📰 India revokes Pak.’s MFN status day after terrorist strike in J&K
PM says a ‘befitting reply’ will be given to those behind attack on a CRPF convoy
•India on Friday revoked the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status of Pakistan and warned of more measures in response to its support for terrorist groups targeting India.
•While Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that those responsible for Thursday’s terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir would be given a “befitting reply,” the Opposition rallied behind the government in a show of solemn unity.
•The government has convened an all-party meeting at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
•The suicide car bombing in Pulwama district killed 40 paramilitary personnel, making it one of the worst incidents of violence in the history of the State’s insurgency. The attacker — a school dropout who had gone missing last year amid heightened volatility in the State — rammed a vehicle loaded with explosives into a convoy of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
•As countries around the world shared India’s outrage and condemned the incident, the U.S. put Pakistan in the dock by asking it to “immediately end” all support to terrorist groups.
•The Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has claimed responsibility for the attack.
•There is “incontrovertible evidence” of Pakistan’s “direct” involvement in the attack, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security that deliberated on India’s response.
•Pakistan has denied any involvement and termed the attack “a matter of grave concern.”
•“The terrorists... they have made a big mistake,” Mr. Modi said at an event in Delhi. “You will have to pay a very heavy price... I assure everyone that the forces behind the attack... we will bring them to justice.”
•India has asked its High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria to return to New Delhi for consultations.
📰 Inter-State frictions are back in the Northeast
Clashes break out between police and villagers in Meghalaya; stone pelting and arson reported
•Inter-State frictions have resurfaced in the northeast after a show of unity by the region’s constituent States over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
•On Thursday, less than 24 hours after the Centre’s failure in getting the Bill passed in Rajya Sabha triggered celebrations across the north-eastern States, several people, including women, were injured during a clash between the Assam police and people of Umwali village in Meghalaya.
•The village is near Langpih, a disputed place on the Assam-Meghalaya border, about 40 km west of Guwahati. While Assam says the village is in the State’s Kamrup district, Meghalaya claims it falls in its West Khasi Hills district.
Official speak
•“The villagers pelted stones at us when we objected to the clearing of a patch of forest for electrification work. Some of our men sustained injuries,” an official in the Assam police outpost at Langpih said, adding that they arrested two people.
•But P. Syiemiong, the headman of Umwali, claimed the assault by the Assam police was unprovoked. The Khasi Students’ Union, which had joined hands with its Assam counterpart to fight the Citizenship Bill, condemned the action of the police and demanded compensation for the Meghalaya villagers assaulted.
•On the eastern edge of Assam, almost horizontally across the point where Langpih is situated, economic blockades by Assam-based ethnic bodies less than a fortnight ago began haunting the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh again.
For ST status
•Organisations of six communities — Adivasi, Deori, Gorkha, Moran, Mising, and Sonowal Kachari — mostly inhabiting eastern Assam, have been demanding Scheduled Tribe status for their brethren living in pockets of Arunachal Pradesh. The demand gathered steam after Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein made an assurance last year.
•While these organisations have threatened to relaunch their agitation after a brief lull, the indigenous communities in Arunachal Pradesh want the State government to “forget the plan”. Tribe and district-specific constituents of All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) have also gone against their parent organisation for “keeping quiet” on the issue.
📰 Heralding a new dawn
India and Saudi Arabia are poised to dramatically deepen the bilateral relationship
•In April 2016, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia gave itself a goal and a promise in the form of Vision 2030. The Saudi citizen has become the focal point for sustainable development with massive projects directed towards building a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation. The entire foundation of our Kingdom’s economy is being transformed towards a post-oil age with the aim of attracting $427 billion in private investments over the next decade to diversify the economy and create 1.6 million new jobs through the National Industrial Development and Logistics Programme.
Powered by reforms
•According to World Bank’s ‘Doing Business 2018’ report, Saudi Arabia has instituted the largest number of business reforms among countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as of July 2017. With its platform Meras, starting a business in the Kingdom now requires only one step and one day! The single-window platform Fasah has also been launched for customs clearance and import and export procedures. The ‘Doing Business 2019’ report has ranked Saudi Arabia as the fourth-largest reformer within the G20. In 2018, Saudi Arabia saw foreign direct investment rise by 127% year-on-year. Global confidence in Saudi Arabia’s ascent has further solidified with the International Monetary Fund forecasting increased growth for Saudi Arabia in July 2018.
•The Kingdom’s construction market is set to touch $96.52 billion in 2025, up from $45.33 billion in 2016. There are three giga-projects underway — smart city project Neom, Qiddiya entertainment city and the Red Sea Tourism Project. In 2018, we also launched FekraTech, a national initiative for digital ideas, aimed at making Saudi Arabia a global innovation hub. The Saudi Intellectual Property Authority is also working towards transforming Saudi Arabia into an advanced knowledge-based economy built on innovation and entrepreneurship.
