PERIYAR IAS CURRENT AFFAIRS 5-MAY-2018


 Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

National security clearance policy

Context: The Home Ministry has given security clearance to more than 5,000 investment proposals, including for Foreign Direct Investment, in the last four years.
Among the foreign countries, U.S., China (including Hong Kong), Mauritius, U.K. has received the green signal for the maximum number of projects at 10 each, followed by Germany 6, Bangladesh 3 and two each for Italy, Israel, Netherlands and Switzerland.

Background:
Security clearance is granted by the Ministry of Home Affairs after assessing reports received from the Central Intelligence and investigating agencies from the national security point of view.
§  The Ministry had formulated a new national security clearance policy in 2015 after the government decided to speed up projects, which were stuck for lack of approval by Intelligence Bureau (IB) or other agencies including the State police.
§  The time taken for security clearance for a project was eight-nine months on an average. This has been brought down to 40 days since last year.

Policy for national security clearance:
§  The Ministry of Home Affairs has formulated a policy for national security clearance for certain sensitive sectors of the economy by codifying all existing practices. In addition, the policy has also liberalized certain investment restrictions existing earlier.
§  The new policy is aimed at bringing about a healthy balance between meeting the imperatives of national security and facilitating ease of doing business and promoting investment in the country.
§  Under the new policy, fifteen parametres have been laid down where inputs from security agencies will be sought.
§  The parametres on which inputs would be sought by the security agencies would be: money aundering charges against the promoters, terrorist angle, financial fraud and scam, passport fraud, links with external intelligence agencies and conviction for any serious crime like murder.

Background:
At present, only 11 sectors, including defence and retail trading, require government approval for foreign direct investment. Over 90% of FDI proposals have come through the automatic route.

What’s important?
For Prelims and Mains: Policy on security clearance and FDI reforms.

Sources: pib.

Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Namami Gange Programme
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Context: National Mission for Clean Ganga has brought on board Survey of India to facilitate the Ganga rejuvenation task by using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. Through the project, NMCG aims to strengthen planning and implementation at national/state/local levels.

DEM technology:
The project includes use of Digital Elevation Model (DEM) technology which ensures accurate data collection, an important aspect for river basin management planning. DEM technology enables identification of entire topography of an area making it easy for policy makers to analyse the available data thereby supporting the decision-making process. Critical hotspots are also easily identified through this technology.

About Namami Gange Programme:
§  Namami Gange programme was launched as a mission to achieve the target of cleaning river Ganga in an effective manner with the unceasing involvement of all stakeholders, especially five major Ganga basin States – Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal.
§  The programme envisages: River Surface Cleaning, Sewerage Treatment Infrastructure, River Front Development, Bio-Diversity, Afforestation and Public Awareness.

Implementation:
§  The program would be implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and its state counterpart organizations i.e., State Program Management Groups (SPMGs).
§  In order to improve implementation, a three-tier mechanism has been proposed for project monitoring comprising of a) High level task force chaired by Cabinet Secretary assisted by NMCG at national level, b) State level committee chaired by Chief Secretary assisted by SPMG at state level and c) District level committee chaired by the District Magistrate.
§  The program emphasizes on improved coordination mechanisms between various Ministries/Agencies of Central and State governments.

About Survey of India:
§  It is the oldest scientific department in the country set up in 1767. It works under the administrative control of Department of Science & Technology.
§  Functions: As the nation’s Principal Mapping Agency, Survey of India bears a special responsibility to ensure that the country’s domain is explored and mapped suitably, provide base maps for expeditious and integrated development and ensure that all resources contribute with their full measure to the progress, prosperity and security of our country now and for generations to come.

What’s important?
§  For Prelims: Survey of India, Namami Gange Programme.
§  For Mains: Significance of GIS technology, need for inter- state coordination in river management.

Sources: pib.

Topic: e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential.

SWAYAM
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Context: The Ministry of Human Resource Development has launched a major and unique initiative of online professional development of 1.5 million higher education faculty using the MOOCs platform SWAYAM.
In the first phase, 75 discipline-specific National Resource Centres have been identified which are tasked to prepare online training material with focus on latest developments in the discipline, new & emerging trends, pedagogical improvements and methodologies for transacting revised curriculum.

