Daily Current Affairs 16 June 2020 | UPSC Current Affairs 2020

Current Affairs Of Today Are

1) India joins Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI)

• India today joined the league of leading economies including USA, UK, EU, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore to launch the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI or Gee-Pay). GPAI is an international and multi-stakeholder initiative to guide the responsible development and use of AI, grounded in human rights, inclusion, diversity, innovation, and economic growth. This is also the first initiative of its type for evolving a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities around AI using the experience and diversity of participating countries. To achieve this goal, the initiative will look to bridge the gap between theory and practice on AI by supporting cutting-edge research and applied activities on AI-related priorities.
• In collaboration with partners and international organizations, GPAI will bring together leading experts from industry, civil society, governments, and academia to collaborate to promote the responsible evolution of AI and will also evolve methodologies to show how AI can be leveraged to better respond to the present global crisis around COVID-19.
• It is pertinent to note that India has recently launched National AI Strategy and National AI Portal and have also started leveraging AI across various sectors such as education, agriculture, healthcare, e-commerce, finance, telecommunications, etc. with inclusion and empowerment of human being approach by supplementing growth and development. By joining GPAI as a founding member, India will actively participate in the global development of Artificial Intelligence, leveraging upon its experience around the use of digital technologies for inclusive growth.

Source: PIB

2) First-ever distribution of assistive aids & devices to divyangjan through virtual platform under ADIP Scheme 

• Amidst the prevailing unprecedented situation faced by the society due to Pandemic COVID-19, special measures have been taken by the Government of India so that the benefit of the welfare scheme for Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) continues uninterrupted. In this endeavor adopting all the preventive measures, a Virtual ADIP Camp for free distribution of assistive aids and devices at Block level for Divyangjans under the ADIP scheme of Government of India was organized at Talwandi Bhai Block of Firozpur district in Punjab today. This is the first camp being organized by the ALIMCO under DEPwD, M/o Social Justice and Empowerment under the ADIP Scheme of the Government of India after the opening of lockdown with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) approved by the Government of India.
• A total of 95 beneficiaries of Block Talwandi were provided with 166 different categories of assistive appliances valuing over Rs.12 Lakh. 11 Motorized Tricycles were also distributed among the beneficiaries in the camp. However, in all, 962 beneficiaries of Firozpur District are being provided with 1667 assistive appliances valuing over Rs.1 Crore 50 Lakh. Distribution is being done in 6 Blocks of Firozpur starting from 15th to 20th June 2020.
• The Camp at Talwandi Bhai, Ferozepur (Punjab) today was first of its kind where Decentralized Pattern of Distribution and Distant Addressing through virtual was attempted by ALIMCO. Based on its success, similar camps will be conducted throughout the country thereby ensuring timely availability of Rehabilitation Aid to target beneficiaries in this hour of crisis. The Camp was organized by Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO), Kanpur working under the aegis of Department of Empowerment of Person with Disability (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJ&E), Government of India in close association with District Administration, Firozpur.
• Arrangements of thermal screening for each individual, compulsory use of face mask, sanitizers, hand gloves, and use of PPE kits by professionals are some of the steps towards reaching out to the beneficiaries so that benefit of scheme for Divyangjans may sustain. Sanitization of venue and frequently touched areas including on the appliances was ensured. Multi-level sanitization of equipment including pre-dispatch sanitization of aids and appliances, transport vehicle, sanitization of open/closed stacking area, and re-sanitization of assistive devices just before the distribution. The devices which required close contact for fitting have not been distributed at present in the present circumstances of COVID.
• Seating arrangements were planned in such a manner to maintain social distancing among the beneficiaries and their attendants attending the function and will come in the staggered time slot during the day in batches of 40 beneficiaries per time slot in batches with separate entry and exit points to avoid close contact.
• Aids and appliance distributed in Talwandi Bhai Block included 11 Motorised Tricycle, 19 Tricycle, 21 Wheel Chair, 04 C.P Chair, 32 Crutches, 15 Walking Sticks, 14 Smart Cane, 12 Smart Phone, 01 Daisy Player, 03 Rollator, 18 Hearing Aid, 12 MSIED KIT & 04 Artificial Limbs & Callipers. A total of 200 motorized tricycles were distributed in the camp. The value of one motorized tricycle is Rs 37 Thousand. The eligible beneficiary gets the support of Rs. 25 Thousand as a subsidy under the ADIP Scheme of the Government of India. The balance amount of Rs. 12000 per motorized tricycle is contributed by District Red Cross Society, Firozpur.

