Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• India-UAE cooperation to sow regional food security
• It is a new assault on India’s liberty
• For civil services, HR lessons from the military
• The GeM In What Govt Buys
• A dispute lost – on WTO’s ruling against India
• Beware Dr Hustle – on social media influencers
• The caste imperative: On the subject of an updated caste census
• Old friends: on Russia-India bilateral ties and the Ukraine issue
• Why LGBTQIA+ couples should be allowed to adopt
• Be Smart, Be Humane – As more flee to Mizoram from Myanmar, New Delhi must understand costs of not having a refugee policy

GS Paper 3

• We need an action plan to deploy India’s demographic advantage
• A competition law that clicks for all

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• State of World Population Report, 2023: India’s population to edge ahead of China’s by mid-2023, says U.N.
• From insects to trees: Over 30 Indian cities participate in City Nature Challenge
• Will WTO ruling scuttle plans for Make in India?
• Centre asks States to enforce new rules to check stray dog numbers
• Why is a star-planet pair just 12 light-years away emitting radio signals?
• No 100% biodegradable plastic in India, says BIS
• Key Supreme Court verdicts that moved the needle on LGBTQ rights in India
• Cabinet approves National Quantum Mission to scale-up scientific & industrial R&D for quantum technologies
• ISRO to launch Singaporean Earth Observation satellite TeLEOS-02

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

India-UAE cooperation to sow regional food security

News- The article explains the cooperation in areas of food security between India and UAE.

What is the importance of India from the perspective on food security?

India is a global Agri export powerhouse with a large and growing food production and processing sector.

India has, in recent years, acted as a humanitarian provider of food to developing countries. It has demonstrated its evolving role in advancing regional and global food security.

India has also made major budgetary outlays towards setting up massive food parks, with due emphasis on modern supply chain management.

India Public Distribution System is the world’s largest food subsidy programme. It provides nearly 800 million citizens with subsidized grains. India’s POSHAN Abhiyaan is the world’s largest nutrition programme for children and women.

As a part of its G­20 presidency, India is promoting the consumption and farming of millets — nutritious, drought resistant, sustainable, crops. It demonstrates the resilience focus that India offers to the global food security dialogue.

India’s G­20 presidency seeks to address the three Cs of “Covid, Conflict, and Climate” issues. These are important for food security in India and across the globe.

What are the areas of cooperation between India and UAE in the food sector?

India has vast food sector experience and the ability to operationalize the world’s largest food supply chains. It will strengthen the India­-UAE food security partnership in a variety of ways.

During the India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States summit last year, the UAE committed $2 billion in investment towards constructing food parks in India.

There was signing of a food security corridor on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement sidelines. It has taken forward India’s presence on the global food value chain, beyond the UAE.

The corridor could commence a route for foods made and processed in India. These products will begin their journey on the Indian coast of the Arabian Sea, passing through the UAE, and towards major international markets.

The corridor will emerge as a world class template of successful Agri trade for India. It will unlock greater productivity, efficiency and growth for its millions of workers and employees.

For the UAE, the benefits go beyond maintaining and diversifying its food reserves. Trade linkages could enable the UAE to leverage its strategic location between Asia and Europe to serve as India’s food export gateway to West Asia and the Africa region.

The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre launched Agriota, an Agri trading and commodity platform to link Indian farmers to food companies in the UAE. It gives millions of Indian farmers the opportunity to directly reach out to the entirety of the UAE’s food ecosystem.

A consortium of UAE ­based entities are investing up to $7 billion in mega food parks, contract farming and the sourcing of agro commodities in India.

Those projects will generate lakhs of non farm agri jobs. It will enable farmers to discover better prices for their products. Bolstered by the UAE’s infrastructural capabilities, India’s agricultural products will have more resilient and diversified place in global marketplace.

It is a new assault on India’s liberty

News– The Union government introduced a new set of measures for dealing with fake news and misinformation on the Internet. These introductions came through an amendment made to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, or IT Rules.

What are important provisions of amended IT rules?

The amendment gives power to the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology for creating a “fact check unit”. It will identify false or misleading online content that is related to the central government’s business in any manner.

If social media intermediaries fail to prevent users from hosting information that has been identified as false by the fact check unit, they will lose their “safe harbour” immunity.

What are some facts about IT rules?

The Union government gets power to decide what information is bogus. It can exercise wide ranging powers of censorship by compelling intermediaries to take down posts deemed fake or false.

The IT Rules derive their authority from the Information Technology Act, 2000 meant to provide “legal recognition” for electronic commerce.

Section 79 of the Act provides a “safe harbour”. It does it by granting immunity to intermediaries, if they observe “due diligence” in discharging their duties and follow other guidelines prescribed by the state.

An intermediary under the law refers to any person who receives, stores, or transmits electronic records. It would include Internet service providers, search engines, and social media platforms.

IT Rules were introduced in 2021, are divided into two distinct parts. The rules regulate intermediaries through MeitY. Digital news media, including over-the-top (OTT) media services are regulated through the Union Ministry for Information and Broadcasting.

The IT Rules imposed a series of obligations. A breach of these could result in a loss of safe harbour.

The rules required social media platforms to provide technological solutions to identify the first originator of any information on their service, where demanded by government, or mandated by an order of court.

