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Showing posts from November, 2020

Islamic Cooperation countries (OIC)

CONTEXT India has lashed out at Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) (formerly Organization of the Islamic Conference) and rejected unwarranted references about Jammu & Kashmir made in resolutions adopted at the 47th Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) session. India has said that OIC has “ no locus standi in matters strictly internal to India, including that of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir”. About OIC It is an international organization founded in 1969 , consisting of 57 member states. It is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations. The organisation states that it is “the collective voice of the Muslim world” and works to “safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony “. The OIC has permanent delegations to the United Nations and the European Union. Permanent Secretariat is in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Significance of OIC for India OIC’s growing economic and energy

IAF Airmen Recruitment Physical & Medical Standards

IAF conducts ST (Schedules Test) and Recruitment rally to recruit Airmen. The recruitment process is carried out each year. Here, you will be reading about physical and medical standards required to become an Airman in IAF. Airmen selection process consists of written test, aptitude test, physical test and medical test. IAF gives much importance to physical and medical fitness of Airmen candidates. This is the main reason why they carry out thorough physical and medical tests. In order to be considered eligible for Airman training, a candidate must satisfy some physical and medical standards! The standard required may vary from one trade to another. Here, you will find everything you need to know about trade-wise physical and medical standards. AIRMEN PHYSICAL STANDARDS IAF has laid out some basic physical standards a candidate should satisfy. Here they are : Weight should be in proportion to height and age Minimum chest expansion should be 5cm Candidate should have normal hearing i.e.

Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft carrying asteroid soil samples nears Earth

CONTEXT Japan’s  Hayabusa2 spacecraft  left  the asteroid Ryugu  a year ago and is expected to reach Earth and drop a capsule containing the precious samples in southern Australia on December 6. The soil samples and data from the asteroid could provide clues to the origins of the solar system. Hayabusa2 Project It is an asteroid sample-return mission operated by the Japanese space agency, JAXA. It was launched on 3 December 2014 and rendezvoused with Ryugu on 27 June 2018. It carried multiple science payloads for remote sensing, sampling, and four small rovers that will investigate the asteroid surface to inform the environmental and geological context of the samples collected. The scientific objectives of Hayabusa2 mission are twofold To characterize the asteroid from remote sensing observations (with multispectral cameras, near-infrared spectrometer, thermal infrared imager, laser altimeter) on a macroscopic scale To analyse the samples returned from the asteroid on a microscopic s

China to build a major dam on Brahmaputra River

China’s upstream activities along the Brahmaputra River have impacts on countries downstream and the ecology surrounding. CONTEXT Amid simmering border tension with India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh, China is planning to build a major hydro-power project on Brahmaputra River in Tibet and a proposal for this has been clearly put forward in the 14th Five-Year Plan to be implemented from next year. Response from India and Bangladesh Proposals for dams on the Brahmaputra have evoked concerns in India and Bangladesh, the riparian states, and China has downplayed such anxieties saying it would keep their interests in mind. What are India’s concerns? China’s dam building overdrive is a concern because there are no bilateral or multilateral treaties on the water. China believes dam building on the Brahmaputra helps it assert claim over Arunachal Pradesh. India believes China’s projects in the Tibetan plateau t hreaten to reduce river flows into India. Dams, canals

IAF CASB Airmen Phase 2 2020 Admit Card OUT, Download CASB Group X & Y Call Letter for Intake 02/2021 @airmenselection.cdac.in

IAF CASB Airmen Phase 2 2020 Admit Card: Indian Air Force has released the CASB Group X & Y Phase 2 2020 Admit Card 2020 on its website. All such candidates who have qualified in the phase 1 exam can now download their admit cards through the official website of Indian Air Force. i.e. airmenselection.cdac.in. Cavalier India IAF CASB Airmen Phase 2 2020 Admit Card: Indian Air Force has released the CASB Group X & Y Phase 2 2020 Admit Card 2020 on its website. All such candidates who have qualified in the phase 1 exam can now download their admit cards through the official website of Indian Air Force. i.e. airmenselection.cdac.in. The Indian Air Force will conduct IAF CASB Phase 2 Group X & Y Exam from 11 to 19 January 2021 across the country. The admit cards for the same have been uploaded at airmenselection.cdac.in. Candidates can download CASB Group X & Y Call Letter 2020 by following the guidelines given below. Visit the official website of CASB.i.e.airmenselection.cd

ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus)

CONTEXT Vietnam has invited India for ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus (ADMM Plus) being hosted by Vietnam in December 2020. About ADMM- Plus Consistent with the ADMM guiding principles of open and outward looking, the 2nd ADMM in Singapore in 2007 adopted the Concept Paper to establish the ADMM-Plus. The ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN and its eight Dialogue Partners to strengthen security and defence cooperation for peace, stability, and development in the region. Eight Dialogue Partners are Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia and the USA (collectively referred to as the “Plus Countries” ). Agreed five areas of practical cooperation under this mechanism are: Maritime security, counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peacekeeping operations and military medicine. In 2013, a new priority area of humanitarian mine action was agreed.

