DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 20th February 2023

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Syllabus

• Prelims – Environment and Ecology

Context: According to the analysis by TRAFFIC, a global wildlife conservation non-profit, and World-Wide Fund for Nature-India, over 1200 Pangolins were poached for illegal wildlife trade in India from 2018-2022.

About Pangolins:

• Pangolins are nocturnal, toothless mammals that dig burrows and feed on ants and termites.
• Pangolins are scaly anteater mammals and they have large, protective keratin scales covering their skin.
• Pangolin is the only scaly mammal on the planet.
• It uses these scales as armor to defend itself against predators by rolling into a ball when threatened.
• Out of the eight species of pangolin, the Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) and the Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) are found in India.

About Ecosystem Services:

• They play a vital role in the ecosystem management, mostly in aerating and adding moisture to the soil as well as succession of plant communities through burrowing.
• They also keep in check the population of certain insects they prey on.
• The burrows made by pangolins also get utilized as shelters by other species within their ecosystem.

Indian Pangolin

• Range – Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
• IUCN – Endangered
• The Indian pangolin, which dons a thick scaly skin, is hunted for meat and used in traditional Chinese medicine.
• Both these species are listed under Schedule I Part I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Chinese Pangolin

• Range – Bangladesh; Bhutan; China; Hong Kong; India; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Myanmar; Nepal; Taiwan, Province of China; Thailand; Viet Nam
• IUCN – Critically Endangered

Source: Down To Earth

Previous Year Questions

Q.1) Which of the following is not a bird? (2022)

1. Golden Mahseer
2. Indian Nightjar
3. Spoonbill
4. White Ibis

Q.2) Consider the following animals

1. Hedgehog
2. Marmot
3. Pangolin

To reduce the chance of being captured by predators, which of the above organisms rolls up/roll up and protects/protect its/their vulnerable parts? (2021)

1. 1 and 2
2. 2 only
3. 3 only
4. 1 and 3

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Syllabus

• Prelims – Polity and Governance

Context: ECI has recognised Eknath Shinde group as official “Shiv Sena”, allowing them to use the official “Bow & Arrow” symbol and “Shiv Sena” name.

Sadiq Ali case

• The ECI has applied the tests mentioned in the 1971 Supreme Court judgment in Sadiq Ali v. Election Commission of India.
• In the Sadiq Ali case, it was held that in matters of disputes among groups of a political party, the test of majority support among the members of the ‘organizational and legislature wings’ of the party was the critical test to decide the dispute.
• It includes the Test of aims and objects of the Party Constitution, Test of Party Constitution and Test of Majority.

The 1968 Order

• On the question of a split in a political party outside the legislature, Para 15 of the Symbols Order, 1968, states that the decision of the Commission shall be binding on all such rival sections or groups.
• This applies to disputes in recognised national and state parties (like the Shiv Sena).
• For splits in registered but unrecognized parties, the ECI usually advises the warring factions to resolve their differences internally or to approach the court.
• The first case to be decided under the 1968 Order was the first split in the Indian National Congress in 1969.

Election Symbols:

• Political parties are allotted the symbols by the Election Commission of India under the Election Symbols (Reservation & Allotment) Order, 1968.
• A reserved symbol is one that is allocated to a registered political party while a free symbol is available to be allocated to non-recognized parties and independent candidates.
• Paragraph 4 of the order deals with the allotment of symbols.
• Paragraph 5 classifies the symbol into reserved and free symbols.
• Paragraph 8 of the Election Symbols Order deals with the choice and allotment of symbols to candidates of national and state parties.

Registration of Political Parties:

• According to the Election Commission, any party seeking registration has to apply to the Commission within a period of 30 days following the date of its formation as per guidelines prescribed by the Commission
• It is in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 324 of the Constitution of India and Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
• The registration of all political parties is governed by the provisions of Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Source: Indian Express

Previous Year Question

Q.1) Consider the following statements:

1. In India, there is no law restricting the candidates from contesting in one Lok Sabha election from three constituencies.
2. In 1991 Lok Sabha Election, Shri Devi Lal contested from three Lok Sabha constituencies.
3. As per the existing rules, if a candidate contests in one Lok Sabha election from many constituencies, his/her party should bear the cost of bye-elections to the constituencies vacated by him/her in the event of him/her winning in all the constituencies.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (2020)

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. 1 and 3
4. 2 and 3

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Syllabus

• Prelims – History, Art and Culture

Context: Recently the Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and DoNER, presented the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar  (UBKYP) 2019, 2020 and 2021 to 102 artists in New Delhi.

