Syllabus subtopic: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies
Prelims and Mains focus: about the stewardship code and its significance; about mutual funds, AIFs, SEBI and its functions
News: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Tuesday announced Stewardship Code for all mutual funds (MFs) and all categories of alternative investment funds (AIFs).
About the Stewardship Code
Way ahead
Sebi said every institutional investor should formulate a policy on how it intends to fulfill the aforesaid stewardship responsibilities and disclose it publicly and have a clear policy on how they manage conflicts of interest in fulfilling their stewardship responsibilities and publicly disclose it.
About SEBI
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) was established in 1988, however, it got statutory mandate and powers under the SEBI Act, 1992. Its objective is to protect the interests of investors in securities and to promote the development and regulation of securities market.
Functions:
Merger of FMC with SEBI
In 2015, the Forward Market Commission was merged with SEBI. With this, the regulation of commodity derivatives market has shifted to SEBI under Securities Contracts Regulation Act (SCRA) 1956. The Forward Contracts Regulation Act (FCRA), 1952 got repealed and FMA ceased to exist. With this merger, all three national and six regional commodity exchanges have come under the ambit of national capital market regulator SEBI. This merger has created SEBI has a unified regulator for commodities and capital markets in India.
Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs)
Categories:
As per SEBI (AIF) Regulations, 2012, AIFs shall seek registration in one of the three categories:
Category I: Mainly invests in start- ups, SME’s or any other sector which Govt. considers economically and socially viable.
Category II: These include Alternative Investment Funds such as private equity funds or debt funds for which no specific incentives or concessions are given by the government or any other Regulator
Category III : Alternative Investment Funds such as hedge funds or funds which trade with a view to make short term returns or such other funds which are open ended and for which no specific incentives or concessions are given by the government or any other Regulator.
About Mutual Funds
A mutual fund collects money from investors and invests the money on their behalf. It charges a small fee for managing the money. Mutual funds are an ideal investment vehicle for regular investors who do not know much about investing. Investors can choose a mutual fund scheme based on their financial goal and start investing to achieve the goal.
Source: Indian Express
Syllabus subtopic: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections
Prelims and Mains focus: About Atal Bhujal Yojana, its key features and significance ; the rohtang tunnel and its significance
News: On the eve of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary, the Union cabinet on Tuesday approved the World Bank-funded Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal), which aims to improve ground water management in seven states.
About Atal Jal (Atal Bhujal Yojana)
Objective: Since, groundwater contributes nearly 65% of India’s total irrigated area, with ABY, the Central Government seeks to promote Panchayat led ground water management and behavioural change with primary focus on demand side management. The scheme will also help in supplying water to every house hold by 2024.
Nodal Agency: Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Implementation: The scheme will be implemented in identified areas covering 8,350 villages in 78 districts of 7 states- Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The implementation period for plan is over a period of five years from 2020 to 2025.
Two major components of Atal Jal Yojana:
(1) Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building Component- for strengthening institutional arrangements for sustainable ground water management in States. It envisages active participation of communities in various activities such as-
(2) Incentive Component for incentivising the States– for achievements in improved groundwater management practices such as implementation of management interventions through convergence of ongoing schemes, adopting demand side management practices among others.
Other decisions taken by the Cabinet
Source: Indian Express
Syllabus subtopic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Prelims and Mains focus: about the recent amendments made in IBC; IBC and its significance
News: The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Ordinance to amend the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, under which a corporate debtor would not be held liable for any offences committed by the erstwhile management, before the start of the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP).
Background
The amendments to the Bill came after successful bidders of certain debt-ridden companies expressed apprehension of taking over the new company, fearing action from investigative agencies. These actions, the new bidders had said, were mostly based on the actions of the former promoters of these corporate debtors.
What is it aimed at?
About Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2019
Source: Indian Express
Syllabus subtopic: Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate.
Prelims and Mains focus: about the remarks made in IMF’s report on India’s economic slowdown and ways to address it; about IMF, its structure and mandate
News: India is now in the midst of a significant economic slowdown, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said, urging the government to take urgent policy actions to address the current prolonged downturn.
Remarks made in IMF’s report
Economic slowdown
Growth in the second quarter of FY 201920 came in at a sixyear low of 4.5% (yearonyear), and the composition of growth indicates that private domestic demand expanded by only 1% in the quarter. Most highfrequency indicators suggest that weak economic activity has continued into December.
