Click here to Download 9 PM Daily Brief PDF (15th Oct. 2016)
NATIONAL
[1]. Join consultation on triple talaq-Centre
Context
The government asked the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and certain other Muslim organizations to reconsider their decision to boycott the Law Commission’s consultation on triple talaq and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC)
Government has stated that the case against triple talaq should not be mixed up with the efforts of the Law Commission for a UCC.
All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB)’s stand
The AIMPLB, while announcing the decision to boycott the Law Commission’s consultation, has criticised the government for allegedly trying to distract attention from its “failures” by raising the issue of UCC.
[2]. Dissolve Shunglu panel-govt
Context
The Delhi Cabinet has passed a resolution terming the three-member Shunglu Committee constituted by Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung ‘unconstitutional’ and advised him to dissolve it
Why Shunglu Committee was constituted?
Following the High Court order of August 4 stating that the L-G is the administrative head of Delhi, Mr. Jung had set up an expert committee to examine the 400-odd files pertaining to decisions taken by the Delhi government without his approval since February 2015.
Delhi govt’s view
There is no provision in the Constitution, or in any statute or rule, which mandates setting up of an external committee to inquire into ongoing projects of public welfare, question officers and threaten to recommend administrative and criminal action against them.
[3]. Centre plans to revive counter-terror body
Context
The Centre is planning to revive the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), a project conceived by the government in 2012
NCTC proposal would be reworked to allay the fears of State governments that their intelligence gathering mechanism would be encroached upon by the Centre
Government’s position as of now
A 2012 notification on NCTC has not been rescinded yet, the proposal is very much under consideration
NCTC
The National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) is a proposed federal anti-terror agency to be created in India, modelled on the National Counterterrorism Center of the USA.
- The proposal arose after the 2008 Mumbai attacks aka 26/11 attacks where several intelligence and operational failures revealed the need for a federal agency with real time intelligence inputs of actionable value specifically to counter terrorist acts against India.
- The proposal has however met with much criticism from the Chief Ministers of various states who see this as a means of weakening India’s federalism
- The NCTC proposes to have powers to seek information from all State and central agencies and maintain records of terror suspects, their family members in a single database. It will also have the mandate to carry out anti-terror operations, if any, through, or in conjunction with, the State police.
Editorial/OPINION
[1]. Time to decongest our prisons
Context
Article deals with the problem of congestion in Indian prisons
Pending reform
Despite SC raising the issue of prison reform and congestion in prisons time and again, the measures to decongest jails have been sporadic and half-hearted
- In particular the court had on February 5 and May 6 2016 this year spelt out steps that the authorities should take to reduce prison occupancy
SC’s latest observation regarding the matter
A Bench led by Justice Madan B. Lokur, in a judgment on a suomotu Public Interest Litigation (PIL), observed that prisons are crammed with inmates by over one and a half times the permissible limit
- The judgment refers to jails in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in this context, while observing that it was “unfortunate that in spite of directions by the Court, the prison authorities have not been able to take any effective steps for reducing overcrowding in jails
Author writes that,
- Cramped conditions in prison go against the prisoner’s right to good health and dignity
- Available staff strength and the level of training they receive are also matters of concern
States are not bothering to act
- Not even one State or Union Territory has bothered to prepare a plan of action, as directed by the court five months ago, to reduce crowding and to augment infrastructure so that more space is available to each prisoner
- Courts have received only ad hoc measures like construction of additional jails with no indication of either a time frame or the resources provided for building these facilities.
Author states that,
- Majority of prisoners are under trials
Reason: Poverty remains the main reason for this, as most prisoners are unable to execute bail bonds or provide sureties.
Solution being tried: Since 2014, there is some effort to invoke Section 436A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, under which undertrials who have completed half of the maximum jail term specified for their offences may be released on personal bonds.
Conclusion
Author concludes by saying that failing to address the problem of crowded jails may prove costly for the administration of criminal justice
INTERNATIONAL
[1]. Ansari begins visit to Hungary, Algeria
Context
Vice President Hamid Ansari’s 4 day visit to Hungary and Algeria will start on 15th October 2016
Importance of the visit
Hungary
- The Hungary visit should serve to underline and acknowledge the support and understanding that India has extended to that country over a long time.
- The visit will serve to get a sense of the current events in Europe at this interesting point in the history of the continent. This month marks the 60th anniversary of the Hungarian uprising against Soviet policies, and the visit is also timed for the occasion.
- At bilateral meetings, there will be an effort to sensitise Hungary to issues of terrorism that India currently faces.
- Economic dimension: There is substantial and growing Indian investment in Hungary. Hungary also has rich points of cultural resonance for India.
