Daily Current Affairs 16 February 2020 | UPSC

Current Affairs Of Today Are 

Daily Current Affairs 16 February 2020 Daily News Teller


    1) 10 EO satellites

    • The country will send up an unusually large number of 10 earth observation (EO) satellites during 2020­-21, according to the latest annual report of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for 2019­-20. The plan includes new categories, such as the first Geo Imaging Satellite, GISAT-­1.
    • In comparison, only three communication satellites and two navigation satellites are planned for the coming financial year starting April. The plan mentions 36 missions, which include both satellites and their launchers. 
    • ISRO was recently given a budget of nearly ₹13,480 crores for the next fiscal.
    • The upcoming EO satellites include radar imaging satellites RISAT­2BR2, RISAT­ 1A and 2A, Oceansat­-3 and Resourcesat­-3/3S.
    • In the ongoing fiscal, 17 missions are planned, six of which are due to be completed by March 31.
    Source: The Hindu

    2) Judgment on Netherland’s Digital Identification Scheme

    In a first anywhere in the world, a court in the Netherlands has ruled against a digital identification mechanism called SyRI (System Risk Indicator) due to data privacy and human rights concerns.
    The Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs developed SyRI in 2014 to weed out those who are most likely to commit fraud and receive government benefits.

    Working of SyRI:

    • It is based on the algorithm that analyses data ( such as taxes, land registries, employment records,etc.) provided by the government and calculates risk scores.
    • The calculated risk scores are sent to relevant government arms, which stores these on government databases for a maximum of two years.
    • The government, in that period, could open an investigation on the targeted person.

    Court’ Ruling :

    • The Court found using new technology to control fraud as acceptable, but it held SyRI was invasive and violative of the privacy guarantees given by European Human Rights Law as well as the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation.
    • It called it a case of ‘Algorithmic Governance’. As the algorithm would link socio-economic parameters like poverty and immigrant statuses with fraud risk.
    • Such opaque algorithmic decision-making may put citizens at a disadvantage to challenge the resulting risk scores, consequently threatening democratic features of the country.
    • It also ruled that SyRI was violative of principles of transparency and data minimization.

    Dutch Government’s Stand:

    • The government claimed that the new technology prevented abuse and acted as only a starting point for further investigation instead of a final determination.
    • The Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs has released a statement stating it will study the ruling, not declaring a complete removal of their system.

    Significance of the Ruling

    • The ruling is an example of how a data protection regulation can be used against government surveillance.
    • Other European tech initiatives have been stalled by the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation including a facial recognition system on students in Sweden and France.
    • The ruling sets a strong legal precedent for other countries to follow, as this is one of the first times a court anywhere has stopped the use of digital technologies and abundant digital information by welfare authorities on human rights grounds.
    • It also demonstrates that legislative arms need to balance the usage of technology in the social security system and the protection of the rights of their citizens.

    Netherlands Court Ruling and India

    • Similar to the Supreme Court’s Aadhaar judgment setting limits on the ID’s usage, the Hague Court attempted to balance social interest with personal privacy. However, the Aadhaar judgment was about data collection and not regarding algorithmic decision-making.
    • India’s proposed Personal Data Protection Bill (2019) also contains many loopholes that could be potentially exploited like the USA.
    • The usage of the open-ended terms like ‘National security’ or ‘reasonable’ may lead to intrusion of the state into the private lives of citizens.
    Source: Indian Express

    3) Radio aids revival of dying tribal language

    • Jharkhand’s Latehar district, Asur, a particularly vulnerable tribal group, may not have access to good roads or means of transportation to the outside world, but that has not deterred them from saving their language. Using mobile radio, the Asur community has been spreading the popularity of the language within its geographical limits.
    • As the voice DahanDahan Turrarr .. Dang Tinatang Turrarr... Noa Hake Asur Akhada Radio Enegabu Degeabu Siringabu Urrarr (Come, sing, dance and talk. This is Asur Centre Radio) is played out through loudspeakers, the bustle at the weekly market at Kotia seizes briefly, as people turn their attention to songs and news transmitted in their native language.
    • The Asur language figures in the list of UNESCO Interactive Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger
    • As per the 2011 census, the tribe has a population of around 23,000 in Latehar and Gumla districts. “Only 7,000 to 8,000 Asur tribals are left in the community who are well conversant in the language
    • Of the 32 different tribes recorded in the State, only four to five tribes, including Santhali, Ho and Kuruk, have recorded language scripts

