9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – November 30th, 2022

Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

• On the entry of women in masjids

GS Paper 2

• My dream for India at 100: A chance at excellence for every athlete
• Settling the language for cooperative federalism
• About Digital Personal Data Protection Bill: Finger On The Future

GS Paper 3

• Money to fight climate change: Are taxes the answer?
• Where does waste originate and go?
• Learnings from COP27: Education as a tool of innovation for the climate change generation
• Geo-engineering and climate control
• ED’s expansion – The agency is entering new areas of surveillance
• Held To Ransom – Healthcare sector is a sitting duck to cybercriminals. AIIMS & other hospitals must shore up security systems

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• RBI announces launch of first pilot for retail digital rupee on 1 Dec
• Nai Chetna campaign against gender-based violence gets under way in Kerala
• NITI Aayog proposes decarbonising of industrial emissions
• India, Bangladesh establish contact as more Kuki-Chin refugees are expected to enter Mizoram
• Betting for exotic meat, gambling dens in Manipur descend further into illegality
• Centre’s low-cost WiFi scheme still buffering
• TRAI releases recommendations on “Use of Street Furniture for Small Cells and Aerial Fibre deployment”
• Explained | What is the Karnataka voter data theft case?
• TRAI releases recommendations on ‘Licensing Framework for Establishing and Operating Satellite Earth Station Gateway(SESG)’
• What is wet leasing of aircraft, for which govt has relaxed rules

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

On the entry of women in masjids

News– The article explains the issues related to prohibition on entry of women inside Jama Masjid premises.

Following a meeting with the Lieutenant-Governor, the mosque authorities withdrew the ban.

What is the Islamic law on women’s entry?

Among Islamic scholars, there is less disagreement on a woman’s right to offer prayers inside a masjid. Most Islamic scholars agree that a prayer can be offered at home but can only be established in a group. Hence, there is the importance of going to a mosque.

Most also agree that women have been exempted, not prohibited from going to the mosque. The Quran at no place prohibits women from going to mosques for prayers. Wherever the Quran talks of establishing prayer, it talks in gender neutral terms.

In Mecca and Medina, both men and women pray. Both places have separate halls earmarked for men and women. Also, across West Asia there is no ban on women coming to the masjid for prayers.

The denial of access to mosques for women worshippers is a largely subcontinental phenomenon. In India, only a handful of mosques maintained or owned by Jamaat-e-Islami and the Ahl-e-Hadith sect have provisions for women worshippers.

Have there been similar bans before?

In 2011, Haji Ali Dargah prohibited women from going beyond it. They started a campaign, ‘Haji Ali for All’, winning over more women in the process. Led by the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, the women approached the Bombay High Court. It ruled in their favour in 2016.

What is the legal issue?

According to the Constitution, there is complete equality between men and women. In the Haji Ali Dargah case too, the High Court quoted Articles 15, 16 and 25 of the Constitution to grant women the desired access to the dargah.

There are petitions filed before the Supreme Court wherein access has been sought for women in all mosques across the country. The apex court has clubbed them with the Sabarimala case.

GS Paper 2

My dream for India at 100: A chance at excellence for every athlete

News– The article explains the steps needed to be taken for development of sports.

What should be done by the government for the development of sports?

The aim should not be just medals, India needs to develop athletes who can perform at will.

India is 10 years behind every major country, in terms of sports science. It has only recently started looking at coaches’ training programmes, and own data collection, analysis and research. Now, the focus must be on quality.

In team sports like hockey and cricket, there should be parity between men and women.

We should capitalise on traditional hubs in boxing and wrestling, but must provide young people with more options. Sponsorship, infrastructure and sports programs at universities like in the US, are needed.

We need urban kids to play sports and aspire to be elite athletes.

More opportunities and facilities like travelling abroad, performing in a different set-up, and different food and language should be made available to all athletes irrespective of their backgrounds.

Settling the language for cooperative federalism

News– The article explains the issues of language in our federal setup

What does the constitution say about language issue?

Article 345 leaves it to the State to choose its language for official purposes. In actual practice, several States and Union Territories continue to use English. Article 348 stipulates that all proceedings of the Supreme Court, every High Court and Bills in Parliament shall be in the English language.

The Eighth Schedule and the periodic additions to it spell out the diversity and complexity of the language landscape. The Official Languages Act of 1963 and its Rules made in 1976 and amended in 1987, 2007 and 2011 also adds to this diversity.

