9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – January 10th, 2023

Mains Oriented Articles

GS PAPER - 1

Asia the saver – The global savings glut may persist as, despite ageing rapidly, Asia can continue to be a net saver

Source: The post is based on an article “Asia the saver – The global savings glut may persist as, despite ageing rapidly, Asia can continue to be a net saver” published in Business Standard on 10^th January 2023.

Syllabus: GS 1 – Population and Associated Issues

Relevance: impact of demographic changes on Current Account balance

News: The article discusses the impact of aging population and savings on the current account balance of Asian nations.

How an aging population may affect the saving of Asian nations?

The demographic shift in 10 major Asian economies (the A-10: China, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Korea, Malaysia, and Taiwan) is faster than the economic transition.

Further, there is disparity among the A-10 on the current account balance. For example, India and Indonesia run deficits, whereas north Asian economies run in surpluses.

However, they have collectively accumulated a surplus of nearly $5 trillion in the last decade. These surpluses are invested in global assets which have also led a boom in the consumption of the world.

But an aging population may lead to a drop in the savings of A-10 because production would fall due to a smaller number of workers and consumption may keep rising due to the increasing lifespan.

The number of consumers per worker is known as the dependency ratio. A higher ratio could turn current account balances from surpluses to deficits.

How higher dependency ratio affects the current account balances?

First, the aggregate demand that affects current account balances includes domestic consumption and investment. Investment (households, corporations and the government) fall as population growth slows and then turns negative.

This in turn leads to lesser requirement of investments in growth of the economy and invest is more driven by global demand-supply balances and rather than local demand. This affects the current account balance.

Second, household savings depend on sufficiency of pensions, especially for the retirees who depend on pensions for their future. If pension mechanisms are not adequate, it leads to a drop in consumption. Therefore, there should be a better saving mechanism in order to have a better current account balance.

How better pension plans can help in the current account surplus?

The Japanese fund GPIF has nearly 10 percent of all Japanese wealth, with half of it deployed in foreign financial assets.

The accumulated foreign assets of Japan are so large that the income from them exceeds 4 percent of gross domestic product. This helps Japan’s current account to stay in surplus despite a shrinking workforce.

However, the pension plans of most of the Asian economy are not good enough to build higher savings which ultimately affects the current account.

Therefore, there is a need for personal savings or government-mandated savings in Asia to grow. This increase in savings with the increase in financial assets will make the A-10 economies as providers of capital to the world.

 

The delay in the decennial Census

Source: The post is based on the article “The delay in the decennial Census” published in The Hindu on 10th January 2023.

Syllabus: GS 1 – Population and associated issues.

Relevance: About the implications of the delaying census.

News: The decennial Census exercise has been postponed till September 2023. Except for the 2021 census, none of the previous exercises has been delayed.

What is the Census?

Click Here to read

What does the Constitution say about the Census?

Click here to read

How is the Census conducted?

The decennial census is carried out by lakhs of enumerators empanelled and trained by the government in two phases.

First phase: It is the housing Census, where data on housing conditions, household amenities and assets possessed by households are collected.

Second phase: In this phase, data on population, education, religion, economic activity, Scheduled Castes and Tribes etc are collected.

What are the implications of the delaying census?

Census data is crucial for various administrative functions, welfare schemes, and other surveys. The implications of the delaying census are,

Firstly, outdated Census information (available from the last Census in 2011) often becomes unreliable and affects those who do and do not receive the benefits of welfare schemes. For instance,

As per the National Food Security Act, 2013, 67% of the country’s population (approximately 80 crore in 2011) is entitled to receive subsidised food grains from the government under the targeted public distribution system (PDS). Over the last decade means that if the 67% ratio is applied to 2020’s projected population of 137 crore, PDS coverage should have increased to around 92 crore people.

Secondly, census data are critical for other sample surveys conducted in the country as they use the Census data as a ‘frame’ or list from which a representative sample of the population is selected for surveys. For instance, for the latest edition of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) released last year, it was the 2011 data that served as the sampling frame.

Thirdly, census is crucial to determine the population of migrants and migration patterns. Despite the large-scale migration during the pandemic, the only data available from the government was from 2011, which could not answer queries on the numbers, causes and patterns of migration.

