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  • Gandhi Peace Prize

    The Culture Ministry has announced that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the late Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said Al Said, would be awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize for 2020 and 2019 respectively.

    Note the features of the award such as prize, the composition of jury etc.

    Gandhi Peace Prize

    • The International Gandhi Peace Prize, named after Mahatma Gandhi, is awarded annually by the Government of India.
    • As a tribute to the ideals espoused by Gandhi, the GoI launched the International Gandhi Peace Prize in 1995 on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
    • This is an annual award given to individuals and institutions for their contributions towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods.

    Its features

    • The award carries ₹1 crore (US$140,000) in cash, convertible in any currency in the world, a plaque and a citation.
    • It is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, creed or gender.
    • A jury consisting of the PM of India, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Chief Justice of India, Speaker of the Lok Sabha and one other eminent person decides the awardees each year.
    • Ordinarily, only proposals coming from competent persons invited to nominate are considered.
    • However, a proposal is not taken as invalid for consideration by the jury merely on the ground of not having emanated from competent persons.

    Information about the awardees

    (1) Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1920-1975)

    • The Prize recognizes the immense and unparalleled contribution of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in inspiring the liberation of Bangladesh.
    • It acknowledges the contribution in bringing stability to a nation born out of strife, laying the foundation for the close and fraternal relations between India and Bangladesh and promoting peace and non-violence in the Indian subcontinent.

    (2)Sultan Qaboos Bin Said (1940-2020)

    • Sultan Qaboos was a visionary leader whose twin policy of moderation and mediation in addressing international issues won him praise and respect across the globe.
    • He played an important role in supporting peace efforts in various regional disputes and conflicts. H.M. Sultan Qaboos was the architect of the special ties between India and Oman.
    • He had studied in India and always maintained a special relationship with India.
    • Under his leadership, India and Oman became strategic partners and our mutually beneficial, comprehensive partnership strengthened and scaled newer heights.

  • Factors driving FDI in India

    The article explains the four factors that explain the FDI inflows in India.

    India’s economic decade

    • Almost every major global company is either contemplating or operating on the assumption that India is a key part of their growth story.
    • Google, Facebook, Walmart, Samsung, Foxconn, and Silver Lake have been just a handful of the firms that made huge investments in Inda.
    • As a result, India saw the fastest growth in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows among all the major economies last year.
    • Meanwhile, India’s latest FDI totals still lags behind the highest tallies in other markets such as China and Brazil.

    Issues faced by investors and factors driving investment

    • Frequent shifts in the policy landscape and persistent market access barriers are standard complaints levied against India by the business community.
    • The government’s push to build a “self-reliant” India has also rattled skittish investors and smaller companies that lack the resources to navigate on-the-ground hurdles.
    • Still, investors recognise that doing business in India — or any emerging market  — comes with inherent risks but that adaptation in approach is critical to success.
    • Four core dynamics drive this calculus and explain why multinational companies are making India an essential part of their growth story.

    4 Factors driving FDI in India

    1) India’s population

    • What India offers through its nearly 1.4 billion people and their growing purchasing power is uniquely valuable for multinationals with global ambitions.
    • No other country outside of China has a market that houses nearly one in six people on the planet and a rising middle class of 600 million.

    2) Shifting geopolitics

    •  Rising U.S.-China competition is forcing multinationals to rethink their footprints and production hubs.
    • Savvy countries such as Vietnam have capitalised on this opportunity to great effect, but India is finally getting serious about attracting large-scale production and exports.

    3) Digital connectivity

    • Cheap mobile data have powered a revolution across India’s digital economy and connected an estimated 700 million Indians to the Internet.
    • More than 500 million Indians still remain offline, this is a key reason why leading global tech companies are investing in India and weathering acute policy pressure.
    • Domestic Indian companies have also demonstrated their ability to innovate and deliver high quality services at scale.
    • The partnerships and FDI flows linking multinationals and Indian tech firms will continue to unlock shared market opportunities for years to come.

