Second India-Russia Strategic Economic Dialogue                                                                              

Skill development ministry launches Kaushal Yuva Samwad                                                              

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ scheme: Uttarakhand among best performing states                             

France to impose green tax on plane tickets from 2020                                                                        

Cabinet approves transgender bill                                                                                                          

Creation of Gaganyaan National Advisory Council                                                                               

Setting up of Neutrino Observatory                                                                                                         

‘Study in India’ programme                                                                                                                       

Implementation of National Creche Scheme                                                                                           

International Cooperation Scheme                                                                                                          

Global Multidimensional Poverty Index - 2019                                                                                       

Second India-Russia Strategic Economic Dialogue

GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS- Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests

Context :

• The Second India-Russia Strategic Economic Dialogue (IRSED) was held in New Delhi.

 India-Russia Strategic Economic Dialogue (IRSED) :

• The Second meeting of the IRSED focussed on six core areas of cooperation, namely,

  • Development of Transport Infrastructure and Technologies;

  • Development of Agriculture and Agro-Processing sector;

  • Small and Medium Business support;

  • Digital Transformation and Frontier Technologies;

  • Cooperation in Trade,

  • Banking, Finance, and Industry; and Tourism & Connectivity.

• The Dialogue included parallel roundtables which discussed areas of cooperation and concrete roadmaps for future negotiations across outlined core areas.

• Participants included government officials, business leaders and experts, bringing in diverse perspectives for ideation.

Background :

• The IRSED was established following a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation during the 19th edition of the Annual India-Russia Bilateral Summit, which was held on October 5, 2018, in New Delhi.

• The First India-Russia Strategic Economic Dialogue was held in St. Petersburg between November 25-26, 2018.

                                                                                                                               Source :- PIB

Skill development ministry launches Kaushal Yuva Samwad

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes

Context :

• The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship has launched “Kaushal Yuva Samwad”.

Kaushal Yuva Samwad :

• Kaushal Yuva Samwaad aims to create a dialogue between the youth and the Ministry.

• The program is intended to identify and rectify the gaps so that all skill development programs are aligned to the current demands and help in creating a skilled workforce for the future.

• The program is being organized across all Skill India training centres, namely, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKK), Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs),Jan Shikshan Sansthans among others.

• Further,this program is launched to celebrate the World Youth Skills Day (WYSD) on July 15th every year.

                                                                                                           Source :- The Times Of India

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ scheme: Uttarakhand among best performing states

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes 

Context :

• Uttarakhand has been adjudged as one of the country’s five best performing states under ‘Beti Bachao,Beti Padhao’ scheme.

More in the news:

• The state will be felicitated along with the other selected states in recognition of its consistent performance in respect of sex ratio at birth(SRB).

• Consistent performance in respect of SRB indicates that the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ scheme is gaining ground in the state.

                                                                                                                Source :- Economic Times

France to impose green tax on plane tickets from 2020

GS PAPER - 03 ENVIRONMENT - Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Context :

• The French government is to impose a tax of up to 18 euros ($20) on plane tickets for all flights from airports in France to fund less-polluting transportation projects.

• The move, which will take effect from 2020.

More in the news:

• The new measure is expected to bring in some 182 million euros a year which will be invested in greener transport infrastructures

• Sweden had introduced a similar tax in 2018.

  • An added charge of up to €40 was imposed on every ticket in an attempt to lessen the impact of air travel on the climate.

                                                                                                                       Source :- The Hindu

Cabinet approves transgender bill

GS PAPER  - 02 GOVERNANCE -- mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

Context :

• The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal to introduce The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019. The Bill will be introduced in the ensuing Session of Parliament.

The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019 :

• The Bill defines transgender persons as those “whose gender does not match the gender assigned to that person at birth and includes trans-men or trans-women, persons with intersex variations, gender-queers, and persons having socio-cultural identities such as kinnar, hijras, aravani and jogta”.

