Oct 19, 2016 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 19th October, 2016

Archives   IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 19th October, 2016   ECONOMY   TOPIC: General Studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Government Budgeting.   FRBM Act and Committee to review FRBM targets Background: In 1980s, India saw a sharp deterioration of the fiscal situation, which ultimately culminated in the balance of payments crisis of 1991. Within a decade of economic liberalisation, the fiscal deficit and debt situation again seemed to head towards unsustainable levels around 2000. At that time, a need was felt to institutionalize a new fiscal discipline framework. The FRBM Bill 2000 was introduced by previous NDA government in the parliament to institutionalize the fiscal discipline at both the centre and state level. However, the bill took three years to become an act. The act was passed to make the central government and finance minister accountable to parliament for fiscal discipline. However, due to lack of an autonomous Fiscal Management Review Committee (as proposed originally) the act more or less became like a Directive Principle of State policy which is not enforceable via courts. Its mandate was diluted and even today we find both revenue deficit and fiscal deficits in budget documents. Govt sets up FRBM committee on fiscal deficit range The government on May 17, 2016 formed a five-member committee under former revenue secretary N K Singh to review the working of the 12-year old FRBM Act and examine the feasibility of a fiscal deficit range instead of a fixed target. The Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) committee will shortly submit its report to the government (within this month).   So, let us know about – What is Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act? What are the amendments to it? The FRBM Act is a fiscal sector legislation enacted by the government of India in 2003, aiming to ensure fiscal discipline for the centre by setting targets including reduction of fiscal deficits and elimination of revenue deficit. It is a legal step to ensure fiscal discipline and fiscal consolidation in India. The targets set under the Act was postponed several times in later years though some other goals of the Act including phasing out of government borrowing from the RBI were implemented.   What the FRBM says? The FRBM rule set a target reduction of fiscal deficit to 3% of the GDP by 2008-09. This will be realized with an annual reduction target of 0.3% of GDP per year by the Central government. Similarly, revenue deficit has to be reduced by 0.5% of the GDP per year with complete elimination by 2008-09. Later, the target dates were reset and Budget 2016-17 aims to realise the 3% fiscal deficit target by March 2018. The Act gives slight flexibility to the government regarding the realisation of the target as well. It gives the responsibility to the government to adhere to these targets. The Finance Minister has to explain the reasons and suggest corrective actions to be taken, in case of breach.   Following are the provisions of the Act in detail. The government has to take appropriate measures to reduce the fiscal deficit and revenue deficit so as to eliminate revenue deficit by 2008-09 and thereafter, sizable revenue surplus has to be created. Setting annual targets for reduction of fiscal deficit and revenue deficit, contingent liabilities and total liabilities. The government shall end its borrowing from the RBI except for temporary advances. The RBI not to subscribe to the primary issues of the central government securities after 2006. The revenue deficit and fiscal deficit may exceed the targets specified in the rules only on grounds of national security, calamity etc. Though the Act aims to achieve deficit reductions prima facie, an important objective is to achieve inter-generational equity in fiscal management. This is because when there are high borrowings today, it should be repaid by the future generation. But the benefit from high expenditure and debt today goes to the present generation. Achieving FRBM targets thus ensures inter-generation equity by reducing the debt burden of the future generation. Other objectives include: long run macroeconomic stability, better coordination between fiscal and monetary policy, and transparency in fiscal operation of the Government. Amendments to the FRBM Act Amendments to the Act were made after its initial version in 2003. This include revision of the target realisation year and introduction of the concept of effective revenue deficit. In 2012 and 2015, notable amendments were made. As per one provision of the amendment, a “Medium-term Expenditure Framework” statement should be prepared which will set a three-year rolling target for expenditure indicators. As per the amendments in 2012, the Central Government has to take appropriate measures to reduce the fiscal deficit, revenue deficit and effective revenue deficit to eliminate the effective revenue deficit by the 31st March, 2015 and thereafter build up adequate effective revenue surplus and thereafter as may be prescribed by rules made by the Central Government. As per Finance Act 2015, the target dates for achieving the prescribed rates of effective deficit and fiscal deficit (3% fiscal deficit) were further extended by 3 years to March 2018. Working of FRBM act and its reality check: The combined fiscal deficit (fiscal expansion) and credit growth (monetary expansion) as a percentage of GDP has halved from 17.4 per cent in 2009-10 to 8.8 per cent, which is less than nominal GDP growth. Three things are obvious. Money supply growth has reduced. Credit expansion has fallen. And even fiscal deficit and credit growth put together have declined, all pointing to the growing economy being starved of the needed money needed, in which the FRBM Act has also lent its hand. If bank credit growth falls, fiscal deficit may need to go up. If bank credit growth rises, fiscal deficit should reduce. This is particularly true for a growing economy like India. Had the fiscal deficit not been above the FRBM ideal limit of 3 per cent in the last four years, the growth would have suffered even more. It does not need a seer to say that the FRBM law as it stands harms the economy. Thus need of the hour is to review FRBM act, and if necessary, amend it significantly.   Committee to review FRBM targets As per the Union Budget 2016-17, the government constituted a Committee to review the implementation of the FRBM Act. This was after a widely held view among experts that instead of fixed fiscal deficit targets, it may be better to have a fiscal deficit range as the target. This will help the government to meet specific situations like recessions which demand high government expenditure. There is also a suggestion that fiscal expansion or contraction should be aligned with credit contraction or expansion respectively, in the economy. While remaining committed to fiscal prudence and consolidation, Budget stated that a review of the FRBM Act is necessary in the context of the uncertainty and volatility in the global economy. There is a need for a fiscal policy council on the lines of recently formed monetary policy committee, which will now be accountable for monetary policy. Such a council will strengthen the hands of the finance ministry, which otherwise is the sole guardian of fiscal prudence. It would also enhance coordination between monetary and fiscal policies, which otherwise tend to be confrontational. Connecting the dots: Critically discuss the effectiveness of Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act 2003 in meeting its objectives. Recently there was a suggestion to amend FRBM act and to review the fiscal consolidation path. Throw light on the short fall of the current FRBM act and what needs to done to bring more fiscal discipline?   NATIONAL   TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies 3 Disaster and disaster management   Fire accidents in India- the increased frequency and way forward In news: Two fire accidents on consecutive days–one in a hospital in Bhubaneswar, and the second in a high rise in Mumbai–have again raised questions on violation of fire safety norms across the country and what possible should be done to prevent such incidents. Recent incidents Bhubaneshwar SUM Hospital The ICU and dialysis unit of SUM hospital was engulfed in fire outbreak which resulted in loss of more than 20 lives. Cause of fire: Short circuit Maker Tower fire, Mumbai Fire due to short-circuit in high rise tower of Mumbai caused death of two people. Thus, this issue requires prominent attention as fire hazards are slowly finding more place as ‘recurring incidents’ in a year. History repeats In 2011, a fire broke out in Advanced Medical Research Institute (AMRI) Hospitals, Kolkata which claimed 90 lives, mostly due to choking. Cause of fire: The basement where the fire started housed a pharmacy, a central storeroom and the biomedical department, all containing inflammable articles. Reason for such high toll: The building was centrally air-conditioned, and there was no ventilation channel for the smoke to come out. The staff was unable to provide police and firefighters with the building’s plan, especially the locations of emergency exit and staircase, thus hampering rescue. Other major previous incidents: Uphaar cinema, Delhi (1997); A school in Kumbakonam, TN (2004); A multi-storey market place in Kolkata (2013).   Facts and figures: Fire is a state subject and has been included as municipal function (Art 243-W) in the XIIth Schedule of Indian Constitution. Directorate General Civil Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs is the nodal office responsible for providing Advisories to State Governments on Fire Prevention, Fire Protection, Fire Legislation and Training matters. As per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, Fire accidents accounts for 4.3% of the total deaths reported due to natural, un-natural and other causes of accidents in 2014. About 19,513 people died in accidental fires in 2014. Electrical short circuit incidents increased 6% to 1,764 in 2014 from 1,661 in 2013. Odisha had reported the maximum fires in commercial buildings (40) in 2014. Reasons for poor fire disaster response Ill-equipped states and lack of funds Several studies have found that many states have not provided enough resources to fire safety. There have been complaints of lack of funds and staff in the fire departments. Most of the states do have fire stations. However the lack of equipment is one major concern. Equipment like turn table ladders, crash tenders and rescue vehicles are clearly missing in many of the fire stations across the country. The manpower shortage is another problem with reported shortage of 96.28% firemen according to the National Disaster Response Force and Civil Defence. Urban fire services suffer deficiencies of 72.75% in fire stations, 78.79% in man power and 22.43% in firefighting and rescue vehicles. The existing set-up of fire services in the country is rather heterogeneous and not conducive to effective protection against increasing incidents of fires   Blatant violation of rules In the 2011 AMRI hospital case, there was an illegal storeroom in the hospital’s basement which was packed with inflammable articles like chemicals and medical waste. In addition, the hospital lacked adequate fire-fighting equipment. There is a ban imposed by the Supreme Court of India on bursting crackers after 10 PM. However at the Puttingal temple (Kerala), the firecracker show took place at 3 AM which was clearly in violation of the Supreme Court order. Further it has been found that in most cases the authorities do not take the permission of the fire department before bursting crackers in crowded places where several thousands of people gather. A no-objection certificate is a must from the fire department, but in nine out of ten cases it is not sought. A comprehensive National Building Code has been provided but hardly its specifications are adhered which increases the chances of fire accidents. Non adherence to National Building Code Part 4 The code specifies construction, occupancy and protection features that are necessary to minimise danger to life and property from fire. It mentions topics such as fire alarm system, height of buildings, escape lighting and staircase infrastructure, fire lift and fire exit etc. The National Building Code is specific, requiring hospitals to have horizontal evacuation exits for bedridden patients and sprinkler systems for structures of specified height, which would cover most medical institutions. AMRI Hospital’s construction plan violated the National Building Code, 2005. The 500-bed hospital did not have a proper ventilation system, which caused many patients to suffocate to death. The National Building Code says the area around a hospital must be kept clear to allow easy movement of fire tenders. The AMRI tragedy was exacerbated because the narrow lane leading to the hospital delayed the operations of the fire brigade. Though detailed description of fire safety has been provided, but most often, authorities do not even take note when buildings violate this code. This proves that fire safety is low on the list of our priorities as attested by the India Risk Survey of 2015. Picture credit: http://ficci.in/SEDocument/20348/India-Risk-Survey-2016.pdf Who is responsible? The centre sees prevention of fires and emergency response as a municipal function under State governments. Hence, it is not in its priority area. With a steady decline in the enforcement of urban regulations and building plans, fire risks have multiplied in public buildings. The SUM hospital lost its accreditation with the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) two months ago. It was found lacking quality standards, including measures to deal with fire. Yet, it was allowed to be functional by the concerned authorities. It is also believed that during fire incidents in both hospitals, there were not enough ambulances available to shift the patients out. However, such evacuation is not the responsibility of the hospital alone but also of the local administration’s. It is responsibility of administration which has to see that infrastructure maintains the prescribed safety standards. What next? Enormous political will and active judicial oversight to enforce best practices and rein in violators is required. Meanwhile, patients and visitors could get little risk protection and suitable compensation if all institutions offering any form of medical care are compulsorily required to be insured against disasters. Such a regulation would make a hospital insurable only if it installs good quality fire warning and control systems. Looking ahead, the Centre and State governments should address fire risk in medical institutions as well as buildings as a top order priority. This can be achieved by understanding the hazard, adopting the right infrastructure, enforcing the building code and holding frequent fire drills to do things correctly in an emergency. Conducting regular fire safety audits and trainings is found to be an effective tool for assessing fire safety standards in an organisation. Further, more attention needs to be drawn to the lack of funds and equipment at the state level to deal with fire incidents. The NDRF has specified a detailed and dedicated ‘Fire Cell’ which takes care of all the issues pertaining to fire safety in India. It is required that the concerned level of government takes note of it and implements the standards. Though fires are caused either due to the actions of individuals, which may be accidental or deliberate, or through their failure to take necessary precautions for curbing fire incidents, such as regular inspections, maintenance and repair of defective equipment, etc., it is important to note that fires start when source of ignition comes into contact with any combustible material. If one can identify and control the possible sources of ignition or eliminate its contact with combustible materials, one can greatly reduce the possibility of accidental fire. Connecting the dots: Why is there an increase in number of fire accidents in India? How can it be curbed to the best possible extent? Examine.   Related articles: When populism trumps public safety HOT 2016 MUST READ Reinventing old links Hindu   Changing the course of the planet Hindu   Easing the debt burden Indian Express   Law panel seeks 1-year jail for parents who ‘abduct’ kids to foreign country Indian Express   Big Pharma’s India shadow Livemint   GST: Make haste slowly Livemint   A mother’s nightmare that is Bihar Business Line   Were interest rates cut on a whim? Business Line  

Oct 19, 2016 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 42]

Click here to get all the Tests– Archives Q.1) Recently Zero Defect, Zero Effect (ZED) scheme for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) was launched. Consider the following It will have increased environmental & social benefits It will account for design and IPR in both products and processes Which of the following statements is/are correct? Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Which of the following is/are correctly matched?        Hydro Electric Project                                                 State Koldam HEP                                                       Himachal Pradesh Parbati HEP                                                        Uttarakhand Rampur HEP                                                      Harayna Select the correct code: Only 1 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 Q.3) Consider the following statements about INS Arihant It belongs to Ship Submersible Ballistic Nuclear (SSBN) class It will be armed with K-15 Sagarika and K-4 missiles India is now the third country to have a nuclear triad after US and Russia Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.4) Which of the following is/are correctly matched?                 Place                                               Country Ufa                                                        Russia eThekwini                                           Brazil Fortaleza                                             South Africa Select the correct code: Only 1 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 Q.5) The "Internet of things" (IoT) is becoming an increasingly growing topic of conversation both in the workplace and outside of it. It has found utility in almost every aspect of human life. Consider the following statements regarding IoT: The internet of things (IoT) is the network of physical devices, vehicles, buildings and other items—embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity that enables these objects to collect and exchange data. Data transfer takes place without human to human or human to computer interaction. Which of the above statements are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2   Download the Solution- Click here All the best IASbaba

