Abhimanu

Weekly current affairs Series

Week: IV, November 2017

Abhimanu’s IAS Study Group Chandigarh

NATIONAL ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

BRICS Bank approves $400 million loans for India, Russia

The Shanghai-based Brics New Development Bank (NDB) has approved two infrastructure and sustainable development projects in India and Russia with loans of $400 million.

The loans will be used to rehabilitate the Indira Gandhi canal system in India and to build a toll transport corridor connecting Ufa city centre to the M-5 federal highway in Russia.

About NDB:

The New Development Bank (NDB), formerly referred to as the BRICS Development Bank, is a multilateral development bank established by the BRICS states (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) The decision to establish the bank was made in fourth BRICS Summit in New Delhi in 2012 and subsequently announced in the fifth BRICS Summit in Durban in 2013 to establish a development bank. On 15 July 2014, the first day of the 6th BRICS summit held in Fortaleza, Brazil, the BRICS states signed have agreed on the establishment of the New Development Bank (NDB)

Purpose and Functions

The New Development Bank starts with an objective of funding infrastructure projects in the developing countries and meets the aspirations of millions through sustainable development.

The purpose of the Bank shall be to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging market economies and developing countries to complement the existing efforts of multilateral and regional financial institutions for global growth and development.

The Bank mobilizes resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging economies and developing countries, complementing the existing efforts of multilateral and regional financial institutions for global growth and development.

To fulfill its purpose, the Bank supports public or private projects through loans, guarantees, equity participation and other financial instruments. It also cooperates with international organizations and other financial entities, and provide technical assistance for projects to be supported by the Bank.

Capital and Shares

The New Development Bank have an initial subscribed capital of US$ 50 billion and an initial authorized capital of US$ 100 billion. The initial subscribed capital is equally distributed amongst the founding members. The voting power of each member shall equal its subscribed shares in the capital stock of the Bank

Organization and Management

The Bank headquarters is in Shanghai.The Bank have a Board of Governors, a Board of Directors, a President and Vice-Presidents. The President of the Bank is elected from one of the founding members on a rotational basis, and there are at least one Vice President from each of the other founding members. The President is the chief of the operating staff of the Bank and conducts under the direction of the Directors.

Membership

The founding members of the Bank are the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Russian Federation, the Republic of India, the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa. The membership shall be open to members of the United Nations, in accordance with the provisions of the Articles of Agreement of the New Development Bank. It shall be open to borrowing and non-borrowing members.

Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS)

The government has doubled the incentive for exporters of garments and made-ups under the Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS) to support declining textile exports. Incentive rates for the two sectors have been enhanced to 4% of value of exports from 2% with effect from November 1 to June 30, 2018.

Under the programme, exporters are given duty exemption scrips that are pegged at a certain percentage of total value of their exports. These scrips can be used to pay duties on inputs including customs.

About Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS)

The Export Incentive Scheme- MEIS scheme grants benefits of up to 5% as compared to earlier scheme which offered benefits up to 7%. However, this scheme removes various kind of previous restriction. Product and market base is also significantly widened in comparison to earlier scheme. Unlike earlier schemes, this scheme has been made applicable to exports made by SEZ units. Benefits under MEIS scheme for exports are extended to developed country which was eligible for a very limited extent under the earlier schemes. The benefits of MEIS is also extended to e-commerce sector.

MEIS schemes are introduced with following objective

To boost India’s export by offsetting infrastructural inefficiencies and associated costs involved

To provide a level playing field to exporters

Finally to increase export of Goods

The Government of India has introduced Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) through the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2015-20 w.e.f. April 1, 2015.

Salient features of MEIS are as under :

MEIS is result of major consolidation and simplification:

Earlier there were 5 different schemes for rewarding merchandise exports with different kinds of duty scrips with varying conditions attached to their use. Now all these schemes have been merged into a single scheme, namely Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS).

MEIS incentive Rates :

Rewards under MEIS are payable as a percentage ( 2, 3 or 5% ) of realized FOB(Free on Board) value of covered exports, by way of the MEIS duty credit scrip.

Allocation and Product Coverage:

At the time of introduction on April 1, 2015, MEIS covered 4914 tariff lines. The product and market coverage was worked out keeping in view the annual allocation of Rs 18000 Crore by Department of Revenue.

Duty credit scrips are freely transferable and usable for payment of custom duty, excise duty and service tax

All scrips issued under MEIS and the goods imported against these scrips fully transferable.

Incentives to be available for SEZs

Incentives under MEIS are available to units located in SEZs also.

National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)

A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Tourism and Hospitality Sector Skill Council (THSC) with Airbnb.

The MoU will provide hospitality skills training to hospitality micro-entrepreneurs in India.

