Nov 25, 2016 RSTV Video

The Big Picture - Is Indian Economy under Stress?

Archives     Is Indian Economy under Stress?   TOPIC: General Studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.   The performance of the Indian Economy has to be identified- if it is performing well or is under stress. The analysts and economists have a mixed answer to this question. A good monsoon, 7th Pay commission bonanza being given to government servants leading to demand creation, 7% GDP and GVA, increased revenue collections, 65000 crore black money disclosure are all signs of economy looking up. However, at the same time, huge bad and stressed loans in banks, slump in credit growth in industrial sector, job creation not happening are some of the few indicators which clearly indicates an economy under stress. Present state of Indian Economy There is confusion in current state of Indian economy. Things are pointing in different directions, so by looking at it from a distance, it is very confusing. Industries The manufacturing sector is recovering very slowly, lower than expectations. Though the gross value added in manufacturing is shown 8% but IIP is shown in negative. Hence, true picture cannot be concluded. Industry is still not facing capacity shortages which is why they are not investing. Construction related industry has started picking up because of road projects. Industrial growth, investment growth and manufacturing growth will pick up from next year as new investments are just picking up. The credit to industry has come down, but over past few years is that there is tremendous growth in the extent to which industry is financing its working capital- by issuing commercial paper (CP). The volume of CP has shot up because cost is much lower. The discounting rate of CP is between 6.5-10%. This is the reason they are not taking loans from banks. The larger corporate sector which can issue CP has seen rise, but it is not true for small and medium industry where also there is a need for credit. The credit to small and medium is not much visible as the inventories are going down as inventory is one of the reason to take credit. If the inventory is going down, it means that industry is not expecting growth to take place. Agriculture and Rural economy There was a consumer boom in rural areas earlier because of big increases in MSP and expansion in NREGA. Both these have now become static. Agriculture faced drought for last 2 years and this is where demand slacked. It is now expected to rise this year as monsoon was near-normal. Good monsoon will drive up the agricultural purchases. The credit of take is high in agriculture and this will help rural and urban consumption than last year. Initially, NREGA allocation and expenditure has been more than budgeted. It is possibility of additional supplementary demand. So there is capacity is there to increase rural demand. The urban demand will also increase due to pay commission impact. Investments The investment in Indian economy has not picked up as per expectations. It was at peak in 2007-08 with 38% and fell to 28% and now it is roughly around 32%. If there is almost 8% GDP growth, then there should be higher investments, boost in capital goods, industrial and agricultural production should be up and savings should be more. But nothing is growing. So, it doubts if the GDP numbers are actually showing true picture or not. The capital goods production is down by 22% and the corporate investment is down. The public investments is increasing, but the overall investment is not. The private sector is investing less and less and hence it negates the increase public investment. The foreign investments are 10% of total investments. So 90% is internal investments whose sources have to be increased. Boom time saw lot of investments. But many of it came from new entrants like Tata Nano, airlines increasing in India etc. Here, the investments was coming from new companies. The new entrant will do marketing, win business from others and thus there is more capacity and competition. And that is what drove FDI. Currently, even Make in India is not attracting many potential players in manufacturing industry. External environment Exports have not been going very well, they have been negative for almost 20 months. This is because the external environment is presenting a very confused picture where US is doing well at times and not at other, sometimes China is slowing down and the BRICS economy is seeing slump and Eurozone is in tepid situation. Banking The NPAs are very high. This means that credit to industry is a problem, especially to infrastructure. The emphasis laid by former RBI Governor on cleaning of bank balance sheet should be priority to let the banks to their business. It is largely due to the mix up of old indicators with new indicators. Base year has been shifted, WPI and CPI indicators have seen change. But old indicaotrs like IIP remain. So it is important that IIP numbers should be now discardrd as it is giving worng indication of overall indian economy. There is decline in credit to private sector. But if looked at past 6-8 months of Indian economy, it is largely driven by foreign investments and public investments. Areas of investments For public investments, the source of money is important. FDI- Last year, FDI inflow was 31 billion dollars and outflows were about 18 billion dollars. So net investment was of 13 billion dollars. Out of it, many sectors were permitted to have 49% so bulk of it went for buying shares from Indians. So, the greenfield investments were not much and it got only 3 billion dollars which is very less. This is where new jobs and new value addition takes place. Black money- it was 65000crores, the tax benefits to government is 28000 crore which is not much. Telecom sector- by higher spectrum prices, the high prices are actually being transferred to people. This is the reason, the government received less than expected revenue from spectrum allocation. Revenue mobilisation- the direct tax collections seem to have improved but the resources side is cause for concern. There were lot of bets on spectrum and on disinvestments. But they have not met the targets. Challenges before Finance Minister The biggest challenge is that there is no job creation. No organised sector job creation, the unorganised sector job creation is also coming to a standstill. This will create sense of insecurity amongst people and this is harmful for overall economic growth. Instead of resorting to ad hoc revenue options like spectrum allocation and disinvestments, there has to be a stable, predictable policy which will be applied for years to come. The lowering of RBI interest rates will not have much impact unless the banks pass it on. The EMI is what the current citizens are depending upon for their expenses. And if the interest on them is reduced, there can be a significant impact in demand in the economy. Conclusion The Indian economy seems to be moving towards a jobless growth which is a worrying concern. It has also not fared as expected in ‘ease of doing business’ index which could have assured more investments in country and thereby possibility of actual growth. Though the economy has green shoots too in terms of increased public investments, increased rural demand and better agricultural output, there is need for more robust policies which can actually drive the Indian economy towards qualitative and quantitative growth. Connecting the dots: What is the present condition of Indian economy? Critically analyse the role of sectors which affect the economy.  

Nov 25, 2016 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 68]

Click here to get all the Tests– Archives Q.1) Which of the following releases ICT Development Index (IDI) International Telecommunications Union (ITU) World Economic Forum UN ICT Task Force International Development Informatics Association (IDIA) Q.2) Consider the following statements about Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) The area encircling the earth near the equator where the northeast and southeast trade winds come together is known as ITCZ The zone experiences low precipitation and high humidity Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2  Q.3) Which of the following countries do not border Lake Victoria of Africa? Tanzania Uganda Zaire Rwanda Select the correct code: 1, 3 and 4 3 and 4 2 and 4 1 and 2 Q.4) Union Cabinet approved the new Merchant Shipping Bill, 2016 for introducing it in the Parliament. Consider the following statements It will repeal Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 as well as The Coasting Vessels Act, 1838 The Coasting Vessels Act, 1838 provides for registration of non-mechanically propelled vessels to a limited jurisdiction of Saurashtra and Kutch Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) CFTRI is trying to bring about an ‘omega revolution’ in India by developing protein enriched and Omega-3 enriched chocobars, by adding chia and quinoa seeds to chocobars help reduce fat and sugar. Consider the following statements w.r.t Omega-3 fatty acids Omega-3 comes only from plant sources Mammals are unable to synthesize omega-3 fatty acids Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Download the Solution- Click here All the best IASbaba

Nov 25, 2016 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 24th November, 2016