Article 351 directs the state, in the development of Hindi, to draw upon other languages in the composite culture of India.

What are some facts about parliamentary committees on official language?

It consists of 30 members of Parliament, and is headed by the Home Minister. Its mandate is to review the progress made in the use of Hindi for official purposes.

It also makes recommendations to increase the use of Hindi in official communications. It submits its report to the President of India, who forwards its recommendations to the two Houses.

So far, only the recommendations of the reports up to the ninth in the year 2010 have been forwarded to the Houses of Parliament. The 10th and 11th reports have been submitted to the President and are not in the public domain.

What are the issues with the recommendations of the 10th report of the parliamentary committee on official language?

It highlighted some of its recommendations on language of instruction and examinations in technical courses. There are concerns about its implications and practicality in terms of the availability of standard books and course material. Lack of teachers qualified to communicate it adequately is also a big issue

A related matter is the competence in Hindi language of candidates undertaking examinations in it and competing in equal measure with those whose mother tongue it is.

There is apprehension that the imposition of Hindi is detrimental to students whose mother tongue is not Hindi. Its implications for competitiveness in the job market are evident.

The chapter on Official Language is definitive and limits itself to the language of the Union. It does not mention a national language. There is no mention of it in the section on Directive Principles of State Policy or Fundamental Duties.

About Digital Personal Data Protection Bill: Finger On The Future

News: The Union government has released the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill for public comment.

Why does India need a proper data protection policy?

India needs a proper data protection policy because,

a) India, with over 820 million internet users, soon to touch 1. 2 billion, has become the world’s largest connected democracy, with the largest presence on the global internet, b) China has heavily censored the internet (or intranet). On the other hand, the internet in India, India is open, accessible and interconnected to the global digital network, just like Western democracies, c) With India assuming the presidency of G20 and also council chairmanship of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, it is natural for India to take a leadership role in shaping the future of technology.

What are the advantages of the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022?

a) Compliance burden is proportional and minimal, b) The adjudicating authority, the Data Protection Board, is independent and has a specific role of adjudicating disputes and determining financial penalties in the event of breaches, c) All standards for the larger data ecosystem will be set by MeitY through its India Data Management office, and d) The Bill is aligned to the tests of legality, necessity and proportionality as laid out by the Supreme Court.

What are the concerns associated with the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022?

-Unlike previous drafts and most data protection legislation around the world, the Bill makes no mention of the time limit. Such as how soon a notification should be made or any other remedial action that ought to be taken.

-The draft bill required to notify every affected data principal of the data breach. Not every data breach puts data at risk. Further, over-reporting will cause unnecessary panic initially and over time a serious data breach might be taken lightly by the public.

How does the new Digital India Act make India’s digital space comprehensive?

India has established a comprehensive future-ready framework for the digital economy and ecosystem consisting of IT Act & IT rules, cybersecurity directions, the National Data Governance Framework Policy, the Digital Data Protection Bill, and soon to be unveiled Digital India Act (as a successor to the 22-year-old IT Act). All this will make India’s digital space comprehensive.

What are the challenges associated with creating a data protection policy?

Need swift policy response: Agile and dynamic tech developments require agile and responsive governance. But governments around the world have lagged in swift response in framing laws and regulations to the rapidly shifting and growing challenges of crime, harassment and political interference.

No standard definition of privacy in India: Since the 2017 Right to Privacy judgment, policymaking on the digital economy focuses on trust, growth and governance. But there is no standard definition of privacy in India.

What should be done to improve data protection?

Increase data protection: Most people use a single strong password that is used across a variety of services. Thus, a single data breach puts various services at risk. This can be prevented by a) Using a password manager can greatly reduce the cascading consequences of data breach incidents, b) Promote users to use two-factor authentication.

Report only potential breaches: Data fiduciaries should report only those incidents that are likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons. This is followed by the European General Data Protection Regulation.

GS Paper 3

Money to fight climate change: Are taxes the answer?

News: The money that is currently being invested in climate projects is only one to ten percent of the estimated requirements.  Therefore, there is a need to mobilize the required financial resources to tackle climate change.

What is the estimated amount of money required to tackle climate change and what is the current scenario?

It is estimated that the global transition to a low-carbon economy would likely require about $ 4-6 trillion every year till 2050. TO achieve net zero targets, $ 4 trillion investment is required in renewable energy till 2030.

