{"id":83652,"date":"2021-02-18T21:00:34","date_gmt":"2021-02-18T15:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=83652"},"modified":"2021-02-19T12:28:31","modified_gmt":"2021-02-19T06:58:31","slug":"9-pm-daily-current-affairs-brief-february-18-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-daily-current-affairs-brief-february-18-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief \u2013 February 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<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-brief\/\">Read Previous 9 PM Brief<\/a><\/p>\n<div data-tid=\"messageBodyContent\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/daily-current-affairs-summaries\/\">Article wise list of 9 PM Brief<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>List of\u00a0 9 PM Current Affairs Articles<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#note1\">An Analysis of 15th Finance commission&#8217;s recommendations<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Note2\">Celebrity activism and government&#8217;s response to it<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Note3\">A robust \u2018health and well-being budget for 2021-22\u2019<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Note4\">Balancing freedom of speech and national security<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Note5\">Issues in Taxing PF contribution<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Note6\">Issues in the draft rules for the Code on Social Security 2020<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"note1\"><a id=\"note1\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/15th-finance-commission-recommendations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">An Analysis of 15th Finance commission&#8217;s recommendations<\/a><\/h3>\n<div data-tid=\"messageBodyContent\">\n<p><strong>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/opinion\/columns\/finance-commission-grant-kc-neogy-covid-crisis-7191633\/\">Indian Express<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS 2: Functions and Responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis: <\/strong>The 15<sup>th<\/sup> Finance Commission recommendations are slightly different from the other Finance commission&#8217;s recommendations. It has introduced many revolutionary changes that can shape India\u2019s future.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the major challenges faced by 15<sup>th<\/sup> Finance commission?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The 15<sup>th<\/sup> Finance commission (FC) had faced many challenges while preparing its report for the year 2021-26. Some of them are,<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>One, the issue of using 2011 population census data. The southern states were against it.<\/li>\n<li>Two, the issue of creating a <strong>non-lapsable defence fund<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Three, using certain parameters for calculating performance incentives to states.<\/li>\n<li>Fourth, the 15<sup>th<\/sup> FC was required to prepare the fiscal roadmap for the Union and state amid a shortfall in the GST collection and the Pandemic.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>How the 15<sup>th<\/sup> FC report addressed these challenges?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>First,<\/strong> the 15<sup>th<\/sup> FC recommended <strong>vertical devolution<\/strong> at <strong>41 per cent<\/strong> to states against 14<sup>th<\/sup> FC recommendation of 42% devolution. The 15<sup>th<\/sup> FC adjusted 1 per cent for the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Second,<\/strong> for <strong>horizontal distribution<\/strong>, it introduced <strong>efficiency criteria<\/strong> for tax and fiscal efforts of states. This is expected to harmonise the principles of revenue needs and performance.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Third,<\/strong> the 15<sup>th<\/sup> FC assigned <strong>12.5 per cent weightage to demographic performance. <\/strong>By that, it incentivized the southern states for the progress made by them in replacement rate of population growth.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>What was the recommendation of 15<sup>th<\/sup> FC for distributing grant in aids to the states? <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The grant allocation will be based on the below five categories. 1. Revenue deficit grants, 2. Grants for local governments, 3. Grants for disaster management, 4. Sector-specific grants and 5. State-specific grants.<\/li>\n<li>The centre in its <strong>Action Taken Report<\/strong>\u00a0accepted all the grants except <strong>sector-specific grants<\/strong> (Rs 1,29,987 crore) and <strong>state-specific grants<\/strong> (Rs 49,599 crore).<\/li>\n<li>The Commission also tasked to examine, whether <strong>revenue deficit grants<\/strong> should be provided at all to the states.\u00a0Some states argued that providing <strong>revenue deficit grants<\/strong>\u00a0will disincentives tax efforts and <strong>prudence <\/strong>in expenditure.<\/li>\n<li>However, the FC recommended revenue deficit grants of Rs 2,94,514 crore for (2021-26). It will help fiscally stressed states due to COVID pandemic, such as Kerala, Punjab, West Bengal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What were the Changes brought by 15<sup>th<\/sup> FC regarding grants to local governments?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>First,<\/strong> the 15<sup>th<\/sup> FC has prescribed the following conditions to local bodies to get access to the grants.\n<ul>\n<li>Constitution of State Finance Commissions<\/li>\n<li>Timely auditing and online availability of accounts for rural local bodies<\/li>\n<li>Notifying consistent growth rate for property tax revenue for urban local bodies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Second,<\/strong> it has also recommended for tying the grants to the local bodies to drinking water, sanitation, solid-waste management and faecal sludge management. This is in line with the national programmes such as Swachch<strong> Bharat Mission<\/strong> and <strong>Jal Jeevan Mission<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Third,<\/strong> for the first time, the FC recommends Rs 8,000 crore to states for <strong>incubation of eight new cities<\/strong>. It also provides for urban grants to <strong>million-plus cities<\/strong> for improving air quality, to meet the benchmark of solid waste management and sanitation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fourth,<\/strong> the landmark recommendation of the 15<sup>th<\/sup> FC is the health grant of Rs 70,051 crore through local bodies. It will help to address the gaps in primary health infrastructure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>15<sup>th<\/sup> FC recommendations for strengthening Disaster risk management<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The FC recommends setting up the state and national level <strong>Disaster Risk Mitigation Fund<\/strong> (SDRMF). It is in line with the provisions of the <strong>Disaster Management Act.