 

GS PAPER - 2

A step towards fighting corruption

Source– The post is based on the article “A step towards fighting corruption” published in The Hindu on 7th January 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Important aspects of governance

Relevance– Issues related to corruption

News– The article explains the recent Supreme Court judgement on corruption in public life. It also explains the reason behind corruption by public servants and important aspects of the fight against corruption.

What are notable points of recent SC judgement in Neeraj Dutta v. State (Govt. of NCT of Delhi)?

It lowered the requirement for the quantum of evidence to convict persons charged with corruption.

It laid down that even if prosecution witnesses turn hostile, a conviction would be possible. This will be possible if circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution points unmistakably to the guilt of the accused.

The court has directed that infirmities such as non-availability of the complainant should impact the prosecution.

What are important aspects to fight against corruption?

There are two aspects to the fight against corruption. The first is the severity of the law and its application. The second is the strength of public opinion that would help carry forward the campaign for a clean public life.

Deterrence by strong laws works only up to a point. It disregards the fact that the more penalties for criminal behaviour will increase the quantum of proof required for conviction.

What are the reasons behind the misdeeds of public servants?

Corruption by public servants can be partly attributed to political corruption. No entitled service can be obtained without bribing the administrative or political hierarchy.

Jobs are often sold at a price. Many applicants are prepared to pay without a complaint as there is acute unemployment.

No approval for construction of a building or for registration of a property is possible without payment of a bribe.

Several public servants involved in this racket cite illegal demands from the political hierarchy as the reason for such bribes.

Will the SC judgement be effective in tackling corruption?

It may not deter people from corruption.

Corrupt public servants will find other means of covering up their misdeeds. Many are willing to offer bribes to public servants. This nexus between offender and victim has become a part of our ethos.

 

Indians abroad: History, spread, remittances

Source– The post is based on the article “Indians abroad: History, spread, remittances” published in The Indian Express on 10th January 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Indian diaspora

News– The article explains the history, classification, numbers, geographical spread of diaspora. It also explains the remittances sent by them and their involvement in politics of the host country.

What is the history of diaspora in India?

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, thousands of Indians were sent to countries in the east pacific and the Caribbean islands under the ‘Girmitiya’ arrangement as indentured labourers. They were taken to work on plantations in British colonies, which were reeling under a labour crisis due to the abolition of slavery in 1833-34.

As part of the second wave of migration, nearly 20 lakh Indians went to Singapore and Malaysia to work in farms.

The third and fourth wave saw professionals heading to western countries. Workers were going to the Gulf and west Asian countries due to opportunities provided by the oil boom.

How can we classify overseas Indians?

Overseas Indians are classified into three categories: Non-Resident Indians (NRI), Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs).

NRIs are Indians who are residents of foreign countries. The PIO category was abolished in 2015 and merged with the OCI category.

According to the MEA, PIO refers to a foreign citizen who at any time held an Indian passport, or who or either of their parents/ grandparents/great grandparents was born and permanently resided in India as defined in Government of India Act, 1935, or who is a spouse of a citizen of India or a PIO.

A separate category of OCI was carved out in 2006. An OCI card was given to a foreign national who was eligible to be a citizen of India on January 26, 1950, was a citizen of India on or at any time after January 26, 1950, or belonged to a territory that became part of India after August 15, 1947.

What are the numbers and geographical spread of the diaspora?

According to a report of the Parliamentary committee on external affairs, as on December 31, 2021, there were 4.7 crore Indians living overseas. The number includes NRIs, PIOs, OCIs, and students.

The countries with over 10 lakh overseas Indians include the United States of America, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Saudi Arabia,  Myanmar, Malaysia, Kuwait and Canada.

According to the World Migration Report, by the International Organisation for Migration, India has the largest emigrant population in the world.

What is the situation of remittances in the case of India?

According to the latest World Bank Migration and Development Brief, for the first time, India is on track to receive more than $100 billion in yearly remittances.

The report notes that India, China, Mexico, the Philippines and Egypt in descending order are among the top five remittance recipient countries.

What is the level of involvement of the diaspora in politics of  their country of residence?

The vocal political positions taken by a section of the Indian diaspora is a recent phenomena. The Hindu American Foundation, a Hindu advocacy group based in the US, was set up in 2003.

What are the charges of biases against diaspora?

The parliamentary panel report pointed out that conventions such as the Pravasi Bharatiya Sammelan leaves out a large section of the diaspora that is not wealthy.

