India pushes for NSG membership

With the visit of the Nuclear Suppliers Group chairperson last week, India is fast-pacing its pitch for membership to the 48-member nuclear club.
In a string of visits by officials abroad, as well as incoming visits planned, NSG membership, as well as membership of the other major groupings: MTCR (Missile Technology Control Regime), Australian and Wassenaar Arrangement are in focus, officials have confirmed.
The push for the nuclear clubs, whose members can trade in and export nuclear technology, comes despite a setback to India’s efforts in early October this year, when the MTCR group met in Oslo, but failed to take up the membership application.
Officials are now hopeful of being considered for MTCR membership in “early spring 2016,” and for the NSG at its plenary session in June 2016.
What is NSG?
It is group of 48 countries which controls nuclear related exports.
Set Up in 1974 to counter India’s nuclear tests.
Indian has sought NSG membership since 2008.
What is MTCR?
Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) is a West-dominated elite club of 34 countries that controls trade in missile and space technology.
Set up in 1987 by Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, The UK and The USA.
India applied for the membership in October 2015, request was not consider.

Fast patrol vessel ICGS Arinjay commissions in Kochi

The fast patrol vessel (FPV) of Aadesh-Class of Indian Coast Guard, ICGS Arinjay was commissioned in Kochi, Kerala.
It was commissioned by the chief of Southern Naval Command Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba.
ICGS Arinjay is the 15th of the 20 vessels being constructed by Kochi Ship Yard under the of Aadesh-Class .
Uses:
Anti-smuggling and anti-piracy activities and also for search and rescue operation.
Fisheries protection and monitoring activities. To increase the protection level of India’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
ICGS Arinjay will be also having a secondary role of providing communication link and escort coastal convoys in the times of war and hostilities. The ship will be based at Okha post after commissioning.

National Tribal Crafts Mela Aadishilp-2015 begins in New Delhi

11th National Tribal Crafts Mela Aadishilp has begun in New Delh. It was inaugurated by Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Jual Oram.
This edition of Crafts Mela has been organised by Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) and will be open till November 11, 2015.
More than 90 tribal artisans from all over the country are going showcase their unique and exquisite tribal artefacts.
The main objective of Aadishilp is provide tribal artisans an important platform to showcase their talents through their valuable products to urban India. Tribals will be also able to sell their traditional art and craft works directly to the customers and get their valuable feedback.
The mela will showcase hand crafted items, handloom products, cane and bamboo products, dry flowers, tribal jewellery, Dhokra craft, tribal paintings, tribal weaves and embroidery etc.

 

Four new Jt. Secretaries for Home Ministry

Former private secretaries to the President and ex-Home Minister and senior BJP leader L.K. Advani, Pradeep Gupta and U.K.S. Chauhan, are among four new Joint Secretaries appointed in the Home Ministry as part of a mid-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the government.
Besides them, T.V.S.N. Prasad and IPS officer Satyendra Garg are appointed Joint Secretaries in the Ministry.
A total of 22 new Joint Secretaries have been appointed by the government in different Ministries.
Mr. Gupta is a 1985 batch officer of the Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS). This is probably first time when an officer from IOFS has been appointed in the Home Ministry.
Mr. Chauhan, a 1986 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre, has been appointed for a period up to September 27, 2017, when he completes a maximum of five years’ Central deputation tenure, an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training.
Mr. Chauhan, who is at present working as Joint Secretary in the Department of Food and Public Distribution, was Private Secretary to Mr. Advani for about a year from June 2003.
Mr. Garg, a 1987 batch IPS officer of the Union Territories cadre, is presently working as Special Commissioner (legal cell and research) in Delhi Police.
He has been appointed to the post for five years.
Manoj Joshi, Joint Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs, has been shifted to the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the same position.
Abhay Damle, Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax cadre), has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways.

International:

India inks energy pact with Indonesia

While two key MoUs were inked, no extradition treaty was signed on Sunday after Vice-President Hamid Ansari held a tête-à-tête and delegation-level talks with his counterpart Jusuf Kalla at the Vice-President’s Palace in Jakarta.
The dignitaries, however, agreed on two expected agreements � cooperation in new and renewable energy, and renewal of the cultural exchange programme 2015-18.
The Vice-President thanked Indonesia for its support in organising Sahabat India: The Festival of India in Indonesia’ early this year. He also congratulated the country for having assumed the chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association last week.
Mr. Ansari maintained that the two nations shared similar positions on several issues � including climate change, maritime security and freedom of the seas in the South China sea. He said he discussed with Mr. Kalla the expansion of cooperation in defence and counter-terrorism by intensifying the existing mechanisms.

Australia drops knights and dames from honours awards

Australia is dumping the titles “knights” and “dames” again.
The government had scratched the honorary titles, granted for public service, in 1986 as anachronisms.
But former Prime Minister Tony Abbott revived them a year ago during his time in office and was widely ridiculed for making Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, a knight on Australia’s national day earlier this year, instead of honouring a worthy Australian. Many point to the decision as the beginning of the end of Mr. Abbott’s tenure.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who took over from Mr. Abbott in September, announced on Monday that the Queen had agreed to an Australian Cabinet recommendation to remove knights and dames from the Order of Australia.

Business and Economy:

MTS India merges with Anil Ambani\'s RCom

Billionaire Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications. It will take over Russian conglomerate Sistema’s Indian mobile telephony venture that operates under the MTS brand.
While financial details of the deal were not immediately announced, RCom said Sistema Shyam Teleservices Ltd (SSTL) will hold a 10 per cent equity stake in RCom as a result of the deal.
In addition, RCom will assume the liability to pay the government installments for SSTL’s spectrum, amounting to Rs 392 crore per annum for the next 10 years.

5-member panel proposed to decide monetary policy

After four months of debate and discussion, the Reserve Bank of India and the Finance Ministry have overcome the stalemate on the proposed amendments to the Reserve Bank of India Act to reset the responsibility of deciding India’s monetary policy.
The Ministry’s note for the Cabinet’s approval proposes a five-member Monetary Policy Committee.
The government will nominate two members and the RBI three members.
Each of the five members would have one vote and the RBI Governor, chair of the committee, will have a casting vote in the event of a tie in situations such as the absence of a member.

Death:

Former WB Speaker Hashim Abdul Halim passes away

Veteran CPI(M) leader and former Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly Hasim Abdul Halin passed away in Kolkata. He was 80.
Halin was the Speaker of the State Assembly for a record time of 29 years from 1982 to 2011 during the Left Front rule in the state. Thus, he was the longest-serving Speaker of any Legislative Assembly in the country.

 

About Hashim Abdul Halim
Born: He was born on 5 June 1935.
Political Career: He was adherent member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
He was elected for the first time to state assembly as an MLA in 1977 when the CPI(M)-led Left Front came to power.
In the first term of the Left Front government (from 1977 and 1982) led by Jyoti Basu, he had served as the Minister of Judicial Affairs.
He was elected as Speaker for first time in 1982. Since then he remained as one during the rest of Left Front’s tenure i.e. in all its six terms till 2011.