Daily PIB Analysis For UPSC/IAS | 14th Feb 19

Table of Contents

Ministry of Commerce & Industry

Index Numbers of Wholesale Price in India (Base: 2011- 12=100) Review for the month of January, 2019 The official Wholesale Price Index for ‘All Commodities’ (Base: 2011-12=100) for the month of January, 2019 declined by 0.7 percent to 119.2 (provisional) from 120.1 (provisional) for the previous month

INFLATION

The annual rate of inflation, based on monthly WPI, stood at 2.76% (provisional) for the month of January, 2019 (over January, 2018) as compared to 3.80% (provisional) for the previous month and 3.02% during the corresponding month of the previous year. Build up inflation rate in the financial year so far was 2.49% compared to a build up rate of 2.47% in the corresponding period of the previous year. PRIMARY ARTICLES (Weight 22.62%)
The index for this major group declined by 0.1 percent to 134.5 (provisional) from 134.7 (provisional) for the previous month. The groups and items which showed variations during the month are as follows:
The index for ‘Food Articles’ group rose by 0.1 percent to 144.1 (provisional) from 144.0 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of betel leaves (13%), maize and fish-marine (6% each), ragi (5%), bajra and egg (4% each), coffee, arhar and barley (3% each), moong and masur (2% each) and wheat, pork, poultry chicken, jowar and gram (1% each). However, the price of peas/chawali (11%), tea (6%), fruits & vegetables (2%) and rajma (1%) declined.
The index for ‘Non-Food Articles’ group rose by 0.8 percent to 125.5 (provisional) from 124.5 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of copra (coconut) (6%), soyabean, raw jute and raw silk (5% each), raw rubber and floriculture (3% each) and fodder, gingelly seed, sunflower, skins (raw), hides (raw), linseed and groundnut seed (1% each). However, the price of raw cotton (3%), castor seed and guar seed (2% each) and rape & mustard seed (1%) declined.
The index for ‘Minerals’ group rose by 7.8 percent to 151.4 (provisional) from 140.4 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of zinc concentrate (44%), sillimanite (19%), copper concentrate (16%), limestone (3%) and lead concentrate (1%). However, the price of garnet (15%), manganese ore (3%) and iron ore (2%) declined.
The index for ‘Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas’ group declined by 9.2 percent to 83.3 (provisional) from 91.7 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of crude petroleum (14%). However, the price of natural gas (3%) moved up.

FUEL & POWER (Weight 13.15%)

The index for this major group declined by 4.1 percent to 99.3 (provisional) from 103.5 (provisional) for the previous month. The groups and items which showed variations during the month are as follows:- • The index for ‘Coal’ group rose by 0.2 percent to 123.6 (provisional) from 123.4 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of coking coal (1%).
The index for ‘Mineral Oils’ group declined by 6.7 percent to 88.4 (provisional) from 94.7 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of ATF and furnace oil (16% each), bitumen (15%), LPG (14%), naphtha (8%), kerosene (5%), petrol and HSD (4% each). However, the price of petroleum coke (1%) moved up. • The index for ‘Electricity’ group declined by 1.5 percent to 110.7 (provisional) from 112.4 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of electricity (2%).

MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS (Weight 64.23%)

The index for this major group declined by 0.3 percent to 117.9 (provisional) from 118.3 (provisional) for the previous month. The groups and items which showed variations during the month are as follows:- WPI FOOD INDEX (Weight 24.38%)
The rate of inflation based on WPI Food Index consisting of ‘Food Articles’ from Primary Articles group and ‘Food Product’ from Manufactured Products group increased from 0.07% in December, 2018 to 1.84% in January, 2019.

FINAL INDEX FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER, 2018

(BASE YEAR: 2011-12=100)

For the month of November, 2018, the final Wholesale Price Index for ‘All Commodities’ (Base: 2011-12=100) stood at 121.6 as compared to 121.8 (provisional) and annual rate of inflation based on final index stood at 4.47 percent as compared to 4.64 percent (provisional) respectively as reported on 14.12.2018.

Cabinet

Cabinet approves MoU between India and Morocco for setting up of a Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism Cabinet Cabinet approves Memorandum of Understanding between India and Finland on Cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of outer space

Cabinet

Cabinet approves Extension of tenure of the National Commission for Safai Karmacharis beyond 31.3.2019 for three years National Commission for Safai Karmacharis(NCSK) beyond 31.3.2019 for three years. Salient Features: The NCSK was established in the year 1993 as per the provisions of the NCSK Act 1993 initially for the period upto 31.3.1997. Later the validity of the Act was initially extended upto 31.3.2002 and thereafter upto 29.2.2004. The NCSK Act ceased to have effect from 29.2.2004. After that the tenure of the NCSK has been extended as a non-statutory body from time to time. The tenure of the present Commission is upto 31.3.2019.

Cabinet

Cabinet approves Introduction of Registration of Marriage of NRI Bill 2019 for creating more accountability and offering more protection against exploitation of Indian citizens, mostly women by their NRI spouses. Details: The Bill provides for amendment of the legal framework to act as a deterrent to the erring NRI spouses and creating more accountability and offer protection against exploitation of Indian Citizens married to NRIs. Once the Bill is passed, marriages performed by NRIs would be registered in India or Indian Missions & Posts abroad, and necessary changes would be carried out in the Passports Act, 1967; and
Code of Criminal Procedure 1973 by insertion of Section 86A.

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)

Cabinet approves partial modification of CCEA’s earlier decision for allowing all eligible Central Public Sector Enterprises and private sector entities to participate in the bidding for the Strategic Disinvestment of Engineering Projects (India) Limited Partial modification of the CCEA’s decision dated October, 2016 by allowing all eligible Central Public Sector Enterprises (EPSEs) and private sector entities to participate in the bidding for the strategic disinvestment of Engineering Projects (India) Limited (EPIL). Earlier CCEA in its meeting held on October, 2016 had given in-principle approval for strategic disinvestment of 100% shareholding of Government of India in EPIL through merger with a similarly placed CPSE. The modification would promote competition in the bidding process and may result in higher yield to the Government of India.
EPI was incorporated in 1970 as A Government of India Enterprise under the administrative control of Department of Heavy Industry.
Since then, EPI has admirably performed its assigned roles as the country’s leading Prime Contracting Company and has left its imprint not only in India but in the overseas market as well where its past operation spread over a decade in the wake of oil boom in the Middle East
.EPI successfully executed 31 odd projects valued over US$ 1036.856 million in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Yugoslavia, Maldives, Bhutan, Thailand and Oman

Ministry of Defence

Restructuring and Privatisation Policy The Government had constituted an Expert Committee on enhancing combat capability and re-balancing defence expenditure under chairmanship of Lt. General DB Shekatkar (Retd)
On the basis of recommendations of the Committee, the Government has decided to disband two Advance Base Workshops, one Static Workshop and four ordnance depots.
Also, eight Army Base Workshops are recommended to be corporatized on Government Owned Contractor Operated (GOCO) model. The above decisions have been taken in the overall interest of the Army and the Nation.
The functioning of different organizations including defence workshops has been reviewed and interaction held from time to time with stakeholders. A decision has been taken in the Ministry to declare 275 items produced by Ordnance Factories as non-core, as these items can be easily procured by the Users from private players. No retrenchment of employees would take place as a result of this decision and the available manpower will be re-trained and reskilled on voluntary basis to work in core areas of production as per their changed specialization.