Prashant Mavani, is an expert in current affairs analysis and holds a MSc in Management from University of Surrey (U.K.). Above all he is a passionate teacher.

But what is determination?

Determination is a concentrated form of hope and will. It is something in which we are involved with our heart and soul.

To be continued……

• Quantitative easing has concluded in the world’s largest economy.

• It was a programme of liquidity infusion through the purchase of asset-backed and Treasury securities.

• The central bank would begin the normalisation of its balance sheet.• unwind the mammoth $4.5 trillion balance sheet

• It will continue at this level till such time the Committee concludes that the size of the central bank’s asset holdings is optimal for the effective conduct of monetary policy.

• The Fed “would be prepared to resume reinvestments” if the economic outlook were to deteriorate so significantly as to warrant “sizeable” interest rate cuts.

• Accommodative stance

• For Indian policymakers, there are both positive and not-so-welcome cues. • While the ongoing moderate expansion in the U.S. bodes well for the country’s struggling

exporters, the end of easy money conditions could augur a slowdown in investment inflows from abroad and resultant pressure on the current account deficit.

• The murder of Santanu Bhowmik, a television reporter, in Tripura.

• CPI(M) vs. BJP: Both are blaming each other.• Elections in Tripura due six months from now

• The IPFT has been escalating its agitation for a separate State.• Tripura has been tense this week with prohibitory orders under Section 144 in places

• Bhowmik, who was in his late-20s, was brutally attacked while in the line of duty covering clashes between the IPFT and the CPI(M)’s tribal wing, TRUGP.

• By some accounts, Bhowmik had incriminating footage of violence by activists of the IPFT.• First reports indicate that he did not die in the crossfire, he was targeted.

• Murder is a reminder: dangerous circumstances journalists report in.• targeted by extremist groups wanting to intimidate others in the public sphere from taking a

particular questioning line.• they are killed for knowing too much.

• There is a clear line that connects intimidatory tactics against a journalist and the health of a democracy.

• India’s Constitution does not specifically mention the freedom of the press, as do those of some countries, including the United States.

• World Press Freedom Index : India’s ranking falling to 136. It was 133 in 2016

• Afghanistan, counterterrorism and defence ties are expected to be the prime issues on the table during James Mattis’s visit to India next week.• The U.S. Defence Secretary’s trip will happen barely a month after President Donald

Trump announced the latest U.S. policy on Afghanistan on August 21.

1. pressure on Pakistana. for the first time that a U.S. President has been publicly so critical of Pakistan.

b. particularly in view of a shift in Pakistan’s strategic priority towards China.

2. no early U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan

3. robust military action on counterterrorism

4. a greater role for India.

• India-Afghanistan ties

• 1950, India signed a Treaty of Friendship with Afghanistan• not standing on protocol, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru signed this agreement with

the Afghan Ambassador in India to indicate the importance

• 2011, India was the first country Afghanistan signed a strategic partnership agreement with.

• India has always wanted a democratic, stable and strong Afghanistan able to decide its own future.• political, security, trade and economic cooperation as well as capacity development

• Afghan people ranked Indian assistance as the most suitable because of the positive role India played in the development programme of Afghanistan.• India is considered as non-threatening

• They also appreciate that India had never interfered in their internal affairs.

Asia is a

region of

energy and

resources

No outside interference

• The infrastructure of terrorism has to be dismantled.• all major terrorist groups operating in the area should be considered a single group.

• Simultaneously, it is also imperative to redouble counter-narcotics efforts as Afghanistan remains the world’s largest producer of opium accounting for 90% of the world’s supply. • Success in this field will have a positive effect on its neighbours.

• It also requires involvement of the Central Asian Republics, which border Afghanistan.

• It is important for India to coordinate its efforts with those of Russia and Iranto ensure success.

• The U.S. will benefit in helping this to happen.

• Neither India nor India-Pakistan relations were responsible for the situation which prevailed in Afghanistan

• September, Xiamen city of China not only hosted the BRICS Summit, but on its side lines, meeting between Mr Modi and Mr Xi.• This was the first after the Dong Lang (Doklam) stand-off.

