How skill development will impact youth employment in India

1. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE). The objective of this Skill Certification Scheme is to enable a large number of Indian youth to take up industry-relevant skill training that will help them in securing a better livelihood. Individuals with prior learning experience or skills will also be assessed and certified under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Under this Scheme, Training and Assessment fees are completely paid by the Government.

2. The Short Term Training imparted at PMKVY Training Centres (TCs) is expected to benefit candidates of Indian nationality who are either school/college dropouts or unemployed. Apart from providing training according to the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), TCs shall also impart training in Soft Skills, Entrepreneurship, Financial and Digital Literacy. Duration of the training varies per job role, ranging between 150 and 300 hours. Upon successful completion of their assessment, candidates shall be provided placement assistance by Training Partners (TPs). Under PMKVY, the entire training and assessment fees are paid by the Government. Payouts shall be provided to the TPs in alignment with the Common Norms. Trainings imparted under the Short Term Training component of the Scheme shall be NSQF Level 5 and below.

3. The idea is to raise confidence, improve productivity and give direction through proper skill development. Skill development will enable the youths to get blue-collar jobs. Development of skills, at an young age, right at the school level, is very essential to channelise them for proper job opportunities. There should be a balanced growth in all the sectors and all jobs should be given equal importance. Every job aspirant would be given training in soft skills to lead a proper and decent life. Skill development would reach the rural and remote areas also. Corporate educational institutions, non-government organizations, Government, academic institutions, and society would help in the development of skills of the youths so that better results are achieved in the shortest time possible.

4. After ‘Digital India’ and ‘Make in India‘, the NaMo Government is to launch yet another programme. This one is a revised version of programmes launched earlier under the skill development policy. This new programme, called ‘Skill India’, is supposed to be a multi-skill programme. It will be launched in March 2015. Like all other programmes, ‘Skill India’ too is a dream project of Narendra Modi and the work to launch this programme has already been initiated.

5. The main goal is to create opportunities, space and scope for the development of the talents of the Indian youth and to develop more of those sectors which have already been put under skill development for the last so many years and also to identify new sectors for skill development. The new programme aims at providing training and skill development to 500 million youth of our country by 2020, covering each and every village. Various schemes are also proposed to achieve this objective.

6. The emphasis is to skill the youths in such a way so that they get employment and also improve entrepreneurship.
Provides training, support and guidance for all occupations that were of traditional type like carpenters, cobblers, welders, blacksmiths, masons, nurses, tailors, weavers etc.

7. More emphasis will be given on new areas like real estate, construction, transportation, textile, gem industry, jewellery designing, banking, tourism and various other sectors, where skill development is inadequate or nil. The training programmes would be on the lines of international level so that the youths of our country can not only meet the domestic demands but also of other countries like the US, Japan, China, Germany, Russia and those in the West Asia.
Another remarkable feature of the ‘Skill India’ programme would be to create a hallmark called ‘Rural India Skill’, so as to standardise and certify the training process.

8. Tailor-made, need-based programmes would be initiated for specific age groups which can be like language and communication skills, life and positive thinking skills, personality development skills, management skills, behavioural skills, including job and employability skills. The course methodology of ‘Skill India’ would be innovative, which would include games, group discussions, brainstorming sessions, practical experiences, case studies etc.

9. It’s not that we do not have any skill development programme already. The Government of India has always considered skill development as a national priority. It is just that since the ministry is new, the approach taken for skill development is also new. Earlier, the emphasis was on traditional jobs. But this time, all kinds of jobs will be given equal emphasis. Earlier, the responsibility was divided among various ministries, but this time, these are being clubbed together. The ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship will be the principal ministry which is going to coordinate with other ministries and organisations.

10. According to NaMo, Skill India won’t be just a programme but a movement. Here, youth who are jobless, college and school dropouts, along with the educated ones, from rural and urban areas, all will be given value addition. The new ministry will be the certifying agency. Certificates will be issued to those who complete a particular skill or programme and this certificate has to be recognized by all public and private agencies and entities, including overseas organisations. Skill India is a programme for the entire nation.

Child labour in India

It is sad that for a long time child-labor has been in vogue in India. They are seen working at hotels and restaurants, factories and houses. Children are the automatic choice of the employers. For, they work more but are underpaid.

India is sadly the home to the largest number of child labourers in the world. The census found an increase in the number of child labourers from 11.28 million in 1991 to 12.59 million in 2001

Working Conditions of Child Laborers: Child labor presents a grim picture of the socio-economic condition of a large section of our population. In a large overgrowing family, where there is hardly a square meal a day, the young child is compelled to go to work to earn bread.

Causes: Poverty, over-population, parental neglect and social callousness turn them into child labors.

Consequences: The engagement of child labor is a heinous social offence. Only a diseased society keeps up this evil practice. Children are born to live and bloom freely. Everyone should see to the full expression of their potentials. For, ‘what is done to children, they will do to society’.

Child labor is a threat to our society. The evil effects of Child Labor are given below:
 

Child labor is a major hurdle in the economic development of a nation.
A child, when engaged in economic activities, is deprived of proper education.
Child labor negatively affects the health of the child. Engagement of children in factories and mines often leads to severe diseases. This malpractice needs urgent attention.
These children are not able to enjoy their childhood.
How to Stop Child Labor?

A child who gets a good social environment grows up to become a good citizen, which in turn helps the country to grow and develop.
Education of the masses will be very helpful to raise the consciousness of general people. For this, mass media campaigns over radio, television, newspaper, internet, etc. can be used.
Thanks to the government, the child-labor ban act was passed. Let us not violate the act. Let all children enjoy the glory and beauty of childhood.
Steps taken by Government:

In 1988, the government of India launched the National Child Labour Project (NCLP).
A highly powerful body, the National Authority for the Elimination of Child Labour (NAECL) was established on September 26, 1994, headed by the Union Minister of Labour in the government of India.

Rio Olympics

1. The Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, are from August 5 to 21, 2016. The Paralympics follow on September 7 to 18, 2016.

2. A few months before the games i.e. in April'2016, the Olympic Flame Relay flamed in  Olympia, Greece, where the inspiration for todays' Olympic games originated.

3. The Rio 2016 opening ceremony will be at the world famous football (soccer) Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 5, 2016.

4. Athletes will compete in sports like swimming, athletics, gymnastics, various martial arts, ball sports, weightlifting, and wrestling at the games.

5. The Olympics will conclude with a closing ceremony on August 21, 2016.

6. Rio 2016's motto is “Live your passion”.

7. On June 23, 1894, Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the University of Sorbonne in Paris, France. In 1896, the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens.

8. The Olympic Games are a global multi-sporting event subdivided into summer and winter games. Previously, the summer and winter games were in the same year, with a four-year gap between the games.

9. In 1992 the schedule changed, and these days the winter and summer games alternate by two years. The last Summer Olympic Games were in London 2012 and the last winter games were in Sochi, Russia in 2014.

10. The next winter games will be in Pyeongchang, South Korea from February 9 to 25, 2018.

More about Rio Olympics

Impact of privatisation in Indian Banking Sector

1. The government is planning to gradually privatise some public sector banks (PSBs) by bringing down the Centre's stake in these banks to 33%, says a report, citing government sources. As a first step, the government will form a Bank Investment Company, which will replace the proposed Bank Boards Bureau (BBBs).

2. Bank nationalisation took place to make the shift from class banking to mass banking, and make inroads into rural areas. The lopsided banking was visible in the fact that in 1969 over 40 per cent of our GDP was coming from agriculture, but total loans to the agriculture sector was only 0.2 per cent. Capital was under the control of a minuscule percentage of the population.

3. Privatisation is definitely on the agenda, else they would not have talked about the Bank Investment Company, requesting anonymity. Recently, the government proposed to set up BBBs, which will be responsible for appointing directors in state-run banks and assist them in fund-raising plans. The Bureau will become operational from 1 April, 2016.

4. The formation of the Bank Investment Company necessitates annulling the Bank Nationalisation Acts of 1970 and 1980, the SBI Act and the SBI (Subsidiary Banks) Act. It is a staged way of going about privatisation. That is how govt. is building support. It is not going to be easy to have it passed by the Rajya Sabha.

5. The investment company, however, will be controlled by the Central government. They will still control the Bank Investment Company, but it need not control 51 per cent in public sector banks. Rather it could control 33 per cent, In addition, the public sector banks have to be incorporated under the Companies Act. An idea of forming a holding company for public sector banks was proposed by former finance minister Pranab Mukherjee in 2012 to address their capital needs.