Further, the total requirements of the developing countries for implementing climate actions were about $ 6 trillion between 2022 and 2030.

Investing such a huge amount means at least five percent of the global GDP would need to be directed into climate action every year. This amount was just 1 and 1.5 percent of global GDP a few years back.

Developed countries agreed to mobilise $100 billion every year from 2023 but as of now they are able to moblise $ 50-80 billion every year. Therefore, the current requirements are higher than the money being made available.

What are the problems with climate finance?

Availability: The availability of finance can be increased if businesses and corporations start investing money into green projects. Their investments are only 30 percent of current climate finance.

Businesses and corporations do not invest unless they are sure of good returns. Therefore, there is a need for international financial institutions to engage with stakeholders to create the right environment for investments in green projects.

Accessibility: The current rules and regulations of the global financial system make it extremely difficult for many countries to access international finance. Therefore, there is a need to make finance accessible to these countries.

Transparency: Climate finance flows through a network of channels – bilateral, regional, multilateral in different forms such as grants, concessionary loans, debt, etc. This creates confusion over the actual amount of money being spent on climate. This needs to be addressed by bringing transparency.

What are the ways to bring more money for green projects in India?

One of the ways to bring money other than from the developed countries is to impose various types of carbon taxes on the citizens. The use of petrol and diesel, and other fossil fuels needs to be taxed.

Government has already imposed taxes on the production of coals which brings money for investments in the clean technologies but there is a need to share the burden on citizens, businesses and come up with different sources of money.

Where does waste originate and go?

News: The report titled ‘EnviStats India 2022’ has been published by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The report provides the data for Delhi for the year 2020-21.

What are the highlights of the report for Delhi?

Waste Generated: According to the report, over 40 lakh tonnes of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) was generated in 2020-21. Out of which about 85% of MSW in Delhi was generated by households and 15% by shops and restaurants. (Chart 1)

Delhi generated over 13 lakh tonnes of construction and demolition waste, over 5.4 lakh tonnes of plastic waste, about 11 thousand tonnes of bio-medical waste, and 610 tonnes of e-waste along with 3,239 tonnes of hazardous waste.

Waste Disposed: Half the municipal solid waste went to landfills and the other half was recycled and reused. About 35% of bio-medical waste was burnt while all construction and demolition waste were recycled (Table 2).

About 22% of plastic waste is converted into energy while 37% is taken to landfills. However, it is not known how e-waste was disposed of as there is no treatment and disposal facility available in Delhi for e-waste.

What are the conditions of other states?

The current report highlights data for Delhi only, therefore, previous year data has been taken for other states.

Waste Generated: 68% of the MSW generated is processed across India in the year 2019-20. Himachal Pradesh leads the list with 98% of MSW followed by Chhattisgarh at 93%. (Table 3)

An average of 2.5 tonnes of plastic was generated per 1,000 population in India in 2018-19 and 8.09 metric tonnes of the hazardous waste generated in the country per 1,000 population in 2018.

Waste Treated: 87% of biomedical waste was treated across India. Seventeen States and five Union Territories have already achieved 100% bio-medical waste treatment whereas only 29% of biomedical waste was treated in Bihar and Chhattisgarh in 2018.

Across India, only 45% of the hazardous waste generated was recycled/utilised. Most States lag in this indicator. Out of 30 states less than 50% was recycled/utilised in 13 states and less than 75% was recycled/utilised in 22 states in the year 2018-19.

Learnings from COP27: Education as a tool of innovation for the climate change generation

News– The article explains the need for education to fight climate change.

What is contained in India Long-Term Low Emissions and Development Strategies (LT-LEDS)?

It outlines priorities for carbon-intensive sectors like electricity and industry and transport. There is emphasis on the role of a Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) as a mass movement towards sustainable consumption and production.

What are the challenges faced by the education sector in India?

First, school closures during the pandemic have led to a learning deficit. This will likely impact productivity and per capita income levels in the long term.

According to a paper by the OECD, one year of school closures could reduce GDP levels by anywhere from 1.1 to 4.7 per cent by mid-century.

Second, climate impacts are already disrupting children’s learning and well-being globally. For instance, extreme heat reduces students’ learning levels and causes physiological harm. Children’s health is affected due to persistently poor air quality in cities like Delhi. Floods are permanently displacing families. It is leading to children dropping out of schools and being trafficked.

Third, the lived experiences of climate-induced disasters and anxiety about the future are causing despair and dread among young people.

