Business & Finance - Current Affairs Questions and Answers

ANSWER: LaQshya

Explanation:
GoI observed Universal Health Coverage Day, 2017 on Dec 11.

The Union Health Minister and MoS (Finance) launched "LaQshya - Labour Room Quality Improvement Initiative, a Safe Delivery Mobile Application for health workers who manage normal and complicated deliveries in the peripheral areas, and also released the Operational Guidelines for Obstetric High Dependency Units (HDUs) and Intensive Care Units (ICUs).

Mission Indradhanush, one of the largest global public health initiatives was launced in 2014. In its four phases till date, MI has successfully reached over 25 million children in over 528 districts.

The Pradhan Mantri Dialysis Program has also been launched where 1.43 lakhs patients have availed free services from 1,069 Dialysis Units and under Free Drugs and Diagnostics Program; AMRIT outlets nearly 47 Lakh patients have benefitted from AMRIT Pharmacies through purchase of subsidized medicines.

LaQshya: Know More

• LaQshya is expected to improve the quality of care that is being provided to the pregnant mother in the Labour Room and Maternity Operation Theatres, thereby preventing the undesirable adverse outcomes associated with childbirth.
• This initiative will be implemented in Government Medical Colleges (MCs) besides District Hospitals (DHs), and high delivery load Sub- District Hospitals (SDHs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs).
• The initiative plans to conduct quality certification of labour rooms and also incentivize facilities achieving the targets outlined.
• The goal of this initiative is to reduce preventable maternal and new-born mortality, morbidity and stillbirths associated with the care around delivery in Labour room and Maternity OT and ensure respectful maternity care.

ANSWER: Commodity Derivatives

Explanation:
As part of its attempts to increase the institutional participation in the commodity segment, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) plans to allow mutual funds and portfolio managers to invest in commodity derivatives segment.

This closely follows the recent regulatory decision of allowing a category of Alternate Investment Funds (AIFs) to invest in commodity derivatives.

In a discussion paper released on Dec 7, 2017, SEBI has put forth proposals to create a regulatory framework to allow MFs and portfolio managers to participate in the commodity segment, which came under the capital market's purview in September 2015.

For MFs, the regulator is evaluating whether fund houses can be allowed to invest in commodity derivatives through existing schemes with certain investment restrictions or safeguards or there is a need for a complete separate set of schemes.

The separate schemes could be commodity arbitrage funds, exchange-traded funds or open-ended schemes based on commodity derivatives.

In terms of existing schemes, the regulator has sought public views on whether fund houses can be allowed to invest a certain part of the scheme's assets under management (AUM) in commodity derivatives though it should never be allowed to be 100% of the AUM and further the exposure towards one commodity should be capped at 10%.

For portfolio managers, SEBI has sought public view on issues like the extent of leveraging, mechanisms to safeguard client interests, pooling of client money and disclosure requirements.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
The Centre on Dec 5 2017 released the mid-term review of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), with the focus expected to be on policy measures to boost the exports of goods and services and to increase employment generation and value-addition in the country.

The mid-term review of FTP is aimed at mid-course correction. It was to be announced on July 1, together with the implementation of the GST regime.

But the announcement was postponed to take into account feedback from the export sector regarding GST-related issues.

Highlights from FTP Mid Term Review

• The value of new incentives is Rs. 8,000 crore
• The FTP would focus on micro, small and medium enterprises, labour-intensive segments and agriculture sector.
• Incentives for goods exports is Rs. 4,567 crore, and for services exports is Rs. 1,140 crore.
• This is in addition to the recently announced incentives to ready-made garments.
• Self-certification scheme for duty-free imports
• FTP is a dynamic document and regular changes are made to increase value addition in the country, generate more employment and boost exports
• Today's announcement includes a 2% increase each in incentive rates of the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme and Services Export from India Scheme.
• Trade accounts for 45% of the country's GDP. FTP incentives now cover 8,000 of the total 12,000 lines of items.
• Of these incentives, Rs 749 crore for leather and footwear, Rs 1354 crore for agriculture and related items, Rs 759 crore for marine exports, Rs 369 crore for telecom and electronic items, Rs 921 crore for handmade carpets, Rs 193 crore for medial and surgical equipments, Rs 1140 crore for textiles and ready made garments.
• A new trade data analytics division under the Directorate General of Foreign Trade will analyse real time data to help fine tune policy.

ANSWER: Both b and c

Explanation:
Also known as the endowment model or the Harvard model, this refers to the investment strategy followed by many popular endowment funds created by institutions like universities, hospitals and other non-profit organisations.

It emphasises the importance of diversifying an investment portfolio equally across multiple asset classes to control risk, but with a special focus on investing in alternative assets that can offer higher returns to its investors.

The Yale model was proposed and popularised by David F. Swensen, the chief investment officer of Yale University, who elaborated on it in his 2000 book Pioneering Portfolio Management.