What are the issues with amendments in IT rules?

The Union government gets power to decide what information is bogus. It can exercise wide ranging powers of censorship by compelling intermediaries to take down posts deemed fake or false.

The amendments introduced are a threat to liberty. Misinformation or fake news is rampant on the Internet. But all problems are not capable of easy legislative solutions. Thoughtless censorship is never an answer.

The rights of the press, and common person, to question authority, to speak truth to power, will be diminished.

Restrictions have not been imposed through legislation, but through executive orders. This is against the substantive constitutional guarantees.

Article 19(1)(a) grants every citizen a right to freedom of speech and expression. That right can only be limited through reasonable restrictions made by law on grounds stipulated in Article 19(2). Fake news and misinformation are not grounds on which speech can be limited.

The amendments made to the IT Rules do not put limits on restraints imposed. Instead, they confer on the Fact Check Unit limitless powers to decide what information is false and compel social media intermediaries to act based on these findings.

In Shreya Singhal vs Union of India judgement, the Supreme Court held that a law that limits speech can neither be vague nor over­broad. The amendment to the IT Rules suffers on both accounts.

First, the notification fails to define fake news. Second, it allows the government’s fact Check unit to verify any news “in respect of any business” that involves the state.

There are uses of open ended and undefined words, especially the use of the phrase “any business”. It indicates that the government will have the power to decide what each of us can see, hear, and read on the Internet.

What is the way forward for the government to act against fake news?

There is a need for comprehensive parliamentary legislation on the fake news and misinformation. And legislation emanating out of such a process would put limitations on speech subjected to grounds stipulated in Article 19(2).

The government cannot act as an arbiter of its own cause. In France, where legislation exists to counter the spread of misinformation during elections, the declaration is made not by the government but by an independent judge.

A directive to remove misinformation is not the only solution to fake news. There are other, less restrictive alternatives available.

For civil services, HR lessons from the military

News– The article explains the need for adopting HR practices from the military to reform civil services.

What are the national goals and strategy of India?

There are no poor people, only people in poor places. The war on poverty is won by raising the productivity of five physical places — states, cities, sectors, firms, and skills.

The strategy is to replace high employed poverty with high-paying jobs through urbanisation, formalisation, industrialisation, financialisation and human capital.

What are the HR practices in armed forces that should be adopted by civil services?

Tenure: The Agniveer revamp will reduce an average soldier’s age, ensure motivation for continuing in service, and gradually raise military capital expenditure.

This allows organisations to renew themselves without complications, court cases or a huge pool of promotable but not postable.

The government must hire all new civil servants for a fixed 10-year tenure. The rollover percentages should be decided by a hard-coded organisational structure.

Specialisation: In a democracy’s generalists are politicians. Civil servants are technocrats whose mandate is assisting in governance.

The ideal administrator is not the gifted layman who frequently moves from job to job within service and can take a practical view of any problem.

Young military recruits pick an area of expertise early. Our civil services must replicate this.

Structure: The “on-paper” performance management systems in civil services have collapsed. Only a few civil servants don’t get to the top positions through indiscriminate promotions.

Top heaviness also undermines organisational effectiveness. The pyramid has become a cylinder.

Uttar Pradesh has roughly 80 DGs and additional DGs for around 2.5 lakh policemen, while the army has about 175 lieutenant generals for about 12 lakh soldiers. Organisational structures should be the Eiffel Towers because more work doesn’t mean more bosses.

The best solution for differentiation in civil services is honest appraisals. So organisational structure should be changed to restrict the secretary rank population in New Delhi to 25, chief secretary/DG rank in states to two.

There is a need to introduce differential retirement ages based on rank and shrink the number of ministries and departments.

The GeM In What Govt Buys

News– The Government e Marketplace (GeM) crossed a historic milestone at the end of 2022-23: Government agencies purchased goods and services worth more than Rs 2 lakh crore through more than five million online transactions in a single financial year.

What are some facts about Government e Marketplace?

The portal was launched to align public procurement of goods and services with the government’s mission of ‘Minimum Government and Maximum Governance’ and his strategy of using technology to make government systems honest, effective and accessible to all.

The journey began with business worth Rs 422 crore in 2016-17.

GeM has grown spectacularly since it was set up in August 2016. The total value of transactions on the portal almost doubled in 2022-23 to Rs 2. 01 lakh crore from Rs 1. 07 lakh crore in the previous fiscal.

What is the difference between the earlier system and the new system of procurement?

Earlier the system was riddled with inefficiencies and corruption. Government procurement used to be opaque, time-consuming, cumbersome, and prone to corruption and cartelization.

Only a privileged few could break through huge entry barriers.

Buyers had no choice but to purchase sub-standard goods at high, non-negotiable rates from the privileged suppliers.

Potential sellers were completely at the mercy of the facilitating agency, to get empaneled, and then to get timely payments.

In the new system, there is hardly any human interface in vendor registration, order placement and payment processing. At every step, SMS and e-mail notifications are sent to the buyer, the head of her organisation, paying authorities and sellers.

The paperless, cashless and faceless GeM gives buyers the freedom to buy goods and services directly from unlimited sellers at competitive rates.

What shows the success of the GeM portal?

