Contents

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE ...... 7 1. SHARADA CHIT FUND SCAM ...... 7 2. Sedition Law ...... 8 3. Rajya Sabha: Last Five Years ...... 10 INDIAN ECONOMY ...... 12 1. TRAI‘s New Rules ...... 12 2. Angel Tax issue ...... 14 3. World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) ...... 15 4. GST on under-construction houses...... 16 POLICIES AND SCHEMES ...... 18 1. National Policy on Electronics 2019 ...... 18 2. National Mineral Policy, 2019 ...... 19 3. National Policy on Software Products ...... 21 4. Draft Logistics Policy ...... 22 5. Draft e-commerce Policy ...... 23 6. Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan ...... 25 7. SHREYAS Programme ...... 26 8. Pradhan Mantri Jl-VAN yojana ...... 26 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ...... 28 1. New NATO member - Macedonia ...... 28 2. India-Saudi Arabia ...... 28 3. India-South Korea ...... 29 4. India-Argentina ...... 30 5. India-Italy ...... 31 6. India-Monaco ...... 32 7. INF treaty ...... 32 ENVIRONMENT ...... 35 1. Turtles ...... 35 2. Pangolin ...... 35 3. Blackbuck ...... 36

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4. Forest Dwellers ...... 37 5. Rainfed agriculture atlas ...... 38 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ...... 40 1. GSAT-31 ...... 40 2. Vande Bharat Express ...... 40 3. Atmospheric Water Generator ...... 42 4. New company under Department of Space ...... 42 SOCIAL ISSUES ...... 43 1. Operation Digital Board ...... 43 DEFENCE AND SECURITY ...... 44 1. Dhanush ...... 44 2. An-132 ...... 44 3. National Cyber Forensic Lab ...... 44 4. Aerial Surveillance ...... 45 5. Quick Reaction Surface To Air Missile ...... 46 ART AND CULTURE ...... 47 1. Bharat Rang Mahotsav ...... 47 2. Dard Aryan Tribe...... 47 PIB CORNER ...... 48 1. Srinagar- Alusteng - Drass- Kargil – Leh Transmission Line ...... 48 2. Ganga Protection Corps ...... 48 3. Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) ...... 48 4. Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana ...... 49 5. Shehri Samridhi Utsav ...... 49 6. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna (PMKVY) ...... 49 7. Categorisation of Farmers ...... 50 8. India-Indonesia ...... 50 9. Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog ...... 51 10. Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund (AMIF) ...... 51 11. Jurisdiction of CBI ...... 52 12. India-Bangladesh ...... 52 13. International Labour Organisations ...... 52

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14. Asiatic Lion Conservation Project ...... 53 15. Voter Verification and Information Programme (VVIP) ...... 53 16. DD Arunprabha ...... 53 17. Buniyaad Tasar Silk Reeling Machines ...... 54 18. Light House Projects challenge ...... 55 19. Blue Flame Revolution ...... 55 20. Swachh Shakti-2019 ...... 56 21. Support and Outreach initiative in Textiles ...... 56 22. Credit Linked Capital Subsidy and Technology Up-gradation Scheme (CLCS-TUS) ...... 58 23. Indo-German Environment Forum ...... 58 24. e-AUSHADHI portal ...... 59 25. Central Geological Programming Board ...... 59 26. Fixing National Minimum Wage ...... 59 27. Electric Vehicles Charging Infrastructure ...... 60 28. LADIS ...... 61 29. Eco Circuit: Pathanamthitta – Gavi – Vagamon – Thekkady ...... 61 30. Modern Coach Factory (Raebareli) ...... 62 31. Initiatives on Women‘s Safety ...... 63 32. Hastshilp Complex ...... 64 33. Magnitude of Substance Use in India Report ...... 64 34. PCS1X Maritime-Commerce Portal ...... 65 35. International Vision Zero Conference ...... 65 36. National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP) ...... 66 37. Reforms in exploration and licensing sector ...... 66 38. Khadi and Gramodyog Vikas Yojana ...... 67 39. SWAYATT ...... 68 40. Startup Ranking framework ...... 68 41. VIVID 2019 ...... 69 42. Digidhan Mitra Chatbot ...... 69 43. Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE 2.0) Scheme ...... 69 44. ATL Drone module ...... 69 45. All India Citizens Survey of Police Services ...... 70

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46. 4th Global Digital Health Partnership Summit...... 70 47. Atal JaiAnusandhan Biotech Mission - Undertaking Nationally Relevant Technology Innovation (UNaTI) ...... 71 48. Skill Vigyan programme ...... 72 49. Delhi Declaration ...... 72 50. Exercise Sampriti – 2019 ...... 72 51. Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation (JCEC) ...... 72 52. South Coast Railway (SCoR) ...... 72 53. SATAT scheme ...... 72 54. Indigenous Semiconductor Chips ...... 73 55. Van Dhan Scheme ...... 74 56. TRIFOOD Scheme ...... 74 57. Bilateral Swap Arrangement (BSA) ...... 74 ACTS/BILLS CORNER ...... 75 1. The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2019 ...... 75 2. The International Financial Services Centres Authority Bill, 2019 ...... 76 3. The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018 ...... 77 4. The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2018...... 78 5. The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2018 ...... 80 6. National Institutes of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management Bill, 2019 ...... 81 7. The Trade Unions (Amendment) Bill, 2019 ...... 82 8. The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2018 ...... 83 9. The National Institute of Design (Amendment) Bill, 2018 ...... 84 10. The Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018 ...... 85 BUDGET CORNER ...... 87 1. At a glance ...... 87 2. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme ...... 87 3. Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) ...... 89 4. Other announcements for farmers ...... 90 5. Direct Tax proposals ...... 90 6. Housing and real estate ...... 90 7. Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan Scheme ...... 91

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8. Capital Markets ...... 93 9. Fiscal Programme ...... 93 10. Poor and Backward Classes ...... 94 11. North East ...... 94 12. Development and Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-nomadic Communities (DNCs) ...... 94 13. MSME and Traders ...... 95 14. Defence ...... 95 15. Artificial Intelligence ...... 95 16. Key message ...... 96 17. Vision 2030 ...... 96 SPECIAL NEWS CORNER ...... 97 1. Pulwama terror attacks ...... 97 2. Terror funding ...... 100 3. No water for Pakistan ...... 100 4. India Strikes Back ...... 102 5. Pakistan‘s retaliation ...... 102 RSTV CORNER ...... 104 1. Challenges in Telecom Sector ...... 104 2. Human Rights of Security Forces ...... 105 3. US vs Russia: N-Arms Treaty & Venezuela ...... 106 LSTV CORNER ...... 108 1. Article 35A- Bone Of Contention ...... 108 2. Social Media and Citizens Rights ...... 109 YOJANA CORNER ...... 111 1. Power for All – A Dream Coming True ...... 111 2. Multi-Pronged Approach to Urban Transformation ...... 112 3. National Waterways: Integrated Transport Network...... 115 KURUKSHETRA CORNER...... 118 1. New Dimensions of Development in Agriculture ...... 118 2. Institutional Credit for Agriculture ...... 120 3. Micro-Irrigation For Agricultural Growth ...... 122 FRONTLINE/EPW CORNER...... 124

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1. Interlinking of Rivers ...... 124 2. How Can India Become a Global Leader in Solar Power Generation?...... 125 MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS ...... 128 ANSWERS ...... 131

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POLITY AND GOVERNANCE 1. SHARADA CHIT FUND SCAM News: The Supreme Court directed Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar to make himself available before the CBI and "faithfully" cooperate with the agency in investigation of cases arising out of the Saradha and Rose Valley chit fund scams probe.

Details  The apex court said Kumar will appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for investigation at Shillong in Meghalaya.  The apex court, however, added that no coercive steps, including arrest, will take place during the course of investigation.

What is the sharada chit fund case?  In the early 2000s, businessman Sudipto Sen set up the Saradha Group, and launched what the securities market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) later categorised as a collective investment scheme.  The Saradha Group used a consortium of companies to tap small investors, promising them very high returns.  Like in a classic Ponzi scheme, money was collected through a wide network of agents, who were paid commissions of over 25%.  In a few years, Saradha‘s raised about Rs 2,500 crore.  Investigations found the company had laundered investments in locations such as Dubai, South Africa and Singapore.  Mamata Banerjee‘s government set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar to probe the case after clubbing all the FIRs.  Around the same time, the CBI began investigations in Assam after the state government handed over the probe to it.  Based on state police FIRs, the Enforcement Directorate registered cases of alleged money laundering, and arrested several people.  In May 2014, the Supreme Court transferred all cases to the CBI, given the inter-state nature of the alleged scam.  The SIT, which had by now conducted a year-long probe, had to hand over to the CBI all case papers, evidence, and the accused it had arrested.

What is Chit Fund? It is savings and borrowing system mostly for un-organized sector group/ Financially excluded.  Suppose 10 people decide to contribute 1000 each every month.  So there is 10,000 total to be won each month.  Now each member has to bid every month for 10K at a discount.  Suppose one person bids 5000.  Then he gets Rs. 5000 from the 10 K collected.  Rest all persons divide the remaining sum between themselves.  Each member is empowered to bid for the loan every month based on need.  Under, the Chit Fund Act (1982), chit funds are regulated by the state governments.

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 Chit Funds above Rs. 100 Crores are regulated by Security Exchange Board of India (SEBI).  Nidhi companies are regulated by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.  Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act, 1978 bansprize chit and money circulation schemes.  The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Ordinance, 2019 places a complete ban on Unregulated Deposit Schemes (UDS).\  Unregulated Deposit Scheme = any deposits accepted by any deposit taker by way of business.  RDS are various schemes that are regulated by authorities such as SEBI,RBI, IRDA (insurance regulator), state governments, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, etc.

Argument against the CBI  The CBI should have followed the protocol before proceeding to investigate the police officer.  The CBI did not inform the local police about its arrival in the State for interrogation.  The timing of the CBI investigation in the state was not appropriate when state has withdrawn prior consent for CBI  The case has been dragging for more than 5 years. The CBI chose to investigate the police officer suddenly.

Arguments for the CBI  Similar investigations have been carried out in Tamil Nadu in the Ghutka scam case where Tamil Nadu police officers were investigated by the CBI. But, such kind of protection was not provided by the State government to the police officers.  This is a scam by some private individuals having nexus with people in power.  The central and the state government are responsible for the investments of lakhs of people  The CBI is the highest investigating agency of the country. Even after giving prior notice, the Police officer failed to respond.

Way forward  The issue should not be hyped as a Centre-State issue or one for banking on vote politics  The case should be allowed to investigate following proper protocols between the central and the state police forces  Investigating officers, whether it be current or earlier officer should cooperate with each other in solving the case.  Larger concern should be of the people who have lost lots of money in the scam.

2. Sedition Law  A legal opinion sought by the Centre on a Law Commission report on the British era sedition law has stated that ―Section 124A - sedition as interpreted by the Supreme Court is necessary‖.  In short, it is unlikely that the IPC section on sedition is diluted or scrapped.  In September 2016, the Supreme Court had reiterated that a larger bench had already provided necessary safeguards that should be followed by all authorities, and ―every magistrate is bound by what it said in the Kedar Nath case‖.  It was referring to the order in Kedar Nath Singh vs State of Bihar, 1962, in which a Constitution Bench had ruled in favour of the Constitutional validity of Section 124A, but had added a vital caveat: that a person could be prosecuted for sedition only if his acts caused ―incitement to violence or intention or tendency to create public disorder or cause disturbance of public peace‖.

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 In August last year, the Law Commission submitted a ―consultation paper‖ to the Centre on the need for changes in the law, pointing out that even the United Kingdom abolished sedition laws ten years ago saying the country did not want to be quoted as an example of one using such draconian laws.  A report in the Indian Express said - while a final decision on whether to dilute the law or not is yet to be made public, but various stakeholders including state governments and law enforcement agencies, have expressed the need to retain the law without changes.

What is the sedition law?  Section 124-A in the Indian Penal Code, named 'Sedition', explains sedition in wide and magnanimous terms  It says 'Whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the Government established by law in India' shall be punished with life imprisonment  The explanations which the Indian Penal Code gives are that 'the expression 'disaffection' includes disloyalty and all feelings of hate.  It also says that comments that express strong disapproval of 'the measures of the Government, with a view to obtain their desired modifications by lawful means, without exciting or attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection, do not constitute an offense under this section.'  According to the section 124-A, comments expressing strong disapproval of the 'administrative or other action of the Government without exciting or attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection, do not constitute an offense under this section.'

Key ingredient of sedition law  Sedition law to be enacted requires incitement to violence as its key ingredient as stated in Kedarnath case and subsequent judgements of the Supreme Court.  Absence of incitement to violence also means that free speech cannot be curbed.

Background  The law was originally drafted by Thomas Macaulay.  It was not a part of IPC in the 1860s and was even dropped from the law. It was introduced in the IPC in the year 1870  Many Indian freedom fighters, including Mahatma Gandhi and Bal Gangadhar Tilak, were charged with sedition during freedom struggle.

Free speech absolutism  The curbing of free speech was questioned in Kerdarnath case when Supreme Court ruled that sedition law requires an element of incitement to violence.  But, free speech tends to be curbed in the case of religious sentiments or speech amounting to blasphemy.  Thus there is an absence of free speech guaranteed across all arenas or absolute free speech.

How are the limits of sedition law maintained?  The judiciary is the protector against all arbitrariness.  It has laid down the guidelines in Kerdarnath case accordingly to prevent the misuse of the law

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 As laid down, a speech becomes seditious when it challenges the sovereignty and integrity of the state.  The judiciary follows the principle of procedure established by law. Hence, no one can be tried without applying the law.

Way forward  Communities need to be more tolerant.  Law enforcement agencies should properly implement the Act which also includes equipping local police with adequate awareness of the limits within which the law can be applied.  Media and generalists should act more cautiously before publicising an event and basing it on sedition law.  The presence of divisive and separatist elements in the country do warrant the continuation of the sedition Act provided its boundaries are defined.

3. Rajya Sabha: Last Five Years

 248th Session of the Upper House of Parliament came to an end. However during the 10 sittings of this session the productivity of Rajya Sabha was only 4.79 % with 39 hours and 51 minutes lost out of total 48 hours.  During the 328 sittings of the upper house in this period only 154 bills were passed. In terms of the time available and the time utilized for taking up legislative business and the issues of public concern, the average productivity of the upper house was 60 % during this period with 8 sessions out of 18 clocking less than the average.  On the brighter side, despite the disruptions and adjournments several important bills were also passed in the upper house during this period.

Reasons for the poor performance  The politics of the parties seemed to have eclipsed the functioning of the House.  The period of analysis of Rajya Sabha‘s functioning has been done from 2014 when NDA government came into power.  The BJP government has majority in the Lok Sabha but does not hold the same in the Rajya Sabha.  The opposition party has a stronghold in the Rajya Sabha but not in the Lok Sabha.  So, Rajya Sabha was taken as an arena to show the opposition to the government and its bills in the Lok Sabha.

Number of bills passed  The number of bills passed by the Rajya Sabha from 2014 is only 154.  During 2009-2014, the number of bills passed stood at 188 while it was 251 bills passed from 2004- 2009.

Points stressed by the Chairman  Lok Sabha represents the mandate of the people but Rajya Sabha also has a responsibility to the people by way of its response to the Lok Sabha.  There is a dysfunctional pattern to the functioning of the House.

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 Disruption is a weapon available to the opposition party but whether disruption can be a tool for parliamentary expression needs to be examined further.

Dealing with disrupting members  The rules governing Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are different for dealing with disrupting members  The rules of Lok Sabha were amended in 2001-2002 when it provided for an automatic suspension of members if Speaker wanted to take action against the disrupting members.  In Rajya Sabha a motion has to be moved to take action against the disrupting member which may not get through easily due to the lack of numbers in the house to support the motion.

Positive aspects of the present Rajya Sabha  Rajya Sabha was instituted by the Constitution makers to act as a check to the policies being passed by the Lok Sabha where the party that forms the government has a majority. During the last five years, Rajya Sabha made a voice fulfilling the purpose for which it was made.  Parliament has usually been a forum for government to transact its business with other issues only being taken up once in a while. This time, the Rajya Sabha discussed issues of national importance in addition to other bills.  Rajya Sabha also many firsts during the last five years. For instance, an amendment was moved to the Motion of Thanks in the Rajya Sabha after a very long time. Others included Rajya asking for a bill that was passed by the Lok Sabha without much deliberation, to be referred to a Select Committee for more scrutiny

Negative aspects The bills passed by the Lok Sabha and pending in the Rajya Sabha would lapse thus wasting the time and effort spent on the bill.

Way forward  More consensus could have been built to pass a few more bills and transact business in the House  Rules of the Houses should be tightened to ensure better functioning of the House.  Members of Parliament should analyse their behaviour and follow some rules of self-conduct to carry out the very purpose for which they had been chosen.  MPs should utilise the instruments available in the statute of the House to express their dissent over any policy passed by the government

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INDIAN ECONOMY 1. TRAI‟s New Rules New Rules  The new rules aim to make child subscriptions more affordable.  The consumers are allowed to pay for the channels they see and not pay for the channels they don‘t use.  The operators have also been mandated to reveal the prices of individual channels as well as the bouquet of channels.

Background  Before the implementation of these regulations there were lot of issues. Consumers did not have the choice in selecting their channels Broadcasters pushed their bouquet of channels to MSO or DTH operators who in turn pushed them to the consumers. This is called push model where broadcasters push the channels to the consumers.  There were much litigation in the tribunal between broadcasters and the MSOs, DTH operators or between MSO, DTH operators and NCOs.  Therefore TV sets asked TRAI to design a framework in which litigation can be minimised and consumers get their choice.  After around 2 and a half years of consultation, a regulation was issued in March 2017. But it went into Madras High Court and then to the Supreme Court.  The Court ruled the regulations as intra-vires and good for the consumers. Therefore the notification was issued again in July 2018.  From July 2018, there was six months preparation time, after which the regulations were implemented from December, 2018.

Image Credit: The Hindu

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 Due to a difficulty in giving choice to the consumers, it was extended for one month for consumers to give their choice. Thus the regulations became fully effective from 1st February, 2018.

The new scheme  The new scheme is similar to a la carte where the consumer chooses and is charged only for what he wants and not like a buffet.  The regulations empower the consumers completely giving them the choice to choose channels of their choice.  The broadcasting services have been divided into two parts price of the broadcaster which is called channel the carriage price from the MSO or the DTH operator to the consumers  Thus the price is also divided in the same scheme.  There are a total of 882 channels in India out of which 550 channels are free channels and 332 channels are paid channels.  So a consumer opting only for 100 free channels has to pay a price of Rs. 130 + GST and a consumer opting for paid channels has to pay Rs 130 + GST and the charge of the channel where Rs. 130 is the carriage price from the operator to the consumer.

Challenges  The carriage price has been fixed for the first 100 channels. But the same for the next set of channels have been left to the operator. Therefore multi-room connections have not been specified in the rules  Though the consumer has been given the choice of choosing 100 channels, TRAI does not mention a bouquet that can be provided to the consumers based on their preference of previous few years.  The charges chosen for the channels, in some cases, goes higher than the previous scheme of bouquet of channels available to the consumers.  The question of survivability of some channels may arise as those channels may not be in the list of the consumer.  The packs offered by the DTH operators have high end channels first, low end channels and then free to air channels  It is not clear whether a consumer can change his choice after selecting some channels initially.

TRAI‟s solution  TRAI is in negotiations with the DTH operators to waive off or discount prices to the consumers in the case of a multi home TV  Also, DTH operators have some packs similar to the customer‘s choice which can be chosen for reduced prices  Suggested packs put forward by the DTH operator can be changed according to the consumer‘s choice.  Grievance mechanisms are available for the consumers for redressal of their grievances

Conclusion  Regulation is a good step by TRAI but the best method is competition when market forces take over like that happened in Telecom.  The scheme would prove good to the consumers only when they are free to choose their channels and is paying lesser than what he used to pay.  TRAI should also stimulate the channels as there is a chance for some channels to go out of business in case of losses.

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2. Angel Tax issue News: The government has eased rules for start-ups in the country.

Earlier provision  Section 56(2)(viib) of the Income Tax Act provides the amount raised by a start-up in excess of its fair market value would be deemed as income from other sources and would be taxed at 30 per cent.

New Rules  With the new notification, all investments made up to Rs 25 crore will be exempt from any form of scrutiny from the government. This move will encourage the angel investments in country that are crucial to catalyse the start-up ecosystem.  An entity shall be considered a start-up up to 10 years from its date of incorporation/ registration instead of the previous period of 7 years.  Similarly, an entity will be a start-up if its turnover for any of the fiscal years since it got registered/incorporated was below Rs 100 crore, in place of Rs 25 crore earlier.  Investments from NRIs would also be exempted from tax.

Exceptions  A start-up cannot invest in a building or land unless it is for its business or used by it for purposes of renting or held by it as stock-in-trade.  It also cannot offer loans or advances, other than those where lending money is part of its business.  A start-up also cannot make any capital contribution to any other entity or invest in shares, car, any vehicle or mode of transport that costs more than Rs 10 lakh.  Benefit: This ensures the CBDT's concerns that start-ups will not be used for money laundering or doesn't receive investment from shell companies for tax evasion.

What is angel tax?  A lot of shell companies were issuing share at the premium and then selling it back at the discounted prices which converted black money to white money.  In 2012, the then finance minister, Pranab Mukherjee introduced Section 56(2)(viib) of the Income Tax Act to curb the minions of money laundering.  Startups don‘t have assets in the balance sheets and valuation is done based on the discounted cash flow method which are the future profits that the startup will generate  When startup India started in 2015, the department started issuing notices to the start up as the difference between the book value and share premium was taxed under section 56(2) (viib) of the Income Tax Act.

Why were the new provisions introduced?  Of the 2500 surveyed start-ups, almost 73% of the start-ups had received notices.  Thereafter the start-ups started registering overseas in Singapore and United States  After the Vodafone case in India, the Supreme Court ruled that irrespective of the company being registered in any country, taxes would be applicable if the underlying assets were within India.  The start-up fever which had caught on in 2015-16 had slowed down by 2016-17 as per registration figures. The registrations came down from 1006 to 458 in 2018.

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Benefits  It will unleash the next wave of entrepreneurship, making India the number one start-up nation in the world.  There is no case by case clearance, which was time consuming and not practical.  Valuation has been removed as criteria. This was a major concern as it needed certification by merchant bankers, who had no idea about it, as valuation is an art and a science and a result of the negotiations between the company and their investors.  The Rs 25 crore threshold is wide to cover almost all angel investments as most of them are less than this number.  Listed companies will now be able to invest in start-ups without angel tax.  These relaxations are in line with the government's vision to promote the culture of entrepreneurship and ease of doing business in India.  Earlier, to get the benefits under exemption of taxes, permission were to be obtained from Inter Ministerial Board of Group which was difficult to obtain and fair market valuation was done from the merchant banker. Both the conditions have been done away with.  It will increase employment in the country with the establishment of more start-ups.

Challenges  The provision seems irrelevant when norms like GAAR, Benami property Act, PMLA, 68 provisions etc are already present to prevent money laundering.  68 provisions refer to any unexplainable money in the account of start-ups. The start-ups were required to give details of the investor, whether it was a tax paid money or not etc.

Way forward  Start-ups can flourish in India only if they are provided a level playing field with those in other countries.  Start-ups are based on innovative ideas which may or may not flourish. So it is necessary to encourage them to increase the chances of new innovations in the country.

3. World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), U.S. Headquartered in Madison WOCCU is the leading international body representing 75,000 credit unions in 90 countries, serving 260 million people.

Major challenges for credit cooperative societies in India and elsewhere Generally, credit cooperatives face three challenges. o Increased regulation and supervision that financial institutions have to comply with. o Technological innovation. o Membership growth, particularly in the age group between 18 and 35 years. Regulation, technological disruptions and membership are major challenges of cooperatives in the context of increased competition from banks in the globalised economy.

Measures to attract more youth to become members of cooperatives Cooperatives need to adopt digital technologies and computerisation in a big way to attract youth as well as reach out to marginalised and needy people.

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Benefits of becoming a member of WOCCU Indian cooperative federation is not a member of WOCCU. The World Council represents credit cooperatives across the globe. Indian cooperatives can exchange ideas for solutions and address challenges they face. Unlike the banking system, in India, cooperatives in the government and private sector are not regulated properly. India has a large number of cooperatives. Regulation can cause confusion in market prices when some are regulated and some are not. There are a number of countries facing similar challenges and they have found solutions. Many government-run credit cooperatives have become financially unviable after waiver of farm loans by states. In other countries, farm loan waivers from cooperatives have destroyed cooperatives. This resulted in lack of access to credit. Lack of control over non-performance assets (NPAs) makes cooperatives or banks bankrupt.

4. GST on under-construction houses News: Financer Minister announced that the Goods and Services Tax Council has decided to reduce tax rates on the sale of under-construction residential properties from April 1.

Normal residences and affordable housing The Council decided that the rate for normal residential properties would be 5% without the option of availing input tax credits. In the affordable housing segment, the rate has been reduced to a nominal 1% without input tax credits. The previous rates were 12% for the affordable housing segment and 18% for the normal housing segment, both with the option to avail input tax credits.

Affordable housing in metros and non-metros In metros, affordable housing includes properties that have a carpet area of up to 60 sq m (646 sq feet) and cost up to Rs. 45 lakh. Metros include Delhi NCR, Mumbai MMR, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. In non-metros, affordable housing includes properties with a carpet area of up to 90 sq m (969 sq feet) and that cost up to Rs. 45 lakh.

Need for the new GST rates  Among the country‘s largest employers in recent years, the realty sector has been marred by the debt overdose that has plagued much of corporate India; this has been compounded by high unsold inventory that hit cash flows.  Properties that were already complete at the time of the GST‘s adoption were spared the tax.  But the introduction of 12% and 8% GST for under-construction premier housing units and affordable homes, respectively, had come as a dampener for fresh bookings.

Benefits It will give an impetus to the affordable housing and enthuse homebuyers to close the sale deals It will help to narrow down the demand mismatch gap It has a clear focus on demand stimulation This move will give the necessary fillip to the demand in under -construction segment, which has been suffering from low sales levels for many quarters

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The elimination of input tax credit (ITC) benefit may hit profitability for the supply side. However, the potential demand generation as a result of this move will far outweigh negative aspects leading to greater sales numbers and revenues. The reduction in GST rates can reduce the buyers‘ payout by 6-7% on the overall purchase, depending on the category. The consequent accelerating sales will reduce the unsold inventory, which has been afflicting the sector.

Challenges  The decision to deny input tax credits to builders is a concern.  Developers may be forced to raise base prices as critical inputs, particularly cement (taxed at 28%), entail high levies that can no longer be offset.  Buyers may still prefer to opt for unsold completed properties that don‘t attract GST, instead of incomplete projects.  Compliance as well as material costs could go up too, as the Council is likely to mandate that around 80% of a project‘s inputs must come from formal sector vendors in the GST net.  It is difficult to determine to what extent a proposed tax exemption on development rights will offset these costs for developers.

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POLICIES AND SCHEMES 1. National Policy on Electronics 2019 News: The Union Cabinet gave its approval to the National Policy on Electronics 2019 (NPE 2019), proposed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

Aim The Policy envisions positioning India as a global hub for Electronics System Design and Manufacturing - (ESDM) by encouraging and driving capabilities in the country for developing core components, including chipsets, and creating an enabling environment for the industry to compete globally.

Background  The National Policy of Electronics 2019 (NPE 2019) replaces the National Policy of Electronics 2012 (NPE 2012).  National Policy on electronics, 2012 was enacted at a time when the industry was not much developed.  The basic steps for igniting the sector were contained in that policy.  By 2014, a basic industry was in place after which a significant growth took place.  Mobile manufacturing has shown an upward growth from 60 million in 2014 to 110 million in 2015 to 175 million in 2016 and to 225 million in 2017.  India has a total consumption of about 340 million mobiles in the country.  Also the electronic manufacturing volume has doubled from 2014 to 59 billion in 2017 which amounts to only 3% of global manufacturing.  India needs to have an electronic policy which is competitive not only for the domestic industry but also for the international industry.

Targets  Promote domestic manufacturing and export in the entire value-chain of ESDM for economic development to achieve a turnover of USD 400 billion (approximately INR 26,00,000 crore) by 2025.  This will include targeted production of 1.0 billion (100 crore) mobile handsets by 2025, valued at USD 190 billion (approximately INR 13,00,000 crore), including600 million (60 crore) mobile handsets valued at USD 110 billion (approximately INR 7,00,000 crore) for export.