    4) National resilience

    • Despite facing the scourge of the novel coronavirus head on, India has managed the pandemic better than many of its western peers and restored economic activity even before implementing a mass vaccination programme.
    • These are remarkable developments, and yet they speak to India’s underlying resilience even in the face of historic challenges.

    Shared value creation

    • Unlocking opportunities in the Indian market cannot take the form of a one-way wealth transfer.
    • Companies need to demonstrate their commitment to India.
    • Successful companies do this by placing shared value creation at the heart of their business strategy.
    • They tie corporate success to India’s growth and development.
    • They forge enduring partnerships and lasting relationships, elevate and invest in Indian talent, align products with Indian tastes, and ultimately tackle the hardest problems facing India today.

    Consider the question “Despite the issues faced by the investors, India witnessed the fastest growth in the FDI inflows among all the major economies amid pandemic. In light of this, examine the factors driving the FDI in India.”

    Conclusion

    For leading companies with global ambitions and a willingness to make big bets, the rewards of investing in the Indian market are substantial and well worth pursuing.

  • Who was Lachit Borphukan?

    The Prime Minister (in an election campaign) has called 17th-century Ahom General Lachit Borphukan a symbol of India’s “atmanirbhar” military might.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.What was the immediate cause for Ahmad Shah Abdali to invade and fight the Third Battle of Panipat:

    (a) He wanted to avenge the expulsion by Marathas of his viceroy Timur Shah from Lahore

    (b) The frustrated governor of Jullundhar Adina Beg khan invited him to invade Punjab

    (c) He wanted to punish Mughal administration for non-payment of the revenues of the Chahar Mahal (Gujrat Aurangabad, Sialkot and Pasrur)

    (d) He wanted to annex all the fertile plains of Punjab upto borders of Delhi to his kingdom

    Who was Lachit Borphukan?

    • The year was 1671 and the decisive Battle of Saraighat was fought on the raging waters of the Brahmaputra.
    • On one side was Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb’s army headed by Ram Singh of Amer (Jaipur) and on the other was the Ahom General Lachit Borphukan.
    • He was a commander in the Ahom kingdom, located in present-day Assam.
    • Ram Singh failed to make any advance against the Assamese army during the first phase of the war.
    • Lachit Borphukan emerged victorious in the war and the Mughals were forced to retreat from Guwahati.

    Lachit Diwas

    • On 24 November each year, Lachit Divas is celebrated statewide in Assam to commemorate the heroism of Lachit Borphukan.
    • On this day, Borphukan has defeated the Mughal army on the banks of the Brahmaputra in the Battle of Saraighat in 1671.
    • The best passing out cadet of National Defence Academy has conferred the Lachit gold medal every year since 1999 commemorating his valour.

  • Tomar king Anangpal II and his connection with Delhi

    The Union government has recently formed a committee to popularize the legacy of 11th-century Tomar king, Anangpal II.

    Revision: Delhi Sultanate and their contemporaries

    Who was Anangpal II?

    • Anangpal II, popularly known as Anangpal Tomar, belonged to the Tomar dynasty that ruled parts of present-day Delhi and Haryana between the 8th and 12th centuries.
    • The capital of Tomars changed many times from being initially at Anangpur (near Faridabad) during the reign of Anangpal I (who founded the Tomar dynasty in the 8th century), to Dhillikapuri (Delhi) during the reign of Anangpal II.
    • The Tomar rule over the region is attested by multiple inscriptions and coins, and their ancestry can be traced to the Pandavas (of the Mahabharata).
    • Anangpal Tomar II was succeeded by his grandson Prithviraj Chauhan, who was defeated by the Ghurid forces in the Battle of Tarain (present-day Haryana) after which the Delhi Sultanate was established in 1192.

    His connection with Delhi

    • Anangpal II is credited to have established and populated Delhi during his reign in the 11th century.
    • He was instrumental in populating Indraprastha and giving it its present name, Delhi.
    • The region was in ruins when he ascended the throne in the 11th century, it was he who built Lal Kot fort and Anangtal Baoli.
    • He was the founder of Dhillikapuri, which eventually became Delhi.

