UNSC Condemns Pulwama Attack

United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has condemned the suicide bombing in Pulwama, Jammu & Kashmir, in which over 40 Indian paramilitary forces personnel martyred.

• UNSC has urged all States to cooperate actively with the Government of India and all other relevant authorities in this regard.
• The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the Indian people and the Government of India, and wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured.
• Pakistan-based terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) has claimed responsibility for the attack.
• The attack has received global condemnation from a number of countries including the United States, Russia, France.
  • New Zealand parliament has passed a resolution condemning the attack.

Significance of Condemnation

• The condemnation of the attack by UNSC is a diplomatic win for India and can be seen as a part of India’s efforts to isolate Pakistan at International level.
• There may also be a shift in China’s stand against Jaish-e-Mohammad Chief Masood Azhar as the statement by UNSC names JeM as the perpetrator of the attack.
• Though JeM has been under sanction by UNSC since 2010. China has continuously vetoed resolution listing JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar as a “global terrorist” at the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 sanctions committee for the last 10 years.

UNSC Resolution 1267 Sanctions Committee

• This committee oversees the implementation of sanctions pursuant to UNSC resolutions 1267, 1989 and 2253.
• It is one of the most important and active UN subsidiary bodies working on efforts to combat terrorism, particularly in relation to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
• It discusses UN efforts to limit the movement of terrorists, especially those related to travel bans, the freezing of assets and arms embargoes for terrorism.
• India has made at least three attempts in the last decade — in 2009, 2016 and 2017 — to list JeM chief as “global terrorist”. All attempts have been blocked by China at Pakistan’s behest.

Why China Blocks UNSC Resolution 1267 against Azhar?

• Official line by China for blocking the proposal is that it wants to “uphold the authority and validity of the 1267 Committee”. China also insists that there isn’t enough evidence to designate him a “global terrorist”.
• But the real reasons are far from the official stand and includes
  • protecting its “all weather” ally Pakistan.
    • Good relations with Pakistan and international protection for terrorist proxies like JeM provide China with insurance against terrorist attacks on CPEC infrastructure and the thousands of Chinese working on them.
  • business interests in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
    • Chinese firms have invested close to $40 billion in around 45 CPEC projects. China is determined to protect this gigantic investment of money, personnel and time.
  • making things difficult for its Asian rival India.

India-Asean Expo and Summit

Recently the Minister of Commerce & Industry inaugurated the 4^th India-ASEAN Expo and Summit 2019 in New Delhi.

• It is organised by the Department of Commerce in collaboration with industry body Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).

• The Summit is a platform for the policy makers, industry captains and business leaders to come together and forge a common vision for India and ASEAN’s mutual growth and progress.
• The exposition will showcase the best initiatives of the business and industry from India and ASEAN countries across various sectors of mutual cooperation such as Infrastructure, Manufacturing, Manufacturing & Engineering, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), healthcare, etc.
• The Summit is a testimony of India’s dedicated efforts towards Act East policy.

India and ASEAN

• India-ASEAN trade and investment relations have been growing steadily, with ASEAN being the second largest trading partner of India,after China,with a total bilateral merchandise trade of USD 81.33 billion, i.e. 10.58% in India’s overall trade.
• India and ASEAN represent fast moving economies.
  • According to the recently published United Nations’ World Economic Situation and Prospects Report 2019, India and ASEAN are set to outpace the global growth (3.0 % in 2019).
• India continues to be the fastest growing major economy and is expected to grow at 7.2% in 2019 and ASEAN at 5.2%.
• This is a manifestation of the new emerging world economic order, wherein India and ASEAN have a significant place.
• India currently is working with ASEAN on multiple connectivity projects, through land, water, and air. E.g.:
  • India-Myanmar-Thailand Highway, Kaladan Multinational Transit Transport Project,
  • Project Development Fund for CLMV countries ( Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam).
• ASEAN remains central to the economic integration of the Indo-Pacific region through Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Challenges

• Both sides need to explore opportunities through connectivity projects in order to remove physical impediments to trade and further integrate the two regions for better economic and trade relations.
• Increasing the rate of technology adoption and providing financing mechanisms is another challenge to expand growth.

Forest Dwellers Face Eviction

The Supreme Court has ordered the forced eviction of more than 1,000,000 tribal and other forest-dwelling households from forestlands across 16 states after their claim as forest dwellers have been rejected under the Forest Rights Act of 2006.

• A three-judge Bench of Supreme Court has ordered the Chief Secretaries of many of these States to evict those whose claims as forest dwellers have been finally rejected under the law.

Background

• Forest Rights Act, passed in 2006, requires the government to give back rights over traditional forestlands to tribals and other forest-dwellers.
• Tribals and other forest-dwellers are permitted to lay claims before authorities through a laid down process in the Act.
• These authorities, based on criteria set in the law and regulations, are required to either approve or reject the claims with several layers of appeals being available to claimants.
• The court’s orders came while hearing a case filed by wildlife groups and retired forest officers in 2009 raising a legal challenge on the constitutional validity of the law.
• The petition, besides challenging the constitutional validity of the law, also demanded that those whose claims had been rejected be evicted as ‘encroachers’.
• Hearing the case, back in March 2018 the Supreme Court had asked states to report on the status of eviction of those claimants whose claims have been rejected and the total extent of the areas from which they have been evicted.

Concerns

• Several activists have pointed to the inaction from the forest department officials in granting forest rights to these tribal and forest dwellers, issuing land rights documents and other identity cards. For example,
  • According to activists the tribal settlements in the Eastern Ghats have not been granted forest rights patta due to the apathy from forest department officials and hence face the risk of eviction.
• Tribals and other forest-dwellers have been living in the forest area for centuries. Their livelihood depends on non-timber forest products they harvest, such as food. Hence, the forest department must ensure that they get community rights documents.

Important Facts for Prelims (22nd February 2019)

Digital India Awards

• The National Informatics Centre (NIC) to organize the fifth edition of Digital India Awards on February 22, 2019.
• The Digital India Awards recognizes the digital presence and e-Governance efforts of various Government institutions across the country.
  • Central Government Ministries/ Departments/ Offices/ Institutions, State Government Departments/ Offices/ Institutions, District Administrations and Indian Missions Abroad are eligible to apply for the Digital India Awards.
• The awards instituted in 2009 are one of a kind in India for honoring the efforts of different Government entities in the digital realm.
• Since its inception the Digital India Awards have seen four editions, beginning from 2010, and biennially being conferred in 2012, 2014, & 2016.

BharatNet

• Recently the Digital Communications Commission (DCC), the inter-ministerial panel of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has given in-principle nod for monetisation of fibre assets of BharatNet.
• These assets will be offered to the private telcos through auction, lease for 20 years or by outright sale.
• This comes against the backdrop of concerns over poor utilization of digital infrastructure that has been created across more than 100,000 gram panchayats in the country.
• Earlier, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) had also urged the government to sell off these fibre assets to private players.
• BharatNet is a flagship mission to connect 250,000 gram panchayats with broadband being implemented by Bharat Broadband Network Ltd (BBNL), a special purpose vehicle set up under DoT in February 2012.
• National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) which was launched in October, 2011 was renamed as Bharat Net Project in 2015.