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IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 8th Nov 2017 Archives NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 3: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources Issues relating to poverty and hunger Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures Solving the issue of high NMR in India Background: India has not performed well when it comes to neo-natal mortality rate(NMR). It is measured as death of a newborn within 28 days per 1,000 live births. According to World Bank statistics, we moved from 33 in 2010 to 28 in 2015. As a benchmark, the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for NMR is 12 by 2030. If India continues on this slow trajectory, we will achieve the SDG only by 2040. Examples shows the problem is not unsolvable: Sri Lanka, has an NMR of 5.4. Closer home, Kerala is already at 6 and Tamil Nadu at 14. Achieving the target- Way forward: Achieving the SDG target of 12 for NMR by 2030, or even faster, will require five key interventions—all related to the basic management of public health. Need for 2-3 emergency C-section points in every district: Issue: Usually there exists only one-two operational C-section points in most districts. This implies longer travel times for women in labour, creating distress and overburdening facilities—which in turn cannot provide adequate care, thereby endangering the newborn. While research indicates that the C-section rate in India is now beyond the optimal range (greater than 10–15%), the situation in public institutions is quite the opposite. In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the C-section rates in public institutions remain at 4.7% and 2.6%, respectively. Solution: To achieve two-three fully operational C-section points on priority, a functional trio of specialists (paediatrician, gynaecologist and anaesthetist) and specialized equipment are needed. 10–20% of facilities have a complete trio but still do not perform procedures due to behavioural and accountability issues. This needs to be addressed. Quality special newborn care units (SNCUs): Conditions like asphyxia, prematurity or sepsis require specialized care. Two-three SNCUs should be fully functional per district. This means that three-four beds per 1,000 deliveries need to have critical equipment, including radiant warmers and phototherapy machines. Additionally, the critical nature of the newborns warrants round-the-clock care—a minimum of four nurses. Addressing key clinical skill gaps: Issue: Basic clinical skills can prevent a majority of neonatal deaths. Unfortunately, many clinical staff lack these basic skills, or don’t practice them. For example, simple process of placing a pre-term child against the mother’s chest keeps the baby warm and facilitates weight gain through breastfeeding. However, this practice (kangaroo mother care) is still not widely practised. Similarly, clinical staff are shy about practices like neonatal resuscitation that can tackle asphyxia. Solution: Several tools, including a “safe birth” checklist, are available. Development agencies (for example Unicef) conduct specialized training programmes for clinical staff. States should mandate such training and the practice of these basic protocols. Improving care of pregnant women: While many complications are detected during labour, many can be identified during pregnancy through tests, like those for blood pressure and haemoglobin. Issue: Coverage of antenatal visits by front-line workers is alarmingly low: 51% according to the National Family Health Survey, 2015-16. Additionally, the quality of nurse and pregnant women interactions is often poor. Simple diagnostic procedures are not conducted, resulting in dismal rates of high-risk pregnancy identification. Solution: Availability of basic diagnostic equipment, an expansion of front-line worker capacity (using methods like supportive supervision) and their increased accountability towards coverage and quality of antenatal visits are key. Data tracking and accountability: Issue: Currently, management information systems are only able to track around 20-40% of actual deaths. This is because staff are rarely held accountable for the data. Complex and multiple registers are also to blame. Solution: Field data collection processes need to be simplified. Wherever possible, technology like mobile apps should be used. Systemized data-driven reviews of key NMR-related measures, including still-birth rates, are necessary. Data tracking would enable success. Conclusion: It can be concluded that it is not cutting-edge science that will save lives. Simple fixes, many of them administrative and managerial, don’t get addressed. In order to make the foundations of our health system robust we first need to implement the simple solutions. Connecting the dots: India has not performed well when it comes to neo-natal mortality rate(NMR). If India continues on the same trajectory, we will achieve the SDG related to NMR only by 2040. Discuss the measures if taken would help to solve the issue. Our health system lacks robustness because simple fixes, many of them administrative and managerial, don’t get addressed. Discuss. NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment Air pollution in Delhi: GRAP In news: Delhi has declared a public emergency, on account of poor air quality. The city registered “severe” on the Air Quality Index (AQI). “Everyone may experience serious health effects”, notes the AQI website. What is AQI? An air quality index (AQI) is a number used by government agencies to communicate to the public how polluted the air currently is or how polluted it is forecast to become. As the AQI increases, an increasingly large percentage of the population is likely to experience increasingly severe adverse health effects. There are six AQI categories: AQI Associated Health Impacts Good (0–50) Minimal Impact Satisfactory (51–100) May cause minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people. Moderately polluted (101–200) May cause breathing discomfort to people with lung disease such as asthma, and discomfort to people with heart disease, children and older adults. Poor (201–300) May cause breathing discomfort to people on prolonged exposure, and discomfort to people with heart disease Very Poor (301–400) May cause respiratory illness to the people on prolonged exposure. Effect may be more pronounced in people with lung and heart diseases. Severe (401-500) May cause respiratory impact even on healthy people, and serious health impacts on people with lung/heart disease. The health impacts may be experienced even during light physical activity. Issue: Air pollution causes cancer, lung disease and heart attacks. It is a public health risk that lowers the quality of life and productivity. What must be also taken into account is that sustained poor quality of the air one has to breathe is a sharply negative factor, for drawing in investment. Investor would not want to set up shop in a place where people are guaranteed to turn sickly and only the desperate would take up jobs. Reasons behind: Badly maintained vehicles on badly planned and congested roads, irresponsible burning of trash by citizens and construction dust account for a large part of the problem. In Delhi, the burning of crop stubble in distant Punjab fields is a source of Particulate Matter 2.5, as the wind drives the smoke into the capital region. Unstable power grids in and around Delhi force people to depend on diesel generators for extended hours of electricity supply. The crop stubble burning in neighbouring states have compounded to the problem with experts suggesting that if wind speed did not pick up in next few days, the city could witness a situation similar to last year when AQI crossed dangerous 500 level. What is EPCA? Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) is a SC-mandated body that has over a dozen members. It was notified in 1998 by the Union Environment Ministry under the Environment Protection Act. What is graded response action plan (GRAP)? The plan was prepared by the Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), which held meetings with stakeholders from all states over several months. A graded response lays down stratified actions that are required to be taken as and when the concentration of pollutants reaches a certain level. This plan will be putting into action a number of anti-pollution measures and there will be specific actions for each category — moderate to poor, very poor, severe and emergency. The measures include stoppage in the running of diesel sets, a three-fourfold increase in the parking rates, enhanced bus and metro services, and newspapers, TV and radio stations alerts on a daily basis with advice to people with respiratory and cardiac problems. Also, air in moderate-to-poor category will involve periodical mechanised sweeping of roads, deployment of traffic police for smooth flow of traffic at identified choke areas and strict enforcement of pollution norms at brick kilns and industrial complexes. Recommendations of EPCA: It has asked the Delhi government to put more emergency measures in place. It has suggested that parking fees be quadrupled. It also asked Delhi Metro to lower fares during non-peak hours for at least 10 days and introduce more coaches. Government's apathy: Serious problem pertains to the passive attitude of the Delhi government. In the past two years, it has waited for pollution to assume emergency proportions before reacting, and then done nothing more than respond to courts or court-mandated bodies like the EPCA. The Delhi government implemented the odd-even policy last year only after the Delhi High Court asked it to submit a time-bound plan. Despite the problems it created for people, there was enough support for the policy which demanded the Delhi government conduct a comprehensive analysis of its successes and failures. But it has, reportedly, developed cold feet over the odd-even policy. The EPCA’s proposals will require at least 16 authorities to work together. The EPCA and the Delhi government have not devised a coordination mechanism between these bodies. Way forward: Power plants must use beneficiated coal and deploy catalytic converters to reduce and trap particulate matter. Citizens must be educated as to the dangers of pollution and learn to cooperate, whether on fire crackers or burning trash. The GARP needs to be taken seriously. Proactive rather than reactive measures are the need of the hour. Connecting the dots: What do you mean by Graded response action plan(GRAP)? Discuss the effectiveness of such plans in solving the issue of air pollution in cities like Delhi. 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UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 76] Archives Q.1) The Emissions Gap Report is released by United Nations Environment Programme World Economic Forum Greenpeace Conservation International Q.2) Recently, a species of wild banana named ‘Musa paramjitiana’ was discovered that grows to a height of nine metres and bears an edible, sweet-and-sour tasting fruit that is boat-shaped and has numerous bulb-shaped seeds. Where was it discovered? Andaman and Nicobar Islands Lakshadweep Sundarbans Western Ghats Q.3) ‘Spot-billed pelican’ is found in which of the following countries? India Pakistan Indonesia Nepal Select the correct code: 1, 2 and 3 2, 3 and 4 1, 3 and 4 1 and 4 Only Q.4) Consider the following statements The Foreigner’s Act, 1946 penalises entry into the country without valid documents thus permitting deportation of refugees. Central Government had decided to allow minority refugees from Bangladesh and Pakistan to stay in the country even after expiry of their visas on humanitarian grounds under Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and Foreigners Act, 1946 Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) Consider the following statements about ‘Principle of Non-refoulement’ It is a fundamental principle of international law which forbids a country receiving asylum seekers from returning them to a country in which they would be in likely danger of persecution based on "race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion". The principle of non-refoulement is incorporated in 1951 UN Refugee Convention Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 To Download the Solution – Solution will be uploaded tomorrow All The Best IASbaba
IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 7th Nov 2017 Archives GOVERNANCE TOPIC:General Studies 2: Role of civil services in a democracy. Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability and institutional and other measures. Solving the issue of "Criminalisation of Politics" In news: Recently, the Supreme Court asked the government about the status of criminal cases pending against elected ministers, underlining the issue of law-breakers becoming law-makers. The Supreme Court recommended setting up fast-track courts to deal with the cases. Criminalization of politics: Criminalization refers to the use of criminal activities by politicians; either by direct malfeasance or by indirectly recruiting someone. It is not a new phenomenon; the first instances of “booth-capturing” were reported in 1957, and involved hired goons who would mobilize or suppress turnout, or vote on behalf of disenfranchised voters. In return for their work, politicians would protect these criminals from prosecution. From such petty engagement with elections, goondas and gangs have come a long way to contest elections themselves. Why political parties chose to field such criminals? Despite the risk that criminality of the candidates could have brought bad press. The corporate financing of elections was banned in 1969. This eliminated the most important legal source of campaign finance and pushed financing underground. At the same time, the costs of contesting elections kept increasing due to a rising population, increasing political competition—the number of political parties increased from 55 in the 1952 general election to 464 in 2014—and the trend of giving freebies for votes. This led parties to a competitive search for underground financing, and they played into the hands of criminals and racketeers who had the means to acquire and dispose of large amounts of cash without detection. Thus, parties fielded tainted candidates because they could contest an election without becoming a burden on the party’s limited coffers. Data from the last three general elections shows that the strategy was an electoral success as candidates with criminal cases were three times more likely to win than a “clean” candidate. Why a candidate with criminal background is more likely to win? The reason lies in the country’s poor governance capacity. On the one hand, India has excessive procedures that allow the bureaucracy to insert itself in the ordinary life of people; on the other hand, it appears woefully understaffed to perform its most crucial functions. The density of allopathic doctors, nurses and midwives is 11.9% per 10,000 residents in India (2014), at half of the benchmark set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Furthermore, the density is ten times larger in urban areas than villages. Despite internal security concerns—from Maoist violence to religious extremism and organized crime—there is a 30% shortfall in personnel of the Intelligence Bureau. India has the lowest number of police officers per capita—122.5 per 100,000 people—of any G20 member state, and the vacancy rate stands at 25%. Vacancy rates are 37% for high courts and 25% for local courts. This scarcity of state capacity is the reason for the public preferring ‘strongmen’ who can employ the required pulls and triggers to get things done—someone who can enforce contracts, deal with the police when they get into trouble, handle the government babus while procuring a licence or help get admission to a government hospital for treatment. Criminality, far from deterring voters, encourages them because it signals that the candidate is capable of fulfilling his promises and securing the interests of the constituency. Reforms required: Fast-track courts are necessary because politicians are able to delay the judicial process and serve for decades before prosecution. But it is obvious that this will do little to break down the symbiotic relationship between politicians and criminals on the one hand, and the dependence of voters on strongmen. The reform needs to change the incentives for both politicians and voters. Bringing greater transparency in campaign financing will make it less attractive for political parties to involve gangsters. Either the Election Commission of India (ECI) should have the power to audit the financial accounts of political parties, or political parties’ finances should be brought under the right to information (RTI) law. Broader governance will have to improve for voters to reduce the reliance on criminal politicians. That requires a rationalization of bureaucratic procedures and an increase in state capacity to deliver essential public goods like security of life and contracts, and access to public utilities. Conclusion: Standing alone, fast-track courts for politicians will be ineffective in cleansing Indian politics. An effective strategy to tackle criminalization of politics should include reforms to improve governance and bring transparency in campaign financing. Connecting the dots: Discuss the reasons behind criminalization of politics and the reforms required to resolve the issue NATIONAL/ECONOMY 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: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Demonetisation and creation of formal jobs Background: The unemployment rate of 4.9 per cent in India is not a job problem but a wages problem. This diagnosis is