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Also,<\/strong> for the first time, it introduced a 10-25 per cent <strong>graded cost-sharing<\/strong>\u00a0by the states for the <strong>NDRF and NDMF<\/strong>. Though, this is not accepted by the states.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>15<sup>th<\/sup> FC recommendations to strengthen Defence sector<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It recommends for setting up of a dedicated <strong>non-lapsable fund<\/strong> and the <strong>Modernisation Fund for Defence and Internal Security<\/strong> (MFDIS) for 2021-2026.<\/li>\n<li>The fund will bridge the gap between projected budgetary requirements and budget allocation for defence and internal security. It will also provide greater predictability to critical defence related <strong>capital expenditure<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>It has recommended the following <strong>four specific sources<\/strong> from where the funds for defence can be sourced.\n<ol>\n<li>Transfers from the Consolidated Fund of India.<\/li>\n<li>Disinvestment proceeds of DPSEs.<\/li>\n<li>Proceeds from the monetisation of surplus defence land.<\/li>\n<li>Proceeds of receipts from defence land, which is likely to be transferred to state governments.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li>Furthermore, it recommends an allocation of Rs 1,000 crore per annum for the welfare of families of the defence and CAPF personnel who sacrifice their lives in frontline duties.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"note1\"><a id=\"Note2\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/celebrity-activism-and-governments-response-to-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Celebrity activism and government&#8217;s response to it<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/opinion\/columns\/farmers-protest-republic-day-violence-twitter-hashtag-rihanna-greta-thunberg-mea-7193101\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">click here<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>Syllabus: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GS 2<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Synopsis:\u00a0 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The MEA\u2019s response to celebrity activism is fair. But its global reach has to go beyond majoritarian representation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Introduction\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The tweets by international pop singer Rihanna and climate activist Greta Thunberg on farmers&#8217; protest created a huge stir.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>In response, The Minister for External Affairs tweeted about motivated campaigns t<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">argeting India. It also said that India has the self-confidence today to hold its own. However, MEA\u2019s reaction has come under criticism, inside and outside Parliament.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the one hand, the hashtag activism was welcomed by the protesting farmers\u2019 associations. However, <\/span><b>some Indian film and sports stars tweeted that policy matters are internal to the nation.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>How is celebrity and Twitter activism used globally?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Celebrity activism over human rights is now an established tradition the world over. Twitter diplomacy is a fairly new phenomenon in India, but it is for the MEA to decide how foreign policy is best conducted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>First,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the world of celebrities is firmly rooted in international relations. <\/span><b>It has helped in the growth of global civil society opinion and action<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Many Indian film celebrities such as Rajinikanth and Kamal Hasan are engaged in such activism.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Second,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> many celebrities become a member of Rajya Sabha or receive national honours. It is because <\/span><b>political parties also seek to convey their messages to the masses <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">through their chosen celebrities.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Third, the United Nations makes celebrities its goodwill ambassadors. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many celebrities are used as brand ambassadors for corporates. For example, the Gates Foundation has engaged in supporting AIDS sufferers in India, and elsewhere.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Last, there is a growing public trust in the image of the celebrity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as a rescuer of victims. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Howeve<span style=\"color: #000000;\">r, celebrity activism has its downside as well. Sometimes they promote ill-informed solutions and glamourizes populist policies, which results in misinformation among the public.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What should India do?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The MEA should <\/span>extend its reach beyond<b> majoritarian representation to the minority. <\/b>It <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">has a different opinion from the masses.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government should create a wider constitutional trust among the Public. It requires a focus beyond governance and development<\/span><b>.