National
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention 2021

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention) + Mains ( GS II Indian Diaspora)

What's the NEWS

• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention is the flagship event of the Ministry of External Affairs and provides an important platform to engage and connect with the overseas Indians.
• In view of the sentiments of our vibrant diaspora community, the 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention, is being organized on 9th January 2021
• The Convention will be held in virtual format, as were the PBD Conferences held recently in the run up to the Convention. The theme of 16th PBD Convention 2021 is "Contributing to Aatmanirbhar Bharat".
• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention Chief Guest will be H.E. Mr. Chandrikapersad Santokhi, Hon'ble President of the Republic of Suriname.
• The names of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awardees for 2020-21 will also be announced.
• Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards are conferred to select Indian diaspora members to recognize their achievements and honour their contributions to various fields, both in India and abroad.
• The Youth PBD will also be celebrated virtually on the theme "Bringing together Young Achievers from India and Indian Diaspora" on 8 January 2021, and will be anchored by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

• It is celebrated once in every two years to strengthen the engagement of the overseas Indian community with the Government of India and reconnect them with their roots.
• The day commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to Mumbai on 9 January 1915.
• Established in 2000, it is sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the Confederation of Indian Industries and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.
• The 16^th PBD Convention is being held Virtually on 9 January, 2021 in New Delhi. The theme of 16^th PBD Convention 2021 is "Contributing to Aatmanirbhar Bharat".
• PBD Convention will have three segments, starting with the Inaugural Session, when the PBD Convention will be inaugurated by Shri Narendra Modi, the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India and will include a keynote address by the Hon'ble Chief Guest, H.E. Mr. Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President of Republic of Suriname. The winners of the online Bharat ko Janiye Quiz will also be announced.

Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award

• The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award is the highest honour conferred on a Non-Resident Indian, Person of Indian Origin; or an organisation or institution established and run by Non-Resident Indians or Persons of Indian Origin, who have made significant contribution in better understanding of India abroad, support India's causes and concerns in a tangible way, community work abroad, welfare of local Indian community, philanthropic and charitable work, etc.
• During the PBD convention, select eminent Indian diaspora members are awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards in the presence of Hon'ble Rashtrapatiji.

Bharat Ko Janiye Quiz

• Bharat ko Janiye Quiz was launched in 2015-16 in order to strengthen the engagement with young overseas Indians and encourage them to know more about their country of origin.
• The first edition of the online "Bharat ko Janiye" Quiz was organized for young overseas Indians and foreigners of 18-35 years of age in 2015-16.
• This was followed by the second edition of Bharat ko Janiye Quiz in 2018-19.
• This year, the third edition of Bharat ko Janiye Quiz 2020-21 has been held virtually from 30 September to 28 December 2020.
• Fifteen winners of the Bharat ko Janiye Quiz will be announced during the PBD convention and will be invited for an India Tour (Bharat ko Janiye Darshan) after Covid.

International
India's response to S 301 Report of U.S. on Equalisation Levy
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Equalisation Levy + about the Special 301 Report ) + Mains ( GS II bilateral relations)
What's the NEWS

• The U.S. administration had announced initiation of investigation under section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act, 1974 against the taxation on digital services adopted or under consideration by countries, including the Equalisation Levy applied by India. Other counties under investigation include Italy, Turkey, and United Kingdom.
• With respect to India, the focus of the investigation was on the 2% Equalisation Levy (EL) levied by India on e-commerce supply of services.
• The U.S. investigation included whether the EL discriminated against the U.S. companies, was applied retrospectively, and diverged from U.S or international tax norms due to its applicability on entities not resident in India.

