NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES IN INDIA

        NATIONAL PARKS                                                           STATES

Papikonda National Park	—	Andhra Pradesh
Rajiv Gandhi National Park	—	Andhra Pradesh
Lanjamadugu Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Andhra Pradesh
Namdapha National Park	—	Arunachal Pradesh
Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Arunachal Pradesh
Manas National Park (UNESCO)	—	Assam
Nameri National Park	—	Assam
Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park	—	Assam
Kaziranga National Park (UNESCO)	—	Assam
Dibru Sai Khowa National Park	—	Assam
Gautam Budha Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Bihar
Valmild National Park	—	Bihar
Rajgir Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Bihar
Indravati National Park	—	Chhattisgarh
Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Chhattisgarh
Kanger Valley National Park	—	Chhattisgarh
Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Chhattisgarh
Guru Ghasi Das (Sanjay) National Park	—	Chhattisgarh
Gomarda Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Chhattisgarh
Bhagwan Mahavir National Park	—	Goa
Vansda National Park	—	Gujarat
Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Gujarat
Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary	—	Gujarat
Marine National Park (First Marine National Park)	—	Gujarat
Black Buck National Park	—	Gujarat
Gir Forest National Park	—	Gujarat
Kalesar National Park	—	Haryana
Sultanpur National Park	—	Haryana
Lippa Asrang Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Himachal Pradesh
Tundah Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Himachal Pradesh
Inderkilla National Park	—	Himachal Pradesh
Great Himalayan National Park	—	Himachal Pradesh
Pin Valley National Park	—	Himachal Pradesh
Khirganga National Park	—	Himachal Pradesh
Simbalbara National Park	—	Himachal Pradesh
Sechu Tuan Nala Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Himachal Pradesh
Salim All National Park	—	Jammu & Kashmir
Kishtwar National Park	—	Jammu & Kashmir
Hemis National Park (Largest in Area)	—	Jammu & Kashmir
Changtang Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Jammu & Kashmir
Dachigam National Park	—	Jammu & Kashmir
Kara Koram Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Jammu & Kashmir
Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Jammu & Kashmir
Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Jammu & Kashmir
Betla National Park	—	Jharkhand
Hazaribagh National Park	—	Jharkhand
Lawalong Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Jharkhand
Nagarhole National Park	—	Karnataka
Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Karnataka
Kudremukh National Park	—	Karnataka
Bannerghatta National Park	—	Karnataka
Bandipur National Park	—	Karnataka
Arabithittu Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Karnataka
Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Karnataka
Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Karnataka
Chinnar Wild Life Sanctuary	—	Kerala
Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Kerala
Periyar National Park	—	Kerala
Silent Valley National Park	—	Kerala
Eravikulam National Park	—	Kerala
Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Kerala
Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Kerala
Anamudi Shola National Park	—	Kerala
Pampadum Shola National Park	—	Kerala
Pench National Park	—	Madhya Pradesh
Bandhavgarh National Park (Highest Numbers of Tigers)	—	Madhya Pradesh
Kanha National Park	—	Madhya Pradesh
Madhav National Park	—	Madhya Pradesh
Panna National Park	—	Madhya Pradesh
Satpura National Park	—	Madhya Pradesh
Van Vihar National Park	—	Madhya Pradesh
Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary	—	Madhya Pradesh
National Chambal Sanctuary	—	Madhya Pradesh
Mandla Plant Fossils National Park	—	Madhya Pradesh
Pachmari Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Madhya Pradesh
Phen Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Madhya Pradesh
Ratapani Tiger Reserve	—	Madhya Pradesh
Sanjay National Park	—	Madhya Pradesh
Chandoli National Park	—	Maharashtra
Gugamal National Park	—	Maharashtra
Sanjay Gandhi (Borivilli) National Park	—	Maharashtra
Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Maharashtra
Navegaon National Park	—	Maharashtra
Tadoba National Park	—	Maharashtra
Dhakna Kolkaz Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Maharashtra
Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Maharashtra
Wain Ganga Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Maharashtra
Keibul Lamjao National Park	—	Manipur
Yagoupokpi Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Manipur
Nokrek National Park	—	Meghalaya
Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Meghalaya
Balphakram National Park	—	Meghalaya
Khawnglung Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Mizoram
Murlen National Park	—	Mizoram
Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Mizoram
Phawngpui Blue Mountain National Park	—	Mizoram
Pulebarze Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Nagaland
Intanki National Park	—	Nagaland
Simplipal National Park	—	Orissa
Chilka Wild Life Sanctuary	—	Orissa
Baisipalli Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Orissa
Bhitarkanika National Park	—	Orissa
Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Orissa
Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Orissa
Ranthambore National Park	—	Rajasthan
Sariska National Park	—	Rajasthan
First National Park in the world, which was successfully adapted by Royal Bengal Tiger]
Darrah National Park	—	Rajasthan
Desert National Park	—	Rajasthan
Keoladeo National Park (UNESCO)	—	Rajasthan
Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Rajasthan
Jawaharsagar Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Rajasthan
Phulwari Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Rajasthan
Keladevi Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Rajasthan
Fambonglho Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Sikkim
Khangchendzonga National Park	—	Sikkim
Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary	—	Sikkim
Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Sikkim
Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary	—	Sikkim
Mukurthi National Park	—	Tamilnadu
Shenbagathoppu Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Tamilnadu
Satyamanglam wild Life Sanctuary	—	Tamilnadu
Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) National Park	—	Tamilnadu
Guindy National Park	—	Tamilnadu
Mudumalai National Park	—	Tamilnadu
Vettangundi Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Tamilnadu
Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park	—	Tamilnadu
Mrugavani National Park	—	Telangana
Sipahijola Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Tripura
Bisan (Rajbari) National Park	—	Tripura
Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Tripura
Clouded Leopard National Park	—	Tripura
Chandra Prabha Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Uttar Pradesh
Dudhwa National Park	—	Uttar Pradesh
Ranipur Sanctuary	—	Uttar Pradesh
Rajaji National Park	—	Uttarakhand
Gangotri National ParkGangotri National PaA	—	Uttarakhand
Nanda Devi National Park (UNESCO)	—	Uttarakhand
Jim Corbett National Park (Oldest Park)	—	Uttarakhand
Valley of Flowers National Park (UNESCO)	—	Uttarakhand
Askot Musk Deer Sanctuary	—	Uttarakhand
Govind Pashu Vihar	—	Uttarakhand
Kedamath Wildlife Sanctuary	—	Uttarakhand
Sundarbans National Park	—	West Bengal
Gorumara National Park	—	West Bengal
Buxa National Park	—	West Bengal
Jaldapara National Park	—	West Bengal
Neora Valley National Park	— .	West Bengal
Singalila National Park	—	West Bengal
Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park	—	Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Rani Jhansi Marine National Park	—	Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Saddle Peak National Park	—	Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Middle Button Island National Park	—	Andaman & Nicobar Islands
South Button Island National Park	—	Andaman &Nicobar Islands
Mount Harriet National Park	—	Andaman &Nicobar Islands
North Button Island National Park	—	Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Campbell Bay National Park	—	Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Galathea National Park	—	Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)

