7.Economy-98 T Flashcards

Question 1

Q

INDUSTRIAL POLICY AND ASSOCIATED ISSUES
1. SCHEMES AND POLICIES OF MINING SECTOR
1.1. NATIONAL MINERAL EXPLORATION POLICY

Answer

A

Why in news?
 The Union Cabinet has approved the National Mineral Exploration Policy (NMEP).
 To encourage mineral exploration in the country, the Mines Ministry has already notified the National
Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET).
Salient Features of NMEP
 Accelerating the exploration activity through enhanced participation of the private sector.
 States will also play a greater role by referring exploration projects, which can be taken up through NMET.
 NMEP has proposed that private entities engaged in carrying out regional and detailed exploration would
get a certain share in revenue in mining operation from the successful bidder after the e-auction of the
mineral block.
 The revenue-sharing could be either in the form of a lump sum or an annuity, to be paid throughout the
period of mining lease with transferable rights.
 For this, reasonable areas or blocks for regional exploration will be earmarked or identified by the
government for auctioning.

Question 2

Q

8.1.2. TAMRA: PORTAL OF MINISTRY OF MINES

Answer

A

Why in news?
 Ministry of Mines has developed and launched “TAMRA”, a web portal and mobile application, to
streamline the process of various statutory clearances required for mining operations.
 TAMRA stands for Transparency, Auction Monitoring and Resource Augementation.
Features
 It will display block-wise, state-wise and mineral-wise information of the blocks to be auctioned.
 It will also host information regarding current status of each of the clearances.
 Significance: Mining sector in India faces a twin challenge of delay in getting a clearances and lack of
transparency in allotment of mine leases. This portal will solve both the problems

Question 3

Q

8.1.3. MINING SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM (MSS)

Answer

A

Why in news?
Union Minister of State for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, launched the Mining
Surveillance System (MSS) in New Delhi.
What is it?
 MSS is a satellite based monitoring system developed under Digital India Programme by Ministry of
Mines, through Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) in coordination with Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space
Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG), Gandhinagar and Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MEITY)
 It is one of the first surveillance systems developed in the world using space technology.

Question 4

Q

8.2. DRAFT NATIONAL STEEL POLICY

Answer

A

Why in News?
 The Indian Ministry of Steel has released draft National Steel Policy (NSP), 2017 with aim to develop a
self-sufficient steel industry that is globally competitive.
Importance
 India is the third largest producer of finished steel in the world coming after China and Japan.
 The steel sector in India is valued at over 100 billion dollars and contributes 2 percent to the GDP.
 The sector employs 6.5 lakh people directly and 13 lakh people indirectly.
 India has been importing finished steel since 2007-08 with the exception of 2013.
 Until two years ago, India was also the third largest consumer of steel.
 Despite the global economic slowdown, India was the only economy that showed positive growth in steel
sector in 2015

Question 5

Q

8.3. STEEL RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY MISSION OF INDIA (SRTMI)

Answer

A

 It is an industry driven initiative which has been setup as a Registered Society wherein Ministry of Steel is a
facilitator.
 It will facilitate joint collaborative research projects in the iron & steel sector in India.
 SRTMI will be governed and administered by a Governing Body comprising the steel CEOs, Domain Experts
and a representative of Ministry of Steel.
 Initial corpus for setting up of SRTMI is Rs. 200 crore of which 50% is to be provided by Ministry of Steel
and the balance by the participating steel companies.
 Thereafter, the centre will run on yearly contributions from the steel companies based on their turnover
of the previous year.

Question 6

Q

8.4. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY VS COMPETITION LAW

Answer

A

Why in news?
 The World Competition Day was celebrated on 5th
December.
 The IPR is often seen overriding the Competition law
brewing a fresh debate each time whether the two are good enough for the producers and consumers
alike.
What is IPR (Intellectual Property Rights)?
 Intellectual Property Rights are the rights given to a creator over the use of his creations. It is aimed at
incentivizing creativity and innovation.
 It can include creations such a new drug composition, business module, product, software and so on.

 Some of the aspects of intellectual property include patents, trademarks, copyrights, geographical
indications and industrial designs.
What is Competition Law?
 India’s Competition Law was formulated as Competition Act 2002 which was later amended in 2007.
 Competition law seeks to avoid market barriers and benefit consumers by encouraging competition
among a multiplicity of suppliers of goods, services and technologies. For this, Competition Commission of
India (CCI) is established under the ambit of Competition Act.

India under section 84 of Patents Act 1980
granted compulsory license to NATCO for
production the anti-cancer drug Nexavar against
Bayer which was holding patent for Nexavar

Question 7

Q

8.5. CELL FOR IPR PROMOTION AND MANAGEMENT

Answer

A

 Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) has been created as a professional body under the aegis
of DIPP.
 It will take forward the implementation of the National IPR Policy.
 CIPAM is working towards creating public awareness about IPRs in the country, promoting the filing of
IPRs through facilitation, providing inventors with a platform to commercialize their IP assets and
coordinating the implementation of the National IPR Policy in collaboration with Government
Ministries/Departments and other stakeholders

Question 8

Q

8.6. NATIONAL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS POLICY

Answer

A

Why in news?
 In compliance with TRIPS, Government has announced National Intellectual Property Rights Policy.
 Aim : IPRs as marketable financial assets, Promote innovation, protecting Public Interest ensuring
availability of essential drugs at affordable prices
Objectives
 IPR Awareness: Outreach and Promotion - To create public awareness about the economic, social and
cultural benefits of IPRs among all sections of society.
 Generation of IPRs - To stimulate the generation of IPRs.
 Legal and Legislative Framework - To have strong and effective IPR laws, which balance the interests of
rights owners with larger public interest.
 Administration and Management - To modernize and strengthen service-oriented IPR administration.
 Commercialization of IPRs - Get value for IPRs through commercialization.
 Enforcement and Adjudication - To strengthen the enforcement and adjudicatory mechanisms for
combating IPR infringements.
 Human Capital Development - To strengthen and expand human resources, institutions and capacities for
teaching, training, research and skill building in IPRs.

Question 9

Q

1. INITIATIVES IN ELECTRONIC SECTOR

8. 7.1. MODIFIED SPECIAL INCENTIVE PACKAGE SCHEME

Answer

A

Why in News?
 The cabinet recently approved amendments to the Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme (M-SIPS)
in a bid to achieve net zero imports in the electronics sector by 2020.
What is MSIPS?
 The M-SIPS policy was launched in July 2012 for a three year period by the Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology (MeitY).
 Its primary objective was to encourage investments in Electronics System Design and Manufacturing
(ESDM) Sector and speed up the disbursement process.
 The policy encourages companies to produce domestically by providing them 20-25% subsidy on capital
expenditure.
 The Government has increased fund allocation to this scheme in budget 2017-18.

Question 10

Q

8.7.2. ELECTROPRENEUR PARK

Answer

A

 It is a recent initiative taken up and funded by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
 It is managed by Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and implemented by India Electronics and
Semiconductor Association.
 The objective is to incubate 50 early stage start-ups and create atleast 5 global companies over 5 years.

Question 11

Q

8.7.3. ELECTRONICS DEVELOPMENT FUND

Answer

A

 Launched by Ministry of Communication and IT to support early-stage, angel, venture and private equity
funds focusing on electronics, nano-electronics and information technology.
 An initial corpus of Rs. 2,200 crore, (to be scaled up to Rs. 10,000 crore)
 Aimed at creating an “ecosystem of innovation, research and development (R&D) and with active industry
involvement.”
 To be a ‘fund of funds’, with Canbank Venture Capital Funds as active management firm, which will in turn
seed professionally managed venture funds.
 The EDF will put in 20% of the capital in daughter funds and the rest 80% will be invested by VCs. The
daughter funds will then invest in companies, primarily start-ups.

Question 12

Q

8.8. NEIIP

Answer

A

 Recently The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) has revised North East Industrial and
Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIP), 2007.
 NEIIP aims to promote industrialization in the States of North Eastern Region leading to overall growth of
the region.
 It was launched in 2007 for a period of 10 years.
 Its features include:
 grant of Central Capital Investment Subsidy and Central Interest Subsidy
 reimbursement of insurance premium
 Excise Duty exemptions for a period of 100 years.
 Income Tax exemption for a period of 10 years
 The revision of policy stipulates mandatory disbursal of subsidies payable to all industrial units in
northeast through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism by Chief Controller of Accounts (Industry).

Question 13

Q

8.9. SWIFT

Answer

A

 Society for the Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) is a co-operative organization
dedicated to the promotion and development of standardized global interactivity for financial
transactions.
 SWIFT’s original mandate was to establish a global communications link for data processing and a common
language for international financial transactions.
 The Society operates a messaging service for financial messages, such as letters of credit, payments, and
securities transactions, between member banks worldwide.
 SWIFT operates out of its Brussels headquarters and processes data at centers in Belgium and the United
States.
 SWIFT India Domestic Services has rolled out services to provide harmonised exchange of structured
financial information between banks, the Reserve Bank of NOTES India, stock exchanges, clearing houses,
corporations, and their customers.

Question 14

Q

8.10. FIRST TITANIUM PROJECT OF INDIA

Answer

A

 The first titanium project of India has started its test production Ganjam district of Odisha. The project has
been established by Saraf Group.
 Earlier in August 2015, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had fully commissioned and started
commercial production at the first indigenous Titanium Sponge Plant at Chavara in Kerala. This plant had commercially started producing Titanium Sponge exclusively for the space programme and
strategic areas especially in aerospace and defence areas.
 With this commissioning India became the seventh country in the world producing Titanium sponge
commercially.

Question 15

Q

8.11. INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION

Answer

A

 IIP is a ratio which measures the growth of various sectors in the economy. Being a ratio, it represents the
status of production in the industrial sector for a given period of time as compared to the reference period
of time (base year).
 IIP data is released every month by CSO. The current base year is 2004-05.
 The IIP comprises of 682 individual items. Sector wise, the items included falls into 3 categories viz.
Manufacturing, Mining and Electricity respectively in decreasing order of their weightage to the index.
 In terms of percentage, the weightage of all 8 core industries in IIP is around 38%.
 In IIP, the decreasing order of core industries among them is as:
ELECTRICITY> STEEL> REFINERY PRODUCTS> CRUDE> COAL> CEMENT> NATURAL GAS> FERTILIZERS

Question 16

Q

INFRASTRUCTURE
1. ROAD SECTOR
1.1. NATIONAL HIGHWAYS GRID

Answer

A

Why is it needed?
 In India the lack of scientific road network pattern has created a problem for drivers who can’t take a
straight road to reach from one place to the other.
What is being done to check this?
 National Highway Authority of India is proposing a ‘National Highway Grid’ which will include 27
horizontal and vertical highway corridors spread across the country.
 The corridors, spaced at a distance of 250 km, will crisscross and connect with each other.
 The total project is worth Rs 25,000 crores and will help the government re-designate the NHs for easy
identification.
 The grid will connect 12 major ports, 26 state capitals and more than 45 cities and thus help in quick
evacuation and transport of cargo from one end to the other.

Question 17

Q

9.1.2. NATIONAL HIGHWAYS INTERCONNECTIVITY

Answer

A

 Govt. approved Rs 6,461-crore for development of 1,120 km national highways under National Highways
Interconnectivity Improvement Project (NHIIP) in 5 states - Karnataka, Odisha, Bihar, Rajasthan and
Bengal.
 The work for development to two-lane standards are under Phase-I of the project with World Bank
assistance.
 The project will ensure safe, fast and all weather movement of traffic on the proposed National Highways
mostly located in backward regions thereby improving socio economic development.
 The approved project cost includes cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other preconstruction
activities.

Question 18

Q

9.1.3. LOGISTIC EFFICIENCY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAMME

Answer

A

Why in News?
 The National Highway Authority of India has undertaken Detailed Project Reports (DPRs-survey) to
critically examine the existing logistics infrastructure and destination of freight movement in the country
under LEEP.
 This is done so as to reduce cost and time of freight movement across 44 different freight corridors
(economic corridors), inter corridors and feeder routes.
What is it?
 LEEP aims to enhance the freight transportation in India through improving cost, time, tracking and
transferability of consignments through infrastructure, procedural and Information Technology (IT)
interventions.
 In the first phase, DPRs of 15000 km is to be prepared.
 In order to reduce the time of surveys, it has decided to use latest technologies such as LiDAR, Satellite
mapping and Ground Penetration Radar (GPRs).

Question 19

Q

9.1.4. ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK - GANGA BRIDGE LOAN

Answer

A

 Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $500 million (approximately Rs 3350 crore) loan for
constructing a bridge across Ganga.
 Once built, the 9.8 km road bridge in Bihar will be country’s longest river bridge.
 The project will run for about 4 years and is expected to complete by the end of December 2020.
About ADB
 The Asian Development Bank was conceived in the early 1960s as a financial institution that would be
Asian in character and foster economic growth and cooperation in one of the poorest regions in the
world.
 ADB assists its members, and partners, by providing loans, technical assistance, grants, and equity
investments to promote social and economic development.
 ADB is composed of 67 members, 48 of which are from the Asia and Pacific region.
 India became a member of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as a founding member in 1966.
 India is holding 6.33% of shares in ADB as on 31st December, 2012. India has 5.36% voting rights. Japan
and the US represent the largest shareholders

Question 20

Q

9.1.5. NATRIP PROJECT GETS REVISED COST ESTIMATES

Answer

A

Why in news?
 Government has approved a revised cost estimate of Rs 3,727.30 crores for the NATRIP (National
Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project).
What is NATRIP?
 The project is required to fulfill India’s obligations as a signatory to UN Regulation on Harmonization of
Vehicle Specifications under WP-29 of 1998.
 It aims to make Indian vehicles comply with global standards of safety in line with UN Brasilia resolution
by reducing the high number of causalities and road accidents (i.e. 1.46 and 5.01 lakhs, respectively in the
year 2015)
 It also aims to help MSMEs for development and certification of auto-components.
 It represents a unique joint initiative between the Government of India, a number of State Governments
and Indian Automotive Industry to create a state of the art Testing, Validation and R&D infrastructure in
the country.
 It is also needed to support Automotive Mission Plan 2016-26 which sets the Indian automotive and
component manufacturers for to scale up exports to the extent of 35-40 per cent of its overall output over
the next 10 years.

Question 21

Q

9.1.6. FASTAG ROLL-OUT AND FACILITATION

Answer

A

 NHAI has rolled out cashless payment mechanism (FASTag) on toll plazas on National Highways.
 FASTag offers near non-stop movement of vehicles through toll plazas and convenience of cashless
payments of toll fee with nationwide inter operable Electronic Toll Collection Services.
 FASTag is operational on more than 325 toll plazas on National Highways across the country.
 It employs RFID technology for making toll payments directly from the pre-paid account linked to it.

Question 22

Q

9.1.7. NICDIT

Answer

A

 The Government has approved the expansion of the mandate of Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project
Implementation Trust Fund (DMIC-PITF) and re-designated it as National Industrial Corridor Development
and Implementation Trust (NICDIT).
 NICDIT is an apex body under the administrative control of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion
(DIPP) for coordinated and unified development of the following industrial corridors:
i) Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC)
ii) Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC)
iii) Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC)
iv) Bengaluru Mumbai Industrial Corridor (BMIC)
v) Vizag Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC).
 NICDIT will support project development activities and appraisal, approval and sanction of projects.
 It will also coordinate and monitor all central efforts for the development of Industrial Corridor projects.

Question 23

Q

9.1.8. EXTENDING GREEN COVER ACROSS HIGHWAYS

Answer

A

 The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways launched two schemes ‘Adopt a Green Highway’ scheme and
“Kisan Harit Rajmarg Yojna” to extend green cover along national highways.
 Under the ‘Adopt a Green Highway’ initiative, corporates, PSUs and NGOs can take up NH stretches for
plantation and their maintenance for five years.
 Under the Kisan Harit Rajmarg Yojna, farmer will be provided technical and financial assistance by NHAI
for plantation of trees in portions of their farmland along highway stretches.

Question 24

Q

1. RAIL SECTOR

9. 2.1. DIAMOND QUADRILATERAL

Answer

A

 It is a project of the Indian Railways which aims to establish high-speed rail network connecting four
metros, namely Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.
 Six corridors have been identified - (i) Delhi-Mumbai, (ii) Mumbai-Chennai, (iii) Chennai-Kolkata, (iv)
Kolkata-Delhi and both diagonals i.e. (v) Delhi-Chennai and (vi) Mumbai-Kolkata routes.

Question 25

Q

9.2.2. EASTERN DEDICATED FREIGHT CORRIDOR

Answer

A

Why in News
 Recently, the International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IRBD), part of the World Bank Group, signed an
agreement with the Union government to lend $650 million to
DFCCIL for the third phase of Eastern Dedicated Freight
Corridor.
 The first two phases of the EDFC are already being
implemented by the DFCCIL with the help of financial
assistance provided by the World Bank in the form of loans
worth $975 million and $1,100 million respectively.

Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation
of India (DFCCIL) is a SPV set up under
the administrative control of Ministry of
Railways to undertake planning &amp;
development, mobilization of financial
resources and construction, maintenance
and operation of the Dedicated Freight
Corridors.
DFCCIL was incorporated in October
2006 under Indian Companies Act 1956.

Question 26

Q

9.2.3. NON-FARE REVENUE POLICIES

Answer

A

Why in news?
 Railway Ministry has unveiled the Railways’ first non-fare revenue policy.
Provisions of the policies
 The non-fare revenue policy includes
 Selling outdoor spaces at railway stations for advertising hoardings and billboards.
 Providing radio and video content through Wi-Fi on stations and on trains.
 Leasing out spaces at platforms to ATMs.
 Selling branding of rights of trains and stations.
 Train branding policy would allow advertising of vinyl wraps on train exteriors and interiors on a 10 year
contract basis.
 Out-of-home advertising policy shall allow advertising at areas hitherto unused. Eg. Road Over Bridges,
Level Crossing Gates etc.
Significance of the policy
 It would provide recreational activities for the passengers on their personal electronics. This will boost
customer satisfaction.
 The move will reduce its dependence on traditional revenue streams such as passenger and freight
traffic.
 Move can increase rail competitiveness compared to other transport sectors like airways and roads. As a
spill over, it may decongest roads and also make public travel cheaper.

Question 27

Q

9.2.4. RAIL SAFETY

Answer

A

Why in news?
 The Railways Ministry is planning to
consult the World Bank to identify areas
that require investment from the special
rail safety fund announced in the Budget.
Background
The union budget 2017-18 made following
announcements for rail safety:
 For passenger safety, a Rashtriya Rail
Sanraksha Kosh will be created with a corpus of ` 1 lakh crores over a period of 5 years. It will be a nonlapsable
fund
 Government will lay down clear cut guidelines and timeline for implementing various safety works to be
funded from this Kosh.
 Unmanned level crossings on Broad Gauge lines will be eliminated by 2020.
 Expert international assistance will be harnessed to improve safety preparedness and maintenance
practices.