• The award is presented by Sangeet Natak Akademi to artists in the field of dance, music, and drama.
• It is presented annually to artists below the age of 40.

About Ustad Bismillah Khan:

• He was a famous Shehnai musician.
• He was one of the few musicians in the country to receive Bharat Ratna.
• It was Ustad ‘Bismillah” Khan who also played at the first Republic Day celebration in 1950.
• Bismillah Khan was the first Indian to be invited to perform at the prestigious Lincoln Centre Hall in the United States of America.

About Sangeet Natak Akademi:

• Sangeet Natak Akademi is India’s national academy of music, dance and drama.
• It was created by a resolution of the Ministry of Education, with Dr P.V. Rajamannar as its first Chairman.
• It is an Autonomous Body of the Ministry of Culture and is fully funded by the Government for the implementation of its schemes and programmes.

Source: PIB

Previous Year Questions

Q.1) Who among the following was associated as Secretary with Hindu Female School which later came to be known as Bethune Female School? (2021)

1. Annie Besant
2. Debandranath Tagore
3. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
4. Sarojini Naidu

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Syllabus

• Prelims – Governance

Context: The Cabinet has approved Centrally Sponsored Scheme- “Vibrant Villages Programme” (VVP) for the Financial Years 2022-23 to 2025-26 with financial allocation of Rs. 4800 Crore.

About the scheme:

• Under the scheme, holistic developmental works are to be undertaken in northern bordering villages.
• This will help in improving the quality of life of people living in identified border villages.
• The scheme will provide funds for development of essential infrastructure and creation of livelihood opportunities in 19 Districts and 46 Border blocks 4 states and 1 UT along the northern land border of the country which will help in achieving inclusive growth and retaining the population in the border areas.
• The scheme aids to identify and develop economic drivers based on local, natural, human and other resources of the villages on the northern border and development of growth centres on “Hub and Spoke Model” through promotion of social entrepreneurship, empowerment of youth and women through skill development and entrepreneurship.
• Vibrant Village Action Plans will be created by the district administration with the help of Gram Panchayats.
  • 100 % saturation of Central and state schemes will be ensured.
• Key outcomes that have been attempted are, connectivity with all-weather road, drinking water, 24×7 electricity – Solar and wind energy to be given focused attention, mobile and internet connectivity. Tourist centers, multi-purpose centers and health and wellness Centers.

Source:  The Hindu

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Syllabus

• Prelims – Environment

News: Puducherry has launched the country’s first Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) framework as part of a pact under the Indo-Norway Integrated Ocean Initiative.

Aim: to balance growth alongside sustainable management of ocean resources and coastal environment preservation.

About Marine Spatial Planning:

• MSP is an ecosystem-based spatial planning process for analyzing current and anticipated ocean and coastal uses and identifying areas most suitable for various activities.
• It provides a public policy process for society to better determine how the ocean and coasts are sustainably used and protected – now and for future generations.
• The initiative, known as Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), will be implemented by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) through the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) for India.

The IOC-UNESCO Marine Spatial Planning Programme:

• It helps countries implement ecosystem-based management by finding space for biodiversity, conservation and sustainable economic development in marine areas.
• IOC-UNESCO has developed several guides, including a 10-step guide on how to get a marine spatial plan started: “Step-by-step Approach for Marine Spatial Planning toward Ecosystem-based Management”.

Source:  The Hindu

Previous Year Questions

Q.1) “Climate Action Tracker” which monitors the emission reduction pledges of different countries is a : (2022)

1. Database created by coalition of research organisations
2. Wing of “International Panel of Climate Change”
3. Committee under “United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change”
4. Agency promoted and financed by United Nations Environment Programme and World Bank

Q.2) Consider the following statements:

1. The Climate Group is an international non-profit organisation that drives climate action by building large networks and runs them.
2. The International Energy Agency in partnership with the Climate Group launched a global initiative “EP100”.
3. EP100 brings together leading companies committed to driving innovation in energy efficiency and increasing competitiveness while delivering on emission reduction goals.
4. Some Indian companies are members of EP100.
5. The International Energy Agency is the Secretariat to the “Under2 Coalition”.