6. A Reserve Bank of India (RBI) panel set up to review governance of bank boards has suggested that the government should either privatize or merge state-run banks, or design a new governance structure for these banks to allow them to compete better and avoid repeated requests for recapitalization.

7. The panel suggested privatization or a different governance structure in view of the low productivity and steep erosion in asset quality and “demonstrated uncompetitiveness of public sector banks over varying time periods.

8. The panel, headed by former Axis Bank Ltd chairman and Morgan Stanley India head P.J. Nayak, has also suggested significant changes in the shareholding pattern of banks. The panel suggested that the RBI should designate a specific category of investors in banks known as authorized bank investors (ABI), who would be allowed to hold as much as 20% in banks without regulatory approval. Such investors would include funds with diversified investors.

9. ABIs would therefore include pension funds, provident funds, long-only mutual funds, long-short hedge funds, exchange-traded funds and private equity funds (including sovereign wealth funds) provided they are diversified, discretionally managed and found to be ‘fit and proper’, according to the pannel's observation, adding that the investor would be allowed to hold 20% provided that it does not possess the right to appoint a board director.

10. Various strategies have been used across the world for privatization of banks. These include sale to a strategic investor, initial public offerings (IPOs), voucher system, and sale toemployees. India followed the strategy of IPOs,which was similar to that followed in the privatization of Bank Slaski in Poland, where it did not succeed.

11. The lessons that follow from India’s bank privatisation experiment are worth noting. In India, the supporting infrastructure like well-developed financial markets (as explained above), a suitable legislative framework, and a sound prudential supervision system (establishment of Banking Ombudsman, establishment of debt recovery tribunals, establishment of an independent Board for Financial Supervision, introduction of CAMELS7 system, etc.) were brought in place alongside bank privatization.

Missile Technology Control Regime - a step forward for India to the Global Nuclear Technology

1. India became the 35th member of a global anti-proliferation bloc, the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which not only ensures transfer of high-end missile technology to the country but also gives it a license to export arms.

2. The MTCR membership is seen as a step forward in India's recognition as a legitimate nuclear power after New Delhi conducted its atomic tests in 1998.

3. India had applied in 2008 for the membership of the elite club of countries that control exports in missile technology and unmanned delivery systems of atomic or other weapons of mass destruction. The group was set up in 1987 to limit the spread of unmanned systems for delivering weapons of mass destruction.

4. The grouping places restrictions on its members exporting missile and missile-related technology, particularly on those capable of carrying a payload of at least 500kg to a distance of at least 300 km. These include both cruise missiles and larger drones.

5. The MTCR membership gives India access to restricted high-end technologies for developing its cryogenic rocket engines in order to further its space exploration.

6. The aim of the MTCR is to restrict the proliferation of missiles, complete rocket systems, unmanned air vehicles and related technology for those systems capable of carrying a 500 kilogramme payload for at least 300 kilometres, as well as systems intended for the delivery of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

7. India can now also explore the sale of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, jointly developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia.

8. None of the group's 34 members raised any objections, paving the way for India's smooth entry into the bloc of which China is still not a member.

9. China along with other nations like South Africa, Norway, Brazil, Austria, New Zealand, Ireland and Turkey last week blocked India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) -- one of the four multilateral export control regimes.

10. India will now also be able to acquire from the US armed Predator drones -- America's hot favourite in its war on terror in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

South China sea controversy

1. The geographic location of the South China Sea is strategically important. It links the Indian Ocean to the Pacific and is a critical shipping channel — about half the world’s merchant ships pass through it. Keeping the South China Sea open for commercial navigation is a top priority for both the United States and China.

2. Acording to the latest Pentagon report on China’s military, there is also evidence that China is expanding a corps of nuclear submarines based in Hainan, an island at China’s southern tip, in the northern portion of the South China Sea.

Should a country like the United States have open military access to the area, for example, China has concerns that any military installations could be vulnerable to potential attack.

3. Experts believe there are valuable fossil fuels in the South China Sea, but estimates vary depending on which country’s analysts you ask.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, hydrocarbon reserves in the South China Sea amount to 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

4. Eleven billion barrels is a relatively small oil reserve — at China’s current rates of oil consumption, it would only power the country for about three years. But the natural gas deposit is considerable, enough to to power China for more than 30 years at current rates, although China’s energy demands are constantly growing.

