine exit polls showed the BJP securing a majority in the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly. Voting took place in 199 constituencies in Rajasthan as the polling was deferred at one seat due to the death of a candidate. The poll of polls suggests that the BJP is likely to win 103 seats in Rajasthan and the Congress 82. Madhya Pradesh Most exit polls show a neck-and-neck contest in Madhya Pradesh, a situation closer to what was seen in 2018. Some of exit polls, however, predict a massive BJP wave in Madhya Pradesh, with Axis My India giving 151 of the 230 assembly seats. The poll of polls for Madhya Pradesh gives the BJP 124 seats, compared to the Congress's 106. Chhattisgarh For Chhattisgarh, exit polls generally showed the Congress retaining power while the BJP closing the gap compared to the previous election. The ABP News-C Voter predicted 36-48 seats for the BJP and 41-53 for the Congress, India Today-Axis My India forecast 36-46 seats for the BJP and 40-50 seats for the Congress. Telangana Exit polls unanimously showed the Congress ahead of K Chandrashekar Rao's BRS in Telangana. However, another scenario appears to be emerging from the exit polls that the BJP and the AIMIM, a BRS ally, may cumulatively win 12-15 seats. In this case, the BJP may emerge as the kingmaker if the Congress fails to cross the majority mark. Mizoram Pollsters indicated that in Mizoram, Zoram People's Movement — many calling it 'the AAP of Mizoram' — was locked in a close race with the ruling Mizo National Front. The Congress and the BJP are lagging behind. The poll of polls predicted a hung assembly in Mizoram, with ZPM winning 17 and the MNF getting 14 seats while the Congress emerged as a likely kingmaker with seven seats. More details here

2. How India trumped China in GDP race The figures India's GDP expanded at a faster-than-expected rate of 7.6% in the July-September quarter. It showed a significant increase from the 6.2% recorded in the same period last year, surpassing the Reserve Bank of India's projection of 6.5%. Beats China Despite challenges, India remained the world's fastest-growing major economy, outpacing China which grew at 4.9% during the July-September period. The booster The manufacturing sector witnessed a remarkable turnaround, boasting a GVA growth of 13.9%, contrasting with a 3.8% decline in the corresponding period last year. The government's proactive spending before elections played a pivotal role in the strong GDP growth, rising by 12.4% compared to the previous quarter's contraction of 0.7%. The output in the 'mining and quarrying' accelerated to 10% against a contraction of 0.1% a year ago. Electricity, gas, water supply and other utility services' grew by 10.1% from 6.1%. The construction sector recorded a growth of 13.3% year-on-year compared to 5.7% a year ago. But... Private consumption slowed to 3.1% from 6%, largely due to weakened rural demand, reflected in the agriculture sector's low growth of 1.2%. The agriculture sector recorded a 1.2% growth in GVA, down from the 2.5% reported in the preceding quarter. A note on fiscal deficit India's fiscal deficit — the difference between expenditure and revenue collection — widened to Rs 8.04 lakh crore in April-October from Rs 7.02 lakh crore in April-October last year. This amount for the first seven months constitutes 45% of the full-year target of Rs 17.87 lakh crore for the current financial year.

3. Why India has different responses for US and Canada The concern The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday described as a "matter of concern" the US charging an Indian national with conspiring to kill Khalistani extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil. The MEA asserted that a high-level probe committee would investigate all aspects of the case. The probe team was constituted to investigate allegations relating to the foiled plot to kill Pannun, an American and Canadian citizen who is wanted by Indian agencies. On Wednesday, US federal prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta of working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun, who is associated with a group named 'Sikhs for Justice' that has been banned by the Indian government. What MEA said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "We have said and let me reiterate that this [plotting to kill a person] is also contrary to government policy." "As regards the case against an individual that has been filed in a US court allegedly linking him to an Indian official, this is a matter of concern," he said. Why US's case is different Bagchi said, "During the course of discussions with the US on bilateral security cooperation, the US side shared some inputs pertaining to nexus between organised criminals, gunrunners, terrorists and other extremists." "We take such inputs very seriously and a high-level inquiry committee has been constituted to look into all the relevant aspects of the matter," he said, reiterating what he said on Wednesday. What about Canada? On Canada's allegations that Indian agents were involved in the killing of another Khalistani extremist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in June near Vancouver, Bagchi said, "In so far as Canada is concerned, we have said that they have consistently given space to anti-India extremists and violence and that is actually the heart of the issue. Our diplomatic representatives in Canada have borne the brunt of this." 'It's unacceptable' "We expect the government of Canada to live up to its obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. We have also seen interference by Canadian diplomats in our internal affairs," said Bagchi, adding, "That is obviously unacceptable."

