24 August 2024, The Hindu
Not neutral, India on the side of peace: PM in Kyiv
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GS 3: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests
- The war in Ukraine was high on the agenda in the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar saying India was “willing to do whatever we can” to end the conflict “ because we do think that the continuation of this conflict is terrible, obviously for Ukraine itself and for the world as well.”
- The “landmark” visit, the first by an Indian Prime Minister since Ukraine became independent in 1991, saw the signing of four agreements between the two sides.
SEBI bans Anil Ambani, 24 others from capital market, imposes ₹624-crore fine
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GS 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.
- The Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has restrained Reliance ADA Group chairman Anil Ambani from accessing the securities market and prohibited him from buying, selling securities for a period of 5 years for his alleged involvement in diversion of funds from Reliance Home Finance Ltd (RHFL) which was promoted by Group company Reliance Capital Ltd (RCL).
- Mr. Ambani has also been restrained from being associated with the securities market including as director or Key Managerial Personnel (KMP) in any listed company, holding, associate company of any listed company for a period of 5 years.
The annual accusation of board exam mark inflation
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GS 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education
- School boards in India are often accused of inflating the marks of students in classes 10 and 12 in the board examinations.
- The usual evidence provided for this accusation that is levelled is the high pass percentages in the board examinations.
- There are nearly 42 boards conducting board examinations for classes 10 and 12.
- The combined pass percentage of students in class 10 was 85% while the pass percentage in class 12 was 82% in 2023.
- Besides, the percentage of students securing more than 60% marks was around 61% in class 10, and 56% for class 12.
- Most of the marks clustering at the higher level is known as mark compression, the twin sister of mark inflation.
- Mark inflation and mark compression not only undermine the credibility of our education system but also hamper the prospects of students, as they are not adequately prepared for higher education or the job market.
- The clamour for entrance examinations for higher education emanates from this perceived mark inflation and mark compression.
Not taking sides
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GS 2: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests
- Six weeks after his visit to Moscow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Kyiv and meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday (August 23, 2024) was largely seen as an exercise in balancing India’s position on the Russia-Ukraine war.
- Since Russia first invaded Ukraine in February 2022, India has maintained a uniquely distant position from the war: abstaining from all resolutions at the United Nations that dealt with the conflict and were critical of Russia.
- India also ignored western sanctions, particularly on payments for oil imports and defence hardware from Russia, and did not accept Mr. Zelenskyy’s requests to include Ukraine in the G-20 summit last year or to send a high-level political participation to the Swiss peace summit in June this year.
- India’s disapproval of Russia’s actions was instead couched in the language of peace, all of cold comfort for Ukraine, which was seeking a clear alignment with its cause, and deeply critical of Mr. Modi’s Moscow visit.
The road to 2047 for Indian agriculture
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GS 3: Agriculture
- India’s centennial year of independence is still away, in 2047, but the goal of becoming a developed nation looms large.
- Achieving this requires a significant increase in per capita Gross National Income (GNI) to about six times the current level.
- This necessitates a comprehensive development approach, especially in agriculture.
- Transforming Indian agriculture depends on adopting sustainable practices that ensure long-term productivity and environmental health.
- Precision farming, genetically modified crops, and advanced irrigation techniques such as drip and sprinkler systems are leading this transformation.
- For instance, the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) has covered 78 lakh hectares, promoting water-use efficiency through micro-irrigation.
- The scheme’s ₹93,068 crore allocation for 2021-26 underscores the government’s commitment to sustainable water management.
If India changes stance, Putin will end war, says Zelenskyy
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GS 2: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests
- Describing India as a “big country” with a “big influence” on the Russian economy, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday said if India and Indians “change their attitude” towards Russia, the war will end because Russian President Vladimir Putin will end it.
- He was talking of India’s “record breaking” deals for oil from Russia.
- Acknowledging the discussion on India’s energy purchases from Russia in the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr. Zelensky, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said the Indian side explained to the Ukrainian side the energy market scenario and the need for prices to remain “reasonable and stable”.
Delhi police deny withdrawing security of women wrestlers
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GS 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Human Resources
- The Delhi Police on Friday (August 23, 2024) informed the court hearing the sexual harassment case filed by women wrestlers against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, that the security provided to the complainants had not been withdrawn, and there was some “miscommunication”.
- Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Kumar Srivastava, appearing for Delhi Police, informed the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Priyanka Rajpoot that the “miscommunication” has been “rectified”.
NC-Cong. alliance for J&K polls hits roadblock over Valley seats
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Prelims: Elections
- A day after the National Conference (NC) and Congress announced a pre-poll alliance, NC vice president Omar Abdullah on Friday (August 23, 2024) said both the parties were “stuck on some seats”.
- “To a large extent, consensus has been achieved on 90 seats of J&K. However, on some seats, the local leaders of the Congress are adamant.
- We are also insisting on some. We will sit down and bring these seats too within the ambit of alliance,” Mr. Omar Abdullah said.
Shah seeks Congress stance on NC’s demand for J&K flag, restoration of Article 370
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GS 2: Indian Constitution
‘Space sector contributed ₹20,000 crore to India’svGDP over the last decade’
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GS 3: Awareness in the fields of Space
- India’s space sector has directly contributed about $24 billion (₹20,000 crore) to India’s Gross Domestic Product over the last decade.
- It has directly supported 96,000 jobs in the public and private sector. For every dollar produced by the space sector, there was a multiplier effect of $2.54 to the Indian economy and India’s space force was 2.5 times “more productive” than the country’s broader industrial workforce.
- These “preliminary findings” were part of a presentation by Steve Bochinger, Affiliate Executive Advisor, Novaspace, a European consultancy at the National Space Day celebrations in New Delhi on Friday (August 23, 2024).
MGNREGA’s plight shows PM’s betrayal of rural India: Kharge
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GS 2: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.
- Marking the enactment day of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Congress president Mallikarjkun Kharge criticised the Centre for its handling of the flagship programme alleging that the present state of the scheme is “a living monument of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s betrayal” of rural India.
- MNREGA was enacted by the Congress-led UPA government on August 23, 2005. The programme, he said, is facing multiple problems such as low wages, abysmal work days and deletion of job cards.
- “In the guise of using technology and AADHAAR, the Modi Govt has deleted over 7 crore workers’ job cards, cutting these households off from MGNREGA work,” he said in a post on X.
- He listed out other steps taken by the government that have impacted the scheme including low budgetary allocation.
GST enforcement: get tough only as last resort, says FM
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GS 2: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday urged GST officials to avoid taking a tough stance on taxpayers at the outset of any enquiry and opt for more stringent steps only as ‘a last resort’, even as she assured industry of swift efforts to resolve any niggles in the indirect tax regime that pose a hindrance to their business.
- Officials, the Minister said, must enforce GST well, but do it softly.
- “There should be no doubt in your [businesses’] mind about GST and if there is an issue, its resolution won’t take time because nowadays, even in the GST Council, I am seeing that whether it is the Ministers or the officials, they are agile in studying a subject and coming up with a solution,” Ms. Sitharaman said.