5. Fishing in the South China Sea is a big business. Some estimates indicate up to 10 percent of the world’s ocean-caught fish come from the region. The industry also employs millions across the region.

But fishing vessels are also a source of conflict. A prime example is the current situation in the Scarborough Shoal, a fishing ground less than 130 miles off the Philippine coast. In 2012 the Philippine Navy discovered a Chinese vessel engaged in illegal fishing in the area. Before the Philippines could take any action, two Chinese surveillance ships came to the aid of the vessel and blocked access to the shoal.

6. The Chinese have fiercely guarded the area and have prohibited access to non-Chinese boats ever since. Similar standoffs have happened with Vietnamese fishing vessels, which have been bumped and rammed by Chinese ships in contested waters.

7. An accident similar to the 2001 EP3 incident, when a U.S. reconnaissance plane and a Chinese fighter jet collided in midair over the South China Sea, is more likely than a naval accident, according to some analysts.

8. China has claimed the majority of the South China Sea for centuries and will not relinquish what the country says is its sovereign right to protect and defend Chinese territory.

Chinese officials insist the country’s primary goal in the South China Sea is to preserve stability and claim the best resolution to various disputes would be joint-development projects to cultivate valuable resources found in the sea.

9. “The determination of the Chinese side to safeguard our own sovereignty and territorial integrity is as firm as a rock, and it is unshakable,” China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. “It has always been our view that we need to find appropriate solutions to the issues we have through communications and negotiations that we have among the parties directly concerned with peaceful and diplomatic means on the basis of respecting historical facts and international norms. This position will remain unchanged in the future.”

10. Every action, including land reclamation projects on disputed islands in the South China Sea, is considered legal and in accordance with international law, Chinese officials say. Angered by Chinese actions in the disputed waters, the Philippines filed a case at The Hague over sovereignty claims in the region. The case will be heard later this summer, but China has so far refused to participate in the arbitration, saying that the dispute should be resolved bilaterally.

Nuclear Suppliers Group - an opportunity lost

1. India’s bid to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) – a 48-country cartel that controls nuclear exports – failed recently during the group’s plenary session.

2. India underestimated opposition from countries like Austria, Brazil, Ireland, and Switzerland – countries with strong nonproliferation credentials uncomfortable with a non-NPT member like India joining the NSG.

3. NPT (nuclear nonproliferation treaty) was signed in 1968 to prevent spread of nuclear materials, technology and weapons and to develop co-operation among the nations. This treaty was signed by a total of 191 countries except for India, South Sudan, Israel and Pakistan. This treaty recognised two groups of countries namely the NWS(nuclear weapon States) comprising US, UK ,China, France and Russia and the other being NNWS(non-nuclear weapon States).

3. Applicant countries must be signatories of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of nuclear weapons (NPT).

4. If India had not lost this opportunity of being a member of the NSG, it would have also meant that India would have far greater access to uranium than it does currently under its 2008 agreement with the US.

5. NSG membership also means India can begin to commercially produce nuclear power equipment, which it can then even sell to other countries. With access to state-of-the-art nuclear technologies, it can maximize its production benefits.

6. Access to technology and being allowed to produce nuclear equipment will give a boost to the Make in India programme announced by PM Modi. That will boost economic growth in India, create more jobs and even lead to a whole new IT-industry segment that India can leverage.

7. With India committed to meeting its climate change goals by reducing dependence on fossil fuels, India needs to step up nuclear power production. NSG membership will help India greatly in doing so. In 2008, India did a get a one-time waiver from the NSG that allowed it to buy nuclear power plants from the global market. Still, being out of the elite NSG group has meant that many latest technologies are still out of its reach as it is the NSG members that have the latest and the most efficient technology.

8. New Delhi may have tried to expose Chinese behaviour to a domestic audience to resolve what some see as an “under balancing” problem. India’s strategic and diplomatic establishment reportedly remains divided both over China’s intentions and whether to upset the status quo. After China’s overt rejection of India’s NSG bid, the gulf between cautious non-aligners and aggressive counter-balancers may narrow and allow Indian strategic elites to coalesce around a more cohesive China strategy.

