National Current Affairs – UPSC/IAS Exams- 8th January 2020

by Mentors4ias · January 8, 2020

World Trade Organisation and US

Topic: Polity and Governance

In News: Washington has paralysed the World Trade Organization’s Appellate Body, which acts as a supreme court for international trade.

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In December 2019, the U.S. chose to spike the Appellate Body by starving funds for its functioning. It also stalled the selection process for filling six vacancies at the Appellate Body.
Consequently, the Appellate Body is left with only one member, who will not be able to deliver any rulings on pending trade disputes as a minimum of three members is required to adjudicate any dispute.

What is the World Trade Organization’s Appellate Body?

Global trade disputes are complex and difficult to resolve. For proper enforcement of trade rules, a binding, two-stage dispute settlement system was established at the World Trade Organization in the 1990s.
The Appellate Body is the scaffolding of the dispute settlement system, with seven standing members.
In the first stage for adjudicating trade disputes, a panel would decide cases brought before it by the members. Rulings issued by the panels can be appealed at the Appellate Body.
As part of the second-stage of adjudication, the Appellate Body can uphold, modify or reverse the legal findings and conclusions of a panel.
Therefore, the Appellate Body’s decisions are final and adopted within 30 days by the dispute settlement body. Sanctions can be imposed on a member in case of its failure to comply with the Appellate Body’s rulings.
Cases involving trade remedies such as countervailing and anti-dumping measures, and the use of a controversial practice called the zeroing methodology that inflated the anti-dumping duties.
The establishment of the Appellate Body has given teeth and credibility to the rules-based multilateral trading system.
Moreover, it provided security and predictability in the multilateral trading system.

Reason behind US’s Actions:

Appellate Body has posed hurdles to the U.S. for adopting unilateral measures. Several U.S. provisions for imposing countervailing and anti-dumping measures were found to be inconsistent with core provisions of the WTO agreements.

India’s Take on the issue:

“At the core of a functioning multilateral trading system is an effective dispute resolution mechanism.”
Although not perfect, the dispute settlement system has led to meaningful reductions in unfair trade practices and has helped to strengthen the rules-based international trading system.”
The U.S. has been one of the bigger users of the dispute settlement system and also a beneficiary of this public good.
Unless the Membership acts in concert, to lift the block on AB vacancies, International community going to lose this public good which has served many countries so well.

Conclusion:

It is a tremendous loss for the majority of WTO members who are all developing and poor countries. Clearly, they lack the political and economic clout to enforce their rights and protect their interests in a system governed by power and not rules.
The absence of the Appellate Body will create a jungle raj and paves the way for a steep descent into the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 1947 rules.

Model Mains Question: What introduces friction into the ties between India and the United States is that Washington is still unable to find for India a position in its global strategy, which would satisfy India’s national self-esteem and ambitions’. Explain with suitable examples.

Source: Hindu

NetSCoFAN-Network

Topic: Government Policies

In News: Union Health Minister has launched NetSCoFAN, a network of research & academic institutions working in the area of food & nutrition.

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It would comprise of eight groups of institutions working in different areas viz. biological, chemical, nutrition & labelling, food of animal origin, food of plant origin, water & beverages, food testing, and safer & sustainable packaging.
FSSAI has identified eight Nodal Institutions who would develop a ‘Ready Reckoner’ that will have inventory of all research work, experts and institutions and would carry out and facilitate research, survey and related activities.
It would identify research gaps in respective areas and collect, collate and develop database on food safety issues for risk assessment activities.

Source: Hindu

Great Indian Bustard

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In News: The Great Indian Bustard has been on the brink of extinction.

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The Great Indian Bustard (GIB), is one of the heaviest flying birds, and is found mainly in the Indian subcontinent.
Barely 150 of these birds are estimated to be surviving now globally. However, a major conservation effort launched about four years ago is bringing a ray of hope.
IUCN status: critically endangered.
They are found in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection)Act, 1972 and in the CMS Convention and in Appendix I of CITES.
Identified as one of the species for the recovery programme under the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats of the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
Project Great Indian Bustard was initiated by state of Rajasthan for identifying and fencing off bustard breeding grounds in existing protected areas as well as provide secure breeding enclosures in areas outside protected areas.
Protected areas: Desert National Park Sanctuary, Rajasthan, Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh and Karera Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh.

Source: Indian Express

Scientific Social Responsibility Policy

Topic: Government Policies

In News: During 107^th Indian science congress, The Department of Science and Technology mentioned about the Centre’s policy on implementing Scientific Social Responsibility (SSR).

