1st Nov- 2nd Nov 2014

Fourth International Counter-Piracy Conference held in Dubai

01-NOV-2014

Fourth International Counter-Piracy Conference was held in Dubai from 29 – 30 October 2014. The theme of the Conference was Securing State Recovery: Sustaining Momentum at Sea, Confronting Instability Land. It sought to address the challenges, and current concerns regarding maritime piracy.
The Conference was hosted by UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs in partnership with global marine terminal operator DP World. The Conference addressed the challenges, and current concerns regarding maritime piracy.
It was attended by more than 600 delegates including attendees from over 50 Government and non-governmental organisations.

Main developments of the Conference

The participating governments promised full support for the counter-piracy efforts at sea and on land.
The Conference expressed hope that participating members will contribute to Somalia’s political and economic development and future security.
The Conference noted that while incidents of Somali-based piracy have fallen significantly, the economic costs remains high at more than 3 billion US dollars and the human cost to seafarers and their families is severe. There remain an estimated 37 seafarers still held captive in Somalia.
At the Conference, UAE committed to ensure the safety of the world’s oceans and the well-being of citizens and seafarers alike.
The special discussion on youth and gender empowerment highlighted the vital importance of empowering and engaging these marginalized groups in society for the enduring growth and prosperity of the region.
Discussions were also held around the lessons learned from counter-piracy policy in the Horn of Africa and recent trends that helped facilitate building a framework for future cooperation. Also, the scope of discussion was expanded to include West Africa, a region of growing concern for governments and industry alike.

About the International Counter-Piracy Conference

The International Counter-Piracy Conference is being held every year since 2011 and the host country is United Arab Emirates.
The theme of the first conference was Global Challenge, Regional Responses: Forging A Common Approach to Maritime Piracy.
The second conference was held in 2012 with the theme A Regional Response to Maritime Piracy: Enhancing Public-Private Partnership and Strengthening Global Engagement.
lThe third conference was held in 2013 with the theme Countering maritime piracy: Continued efforts for regional capacity building.

Rajiv Mehrishi took charge as Union Finance Secretary

01-NOV-2014

Rajiv Mehrishi on 31 October 2014 took charge as Union Finance Secretary under the Union Ministry of Finance. He was appointed as Secretary of Economic Affairs of Finance.
Mehrishi was a 1978 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre. He succeeded Arvind Mayaram who was shifted to Union Ministry of Minority Affairs on 30 October 2014.
The Finance Ministry has five secretaries - Economic Affairs, Expenditure, Revenue, Disinvestment and Financial Services. The senior most among the four is designated as the Finance Secretary.
Expenditure Secretary: Ratan P Watal
Financial Services Secretary: Gurdial Singh Sandhu
Revenue Secretary: Shaktikanta Das
Disinvestment Secretary: Aradhana Johri

AIR launched free SMS service in 4 more languages

01-NOV-2014

All India Radio News Services Division on 29 October 2014 launched free SMS service in four more languages to provide news updates to people. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar launched the service at a function in New Delhi.
The four new added languages are Gujarati, Tamil, Malayalam and Assamese. With this, the AIR's free SMS news service is now available in 10 languages.
Earlier, the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had launched Free AIR News on SMS service in Hindi, Marathi, Sanskrit, Dogri and Nepali languages in September 2014.
News Service Division sends everyday news SMSs at least thrice to the registered users.

About News Service Division

All India Radio now under Prasar Bharati has the distinction of being one of the major broadcasting organizations in the world.The News Services Division (NSD) of All India Radio disseminates news and comments to listeners in India and abroad.

From 27 news bulletins in 1939-40, AIR today puts more than 510 bulletins daily around 52 hours in 82 languages/dialects in the Home, Regional and External Services.

Out of these, 89 bulletins are broadcast daily from Delhi in the Home Service in English, Hindi and other Indian languages. The 44 Regional News Units (RNUs) putout 355 daily news bulletins in 67 languages. This includes news bulletins mounted exclusively on FM ‘Gold’ channel from 22 AIR Stations.

In addition to the daily news bulletins, the News Services Division also mounts everyday a number of news-based programmes on topical subjects from Delhi and some other Regional News Units

Union Cabinet approved proposal to amend FDI policy in construction and real estate sector

01-NOV-2014

Union Cabinet on 29 October 2014 approved the proposal to amend Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy in construction and real estate sectors. The proposals came in the backdrop of depleting FDI inflows in construction and real sector in last few years.
Union government decided to use relaxed rules for FDI in the construction sector by reducing minimum built-up area as well as capital requirement and easing the exit norms to boost the construction and real sector.

Proposals

The proposal is the minimum capital requirement is brought down from 10 million US dollar to 5 million US dollar.
In case of development of serviced plots, the condition of minimum land of 10 hectares has been completely removed.
In case of development of trunk infrastructure, though the lock in period has not reduced from 3-year lock-in period but permitted foreign investors to investors to exit on project completion or 3 years from the date of final investment.

Present status

Earlier in 2005, although 100 percent foreign direct investment was allowed in townships, housing and built-up infrastructure and construction developments, the government imposed certain conditions.
After the relaxation, the FDI inflows in the construction sector witnessed a steady rise during 2006-07 but have stared declining in 2009-10.
The construction sector received FDI worth 23.75 billion US dollar or 10 percent of the total FDI attracted by India during the period between from 2000 to 2014.
The investment in construction and real estate sector has a multiplier effect on the economy by way of infrastructure creation and employment generation which will also help to create demand for products of related industries like cement and steel.