Building on Airbnb’s commitment to support Skill India Mission by creating 50,000 hospitality entrepreneurs in India, the MoU signed aims to empower more citizens, including those in rural and underserved areas to join the ‘alternate accommodation’ sector and pursue new livelihood opportunities by sharing their homes.

The signing of MoU is in line with the Government’s endeavor to promote entreprenuership under the Government’s Skill India Programme. NSDC is the implementation arm of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

About NSDC:

National Skill Development Corporation India (NSDC) is a not-for-profit company set up by the Ministry of Finance, under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 corresponding to Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013.

It aims to promote skill development by catalyzing creation of large, quality and for-profit vocational institutions. Further, NSDC provides funding to build scalable and profitable vocational training initiatives.

Its mandate is also to enable a support system which focuses on quality assurance, information systems and train-the-trainer academies either directly or through partnerships. NSDC acts as a catalyst in skill development by providing funding to enterprises, companies and organizations that provide skill training.

It also develops appropriate models to enhance, support and coordinate private sector initiatives.

The differentiated focus on 21 sectors under NSDC’s purview and its understanding of their viability will make every sector attractive to private investment.

MISSION

Upgrade skills to international standards through significant industry involvement and develop necessary frameworks for standards, curriculum and quality assurance.

Enhance, support and coordinate private sector initiatives for skill development through appropriate Public-Private Partnership ( PPP ) models; strive for significant operational and financial involvement from private sector.

Play the role of a ‘market-maker’ by bringing funds, particularly in sectors where market mechanisms are ineffective or missing.

Prioritise initiatives that can have a multiplier or catalytic effect as opposed to one-off impact.

OBJECTIVE

To contribute significantly to the overall target of skilling up of people in India, mainly by fostering private sector initiatives in skill development programmes and to provide funding.

Small Farmers Agri-Business Consortium

The Government established Small Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC) as a Society in 1994 to facilitate agri-business ventures by catalyzing private investment through Venture Capital Assistance (VCA) Scheme in close association with financial institutions.

The setting up of State level SFAC as counterpart agency of Central SFAC for agribusiness projects was part of the Scheme.

The Scheme envisaged a corpus contribution from Central SFAC of Rs. 50.00 lakh to each State which establishes a State Level SFAC. So far, 21 States have received funds for Central SFAC for setting up of State SFAC.

The main functions of SFAC are:

Promotion of development of small agribusiness through VCA scheme;

Helping formation and growth of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) / Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs);

Improving availability of working capital and development of business activities of FPOs/FPCs through Equity Grant and Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme;

Implementation of National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) Electronic Trading platform.

At present, SFAC is implementing the following schemes:

Agri-Business Development (ABD) through Venture Capital Assistance (VCA) and Project Development Facility (PDF): The Scheme aims to facilitate the promotion of agri-business projects establishing backward linkages with farmers, providing assured market to their produce, thereby generating employment and enhancing farmers’ income. SFAC partnership with various PSU banks has so far helped support 1674 projects across the country, investing a total of Rs. 495.36 Crores in venture and helping to leverage Rs. 5950.76 Crores in total project investment. This has created 81396 direct employment and linked approximately 1.53 lakhs Farmers to these units.

Equity Grant and Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Farmer Producer Companies:The scheme has two components as given below:

(a) A grant of upto Rs. 10.00 lakh to each registered Farmer Producer Company is given to match the member equity raised by the institution. This enhances the equity base of the FPC and enable it to approach financial institutions for raising working capital. SFAC has been sanctioned Equity Grant to 127 Farmer Producer Companies amounting to Rs.7.04 Crore to enable them to leverage working capital from financial institutions.

(b) Credit Guarantee Fund (CGF) has been set up in SFAC with a corpus of Rs. 100.00 Crores. The CGF will offer a cover of 85% to loans extended by banks to Farmer Producer Companies without collateral, upto a maximum of Rs. 1.00 Crore. Under the Scheme, 21 projects in five states have been sanctioned credit guarantee of Rs. 9.31 Crore till date. State-wise details are as below:

Price Stabilisation Fund: SFAC is one of the Central Procurement Agencies for pulses and oilseeds under Price Stabilisation Fund of Department of Consumer Affairs.

NATIONAL POLITY

Swachh Iconic Places

A two day National Consultation of Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) under Swachh Bharat Mission was held in New Delhi.

Representatives from 20 Iconic Sites including central and State officials, representatives of iconic places and Corporate and development partners including World Bank joined the consultations.

About SIP:

The Swachh Iconic Places is an initiative under the Swachh Bharat Mission. It is a special clean-up initiative focused on select iconic heritage, spiritual and cultural places in the country.

