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Draft IT Rules Issued by Government

The government has released proposed amendments to the Information Technology (IT) Act for public comments to replace the rules notified in...

26 Dec 2018 News Analysis
The Case Against Surveillance

(This editorial is based on the article “The Case Against Surveillance” which appears in The Hindu on 26th December 2018.) In...

26 Dec 2018 News Editorials
MGNREGA’s Information System Flawed, Misguiding

(The editorial is based on the article “MGNREGA’s information system flawed, misguiding” which appears in Down To Earth for 19th...

24 Dec 2018 News Editorials
Lalitgiri- a treasure trove of Buddhism in Odisha

Prime Minister will inaugurate the museum at Lalitgiri in Odisha which is one of the earliest Buddhist settlements. Three sites - Lalitgiri (the...

24 Dec 2018 News Analysis
Indonesia Tsunami

A tsunami killed more than 200 people and injured hundreds on the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra following an underwater landslide believed...

24 Dec 2018 News Analysis
Important Facts for Prelims (24th December 2018)

Rampant Killing of Mongoose Recently Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and the Uttar Pradesh forest department seized raw mongoose hair and...

24 Dec 2018 News Analysis
The Big Picture - Prison Reforms

The Supreme Court has made an ardent observation on the situation of prisoners lodged in jails. The Supreme Court has issued instructions to all...

22 Dec 2018 Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions
US to Pull Out Troops from Syria and Afghanistan

United States has decided to withdraw over 2,000 US troops from Syria after it has declared victory over the Islamic State. US has also decided to...

22 Dec 2018 News Analysis
SDG India Index

The NITI Aayog has released its SDG India Index which intends to provide a holistic view on the social, economic and environmental status of the...

22 Dec 2018 News Analysis
Important Facts for Prelims (22nd December 2018)

District Mineral Fund District Mineral Funds under Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojna (PMKKKY) has accrued Rs. 22,859 crore till November...

22 Dec 2018 News Analysis
Beyond Binaries

(This editorial is based on the article “Beyond Binaries” which appears in Indian Express on 4th December.) Numbering approximately...

22 Dec 2018 News Editorials
COP24

Why in News? COP24 took place from 2-14 December 2018, in Katowice, Poland. Poland held the Presidency of the Climate Convention for the third...

21 Dec 2018 Paper 3
Important Facts for Prelims (21st December 2018)

Asiatic Lion Conservation Project The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has launched the “Asiatic Lion Conservation...

21 Dec 2018 News Analysis
Paika Rebellion

The Government will release the commemorative coin and postage stamp in memory of Paika Rebellion. The decision to commemorate the bicentenary of...

21 Dec 2018 News Analysis
Ceasefire in Yemen

The warring parties in Yemen Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia-backed forces loyal to President of Yemen agreed to a United Nations-mediated ceasefire...

21 Dec 2018 News Analysis
The Consumer Protection Bill 2018

Recently, the Lok Sabha passed The Consumer Protection Bill 2018. The Bill seeks to replace the three-decade-old Consumer Protection Act,...

21 Dec 2018 News Analysis
Towards a Genetic Panopticon

(This editorial is based on the article “Towards a Genetic Panopticon” which appears in The Hindu on 21st December.) The genes...

21 Dec 2018 News Editorials
India Must Get On the IoT Highway Fast

(This editorial is based on the article “India Must Get On the IoT Highway Fast” which appears in BusinessLine on 20th...

20 Dec 2018 News Editorials
In Depth: Strategic Petroleum Reserve

In light of the immense volatility in global crude prices, the government of India is planning to increase its oil reserves. It has sought...

20 Dec 2018 Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions
Strategy for New India @ 75

NITI Aayog has released ‘Strategy for New India @ 75′ document with an aim to accelerate economic growth to 9-10% and make the country a...

