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DAILY NEWS DIARY 04.06.2020 DAILY NEWS DIARY 24.09.2020

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DAILY NEWS DIARY of

24.09.2020

For Prelims & Mains

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Warm Greetings.

DnD aims to provide every day news analysis in

sync with the UPSC pattern.

It is targeted at UPSC – Prelims & Mains.

Daily articles are provided in the form of

Question and Answers

To have a bank of mains questions.

And interesting to read.

Providing precise information that can

be carried straight to the exam, rather

than over dumping.

Enjoy reading.

THE HINDU - TH

INDIAN EXPRESS - IE

BUSINESS LINE - BL

ECONOMIC TIMES - ET

TIMES OF INDIA - TOI

INDEX

Essay Paper

Editorial

1. Problematic content abounds in the digital space........................03 GS 2

Social Justice

1. Is the ‘Industrial Relations Code, 2020’ anti-worker?………..……....06

2. Status of the ‘Right to Education Project’ as surveyed

by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)……………………..…….07

GS 3

Security

1. The rafale deal.........................................................................08

Snippets

GS 2

International Relations

1. G4 and the steps taken by them to further the cause of

UN reforms ……………………………………………………………………………..…10

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Essay Paper

Editorial

Q – With Problematic content abounds in the digital space, what

are the regulatory steps taken and to be taken by India to counter

balance them?

INTRO = The Government has, in recent days, signalled that more

rules to tackle the problems of unlawful content and harm-causing

disinformation in the digital media space are in the offing.

Recently, in an affidavit filed in the case involving Sudarshan TV,

responding to the Supreme Court’s call for suggestions to improve the

self-regulatory mechanism for electronic media, the Centre said that

the regulation of web-based digital media is the need of the hour,

instead. Without any checks, it told the Court, digital media can spread

“venomous hatred”, terror and violence.

As a result, the Minister of State for Electronics and IT Sanjay Dhotre

said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha that his ministry is working to

amend the Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines)

Rules, 2011, to make intermediaries more responsive and

accountable.

It is difficult to disagree with the view that the Internet is a space

where finding truthful facts can be often challenging, and that

polarising opinions, hate speech, and disinformation abound. Many

lives have been lost to such disinformation-fuelled violence in India in

recent years. But it is also difficult to agree with the view that more

rules are an answer to an age-old problem, only, now amplified by

technology-based platforms. That more regulation will solve this is a

fanciful idea –

1) For one, the laws to tackle incendiary content and hate speech that

fuels violence are already in place

2) What is seen lacking is a will to uniformly apply these rules,

irrespective of political affiliations.

3) The flip side is that the net is a place where there is a free sharing of

information and ideas. So, the question worth asking is if it is possible

to ever regulate the Internet without throttling it, like China has

done.

4) The fear that bringing more rules is a euphemism for censorship

cannot be brushed away.

These questions are all the more important because there has been a

wave of investments in the digital news media space in recent years.

A large number of these media sites and magazines pursue legitimate

journalism initiatives, which not only have the proper mechanisms to

deliver quality but also operate with a high degree of accountability.

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Way Forward

Attempts at making new rules for intermediaries such as

Google and Facebook need to be well thought-out and

measured. Earlier attempts at imposing a high degree of

liability on them for content posted on their platforms have not

survived legal scrutiny, with Section 79(1) of the IT Act, 2000, giving

them some immunity in this regard. An intervention that is light and

well considered is what will work.

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GS 2

Social Justice

Q – Explain how is the recently passed ‘Industrial Relations Code,

2020’ anti-worker?

BACKGROUND = Central trade unions, including the RSS-affiliated

Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), have said the three labour codes

passed by Parliament are anti-worker, with the BMS saying the

Industrial Relations (IR) Code could “adversely affect industrial

peace”. As –

1) None of the objections raised by it and other trade unions as well as

the pro-worker recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing

Committee on Labour were taken on board.

2) It is further tilted in favour of the employers and bureaucrats; and

the last-minute mutilations will adversely affect industrial peace.

3) Important changes to labour laws were made without discussion,

which was a violation of the International Labour Organization’s 144

convention ratified by India.

4) Among the changes he mentioned was exempting companies with

up to 300 workers from standing orders, increasing it from the

current law of 100. This would allow companies with up to 300

workers flexibility to hire and fire. These codes, now passed, will

throw more than 74% of the industrial workers and 70% of

industrial establishments in ‘hire and fire regime’ at the will of the

employers; even formation of a trade union will be difficult.

5) Responding to concern that the Industrial Relations Code had

imposed a 14-day notice period for strikes, Mr. Gangwar said: “The

government has not taken away the workers’ right to strike.” The

notice period gave the two parties a chance to resolve the dispute.

6) There is a clear attempt to diminish the role of trade unions. The

danger of bureaucrats replacing Parliament is very much apparent

in the IR Code, which may lead to constitutional issues

The government stated that the labour laws were needed for the

welfare of workers and promotion of industries, where –

50 crore workers of the organised and unorganised sectors as well as

the self-employed were covered under minimum wage and social

security laws.

Platform and gig workers were covered under the Social Security

Code as well, giving the government the power to formulate social

security schemes for them.

Social Justice

Q – Describe the status of the ‘Right to Education Project’ as

surveyed by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)?

