POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Cabinet Secretary                                                                                                         

2. Health Ministry signs MoU to explore Artificial Intelligence (AI) based solutions in combating TB                                                   

 ECONOMY

1. GeM and SIDBI sign MoU                                                                                            

2. The Union Minister of Consumer Affairs launches National Lab Directory           

3. Government unveils mega bank mergers                                                                  

4. Indian Economy: Slowest Growth in Six Years                                                         

5. India to become largest importer of coking coal by 2025                                        

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Australia downgrades Great Barrier Reef to very poor status                                

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

Cabinet Secretary

GS PAPER - 02 POLITY  - Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary Ministries

Context :

• Shri Rajiv Gauba took over as the new Cabinet Secretary in the Government of India.

Cabinet Secretary (CS) :

• The Cabinet Secretary is the top-most executive official and senior-most civil servant of the Government of India.

• He/she is the ex officio head of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).

• He/she reports directly to the Prime Minister.

• The term of a Cabinet Secretary is four years.

Functions :

• He/she heads the Cabinet Secretariat.

• Is the chief coordinator of the Union Government.

• Is the chairperson of the Civil Services Board, the Senior Selection Board, the Conference of Chief Secretaries of States, etc.

• Advises the PM.

• Prepares the agenda for and minutes of the Cabinet meetings.

                                                                                                                                                                  Source :- PIB

Health Ministry signs MoU to explore Artificial Intelligence (AI) based solutions in combating TB

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

Context :

• The Central TB Division of the Health Ministry has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence to explore the application of cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence technology in its fight against TB.

More in the News :

• Wadhwani AI would be supporting National TB programme become AI-ready which would include, developing, piloting, and deploying AI-based solutions.

• It would support the programme in vulnerability and hot-spot mapping, modelling novel methods of screening and diagnostics and enabling decision support for care-givers apart from supporting the RNTCP in adoption of other AI technologies.

• The Revised National TB Control Programme has been at the forefront of adoption of newer technologies in healthcare.

• India is committed to ending TB by 2025, five years ahead of the Global Sustainable Development targets.           

                                                                                                                                       Source :- PIB

ECONOMY

GeM and SIDBI sign MoU

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.

Context :

• The Government e Marketplace (GeM) has signed an MoU with Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to benefit MSMEs, women entrepreneurs, Self Help Groups (SHGs), Women Self Help Groups and various loan beneficiaries under MUDRA and Stand-up India scheme.

More in the news :

• This MoU will enable promotion of special initiatives of GeMlike Womaniya and Start-up Runway with SIDBI stakeholders.

• GeM and SIDBI will take steps to ensure payments within a guaranteed timeframe to sellers, enhance working capital availability through bill discounting and control NPAs through control of end use.

• The MoU of GeM with SIDBI is yet another step towards its growing partnership with financial institutions to enable growth of MSMEs and Start-ups in the country.

                                                                                                                              Source :- PIB

The Union Minister of Consumer Affairs launches National Lab Directory

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

Context :

• The Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Shri Ram Vilas Paswan launched National Lab Directory.

National Lab Directory :

• The National Lab Directory is a one-stop-shop for all testing needs of the industries, academia, researchers and other stakeholders who need to get their Testing Facilities accredited / certified / recognised.

• The Directory presently encompasses NABL accredited, BIS Recognised/Empanelled Labs, Hallmarking Labs.

• The labs which are recognised/notified by FASAI, APEDA, EIC, can also be indicated accordingly.

• All testing facilities for various labs can be searched by Products, IS standards, etc.

• Besides intelligent search cutting across various databases interlinked through APIs, there is an interactive Geographical Information System and Drill Down Dashboard.

• This Directory will benefit all stakeholders such as manufacturers, consumers, regulatory agencies, government and research institutions in identifying the test facilities that are required for assessing conformity of relevant products or in testing for the purpose of research and development.

                                                                                                                              Source :- PIB

Government unveils mega bank mergers

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY  - Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.

Context :

• The government unveiled a plan to merge 10 public sector banks (PSBs) into four.

  • Now,the total number of PSBs after consolidation will come down to 12 from 27 in 2017.

Banks after Merger :           

• Punjab National Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India to merge to form the country’s second-largest lender

• Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank

• Union Bank of India to acquire Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank and

• Indian Bank to merge with Allahabad Bank.

Benefits of Merger :

• The consolidation of PSBs helps in strengthening its presence globally, nationally and regionally.

• The government's intention is not just to give capital but also give good governance. Hence, post-consolidation, boards will be given the flexibility to introduce the chief general manager level as per business needs. They will also recruit chief risk officer at market-linked compensation to attract the best talent.

• It has the potential to reduce operational costs due to the presence of shared overlapping networks. And this enhanced operational efficiency will reduce the lending costs of the banks.

• All merged banks in a particular bucket share common Core Banking Solutions (CBS)platform synergizing them technologically.

                                                                                                                                                     Source :- The Hindu

Indian Economy: Slowest Growth in Six Years

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.

Context :

• Indian economy or GDP expanded at lower-than-expected 5% year on year in the April-June quarter, the slowest in over six years, driven by weak investment growth and sluggish demand.

Slowest Growth in the last 6 years :

• The data released by the government showed, marking the slowest growth since the fourth quarter of FY13.

• It marked the fifth straight quarterly decline in growth — the first time since June 1997 that such a prolonged slump has been recorded.

• Causes for Slow down :

  • Consumption which was the bedrock of growth in the past few years, collapsed to an 18-quarter low of 3.1% from 10.6%in the March quarter of 2018-19.

  • Investments grew only 4%, up from 3.6% in the previous quarter.

  •  

• This slowdown in investment and consumer demand have further derailed manufacturing, which grew just 0.6%.

• A meagre 2% rise in farm sector added to the demand slowdown.

• Automobile sales, a barometer of the economy, have declined sharply in recent months, forcing production cuts and jobs losses.

• Weak global economy and trade tensions have kept export growth subdued.

Reforms Needed :    

• According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the slowdown is cyclical, rather than structural, which would have required deeper reforms.

• Recently, the government had already announced a series of measures as part of its efforts to put growth back on track.

                                                                                                        Source :- Economic Times ; Livemint

India to become largest importer of coking coal by 2025

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Effects of liberalization on the economy

Context :

• According to a report published by Fitch Solutions Macro Research, India will overtake China as the largest importer of coking coal by 2025.

Key Highlights :

• It is estimated that India's coking coal consumption to grow at an annual average rate of 5.4% between 2019 and 2028,driven by an expansion in steel production.

• In global terms, China influences prices of coking coal, as it accounts for roughly two-thirds of global coking coal production and consumption.

  • However, steel production in China may get reduced in the medium term due to the slowing of the Chinese economy and construction sectors.

                                                                                                                                Source :- The Hindu Business Line

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

Australia downgrades Great Barrier Reef to very poor status

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

Context :

• Australia’s Great Barrier Reef was downgraded to “very poor” for the first time.         

Implications of Very poor status :

• There are high chances that Great barrier reef to be considered for “ List of World Heritage in Danger”

• The greatest threat to the Reef is climate change.

• The other main threats are associated with coastal development, land-based run-off, and direct human use (such as illegal fishing).

                                                                                                                                            Source :- The Hindu

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