Daily Current Capsules 01^st January 2021

Defence
Cabinet Approves Export of Akash Missile System and Creates a Committee for faster Approval of Exports

Relevance in - Prelims ( about Akash Missile + role of committee formed ) + Mains ( GS II India and its neighbourhood- relations.

What's the NEWS

• Under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat, India is growing in its capabilities of manufacturing wide variety of Defence platforms and missiles.
• Akash is country's important missile with over 96 percent indigenisation.
• Akash is a Surface to Air Missile with a range of 25 Kms. The missile was inducted in 2014 in IAF and in 2015 in Indian Army.
• After its induction in the Services, interest is shown in Akash missile by many friendly countries during International Exhibitions/Def Expo/Aero India.

Know! the role of the committee

• The Cabinet approval will facilitate Indian manufactures to participate in RFI/RFP issued by various countries.
• So far, Indian defence exports included parts/components etc. The export of big platforms was minimal.
• This initiative of the Cabinet would help the country to improve its defence products and make them globally competitive.
• The export version of Akash will be different from System currently deployed with Indian Armed Forces.
• Besides Akash, there is interest coming in other major platforms like Coastal Surveillance System, Radars and Air platforms.
• To provide faster approvals for export of such platforms, a Committee comprising of Raksha Mantri, External Affairs Minister and National Security Advisor has been created.
• This Committee would authorise subsequent exports of major indigenous platforms to various countries.
• The Committee would also explore various available options including the Government-to-Government route.
• Government of India intends to focus on exporting high value defence platforms, to achieve target of 5 Billion USD of defence export and improve strategic relations with friendly foreign countries.

Bilateral Relations
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Bhutan on Cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.

Relevance in - Prelims ( about the MoU - highlights + Mains ( GS II India and its neighbourhood- relations.

What's the NEWS

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister approved Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government of the Republic of India and the Royal Government of Bhutan on Cooperation in the peaceful users of outer space

Know! about the MoU (highlights)

• This MoU shall enable India and Bhutan to pursue cooperation in potential interest areas, such as remote sensing of the earth; satellite communication and satellite based navigation; Space science and planetary exploration; use of spacecraft and space systems and ground system; and application of space technology.
• This MoU would lead to set up a Joint Working Group, drawing members from DOS/ISRO and the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC) of Bhutan, which will further work out the plan of action including the time-frame and the means of implementation.

Bhutanese engineers to train with ISRO for satellite launch next year

What's the NEWS

• Four Bhutanese space engineers arrived in India to train with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the launch of their country's satellite next year as part of New Delhi's efforts to build space infrastructure under its "neighbourhood first" policy.

Know! more about India- Bhutan space cooperation

• Prime Minister had announced during a virtual meeting with his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering on November 20 that India would launch the small satellite next year.
• Bhutan's first nano-satellite Bhutan-1, built with Japan's assistance, was launched on a SpaceX rocket in 2018.
• The space engineers from Bhutan's department of information technology and telecom will undergo the first phase of training at ISRO's UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru from December 28 to February 25.
• This training will cover theoretical and technical aspects and include visits to laboratories and test facilities, officials said.
• The Bhutanese team will also work with ISRO to draw up the second phase of training, which will include activities aimed at developing INS-2B satellite for Bhutan.
• India has been closely working with Bhutan in space technology. In August 2019, Modi and Tshering jointly inaugurated a ground earth station for the South Asia Satellite (SAS) in Thimphu, which was built with ISRO's support.
• SAS was launched by India in 2017 for countries in South Asia, and currently provides frees services for television broadcasts and VSATs to members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc).
• The decision to collaborate on the development of a satellite for Bhutan was made during Modi's visit to Thimphu in August 2019.
• A joint working group was formed for the project and other activities, including developing a geo-portal system for Bhutan for natural resources and disaster management, using remote sensing and geo-spatial data.

Infrastructure Development
Paradip Port

Relevance in - Prelims ( about Paradip Port + about the proposed project) + Mains ( GS III infrastructure development)
What's the NEWS

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the project 'Deepening and Optimization of Inner Harbour Facilities including Development of Western Dock on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis under Public-Private Partnership (PPP)mode to handle cape size vessels at Paradip Port'.

Know! about the proposed project

• The proposed project envisages Construction of Western Dock Basin with facilities to handle cape size vessels by the selected BOT Concessionaire with an ultimate capacity of 25 MTPA (Million tonnes per annum) in two phases of 12.50 MTPA each.
• On commissioning of the project, it shall cater to the requirement of coal & limestone imports besides export of granulated slag & finished steel products considering the large number of steel plants established in the hinterland of Paradip Port.
• The project shall also facilitate (i) de-congestion of the Port, (ii) reduce Sea freight making coal imports cheaper, and (iii) boost the industrial economy in the hinterland of the port leading to creation of job opportunities.

Paradip Port Trust (PPT)

• Paradip Port Trust (PPT), a Major Port under Government of India and administered under the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963, was commissioned in 1966 as a mono commodity port for export of iron ore.
• In the last 54 years, the Port has transformed itself to handle a variety of Exim cargoes which include iron ore, chrome ore, aluminium ingots, coal, POL, fertilizer raw materials, lime stone, clinker, finished steel products, containers, etc.
• In particular, the demand for import of coking coal & fluxes and export of finished steel products has been increasing in view of number of Steel Plants established in the hinterland of the Port necessitating capacity creation to cater to the Port hinterland requirements.

