Brief of newspaper articles for the day bearing
relevance to Civil Services preparation
- GS PAPER 2
- Democratic temper calls for debate, not disruption: Pranab – {Parliament Functions}
- Kerala students to take digital literacy to the masses – {Digital India}
- Govt. to hike housing subsidy for beedi workers & miners – {Welfare Schemes – Weaker Sections}
- President spotlights welfare programmes – {Welfare Schemes}
- Assad regime agrees to Syria peace deal – {International Affairs}
- We need a liberal arts revolution – {Education}
- Budget will be a tough task, Railway Board veterans say – {Railway Budget}
- Demarcating a safe threshold – {Freedom of speech and expression}
- GS PAPER 3
- SC refuses plea for CAG audit of intelligence agencies – {Autonomy of security agencies}
- Prevent abuse by terror elements, Twitter told– {Cyber Threat from Terrorism}
- What Apple versus FBI means for India– {Data Security v/s Terrorism}
- Clean air agenda for the cities– {Pollution}
- Fiscal metrics remain weak: Moody’s– {Fiscal Policy}
- FII cap in state-run banks may increase to 49 per cent – {Investment}
- Investors want budget to usher in simpler tax regime– {Taxation Reforms}
- Government to unveil IPR policy in a fortnight– {Intellectual Property Rights}
- Pathankot, Pampore– {Internal Security}
- Global recession is fast becoming a reality – {Global Economic Slowdown}
- Should we fear artificial intelligence?– {Science and Technology}
- Prelims Facts
GS PAPER 2
[1]. Democratic temper calls for debate, not disruption: Pranab
Regarding Parliamentary Functions:-
Democratic temper calls for debate and discussion, and not disruption or obstruction.
Regarding Nationalism and sedition:-
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, ‘Nationalism is inspired by the highest ideals of the human race,Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram
[2]. Kerala students to take digital literacy to the masses
What campaign?
Kerala-wide Digital Empowerment Campaign.
Purpose:-
- To bridge the digital divide
- Maximise the potential of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) in day-to-day life
How?
Student police cadets from as many as 280 schools in all 14 districts will be enlisted for the campaign
Tablets preloaded with special software will be used by the students to train at least one member in each family in the catchment area of a school extending up to a radius of 3 km.
Scope:-
The initiative is aimed at making them capable of
- using e-mail,
- accessing online government services,
- making online utility payments
- bank transfers
- doing online shopping.
- mobile services
- Information security.
Second Phase:-
Utilise the services of both NSS volunteers and NCC cadets to reach out to more citizens.
if half the target population (30 lakh) is covered, the other half will be digitally enabled through family members or peer-to-peer interaction
Digital State:-
The President is also expected to declare Kerala a ‘Digital State’ on the strength of its digital infrastructure and e-governance initiatives which includes
- high mobile penetration
- internet subscription base
- optic fibre network coverage
- e-governance initiatives
- the rise in e-commerce activities
[3]. Govt. to hike housing subsidy for beedi workers & miners
Who proposed?
Ministry for Labour and Employment
What?
Nearly four-fold increase in the housing subsidy for beedi workers and miners employed in non-coal mines.
To align the benefits with ‘Housing for All’ scheme.
How?
Workers who have their own land are given subsidies under this scheme.
Housing for all scheme:-
- build 2 crore houses in five phases till 2021-22.
- Central grant of Rs. 1 lakh would be available for a house under the slum rehabilitation programme
- Central assistance of Rs. 1.5 lakh will be provided to economically weaker sections category households.
[4]. President spotlights welfare programmes
President addresses the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament
Article 87(1) of the Constitution provides:— “At the commencement of the first session after each general election to the House of the People and at the commencement of the first session of each year the President shall address both Houses of Parliament assembled together and inform Parliament of the causes of its summons
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Beema Yojana
Crop insurance with the lowest-ever premium rates for farmers.
- To provide insurance coverage and financial support to the farmers in the event of failure of any of the notified crop as a result of natural calamities, pests & diseases.
- To stabilise the income of farmers to ensure their continuance in farming.
- To encourage farmers to adopt innovative and modern agricultural practices.
- To ensure flow of credit to the agriculture sector
Novel Features of the act :-
- National coverage of post-harvest losses due to inundation and unseasonal rains,
- No capping on subsidy
- Use of technology for early and accurate settlement of claims.