Salient Features of NPE 2019  Create eco-system for globally competitive ESDM sector: Promoting domestic manufacturing and export in the entire value-chain of ESDM.  Provide incentives and support for manufacturing of core electronic components.  Provide special package of incentives for mega projects which are extremely high-tech and entail huge investments, such as semiconductor facilities display fabrication, etc.  Formulate suitable schemes and incentive mechanisms to encourage new units and expansion of existing units.  Promote Industry-led R&D and innovation in all sub-sectors of electronics, including grass root level innovations and early stage Start-ups in emerging technology areas such as 5G, IoT/ Sensors,

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Artificial Intelligence (Al), Machine Learning, Virtual Reality (VR), Drones, Robotics, Additive Manufacturing, Photonics, Nano-based devices, etc.  Provide incentives and support for significantly enhancing availability of skilled manpower, including re-skilling.  Special thrust on Fabless Chip Design Industry, Medical Electronic Devices Industry, Automotive Electronics Industry and Power Electronics for Mobility and Strategic Electronics Industry.  Create Sovereign Patent Fund (SPF) to promote the development and acquisition of IPs in ESDM sector.  Promote trusted electronics value chain initiatives to improve national cyber security profile.

Benefits  It will lead to formulation of several schemes, initiatives, projects, etc., in consultation with the concerned Ministries/ Departments, for the development of ESDM sector in the country.  It will enable flow of investment and technology, leading to higher value addition in the domestically manufactured electronic products.  It will increase electronics hardware manufacturing in the country and their export thereby enabling India to become a manufacturing hub of the world.  It will also generate substantial employment opportunities.  Indigenous manufacturing would provide more secure electronics from which chances of tapping data are ruled out.

Challenges  Manufacturing of hardware components would be a challenge given their low cost in other countries due to their expertise in that field.  Import duty on electronics can impact indigenization, competitiveness and efficiency.  There is a lack of skilled people in manufacturing industry.

Way forward  India has to invest tremendously in R&D to tap the knowledge of manufacturing of microprocessors and hardware components.  India will have to move at a pace three times of the pace with which the world is running.  Apart from skilling the existing workforce, skill training institutions should be equipped to meet the required modern electronics skills for the newly created jobs.  Funding and necessary mentorship should be provided for the start-ups which should focus on new technology areas.

2. National Mineral Policy, 2019 News: The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister approved National Mineral Policy 2019.

Objective The aim of National Mineral Policy 2019 is to have a more effective, meaningful and implementable policy that brings in further transparency, better regulation and enforcement, balanced social and economic growth as well as sustainable mining practices.

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Background  National Mineral Policy 2019 replaces the existent National Mineral Policy 2008.  The impetus to review NMP 2008 came about by way of a direction from the Supreme Court vide its judgment in Common Cause v/s Union of India & Others.  In compliance of the directions of the apex Court, the Ministry of Mines constituted a committee in 2017 under the chairmanship of Dr. K Rajeswara Rao, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Mines to review NMP 2008.  The NMP 2019 was framed on the basis of suggestions in the report submitted by the committee.

Salient features  The National Mineral Policy 2019 includes provisions which will give boost to mining sector such as o introduction of Right of First Refusal for reconnaissance permit and prospecting license RP/PL holders, o encouraging the private sector to take up exploration, o auctioning in virgin areas for composite RP cum PL cum ML on revenue share basis, o encouragement of merger and acquisition of mining entities and o Transfer of mining leases and creation of dedicated mineral corridors to boost private sector mining areas.  The 2019 Policy proposes to grant status of industry to mining activity to boost financing of mining for private sector and for acquisitions of mineral assets in other countries by private sector  It also mentions that Long term import export policy for mineral will help private sector in better planning and stability in business  The Policy also mentions rationalize reserved areas given to PSUs which have not been used and to put these areas to auction, which will give more opportunity to private sector for participation  The Policy also mentions to make efforts to harmonize taxes, levies & royalty with world benchmarks to help private sector.  Among the changes introduced in the National Mineral Policy, 2019 include the focus on make in India initiative and Gender sensitivity in terms of the vision.  In so far as the regulation in Minerals is concerned, E-Governance, IT enabled systems, awareness and Information campaigns have been incorporated.  Regarding the role of state in mineral development online public portal with provision for generating triggers at higher level in the event of delay of clearances has been put in place.  NMP 2019 aims to attract private investment through incentives while the efforts would be made to maintain a database of mineral resources and tenements under mining tenement systems.  The new policy focuses on use of coastal waterways and inland shipping for evacuation and transportation of minerals and encourages dedicated mineral corridors to facilitate the transportation of minerals.  The utilization of the district mineral fund for equitable development of project affected persons and areas has also been mentioned.  NMP 2019 proposes a long term export import policy for the mineral sector to provide stability and as an incentive for investing in large scale commercial mining activity.  The 2019 Policy also introduces the concept of Inter-Generational Equity that deals with the well- being not only of the present generation but also of the generations to come and also proposes to constitute an inter-ministerial body to institutionalize the mechanism for ensuring sustainable development in mining.

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Benefits  The New National Mineral Policy will ensure more effective regulation.  It will lead to sustainable mining sector development in future while addressing the issues of project affected persons especially those residing in tribal areas.

3. National Policy on Software Products News:The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister approved the National Policy on Software Products - 2019 to develop India as a Software Product Nation.

Background  The Indian IT Industry has predominantly been a service Industry.  India's IT revenue is USD 168 billion but most of it is services.  Software product component is less, being only USD 7.1 billion.  Most of the software products are imported.  So, a need has been felt to move up the value chain through technology-oriented products and services.

Objectives  National Policy on Software Products, 2019 aims to create a robust software product ecosystem.  It aims to develop India as the global software product hub, driven by innovation, improved commercialisation, sustainable Intellectual Property (IP), promoting technology start•ups and specialized skill sets.  Further, the Policy aims to align with other Government initiatives such as Start-up India, Make in India and Digital India, Skill India etc so as to create Indian Software products Industry of USD ~70- 80 billion with direct & indirect employment of ~3.5 million by 2025.

Salient features  The Policy will lead to the formulation of several schemes, initiatives, projects and measures for the development of Software products sector in the country as per the roadmap envisaged therein.

 To achieve the vision of NPSP-2019, the Policy has the following five Missions: 1. To promote the creation of a sustainable Indian software product industry, driven by intellectual property (IP), leading to a ten-fold increase in India share of the Global Software product market by 2025. 2. To nurture 10,000 technology startups in software product industry, including 1000 such technology startups in Tier-II and Tier-III towns & cities and generating direct and in-direct employment for 3.5 million people by 2025. 3. To create a talent pool for software product industry through (i) up-skilling of 1,000,000 IT professionals, (ii) motivating 100,000 school and college students and (iii) generating 10,000 specialized professionals that can provide leadership. 4. To build a cluster-based innovation driven ecosystem by developing 20 sectoral and strategically located software product development clusters having integrated ICT infrastructure, marketing, incubation, R&D/test beds and mentoring support.

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5. In order to evolve and monitor scheme & programmes for the implementation of this policy, National Software Products Mission will be set up with participation from Government, Academia and Industry.

Benefits  The Software product ecosystem is characterized by innovations, Intellectual Property (IP) creation and large value addition and increase in productivity.  It has the potential to significantly boost revenues and exports in the sector.  It can create substantive employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in emerging technologies and leverage opportunities available under the Digital India Programme.  It will thus lead to a boost in inclusive and sustainable growth.

4. Draft Logistics Policy News: The Centre has launched a Draft Logistics Policy.

Aim  Reduce logistics cost from 14% to 10% of GDP  Create additional 10-15 million jobs in the sector  Become a single point for all logistics & trade facilitation  Reduce losses in agriculture to less than 5% by facilitating agri-logistics in the country

Need of the policy  The cost of logistics in India is extremely high as compared to other countries.  India is now aiming to become one of the most efficient logistics providers in the world.  The draft Logistics policy has been designed to provide an overall vision and direction to integrated development of logistics in the country.

Thrust areas To drive these objectives, 18 thrust areas have been detailed in the policy. 1. Focusing on critical projects to drive an optimal modal mix and to enable first mile and last mile connectivity 2. Driving development of Multi Modal Logistics Parks (MMLPs) 3. Driving interventions to reduce logistics cost and promote logistics efficiency for movement of key commodities 4. Creating a single window Logistics e-marketplace 5. Setting up a Logistics Data and Analytics Center 6. Creating a Center of Trade facilitation and Logistics excellence (CTFL) and leveraging expertise of multilateral agencies 7. Creating an Integrated National Logistics Action Plan and align with respective state development plans 8. Support strengthening of the warehousing sector 9. Enhancing transport and rolling stock infrastructure 10. Streamlining EXIM processes to promote trade competitiveness 11. Reducing dwell time for interstate cargo movement by road 12. Promoting Green & Sustainable Logistics focusing on 3R – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in packaging

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13. Setting up a Startup acceleration fund to help incubate startups in the logistics sector

Other features  Funding for logistics initiatives: A non-lapsable Logistics fund will be created, to drive progress against the key thrust areas.  Framework Act on Integrated Logistics: It will be enacted to define the role and responsibilities of all stakeholders in the multimodal logistics space.  Institutional Framework & Governance for Logistics: The Logistics Wing under the Department of Commerce, will have the primary responsibility to drive the key thrust areas as per the National logistics policy and facilitate alignment across the key central ministries. Coordination, data gathering and monitoring across stakeholders will be done through National Council for Logistics, chaired by the Prime Minister Apex inter-ministerial Committee, chaired by the Minister of Commerce and Industry India Logistics Forum chaired by the Commerce Secretary with representation from key industry/business stakeholders and academia. Empowered task force on logistics will be created, as a standing committee chaired by the head of the Logistics Wing

Significance  Logistics is a very important component of ease of doing business as 80 % of ease in business relates to logistics.  Logistics business in the country is worth USD 160 billion and is growing at 7% - 8 % every year.

5. Draft e-commerce Policy What is the e-commerce policy? It proposes setting up of a legal and technological framework for restrictions on cross-border data flow and also laid out conditions for businesses regarding collection or processing of sensitive data locally and storing it abroad.

Features  It addresses six broad issues of the e-commerce ecosystem -- data, infrastructure development, e- commerce marketplaces, regulatory issues, stimulating domestic digital economy and export promotion through e-commerce.  The framework would be created to provide the basis for imposing restrictions on cross-border data flow from specified sources including data collected by IoT devices installed in public space, and data generated by users in India by various sources, including e-commerce platforms, social media, search engines.  India‘s data should be used for the country‘s development and Indian citizens and companies should get the economic benefits from the monetisation of data.  A business entity that collects or processes any sensitive data in India and stores it abroad, shall be required to adhere to the certain conditions.  The conditions state that all such data stored abroad shall not be made available to other business entities outside India, for any purpose, even with the customer consent.  Further, the data shall also not be made available to a third party for any purpose and it would also not be shared with a foreign government, without the prior permission of Indian authorities.

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 Suitable framework will be developed for sharing of community data that serves larger public interest (subject to addressing privacy-related issues) with start-ups and firms.  The larger public interest or public good is an evolving concept. The implementation of this shall be undertaken by a ‗data authority‘ to be established for this purpose.  An e-commerce platform, in which foreign investment has been made, therefore, cannot exercise ownership or control over the inventory sold on its platform.  Online marketplaces should not adopt business models or strategies which are discriminatory and which favour one or few sellers/traders operating on their platforms over others.  Besides, all e-commerce sites/apps available for download in India must have a registered business entity in India as the importer on record or as the entity through which all sales in India are transacted.  Existing statutes and laws need to evolve to take into account the changing ways of doing business and changing business models.  An assessment needs to be done regarding how data-storage-ready the available infrastructure in the country.  A time-frame would be put in place for the transition to data storage within the country. A period of three years would be given to allow industry to adjust to the data storage requirement.

Why was the policy required?  E-commerce has been evolving over the past decade with a very rapid pace.  Indian e-market place was pegged at $38.5 billion in 2017 which is expected to touch $200 billion by 2026.  However it accounts only for 3% of the retail sector.  It has started posing a threat to the brick and mortar commerce sector in most developing countries.  90% of the industries are in the informal sector which is mainly small shops. They need to be protected from the intense competition of large industries that have the capability of investing heavily in business.  The policy was required for encouraging a healthy competition between the foreign players and the domestic players.  The digitalization drive by India is further propelling e-commerce which requires regulation.  Most jurisdictions are not conversant with the developments that have taken place globally and the direction in which things are moving and the pace of the developments.  It is important to have a policy framework which will benefit the domestic stakeholders like the MSMEs, industries, etc.  Moreover the customers also need a regulatory framework to address their concerns.  Also, India needs to have a policy in space before it gets into any agreement with the WTO regarding e-commerce policy and being guided by policies of developed countries.

Benefits  The policy is in line with data protection and privacy laws.  India being the largest generator of data will become an example for other countries to follow the lead.  The policy seeks to provide a level playing field for the domestic industries.  It will help promote exports.

Challenges  India has not enacted a data protection law yet.

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 E-commerce marketplaces would face an increase in compliance costs.  Such rules have an adverse bearing on FDI inflows in a sector that offers immense growth potential.

6. Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan News:The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister has approved launch of KisanUrja Suraksha evamUtthaanMahabhiyan.

Objective  To provide financial and water security to farmers  The scheme aims to add a solar capacity of 25,750 MW by 2022.

Details The proposed scheme consists of three components: 1. Component-A: 10,000 MW of Decentralized Ground Mounted Grid Connected Renewable Power Plants. Under Component A, Renewable power plants of capacity 500 KW to 2 MW will be setup by individual farmers/ cooperatives/panchayats /farmer producer organisations (FPO) on their barren or cultivable lands. The power generated will be purchased by the DISCOMs at Feed in tariffs determined by respective State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs). The scheme will open a stable and continuous source of income to the rural land owners. Performance Based Incentives @ Rs. 0.40 per unit for five years will be provided to DISCOMs. 2. Component-B: Installation of 17.50 lakh standalone Solar Powered Agriculture Pumps. Under Component B, individual farmers will be supported to install standalone solar pumps of capacity up to 7.5 HP. Solar Photo Voltaic (PV) capacity in kW equal to the pump capacity in HP (Horse Power) is allowed under the scheme. 3. Component-C: Solarisation of 10 Lakh Grid-connected Solar Powered Agriculture Pumps. Under Component C of the scheme, individual farmers will be supported to solarise pumps of capacity up to 7.5 HP. Solar PV capacity up to two times of pump capacity in kW is allowed under the scheme. The farmer will be able to use the generated energy to meet the irrigation needs and the excess available energy will be sold to DISCOM. This will help to create an avenue for extra income to the farmers, and for the States to meet their RPO targets. 4. Funding: Centre: State: Bank finance: Farmer = 30: 30: 30: 10

Benefits  All three components of the Scheme combined together are likely to result in saving of about 27 million tonnes of CO2 emission per annum.  Further, Component-B of the Scheme on standalone solar pumps may result in saving of 1.2 billion liters of diesel per annum and associated savings in the foreign exchange due to reduction of import of crude oil.  Besides increasing self-employment the proposal is likely to generate employment opportunity equivalent to 6.31 lakh job years for skilled and unskilled workers.

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7. SHREYAS Programme News: The Ministry of Human Resources Development launched the Scheme for Higher Education Youth in Apprenticeship and Skills (SHREYAS).

Details  It has been launched for providing industry apprenticeship opportunities to the general graduates exiting in April 2019 through the National Apprenticeship Promotional Scheme (NAPS).  The program aims to enhance the employability of Indian youth by providing ‗on the job work exposure‘ and earning of stipend.  SHREYAS is a programme basket comprising the initiatives of three Central Ministries, namely o Ministry of Human Resource Development, o Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship o Ministry of Labour & Employment  In other words, it includes the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), the National Career Service (NCS)and introduction of BA/BSc/BCom (Professional) courses in the higher educational institutions.

8. Pradhan Mantri Jl-VAN yojana News: The Union Cabinet approved the "Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN (JaivIndhan- Vatavaran Anukool fasal awashesh Nivaran) Yojana" for providing financial support to Integrated Bioethanol Projects using lignocellulosic biomass and other renewable feedstock.

Details: Under this Yojana, 12 Commercial Scale and 10 demonstration scale Second Generation (2G) ethanol Projects will be provided a Viability Gap Funding (VGF) support in two phases: o Phase-I (2018-19 to 2022-23): wherein six commercial projects and five demonstration projects will be supported. o Phase-II (2020-21 to 2023-24): wherein remaining six commercial projects and five demonstration projects will be supported. The scheme focuses to incentivise 2G Ethanol sector and support this nascent industry by creating a suitable ecosystem for setting up commercial projects and increasing Research & Development in this area. The ethanol produced by the scheme beneficiaries will be mandatorily supplied to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to further enhance the blending percentage under EBP Programme. Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has targeted to achieve 10% blending percentage of Ethanol in petrol by 2022. Despite efforts of the Government such as higher ethanol prices and simplification of ethanol purchase system, the highest ever ethanol procurement stands around 150 crore litres during Ethanol supply year 2017-18 which is sufficient for around 4.22% blending on Pan India basis. Therefore, an alternate route viz. Second Generation (2G) Ethanol from biomass and other wastes is being explored by MoP&NG to bridge the supply gap for EBP programme. In this direction, "Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana" is being launched as a tool to create 2G Ethanol capacity in the country and attract investments in this new sector.

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Implementation Centre for High Technology (CHT), a technical body under the aegis of MoP&NG, will be the implementation Agency for the scheme.

Background Government of India launched Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme in 2003 for undertaking blending of ethanol in Petrol to address environmental concerns due to fossil fuel burning, provide remuneration to farmers, subsidize crude imports and achieve forex savings. Presently, EBP is being run in 21 States and 4 UTs of the country. Under EBP programme, OMCs are to blend upto 10% of ethanol in Petrol. The present policy allows procurement of ethanol produced from molasses and non-food feed stock like celluloses and lignocelluloses material including petrochemical route.

Benefits Apart from supplementing the targets envisaged by the Government under EBP programme, the scheme will also have the following benefits: a. Meeting Government of India vision of reducing import dependence by way of substituting fossil fuels with Biofuels. b. Achieving the GHG emissions reduction targets through progressive blending/ substitution of fossil fuels. c. Addressing environment concerns caused due to burning of biomass/ crop residues & improve health of citizens. d. Improving farmer income by providing them remunerative income for their otherwise waste agriculture residues. e. Creating rural & urban employment opportunities in 2G Ethanol projects and Biomass supply chain. f. Contributing to Swacch Bharat Mission by supporting the aggregation of non•food biofuel feedstocks such as waste biomass and urban waste. g. Indigenizing of Second Generation Biomass to Ethanol technologies.

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INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1. New NATO member - Macedonia News: Macedonia is set to become the 30th member of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

NATO  It is an intergovernmental military alliance between 29 North American and European countries.  The organization implements the North Atlantic Treaty (Washington treaty) that was signed on 4 April 1949.  It was formed to create a counterweight to Soviet armies stationed in central and eastern Europe after World War II.  NATO constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its independent member states agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party.  NATO‘s Headquarters are located in Haren, Brussels, Belgium.

2. India-Saudi Arabia News: Saudi Arabian prince visited India during his three nation tour including Pakistan and China.

Agreements signed 1. Investing in the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund 2. Cooperation in the field of Tourism 3. Cooperation in the Field of Housing 4. Framework Cooperation Program on Enhancing Bilateral Investment Relations 5. Cooperation on Broad casting for Exchange of Audio Visual Programme 6. Agreement for Saudi Arabia to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) was launched by Prime Minister.

Outcomes  After talks with Prime Minister, the two sides announced measures to o upgrade the defence partnership, o create a ―Strategic Partnership Council‖ to coordinate on security issues, and o investment in infrastructure projects worth about $26 billion beyond its already committed investments in India of $44 billion for the existing joint venture with the public sector oil undertakings and public fund investments of $10 billion. o agreeing to increase Haj quotas and release 850 Indians from Saudi jails  Saudi government agreed to insert an extra clause calling on states to renounce the ―use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy‖.  It also acknowledged that disputes between India and Pakistan must be resolved bilaterally.

Concerns  The language on terrorism in the joint statement did not mention a strong condemnation of the terror attack in Pulwama.  The Saudi prince praised Islamabad for its fight against terrorism.  He also announced $20 billion worth of investments, in addition to previously announced aid of $6 billion in cash and reserves.

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Conclusion  India – Saudi Arabia bilateral trade during April to November 2018 reached USD 23.24 billion  India and Saudi Arabia have steadily built bilateral relations and taken great care over the past two decades to „de-hyphenate‟them from ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.  India-Saudi Arabia ties were strengthened into a strategic partnership announced in 2010 in the Riyadh Declaration when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh paid a visit, and were bolstered by King Salman‘s visit in February 2014 and Mr. Modi‘s 2016 trip to Saudi Arabia.  Point-scoring with Pakistan, or attempting to compare the outcomes of the two visits, now only undermines the carefully built compact between New Delhi and Riyadh.

3. India-South Korea News: Prime Minister visited South Korea.

Bilateral Relations  India is among 10 trade partners of South Korea and 6th largest destination for Korean goods. Korean investments in India have reached a cumulative figure of almost 6 billion dollars.  While India has Act East Policy, South Korea has its New Southern Policy which focusses on strengthening it's economic and strategic relations with Southeast Asia and India.

Focus areas  The Indian Ocean - Indo naval exercises had been held between both the countries for the first time last year. Prime Minister has always advocated for an open and inclusive Indo-pacific policy meant to counter China‘s aggressive rise in the Indian Ocean.  Military cooperation - India is considering buying some weapons from South Korea.  Investment - Besides the private investment, South Korea proposed a $10 billion infrastructure fund for India.  Electronics industry - Indians are worried about the growing presence of Chinese electronics in India and whether 5G would be introduced through Chinese phones. South Korea is one of the largest developers of smart phones in the world and Samsung from South Korea have also built one of the largest plants in the world in Gurugram. Indians are thus looking forward to more Korean leadership in the manufacturing of smart phones in the country  Trade - India had signed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with South Korea in 2009. But trade between both the countries did not grow significantly and stood at $21.5 billion last year which was a 30% increase over the previous year.

India-Korea Startup Hub  To strengthen the bilateral ties between India and Republic of Korea, Prime Minister launched the India-Korea Startup Hub and Startup Grand Challenge.  The Hub is hosted on the Startup India digital platform, the world‘s largest virtual incubator with over 300,000 registered startups and aspiring entrepreneurs.  The Hub will enable access to resources for market entry and innovation exchange between India and the world.

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Indo-pacific strategy India is seen to have three side to the Indo-pacific strategy – 1. Indo-Japanese access designed completely to counter China and driven by the bilateral concern about the rise of China 2. Trilateral exercise - MALABAR with India, US and Japan which is a 100% military exercise 3. Quad grouping which has US, Australia, Japan and India seen as a proto alliance by China. But India has not considered this group very much as other members have not been involved very much.

South Koreas stand  For South Korea, China and US are two biggest trading partners.  Experts say that South Korea is looking beyond China as well towards India as part of its Southern policy.  S.Korea is nervous about China and has a difficult relationship with Japan.  But it is very close to US and their only concern is US withdrawal from North Korea. It is also looking forward to India to prevent US from doing the same.

Challenges  There is a trust deficit between the businesses of India and South Korea as South Koreans are not very keen in partnering with Indian companies.  India has a $50 billion trade deficit with South Korea.

Way forward  India and South Korea should meet frequently which will help Indian businesses in working with the South Koreans by a top down approach.  Both countries should cooperate on new generation technologies-energy, 5G and core technologies while consolidating the existing partnership.  South Korea, being a technologically powerful nation after Japan in Asia would help India to become powerful as well.

4. India-Argentina News: The President of Argentina visited India recently.

India‟s stand  He said being a part of G20 countries he said it‘s important to implement 11 point Hamburg Leaders statement.

India and Argentina 10 agreements were signed between both the countries 1. Defence 2. Tourism 3. Broadcasting content 4. Pharmaceuticals 5. Antarctic Co-operation 6. Agriculture and Farmers‘ Welfare 7. Work Plan for the year 2019-21 in agriculture 8. ICT

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9. Civil nuclear 10. Establishment of India-Argentina Centre of Excellence for Information and Technology

Significance  First country head to visit India after the attacks  Argentina is an important member of MERCOSUR. Hence the message will be conveyed towards the grouping.  They also work closely with the organisation of American states.  India and Argentina had also met at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires.  The Argentinian President also stressed that both countries need to work on multilateral forums to combat terrorism  Argentina said that it is committed to broader international security  India and Argentina can cooperate in defence which in turn may lead to partnering with all Latin American countries.  Other groupings in Latin America will also eventually support India.

MERCOSUR Mercosur, officially Southern Common Market is a South American trade bloc established by the Treaty of Asunción in 1991 and Protocol of Ouro Preto in 1994. Its full members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Venezuela is a full member but has been suspended since December 1, 2016. Associate countries are Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and Suriname. Observer countries are New Zealand and Mexico. Mercosur's purpose is to promote free trade and the fluid movement of goods, people, and currency. It currently confines itself to a customs union, in which there is free intra-zone trade and a common trade policy between member countries. Mercosur is now a full customs union and a trading bloc.

5. India-Italy News: The 20th Session of India-Italy Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation (JCEC) was held in New Delhi.

 The JCEC is an institutional mechanism for bilateral trade engagement.

India – Italy  Italy is India's 5th largest trading partner in the European Union and 25th in the World during 2017-18.  Italy has inherent strengths in manufacturing, design and innovation and skills training while India has a vast pool of skilled human resources, competitive wage rates and an edge in sectors such as leather, gems and jewellery, auto components and textiles.  There is an immense potential for Italian and Indian industries to have partnership and cooperation.  Italy ranks 17th in FDI inflow in India during April, 2000 to December, 2018. Total FDI inflows from Italy are USD 2.72 billion during this period.  Italy is looking to work in areas like financial services, renewable energy, infrastructure, transport development in railways, construction and the auto motive sector.

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6. India-Monaco In News: Prince Albert II of Monaco called on the President of India.

Monaco  It is the second-smallest country in the world after the Vatican.  France borders the country on three sides while the other side borders the Mediterranean Sea.  It is the most densely-populated sovereign state in the world.  Monaco is a principality governed under a form of constitutional monarchy, with Prince Albert II as head of state.  Monaco is not formally a part of the European Union (EU), but it participates in certain EU policies, including customs and border controls.  Monaco uses the euro as its sole currency.

7. INF treaty News: Following US announcement of withdrawal from the INF treaty, Russia also said it was suspending its participation.

What is the INF treaty? The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) agreement was signed in 1987. Brokered by U.S. President Ronald Reagan with last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, the treaty ended a superpower build-up of warheads that had frightened Europeans. It banned ground-launched missiles with a range of 500 km to 5,500 km. The deal addressed Soviet nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles targeting Western capitals, but put no restrictions on other major military actors such as China.

Why was it signed? Cold war scenario o By the early 1980s, the U.S.S.R. had accumulated nearly 40,000 nuclear weapons, exceeding the U.S. arsenal. o In Europe, Russia replaced single warhead SS-4s and SS-5s with more accurate 3-warhead SS-20 missiles, heightening concerns. o To reassure its North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies about its nuclear umbrella, the U.S. began deploying Pershing IIs and GLCMs in the U.K., Belgium, Italy and West Germany, setting off a new arms race. The consequence o Growing rhetoric made the Europeans nervous. o Realisation dawned that any nuclear conflict on European soil would only lead to more European casualties, catalysing a movement for ‗no-deployments‘ in Europe. Negotiations o The INF talks originally considered equal ceilings on both sides but then moved to equal ceilings and non-deployment in Europe to address the sensitivities of allies. o The U.S.S.R. wanted British and French missiles of similar ranges to be covered but the U.S. rejected the idea as also the inclusion of older 72 Pershing I missiles already deployed in Germany.

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o To break the stalemate, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl made an announcement that Germany would unilaterally dismantle the Pershing 1s while the U.S.S.R. came up with a double global zero covering both shorter-range and intermediate-range missiles.

US – Russia contentions U.S. concerns o Since 2008, the U.S. has voiced suspicions that with the Novator 9M729 missile tests, Russia was in breach; in 2014, U.S. President Barack Obama formally accused Russia of violating the INF Treaty. However, he refrained from withdrawal on account of European concerns. o China has always had a number of Chinese missiles in the 500-5,500 km range but its modernisation plans, which include the commissioning of the DF-26, today raise the U.S.‘s concerns. Russian concerns o On the other hand, Russia alleges that the U.S. launchers for its missile defence interceptors deployed in Poland and Romania are dual capable and can be quickly reconfigured to launch Tomahawk missiles, constituting a violation.

