January Current Affairs INDIA & WORLD

INDIA & WORLD

India, Pak exchange list of Nuclear Installations

India and Pakistan on 1 Jan. 2012 exchanged lists of their nuclear installations and facilities under a two – decade – old pact prohibiting attacks on atomic assets, days after senior officials of the two sides held talks in Islamabad on nuclear  and conventional CBMs. “The Governments of the two countries are required to exchange lists of their nuclear installations and facilities on January 1 every year under the terms of the “ Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks against Nuclear Installations and facilities “ that was signed in December 1988.

India, Pak set to start trade in power, petro goods

Plan is to transfer 500MW via Punjab, surplus Diesel from Bhatinda Refinery”
India and Pakistan are strengthening business links in 2012, with the stage set for start of trading in electricity and petroleum products.  Officials from the two countries have decided to trade in electricity through a specially – built high voltage direct current link between Amritsar and Lahore.  The plan is to transfer 500MW through the Punjab border with the tariff linked to the market rate.

China denies visa to IAF officer, Indian defence team cancels the visit

India on 6 Jan. 2012 cancelled the visit by a military delegation to China after one of its members hailing from Arunachal Pradesh, was denied Visa by China.

12 Indian diamond traders return after detention in China

Twelve diamond traders returned to India from China on Jan. 6, 2012 after being released from a detention centre in Shenzhen, where they had been kept for nearly two years.

India to give MFN status to Bangladesh

India on Jan. 6, 2012 said that it was keen to give Bangladesh ‘ most preferred nation ‘ status for trade across the border and would try to ensure capital flows to that country for business.

India to seek new waivers from US on new sanctions on Iran

As new US sanctions of Iran’s oil sector take effect, India, which expects to be hit, will ask the US for waivers to minimise the effect of the curbs that may be given to Washington’s key allies like Japan, Turkey and South Korea, who, like New Delhi, are all importers of Iranian oil.

India decides to send small tri – service delegation to China

In an overnight U-turn India has decided on 7 January 2012 to go ahead with sending a military delegation to China next week but reduced it to 15 members to the original 30 after Beijing refused to issue a visa to an IAF officer from Arunchal Pradesh.”

India for labour treatises with Europe, Oz

The government is negotiating human resource mobility partnership agreements with the Netherlands, France, Australia and the European Union in a move aimed at greater inroads for Indian professionals into such markets.

India, South Africa for early conclusion of Customs union pact

India and South Africa on Jan. 9,  2012  agreed to ensure an early conclusion of the India – SACU ( Southern African Customs Union ) Preferential Trade Agreement and the Bilaterial Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement.

India, Singapore in talks for changes in trade agreement

The India – Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement ( CECA ) would require some amendments, particularly in the area of mutual recognition of professional qualification in order to make it relevant to the present business relations between the two countries..

Mali signs $100-m line of credit with Exim Bank of India

The West African nation of Mali on January 11, 2012 signed a $100 million line of credit with the Exim Bank of India.  This line of credit will be used for transmission of power from Cote d’Ivoire, Mali’s neighbour, to the capital city of Bamak.

India’s push for UN veto to stall reforms: Berlin

As the issue of expansion of UNSC permanent membership gathering momentum, Germany for the first time on 16 January 2012 has openly warned India that its insistence on veto rights for new permanent members will not just delay the reform process but also not help turning the UNSC into a more decisive body.

India, China agree on a border peace mechanism

India and China on 17 Jan.2012 agreed to set up a working mechanism on border management to deal with important affairs related to maintaining to peace and tranquility in the border areas.

Mahindra Rajapaksa committed to settling Tamils issue

Sri Lankan President Mahindra Rajpaksa on 17 Jan. 2012 repeated his commitment to follow the “”13th Amendment plus approach”" to achieve a political solution to the Tamils issue even as the External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna urged Sri Lanka to move towards an expeditious political settlement.

China’s Rail Network To Touch India’s Border

China has announced it will aceelerate plans to expand a railway network in Tibet to reach the two towns near the border i,e from Lasha to Xigaze and the town of Nyingchi which lies in a prefecture bodering of Arunachal pradesh , under five years plans 2011 -2015.

Indian Factories Fail To Move Up

India’s  states as a competitive industrial production economy remained unchanged  .India ranked 42nd in 2009 on a competitive industrial production index lower than much smaller economies like Thailand , Mexico ,accordingly to the latest report of  (U N I D O ) .

Safeguard Passwords From Phishing

Satistics says India is among the top three countries targeted for phishing  attacks  .It is estimated that there are three crore victims of identity theft annually with losses of nearly Rs 10,00,000 crore to the companies . phishing  is among the more popular security attacks on  banks and personal information , the others being screen logger and key logger .

India ‘s Anti Subsidy Plan To Hit China

The Indian government is ready with a plan to act against countries that provide subsidy to local producers and make exports more competitive , Although anti – subsidy action is a trade defence measure,permitted by the World Trade Organisation (WHO) the move is expected to hit China . The government is setting up a Directorate General of Trade Remedies , which will deal with anti- subsidy ,anti dumping and countervailing actions .

India – Pakisthan Deal

India  has offered to export petroleum products, including petrol , to Pakisthan .by road , rail and sea assumes significance in the backdrop of the forthcoming Pakisthan visit of the Indian Trade Minister .The praposal will be worked out in next few weeks .

India & Thailand Likely To Sign Free Trade

India and Thailand are likely to sign the free trade agreement by the middle of the year, The Pm of Thailand Ms YingluckShina Watra addressing a bussiness conference pitched for opening trade in services and investment between India and Thailand .

India ‘s Ranks 131 In Press Freedom

India’s ranking in a global press freedom index fallen singnificantly in the past years . India fell to 131 out of 179 on the press freedom indes compiled by reporters without borders .

India Has The Most Toxic Air

India has the World’s most toxic air which infact , the entire South Asian regions fare badly in the analysis .India  holds the very last rank among 132 nations in terms of air quality with regards to its effects on human health . India scored a miniscule 3.73  out of a possible 100 points .

N T P C New Project In Bangladesh

Bangladesh ‘s state owned power development board had signed  a $ 1.5 billion , 50 : 50 joint venture deal with public sector  N T P C to build a 1,320 mw coal fired power plant in Bangladesh .

India To Grant $1.5 Million To Chicago

India will provide a grant of $ 1.5 million to the University of Chicago to establish a Vivekananda chair for Indian studies , as part of the initatives to mark the 150 th birth anniverssary of the 19 th century Swami Vivekananda and polymath Rabindranath Tagore .

Indian Deal For France ,126 Fighters

India on 31 st Jan selected the French fighter Rafale over the Eurofighter  Typhoon in a multibillion dollor contract for the supply of 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft ( M M R C A ) the country ‘s largest defence deal . The defence ministry said that the product was picked upon the basis of it being the lowest bidder , after complex calculations ,including the life cycle costs .The total deal is estimited to be worth of $ 10.2 billion ( 54,000 crore ).wich was the mojor supplier from French defence , Dassault Aviation who plyed a major role Kargil conflit in 1999 .

Bangladesh To Buy 11 Broad Guage Locos From India

The Bangladesh Railway on 31 st linked a major deal with India to Acquire 10 braod guage diesel electric locomotives ,allowing  the expansion of train services in the country .