Meghalaya Council Opposes Border Deal
Context:
A tribal council in Meghalaya has joined the list of individuals and organisations in opposing the State government’s deal with Assam to resolve a 50-year-old boundary dispute.
- The Assam and Meghalaya governments had on March 29 finalised the pact to divide 36.79 sq. km of disputed areas. The two governments had taken up six of 12 disputed sectors in the first phase of discussions.
Relevance:
GS II- Polity and Governance (Federalism)
Dimensions of the Article:
- Details
- About Assam-Meghalaya boundary Dispute
- Will the partial settlement impact border disputes elsewhere in the Northeast?
Details
- The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) claimed that the disputed areas belong to private parties and the Meghalaya government has neither the authority nor the right to hand them over to Assam.
- The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council is one of three tribal councils in Meghalaya created under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Each of them function as a government within a specified territory.
- Apart from the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, some traditional institutions such as Hima (a Khasi state) and villagers not keen on being tagged with Assam have threatened to go to court if the Meghalaya government cannot review the boundary deal.
- The Meghalaya government has said the agreement, based on a list of disputed sectors submitted to Assam in 2011, cannot be revisited. The deal remains to be ratified by Parliament and the Assemblies of the two States concerned before the boundary is redrawn.
About Assam-Meghalaya boundary Dispute:
- Meghalaya, carved out of Assam as an autonomous State in 1970, became a full-fledged State in 1972.
- The creation of the new State was based on the Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act of 1969, which the Meghalaya government refused to accept.
- This was because the Act followed the recommendations of a 1951 committee to define the boundary of Meghalaya.
- On that panel’s recommendations, areas of the present-day East Jaintia Hills, Ri-Bhoi and West Khasi Hills districts of Meghalaya were transferred to the Karbi Anglong, Kamrup (metro) and Kamrup districts of Assam.
- Meghalaya contested these transfers after statehood, claiming that they belonged to its tribal chieftains. Assam said the Meghalaya government could neither provide documents nor archival materials to prove its claim over these areas.
- After claims and counter-claims, the dispute was narrowed down to 12 sectors on the basis of an official claim by Meghalaya in 2011.
Will the partial settlement impact border disputes elsewhere in the Northeast?
- According to the partial boundary deal, Assam will get 18.51 sq. km of the 36.79 sq. km disputed area while Meghalaya will get the remaining 18.28 sq. km.
- There is no clarity yet on the villages or uninhabited stretches that would be divided, but some political parties and community-based groups in Meghalaya are unhappy about acceding any part of the disputed areas to Assam.
- Reactions are similar in Assam, where the opposition Congress and local organisations said the agreement boiled down to how much land Assam could save from “aggressor” Meghalaya.
- But officials in Assam said it was better to let go of areas where they did not have any administrative control rather than “live with an irritant forever”.
- However, residents in the other six disputed sectors — Langpih, Borduar, Nongwah, Matamur, Deshdemoreah Block I and Block II, and Khanduli — feel the “give-and-take” template could spell disaster for them.
- The fear is more among non-tribal people who could end up living in a “tribal Meghalaya with no rights for us”.
- The apprehension is similar for residents of Assam in disputed areas along the border with other States. According to a paper tabled in the Assam Assembly in August 2014, six neighbouring States control 77,531.71 hectares of Assam land.
- Apart from Meghalaya, the other States are Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and West Bengal.
WHO & Traditional Medicine
Context:
Recently, Prime Minister along with World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General will perform the ground breaking ceremony for the first-of-its-kind WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
Relevance:
GS II- Health
Dimensions of the Article:
- What is traditional medicine?
- About Global Centre for Traditional Medicine:
- Why has the WHO felt the need to advance knowledge of traditional medicine?
What is traditional medicine?
- The WHO describes traditional medicine as the total sum of the “knowledge, skills and practices indigenous and different cultures have used over time to maintain health and prevent, diagnose and treat physical and mental illness”.
- “Its reach encompasses ancient practices such as acupuncture, ayurvedic medicine and herbal mixtures as well as modern medicines,”
- Traditional medicine in India is often defined as including practices and therapies — such as yoga, Ayurveda, Siddha — that have been part of Indian tradition historically, as well as others — such as homeopathy — that became part of Indian tradition over the years.
- Ayurveda and yoga are practised widely across the country; the Siddha system is followed predominantly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala; the Sowa-Rigpa system is practised mainly in Leh-Ladakh and Himalayan regions such as Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling, Lahaul & Spiti.
