CNA 22 Nov 2022:- Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related B. GS 2 Related POLITY AND GOVERNANCE 1. How different is the new data protection Bill? 2. The need to have full disclosure on electoral bonds and political funding GOVERNANCE 1. Centre sets standard for e-commerce reviews C. GS 3 Related D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials INDIAN ECONOMY 1. Fireproofing India from global turbulence INTERNAL SECURITY 1. Signs of trouble F. Prelims Facts 1. Olive Ridley Turtles 2. Rohini RH-200 3. African Swine Fever G. Tidbits 1. Union Health Ministry launches India’s first suicide prevention policy 2. Qatar, China sign world’s ‘longest’ gas supply deal H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
A. GS 1 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
B. GS 2 Related
Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. How different is the new data protection Bill?
Syllabus: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation
Prelims: About the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022 (DPDP Bill, 2022)
Mains: Important provisions DPDP Bill, 2022 and various concerns associated with it
Context
The latest draft version of the data protection regulation, namely the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022 (DPDP Bill, 2022) was recently made available for public comments.
Background
For detailed background information on this topic refer to the following article:
UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis dated 21 Nov 2022
Various concerns associated with the DPDP Bill, 2022
Missing data protection rights
- The DPDP Bill, 2022 has missed out to provide the right to data portability
- The right to data portability ensured that the data principals would get all the information about all the personal data they had provided to the data fiduciaries and data that the fiduciaries had developed based on the data provided in a structured format.
- This had empowered data principals by according them the power to choose between different platforms and increased the competition among data fiduciaries.
- The right to be forgotten also does not find its place in the DPDP Bill, 2022
- By exercising the right to be forgotten the data principals could have asked the data fiduciaries to restrain themselves from continuous disclosure of their personal data.
- The right to be forgotten is in line with the right to freedom of speech and expression and the right to information for all other individuals.
- The DPDP Bill, 2022 however, includes this right under the broad scope of the right to erasure. The inclusion of the right to be forgotten which is specific to the disclosure of personal data within the ambit of the right to erasure compromises the right to freedom of speech and expression of individuals.
Processing of the personal data of children
- Another key issue with respect to the DPDP Bill, 2022 is that the “age of digital consent” continues to be 18. The age of digital consent refers to the age at which an individual can consent to the processing of their personal data.
- This provision indicates that parental or guardian consent would be mandatory in order to process the personal data of individuals below the age of 18 years.
- Experts believe that the high threshold of 18 years undermines the evolving capacity as it fails to recognise the difference between the consent of a toddler and that of a teenager.
- Further, it could also lead to unequal access to the internet.
- Requiring the consent of parents or guardians can affect the autonomous development of children as parents/guardians might not be open to exposing their children to alternate viewpoints which contradict their own.
- Experts say that such restrictions are against India’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Provisions of data localisation
- The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 provided for a three-tiered categorisation based on which personal data could be moved across borders. This provision was met with severe opposition from the industry as it would result in an increase in compliance and operational costs due to higher data storage charges and security risks.
- As a result the DPDP Bill, 2022 tried to address these concerns by permitting cross-border data flow to only those countries and territories notified by the Union Government.
- However, the draft Bill does not provide any guidance or criteria for the consideration while notifying countries and thus accords discretionary powers to the Union Government.
Greater powers to the Union Government
- The government is one of the largest data fiduciaries in the country as it processes the personal data of crores of citizens on a daily basis in order to provide various services and benefits. Therefore, providing extended powers to the Union government leads to a conflict of interest and the concerns of excessive delegation of legislation.
Weakened Data Protection Board of India (DPB)
- The latest draft Bill has reduced the scope of the proposed Data Protection Board of India (DPB) and has accorded greater powers to the Union Government.
- The Union Government will exercise greater control over the DPB as it is mandated with the appointment of members, framing the terms and conditions of appointment and mentioning the functions of the DPB.
Exemptions to the state’s processing of personal data
- The central government is provided with the power to mention fair and reasonable purposes for which the state can process personal data without consent.