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All citizens have a fundamental constitutional <\/span><b>duty to reject violence and develop respect for India\u2019s diverse culture. <\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These duties apply equally to the protesters, citizens, government or Opposition, the media, or state and party actors, etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"note1\"><a id=\"Note3\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/a-robust-health-and-well-being-budget-for-2021-22\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A robust \u2018health and well-being budget for 2021-22\u2019<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/Home\/ShareArticle?OrgId=GKD89ON6M.1&amp;imageview=0\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/Home\/ShareArticle?OrgId=GKD89ON6M.1&amp;imageview=0<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Syllabus<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: GS 2 &#8211; Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector\/Services relating to Health<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Synopsis<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The government has come up with an integrated health and well-being budget for 2021-22. It would help meet the current and upcoming challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Background:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The pandemic struck India in March 2020 and exposed the vulnerabilities of the Indian health care system.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although India\u2019s performance in tackling the pandemic was better than various developed countries. But its impact on the economy and society was significant.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was therefore imperative to come up with a strong health and wellbeing budget to develop resilience against the ill effects of the pandemic. The health budget was prepared in this context of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Government measures for strengthening \u2018health and wellbeing\u2019:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Production linked incentive scheme is announced to boost the manufacture of pharmaceutical and medical devices.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>35000 crore rupees<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has been allocated for the development of COVID-19 vaccine. <\/span><b>Mission COVID Suraksha<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has been launched to improve indigenous vaccine testing and development. Further coverage of pneumococcal vaccine will also be enhanced.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) was launched to provide free food grains to 800 million beneficiaries.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) will target 690 million beneficiaries covering 32 states\/UTs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) has been given substantial allocation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There would be an expansion of health and wellness centres under<\/span><b> Pradhan Mantri \u2013 Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana (PMANSBY<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). It would also involve using a 13,192 crore Finance Commission grant for strengthening the primary health system.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allocation for the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) has not changed in comparison to last year.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There has been a <\/span><b>40% increase in Budget <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of the Ayurveda, Yoga &amp; Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) Ministry.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Significance<\/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 nature of allocation strengthens the <\/span><b>vision of making India Atma Nirbhar<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Second<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, initiatives like Mission COVID Suraksha will help India <\/span><b>sustain <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">its position of being the <\/span><b>vaccine hub of the world<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Significant allocation towards vaccine development will also ensure all the citizens are able to get vaccinated in due time.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Third<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, PMGKY and ONORC will help in ensuring <\/span><b>food and nutritional security<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the country.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Fourth<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a <\/span><b>reduction in diseases <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">namely Malaria, Polio and Diarrhoea would be seen due to substantial allocation towards JJM. This is explained by a report released by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2019.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Fifth<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, focusing on<\/span><b> capital expenditure<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> through schemes like PMANSBY is a welcome step for strengthening the health system. Earlier the capital expenditure used to constitute only a small fraction of health allocation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Sixth<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, an improvement in AYUSH Ministry\u2019s budget will allow the country to focus more on <\/span><b>preventive care <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and integrated treatment.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Lastly<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, integration of health with well-being (Water, Sanitation and Nutrition) would help in improving the outcomes. Both National Health Policy, 2017 and Economic Survey have stressed the<\/span><b> interdependence of these sectors<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Way Forward:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s commitment towards health has allowed it to successfully deliver 8 million doses of COVID vaccine to health and frontline workers. This is the fastest vaccination drive in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allocation towards schemes like PM-JAY should be enhanced. A 20% decline was seen in infant mortality rate (IMR) between 2015-20 in states which adopted the scheme in comparison to a 12% in IMR decline in states which didn\u2019t adopt it as per the economic survey.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The states must increase their <\/span><b>health spending to 8%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of their respective budgets by 2022 as recommended by the National Health Policy and Finance Commission. This would reduce the burden on the Centre and ensure effective spending.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Union Budget has effectively prepared the ground for tackling the upcoming challenges in the health sector. This should be coupled with other reforms so that the resilience capacity of the country gets enhanced. This would help in achieving the vision of universal health coverage by 2030 as part of sustainable development goals.