Reason : The abrupt reduction in nonbanking financial companies’ credit expansion and the associated broadbased tightening of credit conditions appears to be an important factor and weak income growth, especially rural, has been affecting private consumption. Private investment has been hindered by financial sector difficulties (including in public sector banks) and insufficient business confidence. Some implementation issues with important and appropriate structural reforms, such as the nationwide Goods and Services Tax, may also have played a role.
Green shoots
By other measures, India still is doing well:
Conclusion
Therefore, by other measures, India is doing quite well. The issue is primarily how to address the growth slowdown. The IMF had been taken by surprise by India’s slowdown though this slowdown cannot be described as an economic crisis. The short term, the most critical thing is carrying out reforms in the financial sector.
Source: The Hindu
Syllabus subtopic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Prelims and Mains focus: about NPR and its significance; concerns raised and challenges in implementation; Citizenship Act
News: The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi, on Tuesday approved over Rs. 3,941.35 crore for updating the National Population Register (NPR) across the country, barring Assam, and Rs. 8,754.23 crore for conducting the Census of India, 2021.
Background
About NPR
Source: The Hindu
Syllabus subtopic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.
Prelims and Mains focus: about GST and its significance; Why is GST still a contentious issue?
News: Fifteenth Finance Commission (FFC) chairman N.K. Singh has said GST should be redrafted. Too many changes to GST rules and several items being exempted could be blamed for the Rs. 63,200 crore shortfall in compensation cess for FY20.
What is the Finance Commission saying?
According to data compiled by the Fifteenth Finance Commission, more than 38 changes have been carried out in GST in the two years since it was rolled out. The frequent changes have made the tax unstable and cluttered it too much, making compliance difficult for businesses. The commission has held that the cumbersomeness of compliance and the frequency with which rates have been changed are the important factors for the revenue realization from GST falling short of targets. Therefore, GST should be returned to the drawing board for redrafting from scratch, Singh has said.
What is the root cause of the problems?
In case of revenue shortfalls during the first five years after GST’s introduction, the Centre has guaranteed compensations to states. GST revenue is falling short of the revenue growth of 14% on the FY16 base guaranteed to states under the GST compensation law. The compensation guarantee has created a perverse incentive. States are not sweating to plug leakages, increase compliance or simplify GST. Even states with good growth rates have not seen commensurate growth in GST revenue. Nor have consuming states such as Bihar or Uttar Pradesh made the kind of gains as was expected.
Are integrated GST (IGST) refunds a problem too?
In a pre-budget consultation, states have sought immediate release of arrears of IGST collected on the interstate supply of goods and services and imports. They alleged that the Centre resorted to incorrect accounting for IGST in 2017-18. Earlier, the CAG said devolution of unallocated IGST to states did not happen for 2017-18 according to law.
What is the way forward on this?
The best way to tackle revenue shortfalls is by removing all the infirmities in GST. States should get incentives to reduce leakages and compliance burden. Revenue neutrality should be a medium- term goal. The Thirteenth Finance Commission and a panel headed by then chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian had shown the average GST rate ought to be 16-17% to make it revenue neutral. Today, the average is 11.6% because a large number of items are at 0%, although indirect taxes are by definition regressive.
Should India go for a single-rate GST?
Given low state capacity, the best option for India is a single-rate GST. Eighty percent of countries that introduced GST after 1995 opted for a single rate. If the rate is kept low and exemptions at a minimum, the revenue collection will be good. It will reduce the scope of evasion and leakage. States can impose sin taxes over and above GST on luxury and demerit goods: some may decide to do so for alcohol and others for vehicles that run on fossil fuels.
Source: mint
Syllabus subtopic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.
Prelims and Mains focus: About the RBI report and its significance; concerns raised by the report
News: In its Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India 2018-19, released on Tuesday, the central bank said banks need to restart lending to industries in order to stimulate the capex and investment cycle.
Background
The latest in a series of bad news came earlier last month as India’s economic growth fell to 4.5% in the September quarter. Moreover, the core sector, comprising eight infrastructure industries, contracted 5.8% in October, the second consecutive month of contraction.
Figures supporting RBI’s argument
Concerns raised in the RBI report
Status of Banks
Source: mint
Syllabus subtopic: Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate
Prelims and Mains focus: about the newly created post of CDS and its significance
News: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister, on Tuesday approved the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the charter of duties.
Background
About the post of CDS
Role and responsibilities of CDS
Composition of tri-Service divisions
Source: The Hindu
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