Background

• Founded by Alexander Cunningham, who is also revered as the “Father of Indian Archaeology”
  • He was the protege of James Prinsep <who was he, post in comments>
  • It was Lord Canning who helped pass a statute for ASI’s establishment in 1861
• Post Independence, it’s a Statutory body that now works under Ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains act (AMASR Act), 1958
• It works as an attached Office of the Ministry of Culture
• ASI has 3678 protected monuments and Archaeology sites of National Importance + 29 cultural under the World Heritage List by UNESCO

Initiatives by ASI

1. Museums

ASI’s museums are customarily located right next to the sites that their inventories are associated with “so that they may be studied amid their natural surroundings and not lose focus by being transported”.

A dedicated Museums Branch maintains a total of 44 museums spread across the country.

2. Publications by ASI

• Epigraphia Indica
• Ancient India
• Indian Archaeology: A Review (Annually)

3. Library

• Central Archaeological Library in the National Archives building in Janpath, New Delhi

2.

Background

• INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) was founded in 1984, is an autonomous NGO for preservation of Indian Art and Cultural Heritage
• Its motto is “Dedicated to Conservation“

Tasks undertaken by INTACH

• Restoration of monuments that fall outside the coverage of Archaeological Survey of India and other government agencies <Remember that ASI hasn’t shown much interest towards working with INTACH>
• Advocacy for heritage property conservation
• Public awareness through heritage walks and buses <Just like Bombay Natural History Society does, its a common feature of these type of NGOs>
• Establishment of heritage clubs in schools
• Holding of awareness workshop for teachers of schools and colleges

Some notable works done by INTACH

1. It had developed Raghurajpur, Orissa, a place famous for its ‘Pattachitra’ artists and ‘Gotipua’ dance troupes as a heritage village, which has now become a major rural tourist destination
   • Pattachitra is a cloth-based scroll painting of Odisha. Patta = Cloth and Chitra = Picture. Most of these paintings depict stories of Hindu deities of Jagannath and Vaishnava Sect. It has also been given a GI tag. To know more about GI tags, click here to read.
   • Gotipua is a traditional dance form of Odisha, and the precursor of Odissi. Its name comes from Gopi (Single boys), who dress as women to praise Jagannath and Krishna. The dance is executed by a group of boys who perform acrobatic figures inspired by the life of Radha and Krishna.
2. It later used the same pattern to develop Padmanabhpur village, Ganjam district, Orissa, famous for its weavers and folk dancers, into another heritage destination.

3.Sahitya Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi

• Its an Autonomous organization fully financed by the Government
• Also referred to as India’s National Academy of Letters
• Entrusted with promotion of Literature (“Sahitya” means Literature in Hindi) through following mechanisms:

1. Literary dialogue, publication and promotion
2. Undertakes literary activities in Twenty-four Indian languages
   • Trap Info: Note that it goes beyond 22 languages of the 8th Schedule to include English + Rajasthani
3. Development of Indian literature

Awards and Fellowships

• Sahitya akademi award (Plaque and Cash of 1 lac)
  • Poetry, Novel, Essay, Autobiography, Literary Criticism in 24 languages
• Bhasha samman
  • Awards to writers for significant contribution to Indian languages other than the above 24 major ones
  • Contribution to classical & medieval literature
  • Given to writers, scholars, editors, collectors, performers or translators
• Premchand fellowships (started in 2005)
  • Given to persons of eminence in the Field of Culture from SAARC countries <thus its scope extends to beyond (i) India and (ii) Literature>
• Coomarswamy fellowships
  • Given to scholars from Asian countries <not just SAARC> to spend 3 to 12 months in India to pursue a literary project
• Sahitya Akademi fellowship
  • Given to the “immortals of literature“
  • Limited to 21 people at a time
  • First recipient was 2nd president of India Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
  • Other notable ones: Khushwant Singh, VS Naipaul

4.Sangeet Natak Akademi  (1953)

Mandate/Objectives:

• Another Autonomous Institution under Ministry of Culture
• Promotion of performing arts– Indian music, dance and drama
• Maintains a Gallery of Musical Instruments
• Maintenance of standards of training in the performing arts
• Teaching institutions
  • Kathak Kendra, Delhi (Classical Dance from Uttar Pradesh)
  • Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Akademi in Imphal
  • Sattriya Centre (Classical Dance from Assam)
  • Centre for Kutiyattam (Age-old Sanskrit theatre of Kerala; Also an Indian Intangible Cultural Heritage as per UNESCO)
  • Chhau Centre (Tribal martial dance in Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal)

Awards:

1. Sangeet Natak Akademi Award:
   • Highest national recognition conferred on eminent artistes.
2. Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, Ratna Sadsya
   • To distinguished individuals for their contribution to the field of arts, music, dance and theatre.
3. Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puruskar:
   • Given to young artists for their talent in the fields of music, dance and drama
   • Notable info about Ustad Bismillah Khan:
     • Known for popularizing the shehnai, a subcontinental wind instrument of the oboe class
     • Awarded India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 2001, becoming the Third classical musician after M. S. Subbulakshmi and Ravi Shankar to be accorded this distinction.

