1. India-Bangladesh Rail Link
Tags: National International News
Passenger train services between India and Bangladesh resumed, Bandhan Express departed from Kolkata for Khulna and Maitree Express started from Dhaka to Kolkata.
The Bandhan Express was resumed rail link between Kolkata and the industrial hub of Khulna.
Khulna is the third-largest city of Bangladesh.
In 1965, the Barisal Express was introduced on this route, which was stopped due to the Indo-Pakistani War.
The government of India along with the Bangladesh government restarted that with Bandhan express in 2017.
Bandhan Express was the second train to be flagged off after the introduction of Maitree Express between Kolkata and Dhaka Cantonment in April 2008.
It covers the distance between Kolkata and Khulna via Petrapole and Benapole border route to meet the demands of the people of both the countries.
Other works towards strengthening the rail link
In August 2021, the two sides started regular movement of freight trains between Haldibari in India and Chilahati in Bangladesh.
The Haldibari-Chilahati rail link between India and erstwhile East Pakistan was also operational till 1965 which was closed due to war.
It was part of the broad gauge main road from Kolkata to Siliguri at the time of partition.
At least 20 freight trains per month are planned to cross the border on this link by both sides.
2. India, China reviews situation along LAC during 24th WMCC meeting
Tags: International Relations Defence
The 24th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held on 31 May.
The Indian delegation was led by the Additional Secretary, (East Asia), Ministry of External Affairs and the Chinese delegation was led by the Director General, Department of Borders and Oceans, Ministry of External Affairs.
Both sides reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of Indo-China border areas.
Since the last meeting of the WMCC in November 2021, both sides have held the 14th and 15th meeting of Senior Commanders in January and March 2022 respectively.
Both sides exchanged views on the current situation along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh.
They agreed to continue discussions through diplomatic and military channels to resolve the remaining issues along the LAC.
They agreed to hold the 16th Round of Senior Commanders' Meeting to achieve the objective of complete elimination of all friction points along the LAC in the Western Sector.
About WMCC
It was established in 2012 as an institutional mechanism for consultation and coordination for the management of India-China border areas.
The aim was to exchange views on strengthening communication and cooperation between border security personnel from both sides.
It is headed by joint secretary-level officials from both the countries.
The mechanism was first suggested by Wen Jiabao in 2010.
3. National Education Ministers’ Conference
Tags: National News
The National Education Ministers' Conference is being organized for two days (June 1 and June 2, 2022) in Gujarat with focus on implementation of the new National Education Policy (NEP).
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan along with other Union Ministers and Education Ministers of States and Union Territories will participate in the conference.
The conference is expected to deliberate on strengthening the education ecosystem in the country.
The conference will focus on implementation of National Education Policy 2020, skills in schools and digital initiatives like National Digital Education Architecture, National Educational Technology Forum etc.
National Education Policy 2020
It was brought in 2020.
Its aim is to make India a global knowledge superpower.
The two earlier education policies were brought in 1968 and 1986.
The cabinet also approved renaming the Ministry of Human Resource Development as the Ministry of Education.
This includes elementary and university education in urban and rural India.
4. India-Pakistan 118th bilateral meeting on Indus Water Treaty
Tags: International Relations
A five-member delegation from Pakistan reached India via the Wagah border to attend the 118th bilateral meeting on the Indus Waters Treaty, in New Delhi on May 30.
India is building 10 hydroelectric plant projects to reduce excess water in Pakistan.
Both the countries will discuss the issue of advance flood information and the annual report of the Permanent Commission for Indus Waters (PCIW).
The 1,000 MW Pakal Dul, 48 MW lower Kalnai and 624 MW Kiru hydroelectric projects on west-flowing rivers being built by India under the Indus Water Treaty will also be discussed during the meeting.
What is the Indus Water Treaty?
It is a water-sharing treaty between India and Pakistan.
It was signed by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistani President Ayub Khan in 1960.
As per the treaty all the waters of three rivers- Ravi,Sutlej and Beas ( Eastern Rivers) were allocated to India for exclusive use.