Oct 18, 2016 PIB

IASbaba Press Information Bureau (PIB)- 10th OCT to 16th Oct, 2016

GS-1   ‘Second Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav-2016’ to be held in IGNCA Premises from 15th to 23rd  October, 2016  (Topic: Indian Culture) About- “Second Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM)-2016” will be held from 15th to 23rd  October, 2016 in the premises of Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA), Janpath, New Delhi. Aim- To showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Country in all its rich and varied dimensions, viz - Handicrafts, Cuisine, Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Documentation and Performing Arts-Folk, Tribal, Classical and Contemporary- all in one place. Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav- Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav was conceived by the Ministry of Culture in the year 2015 and after the grand success of the First Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav in November-2015.  Highlights of Mahotsav- Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav would showcase all these aspects of Indian Culture in different areas designated for the same. Accordingly, there will be a ‘Shilp Haat’ in which pavilions called "Aaangans” would be put up by each of the seven Zonal Cultural Centers (ZCCs) of the country as well as the Academies and IGNCA. In this ‘Shilp Haat’ master craftsmen from all over the country will display and sell their crafts to the general public and sale of the publications of these autonomous bodies on various aspects of Indian Culture is also a salient feature. Demonstrations of the process of creation of the wares based on their crafts by the master-craftsmen will also be done here. The Aangans will be decorated by expert traditional painters and sculptors, in styles most representative of the regions that each of the ZCCs represents. Day-long performances of traditional performers of fringe-folk arts like ‘Behroopiyas’, ‘Baazigars’, ‘Kacchi Ghori’ etc will take place in the Shilp Haat and the rest of the campus. These artists are also known as ‘Maidaani Kalaakar’ as they perform in the open without any need for a stage. Facing the Shilp Haat will be a Food Court where master chefs of traditional delicacies from different regions of the country will treat the visitors to an unparalleled culinary experience. In the lawns opposite the ‘Maati Ghar’ and in the Art Gallery of the IGNCA, two photo exhibitions will run concurrently. One of these exhibitions is on Vandalism of places of historical and national importance in order to draw public attention to this very damaging activity done by misguided and insensitive people which causes irreparable damage and loss to irreplaceable national heritage. This exhibition will be as a part of the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan’ of the Prime Minister of India-albeit focused on a dimension of this Abhiyaan which has till now not received its due share of attention. The second exhibition will be on the recently Concluded ‘Simhastha Kumbh Mela’ showcasing its splendor and magnificence as well its importance in the cultural consciousness of the Nation. The Seven Zonal Cultural centers of the country have been enjoined upon with the task of organizing the RSM in Delhi as well as taking it to different cities of the country under the banner of the slogan “EK BHAARAT SHRESTH BHAARAT”. Emphasize on- There is an urgent and pressing need to re-connect the people-especially the youth- with their indigenous culture, its multi-faceted nature, magnificence, opulence and historical importance in the context of India as a Nation over the millennia. In order to connect the youth, a massive exercise in the online and social media sphere is being undertaken and a mobile app for Android based smart phones has been designed, which was launched by the Culture Minister in the Press Conference.   GS-2   Launch of Enhanced Foreign Trade Data Dashboard (Topic: Commerce and Industry) About- As part of the initiative of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry to provide easy access to the public with regard to India’s export, import and balance of trade data in an analytical format, over time and space, Commerce & Industry Minister launched a new enhanced Dashboard on Foreign Trade Data. Usability- It will be used for transparent decision making and reaching out to people using real time data. Help- Digitization of the government records and data analytics is also crucial for fast and effective evidence based planning and policy evaluation. This has an important role to play in effective and transparent governance. Dashboard would provide an enabling environment to importers and exporters to identify and access global trade opportunities based on reliable and updated information, directly accessible to the public through Government sources. Foreign Trade Data Dashboard Dashboard is an improved version of the earlier EXIM Analytics Dashboard developed with many added features. It is more users friendly and would facilitate the general public to have an accurate picture on dynamics of foreign trade performance of India. New Dashboard gives a graphical collection of exports, imports and balance of trade of India; e.g., the Export turnover of the country – how it performs over time and space? What are the export destinations? What items are being exported? Which are the ports – inland, sea or airports from which the exports are taking place? The new interface is broadly divided into Exports, Imports and Balance of Trade views. Each of these views provide the user with features to inspect the trade that happens between India and a particular country, zoom into the activities of a particular port and reflect trade pattern over any months of the user's choice. Import View- Import viewgives a sharp perspective of how India's imports have changed compared to the previous year. The user may also observe how the import value has fared across the months of that year. The Top Commodities and Ports section details the top 5 commodities and ports, in addition to the ones at the lower end. The clickable world map reflects the performance of India in imports to rest of the world. The darker the country shade, the higher the import from it. The flow diagram to the right of the world map will visualise what percentage of the top commodities have been imported from the various ports (thickness of the line reflects the magnitude). Export View- If users are curious to see how their selected choices were to behave in the Exports area, they merely need to click on the Export view on the top navigation bar. Balance of Trade view- They can see a world map detailing countries with positive/negative balance of trade with India. Countries can be sorted by Import value and the corresponding value of Export trade. Visual comparison of import-export trade values over the years is also available. Touching a monthly value in Trade Performance would highlight corresponding value in the Balance of Trade performance chart as well, making it easy to understand India's position on Balance of Trade (BoT) in that month compared to the previous months.   First World Tsunami Awareness Day to be celebrated at AMCDRR (Topic: Disaster Management) About- First World Tsunami Awareness Day will be celebrated on November 5, 2016. To commemorate the occasion, an event will be organised with Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Champions at the Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) 2016. Schedule- Conference is being organised from November 3-5, 2016 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi by the Government of India in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). Significance- Significance of this day, the 5th November, to tsunami awareness can be traced back to the year 1854. A villager in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, was concerned about an impending tsunami after a high-intensity earthquake on November 5, 1854. He set up a fire to rice sheaves on the top of a hill. Fellow villagers, who went atop to put off the fire, were saved even as a tsunami destroyed their village down below. This was the first documented instance of a tsunami early warning. To commemorate that day of “Inamura no Hi” (the burning of rice sheaves), a resolution was jointly proposed by 142 countries including Japan as a follow up of the third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The United Nations designated the 5th November as World Tsunami Awareness Day Help- The observance of the day would help to spread awareness among people across the world in matters related to the dangers of tsunami and shall stress on the importance of early warning systems in order to mitigate damage from the often devastating natural hazard. It also aims at reviving traditional knowledge about tsunamis. Highlights of Conference- Awareness raising activities will be organized throughout the Conference through thematic events, exhibitions, and distribution of awareness materials. Following the devastating Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004, the Government of India established an Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC) under the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) at Hyderabad. The Centre, operational since October 2007, has state-of-the-art infrastructure for generating and disseminating tsunami bulletins for the entire Indian Ocean region. India, along with 23 other Indian Ocean countries, participated in a tsunami mock drill on September 7-8, 2016. Besides increasing awareness, the drill evaluated the preparedness of participating nations to handle tsunami and other similar emergency situations. Cabinet approves MoU between Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) on General Cooperation with the New Development Bank (NDB), along with other Development Financial Institutions of BRICS nations (Topic:  Cabinet decision) About- Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of PM has given its approval for signing of a MoU on General Cooperation with New Development Bank (NDB) through the BRICS Interbank Cooperation Mechanism by Government at the level of Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs/ Export Import Bank of India. Benefit- It will enhance trade and economic relations among the BRICS countries. There is no financial implication involved with signing of the MoU. The participating institutions from the BRICS nations will be benefitted by this MoU. MoU- MoU is a non-binding umbrella agreement aimed at establishing a cooperation framework in accordance with the national laws and regulations, besides skills transfer and knowledge sharing amongst the signatories. Establishment of the NDB reflects the close relations among the BRICS countries and provides a powerful instrument for increasing their economic cooperation and help India play an enhanced international role. Keeping in view the strategic relevance of cooperation for sustainable development and inclusive economic growth, the signing of MoU is necessary in the context of cooperation extended by the Members in various forms for promoting and facilitating trade of goods and services as well as investments in mutual projects among the BRICS countries. Background- Five banks from the BRIC nations had established the BRICS Interbank Co-operation Mechanism to enhance trade and economic relations amongst the BRIC countries, and enterprises. BRICS Interbank Co-operation Mechanism now proposes to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on General Co-operation with the New Development Bank.   Inauguration of ‘Women of India Festival 2016’ of organic products at Dilli Haat at INA (Topic: Women and Child Development) About- Minister of Women & Child Development inaugurated ‘Women of India Festival 2016’ of organic products by women at Dilli Haat at INA, New Delhi. Schedule- Festival to be held from October 14-23 will offer on sale the biggest selection of organic products ranging from food, fabrics and furniture to wellness, personal care and solar products. Organised and sponsored by- Union Ministry of Women & Child Development, the ‘Women of India Festival 2016’celebrates and promotes women entrepreneurs from across India. Participants from the remotest areas of the country will travel to Delhi for the entire duration of the festival and sell their unique products in the capital. Aim- Initiative is a move to benefit women entrepreneurs, and also actively promote organic food and products. The Women of India Festival is intended to highlight the health and environmental advantages of organic goods, provide a platform for women engaged in this economy and encourage the development of sustainable and easily accessible sales outlets for organic producers from remote areas. Significance of Organic foods- Organic foods have been proven to contain more vitamins, minerals and nutrients than similar foods produced with chemical fertilizers, pesticides and preservatives. Organic farming relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost, and natural methods of pest control. Children are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of pesticide exposure Organic plants and food crops have also been found to contain higher amounts of salicylic acid which fights bowel cancer; it helps to fight stress and disease. Last year’s edition of ‘Women of India Festival’ selling organic produce saw thousands of people thronging to Dilli Haat each day. For the first time in India, over 500 women entrepreneurs from Leh to Kanyakumari and from Kohima to Kutch, came together with their organic products. This year will feature even more products including 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, kitchen composters, organic seeds and other bio products. This year’s Festival will have 230 stalls and about 372 participants. The list includes producers from Delhi, NCR and 23 states/UTs. Apart from producers of locally grown and manufactured products, the participants also include Nourish Organic, The Altitude Store, Dew Drops, Organic World, Inhere Aajivika Utthan Samiti, Sonal White Cub, Aura Herbal Textiles, ASAL, Pro Nature Organics, Eco Green Unit, Avani, who will add further variety with their vast lifestyle range at the Organic Extravaganza. Cabinet approves MoU between India and Hungary on cooperation in the field of water management  (Topic: Cabinet Decisions) About- Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of PM has given its approval for signing of a MoU between India and Hungary on cooperation in the field of water management. MoU will be signed between- Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India and the Ministry of Interior, Government of Hungary. Benefit- It will enhance bilateral cooperation in the field of water management, on the basis of equality and mutual benefits. This will encourage the development of bilateral relations between public and private organizations concerning water resources of both the countries. Both the countries will get benefited by joint activities and mutual exchange of scientific delegations and experts in the field of water resources development and management. The cooperation, particularly on river basin management/ integrated water resources management, efficiency in water supply and irrigation technology innovation and flood & drought management will help improve the socio-economic conditions of the people of both the countries. Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation is entering into a MoU with Hungary with wide-ranging areas on water sector for the first time.   Union Textiles Minister to inaugurate India International Silk Fair (Topic: Textile industry) About- The flagship event of the Indian Silk Export Promotion Council, the 5th edition of India International Silk Fair, will be inaugurated by the Union Textiles Minister, on 15th October, at New Delhi. Help- Provides an opportunity to small and medium entrepreneurs in showcasing their unique products to visiting overseas buyers. The fair will provide a unique opportunity to exporters in showcasing their products and to overseas buyers in sourcing the merchandize they require Indian Silk Industry- Indian Silk Industry is very important, being rural and agriculture-based, providing livelihood to around 7 million people in the country. India is the second largest producer of silk in the world. While silk production in all other silk-producing countries is in decline, the silk production in India has consistently been on a rise. India is the only country in the world which produces all major varieties of silk, namely, Mulberry, Tasar, Eri and Muga. Exhibition- Indian Silk Export Promotion Council is sponsoring the visit of around 100 buyers from various overseas countries to visit stands of 120 exhibitors of silk and silk blended products that are manufactured in various parts of the country and exported all over the world. The 3-day exhibition is expected to generate a business of over US $50 million for SMEs engaged in producing silk and silk blended garments, fabrics, accessories and floor coverings. The fair is in line with the commitment of carrying forward the “Make in India” programme of the Government of India.   Cabinet approves establishment of an Indian Institute of Management at Jammu (Topic: Cabinet Decision) About- Union Cabinet, chaired by PM, has approved the establishment and operationalisation of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Jammu in a transit/temporary campus at Old Government College of Engineering & Technology from the Academic Year 2016-17. Project involves- This is a part of Prime Minister’s development package for Jammu & Kashmir. The Institute coupled with opening of IIT at Jammu, modernization of NIT Srinagar and opening of two new AIIMS institutions, one each in Kashmir region and Jammu region, would go a long way in meeting the requirement of high quality living and education in Jammu & Kashmir.   Project will involve a cost of Rs.61.90 crore in temporary campus for the initial four years from 2016 to 2020. The student strength intake for this year in the Post Graduate Diploma Programme (PGDP) in Management is 54 which will progressively go up to cumulative student strength of 120 in the 4th year. Steps would also be taken up for setting up campus at Jammu and an out-campus in Kashmir region. The Detailed Project Report for the permanent campuses is under preparation and thereafter the process for setting up of the campuses would start. Cabinet decision- Cabinet also approved formation of an IIM Jammu Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. IIM Jammu will be run and managed by the Society with a Board of Governors (BOGs) to be constituted by the Government of India, which will administer the Institute and would be responsible for establishment and operationalisation of the Institute.   