PIB Summary- 12th April, 2021 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

DGFT Trade Facilitation App

Context: Commerce & Industry Minister launched DGFT Trade Facilitation Mobile App.

About DGFT Trade Facilitation App

• The App has been launched with an aim to improve the efficiency of importers and exporters.
• The new app provides features such as all services offered by DGFT, tracking IEC Portfolio – IEC, applications, authorisations; raise and track help requests in real-time and share trade and public notices.
• The app would provide real-time trade policy updates, notifications, applications, status alerts and real-time data.
• It would also enable exporters and importers to explore item wise EXIM (export-import) data, policy, and statistics. Besides, it would provide artificial intelligence-based 24×7 assistance and all services of the DGFT.
• The App has been developed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), as per the directions of the DGFT.
• The app will be available on Android and iOS platforms. It can also be downloaded from the DGFT website.

Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) – Introduction

• The DGFT is the chief body that administers laws related to foreign trade and foreign investment in India.
• It implements the foreign trade policy or the EXIM (export-import) policy of the government.
• Its main mandate is to promote exports from India.
• It is an attached body of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, GOI.
• It is headed by the Director-General of Foreign Trade. He/she is at the apex position of the Indian Trade Services (ITS).
• The DGFT was formed in 1991 when the LGP (liberalization, globalization, privatization) policies of the government took off. Read more on the Economic Reforms of 1991.
• Before 1991, the DGFT was known as the Chief Controller of Imports & Exports (CCI&E).
• The organization formulates guidelines for Indian exporters and importers.
• Since the liberalization, the DGFT is no longer the ‘controller’, rather it is a facilitator in matters of foreign trade.
  • There was a policy shift from control/prohibition to facilitate/promotion of foreign trade.
• The office works in tandem with other similar organizations such as the Customs Commissionerate, the DRI authorities, the Central Excise authorities, and the Enforcement Directorate.
• The DGFT is the licensing authority for export/import businesses in India.
• The DGFT’s offices offer facilitation to exporters in connection with developments in international trade such as WTO Agreements, Rules of Origin and anti-dumping issues, etc. to aid them in their export and import decisions in an international dynamic environment.
• The Directorate is headquartered in New Delhi with 38 regional offices all over the country.

DGFT – Functions

The functions of the DGFT are given below.

• Implementing the foreign trade or EXIM policy of the government.
• Providing a complete database of all exporters and importers in India.
• Granting of the Exporter Importer Code (EIC) Number to exporters and importers in India.
  • The EIC Number is a ten-digit number that is needed for people to export and/or import.
• It has the authority to prohibit, restrict, and regulate importers and exporters.
• Regulating and permitting the transit of goods from India to adjacent countries according to the bilateral trade agreements.
• Promoting trade between India and her neighbouring countries.
• Granting permission of free export wherever necessary.
• It plays a vital role in controlling DEPB rates.
  • DEPB: Duty Entitlement Pass Book
  • DEPB Scheme is an export incentive scheme of the GOI given to exporters.
• Handling quality complaints of the foreign buyers of Indian export products.
• Formulating or adding new codes in the ITC-HS Codes.
  • ITC-HS codes are also known as Indian Trade Clarification based on the Harmonized System of Coding.
  • These are codes given to export/import products.

Exercise SHANTIR OGROSENA 2021

Context: Multilateral military exercise Shantir Ogrosena (also spelt Ogroshena) culminated in Bangladesh.

About Ex Shantir Ogroshena

• Multinational Military Exercise SHANTIR OGROSHENA 2021 (Front Runner of the Peace) will be held at Bangladesh to commemorate the birth centenary of Bangladesh ‘Father of the Nation’ Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
• The DOGRA Regiment will participate in the exercise along with a contingent of the Royal Bhutan Army, the Sri Lankan Army and the Bangladesh Army in April 2021. 
• The theme of the exercise is “Robust Peace Keeping Operations”. 
• Military observers from the USA, UK, Turkey, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Singapore will also be in attendance throughout the exercise.