An independent study conducted by the World Bank and IIM Lucknow estimated an average 10% savings from the median price. The World Bank noted that with the addition of every new bidder, savings increased by 0. 55%.

A study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) showed that annual cost savings in 2021-22 were in the range of 8%-11%.

The portal is home to more than 11,500 product categories. It has over 3. 2 million listed products. It has over 280 service categories with more than 2. 8 lakh service offerings.

GeM is catering to diverse procurement needs of more than 67,000 government buyer organizations, which have together saved about Rs 40,000 crore. It gives equal opportunity to all buyers and sellers.

About 60% of orders by value from states have gone to micro and small enterprises. States have also placed orders worth Rs 1,109 crore on startups. It demonstrates the ease of access for the relatively underprivileged business people.

A dispute lost – on WTO’s ruling against India

Context: Recently, WTO has ruled against India’s Tariff rates, on the complaint filed by EU.

World Trade Organization (WTO) has ruled against India in a case brought by several of its trading partners. The issue was high Customs duties imposed by the Indian government on the import of telecommunications equipment, including mobile phone handset.

Initially, India was taken to the dispute resolution panel of the WTO by the European Union (EU). It was later joined by Other major partners and participants in the supply chain, including Japan and Taiwan.

In this case, WTO tribunal determined that the ordinary Customs duties were above those provided in India’s WTO Schedule”.

What are the positive impacts of high tariff rates?

From the view of the nation’s interest, these tariffs have directly led to an increase in investment and the growth of the electronics manufacturing sector.

Mobile phone production and exports have grown in recent years. However, its exports have not outpaced its imports.

What are the issues associated with high tariff policy?

Value addition in the mobile industry in India has been low, barely crossing the 10 per cent level. Therefore, the electronics sector continues to be a major component of India’s trade deficit.

Growth, wage level and job creation in the sector will remain below India’s competitors unless it introduces more open policies that do not rely on tariffs and protectionism.

Tariffs are a tax paid by Indian consumers. They will have to purchase mobile phones and other electronics equipment at a higher price.

In Digital India, imported equipment are also input into basic economic value addition by many Indians.

Tariffs reduce the welfare of the people and make India high-cost and uncompetitive economy.

There are geo-political implications of high tariffs. It can result in alienating its closest economic and geopolitical partners.

What should be done?

Instead of relying on tariffs, Efficiency improvements, and coherent policies should be prioritized.

The electronics sector is not an infant industry in India that must be protected. Instead, it should be given the right competitive pressure and policy environment to become world-class.

The government will definitely appeal against this ruling. However, WTO appellate body has been rendered dysfunctional by the United States’ decision to veto any nominees.

Beware Dr Hustle – on social media influencers

Context: Recently, a viral video on a chocolate drink created a controversy

India’s influencer economy – the business of using social media as a marketing and advisory tool – is expected to host 100 million influencers by end-2023.

Advertising Standards Council of India finds that 79% of respondents trust social media influencers.

Therefore, implications of influencer’s videos on health are huge.

What are the implications of social media influencer’s videos on health?

The influencers, who are ‘doctors without degrees’, can be harmful for the health of the people. Some of the harmful effects can be reversible, but some can be irreversible such as prescribing anabolic steroid, suggesting pills for high blood sugar and even cancer.

Similarly, if a person is suffering from mental health problems, he can go online and see the videos suggesting deep breathing, which can be a short-term treatment. However, the root of the problem of that person might go undiagnosed and untreated.

Therefore, there should be light regulations for influencers. The government’s list of dos and don’ts as well as a requirement that qualifications be displayed is a good idea.

The caste imperative: On the subject of an updated caste census

News: Recently, various political parties are demanding an updated caste census. This highlights an emerging consensus among the political parties on the need for a caste census.

What is the rationale behind the demand for an updated caste census?

Various reasons for demanding an updated caste census include,

-The recent expansion of reservation benefits to economically weaker sections among “forward” castes using income criteria,

–Outdated data is used: The Mandal Commission report of 1980 was based on caste census data of 1931. But that is still remaining as the basis for identifying backwardness and determining the extent of the reservation to the Other Backward Classes,

-There is a need for a comprehensive census that provides data to support, or evaluate existing reservation quotas, or assess demands for reservation policies,

-Such updated data will serve as a legal imperative and allow the government to answer the Supreme Court’s call for quantifiable data.

What are the challenges associated with the Socio-Economic and Caste Census in 2011?

-Issues in defining castes: The criteria government described in 2011 created many concerns associated with the data.

-Recorded data of 46 lakh different castes, sub-castes, caste/clan surnames require adequate breakdown before being used for proper enumeration.

-The survey was conducted without utilising the Census Commissioners and the Office of the Registrar General properly.

What are the challenges in creating an updated caste census?

a) The government has already postponed the long-delayed 2021 Census. This raises the question about the government’s present capacity to conduct an effective caste census, b) There is a risk of objectification of caste identities even though the Constitution seeks to build a casteless society.

What should be done?

An adequate consolidation of caste/sub-caste names into social groups along with the synonymity of the self-identified group names should be done prior to conducting the survey. Enlisting these groups against the OBC/Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes lists for each State.

But addressing socioeconomic inequities through reservation quotas might not make advancement to a truly casteless society.

