FCTC Conference
- Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Conference of Parties is being organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) at Geneva in October.
- The conference is expected to discuss steps to bring down tobacco consumption and cultivation.
- Article 17 and 18 of FCTC deal with suitable alternatives to tobacco cultivation.
- Federation of All-India Farmer Associations requested the Union Commerce Ministry to seek the inclusion of tobacco farmers’ representatives in the conference.
More Assembly Seats for Sikkim
- Home Ministry has proposed to Union Cabinet to increase the number of assembly seats for sikkim from 32 to 40.
- If approved, it will be the first expansion of the Assembly since Sikkim merged with India in 1975.
- The seats are being increased to accommodate the Limboo and Tamang communities, notified as Scheduled Tribes in January 2003.
- A petition was already moved in the Supreme Court that Limboos and Tamangs were not adequately represented in the Assembly.
- SC has directed the Home Ministry in 2016 to take action regarding this.
- By the Delimitation Act, 2002, the number of seats in an Assembly can be readjusted only on the basis of the first census after 2026.
- The Second Schedule to the Representation of People Act, 1950 and Section 5A of the Representation of People Act, 1951 have been amended to change the Assembly strength.
DNA Barcoding
- Scientists from Delhi University (DU) and the Wildlife Institute of India has collected genetic data of frogs and analysed it using DNA barcoding.
- The researchers found that the ornate narrow-mouthed frog, thought to be widely-distributed in Asia, is seen only in peninsular India and Sri Lanka.
- The study reveals that the ornate narrow-mouthed frog is present only in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
- The study would enable IUCN to review the conservation status of this group of frogs across South Asia at the earliest opportunity.
RCEP
- The government has set up a four-member group of ministers (GoM) to advise prime minister Narendra Modi on whether to continue with or withdraw from the 16-member Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations.
- RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between the ten member states of the ASEAN and the six states with which ASEAN has existing free trade agreements.
- Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.
- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam are ASEAN members.
- RCEP is viewed as an alternative to the TransPacific Partnership (TPP), a proposed trade agreement which includes several Asian and American nations but excludes China and India.
- The arrangement is also open to any other external economic partners, such as nations in Central Asia and remaining nations in South Asia and Oceania.
- RCEP will cover trade in goods, trade in services, investment, economic and technical co-operation,intellectual property, competition, dispute settlement and other issues.
Trade Remedy Cooperation
- Cabinet has recently approved the MoU between India and Korea on Trade Remedy Cooperation.
- MoU will promote cooperation between the two countries in the area of trade remedies such as anti-dumping, subsidy and countervailing and safeguard measures.
FDI in education institutions
- The Government has allowed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) upto 100% under automatic route in the educational institutions.
- Consolidated FDI Policy of 2017 has accorded this limit but subject to applicable laws, rules/regulations/security conditions.
- UGC and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) have issued regulations/guidelines on collaboration between Indian and Foreign Universities.
- It is with a view to increase synergy between Indian and foreign academic institutions and to improve curriculum and educational content.
- As per these regulations, Indian Universities and Colleges having the highest grade of accreditation/threshold accreditation, can apply online to the UGC for starting twinning arrangement with Foreign Educational Institutions (FEI) having the prescribed quality.
Source: The Hindu, PIB
