CSE Current Affairs: March 2014

Rammohun Roy

Derozio (1809-1831)

Young Bengal Movement
More radical
taught at Hindu College from 1826 to 1831
inspiration from French Revolution
inspired his students to

think rationally and freely
to question all authority
liberty, equality and freedom
to worship truth

attacked old and decadent customs, traditions and rites
advocated women's rights and education
failed because

society was not yet ripe
lost contact with masses, farmers
radicalism was bookish

succeeded in

Rammohun's tradition of educating people in social, eco and political spheres through newspapers, pamphlets and public associations

carried out agitations on public issues such as

revision of company's charter
freedom of press
trial by jury
protection of ryot's from oppressive zamindars
better treatment of Indian labourers in British colonies
employment of Indians in higher grades of public services

Debendranath Tagore

1839 - Tatvabodhini Sabha to propagate Rammohun's ideas
1843 - Reorganized Brahmo Samaj

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

great champion of widow remarriage --> law was enacted
child marriage, women education
great humanist
sanskrit scholar
opened sanskrit education to all
wrote a Bengali primer
helped in evolution of modern prose style in Bengali

Bal Sastri Jambekar

attacked Brahminical orthodoxy
tried to reform Hinduism
1832 - weekly Darpan

Paramhans mandali in 1849

believed in one god
tried to break caste rules

Jotiba Phule

girls school in 1851
widow remarriage
Vishnu Shastri Pandit founded Widow remarriage Association
karsondas Mulji started the Satya Prakash in Gujarati to advocate widow remarriage

Lokhitwadi - Gopal Hari Deshmukh

advocated reorg. of Indian society on rational principles and modern humanistic and secular values like that of Jyotiba Phule

Dadabhai Naoroji

Reform in Zoroastrian religion
agitation for equal rights to women in inheritance and marriage

Indian Ocean Region (IOR)

Background

3rd largest ocean
encompasses the old world
emerging economies+resource rich region

Importance stems from below facts

major trade routes pass through - encompasses major civilizations and economies who are having trade relations with each other since olden times
connects china and other emerging economies to the oil sources of Arab
Half of world's container traffic
70% of world's oil trade
For long, the ocean is under foreign influence; After Ashoka and Chola, Britishers and then Americans. Now China has set her sight.
US policy of countering Chinese influence; Asia Pivot
Chinese aim of controlling and securing its trade routes - 40% of its oil and gas passes thru
India's immediate neighborhood (String of pearls theory)
Piracy attacks; US is now less interested in policing the ocean; US does not now mind leaving the policing to India. India navy has successfully tacked the pirates
>95% of India's trade (by volume) touches Indian ocean
resource base : minerals, energy,marine resources etc.
source of livelihood for coastal populace

All these have prompted India to take steps to make Indian Ocean as India's Ocean

Some earlier initiatives

After British pulled out in 1970s, India decided to build a 200-ship navy and also tried to engage the littoral countries. failed coz could not afford and other countries did not oblige.
US build military base in Diego Garcia

Indian Ocean Rim - Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC)

Formed in 1997
A grouping of 20 countries of IOR for

economic and trade coopeartion
coordinated stand on global issues (that affect the region in particular)
security and anti-piracy cooperation
cooperation in SnT, R&D etc.
Cultural exchanges etc.

have priority arear for cooperation in

Trade
Piracy
Disaster
SnT
Tourism/cultural
Fisheries

Recent developments

India has now turned its attention towards this region. The immediate and extended neighborhood is the current foreign policy focus for India.
India looks to become 'net security provider' in IOR and in the process attempts to wrest back some of the influence that China has made in IOR

On the focus on Indian Ocean region one Ministry official commented that, “If you don’t do it, someone would be there to do it. We are just making up for the lost time."

So, Indian response now -

island countries into security and political sphere as island countries

cover vast maritime territories

Seychelles

Mar 2015 Modi visit

signed 4 agreement in areas of

Hydrology
renewable energy
Infrastructure development
hydrographic survey

another agreement on infrastructure development in the Assumption island
Cooperation

first of the eight Coastal Surveillance Radar Systems (CSRS) being set up by India. India is helping Indian Ocean littorals as part of capacity and capability enhancement in strengthening their maritime domain awareness capabilities.
India will give a second Dornier maritime patrol aircraft to Seychelles
free visa-on-arrival for three months for its citizen

Key Connections

Key Issues

China has in the past considered Seychelles as a potential resupply port for navy ships taking part in anti-piracy operations off Africa.

Mauritius

Mar 2015 Modi visit

signed 5 agreement in areas of

developing ocean economy(or Blue economy)
security cooperation
India will build transport infrastructure (sea and air links) for the Agalega Islands.

Cooperation

India offered $500 million concessional line of credit for key infrastructure projects
CEPA is being negotiated (PTA was signed in 2006)
commissioning of a 1,300-tonne, Indian-built (#MakeInIndia) coastal patrol vessel, MCGS Barracuda
expertise and funding to help Mauritius move from its traditional economy of sugarcane crops and tourism

Key Connections

more than 68% of inhabitants are of Indian origin
Ganga talao - hindu shrine
Indira Gandhi popularly addressed Mauritius as 'Chhota Bharat'
Mauritius celebrates its National Day on March 12 as a mark of respect to Mahatma Gandhi, who began his Dandi march on this day
India built the first cyber city — and in building up Mauritius’s capacities as a financial services hub, as well as now a petroleum hub
India also helping Mauritius in the area of Healthcare services, infra and SnT among others

Key Issues

revision of Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-can-operate-in-south-china-sea-says-us-admiral/article6969966.ece

http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/node/1724

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/in-seychelles-modi-boosts-security-cooperation/article6982284.ece
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-and-mauritius-announce-security-cooperation-pact/article6983499.ece
http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/kishan-s-rana-a-new-beginning-in-the-indian-ocean-115030700660_1.html

Indian Ocean Maritime security group

Current members : India, SL, Maldives
Seychelles and Mauritius are expected to join

Functions

Sharing information
Anti-piracy
training
search and rescue
oil-spills

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/mr-modis-ocean-view/article7000182.ece
http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/budgetary-constraints-115031601228_1.html

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/china-silk-road-india-mausam-spice-route/article7073804.ece
http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/node/1750

Reference

1. IOR-ARC from Mrunal

CSE Current Affairs

Monday, March 24, 2014

Modern Indian History - Social and Cultural Reforms(1850-1900)

Religious Reform Movements

Modern Indian History - Social and Cultural Awakening(1800-1850)

Derozio (1809-1831)

Debendranath Tagore

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

Bal Sastri Jambekar

Paramhans mandali in 1849

Jotiba Phule

Lokhitwadi - Gopal Hari Deshmukh

Dadabhai Naoroji

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Indian Ocean Diplomacy

Functions

Biosphere Reserves in India

Concept

Indian Scenario