Current Affairs 10-OCT-2023 (The Hindu)

Indian Ocean Rim Association

(C-B-D,T-H Pg-14,12)

Indian Ocean Rim Association

• An inter-governmental organization.
• Established on 7 March 1997.
• Aim - strengthen regional cooperation & sustainable development within the Indian Ocean region.
• Tripartite in nature - brings together representatives of Government, Business, and Academia.
• Based on principles of Open Regionalism for strengthening Economic Cooperation.
• Apex body - Council of Foreign Ministers (COM).
  • Meets annually to discuss the developments of IORA.
• Secretariat is based in Cyber City, Ebene, Mauritius.

Objectives

• Promote sustainable Growth and balanced development of the region and member states.
• Focus on those areas of economic cooperation - provide maximum opportunities for development, shared interest, and mutual benefits.
• Promote liberalization, remove impediments, and lower barriers towards a freer and enhanced flow of goods, services, investment, and technology.

Practice Question – Prelims

Q. With reference to Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), consider the following statements:

1. One of its objectives is to promote sustainable growth and balanced development of the region and member states.
2. Its secretariat is located in Mauritius.
3. The Indian Ocean Dialogue (IOD) is a flagship initiative of IORA.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Periodic Labor Force Survey (PLFS)

(C-B-D,T-H Pg-12,10)

PLFS

Collects comprehensive data on labor force indicators:

• Employment
• Unemployment
• Labor force participation

Covers both rural and urban areas.

Conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO).

Replaced Employment-Unemployment Surveys Conducted By National Sample Survey Office.

Collection of Data

Household surveys - selected households and individuals.

Regarding employment status and economic activities.

Frequency

Time interval of three months for urban areas:

• Current Weekly Status (CWS).

Annual basis for both rural and urban areas:

• Usual status and Current Weekly Status.

Unemployment Rate

Unemployment Rate - Percentage of Unemployed Persons in the Labor Force.

On an average in a week preceding the date of the survey.

Labor Force Participation Rate

Number of persons in labor force as a percentage of the working-age population.

Labor force - sum of the number of persons employed and the number of persons unemployed.

Working age population - Population of 15 years age and above.

Recent Survey on LFPR

For Urban Areas - LFPR increased from 47.5% in April-June 2022 to 48.8% in April-June 2023.

For men - LFPR remained relatively stable at around 73.5% during this period.

For women - LFPR increased from 20.9% to 23.2%.

Worker-Population Ratio

Worker-Population Ratio (WPR) is defined as the percentage of employed persons in the population.

Recent Survey on WPR

WPR in urban areas increased from 43.9% in April-June 2022 to 45.5% in April-June 2023.

For men - WPR increased from 68.3% to 69.2%.

For women - WPR increased from 18.9% to 21.1% during this period.

Practice Question – Prelims

Q. Which body under the government of India is responsible for collecting and disseminating statistics on various aspects of the country's economy, including national income, industrial production, unemployment data?

(a) Labour Bureau

(b) National Statistical Office

(c) Reserve Bank of India

(d) Comptroller and Auditor General of India

History of Palestine

(C-B-D,T-H Pg-12,10)

History of Palestine

Old Palestine

• 1517 to 1917: Ruled by the Ottoman Empire.
• WW 1: Ottoman Empire lost to allied powers.
• 1918: League of Nations (LoN) permitted UK to administer Palestine.
• Balfour declaration (UK): Established a national home for Jewish people + protecting rights of Arab people.
  • Result: Aim was not met.

• 1947 - UN’s partition plan (2-state solution):
  • Accepted by Jews: State of Israel was established on May 14, 1948.
  • Rejected by Arabs: Led to the 1st Arab-Israeli War.
    • Outcome: Victory to Israel & division of territory.
• 1964 - Formation of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO):
  • Aim: To liberate Palestine.



1967 - 2nd Arab-Israeli war:


• Outcome: Israel won the war, occupying East Jerusalem, Golan Heights of Syria, and Sinai Peninsula of Egypt.
• 1982: Israel left the Sinai Peninsula.

1987 - Hamas originated:

• Aim: Armed struggle against Israel to liberate Palestine.

1st Intifada - 1987

• 1993 - Oslo Peace Accords:
  • Outcome: Israel left parts of the West Bank in 1997, leading to the formation of the Palestinian Authority.
  • Opposed by Hamas.

2nd Palestinian Intifada - 2000:

• Outcome: Israel left the Gaza strip in 2005.
• Gaza: Currently ruled by Hamas.

Difficulties in Attaining a 2-State Solution

• Indifferences with partition plan:
  • Jews: Accepted & established Israel.
  • Arabs: Rejected the plan, leading to Arab-Israeli wars.
  • Result: Israel angered and captured territories of proposed Palestine.
• Difference in Opinion:
  • Israel: Resists the creation of Palestine due to violence & security threats.
  • Arabs: Continue to struggle to regain Original Palestine.

Practice Question – Mains GS – II

Q. Analyse the prevailing difficulties in attaining the two-state solution of Israel and Palestine as proposed by the United Nations.

(150 words, 10 marks)