{"id":113527,"date":"2021-06-18T21:00:34","date_gmt":"2021-06-18T15:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=113527"},"modified":"2021-06-19T10:55:52","modified_gmt":"2021-06-19T05:25:52","slug":"9-pm-daily-current-affairs-brief-june-18-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-daily-current-affairs-brief-june-18-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief \u2013 June 18, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Good evening dear reader<\/p>\n<p>Here is our 9pm current affairs brief for you today<\/p>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\r\n<p><strong>About 9 PM Brief<\/strong>- With the <span style=\"color: #000000;\">9 PM Daily Current affairs for UPSC brief we intend<\/span> to simplify the newspaper reading experience. In 9PM briefs, we provide our reader with a summary of all the important articles and editorials from three important newspapers namely The Hindu, Indian Express, and Livemint. This will provide you with analysis, broad coverage, and factual information from a Mains examination point of view.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>About Factly<\/strong>- The Factly initiative covers all the daily news articles regarding Preliminary examination. This will be provided at the end of the 9 PM Brief.<\/p>\r\n<p>Dear Aspirants,<\/p>\r\n<p>We know for a fact that learning without evaluation is a wasted effort. Therefore, we request you to please go through both our initiatives i.e 9PM Briefs and Factly, then evaluate yourself through the 10PM Current Affairs Quiz.<\/p>\r\n<p>We plan to integrate all our free daily initiatives to comprehensively support your success journey.<br \/><strong>Happy Learning!<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/div>\n\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/delhi-high-courts-order-upholds-right-to-be-forgotten\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Delhi High Court\u2019s order upholds \u2018Right to be Forgotten\u2019<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/Home\/ShareArticle?OrgId=GIV8M5ERK.1&amp;imageview=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click Here<\/a>\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Syllabus<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: GS 2 &#8211; Significant provisions of Indian Constitution<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Synopsis<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently, in response to a petition, the Delhi High Court ordered the removal of easy access from one of its own judgments. Delhi HC upheld the petitioner&#8217;s right to be forgotten to prevent post-acquittal disgrace faced by him. However, some experts have criticized the order, stating that minor modifications would have yielded better results than complete revocation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Background<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Delhi HC gave temporary relief to a petitioner. He sought the removal of the judgment from leading database platforms and search engines after his acquittal.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The court asked search engines to remove this order from search results. It ordered the database platform to block the judgment from being accessed by search engines.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It recognized that the petitioner may have a right to be forgotten, which must be balanced with the right of the public to access courts of record.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is the first instance of a court ordering the removal of access to its complete final judgment from certain spaces.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>About Right to be forgotten:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is a right to remove private information about a person from public access.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It allows an individual to determine the development of their life in an autonomous way and prevents perpetual stigmatization for past conduct.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2017, the Supreme Court held it to be a part of the Right to privacy. The court deduced that a lot of personal information may serve no \u201clegitimate interest\u201d, was unnecessary or irrelevant and hence can be taken down.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Issues associated with Right to Forgotten<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>First<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, there are <\/span><b>no concrete provisions or guideline<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s to determine the ambit of \u2018Right to be forgotten\u2019. It is dependent on the discretion of individual courts and the status of individuals. For instance, a public figure may find greater difficulties in exercising this right.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Second<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, there is<\/span><b> no clarity on information uploaded by 3rd parties<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> like a journalist or news agency. There is a broad consensus that one should be empowered to remove the information upheld by him\/her over the internet.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, removing 3rd party information may muzzle fair criticism of government policies and the media&#8217;s right to report.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">U.S Supreme court in <\/span><b>New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964),<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> ruled that public interest reporting may continue without fear as long as it did not intentionally or recklessly make outright false statements.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Third<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the removal of complete judgments <\/span><b>may not allow public scrutiny of judicial performance <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to ascertain the fairness and objectivity of the administration of justice.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Fourth<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the removal sometimes <\/span><b>creates a Streisand effect<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It is a social phenomenon that occurs when an attempt to hide, remove or censor information has the unintended consequence of further publicizing that information.