IASTODAY DAILY CAPSULES -General Studies-01

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89% of people excluded from Assam NRC suffering from mental torture, finds survey

News

• About 89% of the more than 41 lakh people excluded from Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC) have been suffering from extreme mental torture because of the fear of being marked as a foreigner and its consequences, a survey by the National Campaign Against Torture (NCAT) has revealed.

Findings

• Of the 91 respondents interviewed, 81 said they had been suffering from extreme anxiety due to the fear of deportation and of separation from family members as well as lack of money to appear before the Foreigners’ Tribunals or approach the Gauhati High Court and the Supreme Court.
• Nine others were found to be suffering from moderate anxiety and one from mild anxiety all for the same reasons.
• This translates into 89% of the respondents suffering from extreme anxiety, 10% from moderate and 1% from mild anxiety. This is leading to sleep disorder, appetite loss, affecting thought process and work, and causing a feeling of shame and isolation.
• All the 91 respondents said they felt insulted or ashamed of being excluded from the draft NRC, 88 feared family separation, 81 feared deportation, while 55 said they were suffering from trauma and depression.
• Of the 91 respondents, 77 said they had been suffering from sleep disorder as a result of anxiety, 37 respondents said it affected their eating habits leading to appetite loss, 22 said it affected their thought process, while 24 said it affected their work.
• The NCAT report also said extreme mental torture had forced at least 31 persons to commit suicide since July 2015.

IASTODAY DAILY CAPSULES -General Studies-02

India, France plan satellite surveillance of ships

News

• India and France have formalised the development and launch of what is probably a unique constellation of around 10 low-earth orbit satellites that will continuously provide maritime surveillance and security.

Maritime surveillance and security

• They will cover a wide belt around the globe and specifically focus on the Indian Ocean region where France, with its Reunion Islands, has a strategic interest.
• When in place, the satellite-based Automatic Identification System or AIS will detect, identify and track a range of vessels moving in the ocean region and guard against aggression, terrorism, piracy, smuggling, source of oil slicks and also be useful for rescues.
• At present, ship operators do fix a non-space-based AIS on their vessels but they can turn it off when they do not want to be detected and identified.
• This constellation carrying telecommunications (AIS) and radar and optical remote-sensing instruments will constitute the first space-based system in the world capable of tracking ships continuously. The satellites will be operated jointly by France and India to monitor ships in the Indian Ocean.
• The two agencies have put up two climate and ocean weather monitoring satellites Megha-Tropiques in 2011 and SARAL-AltiKa in 2013.

Donald Trump raises tariffs on Chinese goods as trade war escalates

News

• S. President lashed back at a new round of Chinese tariffs by heaping an additional 5% duty on some $550 billion in targeted Chinese goods in the latest tit-for-tat trade war escalation by the world’s two largest economies.

Trade war escalation

• Trump’s move came after China unveiled retaliatory tariffs on $75 billion worth of U.S. goods, prompting the President earlier in the day to demand U.S. companies move their operations out of China.

Narendra Modi arrives in UAE to strenghten bilateral ties

News

• Indian Prime Minister arrived in the UAE where he will discuss bilateral and regional issues with the top leadership.
• During the visit, Indian Prime Minister will discuss bilateral, regional and international matters of mutual interest with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and also formally launch RuPay card to expand the network of cashless transactions abroad.

     UAE honours PM Modi with highest civilian award

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honoured with the ‘Order of Zayed’, the UAE’s highest civilian award, as a mark of appreciation for his efforts to boost bilateral ties between the two nations.

Order of Zayed

• The award has earlier been bestowed on several world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Queen Elizabeth II and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
• India and the UAE enjoy warm, close and multi-faceted relations underpinned by cultural, religious and economic linkages which, during the prime minister’s previous visit to the UAE in August 2015, stood elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
• With an annual bilateral trade of about $60 billion, the UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner.
• It is also the fourth-largest exporter of crude oil for India.

IASTODAY DAILY CAPSULES -General Studies-03

Major announcements made by Union Finance Minister to boost economic growth

News

• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a slew of measures to prop up the slowing economy.

FPI

• Rollback of enhanced surcharge on foreign portfolio investors levied in the Budget, to encourage investment in the capital market.
• Angel tax provisions to be withdrawn for startups and their investors.
• A dedicated cell under a member of CBDT will be set up for addressing the problems of startups.

CSR norms, capital infusion

• Violations of CSR norms under the companies law will be treated only as a civil liability and not as a criminal offence. The corporate affairs ministry would review the sections concerned under the Companies Act.
• Capital infusion of ₹70,000 crore into public sector banks, a move aimed at boosting lending and improving liquidity situation.
• From October 1, all notices, summons, and orders of the Income Tax Department would be issued through a centralised computer system and would also have a a computer generated unique Document Identification Number.
• All pending all GST refunds of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will be paid within 30 days. Also, in future, all GST refunds of MSMEs will be paid within 60 days from the date of application.

Loans, repo rate

• Loans for home, vehicles and consumption goods to become cheaper and widely available through banking and non-banking finance companies.
• Banks will launch repo rate and external benchmark-linked loan products that will lead to reduced easy monthly installments for housing, vehicle and other retail loans.
• Banks will pass on RBI rate cut benefits to borrowers through MCLR reduction.
• Working capital loans for industry to become cheaper.
• Public sector banks (PSBs) will ensure mandated return of loan documents within 15 days of loan closure.
• Additional liquidity support of ₹20,000 crore will be provided to housing finance companies (HFCs) by the National Housing Bank (NHB), thereby increasing the total support to ₹30,000 crore.
• The government announced partial credit scheme for purchase of pooled assets of non-banking finance companies and HFCs up to Rs 1 lakh crore to be monitored at highest level in each bank.
• Prepayment notices issued to NBFCs will be monitored by banks.
• NBFCs will be permitted to use the Aadhaar authenticated bank ‘Know Your Customer’ (KYC) to avoid repeated processes.
• Changes to be made in PMLA rules and Aadhaar regulations to ease the lending process.

Auto sector

• BS-IV vehicles purchased up to March 2020 will remain operational for the entire period of registration.
• Both electric vehicles (EVs) and Internal Combustion Vehicles (ICV) will continue to be registered.
• Centre to lift ban on purchase of new vehicles for replacing all old vehicles by government departments.
• Additional 15 per cent depreciation on vehicles acquired from now till March 2020.
• Focus will be on setting up of infrastructure for development of ancillaries/components, including batteries for exports.
• Additional 15% depreciation to be allowed, on all vehicles acquired from now till March 2020, taking the total to 30 %.
• Revision of one-time registration fees has been deferred till June 2020.

Infrastructure

• Proposal to establish an organisation to provide credit enhancement for infrastructure and housing projects with an aim to enhance fund flows towards such projects.

Gaganyaan: Russian space suits, French medicine for Indian astronauts

News

• India and Russia are negotiating the supply of space suits, crew seats and windows for astronauts who will be part of Gaganyaan, India’s first human space mission set for 2022.

Gaganyaan

• Four Indians will be trained at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Centre as per a contract signed between Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Russian space agency Glavkosmos, part of Roscosmos.
• The two sides also discussed crew rescue system, aerodynamic tests of the GSLV MkIII rocket that will carry the astronauts, some of which may be signed by the end of August. Satellite navigation and engine technology were also discussed.
• Glavkosmos will help ISRO to select, test, train and qualify Indian astronauts and involve the Yuri Gagarin centre and the state-run Institute of Medical and Biological Problems.
• French space agency CNES said that its agencies would train Indian space medicine personnel for Gaganyaan.
• France has offered exchanges and training at its MEDES space clinic and CADMOS (Centre for the Development of Microgravity Applications and Space operation.)
• The training will cover astronauts’ life support systems, health monitoring, medicine, radiation protection, protection from space debris and personal hygiene systems.

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