The Hindu Editorial Analysis | 15th September ’21

Table of Contents

Big Lesson From Small Nation | ToI

In 2015 – India decided to promote mobile phone industry through import substitution.
Imports of telephones had risen from $3.2 billion in 2009 to $7.5 billion in 2014 and have fallen to $2.2 billion in 2020.
Alongside, exports had fallen from $3.5 billion in 2009 to $0.6 billion in 2014 and have risen to $3.0 billion in 2020.
Vietnam – a country less than one-tenth of India’s size
From just $0.9 billion in 2009, its telephone exports rose to $21.5 billion in 2014 and to $31.2 billion in 2020.
Its electronic goods exports stood at $122 billion in 2020 against India’s $12.8 billion.
Vietnam has FTA with China, EU and every single Asian country of any significance.

In today’s world of crisscrossing supply chains, even small tariffs can have big effects.
The iPhone contains 1,600 components supplied by approximately 200 firms spread over 43 countries.
FTAs among countries playing host to suppliers eliminate customs duty problem.
Suppose, absent any custom duties, landed cost of an imported smartphone is $100 and that of all components contained in it $90.
Local manufacturers able to assemble the components into a smartphone at a cost of $10 per handset or less can then compete against imports.
Suppose next that the government imposes a custom duty of 20%.
This raises the cost of an imported smartphone to $120.
“Phased Manufacturing Programme” (PMP)
Assume this is done via a 20% custom duty on all components.
The tariff would undoubtedly encourage domestic production of components but it would also raise the cost of components for producers assembling them into smartphones by $18 per handset.
But no government would allow them to go under lest its policy be judged a failure.

Positive climate | TH

India is third highest emitter of greenhouse gases
Mitigate carbon emissions under the Paris Agreement
Irrefutable claim to a big part of the remaining global carbon budget
Room for manoeuvring has shrunk
NET ZERO — removing as much GHGs as it emits
2050: USA and EU
2060: China
U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, with the promise of financing and technology to make renewable energy the core of future development.
Facilitating funding for 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030
COP26 conference in November
Union Environment Ministry declared that the country had achieved 21% of its 33%-35% target to cut emissions intensity of GDP by 2030, and, similarly, was generating 37.9% of the 40% of power from renewables.
The Paris Agreement can easily fund much-needed urban retrofitting and boost employment.
For a low-emissions future, policies must put nature at the centre.

Partners in the Indo-Pacific | TH

India’s Defence Minister and External Affairs Minister held the inaugural ‘2+2’ talks with their Australian counterparts.
Peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region
India and Australia have completed one year of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and their bond is deepening.

There is a growing convergence of views on geo-strategic and geo-economic issues backed by a robust people-to-people connection.
Both countries have stepped up collaborations through institutions and organisations on many issues in bilateral, trilateral, plurilateral and multilateral formats.
Further, elevation of their ‘2+2’ Foreign and Defence Secretaries’ Dialogue to the ministerial level emphasises the positive trajectory of their transforming relations.
The Malabar naval exercise by the Quad (Australia, India, Japan, the U.S.)
Two-way trade between them was valued at $24.4 billion in 2020.
Agribusiness, infrastructure, healthcare, energy and mining, education, artificial intelligence, big data and fintech
ndia has a high tariff for agriculture and dairy products which makes it difficult for Australian exporters to export these items to India.
At the same time, India faces non-tariff barriers and its skilled professionals in the Australian labour market face discrimination.
Beyond bilateralism, both countries are also entering into partnerships with like-minded countries, including Indonesia, Japan and France, in a trilateral framework.
‘Quad+’ framework

Not So Neat | ToI

The fresh Tamil Nadu legislation nullifying NEET addresses DMK’s electoral promise to voters.
The bill, however, requires central assent to become law, which is unlikely to come.
The plight of students appearing for multiple entrance tests by various state governments and public/ private colleges and myriad criteria for admission had made NEET look a more elegant solution.
TN had discontinued its entrance examination in 2006-07, to facilitate inclusion of disadvantaged communities.
TN now worries that urbanites predominantly securing admission in government medical colleges will shy away from rural postings and weaken its public health system.
TN government-appointed Justice AK Rajan committee’s findings that in 2015-16, before NEET, 62.8% students hailed from rural areas and this had dwindled to 48% by 2018-19.
The panel also found substantial reduction in the percentage of first-generation learners, those with household income below Rs 2.5 lakh and those schooled in state boards.
Government-run coaching centres are another TN-innovation to meet the NEET challenge.
Candidates with abysmally low marks in physics and chemistry in NEET are getting admission to private colleges through management and NRI quotas, while high fees excludes ordinary students.
PM Modi lays foundation stone of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh State University in Aligarh; Says India is acquiring new identity of important defence exporter
Vice President, Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker to jointly launch Sansad TV this evening
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to chair All India Presiding Officers’ Conference today
Delhi Police busts Pakistan-organised terror module planning attacks in Delhi, UP, Maharashtra during festival season

NEWS

Over 75.81 crore doses of Covid vaccine administered in country so far
Tropical storm Nicholas downgraded from hurricane after making landfall on Texas coast
Last date for nominations for Padma Awards 2022 is Sep 15
India assures ASEAN partners of its support in its recovery efforts in post pandemic period
Dr Jitendra Singh calls for greater Indo-US cooperation in the field of clean, green energy
IIT-Bombay launches ‘Project Udaan’, that enables translation of textbooks and other study material
India, UK aim for launching negotiations on free trade agreements by Nov 1, 2021
Six killed in ambush on Burkina Faso military convoy
India’s UPI and Singapore’s PayNow will be linked by July 2022

Q.) What is the source of fossil fuels for Norway?

North Sea
Atlantic Sea
Mediterranean Sea
Pacific Ocean

Q.) Name the NGO that has taken the government to court for suspending its FCRA licence, and won temporary relief in the Delhi High Court in allowing it to access 25% of its funds.