Source: PIB

3) National Centre for the Promotion of Employment for Disabled Persons (NCPEDP)

Challenges faced by the disabled during the pandemic.

Challenges:

• The pandemic has various implications for people with disabilities.
• Lack of employment opportunities:
• According to a report by the National Centre for the Promotion of Employment for Disabled Persons (NCPEDP), over 73% of people with disabilities surveyed faced serious difficulties in employment opportunities due to the lockdown.
• Medical needs:
• People with disabilities have pre-existing medical conditions like MRSA [an infection] or have compromised spinal cords, which make them more susceptible to virus infection.
• The inaccessibility to healthcare because of the lockdown imposes a great challenge on the differently-abled owing to their medical conditions.
• There is a lack of accessibility in the quarantine centers for the differently-abled people.
• Negligence:
• The challenges faced by the differently-abled people point to a larger problem of invisibilisation of the struggles of persons with disabilities. People with disabilities have no representation in Parliament, hence, nobody cares to ensure the policies made for the differently-abled are intersectional in nature.
• Policies being framed seem to be oblivious to the needs of the specially-abled individuals.
• The increasing insistence on online education seems to be ignorant of the special needs of children with visual disorders or hearing disorders. There seems to be a lack of inclusiveness of people with disabilities in online education.
• Social distancing is not possible for those with disabilities. The concept of social distancing is redundant for differently-abled people who need assistance for their daily activities.
• Class divide:
• A large class divide has become increasingly visible in the lockdown.
• Individuals with a disability and their families are at a greater risk of poor health and quality of life outcomes because either their social status is affected by their disabilities or their disabilities are made worse by the inaccessibility that comes with social status.
• Lower-income levels have been consistently correlated with poor health and an inferior quality of life.

Way forward:

• Immediate action:
• The government needs to step in with enhanced support for this vulnerable class of people. This could involve enhanced assistance for the differently-abled. The medical needs of this section should receive special attention. Policies being framed during the pandemic need to take into consideration the special needs.
• Long term policy changes:
• There is a need for the interlinking of policymakers with a disability as the focus. This could be done through the creation of Joint Secretary-level positions for disability affairs in the Health, Home, and Information and Broadcasting Ministries.
• These officers would connect the department and concerned ministries; ensuring disability is not overlooked during policy formulation.

Source: The Hindu

4) Jet Zero Plan

Recently, the United Kingdom (U.K.) announced a ‘Jet Zero’ plan to bring down its aviation emissions.

Key Points

• Aim: The Jet Zero aims to bring down greenhouse gas emissions from aviation to make carbon-free transatlantic flights possible within a generation.
• A transatlantic flight is the flight of an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe, Africa, or the Middle East to North America, Central America, or South America, or vice versa.
• Jet Zero Council: A group called ‘Jet Zero Council’ has been formed by the U.K. government by bringing together leaders from the aviation sector, environmental groups, and government.
• This group has been given charge for making net-zero emissions possible for future flights.
• Challenges: To achieve its target of a net-zero emissions economy by 2050, it is important to cut transport emissions.
• Aviation emissions currently account for more than 2% of global greenhouse gases and have risen by 70% since 2005.
• The International Civil Aviation Organization forecasts that the emissions will rise another 300% by 2050 in the absence of measures to bring them down.
• The U.K. government is also funding Velocys (aviation biofuels making company) in support of its plans to build a major jet biofuel plant in Lincolnshire.

NOTE:

• Net-zero emissions mean doing away with fossil fuels and other sources of emissions wherever possible. It also involves any emissions that are balanced by absorbing an equivalent amount from the atmosphere.