5.INDIAN COUNCIL FOR CULTURAL RELATIONS (ICCR)

• ICCR is analogous to the British Council, France’s Alliance Francaise, Germany’s Goethe-Institut and China’s Confucius Institute
• Founded in 1950 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, independent India’s first Education Minister
  • Maulana also helped establish other institutions that we’ve covered previously in this series such as Sahitya Akademi, and Sangeet Natak Akademi. He also founded Lalit Kala Akademi <promotes Visual Arts- Folk and Contemporary>
• Soft power vision, ‘to promote a communion of cultures and a creative dialogue among nations.’
• Its broad mandate is to develop relations with:
  • Other countries and peoples (Cultural agreements with 72 countries)
  • National and inter-national organisations in the field of culture

General assembly

• Consists of representatives each of the Lalit Kala Akademi, Sahitya Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi
• Eminent artistes from the fields of performing, fine and plastic arts
• Representatives of universities or of institutions
• President shall be appointed by the President of India and shall hold office for three years

Dear students,

We understand that the UPSC exam is a generalist exam. It’s more important to cover more issues than to cover one issue in more depth. Hence, through Samachar Manthan, we are trying to maintain a fine balance of covering many important news items and having a detailed discussion on selected topics which require the same. On daily basis a news gets repeated multiple times. Scattered knowledge is not adequately useful when you have to write a 200 words answer within 6-7 minutes. To handle this, Samachar manthan covers such issues in a comprehensive and consolidated manner which is the smart strategy.

Benefits of Samachar Manthan

• Packed 3 – 3.5 hours Weekly videos will focus on news and its importance from both prelims and mains perspective.
• This program will also help you understand how to utilize current affairs in all your prelims and mains papers.
• This ideology makes this course the best utilization of your time.
• Detailed coverage would mean analysis from all the angles like background or history, features, significance, challenges and way forward. Also, multiple sources like epw, diplomat magazine etc will be referred to in the video lectures.
• Such an approach will help in writing multidimensional answers.
• Also which part of the topic is important from mains and prelims perspective will also be discussed.
• Audio Visual Learning is more impactful than simply glancing through the material. So that you are able to retain information for long also interlink with any new information you get.
• 4 stage structure of Video->Notes->testing->review to perfect your preparation
• The sequence of video->Notes->testing->review is the best way to ensure maximum retention and a rock solid preparation. Each component of the program has been meticulously crafted.

For example this week, we will be covering the following issues;

Economics
[pib] Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF)
[op-ed snap] Beyond the free trade idealism
RBI divests entire stake in NHB, NABARD
Supreme Court directs RBI to alter disclosure policy

Enviro & Biodiversity
Green issues in J&K
Global Deal for Nature (GDN)
Emperor Penguin colony in Antarctica vanishes
Wild Food Plants

Governance
Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits
Kumbh brought Allahabad to verge of an epidemic, says NGT
World’s first Malaria Vaccine: RTS,S (Mosquirix)
WHO guidelines on physical activity for children under 5 years of age
Dentists can practise as General Physicians after bridge course
Khasi ‘kingdoms’ to revisit 1947 agreements
Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2019

International Relations
U.S. ends waiver for India on Iran oil
One belt one road initiative
Terror attack in Srilanka
[op-ed snap] A natural next step
[op-ed snap] India’s perilous obsession with Pakistan

Polity
Right to travel abroad is a basic human right: SC
Explained: What happens when judges face allegations?
[op-ed snap] In defence of hung House
[op-ed snap] Just recompense
[op-ed snap] CJI Sexual Harassment Case: How Fragile Is Judicial Independence?

Science Tech
Bacteriophages in Ganga Water
Soon, heritage by-laws for Purana Qila, Khair-ul-Manazil
Scientists create speech from brain signals

And these issues will be covered in detail

• Iran oil Crisis
• Judiciary Transparency and independence issues
• India Pakistan Trade across LoC
• Terror Attack on Sri Lanka
• Ganga Water
• India’s issues with Belt road Initiative
• Indsutrial Policy changes to boost growth

So to be thorough in your preparation and to have an integrated approach, join Samachar Manthan here.

 

WORLD BANK  GROUP

• The World Bank Group (WBG) is a family of five international organizations that make leveraged loans to developing countries. It is the largest and most famous development bank in the world and is an observer at the United Nations Development Group. Its five organizations are the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).
  

