PIB Analysis for UPSC CSE
Topics Covered
- Draft National Resource Efficiency Policy
- Debenture Redemption Reserve
- National Maritime Domain Awareness Project
- IFC-IOR
- Mobile Metallic Ramp
- National Sports Awards
1 . Draft National Resource Efficiency Policy
Background
- Natural resources form the backbone of any economic development. India, as one of the fastest growing economies with GDP at 2.6 trillion USD, has increased its material consumption to six times, from 1.18 billion tonnes (BT) in 1970 to 7 BT in 2015.
- The material consumption is expected to increase further to provide for an increasing population, rapid urbanization and growing aspirations.
- Enhancing resource efficiency and promoting the use of secondary raw materials has emerged as a strategy for ensuring that the potential trade-off between growth, resource constraints and environmental well-being can be minimized.
About Draft National Resource Efficiency Policy
- The Draft National Resource Efficiency Policy (NREP) envisions a future with environmentally sustainable and equitable economic growth, resource security, healthy environment (air, water and land), and restored ecosystems with rich ecology and biodiversity.
- The Draft National Resource Efficiency Policy is guided by the principles of :
- Reduction in primary resource consumption to ‘sustainable’ levels, in keeping with achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and staying within the planetary boundaries,
- Creation of higher value with less material through resource efficient and circular approaches,
- Waste minimization,
- Material security, and creation of employment opportunities and business models beneficial to the cause of environment protection and restoration.
- The Draft National Resource Efficiency Policy provides an overarching collaborative framework for resource efficiency across all sectors in the country, covering both biotic and abiotic resources and life cycle stages and aspires for cross-sectoral stakeholder partnerships for the cause of resource efficiency for sustainable development.
2 . Debenture Redemption Reserve
Context : The Centre has removed Debenture Redemption Reserve (DRR) requirement for listed companies, NBFCs and housing finance companies (HFCs).
Background
- A debenture redemption reserve (DRR) is a provision stating that any Indian corporation that issues debentures must create a debenture redemption service in an effort to protect investors from the possibility of a company defaulting.
- In 2002, the then government said that for NBFCs registered with the Reserve Bank of India, the reserve had to be at least 50 percent of the value of debentures issued via public issuance. A 2013 revision brought this down to 25% of the value of publicly issued debentures
- A debenture redemption reserve is meant to protect the interests of retail bond holders in the event of a company going through financial stress. It was introduced in company law for the first time in 2000.
About the Release
- The Corporate Affairs Ministry (MCA) has now amended its share capital and debenture rules to remove the requirement for creation of a DRR of 25 per cent of the value of outstanding debentures in respect of listed companies, NBFCs registered with the RBI and for HFCs registered with National Housing Bank (NHB) both for public issue as well as private placements
- For unlisted companies, the DRR has been reduced from the present level of 25 per cent to 10 per cent of the outstanding debentures. Hitherto, listed companies had to create a DRR for both public issue as well as private placement of debentures, while NBFCs and HFCs had to create DRR only when they opted for public issue of debentures.
3 . National Maritime Domain Awareness (NMDA) Project.
About National Maritime Domain Awareness Project
- Post 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, India established National Maritime Domain Awareness (NMDA) grid built around the National Command Control Communication Intelligence (NC3I) network and the Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) which obtains information from over 50 coastal radar stations including those located on island territories.
- In the NMDA project, the NC3I network will function as the communication backbone and the IMAC will be the NMDA Centre.
IMAC
- Set up to provide coastal security and to avert tragic incidents like the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai, the IMAC is the nodal centre of the National Command Control Communications and Intelligence Network (NC3I Network), and is a joint initiative of Indian Navy, Coast Guard and Bharat Electronics Ltd to improve coastal surveillance.
- The IMAC collates, fuses and disseminates intelligence and information about ‘unusual or suspicious movements and activities at sea’.
- The IMAC also receives vital operational data about ‘white shipping’ (merchant shipping including fishing vessels over 300 tons) from a number of sources such as the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and the long-range identification and tracking (LRIT), a satellite-based, real-time reporting mechanism for position of ships. This information is further supplemented by shore based electro-optical systems and high definition radars
National Command Control Communications and Intelligence Network
- The NC3I network links 51 Naval and Coast Guard stations, located along the coast and on island territories.