Equalization Levy

• In the absence of the EL, non-resident e-commerce operators (not having any Permanent Establishment in India but significant economic presence) are not required to pay taxes in respect of the consideration received in the e-commerce supply or services made in the Indian market.
• The EL levied at 2% is applicable on non-¬resident e-commerce operator, not having a permanent establishment in India.
• The threshold for this levy is Rs. 2 crores, which is very moderate and applies equally to all e-commerce operators across the globe having business in India.
• The levy applies equally to all non-resident e-commerce operators, irrespective of their country of residence.
• There is no retrospective element as the levy was enacted before the 1st day of April, 2020 which is the effective date of the levy.
• It does not have extra territorial application as it applies only on the revenue generated from India.
• The purpose of the Equalization Levy is to ensure fair competition, reasonableness and exercise the ability of governments to tax businesses that have a close nexus with the Indian market through their digital operations.
• It is a recognition of the principle that in a digital world, a seller can engage in business transactions without any physical presence, and governments have a legitimate right to tax such transactions.

The Special 301 Report

• The Special 301 Report is prepared annually by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) that identifies trade barriers to United States companies and products due to the intellectual property laws, such as copyright, patents and trademarks, in other countries.
• The USTR must identify countries which do not provide "adequate and effective" protection of intellectual property rights or "fair and equitable market access to United States persons that rely upon intellectual property rights".
• The Special 301 Report is published pursuant to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974
• The annual Special 301 Report includes a list of "Priority Foreign Countries", that are judged to have inadequate intellectual property laws; these countries may be subject to sanctions.
• In addition, the report contains a "Priority Watch List" and a "Watch List", containing countries whose intellectual property regimes are deemed of concern.

Education
EDUCON-2020

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about EDUCON 2020 - objective and highlights)
What's the NEWS

• Union Education Minister inaugurated the two-day Virtual International Akhand Conference ‘EDUCON 2020'
• This two-day International Conference is being organized by Central University of Punjab, Bathinda (CUPB) in collaboration with the Global Educational Research Association (GERA)
• The focal theme of EDUCON-2020 is Envisioning Education for Transforming Youth to Restore Global Peace.

EDUCON-2020

• In this International Conference, scholars from United Kingdom, Canada, Thailand, USA, Australia, Bhutan and India would be continuously discussing on the ten subthemes of the focal theme ‘Envisioning Education for Transforming Youth to Realize Global Peace' for 31 hours.
• This conference is the first of its kind in India where scholars across the world would be continuously having a non-stop marathon dialogue sessionsfor 31 hours exploring the possibilities of the use of ICT in the higher education to promote the equitable quality education in India.
• Further, the conference will also provide a platform for discussions on emerging trends in education viz., likely scenario of higher education and school education by 2050, developing disruptive technologies for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Education, training youth for strategic future jobs in Universities, skill training programme for future graduates and relevance of ancient education system in 21st century.

Know! about GERA

• It is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization committed to supporting students and young professionals in their pursuit of excellence in academia, industry, and the arts by providing specialized life-mapping services.
• Through the use of mentor-based programs, GERA is committed to build a new generation of entrepreneurial and academic leaders - young men and women possessed of the training and confidence necessary for building a better tomorrow.

GERA's six pillars are:

1. Promotion of Literacy and Academics
2. Advancement of Research and Knowledge
3. Encouragement of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
4. Talent Discovery and Development
5. Enhancing Multicultural Acceptance
6. General Student Support

• GERA currently has 24 unique and innovative programs to offer its members and has partnered with leading companies and organizations to help in its cause.
• GERA focuses its attention on a wide range of interconnected issues such as drop-out rate reduction and financial literacy, serving as liaison between international students and educational institutions.

Infrastructure Development
Details of Freight Corridor dedicated
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Dedicated Freight corridor - updates) + Mains ( GS III infrastructure development)
What's the NEWS

• Dedicated Freight corridor, whose Rewari - Madar section on Western corridor, was dedicated to the Nation by Prime Minister Shri Narendra, is going be the game changer in economic development of the country.

