The Bamiyan valley is enclosed by the Hindu Kush Mountains, which is located in Afghanistan.
The valley lies on the ancient Silk Route and hence, witnessed several developments.
It was an important hub for trade and served as the site for early Hindu-Buddhist settlements from which it takes its name.
Several Buddhist monasteries, caves and Buddha statues can be found across the valley.
The Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley comprise eight separate sites spread across the valley and its tributaries.
Of these, the Bamiyan cliffs where once two giant Buddhas stood are the most famous.
The valley is a UNESCO world heritage site.
NIMAS expedition team to Mt Everest
Raksha Mantri flagged-in the expedition team to Mt. Everest conducted successfully by National Institute for Mountaineering & Allied Sports (NIMAS), Dirang Arunachal Pradesh recently.
The expedition started from South Ridge of Mt Everest from Nepal side on 02 April2018 from Lukla to Everest Base camp via Namche.
It is for the first time that any National Institute expedition team has put eight members on the top of Mt.Everest in their maiden attempt.
The institute was carefully crafted to offer training across land, air and water – a first of its kind that allows civilians to experience challenges across a variety of outdoor surfaces as well as pursue a career in adventure sports.
One of the main roles of the NIMAS campus is to act as the base camp for all the different programmes that the institute conducts.
Dirang is accessible from both Tawang, where most of the mountaineering activities are conducted as well as East Kameng, where students are taken for their training in rafting and aero sports.
Peace dividend
The term refers to the economic benefit received by the citizens of a country when the government redirects spending from military to civilian purposes.
For instance, countries that took part in World War II witnessed an economic boom after the war ended.
Soldiers returned to work in the more peaceful sectors of the economy.
Resources that were earlier allocated towards war efforts now became available for civilian uses, thus improving living standards.
The reduction of taxes, which were earlier used to fund the military, also increased the incentive to work.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016
The government plans to change the definition of illegal migrants with The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016,
The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha that seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955.
It is to provide citizenship to illegal migrants, from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, who are of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian extraction.
The Act doesn’t have a provision for Muslim sects who also face persecution in Pakistan.
According to the Citizenship Act, 1955, an illegal immigrant is one who enters India without a valid passport or with forged documents or, a person who stays beyond the visa permit.
The Bill is designed to grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees persecuted in neighbouring countries, National Register of Citizens does not distinguish migrants on the basis of religion.
Maternal mortality ratio
As per the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) data, the MMR (number of maternal deaths per 1,00,000 live births) has dropped from 167 (in 2011-2013) to 130 for the country.
This 28% drop is an achievement arising from painstakingly reducing the MMR in each of the States.
“Southern States” — Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu
“Others” — the remaining States and union territories.
The highest reduction from the last SRS is with the EAG States at 23%, a drop from 246 (2011-2013) to 188, while the Other States have dropped by 19%, taking the MMR down from 115 in 2011-2013, to 93 now.
Kerala remains at the top with an MMR of 46 (down from 61).
Maharashtra retains its second position with 61, but the pace of fall has been much lower, dropping from 68 during 2011-13.
Tamil Nadu with 66 (79) is in the third position.
IND-INDO CORPAT
The opening ceremony of IND-INDO CORPAT was earlier conducted at Port Blair followed by co-ordinated patrol (CORPAT).
The India- Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) commenced in 2002 and 25 cycles of the CORPAT (two per year) have been conducted so far.
For undertaking these patrols, one ship and one fixed wing aircraft from each country is deployed.
Indian Naval assets have been increasingly deployed in recent times to address the main maritime concerns of the region.
In addition, as part of the Indian Government’s vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region), the Indian Navy has also been involved in assisting countries in the Indian Ocean Region with EEZ surveillance, Search and Rescue, HADR and other capacity-building and capability-enhancement activities.