20 Dec 2018 News Analysis

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			'title' => 'Draft IT Rules Issued by Government',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The government has released proposed amendments to the Information Technology (IT) Act for public comments to replace the rules notified in 2011.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The aim of the rules is to make social media and internet companies,&nbsp;that have over 50 lakh users, more accountable for the content on their platforms.</li>
<li>The proposed amendments seek to curb &ldquo;unlawful content&rdquo; on social media and make it mandatory for platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter to trace &ldquo;originator&rdquo; of &ldquo;unlawful&rdquo; information.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Need for Rules</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>
<p>The<strong> Information Technology Act (IT Act), 2000</strong> was enacted to give a fillip to electronic transactions, to provide legal recognition for e-commerce and e-transactions, to facilitate e-governance, to prevent computer-based crimes and ensure security practices and procedures.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Section 79(2)(c) of the IT Act mentions that intermediaries must observe due diligence while discharging their duties, and also observe such other guidelines as prescribed by the Central Government. Accordingly, the <strong>Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines) Rules, 2011 were notified in April 2011.</strong></p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Recently, India has seen a rise in the <strong>number of lynching incidents in 2018</strong> mostly due to fake news being circulated through Whatsapp and other social media sites.</p>
</li>
<li>Social media has brought new challenges for the law enforcement agencies, including inducement for the recruitment of terrorists, circulation of obscene content, the spread of disharmony and incitement to violence.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Information Technology [Intermediaries Guidelines (Amendment) Rules] 2018</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Social media intermediaries should publish rules, privacy policy to <strong>stop users from engaging in online material which is paedophilic, pornographic, hateful, racially and ethnically objectionable, invasive of privacy, etc.</strong></li>
<li>The online intermediaries should <strong>provide information or assistance within 72 hours</strong> when asked by any government agency for reasons of State security, cyber security, investigation, detection, prosecution or prevention of offenses.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These offenses may include mob violence, lynching, online sexual abuse, etc. The<strong> &ldquo;originator of the information&rdquo; can be traced to register an FIR.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The social media intermediaries should take all reasonable <strong>measures to protect individual privacy</strong> as required under the Information Technology Rules of 2011.</li>
<li>The online intermediaries should<strong> appoint in India, a nodal person of contact for 24X7 coordination with law enforcement agencies</strong> and ensure compliance with their orders.</li>
<li>Online Intermediaries should <strong>remove or disable access to unlawful content,within 24 hours,</strong>&nbsp;relatable to Article 19(2) of the constitution of India such as in the &ldquo;interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offense."
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The intermediary is also expected to <strong>preserve such information and associated records for at least 180 days for investigation purposes.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The intermediary should deploy <strong>technology based automated tools for identifying and removing or disabling public access to unlawful information or contents.</strong></li>
<li>The intermediary should <strong>report cybersecurity incidents with the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team.</strong></li>
<li>On their website, the intermediary should publish the name of the <strong>Grievance Officer and his contact details</strong> and the mechanism by which users or any <strong>victim who suffers can notify their complaints against such usage.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Supreme Court Orders</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>These draft rules are in line with various judgments given by the Supreme Court (SC) to deal with malicious online content.</li>
<li>In July 2018 judgment in the <strong>Tehseen S. Poonawalla case,</strong> the SC gave the government full freedom to stop/curb dissemination of &ldquo;irresponsible and explosive messages on various social media platforms, which have a tendency to incite mob violence and lynching of any kind.&rdquo;</li>
<li>In December 2018 in<strong> Re: Prajwala Letter case,</strong> the SC ordered the government to frame the necessary guidelines/Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and implement them to &ldquo;eliminate child pornography, rape and gang rape imagery, videos, and sites in content hosting platforms and other applications&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Concerns</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The draft rules have been criticized for expanding the<strong> scope for state surveillance of citizens.</strong>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Internet/Online Intermediary</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>An internet intermediary is an entity which provides services that enable people to use the internet.</li>
<li>There are different kinds of internet intermediaries which fall into two categories: &ldquo;conduits&rdquo; and &ldquo;hosts&rdquo;.</li>
<li>&ldquo;Conduits&rdquo; are technical providers of internet access or transmission services. &ldquo;Hosts&rdquo; are providers of content services &ndash; for instance, online platforms and storage services.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong></strong></p>',
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		],
		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'The Case Against Surveillance',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article &ldquo;The Case Against Surveillance&rdquo; which appears in The Hindu on 26th December 2018.)</p>
</div>
<p>In context please refer: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/data-interception-by-government" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Data Interception by Government</a></p>
<p><strong>Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued an order </strong>authorizing<strong> 10 Central agencies to intercept, monitor, and decrypt &ldquo;any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer.</strong>&rdquo;</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The 10 agencies include</strong> Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency, Cabinet Secretariat (RAW), Directorate of Signal Intelligence (For service areas of Jammu &amp; Kashmir, North-East and Assam only), and Commissioner of Police, Delhi.</p>
</div>
<p>The notification was described as a progressive step towards a surveillance state even though the government stated that the notification created no new powers of surveillance. While the order allows agencies to decrypt data of any computer only after seeking approval of a competent authority, it is true that the move triggers surveillance concerns. <strong>The Opposition even called it Unconstitutional.</strong></p>
<p><strong>But, it is being argued that the MHA notification lays bare the lopsided character of the surveillance framework in India, and highlights an urgent need for comprehensive reform of the same.</strong></p>
<h3>Why Surveillance is necessary?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The right to privacy is not absolute.</strong> Surveillance is essential to ensure national security and pre-empt terrorist threats, and it is in the very nature of surveillance that it must take place outside the public eye. Consequently, the regime is justified as it strikes a pragmatic balance between the competing values of privacy and security.</li>
<li>There is a need to strike a fine balance between privacy and ensuring that policing or national security is taken to a level where technology is a facilitator and not a hindrance.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>It is crucial to acknowledge that every act of surveillance, whether justified or not, involves a serious violation of individual privacy; and further, a system of government surveillance</strong> can have a chilling effect upon the exercise of rights, across the board, in any society.</li>
<li><strong>Consequently, given the seriousness of the issue, a surveillance regime cannot have the executive sitting in judgment over the executive</strong>: there must be parliamentary oversight over the agencies that conduct surveillance. Surveillance by the State cannot simply be authorized through executive notifications.</li>
<li><strong>And equally important, all surveillance requests must necessarily go before a judicial authority,</strong> which can apply an independent legal mind to the merits of the request, in light of the proportionality standards discussed above.</li>
<li><strong>Judicial review will not achieve much if the grounds of surveillance remain as broad and vaguely worded as they presently are.</strong> Therefore, every surveillance request must mandatorily specify a probable cause for suspicion, and also set out, in reasonably concrete terms, what it is that the proposed target of surveillance is suspected of doing.</li>
<li>As a corollary, evidence obtained through unconstitutional surveillance must be statutorily stipulated to be inadmissible in court.</li>
<li><strong>There must exist, a lawyer to present the case on behalf of the target of surveillance</strong> &mdash; even though, of course, the target herself cannot know of the proceedings because if surveillance requests are unopposed &mdash; it will be very difficult for a judge to deny a request that is made behind closed doors, and with only one side presenting a case.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Criticism</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Even though the staunchest civil rights advocates will not deny that an individual reasonably suspected of planning a terrorist attack should be placed under surveillance, in this context, the evidence demonstrates clearly that a heavily bureaucratized and minimally accountable regime of surveillance does nothing to enhance security, but does have significant privacy costs.</li>
<li><strong>For example, while examining the U.S. National Security Agency&rsquo;s programme of mass surveillance, an American court found that out of more than 50 instances where terrorist attacks had been prevented, not even a single successful pre-emption was based on material collected from the NSA&rsquo;s surveillance regime.</strong></li>
<li>In India, the existing surveillance framework is complex and confusing. Simply put, two statutes control the field: telephone surveillance is sanctioned under the 1885 Telegraph Act (and its rules), while electronic surveillance is authorized under the 2000 Information Technology Act (and its rules).</li>
<li>This framework is heavily bureaucratized. Decisions about surveillance are taken by the executive branch (including the review process), with no parliamentary or judicial supervision; indeed, the fact that an individual will almost never know that she is being surveilled means that finding out about surveillance, and then challenging it before a court, is a near-impossibility.</li>
<li><strong>The surveillance regime is also vague and ambiguous.</strong> Under Section 69 of the IT Act, the grounds of surveillance have been simply lifted from Article 19(2) of the Constitution, and pasted into the law. They include very wide phrases such as &ldquo;friendly relations with foreign States&rdquo; or &ldquo;sovereignty and integrity of India&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Article 19 in The Constitution Of India 1949</strong></p>
<p>Protection of certain rights regarding freedom of speech etc.</p>
<p>(1) All citizens shall have the right</p>
<p>(a) to freedom of speech and expression;</p>
<p>(b) to assemble peaceably and without arms;</p>
<p>(c) to form associations or unions;</p>
<p>(d) to move freely throughout the territory of India;</p>
<p>(e) to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India; and</p>
<p>(f) omitted- subclause (f) was omitted by the Constitution (44th Amendment Act 1978)</p>
<p>(g) to practice any profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business</p>
<p>Article 19(2) Nothing in subclause (a) of clause (1) shall affect the operation of any existing law, or prevent the State from making any law, in so far as such law imposes reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the right conferred by the said sub-clause in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an <g class="gr_ gr_139 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="139" data-gr-id="139">offence</g>.</p>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Lastly, the regime is opaque. There is almost no information available about the bases on which surveillance decisions are taken, and how the legal standards are applied. Indeed, the evidence seems to suggest that there are none: a 2014 RTI request revealed that, on an average, 250 surveillance requests are approved every day. It stands to reason that in a situation like this, approval resembles a rubber stamp more than an independent application of mind.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>There needs to be greater transparency in the system as in the current system</strong>, Government agencies are not accountable to anyone other than the government itself.</li>
<li>A comprehensive reform of the surveillance framework in India is long overdue.</li>
<li><strong>The current debate, therefore, is not about &lsquo;whether surveillance at all&rsquo;, but about &lsquo;how, when, and what kind of surveillance&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li>This is also the right time: across the world, there is an increasingly urgent debate about how to protect basic rights against encroachment by an aggressive and intrusive state, which wields the rhetoric of national security like a sword.</li>
<li><strong>In India, the Supreme Court&rsquo;s privacy </strong>judgment<strong> has taken a firm stand on the side of rights. Citizens&rsquo; initiatives, such as the Indian Privacy Code have also proposed legislative models for surveillance reform</strong>.</li>
<li>After the Supreme Court&rsquo;s 2017 judgment in K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (&lsquo;the Right to Privacy case&rsquo;), the Constitutional contours within which the questions of &lsquo;how, when, and what kind&rsquo; have to be answered have been made clear.</li>
<li>Any impingement upon the right to privacy must also be proportionate.</li>
<li>One of the factors of the proportionality standard is that the government&rsquo;s action must be the least restrictive method by which a state goal is to be realized. In other words, if the same goal &mdash; i.e., protecting national security &mdash; can be achieved by a smaller infringement upon fundamental rights, then the government is Constitutionally bound to adopt the method that does, indeed, involve minimal infringement.</li>
<li><strong>Reforms in the Indian surveillance regime, should, therefore, incorporate ethics of surveillance which considers the moral aspects of how surveillance is employed.</strong></li>
</ul>',
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		],
		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'MGNREGA’s Information System Flawed, Misguiding',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(The editorial is based on the article &ldquo;MGNREGA&rsquo;s information system flawed, misguiding&rdquo; which appears in Down To Earth for 19<sup>th</sup> December 2018. The editorial shows how MGNREGA&rsquo;s Management Information System (MIS) destroys local accountability, promotes centralisation and administrative control, and gives out wrong data.)</p>
</div>
<p><strong>There is a disconnect between what the government shows as performances of central schemes, especially social welfare programmes (performances judged through data captured by the Management Information Systems) and ground surveys and studies that give out a contradictory picture.</strong></p>
<p><strong>The MNREGA is said to have the best MIS,</strong> one that is aligned with the core idea of &ldquo;proactive disclosure&rdquo; of all information related to implementation of the schemes. It is a real time Management Information System and the implementation of the schemes are directly linked with the MIS.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Realtime MIS for MNREGA:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>A real time MIS is one where there are checks and balances embedded in the system itself through software programming, which links different implementing mechanisms.</strong></li>
<li>For example, activities are linked in the MIS in such a way that one will not be able to carry out &ldquo;activity 2&rdquo; without performing &ldquo;activity 1&rdquo;.</li>
<li>Also, job card and bank account details of a worker will have to be seeded in the MIS in order to generate Muster Rolls (MRs) for him/her.</li>
<li>Similarly, DPR (Detailed Project Report) has to be frozen defining component-wise budgets for a particular scheme in the MIS in order to be able to perform pre-implementation geo-tagging of the scheme.<strong> Geo-tagging is mandatory for generating any MR for the said scheme.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The payment process is also linked with the MI</strong>S and depends on the number of such processes to be carried out one after another to finally make payments to workers which is centrally done through the Electronic Finance Management System (EFMS).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p>The complexity of the MIS linked implementation system is thus very clear. <strong>Also evident is the administrative control, which in turn leads to zero local accountability. The MIS, supposed to show performance of implementation, has now become the key controller of the programme and a deciding factor of people&rsquo;s fate at ground.</strong></p>
<h3>Why the NREGA MIS does not show the correct ground data</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>It is very easy to generate fake work demand and Muster Rolls (MRs) and enter into the MIS. This is a general malpractice that is observed everywhere.</strong> One can observe people working on other people&rsquo;s job cards in almost every state. This reality is not reflected in the MIS figures. Dated receipts are routinely denied and work demand dates are generally falsely entered to avoid an unemployment allowance situation. While MR generations are routinely delayed beyond 15 days from demand, the truth is not visible from the MIS.</li>
<li>The MIS website considers &ldquo;wages paid&rdquo; once the FTO (Fund Transfer Order) is signed by the second signatory. However, delays take place even in the processing of signed FTOs. <strong>While the stage 1(till FTO signing) delays are calculated, the stage 2 (post FTO, until wage gets credited to the worker&rsquo;s account) are not shown on the MIS and thus the data on payments, which the system returns, is false and misleading.</strong></li>
<li>It is very easy to make advance material payments to vendors. However as per rules, this should not be done. Almost everywhere, one can find payments made in advance to the vendors. <strong>While the MIS website shows that material payment is made in a particular scheme, it is not necessary that the same has been supplied at the worksite.</strong></li>
<li><strong>There is a growing pile of evidence which shows that genuine job cards are being randomly deleted by the administration to meet the 100 per cent DBT(Direct Benefit Transfer) targets and hence the number of job cards shown on the MIS website cannot be trusted.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Moreover, the MIS website considers job cards as &ldquo;active&rdquo; if it has registered at least a single day of work in the last three financial years (including the current fiscal year). This notion of an active job card is ridiculous as there exist millions of families that stopped working in MGNREGA due to payments hassles and their own troubled experiences.</strong> Instead of identifying these inactive job cards and finding out the reasons for their disinterest, the government conveniently ignores these families.</li>
<li><strong>MGNREGA funds are routinely seized by the Union Ministry of Rural Development and hence work gets reduced and PD (person day) figures get affected. The MIS figures paint a false picture that the budget allocations are adequate while in reality, works and PDs get reduced due to drying up of funds.</strong> The MGNREGA MIS can be controlled and guided with a click of the mouse to show data as per the choice of the government.</li>
<li><strong>The MIS website has a check on 100 days of &lsquo;work demand&rsquo; instead of 100 days of &lsquo;work done&rsquo; which would effectively mean that no further MR would be generated if a job card has registered 100 days of demand in the MIS, irrespective of the number of days worked by the family.</strong> The workers are denied their rightful entitlements due to a wrongly written programme code or a flawed check on the system.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>There is a genuine issue with the integration of modern day digital management systems with the data-centric achievement motivation of the government.</strong> Perhaps involving international software companies like Microsoft, Amazon or Google for example, to devise, design and run MIS solutions could help these management systems become smoother, easier to use, and most importantly could improve the quality of data collected and studied.</li>
<li><strong>The MIS has become a tool to show whatever the government intend</strong> and the whole system therefore works towards achieving the data on the MIS <em>(it is like setting &lsquo;data&rsquo; first, working to achieve it later; it should have been &lsquo;work&rsquo; first and gathering data later),</em> causing tremendous implications on ground.</li>
<li>It is high time that the government focuses on <strong>strengthening the local implementation and monitoring</strong> through sensible policies. Without local involvement, data collection can be easily changed (i.e falsified for political gain or information mistakenly added or removed due to human error etc.) in the centrally controlled MIS.</li>
<li><strong>It is a futile effort to introduce over-the-top technological solutions to deal with issues and leakages caused by complex social and administrative dynamics.</strong> That is to say that though the MIS may be technologically sound, the social system (i.e rural areas with very low penetration of education, especially of technology) it is designed to serve isin&rsquo;t.</li>
<li><strong>MGNREGA can be revived only through concrete decentralised grassroot processes and not by flawed MIS data.</strong> Towards this end, there should be debate and discussions, involving various stakeholders from MGNREGA workers, contractors, bureaucrats, politicians to software vendors and companies.</li>
<li><strong>Lastly, while MIS is useful in capturing data on work that has happened on ground, linking implementing processes with the MIS proves to be detrimental for the health of the programme as it destroys local accountability, promotes centralisation and administrative control, and most importantly gives out false and misleading data which can be tampered for one&rsquo;s vested interest.</strong></li>
</ul>',
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			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/mgnregas-information-system-flawed-misguiding'
		],
		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'Lalitgiri- a treasure trove of Buddhism in Odisha',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Prime Minister will inaugurate the <strong>museum at Lalitgiri in Odisha</strong> which is one of the earliest Buddhist settlements.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Three sites - <strong>Lalitgiri (the red hill)</strong>, <strong>Ratnagiri (hill of precious gems)</strong>, <strong>Udayagiri (the hill of the rising sun)</strong> are known as the <strong>diamond triangle of Odisha</strong>&nbsp;representing a rich heritage of architecture and sculpture of the post Mauryan era Indian art which touched a new zenith of excellence.</li>
<li><strong>Xuanzang</strong> (Hieun T&rsquo;sang) the Chinese pilgrim,who visited Orissa during 639 A.D. left a vivid graphic account about the flourishing state of Buddhism.</li>
<li>The discovery of a huge number of sculptures, images, antiquity, fragments, stone tablets, potteries, coins, stone and terracotta tablets, and many huge stupas cemented the fact that these three places described by Xuanzang are the ruins of a university complex called <strong>Pushpagiri University</strong> which shared an <strong>equal status with Nalanda and Vikramshila universities</strong>.</li>
<li>The Diamond Triangle of Odisha shows that Buddhism was followed quite widely in Odisha and the place was also a centre of learning and excellence.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Lalitgiri</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Lalitgiri is believed to be the most sacred among the three sites as it unearthed a massive stupa where a <strong>relic of Buddha was discovered inside a stone casket</strong>.</li>
<li>During excavation structural remains of a large brick built <strong>apsidal chaitya griha</strong> with a circular stupa in the center was found. The discovery of such edifice is first of its kind in the Buddhist context in Orissa.</li>
<li>Majority of the sculptures unearthed from excavation are the figures of Buddha in different postures belonging to <strong>Mahayanistic phase of Buddhism</strong>.</li>
<li>Inscribed potsherds belonging to different time spans i.e. post Mauryan period to 8th-9th century A.D. have been found which suggest that the Lalitgiri was under occupation by the both <strong>Hinayana and Mahayana sects</strong>.</li>
<li>In subsequent period the site came under the control of <strong>Vajrayana faith of Buddhism</strong> patronized by the ruling Bhaumakaras (9th-10th cent A.D).</li>
<li>It is evident how Hinduism made an entry into Buddhism through Vajrayana. All Buddhist gods and goddesses have replicas of various Hindu gods. Some of them like Aparajita Tara, Padmapani, Hariti, Vajrapani, Manjusri are close to common Hindu gods.</li>
<li><strong>Lalitgiri</strong> is one of the earliest Buddhist sites of Orissa shows the cultural <strong>continuity right from the post Mauryan period to 13th century A.D without any break</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Udaygiri</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Udayagiri known as <strong>Madhavapura Mahavihara</strong> was a prominent centre of Buddhism between the 7th and 12th centuries.</li>
<li>The excavation had partially revealed a double storied monastic complex datable to 8th century A.D. and important antiquities images of Buddha, Tara, Manjusri, Avalokitesvara, Jatamukuta Lokesvara and terracotta sealings.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Ratnagiri</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Excavation of this site brought to light the remains of a magnificent Buddhist establishment consisting of a stupa, monastic complex, shrines, votive stupas, myriad of sculptures, architectural fragments and other antiquities.</li>
<li>Many <strong>giant Buddha heads</strong> are found here which resemble the Buddha heads found in <strong>Barbadur in Indonesia</strong> and <strong>Anuradhapura in Sri lanka</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/lalitgiri-a-treasure-trove-of-buddhism-in-odisha'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'Indonesia Tsunami',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>A tsunami killed more than 200 people and injured hundreds on the <strong>Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra</strong> following an underwater landslide believed to be caused by the erupting <strong>Anak Krakatau volcano.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Anak Krakatau is the island that emerged from the area once occupied by Krakatau, which was destroyed in 1883. It first appeared in 1927 and has been growing ever since.</li>
<li>In<strong> August 1883,</strong> Krakatoa underwent one of the most violent volcanic eruptions in recorded history:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Massive <strong>tsunamis</strong> with waves of up to 41m killed more than 30,000 people.</li>
<li>Thousands more were killed by <strong>hot ash.</strong></li>
<li>The eruptions were <strong>equivalent</strong> to 200 megatons of TNT - about 13,000 times the nuclear yield of the bomb dropped on <strong>Hiroshima in 1945.</strong></li>
<li>World <strong>temperatures dropped</strong> by more than 1&deg;C the following year.</li>
<li>The volcanic island <strong>virtually disappeared.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>High seas as a result of the full moon</strong> also contributed to the strength of the waves.</li>
<li>Tsunami warning buoys are positioned to warn about tsunamis originated by earthquakes at underwater tectonic plate boundaries and <strong>not</strong> for those by volcanoes.</li>
<li>Moreover, the <strong>proximity of the volcano</strong> to the coast gave authorities <strong>very little time to act.</strong></li>
<li>Indonesia is<strong> prone to tsunamis</strong> because it lies on the<strong> Ring of Fire - the line of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that circles virtually the entire Pacific rim.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Earlier in September, 2018 more than 2,000 people died when a powerful earthquake struck just off the central Indonesian island of <strong>Sulawesi, setting off a tsunami.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AXHN14IHtLY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Tsunami</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Tsunami is a Japanese term meaning a<strong> harbor wave.</strong> It is also commonly known as<strong> killer waves.</strong></li>
<li>A Tsunami is not just a single wave but a <strong>series of ocean waves called a wave train</strong> caused by an underwater earthquake, by a volcanic eruption, landslide, rapid changes in atmospheric pressure, or a meteorite.</li>
<li>However, tsunamis caused by <strong>volcanic activity are less frequent.</strong></li>
<li>Most tsunamis&ndash;about 80 percent&ndash;happen within the Pacific Ocean&rsquo;s<strong> &ldquo;Ring of Fire,&rdquo;</strong> a geologically active area where tectonic shifts make volcanoes and earthquakes common.</li>
<li>Tsunamis race across the sea at up to 500 miles (805 kilometers) an hour&mdash;about as fast as a jet airplane. At that pace, they can cross the entire expanse of the Pacific Ocean in less than a day.</li>
<li>Since they are <strong>long wavelengths, they lose very little energy along the way.</strong></li>
<li>In December 2015, the UN General Assembly designated<strong> 5 November as World Tsunami Awareness Day.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indonesia-tsunami'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'Important Facts for Prelims (24th December 2018)',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Rampant Killing of Mongoose</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently <strong>Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)</strong> and the Uttar Pradesh forest department seized raw mongoose hair and painting brushes made from it.</li>
<li>Mongooses are small <strong>carnivorous mammals,</strong> with a long body and tail and a grizzled or banded coat widely found in India.</li>
<li>They are listed under <strong>Schedule 2 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972</strong> and their hunting, possession, transportation and trade are offences, punishable with imprisonment up to seven years. They are also protected by the <strong>Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).</strong></li>
