Goaltide Daily Current Affairs 2021
Current Affair 1:
WHO Report: Suicide worldwide in 2019
Suicide is a serious global public health issue. Globally, 703 000 people die by suicide every year. In 2019, an estimated 703 000 people died by suicide.
Few important graphs, just have a glance once. You don’t need theory for this.
Current Affair 2:
Thai sacbrood virus
Why in news:
The disease, which has been dormant in the southern states for some years, is back and impacting the population of bees especially of the Apis cerana species. Apis cerana or the Asian honey bee is one of the most domesticated species of honey bees in India.
What is Thai sacbrood virus and how does it work?
Thai sacbrood virus (TSBV) is a variant of sacbrood virus (SBV), a viral disease affecting honey bee colonies. TSBV disease was first observed in Thailand in 1976. In 1991-92, there was an outbreak of the virus in India which resulted in the destruction of more than 90 percent of the then-existing bee colonies in south India. The disease kills bees when they are larvae, thereby reducing the population of bee colonies.
What is the significance of Apis cerana bees?
Apis cerana or the Asian honey bee is one of the most domesticated species of honey bees in India and it is important to understand about the ways to protect their population.
- Bees are very important for the ecosystem.
- Humans depend on the bees directly (for honey that has antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties) and indirectly.
- Bees play a crucial role in pollination. Crops produce good yields if animals and insects help them pollinate.
- And bees are the most dominant pollinators of fruit, vegetable and crop plants.
We need to study this virus to prevent further spread.
Current Affair 3:
Mandatory Display of Food License/Registration Number on Invoice
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has made it mandatory for the FBO's to declare the 14-digit FSSAI License or Registration number on cash receipts/purchase invoices/cash memo /bills etc.
As per the order dated 8th June 2021, FSSAI mentioned that declaration of the license or registration number will facilitate the consumers to complain about any grievance with the Food Business Operators (FBO)
This article is to analyse the practical approach of the above order with reference to provisions FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011.
Few important provisions which regulated Food safety.
- Section 3 (j) of the Food Safety and Standards Act (Act) defines food as "food" means any substance, whether processed, partially processed or unprocessed, which is intended for human consumption and includes primary food. The mankind will not exist without food and wholesome food is required for healthy society. In India, the laws regulating the quality of food have been in force since 1899.
- Article 47 of Indian Constitution, mandates the duty of the State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health.
- The Food Safety and Standards Act 2006
Licence
As per the Act, section 3 (za) defines "licence" means as licence granted under section 31 and as per section 31, No person shall commence or carry on any food business except under a licence. Pretty vendors, hawkers, cottage industries and itinerant vendors do not require a license but they shall register themselves with the Designated Officer appointed under the Act. If the annual turnover of the FBO is more than Rs. 12.00 lakhs then it required to obtain a license. If the FBO operates more than 2 States then a central license is prerequisite.
Punishment for carrying business without licence.
Section 63 of the Act prescribes that if any person or food business operator himself or by any person on his behalf who is required to obtain licence, manufacturers, sells, stores or distributes or imports any article of food without licence, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months and also with a fine which may extend to five lakh rupees.
License Number:
The FBO shall submit a prescribed application in the Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCos) which came into force from last year after replacement of Food Licensing and Registration System (FLRS). After processing the application, the authority grants the license or registration with 14-digit number will be generated through FoSCos system.
As per the FSS Packaging and Labelling 2011, every pre-packaged food shall contain certain mandatory declaration on the package as prescribed under the rules, which is included of License number and the logo of FSSAI. The FSSAI logo and license number shall be displayed on the label of the food package in contrast colour to the background.
License Number on the Invoice
Vide order dated 8th June 2021, FSSAI has directed all FBO's to mention License or Registration number with effective from 01/10/2021 on cash receipts/ invoices/ memo/bills, the order state that no new transaction document is required to be issued and the existing tax and regulatory requirements are to be leveraged, it means that the license number and registration number on the existing invoice issued by the seller / FBO under GST is sufficient. FSSAI has stated that in the absence of License or registration number it is difficult to trace the online complaints and many complaints are remain unresolved to lack of coordinates of FBO and the if the number is mentioned then it will help in identifying the FBO and this also increased the awareness of compliances under food laws.
Effect of the latest Order
As per the report, India has more than 2 Crores food and grocery shops with a market size of 800 billion dollars. As per Fact sheet of FSSAI as on 31/05/2021, the active central licences are 47468, and State licences are 8, 29,921 and Registration are 36, 81,762, thus total 45,59,151 licenses & registration are in force. In other words, only 1 out of 4 persons dealing in the food is having the either license or registration.
Further, as per the GST Act 2017, if the aggregate turnover is less than Rs. 20 lakhs in a financial year is not mandatory to register under the GST Act. An unregistered person is not liable to issue any tax invoices. Yet further, if the value of goods supplied is less than Rs. 200 then no invoice is required even for the registered person. A tax invoice shall contain Invoice number, customer name and address, description of goods and HSN code, price and rate of GST etc.
Objective of FSSAI can be defeated.
Current Affair 4:
New report on single-use plastic products aims to advance sustainability in travel and tourism
The Travel & Tourism sector undoubtedly plays a key role in global prosperity: it supported 1 in 10 jobs and contributed US$8.8 trillion to global GDP in 2019. Its role in job creation and lasting positive social impact is immense. However, without a healthy and thriving environment the sector and our planet cannot survive.
In this context, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), launch a major new report, addressing the complex issue of single-use plastic products within Travel & Tourism.
The report is a first step to mapping single-use plastic products across the Travel & Tourism value chain, identifying hotspots for environmental leakages, and providing practical and strategic recommendations for businesses and policymakers.
The report’s recommendations include:
redefining unnecessary single-use plastic products in the context of one’s own business; giving contractual preference to suppliers of reusable products; proactively planning procedures that avoid a return to single-use plastic products in the event of disease outbreaks; supporting research and innovation in product design and service models that decrease the use of plastic items, and revising policies and quality standards with waste reduction, and circularity in mind.
