Recent approvals by Central government

Union Cabinet headed by PM Narendra Modi has given its approvals to several MoUs, agreements have signed between countries and organizations.

Cabinet approves ratification of 2 ILO conventions on prohibiting child labour

Moving towards the goal of eradication of child labour, Union Cabinet recently approved ratification of 2 fundamental conventions of International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The two ratifications that were approved are as follows:
(i)ILO Convention No. 138 which deals with minimum age for admission to employment
(ii)ILO Convention No. 182 which deals with prohibition and immediate action for elimination of the worst forms of child labour.

With these approvals, India too has joined majority of the ILO member countries who have adopted legislation related to above listed matters.

Quick Facts about International Labour Organisation (ILO):

• Formation Year: 1919
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Current Number of member States: 187
• Current Head: Guy Rider

Cabinet approves MoU between Forum of Regulators and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners

This MoU is a bilateral agreement pertaining to broad areas of cooperation between the two entities for large scale integration of renewable energy.  The scope of MoU includes design of frameworks, regulatory interventions, load forecasting techniques, power purchase agreements, data analysis, information exchanges and other ancillary services.

• The Forum of Regulators was constituted by the Ministry of Power in the year 2005 with a mandate to harmonize regulations in the power sector framed by the Central, State and Joint Electricity Regulatory Commissions.
• National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) is the National Association in United States founded in 1889 to represent the State Public Service Commissioners who regulate essential utilities viz. power, telecom, transportation, water, energy and power.

Cabinet Clears Revised Air Service Pacts With Malaysia, Serbia

These revised Air Service Agreements (ASA) are in accordance with the latest template of International Civil Aviation Organisation and have factored in the recent developments in civil aviation sector.

• Although the new ASA with Malaysia was initiated in year 2011, it could not be signed as there was some disagreement pertaining to remittance of earnings. However Malaysia agreed to it in 2016 and the agreement was signed along with other arrangements viz. 3^rd country airlines, cooperative marketing and domestic code share.
• In ASA with Serbia, open sky policy has been formalised under national civil aviation policy paving way for establishing connectivity between two countries for the first time. This ASA will positively impact trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchange between India and Serbia.

Cabinet approves signing of Agreement for CIRDAP establishment Centre in Hyderabad

The Agreement was signed between Indian Ministry of Rural Development and Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP). The CIRDAP centre will be setup at National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR), Hyderabad.

About CIRDAP:

• Formation Year: 1979
• Type: Inter-Governmental Autonomous Institution formed as result of collaborative efforts put in by countries in Asia-Pacific Region, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), United Nations and other donors.
• Headquarters: Dhaka, Bangladesh
• Objective: Promote integrated rural development in member countries through research, training and information dissemination
• Current Number of Member Countries: 15

CIRDAP centre in NIRD&PR will help NIRD&PR to establish connections with organizations specialized in rural development programmes and other Ministries/Institutes in its member countries.

Cabinet allows unrestricted export of all certified organic agricultural products

With this approval, quantitative ceiling on exports of organic agricultural and organic processed products has been squashed. However quantitative ceiling will still prevail on organic lentils and pulses owing to its acute shortage in the domestic market.

This move will accrue following benefits:

• Will help in Govt’s objective to double farmers’ income
• Reduction in input cost in farming
• Fetching premium price for organic agricultural products
• Encouraging farmers to adopt organic agriculture