In News Recently, US troops have departed from the Bagram Air Base, which coordinated the 20-year-long war in Afghanistan, effectively ending their military operations in the country. Bagram Air Base It lies around 40km north of Kabul and is named after a nearby village. It was built by the US for its Afghan ally during […]
In News In June 2021, INSTC’s western corridor was operationalized to connect India with Europe for the first time. About INSTC The INSTC is a 7,200 km-long multimodal transportation network encompassing sea, road, and rail routes to offer the shortest route of connectivity. It was established on 12th September 2000 in St. Petersburg, by […]
In News Recently, the 60th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty was celebrated on 23 June 2021. Background Negotiated during the middle of the Cold War by 12 countries with Antarctic interests, it remains the only example of a single treaty that governs a whole continent. Principal provisions include: Promoting the freedom of scientific […]
In News Recently, India has called for an open and inclusive order in the Indo-Pacific based upon respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations while addressing the 8th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM+) Plus. About ADMM Plus It is an annual meeting of Defence Ministers of 10 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries […]
In News Recently, the BRICS Foreign Ministers put out a joint statement on multilateralism at a virtual meeting. About China’s Foreign Ministry said the idea behind the statement was to forge a common understanding among the BRICS countries when there were “so many different interpretations and definitions of multilateralism in the world”. China has hit […]
In News Recently, India and Sweden have held a defence industry webinar. Key Highlights A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers and the Swedish Security and Defence Industry Association to promote bilateral defence industrial relations. The Defence Minister of India has invited a high-level delegation from Sweden to […]
In News Recently, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has briefed the United Nations (UN) Security Council about the usage of chemical weapons (CWs) by Syria. Background Syria was pressed to join the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), 1997 in September 2013 by its close ally Russia after a deadly CWs attack […]
In News Recently, the frequent engagement on agriculture between India and Australia has been acknowledged in a virtual meeting held between the Agricultural Ministers of both the countries. Major Highlights The collaboration in agriculture is a part of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership announced by both nations in their Virtual Summit of June 2020. The India-Australia […]
In News Recently, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has urged everyone to abstain from Tobacco, on the occasion of the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD). About World No Tobacco Day Every year, the World Health Organization (WHO) and global partners celebrate the WNTD on 31st May. Theme for 2021: Commit to Quit. The […]
In News The United Kingdom (UK) starts preparations for trade negotiations with India. Key Points Removal of barriers: The UK started the preparations for the trade deal, under which Britain wants the removal of barriers to doing business and trading with India, including the removal of tariffs of up to 150% on whisky and 125% […]