Modi govt.’s first Budget on July 10
Kabul cannot fight terror alone: envoy
Afghanistan is stepping up its request for military and training assistance from India as the pullout date for NATO forces approaches.
- Afghanistan doesn’t have the defence it needs to fight “proxy-terror groups” and wants to strengthen their strategic cooperation with India.
- Afghanistan had put in a “wish list” with India, including requests for tanks, helicopters and ground vehicles, which Delhi had politely turned down. Instead India supported infrastructure projects and provided military training to Afghan troops and police forces in India itself.
- India does not wish to upset Pakistan with overt military help that may be construed as interference in Afghanistan.
- The Cabinet Committee on Security had agreed to fund the supply of small arms to Afghan National Army from Russia in order to avoid this problem.
Reacting sharply to these concerns, Ambassador Abdali told The Hindu , “If a third country, like Pakistan, is unhappy to see Afghanistan getting military support from India, I have just one question… Are we arming the Afghan army (so as to) to fight one country? Why are we an exception in the region when everyone wants a strong army and police? Why shouldn’t Afghanistan? I think there is nothing wrong for India to do whatever it can to support Afghanistan. It is Afghanistan seeking that assistance – not India giving it to us.”
The Afghan envoy confirmed that India and Afghanistan were working at a trilateral transitory agreement with Iran to trade goods via the Iranian port of Chabahar, which India is helping to refurbish, as an alternative to the land route via Pakistan. He also spoke of the negotiations over the TAPI gas pipeline from Turkmenistan, but said security is a pre-requisite for any “economic integration”.
Himachal park is now a World Heritage Site
The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh was accorded the Unesco World Heritage Site status under the criteria of “exceptional natural beauty and conservation of biological diversity.”
The GHNP has now come in the league of Indian World Heritage Sites (WHS) such as the Taj Mahal, Ellora, Kaziranga National Park, Keoladeo National Park, Manas National Park, Nandadevi Biosphere Reserve and the Sunderbans.
It supports self-sustaining populations of near-threatened, vulnerable and endangered species like leopard, Himalayan Black Bear, Royle’s Vole, Himalayan tahr, Himalayan serow, Himalayan goral, Himalayan musk deer, western tragopan and cheer pheasant.
Extension of export sops comes as sweetener for sugar industry
The government announced a slew of measures for millers:
1) Hiked import duty on sugar from 10% to 40%.
2) Raised limit for ethanol blending in fuel from 5% to 10%. This would improve demand of molasses, a significant byproduct in sugar production used to manufacture alcohol.
3) Infusion fo liquidity for mill owners by interest free loans and other benefits.
Problems of Sugar industry:
1) Mismatch between prices of cane and sugar due to erroneous pricing policies by State governments.
2) Shorter crushing season in the northern states
3) Competition from other cash crops such as cotton.
4) Fluctuation in Fructose content of cane due to Monsoon.
5) Hike in Labour prices
RBI fixes timelines for regulatory approvals
Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission (FSLRC) had recommended:
1) Timebound disposal of Regulatory Approvals
2) Citizens' Charter
Both have been implemented by RBI
No comments:
Post a Comment