PIB Analysis Date :12/12/2018

PIB ANALYSIS FOR UPSC CIVIL SERVICES EXAM

TOPICS COVERED

1. Deep sea submarine rescue system
2. SEZ Policy Review Committee
3. Year End Review – NITI Aayog ( Important)
4. Factual / Person in News 
5. Based on the Questions Asked in the Parliament

1 . Deep Sea Submarine Rescue System

Deep Sea Submarine Rescue System Inducted into the Indian Navy at Mumbai

• Indian Navy’s first flyaway Deep Sea Submarine Rescue System was formally inducted

Need

• The Indian Navy currently operates submarines of the Sindhughosh, Shishumar, Kalvari Classes as well as nuclear powered submarines.
• The operating medium and the nature of operations undertaken by submarines expose them to high degree of inherent risk. In such an eventuality, traditional methods of search and rescue at sea are ineffective for a disabled submarine.
• To overcome this capability gap the Navy has acquired a third generation, advanced Submarine Rescue System considering of a Non-tethered Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) and its associated equipment.

About the Submarine Rescue System

• The Indian Navy now joins a select league of Nations worldwide with the sovereign capability, in fly away configuration, to search, locate and rescue crew from a disabled Submarine.
• The Deep Sea rescue system would have a global footprint and can be mobilised from the Naval base at Mumbai to the nearest mobilisation port by air/land or sea to provide rapid rescue to the Submarines in distress.
• The newly acquired capability would be operated and deployed by the crew of Indian Navy’s newly formed Submarine Rescue Unit (West) from its base in Mumbai.
• The Indian Navy’s Deep Sea Submarine Rescue System considered to be the most advanced system currently in operation globally, is capable of undertaking rescue from a disabled Submarine upto 650 m depth.
• The DSRV, which is operated by a crew of three, can rescue 14 personnel from a disabled Submarine at one time and can operate in extreme sea conditions (upto Sea State 6)

2 . SEZ Policy Review Committee

• The  Government had constituted a Group of eminent persons under the Chairmanship of Baba Kalyani to study the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Policy of India (Prelims)

Key Recommendations (Only need to remember some points for Mains)

• Framework shift from export growth to broad-based Employment and Economic Growth (Employment and Economic Enclaves-3Es).
• Formulation of separate rules and procedures for manufacturing and service SEZs.
• Shift from supply driven to demand driven approach for 3Es development to improve efficiency of investment-based on certain industries, current level of existing inventory in the region.
• Enabling framework for Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) in 3Es in sync with State EoDB initiatives. One integrated online portal for new investments, operational requirements and exits related matters.
• Enhance competitiveness by enabling ecosystem development by funding high speed multi modal connectivity, business services and utility infrastructure. Critical to provide support to create high quality infrastructure either within or linked to the zones eg. High Speed Rail, Express roadways, Passenger/Cargo airports, shipping ports, warehouses etc.
• Promote integrated industrial and urban development- walk to work zones, States and center to coordinate on the frame work development to bring linkages between all initiatives.
• Procedural relaxations for developers and tenants to improve operational and exit issues.
• Extension of Sunset Clause and retaining tax or duty benefits.
• Broad-banding definition of services/allowing multiple services to come together.
• Additional enablers and procedural relaxations.
• Unified regulator for IFSC.
• Utilizing Multi Services SEZ IFSC for all the inbound and out bound investment of the country.
• Incentives for availing services from IFSC SEZ by domestic institutions.
• Extension of benefit under services Export incentives scheme.
• Allowing alternate sectors to invest in sector specific SEZs/ 3Es.
• Flexibility of long term lease for developers and tenants.
• Facility of sub-contracting for customers outside 3Es/SEZs without any restriction or cap at any level.
• Specified domestic supplies supporting ‘Make in India’ to be considered in NFE computation.
• Export duty should not be levied on goods supplied to developers and used in manufacture of goods exported.
• Flexibility in usage of NPA by developers and sale space to investors/ units.
• Infrastructure status to improve access to finance and enable long term borrowing.
• Promote MSME participation in 3Es and enable manufacturing enabling service players to locate in 3E.
• Dispute resolution through arbitration and commercial courts.

3 . Year End Review NITI AAYOG (IMPORTANT)

Must Read Link

4 . Factual / Person in News

• Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) to notify the Korean Won (WON) and Turkish Lira (TRY) in the List of Currencies for Exchange Rate – Under Section 14 of the Customs Act, 1962, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) notifies the Rate of Exchange for the purpose of conversion of foreign exchange to Indian Rupees (INR) and vice versa for assessment of imports & exports. Currently, CBIC notifies exchange rates for 20 currencies for the purpose of valuation of imported and exported goods and it has been now decided to include 2 more currencies namely Korean Won (WON) & Turkish Lira (TRY) in the list of such currencies 
• Aruima Sinha – The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today, handed over the tricolour flag to Arunima Sinha, marking the beginning of her expedition to Mount Vinson, Antarctica. Ms. Arunima Sinha, the first female Divyang to climb Mount Everest,
• Central Government appointed Shri Shaktikanta Das, IAS Retd. former Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, as Governor, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), for a period of three years.

5 . Based on the Questions asked and reply provided by the Minister in the Parliament

Note : We have only included some of the important topics based on the questions asked in the Parliament. None of the topics are current as such but events happened in the past few years. 

SPACE Activities Bill

• The Government has invited suggestions from the public or stakeholders regarding the draft Space Activities Bill, 2017.
• The objective of the Space Bill is to facilitate the overall growth of the space activities in India with higher order of participation of public/ non-governmental/ private sector stakeholders.           
• The Bill provides for establishment of a regulatory mechanism through an appropriate body, by the Central Government for the purpose of authorization and licensing of space activities.
• The provision on liability for damages caused by space activities of licensee, provides for a risk sharing mechanism, by which the central Government may determine the quantum of liability to be borne by the licensee. 