Which of the statements given above are correct? (2022)

1. 1,2, 4 and 5
2. 1,3 and 4 only
3. 2,3 and 5 only
4. 1,2, 3, 4 and 5

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Syllabus

• Prelims – Governance

Context: CWC entered into a Memorandum of Agreement for Development of International Centre of Excellence for Dams (ICED) under externally funded Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project Phase II and Phase III.

About CWC:

• Central Water Commission is an attached office of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
• The Commission is entrusted with the general responsibilities of initiating, coordinating and furthering in consultation of the State Governments concerned, schemes for control, conservation and utilization of water resources throughout the country, for purpose of Flood Control, Irrigation, Navigation, Drinking Water Supply and Water Power Development.
• It also undertakes the investigations, construction and execution of any such schemes as required.
• Central Water Commission CWC is headed by a chairman, with the status of Ex-Officio Secretary to the Government of India.
• The work of the Commission is divided among 3 wings namely, Designs and Research (D&R) Wing, River Management (RM) Wing and Water Planning and Projects (WP&P) Wing.
• A separate Human Resources Management Unit headed by a Chief Engineer, deals with Human Resources Management or Development, Financial Management, Training and Administrative matters of the CWC.
• National Water Academy located at Pune is responsible for training of Central and State in-service engineers and it functions directly under the guidance of Chairman.
• Headquarters: New Delhi.

DRIP Project:

• The objectives of DRIP are to improve the safety and operational performance of selected existing dams and associated appurtenances in a sustainable manner, and to strengthen the dam safety institutional setup of participating States / Implementing Agencies.
• It is an externally-aided project.
• 80% of the total project is provided by the World Bank as loan/credit and remaining 20% is borne by the States / Central Government (for CWC).
• Repair and rehabilitation of dam projects in the seven states of Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand.

Components

• Rehabilitation of selected dams and their appurtenances
• Institutional Strengthening
• Project Management

Source: PIB

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Syllabus

• Prelims – Governance

Context: The scheme- Conformity Assessment Scheme on IS 19000:2022,  has been formulated with the objective of certifying the processes related to the collection, moderation and publication of online customer reviews to check the publication of fake or misleading reviews.

About IS 19000:2022:

• Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the national standard body of India, has published an Indian Standard — IS 19000:2022, ‘Online Consumer Reviews – Principles and Requirements for their Collection, Moderation and Publication’.
• The Bureau of Indian Standards has come out with a new standard for organizations, like e-commerce players, travel portals and food delivery platforms, that publish consumer review online as part of the government’s efforts to curb fake reviews.
• This standard is applicable to any organization that publishes consumer reviews online, including suppliers/sellers of products and services that collect reviews from their own customers, a third-party contracted by the suppliers/sellers or an independent third party.

Conformity Assessment Scheme:

• Under the conformity assessment scheme for Grant of Conformity for Process as per standard IS 19000:2022 on ‘Online Consumer Reviews — Principles and Requirements for their Collection, Moderation and Publication’, conformity is granted for demonstrating conformity to all the requirements of IS 19000:2022.
• The Scheme lays down the criteria and responsibilities of the organization and ancillary requirements for grant and operation of certification requirements for processes related to the collection, moderation, and publication of online customer reviews, and charges relating to certification of said process.
• This Conformity Assessment Scheme will ensure the authenticity and reliability of consumer reviews published online, and will help consumers make informed decisions.
• This is a major step towards ensuring consumer protection and promoting fair trade practices in the e-commerce industry.

Source: PIB

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Syllabus

• Mains – GS 2 (Governance)

Context: Recently the Prime Minister remarked that the world can learn a lot about sustainable development from Adivasi culture and it can be a solution to global problems like climate change and global warming.