<li>Traditional hunting communities that prey on them include the Narikuruvas in Tamil Nadu, Hakki Pakki in Karnataka, Gonds in Andhra and Karnataka, and the Gulias, Seperas and Nath in central and northern India. These communities are the main suppliers of raw mongoose hair.</li>
<li><strong>Six different species</strong> are found across the country: Indian grey mongoose, small Indian mongoose, ruddy mongoose, crab-eating mongoose, stripe-necked mongoose and brown mongoose. The Indian grey mongoose is the most commonly found species and also the most hunted.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Wildlife Crime Control Bureau</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>WCCB is a <strong>statutory multi-disciplinary body under Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972</strong> under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, to combat organized wildlife crime in the country.</li>
<li>It is mandated to collect and collate intelligence related to organized wildlife crime activities.</li>
<li>It also assists and advises the Customs authorities in inspection of the consignments of flora &amp; fauna as per the provisions of Wild Life Protection Act and CITES.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Award for National Unity</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Prime Minister has announced the institution of a <strong>new national honour for national unity</strong> on the pattern of Padma Awards drawing inspiration from Sardar Patel&rsquo;s contribution towards unification of the country.</li>
<li>The annual award will be given to an <strong>Indian</strong> who has contributed to <strong>national unity in any manner.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Agni-IV Missile Successfully Test-Fired</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable long-range<strong> ballistic missile Agni-IV, with a strike range of 4,000 km.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>surface-to-surface missile</strong> was flight tested from launch complex-4 of the Integrated Test Range at Dr Abdul Kalam Island, earlier known as <strong>Wheeler Island.</strong></li>
<li>It is a <strong>two-stage solid-propelled missile</strong>, about 20 metres tall and weighs 17 tonnes.</li>
<li>It is equipped with modern and advanced<strong> ring laser gyro-based Inertial Navigation system (RINS).</strong></li>
<li>The missile is supported by highly reliable redundant <strong>micro navigation system (MINGS)</strong> to give better accuracy.</li>
<li>It is also equipped with 5th generation onboard computer with a distributed architecture.</li>
<li>The seventh successful trial of Agni-IV missile comes soon after the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/successful-test-firing-of-agni-v" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second pre-induction trial in a canisterised version of Agni V.</a></li>
<li>Ballistic missiles like<strong> Agni-I, II and III and Prithvi have already been included in the arsenal of the armed forces.</strong> Agni IV, and Agni V are undergoing trials.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-24th-december-2018'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'The Big Picture - Prison Reforms',
			'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
			'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/flOZi6SD3Co" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The Supreme Court has made an ardent observation on the situation of prisoners lodged in jails. The Supreme Court has issued instructions to all state governments to make changes in prison rules. Also, the court contemplated that prisoners sentenced to death should be allowed to meet psychiatrists, family-friends. The court observed that there are very poor arrangements for prisoners and upkeep of jails has not been undertaken for years. Toilets and sewage system are not in proper condition. There is not enough room for children of prisoners in prison. The list of problems is endless.</p>
<h3>Status of Indian Prisons</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The management of prisons falls exclusively under the domain of the state government, as per the seventh schedule of the constitution. In every state, the prison administrative machinery works under the chief of prisons who is a senior ranking IPS officer.</strong></li>
<li>According to the Prison Statistics India 2015 report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB),<strong> India&rsquo;s prisons are overcrowded with an occupancy ratio of 14% more than the capacity. More than two-thirds of the inmates are undertrials.</strong></li>
<li><strong>More than 70% of the people in Indian jails are undertrials</strong> &ndash; those detained in prisons during trial, investigation or inquiry but not convicted of any crime in a court of law.</li>
<li>The share of the prison population awaiting trial or sentencing in India is extremely high by international standards; for instance, it is 11% in the UK, 20% in the US and 29% in France.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Indian prisons face three long-standing structural constraints:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Overcrowding</li>
<li>Understaffing and underfunding</li>
<li>Violent clashes</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Unhygienic condition--In Rajasthan, it has been noticed that prisoners contracting skin diseases after they have entered the prison. In some cases, the prisoners have contracted deadly diseases like HIV and TB.</li>
<li>The number of open jails is few and far between. Only 70 out of over 1400 prisons are open prisons. For women inmates, it is almost negligible.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>What is Open Prison?</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Open prisons have relatively less stringent rules as compared to the controlled jails.</li>
<li>They go by many names like minimum-security prison, open-air camps or prison without bars.</li>
<li>The fundamental rule of an open prison is that the jail has minimum security and functions on the self-discipline of the inmates.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In comparison to men, the disposal of cases pertaining to women and children is very low. Hence, a rising number of women and children undertrials populating prisons.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Measures for Prison Reforms</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Social Justice Bench of the Supreme Court of India had issued guidelines relating to Prison Reforms in the Country.</strong></li>
<li>The Undertrial Review Committee in every district should meet every quarter. Appropriate steps must be taken for the release of undertrial prisoners and convicts who have undergone their sentence or are entitled to release because of remission granted to them.</li>
<li><strong>The State Legal Services Authority of every State will ensure, in coordination with the Secretary of the District Legal Services Committee in every district, that an adequate number of competent lawyers are </strong><g class="gr_ gr_144 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="144" data-gr-id="144">impanelled</g><strong> to assist undertrial prisoners and convicts, particularly the poor.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The Director General of Police/Inspector General of Police in-charge of prisons should ensure that there is pr</strong>oper and effective utilization of available funds so that the living conditions of the prisoners is commensurate with human dignity. This also includes the issue of their health, hygiene, food, clothing, rehabilitation etc.</li>
<li>The Ministry of Home Affairs will ensure that the Management Information System is in place at the earliest in all the Central and District Jails so that there is better and effective management of the prison and prisoners.</li>
<li><strong>The Ministry of Home Affairs will conduct an annual review of the implementation of the Model Prison Manual 2016.</strong></li>
<li>The Bench also directed Ministry of Women and Child Development, to prepare a Manual like &lsquo;Prison Manual&rsquo; which will take into consideration the living conditions and other issues pertaining to juveniles who are in Observation Homes or Special Homes.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-prison-reforms'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'US to Pull Out Troops from Syria and Afghanistan',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>United States has decided to withdraw over 2,000 US troops from Syria after it has declared victory over the Islamic State.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>US has also decided to reduce by half the US forces in Afghanistan.</li>
<li>These decisions mark the end of a prolonged phase of American military interventions in the Middle East and South Asia.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Likely Impact of US Troops Withdrawal</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Allies of US like the UK, Germany, and France have expressed dismay over the decision as they also have troops stationed in Syria. The Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) warned of a military vacuum that would leave the alliance trapped between "hostile parties".</li>
<li>Experts believe that the withdrawal of troops will allow regional actors like Iran to increase their footprints in Syria.</li>
<li>It may lead to demands for US troops withdrawal from Iraq also.</li>
<li>An imminent US withdrawal might lead to an open confrontation between Turkish and Kurdish forces.</li>
<li>The withdrawal of US may lead to the resurgence of forces like Islamic State in Syria and of Taliban in Afghanistan.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact on India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India must be concerned about the changes in US stance in the middle east and Afghanistan as it will <strong>impact our interest in the region and in our neighborhood.</strong></li>
<li>India was Impacted by the<strong> rise of the Islamic state</strong> after the turmoil in Syria.</li>
<li>The <strong>extremist group IS (Islamic State), extended its reach to South Asia</strong>&mdash;home to the largest Muslim population in the world&mdash;is of concern to India, which has significant stakes in the peace and stability in South Asia.</li>
<li>The threat was compounded by the fact that <strong>IS started attracting Indian youth.</strong></li>
<li>The resurgence of Taliban will severely impact <strong>India&rsquo;s position and stakes in Afghanistan, embolden Pakistan while destabilizing the region.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Syrian Crisis</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Syria has been in a<strong> state of civil war since the 2011</strong> uprising known as the &ldquo;Arab Spring.&rdquo;</li>
<li>The Syrian government, led by President Bashar al-Assad, responded to the protests by killing hundreds of demonstrators and imprisoning many more.</li>
<li>In July 2011, defectors from the<strong> military announced the formation of the Free Syrian Army,</strong> a rebel group aiming to overthrow the government, and Syria began to slide into civil war.</li>
<li><strong>International Involvement:</strong> The civil war has spilled beyond the borders of Syria. It has triggered sectarian tensions <strong>(Shia-Kurds-Sunni)</strong>, geopolitical rivalries<strong> (US-Russia; Iran-Saudi Arabia-Israel)</strong>, and the global threat of<strong> Islamic extremism(Islamic State).</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>India Position on Syrian Crisis</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India&rsquo;s position in Syria and the middle east is influenced by its own stakes in the Middle East-<strong> namely energy security and diaspora.</strong></li>
<li>India&rsquo;s support for the President Bashar-al-Assad regime in Syria is driven by two factors. The first is its<strong> fears of instability and the rise of Islamists fundamentalism.</strong></li>
<li>The second is its commitment to<strong> non-interventionism,</strong> a position shared by members of the BRICS countries.</li>
<li>In addition to these factors, Assad&rsquo;s Baath Party&rsquo;s has continuously <strong>supported India&rsquo;s stance on the Kashmir issue.</strong></li>
<li>In line with this, India supports an all-inclusive Syrian-led process to chart out the future of Syria, its political structures and leadership.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-to-pull-out-troops-from-syria-and-afghanistan'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'SDG India Index',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The<strong> NITI Aayog</strong> has released its <strong>SDG India Index</strong> which intends to provide a holistic view on the social, economic and environmental status of the country and its States.</p>
<h3>Index</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>First</strong> of its kind<strong> &lsquo;SDG India Index&rsquo;</strong>&nbsp;has been developed in collaboration with the<strong> Ministry of Statistics &amp; Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Global Green Growth Institute, United Nations in India, and NITI Aayog.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In September 2016, MoSPI developed a <strong>National Indicator Framework (NIF)</strong> which is a consolidated list of possible national indicators. It consists of <strong>306 statistical indicators</strong> to serve as a <strong>backbone for monitoring of SDGs.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>NITI Aayog has prepared the SDG India Index spanning across <strong>13 out of 17 SDGs</strong> (leaving out Goals 12, 13, 14 and 17).</li>
<li>Being the <strong>baseline report,</strong> it does <strong>not consider time series</strong> <strong>comparison</strong> of data. As a result, the SDG India Index tells us where a State/UT currently stands on each of the indicators considered, and will present incremental change in subsequent versions.</li>
<li>Classification Criteria based on SDG India Index Score is as follows: <strong>Aspirant: 0-49; Performer: 50-64; Front Runner: 65-99; Achiever: 100.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Findings</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu</strong> have emerged as the <strong>front runners</strong> in the race to achieve key sustainable development goals (SDGs) in a ranking of states released by NITI Aayog.</li>
<li><strong>Kerala&rsquo;s</strong> top rank is attributed to its superior performance in providing <strong>good health, reducing hunger, achieving gender equality and providing quality education.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Himachal Pradesh</strong> ranks high on providing<strong> clean water and sanitation, in reducing inequalities and preserving mountain ecosystem.</strong></li>
<li>The toppers in <strong>gender equality,</strong> <strong>Sikkim and Union territories Andaman and Nicobar islands and Chandigarh</strong> have crossed the halfway mark in reaching the goals.</li>
<li><strong>Jharkhand, Odisha and Nagaland</strong> are among the states that have a lot more <strong>ground to cover</strong> in the overall rankings.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Limitations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Exclusion of goals:</strong> SDG India Index does not currently cover Goals 12, 13 and 14 largely on account of <strong>unavailability of comparable data</strong> across States and UTs. Further, SDG 17 was left out as it focuses on<strong> international partnerships.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Indicators emerging from the State schemes not included:</strong> The Indicators focus largely on data sources emerging from central official statistical systems and the respective Union Ministries/Departments.</li>
<li><strong>Limitation of equal weightage:</strong> Assigning equal weightage for all indicators across all Goals may lead to biased results. Additionally, some indicators may be <strong>less relevant to some States.</strong> For example, indicators like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) have less relevance in States like Punjab and Haryana because they have already been performing better on these targets. Thus, their progress on these schematic indicators will seem less in comparison to other States.</li>
<li><strong>Missing data:</strong> Data for a few States /UTs is<strong> not available</strong> for some indicators.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Sustainable Development goals were adopted at the <strong>UN Sustainable Development Summit in September, 2015.</strong></li>
<li>They came into <strong>force from January 1st, 2016</strong> and have <strong>2030 as deadline</strong> for achieving the targets.</li>
<li>The success of Agenda 2030 globally will depend, on the <strong>progress India makes on the SDGs</strong>. It is not just the size of India&rsquo;s population (about 17% of the world population) or the scale of its interventions that makes it so critical to the SDGs, but its unique convergence of extraordinary economic growth, commitment to sustainability, and social and technological innovations.</li>
<li>India has also emerged as a <strong>global leader on the international climate action agenda</strong> and an enabler of <strong>sustainable development for developing countries around the world.</strong></li>
<li>This combined with some of the world&rsquo;s largest and most ambitious social programmes including <strong>housing for all, energy for all, urbanization, health and nutrition, and digital and financial inclusion,</strong> make it a leading force for the SDGs globally.</li>
<li>This SDG India Index by NITI Aayog is an important first step in <strong>enabling comprehensive tracking</strong> of the country&rsquo;s progress, and in benchmarking SDGs for <strong>both central and State governments</strong> across the country serving its <strong>twin mandate</strong> to oversee the <strong>implementation of SDGs</strong> in the country, and also<strong> promote Competitive and Cooperative Federalism</strong> among States and UTs.</li>
<li>The SDG India Index embodies the <strong>five Ps</strong> of the global SDG movement -<strong> people, planet, prosperity, partnership and peace.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The SDG India Index will help every State and Union Territory identify their strengths and areas of opportunity, relative to their peers, and to identify the steps they can take towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.</li>
<li>It is also important to note that this exercise has revealed that their <strong>urgent need for the improvement of statistical systems</strong> to <strong>generate data</strong> that helps in effective monitoring of SDGs at the national and State level on a real-time basis. The selection of indicators for present exercise was constrained by the availability of data. Improved data availability and quality in the future will make the index more robust.</li>
<li>Going forward, the report should be used for <strong>identifying priority areas</strong> that require interventions and also to <strong>strengthen capacities for monitoring SDGs.</strong></li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sdg-india-index'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Important Facts for Prelims (22nd December 2018)',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>District Mineral Fund</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>District Mineral Funds under Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojna (PMKKKY) has accrued Rs. 22,859 crore till November 2018. But only Rs. 5,529 crore of the amount collected is utilized.</li>
<li>The slow pace of District Mineral Fund (DMF) utilization has fed fears of these funds being diverted by State governments for being spent in other regions or for other purposes too.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Objective</strong>: To minimize/mitigate the adverse impacts, during and after mining, on the environment, health and socio-economic conditions of people in mining districts and also to ensure a sustainable livelihood for the affected people.</li>
<li>It is <strong>implemented by the District Mineral Foundations (DMFs)</strong> of the respective districts that use the funds collected by the DMF from the miners.</li>
<li>District Mineral Foundation (DMF)<strong> is a trust set up</strong> under <strong>Mines and Minerals (Development &amp; Regulation) Amendment Act (MMDRA) 2015</strong> as a <strong>non-profit body</strong> in those districts affected by the mining operations.</li>
<li><strong>60% of the funds</strong> will be utilized for high priority areas such as <strong>drinking water supply, health care, sanitation, education, skill development, women and child care, the welfare of aged and disabled people and environment conservation.</strong></li>
<li><strong>40% of the fund</strong> will be utilized for <strong>physical infrastructure, irrigation, energy, and watershed development.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>National Consumer Day</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Every Year <strong>24th December</strong> is observed as National Consumer Day with a specific theme in India. This year the National Consumer Day is celebrated with the theme <strong>&ldquo;Timely Disposal of Consumer Complaints&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>It is celebrated on this day as the<strong> Consumer Protection Act, 1986</strong> had received the assent of the President.</li>
<li>The Consumer Protection Act aims to provide consumers with effective safeguards against different types of exploitation such as defective goods, deficiency in services and unfair trade practices.</li>
<li>However, recently the Lok Sabha passed the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/the-consumer-protection-bill-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Consumer Protection Bill 2018</a> which seeks to replace the three-decade-old Consumer Protection Act, 1986.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-22nd-december-2018'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'Beyond Binaries',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article &ldquo;Beyond Binaries&rdquo; which appears in Indian Express on 4th December.)</p>
</div>
<p><strong>Numbering approximately 4,90,000 as per the last count (2011), transgender people (TG) in India are perhaps one of the most </strong><g class="gr_ gr_86 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling ins-del" id="86" data-gr-id="86">visibly</g><strong> invisible population in the country.</strong> They have cultural and social significance across the country in various avatars where they have been portrayed with dignity and respect. <strong>However, transgender people have been increasingly recognized as one of the most socio-economically marginalized communities in the country.</strong> To attain inclusive development goals, these special marginalized communities should be taken care of.</p>
<h3>Who is a Transgender Person?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>As per international standards, &lsquo;transgender&rsquo; is an umbrella term that includes persons whose sense of gender does not match with the gender assigned to them at birth. For example, a person born as a man may identify with the opposite gender, i.e., as a woman.</li>
<li>The Supreme Court, the Expert Committee of the Ministry of Social Justice and Welfare, and a Standing Committee report, all define &lsquo;transgender persons&rsquo; based on the mismatch only.</li>
<li>In the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/the-transgender-persons-protection-of-rights-bill-2016" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2016,</a> transgender person means a person whose gender does not match with the gender assigned to that person at birth and includes trans-man (whether or not such person has undergone sex reassignment surgery or hormone therapy or laser therapy or such other therapy), person with intersex variations, gender-queer and person having such socio-cultural identities as <g class="gr_ gr_88 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling" id="88" data-gr-id="88">kinnar</g>, hijra, <g class="gr_ gr_89 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling" id="89" data-gr-id="89">aravani</g> and <g class="gr_ gr_87 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="87" data-gr-id="87">jogta</g>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues Related with Transgenders</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>More often, transgender children or young individuals begin their journey alone and in search of individuals of their kind, a journey that is marred by unspeakable hardships and abuse.</strong></li>
<li>School education of most transgender people either remains incomplete or non-existent.<strong> The lack of basic schooling is a direct result of bullying</strong> and, hence, transgender persons are forced to leave schools (most of our schools remain unequipped to handle children with alternate sexual identities).</li>
<li>Since the late 19th century, transgenders have been pushed to the margins of society, and have lost the social-cultural position they once enjoyed.</li>
<li>T<strong>hey are subject to extreme forms of social ostracisation and exclusion from basic dignity and human rights.</strong></li>
<li>Often ignored as a menace to society, they are now only visible on the streets and localities where they are found begging, never as a part of the mainstream.</li>
<li><strong>They remain highly vulnerable to gender-based violence.</strong> As a direct result of their acute mistreatment, vilification, ostracisation, and dehumanization, they also remain highly vulnerable to fatal communicable diseases like HIV-AIDS. According to a recent United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the HIV prevalence among transgenders is 3.1 percent (2017), which is the second highest amongst all communities in the country. But, only about 68% of the affected are even aware that they are infected, which is worrying. High instances of substance abuse and low levels of literacy only complicate matters.</li>
<li><strong>Despite laws, policies and their implementation, the community continues to remain quite marginalized and highly vulnerable</strong>. There are examples of higher education institutions providing quota and giving special consideration to transgender people, but the takers remain few and far between.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Timeline of Reforms</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>In 2009, appropriate directions were issued by the Election Commission to all provinces to amend the format of the registration</strong> forms to include an option of &ldquo;others&rdquo;. This enabled transsexual people to tick the column if they didn&rsquo;t want to be identified as either male or female.</li>
<li><strong>The Supreme Court in National Legal Services Authority Vs. Union of India (2014) recognized them as the &ldquo;Third Gender&rdquo;.</strong> In the landmark ruling, Justice K.S Radhakrishnan observed that &ldquo;recognition of transgenders as a third gender is not a social or medical issue, but a human rights issue&rdquo;.</li>
<li>Only a year after this verdict,<strong> India&rsquo;s first transgender mayor of Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, Madhu Kinnar, elected to office, in 2015.</strong></li>
<li><strong>According to a report in April 2018, the number of registered transgender voters nearly doubled in the Karnataka polls.</strong> Over 5,000 transgender people cast their ballots in the Karnataka assembly polls, which is historic. The number has doubled from the 2013 figures.</li>
<li><strong>There are more encouraging trends.</strong> HIV services for the community are rapidly improving in a targeted manner after the SC verdict. For example, the National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) reported that 2,40,000 hijras were provided with HIV prevention and treatment services in 2015, compared to 1,80,000 the previous year.</li>
<li><strong>At the present, Lok Sabha has passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2016. The bill will now be placed in Rajya Sabha.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Status of transgender persons under existing laws</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Currently, several criminal and civil laws recognize only two categories of gender i.e. man and woman.</li>
<li>These include laws such as Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (NREGA) and Hindu Succession Act, 1956. Now, the Bill(which bill?) seeks to recognize a third gender i.e. &lsquo;transgender&rsquo;. However, the Bill does not clarify how transgender persons will be treated under certain existing laws.</li>
<li>In addition, the penalties for similar offenses may also vary because of the application of different laws based on gender identity. For example, under the IPC, sexual offenses related to women attract a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, which is higher than that specified for sexual abuse against a transgender person under the Bill (up to two years).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>An ever-increasing number of activists who have continued to work</strong> at the grassroots level for the welfare of the community has managed to bring society&rsquo;s attention to its socio-economic deprivation.</li>
<li><strong>A multi-pronged approach is needed</strong> on a war footing in the form of mass awareness campaigns, generating avenues for dignified employment, gender sensitization and affirmative action. Only then can the efforts of the Election Commission and the judiciary for ensuring inclusive elections in the world&rsquo;s largest democracy also result in a meaningful and inclusive democracy.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>For example,</strong> Kerala's move to secure places in higher education for transgenders is among the first initiatives in the country to help support their progress.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The government should also move beyond focusing on individual-level HIV prevention activities a</strong>nd address the structural determinants of HIV risks and mitigate the impact of such risks. For example, mental health counseling, crisis intervention (crisis in relation to suicidal tendencies, police harassment and arrests, support following sexual and physical violence), addressing alcohol and drug abuse, and connecting to livelihood programs - all need to be part of the HIV interventions.</li>
<li><strong>Implement stigma and discrimination reduction measures at various levels through a variety of ways:</strong> mass media awareness for the general public to focused training and sensitization for police and health care providers.</li>
<li><strong>Ensure greater involvement of vulnerable communities including Hijras/TG women in policy formulation and program development.</strong></li>
<li><strong>For thousands in the transgender community, hope hinges on the changes that they hope the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2016 will bring.</strong></li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/beyond-binaries'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => 'COP24',
			'catname' => 'Paper 3',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>COP24 took place from 2-14 December 2018, in Katowice, Poland.</li>
<li>Poland held the Presidency of the Climate Convention for the third time.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What is COP24</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>COP24 is the informal name for the 2<strong>4<sup>th</sup> Conference</strong> <strong>of the Parties</strong> to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).</li>
<li>The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the supreme body of the UNFCCC, consisting of the representatives of the Parties to the Convention.</li>
<li>COP holds its sessions every year and takes decisions which are necessary to ensure the effective implementation of the provisions of the Convention and regularly reviews the implementation of these provisions.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>UNFCCC is an international environmental treaty adopted on 9 May 1992 and opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992, entered into force on 21 March 1994.</li>
<li>The UNFCCC objective is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.</li>
