GS 2
Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
- Digital health mission
The issue in news
The Chairman, National Health Authority and CEO of Ayushman Bharat has announced that the National Digital Health Mission will soon be ready for a nationwide roll-out.
Main points
The National Digital Health Mission has already been launched in six Union Territories and is set for an all-India launch.
The mission of the new digital health programme is to provide affordable medical health facilities to the citizens.
National Digital Health Mission
- Under the National Digital Health Mission, every Indian will be given a digital health ID which will contain information regarding disease, medical reports, medicine prescribed and consultant doctor details of a person.
- The National Health Authority (NHA), which runs the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, would be designing and implementing the NDHM.
- While the core systems of NDHM like Health ID, Digi-Doctor and Health Facility Registry shall be owned, operated and maintained by the Government of India, Private stakeholders will be given an equal opportunity to integrate with the core system and create their own products.
- The NDHM would be a voluntary programme.
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
- Australia to temporarily host ISRO satellite tracking facilities
The issue in news
As part of steps to deepen cooperation in civil space activities, the space agencies of India and Australia are working together to position temporarily Indian tracking facilities in Australia.
Main points
- It includes earth observation and data analytics, robotics, and space life sciences.
- This cooperation would support India’s planned human space flight programme.
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has embarked on an ambitious plan to put an Indian in space by 2022 under Gaganyaan mission.
- This mission will see India become just the fourth nation to send a crew into space.
Note:
- India and Australia have been collaborating since 1987 to “support data calibration and laser raging for Indian satellites, launching Australian satellites, and conducting joint research”.
- India, Australia space cooperation is underpinned by a formal Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two countries in 2012.
- At a virtual summit in June 2020, both the countries elevated the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and put in place practical agreements on cybersecurity, emerging technology and critical minerals. o Since the summit, they have announced $15 million for extending the Australia-India strategic research fund for another four years.
- The fund (Australian government’s largest bilateral science programme) has seen a total commitment of nearly $100 million since 2006.
GS 3
Category: ECONOMY
- Recommendations on raising the cap on promoters’ to 26%’
The issue in news
Recommendations on raising the cap on promoters’ stake in private sector banks by an Internal Working Group (set up in June 2020) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Main points
- The Internal Working Group (IWG) was constituted to review the extant ownership guidelines and corporate structure for private sector banks in India.
- The terms of reference included a review of the eligibility criteria for individuals/entities to apply for a banking license; the examination of preferred corporate structure for banks and harmonisation of norms; a review of norms for long-term shareholding in banks by the promoters and other shareholders.
Suggestions:
- An Internal Working Group (IWG) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recommended raising the cap on promoters’ stake in private sector banks to 26% in the long run (15 years).
- The holding is currently mandated at 15% of the paid-up voting equity share capital of the bank.
- Large corporate or industrial houses be allowed as promoters of banks only after necessary amendments to the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (to prevent connected lending and exposures between the banks and other financial and non-financial group entities).
- Strengthening of the supervisory mechanism for large conglomerates, including consolidated supervision.
- Well-run non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), with an asset size of 50,000 crore and above, including those owned by a corporate house, may be considered for conversion into banks subject to completion of 10 years of operations, meeting due diligence criteria and compliance with additional specified conditions.
- As regards non-promoter shareholding, it has suggested a uniform cap of 15% of the paid-up voting equity share capital of the bank for all types of shareholders.
- The panel also recommended that for Payments Banks intending to convert to a Small Finance Bank (SFB), their track record of three years should be considered sufficient and Small Finance Banks and Payments Banks may be listed within ‘6 years from the date of reaching net worth equivalent to prevalent entry capital requirement prescribed for universal banks’ or ‘10 years from the date of commencement of operations’, whichever is earlier.
- It suggested that the minimum initial capital requirement for licensing new banks be enhanced from 500 crore to 1,000 crore for universal banks, and be raised to 300 crore from 200 crore for SFBs.
- It said non-operative financial holding company (NOFHC) should continue to be the preferred structure for all new licenses to be issued for universal banks.
- However, it should be mandatory only in cases where the individual promoters, promoting entities or converting entities have other group entities, the panel added.
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