    About Asur Language

    • Asuri is an Austroasiatic language spoken by the Asur people, part of the Munda branch. Asuri has many Dravidian loanwords due to contact with Kurukh.
    • The majority of Asuri speakers reside in the Gulma district of Chota Nagpur. Also, there are smaller groups of Asuri speakers in Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha. and Arakan.
    • Ethnologue states that Birjia is a dialect of Asuri, but also that there is a related language Birjia; it is not clear if these refer to the same thing. However, Anderson (2008:195), based on Prasad (1961:314), suggests that Birjia (Binjhia) may be an Indo-Aryan language, although the Birjia is an ethnic subgroup of the Asuri tribe, along with the Asur proper and the Agariya.
    • Majhwar is unclassified, but based on location and other clues, it may turn out to be a dialect of Asuri. If so, its 35,000 speakers (reported in 1995, out of an ethnic group of 175,000) would make it the most populous form of Asuri.
    • Asuri is considered to be an endangered language. One important reason for its distinction as endangered is due to a lack of any written form of the language. It exists only as a spoken language.[ There are a total of 31 phonemes in Asuri, made up of twenty-six "segmental" and five "supra-segmental" phonemes. Of the former, there are twenty-one consonants and five vowels.
    Source: The Hindu

    4) Direct Tax Vivad Se Vishwas Bill, 2020

    • Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved an amendment to the ‘Direct Tax Vivad se Vishwas Bill, 2020’ to widen its scope to cover litigation pending in various Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRTs).
    • The amendment also includes certain search and seizure cases where the recovery is up to ₹5 crores.
    • Therefore, the Bill in current form allows taxpayers to settle cases pending before the Commissioner (Appeals), Income Tax Appellate Tribunals (ITATs), Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRTs), High Courts and the Supreme Court.
    • The Direct Tax Vivad se Vishwas Bill, 2020 is similar to the ‘Sabka Vishwas Scheme’, which was brought in to reduce litigation in indirect taxes in the year 2019. It resulted in settling over 1,89,000 cases.
    • Under the Sabka Vishwas Scheme, the government expected to raise around ₹39,500 crores. However, after the closure of the amnesty window in January 2020 application about taxes worth ₹90,000 crores was received. This shows the success of the scheme.

    Key Points

    • Objective: The Bill provides a mechanism for resolution of pending tax disputes related to direct taxes (Income Tax and Corporate Tax) simply and speedily.
    • Reduce Litigation: According to the Finance Ministry, at present, there is 4.83 lakh pending direct tax cases worth Rs.9 lakh crore in the courts. Through this scheme, the government wants to recover this money swiftly and simply.
    • Addressing Revenue Shortfall: The government is witnessing a big shortfall in revenues, especially tax revenues, hence, increasing revenues in one of the priorities of the government.
    • Direct Tax collections have been lower than their budget targets due to the overall economic slowdown and a cut in the corporate tax rate in September 2019.
    • Mechanism: In case of payment of tax, a taxpayer would be required to pay only the amount of the disputed taxes and will get a complete waiver of interest, penalty, and prosecution provided he/she pays by March 31, 2020.
    • But, if the tax arrears relate to disputed interest or penalty only, then 25% of disputed penalty or interest will have to be paid.
    • Those who avail of this scheme after March 31, 2020, will have to pay some additional amount.
    • However, the scheme will remain open until June 30, 2020.
    • Immunity to Appellant: Once a dispute is resolved, the designated authority cannot levy interest or penalty about that dispute.
    • Further, no appellate forum can make a decision about the matter of dispute once it is resolved.
    • The revival of Disputes: However, if an appellant provides false information or violates the Income Tax Act, 1961, then a case of dispute can be revived.
    Source: Indian Express

    5) Toxic Air: The Price of Fossil Fuels - Greenpeace Report

    • The Greenpeace Southeast Asia has released a report titled ‘Toxic Air: The Price of Fossil Fuels’.
    • The report provides a global assessment of the health impact of air pollution from fossil fuels in 2018 and a first-of-its-kind estimate of the associated economic cost.
    • The study is limited to the following pollutants: fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and only that pollution which is emitted by fossil fuel combustion (coal, oil, and gas).