The initiative is being coordinated by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in association with the Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Tourism and the concerned State governments.

Phase I coverage of iconic places

Vaishno Devi, Jammu and Kashmir

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Maharashtra

Taj Mahal, Uttar Pradesh

Tirupati Temple, Andhra Pradesh

Golden Temple, Punjab

Manikarnika Ghat, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Ajmer Sharif Dargah, Rajasthan

Meenakshi Temple, Tamil Nadu

Kamakhya Temple, Assam

Jagannath Puri, Odisha

The Phase II of Swachh Iconic Places initiative is to cover the following.

Gangotri

Yamunotri

Mahakaleshwar Temple, Ujjain

Char Minar, Hyderabad

Church and Convent of St. Francis of Assissi, Goa

Adi Shankaracharya’s abode Kaladi in Ernakulam

Gomateshwar in Shravanbelgola

Baijnath Dham, Devghar

Gaya Tirth in Bihar

Somnath temple in Gujarat.

India Hypertension Management Initiative (IHMI)

The India Hypertension Management Initiative (IHMI) is a collaborative project of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), State Governments, World Health Organization (WHO), and Resolve to Save Lives initiative of Vital Strategies.

The IHMI aims to reduce disability and death related to cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death in India, by improving the control of high blood pressure (hypertension), reducing salt consumption and eliminating artificial trans-fats, leading risk factors for CVD.

The IHMI is focused on five essential components of scalable treatment of hypertension. It will support the adoption of standardized simplified treatment plans for managing high blood pressure, ensure the regular and uninterrupted supply of quality-assured medications, task sharing so health workers who are accessible to patients can distribute medications already prescribed by the medical officer, and patient-centered services that reduce the barriers to treatment adherence.

Analysis:

Around 200 million adults in India have high blood pressure, yet control rates for the condition remain low.

Studies suggest that in rural areas in India, only one quarter of people with hypertension are aware of their condition, and only around 10 percent have their blood pressure controlled. In urban areas, around 40 percent of people with hypertension are aware of their condition, and only around 20 percent have their blood pressure controlled.

This initiative aims to strengthen the cardiovascular disease component of the Health Ministry’s National Program for Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS).

It will focus on strengthening hypertension management and monitoring at the primary health care level, within the existing healthcare system, and is aligned with WHO’s Global HEARTS Initiative and National Guidelines.

Cyclone Ockhi

According to a warning issued by IMD and Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), the severe cyclonic storm, centred over Lakshadweep, is likely to further intensify in the next 24 hours. At least 10 locations on the islands would witness high waves ranging from 4.8-7.4m in the next 24 hours, along with “heavy to very heavy rainfall”

Some part of Kerala and Tamil Nadu also experiencing the menace of this storm.

Although the cyclone is now offshore, it seems likely to make landfall in Maharashtra or Gujarat. This is an unusual course - most cyclones go across the Arabian Sea towards Arabia.

The name Ockhi was given by Bangladesh which in Bengali means ‘eye’.

How are cyclones named?

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) started the tropical cyclone naming system in 2000. Tropical cyclones are named

to provide ease of communication between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts, watches, and warnings.

The Cyclones worldwide are named by 9 regions — North Atlantic, Eastern North Pacific, Central North Pacific, Western North Pacific, North Indian Ocean, South West Indian Ocean, Australian, Southern Pacific, South Atlantic.

Cyclones in the North Indian Ocean basin are named by the Indian Meteorological Department and the first tropical cyclone was named in 2004 as Onil (given by Bangladesh).

Eight north Indian Ocean countries — Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand, gave eight names each which was combined into a list of 64 names. One name from each country is picked in an order to name the cyclones.

The previous storm Mora that caused severe flooding across Northeast India in May was named by Thailand. Mora is the name of one of the healing stones and also means star of the sea. The next cyclone will be named Sagar — a name given by India.

SC declares stringent provision of PMLA unconstitutional

The Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional a stringent provision of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act that virtually overturned the legal Maxim "bail is rule and jail exception'.

This judgement struck down Section 45 in the PMLA to the extent it said “jail is rule and bail an exception”.

The conditions for bail under this provision were unreasonable as they virtually made it impossible for an accused to get bail, the Bench said.

The government had defended the provision contending it was an effective tool to deal with black money menace.

The order came on petitions challenging the validity of the Section 45 that it made bail an exception. The petitioners said the provision went against established legal principles and the law on bail laid down by the Supreme Court.

Agreeing with petitioners arguments, the Bench held that the Section 45, in so far as it laid down the two unreasonable conditions, was bad in law.

It also set aside orders denying bail that relied on the conditions prescribed in the Section 45 of PMLA.

About Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)

The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 was enacted in January, 2003. The Act along with the Rules framed there under have come into force with effect from 1st July, 2005.

Sec. 3 of PMLA defines offence of money laundering as whosoever directly or indirectly attempts to indulge or knowingly assists or knowingly is a party or is actually involved in any process or activity connected with the proceeds of crime and projecting it as untainted property shall be guilty of offence of money-laundering.

It prescribes obligation of banking companies, financial institutions and intermediaries for verification and maintenance of records of the identity of all its clients and also of all transactions and for furnishing information of such transactions in prescribed form to the Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND).

It empowers the Director of FIU-IND to impose fine on banking company, financial institution or intermediary if they or any of its officers fails to comply with the provisions of the Act as indicated above.

PMLA empowers certain officers of the Directorate of Enforcement to carry out investigations in cases involving offence of money laundering and also to attach the property involved in money laundering.

PMLA envisages setting up of an Adjudicating Authority to exercise jurisdiction, power and authority conferred by it essentially to confirm attachment or order confiscation of attached properties.

It also envisages setting up of an Appellate Tribunal to hear appeals against the order of the Adjudicating Authority and the authorities like Director FIU-IND.

PMLA envisages designation of one or more courts of sessions as Special Court or Special Courts to try the offences punishable under PMLA and offences with which the accused may, under the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973, be charged at the same trial.

PMLA allows Central Government to enter into an agreement with Government of any country outside India for enforcing the provisions of the PMLA, exchange of information for the prevention of any offence under PMLA or under the corresponding law in force in that country or investigation of cases relating to any offence under PMLA.

NPPA puts cap on prices of 51 essential medicines

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has capped prices of 51 essential medicines, including those used for the treatment of cancer, pain, heart conditions and skin problems.

Drugs whose ceiling prices have been capped include colon or rectal cancer treatment drug oxaliplatin (injection 100mg), Japanese encephalitis vaccine and measles rubbela vaccine.

Ceiling prices of drugs, including anaesthetic sevoflurane, Phytomenadione (Vitamin K1) and tuberculosis prevention medicine BCG vaccine have been revised. NPPA fixes ceiling price of essential medicines that are listed in Schedule I of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO), 2013.

About National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA):

NPPA is an organization of the Government of India which was established, inter alia, to fix/ revise the prices of controlled bulk drugs and formulations and to enforce prices and availability of the medicines in the country, under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 1995.

The organization is also entrusted with the task of recovering amounts overcharged by manufacturers for the controlled drugs from the consumers.

It also monitors the prices of decontrolled drugs in order to keep them at reasonable levels.

Functions of National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority

To implement and enforce the provisions of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order in accordance with the powers delegated to it.

to deal with all legal matters arising out of the decisions of the Authority;

to monitor the availability of drugs, identify shortages, if any, and to take remedial steps;

to collect/ maintain data on production, exports and imports, market share of individual companies, profitability of companies etc, for bulk drugs and formulations;

to undertake and/ or sponsor relevant studies in respect of pricing of drugs/ pharmaceuticals;

to recruit/ appoint the officers and other staff members of the Authority, as per rules and procedures laid down by the Government;

to render advice to the Central Government on changes/ revisions in the drug policy;

To render assistance to the Central Government in the parliamentary matters relating to the drug pricing.

Center of Excellence in Maritime and Ship Building (CEMS) Center of Excellence in Maritime and Ship Building (CEMS) is being set up by Ministry of Shipping in

collaboration with Siemens and Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) under the Ministry’s flagship Sagarmala Programme. CEMS will have campuses at Vishakhapatnam and Mumbai.

About CEMS:

CEMS will provide industry-relevant skill development, equip students with employable engineering and technical skills in the port and maritime sector and contribute to the Government of India’s ambitious Sagarmala programme. CEMS is being set up to meet the domestic skill requirement in ship design, manufacturing, operating and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO).

This initiative also adds to the Make in India and Skill India efforts in the maritime sector. CEMS will provide skilled manpower to make vessels for inland waterways, ships, fishing boats and other ancillary manufacturing sectors.

About Sagarmala:

Sagar Mala project is a strategic and customer-oriented initiative to modernize India's Ports so that port-led development can be augmented and coastlines can be developed to contribute in India's growth

It aims to develop access to new development regions with intermodal solutions and promotion of the optimum modal split, enhanced connectivity with main economic centres and beyond through expansion of rail, inland water, coastal and road services.

The Union Ministry of Shipping has been appointed as the nodal ministry for this initiative.

The Sagarmala initiative will address challenges by focusing on three pillars of development, namely: a) Supporting and enabling Port-led Development through appropriate policy and institutional interventions and providing for an institutional framework for ensuring inter-agency and ministries/departments/states’ collaboration for integrated development; b) Port Infrastructure Enhancement, including modernization and setting up of new ports. c) Efficient Evacuation to and from hinterland.

