Connect to Current -Daily Current Capsules 06th March 2019

International Relations US to withdraw duty benefits on $5.6 billion exports from India

Generalized System of Preferences (GSP)

Relevance IN – Prelims ( about GSP) + Mains ( GS III economic development

+ GS II effect of policies of developed and developing countries on India’s

interest)

Highlights

The GSP programme allows duty-free entry of 1,784 products from India

into the US

Exporters of textiles, engineering, gems and jewellery and chemical

products benefit the most from this programme

What’s the NEWS

Arguing that New Delhi had failed to assure America that it would

provide equitable and reasonable access to its markets in numerous

sectors, US President Donald Trump informed the US Congress about his

intent to terminate the designation of India and Turkey as a

beneficiary developing country under the Generalised System of

Preferences (GSP) programme.

The US has decided to withdraw duty benefits on $5.6 billion worth of

exports from India by May this year, blaming the trade barriers created

by the Indian government, after negotiations for a trade package fell

through.

Know! about the GSP Programme

The GSP programme allows duty-free entry of 1,784 products from India

into the US, benefitting exporters of textiles, engineering, gems and

jewellery and chemical products.

Total US imports under GSP in 2017 was $21.2 billion, of which India

was the biggest beneficiary with $5.6 billion, followed by Thailand ($4.2

billion) and Brazil ($2.5 billion).

India is the world's largest beneficiary of the GSP program and ending its

participation would be the strongest punitive action against India since

Trump took office in 2017

Under the United States GSP programme, certain products can enter the

US duty-free if the beneficiary developing countries meet the eligibility

criteria established by Congress.

The GSP criteria include, among others, respecting arbitral awards in

favour of US citizens or corporations, combatting child labour, respecting

internationally recognised worker rights, providing adequate and effective

intellectual property protection and providing the US with equitable and

reasonable market access.

Countries can also be graduated from the GSP programme, depending on

factors related to economic development.

International Organisations/Education Sector QS World Ranking: Five Indian institutes in top 300, IIT Bombay leads

India chart

Relevance IN – Prelims ( about QS ranking outcome ) + Mains ( GS II issues

relating to development and management of social sector/services relating to

education + international organisations)

What’s the NEWS

QS World Ranking: IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi and IISc remain the top three

Indian institutes. Additionally, top five Indian institutes were ranked in

the top 300. Indian institutes rank 'very high' in research output.

Know! more about the ranking

According to the recently released QS world ranking, five Indian

institutes have secured a spot in the list of top 300 world universities. The

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay has gained the top rank

among Indian institutes followed by Indian Institute of Science (IISc),

Bangalore.

IIT Bombay surpassed last year’s top institute IIT Delhi by moving 17

ranks up and securing 162nd rank worldwide.

IISc has shown the maximum improvement with a jump of 20 positions

from last year. It moved up from 190th rank last year to 170.

IIT Delhi remained at 172nd spot globally, however, in Indian ranking it

went down to the third spot as IIT Bombay and IISc improved their score.

Institute 2018 2019

IIT Delhi 172 172

IT Bombay 179 162

IISc 190 170

IIT Madras 264 264

IIT Kanpur 293 283

IIT Kanpur, which secured the fifth rank in the country and 283rd in the

world also moved up by 10 ranks from last year showing a significant

improvement.

All the Indian institutes have got ‘very high’ ranking in research output,

according to the QS World Ranking.

Internationally, the top three institutes remain unshakable with the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University and

Harvard University securing first, second and third rank respectively,

according to the QS World Ranking.

In the top five, Oxford University replaced the University of Cambridge

for the fifth rank.

Top five world institutes this year were –

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Stanford University

Harvard University

California Institute of Technology

University of Oxford

Know! about QS World University Rankings

It is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli

Symonds (QS). Previously known as Times Higher Education–QS World

University Rankings, the publisher had collaborated with Times Higher

Education (THE) magazine to publish its international league tables from

2004 to 2009 before both started to announce their own versions.

QS then chose to continue using the pre-existing methodology while

Times Higher Education adopted a new methodology to create their

rankings.

The QS system now comprises the global overall and subject rankings

(which name the world's top universities for the study of 48 different

subjects and five composite faculty areas), alongside five independent

regional tables (Asia, Latin America, Emerging Europe and Central Asia,

the Arab Region, and BRICS).

Agreements Government of India and World Bank Sign $250 Million Agreement

for the National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP) to

boost Rural Incomes across 13 States in India

Relevance IN – Prelims ( about the agreement and NRETP ) + Mains ( GS I

role of women and women organisation + GS II social Justice, role of SHG,

welfare schemes for the vulnerable section

What’s the NEWS

The World Bank and the Government of India signed a $250 Million

Agreement for the National Rural Economic Transformation

Project (NRETP) which will help women in rural households shift to a

new generation of economic initiatives by developing viable

enterprise for farm and non-farm products.

Know! more about the project and agreement

A Key Focus of the Project will be to promote women-owned and

women-led farm and non-farm enterprises across value chains; enable

them to build businesses that help them access finance, markets and

networks; and generate employment.