- Assistance to farmers affected by natural calamities has been increased by 50 per cent
- Eligibility norms have been relaxed
[5]. Assad regime agrees to Syria peace deal
What happened?
Syria’s regime agreed to a ceasefire deal announced by the United States and Russia.
It calls for “cessation of hostilities” between forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and opposition groups.
Obstacles:-
It does not apply to jihadists such as the Islamic State group and the al-Nusra Front.
How to counter Terrorism while following the Deal?
Government would continue to fight “terrorists,” while agreeing to stop other military operations on the opposition groups.
[6]. We need a liberal arts revolution
About Technical Education:-
Technical education has been privileged over liberal arts education in India.
75 % of Engineers produced in India are unemployable because they lack practical, work-related skills and soft skills though they may be theoretically sound.
About Liberal Arts:-
We need more than just technical skills in the globalised world we live in.
Outcomes of a good liberal arts education:-
It will help us relate to those who are not like us.
It will enhance our soft skills
Gives more exposure to global languages as well as critical thinking.
Reason for current chaos:-
- Slowing economic growth,
- restlessness among the youth,
- political environment dominated by exclusivity
- hypernationalism
Conclusion:-
Most political leaders were being trained in law or being educated in the liberal arts because they were critical thinkers and chose to challenge people in power.
They examined the facts before forming their opinions.
We need more liberal arts colleges.
[7]. Budget will be a tough task, Railway Board veterans say
Presenting the Railway Budget is a tough task
Why?
- performance of railways has not kept pace with what has been planned.
- The total earnings of freight and passengers have dropped dismally.
- Burden of the 7th Pay Commission
Suggestions:-
- improving freight business,
- increasing passenger fares,
- strengthening network in strategic business routes,
- forming strategic joint ventures with stakeholders,
- reducing working expense
- reducing staff strength.
- management of rail construction companies so that there are no project delays.
- proper research should be done before the railways take up new projects which later prove to be non-viable.
- develop friendly mobile applications, especially to attract youth.
Criticisms:-
The ideas proposed by the Government such as rationalising concession, e-catering, monetising rail property, branding, redevelopment of stations, will build the image of railways but will not bring he right amount of money for development
[8]. Demarcating a safe threshold
Rules on suspension of internet would allay concerns on individual rights.
Internet shutdowns have become a disturbingly commonplace occurrence. Examples are during
- Jat quota stir
- Suspension of services in Kashmir takes place with regularity
Different laws to suspend access to communication are:
- Indian Telegraph Act , Suspension or interception of messages transmitted from telegraph is also allowed. It includes telegraphy, telephones, teletype, radio communications and digital data communications.
- Information Technology Act (IT Act
- Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC)
Legal mechanism: written order from a magistrate is needed.
Provision in Section 144:
“prevent… obstruction, annoyance or injury to any person lawfully employed, or danger to human life, health or safety, or a disturbance of the public tranquillity, or a riot, of an affray”
It’s a pre-Independence legal provision.
What is needed?
Government should develop guidelines for when and how internet services may be suspended
As the Digital India programme is rolled out, our reliance on internet-based communication for essential services will increase.Blocking of service is be more problematic then.
GS PAPER 2
[1]. SC refuses plea for CAG audit of intelligence agencies
What happened?
NGO pleaded Supreme court to subject intelligence agencies to audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General and other independent scrutiny.
It raised a question mark over the functioning of the Intelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing and National Technical Research Organisation on the ground that there was no statute to govern them
What Supreme Court Said?
Supreme Court rejected the plea as it can create a dent into our security.
Global practices:-
Intelligence agencies in the United Kingdom are put to independent audit of their accounts.
[2]. Prevent abuse by terror elements, Twitter told
What happened?
Government asked Twitter to ensure that the social media platform was not abused for terrorism and extremism that posed a threat to India.
Other issues:-
Twitter’s location tagging service showed Jammu as part of Pakistan, and Jammu and Kashmir in China.
What needs to be done?
A greater sensitivity needs to be shown by these platforms as it concerns India’s geographical identity and integrity .