Somali Pirates freed 7 Indian sailors after 4 years captivity

01-NOV-2014

Seven Indian sailors who were held in captivity by the Somali pirates off the coast of Somalia for four years were released on 30 October 2014. They were released in Harardhere, a coastal town north of Mogadishu. This was the last batch of Indian sailors held in captivity by the Somali pirates. Of these seven sailors, two each were from Maharashtra and Karnataka and of remaining three one each were from Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
The batch was released in exchange for an undisclosed ransom and it is not clear that their demands were fulfilled or not. The information of their release was announced at the concluding session of the International Counter Piracy Conference in Dubai by the Chairman of the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme Dr. Peter M Swift.
As per information, these sailors have reached Kenya and are in good health. It is expected that these sailors will reach India in next few days.

Background

These sailors were held in captivity since September 2010, when the pirates hijacked the Panama-flagged ship MT Asphalt Venture. Eight of their colleagues were freed along with the ship in April 2011 for a ransom and at their release the pirates said that the remaining seven captors will be released only when their fellow Somali pirates who were held by Indian authorities

President of Burkina Faso resigned

01-NOV-2014

President of Burkina Faso Blaise Compaore on 31 October 2014 announced to resign following violent protests over his attempt to extend his 27-year rule.
As a result, Army Chief of Burkina Faso General Honore Nabere Traore took over as the head of state of Burkina Faso. He announced that he will lead the country through a political transition and elections.
Under Article 43 of the Constitution of Burkina Faso, the President of the senate should take over after the president resigns, and elections should take place between 60 and 90 days afterwards.

About Blaise Compaore

Blaise Compaore is a Burkinabe politician who was President of Burkina Faso from 1987 until his resignation on 31 October 2014.
He was a top associate of President Thomas Sankara during the 1980s, and in October 1987 he led a coup d'etat during which Sankara was killed; subsequently he introduced a policy of rectification, overturning the Marxist policies pursued by Sankara.
He won elections in 1991, 1998, 2005, and 2010. His attempt to amend the constitution to extend his 27-year term caused the 2014 Burkinabe uprising.

Lokesh Chandra appointed as Chairman of India Council for Cultural Relations

01-NOV-2014

Lokesh Chandra was appointed as chairman of India Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) on 27 October 2014. He was appointed by the President Pranab Mukherjee for a term of three years.
Chandra replaced Congress leader Karan Singh who resigned from office on 18 August 2014. Before this appointment, he was the Honorary Director of the International Academy of Indian Culture, a premier research institution for Asian cultures.

About Lokesh Chandra

Chandra was born in Ambala in Haryana in 1927.
He pursued his Master's Degree (MA) from the Punjab University in 1947.
He is a polyglot and is fluent in 16 languages (Pali, Avesta, Old Persian, Japanese, Chinese, Tibetan, Mongolian, Indonesian, Greek, Latin, German, French and Russian besides Hindi, Sanskrit and English).
Earlier, he served as Chairman of Indian Council for Historical Research and Vice President of ICCR.
He was a Member of Parliament of Rajya Sabha for two terms (1974 and 1980).
His major work is the study of cultural interflow between India and other countries.
He has written on a variety of areas including on arts, histories and literatures of the Buryatia in Siberia, Mongolia, Central Asia, Tibet, China, Korea, Japan, Cambodia and Indonesia.
His major works are Tibetan-Sanskrit Dictionary, Materials for a History of Tibetan Literature. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2006 in recognition to his contributions to academic life and public discourse.
Chandra's major work is the study of cultural interflow between India and other countries.
He has written on a variety of areas including on arts, histories and literatures of the Buryatia in Siberia, Mongolia, Central Asia, Tibet, China, Korea, Japan, Cambodia and Indonesia.

About India Council for Cultural Relations

The India Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) was founded in 1950.
Objectives
To participate actively in formulation and implementation of policies and programmes pertaining to India's external cultural relations
To foster and strengthen cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and other countries
To promote cultural exchanges with other countries and people
To develop relations with national and international organizations in the field of culture

Warren Anderson, Chief of Union Carbide during 1984 Bhopal Gas tragedy died

01-NOV-2014

Warren M Anderson, the former Chairman of Union Carbide Corporation who was blamed for the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy died. He was 92.
Anderson died on 29 September 2014 at a nursing home in Vero Beach, Florida but his death was not announced by his family and was confirmed from public records.

About Warren M Anderson

He was an American businessman who served as Chairman and CEO of the Union Carbide Corporation at the time of the Bhopal disaster in 1984
Warren M Anderson was officially labeled as a fugitive by Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bhopal on 1 February 1992. The judge also called him an absconder for failing to appear at the court hearings in a culpable homicide case.
Union government requested the US government to extradite him several times but it denied always since the first extradition request in 2003 citing a lack of evidence.
Anderson who reached Bhopal four days after the accident was immediately arrested but was bailed quickly, after which he never returned India to face trial.

About 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy

1984 Bhopal gas tragedy is also referred as Bhopal disaster was a gas leak incident in India that occurred on the night of 2 and 3 December 1984. This disaster is considered as world’s worst industrial disaster.
The accident occurred after a chemical reaction in a plant that made insecticides caused a leak of toxic gases (Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) gas and other chemicals) which swept across the area. As per Madhya Pradesh government’s data 3787 people were killed due to this leakage of the poisonous gas. Whereas, the unofficial estimates says that the death toll exceeded 10000.
About 5 lakh people were exposed to the toxic substance that made its way in and around the towns that was located near the plant.