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.

Power of Discrimination vs. Power of Knowledge

‘New U.S. policy can boost Indo-Afghan security ties’

• The new U.S. policy is an “opportunity” for India-U.S.-Afghanistan cooperation on security as well as development issues, said Afghanistan’s Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah.

• India + Afghanistan cooperation + USA’ policy = Trilateral relation opportunity

• Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s statement this week that there would be “no Indian boots in Afghanistan.

• Mr Abdulla said that his country has not demanded it

• We respect India’s position

Indian forces are biggest in number in UN Peace Keeping Force

• It is believed that India and USA together will train Afghani soldiers. • Earlier this year India and the U.S. began a pilot project to train peacekeeping troops

from 16 African countries under a UN project.

• Officials have also spoken of Indian cooperation with Russia to refurbish Soviet- era aircraft, as well as repair the four helicopters donated by India last year, so they can be used until the Afghan air force transitions to newer NATO hardware.• Significantly Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy on Afghanistan was

also in New Delhi for talks during the week which saw the visits of U.S. Defence Secretary James Mattis and Mr. Abdullah.

• There is a need for “interactions with all countries” rather than a competitive “great game” being played between U.S.-Europe against Russia-China-Pakistan-Iran in the region.

Bihar, Meghalaya, Arunachal, T.N. get new Governors

• Assam Governor Banwarilal Purohit was on Saturday appointed the Governor of Tamil Nadu, giving the State Raj Bhavan a fulltime resident after a gap of more than a year.• One Governor for more than one State is allowed as per 7th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1956

• Maharashtra Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao has held dual charge of both the States after the term of UPA appointee K. Rosaiah ended in August 2016.

• Governors are appointed by President• Neither directly elected by the people nor indirectly elected• Canadian model

• Jagdish Mukhi will replace Mr. Purohit in Assam.

• In turn, Mr. Mukhi has been replaced by former Chief of Naval Staff Admiral DevendraKumar Joshi (retd.) as the Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

• BJP vice-president Satyapal Malik has been appointed the Governor of Bihar.

• Former member of the Bihar Legislative Council Ganga Prasad has been appointed the Governor of Meghalaya.

• Brigadier B.D. Mishra (retd.) will be the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh.

• Articles 153 to 167 in Part VI of the Constitution deal with the state executive. • The state executive consists of the governor, the chief minister, the council of ministers

and the advocate general of the state.

• The governor is the chief executive head of the state.• Acts as an agent of the central government• Should not be a member of either House of Parliament or a House of the state

legislature.

• Term: 5 years• Subject to the pleasure of the President

• Powers

1. Executive powers.

2. Legislative powers.

3. Financial powers.

4. Judicial powers.

Railways to spend more on safety

• A day after the stampede at the Elphinstone Road Station in Mumbai killed23, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has called a meeting of the Railway Board to decide on easing passenger congestion at stations.

• These measures include giving the highest priority to development of foot over bridges, installing CCTV cameras on Mumbai trains, more escalators at stations and delegation of financial powers.• Lack of implementation of Standard Operating Procedures

• Not so Smart people and Smart City

• Reflection of our culture?

• Can Divyang people cross this foot bridges?

• City vs Village: Stereotype and Myth

4 drown during idol immersion

• Proactive vs Reactive

Russian woman raped in south Delhi, 1 held

• A 32-year-old Russian woman was allegedly raped by a 23-year-old man in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar on September 16. The accused was arrested 10 days later, the police said on Saturday.

• She told the police that he promised to marry her, took her to his house and raped her.

• This will impact tourism industry and recently launched Incredible India 2.0

Eastern Canal Project to link three rivers in Rajasthan

• An Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project, to be taken up shortly at a cost of Rs. 40,000 crore.• It will link the Kalisindh, Gambhiri and Parvati

rivers and solve the drinking water problem in 13 districts.

• The “rally for rivers”, flagged off by Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan from Coimbatore on September 3, entered Rajasthan through Bharatpur district on Wednesday and reached Jaipur via Dausaand Abhaneri early on Thursday.

• Sadhguru is himself driving the distance from Kanyakumari to Himalayas and will reach Delhi on October 2 after covering 16 States.

Reducing food waste top priority for India: Minister• India has made it a huge priority to reduce its massive food waste, Union

Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has told American industry leaders, seeking their investment and technology in this regard.

• India, one of the world’s largest producers of food, is also the largest producer of milk and the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables. This huge raw material base, paired with 1.3 billion population, presents vast investment and partnership opportunities for the U.S., Ms. Badal said.

• “However, India is currently only processing 10% of its food, resulting in enormous food waste,” said Ms. Badal, Minister of Food Processing Industries, at an industry round table organised by U.S.—India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF).

• Ms. Badal is currently on a week-long visit to the U.S. to interact with the agriculture industry and food processing companies in Chicago, Washington and New York.

• India aims to partner with U.S. industry by borrowing best practices, technology and innovation, in exchange for providing U.S. companies with untapped investment opportunities in India.

• SAMPADA (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters)• SAMPADA is to supplement

agriculture, modernize processing and decrease agri-waste.

• SAMPADA is an umbrella scheme incorporating ongoing schemes

• Efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet.

I-T Department changing tax collection: Jaitley• FM has said Income Tax Department has taken various initiatives in the last two to

three years to bring about efficiency, transparency and fairness in tax administration.

• Government is committed to widen the tax base by encouraging and incentivising the new tax payers. • 4.72 crore in financial year 2012-13• 6.26 crore during the current financial Year

• Mr Jaitley said rate of tax for individuals with income of 2.5 lakhs to five lakhs rupees was reduced from 10 per cent to 5 per cent which is one of the lowest in the world.

• He also said, the concept of - no scrutiny was introduced for the first time for Non-Business Tax payers having income up to 5 lakhs rupees so that more and more people could join the tax net and file their IT returns.

• The Minister said, corporate tax was reduced to 25 per cent for companies with turn-over up to 50 crore rupees, covering almost 96 per cent of the companies.

• 97 per cent of the income tax returns were filed electronically this year,

Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu releases a book

• He said Indian people have the right to know how decision-making takes at the highest level and what national security entails.

• Releasing a book in New Delhi, Mr Naidu said, the book - Securing India: The Modi Way - provides the most intimate and sweeping account of the NDA Government’s approach to national security and foreign policy initiatives.

• Author: Senior Journalist NitinGokhale's

Questions

1. In context of modern history of the world, arrange these referendum in chronological order (starting from oldest to newest)

Scotland, Kurdistan, South Sudan, Qubec

2. What do you understand by Qubec model of referendum. How it is different from referendum that took place in U.K. and Sudan?

Ans briefly

3. Acuatic Rhabdops, a species of non-venomous snake, was recently in news. Identify the true and false statement/s

a. Rhabdops snakes are endemic to India

b. Rhabdops snakes are found in India and Madagascar only

c. Rhabdops olivaceus are found in North Eastern part only

d. Rhabdops bicolor are found in Western Ghats only.

The End

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