Today's Headlines - 19 July 2023
The Black Sea grain deal expired
GS Paper - 2 (International Relations)
The last ship carrying grain from Ukraine, under a UN-brokered deal that guarantees its safe passage, left the port of Odesa. This deal expired, and Russia has still not agreed to extend it.
What is the Black Sea grain deal?
Ukraine is among the world’s biggest exporter of foodgrains, such as wheat and corn, and a major contributor to the UN’s food aid programmes.
When Russia invaded the country and blockaded its ports, it sent food prices soaring and raised fears of food security in the poorer nations of the world. Pakistan, for instance, saw wheat prices skyrocket to crisis levels.
On 22 July 2022, the UN and Turkey got Russia to agree to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, under which cargo ships would be allowed to travel from and to three Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi (Yuzhny), after inspection that they weren’t carrying arms.
The safe passage in the Black Sea was 310 nautical miles long and three nautical miles wide. The deal has been extended twice, and expires.
According to a report from June, nearly 32 million tonnes of mostly corn and wheat have been exported by Ukraine under the deal.
Why has Russia not agreed to renew it?
Russia claims that the promises made to it under the deal have not been met, and it is still facing trouble exporting its own agricultural products and fertilisers because of the many sanctions the West has slapped on it.
While there is no direct restriction on Russia’s agricultural products, the country says barriers on payment platforms, insurance, shipping and other logistics are hampering its exports.
Russia has also said that it had agreed to the grain deal in order to help ensure global food security, but Ukraine has since exported mainly to high-and middle-income countries. The UN says while this is true, poorer countries have been helped by food prices cooling down.
The European Union (EU) is now considering connecting a subsidiary of the Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank) to the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT), from which it was cut off due to the war, to allow grain and fertiliser transactions.
#upsc #news #international #relations #ukraine #blacksea #grain #russia #foodgrain #milliontonnes #eu #swift #products #deal #agriculturalbank #financial #telecommunications #war #fertiliser #transactions
The Black Sea grain deal expired
GS Paper - 2 (International Relations)
The last ship carrying grain from Ukraine, under a UN-brokered deal that guarantees its safe passage, left the port of Odesa. This deal expired, and Russia has still not agreed to extend it.
What is the Black Sea grain deal?
Ukraine is among the world’s biggest exporter of foodgrains, such as wheat and corn, and a major contributor to the UN’s food aid programmes.
When Russia invaded the country and blockaded its ports, it sent food prices soaring and raised fears of food security in the poorer nations of the world. Pakistan, for instance, saw wheat prices skyrocket to crisis levels.
On 22 July 2022, the UN and Turkey got Russia to agree to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, under which cargo ships would be allowed to travel from and to three Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi (Yuzhny), after inspection that they weren’t carrying arms.
The safe passage in the Black Sea was 310 nautical miles long and three nautical miles wide. The deal has been extended twice, and expires.
According to a report from June, nearly 32 million tonnes of mostly corn and wheat have been exported by Ukraine under the deal.
Why has Russia not agreed to renew it?
Russia claims that the promises made to it under the deal have not been met, and it is still facing trouble exporting its own agricultural products and fertilisers because of the many sanctions the West has slapped on it.
While there is no direct restriction on Russia’s agricultural products, the country says barriers on payment platforms, insurance, shipping and other logistics are hampering its exports.
Russia has also said that it had agreed to the grain deal in order to help ensure global food security, but Ukraine has since exported mainly to high-and middle-income countries. The UN says while this is true, poorer countries have been helped by food prices cooling down.
The European Union (EU) is now considering connecting a subsidiary of the Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank) to the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT), from which it was cut off due to the war, to allow grain and fertiliser transactions.
#upsc #news #international #relations #ukraine #blacksea #grain #russia #foodgrain #milliontonnes #eu #swift #products #deal #agriculturalbank #financial #telecommunications #war #fertiliser #transactions
Today's Headlines - 06 September 2023
UPI QR Code-CBDC interoperability
GS Paper - 3 (Economy)
With banks enabling the interoperability of Unified Payments Interface’s (UPI) Quick Response (QR) code with their central bank digital currency (CBDC) or e₹ application, users of retail digital rupee will be able to make transactions by scanning any UPI QR at a merchant outlet. Merchants can also accept digital rupee payments through their existing UPI QR codes. This integration of UPI and CBDC is part of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) ongoing pilot project on pushing the retail digital rupee (e₹-R).