Archives   IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 24th November, 2016   ECONOMY   TOPIC: General Studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Investment models.   Private Investment in India   What is Private Investment? A private investment in public equity involves the selling of publicly traded common shares or some form of preferred stock or convertible security to private investors. It is an allocation of shares in a public company not through a public offering in a stock exchange.   Statistics and Recent Trends In 2015, India has recorded a 10-year low in investments in public-private sector adding to contraction that pulled down the global investment. According to the World Bank, global private infrastructure investment in 2015, though on par with the previous year, was 10 per cent lower than the previous five-year average because of dwindling commitments in China, Brazil, and India. Recent Economic Reforms The government in the past few years has taken a few steps which are conducive for the growth of private investment. Some of these reforms are highlighted below: Increasing public infrastructure investment. Structural reforms in key sectors such as power. The long-awaited Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. Latest reforms in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) increasing limits on FDI in critical sectors. Legislative and policy measure such as introduction of Goods and Service Tax (GST), Make in India and other reforms in areas such as labour.   Challenges to Private Investment Public investment in India also faces limitations due to the increasing public debt and the government’s strategy towards fiscal consolidation. India’s financial and corporate sector balance sheets have been highly stressed lately because of credit-led corporate leverage. This is having impact on the short term credit growth. Demand side corporate vulnerabilities have also lowered the scope for private investment. The corporate bond market in India is still in its infancy and is relatively small Weak profitability coupled with over indebtedness, limits the ability of the Indian corporate sector. The problem of indebtedness remains persistent due to weak institutions relating to bankruptcy. The Public Private Partnership (PPP) Model needs to be restructured with institutional reforms to make it more viable. Bank credit growth especially to industry has been declining significantly in recent years reflecting weakened capital, profitability and asset quality of many public-sector banks. It is these public sector banks which have financed a significant portion of infrastructure. Risk inversion in the Indian banking and investment scenario. With the consequences of the global financial crisis in 2008, the external environment has remained weak and dull ever since.   Bank Corporate Nexus The problem of growth of investment in our country is majorly attributable to the inter relatedness between the performance of banks and the corporate sector players. This is a major problem that has to be resolved. India has introduced a series of far-reaching measures to deal with the bank-corporate nexus. Increase banks’ loan loss provisions. Improve corporate governance of public-sector banks, recapitalize them, and restructure stressed assets in a sustainable way through asset-restructuring schemes. To better recognize the extent of the problem through the Asset Quality Review (AQR), Implementing the new bankruptcy code. Implementing out-of-court debt-restructuring mechanisms.   Way Forward Ensure quick implementation of measures to keep a check on the further rise in non-performing assets and aid quicker recovery of investment. The government, through the Annual Budget, should show an accelerated approach towards recapitalisation and also introduce incentives for performance and debt resolution. The government should also make efforts to achieve fully transparent and provisioned public sector bank balance sheets by the end of this financial year. The government should also accelerate plans for the restructuring of weak public banks and the divestment of non-core assets. The financial requirements resulting from these steps can be fitted into the medium-term fiscal consolidation plan in a smooth manner. This will assist in both, broadening of debt markets and enhancing financing inclusion. Conclusion All these challenges and problems existing are an indication of the persistent, detrimental effects on growth because of delays in dealing with high levels of impaired assets, low profitability, and weak capital positions of banks that have curtailed the availability of bank credit. Hence, it has to be ensured that the problems are plugged at the earliest to avoid any downgrading of credit ratings, economic growth forecasts and ensuring the revival of private sector investment. Connecting the dots The decline in private sector investments is inter-related with the increase in NPAs and the performance of banking sector. Analyse. Also provide suggestions to overcome this problem. As per World Bank, India has recorded a 10-year low in investments in public-private sector. Highlight the reasons and how the economic reforms by the government lately can assist in revival of private investment.   ENVIRONMENT   TOPIC: General Studies 3 Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment Disaster and disaster management. General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.   Climate change- Raising resources using bonds The recently concluded Marrakech conference on climate change negotiations did not lay out any concrete advances on finance pledges. This has amplified the need for innovation in financing mitigation and adaptation activities to insure against loss and damage caused by climate change. If Paris was about committing to prevent the rise of temperature beyond 2 degrees Celsius, Marrakech aimed to make a noticeable difference in loss and damage. The parties approved a five-year work plan on loss and damage. It will begin from 2017 where countries formally address topics such as the slow-onset impacts of climate change, non-economic losses and migration. However, developing countries are swiftly realising that financial support for loss and damage (which is not governed by a legally binding framework) from developed countries is going to be very small. Hence, they have to find their own way in funding the activities that help in mitigating the effect of climate change, whatever may be the numbers. India and Climate change The current India has witnessed extreme events and changing precipitation patterns for past few years. In last 14 years only, there have been 131 instances of major flooding, several incidents of heat and cold waves as well as successive drought years. All these events have far-reaching financial impacts. A research conducted by the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW) with two premier institutes- IIM-Ahmedabad and IIT-Gandhinagar has estimated that direct costs of extreme events spurred by climate change in India are $5-6 billion per annum. In addition, the associated economic costs and non-economic impacts are even higher. So, India has to gear up to attract and invest trillions of dollars of investment as part of its development agenda and also requires mechanisms to protect these against climate risks. If the gigantic renewable-energy targets set up by India are combined with annually rising adaptation spending, the financial needs are massive.   Raising the financial resources The world and India in particular are at a critical juncture in climate history where mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage need to be immediately addressed. For this, public investments are not adequate. International debt markets, estimated to be around $95 trillion, are the largest pool of capital in the world. Hence, climate-resilient bonds are an innovative way for countries to use public money to drive private investment from these debt markets. These will help the underserved climate-adaptation market and near-evenly spread the impact of loss and damage from climate risk between investors. A bond is a debt instrument with which an entity raises money from investors. The bond issuer gets capital while the investors receive fixed income in the form of interest. When the bond matures, the money is repaid. A climate-resilient bond could take several forms: Green bond It is the most common form of bond. It channels debt capital for projects with environmental benefits. Such projects should be predominantly for mitigation activities like renewable-energy deployment, clean transportation which decreases future climate risk. Specific Public bond Here, the climate-resilient bond is a publicly issued bond to insure against the outcome for a specific climate risk. For instance, a state government could issue a tax-free bond for 5 year term which is yielding market return. In case of major flooding during the duration of the bond issue, the investment is forfeited by the investor and the state government uses it to cover the loss and damage caused by the flooding. Hence, there is pooling of resources to protect against the impacts of climate disasters by shared liability by investors. This opens up a new set of financiers for loss and damage that has historically been tackled by public funds alone. This kind of debt instrument would influence the high government credit rating to attract investors as the market interest rates compensate for the climate risk which are being passed on to the investor.   Adaptation bonds In this kind of climate-resilient bonds, the funds that are raised to protect against climate risks are used for adaptation activities. It combines two important aspects Borrowing from the debt market for climate projects Sharing the climate risk between multiple individual investors. Such a bond would require public money to pay market or higher rates of return on the investment which would be used for adaptation projects such as flood barriers that reduce the loss from climate disasters. If there is a climate disaster, the bond investors lose their capital up to the limited liability of their investment. If there is no climate disaster, this bond would work like an ordinary debt instrument with the capital and interest paid out in accord with the terms of the bond issue. Conclusion The likelihood of climate disasters is going to increase now. And thus there is need to mobilize additional finance to address the losses from the disaster as well as adapt to the growing climate impact. The government will have to test and promote several permutations of existing and additional financial instruments in order to invest in environment friendly infrastructure and also adapt to existing and future climate impacts. The developing countries cannot wait for the climate risks to become real. They have to continuously seek clarity on the pathways of financial support under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and act upon the same. Connecting the dots: The Marrakech conference did not chart out concrete path on financial resources to mitigate climate change and its effect. In such situation, how can developing countries make their sovereign funding policies for the same? Discuss.   MUST READ Restore the ceasefire Hindu   Treat contempt with contempt Hindu   Close out the war on corruption Hindu   Don’t join the debate Indian Express   What Marrakesh achieved Indian Express   Streamline the appointments Indian Express   Towards a less-cash, less-paper economy Indian Express   Globalization is alive and well Livemint   What about cash that doesn’t return? Business Line   India needs indigenous stents Business Line    

Nov 24, 2016 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 67]

Click here to get all the Tests– Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about Fame India Scheme It comes under National Automotive Board, Department of Heavy Industry It is aimed at incentivising all vehicle segments i.e. 2 Wheeler, 3 Wheeler Auto, Passenger 4 Wheeler Vehicle, Light Commercial Vehicles and Buses Which of the following statements is/are incorrect? Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements about Pre-paid Payment Instruments (PPIs) It facilitates purchase of goods and services, including funds transfer, against the value stored on such instruments Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is the regulatory authority for PPIs Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements about National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) It is the nodal agency for inspecting the mills and granting certificates on plant health for export purposes A phytosanitary certificate for export is issued by NPPO Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) What is Integrated Goods and Services Tax? Tax imposed on imported goods and services Tax imposed on interstate trade Tax on international trade Tax imposed on value additions to exports Q.5) Global Urban Ambient Air Pollution Database is released by WHO Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) None of the above Download the Solution- Click here All the best IASbaba

Nov 24, 2016 RSTV Video

The Big Picture - Judiciary Vs Executive: How to Overcome the Distrust?

