1.

Yudh Abhyaas 2014: Indo US combined military exercise

The India-US Combined Military Training Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2014 concluded at Ranikhet in
Uttarakhand on 30 September 2014. The Yudh Abhyas 2014, the 10th of its kind started on 17
September 2014.
Yudh Abhyas 2014, a part of bilateral defence cooperation, aimed at sharing of ideas, concepts
and learning from each others experiences.
During the 14-day exercise, the troops of Mountain Brigade of Indian Army and Company and
Brigade Headquarter of the US Army cooperated to strengthen and broaden inter-operability
and cooperation between armies of the US and India. It also featured training, planning and
executing a series of tactical drills by contingents for neutralizing possible threats. It also
focused on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in mountainous terrain and in
United Nations mandated operations.
The two armies fielded state-of-the-art equipment for surveillance and tracking, specialist
weapons for close quarter battle with terrorists, explosives, IEDs and detectors, as well as latest
communication equipment.
The defense activity also exhibited ways to peacefully control crowds and minimize civilian
casualties during encounters especially in places like Jammu and Kashmir.
2. Afghanistan signed bilateral agreement with the US

Background:
Talks on the security agreement began in November 2012 with a stated goal of reaching an
agreement by May 2013. However, the ex-President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai had refused to
sign the deal in a disagreement that came to symbolise the breakdown of Afghan-US relations.
During the campaign trail, both Ghani and his poll rival Abdullah Abdullah had vowed to reverse
Karzai's decision. The signing of the deal by newly elected President Ashraf Ghani is intended to
repair the ties with Washington.
Main highlights of Bilateral Security Arrangement (BSA):
12000 foreign military personnel to stay after December 2014 when the combat mission of
Afghanistan's US-led NATO force ends.
Out of this 10000 US soldiers will remain in Afghanistan when the combat mission of North

Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) will end in December 2014.

The troops will continue training, advising and equipping Afghan soldiers and police, and to
carry out counter-terrorism operations.
It allows the US to hold a civil or criminal trial or take other disciplinary action, as appropriate,
in the territory of Afghanistan in the case that a US soldier is accused of a crime.
It does not require US forces to intervene if Afghanistan comes under foreign attack.
Foreign troops would not be able to enter holy sites or civilian homes, a longstanding demand
of former President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai.
The US has the right to keep bases in Afghanistan as long as the security pact is in force, and in
return it promises to raise funds to train and equip the Afghan security forces, which now
number 350000.
Besides, Atmar also signed a status of forces agreement with NATO, providing similar legal
protections for the alliances personnel in Afghanistan. With this NATO announced a new
mission named Resolute Support.
3. Kotak Mahindra acquired 15% stake of FTIL in MCX for 459 crore rupees
Kotak Mahindra Bank on 29 September 2014 acquired 15 percent stake of Financial
Technologies (India) Ltd (FTIL) in Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) for 459 crore rupees. Kotak
Bank acquired MCX shares at about 664 rupees a piece.
After the Forward Markets Commission declared FTIL as unfit to hold stake in the commodity
exchange, FTIL was forced to offload its holding in the exchange.
Forward Market Commission declared FTIL unfit after its arm, National Spot Exchange, failed to
settle trade worth 5600 crore rupees on its platform.
With this deal, FTIL managed to sell its entire 26 per cent shareholding in MCX for about 900
crore rupees. The deal lifts the embargo on MCX to launch contracts for the next calendar year.
Besides reducing the term of the technology contract, MCX will now pay FTIL a fixed charge of
1.5 crore rupees a month, including managed services payable in advance on a semi annual
basis. Earlier, it was paying 2 crore rupees a month.
FTIL will also get a variable charge of 10.3 per cent of gross transaction fees, compared with 12.5
per cent earlier. MCX paid about 60 crore rupees to FTIL for receiving technological support and
services last fiscal.
Earlier, FTIL concluded a long-term 10-year technology contract with MCX for providing software
support and managed services on mutually agreed terms and conditions, and a further renewal
as may be mutually agreed upon.