June

19,
2018
GLOBAL NUCLEAR WARHEAD
In June 2018, The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) today
launched the findings of SIPRI Yearbook 2018, which assesses the current state of
armaments and disarmament.

Key findings w.r.t Nuclear Weapons:

• All the nuclear weapon-possessing states are

developing new nuclear weapon systems and
modernizing their existing systems; and the
number of personnel deployed with peace
operations worldwide continues to fall while the
demand is increasing.
• World nuclear forces: reductions remain slow as
• Total nuclear weapons: At the start of 2018 nine
states—the United States, Russia, the United
Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel
and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
(North Korea)—possessed approximately 14 465
nuclear weapons.
• Decline in nuclear weapons:
o This marked a decrease from the
approximately 14 935 nuclear weapons
at the beginning of 2017.
o The decrease in the world is due mainly
to Russia and the USA—which together
still account for nearly 92 % of all nuclear
weapons—further reducing their strategic nuclear forces pursuant to the implementation of
the 2010 Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive
Arms (New START).
• Modernization Continues:
o Despite making limited reductions to their nuclear forces, both Russia and the USA have
long-term programmes under way to replace and modernize their nuclear warheads.
o The USA’s most recent Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), published in February 2018,
reaffirmed the modernization programmes.
o Other states including India and Pakistan are both expanding their nuclear weapon
stockpiles.

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LIBERALISED REMITTANCE SCHEME (LRS)
In June 2018, RBI altered the definition of relative to check outward remittances under the
Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS).
Now the funds under the ‘maintenance of close relative’ category can be sent only to
immediate relatives such as parents, spouses, children and their spouses.
About:

• In India, any money one send overseas is subject to controls, as the government is wary of excessive
outflows of foreign exchange draining its reserves and destabilising the rupee.
• But there has been an effort to gradually liberalise these controls. The window that was opened up
in 2004 for individuals to remit money across the border, without seeking specific approvals, was
called the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS).
• Under LRS, all resident individuals can freely remit $250,000 overseas every financial year for a
permissible set of current or capital account transactions.
• Permissible areas:
o Remittances are permitted for overseas education, travel, medical treatment and purchase
of shares and property, apart from maintenance of relatives living abroad, gifting and
donations.
o Individuals can also open, maintain and hold foreign currency accounts with overseas banks
for carrying out transactions.
• Restrictions:
o However, the rules do not allow remittances for trading on the foreign exchange markets,
margin or margin calls to overseas exchanges and counterparties and the purchase of
Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds issued by Indian companies abroad.
o Sending money to certain countries and entities is also barred. Under LRS, people can’t send
money to countries identified as ‘non cooperative’ by the Financial Action Task Force.
o Remittances are also prohibited to entities identified as posing terrorist risks.

OFF-SHORE WIND POWER

In June 2018, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy declared medium and long term
target for off-shore wind power capacity additions, which are 5 GW by 2022 and 30 GW
by 2030.
About:

• Indian scenario:
o In 2015, The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy notified National Off-Shore Wind Policy
to realize the offshore wind power potential in the country.
o Preliminary studies have indicated good wind potential for off-shore wind power both in
southern tip of Indian peninsula and west coast.

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• Global scenario:
o Globally there has been installation of about 17 to 18 GW of off-shore wind power led by
countries such as UK, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands & China.
o Recent years have witnessed fall in off-shore wind tariff in some of these markets.
• Significance: Offshore wind power would add a new element to the already existing basket of
renewable energy for the country.

DOUBLING FARMERS INCOME BY 2022

In June 2018, Union Government set up a Chief Ministers Subgroup for coordinated
policy approach on the Agriculture Sector and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
About:

• Terms of Reference:
o To align works under MGNREGS fully to the requirements of achieving the goal of Doubling
Farmers’ Income by 2022.
o The move comes in the backdrop of the vision of the Prime Minister towards Doubling
Farmers’ Income by 2022 which requires a multi-dimensional and inclusive approach.
• Composition:
o It is a Sub-Group of seven Chief Ministers with the CM of Madhya Pradesh as the Convener
and CMs of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Sikkim along
with the Member NITI Aayog, Shri Ramesh Chand as its members.
• The Sub-Group will be serviced by the NITI Aayog.

NATIONAL DATA CENTRE-BHOPAL

In June 2018, Union Electronics and IT Minister announced the setting up of National Data
centre at Bhopal.
About:

• This will be the fifth National Data Centre after the ones at Bhubaneswar, Delhi, Hyderabad and
Pune. These National Data Centres host government websites, services and applications.
• The data centre, which will take about two years to come up, will be set up by the National
Informatics Centre (NIC), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• It will set up the country’s biggest data centre with a capacity to host five lakh virtual servers.

RANI RASHMONI
In June 2018, the last of the five fast patrol vessel (FPV) project of Coast Guard ‘Rani
Rashmoni’ was commissioned. It is named after Rani Rashmoni of Kolkata.
About:

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• Rani Rashmoni (1793—1861) was the founder of the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, Kolkata. She
remained closely associated with Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa after she appointed him as the priest
of the temple.
• Her other construction works include the construction of a road from Subarnarekha River to Puri for
the pilgrims, Babughat (also known as Rani Rashmoni Ghat), Ahiritola Ghat and Nimtola Ghat for the
everyday bathers at the Ganges.

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