important. And if our problem is wages then India needs the higher productivity that comes from structural change: Formalisation, industrialisation, urbanisation, skilling and deep financial markets. How demonetisation would help in formal job creation? Demonetisation made India a better habitat for formal job creation for five reasons: Demonetisation has reduced cash with citizens; bank deposits have increased. Demonetisation has created new lending capacity of about Rs 18 lakh crore. This will boost investment and formal job creation. Demonetisation exploded the number of digital payments on UPI/Bhim from 1 lakh in October 2016 to 7.7 crore in October 2017. Prohibiting salary payments by cash and 50 lakh new bank accounts for labourers will fuel further adoption; digitisation is important for formalisation because it makes regulatory arbitrage and tax evasion difficult. Demonetisation has catalysed a savings shift away from gold (imports are down 20 per cent over the last year) and real estate (the toxic gap between rental yields and borrowing rates is finally narrowing). Greater financialisation of savings creates a virtuous cycle for formal job creation because they deepen and broaden domestic capital markets whose institutions are more likely to fund entrepreneurs who create companies that are small and will grow rather than companies that are small and will stay small. Lowering interest rates is a policy priority and banks had been only passing on 50 per cent of lower policy rates to customers; in the year after demonetisation this has risen to 100 per cent. Sustained formal job creation needs the lower interest rates that come from macroeconomic stability, fiscal discipline, muted inflation expectations and an Independent Monetary Policy Committee. Demonetisation targeted a less-cash society because cash is the primary tool of corruption. Corruption enables transmission losses between how the law is written, interpreted, practised and enforced while India’s move to high productivity enterprises needs moving from deals to rules. Demonetisation did not end corruption but raised its costs. Conclusion: Demonetisation is one of the other reforms — GST, bankruptcy code, RERA, FDI liberalisation, ease-of-doing business, competitive federalism, etc — that are making India a fertile habitat for formal, non-farm, job creation. Connecting the dots: Discuss how demonetization would result into creation of more formal jobs. 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Hello Friends This is the 29th edition of IASbaba’s Monthly Magazine on Current Affairs for UPSC Civil Services Examination. This edition covers all important issues that were in news for the month of OCTOBER 2017 DOWNLOAD THE MAGAZINE- CLICK HERE
UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 75] Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about ‘Proxima Centauri’ It is the closest star to the Sun It is orbited by the Earth-sized temperate world Proxima b, discovered in 2016 and the closest exoplanet to the solar system Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements about ‘Tholpavakoothu’ It is a form of shadow puppetry practiced in Karnataka The puppets used are made of leather Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) ‘Blackbuck’ is found in which of the following countries? India Nepal Sri Lanka Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.4) Parambikulam Tiger Reserve is located in which state? Karnataka Kerala Telangana Tamil Nadu Q.5) Which of the following statements is/are correct? The lotus leaf is a hydrophilic material Hydrophobic surfaces are ones with a low surface energy that therefore do not attract water to them Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 To Download the Solution – Click here All The Best IASbaba
IASbaba Press Information Bureau 29th October to 5th November, 2017 ARCHIVES GS-2 The Government of India and World Bank sign $200 Million Loan Agreement for the Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project (Topic: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate; Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) Assam is simplifying several regulatory procedures related to doing business, agricultural marketing, and fisheries amongst others. The Project will support the Government of Assam – Facilitate agri-business investments Increase agriculture productivity by strengthening the farming systems, and market access Enable small farm holders produce crops that are resilient to recurrent floods or droughts in the state Raise private sector investments to promote agri-enterprises which will create better job opportunities for the youth in the State Promote market-led production that can deal with the vagaries of climate change - will take advantage of the rapidly changing market, introduce crops that are resilient to climate change, increase production and manage risks for farmers Cluster Approach: The Project will be implemented in over 16 Districts of Assam. Over 500,000 farming households will directly benefit from the Project. At least 30 percent women are expected to participate in project activities. Specific focus will be given to women-led enterprises and their participation in the decision-making process of farmer producer organizations. The focus on geographic clustering of the production base for certain commodities will help agri-enterprises take advantage of existing and future market opportunities that they may not necessarily achieve alone. The cluster approach will allow for combining efforts, making use of synergies, and pooling resources to increase the competitive advantage of these products, while at the same time share the risks involved in introducing improved products or entering previously untapped markets. Successful clusters will also continuously innovate and adapt ‘best practices’ across agricultural value chains. MHA gives a boost to “Make in India” in the field of manufacturing of arms (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) The Ministry of Home Affairs has liberalised the Arms Rules to boost “Make in India” manufacturing policy of the Government – To promote employment generation in the field of manufacturing of arms and ammunition. To encourage investment in the manufacturing of arms and ammunition and weapon systems as part of the “Make in India” programme. The liberalised rules are expected to encourage the manufacturing activity and facilitate availability of world class weapons to meet the requirement of Armed Forces and Police Forces in sync with country’s defence indigenization programme. Cabinet approves Trade Agreement between India and Ethiopia for strengthening and promoting trade and economic cooperation: The trade Agreement will provide for all necessary measures to encourage trade, economic cooperation, investment and technical co-operation. Signing an Agreement between India and Armenia on cooperation and mutual assistance in customs matters: The Agreement would provide a legal framework for sharing of information and intelligence between the Customs authorities of the two countries and help in the proper application of Customs laws, prevention and investigation of Customs offences and the facilitation of legitimate trade. Ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme (State Plans) – Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) as Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana- Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied sector Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR) for three years i.e. 2017-18 to 2019-20: The scheme will incentivize States in enhancing more allocation to Agriculture and Allied Sectors. This will also strengthen farmer’s efforts through creation of agriculture infrastructure that help in supply of quality inputs, market facilities etc. This will further promote agri-entrepreneurship and support business models that maximize returns to farmers. Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) Provides considerable flexibility and autonomy to states in planning and executing programmes for incentivizing investment in agriculture and allied sectors. States initiate the process of decentralized planning for agriculture and allied sectors through preparation of District Agriculture Plans (DAPs) and State Agriculture Plan (SAP) based on agro-climatic conditions, availability of appropriate technology and natural resources to ensure accommodation of local needs, cropping pattern, priorities etc. National priorities like Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI), Crop Diversification Program (CDP), Reclamation of Problem Soil (RPS), Foot & Mouth Disease - Control Program (FMD-CP), Saffron Mission, Accelerated Fodder Development Programme, etc. are being implemented through the window of RKVY. GS-3 EESL launches $454 million ‘Creating and Sustaining Markets for Energy Efficiency’ project in partnership with the GEF (Topic: Infrastructure: Energy) What: Recognizing India’s efforts towards a low emission-economy and focusing on energy efficiency programmes, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has now partnered with Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under Ministry of Power, for the project ‘Creating and Sustaining Markets for Energy Efficiency’ The project will receive a composite funding of $454 million comprised of the GEF grant of $20 million and co-financing of $434 million in the form of loans and equity, including a $200 million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). EESL has proposed Energy Efficiency Revolving Fund (EERF) for sustainable funding mechanism of energy efficiency projects in the country. Will support the ‘proof of concept’ investments for the new technologies of super-efficient ceiling fans, tri-generation technologies & smart grid-applications and ultimately scaling up energy efficiency financing and programme development to help cover initial investment costs of identified energy efficiency programmes like street lighting, domestic lighting, five-star rated ceiling fans and agricultural pumps, in the country. This unique model will help in addressing the upfront risks of new technologies. Further, the accrued savings from these technologies can then be used to finance additional projects, which would allow capital to revolve as a sustainable funding mechanism. The GEF project further brings together many technical and financing partners including United Nations Environment (UN Environment), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) which aims to mitigate 60 million tons of CO2 eq (carbon dioxide equivalent), that will enable a total direct energy savings of 38.3 million GJ by 2022 and 137.5 million GJ by 2032. (1 GJ = 277.778 kWh) Note: By 2030, India is committed to achieve 40% of the installed capacity based on clean energy sources. GEF is an international partnership of 183 countries, international institutions, civil society organizations and the private sector that addresses global environmental issues. The funding announcement was made at the launch of the GEF-6 fund which supports two projects – ‘Creating Markets for Energy Efficiency’ and ‘District Energy in Cities’. Please Note: 150th birth anniversary of Sister Nivedita Sister Nivedita’s original name was Margaret Noble; though born in Ireland, she became an Indian nation builder. She was a pioneer in girls’ education in India and in providing health services to the poor. Two excerpts from Swami Vivekananda’s letters to Sister Nivedita, written in Sanskrit – In the first letter Swamiji tells Sister Nivedita that his life’s mantra is: वज्रादपि कठोराणि मृदूनि कुसुमादपि – This translates to “Tougher than rocks; more tender than flowers”. It points to Swamiji’s ability to balance the idealism of his work with the practical aspects of everyday life. In the second letter, Swamiji impresses upon Sister Nivedita that: नहि कल्याण कृत्कश्चित् दुर्गतिं तात गच्छति Or: “A person who does good to others, never meets a bad end …” 2. The Soundarya Lahari is a set of shlokas composed by Adi Shankaracharya 3. For every one additional year of education for women in reproductive age, child mortality is reduced by a huge 9.50 per cent. 4. India’s food consumption is currently valued at US $370 billion. It is expected to reach $1 trillion by 2025, in less than a decade. 