TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 20.09.2024

1. INTERNATIONAL

IN CHINA – AFRICA SUMMIT, XI PLEDGES $50 BN FUNDS HELP FOR JOB CREATION

• China-Africa Forum Financial Commitment:
• Pledge: Over $50 billion in financing for Africa over the next three years.
• Breakdown: $25 billion in credit.
• $11 billion in various types of assistance.
• $10 billion to encourage Chinese firms to invest.
• Areas of Cooperation: Infrastructure: Deepening cooperation in building infrastructure.
• Trade and Investment: Enhancing trade and investment ties.
• Industry and Agriculture: Strengthening industrial and agricultural collaboration.
• Mining and Energy: Expanding cooperation in mining and energy sectors.
• Defence: Training for 6,000 military personnel and 1,000 police and law enforcement officers.
• Employment: Commitment to create at least one million jobs in Africa.
• Strategic Importance: Best Period in History: Xi hailed the current ties with Africa as the best in history.
• Renewable Energy: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres highlighted the potential for China-Africa cooperation to drive the renewable energy revolution.
• Economic Relations: Trade Partner: China is Africa’s largest trading partner.
• Natural Resources: China aims to tap into Africa’s vast natural resources, including copper, gold, lithium, and rare earth minerals.
• Infrastructure Loans: Billions in loans have been provided to build essential infrastructure in African countries.

2. POLITY

PAC TO TAKE UP PERFORMANCE REVIEW OF REGULATORY BODIES

• The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is a vital parliamentary committee in India, established to ensure financial accountability and transparency in government operations.
• It scrutinizes the expenditure of the government to ensure it is in accordance with the Parliament’s decisions.
• The PAC is constituted under Article 151 of the Indian Constitution.
• Functions of PAC: Examination of Audit Reports: Reviews the audit reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.
• Scrutiny of Government Expenditure: Ensures that public money is spent in accordance with Parliament’s decisions.
• Evaluation of Financial Performance: Assesses the efficiency and effectiveness of government spending.
• Challenges: Limited Powers: PAC can only make recommendations, lacking enforcement authority.
• Delayed Reports: Often, there is a significant delay in the submission and examination of audit reports.

3. POLITY

VERTICAL FISCAL IMBALANCE

• Vertical Fiscal Imbalance (VFI): VFI occurs when the revenue-raising powers and expenditure responsibilities between different levels of government are mismatched.
• In India, States incur 61% of revenue expenditure but collect only 38% of revenue receipts, making them dependent on Union transfers.
• Why Reduce VFI?
• Efficient tax collection is best handled by the Union (e.g., Personal Income Tax, Corporation Tax).
• Efficient spending is best managed by the government tier closest to the users (States).
• Reducing VFI ensures better allocation of resources and enhances the efficiency of public spending.
• Role of the 16th Finance Commission:
• Tax Devolution: Distribute Union-collected taxes to States as a share of “Net Proceeds” (Gross Tax Revenue minus surcharges, cesses, and collection costs).
• Increase the share of tax devolution to States to around 49% to eliminate VFI, up from the 42% and 41% recommended by the 14th and 15th Finance Commissions, respectively.
• Grants and Transfers: Recommend grants under Article 275 for States needing assistance.
• Address tied transfers under Article 282, which come with conditionalities. Conclusion: Increasing tax devolution to 49% would provide States with more untied resources, allowing them to better meet their expenditure responsibilities and respond to local needs, fostering cooperative fiscal federalism

4. DEFENCE

DRONES, SPECIAL TASK FORCE IN RAI’S 21 – POINT WINTER ACTION PLAN

• Delhi government will soon roll out a 21-point Winter Action Plan to tackle air pollution in the national capital over the coming months
• In addition to the measures in last year’s 15-point action plan, the government will introduce several new steps this year, such as
• Work-from-home policy
• Ban on vehicles in air pollution hotspots
• An upgraded Green Delhi app (through which citizens can report air pollution activities).
• The plan will also explore the possibility of inducing artificial rain to settle pollutants Air Quality Index (AQI) The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a standardized tool used to communicate how polluted the air currently is or how polluted it is forecast to become. It is a crucial measure for understanding the impact of air quality on human health and the environment. The AQI is calculated based on the concentrations of several major air pollutants that can affect human health and the environment.
• Key Pollutants Measured in AQI:
• Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5)
• Ground-level Ozone (O3)
• Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
• Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)

5. SCIENCE

HEALTH MINISTRY APPROVES NEW TREATMENT REGIMEN FOR MULTIDRUG – RESISTANT TB

• The Union Health Ministry has approved the BPaLM regimen for MDR-TB, consisting of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid, and Moxifloxacin.
• This regimen is safer, more effective, and quicker, reducing treatment time from 20 months to 6 months with a high success rate.
• It aims to help eliminate TB in India by 2025, ahead of the global target.
• The regimen benefits 75,000 drug-resistant TB patients and offers cost savings.
• Pretomanid, a new anti-TB drug, has been approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation

ONE LINER

1. TNPSCB a part of its Meendum Manjappai campaign, is hosting a Big – Athon challenge aimed at creating cost effective cloth bags to replace single use plastic carry bags
2. Central Central railway station is ranked third on the basis of revenue and passenger traffic Railway Board