• India comprises 6% tribal population, has access to an enormous indigenous knowledge which through recognition, adoption, and mainstreaming has the potential to provide sustainable solutions to concerns related to
  • falling agricultural productivity and soil quality,
  • biodiversity loss,
  • water scarcity, pollution, and
  • Climate Change challenges.
• Sustainable Development refers to a way of achieving economic growth and development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

About Constitutional Provisions:

• The Constitution of India does not endeavour to define the term ‘tribe’, however, the term Scheduled Tribe’ was inserted in the Constitution through Article 342 (i).
• It lays down that ‘the President may, by public notification, specify the tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within the tribes or tribal communities or parts which shall, for the purposes of this Constitution, be deemed to be Scheduled Tribes.
• The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution provides for the setting up a Tribes’ Advisory Council in each of the States having Scheduled Areas.

About Tribal Cultures:

• Communal living: Many tribal communities in India have a strong emphasis on communal living and sharing resources.
  • They live in close-knit communities and often make decisions collectively.
• Self-Sufficiency: Tribe is a synonym for a self-reliant community, a tribe is a relatively closed society and its openness is inversely related to the extent of its self-sufficient pursuits.
• Connection with nature: Tribals have a strong connection with nature, with traditional beliefs and practices that revolve around the forests and animals.
• Folk arts and crafts: Tribals are known for their unique art forms, including pottery, weaving, and jewellery making.
  • These crafts often have spiritual or cultural significance and are passed down through generations.
• Spiritual beliefs: Tribals often have their own unique spiritual beliefs, which may involve the worship of ancestors, nature spirits, or deities.

Tribal Lifestyle and Sustainable development:

• Respect for the natural environment: Tribal traditional practices, such as using natural materials for housing, food, and medicine, and living in harmony with the cycles of nature.
• Community-based decision-making: Collective decision-making considers the needs of the community as a whole and ensures that decisions are made in a sustainable and equitable manner.
• Promotion of biodiversity: Tribals have developed practices to protect and promote diversity which includes traditional methods of agriculture, such as intercropping and seed-saving, as well as the protection of sacred sites that are important for the preservation of biodiversity.
• Conservation of natural resources: Sustainable practices involve limiting the use of resources to ensure their long-term availability, such as rotational farming or allowing forests to regenerate before harvesting timber.
• Emphasis on intergenerational knowledge sharing: Passing down knowledge to the next generation includes traditional knowledge of the natural environment and sustainable practices for managing resources.
• Protection of water resources: Tribal communities rely on water resources and have developed practices that can help to ensure that water is available for future generations, and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Regenerative agriculture: tribal communities have been practicing regenerative agriculture for centuries, which involves practices like crop rotation, intercropping, and regenerating soils with organic matter.
  • These practices help to sequester carbon in the soil, which can help to mitigate climate change.
• Use of renewable energy: They have traditionally used renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and hydropower which can be expanded and modernized to provide clean energy for more people.

Challenges faced by tribals in performing their lifestyle

• Discrimination: Tribal communities often face discrimination and prejudice from the dominant society, including limited access to education, healthcare, and other basic services.
• Land rights: Tribal communities have been displaced from their traditional lands due to industrialization, and mining which has resulted in the loss of cultural identity, and social and economic marginalization.
• Climate change and environmental degradation: Climate Change, such as changes in rainfall patterns, increased frequency of natural disasters, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, pollution, and loss of habitat, has negatively impacted their traditional livelihoods and ways of life.
• Socioeconomic marginalization: Many tribal communities have limited access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, which can result in poverty and social exclusion.
• Lack of political representation: Tribal communities often lack political representation and may not have a voice in decision-making processes that affect their lives.
• Health challenges: Tribal communities often face challenges in accessing quality healthcare, which can result in higher rates of disease, malnutrition, and other health issues.
• Cultural assimilation: Many tribal communities face pressure to assimilate into the dominant culture, which can lead to the loss of traditional knowledge, language, and cultural practices.