9. India may have believed fighting this round would enhance learning to improve its chances in a future round – losing a battle but setting itself up to eventually win the war. Rejection may sting, but clarifies where support and opposition comes from, and which countries to diplomatically target for persuasion or bargaining.

10. Nevertheless, India had an opportunity to learn from this episode, and whatever narrative it internalises will bear implications for its future strategic behaviour.

Great loss to sports due to doping

1. Doping in sport is not a new phenomenon; athletes have taken performance-enhancing agents since the beginning of time. The legendary Arthurian knights supposedly drank magical potions from the cup of Merlin. Our own Celtic tales describe the use of strengthening potions to aid valour in battle and the druids' use of narcotics is well documented by historians. The berserkers', a class of ancient Norse warriors who fought frenziedly, "berserk" behaviour was attributed to a deliberate diet of wild mushrooms. The Ancient Olympics in Greece were riddled with corruption and doping to the extent that the games had to be dissolved.

2. In Ancient Rome, gladiators drank herbal infusions to strengthen them before chariot races and going into battle. Almost two millenia later, the first documented report in the medical literature was published in 1865 in the British Medical Journal, citing expulsion of a swimmer from an Amsterdam canal race, for taking an unnamed performance-enhancing drug.2 The first doping death occurred in 1886 in cycling.

3. Doping not only contravenes the spirit of fair competition, it can be seriously detrimental to health. Elite athletes who turn to doping take the greatest risks which seem to pale in contrast to their burning desire for gold. Anabolic steroids affect cardiovascular and mental health and are associated with an increased risk of neoplasms.5,6 Dietary supplements containing ephedra alkaloids have been linked to serious health risks including hypertension, tachycardia, stroke, seizures and death.7 This finding has lead to the recall of ephedra containing supplements in the USA and Canada. Deaths under the influence of drugs and combinations thereof are not uncommon in sport. The peptide hormones or so-called "sports-designer drugs" are thought to be the most dangerous, although the combination of amphetamines, anabolic steroids or antihypertensives combined with intense exertion in athletes are just as hazardous. America's dream girl Florence Griffith Joyner, "Flo-Jo", and the Cuban runner Chelimo both died from cardiovascular events at 38 years of age. Natural causes or doping? We will never know. President Bill Clinton said of Flo-Jo " we were dazzled by her speed, humbled by her talent and captivated by her style".

4. Accurate data on the prevalence of doping is difficult to accrue as it is not financially feasible to screen all athletes. Selection for doping is usually random e.g. medal winners, team captains, goal scorers, the number on a shirt or bib, or athletes who show a sudden or unexpected improvement in personal bests and world placings. The true incidence of doping tends to be more widespread than anti-doping control data would suggest. Several surveys have revealed alarming statistics.8 In a British Olympic Survey in 1996, 48% of athletes agreed doping was a problem; of these 86% stated it was most prevalent in track and field events. In 1989, an Australian Senate Standing Committee Report concluded that 70% of athletes who had competed internationally had taken drugs. One study found that men and women participating in sport are more likely to abuse drugs towards the end of their career.

5. Doping is not just a symptom of elite competition, it is also prevalent in amateur sports and school sports. In France, the incidence of deliberate doping in amateur sport is 5-15%.10 In 1993, the Canadian Centre for Drug-Free Sport estimated that 83,000 children between the ages of 11 and 18 years had used anabolic steroids in the previous 12 months.4 In a more recent American study, prevalence of anabolic steroid use in teenagers was 4-12% for boys and 0.5-2% for girls; in addition to school sports performance, males used anabolics to enhance physical appearance.11 In France, the incidence of adolescent doping is estimated at 3-5%, males again more commonly implicated.

6. The scale of drug use in body builders is thought to significantly exceed that of the elite athlete.12 Body builders use combinations of domestic, foreign and veterinary medicines to create "successful training programmes".12 In an American study, 54% of male body builders were abusing anabolic steroids.2 Androgenic anabolic changes are particularly marked in the female body builder who would otherwise only be exposed to trace levels of testosterone. The most commonly abused group of drugs are stimulants, followed by anabolic steroids.2 Alcohol is one of the most widely used drugs in the athletic population as a whole; it is implicated in sports injury and poor physiological performance and should be avoided by the serious athlete.

