24th DEC, 2022

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‘IMPORT OF COAL- TRENDS AND ISSUES OF SELF RELIANCE’ REPORT BY THE
PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE ON COAL, MINES AND STEEL

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Trend

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The coal import has gradually increased from 43 million Tonne (MT) in 2006-07 to 215 MT in 2020-21.
The import is to meet the rising demand for coal which is 1027 MT in 2021-22.
Issues
The supply of high-quality coal/ coking coal is limited.
High freight and Port Handling Charges.

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Not pursuing acquisition of overseas coal blocks.
Reluctance of the private sector in adopting new technologies.
Measures taken
To reduce coal import: Inter-ministerial committee to encourage sectors to eliminate imports of coal.

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The importers of the coal have to register at the Coal Import Management System.
To improve quality of coal supplied: Adaptation of blast free mining technique.

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To reduce Coal pricing: Improvement in man and machine utilisation, technologies advancement, minimizing expenditure on
non-essential items.
Recommendations
Setting up more coal washeries so as to reduce dependence on imported coking coal.

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Mining in the new explored/developed sites after necessary environment and forest clearances.
Auction more mines on a revenue sharing basis.

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Mechanisation of mines by adoption of newer technologies.
Acquire overseas coal blocks.

THE COMPTROLLER & AUDITOR GENERAL (CAG) FINDS TOP CPSES NOT FOLLOWING
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE NORMS

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The review of Corporate Governance covered 72 listed Central Public Sector
Enterprises (CPSEs) under the administrative control of various Ministries. Executive directors- They have a dual role as
employees of the company and as directors. Brings
Key findings insider’s perspective in the decision making.
32 have less than 50% Non-executive directors of the Board strength. Non-executive directors-They bring an outside
37 CPSEs (51%) have independent directors but not women directors on perspective; may be representing a major
their Board. shareholder.
17 CPSEs (24%) have insufficient quorum of directors at the Board Independent directors- Does not have a material
meeting, including at least one independent director. relationship with a company and is neither part of its
Corporate governance is the combination of rules, processes and laws by executive team nor involved in the day-to-day
which businesses are operated, regulated and controlled. operations of the company.
The Companies Act, 2013 provides a formal structure for corporate governance by enhancing disclosures, reporting and
transparency through enhanced as well as new compliance norms.
SEBI monitors and regulates corporate governance of listed companies in India through Clause 49.
CPSEs are also subject to the Guidelines on Corporate Governance for CPSEs issued by the Department of Public Enterprises
(DPE) in addition to Clause 49.
These guidelines also encompass unlisted CPSEs, which are not covered by Clause 49.
The guidelines deal with matters such as board of directors, audit committee, remuneration committee, subsidiary companies,
disclosures, reporting, compliance and schedule of implementation.

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TRAI RELEASES CONSULTATION PAPER ON ‘LICENSING FRAMEWORK AND REGULATORY

MECHANISM FOR SUBMARINE CABLE LANDING IN INDIA’
Described as “Critical communication infrastructure” by United Nations in 2010, the submarine cables is the core infrastructure of
digital age and data driven economy,
Around 99% of the world’s digital international communications transit through the global submarine cable networks.
A Submarine Cable System consists of:

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Dry Plant (Cable Landing Station on land) - is the location in a country where a submarine cable makes a landfall.
Wet Plant (Submarine cables in the seabed) -of a submarine cable lies between the beach manholes and consists of Submarine
Cable, Optical repeaters, Gain Equalizers, and Branching Units (BU).
Significance of Submarine Cable

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Reliability and stability of submarine cable networks is high as compared
with the terrestrial optical fibre cable network.

