TNPSC Daily Current Affairs - August 8 & 9, 2018 - TNPSC Current Affairs - www.TNPSCGURU.in 2018

TNPSC Current Affairs - August 2018 by TNPSC Guru

1.Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana: 

• Union Government has singed revised Memorandum of Understanding with NABARD and National Water Development Agency (NWDA) for funding central share of 99 irrigation projects under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana through long term irrigation fund.
• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana scheme introduced in 2015 with the motto of “Har Khet ko Paani” .
• The main objective of the scheme is to expand cultivated area with assured irrigation, reduce water wastage and improve the efficiency of water usage.

2.Suresh Prabhu to decide on RCEP talks 

Union Government has set up four member group headed by Union commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu to advice Prime Minister on whether to continue with or withdraw from Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

About RCEP:

• RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement being negotiated between 10 ASEAN countries and and their Free Trade Agreement partners , Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.
• It the negotiation are successful, it would create the world’s largest trading  bloc.
• The trade bloc represents world’s 46 % of population with combined GDP of around $17 trillion and accounts of 40% of world trade.
• It will cover of issues such as trade in goods, services, investment, competition, intellectual property rights, telecommunication and economic and technical cooperation 

India’s benefit:

• RCEP will help to achieve India’s aim and objective of look-East policy.
• RCEP is important to India because India is not a member of 2 other major regional economic group APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic cooperation) and TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership).
• RCEP will help India’s Trade volume to increase with countries, which India not signed FTA like China, New Zealand, and Australia.
• Once the RCEP get negotiated it can easily access the entire 16 member’s trade bloc and India’s Service sector like IT, telecoms, BPO, KPO, Banking services are likely to get more benefits.

India’s Concern

Countries like China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand are export powerhouses in Manufactured goods.  Their Cheaper Goods could affect the small producers and workers if safeguard measures are not taken adequately.

The Main concern is flood of cheaper Chinese goods in Indian markets.Because at present there is no FTA between India and China but signing the RCEP pact is viewed as signing an FTA with China

About Free Trade agreement: 

Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is an agreement of cooperation between countries ( 2 or more) to reduce its trade barriers like tariffs etc. It helps to increase trade and services within countries without much obstacles.

3.Position of Organic Farming in India. 

Latest information provided by Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare , the current position of Organic farming in India is covered 23.02 Lakh hectares under the schemes Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER) and National Programme  of Organic Production (NPOP).

4.Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve

• Khangchendzong Biosphere Reserve becomes 11^th Biosphere Reserve from India which is included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves
• It was included in the 30^th session of International Coordination Council (ICC) of Man and Biosphere programme of UNESCO held at Palembang, Indonesia.
• Currently India has 18 Biosphere reserve including Khangchendzong, in this 11 biosphere reserve has included in World Network of Biosphere Reserve and  7 Biosphere Reserves are Domestic Biosphere Reserves.
• Khangchendzong Biosphere Reserve is located in Sikkim.

5.Fall Army Worm.

• Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) has found agricultural pest Fall army Worm in Karnataka.
• Fall Army Worm is major threat to Maize, Rice, Sugarcane and this is the first finding in Asia.

6.Tokyo Olympics 2020 

Japan to introduce facial recognition technology to increase security during Tokyo 2020 Olympics.