Background Indian Institutes of Management are the country’s premier institutions imparting best quality education in management on globally benchmarked processes of education and training in management education and allied area of knowledge. At present, there are nineteen IIMs. Out of these, thirteen IIMs are located at Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore, Kozhikode, Shillong, Ranchi, Raipur, Rohtak, Kashipur, Trichy, Udaipur. Another six IIMs which have been started in 2015 are located at Amritsar, Sirmaur, Nagpur, Bodhgaya, Sambalpur and Vishakhapatnam.    Cabinet approves MoU between India and Hungary on cooperation in the field of water management (Topic: Cabinet Decision) About- Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship PM has given its approval for signing of a MoU between India and Hungary on cooperation in the field of water management. Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation is entering into a MoU with Hungary with wide-ranging areas on water sector for the first time. MoU signed between- Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India and the Ministry of Interior, Government of Hungary. Benefit- It will enhance bilateral cooperation in the field of water management, on the basis of equality and mutual benefits. This will encourage the development of bilateral relations between public and private organizations concerning water resources of both the countries. Both the countries will get benefited by joint activities and mutual exchange of scientific delegations and experts in the field of water resources development and management. The cooperation, particularly on river basin management/ integrated water resources management, efficiency in water supply and irrigation technology innovation and flood & drought management will help improve the socio-economic conditions of the people of both the countries.   4th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting at Jaipur (Topic: Important International institutions, agencies and further structure, mandate) About- India will host the 8th BRICS Summit, in Goa on 15-16 October 2016 during its Chairmanship of BRICS, which it assumed on 15 February 2016.As the precursor the same, the 4th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting was convened on 8 October, 2016 at Jaipur. Aim- to further strengthen the collaboration amongst the BRICS countries in the areas of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Highlights- Emphasis on adopting a five-pronged approach, viz. Institution Building, Implementation, Integration, Innovation and Continuity. Emphasis is on institution building, implementation of previous commitments, tapping synergies of the existing BRICS cooperation mechanisms, exploring some new areas of cooperation and maintaining continuity in the existing areas In alignment with the theme of India’s Chairmanship - Building, Responsive Inclusive and Collective Solutions, the Jaipur Declaration was unanimously adopted by all the BRICS countries. The member countries resolved to intensify, diversify and institutionalize STI cooperation through the BRICS research & innovation initiative. During India’s Chairmanship, significant progress have been achieved in joint knowledge creation in the areas of Photonics; Material Science & Nanotechnology; Biotechnology & Biomedical Sciences; Energy; Geospatial Technology; Astronomy; Prevention & Mitigation of Natural Disaster, Water and Solid State Lighting. In fulfillment of Prime Minister of India special attention on engagement of youth, who comprises 65% of workforce of BRICS countries together, India hosted the 1st BRICS Young Scientists Conclave at Bengaluru and Hampi last week. More than 40 young scientists from BRICS countries participated in the event and discussed some exciting ideas in the field of affordable healthcare, energy solutions and computational intelligence. In order to stimulate and encourage young minds, BRICS Innovative Idea Prize for Young Scientists has been instituted. In order to harness the innovativeness of the youth, India’s proposal to establish a BRICS Science and Technology driven Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnership Programme was agreed by all the member countries.   GS-3 INS Sumitra visits Surabaya, Indonesia (Topic: Indian Navy)         Outcome of-  In pursuit of India’s ‘Act East’ policy and outreach to friendly countries, the Indian Navy’s Offshore Patrol Vessel Sumitra, has arrived at Surabaya, Indonesia on a two day visit from 10-12 Oct 16, as part of its deployment to the South Western Pacific Ocean. Aimed at- Strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing maritime security cooperation between the two countries. Highlights- India and Indonesia Relations- India and Indonesia have extensive historic, cultural and maritime linkages. Regular maritime interaction through- training exchanges, port calls, PASSEXs, biannual Coordinated Patrols (CORPATs) and the recently initiated annual bilateral maritime exercise, have reinforced the historic maritime relationship. Sumitra’s visit to Surabaya would further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries and contribute to overall maritime security in the region. Sumitra- Sumitra, is the fourth of the Saryuclass ships, based on an indigenous design and constructed by M/s Goa Shipyard Ltd, India. Since commissioning in 2014, the ship has been deployed for multiple operational tasks, the most notable being ‘Operation Rahat’, which entailed the evacuation of personnel of various nationalities from war-torn Yemen in 2015. The ship has a range of 6,500 nautical miles and is capable of embarking one Dhruv/ Chetak helicopter.   Coordinated Patrol and India-Indonesia Bilateral Maritime Exercise Commence at Belawan, Indonesia (Topic: India maritime security) About- In a demonstration of India's commitment to its ties with Indonesia and to the maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region, Indian Naval Ship Karmuk, an indigenously built missile corvette, based under the Andaman and Nicobar Command, alongwith a Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft, is participating in the 28th India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol and Second Bilateral Maritime Exercise, scheduled from 10-27 Oct 16 in the Andaman Sea. Benefit- These interactions would also provide opportunities for extensive operational and training engagements, and contribute substantively to the maintenance of good order at sea. Exercise seeks to strengthen the existing bonds of friendship between India and Indonesia, and underscore India's partnership and solidarity with friendly countries of the region. Defence relations between India and Indonesia- Defence relations between India and Indonesia have been growing steadily with regular joint activities and interactions between the Armed Forces of the two countries. The two navies have been carrying out Coordinated Patrols (CORPAT) on respective sides of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) twice a year since 2002, with the aim of keeping this vital part of the Indian Ocean Region safe and secure for commercial shipping, International trade and legitimate marine activities. The CORPAT has strengthened understanding and interoperability between the two navies and promoted net maritime security in the region.   HIMANSH, India’s Remote, High-Altitude Station opened in Himalaya (Topic: Earth sciences) About-As part of the Indian government’s initiatives to better study and quantify the Himalayan glacier responses towards the climate change, National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), Goa, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences has established a high altitude research station in Himalaya called HIMANSH (literally meaning, a slice of ice), situated above 13,500 ft (> 4000 m) at a remote region in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. Himalayan region- Himalayan region has the largest concentration of glaciers outside the polar caps, as this region is aptly called the “Water Tower of Asia” is the source of the 10 major river systems that provide irrigation, power and drinking water for over 700 million people live in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh– nearly 10% of the world’s population. Understanding the behaviour of these glaciers and their contribution to the sustainable supply of water for mankind and agriculture is one of the grand challenges of Indian scientific community. HIMANSH- The station houses many instruments to quantify the glacier melting and its relation to changing climate. Some of the instruments that are available at this research facility include, Automatic Weather Stations for weather monitoring, water level recorder for quantifying the glacier melt, ground penetrating radar to know the thickness of glaciers, geodetic GPS systems to study the glacier movements, snow fork for studying snow thickness, steam drill, snow corer, temperature profilers, as well as various glaciological tools. Further, the researchers would be using this as a base for undertaking surveys using Terrestrial Laser Scanners (TLS) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) that would digitize the glacier motion and snow cover variations with exceptional precision. “Himansh” will provide the much needed fillip to the scientific research on Himalayan glaciers and its hydrological contribution. Initiative by- The ongoing initiatives by NCAOR would contribute to the integrated study the glaciers in the upper Indus basin (Chandra basin) in Himachal Pradesh and their contribution to discharge. According to the UN data, the contribution of snow/glacier melt in annual stream runoff is substantially higher (>40%) in Indus basin as compared to Ganga and Brahmaputrabasins (<10%). Therefore, understanding the glacier mass balance and their contribution to the Indus River is more critical than other basins towards the understanding on the impact of glacier retreat on the water cycle in the northern India and Pakistan. Some of the bench mark glaciers that are already being studied under this project include Bada Shigri, Samudra Tapu, Sutri Dhaka, Batal, Gepang Gath and Kunzam. An integrated study using glaciological, geodetic, glacio-hydrological methods will shed light on the glacier response to the changing climate in this region and will also quantify the contribution from glacial melt water to the river discharge in Indus basin.   ‘Make in India’ to make a mark at AMCDRR (Topic: Disaster and Risk Reduction)   About- An exhibition with a thematic focus on ‘Make in India’ will be organised in New Delhi at Vigyan Bhawan, the venue of the Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) 2016. Conference is being organised from November 3-5, 2016 by the Government of India in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). Aim at- Showcasing good practices in Disaster Risk Management through the initiatives displayed by various governmental and Non-Governmental Organisations as well as other stakeholders. India is one of the signatories of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) adopted at the Third UN World Conference in Sendai, Japan in March, 2015. Reaffirming its commitment to address DRR and strengthen resilience to disasters, India launched its National Disaster Management Plan earlier this year in line with the priorities defined in the Sendai Framework. Introducing DRR in governance is key to sustainable economic development and is linked to indicators of growth such as eradication of poverty and malnutrition, improved standards of healthcare and education, better sanitation, protection of environment, among others. Highlights- Visual material, publications, posters, multimedia and latest technological innovations showcasing India’s efforts at Disaster Risk Reduction, mitigation and preparedness will be displayed at the exhibition. The exhibition will also be leveraged to showcase India’s rich cultural heritage, handloom and handicraft products to the international delegates from 60 Asian countries that are participating in the Conference. Besides the exhibition, a national-level painting competition for schoolchildren aged 10-14 years, a short films competition and the first World Tsunami Awareness Day are also being organised during the Conference. All these events are aimed at generating awareness on issues related to DRR.   PetroFed signs MoU with TERI to undertake a study on Climate Change Risks  (Topic: Petroleum and Natural gas) About- PetroFed, an apex society of entities in the Hydrocarbon sector, signed a MoU with TERI to undertake study on “Climate Change Risks: Preparedness for Oil and Gas Sector”. Help- It will provide a missing link between the policy and the practice in the Hydrocarbon sector. India’s Energy scenario- India is a low per capita energy consumer but as the country is moving towards double-digit growth rate, its energy consumption is bound to increase. Share of gas in the Indian energy basket is 6.5 to 7 per cent while the world average is 24 per cent. India aspires to take the share of gas to 15 per cent in the next 3 to 5 years so as to have a new gas based economy Government is focusing on gas, renewable energy and bio-energy to meet its requirements. It is important to understand the implications of various energy sources and to develop an Indian model for the nation’s energy sector. Need to emphasise on- Scientific research, appropriate business models and creation of awareness among the people. Beneficial outcome of study- The study will provide important inputs for future strategy on oil and gas infrastructure development. The study will also provide a comprehensive analysis of threats posed by Climate change to Oil & Gas sector and shall provide a way forward to tackle the challenges posed by climate change. The study will suggest suitable measures for the Oil & Gas sector to achieve India’s INDC target of reducing emission intensity of GDP by 33 – 35 per cent below the levels in 2005 by 2030. The study would further highlight how the global market and technological options are likely to change as a result of global climate policy measures; and how the 1.5 degree and 2 degree scenarios of global warming are likely to affect the infrastructure and operations in different climatic zones of India.   India Welcomes Landmark HFC Agreement at Kigali  (Topic: Environmental Protection) About- India joins the nations of the world in lauding the Hydroflurocarbon (HFC) Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, agreed to at the 28th Meeting of Parties at Kigali, Rwanda. Kigali Agreement- Kigali Agreement is a reaffirmation of the global intent to mitigate climate change and exemplifies international co-operation in this regard. The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol is legally binding and will come into force from January 1, 2019. Agreement upholds- Principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR & RC). It recognizes the development imperatives of high-growth economies like India, and provides a realistic and viable roadmap for the implementation of a phase-out schedule for high global warming potential (GWP) HFCs. On India’s Part- India is happy to have played a positive, constructive and collaborative role towards reaching this agreement. Right from the outset, India demonstrated exemplary flexibility and an open mind to work with all nations. This enabled a fair and equitable, yet ambitious Agreement that is in the best interest of our people, in the best interest of all developing nations, and in the best interest of the world.   Germany to collaborate with India to improve rail connectivity of Indian ports: may also bring in technology for scrapping old vehicles; India ready for flex-fuel compatible automobiles (Topic: Indian Railways) About-Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping has said that India and Germany are all set to collaborate on projects for improving rail connectivity of Indian ports.The two countries will work together on projects worth Rs one lakh crore being implemented by the Indian Port Rail Corporation Ltd (IPRCL). Why needed? For efficient evacuation of cargo from the Ports and to reduce logistics cost, last mile rail connectivity of Ports is extremely important. Indian port Rail Corporation Ltd. has been set up specifically to work in this area. This would help bring in foreign investment and cost effective, environment friendly, innovative technology for the port rail connectivity projects. Highlights- It was proposed in meeting to form groups with representatives of IPRCL and DB to identify areas of cooperation and potential projects, as also to identify cost effective new rail technologies that can be implemented. In the transport sector, discussions were held on cooperation for developing vehicle scrapping capacity in India. India has invited Germany to share environment friendly technology for scrapping of old vehicles and also for processing of the waste thus generated. In what may be a major step towards reducing pollution, Minister informed that India has put in place all required regulations for the use of Flex-fuel like ethanol mixed with petrol. German automobile manufacturers can be called upon to produce cars that can run on flex-fuel for India, like the ones being produced in Canada and USA.   Cabinet approves new link between Sahibganj bypass in Jharkhand to Manihari bypass in Bihar including four lane bridge on river Ganga (Topic: Economic Affairs) About- Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the PM, has approved the construction of new link between Sahibganj bypass in Jharkhand to Manihari bypass in Bihar including four lane bridge on river Ganga. Help- Project will help in expediting the improvement of infrastructure in Bihar and Jharkhand and also in reducing the time and cost of travel for traffic, particularly heavy traffic, plying in the area in these States. Development of this stretch will also help in uplifting the socio-economic condition of this region in the State. It would also increase employment potential for local labourers for project activities. It has been estimated that a total number of 4,076 mandays are required for construction of one kilometre of highway. As such, employment potential of 89,000 (approx.) mandays will be generated locally during the construction period of this stretch. Work will be done under the National Highways (Others) on Hybrid Annuity Mode. The concession period of the Project is 19 years including a construction period of four years. Background- New project highway is a new formation of the missing link at NH-131A to NH-133B connecting Sahibganj in Jharkhand and Manihari in Bihar. At present, there is a missing link between Jharkhand to Bihar as there is no Bridge on the river Ganga at this location. Vehicular traffic uses Vikramshila Setu at Bhagalpur on Farakka barrage thus travelling a long distance to reach their destinations in North Bihar.