It expressed apprehension that low or semi-skilled and blue collar workers may not feel comfortable to participate in the said celebration. Participation and involvement should be more broad-based by accommodating the vulnerable sections of the diaspora community.

 

Securing cyberspace for children: How to tackle online child sexual abuse and exploitation

Source– The post is based on the article “Securing cyberspace for children: How to tackle online child sexual abuse and exploitation” published in The Indian Express on 10th January 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Vulnerable actions of the population. GS3- Basics of cyber security

Relevance– Issues related to childrens

News– The article explains the increasing danger of online child sex exploitation and abuse and its impacts. It also explains the challenges in dealing with online child sex abuse and suggest solutions to handle these challenges.

Why the threat of online child abuse and exploitation has increased in recent times?

Multiple lockdowns during Covid-19 forced children to turn to the internet for education, entertainment and everything. It led to an increase in their average screen time.

This prolonged online exposure has increased threats to online safety for children.

The rapidly evolving digital landscape and advances in information technology have given rise to better encryption services and the dark net. It has provided a safe cover of anonymity to offenders.

What is online child sexual abuse and exploitation and its impacts?

It refers to activities such as the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material. It also includes live streaming of sexual assault of minors, obtaining sexually explicit material.

This poses serious harm to children. They experience psychological stress such as anxiety, trauma, and depression.

It can also lead to behavioural changes like drug and alcohol abuse, self-harm, and lower motivation for academics.

The consequences of online sexual abuse in childhood are far-reaching. It may extend into adulthood by creating issues with intimacy and affecting interpersonal relationships.

What are the main administrative challenges when dealing with online child abuse?

There exists limited law enforcement capacities and gaps in the legislative framework.

Lack of awareness and urgency around the issue are other challenges.

There is a lack of  workforce in relevant social welfare organisations.

What are the steps taken by the government to tackle online child sex abuse?

It has improved the mechanism for reporting online offences against children.

It has also developed new tools and software to control and remove the presence of child sexual abuse material on social media and other platforms.

Efforts have also been made to sensitise schools and boost the technological capacity of law enforcement agencies to further deal with the issue.

What is the way forward to prevent child abuse?

According to the Model National Response, there are six key domains that should be focussed to effectively address this issue. These are policy and governance, criminal justice, industry, society and culture, research and victim support.

It is imperative to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of cross-sectoral governance mechanisms that are set up to systematise the national response to child sexual abuse material. The huge backlog of child abuse cases must also be fast-tracked.

There is a need to institutionalise the collection of national-level data on child sex abuse. The recent Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022 can provide an opportunity to meet this exigency.

There should be further development of clear mandates and creation of a logical framework. These should define the roles and duties of all relevant stakeholders within standard operating procedures for investigation.

Continuous dialogue between the industry, government and other collaborators, with a distinct agenda and division of responsibilities is necessary. Industry partners must be provided with suitable training and awareness of the magnitude of child abuse, along with proper toolkits and guidance.

There is need to promote a systematic and constant approach to training the judiciary and prosecution on child abuse. It should be centred around child-sensitive protocols.

Comprehensive remedies or reparations for victims are important. They need to be handled by a specialised workforce.

Basic online safety measures, parental support initiatives and community awareness training can be integrated into existing education programmes.

Existing systems must be evaluated by monitoring and documenting their overall effectiveness and accessibility. It should include assessment of relevant hotlines and portals.

Dedicated effort must be made for ethical and informed media reporting on relevant cases.

A collaborative effort of various institutions across the nation is required to build a safer cyberspace.

Stricter implementation of prevention laws, and adequate resources to sustain these efforts is required.

 

Establishing Campuses of Foreign Universities in India – Explained, pointwise

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Introduction

The regulator for higher education in India, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has released draft regulations to allow foreign universities to establish campuses in India. The UGC has sought comments and feedback from the public. The regulations are expected to be notified by end of January 2023. The move has been welcomed, with expectations that campuses of foreign universities in India will help in enhancing the quality and standards of higher education in India. However, many experts have opined that previous such moves have failed to achieve desired results. The result of these regulations will depend on several factors including the autonomy granted to foreign universities.

What are the salient features of UGC Regulations on Foreign University Campuses in India?

Eligibility: Two types of Foreign Higher Education Institutions (FHEIs) can apply to establish campuses in India: (a) Universities that are in the top 500 global rankings (either overall or subject-specific rankings); (b) Institutions of repute in their home countries.