- The network provides these stations coastal surveillance information obtained from various sensors such as the coastal radar chain of the Indian Coast Guard and automatic tracking systems as well as electro-optical cameras.
- The network rides on dedicated terrestrial data circuits, as well as, satellite communication, which helps the stations in remote locations to be networked.
- The IMAC is the centre where data from various sensors and databases is aggregated, correlated and then disseminated to various stations for enhanced awareness.
4 . Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region ( IFC-IOR)
Background
- The Indian Ocean Region is vital to world trade and economic prosperity of many nations as more than 75% of the world’s maritime trade and 50% of global oil consumption passes through the IOR.
- However, maritime terrorism, piracy, human and contraband trafficking, illegal and unregulated fishing, arms running and poaching pose myriad challenges to maritime safety and security in the region.
- Response to these challenges requires enhanced situational awareness of the maritime activities in the region so as to enable security agencies function effectively.
- However, the scale, scope and the multi-national nature of maritime activities, make it difficult for countries to address these challenges individually.
About IFC IOR
- IFC- IOR is a collaborative efforts between maritime nations in the IOR
- IFC-IOR aims to engage with partner nations and multi-national maritime constructs to develop comprehensive maritime domain awareness and share information on vessels of interest.
- The intention of this collaborative endeavour is to secure the global commons for a peaceful, stable and prosperous region towards the well-being of all.
- The information exchange at the IFC-IOR would be initially undertaken by virtual means, using telephone calls, faxes, emails and video conferencing over internet. Subsequently, to enable better interaction, quicker analysis of information and provide timely inputs, the IFC-IOR would host Liaison Officers from partner countries.
- Additionally, towards enhancing capability building, the IFC-IOR would undertake conduct of exercises and training capsules in maritime information collation and sharing.
5 . Mobile Metallic Ramp
Context : Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) handed over the design of Mobile Metallic Ramp (MMR) to the Indian Army
About Mobile Metallic Ramp
- With load bearing capacity of 70 metric ton (MT),the MMR has been designed and developed by DRDO’s premier research laboratory, Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES) on the requirements projected by Army for reducing the Strategic Mobility time of mobilizing Armoured Fighting Vehicles.
- The ramp will provide the strategic mobility for Armoured and Mechanized units and formations of the Army. It is portable, modular in design, which can be easily assembled or disassembled.
6 . National Sports Awards
Context : National Sports Awards -2019 announced Bajrang Punia and Deepa Malik to get Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award
Padma Shri Awards
- Padma Shri (also spelt Padma Shree, Padmashree, Padma Sree and Padma Sri) is an award given by the Government of India generally to Indian citizens to recognize their distinguished contribution in various spheres of activity including Arts, Education, Industry, Literature, Science, Sports, Social Service and public life.
Dronacharya Awards
- The Dronacharya Awards, instituted in 1985, honours eminent Coaches who have successfully trained sports persons or teams and enabled them to achieve outstanding results in international competitions.
- The awardee is given a statuette of Guru Dronacharya, a scroll of honour, ceremonial dress and a cash prize of Rs. 3.00 lakhs.
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award
- The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award was instituted by the Government of India in 1991 – 92 for the most spectacular and outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sports person in a year.
- The award carries a medal, a scroll of honour and a cash prize of Rs. 5.00 lakhs.
Arjuna Award
- The Arjuna Awards were instituted in 1961. The Government of India has recently revised the Scheme of Arjuna Awards for outstanding performance in sports and games. According to this, to be eligible for the Award, a sports person should not only have had good performance consistently for the previous three years at the international level with excellence for the year for which the Award is recommended but also should have shown qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline. The Awardee is given a statuette, a scroll of honour, ceremonial dress and a cash award of Rs. 5.00 lakhs.
- From the year 2003, the award is given only in disciplines falling under the following categories: –
- Olympic Games / Asian Games / Commonwealth Games / World Cup / World championship disciplines and Cricket or any equivalent recognised international tournament
- Indigenous Games
- Sports for the Physically Challenged
Other Awards
- Dhyan Chand Award for life time contribution to sports development
- Rashtriya Khel ProtsahanPuruskar are given to the corporate entities (both in private and public sector) and individuals who have played a visible role in the area of sports promotion and development.
- Overall top performing university in inter-university tournaments is given MaulanaAbulKalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy.