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Here are the topics covered for 22 September 2023: India-Canada relations, RBI proposal: Declare wilful defaulters within 6 months of NPA tag, Govt launches AI chatbot for PM-Kisan scheme, TRAI outlines broadcast policy, Statue of Onenes, Carbon dioxide detected on Jupiter’s moon Europa

 

Table of Content

GS-2

• India-Canada relations

 

GS-3

• RBI proposal: Declare wilful defaulters within 6 months of NPA tag

• Govt launches AI chatbot for PM-Kisan scheme
• TRAI outlines broadcast policy

 

Facts for Prelims

• Statue of Oneness

• Carbon dioxide detected on Jupiter’s moon Europa

India-Canada relations

Context:

1. India-Canada relations strained over allegations of Indian government involvement in a Canadian citizen\’s killing linked to Khalistan Tiger Force. The Canadian PM accuses India of sovereignty violation, marking a serious downturn in traditionally cooperative ties.

About India-Canada relations:

1.  Diplomatic Ties: India and Canada established diplomatic relations in 1947. Both countries are members of international organizations like the United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, and World Trade Organization.
2. Trade and Economic Cooperation: both part of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), bilateral trade between India and Canada amounted to $6 billion annually. Canada is the 18th largest foreign investor in India.
   1. Major Exports from India to Canada: India primarily exports products such as precious stones and metals, textiles, machinery, pharmaceuticals, organic chemicals, and electrical machinery and equipment.
   2. Major Exports from Canada to India: Canada\’s main exports to India include mineral fuels and oils, vegetable products, inorganic chemicals, machinery, and pharmaceutical products.
3. Indian students studying in Canada comprise approx 40% of the entire population of international students in Canada.
4. Diaspora: Canada is home to one of the largest Indian diasporas in the world.
5. Canada is also the largest source of remittance for India after the UAE consisting of 1.8 Million Indians.

With the ongoing tension, both the countries will be impacted. While such a move will act as a deterrent against terrorism, extremism and separatist movement, helping maintain peace and order in the world. 

Way ahead:

• Encourage open and inclusive dialogue between all stakeholders
• Both countries should take legal measures to address any political extremism.
• Dialogues and collaborations are crucial to maintaining and strengthening the bilateral relationship between India and Canada.

 

RBI proposal: Declare wilful defaulters within 6 months of NPA tag

Context:

1. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently proposed that lenders should classify a borrower as a \”wilful defaulter\” within six months of their account being declared a non-performing asset (NPA). 

About:

1. The revision of norms comes after consideration of judgments and orders from the Supreme Court and High Courts, as well as representations and suggestions from banks and other stakeholders.
2. It did not earlier have a specific timeline within which such borrowers had to be identified.
3. The RBI identifies wilful defaulters as those who have the ability to pay a bank\’s dues but do not or divert bank funds. 
4. While large defaulter means a defaulter with an outstanding amount of 1 crore and above, and whose account has been classified as doubtful or loss.
5. A wilful defaulter means a borrower or a guarantor who has committed wilful default and the outstanding amount is ₹25 lakh and above.
6. As per RBI\’s draft norms proposal, 
   1. the lender shall examine the \’wilful default\’ aspect in all accounts with outstanding amount of 25 lakh and above or as may be notified by the RBI from time to time, and complete the process of classification/ declaring the borrower as a wilful defaulter within six (6) months of the account being classified as NPA.
   2. The evidence of wilful default needs to be examined by an Identification Committee, to be set up by lenders.
   3. No additional credit facility be granted by any lender to a wilful defaulter or any entity with which a wilful defaulter is associated. 
   4. The bar on additional credit facility shall be effective up to a year after the name of wilful defaulter has been re- moved from the List of Wilful Defaulters (LWD) by the lender.
   5. No credit facility shall be granted for floating of new ventures by any lender to a wilful defaulter or any entity with which a wilful defaulter is associated for a period of five (5) years after the name of wilful defaulter has been removed from the LWD by the lender.
   6. As per the norms, wilful defaulters will not be eligible for restructuring of credit facility.
   7. On liability of a guarantor, \”When a default happens in making payment or repayment by the principal debtor, the lender will be able to proceed against the guarantor even without exhausting the remedies  against the principal debtor.

