Taxes on jet fuel choking airlines: IATA

Why in news?

Taxes on jet fuel in India along with lack of competition for fuel suppliers at airports is strangling the lifeblood from the airlines, International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General and CEO Alexander de Juniac said.

Details

• IATA also expressed concerns over the Goods and Services Tax (GST) imposed on international flight tickets. Such a levy weakens India’s competitiveness by raising the cost of connectivity.
• At present, 5% GST is levied on economy class tickets and 12% on business class tickets for international travel. The recent spurt in fuel prices has led to industry players reiterating the additional burden imposed on Indian players, who also have to pay extra taxes on ATF.
• Fuel accounts for about 24.2% of an airline’s average cost structure. In India, it is 34%, making India’s carriers particularly sensitive in this area. All airlines are already suffering from the rise in fuel prices and India’s regulatory and tax framework around fuel hits airlines serving this market harder.

About International Air Transport Association (IATA)

• The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is the trade association for the world’s airlines, representing some 290 airlines or 82% of total air traffic.
• It support many areas of aviation activity and help formulate industry policy on critical aviation issues.
• IATA was founded in Havana, Cuba, on 19 April 1945.
• It is the prime vehicle for inter-airline cooperation in promoting safe, reliable, secure and economical  air services – for the benefit of the world’s consumers.
• The international scheduled air transport industry is more than 100 times larger than it was in 1945. Few industries can match the dynamism of that growth, which  would have been much less spectacular without the standards, practices and procedures developed within IATA.
• At its founding, IATA had 57 members from 31 nations, mostly in Europe and North America. Today it has some 280 members from 120 nations in every part of the globe
• Vision: To be the force for value creation and innovation driving a safe, secure and profitable air transport industry that sustainably connects and enriches our world.

IT giant Google and Election Commission

 Why in news?

With poll season round the corner, Google, which controls the lion’s share of the digital advertising market, will soon be helping the Election Commission (EC) keep tabs on online political advertising.

Details

• The tech giant will develop a mechanism that will not only ensure pre-certification of political advertisements but also enable it to share with the authority details of the expenditure incurred on its platforms.
• Google representative met a committee set up to explore possible modifications in Section 126 (election silence) and other provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, in view of the expansion and diversity of media platforms.
• At the meeting, the representative told the Commission that the company would keep track of political advertisements and ensure that they were pre-certified by the EC’s Media Certification and Monitoring Committees.
• This would entail Google asking prospective clients, whenever an order is placed, whether they have been pre-certified.
• The Commission is the nodal body for pre-certification of advertisements of a political nature, released by either an individual or an organisation.
• Google has also assured the committee that it would set up a mechanism for sharing information on the cost of the political advertisements. This would be of use to Returning Officers when it comes to calculating the election expenditure of individual candidates.
• As soon as someone is declared a candidate for any election, all the money spent by the person for campaigning gets added as election expenditure. The Commission also asks the candidates to declare their official social media accounts.

Other initiatives by election commission

• The EC’s committee had earlier held meetings with Facebook, which has also agreed to develop tools for removing any content pertaining to election matters during the 48-hour period when the ‘prohibition protocol’ is in place.
• It is working on ways to check fake news and share details of expenditure on poll-related advertisements.

State panels to track hip implant patients

Why in news?

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has said that State-level committees consisting of two orthopaedic surgeons or physical medical rehabilitation experts and one radiologist from government hospital, a representative from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and drug controller of respective States should be formed to identify patients who have received the faulty hip implant by pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson.

Details

• The notification said States should advertise widely to reach out to the patients.
• The committee of the Ministry which submitted its report recently has recommended, among other things, the constitution of Central Expert Committee and Regional Expert Committees for determining the exact quantum of compensation after taking into account the minimum amount of ₹20 lakh.
• The compensation will be further calculated based on other factors such as the degree of disability and loss of wages.
• Patients can now reach out directly to the committees.

About Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO)

• The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization(CDSCO) is the national regulatory body for Indian pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and serves parallel function to the European Medicines Agency of the European Union, the PMDA of Japan, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency of the United Kingdom.
• Within the CDSCO, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) regulates pharmaceutical and medical devices, under the gamut of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• The DCGI is advised by the Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) and the Drug Consultative Committee (DCC).

Youth more likely to choose protests over vote

Why in news?

A survey across 128 countries found more young adults, who are interested in politics, rejecting formal political engagement for street activism.