 The ICF (Integral Coach Factory) design refers to the
conventional design of coaches seen across trains in India
 LHB (Linke-Hoffman-Busch) coaches are characterised by a
sleeker finish than ICF coaches, better suspension, sound
reduction and ride quality, not to mention significantly
larger windows that lack the heavy tinting seen in the most
ICF AC coaches.
 They are also safer than ICF coaches in the event of an
accident or collision. LHB coaches are longer than ICF
coaches, and seat layouts in LHB and ICF coaches differ.

Question 28

Q

9.2.5. RAILWAYS INDIA DEVELOPMENT FUND

Answer

A

 Railways are setting up a Rs 30,000 crores fund, first-of-its-kind for the national transporter, for
implementation of remunerative projects across the country.
 Investors like World Bank, National Infrastructure Investment Fund, pension and insurance fund and other
institutional investors are expected to be part of the RIDF.
 However, the RIDF will invest only on those rail projects having higher rate of returns with minimum rates
ranging between 14 per cent and 16 per cent.
 RIDF will focus on new lines for freight movement or redevelopment of stations and will not invest in nonremunerative
projects.
 Since freight lines are more remunerative than passenger line, RIFD will focus on goods movement.
 Currently, Railways has undertaken many new projects which are socially desirable but economically nonviable.

Question 29

Q

9.2.6. MISSION 41K

Answer

A

 Union Railway Ministry has unveiled ‘Mission 41K’ to save Rs. 41,000 crore on the Indian Railways’
expenditure on energy consumption over the next 10 years.
 This target of ‘Mission 41K will be achieved by taking a slew of measures which include moving 90% of
traffic to electric traction over diesel from present 50% of the total rail traffic.
 The railways will also procure more and more electricity at cheaper rates through open market instead of
sourcing it through DISCOMs.
 The Electrification Mission will help Indian Railways to reduce dependence on imported fuel, change
energy mix, and rationalize the cost of energy for Railways.

Question 30

Q

9.2.7. KALPANA CHAWLA CHAIR ON GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGY

Answer

A

 Union Ministry of Railways and PEC University of Technology have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) for setting up of Kalpana Chawla Chair on Geospatial Technology for Indian Railways
at the University.
 The academic chair is being instituted in memory of Indo–American Astronaut and Alumnus of PEC Late
Kalpana Chawla.
 The objective of the chair is to encourage research activities of Indian Railways in Geo-spatial Technology.
 It will also help to strengthen Railway projects where use of remote sensing data, Geographical
information System (GIS) and global positioning system (GPS) is predominant.

Question 31

Q

9.2.8. TRI-NETRA

Answer

A

Terrain imaging for diesel drivers Infra-red, Enhanced Optical & Radar Assisted system
 Ministry of Railways, Railway Board has initiated a proposal to install TRI-NETRA systems on locomotives
for enhancing the vision of Locomotive Pilots in inclement weather.
 TRI-NETRA system shall be made up of high-resolution optical video camera, high sensitivity infra-red
video camera and additionally a radar-based terrain mapping system.
 TRI-NETRA is designed to “see” the terrain ahead of the running locomotive during inclement weather by
combining the images captured by the three sub-systems and to create a composite video image which
shall be displayed in front of the Loco Pilot on a computer monitor

Question 32

Q

9.2.9. R & D UNITS OF THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS – RDSO

Answer

A

Research, Designs and Standards Organization (RDSO), situated at Lucknow, is the sole Research and
Development (R&D) organisation of Indian Railways and functions as the technical advisor to Railway Board
and Zonal Railways. The aims and objectives assigned to RDSO include the following:
 Development, adoption and absorption of new technology for use on Indian Railways
 Development of overall system standards
 Development of specifications for equipment, components & materials
 Testing and Recommending authority for Statutory clearances (including Metro system)
 Assistance in technical investigations
 Quality Assurance of delegated items

Question 33

Q

9.2.10. ANIL KAKODKAR COMMITTEE

Answer

A

The Committee submitted its report on Railway had made 106 recommendations covering various aspects viz.
 General Safety Matters,
 Organizational Structure,
 Empowerment at Working Level,
 Safety Related Works and Issues
 Filling up of vacancies in critical safety categories and Manpower Planning Issues,
 Plugging the shortage of critical Safety Spares,
 External Interferences – Removal of Encroachment and Sabotage,
 Upgradation of Signaling, Telecommunication and Train Protection System,
 Upgradation of Rolling Stock, Track, Bridges, Elimination of Level Crossings, Human Resource Development
with emphasis on Education and Training Institutes on Indian Railways,
 Eco-system and Safety Architectures on Indian Railways

Question 34

Q

9.2.11. ‘MISSION RAFTAAR’ OF INDIAN RAILWAY

Answer

A

 Mission Raftar has been announced in the Railway Budget 2016-17
 The mission envisages the target of doubling of average speed of freight trains and increasing
the average speed of all passenger trains by 25 kmph.
 Time Frame is 5 years.
 It is a part of the 7 mission mode activities under Avataran
Avataran
 Mission 25 Tonne: It aims to increase revenue by augmenting carrying capacity
 Mission Zero Accident: Elimination of unmanned level crossings & TCAS (Train Collision Avoidance
System)
 Mission PACE: Procurement and Consumption Efficiency
 Mission Hundred: This mission will commission at least a hundred sidings in the next 2 years
 Mission beyond book-keeping: It will establish an accounting system where outcomes can be tracked to
inputs
 Mission Capacity Utilisation
 Mission Raftaar

Question 35

Q

9.2.12. NATIONAL RAIL PLAN 2030

Answer

A

Why in news?
 Website of National Rail Plan 2030 (NRP 2030) was
launched by the Railway Minister.
 It will be used by all stakeholders including State Govts,
public representatives and relevant Ministries to give
their inputs for purposeful study in order to develop NRP
2030.
About National Rail Plan
 NRP 2030 will provide long term perspective to planning
for augmenting the railway network.
 It will harmonise and integrate the rail network with
other modes of transport and create synergy for achieving seamless multi modal transportation network
across the country.
 It will also realize vision of integrated planning and cost optimization of the transportation network by
laying the new railway lines and new highways together in tunnels and over mega-bridges.

Objectives of the NRP 2030
 Facilitate easy movement of freight and
passengers and access to services with
reliability, safety and convenience.
 Stimulating economic growth by creating
required rail infrastructure complementing
other modes of transport.
 Meet the strategic requirement along
international border.
 To build an economically competitive rail
transport system.

Question 36

Q

1. PORTS

9. 3.1. MAJOR PORTS AUTHORITY BILL, 2016

Answer

A

Why in news
 Union cabinet approved Major Ports Authority Bill, 2016 that will replace Major Ports Trusts Act, 1963.
Highlights of the bill
 New Bill is more compact in comparison to Major
Ports Trusts Act, 1963 as no. of sections has been
reduced from 134 to 65 by eliminating overlapping
and obsolete provisions.
 It proposes to simplify composition of Board of Port
Authority (BPA) comprising of only 11 members
including 3-4 independent directors from present
17-19 members.
 Bill propose to divest Tariff Authority of Major
Ports (TAMP) of its power to regulate tariffs and
delegate this power to BPA to fix tariff which will act as a reference tariff for purpose of bidding PPP
projects.
 BPA will be empowered to lease land for port related use for upto 40 years and for non-port related use
upto 20 years and also fix rates for other port services and assets like land.
 Bill propose to introduce internal audit of Central Ports as mentioned in companies act 2013 including
provisions of CSR and development of infrastructure by port authority.
 Independent Review Board (IRB) will be setup to carry out the residual function of TAMP like looking into
disputes between port and PPP concessionaires, to review stressed PPP projects and suggest measures to
cope with stressed PPP projects.
 IRB will also look into complaints regarding services rendered by the private operators.

LANDLORD PORT MODEL
Ownership of the port remains with port authority.
Infrastructure is leased to private firms that provide and
maintain their own superstructure and install own
equipment to handle cargo. In return, the landlord port
gets a share of the revenue from the private entity.
SERVICE PORT MODEL
Port authority owns the land and all available assetsfixed
and mobile-and performs all regulatory and port
functions. The port trust is both landlord and the cargo
terminal operator.

Question 37

Q

9.3.2. INDIA’S 13TH MAJOR PORT

Answer

A

Why in news?
 The Union Cabinet has given its in-principle approval for setting up a Major port at Enayam near Colachel
in Tamil Nadu. On completion the port will become country’s 13th major port.
Background
 Presently, India has 12 major and 187 non-major ports.
 Currently, around 78% of the marine traffic from the east coast ports of India is trans-shipped to Colombo,
Singapore and Klang (Malaysia), as most of the Indian ports don’t have a draught to match global cargo
handling efficiencies and function as a trans-shipment
hub.
Enayam port
 Aimed to make India a destination on the global eastwest
trade route.
 To act as a major gateway container port for Indian
cargo that is presently trans-shipped outside the
country.
 It will help to reduce the logistics cost for
exporters/importers in South India who currently
depend on trans-shipment from other foreign ports,
incurring additional port handling charges.
 Can save about 1,500 Crores Rupees of revenues each
year by preventing diversion to other countries
 The Enayam port has a natural deep draught of about
20 meters that makes it feasible for larger vessels.
 It has 10 million TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units) capacity and later can be expanded to 18 million
TEUs.
What are major ports?
 Ports are under concurrent list.
 The Major Ports are administered by the central government’s shipping ministry.
 They handle nearly 75% of India’s cargo traffic.
 The major ports of India moving from east to west are: Haldia, Paradip, Vishakhapatnam, Ennore (private),
Chennai, Tuticorin, Enayam, Kochi, Panambur Port (Mangalore), Marmagoa, NhavaSheva- Maharashtra,
Mumbai Port, Kandla Port- Gujarat. Also Port Blair- Andaman.