<li>Currently, there are <strong>197 Parties</strong> (196 States and European Union) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Paris Agreement 2015</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Parties to UNFCCC agreed to strive to limit the rise in global warming to well under 2 degrees Celsius, over pre-industrial levels by 2100, under Paris Agreement 2015.</li>
<li>Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) were conceived at Paris summit which require each Party to prepare, communicate and maintain successive nationally determined contributions (NDCs) that it intends to achieve.</li>
<li>Parties shall pursue domestic mitigation measures, with the aim of achieving the objectives of such contributions.</li>
<li>Paris Agreement replaced earlier agreement to deal with climate change, Kyoto Protocol.</li>
<li>USA recently pulled out from the agreement seriously damaging the global effort to reverse climate change, as USA is one of the largest Greenhouse Gas emitter.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Important Outcome of Summit</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Paris Rulebook:</strong> The COP-24 finalized a &ldquo;rulebook&rdquo; to operationalise 2015 Paris Agreement.</li>
<li>The rulebook set out how countries will provide information about their <strong>Nationally Determined Contributions</strong> describing their domestic climate actions, mitigation and adaptation measures.</li>
<li>The rulebook covers areas such as how countries should report their greenhouse gas emissions, contributions to climate finance, what rules should apply to voluntary market mechanisms, such as carbon trading etc.</li>
<li>The rulebook has addressed some concerns about the opaqueness of <strong>climate financing,</strong> such as, developed nations will have to provide hard data on the sources of future financial flows.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Climate finance</strong> refers to local, national or transnational financing&mdash;drawn from public, private and alternative sources of financing.</li>
<li>It seeks to support mitigation and adaptation actions that will address climate change.</li>
<li>The UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement call for financial assistance from developed countries to developing and less developed countries in accordance with the principle of &ldquo;common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities&rdquo;.</li>
<li>Under Paris Agreement, developed countries have committed to provide $100 billion annually from 2020 for dealing with climate change.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The rulebook describes which loans, concessions and grants can be classified as <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/climate-finance-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate finance,</a> how they should be accounted for, and the kind of information about them needed to be submitted.</li>
<li>The modalities and procedures for <strong>Monitoring and Progress Report System</strong> proposal (MPR) to (INDC) were also discussed.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues in Conference</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Disagreement on Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report:</strong> The 1.5&deg;C Report, produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in October 2018, was not acknowledged as an evidence-based cause for alarm by the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and Russia.</li>
<li><strong>No ambitious action promised:</strong> The absence of any indication towards increasing &ldquo;ambition&rdquo; of climate actions, so as to rein in temperature rise at 1.5&deg;c at a faster pace, was one major disappointment of the Katowice conference.</li>
<li><strong>Issue of Equity:</strong> Provisions did not reflect the principles of <strong>common but differentiated responsibilities</strong>. Poorer nations vulnerable to climate change also wanted more clarity on how an already agreed $100 billion a year of climate finance by 2020 will be provided.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities holds that although all countries are responsible for the development of global society, each has a different set of capabilities that they can contribute to this project.</li>
<li>It recognizes the historical correlation between higher levels of development and a greater contribution to the degradation of global environmental resources by developed countries and enables the sharing of responsibility accordingly.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Climate Finance:</strong> No roadmap adopted for the mobilisation of funds till 2020, no specific process has been initiated for fixing the long-term goals of finance by 2025, which is a legal mandate of the Paris Agreement.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>No clear guarantees could be obtained from the developed countries to even report their financial commitments through an international process.</li>
<li>The language under the provision related to climate financing is ambiguous allowing countries to report the value of loans (which are to be repaid to lenders) as climate finance, rather than only the grant portion of the total.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Market Mechanism:</strong> The conference could not reach a consensus on voluntary market mechanisms. <strong>Article 6 of the Paris Agreement</strong> talks about setting up a market mechanism for trading of carbon emissions. An emissions trading system already exists under the Kyoto Protocol, though it has become ineffective over the last few years and is meant to end with the end of Kyoto Protocol in 2020.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Market-based mechanisms provide flexible instruments reducing the costs of meeting emissions targets. <strong>Emissions trading systems, Joint Implementation (JI)</strong> mechanism and the <strong>Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)</strong> established under the Kyoto Protocol are market-based mechanisms.</li>
<li>CDM allows a developed country with an emission-reduction commitment under the Kyoto Protocol to implement an emission-reduction project in any of those developing countries <em>Certified Emission Reduction (CER)</em> credits, each equivalent to one tonne of CO2.</li>
<li>The countries which are unable to reduce their emissions in their business in a cost-effective manner in their country, they can invest in clean projects in developing countries. (Joint Implementation).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Carbon Credits:</strong> Developing countries like China, India, and Brazil argued that their accumulated unused carbon credits should be considered valid in the new market mechanism.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the recent years, as several countries quit Kyoto Protocol, and no country was feeling compelled to meet its 2020 emission reduction targets, there has been virtually no demand for carbon credits. As a result, developing countries like China, India and Brazil have accumulated huge amounts of unused carbon credits.</li>
<li>The developed countries questioned the authenticity of the unused carbon credits, pointing to weak verification mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol. The discussion over carbon markets is deferred to the next year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Carbon Credit</strong></p>
<p>A carbon credit is a permit or certificate allowing the holder to emit carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases. Carbon trading involves trading of carbon one of the market-based mechanisms set up under Kyoto Protocol.</p>
</div>
<h3>India&rsquo;s Stand at the conference</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India reaffirmed its <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/conference-of-the-parties-cop-24" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INDCs commitments</a> to meeting the goals under the 2015 Paris Agreement.</li>
<li>India argued that delicate balance reached between developed and developing countries must be retained, and the principles such as equity, climate justice and Common but Differentiated Responsibility and Respective Capabilities must be given its due.</li>
<li>India expressed strong reservation over the lack of equity in the global stock-take i.e. taking stock of collective progress toward achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement in the rule book of the agreement.</li>
<li>It sought a robust transparency regime for countries to disclose their emissions.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The 1.5&deg;C Report, which was produced by the IPCC in October 2018 states at current rate of emissions, the world is set to breach the global warming limit of 1.5&deg;C between 2030 and 2052.</li>
<li>This report present clear challenge to the world to deal with climate change. Therefore, the urgency to arrive at the consensus for contentious issues like climate financing, transparent stock taking issues of climate justice need to be arrived.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper3/cop24'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'Important Facts for Prelims (21st December 2018)',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Asiatic Lion Conservation Project</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has launched the &ldquo;<strong>Asiatic Lion Conservation Project</strong>&rdquo; with an aim to protect and conserve the world&rsquo;s last ranging free population of Asiatic Lion and its associated ecosystem.</li>
<li>The Asiatic Lion Conservation Project is aimed to <strong>strengthen the ongoing measures for conservation and recovery of Asiatic Lion</strong> with the help of state-of-the &ndash;art techniques/ instruments, regular scientific research studies, disease management, Modern surveillance/ patrolling techniques.</li>
<li>The project will be funded from the <strong>Centrally Sponsored Scheme- Development of Wildlife Habitat (CSS-DWH)</strong> with the contributing<strong> ratio being 60:40 of Central and State share</strong>.</li>
<li>Asiatic lions that <strong>once ranged from Persia (Iran) to Palamau in Eastern India</strong> were almost <strong>driven to extinction by indiscriminate hunting and habitat loss.</strong></li>
<li>A single population of less than 50 lions persisted in the Gir forests of Gujarat by late 1890's. With timely and stringent protection offered by the State Government and the Center Government, Asiatic lions have increased to the current population of over 500 numbers.</li>
<li><strong>Gir Protected Area Network</strong> (1648.79 sq. km.) includes <strong>Gir National Park</strong>, <strong>Gir Sanctuary</strong>, <strong>Pania Sanctuary</strong>, <strong>Mitiyala Sanctuary</strong> adjoining reserved forests, Protected Forests, and Unclassed Forests.</li>
<li>The Environment Ministry in the past has supported <strong>Asiatic Lion</strong> in Gujarat by including it in <strong>list of 21 critically endangered species for recovery programme</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>21 species identified under the recovery programme are</strong>:</p>
<p>Snow Leopard, Bustard (including Floricans), Dolphin, Hangul, Nilgiri Tahr, Marine Turtles, Dugongs, Edible Nest Swiftlet, Asian Wild Buffalo, Nicobar Megapode, Manipur Brow-antlered Deer, Vultures, Malabar Civet, Indian Rhinoceros, Asiatic Lion, Swamp Deer, Jerdon&rsquo;s Courser, the Northern River Terrapin, Clouded Leopard, Arabian Sea Humpback Whale, and Red Panda.</p>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-21st-december-2018'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'Paika Rebellion',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The Government will release the commemorative coin and postage stamp in memory of Paika Rebellion.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The decision to commemorate the bicentenary of the revolution was announced in the 2017-18 Budget Speech.</li>
<li>Pre-dating what has been popularly regarded as the first war of independence in 1857, the <strong>Paika Bidroha (Paika Rebellion) of 1817</strong> in Odisha briefly shook the foundations of British rule in the eastern part of India.</li>
<li>2017 marked the double centenary of one of the biggest revolts ever seen in eastern India and one which was quelled with great brutality.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p>Paikas were essentially the <strong>peasant militias of the Gajapati rulers of Odisha</strong> who rendered military service to the king during times of war while taking up cultivation during times of peace.</p>
</div>
<h3>Brief History</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Till 1803, Odisha was under Maratha rule, however after the second Anglo-Maratha War, the Marathas were forced to cede most of their territory in Odisha to the British East India Company.</li>
<li>Establishment of <strong>British rule in Odisha was followed by a policy of repression against the Paikas</strong>. They lost their traditional position in the society and their lands were taken away.</li>
<li>In addition to losing their estates, the Paikas were also heavily exploited by the revenue collectors under the British.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Rebellion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Paikas under the <strong>leadership of Baxi Jagabandhu</strong>, the hereditary chief of the militia army of the Gajapati King of <strong>Khurda</strong> (a kingdom near Puri), rose in rebellion in March 1817, taking support of tribals and other sections of society.</li>
<li>The Paikas <strong>attacked British symbols of power</strong>, setting ablaze police stations, administrative offices and the treasury during their march towards Khurda.</li>
<li>The Paikas were supported by the rajas, zamindars, village heads and ordinary peasants. The rebellion quickly spread to different parts of the province.</li>
<li>British were initially taken aback and then tried to regain lost ground but faced stiff resistance from the rebelling Paikas. However, the Paikas were eventually defeated by the British.</li>
<li>The Paikas retreated into the thick jungles of Odisha and carried out guerrilla warfare for several years. After successive defeats, the Paika leader, Bakshi Jagabandhu, surrendered to the British in 1825 and lived as a prisoner in Cuttack till his death in 1829.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/paika-rebellion'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'Ceasefire in Yemen',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The warring parties in Yemen Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia-backed forces loyal to President of Yemen agreed to a United Nations-mediated ceasefire agreement.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The agreement was reached in UN-mediated talks held in Stockholm in December 2018 and signed in the city of Hodeidah in Yemen.</li>
<li>The coalition had blockaded the port, the main conduit for humanitarian aid to enter Yemen, for months, and the fighters, mostly UAE soldiers, were battling the rebels.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Hodeidah Ceasefire Agreement</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to the UN, a ceasefire by the parties came into effect in the city and the three ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa and Saleef from midnight 17 December 2018.</li>
<li>Under the agreement, the Houthis will withdraw from the ports and from Hodeidah city and a UN-chaired committee including both sides will oversee the withdrawal of forces.</li>
<li>The Yemeni ports will fall under the control of "local forces", who would then send the ports' revenues to the country's Central Bank.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What led to talks?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>UN Efforts:</strong> The UN has been pushing for an agreement for long.</li>
<li><strong>Jamal Khashoggi Murder:</strong> Saudi Arabia which is a major party in the crisis came under increased global pressure to stop fighting in Yemen after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside its consulate in Istanbul.</li>
<li><strong>Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen:</strong> The spotlight on Yemen and its deteriorating humanitarian situation lead to a severe global outcry. The impact was so high that, the U.S., which supports Saudi Arabia in the war, cut down its involvement by ending refueling of coalition aircraft.</li>
</ul>
<h3>War in Yemen</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Since 2014, Yemen is facing a multi-sided conflict involving local, regional, and international actors.</li>
<li>The Houthis, a group of Zaidi Shia Muslims who ruled a kingdom there for nearly 1,000 years. They used widespread anger against President Hadi's decision to postpone long-awaited elections and his stalled negotiations over a new constitution to protest against the government.</li>
<li>They marched from their stronghold of Saada province to the capital Sanaa and surrounded the presidential palace, placing Hadi under house arrest.</li>
<li>A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen on March 26, 2015, at Hadi's request, after the Houthis continued to sweep the south and threatened to conquer the last government stronghold of Aden. Prompting one of the world's worst humanitarian crises ever.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to WHO, since the Saudi intervention in 2015, at least 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen.</li>
<li>The widespread damage caused to infrastructure by the coalition airstrikes and lack of supplies of food and medicines due to the blockade has pushed Yemen into a humanitarian catastrophe.</li>
<li>About 12 million people are at the risk of starvation in Yemen. The country is also facing a massive cholera outbreak. According to UNICEF, a child dies every 10 minutes in Yemen from preventable causes.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Operation Raahat</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India launched a rescue operation in Yemen to ensure safe passage to Indian citizens and other foreign nationals who were stuck in Yemen after Saudi Led <g class="gr_ gr_56 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="56" data-gr-id="56">ccoalition</g> intervened.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The war has reached a stalemate long ago. The Houthis are facing the loss of territory in recent months, while the Saudi coalition is facing growing international pressure.</li>
<li>A solution to the conflict can be found only if the rebels and the government make some political concessions.</li>
<li>The current deal, if implemented on the ground, will represent a breakthrough because the port is the gateway for the bulk of humanitarian aid coming into the country.</li>
<li>While the second round of talks is already expected to be held in January, a smooth ceasefire could lead to a fast framework for negotiations and a transitional governing body.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ceasefire-in-yemen'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'The Consumer Protection Bill 2018',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Recently, the Lok Sabha passed The Consumer Protection Bill 2018.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Bill seeks to replace the three-decade-old Consumer Protection Act, 1986.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Rights of The Consumer</strong></p>
<ol>
<li>Right to <strong>Safety</strong></li>
<li>Right to <strong>Information</strong></li>
<li>Right to <strong>Choose</strong></li>
<li>Right to <strong>Seek Redressal</strong></li>
<li>Right to <strong>Education</strong></li>
<li>Right to <strong>be Heard</strong></li>
</ol>
</div>
<h3>Provisions in the bill</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Bill enforces consumer rights and provides a mechanism for redressal of complaints regarding the <strong>defect in goods and deficiency in services.</strong></li>
<li>Under the Bill, <strong>Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions will be set up at the District, State and National levels for adjudicating consumer complaints.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Appeals from the District and State Commissions will be heard at the next level and from the National Commission by the Supreme Court.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Bill sets up a <strong>Central Consumer Protection Authority</strong> to promote, protect and enforce consumer rights as a class. It can issue safety notices for goods and services, order refunds, recall goods and rule against misleading advertisements.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It will be headed by a Chief Commissioner and comprise other Commissioners. It will have an investigation arm headed by a Director General. It may also file complaints before the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Bill establishes<strong> Consumer Protection Councils at the district, state, and national levels to render advice on consumer protection.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Central and State Council will be headed by the Minister-in-charge of Consumer Affairs at the central and state level, respectively. The District Council will be headed by the District Collector.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Bill also lists<strong> punitive actions against</strong> those who are found manufacturing, storing, distributing, selling, or importing <strong>products that are spurious or contain adulterants.</strong></li>
<li>If a consumer suffers an injury from a defect in a good or a deficiency in service, he may file a claim of product liability against the manufacturer, the seller, or the service provider.</li>
<li>The Bill defines contracts as &lsquo;unfair&rsquo; if they significantly affect the rights of consumers. It also defines unfair and restrictive trade practices.</li>
<li>The<strong> case can be filed from anywhere,</strong> unlike the existing law which allows the consumer to register the complaint only from the same place of purchase of the product or where the service is availed.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;"><strong>Provision</strong></td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><strong>1986 Act</strong></td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><strong>2018 Bill</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><br /><strong>Ambit of Law</strong></td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;"><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>All goods and services for consideration.</li>
<li>Free and personal services are excluded.</li>
</ul>
</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;"><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>All goods and services, including telecom and housing construction, and all modes of transactions (online, teleshopping, etc.).</li>
<li>Free and personal services are excluded.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><br /><strong>Unfair Trade Practices</strong></td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;"><br />Includes six types of such practices, like false representation, misleading advertisements.</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;"><br />Adds three types of practices to the list: <br />(i) failure to issue a bill or receipt; <br />(ii) refusal to accept a good returned within 30 days; and (iii) disclosure of personal information given in confidence</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><br /><strong>Product liability</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><br />No provision.</p>
<p></p>
</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Claim for product liability can be made against the manufacturer, service provider, and seller.</li>
<li>Compensation can be obtained by proving one of the several specified conditions in the Bill.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><br /><strong>Regulator</strong></td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><br />No provision.</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;">
<p><br />Establishes the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 36px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 36px; text-align: center;"><br /><strong>Pecuniary jurisdiction</strong><br /><strong>of Commissions</strong></td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 36px;"><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>District: Up to Rs 20 lakh.</li>
<li>State: Between Rs 20 lakh and up to Rs one crore.</li>
<li>National: Above Rs one crore.</li>
</ul>
</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 36px;"><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>District: Up to Rs one crore.</li>
<li>State: Between Rs one crore and up to Rs 10 crore.</li>
<li>National: Above Rs 10 crore.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><br /><strong>Appointment</strong></td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;"><br />Selection Committee (comprising a judicial member and other officials) will recommend members on the Commissions.</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;">No provision for Selection Committee. The central government will appoint through notification.</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><strong>Penalties</strong></td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;">Imprisonment between one month and three years or fine between Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000, or both.</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;">Imprisonment up to three years, or a fine not less than Rs 25,000 extendable to Rs one lakh, or both.</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><br /><strong>E-commerce</strong></td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><br />No provision.</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Defines direct selling, e-commerce and electronic service provider.</li>
<li>The central government may prescribe rules for preventing unfair trade practices in e-commerce and direct selling.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/the-consumer-protection-bill-2018'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'Towards a Genetic Panopticon',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article &ldquo;Towards a Genetic Panopticon&rdquo; which appears in The Hindu on 21st December.)</p>
</div>
<p><strong>The genes encoded in our deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which are collected from blood, hair, skin cells and other such bodily substances, have undoubtedly proven to be an important tool in forensic science</strong>. Much like fingerprints, a person&rsquo;s DNA profile is unique (except in the case of identical twins), therefore, help in establishing the identity of a suspect.</p>
<p>That only a small amount of genetic material is needed to create such a profile makes the form of evidence for criminal investigators. Across the world, the use of DNA evidence has helped to discharge a number of innocent people from wrongful conviction and has also helped find the guilty party in complex investigations.</p>
<p>Considering its importance, <strong>the government introduced the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018 in Lok Sabha in August 2018. The Bill provides for regulation of the use of DNA technology for establishing the identity of certain persons.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Highlights of Proposed Bill</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Bill regulates the use of DNA technology for establishing the identity of persons in respect of matters listed in a Schedule.</strong> These include criminal matters (such as offenses under the Indian Penal Code, 1860), and civil matters such as parentage disputes, emigration or immigration, and transplantation of human organs.</li>
<li><strong>The Bill establishes a National DNA Data Bank and Regional DNA Data Banks.</strong> Every Data Bank will maintain the following indices: (i) crime scene index, (ii) suspects&rsquo; or undertrials&rsquo; index, (iii) offenders&rsquo; index, (iv) missing persons&rsquo; index, and (v) unknown deceased persons&rsquo; index.</li>
<li><strong>The Bill establishes a DNA Regulatory Board</strong>. Every DNA laboratory that analyses a DNA sample to establish the identity of an individual, has to be accredited by the Board.</li>
<li>Written consent by individuals is required to collect DNA samples from them. <strong>Consent is not required for offenses with the punishment of more than seven years of imprisonment or death.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The Bill provides for the removal of DNA profiles of suspects on the filing of a police report or court order</strong>, and of undertrials on the basis of a court order. Profiles in crime scenes and missing persons&rsquo; indexes will be removed on a written request.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Problems with Bill</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The draft statute, not only disregards the serious ethical dilemmas that are attached to the creation of a national DNA database, but also, contrary to established wisdom, <strong>virtually treats DNA as infallible, and as a solution to the many problems that </strong><g class="gr_ gr_73 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling ins-del" id="73" data-gr-id="73">ail</g><strong> the criminal justice system.</strong></li>
<li>This Bill fatally ignores the <strong>disproportionality of the DNA bank that it seeks to create, and the invasiveness of its purport and reach.</strong></li>
<li>It also conflates its objectives by allowing the collection of DNA evidence not only in aid of criminal investigations but also to aid the determination of civil disputes.</li>
<li>Importantly, while consent is not required before bodily substances are drawn from a person accused and arrested for an offence punishable with either death or imprisonment for a term exceeding seven years, in all other cases a person refusing to part with genetic material can be compelled to do so if a Magistrate has reasonable cause to believe that such evidence would help establish a person&rsquo;s guilt. Therefore, there&rsquo;s no end to the state&rsquo;s power in coercing a person to part with her DNA.</li>
<li><strong>In Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd) v. Union of India declared that the Constitution recognizes a fundamental Right to Privacy. But, it is unclear whether the proposed bill is compatible with the Right to Privacy or not.</strong></li>
<li>The Bill&rsquo;s failure to place sufficient checks on the use of DNA evidence collected in breach of the law makes the process altogether more frightening.</li>
<li>The Schedule lists civil matters where DNA profiling can be used. This includes &ldquo;issues relating to the establishment of individual identity.&rdquo; DNA testing carried out in medical or research laboratories can be used to identify an individual. It is unclear if the Bill intends to regulate such laboratories.</li>
<li><strong>The Bill requires the consent of the individual when DNA profiling is used in criminal investigations and identifying missing persons</strong>. However, consent requirements have not been specified in the case of DNA profiling for civil matters.</li>
<li>DNA laboratories are required to share DNA data with the Data Banks. It is unclear whether DNA profiles for civil matters will also be stored in the Data Banks. Storage of these profiles in the Data Banks may violate the right to privacy.</li>
<li><strong>DNA laboratories prepare DNA profiles and then share them with DNA Data Banks. The Bill specifies the process by which DNA profiles may be removed from the Data Banks. However, the Bill does not require DNA laboratories to remove DNA profiles. It may be argued that such provisions be included in the Bill and not left to regulations.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>DNA profiling should be undertaken exclusively for the identification of a person and should not be used to extract any other information.</strong></li>
<li>The state must show that there exists a legitimate reason for extracting DNA evidence and that the extent and scope of such extraction do not disproportionately contravene a person&rsquo;s right to privacy.</li>
<li><strong>To enact the law in its present form would only add a new, menacing weapon to the state&rsquo;s rapidly expanding surveillance mechanism.</strong> The government should not allow the benefits of science and technology to be privileged over the grave risks in allowing the unrestricted access to deeply personal material.</li>
