Important Facts for Prelims (11th January 2019)

• 11 Jan 2019

Sahayak Air Droppable Containers

• The Navy has successfully tested Sahayak Air Droppable Containers that can be air-dropped to enhance its operational logistics capability at sea.
• The trials were undertaken from an IL-38 aircraft off the coast of Goa.
• Having a test payload of 50 kg, these containers are equipped to carry spares for ships up to 2,000 km away from the coast.
• This will reduce the requirement of ships to be close to the coast for collecting spares and stores, thereby increasing the duration of their deployment.The Sahayak Containers would enhance its operational logistics capability.
• These cylindrical containers have been indigenously developed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory and the Aeronautical Development Establishment of the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam was established on August 20, 1969 to undertake research and development of complete major naval systems (Underwater Mines, Torpedoes, Fire Control Systems, Weapon Launchers, Targets, Decoys, etc) for the Indian Navy to make it self-reliant.

Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) is a key Aeronautical Systems Design House in Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), under Ministry of Defence.
Since its formation in 1959, ADE has been playing an important role in the design & development of a variety of aeronautical systems required by the Indian Armed forces.
The research, design and development activities of ADE include development of Unmanned Aircraft Systems and systems for manned aircrafts including Simulators.

Two New AIIMS for Jammu and Kashmir, One for Gujarat

• The Union Cabinet has approved establishment of three new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana.
• An Act of Parliament in 1956 established the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) as an autonomous institution of national importance and defined its objectives and functions.

Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY)

• PMSSY was announced in 2003 with objectives of correcting regional imbalances in the availability of affordable/ reliable tertiary healthcare services and also to augment facilities for quality medical education in the country.
• The PMSSY is implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• It has two components:
  • Setting up new AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences)
  • Upgradation of government medical colleges in various states.
• The project cost for upgradation of each medical college institution is shared by the Centre and the state.

Electronic National Agricultural Market (e-NAM)

• First-ever inter-State transaction on e-NAM has taken place between Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
• The electronic National Agricultural Market (e-NAM) is a pan-India electronic trading portal which networks the existing APMC(Agricultural produce market committee) mandis to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities. It was launched in 2016.
• e-NAM allows trading of commodities at mandis through mobile and web applications.
• Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is the lead agency for implementing e-NAM under the aegis of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India.
• e-NAM requires states to implement 3 changes:
  • Provide for electronic trading,
  • single trading licences that are valid in all mandis in a state.
  • a single-window levy of transaction fees.
• The e-NAM Portal provides a single window service for all APMC related information and services. This includes commodity arrivals & prices, buy & sell trade offers, provision to respond to trade offers, among other services.

Raisina Dialogue 2019

• Recently, Raisina Dialogue conference was concluded in New Delhi.
• The theme of the Dialogue was “A World Reorder: New Geometries; Fluid Partnerships; Uncertain Outcomes”.
• The Raisina Dialogue is a multilateral conference committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the global community.
• The Dialogue is structured as a multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral discussion, involving heads of state, cabinet ministers and local government officials, as well as major private sector executives, members of the media and academics.
• The conference is hosted by the Observer Research Foundation in collaboration with the Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs.

GST Council Meeting

• Recently, 32nd Meeting of Goods and Service Tax (GST) Council took place.
• Decisions made:
  • GST Council has allowed Kerala to impose “calamity cess” on the intra-state supply of goods and services.
    • Kerala is the first state to impose “calamity cess” after the introduction of GST.
  • GST Council has raised the exemption limit from GST for micro, small and medium enterprise from Rs. 20 lakh to Rs. 40 lakh.

How are decisions taken at the GST Council?

• No decision can be taken in the Council without the concurrence of both the union or the state governments.
• Decisions are taken by a 75% majority of the weighted votes of members present and voting.
• Union government’s vote has a weightage of one-third of the votes cast, while all states together will have a weightage of two-third of the votes cast.

Goods & Services Tax Council

• Goods & Services Tax Council is a constitutional body for making recommendations to the Union and State Government on issues related to Goods and Service Tax.
• The GST Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister and other members are the Union State Minister of Revenue or Finance and Ministers in-charge of Finance or Taxation of all the States.
• As per Article 279A (1) of the constitution, the GST Council was constituted by the President.