Question 38

Q

9.3.3. SAGAR PORT

Answer

A

 The central government has recently approved Rs.515 crore grant for making the Sagar port.
 It is a proposed Rs. 12,000 crore deep sea port at Sagar islands in West Bengal.
 The Kolkata and Haldia ports cannot handle big ships due to the shallow depth of the Hooghly River. Thus,
an alternative port in West Bengal is needed.

Question 39

Q

9.3.4. INDIA’S FIRST COASTAL ECONOMIC CORRIDOR

Answer

A

About
 India has planned to build its first Eastern Coast
Economic Corridor (ECEC) from West Bengal to
Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu.
 As part of the project, recently, the Asian
Development Bank approved a $631 million loan for
the construction of industrial corridor between
Vishakhapatnam and Chennai (VCIC).
 The fund will help develop the first key 800-km section of the planned 2,500-km East Coast Economic
Corridor. The remaining $215 million will be funded by the Andhra Pradesh government.
 The idea is to not just build new ports or upgrade old ones but raise entire industrial ecosystems that
encompass several such ports.
 The ADB loan will help the government build state-of-the art industrial clusters, roads, efficient transport,
and reliable water and power supplies with a skilled workforce and good business policies.
Maritime Clusters and CEZ
 Maritime clusters are to be one of focal points for economic development along India’s coastline,
according to a draft report prepared under Sagarmala Programme of the Ministry of Shipping.
 The report on port-led-industrial development of the coastal economic clusters identifies two major
maritime clusters in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat as areas with potential.

Coastal Economic Zones
 Coastal location allows companies to operate
in the world markets unhindered by the poor
infrastructure in the hinterland. This was
successfully done in China.
 The NITI Ayog, thus, suggests that India should
also work on building a coastal economic zone.
This becomes further attractive in the light of
Sagarmala initiative.

Question 40

Q

9.3.5. MERCHANT SHIPPING BILL

Answer

A

Why in news?
 The Cabinet approved a new Merchant Shipping Bill, 2016. It provides for repealing of the Merchant
Shipping Act, 1958, as well as the Coasting Vessels Act, 1838.
Key Features of Bill
 Augmentation of Indian tonnage promotion
 allowing substantially-owned vessels to be registered as Indian flag vessels;
 recognising Indian controlled tonnage as a separate category;
 development of coastal shipping in India by:-
 dispensing with the requirement for issuing of licences to Indian flag vessels for coastal operation and
for port clearance by the Customs authorities; and
 making separate rules for coastal vessels to
develop & promote coastal shipping.
 Introduction of welfare measures for seafarers, such
as:
 seafarers held in captivity of pirates will receive
wages till they are released and reach home back
safely;
 Registration of certain residuary category of vessels
not covered under any statute and to make
provisions for security-related aspects.
 Incorporation of all International Maritime
Organisation (IMO) Conventions /Protocols (see box)
 The Coasting Vessels Act, 1838, which is an archaic
legislation of the British era providing for registration of non-mechanically propelled vessels to a limited
jurisdiction of Saurashtra and Kutch, is proposed to be repealed since in the Merchant Shipping Bill 2016
provisions have been introduced for registration of all vessels for the whole of India

IMO conventions
 the Intervention Convention 1969,
 the Search and Rescue Convention 1979
 the Protocol for Prevention of Pollution from
Ships Annex VI to Marine Pollution Convention,
 the Convention for Control and Management of
Ships Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004,
 the Nairobi Wreck Removal Convention, 2007,
 the Salvage Convention 1989 and
 the International Convention for Bunker Oil
Pollution Damage, 2001.

Question 41

Q

9.3.6. PORT-RAIL CONNECTIVITY PROJECTS

Answer

A

Why in news?
 Ministry of Railways has decided to take up 21
port-rail connectivity projects, at an estimated
cost of Rs 20,000 crore, under the under the
port-connectivity enhancement objective of
Sagarmala which is under Ministry of Shipping.
 Another six projects are being considered by the
Indian Port Rail Corporation Limited (IPRCL).
 As part of the National Perspective Plan, prepared under the Sagarmala Programme of the Ministry of
Shipping, 7 Multi-Modal Logistic Parks (MMLPs) were proposed in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,
Rajasthan, Odisha, Telangana, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
Objectives
 To strengthen evacuation network and boost last-mile connectivity to the country’s ports.
 To simplify procedures used at ports for cargo movement.
 Help in reducing logistics cost and time for cargo movement making Indian trade more competitive.
 This also promotes usage of electronic channels for information exchange leading to quick, efficient,
hassle-free and seamless cargo movement.
Background
 The National Perspective Plan for Sagarmala Programme identifies projects under the 4 major objectives
of the programme - i) Port Modernization & New Port Development, ii) Port Connectivity Enhancement,
iii) Port-led Industrialization and iv) Coastal Community Development.
Sagarmala Programme
 Sagarmala is the flagship programme of the Ministry of Shipping for promoting port-led development in
India.
 It aims to achieve capacity expansion and modernization of sea-ports along India’s coastline, enhance port
connectivity to the hinterland, facilitate port led- industrialisation to promote trade and sustainable
development of coastal communities.
 The National Perspective Plan (NPP) prepared under Sagarmala Programme was released in April 2016 by
the Prime Minister.
 More than 150 projects have been identified which will mobilize investment of over Rs. 4 lac Crore and
generate close to 1 Crore new jobs, including 40 lac direct jobs, over a period of 10 years.

 In order to execute the last mile connectivity, of the
Major Ports, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) – The
Indian Port Rail Corporation (IPRC) is incorporated
under the Companies Act 2013, under the
administrative control of the Ministry of Shipping.
 90% of equity of the company has been provided by
the 11 Major Ports and 10% by the Rail Vikas Nigam
Limited.

Question 42

Q

9.3.7. JAWAHARLAL NEHRU PORT

Answer

A

 Jawaharlal Nehru Port becomes the first port in the country to implement logistics data tagging of
containers.
 It will help importers/exporters track their goods in transit through logistics data bank service.
 An RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Tag) tag would be attached to each container which would be
tracked through RIFD readers installed at different locations.
RFID
 Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags
attached to objects.
 The tags contain electronically stored information. Passive tags collect energy from a nearby RFID reader’s
interrogating radio waves.

Question 43

Q

9.3.8. SAGAR PURVI

Answer

A

 The Government of India has deployed the Coastal Research Vessel [CRV] Sagar Purvi to study about
ocean parameters along the coastal waters of India.
 CRV Sagar Purvi was deployed for implementing various programmes of Ministry of Earth Sciences such as:
 Monitoring of marine pollution levels
 conservation and management of coastal resources including coral reef
 Integrated Coastal and Marine Area Management (ICMAM)
 survey of the Exclusive Economic Zone of India (EEZ).

Question 44

Q

9.3.9. RO PAX FERRY SERVICE

Answer

A

 As part of promoting coastal shipping in the country under Sagarmala programme, the Ministry of
Shipping has sanctioned the Capital Dredging Project for Ro Pax Ferry Services between Gogha & Dahej, in
Gulf of Cambay in Gujarat.
 The project is first of its kinds in India as it will be executed in the area of world’s 2nd highest tidal range.
 It would also help in utilisation of inland waterways through River Narmada for shipping goods from
industries located upstream.

Question 45

Q

9.3.10. PARADIP INDUSTRIAL PORT CITY

Answer

A

 The port city of Paradip is to be develop as World Class Smart Industrial Port City.
 The rationale behind developing Paradip as a smart city is that:
 Paradip already have a Major Port and
 Strong mineral resource presence in the region

Question 46

Q

9.3.11. NEW MODEL CONCESSION AGREEMENT FOR PORT SECTOR

Answer

A

 The Ministry of Shipping has proposed a new Model Concession Agreement (MCA) for the Port Sector.
 The proposed MCA will replace the existing Model Concession Agreement which came into existence in
January, 2008.
 The salient changes proposed in the Revised Model Concession Agreements are:
 Change in equity holding to provide exit route
 Providing for refinancing provision in MCA
 Provision for mid-term review of concession
 Improved Utilization of Project Assets and Higher Productivity
 Grievance Redressal System
 Tariff Guidelines etc.