  The World Bank

• The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), better known as the World Bank, was established at the same time as the International Monetary Fund to tackle the problem of international investment.
• The World Bank (IBRD) is an inter-governmental institution, corporate in form, whose capital stock is entirely owned by its member-governments. Initially, only nations that were members of the IMF could be members of the World Bank; this restriction on membership was subsequently relaxed.

International Development Association

• The International Development Association (IDA) is the part of the World Bank group that helps the world’s poorest countries. Overseen by 173 shareholder nations, IDA aims to reduce poverty by providing loans (called “credits”) and grants for programs that boost economic growth, reduce inequalities, and improve people’s living conditions.
• IDA complements the World Bank’s original lending arm—the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). IBRD was established to function as a self-sustaining business and provides loans and advice to middle-income and credit-worthy poor countries. IBRD and IDA share the same staff and headquarters and evaluate projects with the same rigorous standards.
• IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 771 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa, and is the single largest source of donor funds for basic social services in these countries.
• IDA lends money on concessional terms. This means that IDA credits have a zero or very low interest charge and repayments are stretched over 25 to 40 years, including a 5- to 10-year grace period. IDA also provides grants to countries at risk of debt distress.
• In addition to concessional loans and grants, IDA provides significant levels of debt relief through the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief initiative (MDRI).

 

IFC

• The IFC was established in 1956 to support the growth of the private sector in the developing world.
• While the World Bank (IBRD and IDA) provides credit and non-lending assistance to governments, the IFC provides loans and equity financing, advice, and technical services to the private sector.

 

 The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)

• It is an international financial institution which offers political risk insurance and credit enhancement guarantees. Such guarantees help investors protect foreign direct investments against political and non-commercial risks in developing countries. MIGA is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States.
• MIGA is owned and governed by its member states, but has its own executive leadership and staff which carry out its daily operations. Its shareholders are member governments which provide paid-in capital and have the right to vote on its matters.

 

INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND

You must remember that the name World Bank does not refers to a bank in conventional sense (this is because it performs development function). And International Monetary Fund or IMF performs the lending function(which we associate with banks).

Structure and Size of IMF:

The International Monetary Fund:

• 188 countries member.
• Headquarters:  Washington, D.C.
• It has 2,300 staff members.

Functions of IMF

The International Monetary Fund functions :

• The IMF is basically a lending institution which gives advances to members in need.
• It is the mentor of its members’ monetary and exchange rate policies.
• To maintain the stability in Exchange rate system around the World.

 Operations of IMF and World Bank :

source

 

 

ADB

Asian Development Bank (ADB) was set up to fight poverty in Asia and the Pacific. ADB is a multilateral development finance institution dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific.  Established in 1966, ADB is now owned by 63 members, mostly from the region.  The headquarters is in Manila with 24 other offices around the world.

AIIB & NDB

• The New Development Bank (NDB) is established by The BRICS states (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). According to the Agreement on the NDB, “the Bank shall support public or private projects through loans, guarantees, equity participation and other financial instruments.” Moreover, the NDB “shall cooperate with international organizations and other financial entities, and provide technical assistance for projects to be supported by the Bank
• The bank is headquartered in Shanghai, China. The first regional office of the NDB will be opened in Johannesburg, South Africa

 

AIIB

Why Has India joined the AIIB?

There are many reasons for it:

1. India is preparing start a large number of infrastructure projects, but they’re short of money, so they need help from China. Of course they can get money from ADB or WB, but they also need to find a balance between China and USA.
2. It’s a great chance to develop economy links between India and China. These two countries both has huge market, and they also keep a rapid growth of economy.
3. Though AIIB is a Chinese-lead financial institution, India is welcomed to play a important role in it. It’s the reason why the UK, Germany and France all want to be a member of AIIB.

WTO

Introduction

World Trade Organization, as an institution was established in 1995. It replaced General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT) which was in place since 1946.

 

UNO

The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 after the Second World War by 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights.

The United Nations was the second multipurpose international organization established in the 20th century that was worldwide in scope and membership. Its predecessor, the League of Nations, was created by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 and disbanded in 1946.