•A $100 billion planned investment in transport projects will also occur over the next decade as we expand the railway system and introduce new light rail mass transit projects in Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah. The grand expansions of the Holy Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah have increased their capacity for accommodating millions of worshippers. One of the most important goals of the Vision 2030 is to increase our capacity to welcome 30 million Umrah performers every year by 2030, improve their experience and enrich it further.
•Since a majority of the Kingdom’s population is below the age of 30, education is a key component of Vision 2030. Over the decades, Saudi Arabia’s education system has gone through an astonishing transformation. Due to generous scholarships from the Kingdom, a large number of Saudi students study overseas. By 2030, the Kingdom intends to have at least five Saudi universities among the top 200 in international rankings. Education reforms have also led to an increase in women’s literacy and participation in the workforce.
•With the Kingdom at the heart of the Arab and Islamic world, the changes taking place on the Saudi soil are creating positive influences for the entire Arab region. Saudi Arabia remains committed to the social, economic and political stability of the region and will continue playing a leading role in countering terrorism and establishing peace as demonstrated by the Kingdom’s contribution towards the historic peace accord signed between Ethiopia and Eritrea in Riyadh in 2018. We continue to stand by our Yemeni brothers and support the Palestinian cause. Our dream is of a peaceful, progressive and a prosperous world.
•In our common pursuit for development and stability, Saudi Arabia sees India as an important partner. Our ties trace their roots to the third millennium BC. Trade, science, arts, literature, languages — the exchanges between our civilisations have indeed been profound. India holds a special place for us. Nearly 3 million Indians form the largest expatriate community in the Kingdom. India has also seen its Haj quota of 1,36,020 increase consecutively during the last two years to a record 1,75,025.
•India and Saudi Arabia have more opportunities today to tap into than ever before. The bilateral trade for 2017-18, in excess of $27 billion, will accelerate as Saudi Arabia and India engage in a host of new areas such as information and communications technology (ICT), health care, defence, biotechnology, education and infrastructure among others. India is one of the top countries on the Kingdom’s preferred list with great potential for investment in organic and food processing industries.
Expanding cooperation
•The energy partnership between the two countries is also finding new grounds. As of October 2018, Saudi Aramco has nearly $2 billion in material-service sourcing with Indian companies, and investing in India’s value chain from oil supply, marketing and refining to petrochemicals and lubricants is a key part of its global downstream strategy. The $44 billion integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex at Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, being jointly developed by Saudi Aramco, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and a consortium of Indian public sector units (PSUs) consisting of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), is yet another milestone.
•Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2018 on the sidelines of the G20 summit and both sides agreed to set up a high-level mechanism to boost concrete actions in terms of investment, technology and manufacturing across various sectors.
•As formidable economies of MENA and Asia, Saudi Arabia and India have a historic opportunity to collaborate in shaping the future of our regions, for a better tomorrow full of prosperity and promise. Combining our respective strengths will pave the way for endless possibilities and accomplishments for the benefit of our two peoples and the region. The forthcoming state visit of the Crown Prince to India presents another historic opportunity to expand collaboration between our two friendly nations.
📰 No change in China’s stance
India seeks support to designate Jaish chief Masood Azhar a global terrorist
•China on Friday reiterated that it stood by a UN ban on the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), but stopped short of reversing its stance against sanctioning its chief, Masood Azhar, as a global terrorist.
•Asked to comment on China’s stand on listing Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN Security Council, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said: “As for the issue of listing, I could tell you that the 1267 Committee of Security Council has a clear stipulation on the listing and procedure of the terrorist organisations.”
•He added: “JeM has been included in the Security Council terrorism sanctions list. China will continue to handle the relevant sanctions issue in a constructive and responsible manner."
•In a statement in New Delhi, the External Affairs Ministry called upon “all members of the international community to support the proposal to list terrorists, including JeM chief Masood Azhar, as a designated terrorist under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council and to ban terrorist organisations operating from territories controlled by Pakistan.”
•Mr. Geng signalled that China was looking for a solution to terrorism based on “regional” engagement. “We hope relevant regional countries will cooperate to cope with the threat of terrorism and jointly uphold regional peace and stability.”
•Mr. Geng said, “China has noted the reports of suicide terrorist attack.” “We are deeply shocked by this attack. We express deep condolences and sympathy to the injured and bereaved families.’’
📰 Vande Bharat: India’s self-propelled, fastest train takes off
The semi-high speed express will cover the 780-km distance from Delhi to Varanasi in just eight hours
•The inaugural trip of India’s first semi-high speed train, Vande Bharat Express, was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the New Delhi railway station on Friday. The train, named ‘Train 18’ at the concept stage, is a plush 16-coach, air-conditioned, self-propelled train set and doesn’t have a locomotive.
