IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Analysis

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains

Focus)- 08th August 2018

(PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS)

Sikh Referendum 2020

Part of: GS Mains II and III – India and the world; International Relations; Internal Security

In news:

We recently read about the controversial pro-Khalistan rally due to take place in London
The rally is in support of a referendum for an independent Sikh homeland.
This has heightened tensions between India and the U.K., after Britain said it wouldn’t ban the demonstration, despite concerns raised by India.
Communist Party of India calls the proposed ‘Sikh Referendum 2020’ an attempt to disturb the hard-earned peace in Punjab.

Concerns:

Is India still a theocratic State?
India faces challenges like – Hindutva idea of India; religion-based secessionist movement like that of Khalistan

Health issue: Scrub typhus

Part of: GS Prelims – Health issue; Science and Tech

In news:

About Scrub typhus (definition in pic below)
Majority of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) patients have scrub typhus.
Scrub typhus can be treated easily if detected early.
Mites present in the soil carried Orientia tsutsugumashi, the bacterium which causes scrub typhus.

https://d39gegkjaqduz9.cloudfront.net/TH/2018/08/08/DEL/Delhi/TH/5_07/ac7e44e3_2304601_101_mr.jpg

Breast Feeding

Part of: GS Prelims – Health issue

About:

As many as 6 out of 10 babies born in the country are not able to begin breastfeeding within one hour of birth.
Despite an improvement in institutional deliveries, due to a lack of supportive work environment, inadequate skills of health care providers as well as caesarean deliveries, most babies not breastfed in their first hour.

Do you know?

Mother’s breast milk within one hour of birth ensures that the infant receives the colostrum or first milk, which is rich in protective factors.
WHO and UNICEF also recommend exclusive breastfeeding for infants up to the age of six months and thereafter complementary foods with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond.
India has made some progress over the years, according to National Family Health Survey (NFHS).
Early initiation of breastfeeding has improved.

Banks hit due to frauds

Part of: Mains II and III – Governance issues; Corruption; NPA issue

In news:

Indian banks reported a total loss of about ₹70,000 crore due to frauds during the last three fiscals up to March 2018.
The extent of loss in fraud cases reported by scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) for 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 was ₹16,409 crore, ₹16,652 crore and ₹36,694 crore, respectively.
Reasons: aggressive lending practices, wilful default, loan frauds, corruption in some cases and economic slowdown.
RBI had issued directions to banks instructing them to file applications for initiation of corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

Person in news: M. Karunanidhi

Karunanidhi – who was five-time Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president for nearly 50 years, died.
He was also called as Kalaignar (artiste and man of letters)
He was considered as the stalwart of the Dravidian movement

Miscellaneous

In news:

10 major ideologies have shaped the world: nationalism, democracy, liberalism, capitalism, evolutionary socialism, revolutionary socialism, feminism, environmentalism, nuclear pacifism and globalism.
Try to know the definition of all the above terms.

(MAINS FOCUS)

ECONOMY

TOPIC:

General Studies 2 and 3:

Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.
Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

GST Council: GST Reforms for MSME

Introduction:

Latest GST Council meeting held on issues facing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Do you know?

What are MSME?

MSME are units producing goods and rendering services in terms of annual turnover as follows:

A micro enterprise will be defined as a unit where the annual turnover does not exceed five crore rupees;
A small enterprise will be defined as a unit where the annual turnover is more than five crore rupees but does not exceed Rs 75 crore;
A medium enterprise will be defined as a unit where the annual turnover is more than seventy five crore rupees but does not exceed Rs 250 crore.

What is GST Council?

Goods & Services Tax Council is a constitutional body for making recommendations to the Union and State Government on issues related to Goods and Service Tax.
The GST Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister and other members are the Union State Minister of Revenue or Finance and Ministers in-charge of Finance or Taxation of all the States.

(For further details: http://www.gstcouncil.gov.in/gst-council)

Recent GST meetings’ decisions (Regarding MSME):

Firms with an annual turnover of less than Rs. 5 crore constitute 93% of the registered taxpayers under the GST. Such businesses need no longer file cumbersome returns every month, but only on a quarterly basis.
GST Council returned to a consensual approach on decisions.
There is a proposal to push digital payments by offering a cash-back to consumers using RuPay cards or the UPI platform, final decision will be taken after a detailed system-wide evaluation of such incentives.

Way Forward: GST with respect to MSME

Further easing of compliance for micro firms with turnover far below Rs. 5 crore is needed.
There is a need to review the Rs. 50,000 threshold for mandatory use of e-way bills to track movement of taxable goods.

(MAINS FOCUS)

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

TOPIC:

General Studies 2:

Governance; Law and order
Constitution; Fundamental Rights
Social Justice

Dissent and Democracy

Introduction:

In context of recent student Protest; The Bangladesh government clamps down on dissent and democratic challenges. Dissent has been silenced in major democracies of the world including US and India.

What is happening in Dhaka?

Some students died in a road accident, students started protesting for traffic safety.
Protests in Bangladesh became a routine; over electricity supply in Kansat; over open-pit coal mining in Phulbari; against a coal plant at the rim of the Sundarbans; against stock market scandals that defrauded millions of small investors; and against quotas in government jobs for the descendants of ‘freedom fighters’ in the 1971 war.
A journalist from Bangladesh went on Air with an international media house, and opened the Pandora box of other public grievances; the looting of banks, the gagging of the media, extrajudicial killings, disappearances, bribery, and corruption.
He took on to the social media and exposed brutality of Police and Government.
He got arrested under Information and Communication Technology Act for “spreading imaginary propaganda against the government.”
Government is not willing to accept that there is a problem.
UN, human rights groups and PEN international condemned the Bangladesh Government’s dealing in this regard.

Why does the Story of Dhaka matters to India?

India is facing similar but different situation.
Gauri Lankesh and some other great journalists who expressed their concerns against either popular beliefs or against certain ideologies were brutally murdered.
Lynching and Mobviolence became a new normal for petty things.
Women are facing trolling and threats for expressing their views on social media platform.
India is one of the largest democracies but freedom is under threat especially for vulnerable sections of the society.
Sudden resignation of reputed journalists from their respective newsrooms and transfer and resignation of public servants are some of the examples which put a question: Does Democracy in India have place for dissent?

Connecting the dots:

Freedom should not be absolute but it should not become obsolete. Comment in the light of global examples.

(TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE)

Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section)

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Q.1) GST Council consist of which of the following members?

Prime Minister
Union Finance minister
Union State Minister of Revenue or Finance
Ministers in-charge of Finance or Taxation of all the States or any other minister nominated by State Government

Select the Code from the following: