02.05.19 (GPSC) Gujarat Daily Current Affairs

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GUJARAT

  • Gujarat: Industry cautions against China imports ban

 

ð  Representatives of major industries in Gujarat have sounded a note of caution against ideas to ban imports from China, following its support to Pakistan on the issue of sponsoring terrorism in India. 

ð  India’s share in Chinese exports is just about 3 per cent. Of these, there are items like bulk drugs from raw materials for Indian manufacturers. India even needs electronic goods from China. 

ð  Its share in Chinese exports is just 1 per cent and is just 0.2 per cent of its GDP. It would not impact China in any way. 

  • Close to 20 per cent of the requirement of raw materials for dyes and intermediates in Gujarat is met from Chinese imports.  
  • Mass production of chemical raw materials in China at competitive rates had caused the death knell of production in Gujarat.  
  • Close to 33% of India’s requirement of apis(Active Pharmaceuticals Ingredients) and their raw materials in the Pharma sector is met through Chinese imports.  
  • Pharma players say we need to encourage local production of apis and its raw materials or enable imports from friendly countries.

INTERNATIONAL

  • Sino Indian border trade opened at Nathu La in Sikkim
  • The 14th edition of the annual Sino-Indian border trade opened at Nathu La in Sikkim on 1st May 2019. A function was held to mark the occasion. Officials and traders of both the countries were present at the border to mark the commencement of the border trade.

  • There are 3 open trading border posts between India and China namely: 
    1. Nathu La in Sikkim 
    2. Shipkila in Himachal Pradesh 
    3. Lioulekh (or LiDulech) in Uttarakhand.

Bilateral border Trade:

  • The bilateral border trade between the two countries is organised four days a week for six months, between May 1 and November 30, every year. It was resumed in 2006 after a gap of 44 years. 

  • A total of 36 items, from dairy products, are on India’s export list comprising dairy products to utensils, while a total of 20 items, including carpets, quilts, and jackets among others, are in the country’s import list from the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). Last year, the export of goods from India stood at Rs 45.03 crore, while items worth Rs 3.23 crore were imported from the TAR.
  • Netherlands is now the 3rd largest FDI in India
  • The Netherlands is now the third largest foreign direct investor (FDI) in India. The Netherlands has invested around $2.67 billion across sectors in India during 2017-18. The Netherlands is also the second largest destination for foreign investment by Indian companies, after Singapore, with investments worth $12.8 billion in 2017.

Dutch-India Dialogue on Trade & Technology:

  • The Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad, and the Netherlands Business Support Office in Hyderabad jointly organised the Dutch-India Dialogue on Trade & Technology on 1st May 2019, in connection with the National Day celebrations of the Netherlands.
  • The objective of the dialogue was to strengthen business partnership between India and the Netherlands in the times of rapid technological changes.
  • India is a key strategic partner for the Netherlands, both economically and geopolitically.
  • The partnership can greatly contribute towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
  • During 2017-18, the bilateral trade topped $ 8.77 billion while the Indian exports to the Netherlands grew at 14.7%, imports were up by 18.2%
  • The UK becomes the first parliament to declare a climate emergency
  • The UK is the first national government to declare an environmental and climate emergency.
  • The decision marks a renewed sense of urgency in tackling climate change.
  • Eleven days of protests by the Extinction Rebellion activist group caused major disruptions in central London in recent weeks.
  • There is no single definition of what that means climate emergency but many local areas say they want to be carbon-neutral by 2030.

NATIONAL

  • UN report raises concerns over illegal sand mining

ð  India and China top a list of countries where illegal sand mining has become a major environmental problem, according to a report released by the United Nations Environment Programme.

 

ð  In 2017, China recorded the highest use of cement (which includes sand aggregates) in the world, at an estimated 2.4 billion tonnes. India came second, with 270 million tonnes, followed by the US (86.3 million tonnes), the report said.

  • Global demand for sand and gravel is about 50 billion tonnes a day, according to the report.
  • To put the amount in perspective, that’s an average of 18 kg per person per day. Other countries where illegal coastal sand extraction is a problem include Morocco, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
  • Centre mandated all Electric Vehicles (EVs) to use the green number plates
  • The Central government has asked the state transport departments to make it mandatory for all Electric Vehicles (EVs) to use the green number plates, irrespective of the year in which they were bought. 

  • According to the announcement, all EVs should use green number plates wherein the private electric vehicles will get white lettering on a green background and commercial EVs will get yellow lettering. The aim is to help distinguish green vehiclesto provide easy identification for preferential treatment in parking, free entry in congested zones besides other proposed benefits like concessional toll.
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