Oct 18, 2016 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 18th October, 2016

Archives   IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 18th October, 2016   NATIONAL   TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States General Studies 1 Social empowerment Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.   Triple Talaq case: the judicial intervention In news: The debate around triple talaq and Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has once again surfaced with mixing of two issues. Though the Law Commission sought public opinion on the exercise of revising and reforming family laws of all religions in the context of Article 44 of the Constitution, which talks of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for all citizens, it was opposed by All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), along with several other organisations associated with the Muslim community and called it as an attempt to target their personal law. The public today sees the judiciary as their final resort to get answers to their questions and doubts. Once again, the judicial door has been knocked for justice by a distressed women for her violation of fundamental rights. This time the battle seems to be tougher and judiciary is expected to play a crucial role.   The triple talaq issue has been confused with the issue of a uniform civil code, which has made the India’s minority Muslim community defensive. A former SC judge, Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, once wrote that personal laws can be reformed from within, without a quantum leap into a common code. According to him, remarkable changes in Islamic laws are possible without violating the Quran but adopting progressive hermeneutics. Also, it has been time and again debated if judiciary can interfere while pronouncing judgements relating to personal law. Ruling in the Shah Bano case The case had a 62 year old Muslim woman, Shah Bano, who filed a petition in local court under Section 125 of CrPC, asking for maintenance from her husband (Khan) for her children and herself, after being thrown out of house. Khan’s response was that Shah Bano had ceased to be his wife after he pronounced an irrevocable talaq (divorce) in 1978. Thus, he was not liable to provide maintenance (which was meagre Rs. 5400) except as prescribed under the Islamic law, mehr- amount promised on marriage. Courts at different levels upheld Section 125 of CrPC to be applicable to Muslims as well. Later, the case was taken to SC where Khan argued that Shah Bano was no more his responsibility because he had a second marriage, which was permissible under Islamic law. Finally in 1985, a five-judge bench of SC pronounced its verdict that there was no conflict between the provisions of Section 125 and those of the Muslim Personal Law on the question of the Muslim husband’s obligation to provide maintenance for a divorced wife who is unable to maintain herself. The SC held that Section 125 of the CrPC applies to all regardless of caste or creed. It also discussed the desirability of bringing a uniform civil code in India which would help in national integration. However, it was the last ruling by Supreme Court in a matter concerning personal law.   Criticism by clergy The Muslim clergy was not happy with the judgement as it saw its importance in matters concerning social relations amongst Muslims under threat. The source of Muslim Personal Law in India is the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937. It is a colonial law which allows Indian Muslims to be governed by the Shariat. The Muslim Personal Law was given the power to have their say in matters pertaining to intestate succession, special property of females, marriage, dissolution of marriage, maintenance etc. where the parties are Muslim. The absence of codification has legally allowed community leaders to hold the practices as sacrosanct. The Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939, however, codifies a woman’s right to seek divorce by approaching the court. Incoming of government The government of the time was requested to intervene in the matter and overturn a ruling which irreparably compromised Muslim Personal Law according to Muslim clergy. The government had to appease the Muslim community for reasons best known and hence couldn’t shy away from the case. The government argued that Koranic provision or lack of it for maintenance was neither a compulsion nor closed to interpretation. The Muslims could be reassured of their rights only by some amendments. Thus, it passed The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act 1986 which though was in name of protecting rights of Muslim women who had been divorced, actually denied Muslim divorcees the right to alimony from their former husbands. A setback for Muslim women The Shah Bano judgement was overturned by adopting the new aforesaid law. As per the law, when a Muslim divorced woman is unable to support herself after the iddat period that she must observe after the death of her spouse or after a divorce, during which she may not marry another man, the magistrate is empowered to make an order for the payment of maintenance by her relatives who would be entitled to inherit her property on her death according to Muslim law. But when a divorced woman has no such relatives, and does not have enough means to pay the maintenance, the magistrate would order the State Wakf Board to pay the maintenance. The ‘liability’ of the husband to pay maintenance was thus restricted to the period of the iddat only. Thus, if it was a losing cause for Muslim women is still debated. Today, the society needs judiciary to take on the responsibility of interpreting the law in light of the widely criticised practice of triple talaq, which in the view of many practising Muslims is not the law. The present Shayra Bano case Shayara bano, who was divorced in 2015, has not gone to court for maintenance issue but has challenged the Constitutional validity of three aspects of Muslim personal law: polygamy, triple talaq and nikah halala (a practice under which a woman who wishes to remarry her former husband must first consummate a nikah with another man). It has to be known that her petition does not mention UCC or ask for codification of the Muslim personal law. It is fight for equality before law and protection against discrimination on the basis of her gender and religion. This case has once again stirred the murky waters of validated rights of Muslim women as per personal law or constitution.   Present stand of government The centre has opposed in the Supreme Court the practice of triple talaq among Muslims, maintaining that it cannot be regarded as an essential part of religion. According to centre, the practice of triple talaq is not in conformity with the constitution as well as cannot be regarded as an essential part of religion. The principles of gender justice, equality and dignity enshrined in the Constitution of India are above the personal laws. It gave examples of Muslim countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Morocco, Egypt, Iran and Sudan which do not have provision of triple talaq or if it exists, then it is regulated by law. The government has maintained that it doesn’t want to impose a uniform civil code and that both the issues were separate. Conclusion No doubt, reform should come from within the religious community. That was why Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Dayanand Saraswati and others reformed Hindu religious practices. Over the years, Hindu religious practices have undergone substantial change and reform. The Muslim clerics should take note of the changing times and allow the Muslim women to exercise their rights and not subdue them in name of patriarchal laws. The way forward in this matter is to discuss and prevent continued exploitation of women by taking necessary measures wherever required. There is a need to create awareness that triple talaq is related to ending gender discrimination and ensure gender justice and equal rights. Whereas UCC is a different matter which aims to The government has to act in a matured way by handling both the issues separately with clarity. Politics should now not negatively affect individual’s basic right under Indian Constitution. A high level committee report- Status of Women in India (2015) need to be released. The report straddles the fine line between ensuring gender justice and maintaining the plurality of family laws and reiterates the need to protect diversity, and rejects uniformity as a way to push for women’s rights. Art 14 (Equality before law) and Art 15 (Against specific discrimination) have to be upheld. Art 25 should not be interpreted for petty personal gains, thereby giving meaning to Art 21 (Right to live). Connecting the dots: What do you understand by triple talaq? In the 21st century of women empowerment and gender equality, can it be said that such provisions of personal law violates rights of Muslim women? Substantiate your stand. Can Uniform Civil Code and issue of triple talaq be pronounced in same sentence? The removal of triple talaq is a contentious issue for traditional Muslim clergy but has found support in many Muslim women. Do you agree? Give reasons. If the constitution supports secular fabric, can it have a say in personal laws guided by faith and religion? Critically analyse.   ECONOMY/SOCIAL ISSUE   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 Government Budgeting General Studies 2 Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.   Idea of a UBI for India What the article intends to convey? We know that, Government of India provides subsidies to help lift the poor out of poverty. However, subsidies are not only regressive but also cause misallocation of resources. Therefore, as a solution, Economist Pranab Bardhan and others have recently advocated that the government of India should provide every citizen a universal basic income (UBI).   Introduction: Even after three decades of sustained economic growth and a proliferation of welfare schemes, roughly one in three Indians still live below the poverty line, according to the last report on poverty estimates submitted by the Rangarajan committee in 2014. (Too many Indians remain trapped in poverty.) The persistence of poverty and significant leakages in welfare schemes that aim to alleviate it has prompted many academics and policymakers to explore more efficient alternatives to India’s creaky and leaky welfare architecture. One of the suggestions has been to move towards a “universal basic income”. The idea is already gaining currency in the developed world, as fears of automation and consequent job losses have spurred thinkers in the West to devise ways wherein all individuals would be guaranteed some income.   Advantages of Universal Basic Income (UBI) UBI would avoid the inefficiency and wastage associated with government subsidies, and help lift the poor out of poverty. UBI can end the “non-merit” subsidies and tax exemptions that mostly benefit the rich.   What is Basic Income? A basic income is an income unconditionally granted to all on an individual basis, without means test or work requirement. It is a form of minimum income guarantee that differs from those that now exist in various European countries in three important ways: It is being paid to individuals rather than households; It is paid irrespective of any income from other sources; It is paid without requiring the performance of any work or the willingness to accept a job if offered.   The universal basic income, as it is understood today, has three distinguishing characteristics: First, it is universal and not targeted. In the Indian context, this makes sense because of the less-than-satisfactory experience with targeting welfare services. Apart from the standard arguments against targeting—that it often excludes a lot of the deserving households from receiving subsidies, people often fall in and out of poverty and therefore it becomes difficult to ascertain who are rightfully entitled to receive such benefits. Thus, a “universal” programme would not only be more appropriate, it will also reduce the burden of the bureaucracy in so far as it is engaged in identifying the deserving beneficiaries of any targeted programme. The second feature of any proposed universal basic income scheme is cash transfer in lieu of in-kind transfer. There are standard arguments in favour of cash transfers over in-kind transfers (food stamps or grains provided through the Public Distribution System) as they are supposed to be much less market-distorting than in-kind transfers. The third distinguishing feature is that it is unconditional. Cash transfers are not tied to exhibiting certain behaviour, and the people are free to spend the cash as they want. An example of conditional in-kind transfer in India would be the mid-day meal scheme, where the meal—an in-kind transfer—is conditional upon attending school. Thus, the universal basic income seeks to provide unconditional cash to every individual, or household, and the individuals would be free to use the cash as per their discretion and spend according to their own preferences. Thus, the movement for a universal basic income has attracted support from both the left and right ends of the political spectrum.   What are the main arguments against a universal basic income? It would reduce the motivation for work and might encourage people to live off assured cash transfers. Ensuring fiscal affordability of UBI Economist Pranab Bardhan and others have proposed for an payment of between Rs3,500 and Rs10,000 per person (based on poverty estimates for 2014-15) As it is estimated paying a basic income equivalent to the poverty line, to each and every adult in India, would entail a cost of 11% of GDP, which is way above the 4.2% of GDP that the government currently spends on explicit subsidies. (Explicit subsidies mean the subsidy cost under the Public Distribution System, fertilizers, railways, electricity, sugar, LPG, kerosene and water). It is also argued that unconditional cash transfers might raise wages due to the decline in the supply of casual labourers. There is also question of whether a shift towards it should be a substitute for all existing subsidies or whether it should complement the existing ones. A UBI handout by itself would not solve the two fundamental problems the poor face in India—low income-earning opportunities and inadequate quality of human capital services consumed by them. In India, where entrepreneurship and job creation continue to face formidable challenges, and public sector failures in education, health and sanitation severely degrade the poor’s expenditure on human capital. Therefore, a UBI will prove insufficient or even wasteful. In discussing the merits and demerits of the UBI or any other development policy, it is important to avoid some standard pitfalls. First, all policies have some pros and cons, and so just picking a problem with or highlighting a nice feature of a particular policy is not good enough. That traps us in an elusive search for “win-win” policies. The focus should be on relative costs and benefits of different policies. Second, one size does not fit all. We should be open to the possibility that different policies could work well in different contexts. Cash transfers only make sense if you have ready access to markets, which is not true if you live in remote rural areas in which we have to rely on in-kind transfers. Third, there is no magic pill that will cure all problems. Different policies are needed to address different problems. So yes, a UBI or a cash transfer as envisaged by JAM or the MGNREGA will provide some relief to the poor, but will not provide a long-term solution to the problem of poverty. For that one needs investment in health, education, and skill-formation to enable the poor to take advantage of growth opportunities, and investing in infrastructure and regulatory conditions to facilitate private investment for employment generation.   Way ahead: While some of the challenges of implementing a basic income can be met with the better use of technology and an expansion in banking services, the challenge of affordability remains. How far existing welfare schemes can be trimmed without hurting the poor, and how much public resources can be saved to implement the scheme remains an open question. The required budgetary resources could be raised by trimming the implicit and explicit subsidies to the rich (often in the form of tax breaks or subsidies given to goods largely consumed by the relatively well-off), or by raising additional taxes by improving property tax collections (currently extremely low).   Conclusion: Few regard UBI as a simple and potentially comprehensive antidote to poverty. It is also viewed as a means to demolish complex welfare bureaucracies while recognizing the need for some social transfer obligations in a way that doesn’t weaken incentives significantly. Connecting the dots: What is basic income? What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of a universal basic income guarantee? Is India ready for a universal basic income scheme? Critically analyze.   MUST READ Only about terrorism? Hindu   Reimagining BRICS Hindu   Court orders and reluctant governments Hindu   BIMSTEC waxes as SAARC wanes Hindu   Have the women spoken? Indian Express   Bilateral Buoyancy Indian Express   Power and principle Indian Express   Gender justice more important than a uniform civil code Livemint   Hunger solutions from the soil Livemint   Still coming to grips with joblessness Business Line   Welcome policy shift in managing NPAs Business Line  

Oct 18, 2016 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 41]

Click here to get all the Tests– Archives Q.1) Food fortification is A process to increase the shelf life of food significantly A process of adding micronutrients to food A new method of cold storage None of the above  Q.2) Consider the following statements about Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) It is a United Nations agency It is headquartered in Rome, Italy FAO and WTO jointly releases ‘The State of Food and Agriculture’ annually Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above  Q.3) Which of the following is/are correctly matched?              Tiger Reserves                                              State Ranthambore                                                Rajasthan Periyar                                                            Tamil Nadu Pakke                                                               Assam Select the correct code Only 1 1 and 2 1 and 3 2 and 3  Q.4) SAMOA Pathway is concerned with which of the following? Promotion of development of environmental friendly sports facilities Convention on Biological Diversity Small Island Developing States Sustainable Pastoralism  Q.5) FDI is prohibited in which of the following? Lottery business Business of Chit funds. Nidhi Company Manufacturing of Cigars, Cheroots and cigarettes of tobacco Gambling and betting. Select the correct answer 1, 2 and 4 only 1, 3 and 5 only 1, 2 and 5 only All of the above Download the Solution- Click here All the best IASbaba

Oct 17, 2016 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 17th October, 2016

