Missed out on posting due to CAPF(AC) exam and the ensuing exam hangover...
[IR > US]
TPA trade promotion authority delegates US president completer power to negotiate trade agreements with other countries, approved by US Congress
--will pave the way for successful completion of negotiations on TPP
TPP trans Pacific partnership
--proposed trade agreements between several Pacific rim countries
--12 countries in negotiations: US, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Chile | Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Australia, New Zealand
--expected to be an agreement not only on trade issues such as tariff liberalization, but also related non-trade issues such as labour and environment regulations, IPR protection
Effect of TPP on India
--some trade diversion a(services trade of India will get diverted)
--as IPR regime abroad changes, TPP nations will become more attractive destinations for investment vs India given its history of retrospective taxation
--risk of spillover effect on Indo-US relations, as US will expect India to fit into the template set by TPP terms
--active role by US in region will to certain extent, neutralize China's power in the neighbourhood
[IR > US]
India-US relations, nuclear deal issues
--nuclear reactors take a decade to become operable
--plummeting oil and gas prices, skyrocketing reactor construction costs are making nuclear power economically unviable
--govt has to pay exorbitant prices for foreign origin reactors, then subsidize the power generated, while the reactors dont even mesh with the 3 phase nuclear program
--Bhopal disaster is a grim reminder of need for legal liability for designer(US based GE that designed Fukushima Daichi reactor cores evaded legal action after disaster)
--US also has not brought India into the 4 technology control cartels and is still promising a phased entry
--reality of the control regimes is that they are designed to harmonize export policies and not to promote technology trade among member states, so we need indigenous technology
[SnT > space]
GAGAN GPS-Aided Geo Augmented Navigation
--4th nation to offer satellite based navigation services to aviation sector
--uses GSAT-8, GSAT-10, GSAT-15(to be launched)
--EU(EGNOS), Japan(MSAS), US(WAAS) are operational, now GAGAN is 4th SBAS satellite based augmentation system
--SNAS by China, SDCM by Russia, are under development
Advantages
--enhances capacity of airspace by reducing separation between aircraft
--augments GPS signals over Indian landmass, Bay of Bengal, SE Asia, Middles east, upto Africa
--streamlines airline operations, increases air safety and fuel efficiency
--GAGAN being used by KA govt to accurately map forestlands, gives clarity on boundaries and monitoring
--will help in precision landing of aircraft
--will help in ionospheric studies
[Soc issues > DBT]
Issues related to DBT
--problem of identification of beneficiaries and related exclusion/inclusion remaisn
--DBT not guarded against effects of local inflation and puts people at mercy of admin in revising benefits according to conditions at the time
--many still cant access the benefits due to poor banking outreach/financial illiteracy
Solutions
--adequate financial investment in welfare programs and their physical architecture
--trained technical personnel
--robust participatory grievance redressal mechanisms
[Economy > Budget]
Problems in fiscal management
--Union govt doesn't really have much control on its finances, at least in short term, as most of its expenditure is non-discretionary--interest payments, salaries, defence, subsidies. Also, more than a third of its revenues are corporate taxes, which by definition depend on corporate benefits, which are had to predict
--govt does cash accounting, so it can use services from a supplier and defer payment till next year to achieve current year's deficit target
[NE issues]
Manipur wants ILP system
--Inner Line Permit, issued to citizens to access a restricted area for a limited period
--fear of migrants outnumbering local residents(in Tripura, indigenous tribes have been reduced to a minority by migrant workers)
Problem: closed borders stunt growth and diversification of local economy
Solution: better connectivity and clear policy on resource sharing without compromising the rights and entitlements of the local population
[IR > Central Asia]
PM called for accelerated development of INSTC International nort south transportation corridor established way back in 2000 by India, Iran and Russia
10 other countries in Eurasia and Oman in Gulf have become members since
PM also sought India's admission to Ashgabat Agreement that involves Oman, Turkmenistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, facilitating easy movement across borders
Snapshot of new dynamic rapidly altering the regional context:
American withdrawal from Afghanistan, Russian and Chinese desire to stabilize Afghanistan and Pakistan, Moscow's eagerness to mobilize India into an inner Asian coalition, Beijing's interest in rebuilding sol road across Eurasia and prospects for nuclear accommodation between Washington and Tehran
[Soc issues > Health]
Health numbers
--India accounts for a third of world's poorest 1.2 bn people and 21% of world's disease burden
--India contends with triple health threat: infectious diseases, violence/injuries, NCDs
--India loses 6% of annual GDP to preventable illnesses and premature deaths
--NCDs are responsible for 60% of deaths in India
--public health expenditure is less than 1% of GDP--means individuals and their families have to bear the brunt of the cost, WHO says this pushes 2,2% Indians into poverty each year
Problem: Toll of NCDs is expected to rise further with increased urbanization, which is associated with lower levels of physical activity and increase consumption of commercially processed, energy-dense, nutrient deficit foods that fuel obesity. Further, the increased burden will be born by the young ones, so demographic dividend will suffer
Solution:
--Investment in primary prevention--reducing the four big "behavioral risk factors" of tobacco and alcohol consumption, poor diet, physical inactivity--could halve the rate of NCDs
--increase prices of and taxes on unhealthy products
--ban or restrictions on advertising, marketing and promotion of unhealthy products, clear labelling