Archives     Judiciary Vs Executive: How to overcome the distrust?   TOPIC: General Studies 2 Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions. Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.   The confrontation between judiciary and executive continues to cause serious concern. The latest outburst of CJI against government for delaying appointment has soured the relation between two even more. The Chief Justice of India (CJI) observed and contemplated a contempt of court notice against secretaries in PMO and department of justice before being assured by Attorney General for action before next hearing. The government then cleared appointment of 10 Delhi and Guwahati High Court judges. However the larger issue of who should be appointing the judges and how should they be appointed continues to be debated with the revised Memorandum of Procedure (MOP) yet not being finalised as the SC collegium and government have been unable to come to consensus. Reasons for conflict There is a struggle of power of sorts and not a larger case of mistrust that involves trust being reposed and then trust being not discharged properly. Both sides seem to be engaged in game of one-upmanship, some kind of tug of war where each wants something important, which is the power of judicial appointment to higher judiciary. But what is surprising and difficult to understand is that both executive and judiciary believe in making appointments to higher judiciary on merit which can contribute to the accountability and efficiency of judiciary and yet there is no consensus between the two! When two sides can amicably arrive at a common consensus on what should be the criteria on basis of which the election of the candidate to the higher judiciary, there is no dialogue between the two on the same. Earlier, it was the executive which had a hand in making appointment. Then came 1993 judgement when collegium system was established. Since then, constant tussle between the two has been the case. Both the executive and judiciary don’t seem to be in agreement to what should be the Memorandum of Procedure. The SC had asked the government to prepare the memorandum of procedure but it is stuck for last 10 months. The criteria of merit has to be decided yet. A candidate has to have qualify for the stated qualifications and such has to be made public. This is where problem arises. The disagreement is about induction on both sides of people who may not ultimately prove to be not worthy of selection for a constitutional post. The NJAC judgement was crucial turning point leading to present confrontation. No doubt, there always has been a certain amount of creative tension but NJAC judgment became tipping point. This was the law of land and it doesn’t seem government has fully reconciled to the judgement and that is what is making it create a roadblock. Both are responsible When SC delivered its NJAC judgement, it also acknowledged that there was much that was wrong with the procedure of the collegium. It invited suggestions and held detailed hearings on procedures after the judgement was delivered and left it on the government to come out with new MOP. As the same time, SC didn’t clarify that until the new MOP was put in place, the old memorandum would continue and therefore the government now uses this as a reason for sitting on appointments. But, then CJI rightly asked, if this was the reason, how government has been clearing appointments piecemeal. Either it didn’t clear any appointments or come back to court and say it can’t clear appointments until new MOP in place. The present appointments give the impression that government is selectively appointing judges. But at the same time SC also has a duty to see that a proper MOP is in place. It can’t take 10 months of deadlock between two sides for a MOP to be in place. Therefore, the court also needs to finalise this quickly and if there is a deadlock, there needs to be a face to face meeting between all the members of collegium and the senior members of government to solve the problem. The development of confrontation The relations in a democracy, between judiciary and executive cannot be too cosy either. Cosy relation can compromise the decisions, hence there is danger. But basic distrust in appointment of judges was in early 1970s when Indira Gandhi asked for committed judiciary, committed press and committed bureaucracy. That is the time when distrust developed and during emergency, it further deteriorated. Then super session of judges took place and there the people became aware that where does risk lies. The executive wants obliging and convenient judges to be appointed to higher judiciary. If executives have their say, they can amend constitution as per their convenience. But, SC has firmly reiterated that essential core of constitutional cannot be amended even by majority and appointment of judges is one of it. Essentially, executive wants judges of their convenience irrespective of any political party in power. And judiciary wants to keep its power which is acquired in 1993 where they have supremacy. Their suspicion of executive making its way in judiciary remains and executive suspects that judiciary is overstepping its limit. Judiciary and executive It is not a clash of personalities. This kind of difference in relationship is inherent in the constitutional scheme itself. The executive is that limb of state which is vested with all power and trust- to make policy, execute it and hold the perks. And judiciary is a check on what executive does. Nobody like to be checked unless one is very appreciative of constitutional scheme. No bureaucrat takes a judicial order kindly because a judicial order upsets his scheme of things. Similarly, no political class takes it kindly when its policy is upset by a judicial review. Judiciary’s ‘sense of self-importance’ which is sometimes perceived as being possessed by the judiciary is also partly due to the abdication of the political class itself in situations where it ought to have asserted itself. Instead the political class found it more convenient to leave it to court instead of taking a decision. So that has also led to an increase in the importance of judiciary. The problem is inbuilt in the institution. Executive has to ensure judiciary that they have no intension of curbing their independence. Also, judiciary should not be too touchy that every small little thing is challenge to their independence. The tension between them is due to this confrontation. There should be creative tension. Public blame game and daily battle through media is not required. Instead they have to work for the system which is law of land.   Heading towards what? The power of appointment has a certain element of patronage in system. There can be merit but the power of appointment has certain political connotation. It can be used in wider sense like use of power in university, judge’s decision or political process. A consensus is not a near sighting. The real issue is not about who appoints judges, but how judges are appointed and whether there is transparency or not. In entire controversy, the real issue has got lost. Whether the judge be appointed under NJAC system is declared unconstitutional by SC and constitutional under collegium system is yet to be ascertained. Under both, there is no guarantee that the system would be transparent. What is needed is that SC should ensure that there is transparency. There are voices pointing out within the judiciary that there is no transparency in functioning of collegium system. Unless that is guaranteed desired results will not be taken. There has to be transparency in appointment. There is a need for transparency and need for established procedures. The problem is that judiciary is trying to manage everything and in the process they are not able to lay down proper systems- whether time management in courts, docket management etc. these have to be given to a management expert. Similarly, when it comes to deliberations of a collegium, there should be set procedures in the way in which other high level appointing bodies lay down their procedures. This is where judiciary has fallen short. Connecting the dots: How can judiciary and executive solve their impasse over appointment of judges? Critically examine.  

Nov 23, 2016 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 23rd November, 2016

Archives   IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 23rd November, 2016   INTERNATIONAL   TOPIC: General Studies 2 India and its neighbourhood- relations. Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests, Indian diaspora. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests   Emergence of the Asian Century   Rising Significance of Asia Today, the case for Asia’s emergence as an economic power is stronger than it ever was. Such a rise is validated by the following facts: Asia produces about 40% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP), in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP). Even during the recent economic crisis, Asia accounted for more than half of global GDP growth. Indian Ocean is one of the most important regions globally as half of the world’s container traffic and one-third of its bulk cargo traverse it. Also, 40 per cent of the world’s offshore oil production and 50 per cent of the world’s energy supplies emerges through this region. Challenges for Asia USA and Europe still maintain an advantage in terms of global strategic influence and the Asian countries are facing major political, economic, and security challenges. A few of the challenges are as follows: China is trying to achieve a smooth transition from major economic expansion to an easier and smoother approach. Japan for long has been suffering from slow economic growth and is trying to overcome the impact of the same. Further, unlike India, it does not enjoy the advantage of a young demography and hence has to tackle issues concerned with an ageing population. Economic powerhouses of Asia such as India, Indonesia, and South Korea face respective economic and political problems. Problems such as rising income inequality, financial instability, and environmental degradation are also hampering overall development. A major problem is the lack of unity amongst the nations of this region due to persistent power struggle, historical resentments, and territorial disputes. Asia which is home to some of the world’s most dangerous flashpoints and is at risk of armed clashes in the East and South China Seas. North Korea continues to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles despite tougher sanctions pushed by the US and the UN. It poses a continuous threat to the peace and security of the region. Ambiguity regarding a common vision of Asian leaders towards regional integration similar to the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951 and the creation of European Union in 1993.   