In addition to strengthening port and evacuation infrastructure, it also aims at simplifying procedures used at ports for cargo movement and promotes usage of electronic channels for information exchange leading to quick, efficient, hassle-free and seamless cargo movement.

It also strives to ensure sustainable development of the population living in the Coastal Economic Zone (CEZ). This would be done by synergising and coordinating with State Governments and line Ministries of Central Government through their existing schemes and programmes such as those related to community and rural development, tribal development and employment generation, fisheries, skill development, tourism promotion etc

Indian Forest (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017

Indian President has cleared an ordinance amending the Indian Forest Act, omitting bamboo grown in non-forest areas from the definition of trees. This would help in exempting it trees that need permits for felling or transportation.

Before the ordinance was issued, the definition of tree in the law included palm, bamboo, brushwood and cane. The brief ordinance, aimed at increasing bamboo plantation, states that clause seven in Section 2 of the act would omit the word bamboo.

Though taxonomically a grass, bamboo was legally defined as a tree under the Indian Forest Act, 1927. Before this amendment, cutting and transport of bamboo grown in forest as well as non-forest land was illegal.

Analysis:

Bamboo grows abundantly in areas outside forests with an estimated growing stock of 10.20 million tonnes and about 20 million people are involved in bamboo related activities. The current demand for bamboo in India is estimated at 28 million tonnes.

Though India has 19 per cent share of the world's area under bamboo cultivation, its market share in the sector is only 6 per cent, the statement said. At present, India imports timber and allied products such as pulp, paper and furniture.

In 2015, India imported about 18.01 million cubic meters of timber and allied products worth Rs. 43,000 crore. The amendment will help in addressing some of these issues, besides meeting the demand from domestic production

According to the United Nation Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the bamboo business in the north-east region alone has a potential of about Rs. 5,000 crore in the next 10 years. The union cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had yesterday approved the promulgation of the Ordinance on amendment of Section 2 (7) of the Indian Forest Act, 1927.

While on the one hand, the legal and regulatory hardships being faced by farmers and private individuals will be removed, and on the other hand, it will create a viable option for cultivation in 12.6 million hectares of cultivable waste land.

The measure will go a long way in enhancing the agricultural income of farmers and tribals, especially in the north-east and central India.

SAUBHAGYA Scheme

The Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA) has been launched in Manipur.

A total of approximately 1.75 lakh households (1.62 lakh rural households and 0.13 lakh urban households) of Manipur are proposed to be included under the Scheme.

About scheme:

The scheme funds the cost of last-mile connectivity to willing households to help achieve the goal of lighting every household by 31 December 2018.

With no subsidy component for monthly electricity consumption, the Gram Panchayat and public institutions in the rural areas will be authorised to carry out billing and collection tasks which have been pain points for the discoms.

States have also been provided with an incentive of 50% of their loan being converted to grants, if the electrification targets are met by 31 December 2018.

To ensure on-the-spot registration, mobile applications will be used. While free connections will be provided to below poverty line (BPL) households, even those not covered under this category can avail it by paying Rs500 in 10 instalments of Rs50 each along with their monthly bill.

For those household where the national electricity grid can’t reach, households will be provided with solar power packs along with battery banks. State-run Rural Electrification Corp. is the nodal agency for the scheme.

The beneficiaries for free electricity connections will be identified using Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data.

Analysis:

Despite the government’s aggressive village electrification programme, the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana launched in July 2015, under which 78% of 18,000 villages have been electrified, it was realised that the problem of electricity ‘access’ wasn’t resolved.

A village is declared to be electrified if 10% of the households are given electricity along with public places such as schools, panchayat office, health centres, dispensaries and community centres.

With a large number of household still remaining without access to electricity, the scheme aims at ensuring the coverage of households as opposed to only villages.

It was seen that the electricity distribution companies (discoms) don’t want to supply to the villages even if the electrification has taken place. By providing electricity access to all households with prepaid and smart meters, demand will be created which in turn will force the discoms to supply to these villages.

The scheme will help India, the world’s third-largest energy consumer after the US and China, to help meet its global climate change commitments as electricity will substitute kerosene for lighting purposes. Lighting in turn will also help in improving education, health, connectivity with the multiplier effect of increased economic activities and job creation.

Bill on quota in private sector in RS

A private member’s resolution on job reservations for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the Other Backward Classes in the private sector is listed for discussion in the winter session of Parliament.

The resolution, tabled in the last Parliament session by CPI Rajya Sabha member D. Raja, could not come up for discussion.

