current affairs for ias exam 2011 india and world september 2010 www.upscportal

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India and World: September 2010

Hailing Pakistan's gesture, India to free 31 prisoners

India acknowledged Pakistan's gesture in releasing 442 of its fishermen and in turn announcedthe repatriation of 31 Pakistani nationals lodged in jails here. The seven fishermen and the 24

other Pakistani nationals will return to their country on September 15, said the Foreign Office ina news release.

India commits wide-ranging assistance to Laos

India will provide the Lao People's Democratic Republic the first tranche worth $72.55 millionfor two power projects as part of a package of monetary and technical assistance in areasranging from power and irrigation to culture.

This was announced by President Pratibha Patil in Vientiane. In a delegation level talks withher counterpart President Choumally Sayasone of the Lao PDR.

The agreements committed to cover several areas. In the field of culture, a cultural exchangeprogramme has been signed for 2011-2013, the centre piece of which is a project for theArchaeological Survey of India (ASI) assistance in the restoration of the 6th century templecomplex of Vat Phou in the province of Champassak. This pre-Ankorian site, established by theKhmer rulers, was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2001. Work on the complex thatwas started by the ASI in 2009 will be resumed under the present agreement. At the talks, Ms.Patil informed her Laos' counterpart that with the approval of the Nalanda University Bill byParliament, India was looking forward to receiving students from the Association of SoutheastAsian Nations (Asean) countries including Laos.

The new commitment for $ 72.55 million was made for a 230 KV Double Circuit TransmissionLine from Nabong to Thabok with sub stations ($ 34.68 million), and the 15 MW Nam Boun 2hydro power project ($ 37.86 million). In addition, Laos sought $30 million more credit for thedevelopment of irrigation schemes in four provinces. India has spent or committed a total creditline of $162 million to Laos.

India to approach IAEA on liability convention

India approach International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for accession to the internationalConvention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC).

The Indian delegation to the IAEA General Conference, which begins in Vienna on September20, will hold separate talks with secretariat officials on the issue. It will be led by Department ofAtomic Energy Chairman Srikumar Banerjee.

President Pratibha visits Luang Prabang

President Pratibha Patil called to brief about the business and investment climate in Laos, andthe expectations from the government of the Lao PDR. These issues are likely to figure at theIndia Laos Business Forum meeting that is to be held, which will be addressed by the President.

The head of the delegation Sandipan Chakraborty, MD of Tata Steel Processing andDistribution Ltd., stated that despite Laos enabling investment environment, the temporarysuspension of mining lease licences by it has been a setback for prospective Indian investors.

The President returned to Vientiane after a two-day visit to Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang isset in a peninsula that overlooks the confluence of the Nam Khan and Mekong rivers, and wasmeasures.

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the capital of Lao until 1575. It is one of the spectacular locations in Laos that boasts of bothhistorical significance and natural beauty.

Anti-trafficking aid to India drops

The United States' support to India and other countries for the purpose of combating thetrafficking in persons (TIP) has dropped from its highs in 2004 and 2005, a recent report hasrevealed.

Cambodia seeks continued assistance from India

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who called on President Pratibha Patil said Cambodialooked forward to continued assistance from India on providing lines of credit, particularly foragriculture that remains a priority area for his country.

An agreement for a line of credit for $15 million from India to Cambodia for the completion ofthe Stung Tassal Water Development Project was signed. Mr. Hun Sen said his governmentwould put forward four proposals for projects to develop irrigation and water resources. He saidcooperation in the area of oil and gas, mineral exploitation, agriculture and tourism must beexpanded. To achieve this it was essential to have direct air links. The special regard Cambodiahas for India was evident in the elaborate yet warm welcome extended by King NorodomSihamoni to Ms. Patil.

Ms. Patil paid a visit to the Independence monument built in 1958, and held separate meetingswith President of the Cambodian Senate Chea Sim, President of the National Assembly HengSamrin, and Mr. Hun Sen.

An MoU between the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and the National AuditAuthority of India in the area of capacity building was signed between the two countries.

Ties with Laos, Cambodia will expand: President

President Pratibha Patil said that the engagement between India, Camodia and Laos is set tosubstantially expand, and will be taken forward bilaterally and through the platform of ASEAN.

Ms. Patil was speaking on her return to India after a 10-day visit to both countries, on which shewas accompanied by a 45-member business delegation with representatives from the CII,

ASSOCHAM and FICCI.

TAPI pipeline: India signs important pacts

India signed two important agreements for the ambitious Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project. The project, assisted by Asian Development Bank, envisagesthe building of 1,680 km of pipeline with a total gas capacity of 90 million cubic metres per day(mmscmd). With the completion of the TAPI gas pipeline, India would get 38 mmscmd of gas.

The agreements were signed at the steering committee meeting (SCM) of the TAPI gas pipelineproject, held at Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat

Manmohan welcomes new Oxford centre

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has welcomed the establishment of what is claimed to beEurope's first major school of government at Oxford University, his alma mater.

The Blavatnik School of Government, funded with a 75 million donation from Russian-American industrialist and philanthropist Leonard Blavatnik, would train outstanding graduatesfrom across the world in skills and responsibilities of government, the university said.

In a message, Dr. Singh said he was sure that it would attain renown as one of the premiercentres of study in the field of governance.


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U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton raised India's civil nuclear liability issue with ExternalAffairs Minister S.M. Krishna at a meeting to do the groundwork for President Barack Obama'svisit to India in November.

India conveys concerns to U.S. over a slew of issues

India conveyed its concerns to the U.S. over the H-1B visa fee increase, export controlrestrictions and the ban on outsourcing, at a meeting between External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

India, Japan to have first military talks

India and Japan will have their first army-to-army talks aimed at reviewing the present status ofengagements, military cooperation and military security issues.

The dialogue comes at a time when Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Naik, began athree-day goodwill visit to Japan. Air Chief Naik will meet his counterpart, the Chief of JapanSelf Defence Force, General Kenichiro Hokazona.

Japan becomes the ninth country with which the Indian Army has bilateral dialogue. So far, itengages in talks with Australia, Bangladesh, France, Israel, Malaysia, Singapore, the

United States and the United Kingdom. India and Japan last year agreed on a Defence Action Plan. It aims at holding regular meetings

between the defence ministers, annual official-level defence policy dialogue, annual military-to-military talks, regular reciprocal visits of the service chiefs and ground-to-ground staff talks,Navy-to-Navy staff talks, and developing an annual calendar of defence cooperation andexchanges.

In July this year, for the first time, India held talks in the 2+2 format (Foreign and DefenceSecretaries from both sides) with Tokyo suggesting an increase in the levels of securitydialogue. This enabled a detailed review of the security environment and positive discussionson all elements of the Action Plan.

The two sides had also decided to step up maritime cooperation by expanding the joint

exercises to include the navies from both countries and stepping up cooperation in anti-piracyoperations off the Gulf of Aden.

India conveys concerns to U.S. over a slew of issues

India conveyed its concerns to the U.S. over the H-1B visa fee increase, export controlrestrictions and the ban on outsourcing, at a meeting between External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

India offers $500 m credit line to Mozambique

India and Mozambique signed three agreements besides agreeing upon a credit line of $500

million for infrastructure projects. During talks with the visiting Mozambique presidentArmando Guebuza, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh discussed the safety and security of sealanes against the backdrop of nearly a decade of intermittent cooperation in this area betweenthe two countries.

Hillary raises nuclear liability issue with Krishna


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