Ministerial panel recommends bail out package to the sugar industry including financial assistance to sugar cane farmers
An informal group of ministers, headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar recommended a number of incentives to cash-starved sugar mills including financial package to pay cane farmers.
Why the need for a financial package for sugar mills ?
Owing to an increase in prices of fuel and fertilizer, farmers are insisting that mills pay Rs.280- Rs.300 per quintal for sugarcane. But millers hold that they can afford to pay only Rs.225 per quintal.
At present, sugar industry is facing a financial crisis due to higher cost of production and decline in the prices of sugar. This has led to 3400 crore rupees cane arrears from 2012-13 during the marketing year that ended in September 2013. Thus, owing to liquidity crunch, the sugar mills demanded interest-free loans for working capital requirement, hike in import duty, export subsidies among others. This financial package will allow millers to pay money they owe to the farmers.
Recommendations of the Panel headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar:
To ensure timely payments to cane growers, the PM-constituted panel recommended loan recasting for mills as per the RBI norms, incentives for production for raw sugar of up to 4 million tonnes and setting up of buffer stock besides doubling ethanol-blending in petrol to 10%.
The bailout includes 7200 crore rupees at 12 percent interest rate to sugar mills by the banks to pay off the arrears of the sugarcane growers.
The 12% interest on the financial support on the loan will be paid by Government of India (GoI) and Sugar Development Fund (SDF). The GoI will pay 5% of the loan, while the 7% will be paid by the SDF. This makes the loan amount free of interest for the sugar mills.
The mills will have to repay loans in 5 years, but can get a moratorium on repayment in the first two years.
To increase import duty on sugar (but at present there is no hike in import duty).
An inter-departmental panel will be set up to coordinate with oil marketing companies and sugar mills for ethanol blending.
Note:India is the second biggest sugar producer in the world after Brazil. Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh are the top sugar producing state of India.
ndia contributes $1 million to UN women’s body
To help global efforts to ensure gender equality and empowerment of women, India contributed $1 million to the UN as the fourth installment of India’s multi-year pledge to provide USD 5 Mn to UN Women (United Nations entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women).
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Mr. Asoke K Mukerji urged UN Women to focus on increasing the use of information and communication technology for empowerment of women.
About UN Women
UN Women is a United Nations entity working for the empowerment of women and girls.
Became operational in January 2011
Member of the United Nations Development Group
Headquarters at New York, USA
UN Women’s Office based in New Delhi covers four countries: India, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka. In these countries, the organization strengthen women’s rights by working with women, men, feminists, women’s networks, governments, local authorities and civil society.
It stands behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life, focusing on many priority areas such as Ending violence against women, Promoting Leadership and Participation, Economic Empowerment, national planning and budgeting for women, etc.
Union Government denies introduction of ILP in Meghalaya
The demand to create Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in Meghalaya has been rejected by the Union Government on grounds that the Constitution does not provide for extending the special provision to new areas.
The Government clarified that it was bound by Article 19 (D) of the Constitution which allows any Indian citizen to move freely throughout the territory of the country.
What is Inner Line Permit (ILP)?
ILP is an official travel document issued by an empowered State government to permit inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected or restricted area for a limited period. It is mandatory for Indian citizens from outside those specific States to get permit for entering the protected State.
Why Inner Line Permit (ILP) is issued?
The ILP system empowers the government to regulate movement to certain areas located near the international borders. It is issued under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873. At present, ILP is active in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram.
In context of Meghalaya, various organizations in the state have been demanding ILP system claiming the demography of the State is changing due to the intense inflow of people.
Employing manual scavengers made an offence
Employing or engaging a person has become an offence now as Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013 comes into force across India except J&K. The law forbids the employment of manual scavengers, the manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks without protective equipment and the construction of insanitary latrines.
The law also has provisions for rehabilitation of manual scavengers and providing them alternative employment. With the enactment of this law, the construction and maintenance of the insanitary latrines has become an offence.
Key points of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013:
1.) Prohibition of Insanitary and Employment or engagement as Manual Scavengers
It will be an offence to:
Construct or maintain an insanitary latrine
Engage or employ a person to work as the Manual Scavenger
Penalty against offenders:
First contravention is punishable with imprisonment up to 1 year or with the fine up to Rs 50,000 or both.
Any subsequent contravention is punishable with imprisonment up to 2 years or with the fine up to Rs 5 lakh or both.
2.) Prohibition of person from engagement or employment for hazardous cleaning of a sewer or a septic tank
Penalty:
First contravention is punishable with imprisonment up to two years or with a fine up to two lakh rupees or with both
Any subsequent contravention is punishable with imprisonment up to five years or with fine up to five lakh rupees or with both
3.) Under this Act, offences are cognizable and non-bail able
4.) Time bound survey of Manual Scavengers in Urban and rural areas
5.) Comprehensive Rehabilitation of the Manual Scavengers within a time bound framework
Manual Scavengers will be issued Photo Identity card
Government will provide initial cash aid
Children of the Manual Scavengers will be provided scholarship
Residential plot with financial aid will be allocated for the construction of the house or a ready built house
Imparting Manual Scavengers livelihood skill
Providing concessional loan with subsidy for assuming alternative occupation
Extending any other legal or programmatic help
6.) Vigilance/ Monitoring Mechanism
The implementation of the Act will be under the following Vigilance/Monitoring panels at various levels of State and Centre.