Question 47

Q

9.3.12. GREEN PORT INITIATIVE

Answer

A

 Ministry of Shipping has started ‘Project Green Ports’ to make major ports across India cleaner and
greener.
 Project Green Ports’ will have two verticals – one is ‘Green Ports Initiatives’ related to environmental
issues and second is ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan’.
 Under ‘Green Ports Initiatives’, 12 initiatives will be implemented

Question 48

Q

1. AVIATION SECTOR

9. 4.1. CIVIL AVIATION POLICY

Answer

A

Why in news?
The Union Cabinet recently cleared the Civil Aviation Policy in order to boost the domestic aviation sector and
provide passenger-friendly fares. This new policy aims at providing various benefits to domestic airline
passengers.
The Policy aims at
 India to become 3rd largest civil aviation market by 2022 from 9th.
 Domestic ticketing to grow from 8 crore in 2015 to 30 crore by 2022. To grow domestic passenger traffic
nearly four-fold to 300 million by 2022.
 Airports having scheduled commercial flights to increase from 77 in 2016 to 127 by 2019.
 Cargo volumes to increase by 4 times to 10 million tonnes by 2027.
 Enhancing ease of doing business through deregulation, simplified procedures and e-governance.
 Promoting ‘Make In India’ in Civil Aviation Sector.
 Ensuring availability of quality certified 3.3 lakh skilled
personnel by 2025.
Highlights of NCAP
 The cornerstones of the new civil aviation policy are
 competition
 consumers
 connectivity (within India and with the rest of the world)\
 investment-both from domestic and foreign investors
 Regional Connectivity Scheme (covered in subsequent section)
 Route Dispersal Guidelines (RDG)
 MoCA will categorize the air traffic routes into 3 categories.
 5/20 rule scrapped.
 Replaced with a scheme which provides a level playing field
 All airlines can now commence international operations provided
that they deploy 20 aircraft or 20% of total capacity, whichever is
higher for domestic operations.
 Bilateral Traffic Rights
 GoI will enter into ‘Open Sky’ ASA on a reciprocal basis with SAARC countries and countries located
beyond 5000 km from Delhi. i.e., these countries will have unlimited access, in terms of number of
flights and seats, to Indian airports, leading to increased flight frequencies with these countries.
 Ease of doing business
 A single window for all aviation related transactions, complaints, etc.
 More focus on ease-of-doing business as government plans to liberalize regime of regional flights.
 Permission for Indian carriers to get into code-sharing agreement with foreign carriers for any
destination within India.
 The earlier proposed 2% cess on all regional flights has been done away with. The cess was proposed
to collect funds to improve regional infrastructure.
 Infrastructure development
 Restoration of air strips at a maximum cost of Rs 50 crore through Airports Authority of India (AAI).
 Four Heli-hubs to be developed. Helicopter Emergency Medical Services to be facilitated
 Development of Greenfield and Brownfield airports by State government, private sector or in PPP
mode to be encouraged.
 Future tariffs at all airports will be calculated on a ‘hybrid till’basis
 Strategic partnership between Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Ministry of Civil
Aviation to boost skill initiatives in aviation sector.

Question 49

Q

9.4.2. REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY SCHEME ‘UDAN’

Answer

A

About
 UDAN is an innovative scheme to develop the regional aviation market. The objective of the scheme
was “Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik”.
Key Features
 UDAN will be applicable on flights which cover between 200 km and 800 km with no lower limit set for
hilly, remote, island and security sensitive regions.
 The scheme seeks to reserve a minimum number of UDAN seats i.e. seats at subsidized rates and also cap
the fare for short distance flights at Rs 1,200 for 30 minutes and Rs 2,500 for hour-long flights.
 This would be achieved through two means:
o A financial stimulus in the form of concessions from Central and State governments and airport
operators like tax concessions, exemptions from parking and landing charges etc.
o A Viability Gap Funding to the interested airlines to kick-off operations from such airports so that the
passenger fares are kept affordable.
 A Regional Connectivity Fund would be created to meet the VGF requirements under the scheme. The
RCF levy per departure will be applied to certain domestic flights along with 20% contribution from states.
 For balanced regional growth, the allocations under the scheme would be equitably spread across the five
geographical regions of the country viz. North, West, South, East and North-east.
 The selection of airports where UDAN operations would start would be done in consultation with State
Government and after confirmation of their concessions.
 The scheme UDAN envisages providing connectivity to un-served and under-served airports of the country
through revival of existing air-strips and airports as No-Frills Airports at an indicative cost of Rs.50 crore
to Rs100 crore
 The scheme would be in operation for a period of 10 years.

Question 50

Q

9.4.3. AIRSEWA PORTAL

Answer

A

Why in news?
Minister of Civil Aviation launched AirSewa portal to provide a hassle-free and comfortable air travel
experience to people.
Features
 It will be operated through an interactive web portal as well as
through a mobile app.
 The portal will include a mechanism for grievance redressal,
backoffice operations for grievance handling, flight
status/schedule information, airport Information and FAQs.
 AirSewa attempts to provide a systematic approach to
redressing passenger grievances by getting the various players
who are a part of the civil aviation ecosystem on to a common platform.
 Nodal officers have been selected for all stakeholder agencies who will address the grievance in a time
bound manner.
Airport information provided through the portal will include basic details and contact information regarding
airport services, such as wheelchair, transport / parking and Wi-Fi services.

Airports Authority of India
● It is a statutory body constituted in
1995.
● It is entrusted with the
responsibility of creating,
upgrading, maintaining and
managing civil aviation
infrastructure both on the ground
and air space in the country.

Question 51

Q

9.4.4. INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION NEGOTIATIONS (ICAN)

Answer

A

 ICAN – 2016 were held recently in Nassau.
 The major issues resolved by India were:
o Increase in traffic rights
o Open Skies agreement: allows unlimited number of flights to six metro airports namely Delhi,
Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Chennai, was signed with six countries namely Jamaica,
Guyana, Czech Republic, Finland, Spain and Sri Lanka.
o New Air Service Agreements were signed with Jamaica and Guyana.
o Code Shares: provide seamless connectivity to the travelling passengers and make possible
connectivity between far off destinations not served by direct flights.
 Open sky refers to an agreement between two countries to allow any number of airlines to fly from either
of them without any restriction on number of flights, number of destinations, number of seats, price and
so on. However, this is a general definition. In actual practice, there are always some restrictions.

Question 52

Q

1. ADDITIONAL TOPICS

9. 5.1. TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT POLICY

Answer

A

Why in News?
 To address the challenges of urbanization, the Ministry of Urban Development has come out with a Transit
Oriented Development (TOD) Policy.
Background
 Transit Oriented Development projects are already being
taken up in Ahmedabad, Delhi (Kakardooma), Naya Raipur,
Nagpur and Navi Mumbai.
 Current progress of Transit Oriented Development is seen in the fact that –
o Over 300 km of Metro lines are operational in seven cities and another 600 km of metro line projects
are under construction.
o Bus Rapid Transport Systems in 12 cities are under different stages of progress.
o Mass Rail Transit System of 380 km length is being taken up in Delhi.
About the Policy
 The city densification will be promoted along mass transit corridors
througho
Vertical building construction by enhancing Floor Area Ratio.
o Promotion of Non-motorized Transport for walking and cycling.
o Seamless integration of different transport modes with first and last
mile connectivity through feeder services.
 It seeks to enhance understanding of States and UTs on
TOD as a solution to rising urban challenges
 It is proposed to be financed by channelizing a part of
increases in property values after investments in transit
corridors through Betterment Levies and Value Capture
Financing.
 It also aims at inclusive development by having mixed
neighbourhood development with a range of housing
choices including affordable housing and ensuring spaces
for street vendors.
 States and UTs will be required to
o Incorporate TOD in the Master Plans and Development Plans.
o Identifying ‘Influence Zones’ from transit corridors for tapping revenue streams.

Transit Oriented Development
It enables people to live within walking or
cycling distance from transit corridors like
the Metros, Monorail and Bus Rapid Transit
(BRT) corridors.

Floor Area Ratio
It is the ratio of a building's
total floor area as
compared to the size of the
land upon which it is built.

Other policies to promote Transit Oriented
Development
 TOD is also being incentivized under two
more initiatives viz., Metro Policy and
Green Urban Mobility Scheme.
 Under the new Metro Policy, TOD has
been made mandatory while under Green
Urban Mobility Scheme, TOD is
recommended as an essential reform with
priority in central assistance.

Question 53

Q

9.5.2. PROJECT DISHA

Answer

A

Why in News?
 The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is using social media platform WhatsApp to issue directives to
airports for improving customer service.
What is Project Disha?
 AAI unveiled Project DISHA – Driving Improvement in Service and Hospitality at Airports – last year to
improve customer service.
 It was aimed at -
 Improving customer convenience
 Improving airport facilities such as toilets,
 Improving navigation
 Offering best and affordable food and beverages.
 The project is being implemented at 10 airports – Kolkata, Chennai, Lucknow, Varanasi, Bhubaneswar,
Pune, Goa, Guwahati, Coimbatore and Thiruvananthapuram.

Question 54

Q

9.5.3. INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING

Answer

A

Sports Sector Gets the Infrastructure Status
 Ministry of Finance after discussions with different agencies including RBI have decided that sports
infrastructure will be included under the Harmonized Master List of Infrastructure Subsectors.
 It includes the provision of Sports Stadia and Infrastructure for Academies for Training / Research in Sports
and Sports-related activities.
 Benefits
 It will now be eligible for obtaining long term financial support from banks and other financial
institutions.
 It will encourage private investment in a public good which has socio-economic externalities.
 It will bolster investment in sports infrastructure sector which will contribute to the economy,
promote health and fitness and will provide opportunities for employment.
 The country can become a sporting power in future.
Extra Budgetary Resources for Infrastructure
 The Union Cabinet has given its approval for raising a total of Rs. 31,300 crore in the financial year 2016-17
to augment infrastructure spending
 The move is intended to supplement the efforts of the Government to improve infrastructure spending
and to improve the revenue-capital mix of the expenditure for a more sustainable growth.