- Also, an exemption is provided if the processing is conducted “in the interests of prevention, detection, investigation of any offence or any other contravention of any law”. The central government can also extend exemptions to certain data fiduciaries based on the “volume and nature of personal data” processed without taking into account the purpose of processing data.
- Furthermore, a complete exemption can be provided if the personal data is being processed “in the interests of sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, maintenance of public order or preventing incitement to any cognizable offence relating to any of these”.
- Experts point out that these provisions violate the test of “necessity and proportionality” mentioned by the Supreme Court in its K.S. Puttaswamy Judgement.
Nut graf: After the withdrawal of the Personal Data Protection Bill from Parliament, the government has released the revised draft Bill for consultation called the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill. However, digital rights activists have raised concerns, highlighted multiple loopholes in the draft Bill and urged the government to address these issues in order to ensure an efficient data protection regime in the country.
2. The need to have full disclosure on electoral bonds and political funding
Syllabus: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability
Prelims: About Electoral Bonds
Mains: Issues surrounding Electoral Bonds and Political Funding and key recommendations
Context
The central government recently amended the electoral bonds scheme to permit additional 15 days for Electoral Bond sales in years that have State elections.
For more information on this article refer to the following link:
UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis dated 16 June 2021
Category: GOVERNANCE
1. Centre sets standard for e-commerce reviews
Syllabus: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors
Mains: Significance of the introduction of standards for regulating e-commerce reviews
Context
The Department of Consumer Affairs launched a framework for addressing deceptive reviews on e-commerce platforms.
Details
- The Union government introduced standards named “Indian Standard (IS) 19000:2022 Online Consumer Reviews — Principles and Requirements for their Collection, Moderation and Publication” to regulate product reviews published on e-commerce platforms.
- These newly introduced standards will be applicable to all online platforms which publish consumer reviews.
- The framework for the standards was formulated by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
- It is said that initially these standards would be voluntary, but can become mandatory after observing compliance with the standard by such platforms.
- If the standards are made mandatory, the violation of the standard can attract punishments for unfair trade practices or violation of consumer rights.
- Once the standards are made mandatory, consumers can submit grievances to the National Consumer Helpline, consumer commission or the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) against misleading and deceptive reviews.
- These standards entrust the review author and the review administrator with key responsibilities such as confirming acceptance of terms and conditions, mentioning contact information, protecting personal information and providing training to staff.
Significance of the standards
- The introduction of the standard framework will help in safeguarding and protecting the interest of the consumer from fake, deceptive and misleading reviews.
- Integrity, privacy, security, transparency, accuracy, accessibility and responsiveness are said to be the guiding principles of the standards.
- These standards also mention methods for verification of the review author in order to check the traceability and genuineness of the review author.
- This framework is said to be beneficial to all the stakeholders in the e-commerce ecosystem namely the consumers, e-commerce platforms, sellers, etc.
- The standards will also play a key role in ushering confidence among consumers to purchase goods online and help them make better decisions.
Nut graf: Acknowledging the impact of fake and misleading reviews in e-commerce platforms on the interest of consumers, the government has come up with a set of standards for publishing product reviews on e-commerce platforms. These standards are expected to mutually benefit all stakeholders in the ecosystem by making sure that the reviews are genuine, authentic and trustworthy.
C. GS 3 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
1. Fireproofing India from global turbulence
Syllabus: Indian economy and associated issues.
Mains: Importance of fire-proofing strategy in different domains.
Details:
- In emerging global geo-economic, geopolitical, and security contexts there are two types of national responses to crisis situations – Firefighting and Fireproofing.
- Firefighting:
- Firefighting is associated with reactive responses to crises that arise due to inadequate preparedness, lack of capacity, absence of a national will and linkage between different elements of statecraft.
- India has also resorted to firefighting in various domains like fixing societal fault lines, plugging economic gaps, and recovering from national security setbacks. The government has also adopted measures like using good leadership, riding on the resilience of citizens to mitigate the impact, and ensuring better preparedness for future contingencies.
- Fireproofing:
- It refers to developing strategies that sufficiently insulate the country from the plethora of crises that have the potential to slow down or even derail the country’s rise in the upcoming years.