Old friends: on Russia-India bilateral ties and the Ukraine issue

News: Recently, the Russian Deputy Prime Minister visited India and participated in the India-Russia Inter-governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation meeting.

What are the key discussions held during the recent visit of the Russian Deputy Prime Minister?

-Bilateral trade went up by 2.6 times in the past year and surpassed the 2025 target.

-Both countries demanded more market access and the use of “national currencies” to circumvent sanctions.

-Russia demanded that Indian companies could increase exports in road construction and pharmaceuticals.

-They also referred to progress in negotiations for an FTA between India and the Eurasian Economic Union.

Both countries acknowledged that India-Russia ties are among the “steadiest of the major relationships of the world”.

About India-Russia ties during the Russia-Ukraine crisis

Since Russia’s war in Ukraine began, western sanctions have drastically cut Russian exports. Hence, Russia has increasingly joined with countries like India and China which do not join the sanctions to export resources. For example, India’s oil imports from Russia have jumped from a negligible 0.2% since the war to a massive 28% of India’s total oil intake.This gave a rise to Western accusations that India is “benefitting from the war”.

What should be done?

India must make its stand against the war clear. India can go behind the original reason for the current turmoil and its global economic impact.

Why LGBTQIA+ couples should be allowed to adopt

News: Recently, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) opposed the granting of adoption rights to same-sex couples and said that the move will endanger the children. On the other hand, the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) supported the conferral of adoption and succession rights on same-sex couples.

About adoption principles in India

The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act), allows heterosexual married couples, and single and divorced persons to adopt.

The Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956 (HAMA) permits any male or female Hindu of sound mind to adopt, and for couples to adopt with the consent of their spouse.

Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) permits applications from adoptive parents in live-in relationships, which it examines on a case-to-case basis.

Note: Several countries around the world, including Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, South Africa, the UK and the US have legal provisions to allow unmarried same-sex couples to adopt.

How do adoption principles hamper the adoption by LGBTQIA+ couples?

-Both the HAMA and the JJ Act envisage a forthcoming adoptive couple to be heterosexual and married.

-In a situation where one partner in a non-heterosexual relationship adopts a child as a single parent, the other partner is deprived of legal recognition as an adoptive parent.

What are the various opinions supporting the adoption by LGBTQIA+ couples?

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice emphasised the need for uniform and comprehensive legislation on adoption applicable to all, irrespective of religion, that should also cover the LGBTQI community.

In Deepika Singh v. Central Administrative Services, (2022) case the Supreme Court observed that “familial relationships may take the form of domestic, unmarried partnerships or queer relationships”. These units equally deserve protection and benefits under the law.

What are the debates regarding the “best interest of the child”?

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989 requires the best interest of the child to be the primary consideration. Both the JJ Act and the Adoption rules aims to fulfil the best interest of the child. Indian courts have applied the principle of “the welfare of the child” in the context of adoption, custody, and guardianship cases and arrived at decisions on a case-to-case basis.

In Suzanne Du Toit Anna-Marié De Vos v. Minister for Welfare and Population Development and Others, (2002) case, the Constitutional Court of South Africa held that the exclusion of unmarried same-sex couples who are otherwise suitable to adopt, from jointly adopting children violated the principle of the paramountcy of the best interest of the child.

What should be done regarding the adoption by LGBTQIA+ couples?

Relax the criteria: Sexual orientation or marital status cannot be the sole basis for the exclusion of same-sex couples from jointly adopting as long as they meet the suitability criteria and can ensure the best interest of the child.

Remove discrimination: An adopted child being raised by a same-sex couple through single parent adoption should not be discriminated against and deprived of the rights available to an adopted child raised by a heterosexual married couple.

Both the Parliament and the Supreme Court should consider the best interest of children, as well as the fundamental right to equality and non-discrimination of children and couples identifying as LGBTQI while examining the matter.

Be Smart, Be Humane – As more flee to Mizoram from Myanmar, New Delhi must understand costs of not having a refugee policy

News: Military operations in Myanmar have sent more refugees across the border to Mizoram.

About refugees in Mizoram

Ever since the military coup in Myanmar in 2021, the state hosts more than 40,000 refugees from Myanmar. Many refugees are from Myanmar’s Chin community. They share ethnic kinship ties with Mizos. So, the Mizoram government is expressing a tolerant attitude.

The influx of Kuki-Chin refugees from Bangladesh into the state has also been witnessed since last year after an operation by Bangladeshi security forces.

About India’s past refugee influx

India is neither a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention nor its 1967 protocol.

India has hosted some of the largest flows of refugees of all time and follows the principle of nonrefoulement. This includes hosting Tibetan refugees, millions of displaced individuals during Bangladesh’s 1971 liberation war and Sri Lankan Tamils fleeing the civil war.

What are the concerns associated with India’s approach to refugees?

-India is unprepared for a large flow of refugees. The current system is neither able to provide humanitarian assistance to refugees nor give them a clear path forward, including translocation to a third country. This gives an opportunity for local resentment against refugees.

-An increase in Myanmar refugees led to increased criminal activities, smuggling and drug trafficking in border areas.

-Not having a refugee policy might lead to ad-hoc policy decisions. For example, India did not provide shelter to adequate numbers of Afghan refugees who worked with India and the India-friendly former Afghan government.

What should be done?