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Way Forward<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As per some experts, narrow tailoring of the judgment would have been more beneficial than forbidding access to its complete judgment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The court could have ordered that the name and personal details of the petitioner be censored while maintaining public access to the judgment itself.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thus, the right to be forgotten must be studied along with the concepts of fair criticism and accountability.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/role-of-disruptive-technologies-in-improving-the-health-sector\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Role of disruptive technologies in improving the health sector<\/a><\/h3>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/Home\/ShareArticle?OrgId=GBF8M7J2M.1&amp;imageview=0\">The Hindu<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Gs3: Science and Technology- Developments and their Applications and Effects in Everyday Life.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis: <\/strong>Application of future Digital technologies in the health sector can lead to accessible, affordable, and quality health care. Further, it can reduce human involvement in risky functions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Background<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Human involvement in diagnosis, treatment, and hospital care of infected patients puts them at greater risk of contracting the disease. For instance, many frontline warriors fighting COVID-19 have lost their lives.<\/li>\n<li>In this context, technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous systems, blockchain, cloud and quantum computing, data analytics, 5G can help in addressing the issue.<\/li>\n<li>The new technologies can improve the welfare of societies and reduce the impact of communicable diseases. Further, it can reduce the chances of hospital staff contracting the infection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Recent developments regarding the use of disruptive technologies for hospital care<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>One, according to global media reports, some established innovative field hospitals are using robots to care for COVID-19 affected patients.<\/li>\n<li>Two, hospitals in China, are using 5G-powered temperature measurement devices at the entrance to flag patients who have fever-like symptoms.<\/li>\n<li>Three, some robots are being used to measure heart rates and blood oxygen levels through smart bracelets.<\/li>\n<li>Four, In India too, the <strong>Sawai Man Singh government hospital<\/strong> in Jaipur held trials with a humanoid robot to deliver medicines and food to hospitalized COVID-19 patients<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>How new technologies can improve the hospital ecosystem?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>One, Blockchain technology<\/strong> can help in addressing the interoperability challenges that health information and technology systems face.\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>health blockchain<\/strong> will contain a complete indexed history of all medical data, including formal medical records and health data. Data will be sourced from mobile applications and wearable sensors. This will help in seamless medical attention.<\/li>\n<li>Further, it allows for storing of data in a secured and authenticated network. Thereby, it will prevent erosion of Individuals&#8217; privacy and ensure data security.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Two, <\/strong><strong>Big data analytics<\/strong> can help improve patient-based services such as early disease detection.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Three, <\/strong><strong>AI and the Internet of Medical Things<\/strong>, or IoMT can support medical care delivery in dispersed and complex environments through Medical autonomous systems.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Four, <\/strong><strong>Cloud computing<\/strong> can facilitate collaboration and data exchanges between doctors, departments, and even institutions and medical providers. It will enable the best treatment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>How Digital technologies can be utilized to achieve \u201cUniversal health coverage\u201d in India?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>India needs to own its digital health strategy that works and leads towards universal health coverage and person-centered care.<\/li>\n<li>India\u2019s digital health strategy should emphasize the <strong>ethical appropriateness<\/strong> of digital technologies, across the digital divide, and ensure inclusion across the economy.<\/li>\n<li>Online consultation through video conferencing should be made a key part of India\u2019s digital health strategy.<\/li>\n<li>Moreover, digital health strategy should\u00a0 utilise available local knowledge. Primary health centres in India should examine traditional knowledge and experience and then use it along with modern technology.\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: circle;\">\n<li>There are many instances where traditional knowledge has been utilised for preventing diseases.<\/li>\n<li>For example, in Indonesia, where the experience of backyard poultry farmers was used to tackle bird flu.<\/li>\n<li>Another example is the Ebola virus outbreak in Africa, where communities proactively helped curtail the spread much before government health teams arrived.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Challenges in developing Digital health strategy<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Standardisation of health data,<\/li>\n<li>Information sharing between Organisations<\/li>\n<li>Data security and data privacy, and<\/li>\n<li>High investments.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>India\u2019s efforts in this direction should involve synchronization and integration, developing a template for sharing data, and reengineering many of the institutional and structural arrangements in the medical sector.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/balancing-civil-rights-and-anti-terror-laws\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Balancing Civil rights and Anti-terror laws<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/Home\/ShareArticle?OrgId=GBF8M7J2G.1&amp;imageview=0\">The Hindu<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>GS2: Structure, Organization, and Functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis<\/strong>: The objective of UAPA is to check terrorism, and its misuse is against the ethos of democracy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Background<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Recently, Delhi High Court granted bail to activists who were undertrial for their alleged involvement in the 2020 Delhi riots.