Daily Current Capsules
11th September 2020
Infrastructure Development/e-governance
SAROD-Ports

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about SAROD - Ports + about MCA + landlord port model) + Mains ( GS II Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. + GS III infrastructure development)
What's the NEWS

• Union Minister of State for Shipping launched ‘SAROD-Ports' (Society for Affordable Redressal of Disputes - Ports)

Know! about SAROD-Ports

• SAROD-Ports will resolve the disputes in fair and just manner while saving huge amount of legal expenditure and time.
• SAROD-Ports will inspire confidence in the private players and will ensure right kind of environment for our partners.
• It will promote ease of doing business in the maritime sector because of the fast, timely, cost effective and robust dispute resolution mechanism.

SAROD-Ports is established under Societies Registration Act, 1860 with the following objectives:

1. Affordable and timely resolution of disputes in fair manner
2. Enrichment of Dispute Resolution Mechanism with the panel of technical experts as arbitrators.

• SAROD-Ports consists members from Indian Ports Association (IPA) and Indian Private Ports and Terminals Association (IPTTA).
• SAROD-Ports will advise and assist in settlement of disputes through arbitrations in the maritime sector, including ports and shipping sector in Major Port Trusts, Non-major Ports, including private ports, jetties, terminals and harbours.
• It will also cover disputes between granting authority and Licensee/Concessionaire /Contractor
• ‘SAROD-Ports' is similar to provision available in Highway Sector in the form of SAROD-Roads constituted by NHAI.

Connect to the past

• The Union Cabinet has approved amendments in the Model Concession Agreement (MCA) .
• In January,2018.The amendments in the MCA, envisaged constitution SAROD-PORTS as dispute resolution mechanism for PPP Projects in the Major Ports.
• All major Ports are shifting towards ‘Landlord Model' in the days to come.

Model Concession Agreement (MCA)

• It forms the core of public private partnership (PPP) projects in India.
• The MCA spells out the policy and regulatory framework for implementation of a PPP project.
• It addresses a gamut of critical issues pertaining to a PPP framework like mitigation and unbundling of risks; allocation of risks and returns; symmetry of obligations between the principal parties; precision and predictability of costs & obligations; reduction of transaction costs and termination.
• The MCA allocates risk to parties best suited to manage them.
• The Model Concession Agreements for various sectors like National Highways, State Highways, Urban Rail Transit System and Ports are available.

Know! about service port model and landlord port model

• The 11 ports owned by the Indian government and run as trusts widely follow a hybrid format of the long obsolete service port model and the preferred landlord model of port management followed globally.
• In the service port model, the port authority owns the land and all available assets-fixed and mobile-and performs all regulatory and port functions.
• Here, the port trust is both the landlord and the cargo terminal operator.
• In the landlord port model, the publicly governed port authority acts as a regulatory body and as landlord while private companies carry out port operations-mainly cargo-handling activities.
• Here, the port authority maintains ownership of the port while the infrastructure is leased to private firms that provide and maintain their own superstructure and install own equipment to handle cargo.
• In return, the landlord port gets a share of the revenue from the private entity.

Economy
India Post launches Five Star Villages Scheme to ensure 100% rural coverage of postal schemes

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Five Star Villages Scheme) + Mains ( GS II Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation + GS III financial inclusion)

What's the NEWS

• The Department of Posts has launched a scheme called Five Star Villages, to ensure universal coverage of flagship postal schemes in rural areas of the country.

Know! about Five Star Villages Scheme

• The scheme seeks to bridge the gaps in public awareness and reach of postal products and services, especially in interior villages.
• All postal products and services will be made available and marketed and publicized at village level, under the Five Star Villages scheme.
• Branch offices will function as one-stop shop to cater all post office - related needs of villagers.
• The schemes covered under the Five Star scheme include:

• If a village attains universal coverage for four schemes from the above list, then that village gets four-star status; if a village completes three schemes, then that village get three-star status and so on.
• The scheme is being launched on pilot basis in Maharashtra; based on the experience here, it will be implemented nation-wide.
• The scheme will be implemented by a team of five Gramin Dak Sevaks who will be assigned a village for marketing of all products, savings and insurance schemes of the Department of Posts.
• The team of Gramin Dak Sevaks will conduct door-to-door awareness campaign on all schemes, covering all eligible villagers.
• Required training and infrastructure, covering all schemes, would be provided to all branch offices in identified villages.

Culture
17th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Culture Ministers' Meeting

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about SCO Culture Ministers' Meeting - India's announcements) + Mains ( GS III international organisations)

What's the NEWS

• The Union Minister for Culture and Tourism participated in the 17thShanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Culture Ministers' Meeting

SCO Culture Ministers' Meeting takeaways

• One of the important aspects that unites and connects Shanghai Cooperation Organization countries to each other is shared heritage of Buddhist philosophy and art.
• To promote the mutual bonding, the National Museum of India is in process of organizing the first SCO Exhibition on Shared Buddhist Heritage this year.
• The Exhibition marks India's Chairpersonship of Council of Heads of Government this year.
• The exhibition will be held in digital format due to prevailing pandemic situation.
• Sahitya Akademi is translating ten Indian literary works into the SCO languages Russian and Chinese with the objective of sharing Indian literature with our fellow nations of SCO.
• These translations would be released during the upcoming Council of Heads of Government Meeting to be hosted by India in 2020.
• The year 2021 is the 20th Anniversary year of the founding of this Organization and India supports the proposal of declaring 2021 the Year of Culture of the SCO to celebrate the occasion.
• The ICCR is willing to be part of 2021 Year of SCO culture through organizing festivals/ performance of Indian culture, Conference & Seminars and sponsor Indian speakers as part of the celebration in the Member states of SCO.

Defence
Project 17A


Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Project 17A + Stealth features + Radar MFSTAR
What's the NEWS

• Vice Admiral of the Indian Navy laid the keel of the third ship (Yard- 12653) of the prestigious P17A class stealth frigates
• The keel laying ceremony was conducted through an e-platform
• In all, seven ships of P-17 A with advanced stealth capability has been ordered by the Indian Navy, with the ship, construction to take place at MDL (for four) and GRSE, Kolkata (for three).

Know! about Project 17A

• The Nilgiri-class frigate or Project 17A is a follow-on of the Project 17 Shivalik-class frigate for the Indian Navy.
• The P17A class frigates are being built using indigenously developed steel and fitted with weapons and sensors along with Integrated Platform Management System. These ships are having stealth features.
• Construction of P17A ships differ in the very concept of warship building by way of adoption of the modern technology ‘Integrated Construction (IC)' where the blocks are pre-outfitted before joining to reduce the build period of warships.
• When commissioned the platforms will enhance the combat capability of the Indian Naval fleet.
• With the latest technology fitted onboard, these multi-role P-17A ships are expected to play a critical role in the ever-evolving international maritime scenario, especially with Chinese naval power projection rapidly growing as an influence within Indian Ocean Region.
• The P17A is the follow-on of earlier P-17 Shivalik class ‘first indigenously' constructed stealth warships which are already in operations with Indian Navy

Stealth features

• The ships are expected to have a mix of Weapon systems which have been sourced from Russia, Israel and some have been locally manufactured in India.
• The main advanced stealth features of P-17A pertain to smaller Radar cross-section of the ship achieved through the use of special super structure shape which reduces radar wave reflections.
• Another important feature is regarding the ship's low acoustic noise emanating from propellers, operating machinery like Diesel Generators etc., which helps sonars on other ships to detect its presence.
• Such stealth features play an important role in improving ship's survivability in any hostile environment during operations.

• The Radar MFSTAR (for Multi-Function Surveillance Track and missile guidance Radar) Frigate version shall bring in long-distance target detection and tracking ability for both, Air and Surface targets.
• The MFSTAR is also capable to undertake Target Designation of hostile targets for timely weapon engagement and achieve optimal utilization of Fleet resources.
• This unique MFSTAR feature makes an anti-missile countermeasure (as part of self-defense tactics) highly effective, especially against the sea-skimming missile threat to the Ship

Prelims Factoids
South India's 1st and country's 2nd Kisan Rail between Anantapur and New Delhi flagged off

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Kisan Rail and its objective)
What's the NEWS

• The inaugural run of Anantapur - New Delhi Kisan Rail was flagged off
• Kisan Rail and Kisan Udaan had been announced in this year's budget so that farm produce is able to be transported all over the country in less time.
• On 7th August, the first Kisan Rail was flagged off between Devlali in Maharashtra and Danapur in Bihar as a weekly service, which was later made bi-weekly due to increasing demand.
• Now the 2nd Kisan Rail will benefit farmers of the states coming en route.

• Kisan Udaan service will also be started soon.

Know! the benefits of Kisan RAIL

• Introduction of Kisan Rail is conceptualized to provide priority to the farming sector and facilitate transportation of perishable agricultural products to various market places across the country.
• India's second and South India's first Kisan Train commenced its inaugural run from Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh to Adarsh Nagar in New Delhi
• Starting a Kisan Rail will be particularly helpful in benefitting the small farmers and traders in marketing their product across the country in a safe, economical and speedy manner.

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