India needs to have a clear refugee framework. Instead of a patchwork of rules and Acts the government should work on a national law on refugees.

India being a fast-growing major economy and an aspiring major global player must undertake a comprehensive review of its refugee management mechanism.

GS Paper 3

We need an action plan to deploy India’s demographic advantage

News: The issues in India which receive less attention are children education, skilling youth for better-quality jobs, and restoring the female labour force participation rate.

Why are these issues important?

They affect India’s ability to achieve desired growth. It has also been observed that the wage growth of listed companies has been increasing, despite low number of jobs created by them. This increases disparities.

Further, India’s Phillips Curve has steepened. This reflects a lack of adequate skilled labour and a lack of adequate upgrading of labour skills for the formal sector.

Due to this, India is creating too few jobs relative to the size of its labour force.

What are the other reasons that affect India’s growth?

Agriculture: There are many low-skilled labourers in agriculture. As per the World Bank, India’s agricultural labour force share was at 45% in 2020, despite the sector’s share in GDP is less than 20%.

Education: Educational gaps become hindrance to the development of high skilled labour. The educational gaps exist in spite of a steady improvement in school enrolments in India since 2006 and measures for educating the girl child.

Female labour participation rate: Pandemic has impacted India’s female labour participation. As per the data, it has declined from 18% in 2016 to 11% in 2022, and to under 7% in urban areas.

Even data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) shows that female labour force participation is low in an absolute sense and also relative to most peer countries.

What can be done to address these issues?

First, the proportion of low-wage agricultural work must be reduced and turned into higher-wage, better-skilled employment.

This can be done by – a) raising the sector’s presently subsidized costs of inputs to market prices, b) allow foreign entry into the sector and increase its productivity by lowering tariffs, c) reducing the number of agricultural labour by training the youth for vocational skills in manufacturing and services.

Second, the large primary education gaps created in children’s learning during the pandemic need to be decisively addressed.

This can be done by – a) delivering a grade-by-grade national curriculum for a 30-day remedial summer programme and another enriched 30-day start-of-the-year boot camp for reinforcement, b) ASER-style surveys could be conducted at pre-summer, end-of-summer and exit-of-boot-camp stages to assess success and identify remaining gaps, c) STEM education should be encouraged at secondary schooling levels in public schools, with screening based on entrance tests.

Third, it is necessary to make it easier for women to join and remain in the labour force, especially in urban areas.

This can be done by utilizing Corporate Social Responsibility of the companies to – a) Support for entities that provide education to the girl child and skilling to the young female population; b) maternity leaves and primary caregiver relief for spouses will provide the flexibility for mothers in resuming work; and, c) setting up of quality childcare facilities in company premises or neighborhoods to reduce the domestic burdens of working women.

A competition law that clicks for all

News: The government has constituted a committee in February 2023 to examine the need for a separate law on competition in digital markets.

What are the arguments in support of the separate competition law for digital markets?

The proponents of a separate competition law for digital markets (SCLDM) argue that entities in digital markets enjoy increasing returns and have a huge repository of data.

This might allow them to gain a monopolistic position in the market and engage in abusive practices such as market denial and the creation of entry barriers.

As a result, the idea is for a SCLDM that is based on ex ante rules and places specific requirements on systemically significant digital intermediaries (SIDIs).

However, the proposed idea to have separate competition law for digital markets may not be appealing.

Why is separate competition law for digital markets not a good step?

First, market failure usually arises from distortions in the choices made by producers and consumers. The distortion occurs when an economic activity is placed on a different level than others.

Hence, different laws for physical markets and digital markets would distort the level playing field and thereby contribute to market failure.

Second, digital markets are not different from physical markets in terms of competition. The sources of dominance, such as increasing returns to scale and data repositories, are not unique to digital markets.

Similarly, abuses like denial of markets and entry barriers are equally prevalent in physical and digital markets. The remedies like ex-ante regulations and obligations on large enterprises are equally relevant in both physical and digital markets.

Therefore, it is difficult to define digital markets and distinguish them from physical markets.

Third, newer kinds of markets keep emerging with time and technological advancements. Hence, it would be never ending as lawmaking cannot match the speed of technological changes.

Further, there are governance norms that disincentivize entities from abusing their dominance and entities cannot use their huge repository of data because they do not own it.

Thus, concerns, which are broadly similar in digital markets as in physical markets, are being addressed, as they emerge, without having a separate law.

Fourth, the case for SCLDM rests on the issue that an entity in digital markets may become dominant faster. However, this is irrelevant as dominance ceased to be a concern with the repeal of the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969.

Moreover, instead of prohibiting dominance, competition law prohibits abuse of dominance. The Competition Act, 2002, prohibits the abuse of dominance by a dominant enterprise, and defines who is “dominant” and what is “abusive”.

However, such definitions could be obsolete as market structure changes with time.

What can be the way ahead?

The existing competition law could adopt a similar approach to the prohibition of fraudulent and unfair trade practices (PFUTP) adopted in the securities markets.

Further, if Digital Competition Law is being considered then it is necessary that it digitalises the processes relating to compliance, monitoring, surveillance, investigation, enforcement, and appeals under the competition law.

Prelims-Oriented Articles (Factly)

State of World Population Report, 2023: India’s population to edge ahead of China’s by mid-2023, says U.N.