<\/li>\n<li>The judgment is a judicial opposition to the authoritarian regime of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (\u201cUAPA\u201d).<\/li>\n<li>Also, the UAPA is one of the most abused laws in India today.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>How UAPA is being misused?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Firstly, it <strong>restricts the right to bail<\/strong> of the accused. Section 43(D)(5) of this Act prevents the release of any accused person on bail if:\n<ul>\n<li>The court is of the opinion that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accusation against such a person is <strong>prima facie true (what appears to be true at first)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Secondly, the <strong>adversarial system of criminal justice<\/strong> causes further delays in overburdened courts.\n<ul>\n<li>It is based on the testing of evidence through <strong>cross-examination. <\/strong><\/li>\n<li>The court considers which side\u2019s evidence is more persuasive.<\/li>\n<li>In higher profile cases such as the Delhi riots case, where the record is bulky, trials can take many years. It leaves the accused in prison for years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Thirdly, section 43(D)(5) is against <strong>natural justice and rule of law.<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>In ordinary cases, both sides produce evidence and the court cross-examine them. But when <strong>Section 43(D)(5)<\/strong> is applied, the court looks at the prosecution\u2019s evidence, which requires that bail be denied.<\/li>\n<li>It forces the court to make decisions on guilt or innocence based on one side\u2019s unchallenged story.<\/li>\n<li>It deprives individuals of their freedom for years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>That is why in the case of Section 43(D)(5) when police prepare the charge sheet, it is highly difficult to get bail until there are no internal contradictions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why the judgment holds significance?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Firstly, pendency in courts and increasing burden leaves under-trials in prison.\n<ul>\n<li>That is why bail is the only safeguard and <strong>guarantee of the constitutional right to liberty.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Secondly, the Bench of Justices observed that Section 43(D)(5) is against the <strong>basic principles of criminal justice.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Thirdly, the court suggested <strong>that criminal offenses must be specific<\/strong> in their terms, to protect the innocent.\n<ul>\n<li>To attract the provisions of the UAPA, the charge sheet must reveal factual, individualised, and particular allegations against the individual.<\/li>\n<li>It should specifically link the accused to terrorist activities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Fourthly, UAPA applications should be <strong>limited to terrorism-related<\/strong>\u00a0cases <strong>only<\/strong>.\n<ul>\n<li>Court also said \u201cTerrorism\u201d is a term of art, and not a word that can be thrown around loosely.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lastly<\/strong>, the court also highlighted the significance of the right to protest and to dissent<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Indian courts have to play an important role in finding a balance between citizens\u2019 civil rights and anti-terrorism legislation. It is the responsibility of the judiciary to keep a check on the executive\u2019s tyranny.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/flaws-in-haryana-governments-order-demanding-demolition-of-khori-gaon-jhuggis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Flaws in Haryana Government&#8217;s order demanding demolition of Khori Gaon Jhuggis<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/opinion\/columns\/manohar-lal-khattar-haryana-government-slums-rehabilitation-coronavirus-7363948\/\">Click Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Syllabus<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: GS 1 &#8211; Urbanisation and related issues<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Synopsis<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Haryana government\u2019s order demanding the demolition of Khori Gaon Jhuggis is surrounded by multiple flaws. It would result in brutal violations of human rights. Therefore, the government should provide alternative land and reasonable facilities to those facing eviction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Background<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Haryana government has ordered to break 10,000 jhuggis in Khori Gaon without providing any rehabilitation plan.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Khori Gaon is located on the Delhi-Haryana border and comes under the Faridabad Municipal Corporation (FMC) jurisdiction.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The demolition is imperative as the jhuggis are located in a forest area and the residents don\u2019t have any ownership over them. However, the order is surrounded by multiple flaws.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Issues associated with the Order:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>First<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it will put<\/span><b> unprecedented stress <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on the residents, who are already facing immense uncertainties during the pandemic. Eviction may endanger the health, economic well-being, and lives of thousands.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently, a construction labourer (named Ganeshilal) committed suicide on hearing the demolition news.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Second<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the order <\/span><b>doesn\u2019t extend to big high-rise buildings<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> located in the same forest area. This includes The Taj Vivanta Hotel, the Sarovar Portico Hotel, the Pinnacle Business Tower, and the Radha Soami Satsang Centre.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Third<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it <\/span><b>undermines the right to shelter under Article 21<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the Indian Constitution as no prudent plan for rehabilitation is given.