Analysis:

Reservations have had a place in India for over a century, much before they were written into the Constitution as a leg up for socially and educationally backward sections.

In 1902 Pune’s Chhatrapati Maharaj reserved seats in educational institutions; the Mysore Maharaja and the states of Madras and Travancore too ensured representation for the very backward in all senses of the term

because of highly stratified social structures and the practice of “untouchability” that had left large sections of the population backward for centuries. They recognised that it was only by actively trying to lift up these sections by offering seats in educational institutions and in employment, that some kind of level playing field could be established.

Recently, backward Classes Commission recommended up to 27 per cent reservation in the private sector.

Since the 1989 Mandal Report was accepted and reservations entered the political universe of North India, each time an attempt has been made to widen the debate – last in 2005 — there has been a huge backlash on the grounds that it is the defeat of ‘merit’.

Reservations once accepted in the constitutional framework are not charity which is to be kept away from the ‘meritocracy’ of ‘private’ operations. Like all other constitutional guarantees, India must ensure all its citizens opportunity in all spaces; giving preference and quotas for socially and educationally deprived sections in the private space is therefore, in keeping with this fundamental tenet.

National Commission for Backward Castes argues, with the number of jobs generated in the state sector shrinking steadily, for the promise of quotas in the Constitution to have any real meaning, it may be inevitable to extend it to the private sector. An estimate has it that less than one percent (only .69 per cent) of jobs in the country for educated citizens are covered by reservations.

INTETRNATIONAL AFFAIRS

IMD World Talent Rankings 2017

India was ranked at the 51st spot among 63 countries on the IMD Talent Rankings in terms of ability to attract, develop and retain talent. In the previous rankings, India was ranked at the 54th spot.

However, according to the rank list by IMD, it ranked among the bottom five countries in the world in terms of investment in education as a percentage of GDP.

Highlights of the ranking:

The outstanding education systems in Europe sets them apart from the rest of the pack. This allows them to develop local talent and at the same time attract foreign, highly- skilled professionals, which many European businesses rely upon to perform.

In the ranking, Switzerland has topped the list, closely followed by Denmark, Belgium, Austria, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Sweden and Luxembourg in top 10 while India was at 51

India was ranked 62nd (on investment and development), 43rd (appeal) and 29th (readiness) in the three main categories

The rankings are based on a country's performance in three main categories -- investment and development, appeal, and readiness which assess how countries perform in a wide range of areas which include education, apprenticeships, workplace training, language skills, cost of living, quality of life, remuneration and tax rates

Globally, Europe continues to dominate rankings being most competitive countries and leading Asian economies in rankings are Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan. They have cemented their global status as hubs of attracting and retaining highly-skilled workers though they trail Europe in this regard.

Many of our neighbours have fared far better on the World Talent Ranking. Republic of Korea ranked 39 followed by China, and Thailand came in at the 42nd place. Philippines, which jumped up 10 ranks, has overtaken India too. In the BRICS bloc, only Brazil trailed India and by one rank only

About ranking:

World Talent Ranking covers 63 countries and assesses the methods countries use to attract and retain the talent their businesses need to thrive.

The IMD World Talent Ranking is based on countries’ performance in three main categories – investment and development, appeal and readiness. The three categories assess how countries perform in a wide range of areas. These include education, apprenticeships, workplace training, language skills, cost of living, quality of life, remuneration and tax rates.

China hosts Inter-Governmental Meeting of Asia and Pacific Decade for

Persons with Disabilities

The High Level Inter-Governmental Mid-Point meeting of Asia and Pacific Decade for Persons with Disabilities, 2013-2022 is being held in Beijing.

The main objective of the meeting is to review the progress made by the member States during the Decade at the mid-point in 2017 with regard to Incheon Strategy ‘to make the right real’ for persons with disabilities in Asia and Pacific.

Another objective of the meeting is to discuss the future policy action for building disabilities-inclusive societies in the region, bearing in mind the synergies between the Incheon Strategy and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

What is Incheon strategy?

The Incheon Strategy provides the Asian and Pacific region, and the world, with the first set of regionally agreed disability-inclusive development goals.

Developed over more than two years of consultations with governments and civil society stockholders, the Incheon Strategy comprises 10 goals, 27 targets and 62 indicators.

The Incheon Strategy will enable the Asian and Pacific region to track progress towards improving the quality of life, and the fulfilment of the rights, of the region’s 650 million persons with disabilities, most of whom live in poverty.

The ESCAP (Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) secretariat is mandated to report every three years until the end of the Decade in 2022, on progress in the implementation of the Ministerial Declaration and the Incheon Strategy.