Government initiatives to conserve tribal culture:

• National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC), an apex Organization under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in 2001 was brought into existence with the sole aim of economic upliftment of the Scheduled Tribes by way of extending concessional financial assistance to the target group under its various schemes.
• TRIFED’s Initiatives For Tribal Population:
  • The Government plans to establish 50,000 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras, 3000 Haat Bazaars, etc.
  • Central Sector Scheme: Institutional Support for Development & Marketing of Tribal Products / Produce.
  • Tribes India Outlets: The outlets will showcase tribal products from all over the country and the outlets will have a specific geographical indication (GI) and Vandhan corners.
• Support to Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) and Tribal Festivals, Research Information, and Mass Education
• Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana: It is a market-linked tribal entrepreneurship development program for forming clusters of tribal Self Help Groups (SHGs) and strengthening them into Tribal Producer Companies.
• Scholarships for pre-matric, post-matric, and overseas education
• Support to National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation
• Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs): The scheme covers activities like housing, land distribution, land development, agricultural development, animal husbandry, construction of link roads, etc.
• Vocational Training in Tribal Area: The aim of the Scheme is to develop the skills of the ST youth for a variety of jobs as well as self-employment and to improve their socio-economic condition by enhancing their income.
• Centrally Sponsored Scheme: The mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) through (MSP) and Development of a Value Chain for MFP’ as a measure of social safety for MFP gatherers.

Way Ahead

As India celebrates its 75th year of Independence with ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahostav’, Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas would be a thoughtful gift for our tribal community and a recall to Ram Rajya — where the likes of Guha are given due respect, their cultural diversity is respected, and their contributions celebrated.

Tribal lifestyles can offer solutions to climate change and global warming through sustainable practices that protect and preserve the natural environment. Overall, tribal lifestyles can provide valuable lessons for sustainable development, particularly in areas with high levels of biodiversity or where development threatens the natural environment.

Source:  The Hindu

Previous Year Questions

Q.1) Which one of the following has been constituted under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 ? (2022)

1. Central Water Commission
2. Central Ground Water Board
3. Central Ground Water Authority
4. National Water Development Agency

Q.2) In the context of India, which of the following is/are considered to be of practice(s) of eco-friendly agriculture? (2020)

1. Crop diversification
2. Legume intensification
3. Tensiometer use
4. Vertical farming

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1, 2 and 3 only
2. 3 only
3. 4 only
4. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q.3) With reference to India, the terms ‘Halbi, Ho and Kui’ pertain to (2021)

1. dance forms of Northwest India
2. musical instruments
3. pre-historic cave paintings
4. tribal languages

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Syllabus

• Mains – GS 3 (Governance)

Context: According to projections by the World Population Review, India has surpassed China as the world’s most populous nation.

Key highlights of the world population review:

• India is a country of 1.4 billion people with a rising middle class.
  • On the face of it, the country presents untapped growth potential.
• According to OECD, a quarter of our population is less than 15 years old which makes us a very youthful nation indeed.
• The steady upward trend in the working age population is particularly noteworthy as it gives us a definitive edge over our peers and can help drive growth in the coming years.
• There are many broader policy implications that arise – harnessing this workforce effectively to contribute to GDP, providing them the right skill training, providing jobs, social security etc.
  • But a growing workforce should also result in an increase in income tax revenue.
• Tax evasion and avoidance have always been a headache for the government which has a negative effect on the growth of the Indian economy.

About the Status of Income Tax Base in the country:

• Recently, the Finance Ministry had revealed that the number of people who filed income tax returns stood at 6.8 crore in 2020-21.
• This means that only 4.8 per cent of the total population filed IT returns in 2021.
  • Of these, only 1.69 crore paid tax since 65 percent of the taxpayers earned less than ₹5 lakh.
• So effectively, only 1.2 per cent of the population pays income tax as of now.

Major reasons for the narrow Income Tax base:

• Larger Workers in Informal Sector: In India, a large portion of the workforce is employed in the unorganized or informal sector.
  • This is one of the reasons why fewer people are filing tax returns.
• High Income Threshold: As per the tax laws, the tax incidence arises only if the income is above a certain threshold.
  • According to Statistics, 67 per cent of Indian households had annual income under ₹6 lakh in 2021.
  • This reduces potential income taxpayers to 7.6 crore.
• Low Worker Population Ratio: According to the World Bank, 95 crore people were in the working age group of 18 to 64 years out of the total population in 2021.
  • For example, Many women are home-makers or care-givers and may not be in the working cohort.
  • The worker population ratio in India is 44.5 per cent, which means that only 42 crore people could be employed in some way or the other in India.
• False revelation by Non salaried Person: Although the share of personal income tax in the total tax collection by the Central Government is only about 15 per cent, it is extremely lopsided.
  • It was mentioned in the 2018-19 Budget speech that the average salary earner pays three times more than a non-salaried taxpayer and this does not include those who submit income tax returns but pay nil tax.
  • This anomaly is essentially due to non-revelation of true income by the non-salaried.
• No Tax on Agriculture Income: The agriculture and allied sector has contributed only to 18 percent of GDP, where about 45 per cent of the population is employed.
  • However, as the income from agriculture is not taxed, irrespective of the level of income, unaccounted money is shown as agricultural income by vested interests.