Know! about DFCCIL

• Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India is constructing the Western DFC (1506 Route km) and Eastern DFC (1875 route km including Sonnagar-Dankuni PPP Section).
• The EDFC starting from Sahnewal near Ludhiana (Punjab) will pass through the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand to terminate at Dankuni in West Bengal.
• The Western Corridor connecting Dadri in Uttar Pradesh to Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) in Mumbai will traverse through the states of UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra of WDFC.
• DFCCIL will run freight train at the maximum speed of 100 km/per hour as against the current maximum speed of 75 kmph on Indian Railway tracks whereas the average speed of freight trains will also be increased from existing speed of 26 kmph on Indian Railways lines to 70 kmph on Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFC).

Main objectives of DFCCIL

• Decongest the existing Indian Railway network.
• Increase the average speed of goods trains from existing 25 to 70 kmph.
• Run Heavy Haul trains (higher axle load of 25/32.5 Tonne) & overall load of 13,000 Tonne.
• Facilitate the running of longer (1.5km) and double stack container trains.
• Connect the existing ports and industrial areas for faster movement of goods.
• Energy efficient and environment friendly rail transport system as per global standards.
• Increase the rail share from existing 30% to 45%.
• Reduce the logistic cost of transportation

Innovations and State-of-the-art Technology:

• Heavy and long Haul train operation of 25 Axle ton with having provision of 32.5 Ton axle load for the First time in India.
• Double stack containers in Western DFC
• Double line electric (2 X 25 KV) track to undertake higher haulage at higher speeds
• Automated New Track Construction (NTC) machine which can lay track at the speed of 1.5 km per day.
• Automated Wiring train for Overhead Equipment Work (OHE) capable of wiring upto 3 km per shift.
• Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS) for safe and efficient operation
• Elimination of road level crossing
• Developing Multi Modal Logistic Hubs and integration with Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor & Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial corridor.

WAG 12 Loco

• The WAG -12 electric super powered double-section locomotives of 12,000 HP are capable of hauling 6000 tonnes at a top speed of 120 kmph.
• They are planned to be deployed for operations on major freight routes, including the Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs), transforming the heavy freight transportation landscape of India.
• These locomotives manufactured at Madhepura are of 12,000-horsepower with a twin Bo-Bo design, engineered to run at a speed that is twice as faster than regular locomotives and are built to carry 6000 tonnes of goods in one go.
• Equipped with Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT) based propulsion technology, the WAG 12B uses regenerative braking, reducing energy consumption. With 1676 mm of Broad Gauge, these e-locos are designed to take smooth turns even at the sharpest of curves.

Infrastructure Development
World Bank Signs $105 Million Project to Improve Waterways in West Bengal

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the recent agreement -highlights) + Mains ( GS II bilateral relations)
What's the NEWS

• The Government of India, the Government of West Bengal and the World Bank signed a $105 million project to improve the inland water transport infrastructure in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Know! more about the project

• The West Bengal Inland Water Transport, Logistics and Spatial Development Project will facilitate passenger and freight movement across the Hooghly river; undertake spatial planning to improve accessibility in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area; enhance the quality of life of its residents; and contribute to the growth of the state's logistics sector.
• This Project will help improve the river transport infrastructure in West Bengal and help in the economic development of the state by connecting the hinterland with markets and job centers in Kolkata's Metropolitan Area".
• The project will cover the five most populous districts of southern West Bengal, including its urban agglomeration -- the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) where around 30 million people or one-third of West Bengal's population live.
• The Hooghly river, a distributary of the river Ganga, in Kolkata separates the Kolkata port from its large consumption centers, which are, its wholesale market and its vast hinterland comprising among others the entire North East of India and two landlocked neighboring countries namely, Nepal and Bhutan.
• More than 80 percent of freight and passenger traffic currently cross the river via Kolkata's three bridges.
• To curtail congestion, the city has restricted the movement of trucks to the port to certain bridges and only during limited hours, reducing access to the port and increasing the cost of logistics.
• The $105 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a maturity of 17 years, including a grace period of 7 years.

KEEP Learning KEEEP Evolving
TEA, CL IAS