The development of the Incheon Strategy to “Make the Right Real” for persons with disabilities in Asia and the Pacific was derived from the experiences in the implementation of two consecutive Asian and Pacific Decades of Disabled Persons, 1993–2002 and 2003–2012, as well as the historic adoption by the General Assembly, in 2006, of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The development of the Incheon Strategy benefited from the contributions of governments, organizations of and for persons with disabilities, and other key stockholders.

First phase of Chabahar port work over

Iran has conveyed to India that it has completed the first phase of work on Chabahar port. Iran is offering management control of its Chabahar Port to India — one and a half year ahead of its scheduled transfer.

The offer, which comes a few weeks after India sent its first consignment of wheat from Mundra port to Chabahar and then to Kabul last month.

Chabahar is located in the Sea of Oman and is seen as the starting point of the Indian sub-continent. India has been engaged in conversation with Iran for its development since 2003, but because of sanctions by the US and UN, the project could not gather momentum.

Significance of Chabahar port:

The first and foremost significance of the Chabahar port is the fact that India can bypass Pakistan in transporting goods to Afghanistan. Chabahar port will boost India's access to Iran, the key gateway to the International North-South Transport Corridor that has sea, rail and road routes between India, Russia, Iran, Europe and Central Asia.

Chabahar port will be beneficial to India in countering Chinese presence in the Arabian Sea which China is trying to ensure by helping Pakistan develop the Gwadar port. Gwadar port is less than 400 km from Chabahar by road and 100 km by sea.

With Chabahar port being developed and operated by India, Iran also becomes a military ally to India. Chabahar could be used in case China decides to flex its navy muscles by stationing ships in Gwadar port to reckon its upper hand in the Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf and Middle East.

With Chabahar port becoming functional, there will be a significant boost in the import of iron ore, sugar and rice to India. The import cost of oil to India will also see a considerable decline. India has already increased its crude purchase from Iran since the West imposed ban on Iran was lifted.

Chabahar port will ensure in the establishment of a politically sustainable connectivity between India and Afghanistan. This is will, in turn, lead to better economic ties between the two countries.

From a diplomatic perspective, Chabahar port could be used as a point from where humanitarian operations could be coordinated.

The Zaranj-Delaram road constructed by India in 2009 can give access to Afghanistan's Garland Highway, setting up road access to four major cities in Afghanistan - Herat, Kandahar, Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif.

UN Convention against Torture

The Supreme Court recently disposed of a PIL seeking to put in place a statutory framework to curb torture and custodial violence as it said that it can’t direct the government to make an anti-torture law or ratify the UN convention against Torture.

The government is considering an anti-torture law. The Law Commission has recommended that the Centre ratify the United Nations Convention against Torture and frame a standalone anti-torture law, making the state responsible for any injury inflicted by its agents on citizens.

Though India signed the convention in 1997, it is yet to ratify it. Efforts to bring in a standalone law have failed. The National Human Rights Commission has been urging the government to recognise torture as a separate crime and codify the punishment in a separate penal law.

About UN convention against torture:

The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (the “Torture Convention”) was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 10 December 1984.

The Convention entered into force on 26 June 1987 after it had been ratified by 20 States.

Most of the provisions of the Torture Convention deal with the obligations of the States parties. These obligations may be summarized as follows:

Each State party shall take effective legislative, administrative, judicial or other measures to prevent acts of torture. The prohibition against torture shall be absolute and shall be upheld also in a state of war and in other exceptional circumstances;

No State party may expel or extradite a person to a State where there are substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to torture;

Each State party shall ensure that acts of torture are serious criminal offences within its legal system;

Each State party shall, on certain conditions, take a person suspected of the offence of torture into custody and make a preliminary inquiry into the facts;

Each State party shall either extradite a person suspected of the offence of torture or submit the case to its own authorities for prosecution;

Each State party shall ensure that its authorities make investigations when there is reasonable ground to believe that an act of torture has been committed;

Each State party shall ensure that an individual who alleges that he has been subjected to torture will have his case examined by the competent authorities ;

Each State party shall ensure to victims of torture an enforceable right to fair and adequate compensation ;

G 20 Sherpa

Shri Shaktikanta Das, Former Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, has been appointed as India’s G 20 Sherpa till December 31, 2018 for the Development Track of the G20.

About Sherpa:

A Sherpa is a personal representative of the leader of a member country at an international Summit meeting such as the G8, G20 or the Nuclear Security Summit.

The term is derived from the Nepalese Sherpa people, who serve as guides for mountaineers in the Himalayas.

The Sherpa engages in planning, negotiation and implementation tasks through the Summit. They coordinate the agenda, seek consensus at the highest political levels, and participate in a series of pre-Summit consultations to help negotiate their leaders’ positions.

Sherpas are career diplomats or senior government officials appointed by the leaders of their countries. There is only one Sherpa per Summit for each member country; he/she is assisted by several sous Sherpas.

The Job

Sherpas meet much before the start of the Summit to iron out differences on various issues. For the 2016 G20 Summit, the first meeting of Sherpas was held in January 2016, followed by a meeting each in April and June.

At the G20 Summit, work progresses through broadly two channels: the Finance Track and Sherpas’ Track. Towards the end of the process, the Sherpas, along with the Finance Track representatives, prepare the Leaders’ “Declaration” or “Communique”, which is the final outcome of the G20 Summit.

The Sherpas’ Track involves technical and policy analyses by working groups comprising officials from each member country and international organisations. It focuses on development-oriented issues such as agriculture, fighting corruption, employment, etc. Energy, climate change finance, investment in infrastructure, and trade were some of the issues discussed by the Sherpas’ Track in 2016 G20 Summit.

The Finance Track is composed of all Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of G20 members, who also meet regularly during the year to analyse global economic problems and to take coordinated actions towards their resolution

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

YONO

State Bank of India, the country’s largest public sector bank, has launched a unified integrated app called YONO (You Need Only One) that would offer all kinds of financial and lifestyle products.

About portal:

This omni-channel platform will allow customers to meet their lifestyle needs across 14 categories from booking cabs to paying for medical needs -- all under one roof. For this, the bank has partnered with 60 e-commerce players, including Amazon, Ola, Flipkart, Yatra, Swiggy and BYJU’s. O

Offline players such as Thomas Cook, Shoppers Stop and Cox and Kings are also part of the SBI partnership.

This portal has been designed to offer maximum customer convenience and that the product has been developed by SBI using artificial intelligence, predictive analysis and machine learning. It can be accessed through both Android and iOS platforms.

SBI also owns a digital wallet called SBI Buddy and has apps for almost all its services. Over a dozen different apps will be integrated into YONO.

About UPI:

Unified Payment Interface is new payment system that can be used to transfer money between two parties. You can use UPI by installing simple smartphone app in your mobile. You can transfer money using UPI without knowing bank account number, IFSC code, bank branch detail of person. You just need Unique ID to transfer the fund.

The app will ask MPIN to initiate fund transfer. No OTP is required. UPI is interoperable between banks. You can transfer fund to any bank supporting UPI. You can even schedule push and pull transaction using UPI app. This service will be available 24×7, 365 days. In the first phase, 29 banks will be launching this facility.

UPI Benefits

Single App for accessing various bank accounts.

No dependency on the mobile wallet or bank account.

Transfer small amount starting from Rs 50 to 1 Lac.

No need to remember bank account or IFSC code. Virtual Id is enough for fund transfer.

More secure method of money transfer. No need to enter the debit card number, CVV or debit card PIN for money transfer.

UPI is available 24×7 throughout the year, whereas NEFT, RTGS is available for the specific time only.

Instant cashless transaction.

No need to bring cash your virtual ID and mobile phone is enough.

Umang app

The government has launched a new all-in-one application called Umang which offers 100+ center and state government services under a one-single platform.

What is UMANG?

UMANG stands for Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance. The project is being developed by the union ministry of communications and information technology’s national e-governance division (NeGD).

What will UMANG do?

Some of the services which will be available under UMANG are, National scholarship, Healthcare applications, Passport Seva, Women Safety (Nirbhaya), E-Post, Crime and criminal tracking, Network and systems, Commercial tax/GST, Income tax, CBSE/State education boards, E-Municipality, IRCTC, Utility bills, Mother and child tracking, Public distribution system, Transport Vahan/Sarathi, e-Court, m-Kisan, Land records, PF/NPS. The government plans to have at least 50 service this year and gradually scale up to 200 in three years.

How will it work?

The platform will be designed in such a manner that it would be capable of maintaining or remembering citizen personal details, preferences and data required to access department services without the user having to re-enter every time. Key identification documents like Aadhar Card, PayGov and DigiLocker shall also be included within this platform.

QUICK FACTS

Indian Navy has inducted its first woman pilot: Shubhangi Swaroop.

New President of Zimbabwe: Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Former bureaucrat will chair the 15th Finance Commission which will make recommendations for the five years commencing 1st April 2020: NK Singh.

India’s new G20 Sherpa: Shaktikanta Das.

Miss South Africa has been crowned Miss Universe 2017 at Planet Hollywood casino-resort on the Las Vegas Strip: Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters

Who honored with 3rd ICCR distinguished Indologist Award: Prof. Hiroshi Marui.

The National Milk Day (NMD) has been observed across India: 26th November.

The Constitution Day in India is being celebrated every year on: 26th of November