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Under the programme, researchers who are working on a science project funded by any of the Ministries under the Central government will have to undertake activities to popularise science and make it more accessible to the public.
It will include a range of activities like delivering lectures in educational institutes, writing an article in a magazine or doing something beyond the curriculum.
The science outreach would be mandatory and researchers had to include this as part of their outcome report.
Soon the government will list activities that could be taken up under the Scientific Social Responsibility programme that was similar to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

· Scientific Social Responsibility (SSR) is the confluence of scientific knowledge with visionary leadership and social conscience.

· It is about building synergies among all stakeholders in scientific knowledge community and also about developing linkages between science and society.

Objectives:

It aims to harness the voluntary potential in the country’s scientific community to strengthen science and society linkages.
This primarily involves bridging science-society, science-science and society-science gaps, thereby bringing trust, partnership and responsibility of science at an accelerated peace towards achieving social goals.

Significance:

The SSR policy will facilitate easy access to resources and knowledge about the investments and impacts of Science and Technology (S&T) on society.
It would inculcate moral responsibility amongst the scientific community which may trigger social entrepreneurship and start-ups impacting S&T ecosystem and society.

Source: Hindu

Statement on Climate of India during 2019

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In News: ‘Statement on Climate of India during 2019’ was published by The India Meteorological Department (IMD).

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The extreme weather events that occurred in the country in the year 2019 were all linked to climate change.
Heavy rain- and flood-related incidents took the maximum toll, claiming more than 850 lives across states.
Bihar reported highest deaths (650) due to extreme weather events. Of these 300 died in floods and 350 died due to heat waves.
Rainfall: The rainfall during both the southwest monsoon (June to September) and northeast monsoon (October to December) remained 109% of the Long Period Average (LPA).
The current LPA is 89 cm, based on the average rainfall over the years 1951 and 2000.
Rise in Temperature: The mean temperatures remained 0.36 degrees above normal, making 2019 the seventh hottest year ever recorded.
Since 1901, India has warmed by 1 degree Celsius. Whereas, the rise in minimum temperature was 0.22 degrees in the century.
Number of Cyclones: 2019 was exceptional for the number of cyclones that hit India’s east and west coasts.
Previously, similar cyclonic activity was reported in the Indian Ocean only during 1893, 1926, 1930, and 1976. During these years, cyclones formed both in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal put together numbered to ten in a calendar year.
Notably, an active Arabian Sea saw more cyclonic storms than the Bay of Bengal during 2019. It was only for the second time in 117 years that the Arabian Sea saw such intense and frequent cyclones.
In 2019, eight cyclonic storms formed over the north Indian Ocean, of these, five Cyclones Vayu, Hikka, Kyarr, Maha and Pavan originated in the Arabia Sea, which is normally calmer. On the contrary, the Bay of Bengal reported less than normal number of cyclones. The three cyclones formed here were Cyclones Pabuk, Fani, Bulbul.
Coldest Winter: The winter of 2018-2019 was one of the coldest in the northern hemisphere. Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh reported 51 deaths triggered by snow avalanche in 2019.

Source: Livemint

New Energy Performance Standards for Air Conditioners

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In News: The Central Government in consultation with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has notified new energy performance standards for Room Air Conditioner (RACs).

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The 240C default setting has been made mandatory from 1st January, 2020 for all room air conditioners covered under the ambit of BEE star-labelling program.
BEE launched the voluntary star labelling program for fixed-speed room air conditioners (RACs) in 2006, and this program became mandatory on 12th January 2009. Thereafter, in 2015, voluntary star labelling program for inverter room air conditioners was launched and was made mandatory with effect from 1st January 2018.

Source: PIB

JUS COGENS

Topic: International Affairs

In News: Recently US administration has threatened Iran by tweeting that, it might attack Iran’s cultural sites by doing so US is trying to ignore the JUS COGENS legislation ( Attacking any cultural site is a war crime).

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The jus cogens rules have been sanctioned by the Vienna Conventions on the Law of Treaties of 1969 and 1986.
According to both Conventions, a treaty is void if it breaches jus cogens rules.
Besides treaties, unilateral declarations also have to abide by these norms.
JUS COGENS or ius cogens, meaning “compelling law” in Latin, are rules in international law that are peremptory or authoritative, and from which states cannot deviate.
These norms cannot be offset by a separate treaty between parties intending to do so, since they hold fundamental values.
Today, most states and international organisations accept the principle of jus cogens, which dates back to Roman times.
So far, an exhaustive list of jus cogens rules does not exist.
However, the prohibition of slavery, genocide, racial discrimination, torture, and the right to self-determination are recognized norms.
The prohibition against apartheid is also recognized as a jus cogens rule, from which no derogation is allowed, since apartheid is against the basic principles of the United Nations.

Source: Hindu