4. A government berated, a governor criticised An 'unwarranted intervention' In a major setback to the Kerala government, the Supreme Court on Thursday quashed its decision to reappoint Gopinath Ravindran as the vice-chancellor of Kannur University and berated the Left Front dispensation for its "unwarranted intervention" in the matter. Governor criticised too A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud was also critical of Governor Arif Mohammad Khan's role. It said that as Chancellor, he "was required to discharge his statutory duties in accordance with law and guided by the dictates of his own judgment, and not at the behest of anybody else". The governor, being the ex-officio chancellor of universities in a state, has the liberty to act independently in taking decisions on all public university matters. The top court set aside the judgements of a single judge bench and division bench of the Kerala High Court upholding Ravindran's reappointment. The political story Reacting to Thursday's ruling, the Governor Khan accused CM Pinarayi Vijayan of pressuring him to reappoint Ravindran as the vice-chancellor. Governor Khan further said that state higher education minister R Bindu was not to be blamed as the CM used her for seeking reappointment of Ravindran. Case background Ravindran in November 2021 was reappointed vice-chancellor of Kannur university by the elected government for another four years, even after the Raj Bhavan had issued a notification for fresh appointment. By then, Ravindran had already crossed the retirement age of 60. After the Left government announced Ravindran's appointment, the Raj Bhavan notification calling for eligible candidates was withdrawn and the selection panel was dissolved. A division bench of the Kerala High Court had in February 2022 had dismissed an appeal against a single-judge order upholding the re-appointment of Ravindran, saying it was done in accordance with the law and that he was not "an usurper to the post". Timing The development comes at a time when the Kerala government and the Governor are engaged in a tussle over assent to bills passed by the state assembly.

NEWS IN CLUES 5. Identify this town in India Clue 1: It is a gateway to several Himalayan mountain climbing expeditions and trekking trails Clue 2: It was severely affected by the 2021 Uttarakhand flood and its aftermath Clue 3: It is home to one of the four cardinal pīthas established by Adi Shankara Scroll below for answer

6. A big boost to Make-in-India aircraft production Strategic boost The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, granted initial approval to defence acquisition projects worth Rs 2.23 lakh-crore. Why it matters It comes as a significant strategic advancement aiming to bolster India's armed forces. The approval comes at a critical juncture, with India engaged in a prolonged military standoff with China in eastern Ladakh. Key points The approved projects include the procurement of 97 Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) at a cost of around Rs 67,000 crore and 156 Prachand Light Combat Helicopters (LCH), 90 will be for the Army and 66 for the Indian Air Force signalling a major stride towards strengthening the armed forces. The DAC also approved the procurement of two types of anti-tank munitions—area denial munitions (ADM) type-2 and type-3. And the acquisition of medium-range anti-ship missiles (MRAShM) -- a lightweight surface-to-surface missile designed to be a primary offensive weapon for various Indian naval ships. DAC also cleared the upgrade of 84 of the 260 Russian-origin Sukhoi-MKI fighters in the IAF combat fleet, with indigenously-designed weapons, radars, avionics, communications and electronic warfare systems, by HAL. Indigenous procurement An impressive 98% of the total procurement will be sourced domestically, aligning with the 'Aatmanirbharta' initiative and minimising reliance on foreign suppliers. The DAC also accorded approval for a major amendment in the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) of 2020, under which a minimum of 50% of indigenous content in the form of material, components and software has to be ensured in all categories of procurement cases. What next? The proposals, including the acquisition of fighter jets, combat helicopters, and fighter fleet upgrades, will proceed to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for clearance. CCS is the final authority in greenlighting major defence acquisitions.

