Current Affairs – October, 2018

Gandhian Thought and Swachhata Seminar Organized in Wardha

The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has organised a seminar on Gandhian thoughts and Swachhta to make India a Swacch Bharat by 2019 -150 the birthday celebration of Mahatma Gandhi.

• It was being organized in the Wardha district of Maharastra with a focus on achievement of the objectives of sanitation and Gandhian thoughts via Swacch Bharat Mission.
• The topics for address in the seminar were appropriate technologies in rural sanitation, organic waste management, and preventive sanitation.
• Gandhi’s concept of Swachh evam Swawalambhi Sankul was the main focus of the seminar.
• The seminar ended with a visit to Sevagram Ashram to gain experience from Gandhiji’s life.

Key facts about Swacch Bharat Mission

It is a program launched by Indian prime minister to make India Swacchh by 2019 which is the 150^th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA) was launched on 2 October 2014 with two submissions, SBA (gramin) and SBA (urban). The mission is jointly managed Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) (for gramin) and the Ministry of Urban Development (for urban).

• The mission has components like Construction of Household Toilets, Community and Public Toilets, Solid Waste Management, Information, Education & Communication (IEC) and Public Awareness, Capacity Building and Administrative & Office Expenses (A&OE).
• The mission has well managed to reach great sanitation level in three years of launch.

It is a massive Jan Andolan (people’s movement) and the rural sanitation coverage having increased from 39%, at the launch of the SBM in 2014, to over 95% today.

13th India-Japan Annual Summit

The annual bilateral summit of India –Japan held on 28, 29 October 2018 in Japan. The Indian prime minister visited Japan to attend the summit. The partnership between the two countries has been transformed a lot and it has now become as a ‘special strategic and global partnership’.

Highlights

• Japan investors will invest around $2.5 US dollars in India.
• The two sides agreed for a 2+2 dialogue between our foreign ministers and defence ministers to further work towards world peace.
• An India-Japan Business Platform will be established to enhance the development of industrial corridors and industrial network in the region
• Both countries will cooperate for the first time in the areas of traditional medicinal systems such as Yoga and Ayurveda. This will facilitate a boost in the healthcare in both the countries.
• Both the countries have agreed to synchronize upon sharing benefits of the Ayushman Bharat scheme and the Japanese healthcare programme.
• There will be commencement of talks on a military logistics pact, the Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement, between the two nations that will ensure the access to each other’s military bases and naval bases.
• Japan will invest more significantly in the up gradation of infrastructure in the Northeast which will also link India to Southeast Asia.
• The two countries will work together to extend access to education, health and other amenities to the people of the Indo-Pacific, including Africa.
• Japan-India Investment Promotion Roadmap enhanced the contribution of Japan in India’s Make in India initiative with establishment of Business Support Centre in Ahmedabad.

India–Japan recent ties

Cooperation in Sri Lanka, in the development of LNG-related infrastructure and in  Africa, in the area of health service – developing a cancer hospital in Kenya

Cooperation in Myanmar, to facilitate development efforts in the Rakhine State Cooperation in Bangladesh, for improving connectivity on the Ramgarh to Baraiyarhat stretch and constructing the Jamuna Railway Bridge over the Januma River.  The Act East Forum established last year has served as a driving force to improve India-Japan cooperation in the North-East. The cooperation in the project for the construction of International Cooperation and Convention center in Varanasi.  India and Japan are cooperating to construct the Mumbai Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR).