GI Certification for five varieties of Indian coffee

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

Context :

★ The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India has recently awarded Geographical Indication (GI) to five varieties of Indian coffee.

The five varieties of Indian coffee got GI Certification :

★ Coorg Arabica coffee : Coorg Arabica coffee it is grown specifically in the region of Kodagu district in Karnataka.

★ Wayanad Robusta coffee : Wayanad Robusta coffee is grown specifically in the region of Wayanad district which is situated on the eastern portion of Kerala.

★ Chikmagalur Arabica coffee : Chikmagalur Arabica coffee is grown specifically in the region of Chikmagalur district and it is situated in the Deccan plateau, belongs to the Malnad region of Karnataka.

★ Araku Valley Arabica coffee : Araku Valley Arabica coffee can be described as coffee from the hilly tracks of Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha region at an elevation of 900-1100 Mt MSL.

★ The coffee produce of Araku, by the tribals, follows an organic approach in which they emphasise management practices involving substantial use of organic manures, green manuring and organic pest management practices.

★ Bababudangiris Arabica coffee : Bababudangiris Arabica coffee is grown specifically in the birthplace of coffee in India and the region is situated in the central portion of Chikmagalur district.

★ Selectively hand-picked and processed by natural fermentation, the cup exhibits full body, acidity, mild flavour and striking aroma with a note of chocolate.

★ This coffee is also called high grown coffee which slowly ripens in the mild climate and thereby the bean acquires a special taste and aroma.

★ Monsooned Malabar Robusta Coffee, a unique specialty coffee from India, was given GI certification earlier.

Coffee Cultivation:

★ In India, coffee is cultivated in about 4.54 lakh hectares by 3.66 lakh coffee farmers of which 98% are small farmers. Coffee cultivation is mainly done in the Southern States of India:

★ Karnataka – 54%

★ Kerala – 19%

★ Tamil Nadu – 8%

★ Coffee is also grown in non-traditional areas like Andhra Pradesh and Odisha (17.2%) and North East States (1.8%).

Significance :

★ The recognition and protection that comes with GI certification will allow the coffee producers of India to invest in maintaining the specific qualities of the coffee grown in that particular region.

★ It will also enhance the visibility of Indian coffee in the world and allow growers to get the maximum price for their premium coffee.

Source :- PIB

Increase in VVPAT numbers will delay counting by six days: EC

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential;

Context :

★ The 50% Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slip verification in each Assembly segment of a parliamentary constituency or Assembly constituency, on an average, shall enlarge the time required for counting to about six days.

Background:

★ The EC’s affidavit in court came in response to a petition by 21 political parties.

★ The plea had demanded the random verification of at least 50% Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) using VVPAT in every Assembly segment or constituency.

EC Response :

★ The Election Commission has relied upon a March 22, 2019 report of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) to defend its stand against increasing the VVPAT slips’ counting. The ISI committee was appointed by the EC to devise a ‘scientific formula’ to arrive at the right percentage and sample of VVPAT slips that should be counted

★ Based on the ISI report, EC has said that current confidence level in the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM)-VVPAT accuracy is 99.9936%. Any increase in the sample size of verification of VVPAT slips would only lead to a very negligible gain in the confidence level.

★ Further, the EC has said increased VVPAT slip counting would require extensive training and capacity building of election officials in the field. It would also require a substantial increase in the number of officials. Also, increased VVPAT slip counting would require large counting halls which is already a major constrain in some states.

★ Before the actual polls, VVPATs and EVMs undergo administrative protocols and procedural safeguards. Each and every EVM and VVPAT is checked once by slip verification during the first level check (FLC).

★ Thereafter, 5% of the EVMs are selected at random and subjected to higher scrutiny through a mock poll along with slip verification of 1,200 votes for 1%, 1000 votes for 2% and 500 votes for 2% percent of the EVMs. These checks are done the representatives of political parties and candidates.

★ A second mock poll is carried out during the setting of candidates on the EVMs in the presence of candidates or their representatives.

★ Finally, a third mock poll is undertaken with slips verification of at least 50 votes on EVMs and VVPATs on the Election Day in the presence of polling agents.

Source :- The Hindu

Government sets up group to monitor terror sympathisers

GS PAPER - 03 SECURITY - Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention.

Context :

★ The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced the setting up of a Terror Monitoring Group (TMG) aimed at taking “coordinated action against terror funding.

