Daily News Analysis 25th October 2018

Daily News Analysis (Prelims + Mains) – 25th October 2018

General Study – II

Topic:

Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.

Adjudicating Authority and Appellate Tribunal

Cabinet has approved the appointment of Adjudicating Authority and establishment of Appellate Tribunal under Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act (PBPT), 1988.

Salient Features

Appointment of an Adjudicating Authority, along with the three additional Benches and to establish the Appellate Tribunal under the PBPT Act.

Provides the officers and employees to Adjudicating Authority, Benches of the Adjudicating Authority and Appellate Tribunal by diverting the existing posts at the same level/rank from the Income Tax Deptt. /Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT);

The Adjudicating Authority and Appellate Tribunal shall sit in the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCTD).

Benches of Adjudicating Authority may sit in Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai, and the needed notification in this regard shall be issued after making consultation with the Chairperson of the proposed Adjudicating Authority.

Advantages

• The approval will result in effective and better administration of cases referred to the Adjudicating Authority
• Speedy disposal of appeals filed against the order of the Adjudicating Authority before the Appellate Tribunal.
• Appointment of the Adjudicating Authority would provide first stage review of administrative action under the PBPT Act.
• Establishment of the proposed Appellate Tribunal would provide an appellate mechanism for the order passed by the Adjudicating Authority under the PBPT Act.

General Study – III

Topic:

Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

National Monitoring Framework on Sustainable Development Goals

Cabinet has approved the constitution of a High-Level Steering Committee for periodically reviewing and refining the National Indicator Framework (NIF) for monitoring of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with associated targets.

The High-Level Steering Committee will be chaired by Chief Statistician of India and Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), with the Secretaries of data source Ministries and NITI Aayogas members and Secretaries of other related Ministries as special invitees, with function of reviewing of National Indicator Framework including refinement of the indicators from time to time.

Sustainable Development Goals

Prior to Sustainable Development Goals During Millennium Summit held in 2000 at the UN Headquarters in New York, eight development goals known as the ‘Millennium Development Goals’ (MDGs) were adopted, which formed the blueprint for countries to pursue their national development strategies from 2000 to 2015.

The MDGs comprised eight Goals and addressed various development issues.

The MDGs targets were unevenly achieved across the countries and a need was felt to start fresh discussions to assess the usefulness of the MDGs and to explore possible successor to guide development cooperation in the world beyond 2015.

The UN General Assembly in its 70th Session considered and adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the next 15 years.

SDG is a group of 17 goals with 169 targets and 304 indicators, came into force with effect from 1stJanuary, 2016.

Although not legally binding, the SDGs have become de facto international obligations and have potential to reorient domestic spending priorities of the countries during the next fifteen years.

17 goals are

• Goal 1: No poverty
• Goal 2: Zero hunger
• Goal 3: Good health and well-being for people
• Goal 4: Quality education
• Goal 5: Gender equality
• Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation
• Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy
• Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth
• Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
• Goal 10: Reducing inequalities
• Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
• Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production
• Goal 13: Climate action
• Goal 14: Life below water
• Goal 15: Life on land
• Goal 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
• Goal 17: Partnerships for the goals

Indian Institute of Skills (IISs)

Cabinet approved the for setting up of Indian Institute of Skills (IISs) at different locations across the country in Public Private Partnership (PPP), which will be explored for promotion of IIS at select locations based on demand and available infrastructure.

Advantages of IISs

Augment the global competitiveness of key sectors of Indian economy by providing high quality skill training, applied research education and a direct and meaningful connection with industry.

Provide opportunity to aspiring youth across the country to have access to highly skilled training and strengthen the scope of accountability through its linkage with industry and global competitiveness across sectors.

It utilizes advantages of private sector enterprise and public capital in terms of Government land, it would create new institutes of expertise, knowledge and competitiveness.

General Study – III

Topic:

Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country, – different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; etechnology in the aid of farmers.

AFITA/WCCA2018 (World Congress on Computers in Agriculture) 

Vice President addressed the inaugural session of the International Conference ‘AFITA/WCCA2018’ on Research Frontiers in Precision Agriculture.

It is jointly organized by

• Asia-Pacific Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture,
• International Network for Information Technology in Agriculture and
• Indian Society for Agricultural Information Technology, in Mumbai.

Conference is Collaborative scientific program which aims to bring together the ‘Research Frontiers in Precision Agriculture’ for sharing the recent advances in ICT, IoT, sensor networks, image processing, robotics, machine learning, big data analytics, etc. in agricultural applications, precision agriculture. The research contributions through presentations, posters, workshops etc.

Conference focus at supporting the development and implementation of these frontier technologies for a competitive, sustainable and environment-friendly agriculture.

Asia-Pacific Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture (AFITA)

AFITA was formed on January 24, 1998 in Wakayama City, Japan.

It is an autonomous, non-political, non-governmental, non-profit forum to promote the use of information technology to improve all aspects of the agriculture sector.

International Network for Information Technology in Agriculture (INFITA)

INFITA in Agriculture provides the basis for cooperation among national and international organizations and associations with interest in research and the utilization of information technology in agriculture, food and the environment.

Indian Society of Agricultural Information Technology (INSAIT)

INSAIT is an established in dharwad,2000.

It mobilize farmers, scientists/academicians/researchers, institutions and organizations for encouraging and promoting all aspects of agricultural IT.

Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF)

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister given its approval for creation of special Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF).

