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Front Page / NATIONAL
- Govt. ends exchange of old notes
- Rs. 400 cr. in fake notes to be flushed out’
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INTERNATIONAL
- As India retaliates, Pakistan moves UN
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Editorial/OPINION
- The new abnormal in Kashmir
- The Marrakech mandate
- No country for the Rohingyas
- The state of the stateless
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ECONOMY
- Notes ban to significantly disrupt economic activity: Moody’s
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Indian Express
- India’s golden moment
- A change called NeHA
- Pale green
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Live Mint
- Muddling through Marrakech
Click here to Download 9 PM Daily Brief (25th November 2016)
Front Page / NATIONAL
[1]. Govt. ends exchange of old notes
Context
Article deals with announcements and news related to demonetization
What has happened?
The exchange of the high-value notes of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 over the counter at banks and post-offices has, however, been stopped with immediate effect.
• Exemption to use Rs 500 notes has been extended till 15th December now. These can still be used to pay fees at government schools and colleges as well as for the purchase of pre-paid mobile top-ups
• Now, Rs 1000 would not be exchanged and could only be deposited into accounts unlike Rs 500 which can still be used at certain avenues
• Purchases from consumer co-operative stores with old currency notes have now been limited to Rs 5000 at a time, while foreign citizens can now exchange foreign currency up to Rs 5000 per week
RBI advisory
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued an advisory to banks to ensure adequate cash to meet the likely demand of government officials and pensioners and similarly, provide adequate supply at the military outposts for the cash requirements of armed forces personnel.
[2]. ‘Rs. 400 cr. in fake notes to be flushed out’
Context
Centre’s affidavit before SC says counterfeits are used to fuel terror.
What has happened?
A 27-page affidavit filed by the Centre in the Supreme Court said one of the chief reasons for demonetisation of over Rs. 14 lakh crore was to flush out counterfeit currency (estimated to be Rs. 400 crore) used to fuel terrorism, anti-national activities and communal riots
In the affidavit centre has submitted that,
• The impact of each terror event is catastrophic and disproportionately higher than the amount of terror financing. The amount spent to sponsor a terrorist act may not be very large, but the impact and damage it causes to human lives and to the economy is catastrophic
• Constant confrontations at the northern and north-eastern border States describe how black money funneled through a “parallel shadow economy” had threatened to destabilize the country
• The list of threats to national security, include“trans-border terrorism, left-wing extremism, espionage, sabotage, insurgencies, activities of organised crime syndicates, organised criminal groups, drugs syndicates, gun-running, human-trafficking, abetment of communal riots
INTERNATIONAL
[1]. As India retaliates, Pakistan moves UN
Context
Alarmed by the escalation of tension with India along the Line of Control (LoC), Pakistan on Thursday asked the U.N. to act before the situation became a “full-fledged crisis.”
Pakistan has alleged that
• The situation posed a grave threat to international peace and security
• Escalating tension “was a deliberate attempt” by India to “divert the attention of the international community from the gross human right violations being committed” by it in Kashmir
UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP)
The U.N. Department of Peace Keeping Operations was separately asked to mobilize the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan to effectively monitor the LoC and the working boundary as a step to help ease the tension
Read More: UNMOGIP
Editorial/OPINION
[1]. The new abnormal in Kashmir
Context
Author, a famous economist, tries to paint a picture for us of the present ground level situation in Kashmir. He ends his article with a warning that if the situation is allowed to worsen then it might lead to further alienation of Kashmir and Kashmiris from India.
Article is a commentary on actual situation prevailing in Kashmir right now. Author states that Indian government should relinquish the policy of clamping down on protests and start making positive moves like unconditional talks with all the stakeholders involved.
Author says that at present Hurriyat leaders enjoy popular support as youngsters and other Kashmiris follow their protest calendar diligently. The response of Indian government to such protests is of zero tolerance.
Author says that arresting Hurryiat leaders only intensifies the desire for freedom.
Such a policy, author states, will further alienate Kashmir from India & initiating unconditional talks is the only right policy now.
