PIB Summary- 29th October, 2021 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

Asean

Why in News?

Prime Minister participated in the 18th India-ASEAN Summit.

Details:

• The Summit was held virtually and saw participation from the Leaders of ASEAN Member States.
• Highlighting the milestone of 30th anniversary of India-ASEAN Partnership, the leaders announced the Year 2022 as India-ASEAN Friendship Year.
• Prime Minister underlined the centrality of ASEAN in India’s Act East Policy and in India’s Vision for the wider Indo-Pacific Vision.
• Building upon the synergies between the ASEAN Outlook for the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), PM and ASEAN leaders welcomed the adoption of the India-ASEAN Joint Statement on cooperation for peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

About Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising Ten Countries in Southeast Asia.

Members of ASEAN

• Indonesia
• Philippines
• Singapore
• Thailand
• Brunei
• Vietnam
• Laos
• Myanmar
• Cambodia

ASEAN’s Objectives:

• To promote intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, military, educational, and sociocultural integration among its members and other countries in Asia.
• To maintain close and beneficial cooperation with existing international and regional organisations.
• To promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter.
• To accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development for a prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian Nations.

A major partner of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, ASEAN maintains a global network of alliances and dialogue partners and is considered by many as the central union for cooperation in Asia-Pacific.

• The motto of ASEAN is “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”.
• ASEAN is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia.
• 8th August is observed as ASEAN Day.
• In 1967 ASEAN was established with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by its founding fathers: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
• Chairmanship of ASEAN rotates annually, based on the alphabetical order of the English names of Member States.
• ASEAN is the 3rd largest market in the world – larger than EU and North American markets.

ASEAN Plus Three

ASEAN Plus Three is a forum that functions as a coordinator of co-operation between the ASEAN and the three East Asian nations of China, South Korea, and Japan.

ASEAN Plus Six

• further integration to improve existing ties of Southeast Asia was done by the larger East Asia Summit (EAS), which included ASEAN Plus Three as well as India, Australia, and New Zealand.
• The group became ASEAN Plus Six with Australia, New Zealand, and India, and stands as the linchpin of Asia Pacific’s economic, political, security, socio-cultural architecture, as well as the global economy.
• This group acted as a prerequisite for the planned East Asia Community which was supposedly patterned after the European Community (now transformed into the European Union).

ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA)

• The ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement was signed and entered into force in 2010.
• Under the Agreement, ASEAN Member States and India have agreed to open their respective markets by progressively reducing and eliminating duties on more than 75% coverage of goods.

ASEAN-India Trade in Services Agreement (AITISA)

• The ASEAN-India Trade in Services Agreement was signed in 2014.
• It contains provisions on transparency, domestic regulations, recognition, market access, national treatment and dispute settlement.

ASEAN-India Investment Agreement (AIIA)

• The ASEAN-India Investment Agreement was signed in 2014.
• The Investment Agreement stipulates protection of investment to ensure fair and equitable treatment for investors, non-discriminatory treatment in expropriation or nationalisation as well as fair compensation.

ASEAN-India Free Trade Area (AIFTA)

• The ASEAN–India Free Trade Area (AIFTA) is a free trade area among the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and India.
• The free trade area came into effect in 2010.
• The ASEAN–India Free Area emerged from a mutual interest of both parties to expand their economic ties in the Asia-Pacific region.
• India’s Look East policy was reciprocated by similar interests of many ASEAN countries to expand their interactions westward.
• The signing of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement paves the way for the creation of one of the world’s largest FTAs – a market of almost 1.8 billion people with a combined GDP of US $ 2.8 trillion.
• The AIFTA will see tariff liberalisation of over 90% of products traded between the two dynamic regions, including the so-called “special products,” such as palm oil (crude and refined), coffee, black tea and pepper.

Krishi Udan 2.0

Why in News?

Recently, Krishi UDAN 2.0 was launched.

Details:

• Krishi UDAN 2.0 lays out the vision of
  (i) Improving value realization through better integration and optimization of Agri-harvesting and air transportation
  (ii) Contributing to Agri-value chain sustainability and      resilience under different and dynamic conditions. 
• Development of E-KUSHAL (Krishi Udaan for Sustainable Holistic Agri-Logistics): Proposed to develop a platform which will facilitate in information dissemination to all the stakeholders that will also assist in coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the scheme. Proposed convergence of E-Kushal with National Agriculture Market (e-NAM).
• The model, A2A – Agriculture to Aviation: The convergence between the two sectors is possible because of 3 primary reasons –
  (i) Evolutionary possible use of biofuel for aircraft in future,
  (ii) Use of drones in agriculture sector
  (iii) Greater integration and value realisation of agricultural products through schemes like Krishi UDAN