PIB Summary- 5th August, 2022 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

India–Mauritius CECPA

Why in news?
India and Mauritius held the 1^st session of India-Mauritius High-Powered Joint Trade Committee on 01-03 August 2022 in New Delhi.

Key Points

• The High-Powered Joint Trade Committee had been constituted as per the mandate of the India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership agreement (CECPA), to review the general functioning and implementation of the India-Mauritius CECPA which entered into force on 1^st April, 2021. 
•  CECPA is the first trade Agreement signed by India with a country in Africa.
• The economies ties between the two countries touched a new high with the signing of the landmark CECPA.
• The Bilateral merchandise trade between India and Mauritius, rose to USD 786.72 million in 2021-22 from USD 690.02 million in 2019-20. Both sides agreed to enhance bilateral collaboration to further increase bilateral trade and realize the true potential of the bilateral relationship especially under the CECPA.

About India–Mauritius relations

• India–Mauritius relations date back to 1730, diplomatic relations were established in 1948, before Mauritius became independent state.
• The cultural affinities and long historical ties between the two nations have contributed to strong and cordial relations between the two nations.
• More than 68% of the Mauritian population are of Indian origin, most commonly known as Indo-Mauritians.
• India and Mauritius co-operate in combating piracy, which has emerged as a major threat in the Indian Ocean region and Mauritius supports India’s stance against terrorism.
• From the 1820s, Indian workers started coming into Mauritius to work on sugar plantations.
• In the 1830s, when slavery was abolished by the British Parliament, large numbers of Indian workers began to be brought into Mauritius as indentured labourers.
• Novermber 2nd is observed as ‘Aapravasi Day’ to mark the ship named ‘Atlas’ docking in Mauritius in1834 carrying the first batch of Indian indentured labourers.

About the CECPA Between India and Mauritius

• CECPA provides for an institutional mechanism to encourage and improve trade between the two countries.
• The CECPA between India and Mauritius covers various export items for India, including food stuff and beverages, agricultural products, textiles etc., and Mauritius will benefit from preferential market access into India for its products, including frozen fish, speciality sugar, alcoholic drinks, etc.
• As regards trade in services, Indian service providers will have access to service sectors, such as professional services, computer related services, research & development etc.
• Both sides have also agreed to negotiate an Automatic Trigger Safeguard Mechanism (ATSM) for a limited number of highly sensitive products within two years of the Signing of the Agreement.
• This CECPA with Mauritius is the first trade Agreement signed by India with a country in Africa
• The Agreement is a limited agreement, which will cover Trade in Goods, Rules of Origin, Trade in Services, Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, Dispute Settlement, Movement of Natural Persons, Telecom, Financial services, Customs Procedures and Cooperation in other Areas.

DRDO successfully test fires indigenously developed laser-guided ATGMs

Why in News?
Indigenously developed Laser-Guided Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) were successfully test-fired from Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Army.

• The all-indigenous Laser Guided ATGM employs a tandem High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead to defeat Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) protected armoured vehicles.

About DRDO

• DRDO is the Research and Development wing of Ministry of Defence, Govt of India.
• DRDO with a vision to empower India with cutting-edge defence technologies and a mission to achieve self-reliance in critical defence technologies and systems, while equipping our armed forces with state-of-the-art weapon systems and equipment in accordance with requirements laid down by the three Services.
• DRDO was formed in 1958 by the merger of the Technical Development Establishment and the Directorate of Technical Development and Production of the Indian Ordnance Factories with the Defence Science Organisation.
• DRDO’s motto is “Strength’s Origin is in Knowledge” (in Sanskrit बलस्य मूलं विज्ञानम्).
• DRDO Headquarters is in New Delhi.