Opportunities for Asia Considering the challenges the West is facing as a result of the Brexit vote in the UK and the election of Donald Trump as US president, there a lot of areas where the Asian nations can capitalize and create an Asian Century. Intra-regional trade and investment: Cooperation in trade and investment brings along both economic and political benefits. A more integrated Asia will enjoy more influence on the international stage. Conflict Mitigation: Countries in this region must resolve regional military and political conflicts to promote a long-term vision for regional integration. International Cooperation: Stronger cooperation among Asian countries amongst themselves and with the international community could ease regional tensions and resolve various disputes in this region. Such an approach can also focus on making North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons programme. Regional Cooperation Institutions: Regional cooperation institutions such as Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asean+3 (ASEAN plus China, Japan, and South Korea) and the East Asia Summit (EAS) can be highly useful for establishing a framework for peace, regional prosperity and global leadership. Single Market: For economic integration the countries of this region should try to create single market with common rules governing trade and free movement of workers. Along with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)( RCEP is a free-trade agreement currently being negotiated by ASEAN and six partners Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand), other multilateral groupings with different members such as SAARC should try to create such agreements. Financial Cooperation and Crisis Management: Emerging economies in Asia must also pursue joint action on financial supervision, surveillance, and regulatory issues to prevent and manage crises. Initiatives such as the Chiang Mai Initiative, a $240 billion currency-swap arrangement, and its surveillance unit, the Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office need to be strengthened. For better economic integration and support the nations can even establish an Asian Monetary Fund with a broader membership. Multi Stakeholder Approach: All stakeholders including the bureaucracy, the private sector and academicians must actively support high-level political commitments to integration. As a result of these efforts, integration would facilitate exchange of valuable knowledge including economic and social policies and technological and scientific insights. People to People Cooperation: People to people ties can be useful in promoting cooperation on cross-border challenges, epidemics, natural disasters, and environmental degradation.   Analysis With all the above suggestions, one thing should be kept in mind that none of these efforts would aim to replace existing sub-regional, regional, and global institutions. The new regional trade and financial measures should instead aim to complement and strengthen current arrangements. In times of global uncertainty, Asia not only has a lot of opportunities, but also faces a lot of challenges in the realties that it has come face to face with. Asia should take its fate into its own hands, by pursuing closer economic and political regional cooperation. The Asian countries should aim for a shared vision for an economic community and a political association if they intend to define this century. Connecting the dots The 21st Century is bound to shape up as an Asian Century. Comment. Also, highlight the challenges that would act as hurdles and the opportunities that would give a push to the Asian Century in the making.   ECONOMY/ENVIRONMENT   TOPIC: General Studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.   What has happened to ‘Green GDP’? Though India and 104 other countries have ratified the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and now weaving out finer details of the deal, the central government at domestic level is still struggling to assess the impact of economic activities on the environment. The Paris deal is an attempt to keep global temperature rise under 2°C as developmental activities take an increasing toll on the environment. In 2009, the centre had announced plans for unveiling “green GDP” figures. The Green GDP figure accounts for the environmental costs of depletion and degradation of natural resources into the country’s economic growth figures. Subsequently, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation set up an expert group in 2011 to work out a framework for green national accounts in India. This process was supposed to be culminated in 2015 but is still pending. What is Green GDP? Green GDP is conventional gross domestic product figures adjusted for the environmental costs of economic activities. Simply, it is used to express GDP after adjusting for environmental damage. It’s a measure of how a country is prepared for sustainable economic development. The System of National Accounts (SNA) is an accounting framework for measuring the economic activities of production, consumption and accumulation of wealth in an economy during a period of time. When information on economy's use of the natural environment is integrated into the system of national accounts, it becomes green national accounts or environmental accounting. Environmental accounting includes three types: Physical accounting- determines the physical state of resources, types and extent in spatial and temporal terms. Monetary valuation- determines its tangible and intangible values Integration with national Income- after the initial calculation, the net change in natural resources in monetary terms is integrated into the GDP to get Green GDP. Thus, Green GDP is expected to account for the use of natural resources as well as the costs involved. This includes medical costs generated from air and water pollution, loss of livelihood due to environmental crisis such as floods or droughts etc.   Challenges in calculating Green GDP There is not sufficient micro level data on natural capital. For this, the inter-ministerial group is looking into solutions to bridge the data deficit. For example, there is no information on issues such as the total volume of surface water or the different sectors where water is used and the quantum used. Natural Capital is the world's stocks of natural assets which include geology, soil, air, water and all living things. It is from this capital that humans derive a wide range of services, often called ecosystem services, which make human life possible. The calculation of Green GDP is a complex process and hence there is a need for enhanced budgetary allocation to bridge the data gaps. Also, the externalities of economic growth which are not factored into conventional GDP numbers have a massive monetary value. In 2013, a World Bank study estimated that due to air pollution, India suffered a loss of over $550 billion, or 8.5% of GDP. Similarly, there are economic costs of water pollution and land degradation which will add more to deteriorating numbers. India is one of the largest importers of products such as fossil fuels whose sustainability is not known in future. Yet, the pollution cost by it is not included in the GDP and in long term, this has direct impact on economy. Another report of WWF- ‘Living Planet’- finds that 25% of India’s total land is undergoing desertification, while 32% is facing degradation. This is bound to have a direct impact on the future food production capacity of India’s agrarian economy as there could be a loss of 10-40% in crop production by end of century. China and Norway had already started experiments with Green accounting. However, China dropped it in 2007 (started in 2004) after it realised that factoring in environmental costs had a significant impact on the country’s perceived “economic growth”. Conclusion There is a need of comprehensive and macroeconomic indicator which is consistent with the concept of sustainable development as GDP is mistakenly considered as primary indicator of well-being whereas it is the Green GDP that is more accurate indicator or measure of societal well-being. The Green GDP accounting has to make efforts across the world to factor in environmental and social costs. If such is not the case, then this method won’t be successful as no country wants drop in the growth figures. Connecting the dots: What do you understand by Green GDP? How is it calculated? What are the challenges pertaining to implementing ‘Green GDP’ for a nation? Examine. The recent climate change agreement has brought back the focus on ‘Green GDP’ which India wants to experiment with. Critically analyse the need for Green GDP and its significance with respect to India’s economy.   MUST READ Rerailing the Indian Railways Hindu Related article: Indore- Patna Express derailment- Learning from disasters   No complacency on Zika Hindu   Black Money And Terror Indian Express   An ill-judged conflict Indian Express   Not so Pacific now Indian Express   Currency reform: a risky natural experiment Livemint   Time for Indian Railways to put safety first Livemint   Women powering a clean future Livemint   Tackling e-waste from smartphones Business Line Related article: E-waste Management in India   Why globalisation, as we know it, is dead Business Line  