The National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP) is

an additional financing to the $500 million National Rural Livelihoods

Project (NRLP) approved by the World Bank in July 2011.

The NRLP which is currently being implemented across 13 states, 162

districts and 575 blocks, has so far mobilized more than 8.8 million

women from poor rural households into 750,000 self-help groups

(SHGs).

These SHGs have been further federated into 48,700 Village

Organizations and 2900 Cluster/Gram Panchayat-level Federations.

While these 13 states will continue to be supported under the new project

signed today, 125 new districts will be added from within these states.

Know! about NRLM

The National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) aims to alleviate rural

poverty and create sustainable livelihood opportunities in rural

communities by promoting sustainable community-based institutions

which will facilitate economic and financial services for the rural poor.

The National Rural Livelihoods Project has mobilized close to 9 million

rural women into strong self-managed institutional platforms, helping

them access services, participate in Gram Sabhas and start engaging in

income generating activities.

Many of these women are now geared towards moving into higher order

economic initiatives in farm and non-farm sectors.

Since its launch in 2011, the National Rural Livelihoods Mission

(NRLM) has mobilized 50 million poor rural women into self-help

groups and their higher-level federations. These groups have leveraged

nearly $30 billion from commercial banks.

The NERTP will support enterprise development programs for rural poor

women and youth by creating a platform to access finance including start-

up financing options to build their individual and/or collectively owned

and managed enterprises.

The other key component of the project includes developing financial

products using digital financial services to help small producer collectives

scale-up and engage with the market. It will also support youth skills

development, in coordination with the Deen Dayal Upadyaya Grameen

Kaushalya Yojana.

Defence AL NAGAH 2019

Relevance IN – Prelims ( about AL NAGAH)

What’s the NEWS

Exercise Al Nagah III, third in the series of bilateral joint exercise

between India and Oman is scheduled to be held from 12 to 25 March

2019 at Jabel Al Akhdar Mountains in Oman.

Know! more about the exercise

The exercise will see both the armies exchanging expertise and

experience in tactics, weapon handling and firing, with an aim to enhance

interoperability in counterterrorist operations in semi urban mountainous

terrain.

India-Oman bilateral security ties have continued to develop since the

beginning of India-Oman Joint Military Cooperation meetings in 2006.

Exercise Al Nagah III follows the first two joint exercises that were held

in Oman in January 2015 and India in March 2017 respectively.

Similar exercises are also in vogue between the navies and air forces of

both the nations thus underscoring the growing bilateral military and

strategic partnership between the two important nations of Indian Ocean

Region (IOR).

Social Justice Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan (PM-SYM)

Prime Minister Launches PM-SYM in Ahmedabad

Relevance IN – Prelims ( about PM -SYM ) + Mains ( GS II social Justice,

welfare schemes for the vulnerable section of the population)

What’s the NEWS

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi formally launched Pradhan Mantri

Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan (PM-SYM) Scheme in Ahmedabad.

Role of Common Service Centres

CSCs spread across the country are enrolling PM-SYM beneficiaries. There

are over three lakh CSCs in the country.

Nearly 12 lakh youth are working in CSCs and they are instrumental in

smooth implementation of not only PMSYM but other welfare schemes like

Aayushman Bharat Yojana.

Know! about PM -SYM

Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan (PM-SYM), a pension scheme for

Unorganized Workers is being implemented for an estimated 42 crore

workers in the unorganized sector constituting around 85% of the total

Labour force of the country.

PM-SYM has been made effective since 15thFeb, 2019 in all states.

It is a central sector scheme open to unorganised workers, whose monthly

income is Rs 15000/- or below and who have an Aadhar number as well as

savings bank account. The minimum age for joining the scheme is 18

years and the maximum is 40 years.

It is a voluntary and contribution based scheme under which the subscriber

gets an assured minimum monthly pension of Rs 3000/- from the age of 60

years onwards.

The contribution of a subscriber ranges from Rs 55/- to Rs 200/-

depending on his entry age which is 18 to 40.

Under the scheme, the Central Government will also give matching

contribution towards beneficiary’s pension account.

Further, it has unique feature that in case of exit, subscriber would be

returned his entire contribution.

The unorganized workers are mostly engaged as home based workers,

street vendors, mid-day meal workers, head loaders, brick kiln workers,

cobblers, rag pickers, domestic workers, washer men, rickshaw pullers, rural

landless labourers, own account workers, agricultural workers, construction

workers, beedi workers, handloom workers, leather workers, Audio- visual

workers, and in similar other occupations.

Prelims Practise Question

Consider the following statements

1. The GSP programme of which India is the 2nd largest beneficiary allows

duty-free entry of 1,784 products from India into the US, benefitting

exporters of textiles, engineering, gems and jewellery and chemical

products.

2. Exercise Al Nagah , the inaugural edition of bilateral joint exercise

between India and Oman is scheduled to be held from 12 to 25 March

2019 at Jabel Al Akhdar Mountains in Oman.

Find the correct statement from the option given below

a. 1 and 2

b. 2 only

c. 1 only

d. None

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