  • Jaapi, Xorai and Gamosa in Assam

    As the polling date draws closer, decorative jaapis (field hats), hand-woven gamosas and bell-metal xorais are making frequent appearances in Assam.

    Primarily used to felicitate important people and guests, these important symbols of Assamese identity and culture are abundantly seen in political campaigns across the state.

    Jaapi

    • The jaapi is a conical hat made of bamboo and covered with dried tokou (a palm tree found in rainforests of Upper Assam) leaves.
    • It is most often used in official functions to felicitate guests.
    • The landscape of rural Assam features a more utilitarian version, which farmers wear to protect themselves from the harsh weather, both sun and rain, while working in the fields.
    • The first possible recorded use of jaapi dates back to the Ahom-era buranjis, or chronicles. Kings and ministers would wear them then.

    Gamosa

    • The Gamosa, which literally translates to a cloth to wipe one’s body, is omnipresent in Assam, with wide-ranging uses.
    • It can be used at home as a towel (uka gamosa) or in public functions (phulam/floral gamosa) to felicitate dignitaries or celebrities.
    • The popularity of the gamosa has now traveled beyond Assam and is often used by a number of public figures.
    • It was during the anti-foreigner Assam Agitation of the early 1980s, when Assamese nationalism reached its crescendo, that the gamosa assumed a new role.

    Xorai

    • Made of bell-metal, the xorai — essentially a tray with a stand at the bottom, with or without a cover — can be found in every Assamese household.
    • While it is primarily used as an offering tray during prayers, or to serve tamale-paan (betel-nut) to guests, a xorai is also presented along with the jaapi and gamosa while felicitating someone.
    • The bulk of xorais in Assam are made in the state’s bell metal hub Sarthebari in Bajali district.

  • Agri Ministry questions Global Hunger reports’ methodology

    Union Minister of State for Agriculture has questioned the methodology and data accuracy of the Global Hunger Index (GHI) report, which has placed India at 94th (out of 107 countries) rank in 2020.

    About GHI

    • GHI is a peer-reviewed annual report, jointly published by Concern Worldwide, an Ireland-based humanitarian group, and Welthungerhilfe, a Germany-based NGO.
    • It is designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels.
    • It says the aim of publishing the report is to trigger action to reduce hunger around the world.
    • According to the GHI website, the data for the indicators come from the United Nations and other multilateral agencies, including the World Health Organisation and the World Bank.

    Various indicators used

    1. UNDERNOURISHMENT: the share of the population that is undernourished (that is, whose caloric intake is insufficient);
    2. CHILD WASTING: the share of children under the age of five who are wasted (that is, who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition);
    3. CHILD STUNTING: the share of children under the age of five who are stunted (that is, who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition); and
    4. CHILD MORTALITY: the mortality rate of children under the age of five (in part, a reflection of the fatal mix of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environments).

    What is the concern?

    • India was ranked below countries such as Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar when it was among the top 10 food-producing countries in the world.

    Actual scenario

    • The Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS) compiled in 2017-18 showed an improvement of 4%, 3.7% and 2.3% in wasted, stunted and malnourished children respectively.
    • The first-ever CNNS was commissioned by the government in 2016 and was conducted from 2016-18, led by the Union Health Ministry, in collaboration with the UNICEF.
    • The findings were published in 2019. CNNS includes only nutrition data, whereas NFHS encompasses overall health indicators.

  • New Vehicle Scrappage Policy

    Auto majors have welcomed the new vehicle scrappage policy rolled out by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, saying it would encourage people to replace old vehicles while boosting the sector.

    Under the policy, those choosing to voluntarily scrap their old vehicles will get financial incentives from the government and the automaker.

