Daily Current Affairs : 14th & 16th November 2020

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CSE

Topics Covered

1. Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS)
2. East Asia Summit
3. Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM)
4. Vital Statistics of India based on the Civil Registration System – Report
5. Draft Social Security Rules
6. Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
7. Exit Polls and Opinion Polls
8. Facts for Prelims

1 . Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS)

Context : Remittances under the liberalised remittance scheme (LRS) returned to pre-Covid levels in September, reversing the trend of previous months, during which outward remittances by resident Indians were severely impacted by lockdowns in countries around the world.

About Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS)

• Under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, all resident individuals, including minors, are allowed to freely remit up to USD 2,50,000 per financial year (April – March) for any permissible current or capital account transaction or a combination of both.
• Further, resident individuals can avail of foreign exchange facility for the purposes mentioned in Para 1 of Schedule III of FEM (CAT) Amendment Rules 2015, dated May 26, 2015, within the limit of USD 2,50,000 only.
• The Scheme was introduced on February 4, 2004, with a limit of USD 25,000. The LRS limit has been revised in stages consistent with prevailing macro and micro economic conditions.
• In case of remitter being a minor, the LRS declaration form must be countersigned by the minor’s natural guardian. The Scheme is not available to corporates, partnership firms, HUF, Trusts etc.

Prohibited items under the Scheme

The remittance facility under the Scheme is not available for the following:

• Remittance for any purpose specifically prohibited under Schedule-I (like purchase of lottery tickets/sweep stakes, proscribed magazines, etc.) or any item restricted under Schedule II of Foreign Exchange Management (Current Account Transactions) Rules, 2000.
• Remittance from India for margins or margin calls to overseas exchanges / overseas counterparty.
• Remittances for purchase of FCCBs issued by Indian companies in the overseas secondary market.
• Remittance for trading in foreign exchange abroad.
• Capital account remittances, directly or indirectly, to countries identified by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as “non- cooperative countries and territories”, from time to time.
• Remittances directly or indirectly to those individuals and entities identified as posing significant risk of committing acts of terrorism as advised separately by the Reserve Bank to the banks.

2 . East Asia Summit

Context : External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will Saturday represent India at the 15th East Asia Summit (EAS), which provides a platform for discussion on important strategic issues in the Indo-Pacific region.

About East Asia Summit

• The East Asia Summit (EAS) is the Indo-Pacific’s premier forum for strategic dialogue.
• It is the only leader-led forum at which all key partners meet to discuss the full range of political, security and economic challenges facing the Indo-Pacific, and has an important role to play in advancing closer regional cooperation.
• The EAS has 18 members – the ten ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) along with Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the United States and Russia.
• This represents 54 per cent of the world’s population and accounts for around 58 per cent of global GDP worth an estimated US$49.4 trillion. In 2017-18, Australia’s two-way trade with EAS countries was worth around A$564 billion, 71 per cent of Australia’s total two-way trade.
• The centrepiece of the EAS calendar is the annual Leaders’ Summit, usually held alongside ASEAN Leaders’ meetings in the fourth quarter every year.
• The EAS Summit is supported through the annual EAS Foreign Ministers Meeting (FMM) and EAS Senior Officials’ Meetings (SOM), which meet throughout the year to take forward leaders’ initiatives.
• The EAS Economic Ministers’ Meeting (EMM) has been held annually since 2014. 
• India is a founding member of EAS

Priority Areas

• There are six priority areas of regional cooperation within the framework of the EAS. India endorses regional collaboration in all six priority areas. These are –
  • Environment and Energy
  • Education
  • Finance
  • Global Health Issues and Pandemic Diseases
  • Natural Disaster Management
  • ASEAN Connectivity
  • India endorses regional collaboration in all six priority areas.

EAS Chair

• The chair of ASEAN is also the chair of the EAS. The role of ASEAN chair rotates annually between the ten ASEAN member states. The chair sets EAS priorities for the year, in consultation with EAS participating countries, and hosts most EAS meetings.
• The virtual summit meeting will be chaired by the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Nguyen Xuan Phuc

3 . Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM)

Context : In an important step towards its induction, the indigenously developed Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM) achieved a direct hit on to a pilotless target aircraft at medium range and altitude in a test conducted by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) 

About the Launch

• The launch took place from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, off Odisha coast aro
• It achieved a direct hit on a Banshee pilotless target aircraft at medium range and altitude,
• The DRDO said the test was a “major milestone” achieved by the QRSAM.
• Weapons system elements have been manufactured through public sector undertakings — Bharat Electronics Ltd, Bharat Dynamics Ltd and private player L&T.
• Missile system was fully indigenous with active radio frequency seekers, electro-mechanical actuation systems sourced from various industries.