Source: The post is based on the following articles 

– “India’s population to edge ahead of China’s by mid-2023, says U.N.” published in The Hindu on 20th April 2023

– “India becomes world’s most populous nation: What’s behind the population numbers?” published in Indian Express on 20th April 2023

What is the News?

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has released the State of World Population Report, 2023.

What are the key findings of the report?

Globally: The population of the world is 8,045 million.

– Out of this, the largest share (65%) is of people between the ages of 15 – 64 years, followed by those in the 10-24 years group (24%).10% of the population is above 65 years of age.

Most populous regions: The world’s two most populous regions are Eastern and South-Eastern Asia [2.3 billion people – 29% of the global population]; and Central and Southern Asia [2.1 billion – 26%].

– China and India accounted for the largest populations in these regions, with more than 1.4 billion each in 2022.

Rate of population growth: The rate of global population growth has fallen, and has been at less than 1 per cent since 2020. 

– This is primarily due to declining fertility. Around two-thirds of people live in a country or area with a total fertility rate at or below 2.1 children per woman (widely considered the “replacement fertility” rate, also called the “zero-growth fertility” rate). In 1950 the global fertility rate stood at 5. 

Life expectancy: The life expectancy among men now stands at 71 years while among women it stands at 76 years. 

Future Projections: The global population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050 and 10.4 billion in 2100.

– Central and Southern Asia are expected to become the most populous region in the world by 2037.

– More than half of the projected increase in global population up to 2050 will be concentrated in eight countries – Congo (DRC), Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania.

What does the State of World Population Report, 2023 say about India?

India now has 1,428.6 million people and is the most populous country in the world, outstripping China’s population.

As much as 68% of India’s population belongs to the 15-64 years category, and 26% in the 10-24 years group, making India one of the youngest countries in the world. 

However, the fertility rate in India has been steadily dropping. The National Family Health 5 Survey (2019-21) found that India attained a Total Fertility Rate of 2.0 for the first time, less than the replacement level of 2.1, falling from 2.2 in NFHS 4 (2015-16).

The increased use of contraceptive methods, spacing of pregnancies, access to health care and the impetus to family planning, besides increasing wealth and education, has contributed to the growth rate of the population slowing. 

What does this mean for India?

India is in a unique position where the young and working population is larger than the population that needs care (children and the elderly).

This is unlike countries such as Japan with a declining population and an increasingly elderly population.

Such countries are, and will be, in dire need of skilled labour, and this is something that India can provide, capitalizing on its demographic dividend.

What are the suggestions given by the report?

The report has called for a radical rethink on how countries address changing demographics and cautioned against the use of family planning as a tool for achieving fertility targets. 

It warned that global experience showed that family planning targets can lead to gender-based discrimination and harmful practices such as prenatal sex determination leading to sex-selective abortion.

Instead, it strongly recommended that governments introduce policies with gender equality and rights at their heart, such as parental leave programmes, child tax credits, policies that promote gender equality in the workplace, and universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights.

From insects to trees: Over 30 Indian cities participate in City Nature Challenge

Source: The post is based on the article “From insects to trees: Over 30 Indian cities participate in City Nature Challenge” published in The Hindu on 20th April 2023

What is the News?

Over 30 Indian cities are set to participate in the City Nature Challenge.

Note: Bombay Natural History Society, World Wide Fund for Nature-India, and The Naturalist School have partnered to lead the event in cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Delhi.

What is the City Nature Challenge?

City Nature Challenge is an international effort for people to find and document plants and wildlife in cities across the globe. 

The event was first organized in the U.S. in 2016 by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences.

How does the City Nature Challenge work?

It is an app-based competition that records observations of nature.

Under this challenge, participants can use the iNaturalist app to click and upload a photo of natural flora and fauna.

The app uses Artificial Intelligence to suggest the species name. Community members will collaborate to confirm these suggestions.

GPS coordinates for the observation are picked up automatically from the image data.

Once an observation is confirmed, it becomes available to scientists and researchers who can use this data to research different plant and animal species or determine the biodiversity in a region.

The city with the most observations recorded over four days (April 28 to May 1) will be the winner.

What is the Bombay Natural History Society(BNHS)?

Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) is a pan-India wildlife research organization. It has been promoting the cause of nature conservation since 1883.

Aim: To spread awareness about nature through science-based research, conservation advocacy, education, scientific publications, nature tours and other programmes.

Will WTO ruling scuttle plans for Make in India?

Source: The post is based on the following articles 

– “WTO panel rules against India in IT tariffs dispute with EU, others” published in The Hindu on 20th April 2023

– “Will WTO ruling scuttle plans for Make in India?” published in Livemint on 20th April 2023.

What is the News?

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has found India’s tariffs on mobile phones and electronic components inconsistent with global norms.

What is the WTO dispute about?

Over the last few years, India has imposed import duties on electronic items aimed at discouraging Chinese imports and promoting domestic IT manufacturing.

However, India is a signatory to the Information Technology Agreement(ITA) which requires it to eliminate tariffs on a range of tech products.

The European Union, China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore and the US have objected to duties on communication components like microphones and transmission apparatus. 

In 2019, the EU and other countries challenged India’s introduction of import duties of between 7.5% and 20% for a wide range of IT products, such as mobile phones and components, as well as integrated circuits, saying they exceeded the maximum rate.

