PERIYAR IAS CURRENT AFFAIRS 24-JANUARY-2018
Paper
1:
Topic:
population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues.
‘Reward
Work, Not Wealth’ report
A
report titled ‘Reward Work, Not Wealth’ has been released by the international
rights group Oxfam. The report reveals how the
global economy enables wealthy elite to accumulate vast wealth even as hundreds
of millions of people struggle to survive on poverty pay.
Highlights
of the report:
§ The
richest 1% in India cornered 73% of the wealth generated in the country last
year. Besides, 67 crore Indians comprising the population’s poorest half saw
their wealth rise by just 1%. The wealth of India’s richest 1 per cent
increased by over Rs. 20.9 lakh crore during 2017, an amount equivalent to
total budget of the central government in 2017–18, Oxfam India said. This
presents a worrying picture of rising income inequality.
§ Globally,
82% of the wealth generated last year worldwide went to the 1%, while 3.7
billion people that account for the poorest half of population saw no increase
in their wealth. 2017 saw an unprecedented increase in the number of
billionaires, at a rate of one every two days. Billionaire wealth has risen by
an average of 13% a year since 2010—six times faster than the wages of ordinary
workers, which have risen by a yearly average of just 2%.
§ The
survey also showed that women workers often find themselves at the bottom of
the heap and nine out of 10 billionaires are men. In India, there are only four
women billionaires and three of them inherited family wealth.
Concern:
The
billionaire boom is not a sign of a thriving economy but a symptom of a failing
economic system. Those working hard, growing food for the country, building
infrastructure, working in factories are struggling to fund their child’s
education, buy medicines for family members and manage two meals a day. The
growing divide undermines democracy and promotes corruption and cronyism.
What
needs to be done?
Oxfam
makes several recommendations to start fixing the problem of income inequality.
On the government’s part, it has asked for things like promoting inclusive
growth by encouraging labour-intensive sectors that will create more jobs,
imposing higher tax on the super-rich, implementing policies to tackle all
forms of gender discrimination and sealing the “leaking wealth bucket” by
taking stringent measures against tax evasion. The report reveals that the top
1% is evading an estimated $200bn in tax. More significantly, developing
countries are losing at least $170 billion each year in foregone tax revenues from
corporations and the super-rich.
The
recommendations for corporations are far more eyebrow-raising, be it “Limit
returns to shareholders and promote a pay ratio for companies’ top executives
that is no more than 20 times their median employees’ pay” or refraining from
rewarding shareholders through dividends or buybacks or even paying bonuses to
executives until “all their employees have received a living wage”.
Way
ahead:
The
survey found that, in India, it will take 941 years for a minimum wage worker
in rural India to earn what the top paid executive at a leading Indian garment
firm earns in a year, the study found. In the US, it takes slightly over one
working day for a CEO to earn what an ordinary worker makes in a year.
Therefore, the survey stressed that the gap between the rich and the poor needs
to be urgently addressed.
Sources:
the hindu.
Paper
2:
Topic:
Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services
relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Global
Talent Competitiveness Index
Context: The
fifth edition of the Global Talent Competitiveness Index has been released by
INSEAD in partnership with The Adecco Group and Tata communications.
Background:
Launched
for the first time in 2013, the Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) is
an annual benchmarking report that measures the ability of countries to compete
for talent. The index that measures how countries grow, attract and retain
talent. With this fifth edition, GTCI addresses the theme of Diversity for
Competitiveness.
Highlights:
§ India
has moved up to the 81st position, but remains a laggard among the BRICS
nations. India was at the 92nd position last year and at the 89th place in
2016.
§ Among
the five BRICS countries China is at 43rd, Russia 53rd, South Africa 63rd and
Brazil 73rd.
§ Switzerland
has topped the list. It is followed by Singapore and the US. European countries
dominate the top ranks, with 15 out of the top 25 places.
Sources:
the hindu.
Topic:
Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and
States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and
bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable
sections.
Chief
Minister-gi Hakshelgi Tengbang (CMHT)
What
is it? It is Manipur government’s pioneering health assurance
scheme for the poor and disabled people.
Highlights
of the scheme:
§ The
CMHT will provide cashless treatment to the poor at government hospitals,
health centres and other empanelled selected private hospitals.
§ The
scheme will provide cover up to Rs 2 lakh per eligible family identified from
the Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) in the treatment of seven critical
identified critical ailments – cardiovascular diseases, kidney ailments, neurological
conditions, liver ailments, cancer, neo-natal diseases and burns per year.
§ The
beneficiaries may get themselves enrolled for the scheme with the help of ASHA
workers at the kiosks opened in nearby PHCs, CHCs and District Hospitals.
§ The
most special aspect of the scheme is its innovative features. Firstly, CMHT
will have convergence with Government of India programme like PMÂ’s Jana
Aushadhi Programme and Free Diagnostic Programme. Secondly, the scheme will be
a truly IT platform driven scheme.
Sources:
the hindu.
Topic:
Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or
affecting India’s interests.
Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
Context: Mounting
pressure on New Delhi to give an early consent to the Regional Comprehensive
Economic Partnership — a mega regional trade pact being negotiated by sixteen
nations — the 10-member ASEAN expressed hope that India would not let the bloc
down in its efforts to conclude the agreement this year.
India
has, however, refused to take responsibility for the long-winding negotiations
and has stressed that it is important to address the sensitivities and
aspirations of all participants.
Conflicting
issues:
India
is not comfortable with the ambitious dismantling of import tariffs being
pushed for by the ASEAN, especially as it would also mean allowing duty-free
access to Chinese goods. The Indian industry does not want the country to
commit to high levels of liberalisation as it fears that it could get
out-priced in the domestic market.