 

UN TIMELINE:

Organisation Structure of UN : 

 

General Assembly: 

• The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations.
• It is Comprise of all 193 Members of the United Nations.
• It provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter.

 Security Council: 

• IT has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.
• It has 15 Members, consisting of 5 permanent members—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—and 10 non-permanent members.
• Non Permanent seats are held for two-year terms, with member states voted in by the General Assembly on a regional basis
• Five permanent members hold veto power over UN resolutions, allowing a permanent member to block adoption of a resolution, though not debate.
• The presidency of the Security Council rotates alphabetically each month

Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) :

• It is the principal organ to coordinate the economic, social and related work of the United Nations and the specialized agencies and institutions.
• Voting in the Council is by simple majority; each member has one vote.
• The president is elected for a one-year term and chosen amongst the small or middle powers represented on ECOSOC.
• ECOSOC has 54 members, which are elected by the General Assembly for a three-year term.
• Seats on the Council are allotted based on geographical representation with fourteen allocated to African States, eleven to Asian States, six to Eastern European States, ten to Latin American and Caribbean States, and thirteen to Western European and other States.
• The work of specialised agencies and programmes of UN like WHO, FAO, UNESCO etc. is coordinated by ECOSOC.

Trusteeship Council :

• It was established in 1945 by the UN Charter to provide international supervision for 11 Trust Territories placed under the administration of 7 Member States, and ensure that adequate steps were taken to prepare the Territories for self-government and independence.
• By 1994, all Trust Territories had attained self-government or independence. Its work completed, the Council has amended its rules of procedure to meet as and where occasion may require.

The International Court of Justice:

• It is the UN’s main judicial organ.
• It is located at the Hague in the Netherlands
• It settles legal disputes between states and gives advisory opinions to the UN and its specialized agencies.  Its Statute is an integral part of the United Nations Charter.
• ICJ has 15 judges, who serve 9-year terms; each from a different nation, elected by the General Assembly and Security Council.
• The Court settles legal disputes between nations only and not between individuals, in accordance with international law. If a country does not wish to take part in a proceeding it does not have to do so, unless required by special treaty provisions. Once a country accepts the Court’s jurisdiction, it must comply with its decision.
• The Court can only hear a dispute when requested to do so by one or more States.  It cannot deal with a dispute of its own motion.
• Difference between  the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and  the International Criminal Court (ICC)

1.  The International Court of Justice has no jurisdiction to try individuals accused of war crimes or crimes against humanity.  As it is not a criminal court, it does not have a prosecutor able to initiate proceedings.
2.  International Criminal Court set up under the Rome Statute. It  was established as an independent international organization in 2002 and is not governed by the UN.
3.  All UN member states are automatically members of the ICJ; Nations must individually become members of the ICC.
4. The ICJ settles disputes between member states, with their consent, on issues of sovereignty, trade, natural resources, treaty violations, treaty interpretation, and etc.
5.  The ICC tries individual people for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression, according to the Rome Statute.
6. The ICJ issues both binding judgments and advisory opinions. Its judgments may then be enforced by the Security Council if the state fails to comply. The ICC, on the other hand, hands down criminal prosecutions or acquittals.

 Secretariat:

• It carries out the day-to-day work of the Organization.
• It services the other principal organs and carries out tasks as varied as the issues dealt with by the UN: administering peacekeeping operations, surveying economic and social trends, preparing studies on human rights, among others.

 

1.Indian Naval ship Sahyadri reaches Darwin, Australia for exercise KAKADU 2018

Exercise KAKADU

1. After having been deployed to the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean for over four months, which included representing Indian Navy in multinational exercises MALABAR 18 at Guam and RIMPAC 18 at Hawaii, INS Sahyadri entered the Port of Darwin, Australia to participate in Exercise KAKADU 2018
2. Indian Navy’s participation in KAKADU 18 provides an excellent opportunity to engage with regional partners and undertake multinational maritime activities ranging from constabulary operations to high-end maritime warfare in a combined environment
3. It is aimed at enhancing interoperability and development of common understanding of procedures for maritime operations

About the exercise

1. Exercise KAKADU, which started in 1993, is the premier multilateral regional maritime engagement exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and supported by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
2. The exercise is held biennially in Darwin and the Northern Australian Exercise Areas (NAXA)
3. Exercise KAKADU derives its name from Kakadu National Park, which is a protected area in the northern territory of Australia, 171 km south-east of Darwin
4. KAKADU 2018 is the 14th edition of the exercise
5. During the exercise, professional exchanges in harbour and diverse range of activities at sea, including complex surface, sub-surface and air operations would enable sharing of best practices and honing of operational skills.

