GS- 2nd Paper
Topic– Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
ICEDASH & ATITHI
Context
Finance Minister Launches two new IT Initiatives -ICEDASH & ATITHI for improved monitoring and pace of Customs clearance of imported goods and facilitating arriving international passengers.
About
ICEDASH and ATITHI – for improved monitoring and pace of Customs clearance of imported goods and facilitating arriving international passengers by electronic filing of Customs baggage and currency declarations were launched.
About ICEDASH & ATITHI
- ICEDASH- is an Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) monitoring dashboard of the Indian Customs.
- It will help public see the daily Customs clearance times of import cargo at various ports and airports.
- With ICEDASH, Indian Customs has taken a lead globally to provide an effective tool that helps the businesses compare clearance times across ports and plan their logistics accordingly.
- This dashboard has been developed by CBIC in collaboration with NIC.
- ATITHI- CBIC has introduced an easy to use mobile app for international travelers to file the Customs declaration in advance.
- Passengers can use this app to file declaration of dutiable items and currency with the Indian Customs even before boarding the flight to India.
Significance
- ICEDASH and ATITHI would be key drivers for further improvement especially as they reduce interface and increase transparency of Customs functioning.
- ATITHI would in particular create a tech savvy image of India Customs and would encourage tourism and business travel to India.
Central Board of Indirect taxes and Customs (CBIC)
- The Central Board of Indirect taxes and Customs (CBIC) is the nodal national agency responsible for administering Customs, GST, Central Excise, Service Tax & Narcotics in India.
- The Customs & Central Excise/CGST department was established in the year 1855 by the then British Governor General of India, to administer customs laws in India and collection of import duties / land revenue.
- It is one of the oldest government departments of India.
- Currently the Customs and Central Excise /CGST department comes under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
GS- 2nd Paper
Topic– Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
14th East Asia Summit
Context
35th ASEAN Summit, 14th East Asia Summit, and3rd meeting of RCEP took place in Bangkok, Thailand.
About East Asia Summit (ESA)
- The East Asia Summit (EAS) established in 2005.
- It is a forum of 18 regional leaders for strategic dialogue and cooperation on the key political, security, and economic challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region.
- It is an initiative of ASEAN and is based on the premise of the centrality of ASEAN.
- The first summit was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 14 December 2005.
- India is a one of founding member of the East Asia Summit.
Areas of cooperation
EAS recognised six priority areas of regional cooperation-
- Environment and Energy,
- Education,
- Finance,
- Global Health Issues and Pandemic Diseases,
- Natural Disaster Management,
- ASEAN Connectivity.
Member Countries
- The EAS comprises the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
- The 8 other members are Australia, China, Japan, India, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States.
- The EAS member countries represent around 54% of the world’s population and accounts for 58% of global GDP.
- East Asia Summit chaired by an ASEAN member.
Importance of EAS
- EAS represents nearly 50 per cent of the world’s population and over 20 per cent of global trade.
- The forum is a attestation of the rise of Asia.
- EAS is a region of fast growing economies. It is considered the third pole of world economy after the US and Europe.
- Financial and monetary cooperation between ASEAN+6 or EAS countries could be an area of fruitful cooperation in view of the fact that their combined foreign exchange reserves exceed $ 3 trillion.
Significance for India
- India is not a member of another important APEC forum. For India, EAS acts as an alternative to the APEC.
- In order to build multi-faceted relations with ASEAN and other multilateral nations and strengthen bilateral relations India has emphasised upon its Act East Policies for which EAS is crucial.
- China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea and the nature of its growing investments has led the ASEAN countries to view India as a potential power that could balance a rising China.
- South China Sea is a busy waterway through which half of India’s trade passes, hence for freedom of passage in the international waters, this area becomes crucial.
- For implementation of connectivity projects, such as the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway, and building new trade and transport linkages with all the EAS member states, the summit gains significance.
- India’s strength lies in service sector and information-technology and Japan has a sound capital base. Thus there are complementarities in trade and production structures of the EAS members.
- India’s deep cultural and civilizational links with the EAS countries are widely known.
- India can play a major role in cultural and people to people cooperation with the region, which can reinforce the economic momentum for community building.
For Prelims
Global Exhibition on Services (GES)
Context
Global Exhibition on Services (GES) will be held in Bengaluru.
Highlights
- 5th Global Exhibition on Services (GES)-2019 will be held in Bengaluru.
- The event is organised by Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry in partnership with Services Export Promotion Council and the Confederation of Indian Industry.
- This initiative will enhance the competitiveness of India’s service sectors through the implementation of focused and monitored Action Plans.
- The ‘India Services’ brand was created by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to represent the services sector of India.
- The services sector having overtaken agriculture and manufacturing in terms of growth and size is a key driver of global trade and a very valuable source of employment.
DefExpo 2020
Context
Raksha Mantri chairs Ambassadors’ Round-table on DefExpo 2020.
Highlights
- Ministry of Defence organised Ambassadors’ Round Table conference on DefExpo 2020.
- It is a major outreach initiative to invite the defence manufacturing industries of the world.
- The 11th DefExpo will be held in Lucknow from February 5-8, 2020.
- The DefExpo will be an opportunity to foster partnerships and be part of shared prosperity.
- These strong ties can boost investment, expand manufacturing, raise the level of technology and accelerate the economic growth of the respective countries.