BACKGROUND = The Swachh Vidyalaya Abhiyan was launched by the

Human Resource Development Ministry in September 2014 to meet

the Right to Education Act’s mandate that all schools must have

separate toilets for boys and girls. Lack of dedicated funds, poor

maintenance and poor water availability in toilets were identified as

major challenges, and central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) were

roped in to bridge the gap over a one-year period.

1) Public sector units claimed to have constructed 1.4 lakh toilets in

government schools, but almost 40% of those surveyed by the

Comptroller and Auditor-General were found to be non-existent,

partially constructed, or unused.

2) The CAG said over 70% did not have running water facilities in the

toilets, while 75% were not being maintained hygienically.

3) There are 10.8 lakh government schools in the country. Overall, more

than 1.4 lakh toilets were built by 53 CPSEs, with significant support

coming from power, coal and oil companies.

4) The CAG audit conducted a physical survey of a sample of 2,695

toilets built by these companies in 15 States. Out of that sample,

CPSEs identified but did not construct 83. Another 200 toilets were

reported to be constructed, but were non-existent, while 86 toilets

were only partially constructed.

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5) Another 691 toilets “were found not in use mainly due to lack of running water, lack of cleaning arrangements, damages to the toilets and other reasons like use of toilets for other purposes, toilets locked up, etc,” said the audit report.

6) Thus, almost 40% of toilets were non-existent, partially completed or unused.

7) Out of the 1,967 coeducational schools surveyed, 99 schools had no functional toilets while 436 had only one functional toilet, meaning that the objective of providing separate toilets for boys and girls was not fulfilled in 27% of the schools.

GS 3

Security

Q – In the rafale deal, what are the various offset commitments

made by the foreign vendors to qualify for the main supply

contract but later were not earnest about fulfilling them?

BACKGROUND = French aerospace major Dassault Aviation and

European missile maker MBDA have till date “not confirmed” the

transfer of technology for the indigenous development of engine for

the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) by the Defence Research and

Development Organisation (DRDO), under the offset contract

relating to the ₹60,000 crore deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets, the

Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) said.

The report on offset clauses in defence deals observed that in

October 2019, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) informed that the

vendor had not yet been able to confirm their capability for doing

the requisite upgradation.

“Thus, it is not clear if this technology transfer will take place, and

there is need for MoD/DRDO to identify and acquire the right

technologies in order to comply with the directions of Defence

Acquisition Council (DAC) given in September 2016”.

In September 2015, Dassault Aviation and MBDA initially proposed

to discharge 30% of their offset obligation in the Rafale deal by

offering high technology to the DRDO, and as per the contract,

acquisition of technology by the DRDO is envisaged, subject to discussions between the vendor and the DRDO.

The 6 Technologies - In April 2016, the DRDO identified six new technologies to be obtained from the firms under the offset obligations, but the vendors “did not agree on transfer of five technologies as most of them were not within the vendor’s core competence”. The sixth proposal of the DRDO was to obtain technical assistance for the indigenous development of an engine (Kaveri) for the LCA, which also has not been confirmed so far.

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Snippets

GS 2

International Relations Q – What countries constitutes the G4 and list the steps taken by them to further the cause of UN reforms?

The Group of 4 — India, Brazil, Japan and Germany — a group that

is seeking permanent membership of the UN Security Council

(UNSC), met virtually recently to further their objective. The four

countries stressed delivering concrete outcomes, in writing and

within a time frame.

a) They called for a decisive push for UNSC reforms during #UN75.

b) Unanimous call for text-based negotiations in a fixed time frame.

c) Reformed Multilateralism guides India’s approach to the United

Nations

The Ministers reaffirmed their common resolve to “finally take

decisive steps towards the early and comprehensive reform of the

Security Council that was envisaged by Heads of State and

Government in the 2005 World Summit”.

India, which, in January, will commence a two-year non-

permanent term on the UNSC, has long sought a permanent seat

at the Council and is a proponent of other UNSC reforms — such

as increasing the number of permanent (currently five) and non-

permanent (currently 10) seats and ensuring greater

representation for Africa. Africa needs to be represented in both

the permanent and non-permanent categories of membership of a

reformed and expanded Security Council to correct the historical

injustice against this continent with regard to its under-

representation in the Security Council.

How about this today!? Identify which from the following list of legislations have NOT BEEN PASSED by the Parliament in its monsoon session of 2020? 1. The Bilateral Netting of Qualified Financial Contracts Bill,

2020. 2. The Appropriation (No.3) Bill, 2020; and the Appropriation

(No.4) Bill, 2020. 3. The Foreign Contribution Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 4. The Code on Social Security, 2020

a. 1 only b. 1, 2 c. 1, 2, 4 only d. None of the above

Hey from yesterday….

Consider the following –

1. Reduction in the Market Development Fee by half 2. Offered higher MSP for the upcoming rabi crops 3. Reduction in the Rural Development Fee by one fourth 4. Established state level APMC mandis to procure all the rice, to

sell it to international platform To provide a level playing field for basmati rice traders and millers from within and outside Punjab, especially in the light of the provisions of the new agriculture Bills, which of the above measures are announced by the Punjab government?

a. 1 only b. 1, 2, 3 c. 1, 3 only d. All of the above

Answer: a NOTE: To provide a level playing field for basmati rice traders and

millers from within and outside Punjab, especially in the light of

the provisions of the new agriculture Bills, the Punjab government

announced reduction in the Market Development Fee and the

Rural Development Fee rates from 2% to 1% each.

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From: 29.07.2020

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