Composition :

★ The TMG will be chaired by Additional Director General of Police, CID of J&K Police, and include Inspector General of Police of J&K and Additional Director of Intelligence Bureau, J&K, as members.

★ It will also have representatives from the Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency, Central Board of Direct Taxes and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Functions :

★ The TMG has to take coordinated action in all registered cases that relate to terror financing and terror-related activities and bring them to a logical conclusion.

★ It will identify all key persons, including leaders of the organisation(s), who are involved in supporting terrorism in any form and take concerted action against them.

★ The TMG will “investigate the networks of various channels being used to fund terror and terror activities and take coordinated action to stop flow of such funds,” the order reads.

★ The group will meet on a weekly basis and submit action-taken report regularly to the MHA.

Need :

★ According to an estimate of the NIA, Pakistan-based terror groups finance terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir by generating millions in donations through their charity organisations. They have been supporting militants and funding terrorism in Kashmir.

★ These outfits collect donations from people in Pakistan and then pass on the money to finance terrorism in Kashmir through their overground workers. The groups collect millions of dollars in donations through crowd funding in the name of social service.

Source :- The Hindu

NK Singh: ‘Time to have institutional mechanism like Fiscal Council to enforce rules’

GS PAPER - 02 POLITY - Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies

Context :

★ Stressing on the need to have uniform rules for fiscal consolidation of states and Centre, Fifteenth Finance Commission’s Chairman NK Singh called for institutional mechanism like a ‘Fiscal Council’ to enforce fiscal rules and keep a check on Centre’s fiscal consolidation.

Need :

★ Various cesses and surcharges are becoming disproportionate proportion of overall divisible revenue.

★ There should be some mechanism to ensure that the basic spirit of the devolution process should not be undercut by clever financial engineering or taking recourse to traditions.

★ There is a need for coordination between the finance commission as well as the GST Council, which he termed as the only federal institution in the country.

★ There’s need for coordination between Finance Commission and GST council.GST Council has no clue of what the Finance Commission is doing and Finance Commission has even lesser clue of what the GST Council is doing.

★ Also, for state government liabilities, Article 293 (3) provides a constitutional check over borrowings. But there is no such restriction on the Centre.

★ Therefore, it is time to have an alternative institutional mechanism like Fiscal Council to enforce fiscal rules and keep a check on Centre’s fiscal consolidation.

★ An International Monetary Fund (IMF) working paper by the economists Roel Beetsma, Xavier Debrun, Xiangming Fang, Young Kim, Victor Lledó, Samba Mbaye, and Xiaoxiao Zhang published last year showed that the presence of an independent fiscal council tends to boost accuracy of fiscal projections even as it helps countries stick to fiscal rules better.

Expert Committee Recommendations :

★ In India, two expert committees have advocated the institution of such a council in recent years.

★ In 2017, the N.K. Singh committee on the review of fiscal rules set up by the finance ministry suggested the creation of an independent fiscal council that would provide forecasts and advise the government on whether conditions exist for deviation from the mandated fiscal rules.

★ In 2018, the D.K. Srivastava committee on fiscal statistics established by the National Statistical Commission (NSC) also suggested the establishment of a fiscal council that could co-ordinate with all levels of government to provide harmonized fiscal statistics across governmental levels and provide an annual assessment of overall public sector borrowing requirements.

★ These recommendations follow similar recommendations from the 13th and 14th finance commissions, which also advocated the establishment of independent fiscal agencies to review the government’s adherence to fiscal rules, and to provide independent assessments of budget proposals.

Source :- Indian Express

RBI throws open rupee interest rate derivatives market to non-residents

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

Context :

★ The Reserve Bank Wednesday allowed non-residents to participate in the rupee interest rate derivatives segment with a view to deepen the rupee interest rate swap (IRS) market.

★ The non-residents can undertake rupee interest rate derivative transactions on recognised stock exchanges, electronic trading platforms and over the counter markets (OTCs).

Why Such a Move ?

★ There is an active market for rupee interest rate swap offshore, and the exercise is aimed at increasing participation of non-residents in the domestic market.

★ It had also observed that, while the rupee interest rate swap market was most liquid among the interest rate derivatives market, it lacked depth to enable large banks to manage risks.

★ Also, Indian market has witnessed increasing participation from non-resident players like FPIs in debt.

