9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – July 7th, 2022

Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

• Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Maulana Azad show how to deal with hurt religious sentiments

GS Paper 2

• Twitter’s legal challenge to Centre’s takedown orders flags issues of free speech
• Unleashing the ropeways
• Across democracies, supreme courts’ legitimacy, autonomy are under question
• Words from Bandung to relive in Bali and Delhi
• A ‘no’ to pharma freebies, a ‘yes’ for public good
• Hate crime, punishment
• Weaponization of IPC to set police on journalists cuts across parties — and clamps down on press freedom

GS Paper 3

• Taking stock of five years of GST
• India-EU: global dynamics
• Improving the odds for 5G
• Shahida, Aura & Stories Of Two Markets
• Air pocket: Show cause to SpiceJet overdue. DGCA has to be more proactive on safety

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Explained: What are critical minerals, the centerpiece of a new India-Australia collaboration?
• Rapidly charging E-cycle developed with Na-ion batteries and supercapacitors
• 10 years since ‘god particle’: How the world of physics has evolved
• Understanding the all-time high in India’s trade deficit
• Heavy rainfall due to climate change increasing landslides, say experts
• Explained: Why Twitter has moved court against govt’s content-blocking orders
• Centre considers releasing GatiShaakti master plan in public domain
• Varroa Mite: Explained: Why Australia has killed millions of bees to save its honey industry
• NMA chairman submits report to Culture Minister on declaring Mangarh hillock in Rajasthan as a monument of National Importance as tribute to 1500 Bhil tribal freedom fighters

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Maulana Azad show how to deal with hurt religious sentiments

News: Muslims find blasphemy an abominable act for which the offender must part with his life. This is a popular narrative but has hardly any Quranic validation and is not consistent with what the Prophet did in his lifetime.

Two widely respected public intellectuals and religious scholars of India, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1817-1898) and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1888-1958) found that the punishment for blasphemy was not in conformity with the teachings of Islam.

Their judicious views on blasphemy are invested with the potential to solve the vexed issue.

What are the views of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad on blasphemy?

The issue of blasphemy repeatedly surfaced in 19th and 20th-century India, and Sir Syed and Azad, known proponents of contrary political ideologies, tried to acquaint Muslims with credible Islamic laws dealing with the matter.

They urged Muslims not to be carried away by emotions. Instead, they said, a compellingly argued reply to the profanity-filled books or remarks would be more effective.

– Further, the Quran did not specify corporal punishment for such a deplorable act.

One must not take vengeance on behalf of the Almighty or his messenger.

For Sir Syed, blasphemy does not call for violent and loud protest and requires nothing short of a rational rejoinder. It means one responds to books with books, words with words. Banning or burning books offers no solution (“kitab ka jawab kitab hai kitab jalana nahi”).

Example: In 1873, Bombay was rocked by a violent clash between Muslims and Parsis, following the publication of the translation of a Persian book allegedly full of disparaging remarks about the Prophet.

Sir Syed responded to the situation by writing an editorial in his bilingual newspaper, the Aligarh Institute Gazette, and spelt out what caused communalism in India.

Sir Syed wrote: “One must not try to settle the issue by himself. The nasty books aimed at denouncing or despising other religions must not find their way; the government must enact stringent laws, and these texts are to be settled with the provisions of the sedition laws.”

When Swami Shraddhanand’s (1856-1926) book was published, Maulana Azad, strongly insisted that Muslims should not try to punish the guilty without seeking remedies offered by the Constitution.

Way forward

Sir Syed and Azad’s judicious views on blasphemy are invested with the potential to solve the vexed issue that frequently surfaces in countries where many Muslims live. In India, they are of particular importance.

GS Paper 2

Twitter’s legal challenge to Centre’s takedown orders flags issues of free speech

News: As the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MEITY) conducts a week-long celebration to mark eight years of the Digital India program, Twitter has filed a writ petition in the Karnataka High Court against it.

It is representative of a Faustian bargain of digitization that promises financial and social benefits when we give up our civil and political rights.

Digital connectivity has increased manifold in India over the years. But, is mere connectivity enough to fulfill the democratic promises of the Constitution?

Why has Twitter gone to court?

Twitter has been prompted to go to court to protect the integrity of its platform, rather than in arrogant defiance against the laws of India.

– As per parliamentary data, the number of such orders has risen from 471 in 2014 to 9,849 in 2020 representing a 1991 percent increase (Unstarred Question 1788).

What are the issues involved?

A comprehensive qualitative assessment of such orders is prevented by official secrecy. The need for disclosure emerges directly from a joint reading of the Shreya Singhal and Anuradha Bhasin judgments.

– Through a voluntary mechanism, Twitter sporadically uploads the specific web addresses included in blocking orders to the Lumen Database, a project that houses legal complaints and requests for the removal of content. This is a transparency practice not followed by any other social media company operating in India.

From a citizens’ rights perspective, however, the need to rely on a voluntary mechanism is a cause for concern. It is also unsustainable, as it may eventually come under threat.

Another persisting issue has been the failure to provide a prior show-cause notice and opportunity to the actual users whose web content is blocked.

– Take the case of Tanul Thakur, a journalist who in his free time made a satirical website to parody the social evil of dowry. His website was blocked without any notice provided to him, and the blocking order itself was never provided. Even after approaching the Delhi High Court, MEITY only provided the order to him and his lawyers.

