GS-3rd Paper
Topic- Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment
Central and State Statistical Organizations (COCSSO)
Context
27th Conference of Central and State Statistical Organizations (COCSSO) inaugurated at Kolkata, West Bengal
About
- 27th COCSSO is a Conference organized by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) every year.
- COCSSO is a major national forum for coordination between the Central and State Statistical Agencies.
- Its main objective is putting in coordinated efforts for making available reliable and timely statistics to planners and policy makers.
- Theme – Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Objectives
The objectives of the conference are-
- To provide a platform for discussion on the statistical issues of common interest to the Central and the State Statistical Organistions;
- To provide an overall perspective to the development of statistical system and to make recommendations/suggestions on issues having bearing on the development of the statistical system;
- To solve the technical issues relating to statistics;
- To set up Working Groups on specific issues/tasks relating to official statistics;
- To provide guidelines in the collection of statistics and maintenance of statistical standards and quality, besides uniformity in statistical standards;
- To consider the Action Taken Report of the follow up action on the recommendations of the previous meetings(s) of COCSSO; and
- To review the role of the Statistical Advisers in the Central and States/UT Governments.
Central Statistics Office (CSO)
- It was known as the Central Statistics Organisation of India.
- CSO is responsible for the coordination of statistical activities in India, and evolving and maintaining statistical standards.
- The Central Statistics Office (CSO), an attached office of the ministry, coordinates the statistical activities in the country and evolves statistical standards.
Composition
- The CSO is headed by the Director-General.
- CSO- DG is assisted by Five additional Director-Generals and four Deputy Director-Generals, six Joint Directors, seven special task officers, thirty deputy directors, 48 assistant directors and other supporting staff.
- It has a well-equipped Graphical Unit. The CSO is located in Delhi.
Functions
Its activities include compilation of –
- National Account Statistics (NAS),
- Index of Industrial Production,
- Consumer Price Indices for Urban/Rural/ Combined,
- Human Development Statistics, including Gender Statistics in the states and union territories and disseminates Energy Statistics,
- Social and Environment Statistics,
- Prepare the National Industrial Classification.
- Imparting training in Official Statistics,
National Statistical Office (NSO)
- The government has merged the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) with the Central Statistics Office (CSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
- An overarching body – National Statistical Office (NSO) has been formed through the merger of the NSSO and the CSO.
- The National Statistical Office (NSO) headed by a Director General is responsible for conduct of large scale sample surveys in diverse fields on All India basis.
Functions
- Primarily data are collected through nation-wide household surveys on various socio-economic subjects, Annual Survey of Industries (ASI),
- Besides these surveys, NSO collects data on rural and urban prices,
- NSO Plays a significant role in the improvement of crop statistics through supervision of the area enumeration and crop estimation surveys of the State agencies.
- It also maintains a frame of urban area units for use in sample surveys in urban areas.
The NSO has four Divisions
- Survey Design and Research Division (SDRD) – located at Kolkata, is responsible for technical planning of surveys, formulation of concepts and definitions, sampling design, designing of inquiry schedules, drawing up of tabulation plan, analysis and presentation of survey results.
- Field Operations Division (FOD)- headquarters at Delhi/Faridabad and a network of six Zonal Offices, 52 Regional Offices and 117 Sub-Regional Offices spread throughout the country, is responsible for the collection of primary data for the surveys undertaken by NSO.
- Data Processing Division (DPD) – headquarters at Kolkata and 5 other Data Processing Centers at various places, is responsible for sample selection, software development, processing, validation and tabulation of the data collected through surveys.
- Survey Coordination Division (SCD) – This Division, located at New Delhi, coordinates all the activities of different Divisions of NSO. It organizes National Seminars on the results of various Socio-economic surveys undertaken by NSO.
Concerns on merger of NSSO and CSO
- There is a concern that with the merger of NSSO and CSO, the autonomy of NSSO will go away and the NSC’s control over NSSO will not be there.
- NSC oversees all technical aspects of the statistical work–which survey needs to be done, when and how it needs to be done.
Way forward
- The restructuring of the Indian official statistics system is in order to streamline and strengthen the present nodal functions of the ministry and to bring in more synergy by integrating its administrative functions within the ministry.
GS-2nd Paper
Topic– Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
HS Code
Context
Khadi gets separate unique HS code, export to get a boost.
About
- The ministry of commerce and industries has allocated separate HS code for this signature fabric of India.
Significance of HS code for Khadi
- Earlier, Khadi did not have its exclusive HS code.
- As a result, all the data regarding export of this signature fabric used to come as a normal fabric under the textile head.
- Now, HS code will help to keep a constant eye not only on our export figures, but it will also help in planning our export strategies.
- Khadi and Village Industries products are eco-friendly and natural, and are in great demand in the International Markets.
- Recognizing its potential to generate exports and its eco-friendly importance, the Ministry of Commerce had accorded deemed Export Promotional Council Status (EPCS) to KVIC in 2006, to boost the export of Khadi products.
- However in the absence of separate HS code, the export of Khadi products was difficult to categorize and calculate.
What is an HS Code?