Approvals: The UGC will set up a permanent committee to look into questions about how FHEIs can set up and run campuses in India. The panel will look at each application based on merits, including the credibility of the educational institutions, the programmes to be offered, their potential to improve educational opportunities in India, and the proposed academic infrastructure. The Committee will make recommendations within 45 days. After the approval, the FHEI has to establish campus in India within 2 years.

Criteria for Admission and Fees: FHEIs will be free to set and change their admissions process and criteria. They can admit both domestic and international students. The fee structure should be transparent and reasonable. The institution will have to put the prospectus on its website at least 60 days before the start of admissions. The prospectus will include information about fees, refunds, number of seats in a program, eligibility criteria and admission process etc. Based on an evaluation, the FHEI may give full or partial need-based scholarships from funds like endowment funds, donations from the alumni, tuition, and other sources.

Faculty: FHEI will have the freedom to hire faculty and staff from India and other countries, as long as they follow the rules for hiring. It may decide the qualifications for hiring faculty and staff, their remuneration and other terms of the job. The FHEI has to ensure that the faculty hired have the same qualifications as the main campus in the home country. It shall ensure that the foreign faculty appointed to teach at the Indian campus shall stay at the campus in India for a reasonable period.

Protecting the Interests of Students: FHEI cannot stop a course or programme or close the campus without first getting permission from the Commission. If a course or programme is interrupted or stopped, it is the FHEI’s responsibility to find an alternative for the affected students. FHEI shall have a mechanism to address students’ grievances. However, the students may appeal to UGC if the Institution does not redress their grievances.

Equivalence with degrees given by Indian HEIs: The qualifications given to students on the Indian campus must be the same as the qualifications given by the FEHI on the main campus in the home country. The qualifications given out under the rules will be the same as any similar degree given out by an Indian higher education institutions.

Securing National Interest: FHEIs must not offer any programme or course that puts India’s national interest or higher education standards at risk. The way FEHIs work can’t go against India’s sovereignty and integrity, the State’s security, good relations with other countries, public order, decency, or morality.

Working of Finances: The Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999 and its rules must be followed for movement of money across borders, keeping foreign currency accounts and making payments etc. FHEI must submit an annual report with information about the programmes it offers, the number of students enrolled, and the qualifications they receive etc.

What are the benefits of establishing Foreign University Campuses in India?

Internationalisation of Higher Education: Allowing foreign universities to establish campuses in India would aid in the internationalisation of higher education. As stated in the NEP 2020, “A legislative framework will be put in place to facilitate such entry, and such universities will be given special treatment in terms of regulatory, governance, and content norms on par with other autonomous institutions in India”.

Quality of Education: Due to competition between FHEIs and Indian institutions, there will be an enhancement in the quality of education and the overall talent pool.

Beneficial for Students: The Government recently told the Rajya Sabha that 11.3 lakh Indian students were studying abroad. Various reports estimate the annual spending to be between US$ 13-30 billion every year. One report has estimated that Indians would be spending US$ 80 billion annually for studies abroad by 2024-25. Presence of campuses of foreign universities may ease the tendency to shift abroad for higher studies. This will help reduce the need for foreign exchange.

Attract Foreign Students: Campuses of reputed FHEIs will attract foreign students. This will help in exchange of ideas and cultures. It will prove beneficial to Indian students helping them to develop a more holistic outlook with global perspectives.

Boost Research: The enrolments in M.Phil and PhD courses is very low. It is expected that campuses of reputed FHEIs will improve enrolments in research courses and help improve the ecosystem in India.

Source: Business Standard

What are the concerns with the UGC Regulations?

First, Some experts contend that the national security clause is too restrictive in nature. The FHEIs may be reluctant to enter India because it may impact academic autonomy. However, any aggrieved party will have the right to approach the Judiciary.

Second, Earlier regulations released by the Government (October 2022) regarding establishing campuses by Foreign Universities in the GIFT City (Gandhinagar) were exempted from the regulations set by the UGC. Two set of regulations may result in confusion.

Third, According to some education experts, the regulations have not elaborated about certain aspects that are applicable to Indian Universities like academic bank of credits, multiple entry and exit system, up to 40% online delivery along with the issue of reservations in admissions.