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"note1\"><a id=\"Note4\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/balancing-freedom-of-speech-and-national-security\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Balancing freedom of speech and national security<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/Home\/ShareArticle?OrgId=GN689L1EJ.1&amp;imageview=0\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/Home\/ShareArticle?OrgId=GN689L1EJ.1&amp;imageview=0<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Syllabus<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: GS-2 &#8211; Indian Constitution\u2014historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Synopsis<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The government warned Twitter over its reluctance in following the executive order for blocking of information. However, the focus should be on balancing free speech and national security.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Background<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government used its power under <\/span><b>Section 69A<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the Information and Technology Act to block information on the Micro-blogging site.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This section allows the <\/span><b>government to block any information by issuing orders to a digital intermediary. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">National security, public order, sovereignty and integrity of India, etc, are some grounds for blocking.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The apparent reason behind such an order was the use of a controversial hashtag that disturbed public order.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The order was only partially followed by Twitter.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Government\u2019s Stance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social media platforms should respect the law of the land. Partial compliance is simply a violation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Further, there should be consistency in behaviour as Twitter supported police action in Washington\u2019s Capitol Hill incident. But similar support was not seen in the 26th January violent protests at Red fort, Delhi.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It removed problematic hashtags as the same was spreading the hatred.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It viewed the blocking of journalists&#8217; and activists&#8217; accounts as a threat to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19 of the constitution. Therefore, accounts were reactivated after some time.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/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;\">Both the government and Twitter are determined not to escalate the issue. The government has only issued a warning while Twitter has refrained from approaching the court.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a need to re-examine the extent of the wide ambit of censorship powers under Section 69A. An opportunity was missed by the court in Shreya Singhal versus Union of India, in which the extent of the section was not rationalized.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the world\u2019s largest democracy, the culture of secrecy and arbitrariness shouldn\u2019t be allowed to suppress freedom of speech and expression. The government must view freedom of speech as a facilitator to the security of the state and not an impediment.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"note1\"><a id=\"Note5\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/issues-in-taxing-pf-contribution\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Issues in Taxing PF contribution<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/Home\/ShareArticle?OrgId=GKD89ON6E.1&amp;imageview=0\">The Hindu<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS 2: <\/strong>Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors and Issues arising out of their Design and Implementation<strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis: <\/strong>By taxing the income of PF contributions over 2.5 lakhs, the government wants to restrict <strong>High net-worth individuals<\/strong> (HNIs) who are using the social welfare scheme as a tax haven. Though it is well-intended, it has many ambiguities.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/budget-proposes-tax-on-epf-interest\/\">Read More &#8211; Budget proposes tax on EPF interest|ForumIAS Blog<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Background<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Union Budget 2021 has proposed taxing the income on provident fund contributions of over Rs. 2.5 lakh a year from 01 April 2021.<\/li>\n<li>The rationale given for taxing the income from provident fund contributions is to target HNIs. They are using the PF savings to avoid taxation. <strong>For example<\/strong>, the 100 largest employees\u2019 PF (EPF) accounts had a combined balance of over \u20b92,000 crore.<\/li>\n<li>This is not the first time the government had tried to tax PF savings. In the 2016-17 Budget, the government proposed to tax 60% of EPF balances at the time of withdrawal. But due to protest from employees, it was withdrawn later.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What are the ambiguities in this scheme?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Revenue Department<\/strong> has pointed out that the tax will only affect a small group of HNIs. However, the scheme suffers from the following ambiguities,<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>First<\/strong>, the threshold of taxing contributions of over Rs. 2.5 lakh is very low. It will end up taxing PF income for employees who are investing \u20b921,000 a month towards their retirement.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Second<\/strong>, the threshold proposed is also not in line with the \u20b97.5 lakh limit. It was set in last year\u2019s Budget for employers\u2019 contributions into the <strong>EPF<\/strong>, <strong>National Pension System<\/strong> (NPS) or other <strong>superannuation funds.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Third<\/strong>, it creates inequity between India\u2019s limited retirement savings instruments. For example, it does not cover NPS<strong> investments<\/strong> over \u20b92.5 lakh a year, but it includes government employees\u2019 contributions into the <strong>GPF<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fourth, <\/strong>it is also not clear on when and how the tax is to be paid. Either at retirement or each year after the PF rate is announced.