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Domestic submarine cables can be envisaged to improve digital
connectivity and infrastructure of Tier- I and Tier-II cities on the Indian coast.
The paper seeks to look at deployment challenges and ways to overcome Spatial
Division
them to promote domestic submarine cables in India. Multiplexing

TRAI is regulating the access to essential facilities at a Submarine Cable ROADM - Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer

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Landing Station for accessing international capacity on the submarine cables
terminating at various CLS in India. SELF-RELIANCE IN EDIBLE OILS
NEED OF HOUR, GENETICALLY
81 CRORE BENEFICIARIES UNDER THE NATIONAL
MODIFIED (GM) MUSTARD TO
FOOD SECURITY ACT (NFSA), 2013 TO GET FREE PAVE WAY

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FOODS FOR ONE YEAR Recently, the government approved the

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The Government decided to provide free environmental release of GM mustard DMH 11.
food grains to beneficiaries under the GM technology is a disruptive technology
NFSA, 2013, as per their entitlement, for a that involves inserting DNA into the
year beginning January 2023. genome of an organism, giving it new or
Earlier, the NFSA beneficiary families different characteristics.

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used to pay ₹1 for coarse cereals, ₹2 for Purpose: To bring targeted change within
wheat and ₹3 for rice per kg. the crop variety like change in growth or

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The government has discontinued the resistance to a particular disease.
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna GM Mustard DMH 11 is made through
Yojana (PMGKAY). Barnase-Barstar System, a hybrid seed
It provides additional 5 kg of free food production system used in self-pollinated
crops, increasing the crop yield and its

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grains per month to NFSA
beneficiaries. adaptation - also known as hybrid
vigourorheterosis.
Reasons for discontinuation:
This system has been successfully deployed in
Lower food grain stock countries like Canada, Australia and
The combined food grain stock in 2022 stood at 305.69 Lakh Metric Tonne America for many decades.
(LMT), lower than 2021 (591.56LMT). The toxicity, allergenicity, compositional
Increased economic cost for rice. analysis, field trials, and environmental
Economic Cost consists of Acquisition Cost (MSP+ Procurement Incidental safety studies show that it is safe for
Cost) and Distribution Cost. cultivation, for food and feed use.
Significance: GM Mustard DMH 11 has been developed by
the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop
Ensure nationwide uniformity and effective implementation of NFSA.
Plants (CGMCP) at Delhi University.
Remove financial burden from the poorest of poor beneficiaries.
Significance:
NFSA 2013, provides food and nutritional security to beneficiary households,
Increase domestic production and
divided under two categories
productivity (approximately 28% higher
Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) yield),
It includes households headed by widows, terminally ill persons, disabled Reduce import of edible oils in the country.
persons, persons aged 60 years or more with no assured means of
In 2021-22, India imported 14.1 million
subsistence or societal support etc.
tonnes of edible oils (around 2/3rd of
Priority households India’s consumption).

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CAG FINDS SHORT-TRANSFERS OF CESS FUNDS BY CENTRE

Recent, report of the CAG on Union Government Accounts for FY 21 highlighted non utilization of cesses and levies.
Cess is imposed as an additional tax besides the existing tax (tax on tax) with a purpose of raising funds for a specific task.
Surcharge is a tax on tax that is not collected for any particular cause, and the union government may use the proceeds of
surcharges for any purpose it sees as important.
Cess is not a permanent source of revenue for the government, and it is discontinued when the purpose of levying it is fulfilled.
It can be levied on both indirect and direct taxes.

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Article 270 of the Constitution allows cess to be excluded from the purview of the divisible pool of taxes with the States.
Key findings

Cess Cess Feature CAG observation

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It is a revenue generating mechanism under Universal
Service Obligation Fund (USOF, 2002).

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Universal Access Levy It aims to provide for quality and affordable mobile and Short transfer of Universal
(UAL) digital services across the rural and remote areas of the Access Levy (UAL) to USO fund.
country.
It implements BharatNet project.
Trust is funded through payments made by holders of mining Short transfer of National

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National mineral trust levy leases as a percentage of royalty paid. Mineral Trust Levy

Health and Education Cess (HEC) is levied at the rate of 4 %from Non operationalization of
Madhyamik and Uchchatar Finance Act 2018. Madhyamik and Uchchatar
Shiksha Kosh 75% of the proceeds collected are to be utilized for education Shiksha Kosh

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sector schemes.

ALSO IN NEWS

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Recently the government approved a revision in the pensions paid to retired defence personnel
and their families under OROP.

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The revision would be applicable to all retired defence personnel up to June 30, 2019, excluding
premature retirees with effect from July 1, 2014.