Read more: Jean Dreze
[2]. The Marrakech mandate
Context
As world leaders gathered in Marrakech (November 7-18) to discuss the implementation of the Paris Agreement at the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP-22), the election of a leader in the U.S. who has disavowed climate change cast a pall on the deliberations.
Marrakech conference has already been covered in brief dated 11th November 2016, 22nd November 2016
Articles related to Marrakech, henceforth, shall only contain new points, not covered in previous briefs.
Climate vulnerable forum
Author states that one of the remarkable announcements at the Marrakech COP was the pledge by the Climate Vulnerable Forum, comprising 48 least developed countries, including Bangladesh, Ethiopia and South Sudan, to get 100 per cent of their energy from renewables by 2050
Read More: Climate Vulnerable Forum
Commitment by Under2s
165 sub-national jurisdictions, calling themselves the Under2s, announced that they would reduce their emissions by 80-95 per cent below 1990 levels and limit their per capita emissions to under 2 tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2050
Read More: Under2s
Science based targets
Science Based Targets initiative got a boost in Marrakech when over 200 companies worldwide committed to emissions reductions targets
Read more:Science based targets
Warsaw international mechanism for loss and damage
With regard to the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage, the framework for a five-year rolling work plan was approved
• Since adaptation has limitations, this is a global mechanism to provide support to countries that sustain ongoing and future harm from climate change
• Aim: The aim will be to address issues such as extreme events, non-economic losses, displacement, migration, slow-moving climatic changes and risk management
[3]. No country for the Rohingyas
Context
A new humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Myanmar after the military crackdown on “Islamist jihadists” in the Rakhine State, home to more than one million Rohingya Muslims
The Rohingya crisis has been covered in the brief dated 24th November 2016
Just give it a go through once.
[4]. The state of the stateless
Context
For a country that gained independence with a mass exchange of populations, India’s treatment of refugees has much to improve upon.
Chakmas
Author begins by describing the story of Chakmas, how 40,000 Chakma families emigrated to India when Pakistan built the Kaptai dam in 1962 and their gradual resettlement in Arunachal Pradesh which was followed by anti-immigrant stirs. Author states that it was only in 2015 after SC directions that Chakmas were given citizenships
Refugees in India
Author states that India hosts over 2,00,000 refugees, victims of civil strife and war in Tibet, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Myanmar
• Tibetan refugees: Some refugees, the Tibetans who arrived between 1959 and 1962, were given adequate refuge in over 38 settlements, with all privileges provided to an Indian citizen excluding the right to vote
• Afghan refugees: The Afghan refugees fleeing the civil war in the 1980s live in slums across Delhi with no legal status or formal documents to allow them to work or establish businesses in India
• Rohingyas: Author states that at present over 13000 Rohingya refugees are registered with UNHCR in India and around 700 of those reside in Delhi in deplorable conditions. They cannot send their children to school because of lack of documentation and are mostly engaged as daily wage laborers
• Refugees from East Pakistan: Refugees from East Pakistan in 1947 were settled in Dandakaranya, Odisha, a tribal-majority forested region. The refugees, accustomed to plain and semiaquatic agriculture, found it hard to farm in such rugged terrain. Ethnic clashes soon broke out over land distribution and assistance provided to refugees. After decades of penury, the refugees left for Marichjhapi Island in the Sunderbans. The State government responded with forcible eviction, economically blockading them and conducting police firing on a random basis
• Nepali-speaking population in Bhutan: Fears of demographic change led to the expulsion of the Nepali-speaking population in Bhutan in the 1990s. Over 100000 people made their way to Nepal, passing through India. Over 20,000 refugees continue to live in India, on the margins of society, with no legal status and no citizenship. They remain stateless
Non-signatory
Author states that India remains non-signatory to 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol, which help define the legal obligation of states to protect refugees.
