3. NATIONAL ISSUES December 2017.

This port is a new strategic route connecting Iran,

BRICS SUMMIT 2018
The 10th BRICS Summit 2018 (25-27 July 2018) was
held in Johannesburg, South Africa and the theme was:
BRICS in Africa: Collaboration for Inclusive Growth
and Shared Prosperity in the 4th Industrial
Revolution.
The new areas of BRICS cooperation as proposed by
South Africa are as follows:
1. Establishment of a Working Group on
Peacekeeping
India and Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan.
Note: Location of Chabahar port
It is located on the Makran coast of Sistan
and Baluchistan Province.
It is near Gulf of Oman and at the mouth of
Strait of Hormuz and is the only Iranian port
with direct access to Indian Ocean.
It is called as the Golden Gate to land-locked
Afghanistan and the Central Asian countries.

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2. Establishment of a Vaccine Research Centre
for Collaboration with BRICS vaccine innovation and Benefits of Chabahar deal:
development partners: It will be a physical research

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centre focused on research and development and India can bypass Pakistan in transporting goods to
vaccine innovation. Afghanistan due to Chabahar port.
It will boost India's access to Iran, which is the important

3. Establishment of a BRICS Gender and
Women's Forum: It will be a dedicated track for
gender and women's issues, given the economic
benefit to be derived from the socio-economic
empowerment of women, especially in developing
countries.
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4. Leveraging the Strategy for BRICS Economic
Partnership towards the pursuit of Inclusive
Growth and Advancing the 4th Industrial
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gateway to the International North-South Transport
Corridor that has sea, rail and road routes between
India, Russia, Iran, Europe and Central Asia.
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It will be beneficial to India in countering Chinese
presence in the Arabian Sea which China is trying to
ensure by helping Pakistan develop the Gwadar port.
Gwadar port is less than 400 km from Chabahar by
road and 100 km by sea.

Revolution: It will address opportunities provided

by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as a means of Iran also becomes a military ally to India because
advancing development stages, bridging the digital Chabahar port being developed and operated by India.
divide This port will provide a significant boost in the import of
5. Establish a BRICS Tourism Track of iron ore, sugar and rice to India.
Cooperation The functioning of this port will also decrease the import
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cost of oil to India.

Note: BRICS is the acronym coined by British
Economist and chairman of Goldman Sachs Jim It will ensure in the establishment of a politically
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O'Neill. sustainable connectivity between India and Afghanistan.

Thus, it will lead to better economic ties between the
It is an association of five major emerging economies
two countries.
of the world namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and
South Africa. It could be used as a point from where humanitarian
operations could be coordinated from a diplomatic
Earlier Brazil, Russia, India and China were there in the
perspective.
grouping and South Africa joined it in 2010.
The first formal BRIC summit was held in 2009 at
Yekaterinburg, Russia and 2019 summit will be held
in Brazil.

