11 October 2022

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – Direct Tax Revenue in India: GS III – Topic Indian Economy related issues

Context:

• According to a report from the Finance Ministry on October 9, 2022, India’s net direct tax receipts for the two-year period 2022–23 had risen to 7.45 lakh crore by October 8, surpassing this year’s Budget estimates by 16.3%.
• A direct tax is one for which the organisation collecting it gets payment directly from the person or company paying it. A direct tax cannot be passed along to another individual or company. The entity that is required to pay the tax is in charge of seeing to it that it is paid. Corporate taxes, securities transaction taxes, and income taxes are examples of direct taxes.

About Direct Tax:

• A direct tax is one that the government imposes and collects from people who will be impacted by it directly.
• Levying and collecting direct taxes as well as developing other direct tax regulations fall within the purview of the Central Board of Direct Taxes.
• A taxpayer may be required to pay a direct tax to the government for a number of different reasons, including real estate taxes, personal property taxes, income taxes, asset taxes, gift taxes, capital gains taxes, and others.
• One of the two primary sources of revenue for the government is direct taxes. Another is indirect tax.

Direct Tax Advantages:

• To promote economic and social balance, the government establishes several tax bands based on an individual’s income and age. The tax rate is impacted by the nation’s economic situation. People get exceptions in order to balance out economic inequalities.
• guarantees equality: In order for the government to help the poor and disadvantaged in society, higher profits must be paid in taxes by people and enterprises. The outcome is that the economy is still in balance.
• Offers Clarity Because both the government and the taxpayers are aware of the exact amount of tax that must be paid and collected, direct taxes give both sides a sense of security.
• When inflation gets out of hand, the government boosts taxes to reduce demand for goods and services, which results in a drop in inflation.

Direct tax disadvantages include:

• Tax evasion is simple because not everyone wants to make a payment. Some people are willing to file a fake tax return in order to avoid paying taxes. These people can simply conceal their money because they are not required to abide by state laws.
• Tax slabs don’t make sense: If taxes are progressive, they are determined at random by the finance minister. If it is proportional, the poor are substantially burdened.
• hinders expansion High taxes discourage people from investing and saving money, which is detrimental to the nation’s economy. It damages companies and industries by impeding their expansion.

Source The Hindu

 2 – UN Peacekeeping Mission: GS II –  Topic International Relations

Context:

• According to U.N. Undersecretary General Jean-Pierre Lacroix, who visited Delhi last week to discuss the demand for more “robust” mandates and better equipment, training, and technology with Indian officials, the number of deaths among United Nations Peacekeeping Forces (UNPKF) in direct attacks is rising. Recent anti-U.N. actions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) resulted in the deaths of two Indian soldiers. These incidents happened about the same time that Mr. Lacroix was visiting the area.

About:

• In 1948, the United Nations was established.
• Due to their light blue berets and helmets, they are frequently referred to as “Blue Berets” or “Blue Helmets.”
• Its objective is to give unstable nations protection, political backing, and aid in establishing peace. It aids nations in making the challenging early transition from war to peace.
• It is based on the following three essential ideas:
• The parties’ mutual awareness that employing force to protect themselves or uphold the law is not always necessary.
• Every UN Security Council-approved peacekeeping deployment is sanctioned.
• Soldiers from member countries voluntarily join the peacekeeping troops.
• UN peacekeeping missions must receive financial support from all UN Member States. Each Member State is required by law to contribute its fair share to keeping the peace.

India’s involvement with UN peacekeepers:

• India consistently ranks among the top nations that dispatch troops to the UN. Currently, 5,528 Indian service members are deployed to eight different nations. the fifth-largest contribution at the moment.
• India contributes 0.83% to the general fund and 0.16 percent to the peacekeeping fund.

Source The Hindu

 3 – Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan: GS II – Topic Government Schemes

Context:

• Home Minister Amit Shah predicted that the country as a whole would adopt a unified strategy in the war on narcotics, which has been stepped up by the north-eastern States.

Introduction:

• The Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) programme was introduced on August 15, 2020, in 272 Districts that had been determined to be the nation’s most drug-vulnerable areas. To remove narcotics from India is the goal of NMBA.
• Using data from the Comprehensive National Survey and suggestions from the Narcotics Control Bureau, these vulnerable areas were located (NCB).
• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has undertaken two national drug surveys in the previous 30 years (since the NDPS was established), which were released in 2004 and 2019. These surveys’ findings indicate that drug use has been rising steadily across India.

Both a national and international duty:

• India has a responsibility to take action to stop the use of illegal drugs, establish methods to stop drug use, and provide access to treatment for those with drug use disorders, as stated in Article 47 of the Indian Constitution and as a signatory to the International Conventions of the United Nations.
• India has embraced the three-pronged supply, demand, and harm reduction approach.

About NMBA:

• The Abhiyaan is a three-pronged campaign that unites the Health Department’s treatment efforts with the Narcotics Control Bureau’s supply and demand reduction measures.
• The Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan identifies youth, educational institutions, women, children, and civil society organizations/NGOs as its main target audiences and stakeholders.

Source The Hindu

 4 – Malabar Exercise: GS II – Topic  International Relations

Context:

• According to government sources, the Malabar naval drill, which will feature Australia, India, Japan, and the United States in 2022, will take place in Japan during the second week of November. An official source has confirmed that the Indian Navy will take part in the International Fleet Review (IFR), which will be held in the first week of November to mark the 70th anniversary of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF).

About:

• Regular participants in the Malabar exercise, a naval drill, include the US, Japan, and India. The yearly Malabar exercises include a variety of drills, including anti-submarine warfare, maritime interdiction operations, and aerial fighter combat.

Background:

• The Malabar exercises were first carried out in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between India and the United States along the Malabar coast. With the assistance of additional nations, such as Australia, Japan, and Singapore, it was enlarged in 2007. Australia joined the Malabar exercise in 2020, replacing Japan as the exercise’s official participation partner in 2015. The purpose of this exercise is to improve communication between navy units. The United States, India, and Japan are the three permanent participants in the Malabar exercises. The yearly Malabar exercises include a variety of drills, including anti-submarine warfare, maritime interdiction operations, and aerial fighter combat. This article will explain the Malabar exercise, its main components, and how it relates to maritime security.

The Malabar Exercise is what?

• The Malabar drill, a drill designed to simulate global warming, was first conducted in 1992. The Malabar drills were preceded by a bilateral exercise between Indian and American vessels. Due to the consequences from India’s nuclear test, this exercise was postponed until 2002 after being carried out twice more between 1995 and 1996. The project has been completed yearly since 2002. Since 2014, Japan, Australia, and India have all taken part in this exercise. The first countries to accomplish this were Australia and Japan in 2007.

Source The Hindu