Equalisation Levy

• Equalisation Levy was introduced in India in 2016, with the intention of taxing the digital transactions i.e., the income accruing to foreign e-commerce companies from India.
• Equalisation levy aims to give effect to one of the recommendations of the BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) Action Plan.
• Currently the applicable rate of tax is 6%.
• Equalisation Levy is a direct tax, which is withheld at the time of payment by the service recipient.
• The two conditions to be met to be liable to equalisation levy:

1. The payment should be made to a non-resident service provider.
2. The annual payment made to one service provider exceeds Rs. 1,00,000 in one financial year.

• Services Covered Under Equalisation Levy

1. Online advertisement,
2. Any provision for digital advertising space or facilities/ service for the purpose of online advertisement,
3. As and when any other services are notified will be included with the aforesaid services.

Allied and Healthcare Professions

• Recently, the Lok Sabha has passed the National Commission for allied and Healthcare Professions Bill after it was passed in Rajya Sabha.
• Allied health professional - It includes an associate, technician, or technologist trained to support the diagnosis and treatment of any illness, disease, injury, or impairment.
• Such a professional should have obtained a diploma or degree under this Bill.
• The duration of the degree /diploma should be at least 2,000 hours (over a period of two to four years).
• Healthcare professional - It includes a scientist, therapist, or any other professional who studies, advises, researches, supervises, or provides preventive, curative, rehabilitative, therapeutic, or promotional health services.
• Such a professional should have obtained a degree under this Bill.
• The duration of the degree should be at least 3,600 hours (over a period of three to six years).

UN Institute for Training & Research (UNITAR)

• It was created in 1963 to train and equip young diplomats from newly-independent UN Member States with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate through the diplomatic environment.
• It is governed by a Board of Trustees and is headed by an Executive Director.
• It is financed entirely from voluntary contributions derived mainly from UN Member States, other UN agencies, international and intergovernmental organizations, foundations NGOs and the private sector.
• Its framework is aligned with the 2030 Agenda and is structured around five pillars that correspond to four of the five thematic pillars of the 2030 Agenda: Peace, People, Planet and Prosperity.
• The Institute originally had its headquarters based in New York and a European Office in Geneva but in 1993, UNITAR’s headquarters were transferred to Geneva.

Indus Water Treaty, 1960

• It is a treaty brokered by the World Bank and signed by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan’s President Ayub Khan which administers how the waters of the Indus and its tributaries that flow in both the countries will be utilised.
• According to the treaty, waters of the eastern rivers — Sutlej, Beas and Ravi had been allocated to India, while the western rivers — the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab to Pakistan.
• Under the treaty, India has been given the right to generate hydroelectricity through a run of the river projects on the western rivers subject to specific criteria for design and operation.
• It also gives Pakistan the right to raise concerns on the design of Indian hydroelectric projects on western rivers.
• The Treaty also provides an arbitration mechanism to solve disputes amicably.
• Though Indus originates from Tibet, China has been kept out of the Treaty.
• If China decides to stop or change the flow of the river, it will affect both India and Pakistan.

Lahore Resolution 1940

• A historic session of the All-India Muslim League was held at Lahore in March 1940.
• Muhammad Ali Jinnah explained how Hindus and Muslims cannot co-exist peacefully.
• An epoch-making resolution was moved at that session demanding that areas of the subcontinent of India in which the Muslims were numerically in a majority, as in the North-Western and Eastern Zones, should be grouped to constitute independent States.
• Having regard to the place of its adoption, the resolution was originally referred to as the Lahore Resolution.
• The Hindu Press, however, dubbed it as the Pakistan Resolution and eventually, in popular parlance, it came to be called as such.
• Within eight years of its adoption the India was partitioned and Pakistan appeared as an independent sovereign State on its map.

Lahore Session 1929

• The Indian National Congress, on 19 December 1929, passed the historic 'Purna Swaraj' (total independence) resolution at its Lahore session.
• In 1929, Lord Irwin, the then Viceroy of India, made a vaguely announced Irwin Declaration that India would be granted dominion status in the future.