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OROP:
One Rank One Pension OROP means the payment of the same pension to military officers for the same rank for the
(OROP) same length of service, irrespective of the date of retirement.
Before OROP, ex-servicemen used to get pensions as per the Pay Commission’s
recommendations of the time they retired.

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A portal of the Ministry of Labour & Employment launched in 2015.
It is a job platform providing a variety of employment services
Aimed at helping qualified job seekers to connect with potential employers for finding
suitable employment.
NCS also enhances the candidates' personality
Through Career counselling, vocational guidance, and career skill training.
National Career Service The linkage between NCS and e-Shram has been completed in 2022.
(NCS) Portal
e-Shram portal:
A National database of all unorganized workers (approx 38 crores) launched in 2021.

The Indian Army has recruited 4 Meritorious Sports Women under its Mission Olympics
Programme.
Started in 2001, the Mission Olympics objective is to identify and train promising sportspersons in
11 disciplines.
Its successes include Major Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (2004: Athens), Subedar Vijay
Kumar (2012: London) and Neeraj Chopra (2020: Tokyo).
Mission Olympics
As part of it, the Indian Army has established five training nodes and a state-of-the-art Army Sports
Institute.

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Dashboard has all the statistical data related to the Khelo India Scheme and the Khelo India
events.
It will be updated in real-time and aims to be a unique one-stop platform.
Khelo India :
The Khelo India programme has been introduced to revive the sports culture in India at the
Khelo India Dashboard grass-root level by building a strong framework for all sports played in our country and establish
launched India as a great sporting nation.
Annual scholarship of ₹ 5 Lakh for 8 years for talented players.

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The Geographical Indication tag for Joynagar Moa gets a 10-year extension.
GI tag is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess
qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
In 2014 it got the GI (Geographical Indication) tag.

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Joynagarer Moa is a sweet delicacy from West Bengal prepared from Kanakchur Khoi (fried
aromatic paddy), nolen gur (molasses), ghee, khoya kheer, cardamom, raisins, and cashew nuts.

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Joynagar Moa
First prepared by Ashutosh Das of Joynagar in 1904.
Recently, nearly 5200 BCE, or 7,200 years old cotton fibres, dyed in blue and other colours, were
found in Tel Tsaf (Israel).
In the Indus Valley, the ancient known evidence for cotton fibre are threads used to string copper

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beads in 6000-5500 BCE in Mehrgarh.
Situated in Jordan Valley, Tel Tsaf was a Late Neolithic Settlement.
A number of other discoveries are also made at Tel Tsaf such as:
Tel Tsaf (Neolithic Israel) Grain Silo for ritual food storage; social beer drinking; beads from modern-day Anatolia,
Romania, Egypt, and other parts of Africa; pottery from Iraq, Syria, and Armenia; and the earliest

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copper and metal in the Middle East.

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Chaudhary Charan Singh (23 December 1902 - 29 May 1987)
Born in Noorpur village in Meerut District (Uttar Pradesh), Ch. Charan Singh was a freedom fighter
and a socialist leader.
In 1979, he became the Prime Minister of India.
He is remembered for his contribution to safeguard the farmers interest. E.g. In 1938, he

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introduced the Agriculture Produce Market Bill in the Uttar Pradesh (erstwhile United Provinces)
assembly.

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It was adopted by most states in India.
Personalities in News Every year, the National Farmers’ Day (Kisan Diwas) is observed on his birth anniversary.
Literary Contributions: Cooperative Farming X-rayed; Abolition of Zamindari etc.
Virtues: A hard taskmaster, he is known for his compassion, honesty and pragmatism.

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Scotland (Edinburgh)
Scotland votes to lower age to legally change gender.
Political boundaries:
Most northerly of the four parts of the United
Kingdom (England, Wales, Northern Ireland and
Scotland).
Occupying about one-third of the island of Great
Britain (England, Wales and Scotland)
Scotland is bounded by England to the south, the
Atlantic Ocean to the west and north, and the
Places in News North Sea to the east.
Geographical feature:
Divided into: the Highlands in the north, the
Midland Valley (Central Lowlands), and the
Southern Uplands.
Highest Point: Mt Nevis.
Lake: Loch Ness

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