<li><strong>Maintenance of strict confidentiality with regard to the keeping of records</strong> of DNA profiles and their use should be considered a priority.</li>
</ul>
<p>Read More: <a href="https://www.prsindia.org/node/742405/chapters-at-a-glance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bill Summary</a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/towards-a-genetic-panopticon'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'India Must Get On the IoT Highway Fast',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article &ldquo;India Must Get On the IoT Highway Fast&rdquo; which appears in BusinessLine on 20th December.)</p>
</div>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/680drishti-ias_Key-IoT-Components.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/680drishti-ias_Key-IoT-Components.jpg" style="float: right;" width="352" height="210" caption="false" /></a>Internet of Things(IoT) is the natural evolution of the internet and has many benefits including boosting global economies, improving public utilities, and increasing efficiencies.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Over 30 billion &lsquo;smart&rsquo; devices will be connected by 2020. That&rsquo;s equivalent to every single person on this planet with four connected devices.</strong> These devices that communicate with each other in real time are the examples for the Internet of Things.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Internet Of Things (IoT)</strong> is a computing concept that describes the idea of everyday physical objects being connected to the internet and being able to identify themselves to other devices.<br /><br />IoT is significant because an object that can represent itself digitally becomes something greater than the object by itself. No longer does the object relate just to its user, but it is now connected to surrounding objects and database data.</p>
</div>
<h3>India &amp; IoT</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Indian government outlined a plan to leverage IoT as part of the Digital India mission.</strong> The government provided a budget allocation to develop 100 smart cities, conserve water and power, and improve healthcare, transportation, and security.</li>
<li><strong>According to Nasscom, the Indian IoT market is expected to reach $15 billion by 2020 and constitute 5 % of the global market.</strong></li>
<li>In India, the NDCP <a href="http://www.dot.gov.in/sites/default/files/Final%20NDCP-2018.pdf?download=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">(National Digital Communications Policy)</a> brought alignment from critical stakeholders to advance India&rsquo;s infrastructure and security around digital communications. <strong>Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY&rsquo;s) draft IoT policy seeks to establish committees to govern and drive IoT-specific initiatives.</strong></li>
<li>The Data Protection framework submitted by the <strong>Justice Srikrishna Committee</strong> had provisions for personal data protection including a consumer&rsquo;s right to information, consent, and right to request companies to erase their data if preferred. However, it leaned heavily towards greater regulations and did not specify how to protect consumer data from unnecessary government surveillance.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Recommendations of Justice BN Srikrishna Committee</strong></p>
<p>The committee recommends that:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Processing (collection, recording, analysis, disclosure, etc) of personal data should be done only for &ldquo;clear, specific and lawful&rdquo; purposes.</li>
<li>The committee also recommends giving a person the &ldquo;right to be forgotten&rdquo;</li>
<li>&ldquo;Sensitive&rdquo; personal data (such as passwords, financial data, sexual orientation, biometric data, religion or caste) should not be processed unless someone gives explicit consent.</li>
<li>A Data Protection Authority which is supposed to &ldquo;protect the interests of data principals (persons giving their data) should be set up.</li>
<li>Aadhaar Act 2016 should be amended to ensure the autonomy of the UIDAI and to &ldquo;bolster data protection&rdquo;.</li>
<li>RTI Act 2003 should be amended so, that there is no obligation to reveal personal information which was not related to &ldquo;public activity or interest&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Benefits</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Investing in IoT will boost India&rsquo;s economy on par with global leaders.</strong> Many of global counterparts have already begun reaping the rewards of investing in IoT-based infrastructure.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/674drishti_ias_iot.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/674drishti_ias_iot.png" style="float: right;" width="424" height="229" caption="false" /></a></li>
<li><strong>IoT will bring in investments, create jobs and improve Indian public infrastructure.</strong></li>
<li>With a network of interconnected devices, the economy becomes digital, thereby increasing efficiencies and personal security. <strong>For Example,</strong> a city in Austria increased driver efficiency and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by about 500 tonnes through connected trams and buses; the city of Oakland, California, tracks air pollution at a hyper-local level and can take measures to combat it.</li>
<li>There are a lot of other benefits associated with increased connectivity.<strong> For example,</strong> it will facilitate routine activities and decrease the waste of personal time, like imagine someone being able to review the inventory in their fridge and order groceries remotely at the click of a button.</li>
<li><strong>IoT could also help the elderly</strong> move around in self-driving cars, shop, and receive timely assistance. Japan is already using humanoid smart robots as elder care robots. Apart from monitoring their assigned senior citizen, they also assist with mobility, entertainment, and rehabilitation.</li>
<li><strong>Significant changes can be made in the field of healthcare</strong> as well with patient monitoring. For example, voice-enabled systems to remind people to take their medication in time and a &lsquo;smart&rsquo; pill that measures variables as the pill passes through the digestive system.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Nine out of 10 global consumer IoT brands studied in an IoT Security Foundation report (</strong><g class="gr_ gr_89 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="89" data-gr-id="89">IoTSF</g><strong>) did not allow researchers to share findings </strong><g class="gr_ gr_90 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="90" data-gr-id="90">about</g><strong> the vulnerabilities they found.</strong> There is thus, a lack of transparency in the research and development of IoT technologies.</li>
<li>IoT devices also collect and share personal data in real-time, making protecting our information and privacy one of the major challenges.</li>
<li>In the near future, IoT may be a default feature in home appliances, cars, transit systems, and much more. Consumers may soon be unable to avoid IoT devices.</li>
<li><strong>There is in this data-driven future</strong>, a growing concern about the potential for increased government surveillance and the resulting encroachment of civil rights, and the suppression of dissent or of marginalized communities.</li>
<li><strong>Processing the tremendous amount of real-time IoT data is possible only through artificial intelligence or AI algorithms.</strong> If AI systems power essential functions of smart cities, preventing hackers and miscreants from accessing it and manipulating its data still remains a challenge.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>While IoT technology is clearly of significant advantage to citizens worldwide, along with greater advantage comes a potential risk to privacy.</strong> This concern over data protection will need to be addressed and IoT manufacturers will have to build and sustain consumer trust in their devices.</li>
<li><strong>Around the world, legislators, device manufacturers, and law enforcement agencies should come together to figure out how to benefit from IoT while mitigating risks.</strong></li>
<li>Despite the challenges, India must drive full speed ahead towards IoT technology for the greater good of our citizens. With effective global alliances and by aligning Indian stakeholders, India can work to create more secure devices and help citizens.</li>
<li>The day when smart ambulances save lives through timely medical interventions, or when criminal behavior is curbed through remote monitoring, is the day when IoT arrives into our lives and society. <strong>Until that happens, we need to debate, discuss and plan extensively for that crucial day.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/141drishti_ias_The-Internet-of-Things-from-connecting-devices-to-creating-value-large.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/141drishti_ias_The-Internet-of-Things-from-connecting-devices-to-creating-value-large.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="574" height="365" caption="false" /></a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Read More: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bengaluru-to-host-3rd-edition-of-iot-india-congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bengaluru Hosted 3rd Edition of IoT India Congress</a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-must-get-on-the-iot-highway-fast'
		],
		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'In Depth: Strategic Petroleum Reserve',
			'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
			'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gJ7jJrsGgfQ" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">In light of the immense volatility in global crude prices, the government of India is planning to increase its oil reserves. It has sought investments worth 1.5 billion dollars from global oil producers and traders to build additional emergency crude reserves to act as a buffer against volatility in oil prices. The plan is to build <strong>underground caverns</strong> that can hold 6.5 million tons of crude at two locations - in Odisha and Karnataka. India already has three underground storage facilities that can store 5.33 million tonnes of crude oil. These three Strategic Petroleum Reserves can help meet 10 days of crude requirement. The two new ones will stretch that supply to 12 more days.</p>
<h3>Global Strategic Petroleum Reserves (GSPR)</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><g class="gr_ gr_87 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="87" data-gr-id="87">GSPRs</g> are stockpiles of crude oil maintained by countries or private industries<strong> as a hedge against potential future energy crises.</strong></li>
<li>They represent a <strong>defense against any event of downfall in future oil production</strong>, including physical or economic actions which disrupt any part of the production process from exploration and development through refining.</li>
<li><strong>Strategic reserves do not get counted among a nation's or company's proven oil reserves</strong>, as proven reserves must be available for production by definition.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Why <g class="gr_ gr_90 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="90" data-gr-id="90">are</g> Global Strategic Petroleum Reserves Necessary?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the age of globalization where the price of a product is determined by the demand-supply chain. The interconnected nature of international oil markets makes disruptions in any given area likely to affect prices in much wider geography.</li>
<li>In the event of <strong>a major disruption due to political or natural disaster, countries holding reserves could increase the available supply of oil by releasing some portion of their reserves. The increased supply would moderate price increases caused by the disaster.</strong></li>
<li>An agreement among members of the<strong> International Energy Agency (IEA) requires any country that does not export more reserves than it imports</strong> to maintain reserves equivalent to each country's average 90-day crude oil imports for the previous year.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>3 Biggest 'Global Strategic Petroleum Reserves'</strong></p>
<p><strong>The United States</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The United States is the world&rsquo;s largest holder of the crude reserve.</li>
<li>The United States maintains a strategic petroleum reserve in a complex of caves located along the Gulf Coast. At its maximum inventory, the U.S. reserve held 726.6 million barrels of oil.</li>
<li>It was created in 1973 when the US faced <g class="gr_ gr_88 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="88" data-gr-id="88">oil</g> crisis caused by Arab oil embargo.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>China</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It has the 2nd largest reserves in the world.</li>
<li>Its endeavor to store crude oil started relatively late, in 2007.</li>
<li>A report says that Chinese reserves stand at 475 million barrels at the end of 2017.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Japan</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Japan has third largest petroleum reserves at 324 million barrels.</li>
<li>In 2007 Japan announced its plan to share the strategic reserves with other countries.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Strategic Petroleum Reserves In India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve (ISPR) refers to the emergency<strong> fuel storage maintained by Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited</strong>, a Special Purpose Vehicle - wholly owned subsidiary of Oil Industry Development Board under the Ministry of Petroleum &amp; Natural Gas.</li>
<li>Strategic crude oil storages are at <strong>Mangalore (Karnataka), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and Padur (Karnataka)</strong> as per Phase I. They have fuel storage of total 5. 33 MMT (Million Metric Tonnes).</li>
<li><strong>The government of India is planning to set up two more such caverns at Chandikhol (Odisha) and Udupi (Karnataka) as per phase II</strong> through Public-Private Partnership. This will give an additional 6.5 million tons of the oil reserves.</li>
<li><strong>Thus, a total of 22 days (10+12) of oil consumption will be made available by ISPR.</strong></li>
<li>Crude oil from underground rock caverns (considered safest for storage of Hydrocarbons) can be supplied to refineries through pipelines and ships.</li>
<li><strong>Indian refiners also maintain crude oil storage (industrial stock) of 65 days.</strong> Thus, a total of 87 days (22 by ISPL + 65 by Indian refiners) of oil consumption will be made available in India after completion of Phase II by ISPR. This will be very close to 90 days mandate by the IEA.</li>
</ul>
<h3>India and Oil &amp; Gas sector</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India is expected to be one of the largest contributors to non-OECD petroleum consumption growth globally.</li>
<li>India retained its spot as the third largest consumer of oil in the world in 2017. Oil imports rose sharply to US$ 87.37 billion in 2017-18 from US$ 70.72 billion in 2016-17.</li>
<li>India imports 82% of its oil needs and aims to bring it down to 67% by 2022 by replacing it with local exploration, renewable energy, and indigenous ethanol fuel.</li>
<li>India was the fourth-largest Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) importer in 2017 after Japan, South Korea, and China.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Government Initiatives</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The government of India approved <g class="gr_ gr_102 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling" id="102" data-gr-id="102">fiscal</g> incentives to attract investments and technology to improve recovery from oil fields which is expected to lead to hydrocarbon production worth Rs 50 lakh crore in the next twenty years.</li>
<li>S<strong>tate-run oil firms are planning investments worth Rs 723 crore in Uttar Pradesh to improve the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) infrastructure in a bid to promote clean energy and generate employment.</strong></li>
<li>India is working to establish a natural gas trading exchange as part of a shift away from a reliance on crude oil based products which are blamed for much of the country&rsquo;s pollution problem.</li>
<li>India wants to develop a transparent market for natural gas where the price is determined on an exchange. The aim is to increase the use of natural gas in India&rsquo;s total energy mix from 6.5 percent to 15 percent between 2028 and 2030.</li>
<li><strong>The Oil Ministry plans to set up bio-CNG (compressed natural gas) plants and allied infrastructure to promote the use of clean fuel.</strong></li>
</ul>',
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		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'Strategy for New India @ 75',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>NITI Aayog has released <strong>&lsquo;Strategy for New India @ 75&prime;</strong> document with an aim to <strong>accelerate economic growth to 9-10%</strong> and make the country a <strong>$4-trillion economy by 2022-23.</strong> The document replaces the now-defunct five-year plans.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The document defines the strategy for 2022-23 across <strong>forty-one areas</strong>. Each chapter includes:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Objectives for 2022,</li>
<li>Progress already made,</li>
<li>Binding constraints,</li>
<li>Way forward for achieving stated objectives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The document was prepared after <strong>extensive consultation</strong> with over 800 stakeholders from within the government &ndash; central, state and district levels.</li>
<li>The document has been disaggregated under <strong>four sections: Drivers, Infrastructure, Inclusion and Governance.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Drivers</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Drivers include chapters on growth and employment, doubling of farmers&rsquo; incomes, upgrading the science, technology and innovation ecosystem and promoting sunrise sectors like fintech and tourism.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Sunrise Sector:</strong> It is a new industry that is expanding rapidly and expected to be rise further in the future. It is characterised by high growth, number of startups, increased investment especially through venture capital funding.</p>
</div>
<p><strong>Key recommendations in the section on drivers are</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Economy:</strong> Accelerate the GDP growth rate to raise the economy&rsquo;s size in real terms from USD 2.7trillion in 2017-18 to nearly<strong> USD 4 trillion by 2022-23.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The paper sets an <strong>annual inflation target of 2% to 6%</strong> by 2022-23.</li>
<li>Increase the <strong>investment rate in housing &amp; infrastructure</strong> as measured by gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) from the present 29% to 36% of GDP by 2022.</li>
<li><strong>Rationalise direct taxes</strong> for both corporate tax and personal income tax, ease the tax compliance burden and eliminate direct interface between taxpayers and tax officials using technology.</li>
<li><strong>Increase tax-GDP ratio to 22% of GDP by 2022-23.</strong> India&rsquo;s tax-GDP ratio is around 17%, half of the average 35% for countries part of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).</li>
<li>States should undertake greater mobilisation of their taxes such as<strong> property tax</strong> and take steps to<strong> improve administration of GST</strong> to better tax collections.</li>
<li>The strategy paper also called for having <strong>flexible fiscal deficit targets,</strong> governance reforms in<strong> public sector banks</strong>, performance assessment of executives and <strong>increased flexibility in personnel policy.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Agriculture:</strong> Convert farmers to <strong>&lsquo;agripreneurs&rsquo;</strong> by further expanding <strong>e-National Agriculture Markets (e-NAM)</strong> and replacing the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act with the Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing Act.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The document is silent on farm loan waivers but has suggested the concept of a minimum support price for produce be replaced with that of a <strong>Minimum Reserve Price.</strong> The latter should be the starting point for auctioning at official wholesale markets, so that <strong>farmers get at least a basic income.</strong></li>
<li>Consider <strong>replacing</strong> the Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices<strong> (CACP)</strong> by an<strong> agriculture tribunal</strong> in line with the provisions of Article 323B of the Constitution.</li>
<li>The<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pradhan-mantri-fasal-bima-yojana-(pmfby)" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana</a> needs to promote<strong> weather-based insurance.</strong></li>
<li>Give a strong push to &lsquo;<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-11th-august-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zero Budget Natural Farming</a>&rsquo; techniques that reduce costs,improve land quality and increase farmers&rsquo; incomes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Employment:</strong> Codification of labor laws, upscale and expand apprenticeships.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Enhance female labour force participation, by ensuring employers' adherence to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/maternity-leave-government-for-incentive-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017</a>, and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Minerals:</strong> Launch a mission <strong>&ldquo;Explore in India&rdquo;</strong> by revamping minerals exploration and licensing policy.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Infrastructure</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Infrastructure deals with the physical foundations of growth.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key recommendations in section of Infrastructure are:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Transport:</strong> Expedite the establishment of already approved <strong>Rail Development Authority (RDA)</strong>, for an integrated, transparent and dynamic pricing mechanism for the railways.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Double the <strong>share of freight transported</strong> by coastal shipping and inland waterways.</li>
<li>Develop an <strong>IT-enabled platform</strong> for integrating different modes of transport and promoting multi-modal and digitized mobility.</li>
<li><strong>Private investment</strong> in infrastructure should be focused on through a renewed public-private partnership model.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Digital India:</strong> Aim to <strong>deliver all government services</strong> at the state, district, and gram panchayat level digitally by 2022-23.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Inclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Inclusion deals with investing in the capabilities of all of India&rsquo;s citizens. The <strong>three themes</strong> in this section revolve around the dimensions of <strong>health, education and mainstreaming of traditionally marginalized sections of the population.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key recommendations in section of inclusion are&nbsp;</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Health:</strong> Successfully implementing the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/ayushmanbharat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ayushman Bharat</a> programme, create a focal point for public health at the central level with state counterparts, promote integrative medicine curriculum.</li>
<li><strong>Education:</strong> Upgrade the <strong>quality of the school education</strong> system and skills, including the creation of a new innovation ecosystem at the ground level by establishing at least 10,000 <a href="/summary-of-important-reports/niti-aayog-annual-report-2017-18" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Atal Tinkering Labs</a> by 2020.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Conceptualize an electronic national educational registry for tracking each child&rsquo;s learning outcomes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Housing for all:</strong> Affordable<strong> housing in urban areas</strong> to improve workers&rsquo; living conditions and ensure equity while creating very large <strong>multiplier effects</strong> in the economy.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Governance</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Governance deals with how the governance structures can be streamlined and processes optimized to achieve better developmental outcomes.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key recommendations in section of Governance are</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Implement the recommendations of the <strong>Second Administrative Reforms Commission</strong>.</li>
<li>Set up a new autonomous body, viz., the <strong>Arbitration Council of India</strong> to grade arbitral institutions and accredit arbitrators to make the arbitration process cost effective and speedy, and to preempt the need for court intervention.</li>
<li>Address the<strong> backlog of pending cases</strong> - shift part of workload out of regular court system.</li>
<li>Expand the scope of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/Swachh%20Bharat%20Mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swachh Bharat Mission</a> to cover initiatives for landfills, plastic waste and municipal waste and generating wealth from waste.</li>
</ul>',
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	(int) 0 => [
		'title' => 'Draft IT Rules Issued by Government',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The government has released proposed amendments to the Information Technology (IT) Act for public comments to replace the rules notified in 2011.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The aim of the rules is to make social media and internet companies,&nbsp;that have over 50 lakh users, more accountable for the content on their platforms.</li>
<li>The proposed amendments seek to curb &ldquo;unlawful content&rdquo; on social media and make it mandatory for platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter to trace &ldquo;originator&rdquo; of &ldquo;unlawful&rdquo; information.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Need for Rules</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>
<p>The<strong> Information Technology Act (IT Act), 2000</strong> was enacted to give a fillip to electronic transactions, to provide legal recognition for e-commerce and e-transactions, to facilitate e-governance, to prevent computer-based crimes and ensure security practices and procedures.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Section 79(2)(c) of the IT Act mentions that intermediaries must observe due diligence while discharging their duties, and also observe such other guidelines as prescribed by the Central Government. Accordingly, the <strong>Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines) Rules, 2011 were notified in April 2011.</strong></p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Recently, India has seen a rise in the <strong>number of lynching incidents in 2018</strong> mostly due to fake news being circulated through Whatsapp and other social media sites.</p>
</li>
<li>Social media has brought new challenges for the law enforcement agencies, including inducement for the recruitment of terrorists, circulation of obscene content, the spread of disharmony and incitement to violence.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Information Technology [Intermediaries Guidelines (Amendment) Rules] 2018</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Social media intermediaries should publish rules, privacy policy to <strong>stop users from engaging in online material which is paedophilic, pornographic, hateful, racially and ethnically objectionable, invasive of privacy, etc.</strong></li>
<li>The online intermediaries should <strong>provide information or assistance within 72 hours</strong> when asked by any government agency for reasons of State security, cyber security, investigation, detection, prosecution or prevention of offenses.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These offenses may include mob violence, lynching, online sexual abuse, etc. The<strong> &ldquo;originator of the information&rdquo; can be traced to register an FIR.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The social media intermediaries should take all reasonable <strong>measures to protect individual privacy</strong> as required under the Information Technology Rules of 2011.</li>
<li>The online intermediaries should<strong> appoint in India, a nodal person of contact for 24X7 coordination with law enforcement agencies</strong> and ensure compliance with their orders.</li>
<li>Online Intermediaries should <strong>remove or disable access to unlawful content,within 24 hours,</strong>&nbsp;relatable to Article 19(2) of the constitution of India such as in the &ldquo;interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offense."
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The intermediary is also expected to <strong>preserve such information and associated records for at least 180 days for investigation purposes.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The intermediary should deploy <strong>technology based automated tools for identifying and removing or disabling public access to unlawful information or contents.</strong></li>
<li>The intermediary should <strong>report cybersecurity incidents with the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team.</strong></li>
<li>On their website, the intermediary should publish the name of the <strong>Grievance Officer and his contact details</strong> and the mechanism by which users or any <strong>victim who suffers can notify their complaints against such usage.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Supreme Court Orders</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>These draft rules are in line with various judgments given by the Supreme Court (SC) to deal with malicious online content.</li>
<li>In July 2018 judgment in the <strong>Tehseen S. Poonawalla case,</strong> the SC gave the government full freedom to stop/curb dissemination of &ldquo;irresponsible and explosive messages on various social media platforms, which have a tendency to incite mob violence and lynching of any kind.&rdquo;</li>
<li>In December 2018 in<strong> Re: Prajwala Letter case,</strong> the SC ordered the government to frame the necessary guidelines/Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and implement them to &ldquo;eliminate child pornography, rape and gang rape imagery, videos, and sites in content hosting platforms and other applications&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Concerns</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The draft rules have been criticized for expanding the<strong> scope for state surveillance of citizens.</strong>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Internet/Online Intermediary</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>An internet intermediary is an entity which provides services that enable people to use the internet.</li>
<li>There are different kinds of internet intermediaries which fall into two categories: &ldquo;conduits&rdquo; and &ldquo;hosts&rdquo;.</li>
<li>&ldquo;Conduits&rdquo; are technical providers of internet access or transmission services. &ldquo;Hosts&rdquo; are providers of content services &ndash; for instance, online platforms and storage services.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong></strong></p>',