5. Indian Women's hockey team wins Asia Cup 2017. 6. Mission 11 Million (MXIM): Football outreach program 7. Bahudha approach – Emphasizes the need for a dialogue to promote a harmonious and peaceful living. Peace is an essential pre-requisite for progress of mankind, especially when the world is witnessing an increasing number of conflicts. In the context of the rise of terrorism and religious fundamentalism, which are threatening world peace like never before, the Bahudha approach is a good way to resolve even the most intractable problems. 8. Launch of MSME Delayed Payment Portal – MSME Samadhaan: To empower micro and small entrepreneurs across the country to directly register their cases relating to delayed payments by Central Ministries/Departments/CPSEs/State Governments. The portal will greatly facilitate the monitoring of the delayed payment in a more effective manner. The information on the portal will be available in public domain, thus exerting moral pressure on the defaulting organisations. The MSEs will also be empowered to access the portal and monitor their cases. 9. India’s rank has risen to 100 in the latest report compared to 130 in the Doing Business Report (by World Bank), 2017. 10. Lauh Purush – Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel 11. Clubfoot is one of the most common orthopaedic birth defects, and can cause permanent disability if not treated early. This affects the child’s mobility and confidence. Inevitably, education and schooling suffer – and the child cannot fulfil his or her potential. It is estimated that over 50,000 children are born annually in India with clubfoot. The exact reasons for this congenital disability are not fully known. In India the burden of disability affects more than 10 million people. The differently-abled or Divyang as we call them deserve equal opportunities in all avenues of life. Mainstreaming their social and professional experience is a commitment for all of us. 12. 21st World Congress of Mental Health: Organised by the World Federation for Mental Health in partnership with Caring Foundation and other institutions Our National Mental Health Survey 2016 found that close to 14 per cent of India’s population required active mental health interventions. India’s National Mental Health Programme is building 22 centres of excellence in the field of mental health. In parallel, the District Mental Health Programme has already covered 517 of the approximately 650 districts in India 13. “PRABAL DOSTYK – 2017” between the Indian Army and the Kazakhstan Army, aimed at enhancing the military ties between the two countries as also at achieving interoperability between the two armies. 14. Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana: Under the scheme of SPARSH (Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude & Research in Stamps as a Hobby), it is proposed to award annual scholarships to children of Standard VI to IX having good academic record and also pursuing Philately as a hobby through a competitive selection process in all postal circles. Philately is the hobby of collection and study of Postage stamps.
Towards a Foolproof Goods and Services Tax Archives TOPIC: General Studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it. The GST Council met again and before time to revisit compliance rule and discuss structural changes in the new national tax regime, acting on feedback and complaints from business. The review comes amidst the way GST has been implemented. Most prominent among them being GSTN- the portal is finding to be difficult with registrations and return filing. So there is considerable anxiousness in mind of tax payers as to how to go about compliances. Reporting each and every transaction and three returns every month is a challenge as most of the businesses are small. How to have a simpler GST regime? Economists have been in favour of GST- good and simple tax. The simplicity has somehow been lost while complying with GST. The government should not do everything at once. The change is impacting the economy, a large part of which is highly unorganised. They have never paid taxes either legally as they were evading it or they were not taxed. For instance textiles. The logic was if yarn is taxed, there is nothing to tax downstream. This was the idea of simplification. The textile traders are now agitated as earlier they just paid tax on yarn. Also, a large number of people in trading system were not involved in highly sophisticated system of tax-assessment, payment etc. They were not fully computerised in their own accounting. So compliance through a fully automated route with too many deadlines made it difficult for them to run a business as their priority. The tax structure should be made less complicated. It involves simplifying the tax structure and bring in the goods and services that are left out. The government is decentralising tax compliance. For this, the business system need to be sophisticated. The B2B transactions are expected to match each other and then technology should be applied. If turnover less than 75 lakhs, traders can compound tax and pay it. But 75 lakhs on a 10% margin is 7.5 lakhs. So, a businessman which earns roughly 8 lakhs when has to go through a complicated system as this, hire accountants, regularly check for compliances etc. it becomes cumbersome. The technology is the key interface between trader, exporter, tax payer and government. When the GSTN portal was crashing under the pressure, the people involved in setting up the