Archives   IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 17th October, 2016   INTERNATIONAL   TOPIC: General Studies 2 India and its neighborhood- relations. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora. Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.   8th BRICS SUMMIT -- GOA DECLARATION In News: The 8th BRICS summit was held in Goa. The summit concluded with adaptation of Goa Declaration. The theme for the summit was “Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions”. BRICS -- Five-nation powerful grouping -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa BRICS brings together five major emerging economies, comprising 43% of the world population, having 30% of the world GDP and 17% share in the world trade. The ninth BRICS Summit will be hosted by China in 2017. Eight BRICS Summits have taken place so far. The 8th BRICS Summit was hosted by India during its Chairmanship in 2016. The earlier Summits were held as under : 7th BRICS Summit – 8-9 July 2015 in Russia (Ufa) 6th BRICS Summit - 14–16 July 2014 in Brazil (Fortaleza) 5th BRICS Summit - 26–27 March 2013 in South Africa (Durban) 4th BRICS Summit - 29 March 2012 in India (New Delhi) 3rd BRICS Summit - 14 April 2011 in China (Sanya) 2nd BRIC Summit - 16 April 2010 in Brazil (Brasilia) 1st BRIC Summit - 16 June 2009 in Russia (Yekaterinburg) Starting essentially with economic issues of mutual interest, the agenda of BRICS meetings has considerably widened over the years to encompass topical global issues. BRICS cooperation has two pillars – consultation on issues of mutual interest through meetings of Leaders as well as of Ministers of Finance, Trade, Health, S&T, Education, Agriculture, Communication, Labour, etc. and practical cooperation in a number of areas through meetings of Working Groups/Senior Officials. Regular annual Summits as well as meetings of Leaders on the margins of G20 Summits are held.   During India’s BRICS Chairmanship, we will adopt five-pronged approach: Institution building to further deepen, sustain and institutionalise BRICS cooperation; Implementation of the decisions from previous Summits; Integrating the existing cooperation mechanisms; Innovation, i.e., new cooperation mechanisms; and Continuity, i.e., continuation of mutually agreed existing BRICS cooperation mechanisms. In short, the Indian approach towards its BRICS Chairmanship could be captured by ‘IIIIC or I4C’. Outcome of the summit: BRICS called for tackling terrorism, early adoption of CCIT Goa Declaration condemned terrorism in all its forms and stressed that there can be no justification for such acts. It called upon all nations to adopt a comprehensive approach in combating terrorism, violent extremism, radicalisation, recruitment, movement of terrorists including foreign terrorists and blocking sources of financing terrorism. BRICS called upon all nations to work together to expedite the adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) in the UN General Assembly without any further delay. Reaffirmed commitment to the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) The BRICS said sources of terror funding like organised crime by means of money-laundering, drug trafficking, criminal activities, dismantling terrorist bases, and countering misuse of the internet including through social media by terror entities should be focus areas. BRICS said it reaffirmed commitment to the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) international standards on combating money laundering and the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation. The FATF is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1989 on the initiative of the G7 to develop policies to combat money laundering. In 2001 the purpose expanded to act on terrorism financing. It also called for swift, effective and universal implementation of FATF on combating terrorist financing, including effective implementation of its operational plan. UN Reforms India is among the many countries that are worried about the weakening of international institutions and the tendency to impose unilateral preferences over others. For instance, American military action (2003) to remove President Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq à an action the United States launched unilaterally in violation of the UN Charter. To guard against this kind of unhelpful trends, the wings of the United Nations must be suitably strengthened. With only China as a permanent member presently, Asia is grossly underrepresented, whereas Africa and Latin America do not have any representation in the inner circle of this important organ. BRICS called for urgent need to reforms of the United Nations, including UN Security Council, to increase representation of developing countries.   Other highlights: Resolution of civil war in Syria, in accordance with the “legitimate aspirations of the people of Syria” and action against U.N.-designated terrorist groups like IS and Jabhat al-Nusra. Appreciated progress in implementation of Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership and emphasise importance of BRICS Roadmap for Trade, Economic and Investment Cooperation until 2020. Welcomed adoption of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals. BRICS also welcomed the Paris Climate Agreement and its imminent entry into force on 4 November. Reiterated determination to use all policy tools to achieve the goal of sustainable and inclusive growth. Connecting the dots: India and China share multiple concerns when it comes to security and trade engagements. Multilateral and regional summits provide a platform to discuss these issues. Critically analyse. Is BRICS an effective Multilateral Forum in a Multi-polar International Order? Substantiate your views. BRICS countries must extend the synergy being witnessed in economic and strategic areas to the fight against terrorism? Discuss.   ECONOMY   TOPIC: General Studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.   Inflation assessment: India needs to explore more India has multiple inflation indicators. There are four consumer price indices (CPIs) — Countrywide CPI, CPI for agricultural labourers, rural labourers and industrial workers. These sector-specific CPIs are used for fixation of agricultural wages, rural wages and the inflation compensation or dearness allowances for employees in the government. In addition to CPI, there is a wholesale price index (WPI). Until recently, it was the preferred inflation anchor because of its wider coverage, a short time lag and weekly (it became a monthly index from 2011) availability. CPI is the new inflation indicator Now, the new series of CPI with its all-India coverage, updated base (2012) and availability with similar time lag has become the new inflation anchor and also basis for monetary policy changes. The shift in focus and use of CPI has been in line with many other countries which formally or informally having an inflation target approach. It has also been consistent with the objective of minimizing the impact of rising prices on people.   Difference between WPI and CPI   WPI CPI By Compiled and published by Office of the Economic Advisor on a monthly basis. Compiled and published by the Labour Bureau on a monthly basis. Stage Measures inflation at each stage of production. Measures inflation only at final stage of production. What Middle point of the sum of all the goods bought by the traders. Middle point of the sum of all the goods bought by consumers. Basis Based on the price prevailing in the wholesale markets or the price at which bulk transactions are made. Based on the final prices of goods at the retail level. Groups Manufacturing, agriculture, quarrying, mining, and in the export/import industry. Education, apparel, foods and beverages, communication, transportation, recreation, housing and medical care. Only CPI apt as an inflation indicator? A former Chairman of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, C. Rangarajan had mentioned that if WPI is behaving same as CPI, there is no additional information. But, if there is a difference, it is not affordable to ignore the behaviour of WPI as it does not reflect only international commodity prices but also domestic conditions. CPI looks at inflation purely from the perspective of a consumer and ignores the prices that a producer faces. The CPIs completely ignore the inflation for investment and capital goods. A diverging trend between WPI (which is more akin to a producers’ price index) and CPIs is observed because two sets of prices now confront producers and consumers. There has been average inflation for manufactured products which are further sub-divided into consumer non-durables, consumer durables, intermediates, basic goods and capital goods. The inflation of these has been averaging between 2.8%, 1.8%, 0.7%, (-) 1.3% and 1.2% during the 32 month period of January 2014 to August 2016. Whereas, the CPI has averaged 5.7%. Picture Credit: http://www.livemint.com/r/LiveMint/Period2/2016/10/17/Photos/Processed/g_oped_new_web.jpg Picture Credit: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/multimedia/dynamic/02637/bl27_CPI_table1_2637039g.jpg Use of weights CPI uses the consumption proportions as derived from the NSSO consumer expenditure surveys for inter-commodity weights. But there are huge differences between NSSO consumption expenditure and the expenditure as derived from the National Accounts Statistics (NAS) — at aggregate level and commodity groups level. The NSA weighs used for CPI show that there is a moderation in inflation by nearly 60 basis points during the aforementioned 32-month period The CPI adjusted for NAS weights has always been lower than the CPI with NSSO weights Thus, there is a need for adjustment in current CPI as it is based on data on consumption and not the complete data. The adjusted CPI inflation will not only be below the maximum threshold level of inflation but there can also be a possibility of moderating inflation because of improved availability of food products. This may lead to an indication of possible moderation in policy rates in the near future by the Reserve Bank of India.   Conclusion Management of inflation has always been a tricky issue because the interest rate, which is used as the key policy instrument, is double-edged. While containing inflationary expectations, it also affects adversely the investor perception and investment costs. The use of a single inflation anchor in a situation of divergent inflation perceptions for consumers and producers may often amount to ignoring the structural realities of the economy. However, the current official mandate is for the use of CPI in targeting inflation, but scope exists for using CPI with commodity weights being derived through NAS rather than NSSO. The monetary authorities can also consider other indicators like WPI in situations where CPI is at odds with WPI. Connecting the dots: Is using CPI as the sole indicator for measuring inflation adequate? Examine   Related articles: WPI and CPI based inflation Diverging CPI, WPI: The inflation conundrum     MUST READ Climate change- An onerous task ahead Hindu   Kairana and the politics of exclusion Hindu   The End TB strategy Hindu   Health spending: How States splurge on salaries Hindu   Unprepared for bad days Indian Express   No one asks the farmer Indian Express   Uniform Civil Code debate is not new, divided Constituent Assembly as well Indian Express   Missing stock is harming our food security Livemint   Taking stock of India’s reforms Livemint   Rs70,000 crore budget, and not even 70,000 connected? Livemint   Clearing up the bad debt mess Business Line  

Oct 17, 2016 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 40]

Click here to get all the Tests– Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCoC) Only members of Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) can join HCoC It calls for blanket ban on ballistic missiles Which of the following statements is/are correct? Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements about National Development Bank It is established by the SAARC nations The bank shall support public projects only through loans and private projects only through equity participation Which of the following statements is/are correct? Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements about HFC23   It is a by-product of HCFC22, which is used in refrigeration and air conditioning Emission of HFC23 is included in the UNFCCCs Kyoto Protocol Which of the following statements is/are correct? Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav is conceptualized by Ministry of External Affairs Ministry of Culture Sahitya Akademi Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts Q.5) The Strait of Gibraltar connects Australia and Papua New Guinea Nicaragua and Costa Rica Caspian Sea and Mediterranean Sea Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea Download the Solution- Click here All the best IASbaba

Oct 16, 2016 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Being You – Inspirational &amp; Educative Articles

  Being You It is infinitely easier to get lost in the ebb and flow of life and forget who you are and what your purpose is. There are thousands of distractions that can easily push you along on different paths and ways of life. Amidst of all the confusion and mystery, the most important question that haunts an individual is what is his purpose? Who are you? Why are you they way you are? Are you doing what you love and enjoy it? Have you found your life’s purpose and meaning? Are you happy and contented with who you are? These are some of the most important questions an individual has to ask himself. Being you is not only a choice but an absolute necessity if you have to find that inner sanctum of your life where you can live in peace and certainty. Finding your true identity relieves you of all the unnecessary strife and struggle that you go through on a daily basis. There is nothing more painful than going through life without a sense of purpose and meaning. Life is an unimaginably long and painful journey for the one who still has not figured out what he wants to do. Every moment is a painful reminder of his unknown identity; he is haunted by the strangeness of his daily experiences that are taking him nowhere. The first and the most important question an individual has to ask himself is; who am I and what is my purpose here? Some of us might resist such grandeur questions that don’t give any immediate solutions to our problems. Only the one who has gone through life without asking these questions realizes the tremendous importance of getting to the core of your being and living from there. Life is neither good nor bad, neither beautiful nor ugly, neither this nor that. Everything here is just the way it’s supposed to be. The only trouble is very few people are interested in life. They are interested in money, recognition, comfort, success but very rarely do they explore the fundamental of living. Being you is a forceful assertion of your individuality. You are the unique signature that is imprinted on all your experiences. The more you know who you are, the easier it will be to understand all that is happening around you. A continuous and relentless pursuit of your purpose is what makes life a grand adventure. Succeeding or failing is simply a matter of statistics and opinion but living is much grander than all this. Question, seek, argue, fight, understand, love, care, explore; the ultimate purpose of life is a quest for your grander self. Let people laugh at your ideals and question your ways. They have no understanding of the real you. Everything they know about you is just a point of view. Express yourself from the core of your being, let your individuality shine out amidst the darkness of mediocrity and ignorance. Don’t let that fire of uniqueness within you die. Your greatest gift is you and there is no experience grander than being you. “The articles are a copyright of The Ahamo Movement and IASBABA.” Read more such articles– Click Here

Oct 15, 2016 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 15th October, 2016

