Vijay Gokhale appointed as India’s foreign secretary

Vijay Gokhale appointed as India’s foreign secretary
Vijay Gokhale’s appointment as foreign secretary is a step seemingly in line with India’s focus on China and east Asia
India on Monday named Vijay Gokhale its new foreign secretary, a step seemingly in line with its focus on China and east Asia.

An Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of the 1981 batch, Gokhale will succeed S. Jaishankar of the 1977 batch, who worked on India's embrace of the US during his three-year tenure.

Gokhale, who takes charge on 28 February, will have a two-year term, during which he is likely to focus on India’s look east policy. At present, Gokhale is secretary for economic relations in the ministry of external affairs (MEA).

Gokhale, who was India’s ambassador to China from January 2016 to October 2017, deftly worked to avert any major crisis during a 73-day military standoff between the two countries in Bhutan’s Doklam plateau last year.

He has vast experience in dealing with East Asia and China, something that could come in handy as India's government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to check Chinese influence in its immediate neighbourhood and East Asia.

Gokhale, a postgraduate in history from Delhi University, is known among his colleagues as someone who would speak his mind on policy matters rather than merely pursue orders.

After the Doklam standoff, Gokhale was named secretary of economic relations in the MEA in November, and led the annual India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks, which is an important bilateral mechanism to review the entire gamut of India’s development partnership with Bhutan. The bilateral meeting took place just days after India’s visit of Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

According to MEA, his previous diplomatic assignments include postings in Hong Kong, Hanoi, Beijing and New York.

He has also served as deputy secretary (finance), director (China & East Asia) and joint secretary (East Asia) during his stints at MEA in Delhi. He was also India’s High Commissioner to Malaysia from January 2010 to October 2013, following which he was India’s envoy to Germany from October 2013 to January 2016.

It was during his tenure as India’s ambassador to Germany that PM Modi inaugurated the Hanover-Messe in 2015 and exhorted the world to “Make in India”.

“Choosing Gokhale serves two simple purposes for government—one he fits the bill on seniority scale as he is not someone out of turn and thus does not create any disquiet within the ministry and two, he is a good choice because of his experience in dealing with China and several important assignments in the past few years,” said Ajay Darshan Behera, professor at the Academy of International Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia University.

Maternal Mortality ratio(MMR) of India is 167 per 100,000 live births.

Maternal Mortality ratio(MMR) of India is 167 per 100,000 live births.

The key steps taken under the National Health Mission (NHM) are:

v Promotion of institutional deliveries through Janani Suraksha Yojana.

v Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK) has been launched on 1st June, 2011, which entitles all pregnant women delivering in public health institutions to absolutely free and no expense delivery including Caesarean section. The initiative stipulates free drugs, diagnostics, blood and diet, besides free transport from home to institution, between facilities in case of a referral and drop back home. Similar entitlements have been put in place for ante-natal and post–natal complications during pregnancy and all sick infants accessing public health institutions for treatment.

v The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) has been launched by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India to provide fixed-day assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal care universally to all pregnant women on the 9th of every month. As part of the Abhiyan, a minimum package of antenatal care services would be provided to pregnant women in their 2nd / 3rd trimesters, by OBGY specialists/ Radiologist/ Physicians at government health facilities, with support from private sector doctors to supplement the efforts of the government.

v Universal screening of pregnant women for anaemia is a part of ante-natal care and all pregnant women are provided iron and folic acid tablets during their ante-natal visits through the existing network of sub-centers and primary health centres and other health facilities as well as through outreach activities at Village Health & Nutrition Days (VHNDs).

v Every pregnant woman is given iron and folic acid, after the first trimester, to be taken 1 tablet daily till delivery and same is continued during the post-natal period. Pregnant women, who are found to be clinically anaemic, are given additional 1 tablet for taking two tablets daily. This has been now expanded to 6 months during ANC and 6 months during PNC.

v Capacity building of MBBS doctors in Anesthesia (LSAS) and Obstetric Care including C-section (EmOC) skills to overcome the shortage of specialists in these disciplines, particularly in rural areas.

v Capacity buildings of SNs & ANMs in Skilled Birth Attendant (SBA) and DAKSHATA programme to equip them for managing normal deliveries, identify complications, do basic management and then refer at the earliest to higher facilities.

v To strengthen the quality of training, a new initiative has been taken for setting up of Skill Labs with earmarked skill stations for different training programs in the states for which necessary allocation of funds is made under NHM.