technological platform and government should have thought it through to take this kind of pressure and intensity. Issues with GST Reverse charge mechanism- It means that it is liability of receiver of goods or services to pay the tax instead of supplier. HSN code- it is coding of commodities which have been processed by various people Filing- the invoices/transactions not uploaded by opposite part results in losing the ITC. As well as crashing of portal while filing return results in unsolicited penalties. Tax slab- there should have been lesser slabs. When looked at global GST regimes, there are lesser slabs, mostly one tax rate with two different rates for demerit goods and essential goods. India is expected to go to that status gradually where rates will get rationalised. Conclusion This complicated structure has emerged as government wanted revenue neutrality, not just aggregate but for each state and each product. The 28% GST rate creates a large return problem. Earlier, the manufacturing states used to pay excise duty and the trader used to sell without the bill. This evaded the sales tax payment. Now, if the product is sold without bill, there is huge tax evasion as even excise duty is not paid. This process needs to be accounted for while making GST more simplified. The stricter deadlines can be counterproductive. Instead, the people have to be made realised what is beneficial to them in long term. Moreover, the traders could have been consulted a little bit more so that their opinions would have been atleast taken note of. Not involving them entirely means that they can outrightly oppose a good idea. The bureaucracy and people behind GST need not get stuck on what decisions made earlier. They should change as per need to bring in more compliances over a period of time. Connecting the dots: The first quarter of GST implementation has provided some valuable insights to the government. Critically examine these insights.
IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 6th Nov 2017 Archives NATIONAL/ECONOMY 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: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Expanding agricultural exports In news: The government has expressed its resolve to expand agricultural exports. Benefits of increase in agri-exports: Increase the country’s export basket. Augment farmers’ incomes and ameliorate farm distress. Export-Import trends: In general, both agri-exports and imports have increased substantially since 2004-05, reflecting the increasing integration of Indian agriculture with global markets. Agri-trade increased from $14 billion to $59.2 billion between 2004-05 and 2016-17. As a share of the agri-GDP, the contribution of this trade increased from 11.1 per cent in 2004-05 to 16.7 per cent in 2016-17. Agri-exports suffered primarily due to the significant fall in exports of cereals (especially wheat and maize), cotton, oilseeds and, to some extent, bovine meat. This, in turn, was largely due to a steep fall in global prices and restrictive export policies. The FAO food price index fell from 209.8 in 2013 to 161.5 in 2016. Export policies for pulses, oilseeds/edible oils and several vegetables were restrictive. Agricultural imports have been rising since 2004-05. Edible oils, pulses, and fruits, nuts, vegetables being the major produce. How to increase agricultural exports? A paradigm shift in policy-making from being obsessively consumer-oriented to according greater priority to farmers’ interests is required. Identifying agri-commodities that can help boost the agri-trade surplus. Estimates show that India is export competitive in almost 70 per cent of agricultural commodities, non-tradable (that is our prices are between import parity and export parity prices) in about 10-15 per cent commodities, and import competitive in the remaining 15-20 per cent commodities. On the exports front, India is relatively competitive in cereals, especially rice and wheat and maize, and, at times, oilseeds, especially groundnuts and oil meals. The country can also be competitive in groundnut and mustard oil, provided there is an open and stable export policy. India has also been the world’s second largest exporter of cotton. The country has a great potential to export fish and seafood, bovine meat, and fruits, nuts and vegetables. These are the commodities to focus on in order to stimulate agri-exports. Building global value-chains for some important agri-commodities in which the country has a comparative advantage. This would require infrastructure and institutional support — connecting export houses directly to farmer producer organisations (FPOs), sidestepping the APMC-regulated mandis, removing stocking limits and trading restrictions. Bringing in the required structural reforms in agriculture. A special package to support value-chains through infrastructural investments (in assaying, grading, packaging and storing facilities), which will also create jobs in rural areas, or assistance in adhering to sanitary and phytosanitary standards would make export-oriented value-chains more resilient towards any price shocks. India needs to adopt an open, stable and reliable export policy. Abrupt export bans, high minimum export prices to restrict exports, or other quantitative restrictions on pulses, edible oils — even on vegetables and cereals at times — must give way to a policy that does not put any fetters on exports. Liberalisation of factor markets, especially land-lease markets, would also help in building more efficient and reliable export value-chains. Over-regulated land-lease markets have kept landholdings small and forced informal tenancies to flourish rendering them incapable of mobilising large-scale capital. Long land-lease arrangements can facilitate private investments in building export-oriented global value-chains, generating rural non-farm employment and enhancing farmers’ incomes. Conclusion: It is time for the government to steer a “farm-to-foreign” strategy, improve agri-trade surpluses by promoting agri-exports. This will most importantly help create more jobs and bring prosperity to rural areas. Connecting the dots: Given the importance of expanded agricultural exports, it is time for the government to steer a “farm-to-foreign” strategy and improve agri-trade surpluses by promoting agri-exports. Discuss. INTERNATIONAL TOPIC:General Studies 2: India and its International 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. Engaging big powers in South Asia In news: India has accepted an invitation to join the Japan-proposed, U.S.