Daily Current Affairs 14 August 2020 | UPSC Current Affairs 2020

 Current Affairs Of Today Are

1) Transparent Taxation - Honoring the Honest

PM Modi yesterday launched  'Transparent Taxation - Honoring the Honest' platform that provides; "Faceless Assessment",  "Faceless Appeal" and  "Taxpayers Charter"

FACELESS ASSESSMENT

• There are around 7.5 crore direct taxpayers. They pay tax and file returns (tax documents). Taxpayers use various ways to avoid paying taxes and showing their income way below the actual income. So, the government has set certain parameters to pick for assessment/review of these cases. For example, those taxpayers whose income is quite high (say 30 lakhs) but tax payment is very less supposing only 2 lakhs OR suppose in any particular savings account more than Rs. 10 lakhs got deposited in a financial year, etc.
• Now suppose there are 5 lakh such cases. Now out of these 5 lakh cases, the government may pick randomly 50,000 cases for review/assessment (as all cannot be reviewed because of resource constraint). So, the government will send notice and you will have to give clarifications. And govt may scrutinize such cases in quite a detail and if some wrongdoings were found, you may be penalized.
• Earlier (before the e-assessment scheme was launched), these cases were selected by tax officials, and they're used to be face to face meetings between tax officials and taxpayers and where taxpayers were used to be harassed. But now all such cases will be randomly picked by computer and no face to face grilling would happen but only through electronic mode of communication. So, this will improve transparency and efficiency, and governance and thus improves the quality of assessment and monitoring.
• This scheme was already launched in SEPTEMBER 2019 (announced in Budget 2019-20) by amending the Income Tax Act 1961. Budget 2020-21 had proposed to amend the Income Tax Act to enable Faceless Appeal on the lines of Faceless assessment.   

FACELESS APPEAL 

• In case a taxpayer files appeal against any assessment by the tax authority
• Appeals to be randomly allotted to any officer in the country.
• The identification of the officers deciding appeal will remain unknown.
• The taxpayer will not be required to visit the income tax office or the officer.
• The appellate decision will be team-based and reviewed.
• Exceptions to Faceless Appeal
• The exceptions to the Faceless Appeal include serious frauds, major tax evasion, sensitivity, and search matters. The system also excludes international taxation and Black Money Act & Benami Property.

TAXPAYERS' CHARTER

• TAXPAYERS' CHARTER is a two-way document for the assessor (tax authority) and the assessee (taxpayer). Through this document, the government has committed the following to the taxpayers:
• To provide fair, courteous, and reasonable treatment
• Treat the taxpayer as honest
• To provide a mechanism for appeal and review
• To provide complete and accurate information
• To provide timely decisions
• To collect the correct amount of tax
• To respect the privacy of taxpayers
• To maintain confidentiality
• To hold its authorities accountable
• To enable representative of choice
• To provide a mechanism to lodge a complaint
• To provide a fair and just system
• To publish service standards and report periodically
• To reduce the cost of compliance
• The Taxpayers' Charter also highlights the obligations of the taxpayer. These are as follows:
• To be honest and compliant
• To be informed
• To keep accurate records
• To know what your representative does on your behalf
• To respond in time
• To pay in time

Source: The Hindu

2) Australia Shares 5G experience through CSP

• India and Australia are sharing experiences on protecting critical infrastructure, including 5G networks
• At the Prime Minister’s virtual summit in June, both countries had signed a cyber and cyber­enabled critical technology framework agreement along with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP).
• There is an ongoing dialogue, through that we exchange a range of our experiences, including what we are doing on critical infrastructure and aspects, including our 5G network
• another area which the two countries were exploring was of regulatory space, including Australia’s encryption legislation, and how that could be used to prevent cyber­enabled crime and also on how to police the dark web
• In August 2018, Australia had banned Chinese companies from offering 5G services, citing national security. In January, India allowed Chinese firms to participate in 5G trials but with the current border standoff in Ladakh, there are reports India may take a tougher stand.
• On June 29, India banned 59 Chinese apps citing national security and later banned 47 more Chines apps
• There was a lot of focus on the CSP but in his view, the cyber framework was the second most important agreement signed that day ( June 4). “The [cyber] agreement sets out practical actions to enhance digital trade, harness critical technology opportunities and address cybersecurity challenges
• As part of this, the two countries had been increasing information sharing and stepping up cooperation
• The categories of threats that the two countries were looking at were criminal groups, financial gain, sophisticated state­based actors, and so on.

Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

• Comprehensive Strategic Partnership: Upgradation of the existing 2+2 dialogue to the Ministerial level, elevating the 2009 bilateral Strategic Partnership to a CSP.
• India already has a 2+2 ministerial-level dialogues mechanism with the USA and Japan, the other members of the Quadrilateral grouping (QUAD).
• India has signed CSPs with the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) thus far, while Australia has CSPs with China, Indonesia, and Singapore.

Source: The Hindu

3) India announces $500 mn package for the Maldives

• India announced a slew of new connectivity measures for the Maldives, including air, sea, intra­island, and telecommunications to help the Indian Ocean Islands deal with the economic impact of the COVID-­19 pandemic.
• Among the initiatives announced at a meeting is air connectivity “bubble” for travel, a direct ferry service, a submarine cable for telecom connectivity; and assistance for the Greater Male Connectivity project (GMCP) to connect Male to three neighboring islands, the biggest such project thus far.
• India’s decision to support the implementation of the GMCP in The Maldives, through a financial package consisting of a grant of USD 100 million and a new Line of Credit (LoC) of USD 400 million
• The GMCP would be the “largest civilian infrastructure project in the Maldives
• The project, which will consist of several bridges and causeways to connect Male to Villingili, Thilafushi and Gulhifahu islands that span 6.7 km, will take much of the pressure off the main the capital island of Male for commercial and residential purposes. 
• The $400 million Line of Credit comes in addition to a previous LoC of $800 million that was announced by New Delhi in December 2018. 
• When completed, the project would render the Chinese­built Sinemale Friendship bridge connecting Male to two other islands, thus far the most visible infrastructure project in the islands, “insignificant in comparison”

Source: The Hindu

4) Indigenous Air Unique-quality Monitoring (AUM) Photonic System

• World Health Organisation (WHO)’s reports show that the worsening state of poor air quality is responsible for more than 7.5 million fatalities worldwide annually. This highlights the necessity for accurate, yet cost-effective monitoring of air quality parameters as monitoring is critical to the solution. The current systems and technologies used for air quality monitoring are prohibitively expensive for wider deployment. This underlines the need for the development of systems for real-time remote monitoring of relevant air quality parameters.
• With the support from Department of Science and Technology’s Clean Air Research Initiative, Prof. Rao Tatavarti, Director of Gayatri Vidya Parishad-Scientific and Industrial Research Centre (GVP-SIRC) & GVP College of Engineering, Visakhapatnam, has developed an indigenous photonic system for real-time remote monitoring of air quality parameters. Prof Tatavarti was supported by Prof. P. Arulmozhivarman from the School of Electrical Engineering, VIT University, Vellore, and other team members. The system titled AUM (Air Unique-quality Monitoring) had CATS Eco-Systems, Nashik as the technology transfer partner for commercialization.
• The AUM system (patent pending) is an innovative application of the principles of laser backscattering, statistical mechanics, optoelectronics, artificial intelligence, machine/deep learning, and the Internet of Things. It can identify, classify, and quantify various pollutants simultaneously (of orders of less than one part per billion) and meteorological parameters, with very high precision, sensitivity and accuracy.
• AUM was successfully evaluated during laboratory trials with gold standards (in collaboration with EffecTech, UK), and also compared in the field with imported systems from France, and Australia and operated by Karnataka State Pollution Control Board under the aegis of the Central Pollution Control Board of India.
• It is highly sensitive and accurate and capable of simultaneous detection and quantification of all air quality parameters and offers several merits over any of the currently available conventional systems. It is portable, compact, low powered and economical, works on plug and play system, requires no setting uptime, and no additional civil infrastructure for housing. It provides information on all gases and meteorological parameters simultaneously. It is a non-intrusive remote, real-time monitoring system with very high sensitivities and accuracies and is capable of monitoring in both spatial and temporal domains, with very high sampling frequencies. Also, the data from spatially separated sensors can be seamlessly streamed to a cloud server, from where digestible real-time encrypted information on the dashboard is made available to the user in any part of the world.
• This system can boost the nation’s efforts towards self-reliance in high-end technologies and can additionally be instrumental in supporting the endeavors in improving the nation’s health and economy.