v Operationalization of adequate number of Primary Health Centres for providing 24 x7 basic emergency obstetric care services.

v Operationalization of adequate number of FRUs to provide 24 X 7 comprehensive emergency obstetric care services.

v Establishing Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Wings at high caseload facilities to improve the quality of care provided to mothers and children.

v Name Based Web enabled Tracking of Pregnant Women and New born babies so that provision of regular and complete services to them can be ensured.

v Mother and Child Protection Card in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development to monitor service delivery for mothers and children.

v Engagement of more than 9.15 lakhs Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) to generate demand and facilitate accessing of health care services by the community.

v Operationalization of Comprehensive Abortion Care Services and Reproductive Tract Infections and Sexually Transmitted Infections (RTI/STI) at health facilities with a focus on “Delivery Points.

v Newer operational guidelines have been prepared and disseminated to the States for Screening for Diagnosis & management of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, Hypothyroidism during pregnancy, Calcium supplementation during pregnancy and lactation, De-worming during pregnancy, Maternal Near Miss Review, Screening for Syphilis during pregnancy, Guidance note on use of Uterotonic during labor and Guidance note on prevention and management of PPH.

v Guidelines on standardization of Labor Rooms and creation of Obstetric HDU and Obstetric ICU at District Hospitals and Medical Colleges has also been prepared and disseminated to the States for improving quality of care during delivery and child birth.

v Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child Health + Adolescent (RMNCH+A) interventions for achieving improved maternal and child health outcomes through continuum of care across life cycle.

Four ‘hot Jupiter’ exoplanets discovered

Four ‘hot Jupiter’ exoplanets discovered
Using telescopes of Hungarian-made Automated Telescope Network-South (HATSouth) Exoplanet Survey, scientists observe four G-type dwarf stars known as HATS-50, HATS-51, HATS-52 and HATS-53
Scientists have discovered four new ‘hot Jupiter’ extrasolar planets orbiting dwarf stars. Using telescopes of the Hungarian-made Automated Telescope Network-South (HATSouth) Exoplanet Survey, the team observed four G-type dwarf stars known as HATS-50, HATS-51, HATS-52 and HATS-53.

“We report the discovery of four close-in transiting exoplanets (HATS-50b through HATS-53b), discovered using the HATSouth three-continent network of homogeneous and automated telescopes,” researchers led by Thomas Henning of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany wrote in the journal arXiv.org.

All the four planets belong to the class of exoplanets known as ‘hot Jupiters.’ Objects of this type are similar in characteristics to Jupiter, with orbital periods of less than 10 days, ‘Phys.org’ reported. They have high surface temperatures, as they orbit their parent stars very closely.

HATS-50b is the smallest and least massive alien world of all of the newly discovered exoplanets. It has a radius of about 1.13 Jupiter radii and a mass of about 0.39 Jupiter radii.

The system is located some 2,300 light years away from the Earth. With a radius of about 1.41 Jupiter radii, HATS-51b is the largest exoworld among the four newly found extrasolar worlds. It has an orbital period of 3.35 days, and is located about 1,560 light years away.

Electoral bonds will allow donors to remain anonymous and pay political parties using banks as intermediaries.

Electoral bonds will allow donors to remain anonymous and pay political parties using banks as intermediaries.
In a bid to clean up election financing, the government on January 2 outlined the contours of the new electoral bonds that donors can buy from the State Bank of India and said receiving political parties can encash only through a designated bank account.

The electoral bonds, which are being pitched as an alternative to cash donations made to political parties, will be available at specified branches of the SBI for 10 days each in months of January, April, July and October.

The bonds, which would be valid for 15 days, will not carry the donor’s name even though the purchaser would have to fulfil KYC norms at the bank, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told the Lok Sabha while announcing the contours of the scheme. He had first announced the idea of electoral bonds in his budget on February 1, 2017, to make political funding more transparent. “The government has now finalised the scheme of electoral bonds. The scheme will be notified today,” he said.

Although called a bond, the banking instruments resembling promissory note will not carry any interest. The lender will remain the custodian of the donor’s funds until the political parties are paid.

The move is aimed at making political funding more transparent. Currently, almost all of the funding is done by anonymous cash donations. Electoral bonds will allow donors to pay political parties using banks as an intermediary.

When Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge asked what purpose the bonds would serve when the name of the donor is not disclosed, Mr. Jaitley said bonds would get reflected in the balance sheet of the donors.“Let me clear misconceptions, if any. I had announced in budget speech that political funding needs to be cleansed up. A very large part of donation coming to political parties by the donors, quantum and source is not known... electoral bonds substantially cleanse the system,” he said.

Electoral bonds, he said, can be given to a registered political party, which has secured at least 1% vote in last election. That party will have to give a bank account to the Election Commission and it will have to be encashed within 15 days, Mr. Jaitley said.

“(For) donors who buy these bonds, their balance sheet will reflect (the purchase). It will ensure cleaner money coming from donors, cleaner money coming to political party and ensure significant transparency,” he said. The Minister said at present, the donor, the quantum and the source of funds is not known. “The donor will know, which party he is depositing money to. The political party will file return with the election commission. Now, which donor gave to which political party, that is the only thing which will not be known,” he said. “Electoral bonds will ensure clean money and significant transparency against the current system of unclean money”.

In budget 2017-18, Mr. Jaitley had also announced capping cash donation at ₹2,000 instead of ₹20,000 and allowed parties to receive digital donations. Mr. Jaitley said the electoral bond, which will be a bearer instrument, will not carry the name of the payee and can be bought for any value, in multiples of ₹1,000, ₹10,000, ₹1 lakh, ₹10 lakh or ₹1 crore.

The bonds with a life of only 15 days, during which it can be used for making donation only to registered political parties, can be encashed only through a designated bank account of the receiver. The bonds will be available for purchase for 10 days each in the months of January, April, July and October. The window will be for 30 days in the year of general election, the Minister said.

Mr. Jaitley said the purchaser, whose name will not appear on the bonds, would have to make KYC (know your customer) disclosures to the SBI. “A citizen of India or a body incorporated in India will be eligible to purchase the bond,” he said.

Only political parties which has secured not less than 1% of the votes polled in the last general election or an Assembly poll would be eligible to receive donations through electoral bonds, Mr. Jaitley said. Later talking to reporters, he said the 15 days time has been prescribed for the bonds to ensure that they do not become a parallel currency.

“Every political party will file before Election Commission return as to how much money has come through electoral bonds,” the Minister said. On why the name of the donor is being kept secret, he said the past experience has shown that once the names are disclosed, there is a tendency to shift to cash donations. “The present system is unclean money and new system is a substantial amount of transparency if not total,” he added.

The idea is to move away from present system, which is cash, Mr. Jaitley said. “This will substantially help a lot of opposition parties because in case a disclosure is made it will always be in favour of ruling party,” he said. “People who are expressing apprehension let them suggest better way.”

Institutional credit to small farmers

Institutional credit to small farmers
Government has taken several measures to increase institutional credit flow and to bring more and more farmers including small and marginal farmers within the institutional credit fold. These measures, inter alia, include the following major steps to provide hassle free crop loans to farmers including small and marginal farmers:-

i). Under the Interest Subvention Scheme (ISS)Short Term Crop loans upto Rs.3 lakh are extended to farmers at a subvented interest rate of 7% per annum for a period up to one year. In case of prompt repayment, the farmers can avail a prompt repayment incentive of 3% per annum and thus the effective rate of interest on such loans is only 4%.

ii). The ISS also provides for post harvest loans for up to 6 months at the same rate of interest as Short Term Crop loans to Kisan Credit Card holding Small and Marginal Farmers, to encourage them not to resort to distress sale and instead store their produce in Warehouses accredited with Warehousing Development Regulatory Authority (WDRA) against Negotiable Warehouse Receipts (NWR).

iii). Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued Priority Sector Lending Guidelines (PSL), which mandate all Domestic Scheduled Commercial Banks to earmark 18% of their Adjusted Net Bank Credit (ANBC) or Credit Equivalent amount of Off-Balance Sheet Exposure (OBE), whichever is higher, as on the corresponding date of the previous year, for lending to Agriculture. Within the 18 percent target for agriculture, a sub-target of 8 % for small and marginal farmers has been fixed to help in increasing the flow of credit to small and marginal farmers.

iv). As per PSL guidelines loans to distressed farmers to repay non-institutional lenders are eligible under priority sector. Besides loans to stressed persons (other than farmers) not exceeding Rs. 1,00,000/- per borrower to repay their debt to non-institutional lender are also eligible for the purpose of priority sector lending by banks.