- HS stands for Harmonized System.
- It was developed by the WCO (World Customs Organization)as a multipurpose international product nomenclature that describes the type of good that is shipped.
- Today, customs officers must use HS code to clear every commodity that enters or crosses any international borders.
HS Code Structure
The HS code can be described as follows-
- It is a six-digit identification code.
- It has 5000 commodity groups.
- Those groups have 99 chapters.
- Those chapters have 21 sections.
- It’s arranged in a legal and logical structure.
- Well-defined rules support it to realize uniform classification worldwide.
- The code follows from the Kyoto Convention of 1974and facilitates the simplification and harmonization of Customs procedures.
- The Kyoto Convention details the application of efficient procedures, as well as new and obligatory rules for their implementation.
- As of January 2017, this convention has about 106 Contracting Signatories/Parties.
HS Code Usage
- The HS system isused by over 200 countries and other economies around the world for the collection of international trade statistics, and as a basis for customs tariffs.
- Over 98% of the goods involved in international trade are classified in terms of the HS Code.
- In addition to governments, the code is also used by private-sector firms and international organizations.
- It is utilized to monitor, update, and optimize controlled goods, internal taxes, rules of origin, trade policies, transport statistics, freight tariffs, compilation of national accounts, quota controls, price monitoring, traffic statistics, and economic research as well as analysis.
- Thus, the HS code is regarded as an indispensable tool for international trade, universal economic language, and coding for commodities.
- Today, HS codes are used extensively in electronic messages like the EDIFACT.
- This has made it easier for the system to become a worldwide standard for describing a good across various platforms.
- Its nearly universal usage allows authorities such as Port and Customs departments to identify the products.
GS- 3rd Paper
Topic- Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system
Context
DRDO’s Air Independent Propulsion system gets boost with operation of land-based prototype.
About Air Independent Propulsion system
- Air-independent propulsion (AIP) is a technology which allows a non-nuclear submarine to operate without the need to access atmospheric oxygen (by surfacing or using a snorkel).
- Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system can augment or replace the diesel-electric propulsion system of non-nuclear vessels.
- AIP systems generate electricity, powering a submarine’s to operate and also generate oxygen, lighting and amenities for crew.
- It enables conventional diesel-electric submarines to remain submerged for two to three weeks at a time.
- Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) has a force multiplier effect on lethality of a diesel electric submarine.
- It enhances the submerged endurance of the boat, several folds.
Advantages of AIP System
- AIP does not normally provide the endurance or power to replace the atmospheric dependent propulsion.
- It allows it to remain submerged longer than a more conventionally propelled submarine.
- A typical conventional power plant will provide 3 megawatts maximum, and an AIP source around 10% of that.
- A nuclear submarine’s propulsion plant is usually much greater than 20 megawatts.
- Another advantage is that the Non-nuclear submarines running on battery power or AIP can be virtually silent
Significance of AIP System
- AIP significantly improves stealth because it enables a submarine to generate electricity for services and battery charging and propulsion while completely submerged.
- A submarine’s diesel engines can only be started once the snorkel has cleared the surface to take in oxygen in the fresh air. Snorkelling depth is about the same as periscope depth.
- Without AIP, diesel-electric submarines have to come up to snorkelling depths just below the surface or surface at shorter intervals so that the diesel engines can recharge their batteries. This significantly increases the risk of detection.
- It can be retrofitted into existing submarine hulls by inserting an additional hull section.
For Prelims
“Swachh – Nirmal Tat Abhiyaan”
Context
Week-long intensive Beach Cleaning Drive in 50 identified beaches of India begins
Highlights
- The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) are undertaking a mass cleanliness-cum-awareness drive in 50 identified beaches under the “Swachh – Nirmal Tat Abhiyaan”.
- It aims to make our beaches clean and create awareness amongst citizens about the importance of coastal ecosystems,
- The identified beaches are in 10 coastal States/Union Territories (UTs) namely-
- Gujarat, Daman & Diu, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha.
- The beaches have been identified after the consultation with the States/UTs.
- School/college students of Eco-clubs, district administration, institutions, volunteers, local communities and other stakeholders are being involved.
- State Nodal Agencies for the Eco-clubs will be facilitating the week long intensive cleanliness drive in all 10 States/UTs.
Cyclones in the Indian Ocean (2019)
- 2019 has faced SEVEN cyclones for India so far.
- The latest cyclone- bulbul is the seventh to be formed in the Indian Ocean this year.
- It is the second storm to form in the Bay of Bengal this year after extremely severe Cyclone Fani in April-May.
The season has seen –
- Cyclone Pabuk (South China Sea-Andaman Sea),
- Cyclone Fani (Bay of Bengal),
- Cyclone Vayu (Arabian Sea),
- Cyclone Hikka (Arabian Sea),
- Cyclone Kyarr (Arabian Sea) and
- Cyclone Maha (Arabian Sea)
Other Cyclones outside of Indian Ocean (2019)
- Super typhoon Halong – western North Pacific Ocean.
- Hurricane Dorian– Bahamas.
- Nakri– West Philippine’s Sea.
