Connect to Current -Daily Current Capsules 06th March...
Transcript of Connect to Current -Daily Current Capsules 06th March...
Connect to Current -Daily Current Capsules 06th March 2019
International Relations US to withdraw duty benefits on $5.6 billion exports from India
Generalized System of Preferences (GSP)
Relevance IN – Prelims ( about GSP) + Mains ( GS III economic development
+ GS II effect of policies of developed and developing countries on India’s
interest)
Highlights
The GSP programme allows duty-free entry of 1,784 products from India
into the US
Exporters of textiles, engineering, gems and jewellery and chemical
products benefit the most from this programme
What’s the NEWS
Arguing that New Delhi had failed to assure America that it would
provide equitable and reasonable access to its markets in numerous
sectors, US President Donald Trump informed the US Congress about his
intent to terminate the designation of India and Turkey as a
beneficiary developing country under the Generalised System of
Preferences (GSP) programme.
The US has decided to withdraw duty benefits on $5.6 billion worth of
exports from India by May this year, blaming the trade barriers created
by the Indian government, after negotiations for a trade package fell
through.
Know! about the GSP Programme
The GSP programme allows duty-free entry of 1,784 products from India
into the US, benefitting exporters of textiles, engineering, gems and
jewellery and chemical products.
Total US imports under GSP in 2017 was $21.2 billion, of which India
was the biggest beneficiary with $5.6 billion, followed by Thailand ($4.2
billion) and Brazil ($2.5 billion).
India is the world's largest beneficiary of the GSP program and ending its
participation would be the strongest punitive action against India since
Trump took office in 2017
Under the United States GSP programme, certain products can enter the
US duty-free if the beneficiary developing countries meet the eligibility
criteria established by Congress.
The GSP criteria include, among others, respecting arbitral awards in
favour of US citizens or corporations, combatting child labour, respecting
internationally recognised worker rights, providing adequate and effective
intellectual property protection and providing the US with equitable and
reasonable market access.
Countries can also be graduated from the GSP programme, depending on
factors related to economic development.
International Organisations/Education Sector QS World Ranking: Five Indian institutes in top 300, IIT Bombay leads
India chart
Relevance IN – Prelims ( about QS ranking outcome ) + Mains ( GS II issues
relating to development and management of social sector/services relating to
education + international organisations)
What’s the NEWS
QS World Ranking: IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi and IISc remain the top three
Indian institutes. Additionally, top five Indian institutes were ranked in
the top 300. Indian institutes rank 'very high' in research output.
Know! more about the ranking
According to the recently released QS world ranking, five Indian
institutes have secured a spot in the list of top 300 world universities. The
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay has gained the top rank
among Indian institutes followed by Indian Institute of Science (IISc),
Bangalore.
IIT Bombay surpassed last year’s top institute IIT Delhi by moving 17
ranks up and securing 162nd rank worldwide.
IISc has shown the maximum improvement with a jump of 20 positions
from last year. It moved up from 190th rank last year to 170.
IIT Delhi remained at 172nd spot globally, however, in Indian ranking it
went down to the third spot as IIT Bombay and IISc improved their score.
Institute 2018 2019
IIT Delhi 172 172
IT Bombay 179 162
IISc 190 170
IIT Madras 264 264
IIT Kanpur 293 283
IIT Kanpur, which secured the fifth rank in the country and 283rd in the
world also moved up by 10 ranks from last year showing a significant
improvement.
All the Indian institutes have got ‘very high’ ranking in research output,
according to the QS World Ranking.
Internationally, the top three institutes remain unshakable with the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University and
Harvard University securing first, second and third rank respectively,
according to the QS World Ranking.
In the top five, Oxford University replaced the University of Cambridge
for the fifth rank.
Top five world institutes this year were –
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Stanford University
Harvard University
California Institute of Technology
University of Oxford
Know! about QS World University Rankings
It is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli
Symonds (QS). Previously known as Times Higher Education–QS World
University Rankings, the publisher had collaborated with Times Higher
Education (THE) magazine to publish its international league tables from
2004 to 2009 before both started to announce their own versions.
QS then chose to continue using the pre-existing methodology while
Times Higher Education adopted a new methodology to create their
rankings.
The QS system now comprises the global overall and subject rankings
(which name the world's top universities for the study of 48 different
subjects and five composite faculty areas), alongside five independent
regional tables (Asia, Latin America, Emerging Europe and Central Asia,
the Arab Region, and BRICS).
Agreements Government of India and World Bank Sign $250 Million Agreement
for the National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP) to
boost Rural Incomes across 13 States in India
Relevance IN – Prelims ( about the agreement and NRETP ) + Mains ( GS I
role of women and women organisation + GS II social Justice, role of SHG,
welfare schemes for the vulnerable section
What’s the NEWS
The World Bank and the Government of India signed a $250 Million
Agreement for the National Rural Economic Transformation
Project (NRETP) which will help women in rural households shift to a
new generation of economic initiatives by developing viable
enterprise for farm and non-farm products.
Know! more about the project and agreement
A Key Focus of the Project will be to promote women-owned and
women-led farm and non-farm enterprises across value chains; enable
them to build businesses that help them access finance, markets and
networks; and generate employment.