About Global Centre for Traditional Medicine:
- The GCTM will aim to focus on evidence-based research, innovation, and data analysis to optimise the contribution of traditional medicine to global health.
- Its main focus will to develop norms, standards and guidelines in technical areas relating to traditional medicine.
- Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) said it will seek to set policies and standards on traditional medicine products and help countries create a comprehensive, safe, and high-quality health system.
- The GCTM will support efforts to implement the WHO’s Traditional Medicine Strategy (2014-23), which aims to support nations in developing policies & action plans to strengthen the role of traditional medicine in pursuing the goal of universal health coverage.
- According to WHO estimates, 80% of the world’s population uses traditional medicine.
Why has the WHO felt the need to advance knowledge of traditional medicine?
- The WHO says 170 of its 194 WHO Member States have reported the use of traditional medicine, and these member states have asked for its support in creating a body of “reliable evidence and data on traditional medicine practices and products”.
- It says the Jamnagar centre will serve as the hub, and focus on building a “solid evidence base” for policies and “help countries integrate it as appropriate into their health systems”.
The WHO has flagged many challenges faced by traditional medicine:
- For instance, national health systems and strategies do not yet fully integrate traditional medicine workers, accredited courses and health facilities.
- Second, the WHO has stressed the need to conserve biodiversity and sustainability as about 40% of approved pharmaceutical products today derive from natural substances.
- For example, the discovery of aspirin drew on traditional medicine formulations using the bark of the willow tree, the contraceptive pill was developed from the roots of wild yam plants and child cancer treatments have been based on the rosy periwinkle.
- Third, the WHO has referred to modernisation of the ways traditional medicine is being studied. Artificial intelligence is now used to map evidence and trends in traditional medicine. “Functional magnetic resonance imaging is used to study brain activity and the relaxation response that is part of some traditional medicine therapies such as meditation and yoga, which are increasingly drawn on for mental health and well-being in stressful times,”
- Fourth, the WHO has said traditional medicine is also being extensively updated by mobile phone apps, online classes, and other technologies. The GCTM will serve as a hub for other countries, and build standards on traditional medicine practices and products.
Parboiled Rice
Context:
Recently, Telangana Chief Minister and members of his Cabinet staged a dharna at Telangana House, demanding a uniform paddy procurement policy. The protest came after the Centre said it was stopping the purchase of excess parboiled rice, of which Telangana is a major producer. The Centre has said demand is low and it cannot waste money on buying the excess quantity of parboiled rice.
Relevance:
GS II- Health
Dimensions of the Article:
- What is parboiled rice?
- Are all rice varieties suitable for parboiling?
- Advantages
- Disadvantages
- How high is the demand?
What is parboiled rice?
- The dictionary meaning of ‘parboil’ is ‘partly cooked by boiling’.
- Thus, the expression parboiled rice refers to rice that has been partially boiled at the paddy stage, before milling.
- Parboiling of rice is not a new practice, and has been followed in India since ancient times.
- However, there is no specific definition of parboiled rice of the Food Corporation of India or the Food Ministry.
There are several processes for parboiling rice:
- The Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru, uses a method in which the paddy is soaked in hot water for three hours, in contrast to the more common method in which paddy is soaked for 8 hours.
- The water is then drained and the paddy steamed for 20 minutes. Also, the paddy is dried in the shade in the method used by the CFTRI, but is sun-dried in the common method.
- The Paddy Processing Research Centre (PPRC), Thanjavur follows a method known as the chromate soaking process.
- It uses chromate, a family of salt in which the anion contains both chromium and oxygen, which removes the odour from the wet rice.
- All processes generally involve three stages—soaking, steaming and drying. After passing through these stages, the paddy goes for milling.
Are all rice varieties suitable for parboiling?
- Generally, all varieties can be processed into parboiled rice, but it is ideal to use long slender varieties to prevent breakage during milling.
- However, aromatic varieties should not be parboiled because the process can make it can lose its aroma.
Advantages:
- Parboiling makes rice tougher.
- This reduces the chances of the rice kernel breaking during milling.
- Parboiling also increases the nutrient value of the rice.
- Parboiled rice has a higher resistance to insects and fungi.
Disadvantages:
- The rice becomes darker and may smell unpleasant due to prolonged soaking.
- Besides, setting up a parboiling rice milling unit requires a higher investment than a raw rice milling unit.
How high is the demand?
- The Food Ministry pegs the parboiled rice demand at 20 LMT per annum for distribution under the National Food Security Act, 2013.