2.Operation NISTAR Successfully Culminates with Safe Disembarkations of 38 Indian Nationals at Porbandar

Operation NISTAR

• INS Sunayana successfully evacuated 38 Indian Nationals at/ off Socotra Islands during a swift Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Operation (HADR), code named Operation NISTAR.
• The Indian Nationals were stranded after severe Cyclonic Storm – Mekunu devastated the area around Socotra Island.
• INS Sunayana was diverted from Gulf of Aden deployment to Socotra Island for search and rescue operations.

Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) in India’s National Strategy

• HADR operations have attracted the attention of the global community in recent years.
• The Indian armed forces have a wide experience of disaster relief operations both at home and abroad, where they have been the core of relief operations.
• Due to its sub-continental size, geographical location and its vulnerability to disasters, India has kept its forces ready to render assistance at short notice.
• In the six decades since independence, India has experienced a number of natural and man-made disasters such as floods, earthquakes, famines, industrial accidents etc.
• At the same time, India has partnered the global community in providing relief in affected regions.

3.INS Karanj boosts Navy’s firepower

Third Scorpene class submarine joins Naval fleet

1. The Navy’s third state-of-the-art Scorpene class submarine, INS Karanj, has been launched
2. The new submarine is named after the earlier Kalvari class INS Karanj, which was decommissioned in 2003
3. This launch follows the launch of the first two Scorpene submarines — INS Kalavari and INS Khanderi.

4.Indian Navy inducts its first Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle

• The Indian Navy has inducted its first Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) System at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai.

About DSRV

1. DSRV is used to rescue crew members stranded in submarines that get disabled. The Indian Navy joins a select group of naval forces in the world that boasts of this niche capability.
2. The DSRV can be operated at a depth of 650 meters and can hold around 15 people.
3. The Indian Navy in March 2016 had commissioned two DSRVs, the second will deployed at the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam.
4. The induction of the DSRV marks the culmination of years of effort of the Indian Navy in acquiring this niche submarine rescue capability.

Why need DSRV System?

1. The Indian Navy currently operates submarines of the Sindhughosh, Shishumar, Kalvari Classes as well as nuclear powered submarines.
2. The operating medium and the nature of operations undertaken by submarines expose them to high degree of inherent risk.
3. In such an eventuality, traditional methods of search and rescue at sea are ineffective for a disabled submarine.
4. To overcome this capability gap the Navy has acquired a third generation, advanced Submarine Rescue System considering of a Non-tethered Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) and its associated equipment.

What makes Indian DSRV special?

1. The Indian Navy’s DSRV System is considered to be the most advanced system currently in operation globally for its capability of undertaking rescue from a disabled Submarine upto 650 m depth.
2. It is operated by a crew of three, can rescue 14 personnel from a disabled Submarine at one time and can operate in extreme sea conditions.

5.Indian Navy’s Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV) Capability

Context

• The Indian Navy has inducted a Submarine Rescue System with a Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV) along with associated equipment.

Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV)

1. The Indian DSRV has the capability to rescue personnel from a distressed submarine (DISSUB) up to a depth of 650 m and it is the latest in terms of technology and capabilities.
2. It has been designed and supplied to meet unique requirements of our submarines by M/s James Fishes Defence, UK.
3. This System has a Side Scan Sonar for locating the position of the submarine in distress at sea.
4. It will be providing immediate relief by way of posting Emergency Life Support Containers with the help of Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) for the rescue.
5. To ensure early mobilization, the System permits rapid transportation of the Rescue System from the base to the exact location of the distressed submarine by transportation using air/land/sea vessels.