02 August 2023 CNA
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related B. GS 2 Related GOVERNANCE 1. The IIM Bill is a bold move C. GS 3 Related D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials GOVERNANCE 1. The dangers in the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2. What can the amended Forest (Conservation) Act change? F. Prelims Facts G. Tidbits 1. Lok Sabha passes Bill on birth registration 2. Centre owes ₹6,366 cr. in MGNREGS wages to 18 States, Union Territories 3. GI tags given to crafts from Rajasthan, mangoes grown in Goa H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
A. GS 1 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
B. GS 2 Related
1. The IIM Bill is a bold move
Syllabus: Government policies and interventions aimed at development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Mains: Autonomy of educational institutions, Government intervention in educational institutions, Governance issues in educational institutions, Governance structures in educational institutions.
Context:Â
The article discusses the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) Act and the introduction of the IIM (Amendment) Bill to address governance issues and accountability in the IIM system.
Background
- The 2017 Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) Act granted extensive autonomy to IIMs, including a clause for periodic independent reviews.
- However, few IIMs have complied, raising concerns and leading to the introduction of the IIM (Amendment) Bill in 2023.
Key Provisions of the Bill
- The 2023 Bill aims to reverse certain provisions of the 2017 Act.
- It establishes the position of the Visitor, the President of India, who will hold authority over crucial appointments and reviews.
- The Visitor can initiate inquiries, approve director appointments, and remove directors independently.
Motivation Behind the Bill
- Government dissatisfaction with IIMs’ responsiveness and governance issues.
- Turbulence within the IIM system, including conflicts over decisions and internal dynamics.
- Lack of checks and balances on directors’ authority under the 2017 Act.
- Rise in MBA course fees without proportionate justification.
Comparative Analysis
- Private U.S. universities’ board effectiveness is attributed to factors like endowments, research funding, and competitive environments.
- Government control in educational institutions, as seen in the California system and the IITs, hasn’t hindered their global prominence.
- IIMs flourished under government control with operational autonomy for several decades.
Government’s Intention
- The government seeks to restore accountability and oversight in the IIM system.
- The 2023 Bill aims to address the lack of checks and balances and enhance democratic accountability.
- Ensuring accountability to the government and Parliament is seen as preferable to unchecked autonomy.
Nut Graf: The IIM (Amendment) Bill aims to undo provisions of the 2017 Act, create the position of “Visitor” for key appointments, and restore accountability in the IIM system, addressing governance concerns.
C. GS 3 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
1. The dangers in the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill
Syllabus: GS-2, E-governance- applications, Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors
Mains: Threats associated with Digital Personal Data Protection Bill
Background
- The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill is about to be introduced by the government in Parliament.Â
- The acceptance of a report on the DPDP Bill was opposed by the opposition lawmakers.
- They asserted that the Bill was never formally referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee nor presented to the members.
- The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) concentrated primarily on the consulting industry and major tech businesses on a law in the framework of a draft of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill.
Threat to Transparency, Accountability
- The Right to Information (RTI) Act which has given millions of Indian citizens more authority, will be amended under the Data Protection Bill of 2022.
- The DPDP Bill 2022 aims to broaden its scope and exempt any personally identifiable information from disclosure. It is not necessary to change the current RTI law in order to implement a data protection law.Â
- The country’s system of accountability and transparency is in danger because of this provision.
Discretionary Powers to Government
- One of the fundamental goals of any data protection law is to reduce the misuse of personal data, particularly financial fraud.Â
- Given that the government holds the largest amount of data, a successful data protection law must not grant the government a broad range of discretionary rights.Â
- Unfortunately, the DPDP Bill, 2022 gives the administration the authority to make rules and notices on a wide variety of topics.Â
- This could allow the government to arbitrarily exempt its allies and institutions like the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), leading to serious privacy violations.Â
- Small non-governmental organisations, on the other hand, would need to build up procedures to abide by the strict duties of a data fiduciary.