Source: Indian Express

5) Draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020

• Few states have voiced their concerns against the proposed bill. These include-West Bengal, Punjab, Puducherry, Kerala, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Delhi, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.
• They called the draft Bill a violation of “the spirit of co-operative federalism” and accused the Centre of failure to consult the States on the Bill since electricity is on the Concurrent List.

Contentious clauses in the Bill:

• The Bill seeks to end subsidies. All consumers, including farmers, will have to pay the tariff, and the subsidy will be sent to them through direct benefit transfer.
• States are worried about this clause because:
• This would mean people would have to pay a huge sum towards electricity charges while receiving support through direct benefit transfer later.
• This would result in defaults leading to penalties and disconnection.
• The draft also “divests” the States of their power to fix tariff and hands over the task to a Central government-appointed authority.
• This is discriminatory since the tariff can be tweaked according to the whims and fancies of the Central government.
• Another provision makes it compulsory for the State power companies to buy a minimum percentage of renewable energy fixed by the Centre.
• This would be detrimental to the cash- strapped power firms.

Additional information:

• The Electricity Act, 2003 has governed the laws regarding the generation, distribution, transmission, trading, and use of electricity so far.
• But, experts around the country have opined that some of the provisions of the Act have become dated and archaic, needing an update.
• To address some recurring issues, and to promote further commercial incentives for private players to enter the market, the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was introduced in April this year.

Highlights of the Bill:

• Policy Amendments:
• Renewable Energy: It delegates the Central Government with the power to prepare and notify a National Renewable Energy Policy “for promotion of generation of electricity from renewable sources”, in consultation with State Governments.
• Cross Border Trade: The Central Government has been delegated with the power to prescribe rules and guidelines to allow and facilitate cross border trade of electricity.
• Creation of Electricity Contract Enforcement Authority: It has been proposed to be given sole jurisdiction to adjudicate upon matters on the performance of obligations under a contract regarding sale, purchase, and transmission of electricity, which exclusion of this specialized authority’s jurisdiction on the determination of tariff or any other dispute regarding tariff.
• Functional Amendments:
• Payment Security: It proposes a mechanism wherein “no electricity shall be scheduled or despatched under such contract unless adequate security of payment as agreed upon by the parties to the contract, has been provided”.
• Constitution of the selection committee to recommend members for commissions/ authorities: There is a slew of provisions for the constitution of a Selection Committee for making recommendations of members to the Appellate Tribunal and the Chairperson and Members of Central Commission, Electricity Contract Enforcement Authority, State Commissions and Joint Commissions.
• Grant of Subsidy mandated: The benefit of subsidy to be granted directly to the consumer and the licensee shall charge the consumers as per the tariff determined by the Appropriate Commission. The determination of tariffs shall be fixed by the commission without accounting for subsidies. Further, basis the tariff policies, surcharges, and cross-subsidies shall be progressively reduced.
• Inclusion of Distribution Sub-licensee and Franchisee: To ease the burden of distribution licensees and to promote some form of demographic specialization, the distribution licensees, can appoint another entity for distribution of electricity on its behalf, within its area of supply.
• Enhancement of the powers of the Appellate Tribunal of Electricity: APTEL is proposed to have the powers of a High Court to deal with wilful disobedience of persons and entities under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. Additionally, any person can appeal the decisions of the Authority which is introduced by this Amendment in front of the APTEL. The numbers of members at the APTEL have also been proposed to be increased by the Amendment.
• Applicable to the whole of India: It is needless to mention, that in addition to the above mentioned broad themes that the Amendment seeks to cover, the Act shall now apply to the territory which was erstwhile exempted from the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

Composition and powers of Electricity Contract Enforcement Authority:

• The Authority will be headed by a retired Judge of the High Court.
• It is proposed to be set-up with powers of the Civil Court.
• It will enforce the performance of contracts related to purchasing or sale or transmission of power between a generating, distribution, or transmission companies.

Source: The Hindu

6) Raja Parba festival of Odisha

• The festival is being celebrated in Odisha.

Why and when is it celebrated?

• This is a three-day-long festival dedicated to Mother Earth (Bhuma Devi) and womanhood at large.
• The festivities begin a day before Mithuna Sankranti and conclude two days after that.

