Today in History (June 25^th, 1975)

The Emergency in India was a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977 when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had a state of emergency declared across the country. In this 21-month period, widespread arrests took place, the press was heavily censored and civil liberties were severely curtailed.

Let’s revise

A) It is the evaluation of inter-related socio-economic, cultural, and human-health impacts. It is a process through which an environmental impact of a proposed development is evaluated. Find the correct option.

1. EIA
2. NIA
3. CIA
4. MIA

Ans. (1)

B) Per capita forest cover in India is _____. It is about 9000 trees in Canada.

1. 500
2. 280
3. 28
4. 110

Ans. (3)

C) Dehli, Agra, Mathura are on the bank of ______

1. Yamuna
2. Ganga
3. Saraswati
4. Kosi

Ans. (1)

D) Which one is the river flowing to the south of Chennai?

1. Adyar
2. Krishna
3. Godavari
4. Padma

Ans. (1)

E) Find the incorrect statement from the following

1. Ethanol is prepared by fermentation, while methanol is processed through synthetic processes
2. Ethanol is the main ingredient of alcoholic beverages, while methanol is highly poisonous
3. While methanol and ethanol are both alcohols, they are very different types of alcohol
4. Methanol is prepared by fermentation, while Ethanol is processed through synthetic processes

Ans. (4)

F) The incident, which occurred on June 19 in Tamil Nadu resulted in about 60 deaths and over 140 hospitalizations due to the alleged consumption of illicit liquor. It is in the district of _____

1. Kallakurichi
2. Chennai
3. Coimbatore
4. Ariyalur

Ans. (1)

G) Recently it was in news and India is going to sign the logistics agreement with ____

1. China
2. Russia
3. Pakistan
4. Japan

Ans. (2)

H) What is Pushpak, recently in news?

1. A reusable launch vehicle
2. A satellite by ISRO
3. A portable hospital for emergency use
4. A drone by the DRDO

Ans. (1)

Summary of Today’s News

West Bengal demanding involvement in Teesta water dispute

• West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed strong opposition to any discussion on the Teesta river treaty with Bangladesh without the involvement of the State government.
• She emphasized that sharing Teesta river water with Bangladesh would severely impact lakhs of people in north Bengal due to inadequate irrigation water. Banerjee stressed that the interests of West Bengal residents should not be compromised and criticized any unilateral decisions on water-sharing made without consulting the State government.
• Referring to recent discussions between Indian and Bangladeshi leaders, she warned of widespread protests if the State’s concerns are ignored.
• Banerjee’s objections to the Teesta water-sharing agreement date back to 2011 during the UPA II government’s tenure.

Demand for new Union Territory by tribes in Manipur

• The Kuki-Zo tribal bodies in Manipur have organized rallies across the hill districts, demanding the creation of a Union Territory with a legislature under Article 239A of the Constitution as a solution to the ongoing ethnic conflict. They urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Manipur to demonstrate his commitment to resolving the crisis and submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to expedite their demand.
• In contrast, counter-protests by Imphal’s women vendors and other civilian groups opposed the idea, calling for the cessation of support to Kuki militants and rejecting the notion of a separate administration.
• The conflict between the Meitei community in the valley and the Kuki-Zo people in the hills has been ongoing since May 3, 2023, resulting in over 220 deaths and significant internal displacement.

Starting of 18th Lok Sabha PM emphasized consensus

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the 18th Lok Sabha’s first session, emphasized his government’s commitment to building consensus both inside and outside Parliament.
• He called for a “good and responsible” Opposition focused on substance rather than disruption and criticized the Congress by referencing the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi’s government, vowing to prevent a recurrence of such an event.

Maldives balancing foreign policy with India and China

1) Initial Shift in Policy:
• President Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives initially pursued a “pro-Maldives” policy, reducing dependence on India and increasing ties with China.
• This policy included anti-Indian rhetoric and diversification from India, partly to appeal to nationalist sentiments and his voter base.
2) Economic Challenges:
• The Maldives faces severe economic difficulties, including high debt (debt-to-GDP ratio of 110%), low foreign reserves, and heavy import dependence.
• Efforts to manage economic issues have included convincing India and China to accept local currency for imports.
3) Challenges with China:
• Despite signing multiple agreements and enhancing strategic partnerships with China, expected large-scale investments from Beijing have not materialized.
• China has focused on smaller community projects and housing rather than mega-infrastructure investments, and is wary of extending new loans due to the Maldives’ debt burden.
4) India’s Accommodative Approach:
• India has maintained high-level engagements and responded positively to Maldivian requests despite the initial anti-Indian stance.
• India has increased development assistance, adjusted export quotas, and extended a $50 million treasury bill with zero interest.
5) Recalibration of Foreign Policy:
• Realizing the limitations of relying solely on China and the need for economic stability, Mr. Muizzu is rethinking his strategy and seeking to balance relations with both India and China.
• Recent high-level engagements with India suggest an attempt at reconciliation to leverage both nations’ support for the Maldives’ interests.
6) Strategic Balancing:
• Mr. Muizzu appears to be adopting a more balanced foreign policy, recognizing the benefits of playing India and China against each other to enhance the Maldives’ strategic agency.
• This approach aims to navigate the increasing domestic and foreign policy challenges by maintaining good relations with both major powers.