v). The Government implements the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Scheme aimed at providing adequate and timely credit support from the banking system under a single window to the farmers for their cultivation and other needs. In terms of master circular dated July 03, 2017 of RBI, tenant farmers, oral lessees or share croppers are also covered under the KCC Scheme. The Scheme provides for sanction of the limit for 5 years with simplified renewal every year. All the banks have been advised to implement the scheme. The issue of smart–cum debit card, mandated under the revised guidelines, is enabling the farmers to access multiple delivery channels.

vi). To bring small, marginal, tenant farmers, oral lessees, etc. taking up farm activities, off-farm activities and non-farm activities, into the fold of institutional credit, Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) have been promoted by banks. The announcement of Union Budget for 2014-15 for financing of 5 lakh JLGs of ‘Bhoomi Heen Kisan’ (landless farmers) has given further credence to efforts of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in innovating and reaching out to the landless farmers through JLG scheme of financing.

vii). Banks have been advised by RBI to waive margin/security requirements of agricultural loans upto Rs.1,00,000/-, vide RBI’s circular dated 18th June, 2010.

viii). RBI has issued directions for Relief Measures to be provided by respective lending institutions in areas affected by natural calamities which, inter alia, include, restructuring/rescheduling of existing crop loans and term loans, extending fresh loans, relaxed security and margin norms, moratorium, etc. These directions have been so designed that the moment calamity is declared by the concerned District Authorities they are automatically set in motion without any intervention, thus saving precious time. The benchmark for initiating relief measures by banks has also been reduced to 33% crop loss in line with the National Disaster Management Framework.

As on 31st March, 2017, cumulatively 24.53 lakh Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) have been provided Rs.26,848.13 crore loan by banks across the country. In Andhra Pradesh, 1,82,375 JLGs have availed loans of Rs.1,618.05 crore and in Telangana, 35,748 JLGs have availed bank loans aggregating to Rs.620.94 crore, as on 31st March, 2017. The details of small and marginal farmers availing loan through JLG mode of financing is not maintained separately.

Record production of Horticulture Crops at 300.6 Million Tonnes which is 5% higher than the year 2015-16

Record production of Horticulture Crops at 300.6 Million Tonnes which is 5% higher than the year 2015-16
There has been a record production of Horticulture Crops with production during the year 2016-17(F) reaching 300.6 Million Tonnes which is 5% higher than in the previous year.

Productivity for horticulture sector as a whole, has increased by about 3.45% in 2016-17(Final Estimates) as compared to 2015-16.

In fruits, productivity has increased from 14.3 Tonnes/Ha in 2015-16 to 14.6 Tonnes/Ha in 2016-17(Final). In vegetables it has increased from 16.7 Tonnes/Ha in 2015-16 to 17.4 tonnes/ha.

Production of fruits is estimated to be 93 million tonnes which is 3% higher than previous year.

There has been a record production of 178 million tonnes of vegetables which is about 5% higher than the previous year.

With an increase of 7%, the production of Onion during the year 2016-17 is estimated at 224 lakh Tonnes as against 209 lakh Tonnes in 2015-16.

Production of Potato in the year 2016-17 (Final) is estimated at 486 lakh Tonnes as against 434 lakh Tonnes in 2015-16 which is 12% higher.

With an increase of 10.5%, the production of Tomato in year 2016-17(Final) is estimated at 207 lakh Tonnes as against 187 lakh Tonnes in 2015-16.

Highlights of 2017-18 (First Advance Estimates)

The Total Horticulture production of the country is estimated to be an impressive level of 305.4 Million Tonnes during 2017-18(First Adv. Est) which is 1.6% higher than the previous year and 8% higher than the past 5 years’ average production..

Productivity for horticulture sector as a whole, has marginally increased by about 1.3% in 2017-18(First Adv. Estimates) as compared to 2016-17.

Production of fruits is estimated to be about 95 million tonnes which is 2% higher than previous year.

Production of vegetables is estimated to be about 181 million tonnes which is about 1% higher than the previous year.

Onion production in the in the current year is likely to be around 214 lakh Tonnes as against 224 lakh Tonnes in 2016-17 (Final Est.), which is about 4.5% lower than the previous year.

Potato production is estimated at 493 lakh Tonnes as against 486 lakh Tonnes in 2016-17(Final) which is about 1% higher than the previous year.