Protected by Judiciary
• Refugees have been accorded constitutional protection by the judiciary (National Human Rights Commission vs State of Arunachal Pradesh, 1996)
• Supreme Court has held that the right to equality (Article 14) and right to life and personal liberty (Article 21) extends to refugees
• The Foreigners Act (1946) and the Registration of Foreigners Act (1939) currently govern the entry and exit of all refugees, treating them as foreigners without due consideration of their special circumstances
Duty of a democratic country
Author states that it is the duty of the state to ensure that
• Formal recognition: Any refugee, whose grant of asylum has been approved, should be given a formal recognition of his/her asylum status along with an identity document and a travel document
• Refugees should be able to apply for residence permits, and be able to choose their place of residence across India
• Documentsof the refugees enable them to seek employment in the private sector.
• Primary education should be offered on no-charge basis in government schools, while primary healthcare services available to Indian citizens should be offered as well.
Social sensitisation
Simply announcing policies won’t solve the matter. Society needs to be made aware of the issue and its deeper connotations.Following steps can be taken,
• Acceptance of refugee cards: Institutions, private and public, should be encouraged to recognise UNHCR-issued refugee cards, in addition to foreign degrees or diplomas
• Sensitizing at local level: Local municipal corporations should be asked to sensitize neighbourhood associations to accept refugees who can pay, along with conducting integration workshops for youth and women empowerment initiatives
• Adequate data: There is a paucity of data related to refugees in India which leads to misrepresentation and exaggeration in national and local media. Registration processes like Aadhar can be extended to refugees too.
Conclusion
Author concludes by saying that a transparent system to deal with refugees in India needs to be developed which simultaneously balances India’s security considerations too.
ECONOMY
[1]. Notes ban to significantly disrupt economic activity: Moody’s
Context
Demonetisation will “significantly disrupt economic activity” and lead to weaker growth in near-term, though in the long run it can boost tax revenues and translate into faster fiscal consolidation.
What has happened?
Moody, the credit rating agency, has come out with a report titled Indian Credit — Demonetisation Is Beneficial for Indian Government and Banks; Implementation Challenges Will Disrupt Economic Activity
Observations of the report
1. Banks are the key beneficiaries: The move to ban old Rs 500/1000 notes is affecting all sectors of the economy to various extent, with banks being the key beneficiaries
2. Beneficial in the long run: Although the measures in the near term will pressure GDP growth and thereby government revenues, in the longer term they should boost tax revenues and translate into higher government capital expenditure and/or faster fiscal consolidation
3. Loss of wealth: There will be a loss of wealth for individuals and corporates with unreported income, as some will choose not to deposit funds back into the formal financial system to avoid disclosing the sources of these funds
4. Weaker GDP growth: In the immediate period, demonetisation would “significantly disrupt economic activity, resulting in temporarily weaker consumption and GDP growth
5. Cash crunch: Households and businesses will experience liquidity shortages as cash is taken out of the system, with a daily limit on the amount in old notes that can be exchanged into new notes
6. Broadening the tax base
7. In the medium term, the impact on corporates will depend on how quickly liquidity returns to the system and transaction flows are restored
8. Gradual change in consumer habits: Consumption in India is still largely cash-driven, and a move towards digital payments would require a likely gradual change in consumer habits
9. Lowering of lending rates: Rising bank deposits could lower lending rates, a positive for the banks
10. Asset quality deterioration: In the nearer term Moody’s expects asset quality to deteriorate for banks and non-bank finance companies, as the economic disruption will significantly impact the ability of borrowers to repay loans, in particular for the loans against property, commercial vehicles and micro finance sectors.
Indian Express
[1]. India’s golden moment
Indian Express
Demonetisation is an ethical step. It can help us leave behind culture of illegality, indiscipline, ill-gotten wealth.
A comprehensive article on Demonetisation and its different aspects and dimensions will be created by Forumias
Just give it a go through once.
[2]. A change called NeHA
Context
The proposed National e-Health Authority, which will oversee digitization of health information, could launch a digital health revolution in India. But safeguards need to be in place to protect patients’ privacy.
Medical records
Author begins by highlighting the power of digital communication, how technology has changed the way we shop, eat and transfer money but he points out that the health-services in India have remained largely unaffected.