7. The advent of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry in the early 1980s transformed the success of drug testing. The main problem now for anti-doping control tests, is that although analytical tests are becoming increasingly sophisticated, the athletes who cheat are "at least one step ahead".18 The interface between science and law is evident in recent sports arbitration decisions.20, 21 One such example is the Yegorova and erythropoetin case. It is clear that testing procedures and application of the rule of strict liability alone will not win the war against drugs. Operational inconsistencies exist between countries and sports federations and progress is hampered by lack of international collaboration.22 New strategies are needed based on educational and psychological approaches.23, 24 Moreover the new age of gene transfer technology (GTT) will gradually render dope testing control systems obsolete; GTT will increase muscle growth by as much as 28%.4 Doping is a major ethical, educational, financial, health and management problem and governments have a poor track record in controlling its spread.

8. Blood doping is now passé and has been superseded by erythropoetin (EPO) and its analogue darbopoetin which surfaced in cross-country ski-ing at the 2002 Winter Olympics. These hormones are abused in endurance sports such as cross-country events and cycling and although new tests have been developed, detection of EPO remains difficult. Indeed problems with recently developed laboratory tests for EPO have undermined confidence in IOC accredited laboratories. A unique identifier for HGH has also been elucidated but requires more work and financial support to standardise the test. 18 Given the lack of a specific test and claims of human growth hormone performance benefits, abuse has markedly increased. The side-effect profile of HGH is particularly grim, the first presentation being acromegalic features. One of the first elite athletes to admit to the abuse of HGH was Ben Johnston.18 A relatively new addition to the fraudulent armamentarium are the artificial oxygen carriers such as haemoglobin solutions and perfluorocarbon emulsions, both of which have potentially lethal side-effects.

9. Prescribed medicines
It can be difficult to interpret and apply the IOC list and guidelines to prescribed medicines. Each medicine needs to be evaluated in its own right and status in sport clarified. Permitted routes of administration can be particularly confusing e.g. nasal steroids are permitted whereas inhaled steroids require notification. A problem unique to Ireland is the brand name variance that exists north and south of the border e.g. Klacid and Klaricid are the same antibiotic. It is not always banned drugs that are abused. Permitted anti-inflammatory agents such as NSAIDs are sometimes taken to not only alleviate pain and swelling but to allow the athlete to continue despite injury. The masking of pain may exacerbate injury. A Swiss study into the use of medications before sporting events showed a prevalence of NSAID use of 5-10%.29 Also many drugs that are permitted in sport may impair performance such as sedatives and some antidepressants. Sample analysis may be hampered by legitimate medicines. The widely prescribed antibiotic trimethoprim is one of the most common drugs to interfere with the testing matrix.

10. Despite the development of advanced drug testing systems, doping in sport, both deliberate and inadvertent, is on the increase in both elite, amateur and school sports. Doping in sport not only contravenes the spirit of fair competition it can be seriously detrimental to athletes' health. Whereas some take drugs to seek deliberate advantage, others feel pressurised into considering doping as the only viable option to level the playing field. Others inadvertently take prohibited substances due to a lack of awareness. A particular problem is the risk of today's supplement culture to accidental exposure and a positive drug test. An effective anti-doping program must incorporate educational components in addition to testing. Education needs to be collaborative and pro-active and include athletes, coaches, managers, governing bodies, and health-care professionals. The increasing problem of drug abuse in junior sports warrants special attention. Simplification and standardisation of procedures, policies and educational strategies is needed at international level. Pharmaceutical legislation needs to change to accommodate safety of medicines in sport. To date, governments have poured too much money into technology and establishment of rigorous drug testing methods without addressing the educational needs of sportsmen and women and youth cultures. Technological advances cannot address what is essentially a behavioural problem.

Possible impacts of merger of SBI in India

1. Apparently under pressure from the government to assimilate six banks almost in one go, State Bank of India will bank on its experience of acquiring State Bank of Saurashtra (in 2008) and State Bank of Indore (in 2010) to push through the exercise.

2. India’s largest bank will face a Herculean task, integrating the five associate banks — State Bank of Mysore (SBM), State Bank of Patiala (SBP), State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH), State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ), and State Bank of Travancore (SBT) — and the Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) — in view of concerns among employees of these banks that they may get a raw deal.

