Daily News Simplified - DNS

25 09 19
Notes
SL. THE HINDU
TOPICS
NO. PAGE NO.
1 India, U.S. trade deal falls through 01

2 India accepts RCEP tips on investments 16

3 Another chance in Afghanistan- Lead Article 10

4 A job that kills- Manual Scavenging 11

5 Ramanujan Prize for U.K. Mathematician 08

Dated: 25.Sep.2019 DNS Notes

Title 1. India, U.S. trade deal falls through (The Hindu, Page 01)
Syllabus Mains: GS Paper II – International Relations
Theme About Indo-US Trade Deal
Highlights Context:
PM Modi is on a visit to USA to strengthen the multi-faceted relationship between the two countries.
One of the major agenda of this visit was to sign an Interim trade agreement between the two
countries. However, this deal could not finalised due to lack of consensus on certain key aspects of
the trade agreement.

Concerns raised by USA

USA wanted India to eliminate the import duties on the ICT products such as Mobile phones, set up
boxes, semiconductors, telecommunication equipment etc. However, India was against the reduction
in the import duties since it would have adverse impact on the domestic manufacturing of the ICT
products.
Further, USA also wanted India to do away with the price caps on the medical devices such as Knee
implants and cardiac stents which was not agreed to by India. India was also against US's demand for
greater access for dairy products and other categories of agricultural products.

Concerns raised by India

Recently, USA had decided to withdraw GSP benefits given to India. Under the GSP, USA imports
certain categories of goods from other countries at zero import duties. The US's decision to end the
GSP benefits to Indian goods had become a sore point in their trade relationship and accordingly,
India was demanding for the extension of the said benefit. India also wanted USA for greater market
access in agricultural goods such as Grapes, Pomegranates etc. However, these demands by India
were not taken into account by USA.

Way Forward
Both USA and India had decided to adopt full-fledged trade agreement once the interim trade
agreement is put in place. Hence, the recent deadlock in the finalization of interim trade deal has to
be resolved at the earliest so as to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
Personal Notes

P
Dated: 25.Sep.2019 DNS Notes

Title 2. India accepts RCEP tips on investments (The Hindu, Page 16)
Syllabus Mains: GS Paper II – International Relations
Theme About RCEP Negotiations
Highlights Context:
India and the other RCEP countries are currently in the final phase of negotiations in Vietnam. This
article highlights that the investment chapter of the RCEP deal has been agreed upon and India has
decided to accept some of the key provisions of the investment deal which could boost foreign
investments into India.

About RCEP
 Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a proposed free trade agreement
(FTA) between the ten member states of the ASEAN and the six Asia-Pacific states with which
ASEAN has existing FTAs. (Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand).
RCEP will cover trade in goods, trade in services, investment, economic and technical
cooperation, intellectual property, competition, dispute settlement and other issues.
 The objective is to achieve mutually beneficial economic partnership agreement among the
ASEAN States and its FTA Partners.
 The RCEP would become the largest trade bloc in terms of population with nearly 3.5 billion
people. It would also account for 40% of world‟s GDP and 30% of global trade.

What has been decided now?

 The Investment related aspects of the RCEP has been finalized in the final phase of
negotiations.
 The Indian Government emphasizes that foreign companies investing in India should transfer
technology or know-hows to their domestic counterparts. Further, the government and Reserve
Bank of India also currently impose a cap on the royalties a domestic company can pay to its
foreign parent or partner. These restrictions have been seen as major hindrances to investing in
India, and other RCEP countries have argued strongly for their removal.
 This article highlights that India has agreed to remove these two restrictions on the foreign
investments into India. While there is apprehension that removing the cap on royalty payments
would lead to increased outflow in foreign exchange and deplete the ability of domestic firms to
pay dividends to shareholders, there is also the view that removal of these restrictions will result
in increased investments in India.
Personal
Notes
Dated: 25.Sep.2019 DNS Notes

Title 3. Another chance in Afghanistan- Lead Article – (The Hindu, Page 10)
Syllabus Mains: GS Paper II – International Relations
Theme Afghan Problem
Highlights Context:
US has recently cancelled the talks with the Taliban and the reason sighted by the Trump administration
is that Taliban has not given up on its terrorist mode of operation. In this scheme of things, US cannot
negotiate with the Taliban when its soldiers are being targeted and killed.

It is important for us to understand the issue from the standpoint of various stake holders who are
directly and indirectly involved in the Afghan problem or are impacted by its outcome.