Indo-Danish Bilateral Collaboration

Context: India-Denmark join hands through Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) for global collaboration towards world class innovative solutions addressing water challenges & SDGs.

Details

• Atal Innovation Mission (under NITI Aayog) and the Embassy of Denmark to India announced collaboration.
• Under this partnership, Innovation Center Denmark in India will collaborate with AIM to support various current and future initiatives of AIM, NITI Aayog and its beneficiaries in India as well as develop global innovation green economy partnerships addressing SDG goals.
• The purpose of the collaboration is to jointly work towards promoting innovation and entrepreneurship amongst aspiring entrepreneurs.
• The partnership would be executed through Innovation Center Denmark (ICDK) under the aegis of the Embassy of Denmark.
• AIM-ICDK shall also explore various areas of collaboration such as AIM-Denmark school students innovation exchange and co-innovation development, hosting Indo-Denmark innovation challenges, facilitating startup-incubator collaborations and exchanges, and promotion of startup and entrepreneurship events and competitions through the networks and channels of both parties.

India Energy Dashboards

Context: The India Energy Dashboards Version 2.0 was launched by NITI Aayog.

About India Energy Dashboards

• India Energy Dashboards (IED) is an endeavour to provide single-window access to the energy data for the country.
• Energy data published/provided by Central Electricity Authority, Coal Controller’s Organisation, and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is compiled in the Dashboards.
• NITI Aayog had launched the Version 1.0 in 2017.
• The features of version 2.0 are:
  • Provides time series data from FY 2005-06 until FY 2019-20.
  • Enables easy downloading of data into convenient spreadsheet formats in a cleaner, more intuitive way.
  • Provides data at sub-yearly frequencies as well.
  • API linked data from Saubhagya, UJALA, PRAAPTI, and Vidyut PRAVAH has been incorporated in the portal.
  • A ‘Feedback and Suggestions’ forum for the engagement of energy data user community has been incorporated.
  • There is a semi-automated workflow/issue-tracking system for managing periodic updates to the IED.
• The portal is public, free of cost, and doesn’t require login credentials to access the data.

Background

• Reliable, robust and validated data are critical for informed planning, policy development and investment decision.
• Energy projections are key as the country moves ahead to build a sustainable tomorrow.
• India has five energy ministries and multiple energy-consuming sectoral ministries.
• India can no longer afford to operate in a siloed energy data paradigm and it is in this context that the NITI Aayog has come up with the dashboard.

Aahaar Kranti

Context: Launch of Aahaar Kranti.

About Aahaar Kranti

• Aahaar Kranti is a movement to raise awareness of the importance of a nutritionally balanced diet in India.
• It’s an effort to rouse the people to the value of India’s traditional diet, to the healing powers of local fruits and vegetables, and to the miracles of a balanced diet.
• The mission is run by Vijnana Bharati (Vibha) and Global Indian Scientists’ and Technocrats’ Forum (GIST).
• The `Aahaar Kranti’ movement is designed to address the peculiar problem being faced by India and the world called `hunger and diseases in abundance’.
  • Studies estimate that India produces as much as two times the amount of calories that it consumes.
  • However, many in the country are still malnourished.
  • The root cause of this strange phenomenon is a lack of nutritional awareness in all sections of our society.
• There is a need for a nutritionally balanced diet also in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. A healthy body would be able to handle the infection much better with greater immunity and higher resilience.
• The United Nations has also declared 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables.
• The programme will focus on training teachers, who, in turn, will pass on the message to the multitudes of students, and through them to their families and finally the society at large.
• In terms of objectives, it will seek to promote better awareness, better nutrition and better agriculture; the messages will be imparted through the curriculum in the form of ‘what’s and why’s’ of nutrition, or through the forms of games or as instructions such as ‘how to’.
• Content will be disbursed in English, Hindi and the regional languages in both online and offline modes.