The approval entails an estimated fund size of Rs.7,522 crore, comprising Rs.5,266.40 crore to be raised by the Nodal Loaning Entities (NLEs), Rs. 1,316.6 crore beneficiary’s contribution and Rs.939.48 crore budgetary support from the Government of India.

Nodal Loaning Entities

• National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD),
• National Cooperatives Development Corporation (NCDC) and
• all scheduled Banks (hereinafter referred as Banks)

Advantages

• Creation of fisheries infrastructure facilities both in Marine and Inland fisheries sectors.
• Augment fish production to achieve its target of 15 million tonne by 2020 set under the Blue Revolution.
• Helps to achieve a sustainable growth of 8% -9% thereafter to reach the fish production to the level of about 20 MMT by 2022-23.
• Employment opportunities to over 9.40 lakh fishers/fishermen/fisherfolk and other entrepreneurs in fishing and allied activities.
• Attracts private investment in creation and management of fisheries infrastructure facilities.
• Helps in Adoption of new technologies.
• Provide concessional finance to State Governments / UTs and State entities, cooperatives, individuals and entrepreneurs etc., for taking up of the identified investment activities of fisheries development.

General Study – III

Topic:

Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

SC bans sale of BS-IV vehicles from 2020

The Supreme Court banned the sale and registration of motor vehicles conforming to the emission standard Bharat Stage-IV in the entire country from April 1, 2020.

The Supreme Court Observed that

• Pollution has reached an “alarming and critical” level all over India.
• There cannot be any compromise on the health of citizens and this has to take precedence over the “greed” of a few automobile manufacturers who want to stretch the timeline.

Facts

1. The country will have to shift to the cleaner Bharat- VI fuel from April 1, 2020.
2. Bharat Stage (BS) emission norms are standards instituted by the government to regulate output of air pollutants from motor vehicles.
3. The BS-IV norms have been enforced across the country since April 2017
4. In 2016, the Centre had announced that the country would skip the BS-V norms altogether and adopt BS-VI norms by 2020.

About BS IV:

• BS-IV fuels contain far less sulphur. Sulphur in fuel makes it unclean and lowers the efficiency of catalytic converters, which control emissions.
• The BS-IV compliant vehicles release fewer pollutants Carbon Monoxide (CO), Hydrocarbon (HC), Oxides of Nitrogen (NO), Sulphur (SO) and particulate matter (PM) compared to BS III complaint vehicles.
• BS-IV demands for lower limits of air pollutants like oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and particulate matter, lower decibel of idle and pass, lower release of fuel vapour in atmosphere.

About BS VI:

• The proposed BS-VI fuel limits the amount of sulphur to 10ppm from 50ppm in BS-IV.
• The fuel specifications of petrol and diesel have been aligned with the Corresponding European Fuel Specifications for meeting the Euro II, Euro III and Euro IV emission norms.

Facts:

Difference in BS-IV and BS-VI standards:

• The BS norms have been similar to Euro norms till now, and with norms after BS-IV not defined yet, we compare the existing BS-III and BS-IV norms in India with the Euro 6 norms on which India’s emission norms have been set.
• Petrol Emission Norms (All figures in g/km):

Diesel Emission Norms (All figures in g/km)

Arguments behind direct switching to BS VI norms:

• The environmental impact, rising pollution levels and health hazards due to vehicular pollution, the oil ministry took the view that the country should switch over directly from BS-IV to BS-VI fuel standards.
• At BS-VI levels, the gap which is currently maintained between emissions from diesel and petrol, wherein diesel cars are allowed to emit more particulate matter and nitrogen oxide, narrows. At that level, emissions will become nearly fuel-neutral.

Challenges in Switching to BS VI norms:

• There are two major industries which would face challenges: first are the oil refineries that will need a substantial investment to upgrade. These upgrades will allow the refineries to supply fuel types that can match the BS-VI standards.
• The shift of technology from BS-IV to BS-VI is likely to cost anything between Rs 50,000 crore to Rs 80,000 crore to petroleum companies. This would hit the margins of oil companies.
• The automobile manufacturers would require a significant technological jump especially in diesel filter technology & in optimization of selective catalytic reduction technology.
• Switching BS-IV to BS-VI move could lead to safety and quality problems. It would take as much as four-and-a-half years of lead time for design, application and validation of new engine technologies to move from BS-IV to BS-V, and a similar time to graduate to BS-VI.

Conclusion:

• There are challenges related to technology upgradation, availability of fund, rising cost of vehicles, availability of BS VI Fuel in shorter time frame.
• This cost would be compensated by the reduction in diseases due to air pollution which has become a severe health hazard for the Indian cities.
• New norms would be a step in the direction of Right to clean environment & would reduce expenditure on polluted air borne diseases

Topic for Prelims

Seoul Peace Prize

The Seoul Peace Prize Committee has decided to confer the 2018 Seoul Peace Prize to Prime Minister of India.

It’s in recognition of improving

• international cooperation,
• raising global economic growth,
• accelerating the Human Development of the people of India by fostering economic growth in the world’s fastest growing large economy.

About Seoul Peace Prize

It was established in 1990 to commemorate the success of the 24th Olympic Games held in Seoul, Republic of Korea – an event in which 160 nations from across the world participated, created harmony and friendship and a worldwide atmosphere of peace and reconciliation.

The Seoul Peace Prize was established to crystallize the Korean people’s yearning for peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the rest of the world.

The Seoul Peace Prize has been awarded biennially to individuals.