– Another instance is when Sushant Singh, an actor, author, and presenter, was blocked without any order being served on him. He had to approach the Bombay High Court for redress.

There are regulatory proposals to increase government control over the internet. In a recently concluded public consultation to amend the Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 injuries to free expression and privacy are being reinforced.

– A draft of the amendments proposes the appointment of a Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) as a government body that would hear appeals against the decisions of social media platforms to remove or not remove content.

– The draft amendments state that the GAC will be a government-appointed body, but do not state whether this body will grant a right of hearing to content creators or even publish its orders.

What are the concerns with GAC?

Firstly, the executive-constituted committee will make the central government (instead of, ideally, an independent judicial or a regulatory body) the arbiter of permissible speech on the internet.

– It would incentivise social media platforms to suppress any speech that may not be palatable to the government, public officials, or those who can exert political pressure.

Secondly, it will empower the government to censor speech on grounds not stated under Section 69A of the IT Act, 2000 or Article 19(2) of the Constitution.

– Hence, the government may even bypass the need to issue blocking orders, and instead, decide to crowdsource censorship.

Unleashing the ropeways

News: Union Finance minister made a pointed reference in her Budget speech about ropeways, not merely as tourist attractions, but also as transportation solutions.

It is noteworthy that the government’s vision of “ropeways as transportation solutions” covers congested urban areas and river-crossings too.

What did Union Finance Minister say about ropeways in her budget speech?

The minister stated that –

– Parvatmala, or the National Ropeways Development Programme, is a preferred ecologically sustainable alternative to conventional roads in difficult hilly areas.

– It will be taken up in PPP (public-private partnership) mode. The aim is to improve connectivity and convenience for commuters, besides promoting tourism.

– This may also cover congested urban areas, where a conventional mass transit system is not feasible. Contracts for eight ropeway projects for a length of 60 km will be awarded in 2022-23.

What are examples of some ropeway projects across the globe?

Colombia

– On urban connectivity, getting acclaim internationally is Colombia’s largest public works project — the new mass transit cable car service in the capital city of Bogota.

– It connects high points of two of the city’s low-income neighbourhoods. It is able to transport 3,600 passengers per hour and benefits 700,000 residents who are now able to make a trip in 10 minutes that earlier took 60-90 minutes.

India

– India has its iconic project across the Brahmaputra river. In the summer of 2020, a 1.8 km ropeway was commissioned, making it the longest river ropeway in the country.

– Thousands of people commute every day between Guwahati and North Guwahati. The ropeway enables travel in 10 minutes — a journey that otherwise takes 45 minutes by ferry, or over an hour by road.

What are different types of ropeways?

Passenger ropeways are classified according to their operational characteristics. The more common forms are aerial tramways, gondolas, funiculars, and chair lifts.

Advantages of ropeways

As a transportation alternative, they present clear advantages, with reference to specific terrains.

– a) lower land acquisition costs, b) environmentally friendly and c) contrary to popular belief, can handle volumes. A robust ropeway can carry up to 10,000 passengers an hour — the equivalent of 200 busloads, d) Ropeways can handle steep gradients, e) Optimal use of land – In urban settings, ropeways need only narrow-based vertical supports at intervals. This leaves the rest of the ground free.

Which ministry has been tasked with dev of ropeways?

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has been made responsible for the development of ropeways and alternative mobility solutions.

It thus now has the responsibility for crafting a regulatory regime for the sector, including issues related to choice of technology, safety and operational guidelines.

Within MoRTH, an in-house subsidiary, the National Highways Logistics Management Ltd (NHLML), has been assigned to undertake all the work related to the development of ropeways.

How the safety issues are being handled?

The Union home ministry issued an advisory to all states in April in the wake of a ropeway accident that happened in Deoghar district of Jharkhand.

The ministry has stressed the need to have detailed standard operating procedures and a contingency plan on ropeway operations to prevent the occurrence of any such incidents in future.

Internationally, the ropeways industry is dominated by EU companies, which account for 90% of the industry worldwide. The EU has specific safety legislation in place.

Way forward

It is expected that with an emphasis on “Atmanirbharta”, India’s existing ropeway manufacturers and developers will now get an opportunity to scale up and emerge as key players in a global context.

Across democracies, supreme courts’ legitimacy, autonomy are under question

News: Recently, the US Senator declared that the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has “burned whatever legitimacy they still have”.  The New York Times has referred to “the Supreme Court’s declining institutional credibility [that] has wounded the nation’s confidence in the judge as an impartial guardian of the law”

But the question of the “declining legitimacy of a Supreme Court” is a concern of all democrats, even in India.

What are the challenges faced by Supreme Courts worldwide?

The centrality of all these issues is the court’s autonomy. For example,

-In Poland, the present government tries to undermine the supreme court’s independence. This resulted in the European Union warning the Polish government that its membership of the EU was at risk.

-In the US, the recent array of decisions has severely eroded the court’s legitimacy. These include, a) Overturning the 50-year-old judgment of Roe versus Wade on the right to abortions, b) The affirmation of gun rights deriving from the Second Amendment, c) limiting the power of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce greenhouse gases across states.

How can the Supreme Court address the question of legitimacy?

On this question of “legitimacy”, there are three important aspects. These include 1) The court’s role in enforcing the core principle of “limited government”, 2) The court’s recognition, and endorsement of the fundamental distinction between “rule of law” and “rule by law”, and 3) The court’s role as the promoter of “constitutional morality”.