No Autonomy
- The Data Protection Board’s autonomy is not guaranteed by the proposed Bill.
- It is crucial that the oversight body established by the Act be sufficiently independent to take action on violations of the law by governmental organizations in order to achieve the goal of protecting personal data.Â
- The establishment of a fully government-controlled Data Protection Board opens the door for the administration to utilize it as a political tool.
Read more about the Critical Analysis of Data Protection Bill in CNA dated Jul 21, 2023.
Conclusion
- Without any discussion or debate, the country’s inhabitants could wind up with legislation strengthening the federal government while limiting people’s democratic freedom to access information and utilize it to hold the powerful accountable.
- The data protection law must preserve peoples’ fundamental rights, including both the right to information and the right to privacy, and must not have the flaws that the previous draft did.
- In a democracy, citizens require access to information, including many categories of personal data, to properly hold their governments accountable.Â
Nut Graf: Given the executive’s broad authority to create rules and notices on a variety of topics, India could pass legislation that outlaws the right to request personal information with the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill.
2. What can the amended Forest (Conservation) Act change?
Syllabus: GS-2; Government policies, transparency and accountability
Mains: Government policies and interventions aimed at development in various sectors
Background
The controversial Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023, passed by the Lok Sabha with limited debate, awaits discussion in the Rajya Sabha.Â
The bill aims to restrict conservation scope, exempt border lands for strategic projects, and allow some non-forest activities.Â
Concerns with Classification of Land as ‘Forest’
- The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 states that only lands that were notified as ‘forest’ under the Indian Forest Act 1927, or any other relevant law, or were documented as ‘forests’ in government records shall be recognised as ‘forests’ under this Act.Â
- The broad applicability of the current Act contrasts sharply with this amendment.Â
- The amendment permits commercial activity on any property that hasn’t been formally designated as “forests.”Â
- Additionally, it eliminates the Act’s present checks and balances, which include community consultation and informed consent for forest clearance.Â
Controversy over Exemption for Border Infrastructure
- The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 aims to remove linear infrastructure projects, such as roads and highways, from the need to obtain authorization to destroy forests if they are located within 100 km of the national border.Â
- Experts have expressed worry because strategic linear projects of national importance are an imprecise term that might be abused to push through infrastructure projects that are detrimental to the local ecology.
Concerns flagged by Joint Parliamentary Committees (JPCs)Â
- Despite receiving criticism from tribal organisations, environmental attorneys, conservationists, activists, and citizen organisations, the Joint Parliamentary Committees (JPCs) did not suggest even one amendment to the Bill in their report.Â
- Concerns about the amendment’s effects on community rights contained in the Forest Rights Act 2006 were also expressed by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Also Study  Concerns with Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 in CNA dated Jul 12, 2023
Conclusion
The majority of Opposition MPs were focused on drawing attention to Manipur’s human rights problems, hence the Bill received a free pass in the Lok Sabha. Regardless of whether Rajya Sabha members seriously examine the Bill, its departure from the legal definition of ‘forests’, emphasis on developing carbon sinks, and uncertainty about its coverage do not bode well.
Nut Graf: The Rajya Sabha will examine the highly contentious Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023, which was passed by the Lok Sabha with hardly any discussion.
F. Prelims Facts
Nothing here for today!!!
G. Tidbits
1. Lok Sabha passes Bill on birth registration
- The Lok Sabha passed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023, allowing for digital birth certificates.
- The single document will serve various purposes like admissions, driving licences, government jobs, passports, Aadhaar, voter enrolment, and marriage registration.
- The objective of the bill is to do away with the requirement for multiple documents as evidence of the date and place of birth.
- Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, stated that all States consented to the legislation and it underwent public consultation.
- The database will update the National Population Register, ration cards, and property registration.
2. Centre owes ₹6,366 cr. in MGNREGS wages to 18 States, Union Territories
- The Union Rural Development Ministry informed Parliament that it owes ₹6,366 crore in wage payments under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to States.