- Though globalization has resulted in economic prosperity, it has also stripped countries of some of the inbuilt insulation within the international economic order and has caused several vulnerabilities.
- As India is transforming into a $5 trillion economy and there are multiple adverse challenges in the form of extremism, climate change, migration, security challenges, Black Swan/Grey Rhino events, etc., it is time to build some fireproofing strategies.
Challenges and Way Forward:
- The two major races for India in the next few years are:
- The long-distance race for becoming a developed country by 2047.
- The middle-distance race on the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine crisis and the rising Chinese hegemony.
- India should consider Fireproofing strategy across the Diplomacy, Information, Military, and Economics (DIME) paradigm, with an added element of Society (S) creating a DIMES.
- India’s current key diplomatic strategies involve balancing and hedging. However, India has some power limitations due to the exponential rise of China’s national power. India will have to make some hard choices to recalibrate the existing strategic partnerships and alliances.
- There is considerable distress among the bottom strata of the population in the finance and energy security domain. The fireproofing strategy must concentrate on alleviating poverty, ensuring universal health and education, providing employment, and raising human development parameters.
- The weaponization of the information domain and social media is another challenge for Indian society. Significant fireproofing is needed in the information domain to stand firm in case of multiple vulnerabilities.
- Staying cohesive with a multi-religious, multi-lingual, multi-cultural, and large demographic profile is the biggest challenge. Sagacity and statesmanship of the highest order are required among leaders.
Response in the context of deterrence:
- India has always used deterrence at the heart of its fireproofing strategy against both internal and external threats.
- However, it is observed that the flavour of deterrence has remained largely reactive and is not in sync with the changing nature of war/internal dissent. As a result, there were attempts to make deterrence more proactive and preventive. But this can also be hampered in complex scenarios.
- Thus, to tackle the above issue of fireproofing in the security realm, it is advised that there should be credible coercive capabilities against external threats and better strategic communication to plug internal fissures and cracks.
Nut Graf:
The response strategy of fireproofing is required for India to stay on track in pursuit of its core national interests. It is particularly important for the coming decade as India will face challenges in various domains like economy, security, and society.
Syllabus: Challenges to internal security.
Mains: Internal security issue due to recent blasts.
Context: Mangaluru blast of 19th November 2022.
Details about the blast and investigation:
- A blast occurred in Mangaluru, Karnataka on 19 November 2022. According to investigators, a person was carrying an improvised explosive device (IED) in a pressure cooker in an autorickshaw.
- It is alleged that he might be linked to the Islamic State and it is suggested that there are troubling signs of radicalization among certain sections of Muslims in the region.
- The police are also searching other locations in Karnataka and trying to investigate his links with a person that was killed in a blast in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu on October 23.
- The police believe that the accused (suffering from severe burn injuries due to the blast) will survive and reveal more information about the case.
- There has been some evidence that highlights possible links between the two blasts of Mangaluru and Coimbatore.
- The recent events show that coastal Karnataka has been in the grip of competitive communalism.
- There is a considerable decline in terrorism incidents in recent years. And according to government data, incidents of terror have been contained in Jammu and Kashmir, the North East and Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected States.
- It should be noted that vigilance and the efficiency of investigative agencies can prevent terrorist attacks. However, maintaining peace and social harmony remains a larger political challenge.
- Though the operational links between the blasts in Coimbatore and Mangaluru are still under probe, they certainly point to the underlying security challenges before the country.
- Moreover, political rhetoric over the Coimbatore and Mangaluru blasts is doing more harm than good.
Also read: 10 Nov 2022: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis
Nut Graf: The real extent of the capacity, intent, and connections of the two blast incidents are yet to be ascertained through investigation, but they are a cause for worry for India’s internal security. It is important that the investigative agencies and political leadership deal with the matter in an efficient and effective way.
F. Prelims Facts
Syllabus: GS-3; Environment and Biodiversity
Prelims: Olive Ridley Turtles
Context
- Pairs of Olive Ridley sea Turtles have been spotted at the sea waters off Gahirmatha beach along the Odisha coast which mark the onset of the annual mass nesting of these turtles.