•The express will ply between Delhi and Varanasi, with halts at Kanpur and Allahabad. It will complete the 780-km journey in eight hours, slicing off 180 minutes from the current travel time of 11-and-a-half hours. This is India’s fastest train to date, capable of commercial speeds up to 160 km per hour. On the Delhi-Varanasi route, however, its top speed would be restricted to 130 km per hour. The train will start commercial operations on this route on February 17. The tickets for that date are already sold out.
Big crowd
•A big crowd gathered to witness the launch of the train in Delhi, greeting its flagging-off with excited chants of ‘Vande Mataram’. Many onlookers tried to take selfies with the gleaming blue-and-white train and even tried to touch it. Cell phone-wielding crowds and selfie-mania greeted the train at both Kanpur and Allahabad.
•The express will have two travel classes: executive and chair car, similar to the Shatabdi. From Delhi to Varanasi, an air-conditioned chair car ticket will cost Rs. 1,760, while the executive class fare will be Rs. 3,310. In the return direction, the chair car and executive class tickets will cost Rs. 1,700 and Rs. 3,260 respectively. The fares are inclusive of catering charges.
•Keeping with the Railways’ stated aim of offering a “totally new travel experience” to passengers, the train’s interiors have the look and feel of a commercial airplane. All the coaches are equipped with automatic doors, a GPS-based passenger information system, and free WiFi. But the Wi-Fi can only be used to access select entertainment content provided by the Railways. The toilets are bio-vacuum type, similar to those on airplanes.
📰 Antibiotic-resistant NDM-1 gene found in pristine Arctic
Scientists are surprised by the detection of the gene, first isolated in India, in one of the earth’s most remote spots
•The recent detection of the antibiotic resistant (AR) gene NDM-1, first isolated in India, in the Arctic region is a further indication of the globalisation of antimicrobial resistance, said a study.
•The research was conducted in the High Arctic zone (Kongsfjorden region of Svalbard) and scientists were surprised to find a rather robust presence of NDM-1, according to Clare McCann, principal author of the study.
•Answering questions from The Hindu over email, Dr. McCann said: “It was not a shock to find AR in the High Arctic. In essence, AR is a natural phenomenon. Most antibiotics are produced by soil microorganisms and over time they have evolved to become resistant to the compounds which they excrete to survive. However, finding NDM-1 in 2013 was a surprise.”
Five clusters
•Researchers noted in their paper, in the peer reviewed journal Environment International , that it was detected in five out of the eight clusters studied. NDM-1 was first reported in 2007 in a patient admitted to a hospital in New Delhi, but was reported to be present in Germany, the same year.
•“The first finding of NDM-1 in the environment, rather than a clinic setting, was in surface waters of Delhi, in 2010. So finding NDM-1 in the High Arctic three years after the first report of its presence in the environment was very intriguing. The results show how far reaching and fast resistance can move around the globe,” Dr. McCann said.
•“Our findings show that the NDM-1 gene is present in highest concentrations near fresh water sources where wildlife tend to congregate. Additionally, we discovered levels of mobile genetic elements (MGEs), the mechanism by which bacteria ‘trade’ AR, to mirror NDM-1. MGEs are noteworthy here because they are often associated with ‘acquired’ resistance and are found at higher levels in human, or animal waste-impacted environments,” she said.
•The findings point towards the involvement of migratory birds, who could carry the resistance in the gut and transfer it to the Arctic soil through faecal matter.
•“However, it is also possible that it may have migrated with humans and spread via local wildlife, or it may be a combination of factors,” the scientist explained.
📰 NASA heading back to the moon
U.S. space agency hopes to arrange short stays on the lunar surface
•NASA is accelerating plans to return Americans to the moon, and this time, the U.S. space agency says it will be there to stay.
•Jim Bridenstine, NASA’s administrator, told reporters that the agency plans to speed up plans backed by U.S. President Donald Trump to return to the moon, using private companies. “It’s important that we get back to the moon as fast as possible,” said Mr. Bridenstine.
•He hoped to have astronauts back there by 2028. “This time, when we go to the moon, we’re actually going to stay. We’re not going to leave flags and footprints and then come home to not go back for another 50 years” he said.
•“We’re doing it entirely different than every other country in the world. What we’re doing is, we’re making it sustainable so you can go back and forth regularly with humans.” The last person to walk on the moon was Eugene Cernan in December 1972, during the Apollo 17 mission.
•Before humans set foot on the lunar surface again, NASA aims to land an unmanned vehicle on the moon by 2024, and has invited bids from the burgeoning private sector to build the probe.
