The IMT trilateral highway will connect Moreh in Manipur to Mae Sot in Thailand.
India is undertaking construction of two sections of the Trilateral Highway in Myanmar.
The two sections are,
Construction of Kalewa-Yagyi road section
Construction of 69 Tamu-Kyigone-Kalewa (TKK) road section.
Both the projects are being funded by Government of India under grant assistance to the Myanmar.
They were awarded on Engineering, Procurement and Construction mode.
The highway will facilitate easy movement of goods and people among the three countries.
The National Highways Authority of India has been appointed as the technical executing agency and project management consultant.
Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI)
It is an annual publication by German watch and Climate Action Network Europe.
It evaluates and compares the climate protection performance of 56 countries and the EU, which are together responsible for more than 90% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
80% of the evaluation is based on objective indicators of emissions trend and emissions level.
20% of the index results are built upon national and international climate policy assessments by more than 200 experts from the respective countries.
The CCPI ranking is qualified in relative terms (better–worse) rather than in absolute terms.
Sweden leads the ranking, followed by Morocco and Lithuania in the CCPI 2019.
Morocco significantly increased the share of renewable over the past five years and increased new renewable energy capacity.
Taiwan
Chinese President Xi Jinping said that Taiwan’s unification with the mainland is inevitable.
China still sees democratic Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified, despite the two sides being ruled separately since the end of a civil war in 1949.
The unification was described as under a “one country, two systems” approach that would “safeguard the interests and well-being of Taiwanese compatriots”.
Relations have been strained since the 2016 election of Taiwan President Tsai, who has refused to acknowledge Beijing’s stance that the island is part of “one China”.
Mine Deaths in India
377 workers involved in mining of coal, minerals and oil were killed in accidents between 2015 and 2017.
Coal mines have accounted for the highest number of casualties due to accidents in mines.
Jharkhand, which recorded 69 deaths (11 in 2015, 46 in 2016 and 12 in 2017) in the three years, has accounted for the highest death of coal mine workers in accidents inside mines
Law Ministry on Judges’ retirement age
In 2010, the Constitution (114th Amendment) Bill, was introduced in the Lok Sabha.
The Bill sought to increase the retirement age of High Court judges to 65.
This could not be taken up for consideration in Parliament and lapsed with the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha.
Recently, Parliamentary Standing Committee proposed that rising the retirement age of judges would help retain the existing judges, which in turn would help in reducing both vacancy and pendency of cases in short run.
The Law Ministry replied that there was no proposal as of now to increase the retirement age of Supreme Court judges from 65 to 67 and of High Court judges from 62 to 65.
As per the existing memorandum of procedure (MoP), the judge appointment proposal has to be initiated by the Chief Justice of the High Court 6 months before the occurrence of vacancy.
Within six weeks, the CM/Governor has to recommend on the proposal received from the Chief Justice.
And within four weeks, the CJI/SC Collegium has to recommend the proposal to the Law Ministry.