- Gahirmatha beach is the world’s largest rookery for Olive Ridley Turtles.
Olive Ridley Turtles
- These species of sea turtles are named so because of the olive-green colour of their heart-shaped shells.
- The olive ridley turtles are among the smallest and most abundant sea turtles found in the world.
- Geographical range: These turtles are found in the warm waters across the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.
Image Source: IUCN
- Arribada is a unique phenomenon where the Olive Ridley turtles try to increase the chances of survival of their offspring.
- IUCN Status: Vulnerable
- Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule 1 Protection
- CITES: Appendix 1
- Also listed in the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)
Read more about Olive Ridley Turtles in the linked article.
Syllabus: GS-3; Science and Technology; Achievements of Indians
Prelims: About Rohini RH-200 Rocket and Sounding rockets
Context
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be attempting the 200th consecutive successful launch of the Rohini RH-200 sounding rocket.
Rohini RH-200 Rocket
- RH-200 is a 3.5-metre-tall rocket that is a part of Rohini sounding rockets.
- According to NASA, sounding rockets derive their name from the nautical term “to sound” which refers to “taking measurements”.
- Sounding rockets are used to test instruments used on satellites and spacecraft and these rockets have been used for various experiments to provide information about the Sun, stars, galaxies and Earth’s atmosphere and radiation.
- The term “200” in the name represents the diameter of the rocket in mm and other key Rohini variants in operation include RH-300 Mk-II and RH-560 Mk-III.
- The first sounding rocket launched by India was the American Nike-Apache in 1963.
- Later, two-stage rockets imported from Russia (M-100) and France (Centaure) were launched.
- However, ISRO launched its own sounding rocket in 1967 which was called “Rohini RH-75”.
- RH-200 is a two-stage rocket with the ability to reach a height of 70 km with scientific payloads.
- The first and second stages of RH-200 are powered by solid motors.
- The RH-200 rocket has traditionally used a polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-based propellant. However, the RH-200 rocket was launched with the hydroxyl-terminated Polybutadiene (HTPB) propellant for the first time in September 2020.
- ISRO has launched over 1,600 RH-200 rockets so far and will attempt the 200th consecutive successful launch of the rocket from Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram.
Syllabus: GS-3; Science and Technology
Prelims: African Swine Fever
Context
About 50 pigs were culled in the Idukki district (Kerala) as an African swine fever (ASF) outbreak was detected.
African swine fever (ASF)
- ASF is a highly infectious viral disease found in pigs caused due to the African swine fever virus (ASFV) of the Asfarviridae family.
- ASF is a different disease compared to the swine flu as ASF does not affect people and there is no impact on human health.
- The virus causes a hemorrhagic fever with high mortality rates (sometimes up to 100%) in domestic pigs.
- It also affects wild boars, warthogs and bushpigs.
- ASF spreads through direct contact with infected pigs, faeces or body fluids.
- Soft ticks can act as a vector.
G. Tidbits
1. Union Health Ministry launches India’s first suicide prevention policy
- The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched a National Suicide Prevention Strategy which is said to be the first of its kind initiative in the country and is in line with the WHO’s South East-Asia Region Strategy for suicide prevention.
- The National Suicide Prevention Strategy aims to achieve a reduction in suicide mortality by 10% by 2030 with time-bound action plans and multi-sectoral collaborations.
- In India, over one lakh lives are lost annually due to suicides, and it is the top killer in the 15-29 years category.
- The suicide rate has increased from 10.2 to 11.3 per 1,00,000 population in the last three years and the most common reasons for suicide are family problems and illnesses.
- The National Suicide Prevention Strategy aims to:
- Set up effective surveillance mechanisms for suicide within the next three years.
- Set up psychiatric outpatient departments to provide suicide prevention services through the District Mental Health Programme in all districts within the next five years.
- Integrate mental well-being curriculum in all educational institutions within the next eight years.
- Formulate guidelines for responsible media reporting of suicides, and restricting access to means of suicide.