Algeria
In the case of Algeria, which has rich oil, gas and phosphatic resources, India sees this visit as an opportunity to kindle interest in cooperative ventures. Collaboration in the field of space missions is also on the horizon
[2]. Tensions with Pak overshadow BRICS summit
Context
Prime Minister will meet Russian, Chinese, South African and Brazilian Presidents Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Jacob Zuma and Michel Temer respectively for bilateral interactions during the BRICS summit
Key announcements we can see at BRICS
- Apart from terror, the summit is likely to see significant announcements on development initiatives in the Bay of Bengal region with an outreach to the 7-nation BIMSTEC, as well as a possible discussion on the worsening situation for civilians in Syria.
- India’s push to have a comprehensive convention on international terrorism (CCIT) adopted at the U.N. will also be discussed
Challenges before India at BRICS
India wants that outcome of BRICS summit should clearly spell out a tough language with respect to taking action against countries supporting terror groups
- The strain in India’s ties with China over its opposition to India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers group, and blocking the designation of Jaish-e-Mohammad leader Masood Azhar as a U.N. sanctioned terrorist, could make India’s task difficult
[3]. India to raise concerns over Russia-Pakistan ties
Context
India will raiseits “concerns” regarding Russian cooperation with Pakistan during the 17th India-Russia Annual Summit meeting, which will be held on 15th October 2016 in Goa after the BRICS meet
Russia-Pakistan cooperation
Both countries held the first ever joint military exercise in Pakistan’s northwest.
India’s discomfort
India had expressed concern over the exercise with Pakistan during the 22nd India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission (IRGC) that was held on September 13 2016.
Russia’s view
Russia is moving towards having a “regional” approach to deal with threats from South Asia.
- A changed position: Terrorism is a global problem and Pakistan is a victim of terrorism as well. Russia has therefore revised the Cold War assessment of Pakistan as a supporter of the Afghan mujahideen highlighting that Moscow did not want to leave Pakistan alone
A potential deal
- S-400: India and Russia are likely to ink a deal on the S-400 Triumf long range air defence system estimated to be worth Rs. 39,000 crore. The S-400 is considered one of the most advanced long range defence systems in the world and can tackle all incoming airborne targets at ranges of up to 400 km.
- Joint Venture: The second deal likely to be signed is for a Joint Venture to be set up by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited of India and Rostec State Corporation of Russia to manufacture Kamov-226T utility helicopters in India. It is understood that under the agreement, at least 200 helicopters would be produced to replace the ageing Cheetah and Chetak fleets of the armed forces.
- FGFA: In addition, the FGFA, Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft is also expected to be taken up during the summit.
[4]. Dhaka, Beijing begin strategic alliance
Context
Bangladesh and China have agreed to elevate their cooperation to “strategic partnership” during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit. They jointly advance China’s ‘belt and road initiative’ and establish “institutional cooperation” in areas of maritime issues and counter-terrorism.
ECONOMY
[1]. TRAI for equal inter-connection norms
Context
In a move to check arm-twisting practices and bring in more transparency in broadcasting business, regulator TRAI has proposed uniform inter-connection guidelines for transmission of TV channels across all available platforms like cable, DTH and IPTV
Present situation
At present, two separate regulatory frameworks are applicable for inter-connection of HITS (head-end in the sky operator), IPTV and DTH, and cable TV. HITS is a satellite multiplex service that provides channels.
TRAI’s view
- The Authority is of the view that the common regulatory framework for inter-connection of all types of addressable systems will ensure a level-playing field among service providers
[2]. Can’t ban all imports from China
Context
India can’t impose a blanket ban on all imports from China. But it is possible to introduce anti-dumping duties and safeguard mechanisms on certain products to protect consumers and producers.
Government has expressed this view in response to the growing popular opinion to boycott Chinese goods in view of its stance on India’s security concerns.
Measures that can be chosen
Government said that if a country is giving too much subsidies on some products or if there are quality issues, then we have some instruments to stop such imports, like
- Anti-dumping duties, safeguard measures and import standards to keep out lower quality goods
- Wherever standards are not being followed or products being unsafe and could hurt children and consumers, then standards can be invoked and such imports can be stopped
- As per the procedure for imposing anti-dumping duties, affected industries have to give the government data on the imports of specific products with the tariff codes. Then government investigates and if facts are proven, then on those items, anti-dumping duty can be imposed
Trade deficit
India’s trade deficit with China rose to $52.68 billion from $48.48 billion in 2014-15 meaning India imports more then it exports to China
- India wants China to allow Indian IT and Pharma companies to access the Chinese market, which can have a ‘substantial, considerable and desirable’ impact on addressing the trade imbalance between the two nations
Indian Express
[3]. The C in BRICS
Context
In the light of upcoming BRICS summit, author states that India needs to be clear in its approach towards BRICS and what exactly it wants out of it.
Author states that,
- Term BRICS was coined by Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O’Neill, the acronym reflected his understanding that Brazil, Russia, India and China — to which South Africa was later added — would grow faster than the developed countries.
Few achievements of BRICS nations
- Brazil, Russia and India have caught up with the smallest G-7 economy, Italy, while China has become the second largest economy in the world.
- BRICS economies played a key role in hauling the world out of the global financial crisis.