    Vehicle Scrappage Policy: Key Highlights

    • Personal vehicles older than 20 years and commercial vehicles older than 15 years will have to undergo a fitness test at the government registered ‘Automated Fitness Centres’.
    • Vehicles that fail to pass the test will be declared as ‘end-of-life vehicles’, which would mean that the vehicle would have to be recycled.
    • This will pave the way for older vehicles to be scrapped.
    • In case, the vehicles pass the test, owners will have to pay a hefty fee for re-registration.
    • According to the new policy, the re-registration fee would be hiked around eight times for personal vehicles, and around 20 times for commercial vehicles.

    What Are Automated Fitness Centres?

    • Every vehicle will have to go under a mandatory fitness test at the automated fitness centres.
    • The government aims to have at least 718 centres across the country.
    • These centres will test the vehicle’s emission, and braking and other safety components as prescribed by Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989.
    • Appointments to these centres will have to be booked online and the fitness report will be electronically generated.

    Change in Fee Structure

    • The government has increased the fee for renewal and grant of fitness certificate of older vehicles up to 20 times.
    • Here is the new fee structure for personal vehicles older than 15 years:
    1. Two-wheelers – Rs 1,000
    2. Three-wheeler/quadricycles – Rs 3,500
    3. Cars – Rs 7,500

    (Do not worry about the data. It is the state PSCs which may ask such information)

    For commercial vehicles:

    1. Passenger motor vehicles – Rs 10,000
    2. Heavy goods/large motor vehicles – Rs 12,500

    Benefits for buyers

    • In case you decide to scrap your old vehicle at the registered scrapping centres, you will get approximately 4-6 per cent of the value of the vehicle’s ex-showroom price.
    • The ex-showroom price is the cost of the vehicle, excluding the charges paid for registering the vehicle at RTO and insurance.
    • Moreover, if you buy a new vehicle you will be given a flat 5 per cent discount on presenting a scrapping certificate.
    • Registration fees will also be waived on the purchase of a new vehicle.

    Obtaining a Scrapping Certificate

    • Old vehicle owners will be able to formally scrap their registered vehicles at the automated scrapping centres.
    • These centres will be linked with the Vahan database of the transport ministry.
    • After you scrap your vehicle with the government registered agency, you will be provided with the scrapping certificate.
    • You will then be eligible for the benefits proposed under the scheme.

    Implementation

    Tentative timeline for the new rules:

    • Rules for fitness tests and government scrapping centres to come into effect – 1 October 2021
    • The scrapping of government and PSU vehicles above 15 years of age to start – 1 April 2022
    • Fitness testing for heavy commercial vehicles – 1 April 2023

  • How did inflation targeting really impact India?

    The article analyses the success of the inflation targeting mechanism in India and its impact on the growth of the economy.

    Background of the inflation targeting policy in India

    • It has been three decades since inflation targeting was first adopted in New Zealand and subsequently by 33 other countries.
    • India adopted it in 2016.
    • The primary goal of inflation targeting was to contain inflation at around 4 per cent, within the allowable range of 2 to 6 per cent.
    • The RBI has announced a formal review of the policy instrument now.
    • At the first meeting of the RBI Monetary Policy Committee in October 2016, it was also formally announced that the MPC considered a real repo rate of 1.25 per cent as the neutral real policy rate for the Indian economy.
    • By a neutral real policy rate, the RBI meant a policy rate consistent with growth at potential (i.e. growth at full employment).

    Has inflation targeting worked in India

    • The evaluation of IT must provide answers to the following two questions:
    • Did inflation decline post the adoption of inflation targeting and what was the role of IT in the decline in inflation?
    • Was the adoption of inflation targeting associated with the policy of the highest real repo rates in India — ever — for almost three years 2017-2019?
    • The answer is yes to the latter, but it also needs to be acknowledged that high real repo rates were the primary cause of the GDP growth decline in India from 8 per cent to 5 per cent.

