Prelim Bits 06-07-2017

Beijing Declaration on Education

• Recently, 5th Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Education was held in Beijing, China.
• It adopted Beijing declaration on Education which calls for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4)-Education 2030.
• SDG4 - “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all”.
• BRICS Ministers of Education meeting have adopted Brasilia declaration in 2015, Moscow declaration in 2015 and New Delhi Declaration in 2016.

Brasilia Declaration

• The Brasilia declaration is also known for creation of IBSA (India, Brazil, and South Africa) forum in 2003.
• Global High-Level Conference on Road Safety hosted by Brazil and WHO adopted Brasilia Declaration on Road Safety.
• It calls for member countries have agreed to reduce the number of accidents and deaths to half by the year 2020. India is a signatory to this declaration.

White Tiger

• A rare white tiger has been spotted for the first time in the Nilgiris in Western Ghats.
• The White Tiger (also known as the White Bengal Tiger) is a subspecies of Tiger, found throughout the Indian subcontinent.
• Although the range of the White Tiger is historically very large, these animals are incredibly rare as their colouration is dependent on a defective, recessive gene that is passed on from their parents.
• Scientific literature describes the cause for white coloration of Bengal tiger as a genetic mutation among tigers that changes an amino acid responsible for the normal colour.
• White tigers lack Pheomelanin, which is responsible for the red-yellow hue in the skin coat.
• Along with the Bengal Tiger, the White Tiger is considered to be the second largest species of Tiger in the world after the Siberian Tiger.
• White Tigers have been reported predominantly from Rewa, Madhya Pradesh.
• World’s first “white tiger safari” was opened for public in Mukundpur Zoo, Madhya Pradesh last year.
• The White Tiger is listed by the IUCN as “Endangered” Category.

Definition of ‘Branded’ items for GST

• The Ministry of Finance clarified that an item will be deemed to be ‘branded’ if it carries a brand name or trade name that is registered under the Trade Marks Act, 1999.
• Trade Marks Act, 1999 provide that a registered trade mark means a trade mark which is actually on the Register of Trade Marks and remaining in Force.
• The GST rate on the supply of food items, such as natural honey, wheat, rice, pulses and flour of cereals and pulses, is nil.
• But the rate on these items when placed in a unit container and bearing a registered brand name will attract a GST rate of 5%.

Trade Mark

• A trademark is a recognizable sign, design, or expression which identifies products or services of a particular source from those of others.
• Trademark registration can be obtained for a business name, distinctive catch phrases, taglines or captions.
• For a trademark registration to remain valid, it has to be renewed every 10 years for registration granted PRIOR to September 15, 2003.
• Registrations granted on or after September 15, 2003 have a 10-year term. Trademarks can be renewed for an additional 10-year term.

Chief Resilience Officer

• Chief Resilience Officer is been appointed in Chennai who will work with public and private sector to strengthen city’s urban resilience mission.
• Chennai is the 2^nd city to get Chief Resilience officer after Surat in 2015.
• Chennai has been a member of the 100RC network since 2014. The other Indian cities are Jaipur, Pune, and Surat.
• 100RC network pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation is dedicated to helping cities around the world become more resilient to the physical, social and economic challenges.
• Cities in the 100RC network are provided with the resources necessary to develop a roadmap to resilience.
• 100RC aims not only to help individual cities become more resilient, but will facilitate the building of a global practice of resilience among governments, NGOs, the private sector, and individual citizens.

Mobile App to track power distribution

• The power ministry launched a mobile app and a portal for tracking and managing merit order despatch of power.
• The mobile app named ‘MERIT’ - Merit Order Despatch of Electricity for Rejuvenation of Income and Transparency.
• The portal has been developed in association with Central Electricity Authority.
• It displays extensive array of information regarding the merit order of Electricity procured by States such as daily source-wise power purchases of respective states/UTs.
• Information available in the Portal shall help State Discoms to optimize their power procurement in more efficient way leading to lower cost of power to consumers.
• The e-bidding portal has been designed to facilitate states in inviting bids for procurement of power from the perspective independent power producers in transparent and fair manner.
• Producers can reduce power costs by 10 paise a unit by rationalising coal supply made possible through the portal.