• Both leaders agreed to start a new chapter.

“making one plus one eleven” “dragon and elephant

should dance together”.

• The meeting was originally scheduled for half an hour but lasted for an hour and 25 minutes.• This shows that both sides are willing to devote enough time to conducting a

comprehensive and in-depth exchange of views.

• President Xi said that Dangal’s success has increased the affinity of the Chinese to the people of India.

• PM Modi also highly praised the great success of Where Has the Time Gone, a film named after a speech by President Xi and which was co-produced by artists from the five BRICS member states.

Common aspirations1. Economic and trade cooperation are gaining momentum

a. trade volume = $70 billionb. China has been for many years the largest trading partner of Indiac. 500 Chinese companies have invested = $5 billiond. Indian enterprises of IT, pharmacy and consultancy in China

2. People-to-people exchanges are thrivinga. Mutual visits between our two countries have exceeded one millionb. Practising yoga, drinking Darjeeling black tea, and watching Bollywood movies have become

fashionable among the Chinese youth.c. We are also working to hold the Annual Indian Tourism Conference in Yunnan province.

3. Local exchanges are boominga. 14 pairs of sister cities and provincesb. Assam representatives at the Hangzhou International Tea Expoc. Kerala government introduce rubber dam from China

4. Both leaders have maintained close high-level communications.a. Home town diplomacyb. Both leaders have met more than a dozen times on bilateral and multilateral occasions.

• China’s economy is stable and our reform has entered a crucial stage. India is also accelerating its reform.• We should work towards a sound and healthy bilateral relationship by focussing on

cooperation, narrowing and resolving differences.

• Wang Yi said, both sides should make sure that China-India relations do not derail, confront, or go out of control, and make the Himalayan region a new highland for Asia’s development.

• Both sides should appropriately manage differences, get under control the problems left over by history, while finding solutions to new problems.

• Ms. Suu Kyi pointedly avoided the term Rohingya in her speech, calling the ethnic minority “Bengali Muslims” instead.

• Ms. Suu Kyi said her government does not fear “international scrutiny”• denying for several months visas to a three-member fact-finding mission named by the

UN Human Rights Council to investigate the violence

• Journalists are allowed into Rakhine state only on government-controlled trips.

• She has also failed to condemn the atrocities

• Alienating Myanmar would risk the country embracing China• China’s involvement in Myanmar is far deeper

• China opened its first liaison office in Naypyidaw

• From weapons to foodgrains and textiles, the list of Myanmar’s imports from China is long.

• China’s investments in Myanmar include a cross-border oil and gas pipeline, an alternative route for energy imports from West Asia that avoids the busy Malacca Strait.

Co-ops. Should help farmers double their income: PM Modi

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked cooperatives to venture into new business areas like beekeeping and seaweed farming to help farmers double their income by 2022 and boost the rural economy.

A co-operative society is a voluntary association started with the aim of service of its members.

For e.g. AMUL

Cooperative

Society

Outlets

Farmers or Milk

Producers

Veterinary Facilities

Government help

• He emphasized for keeping the cooperative spirit alive and strengthened.

• The Prime Minister was addressing Sahkar Sammelan in New Delhi to the mark birth centenary of Maharashtra-based cooperative leader Laxman Madhav Rao Inamdar.

• He said, there are several sectors in India where cooperative sector can grow and shine and make a positive difference.

• Mr Modi asked cooperatives to assess how farmers' income can be doubled by 2022 through their movement.

• Stating that farmers are facing many hardships, Mr. Modi emphasized the need to establish a system to ensure farmers buy at wholesale rates and sell at retail rates.

• Speaking on the occasion, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said, government has provided 29 thousand crore rupees to cooperatives.

• Green Revolution, White Revolution are successful examples.

• We have three options for rural people to thrive1. Education

2. Skill development

3. Cooperatives

• For a landless rural individual, cooperatives are source of income.