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	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => 'The Case Against Surveillance',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article &ldquo;The Case Against Surveillance&rdquo; which appears in The Hindu on 26th December 2018.)</p>
</div>
<p>In context please refer: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/data-interception-by-government" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Data Interception by Government</a></p>
<p><strong>Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued an order </strong>authorizing<strong> 10 Central agencies to intercept, monitor, and decrypt &ldquo;any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer.</strong>&rdquo;</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The 10 agencies include</strong> Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency, Cabinet Secretariat (RAW), Directorate of Signal Intelligence (For service areas of Jammu &amp; Kashmir, North-East and Assam only), and Commissioner of Police, Delhi.</p>
</div>
<p>The notification was described as a progressive step towards a surveillance state even though the government stated that the notification created no new powers of surveillance. While the order allows agencies to decrypt data of any computer only after seeking approval of a competent authority, it is true that the move triggers surveillance concerns. <strong>The Opposition even called it Unconstitutional.</strong></p>
<p><strong>But, it is being argued that the MHA notification lays bare the lopsided character of the surveillance framework in India, and highlights an urgent need for comprehensive reform of the same.</strong></p>
<h3>Why Surveillance is necessary?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The right to privacy is not absolute.</strong> Surveillance is essential to ensure national security and pre-empt terrorist threats, and it is in the very nature of surveillance that it must take place outside the public eye. Consequently, the regime is justified as it strikes a pragmatic balance between the competing values of privacy and security.</li>
<li>There is a need to strike a fine balance between privacy and ensuring that policing or national security is taken to a level where technology is a facilitator and not a hindrance.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>It is crucial to acknowledge that every act of surveillance, whether justified or not, involves a serious violation of individual privacy; and further, a system of government surveillance</strong> can have a chilling effect upon the exercise of rights, across the board, in any society.</li>
<li><strong>Consequently, given the seriousness of the issue, a surveillance regime cannot have the executive sitting in judgment over the executive</strong>: there must be parliamentary oversight over the agencies that conduct surveillance. Surveillance by the State cannot simply be authorized through executive notifications.</li>
<li><strong>And equally important, all surveillance requests must necessarily go before a judicial authority,</strong> which can apply an independent legal mind to the merits of the request, in light of the proportionality standards discussed above.</li>
<li><strong>Judicial review will not achieve much if the grounds of surveillance remain as broad and vaguely worded as they presently are.</strong> Therefore, every surveillance request must mandatorily specify a probable cause for suspicion, and also set out, in reasonably concrete terms, what it is that the proposed target of surveillance is suspected of doing.</li>
<li>As a corollary, evidence obtained through unconstitutional surveillance must be statutorily stipulated to be inadmissible in court.</li>
<li><strong>There must exist, a lawyer to present the case on behalf of the target of surveillance</strong> &mdash; even though, of course, the target herself cannot know of the proceedings because if surveillance requests are unopposed &mdash; it will be very difficult for a judge to deny a request that is made behind closed doors, and with only one side presenting a case.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Criticism</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Even though the staunchest civil rights advocates will not deny that an individual reasonably suspected of planning a terrorist attack should be placed under surveillance, in this context, the evidence demonstrates clearly that a heavily bureaucratized and minimally accountable regime of surveillance does nothing to enhance security, but does have significant privacy costs.</li>
<li><strong>For example, while examining the U.S. National Security Agency&rsquo;s programme of mass surveillance, an American court found that out of more than 50 instances where terrorist attacks had been prevented, not even a single successful pre-emption was based on material collected from the NSA&rsquo;s surveillance regime.</strong></li>
<li>In India, the existing surveillance framework is complex and confusing. Simply put, two statutes control the field: telephone surveillance is sanctioned under the 1885 Telegraph Act (and its rules), while electronic surveillance is authorized under the 2000 Information Technology Act (and its rules).</li>
<li>This framework is heavily bureaucratized. Decisions about surveillance are taken by the executive branch (including the review process), with no parliamentary or judicial supervision; indeed, the fact that an individual will almost never know that she is being surveilled means that finding out about surveillance, and then challenging it before a court, is a near-impossibility.</li>
<li><strong>The surveillance regime is also vague and ambiguous.</strong> Under Section 69 of the IT Act, the grounds of surveillance have been simply lifted from Article 19(2) of the Constitution, and pasted into the law. They include very wide phrases such as &ldquo;friendly relations with foreign States&rdquo; or &ldquo;sovereignty and integrity of India&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Article 19 in The Constitution Of India 1949</strong></p>
<p>Protection of certain rights regarding freedom of speech etc.</p>
<p>(1) All citizens shall have the right</p>
<p>(a) to freedom of speech and expression;</p>
<p>(b) to assemble peaceably and without arms;</p>
<p>(c) to form associations or unions;</p>
<p>(d) to move freely throughout the territory of India;</p>
<p>(e) to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India; and</p>
<p>(f) omitted- subclause (f) was omitted by the Constitution (44th Amendment Act 1978)</p>
<p>(g) to practice any profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business</p>
<p>Article 19(2) Nothing in subclause (a) of clause (1) shall affect the operation of any existing law, or prevent the State from making any law, in so far as such law imposes reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the right conferred by the said sub-clause in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an <g class="gr_ gr_139 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="139" data-gr-id="139">offence</g>.</p>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Lastly, the regime is opaque. There is almost no information available about the bases on which surveillance decisions are taken, and how the legal standards are applied. Indeed, the evidence seems to suggest that there are none: a 2014 RTI request revealed that, on an average, 250 surveillance requests are approved every day. It stands to reason that in a situation like this, approval resembles a rubber stamp more than an independent application of mind.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>There needs to be greater transparency in the system as in the current system</strong>, Government agencies are not accountable to anyone other than the government itself.</li>
<li>A comprehensive reform of the surveillance framework in India is long overdue.</li>
<li><strong>The current debate, therefore, is not about &lsquo;whether surveillance at all&rsquo;, but about &lsquo;how, when, and what kind of surveillance&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li>This is also the right time: across the world, there is an increasingly urgent debate about how to protect basic rights against encroachment by an aggressive and intrusive state, which wields the rhetoric of national security like a sword.</li>
<li><strong>In India, the Supreme Court&rsquo;s privacy </strong>judgment<strong> has taken a firm stand on the side of rights. Citizens&rsquo; initiatives, such as the Indian Privacy Code have also proposed legislative models for surveillance reform</strong>.</li>
<li>After the Supreme Court&rsquo;s 2017 judgment in K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (&lsquo;the Right to Privacy case&rsquo;), the Constitutional contours within which the questions of &lsquo;how, when, and what kind&rsquo; have to be answered have been made clear.</li>
<li>Any impingement upon the right to privacy must also be proportionate.</li>
<li>One of the factors of the proportionality standard is that the government&rsquo;s action must be the least restrictive method by which a state goal is to be realized. In other words, if the same goal &mdash; i.e., protecting national security &mdash; can be achieved by a smaller infringement upon fundamental rights, then the government is Constitutionally bound to adopt the method that does, indeed, involve minimal infringement.</li>
<li><strong>Reforms in the Indian surveillance regime, should, therefore, incorporate ethics of surveillance which considers the moral aspects of how surveillance is employed.</strong></li>
</ul>',
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	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'MGNREGA’s Information System Flawed, Misguiding',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(The editorial is based on the article &ldquo;MGNREGA&rsquo;s information system flawed, misguiding&rdquo; which appears in Down To Earth for 19<sup>th</sup> December 2018. The editorial shows how MGNREGA&rsquo;s Management Information System (MIS) destroys local accountability, promotes centralisation and administrative control, and gives out wrong data.)</p>
</div>
<p><strong>There is a disconnect between what the government shows as performances of central schemes, especially social welfare programmes (performances judged through data captured by the Management Information Systems) and ground surveys and studies that give out a contradictory picture.</strong></p>
<p><strong>The MNREGA is said to have the best MIS,</strong> one that is aligned with the core idea of &ldquo;proactive disclosure&rdquo; of all information related to implementation of the schemes. It is a real time Management Information System and the implementation of the schemes are directly linked with the MIS.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Realtime MIS for MNREGA:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>A real time MIS is one where there are checks and balances embedded in the system itself through software programming, which links different implementing mechanisms.</strong></li>
<li>For example, activities are linked in the MIS in such a way that one will not be able to carry out &ldquo;activity 2&rdquo; without performing &ldquo;activity 1&rdquo;.</li>
<li>Also, job card and bank account details of a worker will have to be seeded in the MIS in order to generate Muster Rolls (MRs) for him/her.</li>
<li>Similarly, DPR (Detailed Project Report) has to be frozen defining component-wise budgets for a particular scheme in the MIS in order to be able to perform pre-implementation geo-tagging of the scheme.<strong> Geo-tagging is mandatory for generating any MR for the said scheme.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The payment process is also linked with the MI</strong>S and depends on the number of such processes to be carried out one after another to finally make payments to workers which is centrally done through the Electronic Finance Management System (EFMS).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p>The complexity of the MIS linked implementation system is thus very clear. <strong>Also evident is the administrative control, which in turn leads to zero local accountability. The MIS, supposed to show performance of implementation, has now become the key controller of the programme and a deciding factor of people&rsquo;s fate at ground.</strong></p>
<h3>Why the NREGA MIS does not show the correct ground data</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>It is very easy to generate fake work demand and Muster Rolls (MRs) and enter into the MIS. This is a general malpractice that is observed everywhere.</strong> One can observe people working on other people&rsquo;s job cards in almost every state. This reality is not reflected in the MIS figures. Dated receipts are routinely denied and work demand dates are generally falsely entered to avoid an unemployment allowance situation. While MR generations are routinely delayed beyond 15 days from demand, the truth is not visible from the MIS.</li>
<li>The MIS website considers &ldquo;wages paid&rdquo; once the FTO (Fund Transfer Order) is signed by the second signatory. However, delays take place even in the processing of signed FTOs. <strong>While the stage 1(till FTO signing) delays are calculated, the stage 2 (post FTO, until wage gets credited to the worker&rsquo;s account) are not shown on the MIS and thus the data on payments, which the system returns, is false and misleading.</strong></li>
<li>It is very easy to make advance material payments to vendors. However as per rules, this should not be done. Almost everywhere, one can find payments made in advance to the vendors. <strong>While the MIS website shows that material payment is made in a particular scheme, it is not necessary that the same has been supplied at the worksite.</strong></li>
<li><strong>There is a growing pile of evidence which shows that genuine job cards are being randomly deleted by the administration to meet the 100 per cent DBT(Direct Benefit Transfer) targets and hence the number of job cards shown on the MIS website cannot be trusted.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Moreover, the MIS website considers job cards as &ldquo;active&rdquo; if it has registered at least a single day of work in the last three financial years (including the current fiscal year). This notion of an active job card is ridiculous as there exist millions of families that stopped working in MGNREGA due to payments hassles and their own troubled experiences.</strong> Instead of identifying these inactive job cards and finding out the reasons for their disinterest, the government conveniently ignores these families.</li>
<li><strong>MGNREGA funds are routinely seized by the Union Ministry of Rural Development and hence work gets reduced and PD (person day) figures get affected. The MIS figures paint a false picture that the budget allocations are adequate while in reality, works and PDs get reduced due to drying up of funds.</strong> The MGNREGA MIS can be controlled and guided with a click of the mouse to show data as per the choice of the government.</li>
<li><strong>The MIS website has a check on 100 days of &lsquo;work demand&rsquo; instead of 100 days of &lsquo;work done&rsquo; which would effectively mean that no further MR would be generated if a job card has registered 100 days of demand in the MIS, irrespective of the number of days worked by the family.</strong> The workers are denied their rightful entitlements due to a wrongly written programme code or a flawed check on the system.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>There is a genuine issue with the integration of modern day digital management systems with the data-centric achievement motivation of the government.</strong> Perhaps involving international software companies like Microsoft, Amazon or Google for example, to devise, design and run MIS solutions could help these management systems become smoother, easier to use, and most importantly could improve the quality of data collected and studied.</li>
<li><strong>The MIS has become a tool to show whatever the government intend</strong> and the whole system therefore works towards achieving the data on the MIS <em>(it is like setting &lsquo;data&rsquo; first, working to achieve it later; it should have been &lsquo;work&rsquo; first and gathering data later),</em> causing tremendous implications on ground.</li>
<li>It is high time that the government focuses on <strong>strengthening the local implementation and monitoring</strong> through sensible policies. Without local involvement, data collection can be easily changed (i.e falsified for political gain or information mistakenly added or removed due to human error etc.) in the centrally controlled MIS.</li>
<li><strong>It is a futile effort to introduce over-the-top technological solutions to deal with issues and leakages caused by complex social and administrative dynamics.</strong> That is to say that though the MIS may be technologically sound, the social system (i.e rural areas with very low penetration of education, especially of technology) it is designed to serve isin&rsquo;t.</li>
<li><strong>MGNREGA can be revived only through concrete decentralised grassroot processes and not by flawed MIS data.</strong> Towards this end, there should be debate and discussions, involving various stakeholders from MGNREGA workers, contractors, bureaucrats, politicians to software vendors and companies.</li>
<li><strong>Lastly, while MIS is useful in capturing data on work that has happened on ground, linking implementing processes with the MIS proves to be detrimental for the health of the programme as it destroys local accountability, promotes centralisation and administrative control, and most importantly gives out false and misleading data which can be tampered for one&rsquo;s vested interest.</strong></li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/mgnregas-information-system-flawed-misguiding'
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'Lalitgiri- a treasure trove of Buddhism in Odisha',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Prime Minister will inaugurate the <strong>museum at Lalitgiri in Odisha</strong> which is one of the earliest Buddhist settlements.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Three sites - <strong>Lalitgiri (the red hill)</strong>, <strong>Ratnagiri (hill of precious gems)</strong>, <strong>Udayagiri (the hill of the rising sun)</strong> are known as the <strong>diamond triangle of Odisha</strong>&nbsp;representing a rich heritage of architecture and sculpture of the post Mauryan era Indian art which touched a new zenith of excellence.</li>
<li><strong>Xuanzang</strong> (Hieun T&rsquo;sang) the Chinese pilgrim,who visited Orissa during 639 A.D. left a vivid graphic account about the flourishing state of Buddhism.</li>
<li>The discovery of a huge number of sculptures, images, antiquity, fragments, stone tablets, potteries, coins, stone and terracotta tablets, and many huge stupas cemented the fact that these three places described by Xuanzang are the ruins of a university complex called <strong>Pushpagiri University</strong> which shared an <strong>equal status with Nalanda and Vikramshila universities</strong>.</li>
<li>The Diamond Triangle of Odisha shows that Buddhism was followed quite widely in Odisha and the place was also a centre of learning and excellence.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Lalitgiri</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Lalitgiri is believed to be the most sacred among the three sites as it unearthed a massive stupa where a <strong>relic of Buddha was discovered inside a stone casket</strong>.</li>
<li>During excavation structural remains of a large brick built <strong>apsidal chaitya griha</strong> with a circular stupa in the center was found. The discovery of such edifice is first of its kind in the Buddhist context in Orissa.</li>
<li>Majority of the sculptures unearthed from excavation are the figures of Buddha in different postures belonging to <strong>Mahayanistic phase of Buddhism</strong>.</li>
<li>Inscribed potsherds belonging to different time spans i.e. post Mauryan period to 8th-9th century A.D. have been found which suggest that the Lalitgiri was under occupation by the both <strong>Hinayana and Mahayana sects</strong>.</li>
<li>In subsequent period the site came under the control of <strong>Vajrayana faith of Buddhism</strong> patronized by the ruling Bhaumakaras (9th-10th cent A.D).</li>
<li>It is evident how Hinduism made an entry into Buddhism through Vajrayana. All Buddhist gods and goddesses have replicas of various Hindu gods. Some of them like Aparajita Tara, Padmapani, Hariti, Vajrapani, Manjusri are close to common Hindu gods.</li>
<li><strong>Lalitgiri</strong> is one of the earliest Buddhist sites of Orissa shows the cultural <strong>continuity right from the post Mauryan period to 13th century A.D without any break</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Udaygiri</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Udayagiri known as <strong>Madhavapura Mahavihara</strong> was a prominent centre of Buddhism between the 7th and 12th centuries.</li>
<li>The excavation had partially revealed a double storied monastic complex datable to 8th century A.D. and important antiquities images of Buddha, Tara, Manjusri, Avalokitesvara, Jatamukuta Lokesvara and terracotta sealings.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Ratnagiri</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Excavation of this site brought to light the remains of a magnificent Buddhist establishment consisting of a stupa, monastic complex, shrines, votive stupas, myriad of sculptures, architectural fragments and other antiquities.</li>
<li>Many <strong>giant Buddha heads</strong> are found here which resemble the Buddha heads found in <strong>Barbadur in Indonesia</strong> and <strong>Anuradhapura in Sri lanka</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/lalitgiri-a-treasure-trove-of-buddhism-in-odisha'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'Indonesia Tsunami',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>A tsunami killed more than 200 people and injured hundreds on the <strong>Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra</strong> following an underwater landslide believed to be caused by the erupting <strong>Anak Krakatau volcano.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Anak Krakatau is the island that emerged from the area once occupied by Krakatau, which was destroyed in 1883. It first appeared in 1927 and has been growing ever since.</li>
<li>In<strong> August 1883,</strong> Krakatoa underwent one of the most violent volcanic eruptions in recorded history:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Massive <strong>tsunamis</strong> with waves of up to 41m killed more than 30,000 people.</li>
<li>Thousands more were killed by <strong>hot ash.</strong></li>
<li>The eruptions were <strong>equivalent</strong> to 200 megatons of TNT - about 13,000 times the nuclear yield of the bomb dropped on <strong>Hiroshima in 1945.</strong></li>
<li>World <strong>temperatures dropped</strong> by more than 1&deg;C the following year.</li>
<li>The volcanic island <strong>virtually disappeared.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>High seas as a result of the full moon</strong> also contributed to the strength of the waves.</li>
<li>Tsunami warning buoys are positioned to warn about tsunamis originated by earthquakes at underwater tectonic plate boundaries and <strong>not</strong> for those by volcanoes.</li>
<li>Moreover, the <strong>proximity of the volcano</strong> to the coast gave authorities <strong>very little time to act.</strong></li>
<li>Indonesia is<strong> prone to tsunamis</strong> because it lies on the<strong> Ring of Fire - the line of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that circles virtually the entire Pacific rim.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Earlier in September, 2018 more than 2,000 people died when a powerful earthquake struck just off the central Indonesian island of <strong>Sulawesi, setting off a tsunami.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AXHN14IHtLY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Tsunami</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Tsunami is a Japanese term meaning a<strong> harbor wave.</strong> It is also commonly known as<strong> killer waves.</strong></li>
<li>A Tsunami is not just a single wave but a <strong>series of ocean waves called a wave train</strong> caused by an underwater earthquake, by a volcanic eruption, landslide, rapid changes in atmospheric pressure, or a meteorite.</li>
<li>However, tsunamis caused by <strong>volcanic activity are less frequent.</strong></li>
<li>Most tsunamis&ndash;about 80 percent&ndash;happen within the Pacific Ocean&rsquo;s<strong> &ldquo;Ring of Fire,&rdquo;</strong> a geologically active area where tectonic shifts make volcanoes and earthquakes common.</li>
<li>Tsunamis race across the sea at up to 500 miles (805 kilometers) an hour&mdash;about as fast as a jet airplane. At that pace, they can cross the entire expanse of the Pacific Ocean in less than a day.</li>
<li>Since they are <strong>long wavelengths, they lose very little energy along the way.</strong></li>
<li>In December 2015, the UN General Assembly designated<strong> 5 November as World Tsunami Awareness Day.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indonesia-tsunami'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'Important Facts for Prelims (24th December 2018)',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Rampant Killing of Mongoose</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently <strong>Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)</strong> and the Uttar Pradesh forest department seized raw mongoose hair and painting brushes made from it.</li>
<li>Mongooses are small <strong>carnivorous mammals,</strong> with a long body and tail and a grizzled or banded coat widely found in India.</li>
<li>They are listed under <strong>Schedule 2 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972</strong> and their hunting, possession, transportation and trade are offences, punishable with imprisonment up to seven years. They are also protected by the <strong>Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).</strong></li>
<li>Traditional hunting communities that prey on them include the Narikuruvas in Tamil Nadu, Hakki Pakki in Karnataka, Gonds in Andhra and Karnataka, and the Gulias, Seperas and Nath in central and northern India. These communities are the main suppliers of raw mongoose hair.</li>
<li><strong>Six different species</strong> are found across the country: Indian grey mongoose, small Indian mongoose, ruddy mongoose, crab-eating mongoose, stripe-necked mongoose and brown mongoose. The Indian grey mongoose is the most commonly found species and also the most hunted.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Wildlife Crime Control Bureau</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>WCCB is a <strong>statutory multi-disciplinary body under Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972</strong> under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, to combat organized wildlife crime in the country.</li>
<li>It is mandated to collect and collate intelligence related to organized wildlife crime activities.</li>
<li>It also assists and advises the Customs authorities in inspection of the consignments of flora &amp; fauna as per the provisions of Wild Life Protection Act and CITES.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Award for National Unity</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Prime Minister has announced the institution of a <strong>new national honour for national unity</strong> on the pattern of Padma Awards drawing inspiration from Sardar Patel&rsquo;s contribution towards unification of the country.</li>
<li>The annual award will be given to an <strong>Indian</strong> who has contributed to <strong>national unity in any manner.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Agni-IV Missile Successfully Test-Fired</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable long-range<strong> ballistic missile Agni-IV, with a strike range of 4,000 km.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>surface-to-surface missile</strong> was flight tested from launch complex-4 of the Integrated Test Range at Dr Abdul Kalam Island, earlier known as <strong>Wheeler Island.</strong></li>
<li>It is a <strong>two-stage solid-propelled missile</strong>, about 20 metres tall and weighs 17 tonnes.</li>
<li>It is equipped with modern and advanced<strong> ring laser gyro-based Inertial Navigation system (RINS).</strong></li>
<li>The missile is supported by highly reliable redundant <strong>micro navigation system (MINGS)</strong> to give better accuracy.</li>
<li>It is also equipped with 5th generation onboard computer with a distributed architecture.</li>
<li>The seventh successful trial of Agni-IV missile comes soon after the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/successful-test-firing-of-agni-v" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second pre-induction trial in a canisterised version of Agni V.</a></li>
<li>Ballistic missiles like<strong> Agni-I, II and III and Prithvi have already been included in the arsenal of the armed forces.</strong> Agni IV, and Agni V are undergoing trials.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-24th-december-2018'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'The Big Picture - Prison Reforms',
		'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
		'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/flOZi6SD3Co" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The Supreme Court has made an ardent observation on the situation of prisoners lodged in jails. The Supreme Court has issued instructions to all state governments to make changes in prison rules. Also, the court contemplated that prisoners sentenced to death should be allowed to meet psychiatrists, family-friends. The court observed that there are very poor arrangements for prisoners and upkeep of jails has not been undertaken for years. Toilets and sewage system are not in proper condition. There is not enough room for children of prisoners in prison. The list of problems is endless.</p>
<h3>Status of Indian Prisons</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The management of prisons falls exclusively under the domain of the state government, as per the seventh schedule of the constitution. In every state, the prison administrative machinery works under the chief of prisons who is a senior ranking IPS officer.</strong></li>
<li>According to the Prison Statistics India 2015 report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB),<strong> India&rsquo;s prisons are overcrowded with an occupancy ratio of 14% more than the capacity. More than two-thirds of the inmates are undertrials.</strong></li>
<li><strong>More than 70% of the people in Indian jails are undertrials</strong> &ndash; those detained in prisons during trial, investigation or inquiry but not convicted of any crime in a court of law.</li>
<li>The share of the prison population awaiting trial or sentencing in India is extremely high by international standards; for instance, it is 11% in the UK, 20% in the US and 29% in France.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Indian prisons face three long-standing structural constraints:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Overcrowding</li>
<li>Understaffing and underfunding</li>
<li>Violent clashes</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Unhygienic condition--In Rajasthan, it has been noticed that prisoners contracting skin diseases after they have entered the prison. In some cases, the prisoners have contracted deadly diseases like HIV and TB.</li>
<li>The number of open jails is few and far between. Only 70 out of over 1400 prisons are open prisons. For women inmates, it is almost negligible.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>What is Open Prison?</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Open prisons have relatively less stringent rules as compared to the controlled jails.</li>
<li>They go by many names like minimum-security prison, open-air camps or prison without bars.</li>
<li>The fundamental rule of an open prison is that the jail has minimum security and functions on the self-discipline of the inmates.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In comparison to men, the disposal of cases pertaining to women and children is very low. Hence, a rising number of women and children undertrials populating prisons.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Measures for Prison Reforms</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Social Justice Bench of the Supreme Court of India had issued guidelines relating to Prison Reforms in the Country.</strong></li>
