Morning Brief: India To Be The Third Largest Tourism Economy; ISRO To Launch Communication Satellite; China Gives Missile Tracking Systems To Pakistan

Good morning, dear reader! Here’s your morning news and views brief for today.

India To Be The Third Largest Tourism Economy In 10 Years

In the next 10 years, India is likely to become the third largest tourism economy, a 2018 economic impact report by World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has said. Released on Thursday, the report also says that the country would add nearly 10 million jobs in the tourism sector by 2028. The total number of jobs dependent directly or indirectly on the travel and tourism industry will increase from 42.9 million in 2018 to 52.3 million in 2028. India, which is currently the seventh largest travel and tourism economy in the world, should work on improving infrastructure, said the President and Chief Executive of WTTC Gloria Guevara.

“The biggest single area of improvement for travel and tourism in India is infrastructure. Tourism is a competitive business in a global context and India’s near neighbours to the east and west have built world-class tourism infrastructure in the form of airports, sea ports, high-speed rail and roads. WTTC has long welcomed the opportunity of the Regional Connectivity Scheme to open up 350 unserved and underserved airports and airstrips,” Guevara said in an interview.

ISRO To Launch Communication Satellite On 29 March

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch GSAT-6A, a communication satellite, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, on 29 March. The satellite will be launched atop GSLV Mark-II. According to ISRO, GSAT-6A is a high power S-band communication satellite with a lift-off mass of 2140 kg. The spacecraft has been designed for a mission lasting 10 years. The satellite will provide a platform for developing technologies useful in future satellite-based mobile communication applications, the agency has said. The launch of the satellite comes ahead of the likely launch of India’s second lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2, which involves soft landing a rover on the surface of the moon. ISRO is currently examining how to build habitations on the moon.

China Gives Supply Missile Tracking Systems To Pakistan

China has sold Pakistan powerful missile tracking systems that could help the terror-sponsoring nation speed up its missile development program, a report has revealed. Chinese authorities declassified information about the deal on Wednesday, the report says. The systems, which an expert said are highly sophisticated and large-scale, come with a pair of high-performance telescopes equipped with laser rangers, high-speed cameras, infrared detectors and a centralised computer system. These systems are equipped to capture and follow moving targets automatically, thereby providing critical data which can be used improve the design of missiles and engine performance. Pakistani has already deployed the Chinese-made systems.

These systems will help Pakistan in development of multi-warhead missiles. These missiles, called multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs), can carry multiple warheads and deliver them at different targets.

Trump Announces $60 Billion In Tariffs On Chinese Imports

In an attempt to level the economic playing field with China, US President Donald Trump has ordered US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to levy tariffs of least $60 billion on Chinese imports. This move comes after a seven-month investigation by the United States Trade Representative into allegations that China has been violating US intellectual property. The US President has also directed Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to propose new investment restrictions on Chinese companies within 60 days to safeguard technologies the US considers strategic.

“This has been long in the making,” Trump said. “We have a tremendous intellectual property theft situation going on” with China affecting hundreds of billions of dollars in trade each year, he added. Trump's trade director, Peter Navarro, has described the move as "strategically defending itself against economic aggression."

UP Government To Consider Withdrawing Riots Cases

The Yogi Adityanath-led government in Uttar Pradesh would consider withdrawing cases related to the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots if they are found to be “politically motivated”. According to state Law Minister Brijesh Pathak, over 62 lakh cases are pending in courts at present and the state government is in the process of withdrawing all “politically motivated” ones.

“After all, such cases are also registered under IPC and if they are politically motivated, then they would also be considered for withdrawal,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the ongoing Budget Session. “There should not be a confusion. We are talking about politically motivated cases and not cases against politicians,” Pathak added.

Government To Increase Number Of Bankruptcy Courts

The government is planning to increase the number of bankruptcy courts to ease the load on existing benches and expedite resolution of insolvency cases. It is also set to hire more judicial and technical officers in about two months for new National Company Law Tribunal benches at Cuttack, Jaipur and Kochi. The government wants to make sure that it takes no more than a year to resolve cases of bankruptcy.

“The heavy load will have to be addressed by having more courts. If we can reduce the time taken for resolution from 4.3 years in the earlier system to less than a year, it will be a real achievement,” corporate affairs secretary Injeti Srinivas has said, adding that the idea is to turn around a bankrupt firm before its value erodes.

EC Calls Meeting Over Cambridge Analytica Row

The Election Commission of India (ECI) will hold a meeting on 27 March to discuss measures to protect upcoming elections in India from being influenced after Cambridge Analytica harvested Facebook data of millions and used it to subvert poll outcome. The body has decided to discuss steps it needs to take to ensure that “forces that subvert the electoral process are neutralised”. The commission meets every week on Tuesday to discuss issues related to polls.

BJP Set For Big Gains In Rajya Sabha Polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to gain big in the polls for 59 Rajya Sabha seats today. At present, the BJP has 58 members of Parliament (MPs) in Rajya Sabha, while the National Democratic Alliance as a whole has 82. Although the BJP is expected to lose some seats in Gujarat and one in Bihar, it is likely to add at least 15 seats to its tally. The Congress’s strength may come down to 48 from the current 57.

The results will increase the BJP’s tally in the Rajya Sabha, but the party, along with its allies and friendly parties like the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, would lack the numbers to push through a constitutional amendment.

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We hope you enjoyed reading our morning brief. Have a great day ahead!

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