- According to the Ministry, the demand for parboiled rice has come down in recent years.
- In the last few years, production in parboiled rice-consuming states such as Jharkhand, Kerala and Tamil Nadu has increased, resulting in less movement to the deficit states.
- Earlier, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) used to procure parboiled rice from states such as Telangana to supply to these states.
- But in recent years, parboiled rice production has increased in these states. So, the Ministry says, the current stock of parboiled rice is sufficient to meet the demand for the next two years.
RoDTEP Scheme
Context:
Recently, the government had left out sectors such as iron and steel, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, from the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Export Products (RoDTEP) scheme.
- These sectors were omitted from the scheme, as iron and steel were ‘already booming’ and the pharma industry’s business had also increased during the pandemic.
Relevance:
GS-III: Indian Economy (Growth and Development of Indian Economy, Taxation)
Dimensions of the Article:
- Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) Scheme
- Need for the RoDTEP Scheme
- Features of the RoDTEP Scheme
- Eligibility to obtain benefits of the RoDTEP Scheme
- RoDTEP Benefits
About RoDTEP scheme:
- RoDTEP stands for Remission of Duties and Taxes on Export Products.
- It replaced MEIS (Merchandise Exports from India Scheme).
- The scheme will ensure that the exporters receive the refunds on the embedded taxes and duties previously non-recoverable.
- The scheme was brought about with the intention to boost exports which were relatively poor in volume previously.
Need for the RoDTEP Scheme
- The US had challenged India’s key export subsidy schemes in the WTO (World Trade Organisation), claiming them to harm the American workers.
- A dispute panel in the WTO ruled against India, stating that the export subsidy programmes that were provided by the Government of India violated the provisions of the trade body’s norms.
- The panel further recommended that the export subsidy programmes be withdrawn.
- This led to the birth of the RoDTEP Scheme, so as to ensure that India stays WTO-compliant.
The following were some of the export subsidy programmes recommended to be withdrawn:-
- Merchandise Exports from India Scheme
- Export Oriented Units Scheme
- Electronics Hardware Technology Parks Scheme
- Bio-Technology Parks Scheme
- Export Promotion Capital Goods Scheme
- Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Scheme
- Duty-Free Imports for Exporters Scheme
Features of the RoDTEP Scheme
Refund of the previously non-refundable duties and taxes
- Mandi tax, VAT, Coal cess, Central Excise duty on fuel etc. will now be refunded under this particular scheme. All the items under the MEIS and the RoSTCL (Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies) are now under the purview of the RoDTEP Scheme.
Automated system of credit
- The refund will be issued in the form of transferable electronic scrips. These duty credits will be maintained and tracked through an electronic ledger.
Quick verification through digitisation
- Through the introduction of the digital platform, the clearance happens at a much faster rate. Verification of the records of the exporters will be done with the help of an IT-based risk management system to ensure speed and accuracy of transaction processing.
Multi-sector scheme
- Under RoDTEP, all sectors, including the textiles sector, are covered, so as to ensure uniformity across all areas. Additionally, a dedicated committee will be set up to decide regarding the sequence of introduction of the scheme across the various sectors, what degree of benefit is to be extended to each sector, and such related matters.
Eligibility to obtain benefits of the RoDTEP Scheme
- All sectors, including the textiles sector, may enjoy the benefits of the RoDTEP Scheme.
- Labor-intensive sectors that enjoy benefits under the MEIS Scheme will be given a priority.
- Manufacturer exporters and merchant exporters (traders) are both eligible for the benefits of this scheme.
- There is no particular turnover threshold to claim the RoDTEP.
- Re-exported products are not eligible under this scheme.
- To be eligible to avail the benefits of this scheme, the exported products need to have the country of origin as India.
- Special Economic Zone Units and Export Oriented Units are also eligible to claim the benefits under this scheme.
- Where goods have been exported via courier through e-commerce platforms, RoDTEP scheme applies to them as well.
RoDTEP Benefits
- Being WTO-compliant, the RoDTEP scheme can make available from the government benefits to the exporters seamlessly.
- The scheme is more exhaustive in that certain taxes that were not covered under the previous scheme are also included in the list, for example, education cess, state taxes on oil, power and water.
- It will add more competitiveness in the foreign markets, with assured duty benefits by the Indian Government.
- It will also help exporters meet international standards and promote business growth.
- Also under RoDTEP, tax assessment is set to become fully automatic for exporters, hence, Businesses will get access to their refunds for GST via an automatic refund-route.