[3]. What Apple versus FBI means for India
Lessons to be learnt :-
- Finding the right mix:-
The right mix between protecting user data, while allowing law enforcement agencies to retrieve it for investigation has to be found
US example:-
The U.S. does not have high data protection standards but law enforcement agencies have met with increasingly steep judicial barriers to extract electronic data.
So companies like Apple have been encouraged to invest in strong encryption, as the evolution of its operating system iOS shows.
In India:-
India has low data protection standards as well as low legal thresholds for intercepting information.
This stalls the development of indigenous high-security devices like the iPhone.
Department of Telecommunications continues to prescribe low encryption standards for Internet Service Providers (ISPs), while subjecting them to liability for attacks on the network.
The dangerous mix of low data protection standards and legal barriers against monitoring puts India alongside China
2) Need for cooperation:-
Cooperate with law enforcement agencies on legitimate requests for user data. Popular Internet applications and social media platforms in India today are all based in the U.S. or Europe, and host data in servers abroad.
Differential treatment by Data giants:-
Their compliance with government requests has been abysmal.
Facebook has 53% compliance rate with India , while Its 81% in the case of U.S. government requests.
There is simply no basis or justification for the differential treatment of compliance requests but for the fact that Facebook is a U.S.-based company.
Other issue:-
The latest rush towards cheap smartphones like Freedom 251 — whose vendors could not even offer a secure website to process phone bookings — has seriously compromised the integrity of user data.
[4]. Clean air agenda for the cities
Air quality will ensure India’s ability to sustain high economic growth
Issue:-
National policy on Air Quality has treated the issue with scant importance.
Centre has to act to enforce control mechanisms that will make the air safe to breathe.
Worsening air quality in Indian cities is already reducing labour productivity.
Reasons for low Air Quality:-
- High levels of particulate matter in cities arise from
- construction and demolition activity
- burning of coal in thermal plants and biomass,
- use of diesel vehicles
The Ministry of Environment and Forests has six-year-old data that attribute about 23 per cent of particulates to construction activity in six cities studied, and another 20 per cent to diesel vehicles.
What needs to be done?
- India needs a time-bound action plan.
- Need a more comprehensive system of real-time data collection
- Expand the coverage from the present 23 cities (not all of which provide full or regular information) to all agglomerations with a significant population and economic activity and within a given time frame.
- Putting the data in the public domain in an open format will enable multiple channels of dissemination, including apps created by the community for mobile devices.
- Building pressure on both policymakers and polluters.
- Technological solutions to contain construction dust
- Low-cost solution of covering all urban surfaces with either greenery or paving.
- Government should encourage innovation in solar cookers
- Good public transport and incentives for the use of cycles and electric vehicles
Conclusion:-
Following the above step will reduce not merely particulate matter but also nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide.
[5]. Fiscal metrics remain weak: Moody’s
India’s fiscal metrics will remain weaker than rating peers in the near term – Moodys
Why?
- Subdued rural demand
- Weak corporate profitability
- Relatively high level of India’s state and central government deficits and debt
- Low per-capita incomes limit the tax base and raise pressure for subsidies and development spending,
- Rise in food subsidy costs owing to a drought,
- Revision of civil servant salaries next year
- Need to recapitalise public sector banks.
Government’s Stand:-
Government would neither go overboard with public spending to jumpstart the economy nor stick ‘tightly’ to the fiscal deficit goalposts.
Future Course:-
Goods and Services Tax regime would provide insight into how revenues could evolve over the longer term.
Low Foreign Currency Debt- Silver Lining:-
Lower reliance on foreign currency debt by India, even though its public debt to GDP ratio is higher than similarly rated countries like Indonesia, Philippines, Romania and Turkey is a Plus.
It insulates government finances from gyrations in the exchange rate.
Emerging markets with a higher reliance on foreign currency financing have witnessed sovereign borrowing costs rise as global risk appetite diminishes.
[6]. FII cap in state-run banks may increase to 49 per cent
Government is considering a proposal to increase the cap on foreign institutional investment in public sector banks to 49 per cent from 20 per cent.
Why?
Public sector banks need equity capital.
Their stocks have fallen after reporting huge losses in the third quarter due to a sharp rise in non-performing assets
Public sector banks need to raise tier-I capital as their capital positions have depleted due to higher provisioning for bad loans.