    Pollutants and Their Effects

    • PM2.5 refers to fine particles with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller. PM2.5 particles are respirable, which means that they are small enough to reach the gas exchange region of the lungs.
    • Ozone (O3) formed at a near-ground level is an air pollutant that causes smog. Ground-level ozone forms when Nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution reacts with chemicals called volatile organic compounds (chemicals from sprays, paints, etc.). Ozone pollution causes acute human health problems, including chest pain, throat irritation and inflammation of the airways. It also adversely affects vegetation and crops.
    • Nitrogen oxides: When fossil fuels are burned in air, nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2, collectively referred to as NOx) are created from molecular nitrogen in the air and in the fuel that is being burned. NOx pollution, along with sulfur dioxide, which is also produced when fossil fuels are burned, reacts with water to form acid rain, snow and fog, and with other substances to form particulate matter. The health impacts of exposure to nitrogen oxides include cardiovascular diseases, exacerbated symptoms of asthma, a chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, and other respiratory diseases.

    Impact of Air Pollution on Health

    • Exposure to an air pollutant or combination of air pollutants, such as PM2.5, NO2 or ozone, is associated with an increased incidence of diseases including Ischaemic Heart Disease (IHD), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), lung cancer, lower respiratory infections, type II diabetes, etc.
    • Health impacts from air pollution generate economic costs through the cost of treatment, management of health conditions, and from work absences

    Economic Cost of Air Pollution

    • Air pollution from burning fossil fuels costs an estimated 3.3% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), equivalent to the US $8 billion per day and 12,000 premature deaths every day.
    • China, the US, and India bear the highest economic cost of soaring pollution, at an estimated $900 billion, $600 billion and $150 billion (5.4% of India’s GDP) a year, respectively.

    Burden of PM2.5

    • PM2.5 air pollution leads to the greatest health impact and the greatest financial cost of the three pollutants (PM2.5, O3, NO2).
    • Globally, air pollution is estimated to cause 4.5 million premature deaths each year. This includes 3 million deaths attributable globally to PM2.5.
    • Pollution from PM2.5 costs 2.5% of the global GDP whereas pollution from O3 and NO2, each costs equivalent to 0.4% of global GDP.

    Suggestions

    • Sustainable Transport System: Creating a sustainable transport system by setting a phase-out date for diesel and petrol cars, while implementing various urban transport measures, such as restricting cars’ access into certain neighborhoods or districts, promoting car-free days, etc.
    • One of the longest-running examples of a car-free day event in a city is the Ciclovía in Bogotá, Colombia which was initiated in 1974. This is a weekly event that takes place every Sunday and public holiday in central Bogotá, in which roads are closed to motorized traffic to allow cyclists, skaters and pedestrians traffic-free access to 120 kilometers (74.6 miles) of roads.
    • Switch to Renewable Energy: The phaseout of fossil fuels and switch to renewable forms of energy is beneficial both for reducing air pollution and mitigating anthropogenic (man-made) climate change.

    India-Related Findings

    • PM2.5 is one of the principal pollutants in northern Indian cities including Delhi.
    • The 2 million preterm births globally due to PM2.5 include 9,81,000 preterm births in India.
    • The report links approximately 3,50,000 new cases of childhood asthma in India to nitrogen dioxide. As a result of this, over 1.28 million more children in India live with asthma, which is linked to fossil fuel pollution.
    • In India, exposure to fossil fuels also leads to a loss of around 490 million workdays.

