02 March 2019 Universal Basic Income and more 02/03/2019 – Posted in: Daily News – Tags: ,

Universal Basic Income

News Flash

A UBI requires the government to pay a fixed amount of money to every citizen of country on regular basis without any conditions. Basically it is an unconditional cash transfer for all people.

  • UBI cash remains with the individual regardless of whether he finds a new job, which gives him the motivating force to genuinely search for business.

Background

Despite rapid economic growth in the last three years, millions of people remain unemployed and are living in extremely poor conditions.

Beneficiary

Groups or individuals who have not benefitted from economic growth and suffer from multi-dimensional poverty i.e. landless labourers, agricultural workers and marginal farmers.

Identification of Beneficiaries

  • By using Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011.
  • Small farmers, missing from the SECC, identified using the dataset from the Agriculture Census of 2015-16.

Benefits

  • This income support of per annum can be a good supplement to their livelihoods.
  • This extra pay can reduce the incidents of indebtedness among marginal farmers.

Why this measures taken

  • Reduce Poverty (anti-poverty measure).
  • Taking care of the unemployed (rising job insecurity).
  • Semi-skilled or unskilled labour lagging behind due to rapid technological progress.

Another such Measures

  • Pradhanmantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM-KISAN) which promises ₹6,000 per annum to farmers.
  • Rythu Bandhu scheme of Telangana to provide a cash grant of Rs 4,000 per acre to all farmers.

Advantages of UBI

  • It is universally available and it avoids the exclusion and inclusion errors common to targeted subsidy/ transfer programmes.
  • It is free from the administrative hassles and siphoning off of benefits by unintended people.
  • Receipients have freedom to decide how to spend the money.

Drawback

  • Implementing an UBI would be an additional fiscal burden.
  • Impossible to finance as growing NPA and Loan waivers announcements.
  • It would cost about 10% of the GDP.
  • Impact on Tax revenue.

Way Ahead

  • Ask support from Public and Private Companies.
  • Can take a part of funds from Corporate Social Responsibility.
  • Favour from NGOs.
  • Can go for some universal child allowance, which would cost less than an universal guaranteed income.

 

 

 Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme 

News Flash

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Organised a National conference with the Department of Empowerment of Person with Disabilities (DEPwD) for “Deendayal Disabled Rehabilition Scheme (DDRS)”.

  • DDRS is a Central Sector Scheme of Government of India.
  • Being implemented since 1999 for providing financial assistance to NGOs.
  • For rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.

The scheme is revised and is being implemented since 1st April 2018.

Provisions of new scheme:

  • Increase in the cost norms by 2.5 times.
  • Increase the funding of projects from 75% to 90% of their total cost.
  • Special benefits to special areas such as Left Wing affected districts.
  • Removal of maximum limit of beneficiaries.

Objectives:

  • Effective step towards good governance.
  • Creating an environment to ensure equal opportunities, equity, social justice and empowerment of persons with disabilities.
  • Ensures the proper implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016

  

India-Pakistan Relations

News Flash

The absence of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meeting — a boycott to protest the invitation extended to India as a guest of honour.

  • India is not a member of the OIC, but was invited as a guest of honour.

Diplomatic success for India

  • India’s voice and stance were heard loud and clear in OIC.
  • India gained support of several countries.
  • Pakistan officially admitted JeM (jaish e mohammad) cheif Massod Azar lives there.

Fear of Nuclear War

  • Fear of escalation to the nuclear level haunts both Indian and Pakistani decision maker.
  • Pakistan does not accept the “no first use” doctrine, thus uses its stockpiled tactical weapons.
  • Indian nuclear doctrine will respond through retaliation.

Nuclear Disaster

As per “Earth’s Future” study, if the two countries used 50 weapons of 15 kilotons each, it would cause:

  • Drop in Global temperatures for decades (Nuclear Winter).
  • Within five years, bringing precipitation down by 9%.
  • Spike in Ultraviolet radiation (Ultraviolet Spring).
  • Black carbon from the explosion would rise to the sky, blocking out the sun.
  • When the black carbon rises, it will cool the earth’s surface but heat up the stratosphere.
  • In fifth year, the earth would lose its ozone layer at the rate of 20-25%.
  • Lack of rain, cold weather and radiation would hurt food production.
  • Rise of cancer in humans.
  • Marine food chains would suffer too.

Black Carbon

It is formed as a by-product of incomplete combustion of fossil and bio-fuels. It is the strongest absorbent of solar energy (light) and is directly emitted in the atmosphere as fine particles PM5.

 

  

Indian Economic Growth

News Flash

Economic Growth of India continued to slow down in the third quarter ending December.

  • Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at 6.6% (Lowest among last Six-quarters).
  • Estimated GDP growth for 2018-19 has been downgraded to lowest in five years.

Possible reasons for slow down

  • Demonetisation of 2016.
  • Implemetation of the GST in 2017.
  • Lack of Demand.
  • Absence of Structural reforms such as Scrapping of labour laws.

Measures taken

  • RBI Governor continues to cut rates aggressively.

 

 

 

Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue – 2019

News Flash

On March 05th and 6th, the second edition of IPRD will be held at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi.

  • IPRD-2019 is likely to witness thirteen countries of the Indo-Pacific: Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. 

Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue

The idea of an IPRD was first conceptualised in 2018, as the top level conference of the Indian Navy, organised by the National Maritime Foundation as the Navy’s Knowledge Partner.

  • Aiming to provide a platform for insightful discussions pertaining to the geopolitical developments affecting the maritime domain of the Indo-Pacific. 

Theme:

Permanent theme of this annual dialogue is a review of India’s opportunities and challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.

Five fresh themes for 2019

  • Practical solutions for achieving cohesion in the region through maritime connectivity;
  • Measures to attain and maintain a free-and-open Indo-Pacific;
  • A regional approach to the region’s transition from a ‘Brown’ to a ‘Blue’ economy;
  • Opportunities and challenges arising from the maritime impact of ‘Industry 4.0’; and
  • How the twin conceptualisations of ‘SAGAR’ and ‘SAGARMALA’ might best be made mutually-reinforcing on a regional level.