Prelims factoids
Cabinet approves Opening of 3 Indian Missions in Estonia, Paraguay and Dominican Republic

Relevance in - Prelims ( about the three Indian Missions opened- location) + Mains ( GS II International relations)
What's the NEWS

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister approved the opening of 3 Indian Missions in Estonia, Paraguay and Dominican Republic in 2021.

Know! the importance and benefits of these missions

• Opening of Indian Missions in these countries will help expand India's diplomatic footprint, deepen political relations, enable growth of bilateral trade, investment and economic engagements, facilitate stronger people-to-people contacts, bolster political outreach in multilateral fora and help garner support for India's foreign policy objectives.
• Indian mission in these countries will also better assist the Indian community and protect their interests.
• The objective of India's foreign policy is to build a conducive environment for India's growth and development through partnerships with friendly countries.
• There are presently Missions and Posts across the world which serve as conduits of our relations with partner countries.

Infrastructure Development
Industrial Corridor nodes at Krishnapatnam and Tumakuru under CBIC and Multi Modal Logistics Hub & Multi Modal Transport Hub (MMTH) at Greater Noida approved

Relevance in - Prelims ( about MMLH and MMTH and its benefits + about Industrial Corridor Programme and the location of newly approved infra projects) + Mains ( GS III Infrastructure development)
What's the NEWS

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved proposals of Department of Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT) for construction of various trunk infrastructure components for:

1. Krishnapatnam Industrial Area in Andhra Pradesh with an estimated cost of the project of Rs. 2,139.44 crore;
2. Tumakuru Industrial Area in Karnataka with an estimated cost of Rs. 1,701.81 crore;
3. Multi Modal Logistics Hub (MMLH) and Multi Modal Transport Hub (MMTH) at Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh with an estimated cost of Rs. 3,883.80 crore.

Industrial Corridor Programme

• The objective of Industrial Corridor Programme is the creation of greenfield industrial cities with sustainable, ‘plug n play', ICT enabled utilities to facilitate the manufacturing investments into the country by providing quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure to industries.
• The developed land parcels in these cities will be ready for immediate allotment for attracting investments into manufacturing and positioning India as a strong player in the Global Value Chain.
• These projects have been planned on the backbone of multi modal connectivity infrastructure.
• Krishnapatnam Industrial Area in Andhra Pradesh and Tumakuru Industrial Area in Karnataka under Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) have been approved to kick start the development in Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor Project.
• These greenfield industrial cities will be self-sustained with world-class infrastructure, road and rail connectivity for freight movement to and from ports and logistic hubs along with reliable power and quality social infrastructure.

Multi Modal Logistics Hub (MMLH) & Multi Modal Transport Hub (MMTH

• Multi Modal Logistics Hub (MMLH) & Multi Modal Transport Hub (MMTH) Projects at Greater Noida, U.P. are in close proximity to Eastern peripheral expressway, NH91, Noida- Greater Noida Expressway, Yamuna Expressway, Eastern & Western Dedicated Freight Corridors.
• Logistics Hub project will be developed as a world-class facility that will provide efficient storage/transitioning of goods to/from the Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFC) and offer a one-stop destination to freight companies and customers.
• The facility will not only provide standard container handling activities but also provide various value-added services to reduce logistics cost with improved efficiency of operations.
• Multi Modal Transport Hub (MMTH) project located near the already existing Indian Railways station of Boraki will act as a transport hub with provisioning of Rail, Road and MRTS accessibility for the passengers in a seamless manner.
• MMTH will have space for Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT), Local Bus Terminal (LBT), Metro, commercial, retail & hotel space and green open spaces.
• The project will provide world-class passenger movement facilities for the growing population of the catchment zone catering to upcoming developments in U.P. sub-region of the NCR and thus, decongest Delhi.

National Industrial Corridor Development Programme

• Govt. of India is developing various Industrial Corridor Projects as part of National Industrial Corridor programme which is aimed at development of futuristic industrial cities in India which can compete with the best manufacturing and investment destinations in the world.

11 Industrial Corridors Projects are being taken up for development with 30 Projects to be developed in 04 phases up to 2024-25:

1. Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC);
2. Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC);
3. Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC);
4. East Coast Industrial Corridor (ECIC) with Vizag Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC) as Phase 1;
5. Bengaluru Mumbai Industrial Corridor (BMIC);
6. Extension of CBIC to Kochi via Coimbatore;
7. Hyderabad Nagpur Industrial Corridor (HNIC);
8. Hyderabad Warangal Industrial Corridor (HWIC);
9. Hyderabad Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (HBIC);
10. Odisha Economic Corridor (OEC);
11. Delhi Nagpur Industrial Corridor (DNIC).

• While developing the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project, Western DFC has been considered as the transportation backbone while Eastern DFC has been considered as the backbone for Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC) project.
• For other industrial corridor projects like Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) and Bengaluru Mumbai Industrial Corridor (BMIC), NH-4 has been considered as the backbone.
• For East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC), NH-5 which is part of the Golden Quadrilateral, the Kolkata-Chennai rail route has been considered as the transport backbone.
• The proposed North-South East-West and East Coast Dedicated Freight Corridors will further supplement the existing transportation backbone for the corresponding Industrial Corridors.

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