Book by BestCurrentAffairs.com for IAS Prelims 2020
INDIA AND THE WORLD
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[For IAS Prelims 2020]
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India’s policy of ‘Neighbourhood First’ continued to be accorded the highest Priority. In Nepal, the Arun III hydro-electric project and the Nepal India Ramayana Circuit were launched in May during Prime Minister’s state visit. India has offered three lines of credit to Bangladesh totaling US$ 8 billion. In solidarity with Bangladesh’s efforts to provide succor to those displaced from North Rakhine State in Myanmar, India launched Operation Insaniyat and supplied three tranches of humanitarian aid. India is assisting Myanmar to create an environment conducive to the return of displaced persons through the Rakhine State Development Programme. The two countries have signed a Land Boundary Crossing Agreement whereby designated boundary points were opened up to the normal movement of visaholding travellers, including from third countries. The year witnessed several key developments in India Afghanistan ties, including, the delivery of wheat and pulses to Afghanistan from India, expansion of air freight corridor between the two countries, and commencement of work for several India-assisted socio-economic developmental projects in Afghanistan identified under the New Development Partnership announced in 2017. Prime Minister’s visit to Tokyo in 2018 for the 13th India-Japan Annual Summit further built upon the unprecedented transformation in the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan over the last nearly five years. In December, the India Ports Global Limited company assumed responsibilities for operations in Iran’s Chabahar port, which will provide sea land connectivity to Afghanistan and Central Asia. India announced that it would host the G20 Summit in 2022, the 75th year of India’s Independence. The General Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) was inaugurated in Delhi, along with the 2nd IORA Renewable Energy Ministerial Meeting and 2nd Global Re-invest Meet. The ISA is the first UNaffiliated inter-governmental organization to be headquartered in India. India launched Operation ‘Samudra Maitri’ for earthquake and tsunami assistance to Indonesia. The Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas celebrations at Varanasi in 2019 further strengthened the bonds between the Diaspora and their homeland. During Bangladesh Prime Minister’s visit to India (West Bengal) it was decided to open a Bangladesh Bhavan at Shantiniketan and to receive an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Kazi Nazrul Islam University. Governments of both sides have also expedited work to ensure the utilization of India’s three credit lines – which total almost US$ 8 billion; the highest allocation on credit lines as well as the best terms India has offered so far. External Affairs Minister visited Myanmar in 2018, signing five MoUs including the Land Boundary Crossing Agreement. Substantiantial progress was recorded in accelerating some of our legacy infrastructure projects, with the completion of construction of two elements out of three (port plus inland waterway) of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transport Project. India and Bhutan jointly celebrated in 2018 the Golden Jubilee of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations. India is the largest trade partner of Nepal and one of the largest investors. The closer developmental partnership between India and China reached a new milestone in 2018 with the first Informal Summit between Indian Prime Minister and Sino President held in 2018. India undertook a Short Refit of Maldivian Coast Guard Ship Huravee in 2018 at Vishakapatnam. The 14th edition of the Trilateral Joint Naval Exercise, “Dosti- 14” between India, Sri Lanka and Maldives was held in Maldives. The 3rd Joint Staff talks were held in Male. External Affairs Minister led a delegation to the 11th World Hindi Conference held in Mauritius in 2018. India gifted US$ 30 million worth Dornier aircraft to Seychelles for enhancing EEZ Surveillance. Under India’s Act East Policy (AEP) launched in 2014, India has been engaging robustly with countries in Southeast Asia region, Oceania, Northeast Asia and East Asia. ASEAN is at the core of AEP. After successfully hosting the India-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Commemorative Summit in January 2018, India continued with its calibrated efforts to pursue a dynamic and multidimensional relationship with ASEAN. Since its inception in 1973, the bilateral and diplomatic relations between India and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPPK) have been cordial and mutually beneficient. India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership continued making strides in 2018. India-Republic of Korea (ROK) bilateral relationship, elevated to the level of Special Strategic Partnership and gathered further momentum. India’s traditionally friendly and cordial relations with Mongolia have steadily improved over the years, following Prime Minister’s historic visit to Mongolia in May 2015 when bilateral relations were upgraded to Strategic Partnership.
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India played a pioneering role on climate change and global warming issues with the holding of the First General Assembly of the International Solar Alliance in 2018. This coincided with the launching of the two-year celebrations to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
India Year Book 2020 Synopsis
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