Whereas, the waters of the western rivers – Indus, Jhelum and Chenab – were allocated to Pakistan except for specified domestic, non-consumable and agricultural uses allowed for India.
India has been given the right to generate hydroelectricity through Run of the River (ROR) projects on the western rivers.
About Indus River System
The Indus River System is one of the largest river basins in the world.
It includes five rivers namely Indus River, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.
The basin is mainly shared by India and Pakistan, with China and Afghanistan sharing a small portion of it.
Indus River
It flows in a north-west direction from its source (Glaciers of Kailash Range – in Tibet near Lake Manasarovar) till the Nanga Parbat Range.
length - about 2,900 km.
Jhelum River
Originates - in spring at Verinag in the south-eastern part of the Kashmir Valley.
Chenab River
Originates - from near the BaraLacha Pass in the Lahaul-Spiti part of the Zaskar Range
Ravi River
Origin - in Kullu hills near the Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh.
Beas River
Originates - near Rohtang Pass, at a height of 4,062 m above sea level, on the southern end of the Pir Panjal Range
Satluj River
Originates - from the Manasarovar-Rakas Lakes in western Tibet.
5. 10 Pacific Island Countries Reject China's Regional Security Pact
Tags: International News
China has suffered a major diplomatic humiliation in the Pacific. Ten island nations in the region rejected China's proposed security agreement.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has returned empty handed on a very important visit to the Pacific countries.
Why did the Pacific Nations reject the Pact?
Pacific countries worry that the pact is designed to pull them towards Beijing’s orbit.
The agreement was "abusive" and would "ensure Chinese influence in the governments of the Pacific" and China's "economic control" over key industries.
Lack of regional consensus.
Security issues with China
China's full proposal has not been made public, but was leaked to the media.
Features of the Pact
China has offered to radically intensify its activities in the South Pacific, directly challenging the influence of the US and its allies in the strategically important region
China is offering millions of dollars in financial aid.
China had proposed a pact that would enable the country to-
To train Pacific island police
To become involved in cybersecurity
To expand political ties
To conduct sensitive marine mapping
To gain more access to natural resources on land and in the water
6. Prime Minister launches Care for Children scheme for children orphaned in Covid-19
Tags: National
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a special PM Care for Children scheme for children who lost their parents during the Corona epidemic.
Highlight of the Scheme
This initiative has been started to help the children who have lost their parents during the pandemic.
Under the scheme, children between the age group of 18 to 23 years will get a fixed stipend and on attaining the age of 23, they will get ten lakh rupees.
School going children will also get free education, textbooks and uniforms in the nearest government schools.
It will help those who need education loans for vocational courses and higher education.
Children who lost both their parents or primary caregiver between March 11, 2020 and February 28, 2022 are eligible for this scheme.
Students of private schools can avail fee reimbursement under the norms of Right to Education Act, 2005.
Students can also get free education in residential schools such as Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya.
A scholarship of ₹20,000 per year will also be provided by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to students between class 1 and class 12.
Beneficiaries can also get a health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh in public and private hospitals under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
7. Pope Francis elevates archbishops of Hyderabad and Goa to cardinal rank
Tags: Person in news International News
Pope Francis announced on 29 May that he would create 21 new cardinals, including two from India, in a Consistory on 27 August.
It is a matter of pride for the Goans to receive such a coveted honour.
The two Cardinals from India
Archbishop Filipe Neri António Sebastião di Rosário Ferrão, (Archbishop of Goa)
Archbishop Anthony Poola, Archbishop of Hyderabad
About Father Ferrao
He was ordained as a priest on 28 October, 1979
On 12 December 2003, he was ordained as Archbishop of Goa and Daman by Pope John Paul II.
Father Ferrao was born on 20 January 1953 in the village of Aldona, near Panaji.
He graduated in Philosophy and Theology and knows Konkani, English, Portuguese, Italian, French and German languages.
About Anthony Poola
He was a native of Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh and was ordained a priest in February 1992
He was appointed as Bishop of Kurnool in 2008.
He was appointed as Archbishop of Hyderabad in 2020.