Increase in FII cap will certainly attract portfolio investment if the cap is raised
Criticism:-
Reserve Bank of India was not in favour of higher limit due to concerns over stability.
[7]. Investors want budget to usher in simpler tax regime
Key direct tax expectations ahead of Budget 2016
Roadmap for corporate tax rate cut
Lay down a clear roadmap towards reduction in tax rates with simultaneous phasing out of deductions/exemptions.
MAT is likely to be scrapped as difference between taxable income and book profits will narrow down.
PoEM deferral
The new residency criteria for foreign companies introduced in last Finance Act, may be deferred .
The implementation of Income Computation and Disclosure Standards (ICDS), specific set of standards for tax computation, is likely to be postponed as taxpayers are already grappling with other major regulatory changes of Companies Act, 2013, proposed Goods and Service Tax, etc.
Implementation of BEPS Action Plan
The action plan of OCED Project on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) is likely to set the trend in upcoming budget.
Indian multinationals would be subjected to exhaustive documentation norms on country by country reporting, master and local file, as a legislative base to BEPS recommendations.
Retrospective taxation
The government is likely to have a relook at the famous and controversial ‘Vodafone amendments’ of 2012.
Safe harbours
Necessary correction in existing safe harbour rates to align them with real global expectations is anticipated to achieve objective of reducing transfer pricing disputes.
[8]. Government to unveil IPR policy in a fortnight
The government is likely to announce its National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy.
Features:-
- compliant with the World Trade Organisation’s agreement on Trade Related aspects of IPRs (TRIPS)
- special thrust on awareness generation
- effective enforcement of IPRs,
- besides encouragement of IP commercialisation through various incentives.
- policy will not suggest any changes in the existing Indian IPR laws or other related policies on the patent-disabling Compulsory Licencing (CL) and the provision-preventing ‘ever-greening’ of drug patents (done through minor modifications of an existing drug).
- creating IPR awareness at school/college level by making it a part of syllabus/curriculum,
- Promote organisations such as the National Research Development Corporation to help commercialise the inventions / patents developed at the level of educational institutes.
- Incentives such as tax benefits and fee waivers to encourage R&D
- IP creation to strengthen the Make In India/Start-up/Digital India initiatives
- To protect ‘small inventions’ developed especially in the informal / unorganised sectors, the policy will promote ‘utility patents’ (with lower compliance burden and shorter period of protection, when compared to the normal patents) only for mechanical innovations. This ‘utility patents’ may not be extended to the pharmaceutical sector considering the sensitivities involved in ensuring the efficacy of the drugs.
Criticisms:-
The EU and U.S. had objected to India’s adoption of CL in industrial sectors (in the National Manufacturing Policy) saying it will discourage investment and innovation.
The U.S. and EU firms had said the so-called ‘additional filter’ in the form of “improvement in therapeutic efficacy” for grant of patents was inconsistent with WTO’s TRIPS agreement, a charge which India has denied.
[9]. Pathankot, Pampore
Delhi cannot afford to ignore the larger voices emanating from Kashmir that go beyond the latest attack.
Recent Trend in Kashmir:
- After Indian troops battled terrorists in Pampore, jihadist anthems broadcast from the town’s mosques wafted through the air.
- Abu Qasim(terrorist), drew over 60,000 people, as the residents of three villages clashed over the right to bury him.
- But less than a tenth of that number appeared in events marking the passing of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
- The flag of the Islamic State has appeared with increasing frequency.
- Online Kashmiri recruits to the jihad against India are extolled as heroes.
- Even in the 1990s, Pakistani jihadists were rarely hailed as popular heroes. Now that has changed.
Reasons:
- The failure of successive elected governments to deliver development.
- The state’s youth, born during the violence of 1990s, to become increasingly disillusioned with democracy.
- Large numbers are turning towards Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Causes:
- Economic despair
- Youth rage
- Communal anxiety
Actions needed:
- Economic opportunity
- Social justice
Failure to do so will cause more lives to loss and an ever more vicious cycle of hate.
[10]. Global recession is fast becoming a reality
Market behaviour:
- International Monetary Funds’ (IMF) downgrades of world growth forecasts.
- several countries (for example, Germany and the UK) lowered their respective growth projections for 2016.
- Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development cut its 2016 growth forecast by 0.3%.
- The US Federal Reserve’s wavering over further interest rate increases and thoughts about negative interest rates.
- China is slowing down.
Rising trend towards negative interest rates:
- The Swedish Riksbank cut its main repo rate to minus 0.5% .
- Bank of Japan’s ventured into negative territory (minus 0.1%).
- The European Central Bank was charging banks 0.3% for holding cash.
- Switzerland and Denmark were already giving negative interest rates.
With negative interest rates, what is the takeaway?
- Last attempt to combat deflationary forces and invigorate growth.
- Few are suggesting ‘helicopter money’ – the direct financing of government spending through money-printing.
The rising trend towards negative interest rates is not a good thing.
[11]. Should we fear artificial intelligence?
AI machines are no match for the super-intelligent AI machines like Skynet, androids and cyborgs that we get to see in sci-fi movies, but that may not be the case for long
“Will machines outsmart humans?”
With rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), the short answer is, “Yes”
Will these intelligent machines rule over humans?
It is not easy because much will depend on how we approach, or address, the issue.
Interdisciplinary approach:
Other than computer science, it also relies on subjects like
- Math
- Psychology
- Linguistics
- Philosophy
AI machines are no match for the super-intelligent AI machines like Skynet, androids and cyborgs that we get to see in sci-fi movies. However, that may not be the case for long.
Neural Networks:
AI have come because of convolutional neural networks, defined as large virtual networks of simple information-processing units, loosely modelled on the anatomy of the human brain.
The human brain can be described as a biological neural network—an interconnected web of neurons transmitting elaborate patterns of electrical signals. Dendrites receive input signals and, based on those inputs, fire an output signal via an axon.
Eyeriss:
Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) designed specifically to implement neural networks.
10 times as efficient as a mobile GPU (graphics processing unit),to run powerful AI algorithms.
Advent of AI:
- Autonomous systems such as self-driving cars and autonomous drones “will march into our society” in the next two-three years.
- May threaten jobs
- uncover a range of legal, regulatory and ethical issues.
- intelligent machines in workforces to contribute to a phenomenon called “job polarization”,
Technology luminaries such as Bill Gates, Elon Musk, even physicist Stephen Hawking, have expressed fear that robots with AI could rule mankind.
Isaac Asimov’s three laws for robots:
- A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
- A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.
There is no stopping companies and governments from creating and deploying AI machines, we have to devise equally smart policies to govern the behaviour of smart machines.
Prelims Facts
[1]. Pakistan’s parliament goes solar
First in the world to go solar
Supported by China
[2]. Vienna is world’s best city: survey
Facts:-
Austria’s capital Vienna is the best place in the world to live based on quality of life.
No Indian city in the top 100.
Baghdad was named the worst city in the world.
Hyderabad topped the rankings at 139th position, followed by Pune at 144, Bangalore at 145, Chennai at 150, Mumbai at 152, Kolkata at 160 and New Delhi at 161.
Based on:-
The study examined social and economic conditions, health, education, housing and the environment and is used by big companies to assess where they should locate and how much they should pay staff.
Why vienna?
Investing in high-quality social housing made Vienna almost uniquely affordable among major cities. According to the World Bank, Austria has one of the highest figures for GDP per head in the world.
[3]. Bugs, a recipe for success
The insect is the protein of the future and is used recently to make pasta which has recieved hude demand owing to its nutritious content.
[4]. Internet by light promises to leave Wi-Fi in the shade
Advantage:-
Lightning speed – allows speeds that are 100 times faster than Wi-Fi (uses radio waves ).
How?
The technology uses the frequencies generated by LED bulbs — which flicker on and off imperceptibly thousands of times a second — to beam information through the air, leading it to be dubbed the “digital equivalent of Morse Code”.
Drawbacks:-
- Device should be placed directly in the light
- It cannot travel through walls whic restricts its use to smaller spaces
[5]. NASA makes Apollo ‘moon music’ public
NASA has made public the recording of the mysterious ‘outer-space music’ that Apollo 10 mission astronauts heard as their spacecraft flew around the far side of the Moon in 1969.
[6]. Sea level rising at fastest pace in 2,800 years: study
The world’s oceans are rising at a faster rate than any time in the past 2,800 years.
By: ForumIAS Editorial Team
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