Vigilance Committees
District level committees will be headed by District Magistrate
Sub-Division level committees will be headed by Sub Divisional Magistrate
Monitoring Committees
State level committees will be headed by Chief Minister
Centre level committees will be headed by Minister of Social Justice and Employment
Mr. Ahmet Uzumcu re-appointed as OPCW Director General
At the 18th Session of the Conference of State Parties, Mr. Ahmet Uzumcu was re-appointed as the OPCW Director General.
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
An independent, international body established in 1997.
Objective: To implement the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Has a working relationship with the UN.
Headquarters: The Hague, the Netherlands.
Conducts inspections of destruction procedures, as well as evaluating members’ own declarations, in order to examine that the convention is being followed.
About Ambassador Ahmet Uzumcu
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Turkish career diplomat
Director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) since 2010
Represented Turkey at the United Nations Office in 2006 and Conference on Disarmament in Geneva and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Council between 2002 and 2004
2013: Nobel Peace Prize went to OPCW headed by Ahmet Uzumcu.
OPCW is currently working in destroying Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles which marks as the first time the OPCW is working in a war zone.
Stamps of India National Exhibition 2013 (SINE)
Screenshot_4The 4th Edition of Stamps of India National Exhibition 2013 (SINE) organized by Bharatiya Daktikit Sangstha, Kolkata at NDMC Convention Centre, Parliament Street, New Delhi.
To celebrate 100 years of cinema in India, SINE acknowledges the contribution of legendary yesteryear actors like Durga Khote, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, Smita Patil and queen of melody, Suraiya, It features a range of stamps and postcards on these iconic personalities.
Year 2013 is being celebrated as a centenary milestone to showcase the cinematic heritage of the Indian film industry in the last 100 years.
Tejas test-fires missile successfully
India’s first indigenously designed and developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas successfully launched an infrared seeking air-to-air missile that hit its target with precision.
With the success achieved in the test, the plan to induct the aircraft in the Indian Air Force has moved further.
About LCA Tejas
The LCA was christened Tejas (Radiance) by Prime Minister AB Vajpayee in June 2004. The Indian Light Combat Aircraft (LCA – sometimes called Last Chance Aircraft) is the world’s smallest, light weight, multi-role combat aircraft.
The aircraft is designed to meet the requirements of Indian Air Force as its frontline multi-mission single-seat tactical aircraft to replace the MiG-21 series of aircraft. The delta wing configuration, with no tailplanes or foreplanes, features a single vertical fin. The LCA is constructed of aluminium-lithium alloys, carbon-fibre composites, and titanium and it integrates modern design concepts and the state-of-art technologies such as relaxed static stability, flyby-wire Flight Control System, Advanced Digital Cockpit, Multi-Mode Radar, Integrated Digital Avionics System, Advanced Composite Material Structures and a Flat Rated Engine.
The LCA program was launched in 1985. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is the Principal Partner in the design and fabrication of LCA and its integration leading to flight testing.
Jordan gets UNSC seat as its non-permanent member
Jordan has been elected as a non-permanent member of United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Jordan has replaced Saudi Arabia which was recently elected for the position but rejected the seat in protest at the UN council’s failure to end the war in Syria and act on other Middle East issues.
Which are the new members on UNSC?
Jordan is the latest entrant on the UNSC as its non-permanent member. Besides, Lithuania, Chile, Nigeria and Chad will also join as new members of the council, replacing Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Pakistan, Morocco and Togo. The other five temporary council members that will remain next year are Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg, South Korea and Rwanda.
Some key points about UNSC
The UNSC was established in 1946 as per Article 23 of Chapter V of United Nations Charter. The council has 15 members which are further categorized into 5 permanent and 10 non –permanent members of the Council. The non-permanent members have term of 2 years.
Permanent Members:
China
France
Russian Federation
The United Kingdom
The United States of America
What are the key responsibilities of the UNSC?
The UNSC is one of the six key organs of the United Nations and is entrusted with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization of military action through Security Council resolutions; it is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.
All unfilled chemical munitions of Syria destructed: OPCW
As per Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), all of Syria’s unfilled munitions have been destroyed.
The United Nations and OPCW teams are working in tandem in Syria with an aim to remove the most toxic chemicals from Syria by the end of the year for destruction at sea and destroy the entire program by mid-2014. The OPCW, which won the Nobel Peace Prize 2013, has been instructed by the United Nations to supervise the destruction of the Syrian government’s chemical weapons stockpile.
Why destruction of Chemical weapons is going on in Syria?
The Syrian government under Bashar-al Assad was accused by the US and its Western allies of using Chemical weapons (mainly Sarin gas) to crush the rebellion in the country. Syria rejected the allegations and blamed the rebels for its use. The matter went to the extent that the US started contemplating military action against the country which was opposed by Russia. Later, on Russia’s intervention, Syria joined Chemical Weapons Convention which requires all parties to declare and destroy all of the chemical weapons they possess. Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has the job is to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention. Syria joined the OPCW and agreed to dismantle its chemical arsenal to avoid possible U.S. military strikes.
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