[IR > US]
TPA trade promotion authority delegates US president completer power to negotiate trade agreements with other countries, approved by US Congress
--will pave the way for successful completion of negotiations on TPP
TPP trans Pacific partnership
--proposed trade agreements between several Pacific rim countries
--12 countries in negotiations: US, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Chile | Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Australia, New Zealand
--expected to be an agreement not only on trade issues such as tariff liberalization, but also related non-trade issues such as labour and environment regulations, IPR protection
Effect of TPP on India
--some trade diversion a(services trade of India will get diverted)
--as IPR regime abroad changes, TPP nations will become more attractive destinations for investment vs India given its history of retrospective taxation
--risk of spillover effect on Indo-US relations, as US will expect India to fit into the template set by TPP terms
--active role by US in region will to certain extent, neutralize China's power in the neighbourhood
[IR > US]
India-US relations, nuclear deal issues
--nuclear reactors take a decade to become operable
--plummeting oil and gas prices, skyrocketing reactor construction costs are making nuclear power economically unviable
--govt has to pay exorbitant prices for foreign origin reactors, then subsidize the power generated, while the reactors dont even mesh with the 3 phase nuclear program
--Bhopal disaster is a grim reminder of need for legal liability for designer(US based GE that designed Fukushima Daichi reactor cores evaded legal action after disaster)
--US also has not brought India into the 4 technology control cartels and is still promising a phased entry
--reality of the control regimes is that they are designed to harmonize export policies and not to promote technology trade among member states, so we need indigenous technology
[SnT > space]
GAGAN GPS-Aided Geo Augmented Navigation
--4th nation to offer satellite based navigation services to aviation sector
--uses GSAT-8, GSAT-10, GSAT-15(to be launched)
--EU(EGNOS), Japan(MSAS), US(WAAS) are operational, now GAGAN is 4th SBAS satellite based augmentation system
--SNAS by China, SDCM by Russia, are under development
Advantages
--enhances capacity of airspace by reducing separation between aircraft
--augments GPS signals over Indian landmass, Bay of Bengal, SE Asia, Middles east, upto Africa
--streamlines airline operations, increases air safety and fuel efficiency
--GAGAN being used by KA govt to accurately map forestlands, gives clarity on boundaries and monitoring
--will help in precision landing of aircraft
--will help in ionospheric studies
[Soc issues > DBT]
Issues related to DBT
--problem of identification of beneficiaries and related exclusion/inclusion remaisn
--DBT not guarded against effects of local inflation and puts people at mercy of admin in revising benefits according to conditions at the time
--many still cant access the benefits due to poor banking outreach/financial illiteracy
Solutions
--adequate financial investment in welfare programs and their physical architecture
--trained technical personnel
--robust participatory grievance redressal mechanisms
[Economy > Budget]
Problems in fiscal management
--Union govt doesn't really have much control on its finances, at least in short term, as most of its expenditure is non-discretionary--interest payments, salaries, defence, subsidies. Also, more than a third of its revenues are corporate taxes, which by definition depend on corporate benefits, which are had to predict
--govt does cash accounting, so it can use services from a supplier and defer payment till next year to achieve current year's deficit target
[NE issues]
Manipur wants ILP system
--Inner Line Permit, issued to citizens to access a restricted area for a limited period
--fear of migrants outnumbering local residents(in Tripura, indigenous tribes have been reduced to a minority by migrant workers)
Problem: closed borders stunt growth and diversification of local economy
Solution: better connectivity and clear policy on resource sharing without compromising the rights and entitlements of the local population
[IR > Central Asia]
PM called for accelerated development of INSTC International nort south transportation corridor established way back in 2000 by India, Iran and Russia
10 other countries in Eurasia and Oman in Gulf have become members since
PM also sought India's admission to Ashgabat Agreement that involves Oman, Turkmenistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, facilitating easy movement across borders
Snapshot of new dynamic rapidly altering the regional context:
American withdrawal from Afghanistan, Russian and Chinese desire to stabilize Afghanistan and Pakistan, Moscow's eagerness to mobilize India into an inner Asian coalition, Beijing's interest in rebuilding sol road across Eurasia and prospects for nuclear accommodation between Washington and Tehran
[Soc issues > Health]
Health numbers
--India accounts for a third of world's poorest 1.2 bn people and 21% of world's disease burden
--India contends with triple health threat: infectious diseases, violence/injuries, NCDs
--India loses 6% of annual GDP to preventable illnesses and premature deaths
--NCDs are responsible for 60% of deaths in India
--public health expenditure is less than 1% of GDP--means individuals and their families have to bear the brunt of the cost, WHO says this pushes 2,2% Indians into poverty each year
Problem: Toll of NCDs is expected to rise further with increased urbanization, which is associated with lower levels of physical activity and increase consumption of commercially processed, energy-dense, nutrient deficit foods that fuel obesity. Further, the increased burden will be born by the young ones, so demographic dividend will suffer
Solution:
--Investment in primary prevention--reducing the four big "behavioral risk factors" of tobacco and alcohol consumption, poor diet, physical inactivity--could halve the rate of NCDs
--increase prices of and taxes on unhealthy products
--ban or restrictions on advertising, marketing and promotion of unhealthy products, clear labelling
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