Enforcing limited government: The executive controls the machinery of government and often tends to misuse it, particularly in situations when they dominate the other institutions of the state. The court must clip the executive’s wings. The court’s must speak on behalf of the rights of the ordinary citizen.

The court’s sometimes misread their role as implementers of government policy, but they are not.

The distinction between “rule of law” and “rule by law”: According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “The rule of law is supposed to lift law above politics. The idea is that the law should stand above every powerful person and agency in the land. Rule by law, in contrast, connotes the instrumental use of the law as a tool of political power. It means that the state uses law to control its citizens but tries never to allow law to be used to control the state”.

Authoritarian regimes hide behind rule by law. Those regimes also seek to control the appointment of judges. By controlling the judiciary, regimes are able to shift the dispute from the domain of politics to the chambers of the courts. This must end.

Court as a custodian of constitutional morality: Whenever democracy spreads and colonises aspects of social and political life, the court must immediately enter the playing field and regulate this spread. The court must remind politics of what is permitted and what is proscribed.

Supreme courts need to be vigilant about the threats to their “legitimacy”. They need to stand some distance above political dynamics so that they can reflect on their privileged position and their sacred responsibility.

Words from Bandung to relive in Bali and Delhi

News: In the last month, the BRICS Summit, the G-7 summit, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit were held. The Indian Prime Minister attended the BRICS summit and the G-7 Summit. India was not a part of the NATO summit.

What are the emerging issues in the statements of these plurilateral/ multilateral meetings?

The BRICS Beijing Declaration

Both Mr. Xi and Mr. Putin mostly targeted the unilateral economic sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union on Russia.

The BRICS economic initiatives are poised to challenge the western-led sanctions against Russia. For example:

(1) The New Development Bank (NDB) has approved about 17 loans for Russian energy and infrastructure projects,

(2) The Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA), and a BRICS Payments Task Force (BPTF) aims to coordinate between their central banks for an alternative to the SWIFT payments system.

(3) Mr. Putin also proposed building a global reserve currency based on a “basket of currencies” and trading in local currencies.

The G-7 Summit Statement

In a number of statements, the members targeted Russia’s war in Ukraine and China’s economic aggression.

The grouping also released the “Resilient Democracies” and “Clean and Just Transitions towards Climate Neutrality” outreach document, on which India and other invitees signed. However, invitees were not allowed to mention their stand on the Ukraine issue.

The NATO meeting

In its number statements, NATO members had committed themselves to take more actions against “Russian aggression”. They called China’s action a form of “systemic competition”, which is a challenge to NATO “interests, security and values”.

Therefore, The U.S.’s trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific military allies sent out a clear message against a perceived Russia-China alliance.

Consequently, another Indo-Pacific coalition called the “Partners in the Blue Pacific” (PBP), was launched, in addition to last year’s Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS).

What are the Foreign Policy Challenges in front of India?

There is growing deep polarisation between the Western Atlantic-Pacific axis and the Russia-China combine, in the world.

India’s Foreign Policy seems to have a tightrope walk on the Russian issue. For example:

(1) On one side, India has been working hard to diversify its defence purchases from Russia. Further, India’ hostilities with China are at an all-time high. Therefore, India is also strategically moving towards the U.S. and Quad partners in the Indo-Pacific Region.

(2) On the other hand,

(a) India has chosen to neither condone Russia for its attacks on Ukraine, nor criticise it.

(b) Since the Western sanctions, India has increased import of oil, fertilizer, cement and other commodities, from Russia. This is being done using different means. For example, India is paying for the import, in the Chinese Yuan to circumvent sanctions.

What should be the approach of India’s foreign policy in the coming period?

India should seize the moment for leadership in a world that is becoming increasingly uncomfortable due to polarisation. In 1955, it was in such a similar moment that India took leadership that eventually led to the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). “

For example, India is going to be the next President of the G-20. Therefore, it should work to ensure that the G-20 stays together. India should reassure those worried by the brinkmanship of the West on one side and Russia and China on the other.

India should bring together a large pool of independently like-minded countries who cannot afford hostilities, and want to avoid the possibility of a global war at all costs.

A ‘no’ to pharma freebies, a ‘yes’ for public good

News: Recently, a bench of the Supreme Court has given a judgment on freebies given to doctors by the pharma companies.

About the M/s Apex Laboratories Pvt. Ltd. vs Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax, Large Tax Payer Unit-II Case,

The company was giving out freebies to doctors to create awareness about a health supplement it was manufacturing, which was called Zincovit.

The Judgment

The court held that the act of pharmaceutical companies giving freebies to doctors is clearly ‘prohibited by the law’.

Earlier, it was prohibited under the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002 framed under the Medical Council Act, 1956.

However, at present, the law has been repealed and substituted by the National Medical Commission Act, 2019.

Further, the freebies cannot be claimed as a deduction under Section 37(1) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

Importance of the judgment

At present, the pharma products have become out of reach for the common man due to unethical and illegal practices in the pharma sector.  The judgment will go a long way to check it.

The pharmaceutical companies have misused a legislative gap. They have actively perpetuated the commission of an offence of giving freebies to doctors to promote their brands.