Nov 23, 2016 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 66]

Click here to get all the Tests– Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about Prithvi-II It is the first missile to be developed by the DRDO under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme It is thrusted by liquid propulsion twin engines It is a series of short range ballistic missiles launched to combat opponents in war-like situations Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 and 2 1 and 3 2 and 3 All of the above  Q.2) Which of the following statements about Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) is/are correct? It is released by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) It includes emissions from deforestation and forest degradation Select the correct code: Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) India’s longest expressway connects Mumbai and Pune Agra and Greater Noida Lucknow and Agra Ahmedabad and Vadodara  Q.4) Consider the following statements w.r.t Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) It is a joint initiative of the governments, industry and civil societies to prevent the entry of conflict diamonds from the mainstream rough diamond market India is founder member of the scheme The current chair and vice chair of KPCS is UAE and India respectively Select the correct code: 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.5) Consider the following statements about Export Promotion Councils (EPC) The EPCs are non-profit organisations registered under the Companies Act or the Societies Registration Act It performs only advisory functions It may be provided financial assistance by the Central Government Select the correct statement 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Download the Solution- Click here All the best IASbaba

Nov 22, 2016 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 22nd November, 2016

Archives   IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 22nd November, 2016   INFRASTRUCTURE/NATIONAL   TOPIC: General Studies 3 Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc. Disaster and disaster management.   Indore- Patna Express derailment- Learning from disasters In news: the derailment of Indore-Patna Express causing death of more than 140 people is a sad reality of strained infrastructure of Indian Railways which is crying for reforms. India’s railway network caters to about seven billion passenger trips a year. Such humongous infrastructure maintenance possesses extraordinary management challenges. The foremost challenge of the Indian Railways is that it should be able to ensure that all its journeys end safely. Death due to human errors despite knowledge of technical glitches in journey of Indian railways can never compensate the loss suffered by the families just by announcements of ex-gratia compensation by the Railway Ministry, the Prime Minister’s Office and State governments. What is ailing Indian Railways? It is carrying 15 times more people than its capacity, and overloading is damaging old tracks. This infrastructure is not getting new adequate investments Trains do not have adequate and proper safety and fire equipment. Human errors are the maximum cause of accidents. Yet, proper training is not given. There are still many unmanned railway crossings which need to be eliminated. The Indian Railways- How to be more safe According to National Crime Records Bureau, there have been about 30,000 railway accidents a year in recent times and over 25,000 lives have been lost in such accidents. Indian Railways has recorded an average of 50 derailments a year over the past four years and a peak of 63. Indore Patna Express accident was a big accident that occured after 6 years. This reinforces the duty of Ministry of Railways to engage in a sustained effort to win back public confidence. More attention needs to be paid to upgrading infrastructure such as tracks and signalling and inducting technologies that help prevent accidents. The elements of safety — integrity of the tracks, signalling, engines and coaches — need rigorous auditing. Rail fractures are ‘micro cracks’ on rails that develop into ‘major cracks’ following the passage of a train with heavy load. Such accidents can only happen when Ultra Sonic Fault Detection (USFD) checks of tracks are not routinely done. Internal investigations by the Commissioners of Railway Safety have found human error to be responsible for 70% of serious rail accidents. This shows how much importance has to be accorded to training and adherence to strict operational discipline. The current train disaster takes into blame- the flaws in the track, the speed at which the late-running train was being driven, and the role played by coach design in leading to high fatalities. These are the few of the core areas which entail modernisation as well as maintenance. It is not that VIP trains like Rajdhani and Shatabdi are not prone to accidents as they have similar tracks and signalling system. What is different is the quality of rolling stock, namely locomotives, LHB coaches and better monitoring of tracks before such trains pass on them. Hence, railways should be equally vigilant for the non-VIP trains too as it equally carries precious human lives.   The Indian Railways- Way forward 13 million passengers travel in the 7000 passenger trains that are run every day by Indian Railways. These passengers need assurance from Railways that it is learning from its mistakes. It needs to be overlooked that the high level committee recommendations (Anil Kakodkar on safety and Bibek Debroy on restructuring) are being implemented. Major reforms like creation of a statutory safety authority, speedy replacement of ageing coaches with modern LHB design and revamped management that keeps its focus on core train operations should be fast tracked. In Budget 2016-17, the Minister of Railways also announced that all zonal railways would have ultrasound flaw detection machines by March 2017 to test track quality. It should be verified if such a test was done on the Indore-Kanpur-Patna route. Equally important is the availability of quality medical facilities on the site of accident which improve the chances of survival. Many terrible mishaps occur in rural areas that have no hospital facilities worth the name, no trauma specialists or intensive care. Hence, upgrading district hospitals should be a priority. Instead of Railway Ministers succumbing to populism and giving priority to announcing new projects and new trains, more focus should be on necessary operational reforms. Railways is in the process of setting up a non-lapsable fund named Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh with a corpus of ₹1,19,183 crore for safety improvement. A bulk of that money is proposed to be invested in track renewals and safety works at level crossings. Also, there is a need to find ideal solution for safety challenges. Various safety aids for preventing collision as well as train protection and warning systems continue to be pilot projects. Currently, extensive field trials of the anti-collision device (ACD), are going on and once deployed across the zonal railways, this innovative technology will help reduce accidents. Conclusion It is true that Indian Railways has monopoly in rail transportation, but it does not mean that it can take passengers for granted. The initial days after accidents will witness public support and anger against railways, but it will be soon lost in committee inquiries and finally forgotten. This trend has to stop and railways have to be made more accountable. Along with rising fares, the Railways need to provide superior service — better chairs and berths, on-board services and punctuality and safe and secure passage for passengers. Similarly, safe and secure transportation of goods also needs to be assured for the Railways to attract freight traffic. Mass’s safety and convenience should be priority. Connecting the dots: What are the issues plaguing Indian Railways and how to address them? Indian Railways are on path reformation and transformation. How can Indian Railways achieve ‘no accident’ year in future? Discuss.   ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE   TOPIC: General Studies 2 Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate. General Studies 3 Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment   Marrakech Climate Change Conference – COP 22   Facts The twenty-second session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was held in Marrakech, Morocco from 7-18 November 2016. The leaders met at Marrakech to deliver part of the blueprint for achieving the goals set under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change (Paris Agreement). The Conference demonstrated to the world that the implementation of the Paris Agreement is underway and multilateral cooperation on climate change continues. Climate Finance was the core issue to be discussed at the Conference. The aim of COP 22 was to find ways and means to integrate national commitments to actual policies. Significance Climate Finance: Developing nations have demanded firm commitments and a clear road map from the developed countries for how and from where the money will flow for the pledged $100 billion by 2020. India and other developing countries which actively seek to adopt renewable energy need support in the form of finance commitments from the developed countries. USA and Climate Finance The Marrakech COP provided an opportunity to communicate concerns about the future climate policy of the USA. The USA had earlier promised $3 billion in climate funding but the flow of the same has been uninspiring. Marrakesh Action Plan The Marrakesh Action Plan (MAP) was signed on the last day of the conference and it emphasises on the need for all countries to work together to close the gap between their intended reduction of carbon emissions and what needs to be done to keep the rise of the global average temperature well below 2°C in this century. Highlights the need to decide on steps to enhance financing and technology transfer. India and COP 22 India has the twin challenges of growing its economy to meet the development aspirations and cutting emissions. As a signatory to the Paris Agreement there is a huge pressure on India to affect big emission cuts and the same is expected to increase. Smaller and more vulnerable countries such as island states and Bangladesh are demanding action from India to cut emissions. Issues pushed by India, such as “climate justice” and “sustainable lifestyles”, were largely ignored. The International Solar Alliance was officially opened for sign-up and made some progress.   Challenges from COP 22 Not much progress was made at Marrakech on raising the $100 billion a year that is intended to help the developing nations and the lack of consensus still prevailed. Lack of clarity on the intent of USA with respect to the Paris Agreement since the President Elect has threatened to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. The US government may transfer a share of its financial commitments to the private sector and this will be just as problematic as private funding will be profit oriented and erratic. No support for India on two concepts of “Climate Justice” and “Sustainable Lifestyle” which it wanted to introduce. The concept of Adaptation did not find much popularity at the conference. The pledges made so far are well short of the intended targets, and even if they are all implemented, a minimum rise of 2.9°C is forecast by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) The money pledged at Marrakesh is about 150 million dollars and is a drop in the ocean against the target of raising 100 billion dollars a year by 2020. Analysis Other than the above mentioned challenges, the COP 22 to UNFCCC has definitely has had its share of small victories such as the Marrakech Action Proclamation for Our Climate and Sustainable Development. It now requires all State governments to come together to strengthen the case for international funding. The developing countries were also successful in inserting a clause which requires scaling up of financial resources beyond $100 billion per year after 2020. A major positive from Marrakech has been that the developing countries have raised voice against the developed nations and have shown unity and solidarity as well. India has taken a lead in cementing the International Solar Alliance. A 47-nation coalition named Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) has vowed to convert to 100 percent renewable energy as soon as possible. Once all the above essential commitments are on track to being fulfilled, it is likely to trigger higher ambition and bigger commitments which might just be enough to achieve the Paris objective of limiting temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Connecting the dots Define Climate Change and critically analyse the outcomes of the UNFCCC COP 22 held at Marrakech, highlighting their importance in fulfilling the commitments made at the Paris Agreement.   MUST READ The buck stops with the States Hindu   The age of post-truth politics Hindu   Quick fixes for deep-rooted issues Hindu   Economic aspirations and the Indian State Livemint   Bridging the deficit in ‘Western’ frameworks Livemint   Modi is waging a counterproductive war on cash Livemint   Demonetisation has missed its target Business Line   Understanding India’s export collapse Business Line  

Nov 22, 2016 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 65]

Click here to get all the Tests– Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about INS Chennai It is indigenously designed guided missile destroyer in the Shivalik class It is armed with supersonic surface-to-surface BrahMos missiles and Barak-8 long range surface-to-air missiles It was a part of Project 15A Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above   Q.2) Consider the following statements There are no institutions under the administrative control of Ministry of Culture named as Cultural Universities Central Institute of Buddhist Studies (CIBS), Leh is declared as deemed to be Universities under Ministry of Culture Which of the following statements is are correct? Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Which of the following statements about New Energy Policy is/are correct? It builds on the previous Integrated Energy Policy It aligns the domestic coal prices with the international prices It includes issues related to sharp decline of crude oil prices and change in solar energy technology Select the correct code: 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above  Q.4) Consider the following statements about European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) India is an associate member of CERN Only European countries are granted full membership Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2  Q.5) Consider the following statements about E-Kuber It is the Core Banking Solution of Reserve Bank of India It enables banks to offer a multitude of customer-centric services on a 24×7 basis from a single location The e-kuber system can be accessed either through INFINET or Internet Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Download the Solution- Click here All the best IASbaba