    Way Forward

    • India needs to increase its spending on the health sector.
    • It needs to be noted that India spends around 1.28% of the GDP on health while air pollution from burning fossil fuels costs an estimated 5.4% of India's GDP.
    • The central government has allocated only Rs 69,000 crore for the health sector in the Union Budget 2020-21.
    • The coal-fired power plants in India have repeatedly missed the emission deadline set by the Union Environment Ministry. Strict action should be taken against non-compliance of thermal power plants.
    • The government should ensure the construction of new coal-fired power plants is halted and existing plants should be shut down in phases.
    • Moving the energy generation sector from fossil fuels to renewables would help to prevent premature deaths and vast savings in health costs.
    Source: Indian Express

    6) National Organic Food Festival

    • The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) with the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) will host the first National Organic Food Festival in New Delhi between February 21 to February 23, 2020.
    • It aims to strengthen the organic market and empower women entrepreneurs in the area of production and processing of organic products.
    • Theme: Unleashing India’s Organic Market Potential.

    Key Points

    • Women Entrepreneurs and Self Help Groups (SHG’s) from all over the country will be exhibiting their organic products in various segments such as fruit & vegetables, ready to eat products, spices, and condiments, honey, cereals, dry fruits, etc..
    • It will also focus on facilitating business linkages and empowering women entrepreneurs through pre-arranged B2B and B2G meetings.
    • The government is already making efforts to connect women entrepreneurs with financial schemes like MUDRA (Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency) and Startup India.

    Business to Business

    • There are 3 basic business models: Business to Consumer (B2C), Business to Business (B2B), and Business to Government (B2G).
    • B2B is a form of transaction between businesses, such as one involving a manufacturer and wholesaler, or a wholesaler and a retailer. Business to business refers to a business that is conducted between companies, rather than between a company and individual consumers. Business to business stands in contrast to Business to Consumer (B2C) and Business to Government (B2G) transactions.

    Business to Government (B2G)

    Business to Government (B2G) is the sale and marketing of goods and services to federal, state, or local agencies.

    India’s Organic Market Potential

    • India has the 9th largest World’s Organic Agricultural Land and the largest number of producers.
    • Sikkim is the first organic state in the world. All of its farmland is certified organic.
    • Organic Food Segment of India grew at a rate of 10% during 2016-20.
    • As per the Indian Organic Sector – Vision 2025 report, India’s organic business is expected to reach Rs.75,000 Crores by 2025.
    • Factors for growth of organic food in India: Increasing disposable incomes, increasing awareness around health and wellness and increasing acceptability.
    • At the global level, demand for Indian organic food products is on a constant increase.
    • The major demands under the organic product category are for oilseeds, cereals & millets, sugar, fruit juice concentrates, tea, spices, pulses, dry fruits, medicinal plant products, etc.
    Source: PIB

    7) FATF on Pakistan 

    • Pakistan has informed the global terror financing watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) that Masood Azhar, founder of terror outfit Jaish­e­Mohammad ( JeM), and his family are “missing”
    • Azhar was listed as a designated terrorist by the United Nations Security Council 1267 Committee on May 1, 2019.
    • Pakistan has claimed that there were only 16 UN-designated terrorists in Pakistan, of whom “seven are dead”.  Of the nine who are alive, seven had applied to the UN for exemption from financial and travel restrictions. They are Lashkar­e­Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed, LeT financiers and members Haji Muhammad Ashraf, Zafar Iqbal, Hafiz Abdul Salam Bhuttavi, Yahya Mohammad Mujahid and Arif Qasmani, and al-Qaeda financier Abdul Rehman. The restrictions involve freezing of bank accounts
    • Pakistan has said  5,500 bank accounts of individuals and members of groups listed by the UN committees were frozen but added that “these individuals were allowed to work for wages,” unless arrested in criminal cases. Pakistan has claimed that it had achieved 222 convictions of terrorist financiers but most were imprisoned for only a few days
    • The FATF is now reviewing Pakistan’s case to see if it fulfills the global standards criteria to combat terror­-financing. The FATF is chaired by China
    • Islamabad could not explain why terror­financing investigations were not launched against Azhar, 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki­ur­Rehman Lakhvi or the Haqqani leadership, the source added.
    • The JeM had claimed responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 last year when 40 CRPF personnel were martyred in a car bombing. Following this, a training camp run by the outfit at Balakot in Pakistan was hit by the Indian Air Force on February 26. 