Interest-Rate Derivative :

★ An interest-rate derivative is a financial instrument with a value that increases and decreases based on movements in interest rates.

★ Interest-rate derivatives are often used as hedges by institutional investors, banks, companies and individuals to protect themselves against changes in market interest rates, but they can also be used to increase or refine the holder’s risk profile.

Interest Rate Swap :

★ An interest rate swap is a forward contract in which one stream of future interest payments is exchanged for another based on a specified principal amount.

★ Interest rate swaps usually involve the exchange of a fixed interest rate for a floating rate, or vice versa, to reduce or increase exposure to fluctuations in interest rates or to obtain a marginally lower interest rate than would have been possible without the swap.

Source :- Business Standard

MSME networking portal launched

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

Context :

★ The Government of Telangana launched a MSME networking portal, Telangana State GlobalLinker to digitize over 2.3 million MSMEs of the state.

Telangana State GlobalLinker :

★ Objective : to make the business growth of MSMEs simpler, more profitable and enjoyable.

★ Telangana State GlobalLinker will provide MSMEs - a digital profile (including an online product catalogue an eCommerce store);

★ connect with other global MSMEs

★ enable them to find buyers and suppliers and

★ gain visibility and receive up-to-date industry trends and news.

Source :- Business Standard

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UPSC CLASS PPT

UPSC 2020 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

UPSC MAINS GENERAL STUDIES PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION PAPERS

UPSC

30th MARCH 2019 DAILY CURRENT AFFARIS

GI Certification for five varieties of Indian coffee

Increase in VVPAT numbers will delay counting by six days: EC

Government sets up group to monitor terror sympathisers

NK Singh: ‘Time to have institutional mechanism like Fiscal Council to enforce rules’

RBI throws open rupee interest rate derivatives market to non-residents

MSME networking portal launched

GI Certification for five varieties of Indian coffee

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

Context :

★ The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India has recently awarded Geographical Indication (GI) to five varieties of Indian coffee.

The five varieties of Indian coffee got GI Certification :

★ Coorg Arabica coffee : Coorg Arabica coffee it is grown specifically in the region of Kodagu district in Karnataka.

★ Wayanad Robusta coffee : Wayanad Robusta coffee is grown specifically in the region of Wayanad district which is situated on the eastern portion of Kerala.

★ Chikmagalur Arabica coffee : Chikmagalur Arabica coffee is grown specifically in the region of Chikmagalur district and it is situated in the Deccan plateau, belongs to the Malnad region of Karnataka.

★ Araku Valley Arabica coffee : Araku Valley Arabica coffee can be described as coffee from the hilly tracks of Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha region at an elevation of 900-1100 Mt MSL.

★ The coffee produce of Araku, by the tribals, follows an organic approach in which they emphasise management practices involving substantial use of organic manures, green manuring and organic pest management practices.

★ Bababudangiris Arabica coffee : Bababudangiris Arabica coffee is grown specifically in the birthplace of coffee in India and the region is situated in the central portion of Chikmagalur district.

★ Selectively hand-picked and processed by natural fermentation, the cup exhibits full body, acidity, mild flavour and striking aroma with a note of chocolate.

★ This coffee is also called high grown coffee which slowly ripens in the mild climate and thereby the bean acquires a special taste and aroma.

★ Monsooned Malabar Robusta Coffee, a unique specialty coffee from India, was given GI certification earlier.

Coffee Cultivation:

★ In India, coffee is cultivated in about 4.54 lakh hectares by 3.66 lakh coffee farmers of which 98% are small farmers. Coffee cultivation is mainly done in the Southern States of India:

★ Karnataka – 54%

★ Kerala – 19%

★ Tamil Nadu – 8%

★ Coffee is also grown in non-traditional areas like Andhra Pradesh and Odisha (17.2%) and North East States (1.8%).

Significance :

★ The recognition and protection that comes with GI certification will allow the coffee producers of India to invest in maintaining the specific qualities of the coffee grown in that particular region.

★ It will also enhance the visibility of Indian coffee in the world and allow growers to get the maximum price for their premium coffee.

Source :- PIB

Increase in VVPAT numbers will delay counting by six days: EC

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential;

Context :

★ The 50% Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slip verification in each Assembly segment of a parliamentary constituency or Assembly constituency, on an average, shall enlarge the time required for counting to about six days.