<li>The Undertrial Review Committee in every district should meet every quarter. Appropriate steps must be taken for the release of undertrial prisoners and convicts who have undergone their sentence or are entitled to release because of remission granted to them.</li>
<li><strong>The State Legal Services Authority of every State will ensure, in coordination with the Secretary of the District Legal Services Committee in every district, that an adequate number of competent lawyers are </strong><g class="gr_ gr_144 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="144" data-gr-id="144">impanelled</g><strong> to assist undertrial prisoners and convicts, particularly the poor.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The Director General of Police/Inspector General of Police in-charge of prisons should ensure that there is pr</strong>oper and effective utilization of available funds so that the living conditions of the prisoners is commensurate with human dignity. This also includes the issue of their health, hygiene, food, clothing, rehabilitation etc.</li>
<li>The Ministry of Home Affairs will ensure that the Management Information System is in place at the earliest in all the Central and District Jails so that there is better and effective management of the prison and prisoners.</li>
<li><strong>The Ministry of Home Affairs will conduct an annual review of the implementation of the Model Prison Manual 2016.</strong></li>
<li>The Bench also directed Ministry of Women and Child Development, to prepare a Manual like &lsquo;Prison Manual&rsquo; which will take into consideration the living conditions and other issues pertaining to juveniles who are in Observation Homes or Special Homes.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-prison-reforms'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'US to Pull Out Troops from Syria and Afghanistan',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>United States has decided to withdraw over 2,000 US troops from Syria after it has declared victory over the Islamic State.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>US has also decided to reduce by half the US forces in Afghanistan.</li>
<li>These decisions mark the end of a prolonged phase of American military interventions in the Middle East and South Asia.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Likely Impact of US Troops Withdrawal</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Allies of US like the UK, Germany, and France have expressed dismay over the decision as they also have troops stationed in Syria. The Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) warned of a military vacuum that would leave the alliance trapped between "hostile parties".</li>
<li>Experts believe that the withdrawal of troops will allow regional actors like Iran to increase their footprints in Syria.</li>
<li>It may lead to demands for US troops withdrawal from Iraq also.</li>
<li>An imminent US withdrawal might lead to an open confrontation between Turkish and Kurdish forces.</li>
<li>The withdrawal of US may lead to the resurgence of forces like Islamic State in Syria and of Taliban in Afghanistan.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact on India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India must be concerned about the changes in US stance in the middle east and Afghanistan as it will <strong>impact our interest in the region and in our neighborhood.</strong></li>
<li>India was Impacted by the<strong> rise of the Islamic state</strong> after the turmoil in Syria.</li>
<li>The <strong>extremist group IS (Islamic State), extended its reach to South Asia</strong>&mdash;home to the largest Muslim population in the world&mdash;is of concern to India, which has significant stakes in the peace and stability in South Asia.</li>
<li>The threat was compounded by the fact that <strong>IS started attracting Indian youth.</strong></li>
<li>The resurgence of Taliban will severely impact <strong>India&rsquo;s position and stakes in Afghanistan, embolden Pakistan while destabilizing the region.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Syrian Crisis</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Syria has been in a<strong> state of civil war since the 2011</strong> uprising known as the &ldquo;Arab Spring.&rdquo;</li>
<li>The Syrian government, led by President Bashar al-Assad, responded to the protests by killing hundreds of demonstrators and imprisoning many more.</li>
<li>In July 2011, defectors from the<strong> military announced the formation of the Free Syrian Army,</strong> a rebel group aiming to overthrow the government, and Syria began to slide into civil war.</li>
<li><strong>International Involvement:</strong> The civil war has spilled beyond the borders of Syria. It has triggered sectarian tensions <strong>(Shia-Kurds-Sunni)</strong>, geopolitical rivalries<strong> (US-Russia; Iran-Saudi Arabia-Israel)</strong>, and the global threat of<strong> Islamic extremism(Islamic State).</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>India Position on Syrian Crisis</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India&rsquo;s position in Syria and the middle east is influenced by its own stakes in the Middle East-<strong> namely energy security and diaspora.</strong></li>
<li>India&rsquo;s support for the President Bashar-al-Assad regime in Syria is driven by two factors. The first is its<strong> fears of instability and the rise of Islamists fundamentalism.</strong></li>
<li>The second is its commitment to<strong> non-interventionism,</strong> a position shared by members of the BRICS countries.</li>
<li>In addition to these factors, Assad&rsquo;s Baath Party&rsquo;s has continuously <strong>supported India&rsquo;s stance on the Kashmir issue.</strong></li>
<li>In line with this, India supports an all-inclusive Syrian-led process to chart out the future of Syria, its political structures and leadership.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-to-pull-out-troops-from-syria-and-afghanistan'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'SDG India Index',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The<strong> NITI Aayog</strong> has released its <strong>SDG India Index</strong> which intends to provide a holistic view on the social, economic and environmental status of the country and its States.</p>
<h3>Index</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>First</strong> of its kind<strong> &lsquo;SDG India Index&rsquo;</strong>&nbsp;has been developed in collaboration with the<strong> Ministry of Statistics &amp; Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Global Green Growth Institute, United Nations in India, and NITI Aayog.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In September 2016, MoSPI developed a <strong>National Indicator Framework (NIF)</strong> which is a consolidated list of possible national indicators. It consists of <strong>306 statistical indicators</strong> to serve as a <strong>backbone for monitoring of SDGs.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>NITI Aayog has prepared the SDG India Index spanning across <strong>13 out of 17 SDGs</strong> (leaving out Goals 12, 13, 14 and 17).</li>
<li>Being the <strong>baseline report,</strong> it does <strong>not consider time series</strong> <strong>comparison</strong> of data. As a result, the SDG India Index tells us where a State/UT currently stands on each of the indicators considered, and will present incremental change in subsequent versions.</li>
<li>Classification Criteria based on SDG India Index Score is as follows: <strong>Aspirant: 0-49; Performer: 50-64; Front Runner: 65-99; Achiever: 100.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Findings</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu</strong> have emerged as the <strong>front runners</strong> in the race to achieve key sustainable development goals (SDGs) in a ranking of states released by NITI Aayog.</li>
<li><strong>Kerala&rsquo;s</strong> top rank is attributed to its superior performance in providing <strong>good health, reducing hunger, achieving gender equality and providing quality education.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Himachal Pradesh</strong> ranks high on providing<strong> clean water and sanitation, in reducing inequalities and preserving mountain ecosystem.</strong></li>
<li>The toppers in <strong>gender equality,</strong> <strong>Sikkim and Union territories Andaman and Nicobar islands and Chandigarh</strong> have crossed the halfway mark in reaching the goals.</li>
<li><strong>Jharkhand, Odisha and Nagaland</strong> are among the states that have a lot more <strong>ground to cover</strong> in the overall rankings.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Limitations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Exclusion of goals:</strong> SDG India Index does not currently cover Goals 12, 13 and 14 largely on account of <strong>unavailability of comparable data</strong> across States and UTs. Further, SDG 17 was left out as it focuses on<strong> international partnerships.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Indicators emerging from the State schemes not included:</strong> The Indicators focus largely on data sources emerging from central official statistical systems and the respective Union Ministries/Departments.</li>
<li><strong>Limitation of equal weightage:</strong> Assigning equal weightage for all indicators across all Goals may lead to biased results. Additionally, some indicators may be <strong>less relevant to some States.</strong> For example, indicators like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) have less relevance in States like Punjab and Haryana because they have already been performing better on these targets. Thus, their progress on these schematic indicators will seem less in comparison to other States.</li>
<li><strong>Missing data:</strong> Data for a few States /UTs is<strong> not available</strong> for some indicators.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Sustainable Development goals were adopted at the <strong>UN Sustainable Development Summit in September, 2015.</strong></li>
<li>They came into <strong>force from January 1st, 2016</strong> and have <strong>2030 as deadline</strong> for achieving the targets.</li>
<li>The success of Agenda 2030 globally will depend, on the <strong>progress India makes on the SDGs</strong>. It is not just the size of India&rsquo;s population (about 17% of the world population) or the scale of its interventions that makes it so critical to the SDGs, but its unique convergence of extraordinary economic growth, commitment to sustainability, and social and technological innovations.</li>
<li>India has also emerged as a <strong>global leader on the international climate action agenda</strong> and an enabler of <strong>sustainable development for developing countries around the world.</strong></li>
<li>This combined with some of the world&rsquo;s largest and most ambitious social programmes including <strong>housing for all, energy for all, urbanization, health and nutrition, and digital and financial inclusion,</strong> make it a leading force for the SDGs globally.</li>
<li>This SDG India Index by NITI Aayog is an important first step in <strong>enabling comprehensive tracking</strong> of the country&rsquo;s progress, and in benchmarking SDGs for <strong>both central and State governments</strong> across the country serving its <strong>twin mandate</strong> to oversee the <strong>implementation of SDGs</strong> in the country, and also<strong> promote Competitive and Cooperative Federalism</strong> among States and UTs.</li>
<li>The SDG India Index embodies the <strong>five Ps</strong> of the global SDG movement -<strong> people, planet, prosperity, partnership and peace.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The SDG India Index will help every State and Union Territory identify their strengths and areas of opportunity, relative to their peers, and to identify the steps they can take towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.</li>
<li>It is also important to note that this exercise has revealed that their <strong>urgent need for the improvement of statistical systems</strong> to <strong>generate data</strong> that helps in effective monitoring of SDGs at the national and State level on a real-time basis. The selection of indicators for present exercise was constrained by the availability of data. Improved data availability and quality in the future will make the index more robust.</li>
<li>Going forward, the report should be used for <strong>identifying priority areas</strong> that require interventions and also to <strong>strengthen capacities for monitoring SDGs.</strong></li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sdg-india-index'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Important Facts for Prelims (22nd December 2018)',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>District Mineral Fund</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>District Mineral Funds under Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojna (PMKKKY) has accrued Rs. 22,859 crore till November 2018. But only Rs. 5,529 crore of the amount collected is utilized.</li>
<li>The slow pace of District Mineral Fund (DMF) utilization has fed fears of these funds being diverted by State governments for being spent in other regions or for other purposes too.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Objective</strong>: To minimize/mitigate the adverse impacts, during and after mining, on the environment, health and socio-economic conditions of people in mining districts and also to ensure a sustainable livelihood for the affected people.</li>
<li>It is <strong>implemented by the District Mineral Foundations (DMFs)</strong> of the respective districts that use the funds collected by the DMF from the miners.</li>
<li>District Mineral Foundation (DMF)<strong> is a trust set up</strong> under <strong>Mines and Minerals (Development &amp; Regulation) Amendment Act (MMDRA) 2015</strong> as a <strong>non-profit body</strong> in those districts affected by the mining operations.</li>
<li><strong>60% of the funds</strong> will be utilized for high priority areas such as <strong>drinking water supply, health care, sanitation, education, skill development, women and child care, the welfare of aged and disabled people and environment conservation.</strong></li>
<li><strong>40% of the fund</strong> will be utilized for <strong>physical infrastructure, irrigation, energy, and watershed development.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>National Consumer Day</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Every Year <strong>24th December</strong> is observed as National Consumer Day with a specific theme in India. This year the National Consumer Day is celebrated with the theme <strong>&ldquo;Timely Disposal of Consumer Complaints&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>It is celebrated on this day as the<strong> Consumer Protection Act, 1986</strong> had received the assent of the President.</li>
<li>The Consumer Protection Act aims to provide consumers with effective safeguards against different types of exploitation such as defective goods, deficiency in services and unfair trade practices.</li>
<li>However, recently the Lok Sabha passed the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/the-consumer-protection-bill-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Consumer Protection Bill 2018</a> which seeks to replace the three-decade-old Consumer Protection Act, 1986.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-22nd-december-2018'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'Beyond Binaries',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article &ldquo;Beyond Binaries&rdquo; which appears in Indian Express on 4th December.)</p>
</div>
<p><strong>Numbering approximately 4,90,000 as per the last count (2011), transgender people (TG) in India are perhaps one of the most </strong><g class="gr_ gr_86 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling ins-del" id="86" data-gr-id="86">visibly</g><strong> invisible population in the country.</strong> They have cultural and social significance across the country in various avatars where they have been portrayed with dignity and respect. <strong>However, transgender people have been increasingly recognized as one of the most socio-economically marginalized communities in the country.</strong> To attain inclusive development goals, these special marginalized communities should be taken care of.</p>
<h3>Who is a Transgender Person?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>As per international standards, &lsquo;transgender&rsquo; is an umbrella term that includes persons whose sense of gender does not match with the gender assigned to them at birth. For example, a person born as a man may identify with the opposite gender, i.e., as a woman.</li>
<li>The Supreme Court, the Expert Committee of the Ministry of Social Justice and Welfare, and a Standing Committee report, all define &lsquo;transgender persons&rsquo; based on the mismatch only.</li>
<li>In the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/the-transgender-persons-protection-of-rights-bill-2016" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2016,</a> transgender person means a person whose gender does not match with the gender assigned to that person at birth and includes trans-man (whether or not such person has undergone sex reassignment surgery or hormone therapy or laser therapy or such other therapy), person with intersex variations, gender-queer and person having such socio-cultural identities as <g class="gr_ gr_88 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling" id="88" data-gr-id="88">kinnar</g>, hijra, <g class="gr_ gr_89 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling" id="89" data-gr-id="89">aravani</g> and <g class="gr_ gr_87 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="87" data-gr-id="87">jogta</g>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues Related with Transgenders</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>More often, transgender children or young individuals begin their journey alone and in search of individuals of their kind, a journey that is marred by unspeakable hardships and abuse.</strong></li>
<li>School education of most transgender people either remains incomplete or non-existent.<strong> The lack of basic schooling is a direct result of bullying</strong> and, hence, transgender persons are forced to leave schools (most of our schools remain unequipped to handle children with alternate sexual identities).</li>
<li>Since the late 19th century, transgenders have been pushed to the margins of society, and have lost the social-cultural position they once enjoyed.</li>
<li>T<strong>hey are subject to extreme forms of social ostracisation and exclusion from basic dignity and human rights.</strong></li>
<li>Often ignored as a menace to society, they are now only visible on the streets and localities where they are found begging, never as a part of the mainstream.</li>
<li><strong>They remain highly vulnerable to gender-based violence.</strong> As a direct result of their acute mistreatment, vilification, ostracisation, and dehumanization, they also remain highly vulnerable to fatal communicable diseases like HIV-AIDS. According to a recent United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the HIV prevalence among transgenders is 3.1 percent (2017), which is the second highest amongst all communities in the country. But, only about 68% of the affected are even aware that they are infected, which is worrying. High instances of substance abuse and low levels of literacy only complicate matters.</li>
<li><strong>Despite laws, policies and their implementation, the community continues to remain quite marginalized and highly vulnerable</strong>. There are examples of higher education institutions providing quota and giving special consideration to transgender people, but the takers remain few and far between.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Timeline of Reforms</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>In 2009, appropriate directions were issued by the Election Commission to all provinces to amend the format of the registration</strong> forms to include an option of &ldquo;others&rdquo;. This enabled transsexual people to tick the column if they didn&rsquo;t want to be identified as either male or female.</li>
<li><strong>The Supreme Court in National Legal Services Authority Vs. Union of India (2014) recognized them as the &ldquo;Third Gender&rdquo;.</strong> In the landmark ruling, Justice K.S Radhakrishnan observed that &ldquo;recognition of transgenders as a third gender is not a social or medical issue, but a human rights issue&rdquo;.</li>
<li>Only a year after this verdict,<strong> India&rsquo;s first transgender mayor of Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, Madhu Kinnar, elected to office, in 2015.</strong></li>
<li><strong>According to a report in April 2018, the number of registered transgender voters nearly doubled in the Karnataka polls.</strong> Over 5,000 transgender people cast their ballots in the Karnataka assembly polls, which is historic. The number has doubled from the 2013 figures.</li>
<li><strong>There are more encouraging trends.</strong> HIV services for the community are rapidly improving in a targeted manner after the SC verdict. For example, the National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) reported that 2,40,000 hijras were provided with HIV prevention and treatment services in 2015, compared to 1,80,000 the previous year.</li>
<li><strong>At the present, Lok Sabha has passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2016. The bill will now be placed in Rajya Sabha.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Status of transgender persons under existing laws</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Currently, several criminal and civil laws recognize only two categories of gender i.e. man and woman.</li>
<li>These include laws such as Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (NREGA) and Hindu Succession Act, 1956. Now, the Bill(which bill?) seeks to recognize a third gender i.e. &lsquo;transgender&rsquo;. However, the Bill does not clarify how transgender persons will be treated under certain existing laws.</li>
<li>In addition, the penalties for similar offenses may also vary because of the application of different laws based on gender identity. For example, under the IPC, sexual offenses related to women attract a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, which is higher than that specified for sexual abuse against a transgender person under the Bill (up to two years).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>An ever-increasing number of activists who have continued to work</strong> at the grassroots level for the welfare of the community has managed to bring society&rsquo;s attention to its socio-economic deprivation.</li>
<li><strong>A multi-pronged approach is needed</strong> on a war footing in the form of mass awareness campaigns, generating avenues for dignified employment, gender sensitization and affirmative action. Only then can the efforts of the Election Commission and the judiciary for ensuring inclusive elections in the world&rsquo;s largest democracy also result in a meaningful and inclusive democracy.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>For example,</strong> Kerala's move to secure places in higher education for transgenders is among the first initiatives in the country to help support their progress.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The government should also move beyond focusing on individual-level HIV prevention activities a</strong>nd address the structural determinants of HIV risks and mitigate the impact of such risks. For example, mental health counseling, crisis intervention (crisis in relation to suicidal tendencies, police harassment and arrests, support following sexual and physical violence), addressing alcohol and drug abuse, and connecting to livelihood programs - all need to be part of the HIV interventions.</li>
<li><strong>Implement stigma and discrimination reduction measures at various levels through a variety of ways:</strong> mass media awareness for the general public to focused training and sensitization for police and health care providers.</li>
<li><strong>Ensure greater involvement of vulnerable communities including Hijras/TG women in policy formulation and program development.</strong></li>
<li><strong>For thousands in the transgender community, hope hinges on the changes that they hope the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2016 will bring.</strong></li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/beyond-binaries'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => 'COP24',
		'catname' => 'Paper 3',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>COP24 took place from 2-14 December 2018, in Katowice, Poland.</li>
<li>Poland held the Presidency of the Climate Convention for the third time.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What is COP24</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>COP24 is the informal name for the 2<strong>4<sup>th</sup> Conference</strong> <strong>of the Parties</strong> to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).</li>
<li>The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the supreme body of the UNFCCC, consisting of the representatives of the Parties to the Convention.</li>
<li>COP holds its sessions every year and takes decisions which are necessary to ensure the effective implementation of the provisions of the Convention and regularly reviews the implementation of these provisions.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>UNFCCC is an international environmental treaty adopted on 9 May 1992 and opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992, entered into force on 21 March 1994.</li>
<li>The UNFCCC objective is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.</li>
<li>Currently, there are <strong>197 Parties</strong> (196 States and European Union) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Paris Agreement 2015</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Parties to UNFCCC agreed to strive to limit the rise in global warming to well under 2 degrees Celsius, over pre-industrial levels by 2100, under Paris Agreement 2015.</li>
<li>Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) were conceived at Paris summit which require each Party to prepare, communicate and maintain successive nationally determined contributions (NDCs) that it intends to achieve.</li>
<li>Parties shall pursue domestic mitigation measures, with the aim of achieving the objectives of such contributions.</li>
<li>Paris Agreement replaced earlier agreement to deal with climate change, Kyoto Protocol.</li>
<li>USA recently pulled out from the agreement seriously damaging the global effort to reverse climate change, as USA is one of the largest Greenhouse Gas emitter.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Important Outcome of Summit</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Paris Rulebook:</strong> The COP-24 finalized a &ldquo;rulebook&rdquo; to operationalise 2015 Paris Agreement.</li>
<li>The rulebook set out how countries will provide information about their <strong>Nationally Determined Contributions</strong> describing their domestic climate actions, mitigation and adaptation measures.</li>
<li>The rulebook covers areas such as how countries should report their greenhouse gas emissions, contributions to climate finance, what rules should apply to voluntary market mechanisms, such as carbon trading etc.</li>
<li>The rulebook has addressed some concerns about the opaqueness of <strong>climate financing,</strong> such as, developed nations will have to provide hard data on the sources of future financial flows.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Climate finance</strong> refers to local, national or transnational financing&mdash;drawn from public, private and alternative sources of financing.</li>
<li>It seeks to support mitigation and adaptation actions that will address climate change.</li>
<li>The UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement call for financial assistance from developed countries to developing and less developed countries in accordance with the principle of &ldquo;common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities&rdquo;.</li>
<li>Under Paris Agreement, developed countries have committed to provide $100 billion annually from 2020 for dealing with climate change.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The rulebook describes which loans, concessions and grants can be classified as <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/climate-finance-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate finance,</a> how they should be accounted for, and the kind of information about them needed to be submitted.</li>
<li>The modalities and procedures for <strong>Monitoring and Progress Report System</strong> proposal (MPR) to (INDC) were also discussed.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues in Conference</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Disagreement on Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report:</strong> The 1.5&deg;C Report, produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in October 2018, was not acknowledged as an evidence-based cause for alarm by the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and Russia.</li>
<li><strong>No ambitious action promised:</strong> The absence of any indication towards increasing &ldquo;ambition&rdquo; of climate actions, so as to rein in temperature rise at 1.5&deg;c at a faster pace, was one major disappointment of the Katowice conference.</li>
<li><strong>Issue of Equity:</strong> Provisions did not reflect the principles of <strong>common but differentiated responsibilities</strong>. Poorer nations vulnerable to climate change also wanted more clarity on how an already agreed $100 billion a year of climate finance by 2020 will be provided.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities holds that although all countries are responsible for the development of global society, each has a different set of capabilities that they can contribute to this project.</li>
<li>It recognizes the historical correlation between higher levels of development and a greater contribution to the degradation of global environmental resources by developed countries and enables the sharing of responsibility accordingly.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Climate Finance:</strong> No roadmap adopted for the mobilisation of funds till 2020, no specific process has been initiated for fixing the long-term goals of finance by 2025, which is a legal mandate of the Paris Agreement.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>No clear guarantees could be obtained from the developed countries to even report their financial commitments through an international process.</li>
<li>The language under the provision related to climate financing is ambiguous allowing countries to report the value of loans (which are to be repaid to lenders) as climate finance, rather than only the grant portion of the total.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Market Mechanism:</strong> The conference could not reach a consensus on voluntary market mechanisms. <strong>Article 6 of the Paris Agreement</strong> talks about setting up a market mechanism for trading of carbon emissions. An emissions trading system already exists under the Kyoto Protocol, though it has become ineffective over the last few years and is meant to end with the end of Kyoto Protocol in 2020.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Market-based mechanisms provide flexible instruments reducing the costs of meeting emissions targets. <strong>Emissions trading systems, Joint Implementation (JI)</strong> mechanism and the <strong>Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)</strong> established under the Kyoto Protocol are market-based mechanisms.</li>
<li>CDM allows a developed country with an emission-reduction commitment under the Kyoto Protocol to implement an emission-reduction project in any of those developing countries <em>Certified Emission Reduction (CER)</em> credits, each equivalent to one tonne of CO2.</li>