How is it celebrated?

• The first day of the festival is called Pahili Raja, the second is Mithuna Sankranti and the third Bhu Daha or Basi Raja.
• The preparation begins one day before Pahili Raja, and it is called Sajabaja. Primarily, it is a time for the unmarried girls to prepare for their matrimony.
• They follow various customs related to the festival by consuming nutritious food like Podapitha, not walking barefoot, taking a bath on the first day, and merrily swinging on ropes attached to a tree.
• During the Parba, Odia people do no undertake any construction works or tilling that requires the earth to be dug. And by not doing such activities, they pay ode to Mother Earth who needs a break from routine work.
• The festival concludes with a custom called Vasumati Snana or the bathing of Bhuma Devi. Women worship a stone that symbolizes Mother Earth. They give her a bath with turmeric paste and offer her flowers and smear her with Sindoor.

Association with Agriculture:

• This festival is also associated with the end of the summer season and the arrival of the monsoon. And therefore, it is also associated with agriculture and cultivation related communities and activities.

Source: PIB

7) Malabar Gliding Frog

• Recently, a rare amphibian i.e. Malabar Gliding Frog (Rhacophorus malabaricus) was spotted in Pullad, Kerala.
• The amphibian is endemic to the rainforest of western ghats.
• Endemic species are those plants and animals that exist only in one geographical region.

Key Points

• Characteristics:
• It is a green frog with a slender body, webbed feet, unusual body positions, and very well camouflaged.
• Camouflage, also called cryptic coloration, is a defense mechanism or tactic that organisms use to disguise their appearance, usually to blend in with their surroundings.
• The fingers and toes are like sticks to attach and walk through tree branches.
• It has high gliding abilities, with the long skin between the fingers which helps to cover 10 to 12 feet in one leap.
• It has a body length of 10 cm, making it one of the largest mossy frogs.
• Mossy Frogs: These frogs have the skin which is green in color and resembles moss growing on the rock.
• The breeding period is during the monsoon and usually, the females choose to spawn on the lush green leaves overhanging a waterbody.
• As their body is so soft, they can live only in moist forests with streams.
• Foam Nests:
• They built foam nests above small pools of water, into which the tadpoles drop after hatching.
• Behavior like cannibalism has been found among tadpoles.
• Protection Status:
• In the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, it is placed in the Least Concern category.
• Concern: The Malabar gliding frog population is declining due to deforestation, climate change, developmental activities, and toxic chemicals.

The Western Ghats

• These are the mountain ranges running parallel along the western coast of India starting from Gujarat and ending in Tamil Nadu.
• Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala are the six Indian states covered by the Western Ghats.
• The mountain range is also a “Hottest Hotspot” of biodiversity.
• The Ghats are often called the Great Escarpment of India and are also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• High Biodiversity and Endemism are special features of Western Ghats along with the presence of Evergreen Forests.

Amphibia

• They fall under the Chordata phylum of the kingdom Animalia, Eg., Frogs, Salamanders, etc.
• These are multicellular vertebrates that live both on land and water.
• They are the first cold-blooded animals to have appeared on land.
• Cold-blooded animals can be defined as animals that cannot regulate their internal body temperature with the change in the environment.
• They respire through the lungs and skin.
• They have three-chambered hearts.

Source: The Hindu

8) Behaviour Change Model for Living with Covid-19

• Recently, Meghalaya has issued a new health protocol saying that it would consider everybody as an asymptomatic (showing no symptoms) carrier of Covid-19 ‘by default’ because it is the best way to prevent the threat of community transmission with migrants returning to the state from different zones.