CHABAHAR DEAL
An important pact has been signed between India and
Iran which provides operational control of a part of
the strategically located Chabahar port on the Gulf
of Oman to New Delhi for 18 months.
The first phase of the Chabahar port was inaugurated in
India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) Trilateral
Highway
It is a trilateral Highway that starts from Moreh
(Manipur) to Mae Sot (Thailand) via Myanmar.
It is 1,000 km in length and will facilitate easy movement
of goods and people among the three countries.
Benefits:
Greater flows of trade and investment will take place
along the route, stimulating the movement of goods and
people, Jobs creation, tourism promotion and raising the
livelihoods of the peoples in the region.
Significance for India
 It will assist in improving connectivity between India's
remote Northeastern part and Southeast Asia
(Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam).
 It will also give easy access to the Northeastern
states to the sea (via Myanmar).
Note: An agreement was signed by the National
Highways Authority of India with a joint-venture
(JV) between Punj Lloyd and Varaha Infra to
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upgrade the Yagyi-Kalewa section of the India-
Myanmar Friendship Road in Myanmar, which is
a part of the highway.
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It is the first international project agreement of
NHAI and has been funded by Ministry of External
Affairs.
ASSUMPTION ISLAND
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The island country Seychelles has cancelled the
agreement with India for the development of Assumption
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Island due to growing political opposition over a
perceived loss of sovereignty.
The deal was to include a 20-year access to the base, as
well as permission to station some military personnel on
ground with facilities on the island funded by India, owned
by the Seychelles and jointly managed by both sides.
It also comes amid India's differences with another Indian
Ocean Region country, Maldives.
Note: In Maldives, the government has
demanded to withdraw two Indian helicopters,
pilots and personnel from its islands. These
helicopter and personnel were sent there to help
with maritime patrols.
Note: SAGAR Programme stands for Security
and Growth for All in the Region.
It is a maritime programme that gives priority to Indian
Ocean region with the objective to provide peace,
stability and prosperity of India in Indian Ocean
region.
It also creates an atmosphere of trust and transparency.
It also maintains respect for international maritime rules
and norms by all countries.
It also states that sensitivity to each other`s interests
should be maintained.
It also advocates for peaceful resolution of maritime issues
and increase in maritime cooperation.
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INDIA-UNITED STATES 2+2 DIALOGUE
It is a foreign policy concept which establishes a
dialogue mechanism between two important
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ministries of India and U.S.
The first 2+2 dialogue between India and US was held
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in Sept 2018 between the ministers of defence and
external affairs of both countries.
The Indian side comprised of Nirmala Sitharaman and
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Sushma Swaraj where as Jim Mattis (Defence Secretary)
and Mike Pompeo (Secretary of State) were from the
United States.
It was held with the main objective to discuss the
strategic, defence, economic, trade and security interests
of two countries.
It has replaced the former India-U.S. Strategic and
Commercial Dialogue.
Significance:
1. Boosting strategic coordination between the two
countries on security and geopolitical issues.
2. Maintaining peace and stability in Indo-Pacific region.
Key components:
(a) Trade issues, (b) Defence agreements, (c) Cooperation
on fighting terrorism, (d) Advancing a free, open, and
inclusive Indo-Pacific region, (e) Promoting sustainable
"debt-financing" in the region.
Note: Japan is the first country that has
established 'two plus two dialogue' with various
countries like US, France, Russia, India and
Australia.
India entered into the 2+2 dialogue with Japan annually
in 2010.
KALADAN PROJECT
It is a joint project of India and Myanmar and will connect
Sittwe Port (Myanmar) to the India-Myanmar border.
The distance between Kolkata and Sittwe (Capital of
Rakhine State which was in news of Rohingya Muslims
plight) will be reduced by 1328 km.
Its main objective is to build a multi-modal platform for
cargo shipments from the eastern ports of India to
Myanmar.
It will also enable cargo shipments to the North-eastern
parts of the country through Myanmar.
It will also open up new sea routes and promote socio-
economic development in the North-eastern states.
It will also improve the economic, commercial and
strategic relations between India and Myanmar.
The transport of goods through the narrow and difficult
Siliguri corridor (Chicken's Neck) will become less by
the completion of this project.
Note: Sittwe is located at the mouth of the
Kaladan river, which flows into Mizoram in north-
eastern India.
UNITED STATES SANCTIONS WAIVER GIVEN
TO INDIA
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U.S. sanctions against Iran will apply on November 5.
But, eight countries will be given exemptions including
India.
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Iran is the third largest source of oil to India after Iraq
and Saudi Arabia has been given waiver. Now, it can buy
oil from Iran to meet its energy security needs.
KARTARPUR SAHIB PILGRIM CORRIDOR
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The Union Government has approved the building and
development of the Kartarpur corridor from Dera Baba
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Nanak in Gurdaspur district to the international border.
It will be an integrated development project funded by
Government of India with all the modern amenities.
Its main is to facilitate pilgrims from India to visit
Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur throughout the year.
It is located on banks of Ravi River (120 km from Lahore
Pakistan).
Note: In this Gurdwara, Shri Guru Nanak Devji
spent his last eighteen years until his death in
1539. Pilgrims would then be able to visit the
holy shrine.
KATHMANDU DECLARATION
It is the 4th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral
Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit,
which was held in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Major issues discussed are as follows:
A. Terrorism
B. Connectivity
C. Energy
Note: A Memorandum of Understanding was
signed to establish the BIMSTEC Grid