The court laid emphasis on the fiduciary relationship between doctor and patient. The patients consider the doctor’s prescription as the final word on medication. Therefore, it shouldn’t be manipulated by the lure of freebies. It drives up the prices of the medicines.

The judgment referred to a report issued by the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office. The report mentioned that the patients could save in out-of-pocket payments if they buy generic equivalent drugs instead of branded ones.

What are the other Issues in the Pharma sector?

Most of the medicines are sold at the Maximum Retail Price, or MRP in pharmacist shops.

Although India has the Drug Price Control Order and Drugs and Cosmetics Act. The agency hardly takes any action to keep the sale price of medicines under control, and keep the profit margins within a prescribed limit.

Way Forward

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare also highlighted the same issues in its 45th report, dated August 4, 2010.

Therefore, the parliament should amend law in order to compel the drug manufacturer to sell their pharma products at the verified genuine cost. This should also factor in a reasonable profit margin for each product. There must be a uniform rate throughout the country.

Further, classified life-saving drugs should be sold at cost only or even at subsidised rates.

The government can use financial tools such as income-tax provisions for disallowing such expenditure etc.

Hate crime, punishment

News: In recent, Umesh Kolhe, a chemist working in Amravati, Maharashtra, and Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor working in Udaipur, Rajasthan were knifed to death in retaliation for their sharing of a post in support of controversial comments on the Prophet.

What are the problems with hate speech?

Although India laws clearly define the reasonableness of the right to exercise the freedom of expression in India. However, the Indian laws do not clearly define hate speech, which are directed at communities and intended to fan communal hatred.

In the age of online media and messaging, hate speech incidents have become a significant problem.

Legal Regime

There are provisions in the law that can be interpreted as allowing for criminalising offences that are related to hate speech, in particular those that are likely to incite violence.

Way Forward

The Law Commission of India has recommended adding specific provisions in the Indian Penal Code to tackle hate speech.

The Union and the State governments should reassure citizens on the need for communal amity and it should reassure that the purveyors of hate speech and those indulging in violence in retaliation will be prosecuted.

The governments must reorient themselves to the rule of law. They should strictly adhere to constitutional values like the secular fabric of the country must be preserved at all costs.

Justice and the application of the rule of law should not only be seen to be done. It should be applied in a fair manner without prejudice for or against specific communities.

The Union and State governments should not use the enforcement authorities to inflict collective punishment on communities for the individual acts of transgression.

All the political parties including those in power and in opposition, must refrain from fanning communal hatred.

Weaponization of IPC to set police on journalists cuts across parties — and clamps down on press freedom

News: Recently, Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of Alt News, and Rohit Ranjan, Zee News anchor were arrested by Delhi Police and Chhattisgarh Police, respectively, in different circumstances and specific contexts.

What were the causes?

Zubair was arrested for a 2018 tweet that shared a clip from a 1980s’ film by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, weeks after he flagged controversial remarks that were made on the Prophet, in his TV debate.

He was arrested under Sections 153 (A) and 295 (A), for promoting enmity between different groups, and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings among the community.

Rohit Ranjan was arrested for his show which ran a misleading video of Rahul Gandhi, for which the channel later apologised.

Argument against such arrest

The arrest amounts to endangering due process and violations of the rights and freedoms of speech and expression.

The Constitution of India guarantees freedom to ask questions to the state, express opposition or dissent.

There are allegations of weaponization of the sections of IPC. For example, misuse of IPC’s Section 124A in Ravi’s case or Sections 153 and 295 against Zubair and Ranjan in the ongoing case.

On the world stage, India speaks of “vibrant democracy” and commits to “protecting the freedom of expression and opinion online and offline”.

Way Forward

The ruling parties as well as the opposition parties need to look at their failure to protect free speech.

GS Paper 3

Taking stock of five years of GST

News: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) has completed five years in existence. It was said that GST would be a boon to the economy in terms of higher revenue buoyancy, lower inflation, higher revenue, higher growth, and so on. But five years after implementation India is still facing higher inflation levels.

What is the theoretical impact of GST on inflation?

Firstly, the revenue-neutral rate (RNR) is calculated so that it would not cause higher inflation. But revenue neutrality does not mean that prices would be maintained in the economy. This is because the weight of goods in the consumption basket and their contributions to indirect tax collections are not the same.

Secondly, the effect of GST on the prices of certain goods and services depends on the structure and design of taxation, such as the level of exemptions, the rate structure of GST, the weight of goods and services in the CPI basket, the tax base, the efficiency of the administrative machinery, and so on.

Thirdly, in a 2017 report, the RBI showed that about half of the groups of items that GST covers are not in the CPI basket. So, the effect of GST on prices was expected to be small.

Finally, prior to the GST implementation, it was expected that prices would go down because GST harmonises indirect tax rates and eliminates the cascading effect.

What is the actual impact of GST on inflation?

During the 12 months preceding GST implementation, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation was 3.66%, while it increased to 4.24% post-GST in the next 12 months. A similar pattern was observed in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. This is because,

First, rise in the tax rate of some goods and services, the inclusion of business activities that were not taxed earlier, or the market structure. This would result in higher prices since the firms would pass on the cost to the consumers.

Second, when market power increases, prices increase, and profit also increases. Further, taking advantage of market power, it is possible that most firms would have passed the taxes to end consumers, resulting in a cost-push inflationary impact of the GST.