Nov 22, 2016 PIB

IASbaba Press Information Bureau (PIB)- 17th Oct to 23rd Oct, 2016

ARCHIVES   GS-2 Election Commission of India to Organize ‘International Conference on “Voter Education for Inclusive, Informed and Ethical Participation” (Topic: Election Commission) About- The first ever Global Conference on Voter Education titled “Voter Education for Inclusive, Informed and Ethical Participation” is being organized by the Election Commission of India in association with UNDP from 19th to 21st October, 2016 at New Delhi. Aim- To learn from the experiences of EMBs, government and non-government by way of sharing the best practices, policies and initiatives of voter education Why needed? For inclusive participation of voters through the exercise of informed and ethical choice as the key to strengthening the fabric of democracy.The Voter is the central point of the electoral framework and every voter must be thoroughly aware and educated about the electoral processes and procedures, so as to ensure his or her informed and ethical participation. Highlight- Conference will deliberate upon 5 topics ranging from- Electoral Literacy to Enhanced participation by special categories of voters, Role of ICT in Voter Education and Strategies for Informed and Ethical Voting International as well as national experts on the subject will be sharing insights during the Conference. ECI envisages a number of initiatives towards achieving international synergy in Voter Education and awareness. In this regard, the following components, during the Conference, shall be of significance: Global Platform- The Conference shall provide the first ever global platform for the sharing of best practices in voter education. The participants consist of a varied conglomeration of nations ranging from relatively young democracies to nations spreading across all continents of the world. This diverse variety of knowledge and experience would enable to bring out ‘best of the best’ global practices in the Conference. Overseas Indian Survey cum Competition- With the Conference, the ECI also launches the NRI survey cum competition. What? The survey – competition is a novel way ahead in touching a chord with the Overseas Indians. It aims to not only gather useful data through the survey but also attract and engage NRIs about their voting eligibility and rights. How it will help? This will also help guide the Commission in formulating further voting initiatives especially designed for the Overseas Indian population. The survey competition has designed by ECI in collaboration with TISS. The Voice.net -The Conference will see the launch of the ambitious project of VoICE.NET. What? It is a Global Knowledge Network on voter education with membership from participating EMBs and Organisation working in the field of elections and democracy - VoICE.NET. How it will help? This network will provide an innovative wide platform to share knowledge resources, interact on discussion board, sharing platform for events and practices in member countries and also extend its knowledge and resource support to stakeholders e.g. CSOs, Departments and other organisations associated with elections besides Academic Institutions. The Exhibition-An exhibition showcasing Voter Education tools and materials from India and across the world consisting of informational material, model polling station, provision of live voting on EVM, photos, videos, 3D models, interactive games developed by ECI shall be on show. The EVM and VVPAT have especially being demonstrated for the delegates on their request. The substantial quantum of Voter Education material developed by ECI, the voter education guides/brochures, the compilation of Human Stories and other literature including the praiseworthy Braille brochures on voting education shall also be on display. The Resolution-The Conference will also aim to achieve a Resolution to strengthen Inclusive, Informed and Ethical electoral participation among member countries with the help of Voter Education and outreach.   Government to bring an anti-trafficking legislation in Parliament soon (Topic: Women and Child Development) About- Minister of Women & Child Development, has said that the Government will soon bring an anti-trafficking legislation into the Parliament, the draft of which is ready. The bill will cover- Rescue, Relief and Reintegration of trafficked persons, and for the first time will make a distinction between those trafficked and the traffickers. Steps being taken by the Government Ministry of Women and Child has launched POCSO e-Box which is a simple and easy facility for children or any adult to register complaints of child sexual abuse or harassment. 81 complaints have already been received on this e-Box, the Minister disclosed. In another important initiative to track missing children, Khoya Paya portal has already reported nearly 6000 cases of missing/sighted children since its launch last year. Runaway/Missing children are also being helped under Special Operating Procedures developed in association with Railways. Some of the other landmark initiatives taken by the Government include decision to install panic buttons on all cell phones for women in distress from 1st of January 2017, setting up of nearly 170 One Stop Centres for women affected by violence by March 2017. Flagship programme Beti bachao Beti Padhao to reverse the declining child sex ratio, 33% reservation for women in police force, and setting up a large Home for 1000 widows in Vrindavan. Guidelines for Matrimonial Websites are being implemented to prevent their misuse An online portal Mahil e-Haat for women to sell their products has been set up on which business worth nearly six lakh rupess was transacted in the first six months itself, STEP programme of training women has been completely revamped, women sarpanches are being trained to empower them to administer the villages professionally, and scheme of Gender Champions has been launched in schools Last but not the least, the Government is now working full time to revamp the anganwadi system to change ways in which nutrition is being administered to children and pregnant women. To ensure healthy children, the Government is now working for six months' mandatory maternity leave for working women for which the Ministry of Labour and Employment has moved to introduce amendments in the Act.   MoU Signed between NICPR and All India Institute of Ayurveda for Cancer Prevention and Research (Topic: Health and Family Welfare) About- MoU was signed between the National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR), an autonomous institute under Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), an autonomous institute under the Ministry of AYUSH. MoU would pave the way to carry forward the ongoing bilateral dialogue and facilitate collaboration with National Cancer Institute, USA. Objective of the MoU is- To set up a Center of Integrative Oncology at NICPR-Noida as joint venture of Ministry of AYUSH and Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare for collaboration in the areas of cancer prevention, research and Care. Collaborative research should aim at developing traditional medicine as adjuvant therapy to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy. Setting up of this Centre is an outcome of? Deliberations held in Indo-US Workshop where in the invited US delegates from Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NIH) deliberated with the eminent experts from India having expertise in Cancer research and other promising areas for two days to share experiences and work out a road map for future collaborations. Web portal on ‘Network for AYUSH Cancer Care (NFACC)’ also launched Developed by the AIIA Help to- Collect the national data of experts, scientists, practitioners, institutes, universities located across the country and engaged in cancer care & research. An online App of NFACC has also been developed. This app will be available on the website of various AYUSH institutions which will provide a hyperlink to the main Portal. In future, this portal will have collection of research papers related to Cancer care, information about the facilities available for Cancer care through AYUSH systems.   Consumer Mela for spot registration of consumer grievances  (Topic: Consumer, food and public distribution) About- Department of Consumer Affairs is organizing Consumer Mela 2016 on 20th October, 2016 at New Delhi Ojective of- Bringing Consumers, Companies, Regulators and DoCA on one platform for Consumer Awareness and possible grievance redressals, on the spot registration of grievances. Partners in the Mela would be Industry bodies like ASSOCHAM, CII, DICCI, FICCI and PHD Chambers while regulators like FSSAI, TRAI, BEE would also participate. Consumer Counseling Mechanism of Department of Consumer Affairs popularly known as National Consumer Helpline (NCH) will be in the mela to educate consumers about their rights and responsibilities, the procedure for seeking Grievance Redressal, assisting them in registering Grievances, etc. It would also register on the spot Grievances, if any. As the Department of Consumer Affairs is observing Swachhta Pakhwada from 16th to 31st Oct, 2016, this opportunity would also be utilized to educate consumers about their responsibilities to keep their surroundings clean. Nukkad Nataks on consumer awareness and Swachhta and Poster making competition by School children would be organized during the event. Why needed? When lots of purchasing are done, it is important that Consumers make informed choices, they do not fall prey to counterfeit products, unfair trade practices etc.   Women of India Exhibition 2016 draw a tremendous response (Topic: Women and Child Development)   About- Women of India Exhibition 2016 being held at Dilli Haat, INA, New Delhi is receiving a tremendous response from the visitors. Organised by- Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, the unique exhibition is being held from 14th to 23rdOctober, 2016. Aim- To promote women entrepreneurs engaged in manufacture and promotion of organic products ranging from food, fabrics, wellness, personal care among others. Highlights- Exhibition of organic products in this fair mainly promotes women entrepreneurs across the country to showcase their organic products to visitors at the exhibition. Major objectives of the exhibition are to-> Support and encourage women entrepreneurs engaged in- Promotion of organic products/ farming + Provide an opportunity to exhibit their products for wider publicity and recognition + Share their experiences in promotion of organic products in their rural areas with other participating women entrepreneurs. Exhibition also focuses on generating awareness among the public, on the benefits of organic products aiming at sustainable healthy life. Exhibition is held for a period of two weeks every year during the month of October-November, which encourages grass root level women entrepreneurs to participate in the exhibition. Women entrepreneurs also gather information on preparation of organic product highlighting health and environmental advances of organic food etc, from their counterparts. Participants- Nearly 300 women entrepreneurs from Leh to Kanyakumari and Kohima to Kutch, have come to participate in the exhibition with their organic products, ranging from cereals, rice, pulses, spices, fabrics, dyes and dresses, cosmetics, household products, pickles, organic ice cream, preserves, oils, honey, tea, hair care, bath care, beauty care, aromatherapy products, solar products, kitchen composters, organic cotton fabric, linen, organic seeds, sikki grass art & crafts, handicrafts made of recycled scrap, sea shells, papier mache products, ready to eat snacks, water hyacinth craft, cowdung air purifier, jute craft, jackfruit products, wild edible forest products, agarbatti, loban and other bio products etc. Three daylong Global Conference to Make India the Centre for Arbitration (Topic: NITI Aayog) About-The first ever Global Conference to Strengthen Arbitration and Enforcement in India gets underway in New Delhi. Conference titled- “National Initiative on Strengthening Arbitration and Enforcement In India” from October 21st to 23rd, 2016. Aim- To provide impetus to commercial arbitration in India, this is fast gaining pace across the world, for faster, more efficient dispute resolution outside the court room Launched by- Government and Judiciary as a major initiative to change the face of dispute resolution in India. Collaboration of- NITI Aayog, Ministry of Law & Justice, DIPP, National Legal Services Authority, International Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution, National Institute of Labour Economics Research and Development has collaborated to make India the centre of arbitration. Also for the first time