PIB Summary- 13th November, 2021 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

Destination Northeast India 

Why in News?

Recently, a seven-day cultural festival of the northeast as part of the celebrations of 75 years of Independence under the Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav programme concluded at the National Museum, Delhi.

About Destination North East India:

• It is celebrating the rich heritage of North East India, under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region & North Eastern Council (NEC)’s initiative titled “Destination NorthEast India”.
• Aim: To bring the rest of India closer to North East (NE) India.
• It holds a special presentation of art and craft, textiles, ethnic products, tourism promotion etc. of the eight northeastern states.
• North Eastern Council (NEC) is the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the NE Region which consists of the eight States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. It was constituted in 1971 by an Act of Parliament.

North Eastern  Region

• North East is connected to the rest of the country through a narrow corridor called the chicken neck, near Siliguri.
• North East is surrounded by Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Nepal and Myanmar. It is strategically important for India.
• Only about 30 – 35 % of the area of North East is plain land, mostly in three valleys namely the Brahmaputra, the Barak, and Imphal valleys. The rest of the area is hilly land.
• NE states play an important role as the physical bridge between India and Southeast Asia.
• The NER has immense natural resources, accounting for around 34% of the country’s water resources and almost 40% of India’s hydropower potential.
• Northeast of India is home to many wildlife sanctuaries like Kaziranga National Park famous for the one horned rhinoceros, Manas National Park, Nameri, Orang, Dibru Saikhowa in Assam, Namdapha in Arunachal Pradesh, Balpakram in Meghalaya, Keibul Lamjao in Manipur, Intanki in Nagaland, Khangchendzonga in Sikkim.
• Tribes in NER have their own culture. Popular festivals include Hornbill Festival of Nagaland, Pang Lhabsol of Sikkim, etc.

Indo - Thai Corpat

Why in News?

The 32nd edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) between the Indian Navy and the Royal Thai Navy is being conducted from 12 – 14 November 2021.

Details:

• Towards reinforcing maritime links between the two countries and with an aim of keeping this vital part of the Indian Ocean safe and secure for international trade, the two navies have been undertaking CORPAT bi-annually since 2005 along their International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
• CORPAT builds up understanding and interoperability between navies and facilitates institution of measures to prevent and suppress unlawful activities like Illegal Unreported Unregulated (IUU) fishing, drug trafficking, maritime terrorism, armed robbery and piracy.
• It further helps enhance the operational synergy by exchange of information for prevention of smuggling, illegal immigration and for conduct of search and rescue (SAR) operations at sea.
• As part of Government of India’s vision of SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region), the Indian Navy has been proactively engaging with the countries in the Indian Ocean Region towards enhancing regional maritime security.
• This has been through bilateral and multilateral exercises, Coordinated Patrols, Joint EEZ Surveillance, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.
• The Indian Navy and Royal Thai Navy have especially enjoyed a close and friendly relationship covering a wide spectrum of activities and interactions, which have strengthened over the years.  
• The 32nd Indo-Thai CORPAT will contribute towards Indian Navy’s efforts to consolidate inter-operability and forge strong bonds of friendship between India and Thailand.