7. A climate compensation fund for poor countries Loss and Damage Fund The UN climate talks in Dubai opened with a bang with countries clinching an early deal on how to compensate developing and poor countries that bear the brunt of the climate crisis despite contributing little to it. Why it matters The agreement on the operationalisation of the Loss And Damage Fund on the first day of COP28 sets the stage for ambitious decisions over the next 12 days. At the COP27 in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh last year, rich countries agreed to establish the Loss And Damage Fund. However, the decisions on funding allocation, beneficiaries and administration were referred to a committee. Differences between countries were so stark that it necessitated additional meetings to resolve these issues. Key points A draft agreement was arrived at earlier this month and a revised agreement was released a day ago. It calls for the World Bank to host the fund for the next four years. It asks the developed countries to contribute to the fund but said other countries and private parties can also make contributions. Allocations will prioritise countries that are most vulnerable to climate change but at a broader level any climate-affected community or country shall be eligible. 'India has walked the talk' PM Narendra Modi on Thursday called for supporting developing countries with adequate climate financing and technology transfer to enable them to deal with climate change. As he headed to Dubai to attend the World Climate Action Summit, Modi said India has walked the talk when it comes to climate action while highlighting the importance India attached to the issue during its G20 presidency.

8. Can Gaza pause lead to permanent peace? Ceasefire extension Just moments before the scheduled expiration of the temporary truce between Israel and Hamas at 7 am local time on Thursday, the Israeli military officially announced a one-day extension amid negotiations for additional hostage release. Qatar, which has led the truce negotiations supported by Egypt and the United States, confirmed the pause had been extended for one day "under the same previous conditions". Hostages released Two Israeli hostages were freed by Hamas on Thursday, marking a continuous release of hostages during the truce. Since the truce began on November 24, as many as 70 Israeli hostages have been freed in return for 210 Palestinian prisoners. At least 24 foreigners, most of them Thais living in Israel, have been freed outside the terms of the deal. As the truce is extended, Hamas is expected to demand a higher price for the release of the remaining hostages, including civilian men and soldiers and Israel is under pressure to both bring hostages home and continue its offensive against Hamas. International pressure The international community, including the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urges the extension of the cease-fire and the release of more hostages, even as Israel reiterates its commitment to resume military operations if Hamas stops releasing hostages, emphasising continued military pressure on Hamas.

9. An India baiter who turned admirer Who Henry Kissinger, the veteran American statesman, has died at the age of 100. He was remembered as someone who shaped the Cold War world. When he was the US secretary of state during the 1970s, he was known for his disdain towards India's leadership and, as declassified files later showed, he even used racist and misogynist language for the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Early years Kissinger's ties with India started in the 1970s when he was in the US administration as the national security advisor and secretary of state. In September 2020, the New York Times published an opinion piece based on the then newly-declassified trove of White House tapes that provided "startling evidence of the bigotry" voiced by then President Richard Nixon and Kissinger, his national security adviser in the 1970s. 'Racist, misogynist' Replying to a question by Nixon, the piece described how Kissinger sweepingly explained: "They (Indians) are superb flatterers, Mr. President. They are masters at flattery. They are masters at subtle flattery. That's how they survived 600 years. They suck up — their great skill is to suck up to people in key positions." "(But), Mr. President, even though she [Indira Gandhi] was a b**ch, we shouldn't overlook the fact that we got what we wanted, which was we kept her from going out of here saying that the United States kicked her in the teeth," Kissinger, according to the transcripts of the declassified tapes, said in connection with the Bangladesh war. A change of heart From his first visit to India in October 1974 to the one in March 2012, Kissinger had reconciled to India's rise and as many believed, had become a votary of stronger US-India ties. PM Narendra Modi has had a few meetings with him during his trips to the United States. When Modi visited the US in June this year, Kissinger, despite not keeping good health, travelled to Washington to listen to his address at the luncheon at the State Department jointly hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. More here

10. You share your b'day with... Source: Various

Answer To NEWS IN CLUES Joshimath. The Centre on Thursday approved a Rs 1,658.17-crore recovery and reconstruction plan for Joshimath in Uttarakhand, which has been severely affected by ground subsidence and landslides that have led to massive cracks on walls, roads and houses. The decision was taken by a high level committee, headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, formed earlier this year. The recovery plan for Joshimath would be implemented in three years, according to a government statement. COURTESY : TIMES TOP 10