- They have also founded the New Development Bank (NDB)
Author says that
- Despite the above achievements, BRICS nations are not one when it comes to terrorism
- China will not abandon key ally Pakistan, while Russia is profoundly distrustful of the United States’ intentions.
- Brazil, South Africa and India want expansion of the United Nations Security Council; China does not.
- China wants an expansion of free trade amongst the BRICS states; the three smaller economies do not.
- BRICS states were unable forge a consensus on relatively minor issues, like breaking with tradition and finding a non-European to lead the International Monetary Fund
Future problems
- China’s nominal GDP is now larger than that of the other club members combined. China’s economic growth will, almost certainly, tend to reduce BRICS to a Beijing-led club.
- NDB, a Chinese tool: The New Development Bank has come into existence precisely because it fits into China’s grand “One Belt, One Road” vision, helping to finance the road and rail links that Beijing hopes will link its industries to markets in Central Asia and beyond.
[4]. Doctor is not in
Context
To fix India’s healthcare scenario, what is most needed is “systems thinking”. For far too long, India has followed a vertical approach in its health sector, which translated into disease-specific national programs being set up.
Author states that,
- Each year, as the monsoon sets in, we see a spurt in the reported cases of, and deaths due to, dengue, chikungunya and malaria. This bears testimony to the state of our planning in the public and private sectors to address disease outbreaks
Solution
Author says that to fix India’s healthcare system India needs to adopt an approach that strengthens health systems to deal with problems such as the annual outbreak of diseases like dengue and chikungunya, as well as to prepare for the upcoming onslaught of non-communicable diseases such as cancer and diabetes.
What constitute an effective and efficient healthcare system?
As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), an effective and efficient health system consists of six key building blocks
- Service delivery
- Medicines
- Information
- Health workforce
- Financing
- Governance
Author says that India’s record except producing generic medicines is quite dismal and poor. Therefore, there should be an equal focus on disease prevention, health promotion, and disease diagnosis and treatment in India
A new approach
- Scaling up our commitment to disease surveillance and data collection systems
- Better medical research, health workforce training and staff-retention programmes
- Public provision of quality healthcare and nutrition services
- Equal access to safe and efficacious medicines
- Increased public financing for healthcare and nutrition
- Effective public and financial management of our national healthcare and nutrition service delivery programmes
Productivity and health
Health and nutrition are inextricably linked to each other.
- Research has shown that good health and nutrition during the early childhood period lead to proper physical and cognitive development amongst children, which is directly related to improved productivity and earning potential when these children become adults.
Conclusion
Author concludes by saying that India will be able to utilize its demographic dividend only when it gives proper and necessary attention towards strengthening its healthcare system
Live Mint
[5]. How the Indian state is building a new generation of digital public goods
Context
The private sector’s critical role in the digital age has complicated the position of the state.
What is a public good?
Public good is a product that one individual can consume without reducing its availability to another individual, and from which no one is excluded
- A public good possesses two traits, Nonrivalry &nonexcludability.
- Nonrivalry stresses that one person’s consumption does not preclude another’s. For example, one person breathing fresh air does not prevent another person from doing the same.
- Nonexcludability focuses on the absence of gateways on consumption. For example, fresh air is nonexcludable, because it is impossible to stop several people in the same area from breathing the same fresh air.
Similarly, a digital public good would be a good possessing the characteristics of a public good but limited to digital domain like e-books, music files, software, digital images etc
Author tries to distinguish between a public good, a club good and a private good
- A car is a private good. A toll road is a club good. An open road is a public good. Here also the conditions are same i.e. of nonexcludability and nonrivalry
- A car is a private good because it can be used only by a few people while others cannot use it at the same time. A toll road is a club good because it excludes people who do not pay the mandatory levy while its use by one person does not reduce availability to other people once the toll has been paid. A regular road is a public good because it neither excludes anybody nor is its use rivalrous.
What is a Unified Payments Interface (UPI)?
UPI is a payment system that allows money transfer between any two bank accounts by using a smartphone.
UPI allows a customer to pay directly from a bank account to different merchants, both online and offline, without the hassle of typing credit card details, IFSC code, or net banking/wallet passwords.
Is UPI a public good?
Yes. UPI has the features of a public good. It has an open architecture that others in the financial sector can build products on.
What should be the role of the state in digital economy?
The traditional theory of public finance says that public goods should be owned by the state. It is slightly more complicated in the digital world, where digital platforms are created by private companies that need to collect tolls to make their innovations pay off.
There are at least three digital public goods Government has created—Aadhaar, UPI and the National Agriculture Market.
- There are no gatekeepers who will collect tolls for either using these platforms or to build products on them. The question is: Should the government try to nurture new age public sector companies such as the National Payments Corporation of India, the creator of UPI, rather than endlessly subsidize the lumbering public sector dinosaurs of the planning era?
Conclusion
Author concludes by saying that there are no easy answers to the question of building public goods on the principle of open access and at the same time being sensitive to the fact that the rapid innovations of today are not possible without the private sector.
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