    Need to take into account the global context of inflation

    • An interesting feature of the Indian defence of inflation targeting is that very few take into account the global context of inflation in which the decline in inflation has occurred in India.
    • A research paper by Balasubramanian, Bhalla, Bhasin and Loungani at ORF evaluates inflation targeting in a global context and separately for Advanced Economies (AEs) and Emerging Economies (EES).
    • Some facts from the paper are the following.
    • First, the annual median inflation in AEs has been consistently low, so low that many central banks have official campaigns to raise the inflation rate.
    • One conclusion might be that IT succeeded beyond anyone’s dreams in these economies.
    • But attributing this decline in inflation to IT would be erroneous.
    • Inflation is global and price-taking by millions of producers in the world means that no one producer or one country can influence the price of any item.
    • Oil has ceased to be a factor in global inflation, at least post the mid-1980s.
    • The lowest inflation in Indian history occurred during 1999-2005, averaged only 3.9 per cent.
    • The average median rate among EM targetters during 2000-04 was 4 per cent, and among the non-targeting countries was 3.8 per cent.

    Did fiscal deficit play role in inflation targeting

    • In 2003, India passed the FRBM act to control fiscal deficits and inflation.
    • There is precious little evidence, either domestically or internationally, about fiscal deficits affecting inflation.
    • For three consecutive years preceding the FRBM announcement, the consolidated Centre plus state deficits registered 10.9 per cent(in 2001), 10.4 and 10.9 per cent.
    • For the seven-year 1999-2005 period, consolidated fiscal deficits averaged 9.4 per cent of GDP.
    • Yet, that these years represented the golden period of Indian inflation — without FRBM and without IT.

    Cost of inflation targeting in India

    • There are also costs to inflation targeting in India.
    • It led to higher real policy rates, in the mistaken belief that high policy rates affect the price of food, oil, or anything else.
    • But high real rates affect economic growth, by affecting the cost of domestic capital in this ultra-competitive world.
    • It is very likely not a coincidence that potential GDP growth, as acknowledged by RBI, was reached just before the MPC took over decision making in September 2016. 
    •  Since then there was a steady increase in real policy rates, and a steady decline in GDP growth.

    Consider the question “How far has the inflation targeting mechanism been successful in India? Give reasons in support of your argument.” 

    Conclusion

    So, in the inflation targeting mechanism has not been successful in containing the inflation though there had a cost associated with it which we paid in the form of growth.

  • Jharkhand’s SAAMAR campaign to fight malnutrition

    The Jharkhand government has announced the launch of the SAAMAR campaign to tackle malnutrition in the state.

    We can expect an MCQ like:

    Q.SAAMAR campaign sometimes seen in news is related to:

    () Bovine health

    () Mother and Child Health

    () Non-communicable diseases

    () None of these

    SAAMAR

    • SAAMAR is an acronym for Strategic Action for Alleviation of Malnutrition and Anemia Reduction.
    • The campaign aims to identify anaemic women and malnourished children and converge various departments to effectively deal with the problem in a state where malnutrition has been a major problem.
    • Every second child in the state is stunted and underweight and every third child is affected by stunting and every 10th child is affected by severe wasting and around 70% of children are anaemic NFHS-4 data.

    Features of the scheme

    • Although existing schemes are there, seeing the current situation, the intervention was required with a ‘different approach to reduce malnutrition.
    • SAAMAR has been launched with a 1000 days target, under which annual surveys will be conducted to track the progress.
    • It talks of convergence of various departments such as the Rural Development Department and Food and Civil Supplies and engagement with school management committees, gram sabhas among others and making them aware of nutritional behaviour.
    • Most importantly, the campaign, as per the note, also tries to target Primarily Vulnerable Tribal Groups.

    Outlined strategy under the scheme

    • To tackle severe acute malnutrition children, every Anganwadi Centres will be engaged to identify these children and subsequently will be treated at the Malnutrition Treatment Centres.
    • In the same process, the anaemic women will also be listed and will be referred to health centres in serious cases.
    • All of these will be done by measuring Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) of women and children through MUAC tapes and Edema levels.
    • Angawadi’s Sahayia and Sevika will take them to the nearest Health Centre where they will be checked again and then registered on the portal of State Nutrition Mission.

