UPSC Articles
Nepal PM positive of resolving all ‘pending issues’ with India
Part of: GS International and GS-II – India’s Foreign relations
In news:
- Nepal Prime Minister said bilateral disputes with India should be dealt with dialogue, indicating Kathmandu’s political willingness to resolve the row over the Kalapani territorial issue.
- The Kalapani issue was reignited after India published a new political map in November 2019 that displayed its continued position over the territory as part of Uttarakhand.
From Prelims Point of view:
Kalapani territorial issue:
- Kalapani is a valley that is administered by India as a part of the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand. It is situated on the Kailash Mansarovar route.
- The Kali River in the Kalapani region demarcates the border between India and Nepal.
- The Treaty of Sugauli signed by the Kingdom of Nepal and British India (after Anglo-Nepalese War) in 1816 located the Kali River as Nepal’s western boundary with India.
- Kalapani has been controlled by India’s Indo-Tibetan Border Police since the Sino-Indian War with China in 1962
- The discrepancy in locating the source of the river led to boundary disputes between India and Nepal, with each country producing maps supporting their own claims.
Miscellaneous Topics in News
All Assam Students’ Union
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- Known for leading the six-year Assam Movement against illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
- It formed a political party Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which formed government in Assam twice.
Coronaviruses (CoV)
- Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).
- A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. Some transmit easily from person to person, while others do not.
- spreading through of contact with animals, contaminated food, and/or person-to-person.
Trillion Tree Campaign
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- The Billion Tree Campaign was inspired by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement.
- WWF, the Wildlife Conservation Society and BirdLife International today launched the Trillion Trees programme, a new 25-year initiative to help scale global forest commitments and spur greater ambitions towards protecting and restoring one trillion trees by 2050
- During the World Economic Forum 2020 in Davos, World Economic Forum announced a platform for governments, businesses, civil society to support UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030, led by UNEP and FAO
Buriganga river
- Bangladesh’s High Court has asked authorities to shut down 231 factories surrounding the highly polluted Buriganga river
- The Buriganga River is a river in Bangladesh that ranks among the most polluted rivers in the country.
Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG)
- FMCG grew at 9.7% in 2019, much lower than the previous year’s growth of 13.5%.
- Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) are products that are sold quickly and at a relatively low cost.
- Examples include non-durable household goods such as packaged foods, beverages, toiletries, over-the-counter drugs, and other consumables