GST is found to have a significant positive impact on inflation of commodity groups such as paan, tobacco and intoxicants, clothing and footwear, housing, and miscellaneous sectors (mainly consisting of services).

To be precise GST implementation has resulted in a decrease in inflation of food items and raised inflation of non-food items such as CPI, paan, tobacco and intoxicants, clothing and footwear, housing, miscellaneous, and non-exempted food and beverages.

What should be done to check the GST’s inflationary impact?

It is witnessed profiteering in select segments after GST. To pre-empt this possibility, the government set up the National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAA) to ensure companies did not use GST as an excuse to raise prices. NAA should monitor the prices of critical or essential goods and services to see the price impact of GST.

Similarly, the Competition Commission of India should observe anti-competitive producer behaviour that hurts consumers via excessive price increases. These measures may ensure that producers do not take advantage of the GST.

India-EU: global dynamics

Context: Both India and the EU are committed to climate change, and the recent progress in India-EU alliance opens prospects of a customised partnership and mutual growth.

Carbon neutrality and European Union

At the forefront of the commitment to net-zero is the European Union, which wants to be the first carbon-neutral region in the world by 2050.

It brought out the ‘European Union Green Deal’ in July 2021 to focus on a new growth strategy. It aims to transform the EU society into a fair and wealthy one with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy.

What has the EU done to achieve carbon neutrality?

To attain carbon neutrality, the EU has set forth immediate targets and has brought out the ‘Fit-for-55’ package, a communication of its 2030 climate targets.

– A provision in the policy plan is the introduction of Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), a carbon-pricing system proposed for imports into the EU. The CBAM suggests taxing the imported goods-based difference between carbon used in the production of domestic and imported goods.

– CBAM is proposed to be complementary to the EU Emission Trading Scheme (EUETS)

What are the concerns regarding CBAM?

Developing countries have raised their concern on the b pointing out its conflict with WTO and UNFCCC norms, and are afraid that it encourages protectionism.

Developing countries also flag the use of revenue collected from CBAM.

– According to the EU, revenue collected from CBAM will be a part of the EU’s budget, the NextGenerationEU, a recent initiative launched to provide economic support to EU member countries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

– Countries opposing the proposed revenue utilisation mechanism suggest that if CBAM is to be implemented, revenue collected from it should be used for cleaner technology adoption in developing countries.

Trade relationship b/w India and EU

India and the EU share a healthy trade relationship.

The EU is India’s third-largest trading partner, while India is EU’s 11th largest trading partner.

Recently, there has been increasing initiative from both sides to deepen engagement with each other.

Talks on India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that were stalled a while ago have picked up again and are scheduled to take place in June. The target to finalise the Free Trade Agreement has been set for 2023-24.

Way forward

Both India and the EU are committed to climate change. Rather than taxing exports to EU as proposed in CBAM, India and EU can cooperate better by investing in cleaner and greener technologies in India and helping in cleaning up production in India.

Such a partnership will ensure that both India and the EU have their agendas of economic growth and sustainability fulfilled, a win-win situation for both entities.

Improving the odds for 5G

News: Recently, the government announced 5G spectrum auctions and limited E-Band backhaul allocation. Two bands of 250 MHz of E-band spectrum (70-80 GHz) are to be assigned to each telco that wins the 5G spectrum. But this is confusing, as there are 10 GHz available.

What is a Spectrum Auction?

Click Here to read about it

What are the challenges with India’s Spectrum allocation?

Restricting capacity: In other countries such as the US or the EU, policies are framed to enable usage of the full 10 GHz at a minimal cost. This provides flexible capacity for much higher output. But a self-imposed constraint by the government will restrict the capacity of telecos.

Even the spread of 4G small cells is constrained in India, thereby reducing efficiency and productivity.

Discriminatory allocation of spectrum to non-telcos: Private companies will apparently be allotted spectrum on preferential terms compared with telcos. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.

Note: Wireless backhaul is the use of wireless communication systems to transport data between the internet and subnetworks. It can help an organization or mobile network to eliminate the need for physical cabling.

Limit India’s 5G capability: Limiting wireless backhaul or pricing it high will cripple 5G and even 4G. This is because wireless backhaul will not be deployed extensively if the cost is prohibitive.

Without extensive wireless backhaul, the access spectrum from auctions cannot be fully utilised because of limited direct fibre connectivity.

What should be done?

Enable telcos to use available resources: This will increase productivity and efficiency.

Follow the US, the EU, and the UK in E-band backhaul allocation: These include non-exclusive nationwide licences, with mandatory coordination and link registration (usually through a geolocation database).

Setting up and institutionalising processes: Indian authorities need to focus on setting up and institutionalising processes such as non-exclusive licensing to telcos, and the mechanism of geolocation databases for backhaul spectrum for mandatory coordination and registration.

Increase gigabit wireless links: Policies need to be framed to help build and grow gigabit wireless links to reinvigorate the sector and recover the trajectory and contribution. For instance, India can replicate “Square Mile” concept in London.

“Square Mile” approach: In 2017, London initiated a project for providing free public gigabit Wi-Fi throughout Square Mile. The design incorporated 4G small cells for better connectivity.

The backhaul uses a self-organising millimetre wave (mmWave) mesh as a “neutral host” that enables use by multiple operators. The mesh gives all service providers gigabit backhaul and access applications at 12Gbps with its 60GHz mmWave access and backhaul.