In a definitive push for consolidation in the banking sector, the Union Cabinet gave a go-ahead to the merger of State Bank of India (SBI) with its five associate lenders and Bharatiya Mahila Bank. The combined entity would create a financial sector powerhouse, with total assets worth Rs 29.7 lakh crore.

SBI has indicated it wants to complete the merger in 2016-17. While India's largest lender would reap benefits of scale and a larger balance sheet, it will be a major challenge to integrate staff and rationalise branches.

3. The employees are worried that their promotion prospects may be hampered due to curtailment of seniority. Further, rationalisation of branches due to overlap may lead to their relocation.

4. If the merger of the five associate banks with the SBI goes through, the latter’s assets will jump from about ₹21.50 lakh crore to ₹28.25 lakh crore (numbers as of December-end 2015). The number of branches will increase from 16,500 to over 21,500. If one takes into account the branches of BMB, then the total number of branches will go up by another 100.

5. The country is taking a quantum leap, there is a necessity to consolidate within the group itself. “The merger benefits include getting economies of scale and reduction in the cost of doing business,”

6. Long-term benefits Long-term synergy benefits (of the merger) will outweigh near-term challenges. However, integration of over 70,000 employees (34 per cent of the parent’s workforce; size of business is 25 per cent of the parent’s) will be a key challenge. Cost savings on account of treasury operations, audit, and technology, among others, will lower the cost-to-income ratio in the long term.

7. Immediate negative impact would be from pension liability provisions (due to different employee benefit structures) and harmonisation of accounting policies for bad loans recognition.

8. PSU mergers

When it comes to merging public sector undertakings, the Centre does not have a good track record. For example, the merger between Air India and Indian Airlines was not very smooth.

9. Interestingly, while the merged entity is yet to report a profit, the individual airlines made profits before their merger into one entity. In 2003-04, the then Indian Airlines was able to come out of the red and reported a net profit ₹44 crore.

10. In the last, one thing is clear that Indian banking is stepping toward a new era of Banking World.

Scope of Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets (S4A) in India

1. In order to strengthen the lenders’ ability to deal with stressed assets, Reserve Bank of India has been issuing, from time to time, guidelines and prudential norms on stressed assets resolution by regulated lenders.

2. Resolution of large borrowal accounts which are facing severe financial difficulties may, inter-alia, require co-ordinated deep financial restructuring which often involves a substantial write-down of debt and/or making large provisions.

3. In order to ensure that adequate deep financial restructuring is done to give projects a chance of sustained revival, the Reserve Bank, after due consultation with banks, has decided to facilitate the resolution of large accounts, which satisfy the conditions set out in the following paragraphs

4. Eligible Accounts

For being eligible under the scheme, the account1 should meet all the following conditions:

(i) The project has commenced commercial operations;

(ii) The aggregate exposure (including accrued interest) of all institutional lenders in the account is more than Rs.500 crore (including Rupee loans, Foreign Currency loans/External Commercial Borrowings,);

(iii) The debt meets the test of sustainability

5. Debt Sustainability

A debt level will be deemed sustainable if the Joint Lenders Forum (JLF)/Consortium of lenders/bank conclude through independent techno-economic viability (TEV) that debt of that principal value amongst the current funded/non-funded liabilities owed to institutional lenders can be serviced over the same tenor as that of the existing facilities even if the future cash flows remain at their current level. For this scheme to apply, sustainable debt should not be less than 50 percent of current funded liabilities.

6. The upside for the lenders will be primarily through equity/quasi equity, if the borrowing entity turns around. The terms for exercise of option for the conversion of preference shares/debentures to equity shall be clearly spelt out. The existing promoter or the new promoter, as the case may be, may have the right of first refusal in case the lenders decide to sell the share, at a price beyond some predetermined price.

7. The lenders may also include appropriate covenants to cover the use of cash flows arising beyond the projected levels having regard to quasi-equity

8. The JLF/Consortium/bank shall engage the services of credible professional agencies to conduct the TEV and prepare the resolution plan. While engaging professional agencies, the JLF/Consortium/bank shall ensure that the agency is reputed, truly independent/free from any conflict of interest, has proven expertise and will be in a position to safeguard the interest of lenders while preserving the economic value of the assets. Further, from a risk management perspective, lenders should avoid concentration of such assignments in any one particular professional agency.

Drought in 2016 in India

1. No rain, no water, no choice.

“One can manage without food. How can anyone live without water?”