Source: PIB

5) IIA scientists discover He-enhanced cool bright stars among the metal-rich parts of Omega Centauri globular cluster

• Globular clusters are the stellar systems with millions of stars formed from the same gaseous cloud.  Hence, usually, the stars formed will be homogeneous in their chemical composition of elemental abundances. But, some clusters deviate from this norm. One is being Omega Centauri, the brightest and the largest globular cluster in our Galaxy, the Milky Way.
• The different stars of Omega Centauri do not show the same metal content, a parameter that indicates its age, but a large range in it. Due to the anomalous elemental abundances, the formation scenario may be different from normal. Normally, the abundances are derived using the assumption that He is one-tenth of the H-abundance.
• A team of scientists from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India studied numerous stars of this cluster and discovered He-enhanced cool bright stars among the metal-rich sample of Omega Centauri. This work, a result of the spectroscopic survey conducted of this cluster, determines the He-abundance of these stars for the first time and has been published in ‘The Astrophysical Journal’.
• Though there are estimations of He-enhancement in the H-core burning main-sequence stars (like Sun) of Omega Cen, this is the first-ever spectroscopic determination of He-abundance in Omega Centauri. The study provides a very important clue for the origin of the He-enhanced population establishing that these are the second generation of stars formed from the metal-rich and He-enhanced material from the first generation of stars. And, also that the He-enhanced main-sequence stars evolve to the metal-rich He-enhanced cool bright stars as our program starts.  
• While in most stars, H is the most abundant element, if the abundance of H is reduced, correspondingly He abundance increases because the sum of H and He is a constant, and the other heavier elements are in traces. IIA team started their studies by using the low-resolution spectra obtained from the Optometric Medium Resolution Spectrograph (OMRS) installed with the Vainu Bappu Telescope, Vainu Bappu Observatory, Kavalur, India for identifying the mildly H-poor/He-enhanced stars. 
• However, they found that the H-atomic spectral lines are very strong in the spectra of stars, and the reliable measurement of abundance was not possible from such lines. Hence, IIA team used a novel technique that adopts model atmospheres with differing He/H ratio and the predicted light from these models was matched with observed light in neutral magnesium (Mg) atomic line and that in MgH molecular band in the observed high-resolution spectra to derive the star's actual H/He ratio which measures the amount of He.  In all the previous studies, the analyses were carried out assuming the normal H-abundance like for Sun (He/H=0.1). 
• To measure the amount of He in these cool bright stars of Omega Centauri, using the high-resolution spectra obtained from the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), Dr. Hema B. P.  and Prof. Gajendra Pandey of Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore have worked in association with Prof. Robert L. Kurucz, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, USA, and Prof. Carlos Allende Prieto,  Instituto de Astrofısica de Canarias and Departamento deAstrofisica, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife.

Source: PIB

6) Magnetic hyperthermia-mediated cancer therapy (MHCT)

• Magnetic hyperthermia-mediated cancer therapy (MHCT), a non-invasive cancer treatment technique involves the delivery and localization of magnetic materials within the targeted tumor site followed by subsequent application of an alternating magnetic field (AMF), thereby generating heat at the tumor site. It can efficiently act against deep-seated inaccessible solid tumors like glioblastoma and is highly thermo-sensitive towards normal cells with minimal toxicity against healthy counterparts. Scientists are on the lookout for new materials which can make this treatment more efficient.
• Scientists from Institute of Nano Science & Technology an autonomous institute of Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India have synthesized different magnetic nano-transducers like Stevioside-coated magnetite nanoparticles; Citric acid-coated Magnetic nanoclusters and Manganese and Zinc doped magnetite nanoparticles for successful application as magnetic hyperthermia agents for cancer therapy.
• Dr. Deepika Sharma and her team from INST have synthesized magnetic nanomaterials using a hydrothermal approach. They have also developed water-stable nanomaterial with a biomolecule as the surfactant to address two of the main concerns regarding the translation of nanotechnology-based strategies to clinical applications - biocompatibility of the material used and therapeutic response of these nanosystems. The scientists have focused on the design and development of hyperthermia output and understanding the biological phenomena, which include their movement through biological barriers to fight against inoperable tumors.
• The synthesized “nano-heaters” when subjected to magnetic hyperthermia either alone or in combination with other adjuvant therapy like photothermal therapy. This was then evaluated in terms of cell viability, oxidative stress production, reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential, cytoskeletal damage by confocal microscopy and morphological alterations by scanning electron microscopy in cancer cells and the results published in the ACS Applied Nanomaterials and Journal of Radiation and Cancer Research. For the various nanosystems generated in their lab, the INST team has achieved enhanced hyperthermia output with surface modifications of surfactant moieties and generating nanoclusters instead of conventional spherical nanoparticles. Such enhanced hyperthermia output makes it an efficient system to be used for Cancer therapy
• The inherent problem of reduction in efficiency of magnetic hyperthermia as nano-magnets get internalized in the cells, led the INST team to investigate the effect of different sizes, shapes, and surfactants to enhance the hyperthermia output and also analyze their passage through the biological barrier to make it a feasible option for clinical studies.
• The optimization of various parameters like size, shape, and surfactant moieties of nano-heaters by the INST team might contribute towards establishing magnetic hyperthermia as the missing notch for successful glioblastoma therapy with minimum side-effects to the normal cells.