What is interoperability?
Interoperability is the technical compatibility that enables a payment system to be used in conjunction with other payment systems, according to the RBI.
Interoperability allows system providers and participants in different systems to undertake, clear and settle payment transactions across systems without participating in multiple systems.
Interoperability between payment systems contributes to achieving adoption, co-existence, innovation, and efficiency for end users.
What is UPI QR code-CBDC interoperability?
Interoperability of UPI with the digital rupee means all UPI QR codes are compatible with CBDC apps. Initially, when the pilot for the retail digital rupee was launched, the e₹-R users had to scan a specific QR code to undertake transactions.
However, with the interoperability of the two, payments can be made using a single QR code.
The digital rupee issued by the RBI, or the CBDC, is a tokenised digital version of the rupee.
The e₹ is held in a digital wallet, which is linked to a customer’s existing savings bank account. UPI is directly linked to a customer’s account.
How will it benefit customers and merchants?
The interoperability of UPI and CBDC will ensure seamless transactions between a customer and merchant without having the need to switch between multiple digital platforms.
It will allow a digital rupee user to make payments for their daily needs, such as groceries and medicines, by scanning any UPI QR codes at any merchant outlet.
Even merchants are not required to keep a separate QR code to accept the digital rupee payments. They can accept CBDC payments on their existing QR code.
What is a QR code?
A Quick Response (QR) code consists of black squares arranged in a square grid on a white background, which can be read by an imaging device such as a camera.
It contains information about the item to which it is attached, according to the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). QR code is an alternate contactless channel of payments. It allows merchants or businesses to accept payments from their customers directly into their bank accounts.
#upsc #news #headline #UPI #QR #code #CBDC #interoperability #economy #digital #currency #payments #RBI #adopation #transactions #systems #merchants #customer #account #benefit #NPCI #camera #wallet #rupee #multipleplatforms #national #corporations #india
UPI QR Code-CBDC interoperability
GS Paper - 3 (Economy)
With banks enabling the interoperability of Unified Payments Interface’s (UPI) Quick Response (QR) code with their central bank digital currency (CBDC) or e₹ application, users of retail digital rupee will be able to make transactions by scanning any UPI QR at a merchant outlet. Merchants can also accept digital rupee payments through their existing UPI QR codes. This integration of UPI and CBDC is part of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) ongoing pilot project on pushing the retail digital rupee (e₹-R).
What is interoperability?
Interoperability is the technical compatibility that enables a payment system to be used in conjunction with other payment systems, according to the RBI.
Interoperability allows system providers and participants in different systems to undertake, clear and settle payment transactions across systems without participating in multiple systems.
Interoperability between payment systems contributes to achieving adoption, co-existence, innovation, and efficiency for end users.
What is UPI QR code-CBDC interoperability?
Interoperability of UPI with the digital rupee means all UPI QR codes are compatible with CBDC apps. Initially, when the pilot for the retail digital rupee was launched, the e₹-R users had to scan a specific QR code to undertake transactions.
However, with the interoperability of the two, payments can be made using a single QR code.
The digital rupee issued by the RBI, or the CBDC, is a tokenised digital version of the rupee.
The e₹ is held in a digital wallet, which is linked to a customer’s existing savings bank account. UPI is directly linked to a customer’s account.
How will it benefit customers and merchants?
The interoperability of UPI and CBDC will ensure seamless transactions between a customer and merchant without having the need to switch between multiple digital platforms.
It will allow a digital rupee user to make payments for their daily needs, such as groceries and medicines, by scanning any UPI QR codes at any merchant outlet.
Even merchants are not required to keep a separate QR code to accept the digital rupee payments. They can accept CBDC payments on their existing QR code.
What is a QR code?
A Quick Response (QR) code consists of black squares arranged in a square grid on a white background, which can be read by an imaging device such as a camera.
It contains information about the item to which it is attached, according to the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). QR code is an alternate contactless channel of payments. It allows merchants or businesses to accept payments from their customers directly into their bank accounts.
#upsc #news #headline #UPI #QR #code #CBDC #interoperability #economy #digital #currency #payments #RBI #adopation #transactions #systems #merchants #customer #account #benefit #NPCI #camera #wallet #rupee #multipleplatforms #national #corporations #india