Allocate spectrum equitably: There are only three serious telecom operators in India. Hence, the spectrum can be allocated equitably to all three without auctions. The funds diverted to auctions could then be invested in networks, and collections from revenue sharing are likely to far exceed collections from auctions.

Mandatory infrastructure sharing: Operators should share infrastructure with one neutral host network, or two competing networks owned by different consortiums.

Shahida, Aura & Stories Of Two Markets

News: In recent times, a number of surveys from the government and from private organisations like CMIE were released about the women labour force participation rate.

What is the situation wrt women labour force participation rate in India?

Indian women’s labour force participation is one of the lowest in the world.

Further, jobs done by most women are found to be in the informal sector.

What are the issues in women’s labor force participation?

Most of the women do work out of compulsion, not by choice. For example, Shahida worked by compulsion because her husband fell chronically ill and could work no more. So Shahida had to find work.

There is a widening gap in women’s work participation. The reasons are complex.

The government cannot reduce these gaps through job reservations or tax incentives to employers for hiring women because the problem is deeper.

Way Forward

(A)  Role models

– Story of Shahida, a 21-years old self-employed e-rickshaw driver who lives in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

She received a day-long training to drive the e-rickshaw and change its tyres with the help of an NGO. Now she runs a e-rickshaw on rent.

– Aura, a cancer survivor,

She emigrated from Colombia to the US. She has a fulltime job, as a cleaner in a building at an educational facility. She also has social security like health insurance.

Further, on weekends, she cleans houses to supplement her income.

(B) There should be a change in gender norms that allow and expect a woman to take charge of her life

Air pocket: Show cause to SpiceJet overdue. DGCA has to be more proactive on safety

News: India’s civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) issued a show-cause notice to SpiceJet after reviewing a series of incidents. DGCA has concluded that the airline had poor internal safety oversight and inadequate maintenance.

Consequently, there’s been a degradation in safety margin. There have been at least seven instances reported since May. For example, the Delhi-Dubai flight had to be diverted to Karachi after a snag.

About the air accidents in India

The Government informed Rajya Sabha that there have been investigations into 49 air accidents since 2016. The findings showed that the main reasons for accidents were a) A failure on the part of the cockpit crew to stick to standard operating procedures, b) Technical defects and c) Factors related to the weather and ATC.

In 2013-14, the US Federal Aviation Authority decided to downgrade Indian civil aviation from category I to category II after an audit brought out shortcomings in safety and maintenance. It had an adverse impact on the international plans of some Indian carriers.

How DGCA can improve aviation safety?

DGCA primarily deals with safety issues. DGCA’s primary responsibility is to take timely action to make sure that Indian flyers are guaranteed safety standards that match the best. That requires being proactive when problems are at a nascent stage.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Explained: What are critical minerals, the centerpiece of a new India-Australia collaboration?

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained: What are critical minerals, the centerpiece of a new India-Australia collaboration?” published in Indian Express on 5th July 2022.

What is the News?

India and Australia have decided to strengthen their partnership in the field of projects and supply chains for critical minerals.

As part of the partnership, Australia has committed A$5.8 million to the three-year India-Australia Critical Minerals Investment Partnership.

What are Critical Minerals?

A critical mineral is a metallic or non-metallic element that has two characteristics: It is essential for the functioning of modern technologies, economies or national security and there is a risk that its supply chains could be disrupted.

Based on their individual needs and strategic considerations, different countries create their own list of critical minerals. However, such lists mostly include graphite, lithium and cobalt, and rare earth elements among others.

What are the uses of Critical Minerals?

Graphite, lithium and cobalt are used for making EV batteries.

Rare earth elements are used for making magnets and silicon which is a key mineral for making computer chips and solar panels. 

Aerospace, communications and defence industries also rely on several such minerals as they are used in manufacturing fighter jets, drones, radio sets and other critical equipment.

Why are Critical Minerals significant?

As countries around the world are moving towards clean energy and a digital economy, these critical minerals are key to the ecosystem that fuels this change.

Hence, any supply shock can severely imperil the economy and strategic autonomy of a country over-dependent on others to procure critical minerals.

Where does China stand in the production of Critical Minerals?

China is the world’s largest producer of 16 critical minerals. In 2019, it was responsible for some 70% and 60% of global production of cobalt and rare earth elements, respectively.

It also controls cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, from where 70% of this mineral is sourced.

What is India doing in Critical Minerals?

India has set up KABIL or the Khanij Bidesh India Limited. It is a joint venture of three public sector companies, to ensure a consistent supply of critical and strategic minerals to the Indian domestic market. In addition, KABIL would also help in realizing the overall objective of import substitution.

Rapidly charging E-cycle developed with Na-ion batteries and supercapacitors

Source: The post is based on the article “Rapidly charging E-cycle developed with Na-ion batteries and supercapacitors” published in PIB on 6th July 2022.

What is the News?

Scientists have developed low-cost, rapidly charging sodium-ion-based batteries and supercapacitors and integrated them into e-cycles. This move is expected to reduce the cost of e-cycles significantly.

About Sodium ion battery

A sodium-ion battery is a kind of secondary battery (rechargeable battery), which mainly relies on the movement of sodium ions between the positive and negative electrodes to work, similar to the working principle of lithium-ion batteries.

Sodium-ion batteries have triggered commercial interest as a possible complementary technology to lithium-ion batteries because of its several advantages.

