Daily Current Capsules – 24th December

2019

Bilateral Relations

India constructs Girls' Hostel for Nepal Armed Police Force School at Kirtipur

Relevance IN – Prelims ( about India- Nepal relations) + Mains ( GS II

Bilateral relations)

What’s the NEWS

The Govt. of India has constructed Girls' Hostel for Nepal Armed Police

Force School, Kirtipur.

Know! more about it

Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) School is an academic institution

created under the APF Welfare Service Centre of Nepal Armed Police

Force. The school was established in 2005 and it has over 21 per cent of

girls students.

The new infrastructure constructed with the Government of India’s grant

assistance of 40.42 million Nepali Rupees is a two-storied girls' hostel. It

comprises 32 rooms including a dormitory, warden room, bathroom,

sanitation facilities for girls on each floor and furniture.

The newly built infrastructure is expected to boost the learning

environment of students. Government of India is happy to be associated

with the project which complements the effort of the Government of

Nepal in augmenting infrastructure in the field of education.

Prelims Factoids

Kisan Diwas 2019: India Observes National Farmers’ Day, Honours Former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh

Relevance IN – Prelims ( about Kisan Diwas + about Chaudhary charan singh)

What’s the NEWS

Kisan Diwas or National Farmers' Day is observed across India on

December 23.

Know! more about Kisan Diwas and about Chaudhary Charan Singh

The day honours Chaudhary Charan Singh, the 5th Prime Minister of

India whose was born on this day.

It was in the year 2001, the Government of India decided to observe

December 23 every year as Kisan Diwas.

During his tenure as the Prime Minister of India from July 1979 to

January 1980, Chaudhary Charan Singh introduced a slew of policies to

improve the lives and conditions of farmers in the country.

He also played a leading role in the agricultural sector of the country by

introducing bills for farmers' reforms.

Farmers are considered to be the backbone of India's economic

development.

Kisan Diwas is being celebrated every year to promote awareness among

people about the importance of the farmers to the society and overall

economic and social development of the country.

International Relations

Brexit: All you need to know about the UK leaving the EU

Relevance IN – Prelims ( all about Brexit + backstop ) + Mains ( GS II

international relations)

What’s the NEWS

The UK is due to leave the European Union (EU) on 31 January 2020,

after Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal was passed by MPs.

Know! about Brexit

Brexit - British exit - refers to the UK leaving the EU.

Know! about European Union

The EU is an economic and political union involving 28 European

countries. It allows free trade and free movement of people, to live and work in whichever country they choose.

The UK joined in 1973 (when it was known as the European Economic Community). If the UK leaves, it would be the first member state to

withdraw from the EU.

Why is the UK leaving

A public vote - or referendum - was held on Thursday 23 June 2016, to

decide whether the UK should leave or remain.

Leave won by 52% to 48%. The referendum turnout was very high at 72%, with more than 30 million people voting - 17.4 million people

opting for Brexit.

Why hasn't Brexit happened yet?

Brexit was originally due to happen on 29 March 2019. That was two

years after then Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50 - the

formal process to leave - and kicked off negotiations.

Under Mrs May, the deadline was delayed twice after MPs rejected her

Brexit deal - eventually pushing it to 31 October 2019.

Despite negotiating a revised deal, Mr Johnson missed the latest deadline, after MPs failed to pass it into law.

The EU then agreed to a further extension until 31 January 2020.

Why did Parliament reject Theresa May's Brexit deal?

The main sticking point for many Conservative MPs and the DUP (the

government's ally in Parliament at the time) was the Irish backstop.

The backstop was designed to ensure there would be no border posts or

barriers between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after

Brexit.

If it had been needed, the backstop would have kept the UK in a close

trading relationship with the EU and avoided checks altogether.

But many MPs were critical. They said if the backstop was used, the UK could be trapped in it for years. This would prevent the country from

striking trade deals with other countries.

After MPs rejected the deal for a third time, Mrs May resigned as prime minister.

What is the new Brexit deal?

After winning the Conservative leadership contest, Mr Johnson took over as PM in July 2019 and set about renegotiating Mrs May's deal.

Mr Johnson succeeded in replacing the backstop with new customs arrangements.

Unlike the previous deal, the revised one will allow the UK to sign and

implement its own trade agreements with countries around the world.

However, the revised deal effectively creates a customs and regulatory

border between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

This means some goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain

would be subject to checks and pay EU import taxes (known as tariffs).

These would be refunded if goods remain in Northern Ireland (ie are not moved to the Republic of Ireland).

What happens next?

Assuming the European Parliament also gives the green light, the UK will

formally leave the EU on 31 January with a withdrawal deal.

However, this would only mark the next step in the Brexit process.

Following its departure, the UK will enter a transition period until 31

December 2020.

During this period, the UK's trading relationship with the EU will remain

the same while the two sides negotiate a free trade deal.

At the same time, many other aspects of the UK's future relationship with

the EU - including law enforcement, data sharing and security - will need

to be agreed.

Know! about United Kingdom

The United Kingdom, also called the U.K., consists of a group of islands

off the northwest coast of Europe.

It is a unique country made up of four nations: England, Wales, Scotland,

and Northern Ireland. England, Wales, and Scotland also make up Great

Britain.

International Affairs/Prelims Factoids

West African countries to rename CFA franc to cut some ties with 'colonial relic'

Relevance IN – Prelims ( about CFA franc + about eco + about west African

countries)

What’s the NEWS

Eight West African countries agreed to change the name of their

common currency to Eco

West Africa's monetary union has agreed with France to rename its

common currency from CFA franc to Eco and cut some of the financial

links with Paris that have underpinned the region's common currency

since its creation after the Second World War.

Know! more about the deal

Under the deal, the Eco will remain pegged to the euro but the African

countries in the bloc won't have to keep 50 per cent of their reserves in

the French Treasury and there will no longer be a French representative

on the currency union's board.

Critics of the CFA have long seen it as a relic from colonial times while

proponents of the currency say it has provided financial stability in a

sometimes turbulent region.

The CFA is used in 14 African countries with a combined population of

about 150 million and $235 billion (£181bn) of gross domestic product.

However, the changes will only affect the West African form of the

currency used by Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali,

Niger, Senegal and Togo - all former French colonies except Guinea

Bissau.

The six countries using the Central African CFA are Cameroon, Chad,

Central African Republic, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon

- all former French colonies with the exception of Equatorial Guinea.

More about CFA franc

The West African CFA franc which is used in 8 West African countries,

and ‘Central African CFA franc’, which is used in 6 Central African

countries.

Both currencies are guaranteed by French treasury and was created in

1945.

The currency was seen by many as a sign of French interference in its

former African colonies even after countries became independent.

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