 

Govt launches AI chatbot for PM-Kisan scheme

Context:

1. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare recently launched an Al chatbot, the first of its kind to be integrated with a major flagship scheme of the central government for the PM-KISAN scheme.

About:

1. The Al chatbot was launched by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
2. It is a significant step towards enhancing the efficiency and reach of the PM-KISAN scheme, while providing the farmers with \”prompt, clear and accurate\” responses to their queries.
3. It has been developed and improved with the support of EkStep foundation and Bhashini. 
4. The introduction of the AI Chatbot in the PM-KISAN grievance management system is aimed at empowering farmers with a user-friendly and accessible platform. 
5. In the first phase of the development, the Al Chatbot will assist farmers in seeking information related to their application status, payment details, ineligibility status and other scheme related updates
6. The AI Chatbot, accessible through the PM-KISAN mobile application, is integrated with Bhashini which offers multilingual support, catering to the linguistic and regional diversity of the PM-KISAN beneficiaries. 
7. This integration of advanced technology will not only enhance transparency but also empower farmers to make informed decisions.
8. The chatbot is currently available in English, Hindi, Bengali, Odia and Tamil, and will soon be available in all 22 official languages of the country.

TRAI outlines broadcast policy

Context: 

• Details of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting efforts to create a National Broadcasting Policy emerged recently as the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) consulted stakeholders on the shape such a policy should take.

About:

• The Policy may provide a common approach for licenses, oversight, and compliances, indicating that the government is seeking to bring further parity in how digital and legacy mediums like television and OTT streaming are regulated.
• The broad contours of the proposed policy include promoting content production in India that promotes Indian culture, expanding institutional capacity, promoting research, and adopting a “coherent and modernized approach” towards legacy mediums like print, radio and television, as well as digital media.

 

Draft Recommendations by TRAI: Navigating Convergence and Regulation

Convergence Challenge: Balancing Licensing and Online Provision

1. Telecommunications and long-form content now thrive online, posing a challenge to traditional licensing frameworks.
2. Digital industry advocates for lighter requirements, resisting alignment with traditional media regulations.

 

Towards a Unified Approach: Restructuring Legal Frameworks

1. TRAI proposes a more standardized approach for both traditional and digital mediums.
2. A call for exploring the need for a separate regulator for the Broadcasting sector.

 

Audience Measurement Conundrum: Stricter Rules on the Horizon

1. Contentious issue of measuring cable TV audiences under scrutiny.
2. Potential impact on advertising preferences and revenue streams in the broadcasting industry.

 

Guarding Against Piracy: Enhancing Digital Security Systems

1. Focus on bolstering security to combat content piracy.
2. A commitment to improving content accessibility for viewers with disabilities.

 

AVGC Sector: Unleashing Potential Scope and Reach

1. TRAI seeks to promote the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) sector.
2. Aiming to expand its scope and reach in the digital landscape.

 

Facts for Prelims

Statue of Oneness

1. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister recently unveiled a gigantic statue of Adi Guru Shankaracharya on the Mandhata hillock at Omkareshwar in Khandwa district. Called the Ekatmata ki Murti (Statue of Oneness), 
2. The 108-feet-tall statue portrays the 8th-century Indian philosopher and theologian, who consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta.
3. The unveiling is part of the ambitious Ekatma Dham project of the State government and marks the initiation of its first phase. 
4. The government wants to develop it along the lines of the Mahakal Lok corridor as a major destination for spiritual-religious tourism.

 

Carbon dioxide detected on Jupiter’s moon Europa

 

1. Carbon dioxide has been detected on the surface of Jupiter\’s icy moon Europa, by the European Space Agency (ESA). 
2. It was identified by astronomers using data from the James Webb Space Telescope.
3. Analysis indicates that this carbon likely originated in the subsurface ocean and was not delivered by meteorites or other external sources.
4. Jupiter\’s moon Europa is one of a handful of worlds in our Solar System that could potentially harbour conditions suitable for life. 
5. Previous research has shown that beneath its water-ice crust lies a salty ocean of liquid water with a rocky seafloor. 
6. Webb finds that on Europa\’s surface, carbon dioxide is most abundant in a region called Tara Regio, a geologically young area of generally resurfaced terrain known as \’chaos terrain\’. The surface ice has been disrupted, and there has likely been an exchange of material between the subsurface ocean and the icy surface.
7. Webb is the largest, most powerful telescope ever launched into space. It is an international partnership between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).