Suggestive measures to boost tax base:

Tax on Agriculture Income:

• Those who show their annual income from farming of more than a specific amount can be taxed marginally.
• It is politically a very tough move, but definitely it will help to curb tax evasion.

Formalization of Economy:

• According to a paper, ‘Measuring Informal Economy in India_ Indian experience’, by SV Ramana Murthy, 90.7 percent of the total workforce in 2017-18 was employed by the informal sector.
• The report says that besides agriculture, some sectors such as construction, trade, restaurants, communication and other services too have over three-fourth of the entities operating in the informal sector.

Collecting Tax at source:

• Collecting tax at source for purchase of certain goods and services is another way to identify those who earn a tidy sum every year but are not paying any taxes.
  • As of now, TCS is collected for high value goods such as expensive motor vehicles, gold jewellery or overseas remittances.
  • This can help identify those operating in the informal sector and earning high income, yet evading tax.
  • While this could hit honest taxpayers, they can reclaim the tax in their annual return based on the form 26AS.

Role of GST regime:

• One of the objectives of the GST regime in its original form was to nudge those in the unorganized sector to shift to the formal sector and file GST returns in order to avail input tax credits or to continue supplying to larger buyers.
  • But leeway provided in the initial phase, such as doing away with invoice matching, dropping reverse charge mechanism etc have diluted this objective.
  • With the GST system now having settled down, implementation of these self-policing mechanisms rigorously could help increase the formal economy.

GST Compliance:

• The more the GST compliance, the better the revelation of true income by professionals, businessmen and traders, and the increase in income tax from the non-salaried taxpayers.
  • The direct and indirect tax departments should get their act together to generate more income tax from non-salaried taxpayers.
  • Government should work to plug tax evasion due to illicit trade and smuggling.

Note 1: About Tax Evasion:

• Tax evasion is the illegal non-payment or under-payment of taxes, usually by deliberately making a false declaration or no declaration to tax authorities – such as by declaring less income, profits or gains than the amounts actually earned, or by overstating deductions.
• It entails criminal or civil legal penalties.

Note 2: About Tax Avoidance:

• Tax avoidance is the legal practice of seeking to minimize a tax bill by taking advantage of a loophole or exception to the rules, or adopting an unintended interpretation of the tax code.
• It usually refers to the practice of seeking to avoid paying tax by adhering to the letter of the law but opposed to the spirit of the law.

Source:  The Hindu

Previous Year Questions

Q.1) With reference to the Indian economy, consider the following statements:

1. A share of the household financial savings goes towards government borrowings.
2. Dated securities issued at market-related rates in auctions form a large component of internal debt.

Which of the above statements is/are correct? (2022)

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q.1) With reference to India’s biodiversity, consider the following statements:

1. Pangolin is the only scaly mammal on the planet.
2. Indian Pangolin listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red list.
3. Both Indian and Chinese Pangolins are listed under Schedule I Part I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1 2 and 3

Q.2) Consider the following statements regarding election symbols allocated by the Election Commission of India (ECI):

1. Political parties are allotted the symbols by the ECI under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
2. A reserved symbol is one that is allocated to a registered political party while a free symbol is available to be allocated to non-recognized parties and independent candidates.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q.3) Consider the following statements regarding  Central Water Commission (CWC):

1. CWC is an attached office of the Ministry of Rural Development
2. CWC is headed by a chairman, with the status of Ex-Officio Secretary to the Government of India.
3. CWC headquarters at Lucknow.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 only
3. 3 only
4. 1 and 3 only

Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!!

ANSWERS FOR ’ 20th February 2023 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs.st

Q.1) – a

Q.2) – d

Q.3) – b