What was the WTO panel’s ruling?

The WTO panel found that India’s tariffs on certain IT products violated global trading rules, as they were inconsistent with the terms of the Information Technology Agreement (ITA).

The ruling has highlighted the need for India to align its trade policies with global norms and obligations.

What is India’s stand on this?

India argued that at the time of signing the ITA, products such as smartphones did not exist and hence, it was not bound to eliminate tariffs on such items.

What is the next option for India now?

India will approach WTO’s appellate body, but it’s remained non-functional since 2019 as membership to the body has dwindled. 

The US has been blocking appointment of new members as it believes that WTO is biased against it. Therefore, several cases are pending.

Centre asks States to enforce new rules to check stray dog numbers

Source: The post is based on the article “Centre asks States to enforce new rules to check stray dog numbers” published in The Hindu on 20th April 2023

What is the News?

The Union government has notified the Animal Birth Control Rules,2023 under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act, 1960.

These rules will supersede the Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules,2001.

What are the key provisions of the rules?

The rules put the onus of maintaining and controlling the population of stray dogs on local self-governments (LSGs) and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs).

It prescribes that Animal Birth Control (ABC) programmes for sterilization and immunization of stray dogs are to be carried out by LSGs.

The Rules also suggest euthanasia for incurably ill and mortally wounded dogs as diagnosed by a team appointed by the Local Animal Birth Control Monitoring Committee.

It also suggests the establishment of an Animal Help Centre where complaints about dog or cat bites can be registered.

The rules want the RWAs to designate feed spots for dogs which shall be far from children’s play areas, entry and exit points, staircase or in an area which is likely to be least frequented by children and senior citizens.

Why is a star-planet pair just 12 light-years away emitting radio signals?

Source: The post is based on the article “Why is a star-planet pair just 12 light-years away emitting radio signals?” published in The Hindu on 20th April 2023

What is the News?

Astronomers have discovered a repeating radio signal from YZ Ceti b, a rocky, Earth-sized exoplanet.

What is YZ Ceti b?

YZ Ceti b is a rocky, Earth-sized exoplanet rotating around a small red dwarf star only 12 light-years away from Earth.

What have astronomers discovered?

Astronomers have detected a repeating radio signal from YZ Ceti b.This discovery suggests the presence of a magnetic field around the planet, which is one of the prerequisites for a habitable planet.

How does Ceti b produce radio signals?

The radio signals detected from YZ Ceti b are a result of the interaction between the planet’s magnetic field and the star.

Such signals can only be produced if the exoplanet orbits very close to its parent star and has its own magnetic field to influence the stellar wind and generate the signals.

Why is a magnetic field important?

The magnetic field is important because the survival of a planet’s atmosphere may well depend on its having, or not having, a strong magnetic field, since the field protects its atmosphere from being eroded by the charged particles blowing in from its star.

What are Red Dwarf Stars?

Red dwarf stars are small, low-mass, dim, and cool stars, they are the most common and smallest in the universe.

As they don’t radiate much light, it’s very tough to detect them with the naked eye from Earth.

However, as red dwarfs are dimmer than other stars, it is easier to find exoplanets that surround them. Therefore, red dwarfs are a popular target for planet hunting.

No 100% biodegradable plastic in India, says BIS

Source: The post is based on the article “No 100% biodegradable plastic in India, says BIS” published in The Hindu on 20th April 2023

What is the News?

The Bureau of Indian Standards(BIS) has said that plastic is not a 100% biodegradable product and if any manufacturers claim otherwise it will be equivalent to a misleading advertisement.

Why has BIS issued this statement on plastic?

Several companies are claiming that their products use “biodegradable plastic”. On this, BIS has said that as of now there is no 100% biodegradable plastic in India.

It said firms making such claims or ‘greenwashing’ their products are liable to face action under the “misleading advertisements” rules of the Consumer Protection Act.

Note: Greenwashing entails making an unsubstantiated claim to deceive consumers into believing that a company’s products are environmentally friendly or have a greater positive environmental impact than they actually do.

Currently, the government gives certificates only to “compostable plastic manufacturers”, which is different from certificates for manufacturing biodegradable plastic. In the case of compostable plastic, the materials are treated in controlled environmental conditions in industries.

What are Green Standards?

Green standards indicate the environmental attributes or performance of a product or service. 

The aim is to reduce the negative impact of human activities on the natural environment and promote the efficient use of resources.

BIS has framed green standards for different sectors which include: Raw materials for construction (like fly ash, construction and demolition waste, cement, fly ash bricks), waste disposal (like recycling of plastics waste), electronic vehicles (EV charging infrastructure and battery swapping system), agriculture (organic farming process); renewable energy (wind turbines, energy-efficient motors and solar PV modules).

Key Supreme Court verdicts that moved the needle on LGBTQ rights in India

Source: The post is based on the article “Key Supreme Court verdicts that moved the needle on LGBTQ rights in India” published in Indian Express on 20th April 2023

What is the News?

The Supreme Court has continued to hear a batch of pleas seeking legal recognition for same-sex marriages.

What is the case about?

Click Here to read

What is the Central Government’s stand on same-sex marriage?