• Papad and masala making cooperatives are doing well in Tamil Nadu.• We have to find new areas such as skill development run by cooperatives

• Seaweeds: Seasons in which fishermen cannot venture into sea at that period seaweed can help earn livelihood. It is a raw material for pharmaceutical

India cannot risk security: Rajnath

• Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said, Rohingyas who came to Indiafrom Myanmar are illegal migrants and not refugees.

• Mr Singh was speaking at the seminar in New Delhi on Good governance,development and human rights, said, Rohinhgyas have not taken asylumand therefore, terming them refugee on ground of human rights is notjustifiable.

• Union Minister of Law and Justice and Information Technology Ravi ShankarPrasad has said that Rohingyas are problem purely between Myanmar andBangladesh.

• It has nothing to do with India.

• He said that Rohingyas who came from Myanmar to India are illegalimmigrants and they are involved in many such activities which are a threatto the security of our country.

FDI in textile industry tripled in 3 years: Smriti Irani

• Union Minister for Textiles and Information and Broadcasting Smriti Irani hassaid, textiles is not just an industry, it is a tradition and legacy that we presentto the world through the magic of handcrafts.

• Mrs Irani said this after inaugurating the 4-day international textile andapparel fair ‘VASTRA-2017’ in Jaipur today.

• She said, FDI in Textile has tripled since 2016-2017.

• "FDI in the textile sector has tripled in 2016-17 to a 619 million dollar mark, Isay these numbers just to encourage all those who come here in search of abusiness partnership, that is fruitful not only for them back home, but alsogives us an opportunity to ensure that our industry grows exponentially."

• Mrs Irani also said, due to the Mudra Yojna, the income of the weavers hasincreased by 50 to 60 percent.

• 3 category of loan under Mudra Yojana: 1) Sishu, 2) Kishor and 3) Tarun

Navy takes delivery of Scorpene submarine

• The state owned Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai delivered the first of six scorpene class submarines to the Indian Navy today.

• The submarine will be commissioned soon.

• A senior Navy official said, the development marks a major milestone in Indian Navy's submarine programme as the vessel is expected to bolster India's maritime prowess.

• The six submarines designed by French naval defence and energy company DCNS, will replace the Indian Navy's aging Sindhughosh and Shishumarclass of submarines.

MSP for Forest Produce

• Ministry of Tribal Affairs has decided to overhaul its ambitious scheme of providingfair price for the Minimum Forest Produce through Minimum Support Price.

• What is MSP? Ans: If say for e.g. govt. decides Rs 10/kg MSP on rice then it is guarantee that if the producers do not get Rs 10 in themarket then govt. will buy it at decided MSP.

• Managing Director of Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation ofIndia-TRIFED Pravir Krishna said, presently the MSP scheme is underimplementation in 9 states and the government wants to roll it out in 29 States.

• He said, currently the government is providing MSP at 24 forest produce includingMahua, Lac, Chironjee, Wild honey, Tamarind and Gums.

• He said, value addition of forest produce will be done so that the tribals can getbetter price of their produce.• For example, tamarind, for which the Minimum Support Price is likely to be Rs35/kg, will become Rs 120/kg if you remove

the seed.

• And, then it will be stored and auctioned by state agencies.

• So, this is a value chain from village right up to the market.

Rupee dips amid fiscal stimulus speculation

• The rupee weakened sharply against the dollar today, but the stock marketsclosed with only minor losses.• Based on our previous discussion on rise and fall of Indian Rupee

Provide some point/s (with example/s if possible) on theimpact of rise and fall of Indian Rupee on Import andExport business.Post your points in the comment section of this video.

Fall

Rise

Questions

1. What are the loan amounts available under Mudra Yojana?

a) Sishu_______ b) Kishor_______ c) Tarun______

2. How rise in FDI in handicraft will boost Make in India? Briefly discuss

3. Recently a term Sweet Revolution was seen in newspapers. It stands for?

4. Father of Green Revolution in the world?

5. Father of White Revolution in India?

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