How education system can be leveraged to avert climate crisis?

At a national level, there is a need for strong enabling framework for a climate-resilient education system. It could cover matters from curricula to nutrition to school building codes in a climate-changed world. India should create this framework through a consultative exercise with educators, students, and experts.

Design and implementation in states and districts should be shaped by existing local needs and anticipated climate risks. Across the board, children should be able to access clean water and nutritious food. Students’ mental health needs should be served through an emphasis on social and emotional learning.

Curricula can be infused with scientific and technical know-how alongside indigenous and local knowledge. In pockets, there are already innovative initiatives under-way where non-government organisations are doing close work with communities. The example is the buffer zone of Kanha National Park where Baiga and Gond students are learning about the potential of integrating biodiversity conservation with regenerative agriculture.

We should foster critical thinking instead of rote learning. While we must strive for abundance and equity, societies and individuals will likely need to negotiate scarcity and trade-offs.

We can’t afford to be narrowly focusing on technical training for the innovation, research, and development of climate technologies. Rather, we should develop strong analytical capabilities and holistic thinking about societal transformations and how new technologies will be embedded in communities.

Geo-engineering and climate control

News: A recent sci-fi novel(Ministry of the Future) describes what will happen in the future if countries fail to implement a carbon mitigation programme.

What are the key highlights from the novel on India and Climate Change?

-The novel appreciated the efforts of the Indian government such as spraying sulphur dioxide on clouds in the Indian Ocean. As this spraying would reduce solar radiation and bring the temperature down.

-A massive heat wave will strike Uttar Pradesh which will kill millions. The generations to come will face severe and relatively long heat episodes, floods, droughts and water uncertainty, more storms, sea-level rise, biodiversity loss and much more.

-The novel proposes measures to cope with the consequences of catastrophic climate change.

What is Geoengineering?

Geoengineering is an umbrella term for various experimental technologies designed to deliberately alter the climate system to reduce the impacts of global warming.

Geo-engineering basically compensates for the significant shortfall in mitigation options that are necessary to keep temperature rise below the agreed target level.

What are the various Geoengineering solutions to combat climate change?

Cloud seeding: Read here

Stratosphere aerosol injection (SAI): Most aerosols cause atmospheric cooling, either by directly reflecting incoming solar radiation or indirectly through their impact on clouds. For example, anthropogenic aerosols alone have cooled global surface temperatures by up to 0.8 °C over the last century.

They are short-lived in the atmosphere and more regionally variable relative to longer-lived emissions, like carbon dioxide. But there is very little scientific data to assess the impact and the uncertainty.

Solar Radiation Modification (SRM): Read here

Any SAI or SRM action will have cross-border effects.

What needs to be kept in mind while promoting geoengineering solutions?

-The nations must accept that geoengineering is a precautionary measure and it should not dilute the pressure on major emitters to do more to reduce their carbon emissions.

-The process of establishing a credible multilateral process for dialogue and decision must start soon because the risk of wrong decisions is very high.

What determines the success of geoengineering solutions?

The success of geoengineering solutions depends on a) A cooperative scientific research process to analyse the available information for major volcanic eruptions that altered solar radiation, b) The governments must plan and evaluate pilot experiments and multilaterally approve them, c) The world needs to agree on a global agreement that prohibits unilateral action and sets up a process for a multilateral agreement on geoengineering initiatives.

European Commission can take the lead in this as it will require an inter-country mechanism even for its own inter-membership decision on this issue.

ED’s expansion – The agency is entering new areas of surveillance

News: Last week, the Centre has amended a 2006 notification to include 15 organisations on the list of institutions with which the Enforcement Directorate (ED) may share information regarding cases. This expands substantially the ambit of the ED’s information-sharing brief.

What is the Enforcement Directorate(ED)?

What is the functioning of the Enforcement Directorate?

About the present amendment on ED’s power

The Centre has amended a 2006 notification to include 15 organisations on the list of institutions with which the ED may share information regarding cases. Among these are the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Competition Commission of India (CCI), the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), and State Police Divisions.

Previously this information sharing is limited to bodies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation’s economic offences wing, the banking and stock market regulators, the Research and Analysis Wing of the Cabinet Secretariat, and the Intelligence Bureau, apart from the chief secretaries in states.

How the recent amendment will widen the power of ED?