About survey

• But in a contest where both major presidential candidates claimed to represent change, would Zimbabwe’s alienated youth participate? Around the world, fewer are willing to get involved.
• A growing number of younger adults, who say they are interested in politics, are nevertheless rejecting formal political engagement in favour of street protest, an Orb Media analysis of data from 9,79,000 people in 128 countries found.
• Adults under 40 are between 9% and 17% more likely to take part in demonstrations than those older than 40 — a marked increase from the early 2000s, when under-40s were only 3% more likely to protest.
• Youth have always voted in lower numbers. But while surveys show that democracy remains the most desired form of government, fewer young people take part as volunteers or party members.
• Other modes of influence, from street demonstrations to digital campaigns, are increasingly prominent. The gap is widening. As more youth choose informal politics, more older adults avoid protest.
• There are different reasons for this ambivalence. Many activists prefer networked, horizontal movements to top-down legacy organisations. Another factor is the exclusion of new voices.
• (Just 2% of the world’s parliamentarians are younger than 30.) Many see mainstream politics as morally compromised.
• Younger adults prefer the anti-establishment.
• In Poland’s 2015 elections, many leftist youth decided not to vote for the lesser evil, and to oppose the system in general.
• In Bangladesh last month, protesting students were attacked by police and ruling party activists when thousands blocked traffic to demand road safety after two teens were killed by a speeding bus in Dhaka, the capital.
• Youth-led street movements have toppled leaders in Slovakia, Guatemala, Tunisia and Egypt. In each, the establishment reasserted itself.
• Two-thirds of non-voters in the 2016 U.S. election were younger than 50. Only one-third of youth approve of Donald Trump as president. The gap is obvious.

GM Mustard trials may get a nod soon

Why in news?

The environment ministry is set to convene this month a special meeting of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) to decide on field-trial approvals for the controversial transgenic mustard developed by the University of Delhi’s Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP).

Background

• The CGMCP had earlier applied to grow transgenic mustard (DMH-11) in plots in Delhi and Punjab to test the plant’s effects on honeybees after the GEAC, which had initially cleared the GM crop for commercial cultivation, backtracked and demanded more tests and additional data on honeybees and other pollinators and on soil microbial diversity.
• The GEAC, the apex regulator of transgenic products had put a decision on proposed field trials on hold after some members objected to the use of “unapproved pesticides/herbicides” in the project proposal, according to a record of the meeting made public this week.
• The CGMCP team had proposed to use endosulfan — a banned pesticide — as part of their experiment.
• The field safety protocol specifies what measures can be undertaken in case of a pest attack. Mustard is usually sown in October and typically takes three months to mature.
• GEAC had sought more tests for GM mustard in the wake of a chorus of objections to the transgenic crop and following Union Environment Minister intervention in the matter.
• Environmentalists, farmer groups and some scientists argue that transgenic mustard poses several environmental and health risks.
• Among these is a contention that it contains a foreign gene from another species, that tests so far have failed to show any appreciable gains in yield over traditional varieties and that it could, if commercially approved, make farmers growing the GM crop dependent on glyphosate — a weedicide that has been linked to cancer.

About GM Mustard

• Genetically modified mustard- Dhara Mustard Hybrid (DMH -11)
• DMH -11 is transgenic mustard had been developed by a team of scientists Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants at Delhi University.
• It is genetically modified variety of Herbicide Tolerant (HT) mustard. It was created by using “barnase/barstar” technology for genetic modification by adding genes from soil bacterium that makes mustard self-pollinating plant. DMH -11 contains three genes viz.
• Bar gene, Barnase and Barstar sourced from soil bacterium. The bar gene had made plant resistant to herbicide named Basta.

About Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC)

• GEAC is apex body under Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change for regulating manufacturing, use, import, export and storage of hazardous micro-organisms or genetically engineered organisms (GMOs) and cells in the country.
• It is also responsible for giving technical approval of proposals relating to release of GMOs and products including experimental field trials. However, Environment Minister gives final approval for GMOs.

Japan to test mini ‘space elevator’

Why in news?

A Japanese team has developed a space elevator and will conduct a first trial this month, blasting off a miniature version on satellites to test the technology.

Details

• The test equipment will hitch a ride on an H-2B rocket being launched by Japan’s space agency.
• The test involves a miniature elevator stand-in a box just 6 cm long, 3 cm wide, and 3 cm high. The mini-elevator will travel along the cable from a container in one of the satellites.
• If all goes well, it will provide proof of concept by moving along a 10-metre cable suspended in space between two mini satellites that will keep it taut.

Background

The idea was first proposed in 1895 by Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky after he saw the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and was revisited nearly a century later in a novel by Arthur C. Clarke. But technical barriers have always kept plans stuck at the conceptual stage.

Technology Initiatives for Coffee Stakeholders

Why in news?

