Table of Contents
Financial News
- November 30 to December 3: Ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization
- A draft text aimed at reducing global fisheries subsidies has diluted India’s proposal.
- Intense clause-by-clause negotiations can be expected
- Special and differential treatment (S&DT) for developing countries
- Flexibilities under the S&DT principle include
- longer time periods to implement agreements and commitments
- measures to increase trade opportunities
- provisions to protect trade interests
- support to build capacity to handle disputes
- implement technical standards
- As per the draft text, developing countries with less than 0.7% of global marine capture production can give subsidies for fishing and fishing-related activities within their exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
- India had proposed a moratorium for 25 years on subsidies provided by distant water fishing nations for activities beyond their EEZ .
- The Indian economy likely grew 8.3% in the second quarter of the current fiscal year
- The estimate of GDP growth for the July-September quarter ranged from 6.5% to 9.9%.
- The growth was aided by a strong base effect from the year ago, when the economy contracted 7.4%, the Covid vaccine rampup, faster government spending and improved consumption, economists said.
- The recovery, they cautioned, is fragile and high global commodity prices, especially oil and domestic coal shortages, could act as a drag.
- Economists said the third quarter will show the strength of the recovery and whether growth momentum will be sustained after the festive season.
- The formal sector has done well while the informal sector has shrunk and is yet to recover.
Caught in the crossfire | TH
- An Indian fisherman was killed in firing by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) off the Gujarat coast on November 7.
- This is the first such killing by the PMSA in the last six years though conflicts over fishing rights are not infrequent along the International Maritime Boundary Line between the two countries.
- Six other fishermen have reportedly been detained, while one injured person managed to return to Indian shores.
- India has termed Pakistan’s action deplorable and “in contravention to all established international practices and bilateral understandings”.
- According to the Gujarat government, a total of 345 fishermen from the State were lodged in Pakistan jails as on December 2020.
- In April 2020, Pakistani forces opened fire on two boats off the Gujarat coast injuring one person, and in 2019 they sunk an Indian boat in which six of seven fishermen onboard were rescued.
- According to the National Fishworkers Forum, there are 558 Indian fishermen in Pakistani jails, and 74 from Pakistan in Indian prisons.
- The Forum calculates that 1,200 Indian fishing vessels are in Pakistan’s custody.
- Only 295 of the 558 prisoners in Pakistan could have their nationality verified.
- In 2007, both countries formed a joint judicial committee comprising eight retired judges — four each from India and Pakistan — to facilitate the exchange of civilian prisoners.
- The mechanism has been defunct since 2013, and attempts to revive it in 2018 did not bear fruit.
- Pakistan has aggressively sponsored violence in India, and terrorists trained by its agencies sailed in a hijacked Indian fishing boat in 2008 to Mumbai.
Burning Problem | ToI
- The Maharashtra government has initiated disciplinary action against medical staff in connection with a fire last week in the ICU of a hospital in Ahmednagar that led to the tragic loss of 11 lives.
- In 2019, India recorded 10,915 deaths due to fire accidents.
- Most fire-related fatalities happen in residential buildings; 58% of the fatalities in 2019.
- By way of contrast, around 2% fatalities were in factories.
- A National Building Code (NBC) sets out elaborate guidelines here, including those for fire safety.
- Anecdotal evidence suggests it’s more honoured in the breach than in observance.
- For example, NBC requires all buildings over 15 metres to carry out a fire safety audit once in two years by an independent entity.
- Fire safety personnel point out that many accidents arise from electrical short-circuits because of substandard wires and circuit breakers.
- Fire safety operations in urban India often fall under municipalities, a tier of governance that is particularly weak.
- In 2018, India was well short of its requirements on three key parameters: fire stations, manpower and vehicles with relevant appliances.
- India had only 39% of the 8,559 fire stations needed.
- There were barely 10 people for every 100 needed and about 22 vehicles for 100 assessed as the requirement.
- We can learn from the US, which in 2017 reported over a million fire incidents.
- High safety standards ensured that fatalities were restricted to one for a population of a lakh, a level lower than many other countries.
Supreme leader | Pioneer
- Being the “core” of no less than the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has its advantages.
- President Xi Jinping gets to write a resolution at the end of the 19th Central Committee that will chart the course of China for the next 28 years.
- The first one — the Resolution on Certain Issues in the History of the CPC — was issued in April 1945, four years before the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and just before the victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), as well as World War II.
- The Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of the CPC Since the Founding of the People’s Republic of China — was issued in 1981, nearly three years after the beginning of the reforms and opening-up and five years after the end of the 1976 Cultural Revolution.
- The third resolution, to be drafted under Xi’s leadership, is to be titled, “Resolution on Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party’s Centuries of Struggle”.
- There is nothing left for Xi to achieve other than moulding China into the country of his dreams.
- The Chinese leadership succession may remain vague for years to come until Xi is in the chair.
- 68 is the customary retirement age for the CCP’s top leaders.
- The fourth resolution may come in 2047 or 2052, two years before or three years after the 100th anniversary of the formation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.
NEWS
- President Ram Nath Kovind confers Padma Awards for year 2021
- Delhi Regional Security Dialogue, convened by India over Afghanistan situation, to be held today in New Delhi
- India to achieve service export target of one trillion dollars by 2030, says Union Minister Piyush Goyal
- Over 109 crore 12 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses administered so far under Nationwide Vaccination Drive
- Election Commission announces biennial elections to Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh Legislative Councils
- 96 countries have agreed to Mutual Acceptance of Vaccination Certificates with India, says Mansukh Mandaviya
- Govt procures 209.52 lakh tonnes of Paddy in Kharif Marketing Season till 8th Nov
- DRDO signs Bilateral Innovation Agreement with Israel for the development of dual use technologies
- Domestic air passenger traffic rises 67 percent to 88 lakh in October, says ICRA
- President Kovind extends greetings to citizens on eve of Chhath Puja
- Heavy snow hits northern China, houses damaged, roads blocked
- Bangladesh liberation war fighter Quazi Sajjad Ali Zahir and archeologist Dr. Enamul Haque receive Padma Shri in Delhi
- Former Bangladesh Chief Justice S K Sinha sentenced to 11 years jail term in graft case
ANS
Q.) Ahoms is a major community of which Indian State?
- West Bengal
- Assam
- Tripura
- Mizoram
MCQs
Q.) Indian Government has decided to lift its ban on which Italian defene firm that was involved in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal?
- Leonardo
- Dassault
- Thales
- Alenia
Download Free PDF – Daily Hindu Editorial Analysis
WhatsApp