Empowering India-Nepal Ties Through Hydropower
Context The National Hydro Electric Power Corporation of India (NHPC) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Investment Board Nepal (IBN) to develop 750 MW West Seti and 450 MW Seti River (SR6) hydroelectric projects in western Nepal (a total of 1,200 MW). The projects were awarded to India nearly four years after […]
India and UNSC
Context: Recently, External Affairs Minister said there is greater support for India to be a permanent member of the UN Security Council and also a broad global consensus over the need to reform the Council. Relevance: GS-III: Environment and Ecology, GS-II: International Relations Dimensions of the Article: United Nations Security Council Membership Functions and Powers […]
Asian Palm Oil Alliance (APOA)
Context: Edible oil trade associations from five palm oil importing countries in South Asia – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal – announced the setting up of Asian Palm Oil Alliance (APOA). Relevance: GS II: International Relations Dimensions of the Article: What is Palm oil? How important is palm oil to global supply chains? […]
About Quad Grouping
Context: Foreign Ministers of the Quad (India, the U.S., Australia, and Japan) met on the fringes of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to sign a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) partnership into effect. Under the HADR, the member countries will coordinate their disaster response operations in the Indo-Pacific region with other National and International agencies, private non-governmental […]
Putin Mobilization on Ukraine Issue
Context Almost seven months after the conflict in Ukraine began, Russia’s President announced a partial military mobilisation and increased the nuclear threat. Separately, four Russia-backed breakaway regions in Ukraine are holding referendums on joining Russia (Donetsk and Luhansk in the east, and Kherson and Zaporizhzhya in the south). These decisions followed Russia’s first major battlefield […]
Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan Conflict
Context: Nearly 100 people have been killed and scores injured in violent border clashes between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan over the last week. A ceasefire was brokered by Russia. Relevance: GS II: International Relations Dimensions of the Article: About Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan conflict What is happening now at the border? What led to the current flare-up? Significance of […]
Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD)
Focus: GS II: International relations Why in News? AIBD unanimously extends India’s Presidency for one more year About AIBD – The Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD), established in 1977 under the auspices of UNESCO, is a unique regional inter-governmental organisation servicing countries of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) in the field of electronic media […]
Eastern Economic Forum
Context: Recently, Russia hosted the seventh Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) Vladivostok. The four-day forum is a platform for entrepreneurs to expand their businesses into Russia’s Far East (RFE). Relevance: GS II: International Relations Dimensions of the Article: What is the Eastern Economic Forum? Who are the major actors in the Forum? What does the EEF […]
Azerbaijan-Armenia Border Clashes
Context: Dozens of Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers have reportedly been killed in renewed border clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan, in the worst round of hostilities since 2020. After several hours of fighting, the Armenian government appealed to world leaders for help, saying that Azerbaijani forces were trying to advance into its territory. The conflict is […]
India to Host G20 Summit in 2023
Context: Recently, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that India is hosting the G-20 (Group of 20) leaders’ summit in New Delhi next year 2023. The 17th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit will happen in November 2022 in Indonesia, after which India will assume the presidency of G20 from December 2022. Relevance: GS II: […]