1. Afghanistan Government:
Afghan government under the leadership of President Ashraf Ghani has tried to engage with Taliban
and has asked them to participate in the democratic process of nation building by participating in the
coming elections. For this end, Afghan govt has also accepted as a political organization.
At the same time, Afghan government was sceptical about the close door negotiations between the US
and the Taliban as US in its hurry to move out of the Afghanistan may offer unreasonable concessions
to the Taliban and this might give free rein to the Taliban to impose extreme Islamic rule in
Afghanistan, thereby, sacrificing gains in rights and freedom under the democratic rule.
So, in a nutshell, the Afghanistan Government is happy by the cancellation of peace talks between the
US and the Taliban. Moreover, President Ashraf Ghani has a strong chance to continue in power
without sharing it with the Taliban.

2. The Taliban:
The Taliban was ousted from power by the US led forces and has since been trying to regain its lost
ground in Afghanistan. Fuelled by support from Pakistan and Narco money, they have huge inroads in
recapturing Afghanistan. Almost 50% of the Afghanistan is under there control and their power has
been increasing consistently. At the same time, Taliban was looking for negotiations with the US as:
1. It would give them an acceptance as an important actor in the Afghanistan politics and one of the
stakeholders in the government.
2. Negotiate for the exit of the US forces from Afghanistan and this would have been the greatest moral
boosting win for them.
3. Participate in the political process of the Afghanistan and may head globally accepted government.
At the same time, the Taliban couldn‟t give up on targeting the Afghan government and derail the
democratic election process that is going to take place on 28th September. They have continued attacks
on the government establishment and in the process, they have lost the most by the cancellation of talks
with the US.

3. India:
The talks between Taliban and the US was never a good sign for India as this would have given
political legitimacy to the Taliban and India has always opposed that as she has always considered
Taliban as non-state actor. Moreover, India was almost out of the negotiations between the US and
Taliban and this was a serious blow to India‟s strategic interests as India is heavily invested in the
democratic government in Afghanistan. Now when there are no talks between the Taliban and the US,
there might be same or more level of violence in the Afghanistan but it won‟t have external
implications.

4. Pakistan:
Because of the closeness between Afghan Taliban and Pakistan, the USA needs the support of Pakistan
to bring the Afghan Taliban to the negotiating table. Hence, the USA is dependent on Pakistan for
reducing the tensions in Afghanistan and to negotiate a peace deal with the Afghan Taliban.
On its part, Pakistan is trying to strengthen its role in the peace negotiations in order to gain "strategic
depth" in Afghanistan. The enhanced role played by Pakistan in the peace process does not bode well
for India. If Pakistan gains higher leverage in Afghan politics, it may pose security challenges in the
Indian Sub-continent.

The issue of Kashmir

The author has tried to highlight the cancellation of US Taliban talks and its relation to Kashmir.
1. Emerging Geopolitical situations in Afghanistan will have its impact on Kashmir. If Taliban comes
to power then it is expected that the Islamic jihadis would focus their attention on Kashmir.
Dated: 25.Sep.2019 DNS Notes

2. Negotiated or non- negotiated withdrawal of the US from the Afghanistan would give a free hand to
Taliban and this would cause deepening of unrest in Kashmir. In author‟s words, “If a Super Power can
be pushed out of Afghanistan by the Taliban with the help of Pakistan then would it be difficult to beat
India”. To that extent, the breakdown of the Trump-Taliban talks is advantage India.

Way Forward
India, on its part, needs to reach out to the Taliban, not to recognise it but to engage with it, in its own
national interest. In any case, any outreach from the Indian side would make the government in Kabul
led by Mr. Ghani, unhappy. This leaves India in a difficult situation. Hence, such an outreach will also
need to be carefully calibrated and discreetly executed.
Personal Notes
Dated: 25.Sep.2019 DNS Notes

Title 4. A job that kills- Manual Scavenging – (The Hindu, Page 11)
Syllabus Mains: GS Paper II: Social Issues
Theme About Manual Scavenging
Highlights Manual Scavenging in India
 Census - 2011 found 7.9 Lakh cases of manual scavenging.
 Socio Economic Caste Census 2011 revealed that 1.8 Lakh households are engaged in it for
livelihood.
 India is the only country in the world where a particular section of the society is traditionally
responsible for keeping the habitation clean by removing the waste products of the society
including the human excreta.
 Manual scavenging still survives in parts of India without proper sewage systems. It is thought
to be most prevalent in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Some
municipalities in India still run public dry-toilets.
 The biggest violator of this law in India is the Indian Railways which has toilets dropping all
the excreta from trains on the tracks and they employ scavengers to clean it manually.
 According to socio-economic caste census report (2011), Maharashtra has 63,713; Madhya
Pradesh has 23,093; Uttar Pradesh has 17,619; Tripura has 17,332; Karnataka has 15,375
manual scavengers. However, the exact number of manual scavengers living in India is still an
open ended question.

