Purveyor of promise Paper:
Mains: G.S. II & III Social Justice and Economy
Context
The latest stimulus package takes into account the job crisis in both urban and rural India.
Key details
- The most heartening aspect of centre’s latest announcement to push economy is the implied realisation that the economy is not yet out of the side effects of civic and it’s associated crises.
- Over the past month, with several high frequency indicators registering a positive growth, the finance ministry has asserted that the sustainable recovery is under process.
- Latest package announce by the govt. yesterday takes cognisance of India’s job crisis and seeks to revive the construction sector- the largest job creator.
- Package is important because it acknowledges the spate of job losses in the formal sector, and rural distress as the effects of pandemic and lockdown.
- By pushing urban housing projects and freeing up capital requirements to bid for public contracts, there is demonstration of commitment to get the maximum bang for each rupee by focusing on a sector with multiplier effect.
- Apart from creating formal and informal jobs, this would drive up demand for steel, cement and other materials.
- Some sectors have been lifted with the rising tide of demand following the unlock in Sept. and Oct., employment – intensive retail, hospitality and tourism remain out of shape.
- Therefore, it is encouraging that medium sized firms in 26 such stressed sectors as well as health care have been brought under an emergency credit scheme restricted to MSMEs.
- Additional allocations are needed for new beneficiaries.
- Outcomes in terms of new jobs will rely on creating demand for which there is little direct push.
- Future measures should be simpler, with a template for economic activities. This would help firms plan operations without worrying about the diktat under Disaster Management Act.
New species of vine snakes discovered Paper:
Mains: G.S. III Environment and Ecology
Why in news?
A team of researchers from the Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), after extensive sampling across peninsular India.
Key details
- Vine snakes are known to be among the most common snakes in peninsular India, found even in many peri- urban areas and in the Western Ghats.
- According to an IISc release, Asian vine snakes, distributed throughout the continent, belong to the genus Ahaetulla and the recently described Proahaetulla.
- They found four distinct small bodied and shortnosed species: the Northern Western Ghats vine snake (Ahaetulla borealis), Farnsworth’s vine snake (Ahaetulla farnsworthi), Malabar vine snake (Ahaetulla malabarica) and Wall’s vine snake (Ahaetulla isabellina) in the Western Ghats rainforests alone”.
WHO centre soon for traditional medicine Paper:
Mains: G.S. II Social Justice and Issue of current importance
Why in news?
PM dedicates two Ayurveda institutions to nation on 5th Ayurveda Day.
Key details
- WHO will setup a Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India.
- Centre will “strengthen the evidence, research, training and awareness of traditional and complementary medicine.”
- It will implement WHO’s traditional medicine strategy 2014-2023, which aims to support countries in developing policies and action plans to strengthen the role of traditional medicine.
- The Ministry of AYUSH has been observing Ayurveda Day every year, since 2016 on the occasion of Dhanwantari Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the Hindu god of medicine.
This year the day was celebrated under the theme of ‘Ayurveda for Covid-19’.
Countdown to greater India – Canada convergence Paper:
Mains: G.S. II International Relations Context
- On November 17, the third round of India Canada Track 1.5 Dialogue.
- This 3rd edition of the Track 1.5 dialogue is an opportunity to begin progress in new areas of interest.
Explanation
- This promising interaction represents a major, deliberate endeavour to boost the bilateral relationship, helping it to cope with challenges of the third decade of the 21st
- The new government in Ottawa preferred to be more cautious on sensitive bilateral issues, and more receptive to New Delhi’s view that the larger geopolitical shifts justified a closer convergence of national perspectives.
- Canada’s travails with China, starting with the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer in Canada in December 2018 and the ‘hostage diplomacy’ practised by Beijing which arrested two Canadian nationals, has caused huge stress in Canada China relations, turning Canadian public opinion against China.
- This opened the door to a closer relationship with India, with Canadian sympathy for India’s summer of troubles with China’s aggressive intrusions across the Line of
Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh since April 2020.
- Developments concerning the Indo Pacific — escalating discontent against Beijing’s aggressive behaviour, strengthening of the Quad and the growing interest of France, Netherlands and Germany to be active players in the region — are of immense relevance to Ottawa.
- The other major focal point will be the economic and technological cooperation between the two countries.
- Foreign policy observers highlight the importance of recent positive trends, as below: Canada India merchandise trade exceeded C$10 billion in 2019; Canada’s cumulative investment, including foreign direct investment and by Canadian pension funds, is a substantive C$55 billion.
- Indian students are increasingly being educated in Canada and a quarter million of them spent an estimated $5 billion in tuition fees and other expenses last year, a solid contribution to the Canadian economy.
- Of 330,000 new immigrants accepted by Canada last year, 85,000 i.e. nearly 25%, were from India.
- The Indian diaspora in Canada is now 1.6 million strong, representing over 4% of the country’s total population.
- The principal areas of bilateral cooperation are best defined by five Es: Economy, Energy, Education, Entertainment and Empowerment of women.
- Canada’s proven assets in technology — especially its large investment in Artificial
Intelligence, innovation and capital resources, and India’s IT achievements, expanding digital payment architecture and policy modernisation.