Key Points

• Behaviour Change Model for living with Covid-19:
• The pandemic has resulted in two kinds of fear: fear for the loss of life and fear for the loss of livelihood, that is why the state wants to build a system through which people can protect themselves and carry out their livelihood at the same time.
• People have to live with the coronavirus now and that could be achieved through what psychologists call the ‘locus of control’, or the extent to which one feels control over events in their lives.
• As soon as people think that they could be Covid-19 positive, their entire behavior changes and they become more cautious and feel responsible for their actions and thus help to reduce the risk of community transmission.
• Implementation Method:
• To implement this, there is a four-pronged plan that suggests testing everyone who enters the state, isolating them, stressing on behavioral change, and finally training them.
• Everyone in the state shall be treated as Category A patients unless they are tested continuously.
• This implies living with the assumption that every person could be an asymptomatic, mobile carrier of the Covid-19 virus, with a probability of transmitting the virus to others unknowingly.
• Category A patients will have to follow three non-negotiable practices: compulsory mask-wearing, hand hygiene, and social distancing.
• For that, the health department of the state has built a series of training modules by dividing the entire population into three categories:
• The elderly, who are above 65.
• Those who have comorbidities (It is the presence of one or more additional medical conditions often co-occurring with a primary condition and is associated with worse health outcomes, more complex clinical management, and increased health care costs).
• The mobile group or the mobile workforce including students who are constantly on the move.
• The Health Department will carry out the training with the help of identified master trainers and a certificate will be provided to all those who have successfully completed training.
• The two main components of training include checklists and self-help diaries.
• Checklists: A checklist, with a set of model questions which address topics such as hand hygiene, social distancing, respiratory etiquette, will be provided for all three groups. The checklist is designed in such a way that one can rate themselves out of ten based on their performance on that day.
• Self-help Diaries: The senior population and those living with comorbidities can use these as a tool to monitor themselves. Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) and Anganwadi teams will go to every house to train this section.

Way Forward

• Behavioral change does not happen through scaring people and it can be hoped that constant repetition of these habits, using the self-help diary or checklist through appreciation and progress monitoring will lead to change.
• In the healthcare field, behavioral economics can address concerns about optimizing people’s well being.
• The shifts in responsibility will create a supportive environment that will remove fear and encourage compassionate care towards fellow beings.

Source: Indian Express

9) Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Yearbook 2020

• All nations that have nuclear weapons continue to modernize their nuclear arsenals, while India and China increased their nuclear warheads in the last one year, according to the latest report by Swedish think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). 
• “China is in the middle of a significant modernization of its nuclear arsenal. It is developing a so-called nuclear triad for the first time, made up of new land and sea-based missiles and nuclear-capable aircraft. India and Pakistan are slowly increasing the size and diversity of their nuclear forces...,” according to the findings of SIPRI Yearbook 2020
• The report said China’s nuclear arsenal had gone up from 290 warheads in 2019 to 320 in 2020, while India’s went up from 130­140 in 2019 to 150 in 2020.  Pakistan’s arsenal was estimated to be between 150­-160 in 2019 and has reached 160 in 2020. Both China and
• Pakistan continues to have larger nuclear arsenals than India. The nuclear arsenals of the nuclear­armed states other than the United States and Russia were considerably smaller but all these states were either developing or deploying new weapon systems or had announced their intention to do so, it noted.
• Together with the nine nuclear-armed states — the U.S., Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea — possessed an estimated 13,400 nuclear weapons at the start of 2020, which marked a decrease from an estimated 13,865 nuclear weapons at the beginning of 2019. 
• The decrease in the overall numbers was largely due to the dismantlement of old nuclear weapons by Russia and the U.S., which together possess over 90% of the global nuclear weapons.
• The availability of reliable information on the status of the nuclear arsenals and capabilities of the nuclear-armed states varied considerably, the report noted.
• “The governments of India and Pakistan make statements about some of their missile tests but provide little information about the status or size of their arsenals,” it said.
• The U.S. had disclosed important information about its stockpile and nuclear capabilities, but in 2019, the administration ended the practice of publicly disclosing the size of its stockpile, the report stated.
• The U.S. and Russia have reduced their nuclear arsenals under the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) but it will lapse in February 2021 unless both parties agree to prolong it.
• However, discussions to extend the New START or negotiate a new treaty made no progress with the U.S.’s insistence that China must join any future nuclear arms reduction talks, which China has categorically ruled out.
• “The deadlock over the New START and the collapse of the 1987 Soviet–U.S. Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate­Range and Shorter­Range Missiles (INF Treaty) in 2019 suggest that the era of bilateral nuclear arms control agreements between Russia and the U.S. might be coming to an end,”
• the report cited Shannon Kile, Director of SIPRI’s nuclear disarmament, arms control, and non­proliferation program, as saying. 
• Russia and the U.S. have already announced extensive plans to replace and modernize their nuclear warheads and delivery systems. “Both countries have also given new or expanded roles to nuclear weapons in their military plans and doctrines, which marks a significant reversal of the post­Cold War trend towards the gradual marginalization of nuclear weapons,” the report observed.