Fourth, there are multiple ‘global rankings’ like the QS, Times Higher Education, Financial Times Rankings etc. The regulations have not elaborated which rankings shall be considered for eligibility criteria (top 500).

Fifth, the Regulations will also allow Institutions of repute in their home countries (not in top 500 in Global Rankings). Repute has a subjective interpretation and has not been elaborated.

What are the challenges in establishing Campuses of Foreign Universities in India?

Affordability: FHEIs may prefer to hire foreign faculty. Also they have autonomy in deciding the tuition fee. This may impact the affordability, making access to these institutions limited to the elite. Students from non-affluent families may have to rely on education loans.

Infrastructure Funding: The FHEIs may be reluctant to acquire real estate to establish big campuses. Acquisition of land is anyway a contentious issue in India with several instances of prolonged delays and litigations. The Government may have to step-in to facilitate land acquisition.

Faculty Restraints: FHEIs have to ensure that the education they impart do not violate India’s national interests including on grounds like sovereignty and integrity, public order, decency, or morality etc. Some of the terms like morality and decency are subjective based on cultural differences. This may make foreign faculty reluctant to join Indian campuses.

Attracting Top Universities: FHEIs will set up campuses only if they find it as a lucrative option. Very few top ranked FHEIs have foreign campuses (e.g., very few US Universities have campuses in the EU) even in countries with relative much liberal standards than in India.

Political Interference: Higher Educational Institutions in India are vulnerable to political interference including on issue of appointments to senior administrative positions. It will need to be ensured that FHEIs do not face such issues in India.

Expertise: Some critics argue that UGC Officials lack the experience and expertise in dealing with FHEIs. Issues of yearly review, campus visits, and other forms of monitoring and intervention may pose some challenges.

Level Playing Field: FHEIs can be for-profit institutions and they’ll be allowed to repatriate surplus funds abroad. Indian public HEIs are not ‘for-profit’ and have to reinvest the surplus. This will put FHEIs on a different pedestal than Indian HEIs.

What should be done to improve quality of Higher education in India?

First, As committed in NEP-2020, the Government should cater to the needs of a large section of Indian society termed ‘Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups-SEDGs‘ that include women, transgenders, SCs, STs, OBCs, EWS, differently abled, migrants and geographically disadvantaged groups.

Second, Many private universities from India have shown great potential to innovate and become renowned globally. Such universities should be given a free hand on par with FHEIs in regard to autonomy, favourable regulations, taxation etc.

Third, Political interference in Universities must be checked. UGC regulations may be relaxed to grant greater academic autonomy to Universities.

Fourth, There is an urgent need for increased funding, along with establishing dedicated funding streams for infrastructure grants/loans and financial aid. Universities can also be freed up to utilise other revenue streams such as start-up royalties and advertising.

Fifth, Funding for research needs to rise significantly, with institutions like the NRF supplementing existing schemes (including those from the Ministry of Science). Funding should also be allocated to enable course-based research experiences for undergraduates

Conclusion

The UGC Regulations on establishing Campuses by Foreign Universities in India is a welcome move. If regulations are successful in attracting FHEIs, it will have several benefits like increased competition, quality and improving R&D ecosystem. However, the real challenge is getting the FHEIs establish campuses in India. Several such initiatives in the past have failed to achieve desired results. India’s position (especially in terms of economy) globally has changed a lot in recent times. So FHEIs may find India more favorable than 2 decades ago. However, only time will tell the success or failure of UGC initiative in attracting FHEIs to India.

Syllabus: GS II, Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education.

Source: Indian Express, Indian Express, The Hindu, Business Standard,

GS PAPER - 3

From RIL to L&T and Adani, corporate giants build on EPC rule change

Source– The post is based on the article “From RIL to L&T and Adani, corporate giants build on EPC rule change” published in the Business Standard on 10th January 2023.

Syllabus: GS3- Investment models

Relevance– Issues related to infrastructure development

News– The article explains the increasing preference of big infrastructure firms for EPC contracts.

Reliance Industries Ltd has decided that it would merge its engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) subsidiary Reliance Projects and Property Management.

Many big infrastructure companies are pivoting towards government EPC contracts in a major way.

What is the reason for major infrastructure companies preferring EPC contracts?

This shift is primarily on account of several initiatives by government agencies in 2022. Most prominent of them are the National Highways Authority of India and the Railways. As a result, new entrants will operate on a low-debt model to build greenfield assets. The government will be responsible for selling the completed projects.