He is currently the Chairman of the Youth Commission of the Andhra Pradesh Bishops' Conference.
For the first time in history, a Telugu Archbishop has been made a cardinal.
Important facts
Eight of the newly named cardinals are from Europe, six from Asia, two from Africa, one from North America, and four from Central and Latin America.
The College of Cardinals currently has 208 cardinals, of whom 117 are electors and 91 are non-electoral.
From August 27, this number will increase to 229 cardinals.
8. NHA launches public dashboard for Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
Tags: National Government Schemes
The National Health Authority has launched a public dashboard for real-time information under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
The public dashboard will be a one-stop solution to track the progress of the mission at the state level.
According to the dashboard, the total number of Ayushman Bharat health account numbers is more than 22 crore and more than 16.6 thousand healthcare professionals have registered in the health care professional registry.
The dashboard will display the following detailed information -
Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) numbers
Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR)
Health Facility Registry (HFR)
About Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
Launched - By PM Narendra modi on 27th September 2021
It will connect the digital health solutions of hospitals across the country.
This will not only simplify the procedures of hospitals but will also enhance the ease of living.
The digital ecosystem will also enable many other features such as digital consultation, patient consent for physicians to access their records, etc.
With the implementation of this scheme old medical records cannot be destroyed as every record will be stored digitally.
The project has been implemented in pilot phase in six states and union territories.
About National Health Authority (NHA)
It is the apex body which is responsible for implementing Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
It is entrusted with the role of strategy formulation, creation of technical infrastructure and implementation of "National Digital Health Mission" to create a national digital health ecosystem.
9. NCTE launches online portal to streamline process of recognition of teacher education programs
Tags: National News
The National Council for Teacher Education has launched an online portal to streamline the process of accreditation of teacher education programs of higher education institutions and teacher education institutions.
This portal will bring a paradigm shift in the working of the National Council for Teacher Education.
The applications for the recently launched four-year Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP) will also be processed on this portal.
Aim of portal
Providing an automated robust framework that will help enhance transparency, accountability and ease of doing business.
To help the candidates from the time of invitation of applications for the courses to the stage of issuing accreditation orders including inspection of institutions.
About National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE)
It is a statutory body came into existence in pursuance of the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993 on 17 August,1995.
It plans and coordinates the development of the teacher education system throughout the country.
It also ensures the maintenance of norms and standards in the teacher education system in India.
Its headquarter is in New Delhi.
10. U.S. becomes India’s biggest trading partner at $119 billion
Tags: Economics/Business International News
In the year 2021-22, the US overtook China to become India's top trading partner, reflecting strong economic ties between the two countries.
As per commerce ministry data, bilateral trade between the US and India stood at $119.42 billion in 2021-22, as against $80.51 billion in 2020-21.
India's exports to the US increased to $76.11 billion in 2021-22 from $51.62 billion in the previous fiscal While imports increased to $43.31 billion in 2020-21 as compared to about $29 billion.
During 2021-22, India's two-way trade with China stood at $115.42 billion as compared to $86.4 billion in 2020-21.
During 2021-22, India's two-way trade with China stood at $115.42 billion as compared to $86.4 billion in 2020-21.
Exports to China marginally increased to $21.25 billion last fiscal year from $21.18 billion in 2020-21, while imports jumped to $94.16 billion from about $65.21 billion in 2020-21.
The trade gap widened to $72.91 billion in 2021-22 from $44 billion in the previous fiscal.
Reason of increasing bilateral trade with the US
Strengthening of economic ties between the two countries.
Global firms are reducing their dependence only on China for their supplies and diversifying business to other countries such as India.
India has joined the US-led initiative to establish the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and the move will further boost economic ties.
Major export items from India to the US
Petroleum polished diamonds, pharmaceutical products, jewellery, light oils and petroleum, frozen shrimp, made ups etc.
Major import items from US to India
Petroleum, rough diamonds, liquified natural gas, gold, coal, waste and scrap, almonds etc
Important facts
China was India's top trading partner from 2013-14 till 2017-18 and also in 2020-21.
Before China, UAE was India's largest trading partner.