Background:

★ The EC’s affidavit in court came in response to a petition by 21 political parties.

★ The plea had demanded the random verification of at least 50% Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) using VVPAT in every Assembly segment or constituency.

EC Response :

★ Based on the ISI report, EC has said that current confidence level in the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM)-VVPAT accuracy is 99.9936%. Any increase in the sample size of verification of VVPAT slips would only lead to a very negligible gain in the confidence level.

★ Before the actual polls, VVPATs and EVMs undergo administrative protocols and procedural safeguards. Each and every EVM and VVPAT is checked once by slip verification during the first level check (FLC).

★ Thereafter, 5% of the EVMs are selected at random and subjected to higher scrutiny through a mock poll along with slip verification of 1,200 votes for 1%, 1000 votes for 2% and 500 votes for 2% percent of the EVMs. These checks are done the representatives of political parties and candidates.

★ A second mock poll is carried out during the setting of candidates on the EVMs in the presence of candidates or their representatives.

★ Finally, a third mock poll is undertaken with slips verification of at least 50 votes on EVMs and VVPATs on the Election Day in the presence of polling agents.

Source :- The Hindu

Government sets up group to monitor terror sympathisers

GS PAPER - 03 SECURITY - Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention.

Context :

★ The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced the setting up of a Terror Monitoring Group (TMG) aimed at taking “coordinated action against terror funding.

Composition :

★ The TMG will be chaired by Additional Director General of Police, CID of J&K Police, and include Inspector General of Police of J&K and Additional Director of Intelligence Bureau, J&K, as members.

★ It will also have representatives from the Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency, Central Board of Direct Taxes and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Functions :

★ The TMG has to take coordinated action in all registered cases that relate to terror financing and terror-related activities and bring them to a logical conclusion.

★ It will identify all key persons, including leaders of the organisation(s), who are involved in supporting terrorism in any form and take concerted action against them.

★ The TMG will “investigate the networks of various channels being used to fund terror and terror activities and take coordinated action to stop flow of such funds,” the order reads.

★ The group will meet on a weekly basis and submit action-taken report regularly to the MHA.

Need :

★ According to an estimate of the NIA, Pakistan-based terror groups finance terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir by generating millions in donations through their charity organisations. They have been supporting militants and funding terrorism in Kashmir.

★ These outfits collect donations from people in Pakistan and then pass on the money to finance terrorism in Kashmir through their overground workers. The groups collect millions of dollars in donations through crowd funding in the name of social service.

Source :- The Hindu

NK Singh: ‘Time to have institutional mechanism like Fiscal Council to enforce rules’

GS PAPER - 02 POLITY - Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies

Context :

★ Stressing on the need to have uniform rules for fiscal consolidation of states and Centre, Fifteenth Finance Commission’s Chairman NK Singh called for institutional mechanism like a ‘Fiscal Council’ to enforce fiscal rules and keep a check on Centre’s fiscal consolidation.

Need :

★ Various cesses and surcharges are becoming disproportionate proportion of overall divisible revenue.

★ There should be some mechanism to ensure that the basic spirit of the devolution process should not be undercut by clever financial engineering or taking recourse to traditions.

★ There is a need for coordination between the finance commission as well as the GST Council, which he termed as the only federal institution in the country.

★ There’s need for coordination between Finance Commission and GST council.GST Council has no clue of what the Finance Commission is doing and Finance Commission has even lesser clue of what the GST Council is doing.

★ Also, for state government liabilities, Article 293 (3) provides a constitutional check over borrowings. But there is no such restriction on the Centre.

★ Therefore, it is time to have an alternative institutional mechanism like Fiscal Council to enforce fiscal rules and keep a check on Centre’s fiscal consolidation.

Expert Committee Recommendations :

★ In India, two expert committees have advocated the institution of such a council in recent years.

★ In 2017, the N.K. Singh committee on the review of fiscal rules set up by the finance ministry suggested the creation of an independent fiscal council that would provide forecasts and advise the government on whether conditions exist for deviation from the mandated fiscal rules.

★ These recommendations follow similar recommendations from the 13th and 14th finance commissions, which also advocated the establishment of independent fiscal agencies to review the government’s adherence to fiscal rules, and to provide independent assessments of budget proposals.

Source :- Indian Express

RBI throws open rupee interest rate derivatives market to non-residents

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

Context :