Government agencies are now handing out infrastructure contracts stating that bidders have to separate the project financing plans from the post-construction phase.

The new paradigm for infrastructure projects suits companies like L&T, RVNL, Adani or RIL. They have large reserves of cash for implementing the project.

An EPC project begins life with a 20% upfront payment contract offered by the bidding agency. Subsequent payments are linked to achieving project milestones that can be monitored by technology. Bidders need to hardly raise any debt.

What was the reason behind these decisions?

This change was mainly the result of NHAI’s Rs 3.3-trillion debt burden.

The finance ministry discovered that most of the debt was due to hybrid annuity model-based projects for roads. Under this model, the bidders were offered to build the roads or bridges on a tight budget and timeline. They were allowed to compensate themselves from the returns when the projects became operational by charging tolls.

Many contractors were suspicious about collecting tolls or levying user charges, NHAI offered assured returns of up to 40% of the total project expenditure, payable usually over 10 years. The contractor had to arrange the rest.

Due to assured return, contractors inflated projections. Projects often came up late even as the government’s bill mounted.

As a result of this, NHAI not only now asks the contractors to show project construction cost. It has also begun to use drones and satellites to monitor the pace of the progress.

In June 2022, the finance ministry said the past experience of the contractors has to be checked before issuing tenders.

 

Has human-animal conflict increased in Wayanad?

Source: The post is based on an article “Has human-animal conflict increased in Wayanad?” published in The Hindu on 10^th January 2023.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Environment

Relevance: reasons behind increasing human-animal conflict in Kerala and measures needed to mitigate.

News: There has been an increase in the human-animal conflict in Kerala. A daily worker was attacked by the elephant along with an attack on a bus.

What has led to an increase in the human-animal conflict in Kerala?

Human-animal conflict has become a serious wildlife management problem in Kerala in the last few years.

The reasons are – a) an increase in human population in wildlife habitats, b) habitat loss and fragmentation suffered by wild animals and c) change in cropping and land use patterns adopted by farmers.

Moreover, an analysis in various forest divisions of Kerala shows that human-wildlife conflict is a threat existing almost everywhere, but more frequently in the northern region and particularly in Wayanad.

What can be done to prevent human-animal conflict?

The only solution is mitigation of conflict. Both government and society should work together as a single entity to prevent human-animal conflict.

Further, forest conservation must be made more effective, through participatory programmes involving the people.

 

Securing cyberspace for children: How to tackle online child sexual abuse and exploitation

Source– The post is based on the article “Securing cyberspace for children: How to tackle online child sexual abuse and exploitation” published in The Indian Express on 10th January 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Vulnerable actions of the population. GS3- Basics of cyber security

Relevance– Issues related to childrens

News– The article explains the increasing danger of online child sex exploitation and abuse and its impacts. It also explains the challenges in dealing with online child sex abuse and suggest solutions to handle these challenges.

Why the threat of online child abuse and exploitation has increased in recent times?

Multiple lockdowns during Covid-19 forced children to turn to the internet for education, entertainment and everything. It led to an increase in their average screen time.

This prolonged online exposure has increased threats to online safety for children.

The rapidly evolving digital landscape and advances in information technology have given rise to better encryption services and the dark net. It has provided a safe cover of anonymity to offenders.

What is online child sexual abuse and exploitation and its impacts?

It refers to activities such as the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material. It also includes live streaming of sexual assault of minors, obtaining sexually explicit material.

This poses serious harm to children. They experience psychological stress such as anxiety, trauma, and depression.

It can also lead to behavioural changes like drug and alcohol abuse, self-harm, and lower motivation for academics.

The consequences of online sexual abuse in childhood are far-reaching. It may extend into adulthood by creating issues with intimacy and affecting interpersonal relationships.

What are the main administrative challenges when dealing with online child abuse?

There exists limited law enforcement capacities and gaps in the legislative framework.

Lack of awareness and urgency around the issue are other challenges.

There is a lack of  workforce in relevant social welfare organisations.

What are the steps taken by the government to tackle online child sex abuse?

It has improved the mechanism for reporting online offences against children.

It has also developed new tools and software to control and remove the presence of child sexual abuse material on social media and other platforms.

Efforts have also been made to sensitise schools and boost the technological capacity of law enforcement agencies to further deal with the issue.