Other Concerns European leaders have voiced fears over the consequences of the treaty‘s demise and called on Russia to address concerns before the U,S, formally leaves in August. Beijing also expressed concern over the mutual suspension, calling for the U.S. and Russia to engage in ―constructive dialogue‖. Russia also voiced concerns that Washington‘s decision to withdraw from the INF could jeopardise the extension of the New START treaty. That agreement, which caps the number of nuclear warheads held by Washington and Moscow, expires in 2021.

Other arms control treaties Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty o In December 2001, the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty with the U.S.S.R. which limited deployment of ABM systems thereby ensuring mutual vulnerability, a key ingredient of deterrence stability in the bipolar era. New START agreement o The New START agreement between the U.S. and Russia, will lapse in 2021, unless renewed for a five-year period. o This limits both countries to 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBMs) and heavy bombers and 1,550 warheads each. o However, Mr. Trump has described it as ―one of several bad deals negotiated by the Obama administration‖. o The lapse of the New START would mark the first time since 1968 that the U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals would be unconstrained by any agreement. Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) o It is the most successful example of multilateral arms control. o It has become a victim of its success. o It can neither accommodate the four countries outside it (India, Israel, North Korea and Pakistan) as all four possess nuclear weapons, nor can it register any progress on nuclear disarmament.

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o It succeeded in delegitimising nuclear proliferation but not nuclear weapons. This is why NPT Review Conferences have become increasingly contentious.

Image Credit: The Hindu

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ENVIRONMENT 1. Turtles Species: The black softshell turtle (Nilssonia nigricans), Indian soft-shell (Nilssoniagangetica) and the peacock soft shell (Nilssoniahurum) IUCN status:extinct in the wild India hosts 28 species of turtles, of which 20 are found in Assam. Threat: consumption of turtle meat and eggs, silt mining, encroachment of wetlands and change in flooding pattern have had a disastrous impact on the State‘s turtle population.

2. Pangolin

Image Credit: The Hindu

\

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3. Blackbuck Blackbuck The blackbuck was notified as the State animal of Punjab in 1989. It is found in Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary (AWS) in Punjab. The AWS is an open sanctuary, spread across private land in 13 villages. Its presence in the State is confined to the AWS due to the unique habitat of semi-arid plains consisting of agricultural fields, intermittent fallow-barren lands, scattered sand dunes, sand mounds and ridges. In AWS, where land in mainly owned by the Bishnoi community, there were 3,273 blackbuck according to the 2017 census, conducted jointly by the Punjab Biodiversity Board and the Department of Forest and Wildlife Preservation, against 3,500 in the year 2011. IUCN status: Near threatened

Threats for Blackbuck Blackbuck faces threat from the following in Punjab o stray cattle- The growing population of stray animals competes with blackbuck for the already shrinking open grasslands, resulting in their migration to adjoining areas outside the sanctuary o attacks by stray dogs o habitat fragmentation due to change in land use and cropping patterns over the past few years- Scattered sand dunes and sand mounds, which provided a unique environment for the blackbuck, are now vanishing as the area is being brought under farming with the help of the latest machines o barbed wires, which enclose agricultural fields to avoid crop damage from stray cattle- Fencing agricultural fields, especially with cobra wires that have blade-edged iron wire mesh is the major cause of deaths of blackbucks o road accidents o falling into water storage tanks and concrete drains

Efforts by district administration The district administration has banned the sale and use of barbed wires, yet its use continues unabated in the sanctuary area. Awareness is being generated among farmers about the ill-effects barbed wires, especially the “cobra wires”.

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4. Forest Dwellers News On a petition filed by wildlife activists to evict the forest dwellers whose claims had been rejected under the Forest Rights Act, the Supreme Court ordered the eviction of more than 10 lakh Adivasis and other forest dwellers from forestland across 17 States. After the order became controversial following the petitions of the human rights activists, SC stayed its controversial order and asked the States to submit details on how the claims of the dwellers were decided and the authorities competent to pass final rejection orders. It also made clear that there would be no forceful eviction.

Forest rights Act, 2006 The FRA was enacted to recognise the pre-existing rights of forest-dwellers. Recognising them as ―integral to the survival and sustainability of the forest ecosystem,‖ the FRA gives their gram sabhas ―the responsibilities and authority for sustainable use, conservation of biodiversity and maintenance of ecological balance.‖ A key 2009 regulation actualised gram sabha powers by mandating that all forest diversion proposals and compensatory and ameliorative schemes be presented in detail to the relevant gram sabhas to award or withhold its free, prior, informed consent, and also be preceded by the settlement of all rights under the FRA.

Example of FRA diversion In 2016, the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) sought 1,400 acres of forestland across seven Adivasi villages of Keonjhar in the ecologically sensitive Gandhamardan Mountains, for an iron ore mine. Though the consent of the Gram Sabhas were sent to the MoEFCC approving the forest diversion, the Gram Sabhas were not aware of the same. Following a news report of the case, the Image Credit: The Hindu MoEF asked the State government to probe the matter. What followed is a telling comment on forest governance. Though the probe revealed the abetment of officials with the OMC Corporation, the MoEF issued permission to the OMC to destroy this stretch of forest. In 2015, the NGT had asked for the state to seek forest clearance for Mapithel Dam that is under construction in Manipur. However, the State government refused to recognise the rights of the people living there since it was keen to construct the dam.

Examples of rightful implementation of FRA SC had asked the gram sabhas of Niyamgirihils to take a decision on whether the Vedanta group‘s $1.7 billion bauxite mining project could go forward or not. The rejection by the gram sabhas was affirmed by the SC. Again, in 2016, it was the FRA that was invoked by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) when the people of Lippa in Himachal Pradesh were given the powers to decide whether or not they wanted a hydel power project in this area. The project would have led to submergence of forestland and also caused heavy siltation in the river.

Wildlife activists and Human rights activists

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The wildlife groups who went to court argue that implementation of the FRA could lead to ‗encroachments‘ and fresh clearance of forestland for human dwellings. The human rights groups have argued that the FRA was passed by Parliament and is aimed at correcting historical injustices to traditional forest dwellers who, since colonial times, have been subject to a cycle of evictions.

Difference between „recognition of rights‟ and „diversion‟ Recognising rights on forestland is not the same as clear-felling that forest. The rights of millions of forest dwellers have been recognised through the Act does not mean that the forest is a pie to be divided. On the other hand, when forestland is ‗diverted‘ for big development projects, like mining or highways or roads, it is actually clear felled or submerged.

Cases where human rights and wildlife activists can work together challenge big development projects coming up on forestland working with the gram sabhas and ensuring that genuine claims are filed fight cases that can help conservation as well as the people who live in forest areas

The government‟s move In February, the MoEFCC wrote to all States that FRA compliance is not needed for ‗in-principle‘ approval for diversions. Violating the FRA, this damaging move eliminates gram sabhas from decision-making, and makes diversion a violent fait accompli for forest-dwellers.

Way forward The Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal should take cognisance of the forest diversion by the governments without the consent of gram sabhas and thus violating the forest rights act.

5. Rainfed agriculture atlas News A new rainfed agriculture atlas was released by Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network. It maps the agro biodiversity and socio-economic conditions in rainfed agriculture and attempts to document the policy biases that are making farming unviable for many in these areas.

Findings Three out of five farmers in India grow their crops using rainwater, instead of irrigation. farmers in such areas receive 40% less of their income from agriculture in comparison to those in irrigated areas. Lands irrigated through big dams and canal networks get a per hectare investment of ₹5 lakh. Watershed management spending in rainfed lands is only ₹18,000-25,000 and difference in yield is not proportionate to the difference in investment. When it comes to procurement, over the decade between 2001-02 and 2011-12, the government spent ₹5.4 lakh crore on wheat and rice. Coarse cereals, which are grown in rainfed areas, only had ₹3,200 crore worth of procurement in the same period.

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Flagship government schemes, such as seed and fertiliser subsidies and soil health cards, are designed for irrigated areas and simply extended to rainfed farmers without taking their needs into consideration For example, many hybrid seeds notified by the government scheme need plenty of water, fertilizer and pesticides to give high yields and are thus not useful to most rainfed farmers. Commercial fertilizers will simply burn out the soil without sufficient water. The government has no system to channelise indigenous seeds or subsidise organic manure in the same way.

Way forward A more balanced approach was needed to give rainfed farmers the same research and technology focus and production support that their counterparts in irrigation areas have received over the last few decades.

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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 1. GSAT-31 News: India‘s communication satellite GSAT-31 was launched successfully from Spaceport in French Guiana.

Details  It was launched by Ariane 5 VA-247 along with Saudi Geostationary Satellite 1/Hellas Sat 4 satellites.  GSAT-31 will augment the Ku-band transponder capacity in Geostationary Orbit.  It will be placed in Geostationary Orbit (36,000 km above the equator)  The satellite will provide continuity to operational services on some of the in-orbit satellites.  GSAT-31 derives its heritage from ISRO‘s earlier INSAT/GSAT satellite series.  GSAT-31 has a unique configuration of providing flexible frequency segments and flexible coverage.  The satellite will provide communication services to Indian mainland and islands

Applications  GSAT-31 will provide DTH Television Services, connectivity to VSATs for ATM, Stock-exchange, Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) and e- governance applications.  The satellite will also be used for bulk data transfer for a host of emerging telecommunication Image Credit: The Hindu applications.

2. Vande Bharat Express News: It was flagged off from New Delhi for the first time on New Delhi-Kanpur-Allahabad-Varanasi route.

Features of the train  It can run up to a maximum speed of 160 kmph.  All toilets are bio-vacuum type.  The total seating capacity is 1,128 passengers.

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 The train has regenerative braking system in the coaches which  Speed, Safety and Service are the hallmarks of this train.

Significance  It has been indigenously made under „Make in India‟ scheme of the government.  It has matching global standards of performance, safety and passenger comfort and yet costs less than half of global prices.

Image Credit: The Hindu

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3. Atmospheric Water Generator News: Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has unveiled its new product, the Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG)

Details  It is an innovative solution to meet the ever-increasing need for drinking water worldwide.  It can be used to generate water straight from the humidity present in the atmosphere.

Working  It employs a novel technology to extract water from the humidity present in the atmosphere and purify it.  It uses heat exchange for condensing the atmospheric moisture to produce pure, safe and clean potable water.  The AWG comes with a Mineralisation Unit, which is used to add minerals which are required to make the water potable.  The AWG is configurable in static and mobile (vehicular) versions and is available in 30 litres/day, 100 litres/day, 500 litres/day and 1,000 litres/day capacities.

Need for AWG  The day is not far when drinking water becomes the most precious commodity on the planet.  Groundwater, currently the main source of drinking water, is being depleted at alarming and unsustainable rates even as the search for alternate water sources continues.

4. New company under Department of Space News: The Union Cabinet has approved to the Setting up of a new company under Department of Space (DoS), to commercially exploit the research and development work carried out by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Centers and constituent units of DOS.

Salient features The following areas/avenues provide opportunities for commercial exploitation of ISRO programmes:  Small satellite technology transfer to industry, wherein the new company shall take license from DoS/ISRO and sub-license to industries;  Manufacture of small satellite launch vehicle (SLV) in collaboration with the Private Sector;  Productionisation of Polar SLV through industry;  Productionisation and marketing of Space-based products and services, including launch and applications;  Transfer of Technology developed by ISRO Centers and constituent units of DoS;  Marketing of some spin-off technologies and products, both in India and abroad; and  Any other subject which Government of India deems fit.

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SOCIAL ISSUES 1. Operation Digital Board News: Ministry of Human Resource Development launched Operation Digital Board to leverage technology in order to boost quality education in the country.

About the Digital Board  It will be introduced all over the country in government and government aided schools from class 9th onwards as well as in higher education institutions from 2019 onwards.  ODB aims at converting a class room into a digital class room.

Implementation in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)  UGC will be the implementing agency for ODB in HEIs.  Digital education would be extended to every classroom in the country by 2022.  It is estimated that there would be 5 lakh classrooms in the institutions which are aided by Centre or State Governments.  Out of this, based on the readiness, UGC proposed to take up 300 universities and about 10,000 colleges in the first phase covering 2 lakh classrooms. Such Institutions with readiness to implement would be preferred.

Benefits  It will make the learning as well as the teaching process interactive and popularize flipped learning as a pedagogical approach.  In addition to availability of e-resources at any time and at any place to students, it will also help in provisioning of personalised adaptive learning as well as Intelligent Tutoring by exploiting emerging technologies like Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence & Data Analytics.

Challenges in education  The biggest challenge facing education sector in the country is maintaining acceptable quality standards across the country.  A large number of higher education institutions and schools needs improvements in quality teaching- learning, as the students coming out of these institutions find themselves unsuitable for the requirements of the society and market.

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DEFENCE AND SECURITY 1. Dhanush News: Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) has received the bulk production clearance (BPC) from the Indian Army and the Ministry of Defence for production of 114 units of 'Dhanush'.

About Dhanush  It is the first ever indigenous 155mm x 45 calibre artillery gun.  The gun is equipped with inertial navigation-based sighting system, auto-laying facility, on-board ballistic computation and an advanced day and night direct firing system.  The self-propulsion unit allows the gun to negotiate and deploy itself in mountainous terrains with ease.  'Dhanush' has been mechanically upgraded to fire standard NATO 155 mm ammunition and can accommodate both boll bags and the bi-modular charge system (BMCS) which have resulted in increasing the range.

Significance The weapon is the first long rang artillery gun to be produced in India and it is a major success story of the 'Make in India' initiative.

2. An-132 News: Ukraine has said all issues related to the upgrade of An-32 transport aircraft, its workhorse, have been resolved and offered India its new An-132 aircraft to the IAF as a replacement for the An-32 fleet.

About An-132 It is an upgraded variant of the An-32, The aircraft is jointly designed by Ukraine and Saudi Arabia. It can carry a load of upto 9 tonnes and land at high altitudes and on unpaved runways. It has also been offered joint production in India under the ‗Make in India‘ initiative.

Background In 2009, India finalised a major upgrade and life extension plan for the entire fleet of 105 An-32 aircraft acquired from Soviet Union under a $400 million deal which would extend their life to 40 years. So far, 46 aircraft have been upgraded, of which 40 were done in Ukraine. The rest were to be carried out in India by IAF‘s base repair depot in Kanpur. But the programme came to a halt after bitter relations between Moscow and Kiev following the Russian annexation of the Crimean peninsula. The delay was mainly due to delay in securing spare parts produced in Russia.

3. National Cyber Forensic Lab News: India has launched the National Cyber Forensic Lab and CyPAD (Cyber Prevention, Awareness and Detection Centre).

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Details India has launched a National Cyber Forensic Lab and ‗CyPAD‘, a cyber crime unit of Delhi police in Dwarka, Delhi. Also named as Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), the lab will be operated by cyber cell of Delhi police. However, the NCFL will also be accessible to other police units across the country. To tap on the growing challenges to curb the problem of fake news and data breaches, a special training and analytics cell will work to monitor social media profiles of those in radar.

Statistics Despite the Indian government‘s efforts to fight cyber-attacks, the rate of cyber-crime in India has been growing. India saw one of the biggest cyber breaches when its citizen biometric database exposed the personal information of nearly 1.1 billion people According to a report by Comparitech — a consumer review firm, India ranks 15th in terms of cyber security, labelled as the least secure country against cybercrime. Profile hacking and photo morphing have been highlighted as the common concerns over internet safety. However, Bangalore registered the maximum number of cyber crimes in the country — with nearly 5,035 FIRs in the cyber cell in 2018.

4. Aerial Surveillance News: Indian Air Force commissioned an aerial surveillance recently.

Details The Indian Air Force (IAF) has commissioned the development of an aerial surveillance system for monitoring suspicious movements under dense foliage cover along the international border and some parts within the country. This hyper spectral imagery programme, a first for the country, seeks to locate and identify suspicious movements and is expected to be operational in the next two years.

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5. Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile News: India successfully test-fired short-range Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) off Odisha coast.

Details The two missiles were tested for different altitude and conditions. The test flights successfully demonstrated robust control, aerodynamics, propulsion, structural performance and high maneuvering capabilities, thus proving the design configuration.

About QRSAM It is indigenously developed It has a capability of engaging multiple targets It uses solid fuel propellant It has a strike range of 25 km to 30 km The all-weather weapon system is capable of tracking and firing with precision It has been developed as an add-on to the Akash air defence missiles Truck-mounted canister makes the missile system increase the mobility of the missile system ten fold over Akash Air Defence System. This was the third developmental trial conducted by the DRDO for the Indian Army. The first trial was conducted in 2017, and the second one in 2018.

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ART AND CULTURE 1. Bharat Rang Mahotsav News  The 20th edition of Bharat Rang Mahotsav (BRM) was inaugurated in New Delhi.

About BRM  It is the international theatre festival of India which is organized by National School of Drama (NSD), one of the prominent training institutions in the world.  It was established two decades ago to stimulate the growth and development of theatre across India.  Originally a national festival showcasing the work of the most creative theatre workers in India, BRM has evolved to international scope, hosting theatre groups from around the world, and is now the largest theatre festival of Asia.

National School of Drama  It is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture.  It is situated at New Delhi.  It was set up in 1959 by the Sangeet NatakAkademi, and became an independent school in 1975.

2. Dard Aryan Tribe  Dard Aryans are a tribal group in Laddakh.  The Dard Aryans inhabit Dha, Hanu, Beema, Darchik and Garkone villages in Leh and Kargil districts. The villages are together called the Aryan valley.  „Dard Aryan‟ is not among the list of notified Schedule Tribes.  They are believed to be the original descendants of ‗pure Aryan race‘  Experts say they are under threat due to rapid modernisation, migration and religious conversion.  The people of this region have unique physical features, social life, ethnic culture and language.

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PIB CORNER 1. Srinagar- Alusteng - Drass- Kargil – Leh Transmission Line News  The Prime Minister dedicated the 220 kV Srinagar- Alusteng - Drass- Kargil – LehTransmission System to the Nation.  The system has connected Ladakh to the national grid.  The project has been completed by the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID).

Benefits  It would ensure quality power supply to Ladakh round the year.  It will help to ensure 24x7 quality power in all weather conditions  It will meet the power demand of Ladakh region at economical rates  It would give huge boost to the tourism sector  It would also help in enhancing socio-economic development of Ladakh  It will result in minimizing the massive use of diesel generating sets during winters

About POWERGRID  It is a Navaratna company under the Ministry of Power  It is a statutory company under the Companies Act, 1956  It is headquartered in Gurugram.  It transmits about 50% of the total power generated in India on its transmission network.

2. Ganga Protection Corps  The draft of National River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Bill 2018 provides for the constitution of Ganga Protection Corps as an armed force of the union.  The Ganga Protection Corps is proposed to be empowered to arrest or caused to be arrested for offence under the Act, and to take the person to the nearest police station.  The Court would take cognizance of the offence on the basis of the complaint filed by the officers who are authorized under the proposed Act.  The Bill has listed out a list of offences marked as cognizable which includes: o construction activities causing obstruction in the river, o withdrawal of ground water for industrial or commercial consumption from the land fronting the river and its tributaries; o commercial fishing or aqua culture in the river and its tributaries; o discharging untreated or treated sewage into the river

3. Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)  Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) has been formulated with the vision of extending the coverage of irrigation „Har Khet ko pani‟ and improving water use efficiency ‗More crop per drop' in a focused manner with end to end solution on source creation, distribution, management, field application and extension activities.

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 It is amalgamation of various schemes  Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR,RD&GR),  Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) of Department of Land Resources (DoLR)  On Farm Water Management (OFWM) of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC)  PMKSY has been approved for implementation across the country with an outlay of Rs.50,000 crore during 2015-2016 to 2019-2020.  Funding mechanism through NABARD has also been approved by the Government for both Central and State share.

4. RashtriyaVayoshri Yojana  It was introduced by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.  It is meant for providing physical aids and Assisted Living Devices for Senior Citizens belonging to BPL category and suffering from age related disabilities/ infirmities.  Under the Scheme, assisted living devices such as Walking Sticks, Elbow Crutches, Walkers/ Crutches, Tripods/ Quadpods, Hearing Aids, Wheelchairs, Artificial Dentures and Spectacles are provided free of cost to the beneficiary senior citizens.  The Scheme is being implemented through the “Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO)”, a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of SJ&E, as the sole Implementing Agency.

5. ShehriSamridhi Utsav  It is an initiative of Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA).  It aims to extend the outreach of DeendayalAntyodaya Mission – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), to the most vulnerable, showcase its initiatives and facilitate access of Self- Help Group (SHG) members to the other government schemes.  Through the scheme, SHG members across cities are being linked to national government schemes viz. o Swachchh Bharat Mission (U), o Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (U), o Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, o Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, o Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, o Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Yojana and o National Nutrition Mission.

6. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna (PMKVY)  It is a flagship scheme of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).  It was launched in 2015 to mobilize youth to take up skill training with the aim of increasing productivity and aligning the training and certification to the needs of the country.  It was relaunched as PMKVY 2.0 (2016-2020) with an aim to train 10 million youth by the year 2020.

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 The Ministry also promotes establishment of model and aspirational skill centres known as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) in every district for imparting skill training.  Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 2016-20 is being implemented with an objective to provide skilling to one crore people under Short Term Training (STT), Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Special Project (SP) across the country for four years i.e. 2016-2020  This scheme has two components 1. Centrally Sponsored Centrally Managed (CSCM) being implemented by NSDC 2. Centrally Sponsored State Managed (CSSM) being implemented by State Skill Development Missions of the States/ UTs  PMKVY 2016-20 does not mandate the establishment of skill development centres.  However, it enables youth to take up STT and RPL through accredited and affiliated training centers (TCs) throughout the country.  Under the scheme, for imparting the skill training, the accreditation and affiliation of TCs are being

Sl. No. Category Size-Class

1. Marginal Below 1.00 hectare

2. Small 1.00-2.00 hectare

3. Semi- Medium 2.00-4.00 hectare

4. Medium 4.00-10.00 hectare

5. Large 10.00 hectare and above done under single window IT application known as SMART.

7. Categorisation of Farmers In agriculture Census, the operational holdings are categorised in five size classes as follows:-

8. India-Indonesia News: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister has given ex-post facto approval to the Framework Agreement between India and Indonesia on cooperation in the exploration and uses of outer space for peaceful purposes.

Details  The Framework Agreement shall enable the following potential interest areas of cooperation  space science  exploration of outer space  use of space technology  remote sensing of the earth  operation and maintenance of the integrated BIAK TTC station  hosting of Indian ground station  hosting of IRIMS station  in kind support for launching LAPAN made satellites

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 Cross utilisation of ground stations etc.

9. Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog News: The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has approved the proposal for establishment of RashtriyaKamdhenuAayog for Conservation protection and development of cows and their progeny.

Impact:  The setting up of RashtriyaKamdhenuAayogwill lead to conservation, protection and development of cattle population in the country including development and conservation of indigenous breeds.  It will result in increased growth of livestock sector which is more inclusive, benefitting women, and small and marginal farmers.  The Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog will work in collaboration with Veterinary, Animal Sciences or Agriculture University or departments or organizations of the Central/State Government engaged in the task of research in the field of breeding and rearing of cow, organic manure, biogas etc.

Background:  The creation of Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog for the conservation, protection and development of cows and their progeny will provide the policy framework and direction to the cow conservation and development programmes in the country and for ensuring proper implementation of laws with respect to the welfare of cows.  It is in pursuance of the announcement of setting up of the Aayog in the Union Budget 2019-20.

10. Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund (AMIF) News: The Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister gave its approval for the creation of a corpus of Rs. 2000 crore for Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund (AMIF) to be created with NABARD for development and up-gradation of agricultural marketing infrastructure in Gramin Agricultural Markets and Regulated Wholesale Markets.

How it works  AMIF will provide the State/UT Governments subsidized loan for their proposal for developing marketing infrastructure in 585 Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) and 10,000 Grameen Agricultural Markets (GrAMs).  States may also access AMIF for innovative integrated market infrastructure projects including Hub and Spoke mode and in Public Private Partnership mode.  In these GrAMs, physical and basic infrastructure will be strengthened using MGNREGA and other Government Schemes.  After approval of AMIF Scheme, the interest subsidy will be provided by DAC&FW to NABARD in alignment with annual budget releases during 2018-19 and 2019-20 as well as upto 2024-25.  The Scheme being demand driven, its progress is subject to the demands from the States and proposals received from them.

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11. Jurisdiction of CBI  In exercise of powers under Section 2 (1) of Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946, the Central Government constitutes a Special Police Force for investigation in any Union Territory of offences notified under Section 3 of DSPE Act, 1946.  The power and jurisdiction of this Special Force can be extended by virtue of Section 5 of DSPE Act, 1946 to any other areas/State not being Union Territory for investigation of any offences or classes of offences notified under Section 3 of DSPE Act, 1946 with the consent of the Government of that State.  Further, Constitutional courts can also entrust any case or class of case for investigation in exercise of inherent jurisdiction even without the consent of the respective State Government.

General consent  Once general or specific consent is granted under Section 6 of DSPE Act, 1946 by the State Government where the case is registered; or when the case is entrusted by the Constitutional courts, the powers and jurisdiction of members of the DSPE (CBI) may extend for investigation as stipulated under Section 5 of DSPE Act, 1946.  Withdrawal of consent, if any, by a State Government can be effected prospectively and not retrospectively. Further, in the cases which are referred by the Constitutional Courts, the entry of CBI cannot be denied by that State as these do not require the consent of the State.

12. India-Bangladesh News: India and Bangladesh have signed an MOU for training 1800 Bangladesh Civil Servants at the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) an institute under the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DAR&PG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions over the next 6 years.

Details  Bangladesh Civil Servants will be trained in e-Governance and service delivery, public policy and implementation, information technology, decentralization, urban development and planning, Ethics in Administration and challenges in implementation of SDGs.  This is the second time that NCGG would be entering into an MOU for a training program for Bangladesh Civil Servants.  Under the first MOU signed 5 years ago, 1500 Bangladesh Civil Servants have already been trained in NCGG.

13. International Labour Organisations News: ILO centenary celebrations was inaugurated in India.

Details  ILO was established in 1919  ILO is a unique agency of the United Nations Organization (UNO) which is tripartite in nature and works on the principal of collaboration among government, employers and workers.  India is a founding member of ILO

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 India has signed 6 out of 8 core conventions of the ILO, in which 2 conventions relating to child labour was signed recently.

14. Asiatic Lion Conservation Project News: Asiatic Lion Conservation Project was launched in December for three financial years FY 2018- 19, FY 2019-20 and FY 2020-21 for the conservation of lion.

Asiatic Lion  The Asiatic Lion endemic to Gir landscape of Gujarat, is one of the 21 critically endangered species identified by the Ministry for taking up recovery programmes.  Asiatic Lion, being listed in Schedule-I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, to be accorded the highest degree of protection.  This project has ―Species Conservation over a large landscape‖ approach.  Besides this approach, the Greater Gir Region (GGR) is being divided into various zones and management approach of ―Zone Plans and Theme Plans‖ for the conservation of the Asiatic Lion.  ―Zone Plans‖ include the Core Zone, the Sanctuary Zone, the buffer Zone i.e. proposed for notification as the Eco-fragile/eco-sensitive Zone and the Greater Gir Region outside the Gir PA system for people‘s participation and eco-development.  Theme Plans include Habitat improvement, protection, wildlife health service, addressing to man- wild animal conflict issues, eco-development and voluntary relocation of PA resident people, research and monitoring, awareness generation, and ecotourism.  This project would, therefore, be beneficial in further strengthening the conservation and protection of Asiatic Lion in the country.

15. Voter Verification and Information Programme (VVIP) News: A Voter Verification and Information Programme (VVIP) was launched by the Election Commission of India

Details It was launched for citizens for verifications of their names, new registrations, changes in the voter details and corrections in the Voter Id Cards for the upcoming General Elections 2019. cVIGIL  cVIGIL App provides time-stamped, evidence-based proof of Model Code of Conduct / Expenditure Violation, having live photo/video with auto location data. Any citizen can lodge a complaint through Mobile App.  Flying Squads then investigate the matter and the Returning Officer takes the decision.  The status of cVIGIL can be shared with the cVIGIL complainant within a specified timelimit.

16. DD Arunprabha News: Prime Minister launched DD Arunprabha and laid the foundation stone for Film and Television Institute in Arunachal Pradesh.

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Details  It is a dedicated 24x7 Satellite TV channel that was launched to strengthen and develop the culture of the State.  It is expected that the channel will act as an ambassador of the culture of the state and will familiarize people across India with the beauty and the culture of the State.  DD Arunprabha is the 24th satellite channel operated by Doordarshan.  It is equipped with state of the art facilities, including a Digital Satellite News Gathering unit to provide live coverage from remote locations, for 24x7 telecast.  The channel will showcase the rich tradition and diversity of local culture.

Film and Television Institute in Arunachal Pradesh  The permanent campus of Film and Television Institute will come up at Jollang-Rakap (Jote), Papum Pare, Arunachal Pradesh.  This is the third Film and Television Institute of Ministry of I&B, the first two being FTII Pune and SRFTI Kolkata.  It is the first Film and Television Institute of entire North-East.  It will provide a boost to the talented youngsters of the North-East in film and television sector.

17. BuniyaadTasar Silk Reeling Machines News: BuniyaadTasar Silk Reeling Machines were distributed to women reelers from tribal areas.

Details  The distribution of the machine is part of total eradication of the age old practice of thigh reeling and to ensure rightful earning to the poor rural and tribal woman reelers in Tasar silk sector.  The machine was developed by Central Silk Technological Research Institute in association with an entrepreneur from Champa in Chhattisgarh.  It is planned to eradicate thigh reeling and replace it with Buniyaad reeling machine by end of March 2020.  A mobile application e-cocoon was launched for quality certification in silkworm seed sector.

Benefits  Woman reelers using the traditional method earn approximately Rs.125/- per day while a Tasarreeler using Buniyaad machine can earn Rs.350/- per day.  It will improve the quality and productivity of Tasar silk yarn and reduce the drudgery of women.  It will help the tribal women live a dignified life.

Silk in India  India is the second largest producer of silk after China and the largest consumer of silk.  Silk production has increased by 41 per cent since 2013-14.  India's silk production capacity is expected to reach about 38,500 tonnes by 2020 from the current level of 32,000 tonnes.

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18. Light House Projects challenge News: The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has instituted a challenge for States/ UTs to select six sites across the country for constructing the Lighthouse projects under GHTC-India.

GHTC  The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has already launched a ―Global Housing Technology Challenge-India (GHTC- India)‖.

The challenge has three components viz. (i) Conduct of Grand Expo-cum-Conference, (ii) Identifying Proven Demonstrable Technologies from across the globe and (iii) Promoting Potential Technologies through the establishment of Affordable Sustainable Housing Accelerators- India (ASHA-I) for incubation and accelerator support.  Out of the three, the second component intends to identify and pilot ‗Proven Demonstrable Technologies‘ from around the world in actual housing projects in different parts of the country.  The shortlisted global technology providers will be invited to plan and construct light house projects within the framework of PMAY (U) on pre-selected sites provided by States/UTs across six identified PMAY.

Outcome  The winning six States/ UTs that score the highest marks across the prescribed criteria will be awarded lighthouse projects.  The States/ UTs will receive Central Assistance to construct these projects as per PMAY (U) guidelines.  In addition to this, a Technology Innovation Grant (TIG) for the States/ UTs is provisioned to offset the impact of any additional cost implication due to the use of new technology and to absorb the issues related to economies of scale and other related factors.  The selected sites for lighthouse projects will be used as an ‗open laboratory‘ for live demonstration and will receive due attention from academia (Civil Engineering, Planning, Architecture), practitioners (Public/ Private), policy makers (Central/ State) and media apart from felicitation/ recognition in Grand Expo-cum-Conference.

19. Blue Flame Revolution  It was the name given by Prime Minister to the LPG revolution during the 13th edition of PETROTECH - 2019, India‘s flagship hydrocarbon Conference.  LPG coverage has reached more than 90% percent, from 55% five years ago.  He said India today has the fourth largest refining capacity in the world and that it will further grow by about 200 million metric tons by 2030.

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20. Swachh Shakti-2019 News: The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in association with the Govt. of Haryana is organizing the Swachh Shakti-2019.

Details  It is a national event which aims to bring in to focus the leadership role played by rural women in Swachh Bharat Mission.  Women Sarpanches and Panches from all over the country will be attending the event.  Around 15,000 women are expected to participate in this year‘s Swachh Shakti event aimed at empowering the women.  Best practices from grass root level in the rural areas for Swachh Bharat will be shared by them.  The event will showcase the achievements of Swachh Bharat and the recently conducted Swachh Sunder Shauchalay, (neat and clean toilet) - a unique and first of its kind in the world campaign.

Background  Prime Minister launched the Swachh Shakti program first in 2017 at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.  The second Swachh Shakti event, Swachh Shakti-2018 was held at Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.  Swachh Shakti is an example of how at the grass root level, rural women champions are acting as a change agent to mobilize the community and lead from the front women taking initiatives for a Swachh Bharat.  The movement is a part of on-going activities under the aegis of the Swachh Bharat Mission, launched on October 2nd, 2014, by the Prime Minister aimed at achieving a Clean and Open Defecation Free (ODF) India by 2nd October, 2019.

21. Support and Outreach initiative in Textiles News: Ministry of Textiles is organizing an outreach programme for Textiles Sector MSMEs on 13th February, 2019 in New Delhi to hold interactions with the stakeholders to help them avail the support and outreach for 100 days programme announced by the Prime Minister.

What is Support and Outreach initiative for MSMEs? As part of this programme, the Prime Minister unveiled 12 key initiatives which will help the growth, expansion and facilitation of MSMEs across the country. There are five key aspects for facilitating the MSME sector. The 12 initiatives will address each of the 5 categories. 1. Access to Credit  59 minute loan portal to enable easy access to credit for MSMEs  2 percent interest subvention for all GST registered MSMEs, on fresh or incremental loans  All companies with a turnover more than Rs. 500 crore, must now compulsorily be brought on the Trade Receivables e-Discounting System (TReDS) 2. Access to Markets  public sector companies have now been asked to compulsorily procure 25 percent, instead of 20 percent of their total purchases, from MSMEs.  out of the 25 percent procurement mandated from MSMEs, 3 percent must now be reserved for women entrepreneurs.

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 all public sector undertakings must now compulsorily be a part of GeM and that they should also get all their vendors registered on GeM. 3. Technology Upgradation 20 hubs will be formed across the country, and 100 spokes in the form of tool rooms will be established. 4. Ease of Doing Business  70 percent cost of establishing clusters of pharma MSMEs will be borne by the govt.  The return under 8 labour laws and 10 Union regulations must now be filed only once a year.  The establishments to be visited by an Inspector will be decided through a computerised random allotment.  environmental clearance and consent to establish have been merged as a single consent 5. Social Security for MSME Sector Employees a mission will be launched to ensure that they have Jan Dhan Accounts, provident fund and insurance.

Initiatives undertaken in Textile sector under the initiative  holding camps for Mudra Loan in collaboration with local bank  enrolment of beneficiaries on e-dhaga  distribution of tool kits to beneficiaries  registration and distribution of Pehchan card to artisans and weavers  popularization of 24x7 help line  quality certification  social security  district level events to consolidate progress  exhibition of handloom, handicraft and powerloom products

Benefits  Over 75 % of the garment industry in India is in the MSME sector and the twelve initiatives covered in the package would benefit most units in the industry.  Skilling of youth in textile sector, thus, providing requisite skilled manpower to the textile industry.  These incentives would provide support in manufacturing of quality tools to improve productivity of MSMEs and enable them to become competitive in national and international markets.  It will also provide trained manpower and consultancy in related areas.  Since Textiles industry is rapidly moving forward towards modernization, expansion and integration, these initiatives will be immensely beneficial to the textile sector.  It will boost textile manufacturing units in textile hubs like Gujrat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

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22. Credit Linked Capital Subsidy and Technology Up-gradation Scheme (CLCS- TUS) News: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister has approved the Credit Linked Capital Subsidy and Technology Up-gradation Scheme (CLCS-TUS) beyond 12th Plan for three years from 2017-18 to 2019-20.

Aim This scheme aims at 1. improving the competitiveness of MSMEs by integrating various ongoing schematic interventions aimed at up-grading technology through Credit Linked Capital Subsidy (CLCS), 2. hand holding for zero defect zero effect manufacturing (ZED), 3. increasing productivity through waste reduction (Lean), design intervention (Design), cloud computing (Digital MSMEs), facilitation of intellectual property (IPR) and nurturing new ideas (Incubation)

Benefits  The scheme through Zero Defect & Zero Effect, component will promote reduction in emission level of greenhouse gases and improve the competitiveness through reduction in defect / wastage during the manufacturing process of the products.  It will also promote the innovation, digital empowerment of MSMEs, design interventions and support the protection of intellectual property of MSMEs.  The scheme will facilitate technology up-gradation to MSEs, improvement in Quality of products by MSMEs, enhancement in productivity, reduction in waste and shall promote a culture of continuous improvement.

23. Indo-German Environment Forum News: Third Indo-German Environment Forum with the theme "Cleaner Air, Greener Economy:" was held in New Delhi.

Focus The event focuses on challenges, solutions and necessary framework conditions of air pollution control, waste management and circular economy as well as implementation of NDCs and SDGs based on Paris Agreement and Agenda 2030 of UN respectively.

India and Germany  India and Germany have had a rich cooperation engagement for the last 60 years.  It extends to sectors such as  natural resource management,  urban environment protection,  climate change adaptation and mitigation  innovative green technologies

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24. e-AUSHADHI portal News: The e-AUSHADHI portal was launched for online licensing of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy drugs and related matters at New Delhi.

Details  The new e-portal is an acronym for Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy Automated Drug Help Initiative.  e-AUSHADHI portal is intended for o increased transparency o improved information management facility o improved data usability o increased accountability  The timelines will be fixed for processing of application through this portal with SMS and e-mail status updates at each step of the process.  This portal will not only aid the licensing authority but also the manufactures and consumers, as it will provide real time information of the licensed manufactures and their products, cancelled and spurious drugs, contact details of the concerned authority for specific grievances.

25. Central Geological Programming Board News: The 58th meeting of Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) was held recently.

About CGPB  The Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) is an important platform of the Geological Survey of India (GSI), Ministry of Mines wherein the Annual Field Season Program (FSP) of GSI is finalized.  The members of CGPB and other stakeholders like State Governments, Central/ State Government Mineral Exploration Agencies, PSUs and Private Entrepreneurs etc. present their proposals for collaborative work with GSI.  The finalization of programmes will take into consideration the priorities and importance set forth by the Government of India through its various policy decisions and also on the basis of the recommendations of CGPB Committees‘ and State Geological Programming Board (SGPB) meetings.

26. Fixing National Minimum Wage News:The Expert Committee under Dr. Anoop Satpathy, Fellow, V. V. Giri National Labour Institute (VVGNLI) appointed by the Ministry of Labour and Employmentto review and recommend methodology for fixation of National Minimum Wage (NMW) has submitted its report.

Background  There have been several developments since the norms for the fixation of the minimum wages were recommended by the 15th ILC in 1957 and subsequently strengthened by the judgement of the Supreme Court in the judgment of Workmen v Reptakos Brett & Co. case in 1992.  Central Government constituted an expert committee as per the recommendations of the Central Advisory Board (CAB) on Minimum Wages.

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 Hence, the Expert Committee had the mandate to examine and review the norms and methodology for fixation of national minimum wage; and determine the base level National minimum wage/wages through an evidence-based approach.

What has the report taken into consideration?  The report using scientific approach has updated the methodological framework of fixation of minimum wages based on the overall guidelines of the ILC 1957 and the Supreme Court Judgment of Workmen v Reptakos Brett & Co. in 1992.  The report has been prepared using official data made available by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) taking into account o changes in the demographic structure o consumption pattern and nutritional intakes o the composition of food baskets o the relative importance of non-food consumption items to address the realities in the Indian context

Recommendations of the report  A balanced diet approach using nutritional requirement norms as recommended by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for Indian population which is culturally palatable for fixation of national minimum wage  Food items amounting to the level of ± 10 per cent of 2,400 calories, along with proteins ≥ 50 gm and fats ≥ 30 gm per day per person to constitute a national level balanced food basket.  Minimum wage should include 1. reasonable expenditure on „essential non-food items‟, such as clothing, fuel and light, house rent, education, medical expenses, footwear and transport, which must be equal to the median class 2. Expenditure on any „other non-food items‟ be equivalent to 25-30 per cent of the household expenditure distribution as per the NSSO-CES 2011/12 survey data.  Fix the need based national minimum wage for India at INR 375 per day (or INR 9,750 per month) as of July 2018, irrespective of sectors, skills, occupations and rural-urban locations for a family comprising of 3.6 consumption unit.  It has also recommended to introduce an additional house rent allowance (city compensatory allowance), averaging up to INR 55 per day i.e., INR 1,430 per month for urban workers over and above the NMW.  Different national minimum wages for different geographical regions of the country to suit the local realities and as per socio-economic and labour market contexts have been proposed.  The consumption basket should be reviewed every five years, subject to the availability of NSSO- CES data.  Also within the period of 5 years, the basic minimum wage should be revised and updated at least in line with the consumer price index (CPI) every six months, to reflect changes in the cost of living.

27. Electric Vehicles Charging Infrastructure News: The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has issued guidelines and standards for charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.

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Details  Amendments have been made to the Model Building Byelaws (MBBL) 2016 and Urban Regional Development Plans Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines 2014 making provisions for establishing Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure.  The Guidelines will act as a guiding document to the State Governments and Union Territories to incorporate the norms and standards of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure in their respective Building Bye Laws.  The government is encouraging electric vehicles to reduce the usage of fossil fuels in line with Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Change of United Nations to take urgent action to combat climate change.  Government has desired that 25% of the total vehicles on roads should be EVs by 2030.

28. LADIS News: The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) launched a new portal LADIS – Least Available Depth Information System.

What is it? LADIS is a portal designed by the IWAI to facilitate the day to day operations of inland vessels plying on National Waterways and to avoid any hindrance in service and operation.

Benefits  LADIS will ensure that real-time data on least available depths is disseminated for ship/barge and cargo owners so that they can undertake transportation on National Waterways (NWs) in a more planned way.  An assured depth of waterway is required for seamless movement of vessels. If real time information is made available regarding LADs in stretches of various NWs, it will help transporters by guiding them on the suitability of time of movement.  It will enhance credibility and efficiency of information sharing to achieve seamless operations on National Waterways, besides pre-empting problems that may occur during movement of vessels.

29. Eco Circuit: Pathanamthitta – Gavi – Vagamon – Thekkady News:Union Minister for Tourism inaugurated the project ‗Development of Eco Circuit: Pathanamthitta – Gavi – Vagamon – Thekkady‘ under the Swadesh Darshan scheme.

What is an eco-circuit? Eco Circuit is one of the fifteen thematic circuits identified for development under Swadesh Darshan Scheme- Integrated development of theme- based tourist circuits in the country.

Swadesh Darshan Scheme  The scheme was launched in 2014 -15.  Swadesh Darshan scheme is one of the flagship schemes of Ministry of Tourism for development of thematic circuits in the country in a planned and prioritised manner.  Under this scheme the Government is focuses on development of quality infrastructure in the country with the objective of providing better experience and facilities to the visitors on one hand and on other hand fostering the economic growth.  Objectives

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Position tourism as a major engine of economic growth and job creation Develop circuits having tourist potential in a planned and prioritized manner Promote cultural and heritage value of the country to generate livelihoods in the identified regions Enhance the tourist attractiveness in a sustainable manner by developing world class infrastructure in the circuit/destinations Follow community based development and pro-poor tourism approach Create awareness among the local communities about the importance of tourism for them in terms of increased sources of income, improved living standards and overall development of the area. Create employment through active involvement of local communities Harness tourism potential for its effects in employment generation and economic development. Make full use of the potential and advantages in terms of available infrastructure, national culture and characteristic strong points of each and every region throughout the country by development of theme based circuits.

30. Modern Coach Factory (Raebareli) News: The Modern Coach factory at Rae Bareli has been touted as a shining example of ―Make in India‖ scheme.

Background  Modern Coach Factory (MCF), Raebareli was established to produce 1,000 coaches.  But, between 2011 and 2014, it only refurbished 375 coaches brought from Kapurthala.

After 2014  In July 2014, MCF was declared a Production Unit of Indian Railways.  It started producing fully formed coaches and was able to double its production almost every year.  It is expected to produce 1,422 coaches in 2018-19.

Measures adopted  Better management of resources  Coordination and focussed leadership

Significance  New concepts such as extensive use of Robotics, automation etc. are being implemented in MCF.  New generation safer LHB coaches are being built in MCF - contributing to railways and passengers safety.  Production of Humsafar coaches was also commenced from this factory.  MCF has also rolled out smart coaches, providing better safety and passenger amenities as well as enabling predictive maintenance.  MCF will become 1st Rail factory to meet Zero-Energy Mega Factory standards by 2020-21. Solar energy capacity will be raised from 3 MW to 10 MW which will help achieve ‗Energy Neutral‘ standards for the unit and the township.

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Benefit  Due to economies of scale, as more coaches are being produced in MCF, per unit cost of production reduced.  MCF has least cost among all Production Units of Indian Railways for coaches produced.  This will reduce the cost for passengers and make it more affordable.  MCF has boosted local economy of Raebareli.  It has created employment opportunities for local youth and invigorated industries in vicinity.  Further, training centers have been developed to provide skill development opportunities to local youth.

Future plans  MEMU, EMU & Metro coaches will be produced here.  In future, coaches for Bullet Train can also be built in MCF if all requirements are met.  It is also planned to manufacture Aluminium coaches at MCF, the first such manufacturing in India.  To augment production, it is planned that Vande Bharat Express train sets too will be manufactured here.

31. Initiatives on Women‟s Safety The Ministry of Women and Child Development has conceptualized several initiatives to promote safety of women in their living spaces, working spaces and the public spaces.

1. Panic Button  The idea was conceptualised in 2015 and after a series of deliberations, Ministry of Telecom mandated a physical panic button on all mobile phones in the country.  It was also noted that such a panic button must be backed by an emergency response mechanism through the local police when panic button message would alert the specified family members etc. of a woman in distress situation.  The emergency response system can be triggered in the following manners:-  On the smart phones, the power button (which is dedicated panic button) when pressed three times quickly.  Dialing 112 from any phone.  In case of feature phones, long press of the touch key 5 or 9.  Using 112 India Mobile App which is available for free downloading.  The emergency message coming out of the above modes, will trigger a response from the emergency response centre through a team of trained personnel who can handle emergency requests of various kinds and get the necessary relief services launched.  For Women and children, 112 India App provides a special SHOUT feature which alerts registered volunteers in the vicinity of victim for immediate assistance.  The emergency response system was soft launched in Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland recently

2. SCIM portal under Safe City Project

 In order to provide safety for women in public spaces, the Government has identified eight cities for implementation of Safe City project.  The 8 major cities which have been chosen are Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai.

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 Some of the key features of the safe city project include:  Identification of sensitive hot spots in each city,  Installation of CCTV surveillance covering the entire hot spot.  Automated number plate reading machines to be deployed in extremely sensitive areas.  Intensive patrolling in vulnerable areas beyond the identified hot spots.  Improving street lighting and public toilet facilities for women.  Others like setting up women help desks in police stations, augmentation of women support centres etc.  All the above measures would be coordinated through an Integrated Smart Control Room in the city.  In order to facilitate States to monitor and manage the Safe City projects and avoid duplication on ground, an online Safe City Implementation Monitoring (SCIM) portal has been developed by MHA which will also be launched tomorrow.  SCIM will facilitate online tracking of deployment of assets and infrastructure created under the Safe City projects.  SCIM facilitates an evidence based online monitoring system. SCIM also creates a digital repository of assets, infrastructure and social outreach programs, as well as best practices achieved in each City. 3. DNA Analysis Facilities in States  Timely testing of DNA samples from the crime scene is the quickest process of obtaining forensic evidence in cases of sexual assault on women.  In the initial phase, dedicated DNA analysis facilities have been sanctioned for the forensic science laboratories located at Chennai, Madurai, Agra, Lucknow, Mumbai and Kolkata.  The equipments to be provided under this initiative include refrigerated facility for samples, automated DNA extractor & sequencer, centrifuges, genetic analyzers etc.

32. Hastshilp Complex News: Union Minister of Textiles laid the foundation stone of a Hastshilp Complex in New Delhi.

Details  Minster of Textiles said that the Bhawan will be named DeenDayalAntarashtriyaHastshilp Bhawan and awardee artisans will be allocated space for marketing their products, on rotation basis, and preference will be given to Divyang artisans.  There will be a separate research wing and research will be carried out on endangered crafts and new and emerging handicrafts products and markets.

33. Magnitude of Substance Use in India Report News:National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi submitted its Report ―Magnitude of Substance Use in India‖ sponsored by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Details  The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has conducted a ―National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India‖ through the NDDTC of AIIMS, New Delhi during 2018 which provides data at the National level as well as at the State level.  This Survey conducted at the National level as well as at the State level is first of its kind which has been officially released

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34. PCS1X Maritime-Commerce Portal News: PCS1xhas been developed in record time by the Indian Ports Association, based on feedback from stakeholders using PCS.

What is PCS1x?  PCS Ix is a new generation system with a user-friendly interface that brings together various stakeholders of the maritime sector, and facilitates Government-to-Business, Business –to- Government and Business-to-Business transactions within the required legal framework.  The architecture of PCS is built on „open platform‟ technology to integrate / latch on to any new concept or module available in the industry without disturbing the current ecosystem. This is a unique feature which provides unlimited landscape for growth and expansion.  PCS1x is an upgraded version of the e-commerce portal, Port Community System (PCS).  Digitization in EXIM trade, of which PCS is a part, has played a major role in improving India‘s world ranking in ‗Ease of Doing Business‘.

Benefits  PCS enables trade to have an improved communication with the customs as they have also embarked on an Application Programming Interface (API) based architecture, thereby enabling real time interaction.  It provides Single Window platform for maritime industry and authorities, a user-friendly mobile application for stakeholders, event based notification and alerts, interactive dashboard, capability of PCS-to-PCS integration (Indian PCS with other international PCS) and 24/7 helpdesk for location support.  The platform allows improvement in payment cycle, transparency of transaction cycles, detailed tracking of vessels and berthing schedules.  It can be integrated with Gate system with RIFD, can produce E-copy of reports and notices and be used for cargo/truck trailer tracking. It also allows better stakeholder coordination.  It ensures extreme levelsof cyber security.

35. International Vision Zero Conference News:The international Vision Zero Conference was held in February.

What is Vision Zero?  The concept of Vision Zero is based on four fundamental principles viz. o life is non-negotiable o humans are fallible o tolerable limits are defined by human physical resistance o people are entitled to safe transport and safe workplaces  The Vision is based on principles of Controlling Risks, Ensuring Safety and Health in Machines, Equipment and Workplaces and Skill Upgradation of Workforce.

About International Vision Zero Conference  The conference provides a forum for promoting safety and health at work by exchanging knowledge, practices and experience.  Experts in the field of Occupational Safety and Health reinforce and build networks and alliances while laying the groundwork for cooperation and strengthening relationships.

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 More than 1200 national and international delegates comprising of occupational safety and health professionals from the manufacturing, mining and construction sectors had participated in the conference.

36. National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP) News: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister has approved the Implementation of an Externally Aided Project namely ―National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP).

Details  It has been approved under the DeendayalAntyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) through loan assistance (IBRD Credit) from World Bank.  DAY-NRLM lays special emphasis on targeting the poorest of the poor and the most vulnerable communities and their financial inclusion.  Innovative projects will be undertaken under NRETP to pilot alternate channels of financial inclusion, creating value chains around rural products, introduce innovative models in livelihoods promotion and access to finance and scale-up initiatives on digital finance and livelihoods interventions.  DAY-NRLM provides for mutually beneficial working relationship and formal platforms for consultations between Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs).  NRLM has also developed activity map to facilitate convergence in different areas of interventions where NRLM institutions and PRIs could work together which has been disseminated to all state Rural Livelihood Missions.

Benefits The technical assistance provided by NRETP and the higher level interventions facilitated by the project will enhance the livelihoods promotion and access to finance and scale-up initiatives on digital finance and livelihood interventions.

37. Reforms in exploration and licensing sector News:The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister approved the Policy framework on reforms in exploration and licensing sector for enhancing domestic exploration and production of oil and gas.

Objectives  To attract new investment in Exploration and Production (E&P) Sector  To intensify exploration activities in hitherto unexplored areas  To liberalise the policy in producing basins

Need for the reforms  Stagnant/declining domestic production of oil and gas  Rise in import dependence  Decline in investment in E&P activities

Details The policy reforms focus on four major areas. 1. Increasing exploration activities in unexpected areas

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 In basins where no commercial production is there, exploration blocks would be bid out exclusively on the basis of exploration work programme without any revenue or production share to Government.  Royalty and statutory levies, however, will be paid by Contractor.  For unallocated/unexplored areas of producing basins, the bidding will continue to be based on revenue sharing basis but more weightage to work programme.  An upper ceiling on biddable revenue share has also been prescribed to prevent unviable bids.  The policy also provides for shorter exploration period and fiscal incentive for commencement of early production.  Contractor will have full marketing and pricing freedom for crude oil and natural gas to be sold at arm's length basis through transparent and competitive bidding process. 2. Incentivising enhanced gas production  Marketing and pricing freedom has been granted for those new gas discoveries whose Field Development Plan (FDP) is yet to be approved.  Fiscal incentive is also provided on additional gas production from domestic fields over and above normal production 3. Enhancing production from existing fields  To enhance the production from existing nomination fields of ONGC and OIL, enhanced production profile will be prepared by both PSUs.  For production enhancement, bringing new technology, and capital, NOCs will be allowed to induct private sector partners 4. Measures will be initiated for promoting ease of doing business through setting up coordination mechanism and simplification of approval of DGH, alternate dispute resolution mechanism etc.

Benefits  Through this policy, a transparent, investor friendly and competitive policy framework is envisaged to accelerate exploration activities and provide impetus to expeditious production of oil and gas.  The production enhancement scheme for nomination field of NOCs is likely to augment production by leveraging new technology, capital and management practices through private sector participation.  With enhanced E&P activities, there would be macro-economic spin off benefits in terms of development of support services, employment generation, transfer of advanced technology etc.  The enhanced production would help in reducing import dependence; improve energy security of country and save the precious foreign exchange on import bill.

38. Khadi and Gramodyog Vikas Yojana News The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister has given the approval to the following: 1. To subsume existing schemes under 'Khadi and Gramodyog Vikas Yojana' for the period 2017- 18 to 2019-20. 2. To bring in a new component of 'RozgarYukt Gaon' to introduce enterprise-based operation in the Khadi sector and to create employment opportunities for thousands of new artisans in the current and next financial year (2018-19 and 2019-20)

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Details 8 different schemes of Khadi & Village Industries are now merged under 2 umbrella heads i.e. 'Khadi Vikas Yojana' and 'Gramodyog Vikas Yojana' (i) Khadi Vikas Yojana [Market Promotion & Development Assistance (MPDA), Interest Subsidy Eligibility Certificate (ISEC), Workshed, Strengthening Weak Infra, AamAadmiBima Yojana, Khadi Grant and Khadi & Village Industries Science &Technology] (ii) Gramodyog Vikas Yojanaa [Village Industries Grant]

RozgarYukt Gaon (RYG)  It aims at introducing an 'Enterprise-led Business Model' in place of 'Subsidy-led model' through partnership among 3 stakeholders- KRDP-assisted Khadi Institution, Artisans and Business Partner.  It will be rolled out in 50 Villages by providing Charkhas, looms & warping units to Khadi artisans.  It would create direct employment for 250 Artisans per village.

39. SWAYATT News: SWAYATT was launched by the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation.

Details  SWAYATT is an initiative to promote Start-ups, Women and Youth Advantage Through eTransactions on Government e Marketplace (GeM).  This will bring together the key stakeholders within the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem to Government e-Marketplace the national procurement portal.

40. Startup Ranking framework News: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) recently released second edition of Startup Ranking for 2019.

Aim  The Startup Ranking framework aims to rank the States/UTs for establishing a robust ecosystem for supporting Startups.  The framework also encourages States and UTs to identify, learn and replicate good practices from each other.

What is the framework?  The Ranking Framework 2019 comprises of 7 pillars and 30 action points.  The pillars will assess States‘/UTs efforts across institutional support, simplifying regulations, easing public procurement, incubation support, seed funding support, venture funding support and awareness and outreach related activities.  The ranking exercise aims to evaluate measures taken by States/UTs during the assessment period from May 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019.  As part of the Ranking 2019 exercise, DPIIT will recognize innovative Startup programs and initiatives from State/UT Governments.  The Startup Ranking 2019 is expected to take forward the Startup ecosystem in the country and give impetus to the vision of India becoming a Startup Nation.

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41. VIVID 2019 News:―VIVID-Vision Insight and Voices as India goes Digital‖- the District Informatics Officer (DIO) meet, was being organised by National Informatics Centre (NIC).

About VIVID  VIVID started in 2017, as an annual event, with the objective to empower NIC officials in the field of technology.  It provides a cohesive and extensive platform for interaction and knowledge sharing.  It covered a wide range of relevant topics in various technical sessions‘ sessions including Emerging Technologies (Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning & Big Data Analytics), Cyber Threats & Counter Measures (Changing Digitisation Paradigm & its impact on Security), Enterprise Level Applications, and many other relevant topics.

42. Digidhan Mitra Chatbot  Designed and developed by NIC, the AI based Digidhan Mitra enables a text & voice based conversation with the user, mining the Digidhan Portal, to give customized information in graphical, tabular and textual format.  It provides bank wise transactions details as well as growth pattern of various modes of transactions like BHIM, IMPS, Cards etc. in tabular as well as graphical form."

43. Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE 2.0) Scheme  The Scheme has been devised to promote the momentum into the tech entrepreneurship landscape.  The Scheme provides financial and technical support to incubators engaged in supporting ICT startups using emerging technologies such as IoT, AI, Block-chain, Robotics etc. in seven pre- identified areas of societal relevance.

44. ATL Drone module News:NITI Aayog‟s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and Drona Aviation, an IIT Bombay start-up, launched the ‗ATL Drone module: Get, Set, Go‘ for Atal Tinkering Labs at the Aero India 2019 in Bengaluru.

Details  With the ATL Drone Module, young students of India will learn how to create their own drones and use them for solving community problems in India.  The ATL Drone Module aims at building this open source community of tinkerers who will learn and buid on drone ideas to showcase their many possible application.  Students will be able to connect this module to their academic subjects, especially physics and mathematics, and enhance their spatial problem-solving skills.

Drona Aviation Drona Aviation is India‘s first developer drone company, with a focus on drone innovation.

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Atal Innovation Mission  Atal Innovation Mission, housed at NITI Aayog, is Government of India‘s flagship initiative to foster a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship across India.  With the vision to empower our young generation with the 21st century skills of design thinking, problem solving, collaboration, critical thinking and so on, AIM has selected more than 5000 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) where young innovators get access to latest technologies of microelectronics, Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing, robotics, drone technology, artificial intelligence and so on.  Previously, an ATL Space Module was also launched to inspire young innovators to reach for the stars.

45. All India Citizens Survey of Police Services  To strengthen the good governance practices in the working of police, Ministry of Home Affairs has commissioned the Bureau of Police Research and Development to conduct a pan-India survey called ―ALL INDIA CITIZENS SURVEY OF POLICE SERVICES‖.  The survey will be conducted through the National Council of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi.  The survey is aimed to understand public perceptions about Police, gauge the level of non-reporting of crimes or incidents to Police, the position on ground relating to crime reporting & recording, timeliness and quality of police response and action, and to assess citizens' perception and experience about women and children‘s safety.  The outcome of the survey is expected to bring out useful suggestions for stakeholders in formulating and implementing appropriate policy responses and changes in the functioning of police at the cutting edge and for improving crime prevention and investigation, transformation in community policing, improvement in the access to the justice and increased/ appropriate resource allocation for police in a systematic manner.

46. 4th Global Digital Health Partnership Summit News: It was held in Delhi.

Details The global intergovernmental meeting on digital health is being hosted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Digital Health Partnership (GDHP).

Digital health interventions in India 1. Ayushman Bharat

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 Ayushman Bharat is a comprehensive scheme with the twin pillars of Health & Wellness Centres (HWCs) at primary and secondary levels of healthcare and PM-Jan Aarogya Yojana (PMJAY) at the tertiary level.  Ayushman Bharat is primarily dependent on maximising the use of digital tools for effective implementation and monitoring.  The scheme is completely digital wherein all the processes from beneficiary identification to hospital empanelment and settlement of claims are done electronically.  Hence all the benefits of the scheme are delivered in a mode that is cashless, paperless & completely transparent for all stakeholders. 2. National Resource Centre for EHR Standards  It has been set in order to augment facilitation for adoption of the notified EHR Standards.  Indian government has notified health informatics standards and approved Metadata & Data Standards for enabling seamless exchange of information across care providers to make these systems interoperable and to build electronic health records of citizens. 3. Resolution on Digital Health  India took the world stage at the 71st World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland by successfully introducing and unanimous adoption of Resolution on Digital Health.

4. Integrated Health Information Platform  Health Ministry is in the process of establishing an Integrated Health Information Platform for interoperability amongst various health IT systems and a pan-India exchange of Electronic Health Records of citizens ensuring privacy, security, and confidentiality of data.  The same is to be supplemented by a pan-Indian network of disease surveillance, tele-medicine and tele-radiology and tele-education

Global Digital Health Partnership (GDHP)  It is an international collaboration of governments, government agencies and multinational organisations dedicated to improving the health and well-being of their citizens through the best use of evidence-based digital technologies.  Governments are making significant investments to harness the power of technology and foster innovation and public-private partnerships that support high quality, sustainable health and care for all.  The GDHP facilitates global collaboration and co-operation in the implementation of digital health services.

47. Atal JaiAnusandhan Biotech Mission - Undertaking Nationally Relevant Technology Innovation (UNaTI)  It is expected to transform Health, Agriculture and Energy sectors during the next 5 years.  This mission includes o GARBH-ini - A Mission to promote Maternal and Child Health and develop prediction tools for pre-term berth, o IndCEPI - A Mission to develop affordable vaccines for endemic diseases, o Development of Bio fortified and Protein Rich wheat - contributing to POSHAN Abhiyan, o Mission on Anti-Microbial Resistance for Affordable Diagnostics and Therapeutics o Clean Energy Mission - Innovative Technology interventions for Swachh Bharat

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48. Skill Vigyan programme It aims to provide high quality hands on training in tools and techniques in multidisciplinary area of biotechnology for entry level students.

49. Delhi Declaration  As part of the 4th Global Digital Health Partnership Summit, the ministers and delegation adopted the Delhi Declaration on digital health for sustainable development, which called for WHO‘s leadership in digital health and for it to establish a specific mechanism to centrally coordinate digital health to assist its Member States.  The global intergovernmental meeting on digital health is being hosted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Digital Health Partnership (GDHP).  The declaration marks India‘s commitment in maximizing the digital health investments to ensure UHC and realize Ayushman Bharat‖.

50. Exercise Sampriti – 2019  It is a joint military exercise between India and Bangladesh.  The exercise is aimed to strengthen and broaden the aspects of interoperability and cooperation between the Indian and Bangladesh Armies.  The exercise will involve tactical level operations in a counter insurgency and counter terrorism environment under the UN mandate.

51. Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation (JCEC) News: The meeting of 20thIndia-Italy Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation (JCEC) began in New Delhi

 The JCEC is an institutional mechanism for bilateral trade engagement held at the level of Minister of Commerce and Industry of the two countries. 52. South Coast Railway (SCoR)  As per item 8 of Schedule 13 (Infrastructure) of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014, Indian Railways was required to examine establishing a new railway zone in the successor State of Andhra Pradesh.  Therefore, a new zone has been created with headquarter at Visakhapatnam.  The new zone named ―South Coast Railway (SCoR)‖, will comprise of existing Guntakal, Guntur and Vijayawada divisions.  South Central Railway will comprise of Hyderabad, Secunderabad and Nanded divisions.

53. SATAT scheme  SATAT is an initiative aimed at providing a Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation as a developmental effort that would benefit both vehicle-users as well as farmers and entrepreneurs.  SATAT was launched with a four-pronged agenda of 1. utilising more than 62 million metric tonnes of waste generated every year in India,

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2. cutting down import dependence, 3. supplementing job creation in the country 4. reducing vehicular emissions and pollution from burning of agricultural / organic waste

Compressed Bio Gas  Bio-gas is produced naturally through a process of anaerobic decomposition from waste / bio-mass sources like agriculture residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press mud, municipal solid waste, sewage treatment plant waste, etc.  After purification, it is compressed and called CBG, which has pure methane content of over 90%.  Compressed Bio-Gas is exactly similar to the commercially available natural gas in its composition and energy potential. CBG can be used as an alternative, renewable automotive fuel.  Given the abundance of biomass in the country, CBG has the potential to replace CNG in automotive, industrial and commercial uses in the coming years.  There are multiple benefits from converting agricultural residue, cattle dung and municipal solid waste into CBG on a commercial scale: o Responsible waste management, reduction in carbon emissions and pollution o Additional revenue source for farmers o Boost to entrepreneurship, rural economy and employment o Support to national commitments in achieving climate change goals o Reduction in import of natural gas and crude oil o Buffer against crude oil/gas price fluctuations  Compressed Bio-Gas plants are proposed to be set up mainly through independent entrepreneurs.  CBG produced at these plants will be transported through cascades of cylinders to the fuel station networks of OMCs for marketing as a green transport fuel alternative.

54. Indigenous Semiconductor Chips News: India‘s first Indigenous Semiconductor Chips were unveiled in Bengaluru.

Details  It has been manufactured by Bengaluru based semiconductor company ―SIGNALCHIP‖ for 4G/LTE and 5G NR MODEMs.  At present only 8 companies and a few countries can design and build semiconductor chips.  Four chips were unveiled designed by SIGNALCHIP. o SCBM3412: a single chip 4G/LTE modem including the baseband and transceiver sections in a single device o SCBM3404: a single chip 4X4 LTE baseband modem o SCRF3402: a 2X2 transceiver for LTE o SCRF4502: a 2X2 transceiver for 5G NR standards  The RF sections cover all LTE/5G-NR bands upto 6GHz.  These chips also support positioning using India‘s own satellite navigation system, NAVIC.  The Agumbe series builds up on SCRF1401: India‘s first RF transceiver chip for high performance wireless standards like 3G/4G and WiFi, created by Signalchip in 2015.

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55. Van Dhan Scheme News: Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched the ambitious scheme, Van Dhan.

Details  It is a scheme for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Minor Forest Produce Scheme (MFP) and Development of Value Chain of MFPs.  The Scheme will offer remunerative Minimum Support Price for 50 commercially viable items to the Tribals.  MFPs now covered the entire range of forest produces.  MSP have been raised by 30% to 40%.  The tribals presently get only 20 – 30% of the value chain of the Minor Forest Produces.  This situation will change after Van Dhan scheme which aims to take this share to 70 to 80%.  This would go a long way in adding to the income of the Tribals.

56. TRIFOOD Scheme  It is a joint initiative of Ministry of Food Processing Industry, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and TRIFED.  Under this scheme a tertiary value addition center will be set up in Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh and Raigad in Maharashtra at a cost of approximately Rs.11.00 crores.  A highlight of this is the production of ―Heritage Mahua‖ drink.  The traditional Mahua tribal drink will be mainstreamed and marketed all over the Country under this project.

57. Bilateral Swap Arrangement (BSA)

 Reserve Bank of India and Bank of Japan have completed signing of the Agreement for Bilateral Swap Arrangement (BSA) between India and Japan.  The present BSA provides for India to access 75 billion in US dollars whereas the earlier BSA had provided for US $50 billion.  India can access the agreed amount of USD 75 billion for its domestic currency, for the purpose of maintaining an appropriate level of balance of payments or short-term liquidity.  A part of the BSA can be accessed at the discretion of India. India has comfortable level of foreign exchange reserves presently.  The BSA provides India flexibility to use these reserves if at any point of time, in its judgment, there is need to use the resources available under BSA.

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ACTS/BILLS CORNER 1. The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2019 News:The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was introduced in Rajya Sabha and referred to the standing committee.

Details  The bill amends the Cinematograph Act, 1952.  The Bill aims to tackle films piracy by including the penal provisions for unauthorized camcording and duplication of films.

Background  The medium of cinema, the tools and the technology associated with it and even its audience has undergone radical changes over a period of time.  There have also been many changes in the field of media and entertainment with the proliferation of TV channels and Cable network throughout the country.  The advent of new digital technology has increasedthe apprehension of piracy, particularly due to release of pirated version of films on internet.  It has been causing huge losses to the film industry and Government exchequer.

Amendments 1. Insertion of new Section 6AA for prohibition of unauthorized recording - no person shall without the written authorization of the author be permitted to use any audio visual recording device to knowingly make or transmit or attempt to make or transmit or abet the making or transmission of a copy of a film or a part thereof. 2. Amendment in Section 7 to introduce Penal Provisions for violating provisions of section 6AA - If any person contravenes the provisions of section 6AA, he shall be punishable with an imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years or with fine which may extend to 10 lakh rupees or with both.

Benefits  The proposed amendments would  increase industry revenues  boost job creation  fulfil important objectives of India‘s National IP policy  give relief against piracy and infringing content online  boost tourism in the country  eradicate hidden costs involved in the procedure  The anti-camcorder norms would help the government track down the source of piracy in cinema halls, especially in small towns.  Single-window clearance is expected to save pre-production time for filmmakers and producers.

Challenges Most properties open to filming fall under the State governments, which will lead to a conflict of interest with the Centre.

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Way forward State governments should implement the law effectively which will help in achieving the true intentions of the act.

2. The International Financial Services Centres Authority Bill, 2019 News: The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has approved establishment of a unified authority for regulating all financial services in International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs) in India through International Financial Services Centres Authority Bill, 2019.

What is an IFSC?  An IFSC enables bringing back the financial services and transactions that are currently carried out in offshore financial centers by Indian corporate entities and overseas branches / subsidiaries of financial institutions (FIs)to India.  It offers business and regulatory environment that is comparable to other leading international financial centers in the world like London and Singapore.  It would provide Indian corporates easier access to global financial markets. IFSC would also compliment and promote further development of financial markets in India.

Salient features of the bill 1. Management of the Authority: The Authority shall consist of a Chairperson and four members, each nominated by RBI, SEBI, IRDAI and PFRDA respectively, two members to be dominated by the Central Government and two other whole-time or full-time or part-time members. 2. Functions of the Authority:  The Authority shall regulate all such financial services, financial products and FIs in an IFSC which has already been permitted by the Financial Sector Regulators for IFSCs.  The Authority shall also regulate such other financial products, financial services or FIs as may be notified by the Central Government from time to time.  It may also recommend to the Central Government such other financial products, financial services and financial institutions which may be permitted in the IFSCs. 3. Powers of the Authority: All powers exercisable by the respective financial sector regulatory (viz. RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, and PFRDA etc.) under the respective Acts shall be solely exercised by the Authority in the IFSCs in so far as the regulation of financial products, financial services and FIs that are permitted in the IFSC are concerned. 4. Processes and procedures of the Authority: The processes and procedures to be followed by the Authority shall be governed in accordance with the provisions of the respective Acts of Parliament of India applicable to such financial products, services or institutions, as the case may be. 5. Grants by the Central Govt.: The Central Govt. may, after due appropriation made by Parliament by law in this behalf, make to the Authority grants of such sums of money as the Central Government may think fit for being utilized for the purposes of the Authority. 6. Transactions in foreign currency: The transactions of financial services in the IFSCs shall be done in the foreign currency as specified by the Authority in consultation with the Central Govt.

Benefits  The establishment of a unified financial regulator for IFSCs will result in providing world-class regulatory environment to market participants from an ease of doing business perspective.

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 This will provide a stimulus for further development of IFSCs in India and enable bringing back of financial services and transactions that are currently carried out in offshore financial centres to India.  This would also generate significant employment in the IFSCs in particular as well as financial sector in India as a whole.

3. The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018 News: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister has approved the Promulgation of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Ordinance, 2019.

Salient features:  The Bill contains a substantive banning clause which bans Deposit Takers from promoting, operating, issuing advertisements or accepting deposits in any Unregulated Deposit Scheme. The principle is that the Bill would ban unregulated deposit taking activities altogether, by making them an offence ex-ante rather than the existing legislative-cum-regulatory framework which only comes into effect ex-post with considerable time lags;  The Bill creates three different types of offences, namely, running of Unregulated Deposit Schemes, fraudulent default in Regulated Deposit Schemes, and wrongful inducement in relation to Unregulated Deposit Schemes.  The Bill provides for severe punishment and heavy pecuniary fines to act as deterrent.  The Bill has adequate provisions for disgorgement or repayment of deposits in cases where such schemes nonetheless manage to raise deposits illegally.  The Bill provides for attachment of properties / assets by the Competent Authority, and subsequent realization of assets for repayment to depositors;  Clear-cut time lines have been provided for attachment of property and restitution to depositors;  The Bill enables creation of an online central database, for collection and sharing of information on deposit-taking activities in the country;  The Bill defines ―Deposit Taker‖ and ―Deposit‖ comprehensively.  ―Deposit Takers‖ include all possible entities (including individuals) receiving or soliciting deposits, except specific entities such as those incorporated by legislation;  ―Deposit‖ is defined in such a manner that deposit-takers are restricted from camouflaging public deposits as receipts, and at the same time, not to curb or hinder acceptance of money by an establishment in the ordinary course of its business; and  Being a comprehensive Union Law, the Bill adopts best practices from State laws, while entrusting the primary responsibility of implementing the provisions of the legislation to the State Governments.

Benefits The proposed Ordinance will immediately tackle the menace of illicit deposit taking activities in the country launched by rapacious operators, which at present are exploiting regulatory gaps and lack of strict administrative measures to dupe poor and gullible people of their hard-earned savings, by altogether banning unregulated deposit taking schemes, and having adequate provisions for punishment and disgorgement / repayment of deposits in cases where such schemes nonetheless manage to raise deposits illegally.

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Challenges  In the past there have been several cases of politicians acting in cahoots with the operators of fraudulent deposit schemes to fleece depositors of their hard-earned money.  When the government takes it upon itself to guarantee the legitimacy of various deposit schemes it dissuades depositors from conducting the necessary due diligence before choosing to deposit their money.

4. The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2018 The Union Cabinet had approved change in the basis of classifying Micro, Small and Medium enterprises from ‗investment in plant & machinery/equipment‘ to ‗annual turnover‘.

Amendments A micro enterprise will be defined as a unit where the annual turnover does not exceed five crore rupees; A small enterprise will be defined as a unit where the annual turnover is more than five crore rupees but does not exceed Rs 75 crore; A medium enterprise will be defined as a unit where the annual turnover is more than seventy five crore rupees but does not exceed Rs 250 crore. Additionally, the Central Government may, by notification, vary turnover limits, which shall not exceed thrice the limits specified in Section 7 of the MSMED Act.

Need for amendment At present the MSMED Act (Section 7) classifies the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) on the basis of investment in plant and machinery for manufacturing units, and investment in equipment for service enterprises. The criterion of investment in plant and machinery stipulates self-declaration which in turn entails verification if deemed necessary and leads to transaction costs.

Present definitions Manufacturing Sector Enterprises Investment in plant & machinery Micro Enterprises Does not exceed twenty five lakh rupees Small Enterprises More than twenty five lakh rupees but does not exceed five crore rupees

Medium Enterprises More than five crore rupees but does not exceed ten crore rupees

Service Sector Enterprises Investment in equipment‘s Micro Enterprises Does not exceed ten lakh rupees:

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Small Enterprises More than ten lakh rupees but does not exceed two crore rupees Medium Enterprises More than two crore rupees but does not exceed five core rupees

MSMEs in India The number of MSMEs registered on Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum (UAM) Portal till July 12, 2018 (since September 2015) is 48.40 lakh. However, as per the data received from the 73rd round of the National Sample Survey on ‗Unincorporated Non-Agricultural Enterprises (excluding Construction)‘, conducted by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (during July 2015 to June 2016), the total number of MSMEs in the country was 633.88 lakh. India‘s export of products from the MSMEs increased to $137.1 billion in 2016-17 from $130.8 billion in 2015-16, registering a growth of 4.8 per cent, which was an improvement from the negative growth of 5.9 per cent in 2015-16.

Arguments for the Bill This will encourage ease of doing business, make the norms of classification growth oriented and align them to the new tax regime revolving around GST (Goods & Services Tax). It will help in having non-discretionary, transparent and objective criteria. It will eliminate the need for inspections, make the classification system progressive and evolutionary, help in overcoming the uncertainties associated with the classification based on investment in plant & machinery/equipment and employment, and improve the ease of doing business. In addition the amendment will provide flexibility to the Government to fine-tune the classification of MSMEs in response to changing economic scenario without resorting to the amendment of MSMED (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Development) Act. The change in the norms of classification will enhance the ease of doing business. The consequent growth and will pave the way for increased direct and indirect employment in the MSME sector of the country.

Arguments against the Bill Experts say the if the bill is enacted, it will end the distinct identity of MSMEs. Turnover is not used as a criterion to define MSMEs anywhere in the world. Small scale industries have been incurring losses continuously. With the new definition, people doing trading would get incorporated into MSME. Moreover, the levels set are too high, further increasing those eligible for MSME. The benefits, this way, would not reach the real small scale industries. On the basis of a pure turnover-based definition, people will move towards trading and will leave manufacturing. This stands in stark contrast to the ‗Make in India‘ campaign. This could also lead to rise in imports. Opposition parties also say that 98% of the small units have a turnover less than 15crores. With the change in definition, hardly 2% would attain the status of MSMEs.

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5. The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2018 Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India Act, 2008 It was enacted to provide an independent authority to protect the interests of airports, airlines and passengers, and to primarily regulate tariff for aeronautical services rendered at airports.

Need for the Bill India has emerged as the third largest domestic aviation market in the world. The number of major airports increased from 12 to 27 between 2007 and 2017. Exponential growth in the sector has pushed the government to propose an Amendment Bill in 2018. The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority has been under tremendous pressure with an increase in the number of private operators entering the airline/airport sector. Some of the major airports now function under public-private partnerships. It was felt that if too many airports come under the purview of the Authority, it would be difficult to efficiently determine the tariffs and monitor the service standards of major airports. For engaging private partners in infrastructure projects, several business models like predetermined tariff or tariff-based bidding have come into place. The airport project is awarded to the concessionaire who offers the lowest tariff. In this model, the government has found that the market itself determines the charges. The regulator is not required to fix charges after the award of the project. The 2008 Act does not cover such complexities. Therefore the bill was formulated.

Aim of the Bill It proposes to first amend the definition of ―major airport‖. The AERA Bill, importantly, seeks to update Section 13 of the 2008 Act in tune with the current business models and tariff system. This would mean changes in the tariff for aeronautical services at major airports.

Highlights of the Bill The Bill redefines the definition of a major airport as one having an annual passenger traffic of over35 lakh from the 15 lakh in the earlier Act. The AERA will not determine the following in cases where these amounts were a part of the bid document on the basis of which the airport operations were awarded 1. the tariff 2. tariff structures 3. the development fees

Benefits It will correct the wide variation in airport tariffs. The current cost plus tariff structure involves a long drawn tariff determination process every five years with adjustments on annual basis. The new bill will ease the pressure on AERA and limit its scope of work. Many of the regulator's current decisions are legally challenged by airport operators leading to waste of time, energy and money for all the parties involved. The bill eliminates such possibilities. The new definition of airports will help AERA perform its duties of fixing tariffs for airports with greater clarity and there will not be any delays in tariff fixation.

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The bill will help eliminate regulatory uncertainty with respect to the potential revenue to be generated from an airport as the tariffs will be fixed prior to the bidding of the airport project. As the tariff will be fixed beforehand, a sudden increase or decrease in charges will not occur. This will not only help the operator but will also ease the burden on passengers as they have to pay high User Development Fees.

Challenges  The position of AERA has been weakened under the Act by cutting down its role.  The reason stated for curtailing AERA‘s role is limitation of resources. The increasing growth of sector will in no way relieve AERA‘s role unless this problem is addressed.  With the growth of aviation sector, more airports will fall under the definition of major airports and hence come under the purview of AERA in future causing the same problems.  It will also lead to frequent changes in regulatory regimes in airports.

Way forward Though the amendment to the act looks promising, the bidding document has to specifically spell out the outcomes for any cost or time overruns. Besides, significant emphasis has to be laid on clearly mentioning the scope of work for the developer to avoid any discrepancies in the future. Bidding for airports on tariffs would bring relief to both passengers and airlines as there will be respite from sudden increases in charges at private airports. However, the government needs to devise a mechanism through which the tariffs are reduced. Benchmarks for service levels have to be set for airport operators to follow. And, finally, proper forecasting methodologies need to be used while fixing tariffs.

6. National Institutes of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management Bill, 2019 News: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister has approved the introduction of National Institutes of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management Bill, 2019.

Objective: The objective of the bill is to confer the status of Institutions of National Importance to National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) at Kundli, Haryana, and the Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT) at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.

Highlights of the Bill Functions • To provide for instruction and research • To hold examinations and grant academic distinctions or titles • To fix, demand and receive fees and other charges • To institute academic and other posts and to make appointments except the Director Board of Governors • It will be the principal executive body of the institute. • It will consist of 16 members. Senate • It will be the institute‘s principal academic body.

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• It will have the control and general regulation, and be responsible for the maintenance of standards of instruction, education and examination in the Institute Council • It will coordinate activities of all institutes and facilitate interactions for performance improvement. • It will lay down broader policy framework for the functioning of the Institutes. Funds • Each Institute shall maintain a Fund to which all moneys provided by the Central Government and other means will be credited. • The Comptroller and Auditor General of India will audit the accounts of each institute. Settlement of disputes • A Tribunal of Arbitration will determine any dispute arising out of a contract between the institute and any of its employees. • The decision of the Tribunal will be considered final. Statutes and Ordinances - It shall be framed for each institute with guidelines regarding administrative and academic matters.

Benefits  It provide for functional autonomy to the institutes to design and develop courses, undertake research activities and leverage enhanced status in their academic pursuits, so that they become world class institutes.  The institutes would implement the reservation policy of the Government and would also undertake special outreach activities for the benefits of concerned stakeholders.  It would enable the institutes to provide world class teaching and research experience by adopting innovative practices.

7. The Trade Unions (Amendment) Bill, 2019 It amends Trade Unions Act, 1926 which provides for the registration and regulation of trade unions.

Need for the Bill It has been enacted to provide for registration of Trade Unions and in certain respects to define the law relating to registered Trade Unions. Being a pre-independence legislation, the said Act provides only for registration of Trade Unions. There is no provision for recognition of Trade Unions in the Act. However, presently recognition of Trade Union is governed by instructions and guidelines in the Code of Discipline evolved in 1958 as voluntarily accepted by employers and employees.

Highlights of the Bill The Bill proposes to grant statutory recognition to trade unions at both the central and state-level. The Central or the state government may recognise such Trade Union in such manner and for such purposes as may be prescribed. If any dispute arises in relation to such recognition, it shall be decided by such authority in such manner as may be prescribed by the Central or State Government respectively.

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Benefits According to the government, the amendments will facilitate recognition of trade unions at central and state level. It will ensure true representation of workers in tripartite bodies. It will put a check on the arbitrary nomination of workers' representatives by the government. It will also reduce litigations and industrial unrest. The proposed Bill will ensure that the nomination of workers' representatives in tripartite bodies by the government will become more transparent. The trade unions so recognised will be accountable in maintaining industrial harmony.

Challenges Unions have pointed out that the Bill seeks to vest the government with the discretionary power in recognising the trade unions, departing entirely from the existing practice based on tripartite (employees, employers and government) consensus. The Bill does not mention the procedure or eligibility criteria or any other detail as to how the trade unions would be recognised. The Bill is also silent on the issue of mandatory recognition of trade unions at the enterprise/establishment level — a long-standing demand of the unions.

Why is recognition important? • Recognition by employers is especially crucial because CTUs are confederations of workplace/enterprise-level registered trade unions that have a presence in at least four states with a minimum membership that is revised periodically (to be jointly decided by the CTUs and the Ministry of Labour& Employment). • These unions then represent the workers‘ interests in various tripartite or bipartite forums in India and abroad, and wield the power of collective bargaining at the central level. • The issue of employers not recognising trade unions at the enterprise level is so rampant that it has led to unrest and victimisation of workers across the country, particularly in the private sector. • Workers have been punished for forming or participating in trade unions, for example, at the Maruti- Suzuki plant at Manesar in Haryana, at the Pricol and Yamaha factories in Tamil Nadu, etc. • Struggles by workers for recognition of trade unions are being waged in most states, including Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka, etc.

Way forward The government should take the opinion of the trade union into account to address the concerns raised about the Bill. The Bill should specify the undefined parts which have been raised by the trade unions like the manner of recognititon of trade unions.

8. The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2018 The Bill seeks to amend the Central Universities Act, 2009, which establishes universities for teaching and research in various states. The Central Universities Act, 2009 was enacted to establish and incorporate universities for teaching and research in various States. At present, there is no Central University in the State of Andhra Pradesh while all other States, except Goa, have one or more Central University.

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Highlights of the Bill There shall be established a University, which shall be a body corporate, to be known as the Central University of Andhra Pradesh, having its territorial jurisdiction extending to the whole of the State of Andhra Pradesh. There shall be established a Tribal University, which shall be a body corporate, to be known as the Central Tribal University of Andhra Pradesh, having its territorial jurisdiction extending to the whole of the State of Andhra Pradesh. It will provide avenues of higher education and research facilities primarily for the tribal population of India. The Tribal University established shall take additional measures for paying special attention to the tribal centric higher education and research, including art, culture and customs.

Benefits Establishment of one Central University and one Central Tribal University in the State of Andhra Pradesh will increase access and quality of higher education. It will also facilitate and promote avenues of higher education and research facilities for the people of the State. Further, the Tribal University will promote advance knowledge by providing instructional and research facilities in tribal art, culture and customs and advancement in technology to the tribal population of India. Apart from being focused to the tribal education, the Central Tribal University shall carry out all educational and other activities like any other Central University. Moreover, the establishment of a Central University and a Central Tribal University in the State of Andhra Pradesh is obligatory under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

9. The National Institute of Design (Amendment) Bill, 2018 It amends the National Institute of Design Act, 2014. The National Institute of Design Act, 2014 was enacted to declare the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad to be an institution of national importance for the promotion of quality and excellence in education, research and training in all disciplines relating to design.

Need for the Bill In pursuance of the National Design Policy and to raise the design education to global standard of excellence in all regions of India, the Government of India set up four new National Institutes of Design at Amaravati in the State of Andhra Pradesh, Bhopal in the State of Madhya Pradesh, Jorhat in the State of Assam and Kurukshetra in the State of Haryana, as societies under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. Presently, the said Institutes do not have the authority to grant degree, diploma and other academic distinctions. Therefore, a need has been felt to give them statutory status so as to ensure the maintenance of similar standards and quality of education in all areas or disciplines relating to design, as the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. It is proposed to declare the aforesaid Institutes as institutions of national importance and to confer power on them to grant degree, diploma and other academic distinctions.

Highlights of the Bill It seeks to declare the four National institutes as institutes of national importance.

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It will also designate the post of Principal Designer instead of the Senior Designer, as equivalent to a Professor.

Benefits Establishing new NIDs as Institutions of National Importance in different geographical regions of the country will help produce highly skilled manpower in design. This will in turn, create job opportunities, both direct and indirect, by providing sustainable design interventions for crafts, handloom, rural technology, small, medium and large scale enterprises; and outreach programmes for capacity, capability and institution building.

10. The Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018 News: Parliament passed the Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018.

Aim: The Bill seeks to remove leprosy as a ground for divorce in marriages.

Amendments It will amend the following five Acts which mention leprosy as a ground for divorce.  the Divorce Act, 1869  the Dissolution of Muslim Marriage Act, 1939  the Special Marriage Act, 1954  the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955  the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956.

Leprosy Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by a mycobacterium. The disease affects especially the skin and peripheral nerves. It is characterised by the formation of nodules or macules that enlarge and spread accompanied by loss of sensation with eventual paralysis, wasting of muscle, and production of deformities. Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is transmitted when someone who has the disease coughs or sneezes. Though leprosy is curable if detected early and treated, it can cause progressive and permanent damage if left untreated, leading to disfigurement, blindness and chronic wounds. Public stigma is among the barriers to early diagnosis, as are other "discriminatory factors" such as gender, age, race and increased vulnerability due to disability, social exclusion or even migration.

Laws on leprosy Leprosy patients were isolated and segregated from society as the leprosy was not curable and the society was hostile to them. However, as a result of intensive healthcare and availability of modern medicine to cure the disease, the attitude of the society towards them began to change. The discriminatory provisions contained in various statutes against the persons affected with leprosy were made prior to the medical advancements rendering leprosya curable disease. Presently, leprosy is completely curable and can be treated with multi drug therapy. However, old legislative provisions discriminating the persons affected by leprosy continued in various laws.

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Need for the Bill The United Nations General Assembly adopted a Resolution in 2010 on the ‗Elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members‘. India has signed and ratified the said Resolution. The National Human Rights Commission in its meeting in 2008had, inter alia, recommended amendments in certain personal laws and other legislations. Further, the Committee on petitions of Rajya Sabha in its 131st Report on ―Petition Praying for Integration and Empowerment of Leprosy Affected Persons‖, had examined various statutes and desired that the concerned Ministries and State Governments would urgently consider amendments to such anachronistic and discriminatory provisions in the concerned legislations. The 20th Law Commission of India in its 256th Report titled ―Eliminating Discrimination against Persons Affected by Leprosy‖, also recommended for removing the discriminatory provisions in various statutes against the persons affected with leprosy. Recently, the Supreme Court has, inter alia, directed the Union Government as well as the State Governments to take necessary steps for rehabilitation and integration of the leprosy affected persons into the mainstream including the steps to repeal the provisions where leprosy has been treated as a stigmatic disability.

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BUDGET CORNER 1. At a glance

Image Credit: The Hindu

2. Pradhan Mantri KisanSamman Nidhi Scheme Aim: It is aimed at providing income support to vulnerable landholding farmers.

Features of the scheme Farmer who own less than 1  Under this programme, vulnerable landholding farmer hectare of land are families, having cultivable land up to 2 hectares, will be „marginal‟ and between 1& 2 provided direct income support at the rate of ₹6,000 per year. hectare are „small‟.  This income support will be transferred directly into the bank They account for 86% of the accounts of beneficiary farmers, in three equal installments farmers in India. of ₹2,000 each.

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 The amount will be transferred directly to the bank account of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer. DBT will ensure transparency in the entire process and will save time for the farmers.  The scheme is applicable with retrospective effect from December 2018  The scheme has been allocated ₹20,000 crore for the scheme for 2018-19  It will entail an annual expenditure of ₹75,000 crore in 2019-20  A 2-5% interest subvention for loans taken by farmers hit by natural disasters or for livestock farming and fisheries has also been announced.  PM KISAN is a Central Sector scheme with 100% funding from Government of India.  State Government and UT Administration will identify the farmer families which are eligible for support as per scheme guidelines.

Why was the scheme introduced?  The Scheme was introduced to augment the income of the Small and Marginal Farmers (SMFs).  Farmers‘ incomes are falling due to a decline in international prices and domestic food inflation, and fragmented landholdings.  There is a need for providing structured income support to the poor landholder farmer families in the country for procuring inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, equipment, labour, etc., and to meet other needs.

Benefits  The scheme will benefit more than 12 crore farming families which own cultivable land up to 2 hectares.  Such support will help them in avoiding indebtedness as well and falling into the clutches of money lenders  It will eliminate middlemen and corruption.  It will protect the small and marginal farmers from market and price fluctuation and absorb the inflationary cost increments. Around 72% of farmers are in this category and are likely to increase to 90% by 2025.  The provision of direct income support to farmers will enable them to purchase the inputs needed for a technological upgrading of farm operation.  As against the onetime loan waivers, PM KISAN is truly an empowering project designed for ensuring dignified life for small scale farmers.  In the long run, the scheme is expected to address farmer migration and improve crop intensity.

Challenges  Fiscal deficit would be 3.4% of the GDP for both 2018-19 and 2019-20, compared with a target of 3.3% and 3.1% respectively  Insufficient amount of cash transfer India‘s poverty line is Rs. 32 per person per day in rural areas and ₹47 in urban areas, according to the Rangarajan Committee Therefore, the income support of Rs. 17 a day for a household, which is the amount offered by PM-KISAN, is largely insufficient for even bare minimum sustenance of vulnerable farmers. At ₹500 per month, it will amount to less than one-fifth of an average household‘s income which is very low. The Central scheme‘s payout is lower than what is being given in similar schemes by two States — Telangana and Odisha. Telengana‟sRythuBandhu scheme and Odisha‟s KALIA scheme offer more than the Central scheme.

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 The cash transfer does not account for inflation The failure of an ambitious plan of Direct Benefit Transfer in kerosene in Rajasthan is a case in point, where the cash transferred to families has been insufficient to purchase kerosene, as the market price increased substantially.

 Implementation issues Identification of beneficiaries is difficult as majority of the States have incomplete tenancy records and land data are not digitised (for instance, in Jharkhand, Bihar, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu) While 50% of the people received less cash, 17% received more than they were entitled to. More than 40% of the money transferred could not be verified to have reached the beneficiaries. In the absence of updated land records and complete databases, the scheme may end up benefitting only those who hold land titles and not the small, marginal or tenant farmers who are the most vulnerable. Besides, the scheme does not provide a clear design of transfers and a framework for effective grievance redress. In the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, for instance, State governments still struggle to resolve complaints and curb corruption.

Way forward  To be effective, any cash transfer scheme should first ensure that there is enough cash provided to help bring an affected community out of poverty.  For instance, the RythuBandhu in Telangana, that the Centre is said to have replicated, provides ₹4,000 per acre to each farmer in each season, and the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation scheme in Odisha offers a direct cash transfer of ₹5,000 for a farm family over five seasons, among other benefits.  Given the volatile market and price fluctuations in different regions, it is important to index the cash transfers to local inflation.  The current top-down, rushed approach of the government ignores governance constraints and is therefore likely to result in failure. An alternative bottom-up strategy and well-planned implementation mechanism would allow weaknesses to be identified and rectified at the local level. The most effective modalities can then be scaled nationally and ensure success.  The government should focus on strategising and the implementation of the policy.  Many more initiatives including market reforms like implementing model APMC Act, Essential Commodity Act, etc., are required to achieve the objective of doubling farmers‘ income by 2022.

3. Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) was allocated Rs.750 crore as the revised estimate for 2018-19. ₹302 crore has been allocated for 2019-20.

About RGM The Mission is managed by the Department of Animal Health and Husbandry (DAHD). The RGM was launched in December 2014 with an outlay of Rs. 500 crore (2014-15 to 2016-2017) for developing and conserving indigenous breeds through selective breeding and genetically upgrading ‗nondescript‘ bovine population.

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The RGM aims to develop ‗Gokul Gram‘ care centres for indigenous breeds of high ―genetic merit‖ as well as other lesser breeds. The objective is to get native breeds to produce more milk, be more fecund, and to raise the quality of Indian cows and bulls to eventually outdo Jerseys and Holsteins. Bane - The RGM doesn't look at ageing and unproductive cattle, posing a problem for farmers.

4. Other announcements for farmers  New separate Department of Fisheries for welfare of 1.5 crore fishermen  2% interest subvention to Farmers for Animal husbandry and Fisheries activities; additional 3% in case of timely repayment.  Interest subvention of 2% during disaster will now be provided for the entire period of reschedulement of loan.

5. Direct Tax proposals  Those earning up to Rs. 5 lakh a year would be exempt from income tax.  This means that those earning up to Rs. 5 lakh a year will be exempt from tax. However, those earning more than Rs. 5 lakh will not be eligible for this and will have to pay tax according to the normal rates.  This does not take into account the exemption of Rs. 1.5 lakh available to taxpayers under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act.  Since the 80C exemptions effectively reduce the taxable income, those earning up to Rs. 6.5 lakh a year will not have to pay tax if they make full use of the deductible investments such as Provident Fund.  The standard deduction limit for salaried taxpayers would be raised to Rs. 50,000 from the Rs. 40,000. This will provide additional tax benefit of ₹4,700 crore to more than three crore salary earners and pensioners.  Tax Deduction at Source (TDS) threshold on interest earned on bank/post office deposits has been proposed to be raised from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 40,000.

Benefits  It will help the small taxpayers as well as passive income earners such as senior citizens  The increased spending capacity with consumers would boost various sectors of the economy.  The government also announced the electronic assessment of Income Tax returns which is a step towards improving governance and reducing the complexity in the tax system.

6. Housing and real estate  Tax exempted on notional rent on a second self-occupied house. Earlier, the second home, even if it was occupied by the owner, was considered to be on rent and tax was levied on this notional rent.  Benefit: It was to allay the ―difficulty of the middle class having to maintain families at two locations on account of their job, children‘s education, care of parents, etc‖.

 Housing and real estate sector to get boost- TDS threshold for deduction of tax on rent to be increased from Rs. 1,80,000 to Rs. 2,40,000 Benefit of rollover of capital gains increased from investment in one residential house to two residential houses for capital gains up to Rs. 2 crore.It will boost sales in both primary and secondary markets.

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Tax benefits for affordable housing extended till 31st March, 2020 under Section 80-IBA of Income Tax Act Tax exemption period on notional rent, on unsold inventories, extended from one year to two years. . Benefit - An estimated 6.7 lakh units are lying unsold across key cities and this move will substantially benefit builders in the election year as well as the year after. . Earlier, developers with unsold properties had to pay tax on notional rent on those properties after one year of their completion.

7. Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan Scheme Eligibility conditions  It is meant for unorganised sector workers who have a monthly income up to ₹15,000.  The entry age for the scheme is 18-40 years.  They should not be covered under New Pension Scheme (NPS), Employees‘ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) scheme or Employees‘ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).  Further, he/she should not be an income tax payer.

Features of the scheme Minimum Assured Pension: Each subscriber under the PM-SYM, shall receive minimum assured pension of Rs 3000/- per month after attaining the age of 60 years. Family Pension: During the receipt of pension, if the subscriber dies, the spouse of the beneficiary shall be entitled to receive 50% of the pension received by the beneficiary as family pension. Family pension is applicable only to spouse. Contribution by the Subscriber: The subscriber‘s contributions to PM-SYM shall be made through ‗auto-debit‘ facility from his/ her savings bank account/ Jan- Dhan account. The subscriber is required to contribute the prescribed contribution amount from the age of joining PM-SYM till the age of 60 years. Matching contribution by the Central Government: PM-SYM is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme on a 50:50 basis where prescribed age-specific contribution shall be made by the beneficiary and the matching contribution by the Central Government as per the chart. Enrollment agencies: The enrolment will be carried out by all the Community Service Centers (CSCs). The unorganised workers may visit their nearest CSCs along with their Aadhar Card and Savings Bank account passbook/Jandhan account and get registered themselves for the Scheme. Facilitation Centres: All the branch offices of LIC, the offices of ESIC/EPFO and all Labour offices of Central and State Governments will facilitate the unorganised workers about the Scheme, its benefits and the procedure to be followed, at their respective centers. Fund Management: PM-SYM will be a Central Sector Scheme administered by the Ministry of Labour and Employment and implemented through Life Insurance Corporation of India and CSCs. LIC will be the Pension Fund Manager and responsible for Pension pay out. Default of Contributions: If a subscriber has not paid the contribution continuously he/she will be allowed to regularize his contribution by paying entire outstanding dues, along with penalty charges, if any, decided by the Government. Exit and Withdrawal: Circumstance Exit and withdrawal Subscriber exits the scheme within a period of The beneficiary‘s share of contribution only will less than 10 years be returned to him with savings bank interest rate.

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Subscriber exits after a period of 10 years or Beneficiary‘s share of contribution along with more but before superannuation age i.e. 60 accumulated interest will be returned. years of age Beneficiary has given regular contributions and His/ her spouse will be entitled to continue the died due to any cause scheme subsequently by payment of regular contribution or exit by receiving the beneficiary‘s contribution along with accumulated interest. Beneficiary has given regular contributions and His/ her spouse will be entitled to continue the become permanently disabled due to any cause scheme subsequently by payment of regular before the superannuation age, i.e. 60 years, and contribution or exit the scheme by receiving the unable to continue to contribute under the beneficiary‘s contribution along with accumulated scheme interest. After the death of subscriber as well as his/her The entire corpus will be credited back to the fund. spouse Any other exit provision As may be decided by the Government on advice of NSSB. Accumulated interest is the interest actually earned by fund or at the savings bank interest rate whichever is higher

Benefits  The Centre expects 10 crore workers to get the benefit within the next five years.

Beneficiaries Half of India‘s GDP comes from the work done by 42 crore workers in the unorganised sector, such as street vendors, rickshaw pullers, construction workers, rag pickers, agricultural workers, beedi workers, those engaged in the handloom and leather industries, and domestic workers. The Shram Yogi Mandhan scheme is aimed at achieving that, and therefore includes all informal sector workers with an income of less than ₹15,000 per month. According to the government, this works out to 10 crore people.

Expenditure So far, the government has allocated just ₹500 crore for the scheme, but this is likely to be increased in the full Budget that will be presented in July. An analysis of the Interim Budget documents shows that the allocation for the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhan could possibly come at the expense of an existing pension scheme — the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) — announced last year to benefit more than three crore poor senior citizens, disabled people, and widows. The NSAP had originally been allocated ₹9,975 crore in the 2018-19 Budget, which was reduced to ₹9,200 crore in the Interim Budget 2019-20, which is a drop of ₹775 crore.

National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)  It is a pension scheme administered by the Ministry of Rural Development  It already benefits more than 3 crore poor people who are senior citizens, disabled or widows.  It identifies beneficiaries based on Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC)  For 2019-20, the scheme‘s allocation has been cut to ₹9,200 crore, a drop of ₹775 crore.

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Challenges Creating a voluntary contributory pension scheme for informal sector workers is not likely to work as their salaries are low and they already pay large amounts as indirect taxes. Further, for a salaried worker, the pension contribution can be cut from the salary. A daily wage earner or migrant labourer will, however, have to regularly deposit her income each month, which is an uncertain proposition. The government is silent on what happens to the scheme if an informal sector worker misses a contribution. It also does not mention the conditions of disqualification from the scheme, if so, what happens to the amount already contributed and whether the government would refund the worker that amount, or that amount be forfeited. It does not specify what happens to a worker who transitions to the formal workforce.

8. Capital Markets Stamp duty would be levied at a single point through the stock exchange mechanism and thereafter it would be shared with the particular State based on the buyer‘s domicile. Incidentally, capital market participants have, for long, been demanding a review of the levy of stamp duty on stock exchange transactions, though the demand was always for abolition of the duty, especially since securities transaction tax (STT) is levied on all such transactions.

Benefits  Simplicity of compliance  Ease of compliance  It will bring down the overall transaction cost  It will bring down the cascading effect of the duty

9. Fiscal Programme 1. Fiscal deficit Fiscal deficit pegged at 3.4% of GDP for 2019-20. Target of 3% of fiscal deficit to be achieved by 2020-21. Fiscal deficit brought down to 3.4% in 2018-19 RE from almost 6% seven years ago 2. Expenditure Total expenditure increased by over 13% to Rs.27,84,200 crore in 2019-20 BE Capital Expenditure for 2019-20 BE estimated at Rs. 3,36,292 crore Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) allocation increased to Rs. 3,27,679 crore in BE 2019-20 National Education Mission allocation increased by about 20% to Rs. 38,572 crore in BE 2019-20 Allocation for Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) increased by over 18% to Rs. 27,584 crore in BE 2019-20 Substantial increase in allocation for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes - o Allocation for SCs increased by 35.6% - from Rs. 56,619 crore in BE 2018-19 to Rs. 76,801 crore in BE for 2019-20 o Allocation for the STs increased by 28% - from 39,135 crore in BE 2018-19 to Rs. 50,086 crore in 2019-20 BE Government confident of achieving the disinvestment target of 80,000 crore Focus now on debt consolidation along with fiscal deficit consolidation programme.

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10. Poor and Backward Classes ―First right on the resources of country is that of the poor‖: FM 25% additional seats in educational institutions to meet the 10% reservation for the poor Targeted expenditure to bridge urban-rural divide & to improve quality of life in villages All willing households to be provided electricity connections by March 2019.

11. North East Allocation to be increased by 21% to Rs. 58,166 crore in 2019-20 BE over 2018-19 BE Arunachal Pradesh came on the air map recently Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram came on India‘s rail map for the first time Container cargo movement through improved navigation capacity of the Brahmaputra.

12. Development and Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-nomadic Communities (DNCs) News: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister has given its approval for constitution of Development and Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-nomadic Communities (DNCs).

What is the Welfare Board for DNCs?  The Government has set up a Development and Welfare Board under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 under the aegis of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.  It has been established for the purpose of implementing development and welfare programmes for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-nomadic Communities.

Background  Amongst the most disadvantage communities in the country are the Denotified, Nomadic and Semi- Nomadic Communities (DNCs).  These communities are hard to reach, less visible, and therefore frequently left out.  While most DNTs are spread across the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) categories, some DNTs are not covered in any of the SC, ST or OBC categories.  The Government in 2014 had constituted National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi- Nomadic Tribes (NCDNT) for a period of three years to prepare a State-wise list of castes belonging to Denotified and Nomadic Tribes.  It was also entrusted to suggest appropriate measures in respect of Denotified and Nomadic Tribes that may be undertaken by the Central Government or the State Government.  The report submitted by the commission recommended for the setting of up a Permanent Commission for these communities.  But, setting up a Permanent Commission was not considered effective as it would clash with the National Commissions of SCs, STs and OBCs.

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13. MSME and Traders 2% interest subvention on an incremental loan of Rs 1 crore for GST registered SMEs. Up-to Rs 1 crore loans can be availed in less than an hour. At least 3% of the 25% sourcing for the Government undertakings will be from women owned SMEs Renewed Focus on Internal trade DIPP renamed to Department for Promotion of Industries and Internal trade. 25%-28% is the average savings due to GeM (Government e-Market place).

14. Defence The defence budget will be crossing Rs. 3 lakh crore for the first time in 2019-20. The allocation represents a 7.92% growth over the estimates of last year and 6.87% over the revised estimates of last year which was Rs. 2.98 lakh crore. Total allocation including defence pensions forms 15.48% of the total Central government expenditure for the year 2019-20 Challenge- In real terms the allocation is barely a hike after factoring in inflation and currency fluctuation. This is a worrisome scenario as for the much-needed military modernisation as several multi-billion dollar defence deals are in the pipeline.

15. Artificial Intelligence FM announced National Programme on Artificial Intelligence. It ties into an existing programme led by the Union Science Ministry called the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS). The latter was cleared by the Union Cabinet last December at a total outlay of ₹3,660 crore for five years. The budget document allotted Rs. 5 crore for the year ahead for the mission. The mission aims to establish of 15 Technology Innovation Hubs (TIH), six Application Innovation Hubs (AIH), four Technology Translation Research Parks (TTRP). The hubs and TTRPs would connect to academics, industry, Central Ministries and State government in developing solutions at reputed academic, R&D and other organisations across the country in a hub and spoke model. About 40,000 jobs would be created in the short term and about 2,00,000 in long term.

What are Cyber physical systems?  Cyber physical systems deal with training youth for new kinds of jobs that would be created due to the destruction of conventional jobs and the mechanisation of jobs.  CPS and its associated technologies, include  Artificial Intelligence (Al)  Internet of Things (loT)  Machine Learning (ML)  Deep Learning (DP)  Big Data Analytics  robotics  quantum computing  quantum communication

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 quantum encryption (quantum key distribution)  Data Science and Predictive Analytics

16. Key message  Moving towards realizing a ‗New India‘ by 2022 -  Clean and healthy India with universal access to toilets, water and electricity to all  An India where Farmers‘ income would have doubled  Ample opportunities to youth and women to fulfill their dreams  An India free from terrorism, communalism, casteism, corruption and nepotism

 Vision for the next Decade  Foundation for India‘s growth and development laid in the past 5 years  Poised to become a Five Trillion Dollar Economy in the next five years  Aspire to become a Ten Trillion Dollar Economy in the next 8 years thereafter

17. Vision 2030 The Government has unveiled its vision for the next decade, listing thereby ten most important dimensions in 2030. 1. To create physical and social infrastructure for ten trillion dollar economy and to provide ease of living. 2. Digital India led by the youths with innumerable start-ups and millions of jobs. 3. To make India pollution free by focusing on Electrical Vehicles and renewables. 4. Rural industrialisation using modern technologies to generate massive employment. 5. Clean rivers, with safe drinking water to all Indians and efficient use of water in irrigation using micro-irrigation techniques. 6. Besides scaling up Sagarmala, India‘s coastline and ocean waters will power development 7. Through our space programme – Gaganyaan, India becoming the launch-pad of satellites for the World

Expected outcomes The reduction of the use of fossil fuel in a phased manner by 2030 is expected to ensure faster adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and environment friendly mass transportation in the country. The emphasis laid on electric mobility is aimed at increasing energy security, reducing oil import dependence and reducing vehicular pollution. The government‘s focus on the use of clean energy in the transportation sector will help India tackle the issue of climate change The vehicle emission based tax regime would boost the EV vision towards achieving a cleaner and greener environment.

Bane  5% import duty imposed on lithium ion cells is a challenge.

Way forward  Emphasis should be given for Make in India programme which can increase indigenous production.  Innovation, Research and Development should be focused in universities.

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SPECIAL NEWS CORNER 1. Pulwama terror attacks Pulwama attack  A suicide car bombing in Pulwama district killed 40 paramilitary personnel, making it one of the worst incidents of violence in the history of the State‘s insurgency.  The Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed responsibility for the attack.

Economic measures taken by India  India revoked the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status of Pakistan and warned of more measures in response to its support for terrorist groups targeting India.  India also imposed 200% import duty on goods imported from Pakistan.  It was a very strong signal to Pakistan against terrorism emanating from Pakistanas India rarely resorts to such retaliatory measures on trade.

What does Most Favoured Nation mean?  While the term suggests special preference for the country given MFN status, it actually means it would be treated equally as all others.  According to the World Trade Organisation rules, countries cannot normally discriminate between their trading partners.  If one country is granted a trade concession such as, for example, lower import duties, then all WTO members must be extended the same concessions. This principle is known as the Most Favoured Nation treatment.  Despite repeated promises, Pakistan has never granted MFN status to India.  Pakistan had import duties that Pakistan did not levy from other countries.  Imports from Pakistan are only $2 billion and exports to Pakistan around $1.5 billion.  India had revoked Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status granted to Pakistan in 1996.

Why was this done?  It is only a pressure tactic and unless stringent actions are taken to stop informal trade that has been going on between the two countries for long, it may not affect Pakistan very much  It does not strictly fall under the ‗beggar-thy-policy‘, often used in international trade through which one country tries to resolve its economic problems by means that worsen the economic problems of its neighbours or trade partners.

Trade between India and Pakistan Besides China, India and Pakistan are the two largest economies in the South Asian region. Being dominant constituents of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, both countries have immense potential for intra-regional trade. Trade now takes place using three channels: 1. the official route; 2. the illegal (informal) route, through smuggling along porous India-Pakistan land borders and also Afghanistan, which may not be accounted for in the national income 3. through mainly Dubai and Singapore, which have free ports and accommodate legal agents of traders from India and Pakistan.

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Why does informal trade take place? Informal trade generally takes place due to • restrictions on import of specific items on grounds of health and religious beliefs; • ‗high tariff barriers or transportation costs, making it cost effective to smuggle goods in the country • imposition of non-tariff measures (NTMs)‘ • weaknesses in the ‗rules of origin‘ resulting in ‗trade routed through a third country; • leakages in transit trade • distortions in domestic policies such as the absence of or relatively low indirect taxes, creating an incentive to transport items illegally to neighbouring countries

How does informal trade take place? Traders carry out informal trade between Pakistan and India through • exchange of goods at the border • personal baggage scheme‘ through ―green channel‖ facilities at international airports or railway stations • Afghanistan where goods are exported officially from India and later smuggled into Pakistan.

Smuggled goods Indian-made goods smuggled into Pakistan include cosmetics, liquor, stainless steel utensils, ayurvedic medicines, videotapes/CDs, confectionery/cashew nuts, tea, coffee, live animals and spices‘.

Trade data • From 2011-12 to 2017-18, India‘s formal trade with Pakistan increased from $1.94 billion to $2.41 billion. • Of this, the share of exports stands at almost 80% and has been fairly stable over the years (Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India). • In 2012-13, informal trade between India and Pakistan — estimated in a study (ICRIER, N. Taneja and S. Bimal, 2016) — was $4.71 billion, which was double when compared to formal trade. • India‘s informal export share to Pakistan was again much higher at $4 billion while its import share was low at $0.71 billion.

Effect of import duty on Pakistan • The effect can be trivial as India‘s imports from Pakistan are reasonably low at $0.488 billion. • Besides, imports from Pakistan grew at a lower rate (1.04%) compared to exports (1.32%) per annum from 2011-12 to 2017-18. • Pakistan‘s loss from major exports to India would be much less — from dates, portland cement, other petroleum oil and light oils and preparations

Effect on Indian exports • Major exports from India that would hard hit would be cotton (not carded or combed), p-Xylene, polypropylene and single yarn ($0.088 billion). • Thus Pakistan is an important export destination for India but not vice-a-versa. • This is despite the fact that Pakistan imposes a large number of NTMs (143) on Indian exports, the major ones being  Export related measures (25.2%);  technical barriers to trade (24.5%); and  Sanitary and phytosanitary measures (22.4%)

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 These are ‗concentrated on agriculture, plants, and food-related products and operate as bans that shut competitors out of its market.

Relief to cement manufacturers One of the major items of import from Pakistan is cement and the Centre‘s action would erase the price advantage that the neighbouring country had enjoyed for quite some years. Cement industry sources had estimated imports from Pakistan in the range of 40,000 to 50,000 tonnes annually. With Islamabad enjoying the MFN status (now withdrawn), Pakistani cement enjoyed a price advantage of almost ₹100 for a bag of 50 kg. According to top industry sources, Thoothukudi and Kochi ports have been the access points for import of cement from Pakistan. It is being mostly imported by local traders and small builders as it fetches higher margins. Compared with the India-made cement, it ranks very low in quality. The usage of Pakistan cement, nevertheless, was rampant in the north. Pakistan cement gets into the north through the road route. Allowing import of cement from Pakistan at a subsidised rate when the Indian firms have built up huge capacity goes against the Make-in-India concept. A combination of factors, including imports from Pakistan, has seen a general sluggishness in cement demand. Not surprisingly, the demand sluggishness, especially in the south, has hurt the cause of the cement industry. Prices, however, had started firming up on the eve of busy season (January-September). Sources indicated that concerns over cement imports from Pakistan had often been articulated to the authorities in the past — from competition as well security perspective. The economic action against Islamabad in the wake of terrorist attack in Pulwama would address the twin concerns of security and quality of cement imports from that country.

Pakistan‟s NTMs India‟s NTMs

blunt instruments; it is difficult to use soft barriers which operate as delays or bureaucratic them to provide targeted protection to hurdles rather than bans. the strategic industries focus on general categories of goods Focus on particular industries and trading partners

concentrated on agriculture, plants, include defence procurement procedure, preference to and food-related products and operate domestically manufactured electronic goods in as bans that shut competitors out of its government procurement‘ and a ban on goods largely market. manufactured within the country

Conclusion The sense is that Pakistan may not face an exacerbating situation with India withdrawing the MFN status and raising the import duty. Informal trade may proliferate, which might not be in India‘s interest and an appropriate strategy is required to bring it to a halt. Also, under the South Asia Free Trade Area Agreement (SAFTA) 2004, Pakistan‘s share in external trade is less than 10%, while India‘s share is more than 70%. Such steps may propel Pakistan to look

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for new markets beyond SAFTA, corroborated by the recent meeting held with Saudi Arabia and growing prospects of trade through a third country, mainly via Dubai.

2. Terror funding India upped the ante against Pakistan on the issue of terror funding by pushing to blacklist the neighboring country at the plenary meeting of the anti-terror finance watchdog Financial Action Task Force, FATF that was held in Paris.

Pakistan in FATF  Pakistan was placed on the FATF grey list in June , 2018 and put on notice to be blacklisted by October this year if it did not curb money laundering and terror financing .  Pakistan was then given a 27 point action plan that was to be implemented by September this year and the same is being monitored by FATF Asia Pacific sub group.

Background  Pakistan had been put on the grey list in 2015 though it managed to pull out then.  In 2018, Pakistan was again grey listed and given a timeline within which it was expected to mend its ways  There were 8 organisations that was put on the grey list which included Jaish e Mohamed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jamat-ud-dawah (JuD) etc.  Though JeM has claimed the responsibility for many terrorist attacks in India including the Pulwama attacks, Pakistan has never put curbs on this organisation.  These terror organisations split and form new factions to bring out a view that Pakistan is cracking down on terror organisations which is not the same as reality.

What would blacklisting mean?  The FATF blacklist means the country concerned is "non-cooperative" in the global fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.  If the FATF blacklists Pakistan, it may lead to downgrading of the country by multilateral lenders like IMF, World Bank, ADB, EU and also a reduction in risk rating by Moodys, S&P and Fitch.

3. No water for Pakistan  In a stern message to Pakistan, New Delhi decided to stop the flow of its share of water to Pakistan from rivers under the Indus Waters Treaty. The announcement was made on 21 February by Union minister Nitin Gadkari after the attack generated series of strong reactions across the country.  Similar demands or to say sentiments to stop the flow of India's share of Indus water to Pakistan were echoed after the Uri terror attack in 2016.  After announcing the stopping of water to flow its share to Pakistan the government also reiterated that water would be diverted from eastern rivers to Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.

Indus Waters Treaty 1960: Present Status of Development in India  The Indus system comprises of main Indus River, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.  The basin is mainly shared by India and Pakistan with a small share for China and Afghanistan.

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Indus Water Treaty  Under the Indus Waters Treaty signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, all the waters of three rivers, namely Ravi, Sutlej and Beas ( Eastern Rivers) averaging around 33 million acre feet ( MAF) were allocated to India for exclusive use.  The waters of Western rivers - Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab averaging to around 135 MAF were allocated to Pakistan except for specified domestic, non-consumptive and agricultural use permitted to India as provided in the Treaty.  India has also been given the right to generate hydroelectricity through run of the river (RoR) projects on the Western Rivers which, subject to specific criteria for design and operation is unrestricted.

Present status of development  To utilize the waters of the Eastern rivers which have been allocated to India for exclusive use, India has constructed Bhakra Dam on Satluj, Pong and Pandoh Dam on Beas and Thein (Ranjitsagar) on Ravi.  These storage works, together with other works like Beas-Sutlej Link, Madhopur-Beas Link, Indira Gandhi Nahar Project etc has helped India utilize nearly entire share (95 %) of waters of Eastern rivers.  However, about 2 MAF of water annually from Ravi is reported to be still flowing unutilized to Pakistan below Madhopur.  To stop the flow of these waters that belong to India for its utilization in India, following steps have been taken 1. Resumption of Construction of Shahpurkandi project: It will help in irrigation of areas in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab and generation of power. 2. Construction of Ujh multipurpose project: It will create a storage of water on river Ujh, a tributary of Ravi for irrigation and power generation. This project is a National Project. 3. The 2nd Ravi Beas link below Ujh: It is being planned to tap excess water flowing down to Pakistan through river Ravi, even after construction of Thein Dam.

Challenges  The treaty was designed according to the needs and issues in the 1950s. It does not address the problems that arise in 2019, some of them being  the huge population boom- about more 200 million people are dependent on Indus rivers  urbanisation  commercialisation  industrialisation  17% of the water that Pakistan receives is from Kabul river which is not mentioned in the IWT  An arrangement between Afghanistan and Pakistan and India‘s increasing participation in Afghanistan could trigger a response from China due to China-Pak nexus.  Indus waters have two more stakeholders, Afghanistan and China which are not part of the arrangement.  Pakistan deliberately delays the projects in Jammu and Kashmir raising its cost and frustrating India on the water development programme.

Impact on Pakistan  The measure will not have any significant impact on Pakistan as presently only a very small amount of water is going to Pakistan.

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 India is trying to impose pressure on Pakistan in the aftermath of Pulwama terror attacks to constrain it economically to condemn terrorism emanating from its territory.

4. India Strikes Back  12 days after the dastardly terror attack on CRPF personnel in Pulwama, India struck back on 26 February with precision air strikes on the terror camps deep inside the Pakistani territory.  In an intelligence led operation in the early hours Indian Air Force struck the biggest training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammad in Balakot.  India termed the attack as ―non-military pre-emptive strike‖.

How was the strike conducted?  The strike was conducted using Mirage 2000 aircraft.  It was used in Kargil wars also.  The Mirage 2000 is a multi-role, single-engine fighter jet which is capable of dropping a range of bombs and missiles including laser-guided bombs.

Were India‟s operations legal?  Under the UN charter, Article 2(4), the territorial integrity and political independence of another sovereign state cannot be violated. But, there are exceptions, namely o Under Article 7, UN Security Council is authorised to enforce peace forcefully in a state o Under Article 51, a state can carry a pre-emptive strike in self-defence as opposed to preventive attack. It provides that the reason should be specific and the target should also be defined. It does not mention the territory where the strike can be carried out  India carried out a pre-emptive strike in Pakistan under Article 51.

5. Pakistan‟s retaliation  Pakistan dropped bombs in four locations of Jammu and Kashmir and Indian Air Force jets countered them over the Line of Control (LoC).  In the ensuing aerial confrontation, an Indian pilot was captured by Pakistan after he shot down a Pakistani F-16 and was downed by Pakistan.  Pakistan was pressurised by the international community to treat him with dignity and to return the captive under the Geneva conventions.  A few days afterwards, Pakistan released the India Wing Commander as a ‗peace gesture‘ and to de- escalate tensions between India and Pakistan.  Many countries including US have claimed to have acted as the third party to de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan though both countries have denied the same.  Pakistan is said to have been under pressure to yield to the demands due to its economic status.

Geneva Convention  The Geneva Conventions were signed by world leaders in 1949 following the horrors of the Second World War. Ratified by 196 countries, it is the most widely-supported international treaty of its kind.  The Geneva Conventions extensively defined the basic rights of wartime prisoner, including civilians and military personnel, established protections for the wounded and sick, and established measures to safeguard civilians in and around a war-zone.  There are four conventions

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1. The first convention pertains to sick and wounded personnel in the field 2. It pertains to sick and wounded armed forces personnel at sea. 3. Prisoners of war and personnel who have been detained. 4. Civilians who are not part of the conflict.  A POW must be released once hostilities between both sides end.  Apart from war, Geneva conventions are applicable to hostility between nations or armed conflict.

Pakistan‟s economic status Pakistan‘s economy is reeling under pressure with low performance in human development indicators like health and education to economic parameters like tax-to-GDP ratio, currency performance, and current account deficit. Its economy survives on bailout packages from the global organisations like the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the World Bank, and allies like China and the US. The country has received around a dozen bailout packages in the past 40 years. Pakistan is said to be negotiating for a $12 billion bailout package from IMF. It will be the highest loan by any Pakistani government in its history from the fund. The Imran-led government has obtained $10 billion from countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia and China in order to help stabilise foreign exchange, meet its current account deficit and support the rupee. Due to a persistent decline in forex reserves, the rupee has depreciated approximately 30 per cent in the past year and Islamabad needs fresh funding to support the currency and forex reserves.

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RSTV CORNER 1. Challenges in Telecom Sector

 The Department of Telecommunications has asked the finance ministry to offer some GST-related relief to telcos and to bring down import duties of network equipment, but the ministry is not considering any other company specific relief measures as sought by Vodafone Idea.  Telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan said the industry needs to speak in a cohesive voice while seeking further financial relief.

The state of telecom industry in India  Historically India had very little penetration of fixed line in our networks compared to developed countries.  Thus, countries having higher fixed line penetration were able to operate broadband over their connections because of which such countries are much ahead of India in terms of download speeds  India has download speeds of 512 Kbps while some nations have 100 Mbps.  The entry of private sector into the industry introduced cellular technology.  But cellular technology has limitations in terms of download speeds. So download speeds never increased in India though there are 1.2 billion connections and 18 million fixed lines.  Also the broadband connectivity on the fixed line is extremely poor  Initially fixed lines operated on copper cables which was very expensive.  Now more cheaper optic fibre cables are being laid down for providing connectivity.

Challenges  Laying of optic fibre cables require right of way permission from the state governments which is a tedious process  The state governments charge very huge sums for granting right of way permissions  Also the time taken in granting such permission is long  India‘s position in the Broadband readiness index is very low compared to many nations, even some of our neighbours.  India has not fully implemented the 4G systems due to which 5G will be delayed. The towers have to be connected with very high speed systems to implement 4G and 5G  Roughly 25% of the towers are connected to fibre while developed countries have it more than 70%.

Way forward  More optic fibre cables should be laid  Easy right-of-way permissions should be granted  Cost of right of way permissions should be brought down  Download speeds should improve  Information Technology (IT) penetration should increase which will reflect on the GDP of the country  The telecom components which enable connection between the central server and the consumer must be made cost effective and consumed well.  Manufacturers of components should also align their production with the equipment providers to deliver services to the last mile

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 Investors should be given some tariff concessions and rebates to be viable initially. This will produce returns in the long term  To make tariffs viable, 5G should be implemented which will be faster and helpful to future technologies.  In house manufacturing should be expanded to make India provide for the domestic and export market sufficiently  National Telecom Policy, 2018 should be properly implemented by the government.

2. Human Rights of Security Forces  The Supreme Court has agreed to examine and hear a petition seeking protection of the rights of the armed forces personnel and the security personnel in view of facing agitated and sometimes even angry civilian protestors.  The petition is filed by two young women -- a daughter of a retired Army officer, and a daughter of a serving Army officer.  The petitioners are seeking the formulation of a policy to safeguard the rights of armed forces personnel on what all could come under their ambit while discharging their duties in case of facing an unruly mobs or individuals who attack them while performing their military duty.  The petitioners here are citing various instances of violence against Armed Forces personnel… including stone pelting in Kashmir. The contention raised by the petitioners also seeks to examine if the cases must also be registered against the perpetrators of such violence.  The Supreme Court while agreeing to examine the plea has sought views of the Central government Union Ministry of Defence, Jammu and Kashmir government and the National Human Rights Commission.

Importance of the petition  Human rights of the armed personnel performing their duties given by the state in the confines given by the state should be given importance.  Stone pelters use stones which can cause not only injury but also death of armed forces.  Human rights have been guaranteed by law in India. Violation of the same is a criminal offense.

Arguments against the petition  Armed forces have the sovereign powers of the state government.  They have been given powers to deal with situations like mob protests getting out of control.  Armed Forces Special Powers Act gives powers to armed personnel to kill any individual in disturbed areas as thought necessary.  Police forces have dealt with mob protests using firearms but they have not been questioned in court as it is difficult for them to prove the circumstances in which firearms were used.

Arguments for the petition  Politicians often withdraw the FIR cases of mob violence against himself and against others without the consent of the law.  National Human Rights Commission files cases against the armed forces which exercises the sovereign power of the state.  Armed forces cannot retaliate against the mob though the mob violates his human rights as FIR would be filed against the armed forces personnel.

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 State governments do not comply with the directions of the NHRC as they claim that the cases should be governed by State Human Rights Commission.  Mob violence and stone pelting cannot be compared where armed forces personnel have been given rights to bring a situation under control in mob violence which is not the same for stone pelting.  In stone pelting cases, retaliation of the armed forces would be considered as retaliation against unarmed people as stone is not an arm.

Way forward  It should be the collective policy of the government and the society to have a stated policy to protect the armed forces personnel against human rights violations.  Provisions have been provided in CRPC and IPC for cases to be filed against stone pelters. Politicians should be cautious enough not to withdraw such cases filed against stone pelters.  A policy made for protection of human rights of the armed personnel should have a provision that it cannot be withdrawn.  National Human Rights Commission should be allowed to investigate and submit report irrespective of the jurisdiction of the State Human Rights Commission.

3. US vs Russia: N-Arms Treaty & Venezuela  In an escalating standoff over nuclear weapons, Russia and the United States have suspended compliance with the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, prompting fears of a new arms race that analysts and politicians say could push the world "much closer" to a nuclear war.  The long-running dispute between Washington and Moscow came to a head when US President Donald Trump accused Russia of violating the 1987 bilateral treaty with "impunity", and announced his government was suspending its obligations under the landmark pact. Pledging to "move forward" with its own military response options, Trump said the US will withdraw from the accord in six months unless Moscow destroyed land-based missiles allegedly deployed in violation of the treaty.  In a tit-for-tat move, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was also suspending Moscow's participation in the agreement. Russia will start work on creating new missiles, including hypersonic weapons, he said, adding that Moscow will not deploy such weapons in the European part of the country or elsewhere unless the US does so.  The Russia, US standoff is developing on another front as well, in South America‘s Venezuela.

Tensions between US and Russia  It has been there for decades. But the tensions again started accelerating when US opposed annexation of Crimea from Ukraine by Russia  The Russian President has a strong persona making the country bold which is not acceptable to the US  Also, though the US and Russia have met several times during the course of INF treaty, nothing conclusive emerged out of the talks  Though US and Russia are equals in terms of nuclear weapons, Russia is weak economically but at the same time expanding militarily.  U.S has apprehensions of China developing missiles and which is not constrained by any treaty.  The focus of US for past two years has been to contain China.  With the development of advanced technology and an expansionist Russian policy, US feels constrained by the INF treaty to develop its own arms.

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 Russia also wants to showcase its might in the new world. The presence of US defense systems in parts of Europe and the NATO expansion make Russia wary of US intentions.

Impact of INF suspension  The world has changed from a bipolar power situation in the Cold war era to a multi polar power situation today.  Upon the suspension of the INF treaty, US wants China to be part of a missile control treaty.  China‘s entry into talks is dependent upon India‘s intentions of controlling military power which is inturn dependent on Pakistan‘s signing of a treaty  There are also other power players like Iran and Israel in the region.

The situation in Venezuela  Venezuela has large reserves of oil which attracts Russia, China and US to the region.  Russia is not an important player in Latin America though it has managed to strike close relationship with Venezuela.  Russia has pacts with Venezuela in the fields of defence and energy.  China also has agreements with Venezuela in different fields.  Russia supports the current regime of President Maduro in Venezuela while the US wants him to be ousted.  Thus, Venezuela is one area where US and Russia are increasingly coming into conflict with each other

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LSTV CORNER 1. Article 35A- Bone Of Contention Introduction  Article 35A has been the bone of contention since long.  It says only the legislature of Jammu and Kashmir can define the permanent residents of that state. Valmikis  It also empowers the J&K legislature to provide special rights and Valmikis were brought privileges to those defined as permanent residents bypassing the from Punjab, way back Parliament. in 1957, when local  Article 35A was added to the Constitution through a Presidential safaikaramcharis went order issued by the President in 1954. on an indefinite strike.  The article does not find place in Part III of the Constitution. It is Living in different given in the appendix at the end of the Constitution. localities of Jammu,  It has denied basic rights to many communities residing in the J&K except sweepers, they for several decades. are being debarred  It has also denied all citizens of India outside J&K from settling in from applying for any the state thus regarded as a blatant violation of the Constitution. other government job  Citizens have been the basic right of justice-social, economic and in J&K. political and equality of status and opportunity. Their children can  It also violates the fundamental rights of many castes and creeds of study up to graduation J&K like Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes and Gorkhas but are not eligible to who still suffer decades of discrimination and are not privy to the apply for government Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC). jobs.  People who are against the removal of Article 35 A fear the Their children cannot erosion of Kashmir‘s autonomy that might also change the get admission in demographic figure in the Muslim majority valley. government-run  Some parties also spread the fear of Hindus spreading the valley. professional institutes.  Human rights activists were also silent when the Hindus who were permanent residents were driven out from the valley in the early 1990s.

Petition raised in the Supreme Court against Article 35A  Fundamental rights are the basic rights of the citizens of India which was amended without following the due process of amendment and amended through a Presidential order.  It differentiates not only between the citizens of the state but also the citizens of the state and the rest of the country.  Though women, SCs and STs are given reservation through affirmative action in the rest of the country, they are discriminated in J&K keeping them subservient to other communities in J&K.  J&K constitution decides which parts of the Constitution should apply to the state and where exceptions should be allowed thus violating the Constitution.  It is made out of the reach of the Indian Parliament and says none of the provisions can challenged in any court of law for violating any part of the Constitution thus making itself supreme.  It also discriminates against communities like Valmikis who were promised all constitutional rights like other citizens of J&K.  The children of women who marry outside the state are denied inheritance of property from their maternal side of the family.

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 The provision of ‗secular‘ in the preamble of the Constitution was identified as an exception which shall apply to J&K.  The Preamble was also amended to include upholding the unity and integrity of the Constitution as an obligation on the state. J&K identified ‗integrity‘ as an exception which shall apply to the state.  The citizens of Pakistan are accorded permanent resident status in J&K.  Though the permanent residents of J&K are allowed to migrate and settle in any part of the country, the same is not allowed for other citizens with respect to J&K. The same applies for the Parliament as well. People who can vote for elections to the Parliament are not allowed to vote in local body elections.

How was Article 35A added?  Article 35A was incorporated into the Constitution in 1954 by an order of the then President Rajendra Prasad on the advice of the Jawaharlal Nehru Cabinet.  The controversial Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order of 1954 followed the 1952 Delhi Agreement entered into between Nehru and the then Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Sheikh Abdullah, which extended Indian citizenship to the ‗State subjects‘ of Jammu and Kashmir.  The Presidential Order was issued under Article 370 (1) (d) of the Constitution. This provision allows the President to make certain ―exceptions and modifications‖ to the Constitution for the benefit of ‗State subjects‘ of Jammu and Kashmir.  So Article 35A was added to the Constitution as a testimony of the special consideration the Indian government accorded to the ‗permanent residents‘ of Jammu and Kashmir.

Way forward Experts say the Article 35A can be repealed by way of a Presidential order as it was brought in by a Presidential order itself. The discriminatory provisions in the article should be repealed to adhere to the provisions of the Constitution. The Constitution should be help supreme without allowing for state provisions to dominate the Constitution as it would lead to other states asking for similar exceptions in future.

2. Social Media and Citizens Rights Introduction A news not in the general interest of any party is considered a fake news. Recently, a parliamentary committee on Information Technology summoned Twitter officials on the allegation that Twitter has been biased against the right wing groups.

Against Twiter  Many right wing accounts were suspended without any reason, the latest of them being that of the right wing supporter, Ankur Singh.  On being asked Twitter the reason to suspend them and then 20,000 people tweeting the same, Twitter had to restore the account on that pressure. Twitter gave the reason that it was a mistake.  There are examples where Twitter has de-verified accounts of people who have been convicted but has allowed accounts of other convicted politicians to continue as verified accounts.  There are also instances where rape threats and death threats are not taken down by Twitter.

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 Tweets are shadow banked during certain circumstances meaning the tweets are not shown when searched for. For Twitter  Twitter is a private company though the platform is public. So, the company has its own rules according to which they function.  Twitter is a business enterprise where profits dominate the business scenario and not any ideology. It is solely Twitters prerogative to choose what suits best for their business. Challenges  Even though people object to any content on social media, it is not pursued thereafter.  The physical presence of social media platforms in the country is unknown due to which raising complaints and following them becomes difficult.  Social media platforms are not concerned for any individual or organisation but for the revenue it can generate out of the use of such media.  Social media platforms cannot be blamed for showing bias against anyone as it is a private platform which can do so in their best interests.

Way forward  The best regulation is self-regulation. People should be educated to become more responsible in using social media accounts.  Instead of blaming one another for propagating fake news, the government should penalize people who do so.  The public should decide whether Twitter is a biased platform.

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YOJANA CORNER 1. Power for All – A Dream Coming True Introduction  Access to reliable and affordable energy increases the case of living and generates employment.  It powers the development of the country.  It is a prerequisite to digital connectivity in rural India, thereby opening new vistas for the people hitherto unconnected to the outer world.

Achievements 1. Making electricity available  More than one lakh megawatt of energy has been created bringing down energy deficit from 4.2% to almost zero.  India also became an exporter of electricity to Nepal and Bangladesh.  Almost one lakh circuit kilometers have been added to the inter-state transmission capacity creating One Nation-One Grid for the entire nation operating on one frequency.  India achieved 100% village electrification by April 2018.  Every village was electrified under DeenDayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY). 2. Lighting up households  Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bhijli Har Ghar Yojana- Saubhagya was launched by the Prime Minister to achieve universal household electrification.  More than 2.5 crore households have been electrified in a record time of 15 months. 3. Strengthening power infrastructure  Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) was launched to strengthen power infrastructure in urban areas.  The focus areas of IPDS are  Strengthening of sub-transmission and distribution network in the urban area  Metering of distribution transformers /feeders/consumers in the urban areas  IT enablement and automation of distribution sector

Challenges involved  Transportation of material/equipment and mobilisation of manpower for execution of works were difficult in remote inaccessible areas with hilly terrain, forest areas and areas severely affected by LWE.  Villages in Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya and Manipur required head loading of materials and trekking upto 10 days.  Materials in some villages of Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh had to be transported by helicopter.  Solar standalone systems were provided in certain inaccessible areas where extending grid network was not feasible.  Enormous challenges were also confronted in LWE affected states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.

Renewable energy  India has developed a roadmap to achieve 175 GW capacity in the renewable energy sector by 2022.  It includes 100 GW of solar power and 60 GW of wind power.

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 The overall installed capacity of Renewable energy has been more than doubled in the last four and a half years - from 34,000 MW to 75,000 MW, solar capacity increased 8 times in last 4 years.  India stands at 5th position in the world in installed solar capacity, at 4th position in installed wind capacity and at 5th position in overall renewable energy (installed capacity).

Energy Efficiency  Household LED bulb distribution program UJALA and SLNP (Streetlight National Project) for replacing conventional streetlights with smart and energy efficient LED street lights have saved billions of unit electricity per year.  In addition to these, Star Labeling program, Energy Conservation Building Code and energy efficiency measures through Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) are also important initiatives in the field of energy efficiency.

Way Forward  A new Tariff Policy will be rolled out from April 2019, which makes it mandatory to provide reliable and 24x7 power supply. If a power outage occurs without a valid reason (e.g. for scheduled maintenance or disruption due to natural calamity), the concerned power distribution company (DISCOM) will face penalties. This would effectively put an end to gratuitous load shedding by DISCOMs.  All electricity meters in the country will be replaced with Smart Meters within a period of 3 years. This will revolutionise the power sector by way of reduced AT&C losses, better health of DISCOMs, incentivisation of energy conservation and ease of bill payments etc. It will also generate skilled employment for the youth.  The Government has launched National e-mobility programme to promote electric vehicles. Ministry of Power is creating an enabling regulatory framework for rapid expansion of charging and storage infrastructure.  Though India has improved from 111th position to 24th position in 2018 on World‘s Ease of getting Electricity ranking, a lot more needs to be done.

2. Multi-Pronged Approach to Urban Transformation Introduction  India's urban population was over 31% in 2011 census. This is expected to rise to 40 per cent by 2030 and 50 per cent by 2050, i.e. it will cross 800 million.  As per 2011 census, urban India contributed 63 percent to the GDP; it is projected to grow over 75 per cent by 2030.

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Development in urban India

A three level strategy was envisaged to drive the economy forward.

What are Smart Cities? Smart Cities Mission was launched on June 25, 2015 by the Prime Minister of India. Smart cities in common parlance are understood to be cities that use appropriate technologies for improving quality of lives of their citizens. However, there is no fixed definition of a smart city.

Principles of Smart Cities Broadly, Smart Cities address three core issues: Liveability, Economicability, Sustainability. • Citizens and the communities are at the centre of Citizen at the Core development • Being conscious of resource constraints, they have to More from Less generate more impact/ outcomes from use of less resources- energy, finance and others Cooperative and Competitive • Cities are selected through competition in two stage Federalism challenges at State and Central levels

Integration, Innovation, • It is not merely about the use of technology, but creation Sustainability of integrated infrastructure and services • Careful selection of technologies, relevant to the context Technology is the Means, and Not of particular cities, built around specific needs of their the Goal communities is important for the cities for solutions Inclusiveness is a Guiding • Cities are for the people and hence they have to be built Philosophy around the principles of inclusiveness

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Smart Cities Mission Strategy 1. Area based Developmentwhich focuses on developmentof world class localities withincities to act as replicable modelsthrough redevelopment, retrofittingor green development 2. PanCity development, wherein citiesidentify few key areas of interventionwith use of digitaltechnologies tocreate impacts on basic infrastructureand services with an intent to improve wuality of life of their citizens.

Details of Principles  Every Smart City will have a Smart City Centre where digital technologies are integrated to social, physical and environmental aspects of the city to provide centralized monitoring and decision making.  The Mission promotes mixed land-use in area-based developments as proximity and density reduce the per capita costs of providing and maintaining infrastructure and services, while creating knowledge spill-overs and specialization that hugely enhance the urban productivity.  Smart cities work to create an innovation ecosystem through SPIRIT – Smart Cities Promoting Innovation Research and Incubation in Technology.  Smart Cities have proposed investments to ensure assured electricity supply with at least 10 per cent of the Smart City's energy requirement coming from Solar Energy.  The national Urban Innovation Hub (NUIH) is being proposed at the national level to consolidate existing resources and to expand the footprint of innovation development and capacity building for the urban sector.

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Key enablers

Capacity building and Smart Governance Urban finance technology driven innovation

Investment support to cities through CIITIS Credit Rating of cities (Cities Investment To Using ICT based Innovate, Integrate and technologies Sustain) Challenge Cash incentives India Smart Cities according to the Fellowship and Internship Municipal bonds issued Programme for knowledge management 'Data Smart Cities' for addressing data barriers Implementing projects SmartNet to support the through PPP development of cities across India

Way forward  Cities have to build capacity using the Special Purpose Vehicle to take up innovative technology solutions.  Cities should leverage grants provided by the government through issuance of municipal bonds, developing PPP projects and formulating land value capture finance (VCF).  Cities should maintain a standard in their development in accordance with Bureau of Indian Standards which is in the process of framing a smart ICT infrastructure standard.  It is envisaged that by 2022, the 75th year of its Independence, India's cities should have scientifically planned and aesthetically designed settlements and public spaces, providing spacious, safe and secure environments to live, work, play and recreate.  In the new-urban India, every Indian should find fruitful occupation, livelihood and self-fulfillment.

3. National Waterways: Integrated Transport Network The Government of India is aggressively pushing for the development of inland waterway routes as part of an integrated transport network.

Why should we develop inland waterways?  The cost of logistics in India, at 15 per cent of GDP, is about twice those in the United States.  The logistic share of waterways in the USA is 8.3 per cent, in Europe (7 per cent), in China (8.7 per cent), while in India it is only about 1.5 per cent.  India has 14,500 kilometres of navigable inland waterways.  106 new national waterways were announced under the National Waterways Act. 2016.  With the five existing National Waterways (NW), the addition of the new ones takes the total number to 111 in the country.

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Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI)  IWAI, the nodal agency under the Ministry of Shipping is mandated to make National Waterways commercially navigable.  IWAI aims to increase the cargo transportation through IWT on National Waterways in the country from 55 million tonnes currently to 150 million tonnes by 2023.

Jal Marg Vikas Project  The Union Finance Minister, in his Budget Speech for 2014-15, had announced Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) on National Waterway-1 (NW-1) to enable commercial navigation on Varanasi- Haldia stretch of river Ganga.  Capacity augmentation is being implemented on the stretch of 1390 kms with the technical assistance and investment support of the World.  Of the three multimodal terminals being built on river Ganga under JMVP, the one at Varanasi is already operational and second in Sahibganj (Jharkhand) will be ready by mid-2019.  NW-1, along with the proposed Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor and NH-2, constitute the Eastern Transport Corridor of India connecting the National Capital Region (NCR) with the eastern and North-eastern states and will function as a link to Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and other east and Southeast Asian countries through the Kolkata Port and Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route.  The IWAI also developed portal ―FOCAL" to connect cargo owners and shippers with real time data on availability of vessels.  IWAI made public 13 standardised state-of-the-art ship designs suitable for large barge haulage on river Ganga (National Waterway-1). It will help overcome the unique navigation challenges river Ganga throws up due to its complex river morphology, hydraulics, acute bends, shifting channels, meanders and currents.

Benefits of JMVP  It will lower CO2equivalent greenhouse gas emissions per tonne km of cargo transportation.  It will lower energy consumption and thereby lower fuel cost.  It eases congestion on road and rail networks.  It will augment the overall transport capacity of the country.  It will also help correct the transport modal mix that imposes huge logistics costs on the Indian economy.  According to a World Bank economic analysis, approximately 1.5 lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities will be created due to interventions under the Jal Marg Vikas Project.  Along with giving a fillip to trade and commerce, it will help rejuvenate the river.  The project not only creates an alternative, cost effective mode of transport but will create 'Room for River' which has proved to be an effective flood mitigating and river conservancy measure internationally, especially in low lying Netherlands.

Promoting tourism IWAI facilitates cruise operations on NW-1 (river Ganga) from Kolkata to Varanasi in collaboration with private cruise operators. The facilities provided by IWAI include navigation aids like night navigation facility, embarking and disembarking at designated locations, facilitating expeditious crossing of Farakka Navigation Lock, pilotage, and assistance in distress.

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Other National Waterways  National Waterway-2 - River Brahmaputra from Bangladesh Border to Sadiya (891 km) was declared as National Waterway -2 in 1988.  Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route - Day to day protocol permissions are issued by IWAI to barges to sail in the designated port of calls in India and Bangladesh. The Protocol was first signed in 1972 and is presently valid up to June 2020.  NW-3 has been fully developed for commercial navigation, while NW-4 and NW-5 are being developed with infrastructure of Inland Waterways.  Gandak River with a length of 277 km has been declared as National Waterway - 37. It is located from Bhaisaslotal Barrage near Triveni Ghat to Hajipur in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.  Rupnarayan River with a length of 72 km has been declared as National Waterway - 86. It is located from Pratappur to Geonkhali in West Bengal.  Alappuzha - Kottayam - Athirampuzha Canal with a length of 38 km has been declared as National Waterway - 9. It is located from Boat jetty, Alappuzha to Athirampuzha market in Kerala.  Sundarbans Waterways with a length of 201 km has been declared as National Waterway - 97 in West Bengal.  Cumberjua Canal (NW27) - 17 km: Confluence of Cumberjua and Zuari rivers near Cortalim ferry terminal to confluence of Cumberjua and Mandovi rivers near Sao MartiasVidhan Parishad.  Mandovi River (NW68) - 41 km: Bridge at Usgaon to confluence of Mandovi River with Arabian Sea at Reis Magos.  Zuari River (NW 111) - 50 km: Sanvordem Bridge to Mormogao Port.

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KURUKSHETRA CORNER 1. New Dimensions of Development in Agriculture Introduction  Agriculture is referred to as the backbone of the economic system as it not only provides food and raw material but also provides employment opportunities to a large segment of the population.  In India, about 70% of the population is directly engaged in agriculture and allied sectors.  On the contrary, the proportion of agricultural sector is very low in the economy of developed countries.  The high proportion of agriculture sector in Indian economy is due to the fact that non-agricultural sector has not been adequately developed in proportion to the requirement of rapidly growing population.

Initiatives taken by the government Scheme Details Funds formed for agricultural Micro Irrigation Fund development Dairy Processing and Infrastructure Fund Fisheries and Aquatic Science Infrastructure Development Fund Minimum Support Price One and a half times of the price of agricultural commodities has been given from the Kharif season of 2018-19. Pradhan Mantri It aims to provide the farmers a reasonable price for their produce. AnnadataAaySanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) Doubling farmer‘s income by Special attention is being given on increasing productivity, reduction 2022 in cost of farming and strengthening the post-harvest management and market structure. Various market reform-oriented measures have been implemented, such as the Model Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing Act, 2017 and Model Contract Farming and Services Act, 2018. Pradhan Mantri FasalBima It was launched in 2016 to provide insurance to farmers for failure of Yojana crops due to natural calamities. The maximum premium for Kharif crops has been fixed at 2 percent and one and a half percent for Rabi crops. Along with the standing crops, the risks involved before sowing and after harvest, are also included in it. The payment of 25 percent of the loss claims is made online immediately. Electronic National It was introduced in 2016. Agricultural Market Scheme Digitisation is encouraged through online trading, issuance of e- permits and making e-payments. It helps in bringing transparency in transaction process and provides easy access to farmers to markets in the country. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Organic farming is promoted through maximum use of bio- Yojana chemicals, bio-pesticides and bio-fertilisers. Integrated Farming System Special attention is given to multi-cropping system, cyclical farming and allied activities such as horticulture, livestock, fishery and bee-

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keeping. Emphasis is laid on minimum ploughing, use of crop-residue on soil surface and adoption of crop rotation. These measures have reduced the damage to the fertile soil to the minimum level. Soil Health Card Scheme It provides feedback to the farmers on the fertility of their agricultural land, on the basis of testing 12 parameters of soil- samples. Soil health cards for all land holdings are issued every two years. The use of fertilizers and micro-nutrients has resulted in the reduction of the use of chemical fertilizers by 8 to 10 per cent, whereas the yield of crops has increased by 5 to 6 percent. Neem-coated urea has reduced the use of urea and the cost of fertilizers. National Mission on Oilseeds It is aimed at meeting the requirement of edible oils in the country. and Oil Palm Various programmes of the Mission are being implemented through State agriculture or horticulture departments. Self-reliance in food and Green revolution and White revolution milk Agricultural Mechanisation It was launched with the aim of decreasing the cost of farming, Promotion increasing the crop-yield and management of crop-residues. It is being implemented in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and National Capital Region of Delhi. The focus of this scheme is on in-place management of crop residues. Farmers are provided 50 percent of the cost of machinery/ equipment as financial assistance for the purchase of machinery on personal basis for management of crop-residues. Rashtriya Gokul Mission Native breeds of cows and buffaloes are being conserved and upgraded to double the productivity of livestock. Gokul Gram Yojana Gokul villages are being developed under the scheme. National Livestock Under the scheme, Nakul Swasthya Patra is provided to milch cattle. Productivity Mission e-Pashudaanhaat portal It has been set up to link breeders of native bovine breeds and farmers. Blue Revolution in Fisheries It resolves to make India the world‘s leading nation in the field of Sector fishery development. This revolution focuses on increasing fish production through its multi-dimensional activities and aquaculture, inland and sea fishery resources. Under this, a new scheme called ―Deep-Sea-Fishing‖ has also been initiated to increase the fish production by 2019-20 to the level of 15 million tonnes. Export Policy It has increased export of marine products by 95%, that of rice by 85%, fruits by 77%, fresh vegetables by 43% and the export of spices by 38%. The interest of farmers has been protected by imposing duty on

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imports of oilseeds and pulses. Entrepreneurship Krishi Vigyan Kendras are helping farmers on various issues related Development Program to agriculture through training and technological resources Farmer First, Mera Gaon, For coordination among agricultural scientists and farmers Mera Gaurav ARYA (Attracting Making the farming an attractive occupation for educated rural and Retaining Youth in youth. Agriculture) Rural Entrepreneurship It has been launched for students. Awareness

2. Institutional Credit for Agriculture Introduction Agriculture provides significant support for economic growth and social transformation in the country. As one of the world's largest agrarian economies, agriculture sector (including allied activities) in India accounted for 14.8% of the GDP (at 2011-12 prices) in 2017-18, compared to 18.9% in 2004- 05 and around 30% in 1990-91. Its role remains critical as it provides employment to around 50% of the workforce.

Institutional Credit The flow of investment, both public and private, for agriculture and allied activities helps in increase in production. Besides production, such investments also help in increasing agricultural incomes, mitigating poverty and enhancing food security. In 2014-15, the private Gross Capital Formation in Agriculture [GCFA] accounted for 83% share, while that of public GCFA was 15%. Further, a push in public GCFA was seen to induce higher private GCFA.

Role of institutional credit in private GCFA  Availability of timely and affordable credit facilitates the farmer to gain access to quality inputs and other support services.  As per AIDIS 2012-13, nearly 86% of the farm capital investment in India is undertaken with institutional/non-institutional sources of funds.  While the farmers' dependence on borrowings for investment is more than 50% across all States, it is relatively higher and in excess of 90% in developed States like Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.  Further, at the all-India level, the share of such borrowings from institutional sources is estimated to be around 63%.  The percentage of credit that is met from informal sources is 40.6%, 52.1% and 30.8%, for the landless, marginal and small farmers, respectively.

Flow of institutional credit for agriculture  A large number of formal agencies like the Co-operative Banks, Commercial Banks and the Regional Rural Banks were actively involved in providing bank credit for agriculture and its allied activities.

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 Even Non-Banking Financial Institutions[NBFCs], Micro Finance Institutions [MFIs] and Self Help Groups [SHGs] were also involved in purveying agricultural credit.  Amongst the agencies, RRBs exhibited the highest CAGR, while the Co-operative Banks reported CAGR of nearly 10%.  On analyzing inter-se share, it is seen that Commercial Banks have consistently maintained a share of more than 70%, while the share of Co-operative Banks at 13% has witnessed a steady slide from as high as 40% during 1999-2000.  The Share of RRBs is slowly inching upwards and stands at 12% during 2017-18.

Widening access to Agricultural Credit  The Commercial Banks, as a group, have exhibited phenomenal growth in number of borrowers financed, with a CAGR of nearly 20%.  Co-operative Banks, which had a greater number of agricultural loan accounts among all agencies until 2012-13, have witnessed a steady fall in their number of agricultural borrowers, while the RRBs have shown a growth of around 10%.

Small and Marginal Farmers Landholdings are getting fragmented day by day. The share of small and marginal farmers which is less than 2 hectares are increasing from 70% in 1970-71 to 85% in 2011-12. Within this, the more worrying is the increase in the number of marginal farm holdings (upto 1 ha.) which now constitutes two-thirds of the total agricultural land holdings. This fragmentation of land has serious consequences in terms of owning and using modern technology and farm equipment‘s, and also in provision of inputs including agricultural credit and extension as also marketing. These can be prevented by providing institutional credit. Fortunately, the agricultural loan accounts of small and marginal farmers have increased to 72% in 2016-17.

Challenges The Net Sown Area has remained stable after the Green Revolution campaign in 1970-71 as competing pressures on land did not allow any new land to be brought under cultivation. The Gross Cropped Area (GCA) has increased in the past years. In other words, about 58 mha are multiple-cropped now, primarily due to availability of public or private irrigation. However, even if all irrigation sources are fully developed, almost half the cultivated land will remain un irrigated and will have to depend on the monsoons.

Way forward Increase in production can be brought about through increase in productivity. The productivity issues can be improved by ensuring better irrigation - through public or privately owned modes, better use of farm equipment‘s, and timely availability and use of better seeds, fertilisers (bio or chemical) and other inputs. Availability and use of all these would depend a lot on availability of timely agricultural credit, extension services, better models of credit delivery and the like. Financial products aimed at supporting more climate resilient and adaptive farming practices are the need of the hour.

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Credit flow for agro processing units, storage facilities, marketing infrastructure, etc., will facilitate in providing last-mile connect to enhance post-harvest value of agricultural produce. Simple insurance products that provides for hassle-free cover will also help improve resilience of the average Indian farmer and make agriculture a risk worth taking. A robust Negotiable Warehouse Receipt [NWR] system will enable farmers to monetize their produce early and avoid distress sale. Higher investments in agricultural infrastructure from out of the dedicated Long Term Irrigation Fund [LTIF] and the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund [RIDF] will further boost credit flow to this sector, thereby ensuring doubling of farmer‘s income by 2022.

3. Micro-Irrigation For Agricultural Growth Introduction India accommodates more thanl7% of world's population, but the country has only 4% water resources and 2.5% land resources of the world. The highest water demand is from irrigation, a critical input for agriculture production and its current demand in the country is around 80%. Demand management is the most appropriate strategy to manage the scarce resources. According to National Water Policy (2012) by Ministry of Water Resources, water saving in irrigation has been given vital importance to achieve water use efficiency.

Micro irrigation Micro irrigation is an innovative water saving technology in which water is directly supplied to the crops with very less conveyance and evaporation losses. The major advantage of this technology compared to traditional surface flooding method is that micro irrigation reduces on-beneficial evaporation and non-recoverable percolation of water. Hence, this technology boosts up overall water use efficiency. Different types of systems are drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, micro-sprinkler, porous pipe system, rain gun etc., where drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation dominate among all these systems.

Benefits Increase in water use efficiency: Micro irrigation helps in significant reduction of water conveyance losses, runoff, evaporation losses, and seepage & deep percolation losses. This ensures higher water use efficiency up to 50-90%. Energy Efficiency: Micro irrigation requires minimum pressure and low flow rate only. Hence, this ensures energy consumption saving up to 30.5%. Since this system requires very low pressure, off- grid farmers can use solar pumps or diesel pumps. Fertilizer Use Efficiency: Proper mixing of fertilizers and water, control of optimum dosage and direct application of fertilizers to the root zone result in the saving in fertilizer consumption up to 28.5%. Productivity increase: The crop yield (quantity and quality) is increased and the enhancement in productivity is estimated for fruits / crops up to 42.4 % and for vegetables up to 52.7%. This ensures good economic return for the better yields. Irrigation cost saving: This technology reduces the overall cost of irrigation due to decrease in labour requirement for irrigation, weeding and fertilizer application. Irrigation cost saving is up to 31.9%.

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New crop introduction: Farmers can judiciously add more new crops due to improved water scenario. Some of the farmers have tried intercropping and crop rotation also. Increase in farmers' income: The average income of all beneficiaries was found to be increased up to 42%. The judicious use of water & nutrients results in good quality produces and increases in farmers' income along with accommodation of more number of plants.

How does it help farmers? Pre-monsoon cultivation and early harvest are possible for farmers. Hence, the crop will not be affected even if the monsoon withdraws early or an insufficient monsoon. Micro irrigation leads to substantial increase in farm income, larger area of cultivation, low cost of cultivation especially irrigation cost and weeding cost, increased yield of produce, enhanced quality of crops with optimum water use efficiency. It is possible to control water application rate and fertilizer application dosage. Farmers can judiciously adopt the cropping pattern and crop intensity due to improved water availability situation. High valued cash crops can be cultivated easily. Moreover, micro irrigation can be applied to all kinds of lands.

Government initiatives to promote micro irrigation Micro irrigation was initiated by the Government in the 10th Five Year Plan. Micro-irrigation has been given special importance in Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) with the aim of extending irrigation cover ('Har Khet Ko Pani') and improving water use efficiency ('Per Drop More Crop') to improve various water development and management activities. These initiatives are in the form of financial, technical and institutional support. Aga Khan Rural Support program (AKRSP), an NGO is actively working in Gujarat and International Development Enterprises (IDE), a non-profit voluntary organization is actively working in Maharashtra and Gujarat to innovate low cost micro irrigation systems for small and marginal farms and create awareness among poor farmers. Small and marginal farmers in India are entitled to get a subsidy up to 55% of the total cost of the system and the same for other farmers up to 45%. Tribal farmers and farmers from dark zone areas are given additional benefits. Region wise benefits are also available.

Challenges Availability of adequate energy is a constraint in implementing micro irrigation. Micro irrigation is expensive for poor farmers and can be afforded only by the rich farmers The major disadvantage of solar panel enabled micro irrigation system is that farmers have to schedule irrigation during sunshine hours only, which otherwise they would be using the time for other productive works.

Way forward Energy crisis can be solved by integrating drip irrigation with solar panel systems. Low cost micro irrigation technologies are being developed by different agencies. Large storage tanks may be constructed and integrated with the system to prevent farmers from concentrating on availability of sunshine.

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FRONTLINE/EPW CORNER 1. Interlinking of Rivers Introduction  Water is a critical commodity in day to day life of a person and also a hot topic in central and state government elections.  Water is important for domestic, industrial as well as agricultural use. It is an interesting subject for great and expensive water supply projects as well as risk associated with flood and its after effects.  If one side of India is affected by floods of the annual monsoon, other side of the country is struggling with the scarcity of water.

Background  In 1972, Dr KL Rao visualized the idea of sharing water through connecting the flooded river basins with the water deficient basins with the help of canals. He proposed the ‗Ganga-Cauvery link Canal‘ between north and south India.  Similarly, Captain Dinshaw J. Dastur in the year 1977 proposed ‗National Garland Canal‘ scheme.  After studies and analysis both ‗Ganga-Cauvery link canal‘ and ‗National Garland Canal‘ projects were rejected by the government for technical as well as financial reasons.  In the year 1982, the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) drafted an idea to mitigate flood and draught through a mass-transport of water from Brahmaputra and Ganga water excess areas to the drought prone areas of the Indian peninsula with the help of canals.

Interlinking of Rivers project  The idea of interlinking of rivers (ILR) involves the construction of dams and canals thereby linking 30 major rivers across India  In the year 2002, Indian President A.P.J Abdul Kalam pointed to the importance of interlinking of rivers to eradicate the flood as well as drought issues across the country.  However, the Prime Minister of India A. B Vajpayee gave more emphasis on saving rain water which is a cheap, non-conflict as well as practical way of water availability.  In 2002, the amicus curiae Advocate Ranjit Kumar filed an application before the Supreme Court to direct the government to take up the Interlinking of Rivers project. Since there was no strong opposition from any states except one, Chief Justice of India, B.N. Kirpal assumed there was no disagreement for the governments and he issued order to the government to take up the project as well as directed to finish the project in shortest possible time.  Thus, the ILR project which was discussed in the 1980s got momentum in 2002 without any background feasibility study or analysis.  On December 13, 2002 the government formed a task force for the Inter linking of the rivers project under the chairmanship of Suresh Prabhu. Government bypassed all the planning procedures and analysis usually constituted for major projects.  The target date for completion of the project was fixed for December 31, 2016. The average rate of money calculated to spend during a day was Rs 110 crore over the 14 years.  The project was a huge economic boost for the heavy engineering, infrastructure construction as well as banking industries.

What is the ILR project?  The ILR project is not a scheme to connect rivers into a ―network‖ of canals.

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 It is a system of large dams and high-capacity canals linked to sequentially and unidirectionally transfer very large volumes of water from one river basin to another in order to connect the high- discharge, perennial Himalayan rivers with the seasonal rivers of peninsular India.  The system is on the basis of the NWDA‘s concept that, with the exception of the Brahmaputra and the Ganga which are donor rivers and the Cauvery which is a recipient basin, every river basin would donate its ―surplus‖ water to another river basin in exchange for the water it received.  According to ILR Task force, the project would provide water for 35 million hectares of agricultural land, provide 34 million kilowatts of hydroelectricity.

Challenges  The project involved the acquisition of large land area, displacement of millions of people, interstate water claim disputes, submergence of forest area, direct impact on wildlife and ecology.  Huge social, political, economic impact of the project were not considered by the Task force, as they restricted themselves only to the technical details of the project.  The amount of water diverted from the Ganga during the flood season would not provide much of a relief as the amount of water is just 4% compared to the flood flow of the Ganga  60m high canal system envisaged in the project would not be able to provide water to ―water-deficit‖ areas in the peninsular plateau region are at elevations of over 800 m above sea level.  The success of the ILR project is based on the functioning of a ―chain of supply‖ system of link canals from the Ganga to Cauvery. Interruption of flow in one or more links because of farmers‘ agitations, structural or operational failure or hitches, political compulsions, natural disaster, sabotage, and so on, will cause local damage and stoppage of flow, with days of lag time for the system to normalise.  The Report of the National Commission for Water Resource Development states that Himalayan river linking component is not feasible for the period of review up to 2050. This raises doubts on the feasibility of the ILR project whose source of water is itself doubtful.  The disputes among states in the name of water has shown that, no state will be willing to share the surplus water with the other state as the priority is to feed its own population.

Way forward  The Government should adopt river basin watershed management for flood management as well as surface and ground water availability.  Such measures will make local populations more responsible for and more in control of their water resources, and reduce the magnitude of water disputes.  Central and State governments need to enforce river basin rejuvenation and water conservation by a combination of suitable, region-specific, and tried and tested, methods and review agricultural and industrial water-use policy with an eye on mitigating the effects of increased water stress owing to climate change.

2. How Can India Become a Global Leader in Solar Power Generation? International Solar Alliance  International Solar Alliance (ISA) was jointly created by India and France in the year 2015.  The ISA was signed by 75 countries and ratified by 44 countries  The vision of ISA ―One World, One Sun, One Grid‖ was promoted by India during the 24th conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), held in Katowice, Poland and the G20 Summit 2018 that took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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 ISA is a treaty based as well as UN sponsored worldwide alliance for nations to invest in solar energy and engage in research and development (R&D) activities of solar power technologies.

India‟s solar power ambitions  The target of India‘s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) goals is to reach a capacity of 100 gigawatts by 2022.  Through the initiative of ISA, India is aiming to become the global leader of Solar Power Generation  ISA was established with two different propagandas, the firstly to become self-sufficient and energy independent and secondly, to make it into India‘s geopolitical influence at the UN.

Background  During the UNFCCC Earth summit of Rio de Janeiro in the year 1992, countries were divided on the basis of their development and the determination of allowed carbon emission.  India was also a part of the differentiated negotiations in the Earth summit.  In 2009, during the Copenhagen summit, India turned to focus on a dialogue based and constructive approach in the global arena.  The climate diplomacy of India further widened in the foreign policy during the Paris Agreement of 2015.  International Solar Alliance is a responsible and constructive move from India, which is adding flavour to the climate diplomacy of the country.

Benefits  Since ISA is an international alliance, it can generate funding for solar power projects, and also help India engage in R&D with countries like France, Brazil, Germany, Malaysia which has similar agendas  Additionally, ISA‘s corporation with global institutions such as the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development the International Energy Agency, the World Bank, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the New Development Bank (NDB) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) shall also be considered for financial planning.  It will be an opportunity for India to engage with China through multilateral associations like the G20 and BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).  The ISA has crucial role in advancing technology transfer, finding funding sources and creating better storage technologies.

Challenges  Even though the ISA created headlines across the world, India has to encounter hurdles like the poor supply of production, over dependence on China for solar power equipment and lower tariffs.  India requires constructive decision making to solve the domestic challenges and require beneficial negotiations with China to join the ISA. China is the leading producer of solar panels and has a remarkable position in terms of solar power generations. So, it‘s absence in the ISA is undesirable.  While implementing the ISA, India has domestic setbacks asIndia imported 89% of its total solar cells imports—the chief ingredient to produce solar panels—from China in 2017–18.  China accounted for India‘s Rs. 224 billion worth of imports out of the total Rs 252 billion.  Additionally, from the view point of Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD), such over-dependence on China and Chinese solar panel dumping has resulted in the loss of 2 lakh jobs in India.

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 The Indian government has imposed 25% safeguard duty on the import of Chinese solar cells till July 2019. This duty shall be decreased to 20% till January 2020, and further to 15% until July 2020. However, it does not guarantee a better supply for Indian solar power generation.  In addition, the solar power tariff is decreasing rapidly within the country—Rs. 2.44 per unit—while the cost of the equipment and the cost of setting-up is still the same.  The solar power supply chain in the country is not as developed, dependable and robust as it is meant to be to achieve the goal of securing 175 GW of clean energy, where 100 GW is supposed to be derived from solar power.  While India is facing a huge financial crisis at home competing with Chinese solar panels, the government is still willing to offer a $1.4 billion line of credit to African countries, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh for their solar projects at an interest rate cheaper than that offered by China.

Way forward  To reduce the dependency on imports from China, many countries including India need to focus on creating their own technology and schemes to boost renewable energy use.  In a nutshell, to achieve the clean energy target of 175 GW by 2022, India has to either rely on cheaper Chinese imports at the cost of local manufacturing or give China partnership in the ISA and secure its energy goals for a long-term basis.

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MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS 1) Consider the following statements regarding National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority. 1. It is under Ministry of Science and Technology. 2. It controls the prices of pharmaceutical drugs in India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2

2) Which of the following statements are correct regarding One Rank One Pension scheme. 1. Under the scheme, same pension will be paid to military officers of the same rank for the same period of service, irrespective of the date of retirement. 2. OROP was recommended by Koshiyari Committee. Select the correct answer using the code given below: a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2

3) Miyako strait is located between a) Miyako Island and Okinawa Island b) Miyako island and Senkaku island c) South China sea and Java sea d) South China Sea and Sulu sea

4) Consider the following statements regarding ShehriSamridhi Utsav (SSU) 1. It is an initiative of Ministry of Food Processing Industries. 2. It aims at making the urban areas self-sufficient in food grains. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2

5) Consider the following statements International Financial Services Center (IFSC) 1. It caters to customers outside the jurisdiction of the domestic economy. 2. It cannot be set up in a Special Economic Zone (SEZ). Which of the statements given above is/are correct? a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2

6) Consider the following statements regarding the new tariff rules on broadcasting services brought by TRAI.

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1. Every channel will be offered on a-la-carte basis. 2. It has allowed broadcasters to fix the MRP of their channels under complete forbearance. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2

7) Consider the following statements circuit filters on stocks 1. It helps in containing the price of stocks within a limit in a single trading session. 2. It can never be applied to derivatives. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2

8) Consider the following statements regarding contempt of court 1. The Supreme Court and the High Court can punish for contempt of court under the Constitution. 2. Willful disobedience of the court constitutes civil contempt Which of the statements given above is/are correct? a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2

9) Which of the statements given below is/are correct? 1. The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi is bound by the Chief Ministers advice in all matter mentioned in the State List. 2. The Chief Minister of Delhi is appointed by the Lieutenant Governor. Select the correct answer using the code given below a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2

10) Which of the following border Yemen? 1. Red Sea 2. Gulf of Aden 3. Oman 4. Saudi Arabia Select the correct answer using the code given below a) 1 and 2 only b) 2, 3 and 4 only c) 1, 2 and 3 only d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

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11) Consider the following statements regarding Gaganyaan mission 1. It is a mission by Indian Space Research Organisation to land Indians on the moon. 2. If successful, India will be the fourth nation to send a manned mission to space. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2

12) Consider the following statements regarding Vayu Shakti 1. It is carried out by the Indian air forces. 2. It is conducted every two years. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2

13) Consider the following statements regarding Munich Security Conference 1. It is an annual conference on international security policy. 2. It is the world's largest gathering of its kind. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2

14) Consider the following statements regarding hyperspectral imagery 1. It uses optical and infrared sensors. 2. It can be used for monitoring drought and identifying soil moisture. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2

15) Consider the following pairs 1. South Central Railway - Hyderabad 2. Southern Railway – Chennai 3. Western Railway - Jaipur Which of the pairs given above is/are correct? a) 1 only b) 1 and 2 only c) 2 and 3 only d) 1, 2 and 3

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ANSWERS 1) Answer (b) 2) Answer (c) 3) Answer (a) 4) Answer (d) 5) Answer (a) 6) Answer (c) 7) Answer (a) 8) Answer (c) 9) Answer (d) 10) Answer (d) 11) Answer (b) 12) Answer (a) 13) Answer (c) 14) Answer (c) 15) Answer (b)

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