Problem: vast majority of Indians haveno organised medical records, whether paper or electronic
Proposed solution: The Government of India is now scheduled to launch the National e-Health Authority (NeHA). A regulatory body, tasked with overseeing the digitisation of health information.
Developing a healthcare ecosystem
Author says that variety of apps can be developed for patients, doctors, researchers, and policy makers — an app to remind mothers to vaccinate their children, push notifications to remind you to take your medication, or an alert that you are traveling to an epidemic belt
• Scientists could search through hundreds of millions of records to find cures and validate current practices
• Policymakers would be able to conduct disease surveillance and formulate public health interventions
• Timely access: Clinicians and patients would have timely access to their records
Challenges
• The poor uptake of electronic records by doctors in India
• The lack of inter-operability between systems and devices
• The legitimate concern for privacy, security and safety of medical data
Solutions that can be adopted under NeHA
• Keep it simple: To get doctors to adopt electronic medical records (EMRs), any proposed systems must be easy to use and affordable. Careful attention must be paid to human-centered design and data minimization (collecting only the data you need). Needless and cumbersome billing tools should not be developed as it will lead to dissatisfaction amongst physicians and doctors
• Inter-operable: The systems developed should be inter-operable meaning they should be able to exchange information with each other. For example, if one hospital runs a software A and another runs a software system B then both of the should be able to exchange information with each other in case a patient gets transferred or switches from one hospital to another
• Control of access: Author says that legitimate concerns of privacy and data security must be taken into consideration before a nation-wide system is developed. Proper laws mandating to building safeguards to protect the patients must be included.
Conclusion
Author concludes by saying that all the necessary ingredients i.e. a digital health Greenfield (scope of development), robust telecom infrastructure, unique ID authentication, and a large talented pool of IT professionals. Utilizing them may allow India to shape healthcare delivery globally.
[3]. Pale green
Context
NGT’s directive for environmental audit of government buildings can achieve little in a country with weak norms.
What has happened?
The National Green Tribunal ordered an environmental audit of all government buildings in Delhi, including offices and hospitals, to control pollution
• Court said that the audit will keep to the “bare minimum” and it does not expect green building standards from the premises it will be investigating
Weak NBC norms
Author states that any such audit is an exercise riddled with failure because the National Building Code (NBC) does not incorporate green standards, which means that it is not incumbent upon a builder to make environment friendly structures
• The NBC does not include water or material efficiency standards. It does have standards for energy efficiency but compliance is voluntary
Green building initiatives in India
The three green building certification programmes in the country, are not a government initiative,
1. The Indian Council of Green Building (ICGB) rating: ICGB is a part of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
2. Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA): TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) has developed GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment), which was adopted as the national rating system for green buildings by the Government of India in 2007
3. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED): It has been developed by the non-profit US Green Building Council
Minimum oversight but incentives given
Author says that although the government has very little oversight over the three programmes
But that does not prevent state governments across the country from giving concessions to buildings that claim to adhere to LEED and GRIHA criteria.
• These incentives include permission to increase the built-up area
• No compliance mechanism: Most times, these concessions are given without proper monitoring of the actual energy and resource savings in such buildings. There is no mechanism to ensure compliance
Leading by example: Maharashtra
Author says that Maharashtra government has opted for fiscal incentives that can be withdrawn if a building underperforms on the green rating criteria
Way ahead
Author says that much more needs to be done to ensure that green building criteria are not mindlessly followed in India because criteria like LEED developed in the west cater to the climatic conditions prevailing there. The environmental conditions in India are vastly different. For example: Construction of vast glass buildings might be suitable for cold countries but for countries like India they act as heat traps leading to unnecessary expense of air conditioning and other expenses to keep it cool
Conclusion
Ensuring that buildings comply with green norms will require much more than a NGT directive. The country needs stronger and better norms as a first step to green buildings.
Live Mint
[1]. Muddling through Marrakech
Context
Perceptions and assessments of climate governance mirror the growing view on the negative experiences of globalization.
Marrakech conference has already been covered in brief dated 11th November 2016, 22nd November 2016
Further, some new points have also been included in today’s The Hindu editorial.
Give this article a light read.
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