Archives   IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 15th October, 2016   ECONOMICS   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.   Importance of latest RBI rate cut In news: In October first week, a new Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided at its first policy review to reduce the benchmark repurchase rate by 25 basis points to 6.25 per cent. What is its importance and what should be expected? The Reserve Bank of India’s key policy interest rate has now been cut to its lowest level since 2011. The unanimous decision of MPC is said to be in consonance with the objective of achieving consumer price index inflation at 5% by Q4 of 2016-17. The retail inflation had already dropped to 5.05% in August. The wholesale inflation also reduced to 3.57% for September. The RBI Governor clarified that the central bank aims to achieve the 4% inflation target within a range of +/- 2 per cent as the medium term objective by 2021. This means that the earlier objective of taming inflation to 4% level by March 2018 stands null and void. Importance The RBI rate cut performs the very important task of ‘signalling’. Despite the high growth rate of 7.5% that the Indian economy seems to be registering over the past two years — this is the highest rate among the major economies of the world. Particularly, the performance of Indian industry in general, and manufacturing in particular, continues to be far from satisfactory. Thus, the impact of policy change is necessary to be assessed. The rate cut of 25 basis points is not expected to bring about a dramatic change in the investment climate. It has to be supported by many other important factors to be operating favourably and in tandem. Two of these are: The Keynesian ‘animal spirits’- it calls for the investors to have a substantial measure of spontaneous optimism about their projected line of activity. Currently, this optimism seems to be lacking. Keynesian ‘animal spirits’ is used to describe human emotions and instincts that influence and guide human behaviour which can be measure through ‘consumer confidence’. There is need of administrative and bureaucratic environment which facilitates and encourages investment activity. 2016 marks 25 years of economic liberalisation but despite the plethora of reforms that have been undertaken in the spheres of industry and commerce, India presents a picture of a country that is still rule bound. There is no doubt that constant measures are being taken by government of India in terms of ‘ease of doing business’ and there has been improvement in index in the past year. This has to be a motivating factor for the potential investors. Thus, the rate cut offers a signal or a directional indicator suggesting that the central bank is interested in maintaining the growth momentum. This is important particularly against a background where the RBI in recent times had been substantially identified with pursuing an inflation targeting approach, to the exclusion of all other contending objectives. Two key factors seem to have contributed to the rationale for the rate cut The RBI is now guided by retail inflation in deciding its monetary actions. So, with the fall in retail inflation in August to 5.05%, the RBI was confident of reducing the repo rates. More importantly, there is expectation of decline in food prices due to good monsoons in past Kharif season. This will further soften the food articles inflation, especially pulses and vegetables. Ending notes The world economy is witnessing generalised weak investment and trade activity. This has been worsened by sharpening of inequality across most major economies of the world. The consequence of this is a suppression of aggregate demand. Thus, the decision of MPC comes in the background of such global deceleration scenario in 2016. However, amidst this condition, India presents a contrasting picture where the overall growth rate seems to be reasonably satisfactory, with the possibility of a good agricultural performance, which would boost rural demand. Thus, the rate cut seems justified. However, much of the success of rate cut now will depend on how it will be transmitted to the final users via the banking system. Virtually banking are confronting the problem of excessively large volume of non-performing assets (NPAs). It is known that this problem has not risen overnight and the major defaulters have been from among the top business houses in the country. The problem has been rooted in crony capitalism where many questionable deals are pertaining to political party in power. Thus, dealing with this problem requires a great deal of firm actions and decisions and pragmatism along with systemic change in the nature of the political economy that has been practised so far. Connecting the dots: What is repo rate? What does its increase or decrease signify and how it affects the Indian economy? Explain in detail. A good monsoon is guarantee to better economic condition. Do you agree? Substantiate this statement with suitable examples.   NATIONAL   TOPIC: General Studies 1 Population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies. General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Development processes and the development industry Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes   Compact settlement- Time for redevelopment of cities Background: Traditionally, Indian human settlements have always been very compactly built, except perhaps in the coastal or hilly regions. There are many advantages of compact settlement of cities over urban sprawl which includes less car dependency thus lower emissions, reduced energy consumption, better public transport services, increased overall accessibility etc. Over the time, various global movements such as the ‘garden city’ movement and so on have led to cities spreading horizontally. The introduction of automobiles added to urban sprawling. However, now it seems to have come back to full circle with desire of having a compact settlement due to problems faced like commuting long distances, environmental pollution on account of combustion engine driven vehicles, time and health casualties, safety issues, etc. Global thinking In 1973, the term ‘compact city’ was first coined by George Dantzig and Thomas L Saaty, two mathematicians whose work had a profound impact on urban planning in modern day. The UN HABITAT III New Urban Agenda Draft stated that there is a commitment to promote the development of urban spatial frameworks, including urban planning for Sustainable management and use of natural resources, especially land Appropriate compactness, density and polycentrism (having multiple centres). It will be through infill or planned urban extension strategies to trigger economies of scale and agglomeration, strengthen food system planning, enhance resource efficiency, urban resilience and environmental sustainability. The spatial development strategies are encouraged which take into account prioritising urban renewal by planning for the provision of accessible and well-connected infrastructure and services, sustainable population densities, and compact design and integration of new neighbourhoods in the urban fabric, preventing urban sprawl and marginalisation. There is a commitment to promote safe, inclusive, accessible, green and quality public spaces as drivers of social and economic development. It will leverage their potential to generate increased social and economic value, including property value and to facilitate business, public and private investments and livelihood opportunities for all. Thus, it is clear that present day thinking and general agreement in the world over is for developing compact neighbourhoods.   Situation in India The central city areas in India, particularly residential areas have become very old with stressed infrastructure where buildings have deteriorated and outlived their useful life. Though there are new projects coming up in cities but they are in far flung areas which lack adequate infrastructure and are difficult to access. Therefore, there is a need for redevelopment of central city areas to unlock property potential, capture value and redevelop. There is an inherent advantage of centrality of the location, well established infrastructure and connectivity. When this is added to the need for housing and commercial spaces, it ignites the demand side of redevelopment. Fortunately, the policies in India recognises this inherent potential and provides for the same. Also, the real estate industry advocacy has also contributed to the favourable policy climate. Advantages of redevelopment The owners of existing properties in the neighbourhoods get free of charge, new housing and infrastructure. The new infrastructure is of a larger size and has better specifications, sometimes comes with some monetary benefits as well. Also, the real estate developers are given additional floor area (FAR/FSI) so that they can generate additional space which can be sold in the open market and offset costs. This increases the value and quality of infrastructure provided. The local agencies are able to generate revenues for providing the additional infrastructure to support the increased densities. A percentage of EWS housing is mandatory and contributes to inclusiveness of the development. The city gets a new urban form and face which technologically advanced, sustainable and contemporary.   Mumbai example Mumbai city has always been short of urban spaces due to its geographical location. The policy of redevelopment in Mumbai, the first of its kind in the country, came with redevelopment of the slum areas (SRD). Under the popular SRD scheme, several lands of high property value got developed where the slum dwellers were resettled from their shanties into ‘pucca’ high rises and the developers also put up housing units for sale in the open market. Today, there has been considerable amount of housing stock created, particularly for the EWS population, which would have been otherwise not possible. Although issues such as quality of redevelopment for the EWS or redevelopment of only those lands with high land values where the developer sees good profits have arisen, the policy has been a hit. The popularity of this model has spread to lands occupied by cooperative housing societies, Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) colonies and other areas. The government quarters are also proposed to undergo such development. Thus, though the city as a whole has been densified and the demands on the infrastructure have increased, there have been constant efforts to gear up the infrastructure including renewal of public transport to contain itself by accommodating more and minimise sprawl. Delhi example The initial ‘Master Plan’ for Delhi was based on the American model of wide roads and ‘drive to work’ philosophy. However, with the changed circumstances and the uncontrolled sprawl, there is now growing need to contain the same and instead grow denser. Safety considerations, availability of large tracts of unutilised or underutilised land in the city has prompted the latest version of the Master Plan to take a serious look at the conscious provision for redevelopment. In areas close to the Metro lines, an FAR of 400 is permissible with an additional 15% FAR mandated for EWS. It is launched as Transit Oriented Development (TOD) where intense compact developments are permitted along the Metro lines so as to encourage mass transit. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has already undertaken over a dozen redevelopment projects, for both commercial and residential purposes with the association of various developers. Redevelopment in other areas is also permitted with a high FAR of 300. The real estate industry is now permitted to develop and contribute to the development of the city, which was till recently the sole preserve of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). In Delhi also, slum development was the initiation point. But it is facing many hiccups and slum redevelopment projects (like Katputli slum project) are hanging for long. However, Delhi needs more redevelopment plan of underutilised government housing which dominate the Delhi residence. Thus, Delhi has to now evolve from its low density, low rise and segregated land use image of urban sprawl to that of a high density, high rise and mixed use compact development.   Way forward The policy frameworks of Mumbai and Delhi are in alignment with global thinking of promoting safe, sustainable, thriving, compact developments. These evolving policies and clarity in rules will promote redevelopment which can enrich the lives of all segments of the society and at the same promote the economy and take people out of the cycle of low incomes and make them more prosperous. But, as always experienced, policy is brilliant but implementation is lethargic. For redevelopment, the policy is in tune with smart development and thus, the implementation should be speedy and time bound. The municipal officers have to be sensitised to customer service and also create consumer awareness of the procedures for urgent reinforcement. The commitment of central government for ‘development’ and ‘improve systems of local governance’ should be made successful with cooperation from all the stakeholders. Connecting the dots: Is compact city development related to smart cities concept? Discuss Urbanisation is an indices of economic and social development. Critically analyse What is redevelopment of cities? Do you think it will lead to creation of sustainable, healthy cities in India? Examine.   Related articles: The New Urban Agenda- Habitat III MUST READ Fishing in troubled waters Hindu   Time to decongest our prisons Hindu   Doctor is not in Indian Express   When abuse meets silence Indian Express   India Habitat III National Report: Challenges galore on infra, governance fronts Indian Express   BRICS summit Indian Express   How the Indian state is building a new generation of digital public goods Livemint   Narendra Modi looks to forge new ties at Brics, Bimstec summits in Goa Livemint   Why Real Ease of Doing Business matters Business Line   It’s a long haul for India’s exports Business Line   Time for meaningful business ties at Brics Business Line    