Question 55

Q

9.5.4. UNDER SEA CABLE TO LINK ANDAMAN

Answer

A

 Union Cabinet has approved a proposal for improving telecom connectivity in Andaman & Nicobar
Islands by connecting the union territory with Chennai via an undersea optical fibre cable at a cost of Rs.
1,102.38 crore.
 The dedicated submarine OFC will connect Mainland (Chennai) and Port Blair and five other islands- Little
Andaman, Car Nicobar, Havelock, Kamorta and Great Nicobar.
 Presently, the telecom connectivity is through satellites which is costly and has limited bandwidth.
 The connectivity would help in the socio-economic development of the islands.
o It would allow the implementation of e-governance initiatives, establishment of enterprises and ecommerce
facilities in the islands.
o It would also support the educational institutes for knowledge-sharing and availability of job
opportunities.

Question 56

Q

ENERGY

10. 1. COAL MITRA

Answer

A

Why in News?
 GoI launched Coal Mitra web portal to facilitate coal swapping among government and private firms.
 There is inadequate supply of fuel like coal and gas to power generating station. CIL supply is only 65% of
total requirement so most of demand is met through import thus escalating generation cost.
Key features
 It will show data on Operational parameters and financial health of each coal based station.
 Central/state power generating stations can use the portal to display information regarding norms fixed
for electricity charges, previous month variable charges of electricity and margin available for additional
generation for utilities to identify stations for transfer of coal.

Question 57

Q

10.2. URJA GANGA PROJECT

Answer

A

About
 Recently Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Urja Ganga, the highly ambitious gas
pipeline project in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
 It aims to provide piped cooking gas (PNG) to residents of the eastern region of the country and CNG gas
for the vehicles.
Key Features
 The project envisages laying a 2,050-km pipeline connecting Jagdishpur (UP) to Haldia (West Bengal) by
2018. It will include five states including UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha.
 The project is being implemented by state-run gas utility GAIL.
 Seven East India cities Varanasi, Jamshedpur, Patna, Ranchi, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack – will be the
major beneficiary of this network development.

Question 58

Q

10.3. RENEWABLE ENERGY CAPACITIES

Answer

A

 The renewable energy sector has for the first time surpassed hydro
power generation.
 According to the Central Electricity Authority data, the total capacity of
renewable energy sector increased to 42,849.38 MW, surpassing the
total capacity of hydro power sector at 42,783.42 MW, out of the
nation’s total installed capacity of a little over 3 lakh MW on April 30,
2016.

Power generation in India
Thermal- 69.3% in which coal
accounts for 60.8%.
Hydro - 14.0%
Nuclear- 1.9%
Renewable Source- 14.9%

Question 59

Q

1. SOLAR ENERGY

10. 4.1. NATIONAL SOLAR MISSION

Answer

A

 It is part of eight core mission of NAPCC.
 Recently targets has been revised upwards
 to generate 100 GW of solar power by the
year 2021-22.
 To generate 60 GW ground mounted gridconnected
solar power and 40 GW through
roof-top grid interactive solar power.
 The target for the current year is 2,000
MW and next year target is 12,000 MW.
Solar power potential in India
As per the study conducted by ministry of new and
renewable energy (MNRE), India’s solar power
potential is as high as 748 GW, against our country’s cumulative installed capacity from all sources at around 275 GW.

Solar power getting cheaper
 Solar panels made from materials called perovskites.
 Recent bids by companies such as SkyPower, SunEdison
were at Rs. 5-6/ unit which is very much comparable to
thermal power plants.
Less practical than conventional energy
 Solar energy works only when the sun is shining
 Solar systems do not operate efficiently during
monsoons or winters when there is fog.
 Blending of solar energy in the grid with thermal energy
– and that poses all sorts of practical problems.
 Capital costs of solar installation are also higher.
 Domestic manufacturing remains a weak link:
 Indian products are of low technology.
 Self-sufficiency is needed for success of Make in
India. Will save $42 billion in equipment imports by
2030 and create 50,000 direct jobs and at least
125,000 indirect jobs

Question 60

Q

10.4.2. INDIA LOST APPEAL IN WTO

Answer

A

 India had introduced a ‘buy-local’ provision under its National Solar Mission for large solar projects.
Under it the projects were entitled to subsidy and assured government procurement if the equipment was
manufactured locally.
 The World Trade Organization (WTO) had earlier this year ruled against this provision in order to remove
any disadvantage to imported solar equipment in India.
 As per WTO the local content requirements undermine our efforts to promote clean energy by requiring
the use of more expensive and less efficient equipment, making it more difficult for clean energy sources
to be cost-competitive
 India had filed an appeal before WTO on this issue. However, the appeal got dismissed recently.

Question 61

Q

10.4.3. “SURYAMITRA”

Answer

A

Who are Suryamitras?
Suryamitras are skilled technicians who can install, operate,
repair and maintain, provide servicing for solar powered
panels, solar power plants and equipment (For ex: solar
cookers, solar heaters, solar pumps etc.)
Suryamitra initiative
 “Suryamitra” is a residential program which is 100%
funded by Govt. of India and implemented by NISE across the country.
 MNRE set a target of 50,000 “Suryamitras” of skilled manpower in solar energy sector in next 3 years. As
on date more than 3,200 Suryamitra are trained under the program. The target for FY 2016-17 is to train
7,000 Suryamitra’s.
About National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE)
 An autonomous institution of Ministry of New and Renewable (MNRE), is the apex National R&D
institution in the field Solar Energy.

Suryamitra mobile app
 “Surya Mitra” is a GPS based mobile App
developed by National Institute of Solar
Energy (NISE).
 This App is a high-end technology
platform, which can handle thousands of
calls simultaneously and can efficiently
monitor all visits of Suryamitras.

Question 62

Q

10.4.4. CENTRE TO DOUBLE SOLAR PARK CAPACITY

Answer

A

Why in News?
 Cabinet has approved the doubling of solar park
capacity to 40,000 MW. New energy.
 State will identify the solar park developer and also the
land on which it would be built.
Eligibility of the scheme
 All the States and UTs are eligible for this scheme.
 Solar Energy Corporation India (SECI) will administer the scheme under Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy.

Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI)
 It is a not-for-profit company under Ministry of
New and Renewable Energy.
 It is currently the implementing agency of many
solar programs of government of India

Question 63

Q

1. NUCLEAR ENERGY

10. 5.1. ANDHRA PRADESH: COUNTRY’S NUCLEAR POWER HUB

Answer

A

 In Andhra Pradesh, six nuclear centres could be created, totaling thousands of megawatts in capacity
having both American and Russian participation in nuclear energy generation.
 If all the projects under consideration from Russia, the U.S. and NPCIL were to actually go through, Nuclear
Power Plants (NPPs) in Andhra could account for more than 30,000 MW of the Modi government’s goal of
63,000 MW installed capacity by 2031.
 The “American participation” of Toshiba-Westinghouse to set up 6 AP1000 reactors of 1,100 megawatts
each, planned in Gujarat’s MithiVirdi, could be moved to Andhra Pradesh due to “stiff protests from
farmers” during the land acquisition
 The State has planned its nuclear park in Kovvada where another U.S. company GE-Hitachi had also been
allocated a site to provide 6 Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactors (ESBWRs) of 1594 MW which has
gone slow due to doubts over the technology.
 Russian-owned Rosatomcould also will build its next phase of six reactors in Andhra Pradesh. The site for
the next set of six Russian reactors is believed to be Kavali in Nellore district, for which announcement
could be made during President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India in October.
 Another Russian project, to build 6 ‘VVER’ (Water-Water Energy) Reactors of 1000 MWe in West Bengal’s
Haripur may also be moved to Andhra Pradesh due to local protests.

Question 64

Q

10.5.2. NUCLEAR PLANTS INSURED

Answer

A

Why in news?
India’s first insurance policy covering public liability to an atomic
power plant operator has been issued to Nuclear Power Corporation
of India Ltd (NPCIL).
Background
 India has ratified the Convention on Supplementary
Compensation (CSC) for Nuclear Damage.
 Indian Nuclear Insurance Pool was launched by the state-owned
General Insurance Corporation-Reinsurer (GIC-Re) and other
Indian insurance companies in June, 2015.
 This pool offers an insurance product for NPCIL for covering the operator’s liability under the provisions of
the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (CLND) Act 2010.
 It provides for Rs. 1,500 crore as maximum liability for nuclear damage

 Nuclear Power Corporation of India
Limited (NPCIL) is a Public Sector
Enterprise under Department of
Atomic Energy
 NPCIL is responsible for design,
construction, commissioning and
operation of nuclear power
reactors.
 It is presently operating 21 nuclear
power reactors with an installed
capacity of 5780 MW.

Answer 65

A

 Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has announced come out with draft policy for 2nd generation
ethanol.
 In December 2014, the Cabinet had approved usage of non-food feedstocks besides molasses as source of
ethanol to be used for blending in fuel.
 The policy is for using resources other than molasses for producing ethanol, since there is a shortage of
molasses.
 Ministries of renewable energy and science and technology will find a way to produce second-generation
ethanol from biomass, bamboo, rice straw, wheat straw, and cotton straw etc. to power vehicles.