Source: PIB

7) Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO)

• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh launched the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) through an online webinar. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath and other dignitaries were also present at the event.
• The NIIO puts in place dedicated structures for the end-users to interact with academia and industry towards fostering innovation and indigenization for self-reliance in defense in keeping with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• The NIIO is a three-tiered organization. Naval Technology Acceleration Council (N-TAC) will bring together the twin aspects of innovation and indigenization and provide apex level directives. A working group under the N-TAC will implement the projects. A Technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC) has also been created for the induction of emerging disruptive technology in an accelerated time frame.
• The Draft Defence Acquisition Policy 2020 (DAP 20) envisages Service Headquarters establishing an Innovation & Indigenisation Organisation within existing resources. Indian Navy already has a functional Directorate of Indigenisation (DoI) and the new structures created will build upon the ongoing indigenization initiatives, as well as focus on innovation.
• During the launch event, the Indian Navy signed Memorandums Of Understanding (MoUs) with:-
• Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA);
• Raksha Shakti University (RSU), Gujarat;
• Maker Village, Kochi; and
• Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM).
• An online discussion forum for engaging the domestic industry and academic institutes have been created in partnership with RSU and was launched during the webinar.
• A compendium of Indian Navy’s Indigenisation perspective plans titled ‘SWAVLAMBAN’ was also released on the occasion.
  

Source: PIB

8) Indian Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessel ‘Sarthak’ launched

• An Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) for the Indian Coast Guard was launched and re-christened as Indian Coast Guard Ship ‘Sarthak
• OPV Sarthak is the 4th in the series of five OPVs. It has been designed & built indigenously by M/s Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) in line with the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Make in India’.  The Ship is fitted with state-of-the-art Navigation and Communication equipment, sensor, and machinery. The 105 Metre ship displaces approximately 2350 tons and is propelled by two 9100 KW diesel engines designed to attain a maximum speed of 26 knots, with an endurance of 6000 Nautical Miles. The sustenance and reach, coupled with the latest equipment and system, provides her the capability to perform the role of a command platform and undertake tasks to fulfill the Coast Guard charter. The ship is designed to embark and carry a twin-engine helicopter, four high-speed boats, and one inflatable boat for swift boarding and Search & Rescue operations. The ship is also capable of carrying limited pollution response equipment to undertake oil spill pollution response at sea. 
• The ship will be deployed extensively for EEZ surveillance, Coastal Security, and other duties as enshrined in the Coast Guard charter of duties, to safeguard the maritime interests of the Nation.  In addition to the 05 OPV project, 52 ships are at various stages of construction at different Indian Shipyards and 16 Advanced Light Helicopters are under production at M/s HAL, Bengaluru, which will provide the added strength to the surveillance capabilities of Indian Coast Guard to deal with the dynamic maritime challenges.
• True to its motto “Vayam Rakshamah” meaning “We Protect”, Indian Coast Guard has to its credit of saving about 9730 lives at sea, 12500 lives as part of assistance rendered to Civil authorities and undertook 400 Medical evacuations. Indian Coast Guard saves one life every second day at sea. The deterrence created by the Indian Coast Guard is not limited to the Indian waters, but collaboration with friendly littoral states as per provisions of bilateral cooperation agreements resulted in successful apprehension and seizure of drugs in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The real-time information sharing, close coordination, and understanding between ICG and other International agencies have been the key success of these operations. The hawk-eye vigil by the Indian Coast Guard of the
• Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) has ensured seizure of   Rs.  6800 Crore contraband. Indian Coast Guard remains committed to ensuring ‘Safe, Secure and Clean seas’ around the Indian subcontinent.