Source: The Hindu

10) Dilution of labor laws puts children at risk

• The relaxation of labor laws across 11 States combined with the closure of schools and reverse migration to rural areas due to the nationwide lockdown will force lakhs of children into child labor, while those already employed will be forced to work longer hours for meager wages and under hazardous conditions, warn activists and labor law experts
• The changes made to labor laws by various State governments can be broadly divided into two categories — allowing longer working hours and suspending labor rights resulting in lax enforcement
• The easing of norms will lead to an overall increase in insecurity and informalisation of labor, loss of bargaining power among laborers, and deterioration in working conditions, but the impact on children and adolescents will be more severe. There will be an increase in hazardous work
• India contributes to nearly 15% of the global child and adolescent laborers. There are over 10 million working children in the age group of 5 to 14 years and 22.87 million adolescents.
• Even in the absence of these relaxations, children were extremely vulnerable as witnesses of food and livelihood insecurity resulting in them falling out of the safety net
• Adolescents may willingly drop out of school to help their families improve their financial resources.

Labour Laws Diluted

• Amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown, an increasing number of states that include Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat has pushed through changes to their labor laws by way of ordinances or executive orders.
• Since labor is a concurrent subject under the Constitution of India, states can frame their own laws but need the approval of the Central government.

Key Points

• The Uttar Pradesh government has approved an Ordinance exempting businesses from the purview of all the labor laws except few for the next three years.
• The labor laws related to settling industrial disputes, occupational safety, health and working conditions of workers, and those related to trade unions, contract workers, and migrant laborers will become defunct.
• However, laws related to bonded labor, deployment of women and children, and timely payment of salaries will not be relaxed.
• The changes in the labor laws will apply to both the existing businesses and the new factories being set up in the state.
• Similarly, the Madhya Pradesh government has also suspended many labor laws for the next 1000 days. Few important amendments are:
• Employers can increase working hours in factories from 8 to 12 hours and are also allowed up to 72 hours a week in overtime, subject to the will of employees.
• The factory registration now will be done in a day, instead of 30 days. And the license should be renewed after 10 years, instead of a year. There is also the provision of penalty on officials not complying with the deadline.
• Industrial Units will be exempted from the majority of the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
• Organizations will be able to keep workers in service at their convenience.
• The Labour Department or the labor court will not interfere in the action taken by industries.
• Contractors employing less than 50 workers will be able to work without registration under the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970.
• Major relaxations to new industrial units are:
• Exempted from provisions on ‘right of workers’, which includes obtaining details of their health and safety at work, to get a better work environment which includes drinking water, ventilation, crèches, weekly holidays and interval of rest, etc.
• Exempted from the requirement of keeping registers and inspections and can change shifts at their convenience.
• Employers are exempt from penalties in case of violation of labor laws.

Rationale Behind the Changes in Labour Laws

• States have begun easing labor laws to attract investment and encourage industrial activity.
• To protect the existing employees, and to provide employment to workers who have migrated back to their respective states.
• Bring about transparency in the administrative procedures and convert the challenges of a distressed economy into opportunities.
• To increase the revenue of states which have fallen due to closure of industrial units during Covid-19 lockdown.
• Labour reform has been a demand for Industries for a long time. The changes became necessary as investors were stuck in a web of laws and red-tapism.

Issues Involved

• The labor law changes will allow more factories to operate without following safety and health norms and give a free hand to new companies to “keep laborers in service as per their convenience”.
• Denying the rights of workers is a violation of human and fundamental rights.
• It may create insecurity among the workers.
• The changes may lead to desperate conditions for workers.

Source: The Hindu