Answer 66

A

 India ranked 4th in the Global Wind Power Installed Capacity index with cumulative installed wind power
generation capacity of 25,088 MW in 2015.
 The index was released as part of Global Wind Report: Annual Market, flagship publication of the Global
Wind Energy Council (GWEC).
 The index was topped by China, followed by US and Germany with cumulative installed wind power
generation capacity of 145362 MW, 74471 MW and 44947 MW respectively.
 India has achieved the largest-ever wind power capacity addition of 3,423 MW in 2015-16, exceeding the
target by 44%.

Answer 67

A

 #Gas4India is a unified cross-country, multimedia, multi-event campaign to communicate the national,
social, economic and ecological benefits of using natural gas as the fuel of choice to every citizen.
 The campaign includes social engagement via Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, LinkedIn, and its official
blogsite, as well as hyper local, offline events to directly connect with consumers through discussions,
workshops and cultural events.

Answer 68

A

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi dedicated three flagship 800 MW Hydro Power Station of NTPC- Koldam,
520 MW Parvati Project of NHPC and 412 MW Rampur Hydro Station of SJVNL projects to the Nation in Mandi,
Himachal Pradesh.

Answer 69

A

Why in News?
 Tamil Nadu Govt. has signed a MoU with Ministry of Power, GOI for Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana.
 The state has also signed up for the “24X7 Power for All” initiative.
Background
 “24X7 PFA” aims to provide 24X7 power access in the
country anywhere any time by 2019.
 With TN signing the MoU, roadmap for all states except UP
have been finalized and under implementation.
 Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan were the first states to sign
up to provide 24X7 power.
 Rigorous analysis showed that the states lacked financial
viability to provide power for all.
 This led to the formation of UDAY, to replenish loss-making
DISCOMs (distribution companies).
 Apart from UDAY, the government has also launched several other initiatives in the past two years to
achieve 24X7 PFA such as UJALA (distribution of LED light bulbs), DDUGJY and IPDS.
 Allocations forDDUGJY (Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojna) and IPDS (Integrated Power
Development Scheme) have been increased by 25% in budget 2017-18 to achieve 24X7 PFA.

Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana
(DDUGJY)
 Flagship programme of power ministry to
facilitate 24*7 power supply esp in rural
area villages.
 It was launched in 2015 in Patna.
 Earlier scheme for rural electrification
called Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran
Yojana (RGGVY) has been subsumed in
this scheme.

Answer 70

A

Why in News?
 Power ministry launched GARV app to provide real time data about rural electrification in all (6 lakh)
villages of the country.
 Earlier GARV app only provided data about rural electrification regarding 18,452 unelectrified villages
while GARV II will provide real time data about all villages.
Key features of GARV APP
 Villages with more than 15 lakh habitation has been
mapped.
 It has a citizen engagement window called “SAMVAD”
through which people can provide their feedback and
suggestion which will be automatically forwarded to
concerned authorities.
 It will have a latest update on release of funds to states
sanctioned under DDUGJY.
 Progress of the various work will be updated on day to day
by implementing agencies of state government.

Meaning of Electrification of a Village
According to the definition of electrification
that came into effect from 2004-05, a village
would be declared electrified if,
 Basic infrastructure such as Distribution
Transformer and Distribution lines are
provided in the inhabited locality as well
as the Dalit Basti hamlet where it exists.
 Electricity is provided to public places like
Schools, Panchayat Office, Health Centers,
Dispensaries, Community centers etc.
 The number of households electrified
should be at least 10% of the total
number of households in the village.

Answer 71

A

Why in News?
 Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines launched TARANG
mobile app, e-trans and DEEP e-bidding portals.
 The portals have been launched with the objective to bring transparency in the power transmission
sector of the country.
TARANG (mobile app and web portal)
 It stands for Transmission App for Real Time Monitoring and Growth.
 It will act as a monitoring tool to track upcoming projects.
 It will also monitor Green Energy Corridors.
E-trans
 It is web platform for e-bidding and e-reverse auction for Tariff Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB) for
transmission projects.
 Reverse auction is also being introduced in the transmission sector with e-trans.
DEEP (Discovery of Efficient Electricity Price)
 It is an e-bidding portal for medium term (1-5 years) purchase of power.
 It will provide a common e-bidding platform with e-reverse auction facility to facilitate nation-wide power
procurement through a wider network.

Answer 72

A

Why in news?
 Central Electricity Authority released the draft National Electricity Plan (generation).
Key features of the draft Plan
 The document assumes capacity addition from gas at 4,340 MW,
hydro at 15,330 MW, nuclear at 2,800 MW and renewable
sources at 115,326 MW as committed capacity during 2017-22.
 For the period 2022-27, priority has been given to development
of hydro and nuclear based projects for power generation.
 Coal based capacity addition will not be required in this period,
as a capacity of 50 GW is already under construction against a
requirement of 44 GW.
 It said that the renewable energy generation will contribute about 20.3 per cent and 24.2 per cent of the
total energy requirement in 2021-22 and 2026-27, respectively.
 It scaled down India’s peak power demand over the next 10 years than the corresponding projections
made by 18th Electric Power Survey (EPS) report due to energy conservation measures.

 Central Electricity Authority (CEA):
It is a statutory organization under
the Electricity Act, 2003.
 It is required to prepare a
National Electricity Plan in
accordance with the National
Electricity Policy.

Answer 73

A

 The government used to plan generation with deficit of power in the past in its LGBRs, which are brought
out every year to project electricity demand and supply situation.
 The report covers the month-wise anticipated energy requirement and availability as well as peak demand
and availability for the year against an all India annual generation target.
 The LGBR is finalised by the Central Electricity Authority and approved by the Power Ministry after
detailed discussions with the States/ utilities and Central/State/Private generation companies.

Answer 74

A

Why in News?
 Under the Draft Energy Savings
Certificates regulations, Central
Electricity Regulatory Commission
(CERC) has approved the trading of
ESCs on power exchanges.
Proposal
 The Power System Operation
Corporation Limited has to perform the
role of registry of the ESCs.
 The Bureau of Energy Efficiency has
been assigned the role of administrator
for exchange of ESCs.
 CERC will supervise and approve the
procedures as framed by the
Administrator from time to time. It
would also exercise market oversight
over the power markets.

Perform Achieve and Trade scheme
 It is a scheme under the National Mission on Enhanced
Energy Efficiency.
 It was introduced as an instrument to reducing specific energy
consumption in energy-intensive industries.
 It is aimed at major industries like thermal power, fertilizer,
cement etc.
 It is a market-based mechanism that allows the trading of
ESCerts (energy saving Certificate)
o ESCerts were introduced in 2013 by the Bureau of Energy
Efficiency (BEE) for industries which achieved energy
efficiency standards.
o They are issued by BEE or Ministry of Power.
o One certificate is equal to the energy consumed in terms
of one metric tonne of oil equivalent (mtoe).

Renewable Energy Certificates:
 It addresses the mismatch between availability of Renewable
Energy sources and mandatory Renewable Purchase
Obligations.
 Its value is equivalent to 1 MWh of electricity injected from
renewable energy sources

Answer 75

A

 The Bureau of Energy Efficiency initiated the Standards & Labeling programme for equipment and
appliances in 2006
 The scheme is invoked for 21 equipment/appliances including 7 for which it is mandatory.
 The equipment/appliances are given a star rating of one to five; five stars being the most energy efficient.
 Some of the equipment/appliances covered under this programme include frost free (no frost)
refrigerators, tubular fluorescent lamps (TFLs), room air-conditioners, direct cool refrigerators, distribution
transformers, induction motors, pump sets, ceiling fans, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stoves, electric
geysers, ballasts, computers, office equipment, and colour televisions .

Answer 76

A

Energy Efficient Fans Programme (EEFP)
 Under this programme, 50 watt fans are provided by EESL at Rs. 1,150 per unit on upfront payment, or at
total of Rs. 1,200, if taken on equated monthly instalments (EMI).
 The EMI is adjusted against electricity bills of consumers.
Energy Efficient Agriculture Pumps Programme
 It is launched by EESL to replace the old and inefficient pump sets of farmers free of cost.
 EESL would also provide smart control panels to enhance the ease of operation of pumps by the farmers.
 The energy efficient pumps, which are 4 or 5 star rated, ensure a minimum of 30% reduction in energy
consumption.

Answer 77

A

 It will be the integrated headquarters building for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
 At present the office of MNRE is located in three different building blocks at CGO Complex with its current
strength of about 400 officials.
 It would be a state-of- the art, Net-Zero-Energy Green Building designed on the concept of Solar Passive
Architecture.
 This interactive and use-responsive building will have an Urja pavilion showcasing Renewable Energy
systems and devices.

Answer 78

A

 It is the World’s Largest Street Light Replacement Programme, which is being implemented by the Energy
Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture under the Ministry of Power, Government of India.
 The SLNP was launched in January 2015.
 Under the programme around 3.5 crore conventional street lights will be replaced with smart and energy
efficient LED street lights by March 2019.
 Rajasthan was the first state to adopt this scheme.