•  It prohibits any person or establishment from discriminating against a transgender person in any way.

• According to the bill, a person would have the right to choose to be identified as a man, woman or transgender, irrespective of sex reassignment surgery (SRS) and hormonal therapy

• It also states that the government, through an insurance scheme, will cover medical expenses for sex reassignment surgery, hormonal therapy, laser therapy or any such health related expenses of transgender persons

• The Bill has proposed establishing a National Council for Transgender persons. The Council would advise the central government on related policies and legislation and also act as a centre for grievance redressal

Impact :

• The Bill will benefit a large number of transgender persons, mitigate the stigma, discrimination and abuse against this marginalized section and bring them into the mainstream of society.

• This will lead to inclusiveness and will make the transgender persons productive members of the society.

Background :

• Transgender community is among one of the most marginalized communities in the country because they don’t fit into the stereotypical categories of gender of ‘men’ or ‘women’.

• Consequently, they face problems ranging from social exclusion to discrimination, lack of education facilities, unemployment, lack of medical facilities and so on.

• The Bill shall empower the transgender community socially, educationally and economically.

                                                                                                                              Source :- PIB

Creation of Gaganyaan National Advisory Council

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Context :

• A Gaganyaan National Advisory Council has been created with members from different institutions and industries

Gaganyaan :

• Gaganyaan is an Indian crewed orbital spacecraft intended to be the basis of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme.

• The spacecraft is being designed to carry three people, and a planned upgraded version will be equipped with rendezvous and docking capability.

• In its maiden crewed mission, Indian Space Research Organisation’s largely autonomous 3.7-tonne capsule will orbit the Earth at 400 km altitude for up to seven days with a three-person crew on board.

• The crewed vehicle is planned to be launched on ISRO’s GSLV Mk III in December 2021.

                                                                                                                                   Source :- PIB

Setting up of Neutrino Observatory

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

Context :

• The Government of India has approved a project to build the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) at Pottipuram in the Theni District of Tamil Nadu.

Neutrino Observatory (INO) :

• The project aims to set up a 51000 ton Iron Calorimeter (ICAL) detector to observe naturally occurring atmospheric neutrinos in a cavern at the end of an approximately 2 km long tunnel in a mountain.

• This will help to reduce the noise from cosmic rays that is ever present over-ground and which would outnumber the rare neutrino interactions even in a detector as large as ICAL.

• The INO project does not disturb the ecosystem around the site and does not release any radiation, as it does not have any radioactive substance. It measures cosmic rays.

• There is no other neutrino detector anywhere in India at present. ICAL at INO would be the first of its type.

                                                                                                                            Source :- PIB

 ‘Study in India’ programme

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Context :

• To facilitate Internationalization of Higher Education in India, a Programme viz. ‘Study in India’ is under implementation

Study in India :

• The programme focuses on attracting International students from select 30 plus countries across South-East Asia, Middle East and Africa.

• The programme envisages participation of select reputed Indian institutes/universities by way of offering seats for the International students at affordable rates, along with fee waivers to meritorious foreign students ranging from 100% to 25%.

• A centralised admission web-portal acts as a single window for the admission of foreign students.

• Moreover, the programme also envisages setting up of call centres for support; algorithm for allocation of seats to the meritorious candidates; selection of top 100 partner institutions on the basis of NAACgrading and NIRF ranking.

Objective  of the programme :

• This will improve the soft power of India with focus on the neighbouring countries and use it as a tool in diplomacy;

• To rapidly increase the inflow of inbound International Students in India through systematic marketing

• To reduce the export-import imbalance in the number of international students

• Growth in India’s global market share of International students; and increase in global ranking of India etc.

                                                                                                                                                                  Source :- PIB

Implementation of National Creche Scheme

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes

Context :

• National Crèche Scheme is being implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme through the States/UTs      

National creche Scheme :

• A crèche is a facility which enables parents to leave their children while they are at work and where children are provided stimulating environment for their holistic development.