The government has launched Coffee Connect – India coffee field force app and Coffee Krishi Tharanga – digital mobile extension services for coffee stakeholders.

About Coffee Connect

• The mobile app Coffee Connect has been developed to ease the work of field functionaries and to improve the work efficiency.
• This application provides solution by harnessing the power of mobility comprising the latest technology in easing the whole process of the field. This includes activities like digitization of Coffee Growers & Estates with Geo Tagging, collecting the Plantation details.
• It will also help in transparency in the activities of the extension officers and officials, transparency in subsidy disbursement and real time report generation.

 About Coffee Krishi Tharanga

• The Coffee KrishiTharanga services are aimed at providing customized information and services to increase productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability. NABARD has partly funded the Pilot project.
• The solution will help in to reach maximum growers in limited period, efficient, timely, customised advisory, improve the efficiency through digitization and leverage existing mobile reach for wider delivery of improved technology.

Coffee cultivation in India

• Coffee cultivation is mainly confined to Karnataka (54%), Kerala (19%) and Tamil Nadu (8%) which form traditional coffee tracts.
• Indian coffee, grown mostly in southern states under monsoon rainfall conditions, is also termed as “Indian monsooned coffee”.
• The two well known species of coffee grown are the Arabica and Robusta. The first variety that was introduced in the Baba Budan Giri hill ranges of Karnataka in the 17th century was marketed over the years under the brand names of Kent and S.795.

About Coffee Board of India

• The Coffee Board of India is an organisation managed by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the government of India to promote coffee production in India.
• It was established by an act of Parliament in 1942.
• Its duties included the promotion of the sale and consumption of coffee in India and abroad, conducting coffee research, financial assistance to establish small coffee growers, safeguarding working conditions for laborers, and managing the surplus pool of unsold coffee.

IOWave18

Why in news?

Indian Ocean Wave Exercise 2018 (IOWave18) is being held in the Indian Ocean.

About Indian ocean Wave Exercise

• India along with 23 other nations is participating in this major Indian ocean-wide tsunami mock drill which involves evacuation of thousands of people from coastal areas in over half a dozen coastal states.
• This tsunami warning exercise is being organised by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO.
• It was the IOC that coordinated the setting up of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS) in the aftermath of December 2004 tsunami.
• Besides testing the standard operating procedure (SOP) and communication links at all levels of the warning chain, a primary objective of IOWave18 exercise is to enhance tsunami preparedness at community level.
• The purpose of exercise is to increase tsunami preparedness, evaluate response capabilities in each state and improve coordination throughout the region.

 About the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)

• The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), established in 1960 as a body with functional autonomy within UNESCO, is the only competent organization for marine science within the UN system.
• The purpose of the Commission is to promote international cooperation and to coordinate programmes in research, services and capacity-building, in order to learn more about the nature and resources of the ocean and coastal areas and to apply that knowledge for the improvement of management, sustainable development, the protection of the marine environment, and the decision-making processes of its Member States.
• In addition, IOC is recognized through the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the competent international organization in the fields of Marine Scientific Research (Part XIII) and Transfer of Marine Technology (Part XIV).
• UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) promotes international cooperation and coordinates programmes in marine research, services, observation systems, hazard mitigation, and capacity development to understand and manage the resources of the ocean and coastal areas.
• The Commission aims to improve the governance, management, institutional capacity, and decision-making processes of its Member States with respect to marine resources and climate variability.
• IOC coordinates ocean observation and monitoring through the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) which aims to develop a unified network providing information on the oceans.
• IOC also coordinates and fosters the establishment of regional intergovernmental tsunami warning and mitigation systems in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, in the North East Atlantic, Mediterranean and Caribbean seas.

International Women Entrepreneurs Summit

 Why in news?

The International Women Entrepreneurs Summit 2018 is being held in Kathmandu, Nepal.

About International Women Entrepreneurs Summit 2018

• It is organised by the South Asian Women Development Forum.
• The main objective of the summit is to bring together achievers, women business leaders, professionals, international service providers, resource organisations, experts, government representatives and other stakeholders with a focus on innovative economic transformation through discussions and collaborations.
• Theme: “Equality begins with Economic Empowerment”.

About South Asian Women Development Forum (SAWDF)

• SAWDF is an autonomous, non profit organization based in Kathmandu, Nepal.
• It was granted the status of SAARC Recognized Body by 36th Session of SAARC Council Ministers at 18th SAARC Summit held in Kathmandu in 2014.
• It is first SAARC Recognized Body organisation working on women entrepreneurs issues.
• It represents national women entrepreneurs’ associations or organizations, institutions working towards economic issues of women entrepreneurs in SAARC Region.