About QRSAM

• The QRSAM is a short range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, primarily designed and developed by DRDO to provide a protective shield to moving armoured columns of the Army from enemy aerial attacks.
• The entire weapon system has been configured on a mobile and manoeuvrable platform and is capable of providing air defence on the move. It has been designed for induction into the Army and has a range of 25 to 30 km.
• The QRSAM, like many modern missiles, is a canister-based system, which means that it is stored and operated from specially designed compartments.
• In the canister, the inside environment is controlled, thus along with making its transport and storage easier, the shelf life of weapons also improves significantly.
• The QRSAM weapon ensemble, which functions on the move, consists of a fully automated command and control system, two radars — Active Array Battery Surveillance Radar, Active Array Battery Multifunction Radar — and one launcher. Both radars have a 360-degree coverage with “search on move” and “track on move” capabilities.
• The system is compact, uses a single stage solid propelled missile and has a mid-course inertial navigation system with two-way data link and terminal active seeker developed indigenously by DRDO.

4 . Vital Statistics of India based on the Civil Registration System – Report

Context : 2018 report on “vital statistics of India based on the Civil Registration System was released

About the Report

• Report on ‘Vital Statistics of India based on the Civil Registration System’ for the year 2018 provides an overview of the working of the Civil Registration System (CRS) in the country and presents a compilation of data on registered births, deaths, infant deaths and still births with rural-urban & sex-wise break-up and sex ratio at birth based on Civil Registration Records.
• The report has been prepared by the CRS Section of the office of Registrar General and Census commissioner

Important Definitions

• Sex ratio at birth : Sex ratio at birth is the number of females born per thousand males.

Key Observations of the Report

• Arunachal Pradesh recorded the best sex ratio in the country while Manipur recorded the worst sex ratio, according to the
• Arunachal Pradesh recorded 1,084 females born per thousand males, followed by Nagaland (965) Mizoram (964), Kerala (963) and Karnataka (957).
• The worst was reported in Manipur (757), Lakshadweep (839) and Daman & Diu (877), Punjab (896) and Gujarat (896).
• The number of registered births increased to 2.33 crore in 2018 from 2.21 crore registered births the previous year. The level of registration of births has increased to 89.3% in 2018 from 81.3% in 2009

Registration of Birth and Death

• The prescribed time limit for registration of birth or death is 21 days. Some States however register the births and deaths even after a year.
• The birth or death certificate is issued free of charge by the Registrar concerned if reported within 21 days. If reported within 21-30 days, it can be registered on payment of the prescribed fee. If the duration is more than 30 days but within a year, it can be registered with the written permission of the prescribed authority and on production of an affidavit made before a notary public or any other officer authorised by the State government and on payment of a fee.
• Births and deaths reported after one year of occurrence shall be registered only on an order of the Magistrate of the First Class after verifying the correctness and on payment of the prescribed fee

5 . Draft Social Security Rules

Context : The Union Labour and Employment Ministry has notified the draft rules under the Code on Social Security, 2020, which propose to provide the unorganised sector, gig and platform workers access to social security benefits through a government portal.

Details of the Draft Rules

• The draft rules provide for Aadhaar-based registration, including self-registration by unorganised workers, gig workers and platform workers on the portal of the Central government. Ministry of Labour and Employment has already initiated action for development of such portal
• The rules also provide for the Aadhaar-based registration of BOCW on a portal of the Centre, State government or the BOCW welfare board of the State.
• “Where a building worker migrates from one State to another he shall be entitled to get benefits in the State where he is currently working and it shall be the responsibility of the Building Workers Welfare Board of that State to provide benefits to such a worker
• The rules also provide for a single electronic registration of an establishment, including for cancellation in case the business is closed. The BOCW cess would be calculated by the employer on the basis of the cost of construction according to the rates of the State Public Works Department or the Central Public Works Department or the documents submitted to the Real Estate Regulatory Authority.
• “The rate of interest for delayed payment of such cess has been reduced from 2% every month or part of a month to 1%. Under the existing rules, the assessing officer has the power to direct that no material or machinery can be removed or disturbed from the construction site. Such power for indefinitely stopping of construction work has been withdrawn in the draft rules. Further, under the draft rules, the assessing officer can visit the construction site only with the prior approval of the secretary of the Building and Other Construction Workers Board

Read more about Code on Social Security from here

6 . Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership

Context : The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a mega trade bloc comprising 15 countries led by China that came into existence on Sunday, said India would have to write expressing “intention” to join the organisation to restart negotiation for membership.