What is the Anti Defection Law?

CONTEXT India’s first Member of Parliament to have been disqualified from the Lok Sabha has now been disqualified as an MLA in Mizoram. Mizoram Assembly Speaker disqualifies Zoram People’s Movement MLA Lalduhoma. Ground for disqualification The disqualification was on the ground that Mr. Lalduhoma had declared himself as a representative of the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) despite being elected as an independent candidate from the Serchhip Assembly constituency. He lost the character of an independent legislator because of the declaration. What is the Anti-Defection Law? The Tenth Schedule was inserted in the Constitution in 1985 by the 52nd Amendment Act . It lays down the process by which legislators may be disqualified on grounds of defection by the Presiding Officer of a legislature based on a petition by any other member of the House. The law applies to both Parliament and state assemblies. When can a member be disqualified? If a member of a house belonging to a political part

Passing out Parade – Autumn Term 2020 held at Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala

In a spectacular Passing out Parade (POP) held at Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala, on Saturday, 28 November 2020, 164 trainees comprising Midshipmen (99th INAC and INAC-NDA), Cadets of the Indian Navy (30th Naval Orientation Course Extended) and two International trainees from Sri Lanka Navy passed out with flying colours, marking the culmination of their ab-initio training. Representative Image The parade was reviewed by General Manoj Mukund Naravane, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC, Chief of the Army Staff, who awarded medals to meritorious Midshipmen and Cadets on completion of the Ceremonial Review. Vice Admiral M A Hampiholi, AVSM, NM, Commandant, INA was the Conducting Officer. The ‘President’s Gold Medal’ for the Indian Naval Academy B. Tech course was awarded to Midshipman Ankush Dwivedi. The ‘Chief of the Naval Staff Gold Medal’ for the Naval Orientation Course (Extended) was awarded to Cadet Cedric Cyril. The other medal winners were as follows: – CNS Silver medal for INAC B. T

AFCAT 2021 Notification Out: Apply Online for IAF AFCAT Entry and NCC Special Entry @afcat.cdac.in from 1 Dec, Check Salary, Eligibility

Indian Air Force (IAF), has published the recruitment notification for Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) 01/2021/ NCC SPECIAL ENTRY in the employment newspaper dated 28 November to 04 December 2020. Download Notification, Check Application Link, Salary, Eligibility, Selection Process AFCAT 2021 Notification: Indian Air Force (IAF), has published the recruitment notification for Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) 01/2021/ NCC SPECIAL ENTRY in the employment newspaper dated 28 November to 04 December 2020. Online applications are invited for the courses commencing in January 2022 for grant of Short Service Commission (SSC) in Flying Branch and Permanent Commission (PC) and Short Service Commission (SSC) in Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) Branches from 01 December 2020. Eligible and interested can apply for IAF AFCAT 2021 on or before 30 December 2020 on AFCAT official website www.careerindianairforce.cdac.in OR www.afcat.cdac.in. Selected candidates in AFCAT 2021

Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC)

‘Today we are well-equipped to ensure that a dastardly act like 26/11 doesn’t occur again’, says an official CONTEXT The Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) will soon become a National Maritime Domain Awareness (NDMA) centre, with all stakeholders having their presence there. About IMAC It is the nodal agency for maritime data fusion. It was set up after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Approved by the Defence Acquisition Council in 2012. Became operational in 2014 and is located in Gurugram. It is the nodal centre of the National Command Control Communication and Intelligence System (NC3I) , which was established to link the operational centres and lower echelons of the Navy and the Coast Guard spread across the country’s coastline, including the island territories.

McKinsey Report:Chilling news for India on global warming

McKinsey report paints a dire climate picture for India which it can’t escape without coordinated global action A new report from the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), on the likely consequences of global warming for Asia, has some very dire projections for India—bear in mind, the report projects Asia to suffer the brunt of the climate change impact. MGI’s may not be the first such projection for India, but at a time when the debate has erupted over whether there is still time for meaningful climate action, or the world has woken up too late, this serves as a reminder of the worst that the country must prepare for. In the absence of adaptation and mitigation measures, leading to a representative concentration pathway of 8.5 (the highest GHG concentration pathway by 2100, as worked out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), by 2050, the country is projected to lose, in terms of doing outdoor work, nearly a third of the daylight hours in a day; indeed, four of the five most po

How Army’s artillery modernisation plan, stuck in a rut after Bofors, is picking up pace

The Indian Army’s artillery modernisation plan — first drafted over two decades ago — is back in the spotlight following a report that the indigenously developed Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) is ready to fire again after an accident in September. Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher  The Business Standard report has stated that the gun has undergone changes — after a barrel burst during trials in September — and is ready to fire again. The September incident was followed by a detailed probe conducted by a multi-agency Failure Investigation Committee and the changes have followed that. India’s artillery acquisition had stalled for nearly two decades after the Swedish Bofors guns were acquired in the late 1980s. The deal was mired in corruption allegations and it led to a fear in the civil services, which, combined with political apathy, prevented India from buying heavy guns at least until 2010. The Bofors guns proved their mettle during the 1999 Kargil conflict, particular

One Nation, One Election

 On 26/11 day, he says nation fighting terror now with ‘new policy and new process’ Narendra Modi, PM of India CONTEXT PM recently again pitched for ‘ One Nation, One Election ’, saying it is the need of the country as elections taking place every few months hamper development works. This was suggested at the recently held 80th All India Presiding Officers Conference. He also suggested that only one voter list should be used for Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha and other elections. What is ‘One Nation, One Election’? It refers to holding elections to Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, Panchayats and Urban local bodies simultaneously, once in five year. But, what are the challenges posed by frequent elections? Massive expenditure. Policy paralysis that results from the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct during election time. Impact on delivery of essential services. Burden on crucial manpower that is deployed during election time. Puts pressure on political parties, especially smalle

President’s powers to pardon- in US, India

With less than two months of his tenure remaining, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday exercised his powers under the Constitution to pardon Michael Flynn, his former National Security Advisor, who had twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. CONTEXT US President Donald Trump recently exercised his powers under the Constitution to pardon Michael Flynn, his former National Security Advisor, who had twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. What is the extent of the US President’s power to pardon? US President has the constitutional right to pardon or commute sentences related to federal crimes. This power is granted without limit and cannot be restricted by Congress. Similarly, Clemency is a broad executive power, and is discretionary- meaning the President is not answerable for his pardons, and does not have to provide a reason for issuing one. LIMITATIONS This power cannot be exercised in cases of impeachment. The power only applies to federal crimes and not state crimes. Clemen

Difference between Commissioned and Non-Commissioned Officers in Indian Air Force

Indian Air Force (IAF) is one of the biggest recruiters of the nation. IAF provides a lot of career opportunities with attractive pay and other benefits along with it. The IAF recruits Officers as well as persons below Officer Ranks called PBOR. The recruitment in IAF is done either as the Commissioned Officers or Junior Commissioned Officers or Non-Commissioned Officers. The Commissioned and Non-Commissioned Officers are distinguished by their duties, ranks, authority and pay. Non-Commissioned Officers are soldiers with specific skills and duties like training, recruiting and technical. They are referred as "backbone." The Commissioned Officers are the part of management. They give Non-Commissioned Officers and lower ranks their missions, assignments and orders. The Non-Commissioned Officers often supervise lower ranks to ensure that the assignments are done properly. Types of Commission in Indian Air Force Candidates who want to join Indian Air Force should know the types C

Indian Air Force Airmen Recruitment Rally 2020-21 Notification: Online Application Started for IAF Group X and Group Y Trades @airmenselection.cdac.in Across India

Indian Air Force is conducting recruitment rally for Group X Trades (Technical) except education instructor AND Group Y for intake 01/2021. Unmarried Male candidates can appear for Indian Air Force Airmen Recruitment Rally on scheduled date and time and apply for the rally on  airmenselection.cdac.in. Cavalier india Indian Air Force Airmen Recruitment Rally 2020-21: Indian Air Force (IAF) has started the online registration process for recruitment  to the post of Airmen for Group X Trades (except education instructor) and Groupn Y Trades (except Auto Tech, IAF(P), IAF(S) & Musician Trades). Eligible and interested candidates can apply for IAF Airmen Recruitment on the official website - airmenselection.cdac.in. They  are also required to appear for   Indian Air Force Group X Recruitment and for Indian Air Force Group Y Recruitment Rally on scheduled date & time for Delhi, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh (UP), Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh (MP), Tamil Nadu (TN) and UT of Puducherry and