What are the advantages of Sodium-Ion Batteries?

Abundant Availability: Sodium is the seventh most abundant element in the world and in comparison to lithium, it is available 1200 times more.

Cheaper: Affordable Sodium’s abundance makes this material much cheaper than lithium. The element costs less to extract and purify compared to lithium. Sodium-ion battery cells can be manufactured with ample metals such as iron and manganese.

Note: Lithium-ion batteries require cobalt, which is limited in reserve and distributed across the world in an uneven manner.

Better Performance at Colder Temperatures: Sodium-ion batteries offer better performance and can operate at a wider temperature range. They work much more efficiently in cold environments, compared to lithium-ion batteries. 

Non-Inflammable: Another advantage of sodium-ion batteries over lithium-ion batteries is they are nonflammable and there is no thermal runaway. This means the risk of the battery catching fire is less.

Can be Easily discharged: Sodium-ion batteries can be totally discharged to zero volts, similar to a capacitor, making it a safer option in comparison to many other storage technologies. 

Lightweight: Sodium-ion batteries are lightweight compared to lithium-ion batteries.

Simple disposal strategies: The simple disposal strategies of Na-ion-based batteries can help in addressing the climate mitigation issue.

10 years since ‘god particle’: How the world of physics has evolved

Source: The post is based on the article “10 years since ‘god particle’: How the world of physics has evolved” published in Down To Earth on 6th July 2022.

What is the News?

The Large Hadron Collider was successfully relaunched for the third time — 10 years after it enabled scientists to find the elusive ‘God particle’ or Higgs Boson. 

What is Higgs Boson?

The Higgs boson, also known as the God Particle, is the fundamental particle associated with the Higgs field, a field that gives mass to other fundamental particles such as electrons and quarks.

When was Higgs Boson discovered?

The Higgs boson was proposed in 1964 by Peter Higgs, François Englert and four other theorists to explain why certain particles have mass. 

Scientists confirmed its existence in 2012 through the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the Large Hadron Collider(LHC) at CERN in Switzerland. 

This discovery led to the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics being awarded to Higgs and Englert.

Facts about Higgs Boson

The Higgs boson has a mass of 125 billion electron volts  —  meaning it is 130 times more massive than a proton. 

It is chargeless with zero spin  —  a quantum mechanical equivalent to angular momentum. It is also the only elementary particle with no spin.

Higgs Boson has a short lifespan. Once it is created during the particle collisions, it sticks around for merely less than a trillionth of a billionth of a second or, more precisely, 1.6 x 10-22 seconds.

Understanding the all-time high in India’s trade deficit

Source: The post is based on the article “Understanding the all-time high in India’s trade deficit” published in The Hindu on 7th July 2022.

What is the News?

A surge in imports combined with slow growth in exports has pushed India’s merchandise trade deficit to a record high of $25.6 billion in June.

What is driving up imports and denting exports in India?

Reason for Increase in Imports

Imports have literally been fuelled by energy sources — oil and coal. The demand for oil driven by higher prices and the demand for coal driven by India’s domestic coal supply crunch compelling power producers to import more each passing month.

Moreover, non-oil, non-gold imports (also known as core imports) also grew robustly due to higher inflows of plastics, chemicals, electronics and vegetable oils. This is in line with steady domestic demand.

Reason for Slowdown in Exports

The slowdown in exports is due to an underlying slowdown in external demand with weakness seen in exports of engineering products, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, cotton yarn and plastic products.

Note: These four categories are part of India’s top ten exports.

What will be the trade trajectory of India in the coming months?

Oil and gold prices have corrected a bit recently but still, it remains significantly high. Moreover, coal imports will only surge further as Coal India’s production levels slide through the monsoon. 

The weakening rupee will continue to make imports costlier while slowing exports may not be able to capitalize enough on it.

Hence, Indian exporters don’t expect a change in the narrative till the war in Europe abates, along with the high volatility in commodity prices. 

But India is not alone in this. Even super-exporter Germany recorded its first trade deficit in 30 years this May but a minor one.

Heavy rainfall due to climate change increasing landslides, say experts

Source: The post is based on the article “Heavy rainfall due to climate change increasing landslides, say experts” published in Down To Earth on 6th July 2022.

What is the News?

According to researchers, climate change is triggering heavy rainfall leading to more landslides across the world.

What is the link between Climate Change and Landslides?

To understand this, the researchers studied the landslides in Himalayas and Western Ghats:

Landslides in the Himalayas

In India, about 73% of landslides in the Himalayas are caused by heavy precipitation and rainfall infiltration.

The other two factors triggering landslides in the Himalayas are also indirectly linked to rainfall: Water drawdown triggers 2% of landslides and soil erosion 14%.

Earthquakes trigger only 3% of the landslides in the Himalayas.

Note: The Himalayas are the collision zone of two tectonic plates, namely the Indian and Eurasian ones, and are very seismically active. 

Landslides in the Western Ghats

The researchers observed how rains trigger landslides in the Western Ghats. 

It found that with high rainfall in short durations of time, large-scale deforestation and change in land use, one important factor of the hydrological cycle — the infiltration phenomena — stops working effectively.

Due to this, water stops percolating and with change in vegetation patterns, the soil is losing its holding capacity. This causes water to collect over the ground, loosening the soil and leading to landslides and mudslides.