Oct 14, 2016 PIB

IASbaba Press Information Bureau (PIB)- 3rd OCT to 9th Oct, 2016

ARCHIVES   GS-1 All ASI Protected Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites Declared Polythene Free Zones  (Topic: Historical Monuments and Archaeological sites)   About- All ASI Protected Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites have been declared ‘Polythene Free Zones’. What has been done? Advisory has been issued to all State Governments/UTs to support ASI in keeping Monuments Polythene Free up to 300 meters from the protected boundaries of the Monuments. Facilities Provided- Ministry of Culture has sanctioned Rs.350 crores to provide facilities like- Protected Boundaries + Toilets + Disabled Friendly Access in all ASI Protected Monuments. Work allotted to and target year- Work has been awarded to PSUs like WAPCOS and TCIL. They have been directed to complete the work in the current financial year 2016-17. ASI- ASI has ranked top 25 Adarsh Monuments on the basis of Cleanliness parameters such as amenities like- toilets, green lawns, Polythene Free Zone, signage for awareness, disabilities access, drinking water and provision for garbage bins etc. “Rani ki Vav (Gujarat)” a World Heritage Site has been declared as the cleanest iconic place in the country. 75 more Adarsh Monuments protected by ASI have been identified to be included in the ‘Swachh Paryatan Mobile App’ launched by the Ministry of Tourism. With this a total of 100 Adarsh Monuments protected by ASI will be included in the ‘Swachh Paryatan Mobile App’. App is monitored by the Project Monitoring Unit of Swachh Bharat Mission in Ministry of Tourism. Initiative Launched by Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Tourism Creating permanent mechanism of cleanliness for all organisations under Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Tourism To spread awareness through various cultural activities by involving all their organisations Spread of swachhata awareness through Music, Dance and Drama by their Academies/Institutions and maintaining cleanliness at all ASI Protected Monuments etc. Citizen Participation and awareness- General public and the tourists are the largest stakeholders in keeping the monuments clean; the Ministry of Tourism has decided to facilitate the general public to communicate their complaints about any unclean area/garbage piles in and around tourist destinations. Useful mobile App enables a citizen to take photograph of garbage at the monument and upload the same along with his/her remarks. Application then sends an SMS to the ASI Nodal Officer concerned with the monument upon receipt of which the Nodal Officer gets the garbage cleared/removed. Nodal Officer thereafter sends confirmation about the redressal of the complaint through an SMS to the complainant. Mobile App is available on Google Search Engine as ‘Swachh Paryatan’.   President Presents Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards for the Year-2015 (Topic: Awards and Honour)  About- President of India presented the “Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships (Akademi Ratna) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskars) for the Year-2015” at a function in Rashtrapati Bhawan. Fellowship given to- General Council of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama, New Delhi at its meeting held on 20th & 21st April 2016 in Agartala (Tripura) elected one (1) eminent personality in the field of performing arts, namely Shri C V Chandrasekhar as Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellow (Akademi Ratna). Fellowship of the Akademi is the most prestigious and rare honour, which is restricted to 40 numbers at any given time. Presently there are only 40 Fellows of the Sangeet Natak Akademi.General Council of the Akademi also selected forty-three (43) artists from the field of Music, Dance, Theatre, Traditional/Folk/Tribal Music/Dance/Theatre and Puppetry and Overall contribution/scholarship in Performing Arts for the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for the year 2015. These forty-three (43) artists include two joint awards. Selection of artists in different fields-  In the field of Music, eleven eminent artists, namely Krishna Bisht and Mashkoor Ali Khan for Hindustani Vocal Music, Kartik Kumar for Hindustani Instrumental Music–Sitar, Brij Narayan for Hindustani Instrumental Music–Sarod, R N Thyagarajan and R N Tharanathan (joint award) for Carnatic Vocal Music, Suguna Varadhachari for Carnatic Vocal Music, Lalgudi G J R Krishnan for Carnatic Instrumental Music–Violin, Mambalam M K S Siva for Carnatic Instrumental Music-Nagaswaram, Bhupinder Singh, Hridyanath Mangeshkar and Prafulla Kar for Other Major Traditions of Music–Sugam Sangeet, have been selected for the Akademi Awards 2015. In the field of Dance, nine eminent artists have been selected for the Akademi Awards 2015, namely, Ranganayaki Jayaraman for Bharatanatyam, K Kunhiraman Nair for Kathakali, G Padmaja Reddy for Kuchipudi, Aloka Kanungo for Odissi, Sharodi Saikia for Sattriya Dance, Mandakini Trivedi for Mohiniattam, Sadashiva Pradhan for Chhau Dance, W Lokendrajit Singh for Contemporary/Experimental Dance and Rajkumar Bharathi for Music for Dance. In the field of Theatre, nine eminent artists have been selected for Akademi Awards 2015: Nand Kishore Acharya and Shafaat Khan for Playwriting, Parvez Akhtar and Mushtaq Kak for Direction, Manoj N Joshi and Himani Shivpuri for Acting, Pradeep Mulye for Allied Theatre Arts–Scenic Design, Sarojini Nangiar for Other Major Traditions of Theatre–Kutiyattam and Rani Balbir Kaur for Overall Contribution in Theatre. In the field of Traditional/Folk/Tribal Music/Dance/Theatre and Puppetry, ten artistes have been selected for Akademi Awards 2015, they are Khuman Lal Sao (Folk Music of Chhattisgarh), Ramchandra Singh (Folk Theatre of Bihar), Khem Raj (Folk Music of Jammu and Kashmir), S R D Prasad (Martial Art of Kerala), Chhaya and Maya Khutegaonkar (joint award for Folk Dance of Maharashtra-Lavani), Gangmei Aluna Kabuini (Traditional Dance and Music of Manipur), Paramjit Singh Sidhu (Folk Music of Punjab), Sayeed Sabri Jaipuri (Qawwali, Rajasthan), K K Ramachandra Pulavar and T N Sankaranathan for Puppetry.Shanta Gokhale and Chaman Ahuja have been selected for the Akademi Award 2015 in the field of Overall Contribution/Scholarship to Performing Arts. Akademi Fellowship- The honour of Akademi Fellow has been conferred since 1954 and Akademi Award since 1952. These honours not only symbolize the highest standard of excellence and achievements, but also recognize sustained individual work and contribution. The honour of Akademi Fellow carries a purse money of Rs 3,00,000/- (Rupees three lakh) and Akademi Award carries Rs 1,00,000/- (Rupees one lakh), besides a Tamrapatra and Angavastram.  GS-2 20th ASEAN Regional Forum– Heads of Defence Universities / Colleges / Institutions Meet concludes (Topic: Important International institutions, agencies and further structure, mandate)   About- The 20th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) – Heads of Defence Universities / Colleges / Institutions Meet (HDUCIM) concluded with a clear commitment to contribute towards promotion and maintenance of peace and prosperity in the region and the world at large through collective efforts to counter non-conventional threats and violent terrorism in the South East Asia Region. The participating nations reinforced their commitment to reinvigorate professional military education to meet the contemporary challenges to military leadership. Meet hosted by the National Defence College (NDC), New Delhi under the aegis of Ministry of Defence Highlights- Member states renewed their pledge to fulfil the core objectives of ARF and enhance its relevance and effectiveness by promoting and accelerating the process of preventive diplomacy in parallel with strengthening of confidence building measures and conflict resolution mechanisms through dialogue, cooperation and mutual trust.   India to host first AMCDRR after Sendai Framework (Topic: Important International institutions, agencies and further structure, mandate)   About- GoI is hosting the Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) next month in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). The hosting of the Conference re-affirms India's commitment to the cause of Disaster Risk Reduction Aim- Transforming the commitments of governments and stakeholders during the Sendai Conference into national and local action. AMCDRR- This is the first AMCDRR after the advent of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRRR), adopted at the third UN World Conference in Sendai, Japan in March, 2015. It will set the direction of Sendai Framework implementation in the region. Established in 2005, AMCDRR is a biennial conference jointly organized by different Asian countries and the UNISDR. So far, six AMCDRR conferences have been organised. India had also hosted the second AMCDRR in New Delhi in 2007. Conference will adopt the ‘Asian Regional Plan for Implementation of the Sendai Framework’ endorsed by the Asian countries. It will also consolidate the political commitment of governments towards preventing and reducing risk as well as strengthening resilience in the form of a political declaration. Voluntary statements of action of stakeholder groups towards a ‘shared responsibility’ approach in implementation of the SFDRR would also be adopted. Discuss issues related to DRR in six technical, 22 thematic and three featured sessions during the Conference. The technical events will be broadly based on themes related to Risk Sensitive Development for Community Resilience. The thematic and featured events will centre on themes related to- Inclusive development such as Risk Resilient Infrastructure for Sustainable Development Application of Science and Technology for prevention of new risks; Strengthening Community Resilience Gender sensitive DRR Child-centred DRR Risk financing - Disaster Risk: Identification and Financing Solutions. Various DRR-centric activities will be organised during the Conference to spread awareness about disaster risk reduction and its role in safeguarding lives, livelihoods and infrastructure. These activities include a national-level painting competition for school children aged 10-14 years, a short films competition and an exhibition to showcase best practices in DRR. Commemoration of the first World Tsunami Awareness Day, to spread awareness about the dangers of tsunami and the importance of Early Warning Systems in mitigating its impact, will also be held on the closing day of the Conference. India and Disaster Management- India's commitment to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is evident from the fact that it became one of the first countries to align its National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) with SFDRRR. AMCDRR 2016 will focus on collaboration, consultation and partnership with governments and stakeholders to mainstream DRR in the region's development narrative.   Heritage Infrastructure projects worth Rs. 350 cr approved (Topic: Urban Development) About- Minister of Urban Development inaugurated a two day conference on Heritage Cities. Jointly organised by- Ministry of Urban Development and Indian Heritage Cities Network (IHCN). Heritage site in India- India is blessed with tangible and intangible heritage assets and it consists of 32 World Heritage Sites, cultural and natural, recognized by UNESCO India ranks 5th in the world and 2nd in Asia, in terms of number of World Heritage Sites. The Minister highlighted the importance of heritage sites for tourism. India attracts millions of tourist every year and in 2013, India received 69 lakh foreign tourists and 114 crore domestic tourist visits, generating revenue of Rs. 2 lakh crore. i.e. 6 % of GDP The Minister further said that HRIDAY (Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana) scheme was launched by the Government in 2014 for heritage/ tourism oriented urban development. He said that, the scheme is 100% centrally sponsored with an outlay of Rs 500 crores and in the pilot phase, 12 cities have been selected. He highlighted that there is need for convergence of schemes like Smart City, AMRUT and other state Government schemes to reinforce the cultural and Heritage India. Projects worth about Rs. 350 cr have so far been approved for implementation. France had expressed interest to intervene on the subject of heritage and urban renewal heritage around waterfronts and accordingly two cities, namely Puri and Varanasi, have identified the projects relating to waterfront development. Cabinet approves amendments to the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014  (Topic: Cabinet Decision) About- Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister has given its approval to introduce official amendments to the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014. HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014- It has been drafted to safeguard the rights of people living with HIV and affected by HIV. Provisions of the Bill seek to address HIV-related discrimination, strengthen the existing programme by bringing in legal accountability and establish formal mechanisms for inquiring into complaints and redressing grievances. Bill seeks to prevent and control the spread of HIV and AIDS, prohibits discrimination against persons with HIV and AIDS, provides for informed consent and confidentiality with regard to their treatment, places obligations on establishments to safeguard rights of persons living with HIV arid create mechanisms for redressing complaints. Bill also aims to enhance access to health care services by ensuring informed consent and confidentiality for HIV-related testing, treatment and clinical research. Bill lists various grounds on which discrimination against HIV positive persons and those living with them is prohibited.  These include the denial, termination, discontinuation or unfair treatment with regard to- Employment Educational establishments Health care services Residing or renting property Standing for public or private office, and Provision of insurance (unless based on actuarial studies). The requirement for HIV testing as a pre-requisite for obtaining employment or accessing health care or education is also prohibited. Every HIV infected or affected person below the age of 18 years has the right to reside in a shared household and enjoy the facilities of the household. Bill also prohibits any individual from publishing information or advocating feelings of hatred against HIV positive persons and those living with them. Bill also provides for Guardianship for minors. A person between the age of 12 to 18 years who has sufficient maturity in understanding and managing the affairs of his HIV or AIDS affected family shall be competent to act as a guardian of another sibling below 18 years of age to be applicable in the matters relating to admission to educational establishments, operating bank accounts, managing property, care and treatment, amongst others. Bill requires that "No person shall be compelled to disclose his HIV status except with his informed consent, and if required by a court order". Establishments keeping records of information of HIV positive persons shall adopt data protection measures. According to the Bill, the Central and State governments shall take measures to- Prevent the spread of HIV or AIDS, Provide anti-retroviral therapy and infection management for persons with HIV or AIDS, Facilitate their access to welfare schemes especially for women and children Formulate HIV or AIDS education communication programmes that are age appropriate, gender sensitive, and non-stigmatizing, and Lay guidelines for the care and treatment of children with HIV or AIDS. Every person in the care and custody of the state shall have right to HIV prevention, testing, treatment and counseling services. Bill suggest that cases relating to HIV positive persons shall be disposed' off by the court on a priority basis and duly ensuring the confidentiality. Accountability- There are no financial implications of the Bill. Most of the activities are being already undertaken or can be integrated within the existing systems of various Ministries under training, communication and data management, etc. Bill makes provision for appointment of an ombudsman by State Governments to inquire into complaints related to the violation of the Act and penal actions in case of non-compliance. The Ombudsman need not be a separate entity, but any existing State Government functionary can be deputed or given additional charge. Indian scenario- There are approximately 21 lakh persons estimated to be living with HIV in India.  Even though the prevalence of HIV is decreasing over the last decade, the Bill would provide essential support to National AIDS Control Programme in arresting new infections and thereby achieving the target of "Ending the epidemic by 2030" according to Sustainable Development Goals.   Three agreements between India and Switzerland on Mutual Visa Exemption, Return of Illegal Migrants and Arrangement for Dependent Persons of Diplomatic and Consular Mission to Perform Gainful Employment signed  (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) About- Union Home Minister met the visiting Minister for Justice and Police of Swiss Confederation, Ms. Simonetta Sommaruga. Union Home Miniter stated that the two countries have made significant contributions to strengthen peace and prosperity based on their shared vision of a peaceful and progressive future. Highlights-                  Union Home Minister proposed training facilities for Indian Police Officers in Switzerland Police Academies/other Training Institutes in the fields of Anti-Hijacking and Cyber Forensic etc. he said India looks forward for cooperation with Switzerland on the issue of exchange of tax information since the black money issue is the main corruption issue which needs to be tackled The two sides signed three agreements including- Mutual Visa Exemption Agreement for Holders of Diplomatic Passports Technical Arrangements on Identification and Return of Illegal Migrants and Arrangement for Dependent Person of Diplomatic Consular Technical and Administrative Staff of Diplomatic and Consular Mission to Perform Gainful Employment. More liberal visa regime for Indian business people since India has been offering multi-year multiple entry visas to Swiss businesses in a bid to enhance bilateral trade and investment. Cooperation in transfer of sentenced persons and Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Criminal matters that would help in combating terrorism, transnational organized crimes and corruption including money laundering.   Cabinet approves Memorandum of Understanding with the African Asian Rural Development Organization in the field of rural development  (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests)   About- Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has given its approval to the signing of a MoU between India and the African Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO) for capacity building programmes in the field of rural development. MoU- MoU for the triennium 2015 - 2017 is being signed under which capacity building programmes for AARDO member countries will be organized every year during the triennium at various Institutions of Excellence in India such as National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (NIRD & PR), institutions governed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and others. Duration of each training programme shall be of two to three weeks. The Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Development Management Course at NIRD & PR under this scheme is for one year. AARDO- AARDO, which has its headquarters in New Delhi, is an autonomous, inter-Governmental organization established in 1962 with the objective of promoting cooperation among the countries of the African - Asian Region in the direction of eradicating thirst, hunger, illiteracy, disease and poverty in the region. India is one of the Founder Members of the Organization and is the largest contributor in terms of membership contribution of US$ 141,100 apart from contributing by way of providing 70 fully paid training scholarships for Human Resource Development Programme under the Indian Technical & Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) to the Organization. India has also provided a building for housing the AARDO Secretariat in Delhi and considerable financial assistance is given to AARDO for maintenance of the building. AARDO currently has 31 countries of the African - Asian Region under its fold.   Cabinet approves MoU between India and European Union on water cooperation (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) About- Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister has given its approval for the signing of MoU between India and European Union in the field of water resources. Aim-  To identify key environmental issues and approaches to sustainable development where exchange of experiences and cooperation could be mutually beneficial to strengthen and further develop cooperation between India and the European Union in the field of water management. MoU envisages- STrengthening the technological Scientific and management capabilities of India and the European Union in the field of water management on the basis of equality Reciprocity and mutual benefit. It provides technical exchange on water issues Including on integrated water resource management plans within river basins and through study visits. It envisions a more sustainable management of water resources in India with an objective of tackling the challenges posed by water management in the context of growing population, competing water demands and a changing climate. Joint Working Group shall be formed to monitor the activities to be carried out in fulfillment of the MoU. Background- Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has been envisaging bilateral cooperation with other countries in water resources development and management through- Sharing of policy and technical expertise + Conducting of training courses + Workshops + Scientific and technical symposia + Exchange of experts and study tours. Keeping in view the success of the European Union in distribution of water resources, water pricing, water use efficiency by encouraging the changes in agricultural practices necessary to protect water resources and quality, such as switching to less water-demanding crops, etc., it has been decided to have an agreement with Israel to benefit from their experience and expertise. EU States have adopted water pricing policies to provide adequate incentives for users to use water resources efficiently thereby contributing to environmental objectives.   India offers slice of Make in India cake to Czech companies for high Technology Cooperation, Trade and Investment (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) What? With a view to enhancing greater economic engagement with the central and eastern Europe, a high level delegation of Indian officials and industry leaders has shared with their Czech Republic counterparts a slew of measures being taken by India to encourage foreign investors, particularly in the areas of high technology, including Capital goods & Engineering, under the government’s flagship,’ Make in India ‘programme. India Czech high technology cooperation, Trade and Investment Keen on engaging actively with Czech Republic and other eastern and central European nations, India has been working under a framework of an Indo-Czech Working Group in the area of Heavy Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing, since 2013. Fourth meeting of the JWG held at Brno to coincide with MSV Brno Fair between October 3-6, 2016 wherein a review of the progress in bilateral ties was taken up and a roadmap for future cooperation was finalised. India is actively seeking foreign direct investment in the engineering and high technology including defence. India has liberalized the FDI policies and procedures, assuring the global investors the maximum ease of doing business. Initiatives like hike in the FDI limit, integrating India into a single market through the tax reforms through legislations like Goods and Services Tax, have enhanced the confidence of global investors into the Indian economy, which has emerged as the fastest growing in the world.   