    Why need such a scheme?

    • The state government runs various schemes under Child Development Schemes, National Nutrition Mission among others to deal with the situation, but it is not enough.
    • Dealing with malnutrition in the state monitoring has been an important concern due to the lack of doctors or health care workers.

  • Places on PM Modi’s Bangladesh Visit

    PM Modi will be on a two-day visit to Bangladesh where he will take part in commemorations of some epochal events there.

    Bangabandhu shrine in Tungipara

    • Located about 420 kilometres from Dhaka, Tungipara was the place of birth of Rahman, the architect of the 1971 Bangladesh War of Independence.
    • This is also the place where he lies buried inside a grand tomb called the ‘Bangabandhu mausoleum’.
    • Millions of people gather here every year on August 15, to observe the day when Rahman was assassinated by a group of disgruntled army officers.

    Harichand Thakur’s shrine in Orakandi

    • Thakur was the founder of the Matua Mahasangha, which was a religious reformation movement that originated in Orakandi in about 1860 CE.
    • At a very early age, Thakur experienced spiritual revelation, following which he founded a sect of Vaishnava Hinduism called Matua.
    • Members of the sect were the namasudras who were considered to be untouchables.
    • The objective of Thakur’s religious reform was to uplift the community through educational and other social initiatives.
    • Members of the community consider Thakur as God and an avatar of Vishnu or Krishna.
    • After the 1947 Partition, many of the Matuas migrated to West Bengal.

    ‘Sugandha Shaktipith’ (Satipith) temple in Shikarpur

    • Modi is also scheduled to visit the Sugandha Shaktipeeth which is located in Shikarpur, close to Barisal.
    • The temple, dedicated to Goddess Sunanda is of immense religious significance to Hinduism.
    • It is one of the 51 Shakti Pith temples.
    • The Shakti Pith shrines are pilgrimage destinations associated with the Shakti (Goddess worship) sect of Hinduism.

    Rabindra Kuthi Bari in Kushtia

    • The Kuthi Bari is a country house built by Dwarkanath Tagore, the grandfather of Nobel laureate and Bengali poetic giant Rabindranath Tagore.
    • The latter stayed in the house for over a decade in irregular intervals between 1891 and 1901.
    • In this house Tagore composed some of his masterpieces like Sonar Tari, Katha o Kahini, Chaitali etc. He also wrote a large number of songs and poems for Gitanjali here.
    • It was also in this house that Tagore began translating the Gitanjali to English in 1912, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

    Ancestral home of Bagha Jatin in Kushtia

    • Jatindranath Mukherjee, better known as ‘Bagha Jatin’ (tiger Jatin) was a revolutionary freedom fighter.
    • He was born in Kayagram, a village in Kushtia district, where his ancestral home is located.
    • Jatin acquired the epithet ‘Bagha’ after he fought a Royal Bengal Tiger all by himself and killed it with a dagger.
    • Jatin was the first commander-in-chief of the ‘Jugantar Party’ which was formed in 1906 as a central association dedicated to train revolutionary freedom fighters in Bengal.
    • This was the period when Bengal was seething with nationalist furore against Lord Curzon’s declaration of Partition of the province.
    • Inspired by Jatin’s clarion call, “amra morbo, jagat jagbe” (we shall die to awaken the nation), many young revolutionaries joined the brand of the freedom struggle that the Jugantar Party represented.

    His legend:

    • Jatin is most remembered for an armed encounter he engaged in with the British police at Balasore in Orissa.
    • They were expecting a consignment of arms and funds from Germany to lead an armed struggle when the British found out about the plot and raided the spot where the revolutionaries were hiding. A
    • lthough Jatin lost his life in the Battle of Balasore, his activities did have an impact on the British forces.
    • The colonial police officer Charles Augustus Tegart wrote about Jatin: “If Bagha Jatin was an Englishman, then the English people would have built his statue next to Nelson’s at Trafalgar Square.”