• Crèches are designed to provide group care to children, usually up to 6 years of age, who need care, guidance and supervision away from their home during the day.

Objective :

• To provide day-care facilities for children (6 months to 6 years) of working mothers in the community.

• To improve nutrition and health status of children.

• To promote physical, cognitive, social and emotional development (Holistic Development) of children.

• To educate and empower parents /caregivers for better childcare.

                                                                                                                                                                  Source :- PIB

International Cooperation Scheme

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Context :

• The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) is implementing International Cooperation (IC) Scheme.

International Cooperation Scheme :

• Objective :

  • enhancing the competency of MSMEs, capturing new markets for their products, exploring new technologies for improving manufacturing capacity, etc.

• The Scheme was started during the Ninth Five Year Plan (under implementation since 1996).

• The latest guidelines related to the scheme were released in the year 2018.

• It is a demand driven scheme under which financial assistance is provided on a reimbursement basis to the eligible State /Central Government Organisations and Registered Industry Associations, societies /trusts associated with promotion and development of MSME sector.

• As per the existing guidelines, the eligible organizations are facilitated for visit /participation of MSMEs in international exhibitions /trade fairs/buyer-seller meet etc. abroad and also holding International conferences/seminars/ workshops in India, for technology infusion, exploring business opportunities, joint ventures etc.

                                                                                                                             Source :- PIB

Global Multidimensional Poverty Index - 2019

GS PAPER -  02 GOVERNANCE - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources; Issues relating to poverty and hunger.

Context :

• Global Multidimensional Poverty Index - 2019 (MPI), released by the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) has revealed that there are vast inequalities across countries, and among the poorer segments of societies.

Key Findings :

•  As per Index 1.3 billion people in the world are still multidimensionally poor.
   

  • Multidimensionally poor means that poverty is defined not simply by income, but by a number of indicators, including poor health, poor quality of work and the threat of violence.

• Level of Inequality and poverty is very high in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

• Bangladesh, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru and Vietnam (10 selected countries have a combined population of around 2 billion people) have shown significant progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 1 i.e ending poverty in all its forms, everywhere.

• One in every three children (under the age of 10) and every second child below the age of 18 years is multidimensionally poor in the world.

• About 34% of the world’s children and 17.5% adults covered under MPI survey are multidimensionally poor.

• One adult in six is multidimensionally poor compared with one child in three, hence children are more prone to multidimensional poverty than adults.

• Multidimensionally poor children are concentrated more in the Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

• In African countries such as Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Niger and South Sudan 90% or more children (under the age of 10) are multidimensionally poor.

• Trends in poverty reduction is uneven in all 10 countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru and Vietnam) as rural areas are poorer than urban areas.
   

  • In Cambodia, Haiti, India and Peru poverty reduction in rural areas outpaced that in urban areas.

India specific :

•  India lifted 271 million people out of poverty between 2006 and 2016, (reduced from 0.283 in 2005-06 to 0.123 in 2015-16) recording the fastest reductions in the multidimensional poverty index values during the period with strong improvements in areas such as assets, cooking fuel, sanitation and nutrition.

• Among 10 selected countries India (and Cambodia) reduced their MPI values the fastest and they did not leave the poorest groups behind.

• Jharkhand has reduced the incidence of poverty at a faster pace than other regions (reduced the incidence of multidimensional poverty from 74.9% in 2005-06 to 46.5% in 2015-16).

• India (along with Ethiopia and Peru) significantly reduced deprivations in all 10 indicators, namely nutrition, sanitation, child mortality, drinking water, years of schooling, electricity, school attendance, housing, cooking fuel and assets.
   

  • MPI reduced from 640 million people (55.1%) in 2005-2006 to 369 million people (27.9%) in 2015-16.

                                                                                                           Source :- The Hindu Business line

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