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the<\/span><b> Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation case,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the Supreme Court held that it would be the duty of the state to provide the right to shelter for the poor and needy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the <\/span><b>Shantistar Builders case<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the Supreme Court held that the right to life includes the right to have reasonable accommodation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Fourth<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it violates <\/span><b>India\u2019s international obligation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The country has ratified the UN International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights which guarantees a right to housing for all irrespective of income.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apart from this, there exist other issues that make the situation worse for the poor dwellers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Other Concerning issues<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>First<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the <\/span><b>cut-off date for rehabilitation <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hasn\u2019t been updated by Haryana Urban Development Authority since 2010. The cut-off date was fixed as 2003 but since then massive migration has taken place in the state, but the date hasn\u2019t been updated.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gujarat has a cut-off date of 2010 while Rajasthan and Bihar use 2009, and Karnataka requires just a one-year stay.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Second<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, several of those residents who settled before the cut-off date <\/span><b>don&#8217;t possess the requisite documents.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Thus, 90% of the 10,000 houses of the settlement of Khori Gaon will be denied rehabilitation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Third<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the <\/span><b>multiple housing schemes of the government <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">including the current PM Awas Yojana have not been implemented properly.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Way Forward:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Haryana government should do rehabilitation of the jhuggi-dwellers prior to their removal. This would involve\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">conducting a detailed survey prior to the eviction,\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">drawing up a rehabilitation plan and\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ensuring that upon eviction the dwellers are immediately rehabilitated<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Haryana government should update its rehabilitation policy by learning from other states&#8217; progressive housing policies.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For instance, the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board Act provides for a survey, removal and resettlement plan.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under this, removal is done only when land is required for a public purpose; else the jhuggis are upgraded and improved in-situ.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An alternate house is provided if the family is staying in the jhuggi since 2015.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/rationale-behind-new-information-technology-rules-2021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rationale behind New Information Technology Rules, 2021<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/opinion\/columns\/social-media-new-it-rules-twitter-facebook-instagram-7363947\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click Here<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Syllabus<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: GS 3 &#8211; role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Synopsis<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social media is a direct product of the globalized internet, which connects people all over the globe. It significantly impacts economic, social, and political discourse in a country. Hence, the government formulated new Information Technology Rules, 2021 to regulate them and prevent their misuse.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Background<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The internet has revolutionized the world, and we are now in the process of a transition from the industrial to the internet age.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This transition would affect how we see economics, politics, society, governance, democracy, and our fundamental rights. Therefore, it becomes imperative to improve the regulatory framework over the internet and social media.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is in this context that new Information Technology Rules, 2021 were formulated by the Government of India.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>About Social Media<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social media is a direct product of the globalised internet which connects people all over the globe.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It allows people to converse with each other through profiles both known and anonymous. It allows the transmission of information in real-time across the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Information Technology Rules, 2021 related to Social Media:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social media companies are prohibited from hosting or publishing any unlawful information.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Information obtained in relation to the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India, public order, friendly relations with foreign countries, etc. can be deemed unlawful. The government can <\/span><b>order takedown<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of such information within 24 hours.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The user should be <\/span><b>given a notice<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> before its content is taken down.