What did the researchers conclude from this study?

The researchers concluded that whether it’s the Himalayas or the Western Ghats, it’s climate change that is the driving factor for the increase in landslides.

Explained: Why Twitter has moved court against govt’s content-blocking orders

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained: Why Twitter has moved court against govt’s content-blocking orders” published in Indian Express on 6th July 2022.

What is the News?

Twitter has initiated legal action against the Government of India’s order to take down certain content posted on the Twitter platform issued under Section 69 (A) of the Information Technology Act,2000.

What is Section 69(A) of the Information Technology Act,2000?

It empowers the government to order an intermediary for blocking access to any information in the digital world.

The grounds for exercising the power are; threat to national security, public order, sovereignty and integrity of the country, defence of India, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognisable offence relating to above.

Penal Provisions: The intermediary who fails to comply with the orders will be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to a fine.

Who are Intermediaries?

According to the definition under Section 2(w) of the IT Act, an intermediary includes telecom service providers, network service providers, internet service providers, web-hosting service providers, search engines, online payment sites, and online auction sites, online marketplaces, cyber cafes etc.

Blocking Orders

While Section 69A provides the government with the power to order an intermediary to block content, the procedure to do so is listed in the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009.

As per rules, any request made by the government is sent to a review committee, which then issues these directions. 

Note: Blocking orders issued under Section 69 (A) of the IT Act are typically confidential in nature.

Centre considers releasing GatiShaakti master plan in public domain

Source: The post is based on the article “Centre considers releasing GatiShaakti master plan in public domain” published in Business Standard on 7th July 2022.

What is the News?

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has said that the Centre is considering releasing the GatiShakti national master plan in the public domain.

At present, only state and central government ministries and departments can access the portal to execute infrastructure projects in a time-bound manner.

What is Gati Shakti?

Click Here to read about it

What are the benefits if the Gati Shakti portal is made public?

The Gati Shakti portal can help visualise the infrastructure development in various places across the country in a few clicks, empowering different stakeholders to use it to suit their needs.

For instance, the availability of prior area-specific information about the planned infrastructure will prevent small landholders from selling their holdings at a cheaper price to someone who has advanced information about an upcoming project.

For industry, Gati Shakti will make it quicker to visualize developed and underdeveloped areas and select areas for business accordingly. Currently, such information is stored in a scattered format in digital form in various departments.

Varroa Mite: Explained: Why Australia has killed millions of bees to save its honey industry

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained: Why Australia has killed millions of bees to save its honey industry” published in Indian Express on 7th July 2022.

What is the News?

Australian authorities have killed millions of honeybees over the past two weeks in an effort to stop a potentially catastrophic parasite plague named Varroa mite.

What is Varroa Mite?

The Varroa mite or Varroa destructor is a parasitic insect that attacks and feeds on honeybees. 

These insects are reddish-brown in colour and are known to kill entire colonies of honeybees.

They often travel from bee to bee and also via beekeeping equipment such as combs that have been extracted.

How does Varroa Mite impact Bees?

Although Varroa mites can feed and live on adult honey bees, they primarily feed and reproduce on larvae and pupae in developing brood causing malformation and weakening as well as virus transmission.

As the mite population in bee colonies grows, the symptoms become more severe. In general, heavy infestations result in crippled bees, impaired flight performance, a lower rate of return to the colony after foraging, and reduced colony productivity.

NMA chairman submits report to Culture Minister on declaring Mangarh hillock in Rajasthan as a monument of National Importance as tribute to 1500 Bhil tribal freedom fighters

Source: The post is based on the article “NMA chairman submits report to Culture Minister on declaring  Mangarh hillock in Rajasthan as a monument of National Importance as tribute to 1500 Bhil tribal freedom fighters” published in PIB on 6th July 2022.

What is the News?

​​National Monuments Authority(NMA) Chairman has submitted a report to the Minister of Culture on declaring Mangarh hillock in Rajasthan as a monument of National Importance.

What is Mangarh Hillock?

Mangarh Hillock is located in Banswara District, Rajasthan. It is situated in the Aravali mountains on the Rajasthan-Gujarat border.

It is a site of a tribal uprising where a massacre of over 1500 Bhil tribal freedom fighters took place in 1913. Hence, this place is also known as the Adivasi Jallianwala.

What had happened at Mangarh Hillock?

Govind Guru, influenced by social reformers like Dayanand Saraswati launched the ‘Bhagat movement among the Bhil Tribals asking them to adhere to vegetarianism, and abstain from all types of intoxicants. 

The movement slowly took on a political hue and turned into a movement against the oppressive policies of the British. 

The Bhils began opposing taxes imposed by the British and forced labour imposed by the princely states of Banswara, Santrampur, Dungarpur and Kushalgarh.Worried by the tribal revolt, the Britishers and princely states decided to crush the uprising. 

From October 1913, Govind guru asked his followers to gather at Mangarh hill from where they would conduct their operations. 

The British asked them to vacate Mangarh hill by November 15, but they refused. On November 17, 1913, the tribals were gathering for a meeting when the British forces opened fire from cannons and guns on the crowd. 

Over 1500 people were killed and Govind guru was captured and exiled from the area. He was imprisoned in Hyderabad jail and released in 1919 on grounds of good behaviour. But as he was exiled from his homeland, he settled in Gujarat where he died in 1931.