09/09/2017 SaturdayPrashant Mavani, is an expert in current affairs analysis and holds a MSc in Management for University of Surrey (U.K.). Above all he is a passionate teacher.

Ministry of Finance

• India has slapped countervailing duty (CVD) for a period of 5 years on certain Chinese flat steel products.

The notification issued by the Finance Ministry prescribes a total of 18.95 percent CVD on imports of Stainless steel flat products from China.

• The decision to impose CVD was taken by the Ministry following the recommendation of Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD).

• The decision would provide the much needed relief to the stainless steel industry from the subsidised imports from China.

• Welcoming the decision, Steel Minister Birender Singh said it will help the domestic players to grow to full potential.

• These duties can be imposed under the specifications given by the WTO (World Trade Organization) after the investigation finds that exporters are engaged in dumping. These are also known as anti-dumping duties.

• Besides, it will strengthen the ongoing efforts of Indian industry to move towards 100 per cent quality regime for better safety and health of users.

• The move assumes significance as the Steel sector is facing challenges due to cheap steel imports.

Ministry of Defence

• India’s indigenously developed 3rd generation Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM), Nag.

• It has been successfully flight tested twice by DRDO on 8-9-2017 against two different targets in the ranges of Rajasthan.

• The ATGM Nag missile has successfully hit both the targets under different ranges and conditions with very high accuracy as desired by the Armed Forces.

• The missile incorporates an advanced passive homing guidance system and possesses high single-shot kill probability. It is designed to destroy modern main battle tanks and other heavily armoured targets.

• Nag was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP).

• With these two successful flight trials, and the flight test conducted earlier in June in the peak of summer, the complete functionality of Nag ATGM along with launcher system NAMICA has been established and marked the successful completion of development trials of Nag Missile.

• NAMICA (Nag Missile Carrier)is a tracked ICV built for the army. • It is equipped with a thermal imager for target acquisition. NAMICA is a modified

BMP-2 ICV produced as "Sarath" in India. • The carrier weights 14.5 tonnes in full combat load and is capable of moving 7

km/h in water. The carriers are capable of carrying 12 missiles with 8 in ready-to-fire mode.

• The NAMICA carrier was put through transportation trials covering 155 km during summer trials.

• The External Affairs Ministry has said that it was monitoring the situation and communicating with the Indian diaspora in the US, Venezuela, France and the Netherlands in the wake of deadly Hurricane Irma.

• The Ministry's Spokesman Ravish Kumar said in a series of tweets today that Indian missions in the four countries were in touch with local government officials to provide assistance to the affected Indians.

• The External Affairs Ministry spokesman also tweeted telephone numbers for Indians to contact in case of emergency: • Embassy of India, Venezuela (+58 4241951854 / 4142214721); Netherlands

(+31247247247); France (0800000971).

• Over five million people, including thousands of Indian-Americans, have been asked to evacuate from parts of coastal Florida after Hurricane Irma, an extremely powerful Category 5 storm, barreled towards the state after wrecking havoc on the Caribbean islands.

• Irma is expected to landfall in Florida tomorrow, which at its current trend officials said, is likely to cause devastation across Florida and surrounding areas

• Storm surge: It is an abnormal increases in water levels caused by the force of winds.

• Water gets pushed onto the shore with violent force, exacerbating the damage caused by vicious hurricane gusts.

• Tropical area: 2nd innings of disaster would be outbreak of diseases.

• Foreign Secretary Dr. S Jaishankar said, India's special strategic and global partnership with Japan have witnessed an impressive expansion in the last few years.

• In his address at the India-Japan Colloquium in New Delhi, Dr Jaishankar said shared values of openness, democracy and respect for the rule of law combined with convergence of political, economic and strategic interests create an enduring basis for this stronger partnership.

• Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe met 9 times in the last three years on different occasions and it has injected new vigour in this relationship and imparted it a greater momentum.

• Japan has given a go ahead for Civil Nuclear Partnership with India.• India has not signed Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), then as well Japan trusts India.

• Without a green signal from Japan, USA based companies cannot build nuclear power plants in India.

• The Asia Africa Growth Corridor is an attempt to create a “free and open Indo-Pacific region” by rediscovering ancient sea-routes and creating new sea corridors that will link the African continent with India and countries in South-Asia and South-East Asia.

• Sea corridors will be “low-cost” and have “less carbon footprint” when compared to a land corridor.

• Japan’s contribution to the project will be its state-of-the-art technology and ability to build quality infrastructure, while India will bring in its expertise of working in Africa.

The End

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