Source: PIB

9) India ranks first in several organic farmers

• The growth story of organic farming is unfolding with increasing demand not only in India but also globally. In a world battered by the COVID pandemic, the demand for healthy and safe food is already showing an upward trend and hence this is an opportune moment to be captured for a win-win situation for our farmers, consumers, and the environment.
• India ranks first in the number of organic farmers and ninth in terms of area under organic farming. Sikkim became the first State in the world to become fully organic and other States including Tripura and Uttarakhand have set similar targets. North East India has traditionally been organic and the consumption of chemicals is far less than the rest of the country. Similarly, the tribal and island territories are being nurtured to continue their organic story.
• To assist farmers to adopt organic farming and improve remunerations due to premium prices, two dedicated programs namely Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region (MOVCD) and Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) were launched in 2015 to encourage chemical-free farming. With the simultaneous thrust given by the Agri-export Policy 2018, India can emerge as a major player in global organic markets. The major organic exports from India have been flax seeds, sesame, soybean, tea, medicinal plants, rice, and pulses, which were instrumental in driving an increase of nearly 50% in organic exports in 2018-19, touching Rs 5151 crore. Modest commencement of exports from Assam, Mizoram, Manipur, and Nagaland to the UK, USA, Swaziland, and Italy have proved the potential by increasing volumes and expanding to new destinations as the demand for health foods increases.
• Certification is an important element of organic produce to instill customer confidence. Both PKVY and MOVCD are promoting certification under the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) and the National Program for Organic Production (NPOP) respectively targeting domestic and export markets. The Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations, 2017 are based on the standards of NPOP and PGS. The consumer should look for the logos of FSSAI, Jaivik Bharat / PGS Organic India on the product to establish the organic authenticity of the produce. PGS Green is given to chemical-free produce under transition to ‘organic’ which takes 3 years.
• About 40,000 clusters are being assisted under PKVY covering an area of about 7 lakh ha. MOVCD has brought in its fold 160 FPOs cultivating about 80,000 ha. For these clusters to become sustainable, henceforth market-led production must start in a contract farming mode, so that there is a ready market for the produce and industry also gets the desired quality and quantity when required. This is being pursued in right earnest with bulk buyers including the phtyo extracts industries. The commodities with the highest potential include ginger, turmeric, black rice, spices, Nutri cereals, pineapples, medicinal plants, buckwheat, bamboo shoots, etc. Supplies have started from NER including for Mother Dairy from Meghalaya, Revanta Foods, and Big Basket from Manipur. Several instances of farmer groups setting up markets in RWAs and selling directly are increasingly becoming common especially in Maharashtra and Karnataka where fresh organic produce is lapped up by the urbanites and farmers get a better bargain with no intermediaries. The presence of aggregators is imperative to bring about economies of scale for the small and marginal farmers. Hence the concept of market-led One district - One product is being encouraged, as also the development of more clusters in the vicinity of bigger towns where the appetite for organics will be much more.
• When the pandemic struck India, access to quality food was as high on priority for the country as much as health. Advisories to States on supporting direct marketing to decongest mandis led to several States issuing orders and amending legislation, thereby opening upmarket options to farmers. Working within the constraints posed due to disruption in logistics, access to regular markets, decrease in demand, number of States, and clusters innovated and converted this crisis into an opportunity. The Green Caravan of Kohima created market linkages from all villages of Nagaland to urban areas for vegetables, handicrafts, and handlooms (www.instamojo.com). There was the online sale of fruits and vegetables by FPOs in Maharashtra and doorstep delivery in specially designed electric vans in Punjab. Manipur Organic Agency (MoMA) mobilized all the 15 FPCs of MOVCD to collect produce and transport to two organic wholesale centers at Sanjenthong and Chingmeriong in Imphal for onward delivery to consumers.
• The organic e-commerce platform www.jaivikkheti.in is being strengthened for directly linking farmers with retail as well as bulk buyers. Infusion of digital technology in a much bigger way has been a major takeaway during the pandemic period and is a welcome norm here to stay, saving in expenses on travel, logistics, etc while not compromising in any way on the quality of information sharing. In fact, video conferencing and webinars make possible outreach with many more in the field, with minimum disruption in their works too and which was not possible in physical meetings. The NER States also participated in a webinar on Integrated Organic Farming models developed by ICAR, for increasing productivity, integrated nutrient, and pest management, and hence an increase in farmers’ income. Video conferences are being held to understand the issues being faced by companies and strengthen the conversations with States and Regional Councils responsible for handholding clusters and in the process, new partnerships are being forged for direct procurement from the farmers/farmer groups. 
• Natural farming is not a new concept in India, with farmers having tilled their land without the use of chemicals - largely relying on organic residues, cow dung, composts, etc since time immemorial. The philosophy underlying organic farming of integration of the elements – soil, water, microbes and ‘waste’ products, forestry, and agriculture is the correct recipe for sustainable use of natural resources, which are coming under severe stress due to ever-increasing requirement of food and feedstock for agri based industry. This is also in sync with the Sustainable Development Goal 2 targeting ‘end hunger, achieve food security, and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture’.
• Hence with greater awareness and capacity building of the producers on compliance with international standards, Indian organic farmers will soon be reinforcing their rightful place in global agri trade.

Source: PIB