-endorsed plan for a “Quadrilateral” grouping including Australia to provide alternative debt financing for countries in the Indo-Pacific. The idea of quadrilateral dialogue with India, Japan and Australia was proposed by US. Significant turn in policy: India is ready to cooperate with other countries into what India has always fiercely guarded Indo-Pacific sphere of activity. However, there are examples of India working with other nations in the region like- working with the U.S. on transmission lines in Nepal or with Japan on a liquefied natural gas pipeline in Sri Lanka. Still, India has accepted that it requires “other parties” in the neighbourhood, even as it seeks to counter the influence of China and its Belt and Road Initiative. Why India is not able to handle the situation in Indo-Pacific independently? India's needs clashing with those of neighbors: As a growing economy with ambitious domestic targets, India’s own needs often clash with those of its neighbours. More connectivity will eventually mean more competition, whether it is for trade, water resources, or energy. Take, for example, the case of Bhutan, which is working, with India’s assistance, on its own goal of producing 10,000 MW of hydropower by 2020. There have been reports of Bhutan’s external debt rising because of delays in hydropower projects owing construction delays, mainly due to Indian construction issues. Despite several pleas to the Ministries of External Affairs and Power, the guidelines issued by India, which put severe restrictions on Bhutanese companies selling power, and on allowing them access to the power exchange with Bangladesh, have not been revised. Projects not taken seriously: Another problem is what one diplomat in the region calls ‘India’s big game hunting attitude’: “India chases its neighbours to cooperate on various projects, but once the project is finalised, the implementation is not taken seriously. Over the past decade, India passed up offers to build the port in Hambantota, Colombo, and Kankesanthurai, despite Sri Lanka’s pressing need for infrastructure. With the U.S. and other Western countries also taking strident positions over human rights issues and the reconciliation process, Chinese companies stepped in and won these projects. New Delhi has changed its position on Hambantota several times, going from initial apathy, to disapproval of the Chinese interest, to telling that the project would not be viable. Contradictory ideas while tackling political issues in its region: India falls somewhere between the U.S., which has openly championed concerns over ‘democratic values’ and human rights in Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bangladesh, and the approach of China, which is to turn a blind eye to all but business and strategic interests. In Nepal, India lost out to China when it allowed a five-month-long blockade at the border, calling for a more inclusive constitution to be implemented by Kathmandu. India reversed its stand in Rohingya issue case, leading to the sense that it is unsure of its next steps when dealing with neighbors on political issues. Conclusion: While the government’s new plan to involve the U.S. and Japan in development projects in South Asia will yield the necessary finances, it will come at the cost of India’s leverage in its own backyard. The emergence of new players like the U.S., Europe and Japan has only increased multiple regional rivalries in the region. Thus, the government must be cautious about bringing big powers into South Asia Connecting the dots: The government is planning to involve US, Japan and Australia in the development projects in South Asia. Discuss the prospects and the issues involved. While India seeks to counter the influence of China and its Belt and Road Initiative, it is not able to handle the situation in Indo-Pacific independently. Critically analyze. MUST READ Seize the opportunity The Hindu Marooned once more The Hindu The new oil game Indian Express Communicating the reforms instituted Livemint Eyes in the sky Business Line Addressing security issues in e-money Business Line
UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 74] Archives Q.1) Which of the following is/are correctly matched? Straits Location Strait of Hormuz Iran and UAE Strait of Malacca Malaysia and Indonesia Select the correct code 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Recently, the ‘Quadrilateral’ grouping was in news. Which of the following countries is not a part of it? India Australia Japan South Africa Q.3) Consider the following statements about National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) The Companies Act 2013 provides for setting up NFRA NFRA will set accounting and auditing standards, monitor and enforce compliance with the standards, and oversee the accounting profession’s record of ensuring compliance Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) “InsuResilience” is associated with BRICS G7 G4 Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) Q.5) Consider the following statements about Conference of the Parties (COP) The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) Germany is the designated nation to run the COP23 Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 To Download the Solution – Click here All The Best IASbaba
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