The Central Government has opposed same-sex marriage. It has said that the demand for legal recognition of same-sex marriage is merely a voicing of “urban elitist views” for the purpose of social acceptance.

What has the Supreme Court said on the Centre’s stand on same sex marriage?

The Supreme Court has said that sexual orientation is an innate characteristic over which individuals have no control and the state cannot push aside the need for legal recognition of same-sex marriage within the LGBTQIA+community as an “urban and elitist” concept without any data to support the claim.

What are the various Supreme Court verdicts that moved the needle towards LGBT rights in India?

NALSA v Union of India: This was a landmark decision where the apex court legally recognised “third gender”/transgender persons for the first time.

– The Court recognised that third-gender persons were entitled to fundamental rights. Further, it directed state governments to develop mechanisms to realize the rights of “third gender”/transgender persons. 

KS Puttaswamy v Union of India: In 2017, a nine-judge Bench of the Supreme Court unanimously recognised the right to privacy as a fundamental right under the Constitution.

Shafin Jahan v Union of India: The SC in 2018 set aside a Kerala High Court judgment that annulled the marriage of a 24-year-old woman who converted to Islam and married a man of her choice. The ruling recognised the right to choose one’s partner as a facet of the fundamental right to liberty and dignity.

Shakti Vahini v Union of India: A three-judge Bench of the SC in 2018 issued directives to prevent honour killings at the behest of khap panchayats and protect persons who marry without the approval of the panchayats. In the ruling, the Court recognised the right to choose a life partner as a fundamental right.

Navtej Johar v Union of India: In 2018, the SC unanimously held that Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, which criminalized ‘carnal intercourse against the order of nature’, was unconstitutional in so far as it criminalized consensual sexual conduct between adults of the same sex.

– This ruling essentially said that the LGBTQ community are equal citizens and underlined that there cannot be discrimination in law based on sexual orientation and gender.

Deepika Singh vs Central Administrative Tribunal: The SC in 2022 decided in favour of a woman who was denied maternity leave for her first biological child on the ground that she had already availed the benefit for her two non-biological children. 

– The ruling recognised “atypical” families, including queer marriages, which could not be confined to traditional parenting roles.

Cabinet approves National Quantum Mission to scale-up scientific & industrial R&D for quantum technologies

Source: The post is based on the following articles 

– “Union Cabinet gives nod for ₹6,003 crore Quantum Mission” published in PIB on 20th April 2023

– “Cabinet approves National Quantum Mission to scale-up scientific & industrial R&D for quantum technologies” published in PIB on 20th April 2023.

What is the News?

The Union Cabinet has approved the ₹6,003 crore National Quantum Mission (NQM).

What is the National Quantum Mission (NQM)?

Nodal Ministry: Department of Science and Technology

Aim: To seed, nurture and scale up scientific and industrial R&D and create a vibrant & innovative ecosystem in Quantum Technology.

Duration of the mission: 2023-24 to 2030-31

Targets under the mission: The mission will entail the development of satellite-based secure communications between a ground station and a receiver located at 3,000 km during the first three years. 

– For satellite-based communication within Indian cities, NQM will lay communication lines using Quantum Key Distribution over 2,000kms. 

– For long-distance quantum communication, especially with other countries, tests will be conducted in the coming years.

– The mission will also focus on developing quantum computers (qubit) with physical qubit capacities ranging between 50 – 1000 qubits developed over the next eight years. 

Thematic Hubs: Four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) will be set up in top academic and National R&D institutes on the domains – Quantum Computing, Quantum Communication, Quantum Sensing & Metrology and Quantum Materials & Devices. 

– The hubs will focus on the generation of new knowledge through basic and applied research as well as promote R&D in areas that are mandated to them.

Secretariat: The Governing Body of the mission will be chaired by a renowned scientist or an entrepreneur from the technology, industry or research sector.

– The Mission Technology Research Council will be headed by the Principal Scientific Advisor and will be the scientific advisory mechanism for the Governing Body.

Significance of the mission: The mission would greatly benefit communication, health, financial and energy sectors as well as drug design, and space applications. 

– It will provide a huge boost to National priorities like digital India, Make in India, Skill India and Stand-up India, Start-up India, Self-reliant India and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

ISRO to launch Singaporean Earth Observation satellite TeLEOS-02

Source: The post is based on the article “ISRO to launch Singaporean Earth Observation satellite TeLEOS-02” published in The Hindu on 20th April 2023

What is the News?

ISRO is going to launch a Singaporean Earth Observation satellite named TeLEOS-02 from Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle(PSLV).

What is the TeLEOS-02 satellite?

TeLEOS 2 is a 750 kg Earth Observation Satellite.

Purpose: It is designed to capture round-the-clock, all-weather satellite imagery of the Earth and it will provide a host of data to help with various operations. 

– The satellite will provide imagery which will be used for hotspot monitoring and haze management along with assistance in aviation accidents, search and rescue operations, and more.

– The satellite features synthetic aperture radar which can provide data in 1-metre resolution. 

Significance of this launch by ISRO: This is not the first time the ISRO will be launching a Singaporean satellite from India. 

– It launched three Singaporean satellites with the PSLVC-53 mission in 2022 and in 2015, the ISRO launched the TeLEOS-1, which was the first Singapore commercial Earth Observation Satellite.