2. Qatar, China sign world’s ‘longest’ gas supply deal
- QatarEnergy made announcements about its 27-year-long natural gas supply deal with China making it the longest-ever gas supply deal.
- As per the deal, QatarEnergy, which is a state energy company, will send about 4 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas every year to China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) from its new North Field East project.
- Asian countries such as China, Japan and South Korea have been the major market for Qatar’s gas, which is now being sought by European countries ever since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war.
- The deal has gained a lot of significance as it will help solidify the bilateral relations between China and Qatar at a time when European countries are struggling to find alternative sources.
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. Consider the following statements: (Level – Medium)
- In case of a difference of opinion between the Election Commissioners and/or the Chief Election Commissioner, the matter is decided by the Chief Election Commissioner.
- The Chief Election Commissioner is appointed by the president and holds the office during the pleasure of the President.
- The Constitution has debarred the retiring Election Commissioners from any further appointment by the government.
How many of the given statements is/are INCORRECT?
- One statement only
- Two statements only
- All three statements
- None of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is not correct, In case of a difference of opinion amongst the Chief Election Commissioner and/or two other election commissioners, the matter is decided by the Commission by a majority.
- Statement 2 is not correct, The Chief Election Commissioner is provided with security of tenure. He cannot be removed from his office except in the same manner and on the same grounds as a judge of the Supreme Court.
- Statement 3 is not correct, The Constitution has NOT debarred the retiring election commissioners from any further appointment by the government.
Q2. Which of the following is/are zoonotic diseases? (Level – Difficult)
- Swine Flu
- Salmonellosis
- Brucellosis
- African Swine Fever
- Yellow Fever
Options:
- 1, 2, 3 and 4 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2, 3 and 5 only
- 1 and 5 only
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- African Swine Fever is not a zoonotic disease meaning that it is a disease of animals which does not spread/infect humans.
- Swine Flu, Brucellosis, Yellow Fever and Salmonellosis are all examples of zoonotic diseases.
Q3. Consider the following statements with respect to PM KISAN Scheme: (Level – Medium)
- It is a central sector scheme implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
- The scheme is meant for Small and Marginal Farmers (SMFs) having landholding upto 2 hectares.
- The beneficiaries receive a lump sum of Rs 6000/- per year, transferred into the bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.
How many of the given statements is/are INCORRECT?
- One statement only
- Two statements only
- All three statements
- None of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct, PM KISAN is a central sector scheme implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
- Statement 2 is not correct, The scheme was initially meant for small and marginal farmers (SMFs) having landholding upto 2 hectares but the scope of the scheme was extended to cover all landholding farmers with effect from June 2019.
- Statement 3 is not correct, Under this scheme, small and marginal farmers will be provided with income support of Rs.6,000 per year in three instalments which will be deposited directly to their bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
Q4. Which of the given statements best describes the Total Fertility Rate? (Level – Medium)
- It is the number of live births per 1000 persons in a population in a given year.
- It is the average number of children expected to be born per woman during her entire span of the reproductive period.
- It is the rate at which women are replaced by daughters who will have children.
- It is the total number of children born in a country in a given year divided by its population in that year.
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is the average number of children that a woman will have during her lifetime. It is measured in terms of children per woman.
Q5. In India, if a species of tortoise is declared protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, what does it imply? (Level – Medium) PYQ-2017
- It enjoys the same level of protection as the tiger.
- It no longer exists in the wild, a few individuals are under captive protection; and now it is impossible to prevent its extinction.
- It is endemic to a particular region of India.
- Both (b) and (c) stated above are correct in this context.
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: a
Explanation:
- In India, if a species of tortoise is declared protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, it enjoys the same level of protection as the tiger.
- Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 includes Endangered species.
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- What do you understand by the term ‘data localisation’? In the Draft Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2022, evaluate the provisions related to data localisation. (250 words; 15 marks) (GS2- Polity)
- UAE has emerged as a strategic partner for India in West Asia. Critically examine. (250 words; 15 marks) (GS2- International Relations)
Read the previous CNA here.
CNA 22 Nov 2022:- Download PDF Here
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