Terrorism, SAARC - GS questions based on daily current affairs

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
No explanation is available for this question!

ANSWER: South Asia Satellite

Explanation:
The South Asia Satellite will be launched on May 5, India’s “priceless gift” to its neighbours as part of the 'sabka sath, sabka vikas' concept.

Seven out of eight SAARC countries are a part of the project which Pakistan refused to join as it did not want the "gift" from India.

The concept of 'sabka sath, sabka vikas' is not confined to India but is relevant globally too, especially in the context of the neighbourhood.

The benefits of this satellite will go a long way in meeting the developmental needs of the countries participating in this project.

This is an appropriate example of India's commitment towards South Asia. The satellite of South Asia will help in the overall development of the entire region

The benefits will be in the partner countries in areas of mapping of natural resources, tele-medicine, education, IT connectivity and people-to-people links, he said.

These countries, besides India, are Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Afghanistan.

Modi had made a unilateral proposal of India launching the satellite whose data would be shared with the eight SAARC countries for their development.

Initially, it was to be named as ‘SAARC Satellite’ but its name was changed to South Asia Satellite after Pakistan refused to join the project.

Basically, the satellite is meant for providing communication and disaster support, connectivity among the countries of South Asia region.

It will provide a significant capability to each of the participating countries in terms of DTH, certain VSAT capacity plus linking among the states for both disaster information transfer and also in terms of library type of things.

ANSWER: Amjad Hussein B. Sial

Explanation:
In a first, Pakistan on March 1, 2017 succeeded in getting an official elected to the post of Secretary General for South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

Pakistan was backed by all members including India. The selection was consensus based.

Election is of administrative nature only. Pakistan will provide the next secretary general making a smooth transition from Nepal to Pakistan.

The new SAARC chief is a veteran diplomat and has been waiting to take charge since March 2016.

Sial was elected as Pakistan and India both want SAARC to function efficiently.

Following the terrorist attack in Uri, India had opposed the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad in Nov 2016.

India had sent delegates including the Joint Secretary in charge of SAARC for meeting SAARC reps in February to finalise the issue of budget and admin matters.

Sial has assumed charge of the office of Secretary General of SAARC from March 1, 2017, according to a press release issued by SAARC Secretariat here.

He has succeeded Nepal's Arjun Bahadur Thapa, who was appointed the Secretary-General in 2014.

The Pakistani turn, which is held by rotation, starts from March 1, 2017, and continues till February 28, 2020.

About Amjad Hussein B. Sial: Know More

• Sial's nomination was made by Pakistan at the SAARC Council of Ministers in Pokhara, Nepal, in March 2016 and was endorsed by all member states.
• He is a seasoned diplomat from Pakistan Foreign Service with over 33 years of career in the diplomatic field.
• Before joining the SAARC Secretariat Sial was Special Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad.
• He has a rich experience in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy both at Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad and Missions abroad.
• Sial had served as Pakistan's ambassador to Tajikistan and permanent representative at Pakistan Mission to the UN.SAARC is an eight-member regional grouping that comprises Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Apart from India, Bangladesh and Bhutan have also pulled out of the SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November, saying the environment is not right for the successful holding of the meet.

• The decision was conveyed by Bangladesh and Bhutan on 27th Sept to the Saarc chair Nepal, sources said
• The decision by three countries of the eight-member grouping not to attend the summit would lead to its collapse.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the same day also decided not to attend the SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November.
• The announcement by India came on a day foreign secretary S Jaishankar issued a second demarche to Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit over September 18 Uri attack and confronted him with proof of "cross-border origins" of the terror strike in which 18 jawans were killed.
• The attack has triggered a strong response from India which has reviewed the 56-year-old Indus Water Treaty (IWT), and decide to reconsider the MFN status granted by it, unilaterally, to Pakistan.

ANSWER: Greece

Explanation:
India on 7th Sept 2016 signed the bilateral air services agreement with Greece to permit unlimited points of call for domestic airlines in Greece.
Both countries have signed MoU in this regard under the Open Sky Policy

• This will be the first ASA with Greece known for its beauty and tourist sports
• Indian government has signed the MoU with the country under the provisions of the new Civil Aviation Policy
• The aim is to improve international air connectivity for Indian carriers
• Indian government has signed the MoU with Greece under the provisions entering into a reciprocal Open Sky Air Services Agreement on reciprocal basis with SAARC nations and countries with territory located beyond 5000 km radius from Delhi

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Objectives are -Support regional cooperation and initiatives in Statistics

ANSWER: Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:
Structure of SAARCSTAT -

• SAARCSTAT will comprise of secretaries/heads of statistical offices/organisations.
• The SAARCSTAT must meet at least once a year.
• Meetings shall be held in member states in alphabetical order.
• Each member state will have a designated officer as a focal point in SAARCSTAT.
• The SAARCSTAT will submit its report to Council of Ministers through the Committee of Economic Cooperation.

ANSWER: SAARCSTAT

Explanation:

• The proposal for establishing cooperation in Statistics received enthusiastic support of the SAARC Member States which got the approval at the Thirtieth Session of the Standing Committee of SAARC (Islamabad, 18-19 July 2004).
• India was chosen to host the First Meeting of the Heads of Statistical Organisations of SAARC Member States to examine the possibility of initiating cooperation in the field of statistics with a view to finalizing standard formats for exchange of statistical data in various economic and social fields.
• Accordingly, in order to pursue and concretize cooperation in the field of statistics, the Heads of SAARC Statistical Organisations in their Meeting at Kolkata, India on 26-27 May 2005 formed a permanent “SAARC Group on Statistics”, namely, SAARCSTAT.

ANSWER: New Delhi

Explanation:
SAARC member states convened to achieve essential ingredients for decision making and policy planners at the SAARCSTAT 8th meeting of heads.

• The meeting was held in New Delhi
• Emphasis was on greater regional cooperation for mutual development, to accelerate free trade in goods and services in the Region.
• It is essential to put into operation simplified and transparent rules of origin; implementation of trade facilitation measures; harmonisation of standards relating to Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures; harmony, streamlined and simplified Custom procedures; elimination of non-tariff and para-tariff barriers;
• Also discussed were policy initiatives for comparable statistics and smooth & efficient transit and transport facilities, which will provide an opportunity to the SAARC Members countries to review the implementation of the recommendations made in International Merchandise Trade Statistics (IMTS) 2010 and Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services (MSITS) 2010 and help in better understanding of the existing economic statistics frameworks and guidelines such as the System of National Accounts (2008 SNA), Balance of Payments (BPM6) and the Guidelines on Integrated Economic Statistics.
• Reducing asymmetry in states data was also a goal.

ANSWER: SAARC

Explanation:
Seventh meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Immigration Authorities was on 2nd August 2016 held in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad.

• The meeting was chaired by Pakistan’s DG Immigration and Passports, Usman Bajwa.
• The meeting reviewed different areas to capitalise on visa exemption scheme launched by member countries in the 1990s
• It also planned on development of security software for SAARC Visa exemption scheme and immigration matters.