SWAYAM:
§  It is an online interactive learning platform that provides, not only video lectures, reading material but also assignments/quizzes that could end up in securing credits after completing the assessment system.
§  More than 400 Courses are available on SWAYAM covering all the engineering and non-engineering subjects at undergraduate and post-graduate levels.
§  The UGC has already issued Regulation that allows transfer of credits earned through the courses done through SWAYAM into the academic record of the students.
§  It is now possible for the students and others to take courses of the prestigious IITs or IIMs without formally studying there.
§  The platform has been constructed by Microsoft with totally indigenous efforts.

What’s important?
§  For Prelims: SWAYAM.
§  For Mains: Reforms in higher education.

Sources: pib.


Paper 3:
Topic: Effects of liberalization on the economy.

GST Network (GSTN)
http://www.insightsonindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/GST-Network-GSTN.jpg
Context: The GST Council has approved making GST Network (GSTN) a government entity by taking over stakes held by private entities. As per the proposal, the central government will own 50% and the remaining would be collectively held by state governments.

What is GSTN?
§  The GSTN is a private limited company floated to aid the rollout of the new indirect tax regime.
§  The company will provide information technology support to all stakeholders for smooth implementation of the new taxation regime across the country and will be the repository of all information related to taxation and entities registered under GST.
§  The majority (51%) shareholding in the firm is with private entities including HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and LIC among others. The central government, jointly with state governments and Union Territories, own 49% in the company.

What’s important?
§  For Prelims: GSTN.
§  For Mains: All about GST.

Sources: pib.

Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

National Water Informatics Centre (NWIC)
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Context: National Water Informatics Centre (NWIC) has recently been created by Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

About NWIC:
§  NWIC would be a repository of nation-wide water resources data and would work as a Subordinate Office under the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
§  NWIC is expected to provide a ‘Single Window’ source of updated data on water resources & allied themes; and provides value added products and services to all stake holders for its management and sustainable development.
§  The centre will also collaborate with leading research institutes nationally as well as internationally to provide technical support to other central and state organizations dealing with water, emergency response for hydrological extremes.
§  The centre would be headed by a Joint Secretary level officer.

Background:
The management of water resources is a highly complex and tedious task that involves expertise of multidisciplinary domains and depend on historical and real time reliable data and information. For this, the first requirement is to develop, maintain and update regularly a comprehensive “Water Resources Information System” (WRIS) in public domain for awareness and involvement of all concerned for effective integrated water resources management. This is also prerequisite for scientific assessment, monitoring, modelling and Decision Support System (DSS) and Integrated water resource Management.

What’s important?
§  For Prelims:
§  For Mains: Need for WRIS and its significance, water conservation- challenges, issues and solutions.

Sources: pib.

Topic: Security agencies.

Narcotics Control Bureau

Context: The third bilateral meeting between Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), India and Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB), Sri Lanka on Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and related matters was recently held in New Delhi.
NCB, India and PNB, Sri Lanka have recognized the challenging drug situation in the region and identified useful areas of future cooperation including in field of information exchange, control delivery operations and training.

About NCB:
§  The Narcotics Control Bureau is the apex coordinating agency. The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 which came into effect from the 14th November, 1985 made an express provision for constituting a Central Authority for the purpose of exercising the powers and functions of the Central Government under the Act.

The Bureau, subject to the supervision and control of the Central Government, is to exercise the powers and functions of the Central Government for taking measures with respect to:
§  Co-ordination of actions by various offices, State Governments and other authorities under the N.D.P.S. Act, Customs Act, Drugs and Cosmetics Act and any other law for the time being in force in connection with the enforcement provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985.
§  Implementation of the obligation in respect of counter measures against illicit traffic under the various international conventions and protocols that are in force at present or which may be ratified or acceded to by India in future.
§  Assistance to concerned authorities in foreign countries and concerned international organisations to facilitate coordination and universal action for prevention and suppression of illicit traffic in these drugs and substances.
§  Coordination of actions taken by the other concerned Ministries, Departments and Organizations in respect of matters relating to drug abuse.

What’s important?
§  For Prelims: NCB.
§  For Mains: Drug trafficking menace- Challenges, solutions and the need for international cooperation.

Sources: pib.




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