Expand ED’s sectoral expertise: Some of the institutions that have been included in the amendment will widen ED’s sectoral expertise. For instance, information sharing with Bureau of Wildlife Crime Control will provide domain expertise in that field.

ED can question other organisations: If organisations such as the SFIO, Central Vigilance Commission, and NIA are required to share data with ED, it will create an open question of the enforcement functions of these agencies.

The inclusion of the CCI within the ED’s information-sharing ambit: This has significant consequences for the corporate sector since it lays open to agency scrutiny confidential data that companies submit to the competition regulator.

How does the recent Supreme Court ruling on ED also widen its powers?

Recently, the Supreme Court held that a) The ED’s have powers of arrest, property attachment, and search and seizure with relative impunity, b) ED was not bound to produce the Enforcement Case Information Report, the official document recorded before starting a criminal investigation.

Note: The court agreed to list the verdict for review.

Why there is an expansion of ED’s power?

This is due to an expansion in the money-laundering caseload. Between 2019-20 and 2021-22, the agency handled 2,723 cases, up from 1,262 in the seven years from 2012-13 to 2018-19.

What are the concerns with the expansion of ED’s power?

a) The weaponisation of the ED might lead to an increase in cases against Opposition leaders and critics of the state, b) The government can expand its surveillance powers to larger swathes of society. An expanding surveillance state is usually a sign of shrinking democracy.

Held To Ransom – Healthcare sector is a sitting duck to cybercriminals. AIIMS & other hospitals must shore up security systems

News: The recent massive ransomware attack has crippled the e-hospital services of AIIMS, Delhi for the last seven days. This highlights the increasing vulnerability of the country’s healthcare infrastructure and other critical IT systems to cybercriminals.

What are the concerns associated with the recent ransomware attack?

There are fears that the attackers could sell the force-encrypted AIIMS databases that contain the personal information of patients – including political leaders, senior administrators and judges – and their healthcare records on the Dark Web.

About increasing cyberattacks on healthcare institutes

A massive increase in cyberattacks on healthcare institutes worldwide has been witnessed during the Covid pandemic.

According to research by CloudSEK, the first four months of this year saw cyberattacks on the healthcare industry increase by 95% compared to the same period last year.

In the US, the ransomware attack resulted in delaying chemotherapy treatments to diverting ambulances from a San Diego emergency room after computer systems were frozen.

About cyberattacks on Indian healthcare institutes

The Indian healthcare sector was the second-most targeted globally. The Indian hospitals are even more vulnerable than their American counterparts given their measly budget for cybersecurity.

The increasing digitisation of hospital operations and records make them more vulnerable.

What should be done to make Indian healthcare institutes cyber secure?

Follow ‘3-2-1 backup approach’: Healthcare entities must save three copies of each type of data in two different formats, including one offline. This is an industry best practice to make healthcare institutes cyber secure.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

RBI announces launch of first pilot for retail digital rupee on 1 Dec

Source: The post is based on the article “RBI announces launch of first pilot for retail digital rupee on 1 Dec” published in Livemint on 30th November 2022.

What is the News?

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced the launch of the first pilot for retail digital Rupee or e-rupee from December 1,2022.

What is digital Rupee or e-Rupee?

e-Rupee is a form of digital token that represents legal tender. Unlike cryptocurrencies, the digital Rupee is issued in the same denominations as paper currency and coins.

How will digital Rupee work?

The digital Rupee or e-Rupee will be distributed through intermediaries like banks to customers and merchants.

Users will be able to transact with e-Rupee through a digital wallet offered by the eligible banks and stored on mobile phones or devices.

The transaction in digital Rupee can happen between Person to Person(P2P) and Person to Merchant(P2M).

Users will be able to make payments through e-Rupee using QR codes displayed at merchant locations, just like online transactions are done. 

As in the case of cash, it will not earn any interest and can be converted to other forms of money, like deposits with banks.

What are the advantages of e-rupee?

The key motivations for exploring the issuance of the digital rupee in India include reduction in operational costs involved in physical cash management, fostering financial inclusion, bringing resilience, efficiency and innovation to the payments system.

It will also add efficiency to the settlement system and boost innovation in the cross-border payments space and provide the public with uses that any private virtual currencies can provide, without the associated risks.

Nai Chetna campaign against gender-based violence gets under way in Kerala

Source: The post is based on the article “Nai Chetna campaign against gender-based violence gets under way in Kerala” published in The Hindu on 29th November 2022.