Government Initiatives
 Before 1980, the main efforts of the Government were concentrated on improving the working
and living conditions of scavengers and not the core problem of converting dry latrines to pour
flush latrines in any systemic manner.
 In 1980-81, the Ministry of Home Affairs took up the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for
Liberation of Scavengers by way of conversion of existing dry latrines into low cost pour
flush latrines and providing alternative employment to the unemployed scavengers as one of
the measures for removal of Untouchability and providing financial assistance in
selected towns.
 In 1989 A Task Force constituted by the Planning Commission on the subject suggested for
separate scheme for liberation and rehabilitation. It also explored the bases for the enactment
of certain legislation to ban construction and continuation of dry latrines and prohibit the
practice of manual scavenging.
 In 1992, the scheme of „Liberation of Scavengers‟ was bifurcated. For conversion of dry
latrines into water borne flush latrines, an „Integrated Low Cost Sanitation (ILCS) Scheme,
was started. The National Scheme for Liberation and Rehabilitation of Scavengers and their
Dependents (NSLRS) was started for providing alternative employment to the liberated
scavengers and their dependents.

Taking into consideration the seriousness of the problem and the requests of the State Governments,
Parliament enacted the “Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry
Latrines(Prohibition) Act, 1993”. The Act, inter alia, provides that no person shall:-
 Engage in or employ for or permit to be engaged in or employed for any other person for
manually carry human excreta; or
 Construct or maintain a dry latrine.

Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS), a successor scheme to
NSLRS, was introduced in January, 2007, as a scheme of national priority, with the objective to
rehabilitate remaining manual scavengers and their dependents in alternative occupations, in a time
bound manner.
Nevertheless, there were reports of existence of manual scavenging. The House listing and Housing
Census, 2011 reported that there are about 26 lakh insanitary latrines in the country. Accordingly, the
Dated: 25.Sep.2019 DNS Notes

Parliament passed the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act,
2013.Under this:
 No person, local authority or agency should engage or employ people for hazardous cleaning
of sewers and septic tanks.
 Mechanized cleaning of septic tanks is the prescribed norm.
 Safety gear for rare instances when human intervention is unavoidable is prescribed.
 A violation can be punished with two years of imprisonment or fine or both.
 It also prohibits the construction of insanitary latrines.
 Each occupier of insanitary latrines shall be responsible for converting or demolishing the
latrine at his/her own cost.
 The District Magistrate and the local authority shall be the implementing authorities.

Unfortunately, the spirit of Article 17, was followed in principle rather than in practice. Poor
implementation of the existing laws has also helped in continuation of this practice. The National Safai
Karmachari Commission which was mandated to implement the act has not been functioning properly.
In urban areas municipalities are cash short to use machines for cleaning of the sewers or provide
protective equipments. They generally blame contractors for any loss of life.
In the absence of political will and social pressure, more lives could be lost because more tanks are
being built in rural and urban areas as part of the drive to construct toilets. Just offering a good
legislation or only education or only small economic rehabilitation would not help. There is need for a
multiple approach in which all the areas are in congruence.
Personal Notes
Dated: 25.Sep.2019 DNS Notes

Title 5. Ramanujan Prize for U.K. Mathematician (The Hindu, Page 08)
Syllabus Prelims: Current Affairs
Theme About Ramanujan Prize
Highlights The SASTRA Ramanujan prize for 2019 will be awarded to mathematician Adam Harper, Assistant
Professor with the University of Warwick, England.

About the prize

 The prize carries a citation and an award of $10,000 and is conferred annually on
mathematicians from across the world who are less than 32 years of age, working in an area
influenced by the genius Srinivasa Ramanujan.
 The age limit is 32 years to commemorate the fact that Srinivasa Ramanujan accomplished a
phenomenal body of work in this short span
 Every year, this prize is awarded by SASTRA University on its campus near Kumbakonam in
Tamil Nadu, on Ramanujan‟s birth anniversary, December 22.
 Srinivasa Ramanujan 22 December 1887 – 26 April 1920) was an Indian mathematician who
lived during the British Rule in India. Though he had almost no formal training in pure
mathematics, he made substantial contributions to mathematical analysis, number
theory, infinite series, and continued fractions, including solutions to mathematical problems
then considered unsolvable.

Fields Medal
 Four mathematicians who were awarded S Ramanujan prize have gone on to win the Fields
Medal later.
 The Fields Medal is a prize awarded to two, three, or four mathematicians under 40 years of
age at the International Congress of the International Mathematical Union (IMU), a meeting
that takes place every four years.
 The Fields Medal is regarded as one of the highest honors a mathematician can receive, and
has been described as the mathematician's Nobel Prize.
Personal Notes