UPSC 2017: Comprehensive News Analysis - November 06

A. GS1 Related

B. GS2 Related

In news:

• The dearness allowance of judges of the Supreme Court and the 24 High Courts has been increased to 139% with effect from July 1 “at the same rates as are admissible to the members of the all-India service”.
• The judges have been given the DA hike based on the 6th Pay Commission as two bills to provide them the benefits of the Seventh Pay Commission are pending approval of the Union Cabinet.

In news:

• The Union government has proposed to establish commercial courts in districts to further improve the parameters.
• The government is proposing amendments to facilitate the establishment of commercial courts, at the district level, in places where the High Courts have ordinary original civil jurisdiction.
• Legal remedy to commercial disputes and enforcement of business contracts are parameters of the World Bank ranking.
• In terms of ease of enforcing contracts, India jumped from 172 to 164.
• The specified value of commercial disputes would be brought down so as to expand the scope of commercial adjudication effectively and expeditiously.

Varying performance

• India’s performance has been varied within the legal framework.
• For example, the World Bank’s ranking marked “court system and proceedings in India” 4.5 out of a total of 5, but in management of cases, it was 1.5 out of 6.
• India also fared well in alternative dispute redress mechanism and scored 2.5 out of a total of 3 marks.

In news:

• A scheduled meeting of the India-Ukraine Inter-Governmental Commission on November 1 was cancelled at the last moment despite all preparations for the event, including a draft protocol agreement on expanding bilateral ties being in place.
• Meeting was cancelled at the last moment due to a “scheduling problem”.
• Both the sides have prepared a draft protocol covering commercial and cultural ties that will be signed during the rescheduled meeting.
• Inter-Governmental Commission is likely to give a new political orientation to bilateral ties which will also cover defence and political issues of mutual interest.
• Over the last year, India has held detailed talks with Ukraine which is fighting a war with Russia for several years. Russia too has reached out to Pakistan holding military exercise with Pakistani anti terror units.

In news:

• The Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs plans to submit a comprehensive report on China-India ties next year and is looking at the “extremely topical” Doklam issue.
• The panel wanted to take a comprehensive look at the India-China ties by understanding their trade and political relations, cooperation in international bodies and the Chinese attitude on India’s membership bid for the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), on terrorism and Pakistan among other aspects.

Key Points:

• China has hoped that a US-brokered quadrilateral meet that includes India, Japan and Australia is not aimed at China and would “comply with the trend of times” which it identified as peace, development, and cooperation.
• Washington was keen to have India, Japan, and Australia on board for a “productive” engagement, while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is likely to propose the same arrangement between the four powers when President Donald Trump visits Tokyo on Monday.
• India has responded positively to the proposal, saying it has “an open mind to cooperate with countries with convergence but obviously on an agenda which is relevant to us”.
• The Chinese Foreign Ministry said it has noted the development and hopes that such an arrangement will promote mutual trust among countries in the region and not harm Beijing’s interests.
• The US, India, Japan and Australia have growing concerns over China’s increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region and its ambitious Belt and Road connectivity project.

C. GS3 Related

Context:

• GST council meet

In news:

• Expected changes: The Goods and Services Tax Council may consider lowering tax rates on goods such as handmade furniture, plastic products and daily-use items like shampoo, and simplify return filing rules.
• The Council, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, will meet on November 10 to consider lowering the 28% rate on certain common-use items.
• The panel is likely to rationalise the tax rate in sectors where the total incidence of taxation has gone up because the goods were earlier either exempt from excise or attracted lower VAT rates in the previous indirect tax regime.

In news:

• The famous Banaganapalle mangoes of Andhra Pradesh and Tulaipanji rice of West Bengal are among the seven commodities that have been granted Geographical Indication (GI) this fiscal year by the Indian patent office.
• The other five products which have received the GI tag this year include Pochampally Ikat of Telangana; Gobindobhog rice of West Bengal; Durgi stone carvings and Etikoppaka toys of Andhra Pradesh; and Chakshesang shawl of Nagaland

About GI:

• A GI is primarily an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory.
• Typically, such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, which is essentially attributable to the place of its origin.
• Darjeeling tea, Tirupati laddu, Kangra paintings, Nagpur orange and Kashmir pashmina are among the registered GIs in India.
• This tag gave protection to the producer of these genuine products, which commanded premium pricing in the markets, both domestic and international.
• Once the GI protection is granted, no other producer can misuse the name to market similar products. It also provides comfort to customers about the authenticity of that product

Key Points:

• The Navy is likely to go with an advanced catapult-based aircraft launch mechanism (CATOBAR) from the U.S. for its second indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC-II), which is on the drawing board.
• For some time, India has been exploring the possibility of installing the U.S. electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS).
• While the older generation of CATOBAR was powered by a steam catapult, EMALS uses an electric motor-driven catapult instead, which allows the launch of much heavier aircraft and also reduces the stress on the aircraft.
• EMALS will allow us to operate heavy surveillance aircraft in addition to heavy fighters.
• The Navy envisages the IAC-II to be around 65,000 tonnes and capable of carrying over 50 aircraft.
• The two countries (India and the US) had set up a joint working group on Aircraft Carrier Technology Cooperation (JWGACTC) under the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative, which held several rounds of discussions.

D. GS4 Related

E. PRELIMS FACT

F. Practice Questions for UPSC Prelims Exam

G. UPSC Mains Practice Questions