09 September 2019: PIB Summary & Analysis

Read the daily PIB update and stay up-to-date on current affairs for the UPSC exam.

September 9th, 2019 PIB:-Download PDF Here

Sixth India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue

Context

• The sixth India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) came to a conclusion with both sides agreeing that the SED has emerged as a crucial mechanism to facilitate bilateral trade and investment flows and enhance economic cooperation between the two sides.

Background

• The SED was set up in the year 2010 between the erstwhile Planning Commission of India and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China
• The SED has since then served as an effective mechanism for enhancing bilateral practical cooperation.
• NITI Aayog after its formation has taken the Dialogue forward giving it a greater momentum.
• Under the aegis of the SED, senior representatives from both sides come together to constructively deliberate and share individual best practices and identify sector-specific opportunities for enabling ease of doing business and facilitating trade and investment.

Mutual agreements:

• Policy Coordination:
  • The two sides undertook in-depth discussions reviewing trade and investment climates in order to mutually identify complementarities and harness synergies to this effect future engagement.
• Working Group on Infrastructure:
  • The two sides noted the significant progress made in the feasibility study on Chennai-Bangalore-Mysore railway upgradation project and personal training of Indian senior railway management staff in China, both of which have been completed.
  • The two sides agreed to identify new projects for cooperation as well as support enterprises to expand cooperation in the transport sector.
• Working Group on High-Tech:
  • The two sides assessed the achievements made since the 5th SED and exchanged views on regulatory procedures of ease of doing business, development of artificial intelligence, high-tech manufacturing, and next-generation mobile communications of both countries.
• Working Group on Resource Conservation and Environmental Protection:
  • The two sides discussed and reviewed the progress made in the fields of water management, waste management, construction & demolition waste and resource conservation.
• Working Group on Energy:
  • Both countries identified future areas of collaboration and resolved to work on Renewable Energy space, Clean coal technology sector, Smart Grid & Grid integration and Smart meters & E-mobility sectors.
• Working Group on Pharmaceuticals:
  • It was also decided that both sides should promote pragmatic cooperation, strengthen complementary advantages in pharmaceutical industry and explore cooperation for promoting Indian generic drugs and Chinese APIs.

22nd Session of UN Committee on CRPD

Context

• India is a signatory of the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
• An Indian delegation headed by Mrs. Shakuntala D. Gamlin, Secretary, DEPwD deposed before the UN Committee.

Committee on CRPD

• The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is the body of independent experts which monitors implementation of the Convention by the States Parties.
• All States parties are obliged to submit regular reports to the Committee on how the rights are being implemented. States must report initially within two years of accepting the Convention and thereafter every four years.
• The Committee examines each report and shall make such suggestions and general recommendations on the report as it may consider appropriate and shall forward these to the State Party concerned.
• The Optional Protocol to the Convention gives the Committee competence to examine individual complaints with regard to alleged violations of the Convention by States parties to the Protocol.
• The Committee shall meet in Geneva and normally hold two sessions per year.

‘ANGAN’- International Conference on Energy Efficiency in Building Sector

Context

• An international conference ANGAN (Augmenting Nature by Green Affordable New-habitat) focussed on Energy Efficiency in Building Sector
• The Conference is being organised by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power, Government of India in collaboration with GIZ under the Indo German Technical Cooperation.

About the conference

• The International Conference will provide a platform to deliberate on interdependence between organizations, systemic sustainability and feedback loops for better resource efficiency.
• Given the formidable challenge of providing adequate energy of desired quality to the consumers at reasonable costs, improving the efficiency in high energy consumption sectors like buildings have become important component of our integrated energy policy.
• Due to lack of awareness and knowledge about latest technologies, financial assistance, suppliers and purchase of energy-efficient equipment, etc. efforts on energy efficiency and conservation in this sector have been moderate and therefore require greater push.
• This event aims to provide thrust in this direction so as to address such challenges faced by the stakeholders.

About BEE

• The BEE is a statutory body under the Ministry of Power, Government of India. It assists in developing policies and strategies with the primary objective of reducing the energy intensity of the Indian economy.
• BEE coordinates with designated consumers, designated agencies, and other organizations to identify and utilize the existing resources and infrastructure, in performing the functions assigned to it under the Energy Conservation Act.

Kisan Man Dhan Yojana

Context

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi shall launch the Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana in September 2019.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi shall also inaugurate 400 Ekalvya Model Residential Schools to provide quality upper primary, secondary, and senior secondary level education to ST Students in Tribal dominated areas.

About the Scheme

• The Scheme shall secure the lives of 5 Crore Small and Marginal Farmers by providing a minimum pension of Rs 3000 per month, to those who attain 60 years of age.
• All the small and marginal farmers who are currently between the ages of 18 to 40 years can apply for the scheme.
• Farmer’s monthly contribution can be made from the installments of PM-KISAN or through CSCs.

Ekalvya Model Residential Schools

• Ekalavya Model Residential School (EMRS) is a Government of India scheme for model residential school for Indian tribals (ST, Scheduled Tribes) across India.
• It is one the flagship intervention of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India and was introduced in the year 1997-98 to ensure tribal students get access to quality education in the remote tribal areas.
• EMRSs are set up in States/UTs with grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution of India.

IPPB Announces Rollout of new services

Context

• The Union Minister for Communications, Electronics & IT and Law & Justice announced the rollout of Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) Services by India Post Payments Bank (IPPB).

About India Post Payments Bank

• India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has been established under the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communication with 100% equity owned by Government of India.
• IPPB was launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in 2018.
• The bank has been set up with the vision to build the most accessible, affordable and trusted bank for the common man in India.
• The fundamental mandate of India Post Payments Bank is to remove barriers for the unbanked & underbanked and reach the last mile leveraging the Postal network in India.
• IPPB’s reach and its operating model is built on the key pillars of India Stack – enabling Paperless, Cashless and Presence-less banking in a simple and secure manner at the customers’ doorstep, through a CBS-integrated smartphone and biometric device.

Significance of the AePS

• IPPB’s unparalleled network complimented with robust interoperable technology platform set up by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is poised to take banking to each & every household across the remotest parts of the country.
• With AePS services any common person with a bank account linked to Aadhaar can perform basic banking services such as cash withdrawals and balance enquiry irrespective of the bank they hold their account with.
• To avail these services, a customer with an Aadhaar linked account can simply authenticate his/her identity with fingerprint scan & Aadhaar authentication to complete a transaction.
• AePS services are bank-agnostic and are driven by an inexpensive infrastructure enabling low cost delivery of doorstep banking services to every section of the society without discrimination, thus bringing forth the dawn of a ‘Truly Inclusive Financial System’.

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September 9th, 2019 PIB:-Download PDF Here