Answer 79

A

 Union Government on 1 April 2015 launched Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric
vehicles (FAME) – India Scheme.
 The scheme was launched as part of the National Mission for Electric Mobility to boost eco-friendly
vehicles sales in the country.
 Objective- to support the hybrid or electric vehicles market development and its manufacturing ecosystem
in the country in order to achieve self-sustenance in stipulated period.
 The overall scheme is proposed to be implemented over a period next 6 years i.e. till 2020.
 It will be implemented in phases. The Phase-1 will be implemented over a two year period in FY15-16 and
FY16-17.
 Four focus areas of scheme- Technology development, Pilot Projects, Demand Creation and Charging
Infrastructure.
 The Department of Heavy Industries under the aegis of Union Ministry of Heavy Industries will be will be
nodal department for the scheme

Answer 80

A

 India was on 131 rank in the latest UNDP report on account of rise in life expectancy and per capita
income.
 The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of
human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable and have a decent standard of living.
 The HDI is the geometric mean of normalized indices for each of the three dimensions.

Answer 81

A

This index was launched by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Bertelsmann
Stiftung
 It is a report for tracking SDG progress and ensuring accountability by identifying priorities for early action.
 India has ranked a low 110 out of 149 nations assessed whereas Sweden has topped.
 The index shows all countries face major challenges in achieving these ambitious goals.
 The countries which are closest to fulfilling the goals are not the biggest economies but comparably small,
developed countries

Answer 82

A

 This index is published by Geneva based World Economic Forum.
 It ranks 130 countries on how well they are developing and deploying their talent.
 The index takes a life-course approach to human capital, evaluating the levels of education, skills and
employment available to people in five distinct age groups, starting from under 15 years to over 65 years.
 This year’s edition also explores new data sources to reveal fresh insights on skills diversity, the gig
economy and talent mobility.
 India is ranked low at 105th position globally in the index which was topped by Finland

Answer 83

A

 It is a study by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
 India ranks a low 39th in terms of fixed broadband adoption among Asia Pacific countries in 2015. Only 1.3
per cent of India’s citizens subscribe to fixed broadband service
About ESCAP
 It is the regional development arm of the United Nations for the Asia-Pacific region. It involves 53 Member
States and 9 Associate Members.
 It provides the most comprehensive multilateral platform for promoting cooperation among member
States to achieve inclusive and sustainable economic and social development in Asia and the Pacific.

Answer 84

A

 It is released by India’s leading public policy think tank, Centre for Civil Society in collaboration with
Canada’s Fraser Institute.
 It measures the degree of economic freedom in countries in five broad areas.
 The report is based on data from 2014
 India has slipped 10 positions in the Index in 2016. Hong Kong topped the index, followed by Singapore
and New Zealand.

Answer 85

A

 It is released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC).
 India remains near the bottom in 2017 index also with a rank of 43 out of 45 countries (only above
Pakistan and Venezuela)
 The index is based on 30 criteria including patent, copyright and trademark protections, enforcement, and
engagement in international treaties.

Answer 86

A

 It was released by World Economic Forum in its ‘Inclusive Growth and Development Report 2017’
 India has been ranked 60th among 79 developing economies, below neighboring China and Pakistan, with
Lithuania topping the list
 The Inclusive Development Index (IDI) is based on 12 performance indicators and three pillars —
o Growth and Development
o Inclusion and Intergenerational Equity
o Sustainability
 IDI scores are based on a scale of 1-7. Advanced and developing economy IDI scores are not strictly
comparable due to different definitions of poverty.

Answer 87

A

Why in News?
The World Economic Forum, NITI Aayog, the World
Intellectual Property Organization and the Cornell
University will work together to develop an India
Innovation Index.
More about India Innovation Index
 It will be a “first-of-its-kind online platform” where
Global Innovation Index (GII) indicators and Indiacentric
data from various states will be updated
periodically.
 The index will measure and rank the innovation performance of all Indian states
 It will be structured based on the best practices followed in Global Innovation Index (GII) indicators and
additionally by adding India-centric parameters those truly reflect the Indian innovation ecosystem.
 The index will be based on key pillars of innovation and sub-indices that together will assist in tailoring
policies that promote inclusive growth.
 The pillars include the strength of institutions, capacity of human capital and research, supporting
infrastructure and the level of business sophistication, among others.
 The first ranking is expected to be released at the India Economic Summit in New Delhi on October 4-6,
2017.

GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX
 GII is co-published by World-Intellectual
Property Organization (WIPO), Cornell
University and INSEAD with CII as a Knowledge
Partner
 Since inception in 2007, it has been ranking
world economies according to their innovation
capabilities and outcomes using 82 indicators
among a host of other important parameters
 India currently ranks 66th out of 128 countries
on the Global innovation Index (GII) 2016.

Answer 88

A

 The World Bank ranks the economies on their ease of doing business.
 A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting
and operation of a local firm.
 The rankings are determined by sorting the
aggregate distance to frontier scores on 10
topics, each consisting of several indicators,
giving equal weight to each topic.
 India has ranked poorly on this ranking for past
few years. In the recent rankings for 2017, it has
moved one rank up to the 130th position..

Answer 89

A

 One of the reason for improvement in EoDB rankings is launch of SWIFT (Single Window Interface for
Facilitating Trade)
What is SWIFT?
 Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) launched SWIFT on 1st April, 2016 as one of the initiative to
facilitate trade and improve ease of doing business.
 SWIFT enables importers/exporters to file a common electronic integrated declaration on ICEGATE (Indian
Customs Electronic Commerce/Electronic Data Interchange Gateway)
 The integrated declaration compiles the information required for Customs, FSSAI, Plant Quarantine,
Animal Quarantine, Drug Controller, Wild Life Control Bureau and Textile Committee

Answer 90

A

 India was placed at 91st position in the recently released 2016 Networked Readiness Index (NRI) by the
Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF).
 It measures countries’ success in creating the necessary conditions for a transition to a digitised economy
and society.
About WEF
 It was established in 1971 as a not-for-profit foundation and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
 The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional
and industry agendas.

Answer 91

A

 The present index is produced by the U.S.-based Heritage Foundation in conjunction with the Wall Street
Journal.
 The index is a measure of economic prosperity on per capita GDP basis.
 The 2016 report of the Economic Freedom of the World has placed India at 112th position out of 159
countries, a slip of 10 positions from previous year.
 Essentially, economic freedom is dependent on the following broad dimensions: Security of privatelyowned
property, levels of personal choice, ability to enter markets and the rule of law.

Answer 92

A

Why in news
India’s position improved to 39th rank in the World Economic Forum’s latest Global Competitiveness Index.
Key facts
 India improved 16 places to 39, making it the fastest riser up the ranks among 138 countries surveyed.
 India’s competitiveness improved across the board, particularly in goods market efficiency (60), business
sophistication (35) and innovation (29).
 India is also the second most competitive country among BRICS nations (China on 28th).

Answer 93

A

Why in News?
 International Labour Organization recently released the World Employment and Social Outlook-Trends
2016 Report.
Findings of the Report
 It predicts that the number of jobless in India will increase from
17.7 million in 2016 to 18 million by 2018. It also predicts the
employment rate to go down from 3.5% to 3.4% in 2017.
 The report included predictions related to ‘vulnerable
employment’.
About International Labour Organization
 It was established in 1919 as a part of Treaty of Versailles post WWI. It is the only tripartite UN agency,
brings together governments, employers and workers of member states.
 Its aim is to set labour standards, policies and programmes to promote decent work for all women and
men.
 India is the founding member of ILO.
 It has three main bodies:
o International Labour Conference– It sets the labour standards and broad policies.
o Governing Body– It is the executive body taking the final decisions.
o International Labour Office– It is the permanent secretariat of ILO supervised by Governing Body.

Vulnerable Employment
 As per ILO, vulnerable employment
covers the own account workers
and unpaid family workers.
 They most likely lack decent
working conditions, social security
or any representation in unions

Answer 94

A

 WTO has introduced a new World Trade Outlook Indicator (WTOI) to provide “real time” information on
trends in global trade.
 The WTOI gives a headline figure to show performance against trend.
 A reading of 100 would indicate trade growth in line with recent trends, a reading greater than 100 would
suggest above trend growth, while a reading below 100 indicates below trend growth.
 The WTOI will be updated on a quarterly basis.

Answer 95

A

Why in news?
UN Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has released the World Investment Report 2016.
About UNCTAD
 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is the principal organ of the United
Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues. The organization’s
goals are to: “maximize the trade, investment and development opportunities of developing countries.”
 It organizes: World Investment Forum
 It publishes reports like:
 World Investment Report
 Technology and Innovation Report

Answer 96

A

 In the Global Retail Development Index (GRDI), released by AT Kearney, India jumped 13 positions and was
placed second in retail potential in the 2016.
 30 developing countries were profiled to analyses them on 25 macroeconomic and retail-specific
variables, to identify the markets attractive today, and those with future potential.
 The report thus helps retailers devise successful global strategies to identify emerging market investment
opportunities.
 According to the report, India’s retail sector expanded at a compound annual growth rate of 8.8%
between 2013 and 2015, domestic funding from independent and unorganized retail markets drove most
of it.
 E-commerce is propelling India’s growth and it is the world’s second largest internet market

Answer 97

A

Why in news?
The World Bank Group recently launched its bi-annual report ‘connecting to Compete 2016: Trade Logistics in
the Global Economy’.
What is Logistics Performance Index (LPI)?
LPI is a measure that captures the relative ease and efficiency with which products can be moved into and
within a country.
Salient Points
 India has improved its ranking, from 54th in 2014 to 35th in 2016.
 LPI captures the extent of costs and inefficiency in moving goods internally, especially across states where
internal barriers are known to exist.

Answer 98

A

The Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report (APTIR) is an annual publication of Trade, Investment and
Innovation Division of United Nations ESCAP.
 This report helps to understand trends and developments in trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific
region

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