Tomato production in the current year is likely to be around 223 lakh Tonnes as against 207 lakh Tonnes in 2016-17 (Final Est.) which is about 7.7% higher than the previous year.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Assistance for Deep Sea Fishing” under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) on Blue Revolution Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries.

The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries (DADF), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has introduced a new Sub-component namely “Assistance for Deep Sea Fishing” under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) on Blue Revolution Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries. Under this, the traditional fishermen and their societies / associations can avail financial assistance to the extent of Rs. 40 lakh per vessel for purchase of deep sea fishing vessel including equipments to increase fish production. The unit cost per vessel is Rs. 80 lakh, wherein the DADF provides 50 % of the Unit cost with a ceiling of Rs. 40 lakh as Central subsidy and the remaining cost of the vessel has to be borne by the respective State Government / beneficiary / financial institutions. Training programmes on tuna long lining, onboard handling and processing of fish with the financial assistance of DADF is also being imparted by the DADF through the organizations like Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical Engineering & Training (CIFNET) and Fishery Survey of India (FSI).

online portal ‘NARI’ for women empowerment

online portal ‘NARI’ for women empowerment
In a path breaking initiative to empower women, the Minister of Women & Child Development, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi inaugurated an online portal NARI in New Delhi today. Developed by the Ministry of Women & Child Development, the portal will provide women citizens with easy access to information on government schemes and initiatives for women. Further to provide a platform for NGOs and Civil Societies to interact with the Ministry of Women & Child Development, e-Samvad portal has also been developed which was inaugurated by the WCD Minister today. The Minister of State for Women & Child Development, Dr. Virendra Kumar was also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi said that for the first time ever since Independence, women of the country will be able to access information about benefits being provided to them by the Government. The portal contains information about schemes being run by both Central as well as the States Governments. The WCD Minister also gave an overview of the agenda of the WCD Ministry in the current year 2018. The Minister said that the new National Nutrition Mission will be launched in January, 2018 and will be operationalized in 315 districts across the country. About 50.7 lakhs women will be given Conditional Cash Transfer under maternity benefit scheme Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) this year, the Minister explained. The bill on Trafficking, which has been referred to the GOM, will be finalised and presented in the Parliament in the Budget Session. Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi said that the deadline mandated by the Supreme Court for registration of Child Care Institutions expired on 31.12.2017. There will be very sharp focus on linking of the Child Care Institutions to the adoption system in 2018.

Giving details about the panic button scheme for women in distress, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi said that the user trials of panic button, backed with a full real time emergency response system, will begin in Uttar Pradesh from 26th January this year. The Childline will be expanded to 500 Cities (currently in 412 cities) and Railway Childline will be expanded to 88 Railway stations (currently in 33) by March, 2018. 150 new One Stop Centres will be added in 2018 beyond 165 centres which are operating. The inter-ministerial authority on issues related to NRI marriages has already been constituted. The Law Ministry is already examining legislative amendments pertaining to this issue which will be taken up in 2018, WCD Minister explained.

The Government – both Central and State – has implemented a number of schemes & legislations for women to provide them equal rights, economic opportunities, social support, legal aid, housing etc. However, there is often a lack of awareness of these provisions and difficulties in accessing their benefits. For example, many are unaware that One Stop Centres are available in 168 districts for women in difficult circumstances, PM Awas Yojana gives priority to registraton of homes in the name of women and many State Governments offer financial support for the education of girl children. However, information related to women centric schemes/legislations are all scattered on different websites/portals.

In order to make this information more easily accessible in one place, the NARI portal summarizes over 350 government schemes and other important information for the benefit of women, with more being added everyday. It provides links to the Ministries, Departments and autonomous bodies offering these schemes as well as easy access to online applications and grievance redressal.

NARI will provide information to women on issues affecting their lives. There are tips on good nutrition, suggestions for health check ups, information on major diseases, tips for job search and interview, investment and savings advice, information on crimes and against women and reporting procedures, contacts of legal aid cells, simplified adoption procedures and much more. It will endow women with the power of information to build their life skills and facilitates them in taking full advantage of the services provided by the Government for them.

Through e-Samvad portal, NGOs and civil society can provide their feedback, suggestions, put up grievances, share best practices etc. Senior Officers within MWCD will be able to view the inputs/suggestions received for their concerned subject areas and appropriately respond to NGOs. This will help in formulation of effective policies and measures for welfare of women and children.