India
has also stressed on the need for other RCEP members to deliver in the area of
services to arrive at an agreement. So far proposals in the area of services,
including on work-visas for movement of professionals, have been disappointing
with no member ready to make meaningful contributions.
What
you need to know about RCEP?
RCEP
is proposed between the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) (Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and the six states with which
ASEAN has existing FTAs (Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New
Zealand).
RCEP
negotiations were formally launched in November 2012 at the ASEAN Summit in
Cambodia. RCEP aims to boost goods trade by eliminating most tariff and
non-tariff barriers — a move that is expected to provide the region’s consumers
greater choice of quality products at affordable rates. It also seeks to
liberalise investment norms and do away with services trade restrictions.
Sources:
the hindu.
Paper
3:
Topic:
Technology missions.
Pradhan
Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)
Context: The
Union Water Resources Ministry has released central assistance of Rs 246.9
crore for nine prioritised projects under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee
Yojana (PMKSY) for Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) works.
About
PMKSY:
PMKSY
has been conceived amalgamating ongoing schemes viz. Accelerated Irrigation
Benefit Programme (AIBP) of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development
& Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR,RD&GR), Integrated Watershed Management
Programme (IWMP) of Department of Land Resources (DoLR) and the On Farm Water
Management (OFWM) of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC).
§ The
scheme will be implemented by Ministries of Agriculture, Water Resources and
Rural Development.
§ The
major objective of PMKSY is to achieve convergence of investments in irrigation
at the field level, expand cultivable area under assured irrigation, improve
on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water and enhance the
adoption of precision-irrigation and other water saving technologies (More crop
per drop).
Accelerated
Irrigation Benefits Programme:
The
Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) was launched during 1996- 1997
to give loan assistance to the States to help them complete some of the
incomplete major/medium irrigation projects which were at an advanced stage of
completion and to create additional irrigation potential in the country. Grant
component has been introduced in the programme from April 2004 like other
Central Sector Schemes.
Sources:
pib.
Topic:
Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and
their effects on industrial growth.
Inclusive
Development Index
Context: Inclusive
Development Index has been released by the World Economic Forum. This Inclusive
Development Index has been developed as a new metric of national economic
performance as an alternative to GDP. The index takes into account the living
standards, environmental sustainability and protection of future generations
from further indebtedness.
Background:
The
2018 index, which measures progress of 103 economies on three individual
pillars — growth and development; inclusion; and inter-generational equity —
has been divided into two parts. The first part covers 29 advanced economies
and the second 74 emerging economies. The index has also classified the
countries into five sub-categories in terms of the five-year trend of their
overall Inclusive Development Growth score — receding, slowly receding, stable,
slowly advancing and advancing.
Performance
of countries:
§ India
is placed at the 62nd place among emerging economies much below China’s 26th
position and Pakistan’s 47th. India was ranked 60th among 79 developing
economies last year, as against China’s 15th and Pakistan’s 52nd position.
§ Despite
its low overall score, India is among the ten emerging economies with
‘advancing’ trend. Only two advanced economies have shown ‘advancing’ trend. Of
the three pillars that make up the index, India ranks 72nd for inclusion, 66th
for growth and development and 44th for inter-generational equity.
§ Performance
is mixed among BRICS economies, with the Russian Federation ranking 19th,
followed by China (26), Brazil (37), India (62) and South Africa (69). The
neighbouring countries ranked above India include Sri Lanka (40), Bangladesh
(34) and Nepal (22).
§ Norway
remains the world’s most inclusive advanced economy. Among advanced economies,
Norway is followed by Ireland, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Denmark in the top
five.
§ Lithuania
again tops the list of emerging economies. It is followed by Hungary,
Azerbaijan, Latvia and Poland.
Concerns:
The
study found that decades of prioritising economic growth over social equity has
led to historically high levels of wealth and income inequality and caused
governments to miss out on a virtuous circle in which growth is strengthened by
being shared more widely and generated without unduly straining the environment
or burdening future generations.
Excessive
reliance by economists and policy-makers on Gross Domestic Product as the
primary metric of national economic performance is part of the problem. The GDP
measures current production of goods and services rather than the extent to
which it contributes to broad socio-economic progress as manifested in median
household income, employment opportunity, economic security and quality of
life.
Way
ahead:
The
report has cautioned political and business leaders against expecting higher
growth to be a panacea for the social frustrations, including those of younger
generations who have shaken the politics of many countries in recent years. It
has also urged the leaders to urgently move to a new model of inclusive growth
and development, saying reliance on GDP as a measure of economic achievement is
fuelling short-termism and inequality.
Sources:
the hindu.
Topic:
Conservation.
‘Himalayan
Research Fellowships scheme’
Context: The
union environment ministry has decided to start a ‘Himalayan Research
Fellowships scheme’. This is among the series of programmes that MoEFCC is
running for conservation and protection of Himalayas.
About
the Himalayan Research Fellowship Scheme:
Aim:
The scheme aims scheme’ to create a young pool of trained environmental
managers, ecologists and socio-economists. This pool will help generate
information on physical, biological, managerial and human aspects of Himalayan
environment and development.
Implementation:
The fellowship scheme will be executed through various universities and
Institutions working in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) and preference will
be given to the Institutions from north-eastern states.
Funding:
The financial support will be provided under the National Mission on Himalayan
Studies (NMHS) and the fellowships will be awarded for a maximum period of
three years and last date for submitting fellowship proposals is 12 February.
Focus
areas: The research may be undertaken in any of the identified broad thematic
areas (BTAs) of the NMHS. Some of the broad thematic areas that are being
focused on for research under the NMHS are water resource management including
rejuvenation of springs and catchments, hydropower development, assessment and
prediction of water-induced hazards, livelihood options including ecotourism
opportunities, biodiversity management including recovery of threatened species
and skill development.
Sources:
livemint.
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