ANSWER: Air Deccan

Explanation:
Low cost airline Air Deccan is all set to start operations under the regional connectivity scheme (RCS), also known as UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik), from December 15 this year, airport officials here said on Sunday.

Under the Centre's UDAN scheme, air fares are capped at Rs 2,500 per person for an hour's flight to Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities in which the government will provide subsidy for flying with such low fares.

ANSWER: Both a and c

Explanation:
The President of India has given his assent to the Ordinance to amend the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (the Code).

The Ordinance aims at putting in place safeguards to prevent unscrupulous, undesirable persons from misusing or vitiating the provisions of the Code.

The amendments aim to keep out such persons who have wilfully defaulted, are associated with non-performing assets, or are habitually non-compliant and, therefore, are likely to be a risk to successful resolution of insolvency of a company.

In addition to putting in place restrictions for such persons to participate in the resolution or liquidation process, the amendment also provides such check by specifying that the Committee of Creditors ensure the viability and feasibility of the resolution plan before approving it.

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has also been given additional powers

ANSWER: Pink Bollworms

Explanation:
India is likely to export nearly one-fifth less cotton than previously estimated as pink bollworms are set to eat into the south Asian country's output which was expected to hit a record, industry officials told Reuters.

Lower exports from the world's biggest producer will help its rivals like the US, Brazil and Australia to raise their exports to Asian buyers like Pakistan, China and Bangladesh.

Pink Bollworms

• The pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella), is an insect known for being a pest in cotton farming.
• The adult is a small, thin, gray moth with fringed wings. The larva is a dull white, eight-legged caterpillar with conspicuous pink banding along its dorsum.
• The larva reaches one half inch in length.
• The pink bollworm is native to Asia, but has become an invasive species in most of the world's cotton-growing regions.
• It reached the cotton belt in the southern United States by the 1920s.
• It is a major pest in the cotton fields of the southern California deserts.
• In parts of India, the pink bollworm is now resistant to first generation transgenic Bt cotton (Bollgard cotton) that expresses a single Bt gene (Cry1Ac).
• Monsanto has admitted that this variety is ineffective against the pink bollworm pest in parts of Gujarat, India.

ANSWER: European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD)

Explanation:
The Union Cabinet has approved India's Membership for European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD). Department of Economic Affairs,

Ministry of Finance will take necessary steps to acquire the membership of the EBRD.

The membership of EBRD will enhance India's international profile and promote its economic interests.

It will give India access to EBRD's Countries of Operation and sector knowledge. Moreover, it will boost India's investment opportunities and also improve investment climate in country.

ANSWER: 13000 crores

Explanation:
Infosys on Nov 17th said share buyback would begin on November 30 and close on December 14.

The IT services major has issued an offer letter for the buyback of shares.

It said that the necessary forms along with the letter would be dispatched to the eligible shareholders whose names appeared on the record date of November 1.

Infosys: Know More

• Industry: IT services, IT consulting
• Founded: 7 July 1981; 36 years ago
• Founders:
  • N. R. Narayana Murthy
  • Nandan Nilekani
  • S. Gopalakrishnan
  • S. D. Shibulal
  • K. Dinesh
  • N. S. Raghavan
• Ashok Arora
• Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
• Services: IT, business consulting and outsourcing services

ANSWER: Moody's

Explanation:
Moody's Investors Service raised India's sovereign rating for the first time since 2004, overlooking a haze of short-term economic uncertainties to bet on the nation's prospects from a raft of policy changes by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Rupee, bonds and stocks rallied after the ratings firm upgraded India to Baa2 from Baa3 and said reforms being pushed through by Modi's government will help stabilize rising levels of debt.

That's a one-level shift from the lowest investment-grade ranking and puts India in line with the Philippines and Italy.

While government officials hailed the move as long overdue, some investors termed it a surprise given that India recently surrendered its status as the world's fastest-growing major economy amid sweeping policy change.

The upgrade could prove to be a big win for the ruling party, which is facing increasing attacks about the economic slowdown before key elections in Modi's home state next month and a national vote early 2019.

Credit Rating: Know More

• A credit rating is an assessment of the creditworthiness of a borrower. Individuals, corporations and governments are assigned credit ratings - whoever wants to borrow money. Individuals are given 'credit scores', while corporations and governments receive 'credit ratings'.
• National governments, not countries, are assigned credit ratings by agencies like Standard & Poor's, Moody's and Fitch.
• Governments require ratings to borrow money. They are also given ratings on their worth as investment destinations.
• A country requests a credit rating agency to evaluate its economic and political environment and arrive at a rating. This is done to position itself as a destination for foreign direct investment.
• There are several criteria behind rating a government's creditworthiness. Among them are political risk, taxation, currency value and labour laws.
• Another is sovereign risk where a country's central bank can change its foreign exchange regulations.
• For the first time in 14 years, Moody's has upgraded India's rating to Baa2, a term that means that they consider the economy stable.
• Standard & Poor's and Fitch too have a 'stable' rating for the country - BBB+ and BBB-, respectively.