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fifth, <\/strong><strong>The CBDT chief <\/strong>has said that employees should showcase PF income in their annual tax returns. But this may work for GPF members whose interest rate is announced every quarter. Not for EPF accounts, as interest rates are declared late and credited even later.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Finally, <\/strong>this move will affect the fund flow into EPF. This will in turn hamper the government&#8217;s sources for finance which is largely dependent on market borrowings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"note1\"><a id=\"Note6\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/issues-in-the-draft-rules-for-the-code-on-social-security-2020\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Issues in the draft rules for the Code on Social Security 2020<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Source- <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/opinion\/columns\/nirmala-sitharaman-union-budget-labour-codes-law-7193088\/\"><strong>The Indian Express<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus &#8211; \u00a0GS 3 &#8211; <\/strong>Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis &#8211;<\/strong>\u00a0 The Government drafted the rules for the <strong>Code on Social Security 2020<\/strong> without considering <strong>growing informal workforce.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Introduction:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>During the Budget, Finance Minister highlighted the implementation of the four labour codes.<\/li>\n<li>Budgetary Allocation for the MSME sector this year was Rs.15700 Crores. This is more than double the amount allotted last year.<\/li>\n<li>This will be a positive step if it provides jobs and social security to informal workers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What are the positive aspects of the draft labour codes?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Social security benefits will extend to gig and platform workers.<\/li>\n<li>Minimum wages will apply to all categories of workers. They all will be covered by the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).<\/li>\n<li>Compliance burden on employers will get reduced. Because the labour codes provide a single registration and licensing instead of multiple ones at present.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Impacts of lockdown on informal workers-<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>The lockdown impacted the informal sector more. This is highlighted by the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/rising_inequality_in_india-findings_of_oxfam_report\/\">Oxfam inequality Virus report<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong>Few key findings of the report were,\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Informal workers were the worst hit<\/strong>&#8211; 75% out of the total 122 million who lost their jobs were in the informal sector.<\/li>\n<li>Over <strong>300 informal workers died due to the lockdown<\/strong> due to starvation, suicides, exhaustion, road and rail accidents, police brutality and denial of timely medical care.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>More than <strong>2,582 cases of violation of human rights<\/strong> were recorded by the National Human Rights Commission as early as April 2020.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>What are the issues pertaining to the draft rules for the code on Social security, 2020?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>First,<\/strong> <strong>Lack of information-<\/strong> The Draft rules make Aadhaar based registration mandatory for receiving benefits. However, there is not much information available in the registration process.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Second,<\/strong> <strong>Confusion regarding applicability<\/strong>-There is no specific guidelines on how benefits will be applicable to all the informal sector employee.\n<ul>\n<li><strong>A question for example- <\/strong>Will migrant workers qualify for the social security benefits if they employed in a different state than the registered [Aadhaar based] state?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Third, rising inequality gap- <\/strong>The draft rules are not able to address the issues of the growing informal workforce. The growing informal workforce along with the lack of state\u2019s accountability is responsible for rising inequality.\n<ul>\n<li>Due to this, workers face the risk of human and labour rights violation. It also leads to unsafe and unregulated working conditions and lower wages and other vulnerabilities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Way forward-<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>There is a need to address the growing informal workforce and provide social protection, especially to the 450 million informal sector workers.<\/li>\n<li>It is important that the draft labour codes take that also into account.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"9habmhMTg5\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/factly-news-articles-for-upsc-prelims-feb-18-2021\/\">Factly :-News Articles For UPSC Prelims | Feb 18, 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 | Feb 18, 2021&#8221; &#8212; Free UPSC IAS Preparation For Aspirants\" src=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/factly-news-articles-for-upsc-prelims-feb-18-2021\/embed\/#?secret=gmdN8xA2Tn#?secret=9habmhMTg5\" data-secret=\"9habmhMTg5\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Good evening dear reader Here is our 9pm current affairs brief for you today Read Previous 9 PM Brief Article wise list of 9 PM Brief List of\u00a0 9 PM Current Affairs Articles An Analysis of 15th Finance commission&#8217;s recommendations Celebrity activism and government&#8217;s response to it A robust \u2018health and well-being budget for 2021-22\u2019&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-daily-current-affairs-brief-february-18-2021\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief \u2013 February 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":[],"class_list":["post-83652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-9-pm-brief","category-public","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":1704941719},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83652","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=83652"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83652\/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=83652"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=83652"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=83652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}