What is the News?

The Ministry of Urban Development launches the Nai Chetna-Pahal Badlav Ki Campaign.

Note: The campaign is being implemented in Kerala under the umbrella of the Kudumbashree Mission.

What is Nai Chetna-Pahal Badlav Ki Campaign?

Launched by: Ministry of Urban Development 

The campaign has been launched under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission(DAY-NRLM).

Purpose: It is a community-led National Campaign Against Gender-Based Discrimination. This will be an annual campaign focussing on specific gender issues each year. 

Focus area of this year: The focus area of the campaign this year is gender-based violence with the aim to equip women to recognise and prevent violence and make them aware of their rights.

Implementing agency: This campaign will be implemented by all states in collaboration with Civil Society Organisations (CSO) partners, and actively executed by all levels including the states, districts and blocks, engaging the community institutions along with the extended community.

Significance: The campaign will bring together all line departments and stakeholders to create a concerted effort in acknowledging, identifying and addressing the issues of violence.

NITI Aayog proposes decarbonising of industrial emissions

Source: The post is based on the article “NITI Aayog proposes decarbonising of industrial emissions” published in The Hindu on 30th November 2022.

What is the News?

NITI Aayog has released a report titled ‘Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage Policy Framework and its Deployment Mechanism in India’.

What is Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage(CCUS)?

Click Here to read

Why is Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage(CCUS) important for India?

India is the 3rd largest emitter of CO2 in the world after China and the US, with estimated annual emissions of about 2.6 gigatonnes per annum(gtpa). 

The Government of India has committed to reducing CO2 emissions by 50% by 2050 and reaching net-zero by 2070. 

Industries such as steel, cement, oil, gas, petrochemicals, chemicals and fertilisers, have a critical role to play in the country to halve CO2 emissions by 2050.

Therefore, a sustainable solution for the decarbonisation of sectors that contribute to 70% of emissions is needed.

CCUS has an important and critical role to play in it, especially for India to accomplish net-zero by 2070.

What is the significance of CCUS Technology?

CCUS technology would help in promoting the low carbon-hydrogen economy and in the removal of the CO2 stock from the atmosphere.

CCUS projects will also lead to significant employment generation. It estimates that about 750 mtpa of carbon capture by 2050 can create employment opportunities for about 8-10 million on a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis in a phased manner.

CCUS can provide a wide variety of opportunities to convert the captured CO2 to different value-added products like green urea, food and beverage form application, building materials (concrete and aggregates), chemicals (methanol and ethanol), and polymers (including bio-plastics).

What are the suggestions given by NITI Aayog for CCUS implementation in India?

The key to a successful CCUS implementation in India was to enact a policy framework that supported the creation of sustainable and viable markets for CCUS projects. 

Under the framework, CCUS policy should be carbon credits or incentives based on seed and promote the CCUS sector in India through tax and cash credits. 

Over time (probably beyond 2050), the policy should transition to carbon taxes, to enable reaching India’s net-zero goals by 2070. The policy should also establish early-stage financing and funding mechanisms for CCUS projects.

India, Bangladesh establish contact as more Kuki-Chin refugees are expected to enter Mizoram

Source: The post is based on the article “India, Bangladesh establish contact as more Kuki-Chin refugees are expected to enter Mizoram” published in The Hindu on 30th November 2022.

What is the News?

The Mizoram Cabinet has approved the setting up of temporary shelters and other amenities for Bangladeshi Kuki-Chin refugees.

Who are the Kuki-Chin refugees?

The Kuki-Chin people share ethnic ties with the Mizos. They are collectively called the Zo people. 

The Kuki Chin people are settled in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the only extensive hill area in Bangladesh that lies in the southeastern part of the country. It borders – Myanmar on the southeast, Tripura on the north, Mizoram on the east and the Chittagong — district on the west.

The refugee influx began after clashes broke out between the Kuki-Chin National Army and Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion. The refugees had fled to escape being caught in the crossfire.

About India’s stand on Refugees

India is not a signatory to the United Nations Refugee Convention of 1951 and its 1967 Protocol and does not recognise refugees.

All foreign undocumented nationals are governed as per the provisions of The Foreigners Act, of 1946, The Registration of Foreigners Act, of 1939, The Passport (Entry into India) Act, of 19,20, and The Citizenship Act, of 1955.

Betting for exotic meat, gambling dens in Manipur descend further into illegality

Source: The post is based on the article “Betting for exotic meat, gambling dens in Manipur descend further into illegality” published in The Hindu on 30th November 2022.

What is the News?

Manipur Police has been conducting raids to catch raffle draw organizers allegedly offering prizes in the form of wild animal meat, including flying foxes, bearcats and rare birds.

Betting for Exotic Meat in Manipur

Wildlife activists said that there have been instances of people buying raffle draw tickets ranging from ₹100 to ₹500 to try their luck to win exotic meat.

The larger or rarer the bird or animal or body part, the higher the price of the ticket.

Apart from wild boars and deer, animals such as binturong (an arboreal mammal also known as bearcat), squirrels and flying foxes (bats) have been found to be on offer. 

Different types of birds such as the grey-sided thrush and tragopans (often called horned pheasants) have also been spotted.

Note: Blyth’s tragopan is the State bird of Nagaland.

What does the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 say on wildlife crime?

Wildlife (Protection) Act,1972 was enacted for the protection of plants and animal species.

The act prohibits the hunting of any wild animal specified in Schedules I, II, III and IV of the act.

Exception: A wild animal listed under these schedules can be hunted/ killed only after getting permission from the Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) of the state if:

– It becomes dangerous to human life or to property (including standing crops on any land).

– It is disabled or suffering from a disease that is beyond recovery.

Centre’s low-cost WiFi scheme still buffering

Source: The post is based on the article “Centre’s low-cost WiFi scheme still buffering” published in Business Standard on 30th November 2022.

What is the News?

Nearly two years since the PM WANI scheme has been launched, the government has been able to activate 132,000 hotspots.

What is the PM WANI Scheme?

The PM WANI Scheme was launched in 2020 by the Department of Telecommunications.

Aim: To expand the public WiFi network in the country and provide low-cost mass digital connectivity to the underserved in rural areas and the urban poor.

Local micro-entrepreneurs in rural areas can open public data offices(PDOs) with BSNL to make WiFi services available at affordable rates to the rural populace.

What has been the progress of the scheme?

PM WANI aims to create up to 10 million public WiFi hotspots in India by the end of this year.

However, the government has been able to activate only 132,000 WiFi hotspots till now.

What are the reasons for the slow progress of the PM WANI Scheme?

Firstly, a lack of interest in many areas primarily due to low financial incentives has contributed to the hesitancy in adopting the scheme.

Secondly, the sluggish pace of migrating WiFi hotspots to the PM-WANI network by state-run entities, such as Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) and the Indian Railways, has also impeded progress.

TRAI releases recommendations on “Use of Street Furniture for Small Cells and Aerial Fibre deployment”

Source: The post is based on the article “TRAI releases recommendations on Use of Street Furniture for Small Cells and Aerial Fibre deployment” published in PIB on 30th November 2022.

What is the News?

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India(TRAI) has released its recommendations on “Use of Street Furniture for Small Cells and Aerial Fibre deployment”. 

What are Small Cells?

Small cells are low-powered radio access nodes or base stations (BS) operating in licensed or unlicensed spectrums that have a coverage range from a few meters up to a few hundred meters.

Why should small cells be used for 5G deployment?

The use of higher frequency bands for 5G rollout will have shorter coverage as signals in these bands cannot travel through buildings or obstacles. Therefore, the macro cells will be required to be complemented with the extensive deployment of small cells so as to support all kinds of uses and applications, at all locations. 

What are the advantages of using small cells?

Small cells provide coverage only for a very short distance and therefore they are installed in a dense or hyper-dense manner, which can be even more than 200 per square kilometre for good network coverage for high-capacity broadband.

Due to their lower level of radiation, small cells require less stringent security and installation practices, so it is easy to install and operate.

The small cells can also be mounted on any existing street furniture like poles, bus stands, traffic lights, buildings, etc. This can obviate the need for erecting thousands of new towers resulting in the economical and fast deployment of small cells.

What are the issues in the deployment of small cells on street furniture?

The deployment of small cells and aerial fiber on street furniture can face many issues like identifying the suitable street furniture based on the availability of backhaul, power, capabilities of street furniture for mounting suitable equipment, scalability and concerns related to local approval and safety. 

To address these issues, TRAI has issued several recommendations which are: 

– Government should do away with the requirement of obtaining a permit for the installation of small telecom gear.

– The Department of Telecom(DoT) should exempt Low Power Base Transceiver Stations (LPBTS) with effective radiation power of less than 600 watts from seeking clearance under mobile tower rollout rules as well.

– DoT should make necessary provisions in the GatiShakti Sanchar Portal to incorporate bulk application filing and processing for all categories of small cells. 

– Power distribution companies (discoms) should make provisions to provide connections for telecom sites to service providers on priority basis and they should charge telecom operators on the basis of the running load and not on the sanctioned load.

– Set up a broadband steering committee, state broadband committee and district or municipal monitoring committee to evaluate and assess the progress of small cell roll-out.

Explained | What is the Karnataka voter data theft case?

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained | What is the Karnataka voter data theft case? ” published in The Hindu on 30th November 2022.

What is the News?

Bengaluru’s civic body has cancelled permissions granted to a trust to conduct house-to-house surveys to help create awareness about the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme. 

What is the voter theft data case in Karnataka?

In 2018, the Chilume Educational Cultural and Rural Development Trust was granted permission to carry out house-to-house visits to create awareness on how to access online applications via the voters’ helpline mobile app. 

Later, the Bengaluru civic body revoked this permission after receiving several complaints from residents that the NGO was collecting personal details while conducting door-to-door surveys by deputing field-level workers. 

The BBMP has admitted that the personal information of the voters, including Aadhaar number, phone number and voter ID number, was uploaded on an app (Digital Sameeksha) developed by the Trust and not on the Election Commission’s voter registration app (Garuda) or voter helpline. 

The Opposition has accused the NGO of large-scale electoral fraud, malpractice and manipulation of voters’ lists.

What will happen to the data now?

According to experts, the data which was collected by the NGO has potential for misuse.

Such mass collection of data is violative of the fundamental right to privacy as defined in Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (retd.) vs Union of India. The judgment formally recognised the right to privacy as being a fundamental right stemming from the right to life and personal liberty, guaranteed under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. 

TRAI releases recommendations on ‘Licensing Framework for Establishing and Operating Satellite Earth Station Gateway(SESG)’

Source: The post is based on the article “TRAI releases recommendations on ‘Licensing Framework for Establishing and Operating Satellite Earth Station Gateway(SESG)” published in PIB on 30th November 2022.

What is the News?

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India(TRAI) has released recommendations on ‘Licensing Framework for Establishing and Operating Satellite Earth Station Gateway (SESG)’.

What is Satellite Gateway?

A satellite gateway (also referred to as a teleport or hub) is a ground station that transmits data to/from the satellite to the local area network. 

It houses the antennas and equipment that convert the Radio Frequency (RF) signal to an Internet Protocol(IP) signal for terrestrial connectivity.

What are the recommendations issued by TRAI for establishing and operating Satellite Earth Station Gateway(SESG)?

Firstly, there shall be a separate Satellite Earth Station Gateway (SESG) License under Section 4 of the Indian Telegraph Act. The SESG License will not form part of the Unified License (UL).

Secondly, the SESG license shall be valid for 20 years from the effective date of the licence with a provision of renewal for 10 years.

Thirdly, only the companies registered under the Companies Act shall be eligible to apply for the grant of their licence.

Fourthly, telecommunication and broadcasting service licensees/ permission holders, who are eligible to provide satellite-based communication services in India, shall have the option to establish their own satellite earth station gateways.

Fifthly, SESG Licensee may establish, maintain, and work SESGs anywhere within the territory of India for all types of satellite systems for which the Government has given permission.

What is wet leasing of aircraft, for which govt has relaxed rules

Source: The post is based on the article “What is wet leasing of aircraft, for which govt has relaxed rules” published in Livemint on 30th November 2022.

What is the News?

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has relaxed rules related to the wet leasing of aircraft. It has allowed the wet leasing for a year as opposed to the six months permitted so far.

What is wet leasing?

Wet leasing means renting the plane along with the operating crew and engineers while dry leasing refers to taking only the aircraft on rent.

The technical term for wet leasing is ACMI which stands for aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance.

Operations of an aircraft on wet lease are not encouraged by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) as the crew is often not approved by Indian authorities. Also, wet leasing is generally a short-term arrangement, as it is more expensive than a dry lease.

Why do airlines lease aircraft?

A lot of planes used by airlines in India are not owned but leased. Airlines and aircraft operators prefer leasing planes in order to avoid the massive lump sum payments that buying them would entail and to quickly increase capacity, perhaps temporarily, on certain routes or sectors.