DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS
Dated : 5 May 2020
Topic Covered :
1. PM Modi Address to NAM
2. Disinfection tower by DRDO
3. India offers land twice Luxembourg’s size to firms leaving China
4. India protests Pakistan Supreme Court move to allow elections in Gilgit Baltistan.
PM MODI ADDRESS TO NAM
Why in news?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the Non Aligned Movement can help promote global solidarity and it must remain inclusive. He said the humanity is facing a major crisis in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic and NAM can contribute in dealing with it.
Highlights:
1. The world needs a new template of globalisation post COVID-19 based on fairness, equality and humanity.
2. He said, during this crisis India has shown how democracy, discipline and
decisiveness can come together to create a genuine people's movement.
3. He added that Indian civilization sees whole world as one family and while caring for its own citizens, New Delhi is also extending help to other countries.
4. Mr Modi said, India is regarded as pharmacy of the world especially for affordable medicines and despite own needs during COVID 19 pandemic, it has ensured supply of medicines to 123 partner countries including 59 NAM members.
5. He also said the county is active in global efforts to develop remedies and vaccines for COVID-19.
6. The Prime Minister said, even as the world is fighting COVID-19 crisis, some people are busy spreading other deadly viruses like terrorism, fake news, doctored videos to divide communities and countries.
Source : News on Air
DISINFECTION TOWER BY DRDO
Why in news?
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an ultraviolet (UV) disinfection tower for rapid and chemical-free disinfection of high infection-prone areas.
Highlights:
1. The equipment named UV Blaster is “useful for high-tech surfaces like electronic equipment, computers and other gadgets in laboratories and offices that are not suitable for disinfection with chemical methods.
2. The product is also effective for areas with a large flow of people such as airports, shopping malls, metros, hotels, factories and offices,” a DRDO statement said.
3. It was designed and developed by Laser Science & Technology Centre (LASTEC)
based in Delhi with the help of New Age Instruments and Materials Private Limited, Gurugram.
4. For a room of about 12 ft x12 ft dimension, the disinfection time is about 10 minutes.
Source : Hindustan Times
INDIA OFFERS LAND TWICE LUXEMBOURG’S SIZE TO FIRMS LEAVING CHINA
Why in news?
India is developing a land pool nearly double the size of Luxembourg to lure businesses moving out of China, according to people with the knowledge of the matter.
Highlights:
1. Land has been one of the biggest impediments for companies looking to invest in India.
2. A total area of 461,589 hectares has been identified across the country for the purpose, the people said, asking not to be identified because they aren’t authorized
to speak to the media.
3. That includes 115,131 hectares of existing industrial land in states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, they said. Luxembourg is spread across 243,000 hectares, according to the World Bank.
4. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration is working with state governments to change that as investors seek to reduce reliance on China as a manufacturing base in the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak and the resultant supply disruption.
5. At present, investors keen on setting up a factory in India need to acquire land on
their own. The process, in some cases, delays the project as it involves negotiating with small plot owners to part with their holding.
6. Providing land with power, water and road access may help attract new investments to an economy that was slowing even before the virus hit, and is now staring at a rare contraction as a nationwide lockdown hit consumption.
7. The government has hand-picked 10 sectors -- electrical, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, electronics, heavy engineering, solar equipment, food processing, chemicals and textiles -- as focus areas for promoting manufacturing.
8. It has asked embassies abroad to identify companies scouting for options. Invest India, the government’s investment agency, has received inquiries mainly from Japan, the U.S., South Korea and China, expressing interest in relocating to the Asia’s third-largest economy, the people said.
Source : Economic Times
INDIA PROTESTS PAKISTAN SUPREME COURT MOVE TO ALLOW ELECTIONS IN GILGIT BALTISTAN
Why in news?
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a “strong protest” on Monday over an order by the Pakistan Supreme Court allowing the Imran Khan government to hold elections in the region of Gilgit-Baltistan of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Highlights:
1. The government said it had issued a demarche to protest what it called Pakistan’s attempt to make “material changes” to the disputed area, by bringing federal authority to Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), which has functioned as a “provincial autonomous region” since 2009.
2. On April 30, a seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court in Islamabad, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed, had allowed the government to organise general elections in G-B, and to set up a caretaker government there before that.
3. “The Government of Pakistan or its judiciary has no locus standi on territories illegally and forcibly occupied by it. India completely rejects such actions and
continued attempts to bring material changes in Pakistan occupied areas of the Indian territory of Jammu & Kashmir. Instead, Pakistan should immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation,” the MEA spokesperson said in a statement.
4. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) responded to the demarche by referring to the government’s decision in August last year to amend Article 370 as
“illegal and in clear violation of UNSC resolutions”.
5. In its objections to the latest order, India also pointed out that G-B and PoK are an “integral part of India” along with the rest of Jammu and Kashmir, and referred to
the Parliament resolution to this effect in 1994.
Source : Hindu
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