The National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP) is
an additional financing to the $500 million National Rural Livelihoods
Project (NRLP) approved by the World Bank in July 2011.
The NRLP which is currently being implemented across 13 states, 162
districts and 575 blocks, has so far mobilized more than 8.8 million
women from poor rural households into 750,000 self-help groups
(SHGs).
These SHGs have been further federated into 48,700 Village
Organizations and 2900 Cluster/Gram Panchayat-level Federations.
While these 13 states will continue to be supported under the new project
signed today, 125 new districts will be added from within these states.
Know! about NRLM
The National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) aims to alleviate rural
poverty and create sustainable livelihood opportunities in rural
communities by promoting sustainable community-based institutions
which will facilitate economic and financial services for the rural poor.
The National Rural Livelihoods Project has mobilized close to 9 million
rural women into strong self-managed institutional platforms, helping
them access services, participate in Gram Sabhas and start engaging in
income generating activities.
Many of these women are now geared towards moving into higher order
economic initiatives in farm and non-farm sectors.
Since its launch in 2011, the National Rural Livelihoods Mission
(NRLM) has mobilized 50 million poor rural women into self-help
groups and their higher-level federations. These groups have leveraged
nearly $30 billion from commercial banks.
The NERTP will support enterprise development programs for rural poor
women and youth by creating a platform to access finance including start-
up financing options to build their individual and/or collectively owned
and managed enterprises.
The other key component of the project includes developing financial
products using digital financial services to help small producer collectives
scale-up and engage with the market. It will also support youth skills
development, in coordination with the Deen Dayal Upadyaya Grameen
Kaushalya Yojana.
Defence AL NAGAH 2019
Relevance IN – Prelims ( about AL NAGAH)
What’s the NEWS
Exercise Al Nagah III, third in the series of bilateral joint exercise
between India and Oman is scheduled to be held from 12 to 25 March
2019 at Jabel Al Akhdar Mountains in Oman.
Know! more about the exercise
The exercise will see both the armies exchanging expertise and
experience in tactics, weapon handling and firing, with an aim to enhance
interoperability in counterterrorist operations in semi urban mountainous
terrain.
India-Oman bilateral security ties have continued to develop since the
beginning of India-Oman Joint Military Cooperation meetings in 2006.
Exercise Al Nagah III follows the first two joint exercises that were held
in Oman in January 2015 and India in March 2017 respectively.
Similar exercises are also in vogue between the navies and air forces of
both the nations thus underscoring the growing bilateral military and
strategic partnership between the two important nations of Indian Ocean
Region (IOR).
Social Justice Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan (PM-SYM)
Prime Minister Launches PM-SYM in Ahmedabad
Relevance IN – Prelims ( about PM -SYM ) + Mains ( GS II social Justice,
welfare schemes for the vulnerable section of the population)
What’s the NEWS
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi formally launched Pradhan Mantri
Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan (PM-SYM) Scheme in Ahmedabad.
Role of Common Service Centres
CSCs spread across the country are enrolling PM-SYM beneficiaries. There
are over three lakh CSCs in the country.
Nearly 12 lakh youth are working in CSCs and they are instrumental in
smooth implementation of not only PMSYM but other welfare schemes like
Aayushman Bharat Yojana.
Know! about PM -SYM
Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan (PM-SYM), a pension scheme for
Unorganized Workers is being implemented for an estimated 42 crore
workers in the unorganized sector constituting around 85% of the total
Labour force of the country.
PM-SYM has been made effective since 15thFeb, 2019 in all states.
It is a central sector scheme open to unorganised workers, whose monthly
income is Rs 15000/- or below and who have an Aadhar number as well as
savings bank account. The minimum age for joining the scheme is 18
years and the maximum is 40 years.
It is a voluntary and contribution based scheme under which the subscriber
gets an assured minimum monthly pension of Rs 3000/- from the age of 60
years onwards.
The contribution of a subscriber ranges from Rs 55/- to Rs 200/-
depending on his entry age which is 18 to 40.
Under the scheme, the Central Government will also give matching
contribution towards beneficiary’s pension account.
Further, it has unique feature that in case of exit, subscriber would be
returned his entire contribution.
The unorganized workers are mostly engaged as home based workers,
street vendors, mid-day meal workers, head loaders, brick kiln workers,
cobblers, rag pickers, domestic workers, washer men, rickshaw pullers, rural
landless labourers, own account workers, agricultural workers, construction
workers, beedi workers, handloom workers, leather workers, Audio- visual
workers, and in similar other occupations.
Prelims Practise Question
Consider the following statements
1. The GSP programme of which India is the 2nd largest beneficiary allows
duty-free entry of 1,784 products from India into the US, benefitting
exporters of textiles, engineering, gems and jewellery and chemical
products.
2. Exercise Al Nagah , the inaugural edition of bilateral joint exercise
between India and Oman is scheduled to be held from 12 to 25 March
2019 at Jabel Al Akhdar Mountains in Oman.
Find the correct statement from the option given below
a. 1 and 2
b. 2 only
c. 1 only
d. None
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