six leading international arbitral institutions (HKIAC, ICC, KLRCA, LCIA, PCA and SIAC) and all major industry associations (FICCI, PHD Chamber, CII and ASSOCHAM) have come together to drive this initiative. Benefit- Conference will serve as a platform for discussing critical issues, sharing experiences on the best international practices and creating a roadmap to strengthen arbitration and its enforcement in the country. Why needed? Conference comes in the backdrop of the immense losses suffered by the business enterprises and the economy at large, due to enormous backlogs involved in dispute resolution in Indian courts. This keep resources and money of the businesses trapped till resolution of the dispute. This is a major disincentive for foreign companies coming to invest in India. So they seek alternatives. One such alternative is arbitration which can be cost effective and quick. World Bank Report on Ease of Doing Business- Increasingly, foreign companies that partner with Indian businesses are approaching countries outside of India for dispute resolution. In the World Bank Report on the Ease of Doing Business India has improved its position by 12 ranks. However, on the Enforcement of Contracts India fares extremely poorly and ranks 178 out of 189 countries. World Bank Report suggests that improving the mechanism to resolve commercial disputes in India will go a long way in bettering India’s rank. Many Indian companies are going to foreign arbitration centres like Singapore, London and Paris taking a huge chunk of dispute resolution business outside India. Statistics make this picture clear- In 2012, 49 of the total 235 cases in Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) involved an Indian party. This figure grew to 85 out of 259 cases in 2013. Steps taken to overcome- India has already undertaken major structural reforms to facilitate ease of doing business recently, including legal reforms to revamp the existing arbitration framework. Parliament has recently passed an Amendment to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. Moreover, the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts Act, 2015 has been passed to fast track commercial dispute resolution. Building over these reforms, the initiative by Government and Judiciary will help to improve the institutional capacity necessary to create a vibrant ecosystem to make India the next big hub for international commercial arbitration.   GS-3 India Signs Guarantee Agreement with the World Bank for IBRD (Topic: Economic Affairs) About- A Guarantee Agreement for World Bank (IBRD) lending of US$ 650 million to the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd. (DFCCIL) for Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor-III (EDFC-III) Project has been signed between the Government of India and the World Bank here today in the national capital. Agreement was signed by Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance on behalf of the Government of India and Acting Country Director, World Bank, India on behalf of the World Bank. Objective of the EDFC-III Project- To augment rail transport capacity, improve service quality and enhance freight carriage throughput on the 401 km Ludhiana-Khurja section of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor Develop institutional capacity of DFCCIL to build, maintain and operate the entire DFC network. This project is in continuation of Phase-I and II of the EDFC Projects being implemented by the DFCCIL with the World Bank loan of US$ 975 million and US$ 1100 million respectively on the Dadri-Khurja-Kanpur Kanpur-Mughal Sarai stretches of the Eastern Rail Corridor (Ludhiana-Delhi-Kolkata). Project will directly benefit- Power and heavy manufacturing industries of Northern and Eastern India, which rely on railway, network for transportation of their material inputs and also for the distribution of bulk processed and semi-processed commodities and consumer goods. Railway passengers will also be benefitted through decongestion of the existing passenger lines. Leading institutions especially educational institutions can play an important role in creating mass awareness about issues like financial inclusion in the country (Topic: Education) About- Union Finance Minister said leading institutions especially educational institutions can play an important role in creating mass awareness about issues like financial inclusion in the country. Government has taken various steps in last two and a half years to link every household with a bank account. Initiatives taken- Under PMJDY Government has been able to open 240 million bank accounts and now except in certain remote and inaccessible areas, people who are in a position to connect with bank, have a bank account. Government had launched MUDRA Yojana so that small traders, businesses and new entrepreneurs can have access to banking finance without security. Major beneficiaries under the Scheme were women and those from weaker sections of society. Vittshala It is a Centre For Community Engagement (CCE) initiative, aimed at making communities equipped enough to manage financial resources effectively through community engagement, workshops, seminars, and discussions. Founded by a group of motivated teachers and students, the Cell wants to create an impact through its well-planned, community-oriented projects. Vittshala envisions a nation where every individual is financially literate and is empowered to act as a catalyst for economic growth. Vittshala will act as a multi-faceted programme involving peer-counseling, developing interactive apps and events to promote financial literacy with respect to- Basics of Financial Planning Channelisation of savings Investments Banking and Insurance services Opening and operating of bank accounts and related Government schemes   Workshop for the liaison officers of CPSES regarding “Implementation of Reservation Policy in CPSES” begins (Topic: Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise) About- Additional Secretary in the Department of Public Enterprises, M/o Heavy Industry & Public Enterprises has advised the Officers of Central Public Sector Enterprises to follow the Guidelines devised by the Deptt. of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Training (DoPT) in letter and practice. A two day workshop for the liaison officers of CPSEs regarding “Implementation of Reservation Policy in CPSEs” held in New Delhi. Policy launched in view of- Concern raised by NCSC in regard to implementation of reservation policy in CPSEs, it was decided to organize a training programme on the subject matter of “Implementation of Reservation Policy in CPSEs” through Institute of Secretariat Training & Management (ISTM), an autonomous body under DoPT. Workshop will enable the participants to- List out relaxations and concessions available to reserved category employees Describe procedure for operations and maintenance of Roster for small cadre Describe procedure for operation and maintenance of Roster for large cadre List issues involved in Reservation in promotion, and direct recruitments (DR) Why needed? It is informed by NCST that most of the CPSEs did not comply with Commission’s recommendations NCSC had requested Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) to issue suitable instructions to Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) for early implementation of the Commission’s recommendation. Nearly 56 officials from 28 CPSEs out of around 80 nominations are participating in the workshop. Steps taken- National Commission for Schedule Castes (NCSC) has informed DPE that NCSC has taken review meetings with several Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and anomalies in respect of implementation of DoPT orders in respect of issues pertaining to Reservation in CPSEs like Reservation Rosters, non-filling of Backlog vacancies meant for SCs and OBCs, appointment of liaison officers etc. as noticed by commission brought to the notice of the concerned CPSE.   PM launches National SC/ST hub (Topic: Steps to improve SC/ST’s) About- Prime Minister launched the National SC/ST hub. It will work towards- Strengthening market access/linkages Monitoring Capacity building Leveraging financial support schemes and sharing industry best practices. Help- Enable central public sector enterprise to fulfil the procurement target set by the government. Sports Authority of India collaborate with some identified universities across the country to improve standards of training (Topic: Sports) About- Sports Authority of India (SAI) will collaborate with some identified universities across the country to improve standards of training with a view to achieving excellence in sports. For this purpose, each Regional Director of SAI will identify one or two universities with good sports infrastructure and sporting traditions. This decision was taken at a meeting of Heads of SAI Regional Centres, Academic Institutions, SAI Training Centres (STCs) and Special Area Games (SAG) Centres held in New Delhi. Why Important? Collaboration between SAI and chosen universities is imperative in view of the fact that several universities across the country have excellent sports infrastructure which is not being optimally utilized. Such collaboration is also essential in view of the fact that in big sporting nations like the USA, international athletes mostly come from their universities. How it can be improved? To closely monitor the performance of SAI coaches, take steps to constantly upgrade their skills and also to incentivize them. Every SAI Centre has been discussed to select sports disciplines for focused attention, keeping in view factors like infrastructure and local traditions. The issue of identification of talent by SAI was also discussed at length. It was decided that SAI would pro-actively hunt for talent by sending its teams to interior areas. Sports science experts will also be part of such teams. SAI will also collaborate with Defence forces to ensure that talented children get selected for nurturing in SAI Centres. Need for seeking contribution of the corporate sector to upgrade facilities at the SAI Centres. Initiating steps to utilize every nook and corner of SAI complexes.SAI facilities should be opened to public without disturbing their normal activities of training. Need for SAI Centres to closely work with the State Governments and involve local representatives of people so that concerted and coordinated efforts can be made for achieving sports excellence.   10th India and United States Trade Policy Forum (Topic: Commerce and Industries)         About- A high level delegation led by Ambassador, United States Trade Representative is attending the 10th India-United States Trade Policy Forum (TPF) meetings scheduled from 19th October, 2016 to 20th October, 2016 at New Delhi. Trade Policy Forum meeting has focussed on Increased bilateral interaction and momentum on resolving trade concerns. As part of the annual work plan jointly agreed between India and US working groups on- Agriculture + Trade in services and goods + Promotion of investment in manufacturing and intellectual property have been meeting with an intention of understanding the best practices + Facilitating investment and raising concerns relating to the trade. The previous 9th TPF was held in October, 2015 at Washington D.C, USA Both the sides would be reviewing the progress achieved on the issues agreed upon in work plans for 2016, under all the four work streams and would be working out the way forward for 2017. Bilateral commercial ties between the United States and India are growing stronger as reflected by increased bilateral trade in Goods and Services of $109 billion and highest ever FDI inflows in 2015-16. Bilateral cooperation under TPF has resulted in resolving several market access issues and cooperation in services, manufacturing and IPR. India is looking forward to maintain the momentum further in the current TPF.   Prime Minister dedicates three Hydro Projects to the Nation  (Topic: Power Generation) About- PM dedicated three flagship 800 MW Hydro Power Station of NTPC- Koldam, 520 MW Parvati Project of NHPC and 412 MW Rampur Hydro Station of SJVNL projects to the Nation in Mandi , Himachal Pradesh. NHPC’s Parbati-III Power Station NHPC’s Parbati-III Power Stationis a run of the river scheme having a 43m high rockfill dam, underground Power House and 10.58 km long water conductor system. A net head of 326 meter is utilized to run four vertical Francis turbines with an installed capacity of 520 MW (4x130 MW). The power plant is designed to generate 1963.29 Million Units annually. The power generated from the Parbati-III Power Station is distributed to beneficiary states i.e. Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan and Union Territory of Chandigarh. Power Station is supplying 13% free power to home state i.e. 12% as home state share and 1% for Local Area Development fund. The completion cost of the project is around Rs 2600 crore and as on 30.09.2016 the total power generation is 1880 MU with revenue realization of Rs 816 crore. NTPC- Koldam With commencement of generation from four 200 MW units, NTPC- Koldamhas achieved capacity of 800 MW and provides peaking capacity to the Northern grid. It shall annually generate 3054 GWh electricity at 90% dependable year basis. Twelve percent of the electricity generated from Koldam is being supplied to the home state Himachal Pradesh free of cost while 1 percent to the state on account of Local Area Development fund. All the Project Affected Families are being provided 100 units of electricity every month free of cost which accounts for 0.62 percent of the total generation. Thus a total 13.62 percent of electricity generated from the plant is supplied free of cost to Himachal Pradesh, remaining power supplied to other beneficiaries namely Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttrakhand and Chandigarh. SJVN’s Rampur Project (412MW) SJVN’s Rampur Project (412MW) in Kullu districtwill be operated in tandem with Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Station (HPS). This project will provide 13 percent free power to the state of Himachal Pradesh.   Commerce and Industry Minister launches the CIPAM Logo (Topic: Commerce and Industry) About- The logo of the Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) was launched by the Commerce & Industry Minister. Logo has been designed keeping in mind the slogan of the National IPR Policy: “Creative India, Innovative India”. Specification- While the logo stands for “Cell for IPR Promotion and Management”, the letter “I” stands for Intellectual, and is represented by a pencil, denoting the expression of creativity, and in the tri-colours of the Indian flag. The curve of the letter “P” stands for Property, and is denoted by a gear which depicts Innovation and Industry. CIPAM- Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) has been created as a professional body under the aegis of DIPP to take forward the implementation of the National IPR Policy that was approved by the Government in May 2016, with the slogan –“Creative India; Innovative India: रचनात्मक भारत; अभिनव भारत” CIPAM is working towards creating public awareness about IPRs in the country, promoting the filing of IPRs through facilitation, providing inventors with a platform to commercialize their IP assets and coordinating the implementation of the National IPR Policy in collaboration with Government Ministries/Departments and other stakeholders.   Foundation Stone for Atal Akshay Urja Bhawan  (Topic: New and Renewable energy) About- Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines, laid the foundation stone for Atal Akshay Urja Bhawan. The building has been named after former PM of India, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as he laid the foundation stone for the Wind Turbine Testing Station of the National Institute of Wind Energy at Kayathar, Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu on 5th September, 2000. Highlights Atal Akshay Urja Bhawan will be the integrated headquarters building for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. At present the office of MNRE is located in three different building blocks at CGO Complex with its current strength of about 400 officials. Bhawan will be an iconic landmark symbolizing an energy efficient renewable energy integrated building. It would be a state-of- the art, Net-Zero-Energy Green Building designed on the concept of Solar Passive Architecture. This interactive and use-responsive building will have an Urja pavilion showcasing Renewable Energy systems and devices. Building will provide an environment friendly atmosphere with renewable energy and energy efficiency utilization in the building. This iconic building will be a symbol of our country marching ahead to lead renewable energy revolution.   Launch of Implementation of Sustainable Tourism Criteria for India  (Topic: Tourism) About-Ministry of Tourism launched the Implementation of the Sustainable Tourism Criteria for India (STCI) in association with Ecotourism Society of India (ESOI). STCI Sustainable Tourism Criteria for India (STCI) had been developed for the accommodation, tour operators and beaches, backwaters and lakes sectors of the tourism industry after thorough discussions with the stakeholders. STCI follow the guidelines set by the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC) that has been evolved under the guidance of the United Nations’ agencies viz. UNEP and UNWTO. STCI were developed with the need for developing criteria for sustainable tourism specific to India given the specific environment that India’s tourism industry operates in and drawing inspiration from India’s attainments in sustainability. After much deliberations, the STCI were defined finally launched on 26thAugust 2014 by the then Minister of Tourism in Hyderabad in association with the leading Travel Trade Associations.   Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik : Civil Aviation Ministry’s Regional Connectivity Scheme “UDAN” Launched (Topic: Civil Aviation) About- Ministry of Civil Aviation took a major step towards making flying a reality for the small town common man. The Civil Aviation Minister launched the Ministry’s much awaited Regional Connectivity Scheme “UDAN” in New Delhi. UDAN UDAN is an innovative scheme to develop the regional aviation market which envisages providing connectivity to un-served and under-served airports of the country through revival of existing air-strips and airports. The scheme would be in operation for a period of 10 years. It is a market-based mechanism in which airlines bid for seat subsidies. This first-of-its-kind scheme globally will create affordable yet economically viable and profitable flights on regional routes so that flying becomes affordable to the common man even in small towns. UDAN has a unique market-based model to develop regional connectivity. Interested airline and helicopter operators can start operations on hitherto un-connected routes by submitting proposals to the Implementing Agency. The operators could seek a Viability Gap Funding (VGF) apart from getting various concessions. All such route proposals would then be offered for competitive bidding through a reverse bidding mechanism and the route would be awarded to the participant quoting the lowest VGF per Seat. The operator submitting the original proposal would have the Right of First Refusal on matching the lowest bid in case his original bid is within 10% of the lowest bid. The successful bidder would then have exclusive rights to operate the route for a period of three years. Such support would be withdrawn after a three year period, as by that time, the route is expected to become self-sustainable. Objective of the scheme- “Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik”, ensure affordability, connectivity, growth and development. Benefit- It would provide a win-win situation for all stakeholders – citizens would get the benefit of affordability, connectivity and more jobs. Centre would be able to expand the regional air connectivity and market. The state governments would reap the benefit of development of remote areas, enhance trade and commerce and more tourism expansion. For incumbent airlines there was the promise of new routes and more passengers while for and start-up airlines there is the opportunity of new, scalable business. Airport operators will also see their business expanding as would original equipment manufacturers The UDAN is likely to a give a major fillip to tourism and employment generation in the hinterland. Through introduction of helicopters and small aircraft, it is also likely to significantly reduce travel timings in remote and hilly regions, as well as islands and other areas of the country. Achieved through- Financial stimulus in the form of concessions from Central and State governments and airport operators and Viability Gap Funding to the interested airlines to kick-off operations from such airports so that the passenger fares are kept affordable. Steps taken- Central Government would provide concessions in the form of reduced excise duty, service tax, permission to trade ASKMs for Non-RCS (UDAN) Seats and flexibility of code sharing at the RCS (UDAN) airports. State governments will have to lower the VAT on ATF to 1% or less, besides providing security and fire services free of cost and electricity, water and other utilities at substantially concessional rates. Airport operators shall not impose Landing and Parking charge and Terminal Navigation Landing Charges in addition to discounts on Route Navigation Facility Charges. A Regional Connectivity Fund would be created to meet the viability gap funding requirements under the scheme. The RCF levy per departure will be applied to certain domestic flights. States have key role- States have a key role under the scheme. The selection of airports where UDAN operations would start would be done in consultation with State Government and after confirmation of their concessions. It may be recalled that revival of dysfunctional airports and starting operations on un-served airports has been a long standing demand of most States and this will be addressed through UDAN to a large extent. State Governments (other than North Eastern States and Union Territories where contribution will be 10 %) would contribute a 20% share to this fund. For balanced regional growth, the allocations under the scheme would be equitably spread across the five geographical regions of the country viz. North, West, South, East and North-east.   Indo-Italy Scientific and Technological Cooperation Re-Launched (Topic: Science and Technology)   About- Indo-Italian Joint Committee established under the Scientific and Technological Cooperation Agreement re-launches cooperation in the sectors of science, technology and innovation. The original agreement was signed between Italy and India in 2003. Aim- Facilitating the mobility of researchers who will be jointly selected and co-financed within the framework of the 2017-2019 Indo-Italy Executive Programme of Scientific and Technological Cooperation. Areas covered- Information and Communication Technology, energy, environment and sustainable agriculture, health care, biotechnology and medicine, nanotechnology and advanced materials, physics and astrophysics and technology applied to the cultural and natural heritage, are the areas agreed upon by the two countries for joint projects. Committee expressed appreciation for the launch of the next phase of cooperation established between Italian and Indian researchers in the India-Trento Programme for Advanced Research (ITPAR). Inaugurate two Indian experimental beam lines at the Synchrotron facility in Trieste for the ELETTRA ‘XRD2’ and ‘XPRESS’ accelerators which is funded by DST at a cost of 6 million Euros. Discussed a new scientific and technological cooperation programme on applied science, aimed at developing technologies and processes to be applied in industry Joint workshops are to be alternatively held in Italy and India, starting from 2017. An Indo-Italian Innovation Forum will be established to promote and connect the world of research with the world of business and investment.   Sagarmala funds flagship project of Ro Pax Ferry Service in Gulf of Cambay, Gujarat (Topic: Shipping) About- As part of promoting coastal shipping in the country under Sagarmala programme, the Ministry of Shipping has sanctioned the Capital Dredging Project for Ro Pax Ferry Services between Gogha & Dahej, in Gulf of Cambay in Gujarat. The total project cost is estimated to be Rs 234 Crore and of which 50% will be funded by Centre Government under the Sagarmala programme. Project would result in- Reduction in motorable distance of 231 kms between Gogha & Dahej to mere 31 kms and reduce the travel time from 7 hours to 1 hour only by crossing the Gulf in Cambay in 17 Nautical Miles. Initiative would not only reduce the travel time but also result in savings in fuel, reduction in CO2 emission and reduction in road congestion. About Project- Project is first of its kinds in India as it will be executed in the area of World’s 2nd highest tidal range. It is one of the flagship projects under Sagarmala which aims to increase share of waterways transportation in modal mix to 10 per cent from present level of 7 per cent by year 2025. Project would open up new avenues in coastal shipping & tourism and help in socio-economic development of proximate areas. It would also help in utilisation of inland waterways through River Narmada for shipping goods from industries located upstream.