DoNER Ministry proposes revised guidelines for Northeast projects (Topic: Development of North Eastern Region) About- Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, announced in Guwahati that a new revised guidelines will be prepared by the Ministry of DoNER. Objective of- Expediting development projects in Northeast by simplifying procedures to avoid delay and at the same time bring in more transparency Highlights- At a joint meeting of Ministry of DoNER and Government of Assam, disclosed that judicious time-bound planning and monitoring of projects using Space technology, satellite imaging and IT tools like Portal and App will be put to optimum use to avoid undue delays. Use of Space technology can bring in more transparency and authenticity in Utilisation Certificates (UCs) submitted for various projects. Emphasising on the completion of the ongoing projects without resorting to parking of funds, he made it clear, no fresh sanction for new projects will normally be issued if unspent balance of the State is more than 1.5 times of the normative allocation of the State on account or Utilisation Certificates (UCs) due is more than 5 per cent of the total release. The introduction of online submission of documents should leave no excuse for delay in file work. Advised the State Governments to prepare Department Project Reports (DPRs) and get them vetted techno-economically and recommended from SLEC in order to avoid delay. Lauding the innovative and fast track approach adopted by the Ministry of DoNER, said that there has been a substantial jump in the release of funds and submission of UCs in the last two and a half years in which a total of Rs.252.54 crores has been released. Citing the figures, in 2014-15, when the present Government took over, a total of Rs. 60.46 crores was released for NLCPR projects in whole of the year while in the current financial year of 2016-17, in the first 6 months itself, Rs. 92.67 crore has already been released.   Government unveils sustainable Urban Development strategy for next 20 years (Topic: Urban Development) About- Government  made public the Urban Development strategy for the next 20 years intending to give a big push to use growing urbanization for rapid economic development while at the same time committing itself to address issues of sustainable development and climate change. Minister of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation released ‘India Habitat III-National Report’ ahead of the UN Habitat III Conference in Quito, Ecuador late this month where a global New Urban Agenda for the next 20 years is going to be adopted. Challenge- The challenge is about ensuring sustainable development while taking advantage of economic growth that results from rapid urbanization in the country. For long, urbanization has been looked at from the limited perspective of providing basic services. But our contemporary response shall be wide ranging aiming at serving larger macro-economic transformational goals together with meeting local priorities. Need to go for a big push to harness fully the potential of urbanization What needs to be done? Cities need to be made efficient, productive, inclusive, safe and sustainable,  the agenda for the next two decades proposed in the National Report will be ensuring economic growth and productivity, improving quality of life and importantly, addressing issues of inclusivity, sustainability and climate change. How? Elaborating on the strategy for transforming urban India, the Minister said it will be achieved through elimination of barriers to the flow of factors of production like capital, land and labour, development of rural and urban areas in a synergetic manner adopting a ‘regional planning approach’, promoting inclusivity by ensuring urban services to all, sustainable urban planning, empowering municipalities to improve governance and deal with exclusion issues,  housing for all urban poor and ensuring social justice and gender equity. Outcomes of new urban agenda based on sustainable urban planning would include reducing water and electricity use by 50% from that of normal use, enabling over 60% of urban travel by public transport,  generating half of power from renewable sources, promoting walking and cycling for last mile connectivity, compact and cluster urban development, promoting natural drainage patterns, reducing waste generation of all kind, promoting greenery and public places etc. GS-3   Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna & Organic Value Added Development Schemes to Promote Organic Farming in the Country (Topic: Agriculture development) About- Government of India has launched a Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY) and Organic Value Added Development (OVCDNER) schemes under National Sustained Agriculture Mission to promote organic farming in the country. PKVY Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY) is the first extensive scheme which has been initiated in the form of Centre Sponsored Programme (CSP). Implementation of this scheme is carried out by the State Governments based on the cluster for every 20 hectare land. Under clusters the farmers are granted financial assistance for maximum one hectare land and Government of India has earmarked Rs. 50,000 for every hectare land during the period of transformation of three year ceiling. Objective in this regard has been chalked out for 10,000 of clusters while covering area of 2 lakh hectare land. OVCDNER Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has launched a scheme as Central Regional Scheme – Organic Value Added Mode Development Mission for North-Eastern regions for implementation in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim as well as Tripura during 2015-16 to 2017-18 while keeping in view the potentiality of farming in North-Eastern region. Scheme aims at to develop authentic organic products in value added mode so that the consumers might be linked with consumers and from input, seed certification to unification, processing, marketing as well as grant formation initiative. Assistance might be extended for the entire value added development. He said that the scheme has been approved with Rs. 400 crore for a span of three years. Pandit Deen Dayal Updhyay Unnat Krishi Shiksha Yojna Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry has launched a new scheme named as Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Unnat Krihsi shiksha Yojna to fish out the talent of Indian youths and all over development of rural India has launched. Scheme is being implemented by Agriculture Education Division related to Indian Council of Agricultural Research Council (ICAR). Under this course of action the trainers will be selected on village level so as to establish training centre, to impart knowledge about natural/organic/sustainable farming/rural economy. Various training programmes will be conducted in different regions in these centers. Almost 100 training centers will be set up throughout the country for the participation of teachers in various activities for the Advanced India Campaign conducted by Agriculture Research Council/Human Resource Development Ministry under this scheme alongwith. Steps taken by government- Agreement carried out between Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare so as to promote the organic farming along the banks of river Ganga. Under this scheme an organic farming system will be developed under 1657 clusters in the perspective of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna with Namami Gange project in 1657 village panchayats from Uttarakhand to West Bengal along the bank of Ganga. Yogic Farming- Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare informed people present there about Yogic farming. Farmers first of all process seeds based on yoga proceedings that is to say that the seeds are recharged by dint of divine powers resulting in the escalation of their sprouting powers. Thereafter the five elements are made conducive through yoga proceedings before the seeds are sown. Raj yoga shoots out the fertilizing strength of the soil along with the increased activation of micro metabolism thereof. It strengthens the plants and their roots. The farmers through the modus operand of vibration conveys to the plants about peace, love as well as purity which leads the resistance power of crops and its growth along with the increasement of production. Consequent upon the enhancement in proteins like elements the nutritious, purity and quality based the crops is also enhanced.   Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister launches e-NAM Mobile App  (Topic: Agriculture and farmers welfare) About- Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, announced successfully completion of e-NAM first phase and launched e-NAM Mobile App in New Delhi. e-NAM to connect with- Most of the implementation issues faced in pilot phase have been addressed and e-NAM platform is connected to 250 markets across 10 States as of now (Andhra Pradesh (12), Chhattisgarh (05), Gujarat (40), Haryana (36), Himachal Pradesh (07), Jharkhand (08), Madhya Pradesh (20), Rajasthan (11), Telangana (44), Uttar Pradesh (67). Union Minister informed that so far, Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for integrating 399 mandis with e-NAM has been received from 14 states and all of them have been approved. Success of initiative lies in- Active involvement of all stakeholders, and in particular mandi and marketing board officials; the NAM programme is a success and is going ahead of schedule. Minister is sure that e-NAM will significantly contribute towards enhancing the farmer’s income. Agriculture Minister informed that so far, 1, 53,992.7 MT of agriculture produce worth Rs. 421 crore has been transacted on e-NAM platform and 1,60,229 Farmers, 46,688 Traders and 25,970 Commission Agents have been registered on the e-NAM platform. Quality parameters- Quality parameters for 69 agricultural and horticultural commodities including cereals, Pulses, Oil seeds, Spices, Fruits and Vegetables have been notified for trading on e-NAM platorm. States have been asked to set up the quality assaying facilities to ensure quality assessment of the farmer’s produce in a scientific and professional manner. Online payment- Online payment of the sale proceeds to the farmers is made available in the e-NAM portal and States are requested to encourage direct transfer of sales proceeds to the farmer’s bank account. A total number of 585 markets are targeted to be integrated in first phase with e-NAM by March 2018, out of which 400 markets will be integrated by March 2017. Status of APMC Act reforms regarding e-NAM, carried out by various States/UTs is as under- 17 States and 1 UT have fully / partially modified their APMC Acts. Their names are : Andhra Pradesh, Gurajat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Punjab, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Haryana and Chandigarh (UT). 03 States and 1 UT have APMC Act and they have consented to bring changes in the act which is under process. Their names are: Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Assam and Puducherry. 06 States have APMC Act but no change has been made as yet. Their names are: Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir and Delhi. Out of them, West Bengal has demanded the e-NAM software for online trading. 01 state Sikkim does have APMC Act but is not implemented 03 States and 04 UTs do not have any APMC Act. Their names are: Bihar, Kerala, Manipur, Andman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshwadeep Islands, Dadar & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. These states have been requested to frame Act/Regulations to enable trading through e-NAM. A meeting with Bihar and Kerala has been scheduled on 14/10/2016 in this regard. Outcome of e-NAM It will bring forth more profit to farmers, availability of trade at lesser cost to the buyers and development of permanent mandis. It will enable the farmers to have access to the National Market having wide choice.   President of India inaugurated the first edition of the World Sustainable Development Summit (Topic: Sustainable development) About- President of India inaugurated the first edition of the World Sustainable Development Summit. Theme- ‘Beyond 2015: People, Planet and Progress’ organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in New Delhi. Theme motivates us to transform the way we think about progress. The barometer of prosperity is not merely economic growth but the well-being and availability of opportunities for all. Concerns- The threat of climate change is real and immediate. It concerns the whole world as its ill-effects are all-pervasive. As a developing country with shared concerns on climate vulnerability, India has a vital stake in an equitable and multi-lateral approach towards climate change. India ratified the landmark Paris Agreement four days ago. This will be a major boost to our fight against climate change. Approach needed- We need to follow a twin-tracked approach of limiting the rise of climate change while ensuring the existence of sufficient resources to meet our future developmental requirements. This objective mandates the efficient use of earth’s natural resource. We should aim at creating a society that is prosperous but not wasteful. We should make use of our abundant renewable sources to create a society that is self-sustaining and mindful of its responsibilities towards the present and future generations. Our society must learn to exercise restraint in consumption while continuing to use resources in moderation. World Sustainable Development Summit would deliberate on policy discourse and conceptualize new solutions to find innovative pathways of development. Launch of dedicated website for DGAD, Department of Commerce (Topic: Commerce) About- Commerce Secretary launched a more informative, user-friendly, dedicated website (http://www.dgtr.gov.in/) for DGAD for disseminating information/activities being performed by DGAD. Also inaugurated the additional office space developed by NBCC to meet the requirements of increased work responsibilities and to ensure optimal functioning of the Directorate Highlights- Commerce Secretary appreciated the activities of a dedicated CVD Cell that was created in DGAD to defend the interests of Indian exporters against the anti-dumping/countervailing investigations initiated by foreign governments on Indian exports. DGAD has continuously raised its working standards, which are reflected in the record number of 51 cases of findings issued by DGAD in 2015-16. In the current FY 2016-17, DGAD has already issued 18 cases of final findings and 3 cases of preliminary findings. DGAD has also in collaboration with Centre for WTO Studies and WTO Secretariat organized a Regional Anti-Dumping Workshop in New Delhi, India during 3rd – 5th October, 2016 to exchange information and views on laws and regulations relating to trade remedy measures and to enhance cooperation in the area of trade remedies.   Commerce and Industry Minister says steps have been taken to sort out the implementation issues related to CEPA and improve bilateral trade as well as trade balance with Japan (Topic: Commerce and Industry) Improve bilateral trade Promoting India’s exports to Japan under India-Japan CEPA and release of RIS report on India-Japan CEPA in New Delhi, Commerce and Industry Minister said Japan is one of the closest and most reliable trade partners of India and we recognise that Japan will play an increasingly important role in India’s economic transformation and development. PM of India visited Japan in 2014 and it was occasioned by the elevation of our bilateral partnershipto the status of special strategic and global partnership. India - Japan partnership has expanded over the past few years and now the identified complementarities are being harnessed through trade and investments to our mutual advantage. CEPA Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement i.e. CEPA between India and Japan came into force on 1stAugust, 2011 and is one of the most comprehensive agreements concluded by India. Bilateral trade between India and Japan pre-CEPA in 2010 was 10.4 USD billion and currently in 2016 stands at 14.5 USD billion. However, trade deficit of India with respect to Japan has also increased from 3.1 USD billion pre CEPA to 5.2 USD billion post CEPA Need to address the implementation issues of CEPA, Some examples- Japan accorded a preferential tariff of 1.9 % as against an MFN rate of 3.5 % to Fish Surimi from India. However, as per the requirement to preserve the protein content during storage, a negligible amount of an imported Cryo-protectant called TSPP is applied to the fish. Though the value of  the TSPP is less than half a per cent of the overall cost of the product, the interpretation under rules of origin preclude it from availing the CEPA benefits on the grounds that the ‘Product is not of Indian origin’. In this report, RIS has made a detailed analysis of such issues through extensive research including consultations with various stakeholders and authorities both in India as well as in Japan.   ‘Mission Raftaar’ of Indian Railway Starts To Yield Results (Topic: Indian Railways)   About- Mission Raftaar project of the Indian Railways has now picked up and started yielding results. Mission Raftaar Project Under this project measures are being taken to raise average speed of both passenger carrying trains and freight carrying trains. The Mission is being spearheaded by a cross disciplinary mobility Directorate in the Railway Board. The average speed is reckoned as one of the key indicators of all the railway productivity and efficiency in operations and utilization of assets. Under this project the busiest Ghaziabad – Allahabad - Mughalsarai route which was taken up on priority basis, for increasing average speed which now has been successfully implemented. This was achieved by replacement of loco hauled commuter trains with Main line Electric Multiple Units (MEMU) and Diesel Electric Multiple Units (DEMU) trains has been undertaken. MEMU / DEMU trains have a potential for average speed increment upto 20 kmph in comparison to loco driven passenger trains. The Ghaziabad - Allahabad - Mughalsarai section is now free from conventional trains.  Steps taken by Railways- Railway Ministry is working on a target to do this kind of replacement on all identified routes viz., Delhi – Mumbai, Delhi –Howrah, Howrah-Chennai, Chennai – Mumbai, Delhi – Chennai and Howrah – Mumbai (Diamond Quadrilateral routes along with diagonals). These are the principal routes of the railways as they carry 58% of freight traffic and 52 of coaching traffic with a share of only 15 of the network.  Progress and Road Map- A cross disciplinary, Mobility directorate has been set up in April 2016 to spearhead the mission. For a focused action, Golden Quadrilateral routes along with diagonals (Delhi – Mumbai, Delhi – Howrah, Howrah- Chennai, Chennai – Mumbai, Delhi – Chennai and Howrah – Mumbai) have been taken up for initial emphasis. These are the principal routes of the railways as they carry 58% of freight traffic and 52% of coaching traffic with a share of only 15% of the network. Multi-pronged strategy has been developed to overcome the existing impediments due to fixed infrastructure, movable infrastructure, operational practices and institutional mechanisms. Thrust of the strategy: To move in the direction in which these routes are developed in a unified way making them seamless and free from congestion points. So far such development works have been largely guided and governed by needs of individual division/ zone due to which the works were dispersed/ distributed/ discontinuous and speed gain commensurate to the inputs could not be realized. To establish operating systems in which the trains technically have the best capability to achieve maximum possible speed in least time along with quickest acceleration and deceleration capability so that the transit time is reduced. Strategy and institutional mechanism for implementation: Railways decided for a paradigm shift in approach to works.  Route to be the primary unit for decision about works as against existing practice of zonal/ divisional jurisdiction. This fundamental shift will prove to be a game changer for achieving unified development of the routes essential for achieving Mission Raftaar goals. Key Elements of the decision: Planning and Sanction of Works: Only one work for each route clubbing all activities.  Works to be planned centrally. Financing: Works to be financed through EBR-IF as there is high likelihood of favourable ROR on the route basis. Execution: Route wise execution. The work of each route to be entrusted to one execution authority for accountability and expeditious execution by deploying state-of-the-art engineering technology/machines. There is a big role of technology in saving the execution time and minimizing the requirement of interruption to train flow in traffic block. This is very important because chosen routes are very busy hence the objective will be to cause minimum inconvenience to the passengers and setback to operations. A Traffic Block Optimization System on an IT platform is being developed to provide a congenial environment for execution of works required to achieve mission goals.Board has decided to implement this approach initially on Delhi – Mumbai and Delhi- Howrah routes. Human capital is our key resource. Thrust will be given to training, skill development of the staff involved in operations and maintenance of assets so that they maintain pace with the new machines and technology.   Addressing the Restricted Session of the International Monetary and Finance Committee (IMFC) and the Plenary Session of IMFC in Washington D.C. the Finance Minister stresses to focus on the coordinated policy actions and growth strategies (Topic: Finance) About-Union Finance Minister stressed that since the forces of globalization and multilateralism can go a long way in expanding global growth opportunities, we must focus on the coordinated policy actions and growth strategies. He emphasized that there is a strong case for realigning quota shares with the changed global economic realities. While expressing India’s extreme disappointment with delay in completion of 15th General Review of Quota (GRQ) by Annual Meeting of 2017, the Finance Minister emphasized that the Fund should strictly abide by the new deadlines set for completing the 15th Review. IMFC- IMFC is a key body providing strategic direction to the work and policies of the IMF. The events were attended by select Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors. The closed door discussions centered on the policy responses to prolonged period of subdued global growth, low commodity prices and negative interest rates in some large economies. Highlights- Union Finance Minister also participated in the Plenary Meeting of the Development Committee (DC), which is the Ministerial-Level forum of the World Bank Group and the IMF for inter-governmental consensus building on development issues. The meeting focused on the ‘Forward Look’ exercise carried-out by the World Bank and discussion on the Dynamic Formula of Shareholding of member countries in IBRD. In view of the World Bank being capital-constrained, emphasized upon the need for re-capitalizing the Bank to enable it to meet SDGs and twin goals. Expressed hope that World Bank would be more agile, efficient and less expensive. While addressing the gathering at forums like the Goldman Sachs Growth Markets Conference and the FT-Citi Forum, the Finance Minister elaborated on the significant improvement in the macro-economic fundamentals of Investment and growth in the Indian economy. Finance Minister also highlighted the major transformative initiatives taken by the Government which have created a positive business environment for Indian and global investments, impressive increases in FDI, $100 billion solar energy investment programme, changing 770 million incandescent and fluorescent bulbs to save 20 GW of electricity, Clean India (Swachh Bharat) Program, International Solar Alliance, Make-In-India, total transformation of indirect taxes regime, passage of GST bills, bankruptcy code, etc.   Jharkhand becomes first state to launch Direct Benefit Transfer in Kerosene (Topic: Petroleum and Natural gas) About- Jharkhand has become the first state in the country to implement Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in Kerosene in four identified districts namely, Chatra, Hazaribagh, Khunti and Jantara from 1st October, 2016.   Initiative of the governments is aimed at- Rationalising subsidy, based on the approach to cut subsidy leakages but not subsidy per se. Under the DBTK Scheme, PDS kerosene is being sold at non-subsidised price, and, subsidy, as admissible, is being transferred to consumers directly into their bank accounts.