Daily Current Capsules - 05^th AUGUST 2019

Prelims Factoids
Indian army launches e-cars in Delhi to fight air pollution

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the initiative taken by Indian army)
What's the NEWS

• The Indian Army in step with government policies on environmental protection has launched an ecological initiative with employing E Cars for use of its officials in New Delhi in partnership with Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), a joint Venture of Central PSUs under Ministry of Power. The introduction of E-Car in Army at Delhi was visualised on World Environment Day

Know! more about this green initiative

• Indian Army has a large number of Territorial Army Battalions (ECO) which have done a yeoman service in environmental protection initiatives such as forestation.
• Army units posted in remote and ecologically sensitive areas from Kashmir to Kanya Kumari have been carrying out various activities in close coordination with local populace to conserve the ecological balance and protect the environment.
• The first batch of e-cars was flagged off on August 1, 2019. The Indian Army plans to operate 10 e-cars in the first lot as a pilot project and develop further such e-cars in Delhi to ensure minimal emissions and efficiency.
• The e-car initiative is expected to boost further development of electric vehicle technology and its adoption by the general public in the near future.
• The Army has launched e-cars in Delhi, keeping in mind the worsening state of air in the capital city. Air pollution has been a major challenge in Delhi, with it crossing the danger mark on several occasions.
• Electric vehicle technology has proved to be a sound alternative to fight air pollution as it reduces carbon emission footprint.
• Several Indian automobile manufacturers including Tata Motors and Mahindra have taken the initiative in manufacturing Electric Cars. The EESL has played the role of the main facilitator in providing these e-vehicles to various Government agencies.

Internal Security
Rajya Sabha passes UAPA Bill
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the provisions of UAPA Bill) + Mains ( GS III challenges to internal security)
What's the NEWS

• The Rajya Sabha passed the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment (UAPA) Bill, 2019.
• The bill has been passed amid strong protest by opposition parties over specific provisions of the bill. Amid protest from opposition, Rajya Sabha rejected the opposition-sponsored motion to send the bill to select committee with 104 votes against it as compared to 85 in favour.

Know! more about the bill

• The main contentious issue of this bill was to designate a person as a terrorist once this bill is enacted. However, the government refused to budge on this demand from opposition to send it for further scrutiny.
• The bill gives special powers to deal with terrorist activities in the country. The Bill amends the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
• Amendment of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) allows the Central government to designate an individual as a terrorist.
• As per the existing UAPA, the Central government can only designate organizations, and not individuals, as terrorists.
• Director-General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) can grant approval of seizure or attachment of property associated with terrorism when the said agency investigates the case.
• The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Bill, 2019 broadens the scope of what constitutes a terrorist act. It has added International Convention for Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (2005) to the schedule to the UAPA Bill, 2019. Amendment to Schedule 4 of the UAPA will allow the NIA to declare an individual suspected as a terrorist.
• It provides NIA Inspector or above to investigate cases under UAPA, 2019. At present only Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) and Deputy Superintendent of Police are allowed to investigate the cases. UAPA Bill, 2019 adds that if NIA officer is conducting the investigation then approval of the Director-General of Police would not be required.
• The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019 has included nine national-international treaties against terrorism, including the Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings (1997), and the Convention against Taking of Hostages (1979) and the International Convention for Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (2005).

Know! the inception of UAPA bill

• The UAPA Bill has been called an upgraded version of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, or TADA, and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), which was repealed in 2004.

Environment and Ecology
India's Deep Ocean Mission

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about India's deep ocean mission and about polymetallic nodule)
What's the NEWS

• India's ambitious ‘Deep Ocean Mission' is all set to be launched this year under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. The Ministry has announced on July 27 that the ₹8,000-crore plan to explore deep ocean minerals will start from October.

Know! more about the mission

• One of the main aims of the mission is to explore and extract polymetallic nodules. These are small potato-like rounded accretions composed of minerals such as manganese, nickel, cobalt, copper and iron hydroxide.
• They lie scattered on the Indian Ocean floor at depths of about 6,000 m and the size can vary from a few millimetres to centimetres. These metals can be extracted and used in electronic devices, smartphones, batteries and even for solar panels.
• The International Seabed Authority (ISA), an autonomous international organisation established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, allots the ‘area' for deep-sea mining.
• India was the first country to receive the status of a ‘Pioneer Investor ‘ in 1987 and was given an area of about 1.5 lakh sq km in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) for nodule exploration.
• India has entered into 15-year contracts for exploration for polymetallic nodules, polymetallic sulphides and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts in the deep seabed with 29 contractors. Later it was extended for five more years till 2022.
• China, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Russia and also some small islands such as the Cook Islands, Kiribati have joined the race for deep sea mining. Most of the countries have tested their technologies in shallow waters and are yet to start deep-sea extraction.

India and its neighbourhood relations
ASEAN-led meetings in Bangkok

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about ASEAN and about Mekong -ganga) + Mains ( GS II India and its neighbourhood)
What's the NEWS

• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar who held a range of ASEAN -related multilaterals and a string of bilateral

Know! more about the bilateral meetings

• The minister attended a host of engagements, including the ASEAN -India Ministerial Meeting, the 9th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting (EASFMM), 26th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and 10th Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Ministerial Meeting from August 1 to August 2.
• The meeting reviewed the progress in the implementation of key decisions of the leaders of ASEAN Member States (AMS) and India, the parties involved would be reviewing progress in the implementation of key decisions taken during -

(a) 25th Anniversary ASEAN - India Commemorative Summit,
(b) Informal ASEAN - India Breakfast Summit and
(c) review progress in the implementation of the ASEAN-India Plan of Action (2016-2020).

• External affairs minister also stated that India is looking forward to the early completion of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway and its extension to Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam.
• During the meeting, the new MGC Plan of Action 2019-2022 was adopted that envisages project-based cooperation in various areas including tourism and culture, water resources management.
• The members also exchanged views on important regional and international issues and on ways and means of further strengthening the ASEAN -India Strategic Partnership.

10^th MGC Ministerial Meeting

• Jaishankar also co-chaired the 10^th MGC Ministerial Meeting with Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
• The 10^th Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Ministerial Meeting was held in Bangkok, Thailand. During this meeting, new MGC Plan of Action 2019-2022 was adopted.
• The New MGC Plan of Action envisages project-based cooperation among member countries in various areas including tourism and culture, education, public health and traditional medicine, agriculture and allied sectors, transport and communication, MSMEs and water resources management.

Know! about Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC)

• It is sub-regional cooperation organisation comprising India and five ASEAN countries, namely, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
• It was launched in 2000 at Laos capital Vientiane. It takes its name from Ganga and Mekong, the two rivers in Southeast Asia.
• The objective of this cooperation is to facilitate closer contacts among people inhabiting these two (Ganga and Mekong) major river basins and enhancing cooperation in culture, tourism, education, transport and communications among member countries. Mekong River Basin countries are Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam

Know! about ASEAN

• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising ten countries in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, military, educational, and sociocultural integration among its members and other countries in Asia.
• It also regularly engages other countries in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
• Brunei Darussalam then joined on 7 January 1984, Viet Nam on 28 July 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999, making up what is today the ten Member States of ASEAN.
  
  

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