- West Bengal has the highest amount owed at ₹2,770 crore, while Rajasthan and Bihar follow with ₹979 crore and ₹669 crore respectively.
- The Centre has blocked over ₹7,500 crore in payments to West Bengal under Section 27 of the MGNREGA for “non-compliance of directives.”
- Except for West Bengal, there is no wage payment pending for more than five months for any MGNREGS worker.
- The Centre also has a liability of ₹6,266 crore in the material component for 30 States and Union Territories.
- Delay in material component payments has a domino effect, impacting future projects and causing reluctance among vendors to supply raw materials.
3. GI tags given to crafts from Rajasthan, mangoes grown in Goa
The Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag to seven products from various regions in India, with four of them hailing from Rajasthan.
- Jalesar Dhatu Shilp (Metal Craft): Located in Jalesar, Etah district, Uttar Pradesh, known for decorative metal craft and brassware.
- Goa Mankurad Mango: Mango variety named “Mankurad,” originally called “Malcorada” by the Portuguese, means “poor coloured” but transformed to “Mankurad aamo” (mango in Konkani). Filed by All Goa Mango Growers Association, Panaji, Goa.
- Goan Bebinca: A traditional Indo-Portuguese dessert, known as the “Queen of Goan desserts,” filed by the All Goa Bakers and Confectioners Association.
- Udaipur Koftgari Metal Craft: Udaipur artisans practise ancient Koftgari art, making ornamental weaponry with intricate designs, gold, and silver wire embedded into metal. Weapons are embellished using a complicated process of etching, heating, cooling, and polishing.
- Bikaner Kashidakari Craft: Craftsmanship majorly used for making gift items associated with marriages, characterised by mirror work.
- Jodhpur Bandhej Craft: Traditional Rajasthani art of tie and dye, used to print diverse patterns on fabrics.
- Bikaner Usta Kala Craft: Also known as gold nakashi work or gold manauti work, characterised by a prominent golden colour and known for its longevity.
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. Consider the following pairs with reference to Geographical Indication (GI) tags, recently seen in the news:Â
| S.No | Geographical Indication | Location |
|
|
Jalesar Dhatu Shilp | Uttar Pradesh |
|
|
Koftgari metal craft | Maharashtra  |
|
|
Mankurad mango | Madhya Pradesh |
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: a
Explanation:Â
- Jalesar Dhatu Shilp – Uttar Pradesh
- Koftgari metal craft – Udaipur, Rajasthan
- Mankurad mango – Goa
Q2. With reference to the National Population Register (NPR), which of the following statements is/are incorrect?
- It is a comprehensive database of citizens residing only in rural areas.
- The NPR collects documents for citizenship verification.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:Â
Both statements are incorrect. NPR is a comprehensive database of usual residents, including rural and urban areas, and it does not collect documents for citizenship verification.
Q3. Consider the following statements about Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA):
- MGNREGA guarantees 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to every rural household.
- It is funded and implemented solely by the state governments.
- It mandates that a minimum of one-third of the beneficiaries allocated work must be women.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation: Statement 2 is incorrect as it is jointly funded and implemented by the central and state governments.
Q4. Consider the following statements, with reference to the Right to Information (RTI) Act:
- It includes an exemption clause under Section 8(1) to harmonise the right to information with the right to privacy.
- Personal information is exempt from disclosure if it has no relation to any public activity or public interest.
- The information officer can disclose personal information if there is a larger public interest that justifies disclosure.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:Â
All three statements are correct. Personal info is exempt if not related to public activity or interest, but can be disclosed if a larger public interest justifies it.
Q5. Consider the following statements:
- Statement-I: Government control is detrimental to the functioning of an educational institution.
- Statement-II: State-controlled universities have demonstrated remarkable performance, proving that government control can lead to excellence in education.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
- Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.
- Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.
- Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect.
- Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct.
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:Â
Both statements are correct, but the success of some institutions under government control doesn’t negate possible limitations and political influences in others.
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