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government can direct messaging platforms to tie the identity of the user with the message transmitted by him\/her for strengthening <\/span><b>traceability<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rules call for social media companies to publish<\/span><b> a monthly compliance report<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as well.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social media platforms are classified into <\/span><b>two categories <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; social media intermediaries and significant social media intermediaries, the latter being platforms with a large user base.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The significant social media intermediaries will be obliged to follow some additional measures like:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Appointing a Chief Compliance Officer, Nodal Contact Person, and a Resident Grievance Officer in India. All of them should be Indian Residents.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The chief Compliance Officer shall be responsible for ensuring compliance with the Act and Rules.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nodal Contact Person will do 24\u00d77 coordination with law enforcement agencies.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Resident Grievance Officer shall receive and resolve complaints from users. The officer must acknowledge the complaint within 24 hours, and resolve it within 15 days of receipt.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These platforms should also have a physical contact address in India, which should be notified on the website and apps.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Rationale behind New Social Media Rules:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>First<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the rules invoke <\/span><b>a minimum regulatory standard <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on social media. This brings it to par with newspapers, magazines, and websites that are responsible for the content published over them.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The companies are<\/span><b> still considered as an intermediary and continue to enjoy immunity under Section 79<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the Information Technology Act.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Section 79 states that an intermediary shall not be liable for any third-party information hosted by it if it duly follows the guidelines released by the government.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Further, they have screening teams that can duly remove objectionable content.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For instance, Twitter deleted some tweets of former US President Donald Trump in January 2021 and later suspended his account.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Second<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the freedom of speech enjoyed over social media is derived from Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution. It is <\/span><b>subject to the restriction of Article 19(2)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that includes public order, security of the state, defamation, etc. grounds. Hence, due restrictions can be imposed on social media.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Third<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, social media has become<\/span><b> a public square in which the most important conversations on politics and society are discussed<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Therefore, its regulation becomes imperative for overall societal wellbeing.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Fourth<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, social media is a <\/span><b>commercial product<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that is being offered with the objective of money-making. Hence, it should be regulated like other commercial products.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The fact that a commercial product could be used for a social purpose does not make the product a social good.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Fifth<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the big social media companies <\/span><b>sometimes attempt to regulate the policies of the government as per their will<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This may grow into economic exploitation and political intervention on a grand scale if not duly regulated.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Large-scale intervention can lead to disastrous results, as was shown by the East India Company\u2019s dominant control in the past which led to India\u2019s colonisation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"CqDRvQZOai\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/factly-news-articles-for-upsc-prelims-18-june-2021\/\">Factly :-News Articles For UPSC Prelims | 18 June, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Factly :-News Articles For UPSC Prelims | 18 June, 2021&#8221; &#8212; Free UPSC IAS Preparation For Aspirants\" src=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/factly-news-articles-for-upsc-prelims-18-june-2021\/embed\/#?secret=ErQehJN9JA#?secret=CqDRvQZOai\" data-secret=\"CqDRvQZOai\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Good evening dear reader Here is our 9pm current affairs brief for you today Delhi High Court\u2019s order upholds \u2018Right to be Forgotten\u2019 Source: Click Here\u00a0 Syllabus: GS 2 &#8211; Significant provisions of Indian Constitution Synopsis: Recently, in response to a petition, the Delhi High Court ordered the removal of easy access from one of&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-daily-current-affairs-brief-june-18-2021\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief \u2013 June 18, 2021<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":80068,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,9],"tags":[8032,1542,8033],"class_list":["post-113527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-9-pm-brief","category-public","tag-current-affairs-for-upsc","tag-daily-current-affairs-for-upsc","tag-upsc-current-affairs","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/9-PM-Brief-1-e1615452440806.png?fit=600%2C335&ssl=1","views":{"total":0,"cached_at":"","cached_date":1704942682},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=113527"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113527\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=113527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}