    Grey List

    • Pakistan was placed on the Grey List by the FATF in June 2018 and given a plan of action to complete it by October 2019, or face the risk of being placed on the Black List with Iran and North Korea. Earlier, Pakistan was placed on the Grey
    • List in February 2012, and later removed in February 2015 after it passed a National Action Plan (NAP) to deal with terrorism following the Peshawar school massacre in December 2014. It was placed under severe restrictions in 2008­2012. 
    • The FATF is an inter­-governmental body established in 1989 to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system. 
    Source: The Hindu

    8) Poor Compensation Rate for Trafficking Survivors

    • Based on the data of the NCRB, a non-profit organization released a report on compensation awarded to survivors of trafficking the country, which highlighted the poor status of compensation awarded during 2011- 2019.
    • NCRB reports put the total number of cases of human trafficking at 35,983, but only 82 (0.2%) victims were awarded compensation.

    Key Points

    • The report titled ‘UNCOMPENSATE VICTIMS’ was released by Sanjog, a technical resource organization that works to combat trafficking and gender-based violence.
    • Following the national outrage over the Nirbhaya gang-rape case (2012), the government had announced ₹1,000 crore fund to be used to combat sexual violence against persons – children or adults.
    • The amount of compensation to victims of trafficking varied from State to State, hence the Supreme Court had directed the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) to frame a standardized victim compensation scheme.
    • The study also reflects the number of trafficking survivors who applied for the victim compensation scheme to their respective legal services authority.
    • While 107 individuals applied under the scheme, in 102 cases between 2011 and 2019, courts directed the authorities to release compensation.

    Reasons Behind the Low Rate of Compensation

    • Lack of awareness
    • A lack of information provided to survivors on victim compensation.
    • Low investment on part of legal aid
    • Role of Legal Services Authorities: The study suggests grave inconsistencies on the part of legal services authorities, which have provided the data.
    • There is a lack of initiative on the part of the legal services authorities.
    • Manipur’s 2019 victim compensation scheme does not even have an entry in the schedule corresponding to human trafficking.
    • Survivors were able to apply only when they were informed and a private lawyer was involved in assisting them in filing the application for victim compensation.
    • Multiple Agencies: From their rescue till rehabilitation, the survivors are in touch with multiple agencies but none of them takes any steps to help them get compensation.
    • District Legal Service Authority(DLSA) and State Legal Services Authority (SLSA)’s response to the claims has been slow, and they hold the survivors’ claims with suspicion – often putting the burden of proof on the survivors themselves.

    Central Victim Compensation fund scheme

    • The Section 357-A of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) has provisions to compensate victims who suffered because of a crime.
    • Section 357A: Every State Government in coordination with the Central Government shall prepare a scheme for providing funds for the purpose of compensation to the victim of crime.
    • The government introduced the Central Victim Compensation Fund (CVCF) scheme to enable support to victims of rape, acid attacks, human trafficking and women killed or injured in the cross border firing.
    • Compensation for Civilian victims of cross border firing, shelling or IED explosion, terrorism, and Maoist violence
    • It is also known as the Victim Compensation Scheme.
    • So far 24 states and 7 UTs have formulated the Victim Compensation Scheme.

    Nirbhaya Fund

    • The Nirbhaya Fund Framework provides for a non-lapsable corpus fund for the safety and security of women.
    • It is administered by the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) of the Ministry of Finance.
    • It can be utilized for projects and initiatives related to women's safety.
    • Nirbhaya fund is being used in the Central Victim Compensation Fund (CVCF).
    Source: The Hindu

    Comments

    Post a Comment