2. Hundreds of millions of people in India are grappling with one of the nation’s worst droughts since independence, following two years of poor rainfall and the onset of intense summer heat. The upcoming monsoon is expected to bring some relief, but a longer term challenge looms from competition for scarce groundwater and surface supplies among farmers, industries and cities.

3. Certain regions in India are drought prone. These areas receive an annual rainfall upto 60 cm and hence are severely affected where the monsoons aren’t enough.

4. The Irrigation Commission of India has identified 67 districts in the country that are drought prone. Some of the states that have been identified as drought prone include Rajasthan, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Northern Karnataka and Maharashtra.

5. Major Reasons for Droughts in India

-Inadequate or failure of monsoons is a major reason for droughts in India.
-Lack of water vapour in the atmosphere
-Climate change

6. Drought Impact- The Way Out:

-Unlike earthquakes or cyclones, droughts can be predicted much in advance. They give ample time for the State authorities to prepare for and cope with the problems raised by drought. The quantity and duration of rainfall can be predicted by Meteorological Department with fair degree of accuracy.
-Forest cover should be increased through plantation.
-Rain water harvesting projects executed through community cooperation have been a great success in some parts of Rajasthan. The success model need to be repeated in other regions too.
-Drought Management strategies should be made popular through involvement of the community.
-Crop insurance schemes should be introduced.

7. Steps Taken by Government

Announcements made in Budget 2016-17
• Every block in drought affected areas will be taken up as an intensive Block under Deen Dayal Antyodaya Mission
• Cluster Facilitation Teams (CFT) will be set up under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to ensure water conservation and natural resource management.
• Assistance from NDRF: In 2015-16, various states had submitted requests on drought, seeking financial assistance from National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF).
• Around 13500 crore rupees were approved from NDRF for drought relief in 10 different states affected by drought.
• Maharashtra was given the highest amount of relief (3049 crore rupees) followed by Karnataka with 2263 crore rupees.
• Formation of Self Help Groups (SHGs) will be speeded up to promote multiple livelihoods

8. Programmes with potential to aid Drought Management

• National Hydrology Project
• Neeranchal National Watershed Project
• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana

Impact of Brexit on Global Economy

1. The biggest worry about the Brexit vote is that it has opened a Pandora's Box. Emoldened by the Brexit outcome, groups opposed to the EU membership in other European countries have already started demanding their own referendums.

2. The immediate impact of Brexit is an increase in risk aversion when it comes to investing.

3. "Risk aversion is likely to take hold across asset classes," The first hint of this was seen when crude oil fell while gold rallied 5% each just after BREXIT.

4. Among the global currencies, only the Japanese yen and the US dollar appreciated (considered as safe currencies by the market). Currency depreciation will further increase risk aversion and put more pressure on the weak Asian currencies.

5. The Indian rupee won't suffer much but won't be left unscathed. "The direct trade impact (on the rupee) is limited from UK, but global risk will likely weigh on India in the near furture.

6. The sudden increase in global risk aversion can impact the inflow from foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) to India.

7. However, the recent spike in inflationary pressure may force the RBI to not go for accelerated cuts.

8. Though the RBI may not go for accelerated rate cuts, the rate direction is still downward. This means short-term investors can bet on rate-sensitive sectors such as auto, infrastructure, banking, etc. The top gainers — PNB, Exide Industries, Dabur— were rate-sensitive companies and those catering to domestic demand. Similarly, investment in long-dated debt funds and tax-free bonds will also benefit from a rate reduction, an option investors could explore now.

9. Impact on GDP
Brexit will have an impact on India's GDP growth. "We have lowered our aggregate 2016 GDP growth forecast for Asia excluding Japan from 5.9% to 5.6% and India's 2016 GDP growth forecast to 7.3% from 7.6%," said the Nomura Report. However, there is no need for Indian investors to worry about this small fall in the growth rate, because we will still be the fastest growing major economy of the world. The government is also taking steps to boost the GDP grow .

10. When we look at the whole picture, it emerges that long-term investors need not worry about Brexit.

11. Aggressive equity investors, on the other hand, should try to use the current turmoil as an opportunity.

12. Also, even though India will be impacted by the global turmoil, it'll still be much better off. Indian markets perform better compared to most other emerging markets and also the developed markets.