About RCEP

• The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a trade deal that was being negotiated between 16 countries.
• They include the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) and the six countries with which the bloc has free trade agreements (FTAs) — India, Australia, China, Korea, Japan, and New Zealand.
• India had ended negotiation on RCEP last November over terms that were perceived to be against its interests
• The purpose of the deal is to create an “integrated market” spanning all 16 countries. This means that it would be easier for the products and services of each of these countries to be available across the entire region.
• The RCEP is billed to be the “largest” regional trading agreement yet — the countries involved account for almost half of the world’s population, contribute over a quarter of world exports, and make up around 30% of the global Gross Domestic Product (the value of all goods and services produced in a year).
• Negotiations to chart out the details of this deal have been on since 2013, and all participating countries had earlier aimed to finalise it by November 2019.

Why India decided not to join

• Key issues that have prevented India from coming on board include “inadequate” protection against surges in imports. This is a major concern for India, as its industry has voiced fears that cheaper products from China would “flood” the market. India had been seeking an auto-trigger mechanism that would allow it to raise tariffs on products in instances where imports cross a certain threshold.
• India has also not received any credible assurances on its demand for more market access, and its concerns over non-tariff barriers. RCEP participants like China are known to have used non-tariff barriers in the past to prevent India from growing its exports to the country.
• India had also reportedly expressed apprehensions on lowering and eliminating tariffs on several products from the country.
• Its concerns on a “possible circumvention” of rules of origin — the criteria used to determine the national source of a product — were also not addressed. Current provisions in the deal reportedly do not prevent countries from routing, through other countries, products on which India would maintain higher tariffs. This is anticipated to allow countries like China to pump in more products.
• India has “long pushed for other countries to allow greater movement of labour and services” in return for opening up its own market. Concerns over “unsustainable trade deficits” also needed to be addressed, he had said.
• During negotiations, it was also not able to get a favourable outcome on its demands on the base year that would be used to reduce the tariffs on the products that would be traded as part of the pact. India had sought to safeguard the interests of its domestic industry through measures like seeking a 2014 base year for tariff reductions instead of 2013, when negotiations on RCEP began, as it has raised import duties on several products between 2014 and 2019. Using a base year before 2014 would mean a drastic drop in the import duties on these products.

Concerns Raised from different Sectors

• It is believed that by joining RCEP some domestic sectors may take a hit due to cheaper alternatives from other participant countries. For instance, the dairy industry was expected to face stiff competition from Australia and New Zealand. Similarly, steel and textiles sectors have also demanded protection.
• Given India’s poor past track record with its existing FTAs, civil society bodies and trade experts have also raised questions over the possible gains from an RCEP deal.

7 . Exit Polls and Opinion Polls

About Exit Polls

• Exit polls are conducted by researchers asking voters how they have voted just after they have left the polling station after casting their ballot
• Such polls are aimed at predicting result of an election based on the info collected from voters on election day
• Section 126 A of the RPA 1951 bans exit polls from the beginning of the polls until half an hour after the final phase of voting has been held

How it is different from Opinion Poll

• An opinion poll is a voter behaviour survey conducted in order to find out the opinion of the people, including those who may or may not vote, before voting takes place
• An exit poll is done after people have voted on an election day

8 . Facts for Prelims

Global Centre for Traditional Medicine

• World Health Organisation announced that it will set up a Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India
• WHO Global Centre of Traditional Medicine in India to strengthen the evidence, research, training and awareness of traditional and complementary medicine.
• This new centre will support WHO’s efforts to implement the WHO traditional medicine strategy 2014-2023 which aims to support countries in developing policies and action plans to strengthen the role of traditional medicine as part of their journey to universal health coverage and a healthier, fairer and safer world
• Traditional systems of medicine such as Ayurveda can play an important role in integrated people-centric health services and healthcare, but they have not received enough attention

Measles

• Measles is a viral disease that can cause debilitating or fatal complications, including encephalitis, severe diarrhoea and dehydration, pneumonia, ear infections and permanent vision loss.
• The disease is preventable through two doses of a safe and effective vaccine. India currently gives a measles rubella vaccine in its universal immunisation programme to tackle both measles and rubella.
• India, as part of the global initiative, has targeted elimination of measles and control of rubella by 2020. Rubella control is achieved when a country reduces the number of rubella cases by 95% as compared to cases in 2008.
• India was among six countries with the highest number of infants who had not received the vaccine against measles — while the contagious viral disease surged worldwide in 2019 reaching the highest number of reported cases in 23 years — last year, according to a new report of the World Health Organisation and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• A total of 1.2 million children did not receive the first dose of measles-containing-vaccine (MCV1) in 2019 in India, accounting for nearly half of the world’s total