Interconnection for optimisation of using energy
resources in the region and will also facilitate
promotion of efficient and secure operation of
power system.
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The members of BIMSTEC are India, Bangladesh, Sri
Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal (All South Asian Nations)
Thailand, Myanmar (South East Asian Nations).
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The main objective of BIMSTEC is: Technological and
economic cooperation among South Asian and Southeast
Asian countries along the coast of the Bay of Bengal in
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9 major sectors namely: agriculture, public health, poverty
alleviation, counter-terrorism, environment, culture,
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people to people contact and climate change.
H-1B VISA ISSUE
Many US legislators are of the opinion that H1B visa
regime is taking away job opportunities from the
Americans.
President Donald Trump also has a very conservative
view on the H-1B worker visa programmes.
The United States may consider new regulations with
the objective to prevent the extension of H-1B
visas, mainly used by Indian IT firms.
It will be part of President Donald Trump's "Buy
American, Hire American" initiative.
Salient features of the proposal:
1. It intends to end the practice of granting extensions
to H-1B visa holders whose applications for Green
Card (permanent residency) had been accepted by
the administration.
2. It will also redefine high-speciality professionals for
the purpose of H-1B visas.
3. Thus, it encourages companies to recruit American
workers (protect local jobs in US) and boost
manufacturing in Unites States.
Effects on India:
1. It will make it difficult for Indian IT firms to grow
their US business.
2. A huge number of (500,000 to 750,000) Indian H-
1B visa holders could be sent home (India), if the
administration decides to go ahead with this
proposal.
3. It could lead to large-scale deportations (mainly
Indians), that will put large number of families into
crisis.
The main objective is to create a sort of 'self-
deportation' of hundreds of thousands of Indian tech
workers in the United States to create those jobs
for Americans.
3. It will force Indian IT companies increase hiring of
locals at the expense of Indians. It means there will
be lesser job opportunities for Indian IT
professionals especially on offshore locations.
4. It will also raise operating costs and lower their
forex earnings.
5. This proposal will adversely affect the services
exports for the current account deficit, exchange
rate and economic growth, because surplus in
services exports funds the deficit in merchandise
trade of India.
6. It will also create slowdown in recruitment by IT
companies or lower salary growth. This will hit
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consumption demand across sectors because the
employment in IT industry supports a large market
for everything from housing to automobiles.
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Note: H-1B visa:
It is an employment-based, non-immigrant visa
category for temporary workers given by the
United States.
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Generally, a citizen of a foreign country who
wishes to enter the United States must first
obtain a visa, either a nonimmigrant visa for
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temporary stay, or an immigrant visa for
permanent residence.
Temporary worker visas are for persons who want
to enter the US for employment lasting a fixed
period of time, and are not considered permanent
or indefinite.
The US H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that
allows US companies to employ graduate level
workers in specialty occupations that require
theoretical or technical expertise in specialized
fields for a certain period of time.
The United States grants 85,000 non-immigrant
H-1B visa every year-65,000 to foreigners (70%
of these visas go to Indians) hired abroad and
20,000 to foreigners enrolled in advanced degree
courses in US schools and colleges.
Current Status:
1. The above proposal created uncertainty and panic
among the Indian-American community that
constitutes the majority of the H-1B beneficiaries
2. Industry bodies, immigrant associations, Indian
Embassy and even some U.S. lawmakers too
protested and sought clarification from the
administration.
3. Hence, in a subsequent announcement to assuage
anxieties, US government clarified that it has no
intention to curtail the H-1B extensions.
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AUSTRALIA GROUP
It is multilateral export control regime (MECR) and
informal group and was established in 1985.
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It main objective is to counter spread of materials,
equipment and technologies that could contribute
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to development or acquisition of chemical and
biological weapons (CBW) by states or terrorist
groups through harmonization of export controls.
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Coordination among participant countries of Australia
Group helps them to fulfil their obligations under
Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological and
Toxin Weapons Convention to the fullest extent possible.
Members:
It has now 43 members. It is important to note that
China, Pakistan, Iran, North Korea are not its members.
India was admitted as the 43rd member of the
Australia Group.
India is the first South Asian nation to become its full-
time member of Australia Group.
Benefits to India from Australia Group:
a. The inclusion will help to raise India's stature in the
field of non-proliferation, though it is not signatory
to Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and help in
acquiring critical technologies.
b. It is also expected to strengthen India's bid to enter
48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
c. India's entry into three of four export control
regimes burnishes its credentials i.e. a reference to
country's position that it has scrupulously adhered
to rules governing non-proliferation of sensitive
technologies and equipment.
d. India is now part of three of the four key export
control groups in world dealing with non-
proliferation (after becoming the member of
Australia Group).
 Note: The other two groups to which India is a
member are described below:
1. Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR):
India had joined MTCR in June 2016.
Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) is an
informal and voluntary partnership among 35
countries that regulates trade in sensitive equipment
and technologies to ensure there is no proliferation
of missile and unmanned aerial vehicle technology
capable of carrying payloads above 500kg for more
than 300km.
2. Wassenaar Arrangement:
India had joined Wassenaar Arrangement, which is
also an informal grouping of 42 countries, exercising
control over the export of dual-use goods and
technologies in December 2017.
Note: The only export control group that India
is not a part of is the elite Nuclear Suppliers
Group (NSG). NSG controls the export of
sensitive nuclear technologies and equipment,
with the objectives to prevent nuclear weapons'
proliferation.
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Delhi Declaration
The ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit was held
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in New Delhi to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the
establishment of sectoral dialogue between two
sides under the theme of "Shared Values, Common
Destiny".
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Salient Features:
The leaders decided to increase commitment and
"promote comprehensive approach to combat terrorism"
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through disruption of militant activities.
ASEAN and India also decided to increase cooperation
in combating other transnational crimes such as human
trafficking, illicit drug trafficking, cyber-crime and piracy.
Both the sides agreed to ensure compliance with United
Nations Security Council resolutions on counter-
terrorism
They also decided to note the efforts made towards the
formation of the Comprehensive Convention on
International Terrorism.
They also agreed to strengthen ASEAN-India economic
relations by effectively implementing the ASEAN-India
Free Trade Area
They also decided to intensify efforts towards creating a
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
in the region.
They also agreed to cooperate for the conservation of
marine resources, in the aviation and maritime transport
sectors, promote growth of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises, deepen relations in science and technological
exchange, implement an ASEAN-India Space Cooperation
Programme, and encourage private sector investment.
They also stressed upon the early completion of the
India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway Project. Also
it was agreed to extend this highway to Cambodia, Laos
and Vietnam.
Note: The Association of Southeast Asian
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Nations (ASEAN) is regional intergovernmental
organisation comprising ten Southeast Asian
countries.
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It was established on August 8, 1967 through ASEAN
declaration (also known as Bangkok Declaration). Its
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secretariat is located in Jakarta, Indonesia.
10-member countries are: Brunei, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines,
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Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Its main aim is to promote intergovernmental
cooperation and facilitate economic, political,
security, military, educational and socio-cultural
integration amongst its members and other Asian
countries.
VAJRA PRAHAR
It is a joint training exercise of the Special Forces of
India and US.
It conducted alternately in India and the US.
The 2018 edition of this exercise took place at Bikaner
in Rajasthan.
Its main aim is to enhance interoperability and mutual
exchange of tactics between Special Forces of the two
countries.
Under this exercise, best practices between the two
armies are shared.
Joint strategies are developed by sharing expertise of
conducting operations in a counter-insurgency and
counter-terrorism environment with the help of rich
repository of experiences of each other armies.
KAZIND
It is a Joint Army Exercise between India and Kazakhstan
with the main aim to build and promote bilateral Army
relations and exchange skills and experiences.
The 3rd edition will be held in Otar region, Kazakhstan,
and 2nd Edition (2017) was conducted in India.
Note: Prabal Dostyk is another joint military exercise
between India and Kazakhstan.
SAMUDRA SHAKTI
It is a naval exercise between Indian Navy and Indonesian
Navy.
Its main aim is to enhance bilateral relations, strengthen
maritime co-operation, improve interoperability and
exchange best practices among the two navies.
It promotes India's friendship with Indonesia to ensure
good order in maritime domain.
INDRA 2018
It is a joint military exercise between Indian and Russia.
Its main aim is to combat insurgency under the aegis of
United Nations (UN).
2018 edition was conducted at Babina Field Firing Ranges,
Babina Military Station.
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The armies of both nations also practice joint planning
and conduct to improve interoperability of the two
Armies in the peace keeping/enforcement environment.
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The main focus is to train on enhancing team building,
special tactical level operations (Cordon and Search,
house intervention, handling and neutralisation of
Improvised Explosive Devices) & integrated employment
of force multipliers.
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Dharma Guardian
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It is a joint military exercise between India and Japan and
the first edition will be held in Mizoram.
It will develop mutual understanding and respect between
militaries of both countries.
It will also assist to track global issue of terrorism.
IBSAMAR
It is a naval exercise between the navies of India, Brazil
and South Africa and was first held in 2008.
Its main objectives are:
a. To provide collective training for participating navies,
b. Building interoperability and
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c. Mutual understanding and sharing of best practices.
The latest (sixth) edition of IBSAMAR was held at Simons
Town, South Africa.
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Operation Samudra Maitri
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It is a large scale humanitarian operation launched by
India to assist earthquake and tsunami victims in
Indonesia.
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Under this operation, India has dispatched two aircraft
C-130J and C-17 and three naval ships carrying relief
material and personnel to Indonesia.
JIMEX
It is a joint Maritime Exercise between India and Japan
and was started in January 2012 with main aim on
Maritime Security Cooperation.
The 3rd edition of Japan-India Maritime Exercise (JIMEX-
18) was held at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh with
the objective to improve interoperability, understanding
and inculcate best practices between navies of two
countries.