Manned Mission to Space

• It is proposed to undertake manned mission to space before 75^th Anniversary of Indian Independence. The manned mission will be accomplished using ISRO’s launch vehicle GSLV MkIII.
• The manned mission will launch Indian astronauts from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota into an approximately 400 Km Low Earth Orbit. The maximum mission planned is of 7 days duration.

15 New Breeds of Livestock and Poultry

• ICAR has approved registration of record 15 new breeds of livestock and poultry this year alone taking the total to 40 during 2014-18, 
• Newly registered breeds include two cattle breeds – Ladakhi (J&K) and Konkan Kapila (Maharashtra & Goa)
•  Three buffalo breeds – Luit (Assam & Manipur), Bargur (Tamil Nadu), Chhattisgarhi (Chhattisgarh)
• One sheep breed – Panchali (Gujarat)
• Six goat breeds – Kahmi (Gujarat), Rohilkhandi (UP), Assam Hill (Assam & Meghalaya), Bidri (Karnataka), Nandidurga (Karnataka), Bhakarwali (J&K); one pig breed – Ghurrah (UP); 
• One donkey breed – Halari (Gujarat) and one chicken breed – Uttara (Uttarakhand).
• These native breeds are renowned for heat tolerance, disease resistance and thriving on low input system

Implementation of Modern Technique in Agriculture

• Government has been taking various initiatives to create awareness among farmers about new techniques through such programmes as  extension reforms, Mass Media Support to Agricultural Extension, Kisan Call Centers, Agri-Clinics and Agri-business Centers, Exhibitions/Fairs, etc.
• A Centrally Sponsored Scheme ‘Support to State Extension Programmes for Extension Reforms’ popularly known as ATMA Scheme is being implemented in 676 districts of 29 states & 3 UTs of the country, including all the districts of Maharashtra & Jharkhand.
• The scheme promotes decentralized and farmer-friendly extension system in the country. Under the Scheme, Grants-in-aid is released to the State Governments {In the ratio of 60:40 (Centre:State) to General States, 90:10 for North-Eastern & 3 Himalayan States and 100% for UTs} with an objective to support State Government’s efforts to revitalize their extension system and making available the latest agricultural technologies and good agricultural practices in different thematic areas.
• The extension activities include farmers training, demonstrations, exposure visits, Kisan Mela, mobilization of Farmers Groups and organizing Farm Schools

Implementation of Swaminathan Committee Report

• National Commission on Farmers headed by Dr. M. S. Swaminathan submitted its report in 2006. One of the recommendations of Commission was that MSP should be at least 50 percent more than the weighted average cost of production.
• This recommendation was not incorporated in the National policy for Farmers 2007.
• However, recently Government has increased the MSP for all Kharif and Rabi crops and other commercial crops for the season 2018-19 with a return of atleast 50 percent over cost of production, which was a historic decision by the Government

FAME INDIA SCHEME

• In order to promote manufacturing of electric and hybrid vehicle technology and to ensure sustainable growth of the same, Department of Heavy Industry is implementing FAME-India Scheme Phase 1
• The Phase-II of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME-India) Scheme proposes to give a push to electric vehicles (EVs) in public transport and seeks to encourage adoption of EVs by way of market creation and demand aggregation. The draft scheme envisages the holistic growth of EV industry, including providing for charging infrastructure, research and development of EV technologies and push towards greater indigenization. The scheme has not been finalized yet.
  

Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana (PMRPY)

• Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana (PMRPY) was launched in 2016 with the objective to incentivise employers for creation of new employment.
• Under the scheme, Government of India is paying Employer’s full contribution i.e. 12% towards EPF and EPS both (as admissible from time to time) for a period of three years to the new employees and to the existing beneficiaries for their remaining period of three years through EPFO.
• The scheme is targeted for employees earning upto Rs. 15,000 per month.
• This scheme has a dual benefit, where, on the one hand, the employer is incentivised for increasing the employment base of workers in the establishment, and on the other hand, a large number of workers will find jobs in such establishments. A direct benefit is that these workers will have access to social security benefits of the organized sector.

Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme

• Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) is a flagship credit-linked subsidy programme of Government of India being implemented by the Ministry of MSME. The Scheme is aimed at generating self-employment opportunities through establishment of micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector by helping traditional artisans and unemployed youth in rural as well as urban areas.
• Under PMEGP, general category beneficiaries can avail of margin money subsidy of 25 % of the project cost in rural areas and 15% in urban areas
• Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is the nodal implementation agency at the national level.

Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana (PMUY)

• Under the PMUY Scheme a deposit free LPG connection is provided to the woman member of a BPL family with cash assistance up to₹ 1600 per connection. 

The following steps have been taken by OMCs to encourage the LPG usage among the PMUY beneficiaries –

(i)         OMCs conduct Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayat.

(ii)        OMCs have deferred the recovery of subsidy amount from beneficiaries.

(iii)      PMUY beneficiaries have been offered swap facility i.e.  to avail small package 5 kg refill against 14.2 kg refill as per their requirement.

(iv)       Use of print and electronic media for enhancing awareness among PMUY customers.

Black Box Facility in Train

• Similar to Black Box, Indian Railway has started installing Loco cab audio video recording system (LCAVR) / Crew Voice/Video Recording System (CVVRS) in Diesel and Electric locomotives. This system provides invaluable data to investigators which will help them in understanding the sequence of events leading up to an accident and for identifying operational issues and human factors.