What is the way forward to prevent child abuse?

According to the Model National Response, there are six key domains that should be focussed to effectively address this issue. These are policy and governance, criminal justice, industry, society and culture, research and victim support.

It is imperative to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of cross-sectoral governance mechanisms that are set up to systematise the national response to child sexual abuse material. The huge backlog of child abuse cases must also be fast-tracked.

There is a need to institutionalise the collection of national-level data on child sex abuse. The recent Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022 can provide an opportunity to meet this exigency.

There should be further development of clear mandates and creation of a logical framework. These should define the roles and duties of all relevant stakeholders within standard operating procedures for investigation.

Continuous dialogue between the industry, government and other collaborators, with a distinct agenda and division of responsibilities is necessary. Industry partners must be provided with suitable training and awareness of the magnitude of child abuse, along with proper toolkits and guidance.

There is need to promote a systematic and constant approach to training the judiciary and prosecution on child abuse. It should be centred around child-sensitive protocols.

Comprehensive remedies or reparations for victims are important. They need to be handled by a specialised workforce.

Basic online safety measures, parental support initiatives and community awareness training can be integrated into existing education programmes.

Existing systems must be evaluated by monitoring and documenting their overall effectiveness and accessibility. It should include assessment of relevant hotlines and portals.

Dedicated effort must be made for ethical and informed media reporting on relevant cases.

A collaborative effort of various institutions across the nation is required to build a safer cyberspace.

Stricter implementation of prevention laws, and adequate resources to sustain these efforts is required.

 

A mountain reeling under human aggression

Source: The post is based on the following articles

“A mountain reeling under human aggression” published in The Hindu on 10th January 2023.

“Broken-Back Mountains: Joshimath, Darjeeling, Sikkim” published in The Times of India on 10th January 2023.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Disaster and disaster management.

Relevance: About protecting Hilly areas.

News: The Himalayan town Joshimath is under tremendous stress, and a portion of it may sink.

About Joshimath

Read here: Who Tunnels Through A Sinking Town?

Joshimath, or Jyotirmath, is a temple town and a municipality in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district.

What are the challenges faced by Hilly areas?

Increase in rail and road network: The construction of highways and railway tracks has now become a prime cause for landslides and its occurrences have doubled over the years.

Increase in construction activities: For instance, in the next decade, the Government proposes to build 66 tunnels in the Uttarakhand Himalaya and 18 tunnels are already in operation.

Growth of the tourism sector: For instance, in Joshimath, in 2022, close to 5 crore tourists, 4 crore kanwar yatris and 45 lakh Char Dham pilgrims went to Uttarakhand. That’s about 10 crore.

Increased waste generation: For instance, the solid waste generation at Kedarnath was around 10,000 kg daily.

Depleting groundwater: Descending water levels have been observed in the hilly areas of tunnel construction. Further, erratic rainfall and ecological degradation associated with land use change are impacting mountain aquifer systems. For instance, the severity of the drinking water crisis in Darjeeling.

Low investment opportunity: People in tourist areas tend to invest in taxis and hotels. This again compounds the issue of urbanisation.

Increase in fallow land: Further, most of the farmers have now abandoned their traditional practices and only less than 20% of the agricultural land in the Himalayan districts of Uttarakhand is now being farmed and the rest has become fallow land.

Read more: Jolt From Joshimath – Govts have finally woken up to a hill town being on the brink of an ecological disaster. But more needs to be done

What should be done to protect hilly areas?

The steep gradients of the Uttarakhand Himalayas make it dynamically heterogeneous, in terms of climatic variables, and biodiversity. To protect the hilly areas the government should do the following,

-Like cities, hills also need investments and infrastructure. But that should not damage the ecological balance. The development strategy should be based on the region’s natural resources such as forests, water, biodiversity and ecotourism.

-A scientific study of hill towns is needed to clearly define the carrying capacity of each hilly town.

-Proper planning: Sikkim railway project and Sevoke-Rangpo line are facing challenges due to improper planning.

-The Himalayan terrain demands sustainable tourism, not mass tourism.

-National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) report on the Chamoli disaster mentions that in the long term, it will be necessary to focus on finding alternative sources of energy.

In short, an appropriate strategy for human well-being should use traditional knowledge, agricultural practices, construction practices and local cultural aspects.

 

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