<li>The countries which are unable to reduce their emissions in their business in a cost-effective manner in their country, they can invest in clean projects in developing countries. (Joint Implementation).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Carbon Credits:</strong> Developing countries like China, India, and Brazil argued that their accumulated unused carbon credits should be considered valid in the new market mechanism.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the recent years, as several countries quit Kyoto Protocol, and no country was feeling compelled to meet its 2020 emission reduction targets, there has been virtually no demand for carbon credits. As a result, developing countries like China, India and Brazil have accumulated huge amounts of unused carbon credits.</li>
<li>The developed countries questioned the authenticity of the unused carbon credits, pointing to weak verification mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol. The discussion over carbon markets is deferred to the next year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Carbon Credit</strong></p>
<p>A carbon credit is a permit or certificate allowing the holder to emit carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases. Carbon trading involves trading of carbon one of the market-based mechanisms set up under Kyoto Protocol.</p>
</div>
<h3>India&rsquo;s Stand at the conference</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India reaffirmed its <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/conference-of-the-parties-cop-24" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INDCs commitments</a> to meeting the goals under the 2015 Paris Agreement.</li>
<li>India argued that delicate balance reached between developed and developing countries must be retained, and the principles such as equity, climate justice and Common but Differentiated Responsibility and Respective Capabilities must be given its due.</li>
<li>India expressed strong reservation over the lack of equity in the global stock-take i.e. taking stock of collective progress toward achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement in the rule book of the agreement.</li>
<li>It sought a robust transparency regime for countries to disclose their emissions.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The 1.5&deg;C Report, which was produced by the IPCC in October 2018 states at current rate of emissions, the world is set to breach the global warming limit of 1.5&deg;C between 2030 and 2052.</li>
<li>This report present clear challenge to the world to deal with climate change. Therefore, the urgency to arrive at the consensus for contentious issues like climate financing, transparent stock taking issues of climate justice need to be arrived.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper3/cop24'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'Important Facts for Prelims (21st December 2018)',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Asiatic Lion Conservation Project</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has launched the &ldquo;<strong>Asiatic Lion Conservation Project</strong>&rdquo; with an aim to protect and conserve the world&rsquo;s last ranging free population of Asiatic Lion and its associated ecosystem.</li>
<li>The Asiatic Lion Conservation Project is aimed to <strong>strengthen the ongoing measures for conservation and recovery of Asiatic Lion</strong> with the help of state-of-the &ndash;art techniques/ instruments, regular scientific research studies, disease management, Modern surveillance/ patrolling techniques.</li>
<li>The project will be funded from the <strong>Centrally Sponsored Scheme- Development of Wildlife Habitat (CSS-DWH)</strong> with the contributing<strong> ratio being 60:40 of Central and State share</strong>.</li>
<li>Asiatic lions that <strong>once ranged from Persia (Iran) to Palamau in Eastern India</strong> were almost <strong>driven to extinction by indiscriminate hunting and habitat loss.</strong></li>
<li>A single population of less than 50 lions persisted in the Gir forests of Gujarat by late 1890's. With timely and stringent protection offered by the State Government and the Center Government, Asiatic lions have increased to the current population of over 500 numbers.</li>
<li><strong>Gir Protected Area Network</strong> (1648.79 sq. km.) includes <strong>Gir National Park</strong>, <strong>Gir Sanctuary</strong>, <strong>Pania Sanctuary</strong>, <strong>Mitiyala Sanctuary</strong> adjoining reserved forests, Protected Forests, and Unclassed Forests.</li>
<li>The Environment Ministry in the past has supported <strong>Asiatic Lion</strong> in Gujarat by including it in <strong>list of 21 critically endangered species for recovery programme</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>21 species identified under the recovery programme are</strong>:</p>
<p>Snow Leopard, Bustard (including Floricans), Dolphin, Hangul, Nilgiri Tahr, Marine Turtles, Dugongs, Edible Nest Swiftlet, Asian Wild Buffalo, Nicobar Megapode, Manipur Brow-antlered Deer, Vultures, Malabar Civet, Indian Rhinoceros, Asiatic Lion, Swamp Deer, Jerdon&rsquo;s Courser, the Northern River Terrapin, Clouded Leopard, Arabian Sea Humpback Whale, and Red Panda.</p>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-21st-december-2018'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'Paika Rebellion',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The Government will release the commemorative coin and postage stamp in memory of Paika Rebellion.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The decision to commemorate the bicentenary of the revolution was announced in the 2017-18 Budget Speech.</li>
<li>Pre-dating what has been popularly regarded as the first war of independence in 1857, the <strong>Paika Bidroha (Paika Rebellion) of 1817</strong> in Odisha briefly shook the foundations of British rule in the eastern part of India.</li>
<li>2017 marked the double centenary of one of the biggest revolts ever seen in eastern India and one which was quelled with great brutality.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p>Paikas were essentially the <strong>peasant militias of the Gajapati rulers of Odisha</strong> who rendered military service to the king during times of war while taking up cultivation during times of peace.</p>
</div>
<h3>Brief History</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Till 1803, Odisha was under Maratha rule, however after the second Anglo-Maratha War, the Marathas were forced to cede most of their territory in Odisha to the British East India Company.</li>
<li>Establishment of <strong>British rule in Odisha was followed by a policy of repression against the Paikas</strong>. They lost their traditional position in the society and their lands were taken away.</li>
<li>In addition to losing their estates, the Paikas were also heavily exploited by the revenue collectors under the British.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Rebellion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Paikas under the <strong>leadership of Baxi Jagabandhu</strong>, the hereditary chief of the militia army of the Gajapati King of <strong>Khurda</strong> (a kingdom near Puri), rose in rebellion in March 1817, taking support of tribals and other sections of society.</li>
<li>The Paikas <strong>attacked British symbols of power</strong>, setting ablaze police stations, administrative offices and the treasury during their march towards Khurda.</li>
<li>The Paikas were supported by the rajas, zamindars, village heads and ordinary peasants. The rebellion quickly spread to different parts of the province.</li>
<li>British were initially taken aback and then tried to regain lost ground but faced stiff resistance from the rebelling Paikas. However, the Paikas were eventually defeated by the British.</li>
<li>The Paikas retreated into the thick jungles of Odisha and carried out guerrilla warfare for several years. After successive defeats, the Paika leader, Bakshi Jagabandhu, surrendered to the British in 1825 and lived as a prisoner in Cuttack till his death in 1829.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/paika-rebellion'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'Ceasefire in Yemen',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The warring parties in Yemen Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia-backed forces loyal to President of Yemen agreed to a United Nations-mediated ceasefire agreement.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The agreement was reached in UN-mediated talks held in Stockholm in December 2018 and signed in the city of Hodeidah in Yemen.</li>
<li>The coalition had blockaded the port, the main conduit for humanitarian aid to enter Yemen, for months, and the fighters, mostly UAE soldiers, were battling the rebels.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Hodeidah Ceasefire Agreement</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to the UN, a ceasefire by the parties came into effect in the city and the three ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa and Saleef from midnight 17 December 2018.</li>
<li>Under the agreement, the Houthis will withdraw from the ports and from Hodeidah city and a UN-chaired committee including both sides will oversee the withdrawal of forces.</li>
<li>The Yemeni ports will fall under the control of "local forces", who would then send the ports' revenues to the country's Central Bank.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What led to talks?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>UN Efforts:</strong> The UN has been pushing for an agreement for long.</li>
<li><strong>Jamal Khashoggi Murder:</strong> Saudi Arabia which is a major party in the crisis came under increased global pressure to stop fighting in Yemen after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside its consulate in Istanbul.</li>
<li><strong>Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen:</strong> The spotlight on Yemen and its deteriorating humanitarian situation lead to a severe global outcry. The impact was so high that, the U.S., which supports Saudi Arabia in the war, cut down its involvement by ending refueling of coalition aircraft.</li>
</ul>
<h3>War in Yemen</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Since 2014, Yemen is facing a multi-sided conflict involving local, regional, and international actors.</li>
<li>The Houthis, a group of Zaidi Shia Muslims who ruled a kingdom there for nearly 1,000 years. They used widespread anger against President Hadi's decision to postpone long-awaited elections and his stalled negotiations over a new constitution to protest against the government.</li>
<li>They marched from their stronghold of Saada province to the capital Sanaa and surrounded the presidential palace, placing Hadi under house arrest.</li>
<li>A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen on March 26, 2015, at Hadi's request, after the Houthis continued to sweep the south and threatened to conquer the last government stronghold of Aden. Prompting one of the world's worst humanitarian crises ever.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to WHO, since the Saudi intervention in 2015, at least 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen.</li>
<li>The widespread damage caused to infrastructure by the coalition airstrikes and lack of supplies of food and medicines due to the blockade has pushed Yemen into a humanitarian catastrophe.</li>
<li>About 12 million people are at the risk of starvation in Yemen. The country is also facing a massive cholera outbreak. According to UNICEF, a child dies every 10 minutes in Yemen from preventable causes.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Operation Raahat</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India launched a rescue operation in Yemen to ensure safe passage to Indian citizens and other foreign nationals who were stuck in Yemen after Saudi Led <g class="gr_ gr_56 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="56" data-gr-id="56">ccoalition</g> intervened.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The war has reached a stalemate long ago. The Houthis are facing the loss of territory in recent months, while the Saudi coalition is facing growing international pressure.</li>
<li>A solution to the conflict can be found only if the rebels and the government make some political concessions.</li>
<li>The current deal, if implemented on the ground, will represent a breakthrough because the port is the gateway for the bulk of humanitarian aid coming into the country.</li>
<li>While the second round of talks is already expected to be held in January, a smooth ceasefire could lead to a fast framework for negotiations and a transitional governing body.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ceasefire-in-yemen'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'The Consumer Protection Bill 2018',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Recently, the Lok Sabha passed The Consumer Protection Bill 2018.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Bill seeks to replace the three-decade-old Consumer Protection Act, 1986.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Rights of The Consumer</strong></p>
<ol>
<li>Right to <strong>Safety</strong></li>
<li>Right to <strong>Information</strong></li>
<li>Right to <strong>Choose</strong></li>
<li>Right to <strong>Seek Redressal</strong></li>
<li>Right to <strong>Education</strong></li>
<li>Right to <strong>be Heard</strong></li>
</ol>
</div>
<h3>Provisions in the bill</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Bill enforces consumer rights and provides a mechanism for redressal of complaints regarding the <strong>defect in goods and deficiency in services.</strong></li>
<li>Under the Bill, <strong>Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions will be set up at the District, State and National levels for adjudicating consumer complaints.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Appeals from the District and State Commissions will be heard at the next level and from the National Commission by the Supreme Court.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Bill sets up a <strong>Central Consumer Protection Authority</strong> to promote, protect and enforce consumer rights as a class. It can issue safety notices for goods and services, order refunds, recall goods and rule against misleading advertisements.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It will be headed by a Chief Commissioner and comprise other Commissioners. It will have an investigation arm headed by a Director General. It may also file complaints before the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Bill establishes<strong> Consumer Protection Councils at the district, state, and national levels to render advice on consumer protection.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Central and State Council will be headed by the Minister-in-charge of Consumer Affairs at the central and state level, respectively. The District Council will be headed by the District Collector.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Bill also lists<strong> punitive actions against</strong> those who are found manufacturing, storing, distributing, selling, or importing <strong>products that are spurious or contain adulterants.</strong></li>
<li>If a consumer suffers an injury from a defect in a good or a deficiency in service, he may file a claim of product liability against the manufacturer, the seller, or the service provider.</li>
<li>The Bill defines contracts as &lsquo;unfair&rsquo; if they significantly affect the rights of consumers. It also defines unfair and restrictive trade practices.</li>
<li>The<strong> case can be filed from anywhere,</strong> unlike the existing law which allows the consumer to register the complaint only from the same place of purchase of the product or where the service is availed.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;"><strong>Provision</strong></td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><strong>1986 Act</strong></td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><strong>2018 Bill</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><br /><strong>Ambit of Law</strong></td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;"><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>All goods and services for consideration.</li>
<li>Free and personal services are excluded.</li>
</ul>
</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;"><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>All goods and services, including telecom and housing construction, and all modes of transactions (online, teleshopping, etc.).</li>
<li>Free and personal services are excluded.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><br /><strong>Unfair Trade Practices</strong></td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;"><br />Includes six types of such practices, like false representation, misleading advertisements.</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;"><br />Adds three types of practices to the list: <br />(i) failure to issue a bill or receipt; <br />(ii) refusal to accept a good returned within 30 days; and (iii) disclosure of personal information given in confidence</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><br /><strong>Product liability</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><br />No provision.</p>
<p></p>
</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Claim for product liability can be made against the manufacturer, service provider, and seller.</li>
<li>Compensation can be obtained by proving one of the several specified conditions in the Bill.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><br /><strong>Regulator</strong></td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><br />No provision.</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;">
<p><br />Establishes the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 36px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 36px; text-align: center;"><br /><strong>Pecuniary jurisdiction</strong><br /><strong>of Commissions</strong></td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 36px;"><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>District: Up to Rs 20 lakh.</li>
<li>State: Between Rs 20 lakh and up to Rs one crore.</li>
<li>National: Above Rs one crore.</li>
</ul>
</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 36px;"><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>District: Up to Rs one crore.</li>
<li>State: Between Rs one crore and up to Rs 10 crore.</li>
<li>National: Above Rs 10 crore.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><br /><strong>Appointment</strong></td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;"><br />Selection Committee (comprising a judicial member and other officials) will recommend members on the Commissions.</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;">No provision for Selection Committee. The central government will appoint through notification.</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><strong>Penalties</strong></td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;">Imprisonment between one month and three years or fine between Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000, or both.</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;">Imprisonment up to three years, or a fine not less than Rs 25,000 extendable to Rs one lakh, or both.</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><br /><strong>E-commerce</strong></td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><br />No provision.</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 19px;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Defines direct selling, e-commerce and electronic service provider.</li>
<li>The central government may prescribe rules for preventing unfair trade practices in e-commerce and direct selling.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/the-consumer-protection-bill-2018'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'Towards a Genetic Panopticon',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article &ldquo;Towards a Genetic Panopticon&rdquo; which appears in The Hindu on 21st December.)</p>
</div>
<p><strong>The genes encoded in our deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which are collected from blood, hair, skin cells and other such bodily substances, have undoubtedly proven to be an important tool in forensic science</strong>. Much like fingerprints, a person&rsquo;s DNA profile is unique (except in the case of identical twins), therefore, help in establishing the identity of a suspect.</p>
<p>That only a small amount of genetic material is needed to create such a profile makes the form of evidence for criminal investigators. Across the world, the use of DNA evidence has helped to discharge a number of innocent people from wrongful conviction and has also helped find the guilty party in complex investigations.</p>
<p>Considering its importance, <strong>the government introduced the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018 in Lok Sabha in August 2018. The Bill provides for regulation of the use of DNA technology for establishing the identity of certain persons.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Highlights of Proposed Bill</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Bill regulates the use of DNA technology for establishing the identity of persons in respect of matters listed in a Schedule.</strong> These include criminal matters (such as offenses under the Indian Penal Code, 1860), and civil matters such as parentage disputes, emigration or immigration, and transplantation of human organs.</li>
<li><strong>The Bill establishes a National DNA Data Bank and Regional DNA Data Banks.</strong> Every Data Bank will maintain the following indices: (i) crime scene index, (ii) suspects&rsquo; or undertrials&rsquo; index, (iii) offenders&rsquo; index, (iv) missing persons&rsquo; index, and (v) unknown deceased persons&rsquo; index.</li>
<li><strong>The Bill establishes a DNA Regulatory Board</strong>. Every DNA laboratory that analyses a DNA sample to establish the identity of an individual, has to be accredited by the Board.</li>
<li>Written consent by individuals is required to collect DNA samples from them. <strong>Consent is not required for offenses with the punishment of more than seven years of imprisonment or death.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The Bill provides for the removal of DNA profiles of suspects on the filing of a police report or court order</strong>, and of undertrials on the basis of a court order. Profiles in crime scenes and missing persons&rsquo; indexes will be removed on a written request.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Problems with Bill</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The draft statute, not only disregards the serious ethical dilemmas that are attached to the creation of a national DNA database, but also, contrary to established wisdom, <strong>virtually treats DNA as infallible, and as a solution to the many problems that </strong><g class="gr_ gr_73 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling ins-del" id="73" data-gr-id="73">ail</g><strong> the criminal justice system.</strong></li>
<li>This Bill fatally ignores the <strong>disproportionality of the DNA bank that it seeks to create, and the invasiveness of its purport and reach.</strong></li>
<li>It also conflates its objectives by allowing the collection of DNA evidence not only in aid of criminal investigations but also to aid the determination of civil disputes.</li>
<li>Importantly, while consent is not required before bodily substances are drawn from a person accused and arrested for an offence punishable with either death or imprisonment for a term exceeding seven years, in all other cases a person refusing to part with genetic material can be compelled to do so if a Magistrate has reasonable cause to believe that such evidence would help establish a person&rsquo;s guilt. Therefore, there&rsquo;s no end to the state&rsquo;s power in coercing a person to part with her DNA.</li>
<li><strong>In Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd) v. Union of India declared that the Constitution recognizes a fundamental Right to Privacy. But, it is unclear whether the proposed bill is compatible with the Right to Privacy or not.</strong></li>
<li>The Bill&rsquo;s failure to place sufficient checks on the use of DNA evidence collected in breach of the law makes the process altogether more frightening.</li>
<li>The Schedule lists civil matters where DNA profiling can be used. This includes &ldquo;issues relating to the establishment of individual identity.&rdquo; DNA testing carried out in medical or research laboratories can be used to identify an individual. It is unclear if the Bill intends to regulate such laboratories.</li>
<li><strong>The Bill requires the consent of the individual when DNA profiling is used in criminal investigations and identifying missing persons</strong>. However, consent requirements have not been specified in the case of DNA profiling for civil matters.</li>
<li>DNA laboratories are required to share DNA data with the Data Banks. It is unclear whether DNA profiles for civil matters will also be stored in the Data Banks. Storage of these profiles in the Data Banks may violate the right to privacy.</li>
<li><strong>DNA laboratories prepare DNA profiles and then share them with DNA Data Banks. The Bill specifies the process by which DNA profiles may be removed from the Data Banks. However, the Bill does not require DNA laboratories to remove DNA profiles. It may be argued that such provisions be included in the Bill and not left to regulations.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>DNA profiling should be undertaken exclusively for the identification of a person and should not be used to extract any other information.</strong></li>
<li>The state must show that there exists a legitimate reason for extracting DNA evidence and that the extent and scope of such extraction do not disproportionately contravene a person&rsquo;s right to privacy.</li>
<li><strong>To enact the law in its present form would only add a new, menacing weapon to the state&rsquo;s rapidly expanding surveillance mechanism.</strong> The government should not allow the benefits of science and technology to be privileged over the grave risks in allowing the unrestricted access to deeply personal material.</li>
<li><strong>Maintenance of strict confidentiality with regard to the keeping of records</strong> of DNA profiles and their use should be considered a priority.</li>
</ul>
<p>Read More: <a href="https://www.prsindia.org/node/742405/chapters-at-a-glance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bill Summary</a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/towards-a-genetic-panopticon'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'India Must Get On the IoT Highway Fast',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article &ldquo;India Must Get On the IoT Highway Fast&rdquo; which appears in BusinessLine on 20th December.)</p>
</div>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/680drishti-ias_Key-IoT-Components.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/680drishti-ias_Key-IoT-Components.jpg" style="float: right;" width="352" height="210" caption="false" /></a>Internet of Things(IoT) is the natural evolution of the internet and has many benefits including boosting global economies, improving public utilities, and increasing efficiencies.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Over 30 billion &lsquo;smart&rsquo; devices will be connected by 2020. That&rsquo;s equivalent to every single person on this planet with four connected devices.</strong> These devices that communicate with each other in real time are the examples for the Internet of Things.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Internet Of Things (IoT)</strong> is a computing concept that describes the idea of everyday physical objects being connected to the internet and being able to identify themselves to other devices.<br /><br />IoT is significant because an object that can represent itself digitally becomes something greater than the object by itself. No longer does the object relate just to its user, but it is now connected to surrounding objects and database data.</p>
</div>
<h3>India &amp; IoT</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Indian government outlined a plan to leverage IoT as part of the Digital India mission.</strong> The government provided a budget allocation to develop 100 smart cities, conserve water and power, and improve healthcare, transportation, and security.</li>
<li><strong>According to Nasscom, the Indian IoT market is expected to reach $15 billion by 2020 and constitute 5 % of the global market.</strong></li>
<li>In India, the NDCP <a href="http://www.dot.gov.in/sites/default/files/Final%20NDCP-2018.pdf?download=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">(National Digital Communications Policy)</a> brought alignment from critical stakeholders to advance India&rsquo;s infrastructure and security around digital communications. <strong>Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY&rsquo;s) draft IoT policy seeks to establish committees to govern and drive IoT-specific initiatives.</strong></li>
<li>The Data Protection framework submitted by the <strong>Justice Srikrishna Committee</strong> had provisions for personal data protection including a consumer&rsquo;s right to information, consent, and right to request companies to erase their data if preferred. However, it leaned heavily towards greater regulations and did not specify how to protect consumer data from unnecessary government surveillance.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Recommendations of Justice BN Srikrishna Committee</strong></p>
<p>The committee recommends that:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Processing (collection, recording, analysis, disclosure, etc) of personal data should be done only for &ldquo;clear, specific and lawful&rdquo; purposes.</li>
<li>The committee also recommends giving a person the &ldquo;right to be forgotten&rdquo;</li>
<li>&ldquo;Sensitive&rdquo; personal data (such as passwords, financial data, sexual orientation, biometric data, religion or caste) should not be processed unless someone gives explicit consent.</li>
<li>A Data Protection Authority which is supposed to &ldquo;protect the interests of data principals (persons giving their data) should be set up.</li>
<li>Aadhaar Act 2016 should be amended to ensure the autonomy of the UIDAI and to &ldquo;bolster data protection&rdquo;.</li>
<li>RTI Act 2003 should be amended so, that there is no obligation to reveal personal information which was not related to &ldquo;public activity or interest&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Benefits</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Investing in IoT will boost India&rsquo;s economy on par with global leaders.</strong> Many of global counterparts have already begun reaping the rewards of investing in IoT-based infrastructure.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/674drishti_ias_iot.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/674drishti_ias_iot.png" style="float: right;" width="424" height="229" caption="false" /></a></li>
<li><strong>IoT will bring in investments, create jobs and improve Indian public infrastructure.</strong></li>
<li>With a network of interconnected devices, the economy becomes digital, thereby increasing efficiencies and personal security. <strong>For Example,</strong> a city in Austria increased driver efficiency and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by about 500 tonnes through connected trams and buses; the city of Oakland, California, tracks air pollution at a hyper-local level and can take measures to combat it.</li>
<li>There are a lot of other benefits associated with increased connectivity.<strong> For example,</strong> it will facilitate routine activities and decrease the waste of personal time, like imagine someone being able to review the inventory in their fridge and order groceries remotely at the click of a button.</li>
<li><strong>IoT could also help the elderly</strong> move around in self-driving cars, shop, and receive timely assistance. Japan is already using humanoid smart robots as elder care robots. Apart from monitoring their assigned senior citizen, they also assist with mobility, entertainment, and rehabilitation.</li>
<li><strong>Significant changes can be made in the field of healthcare</strong> as well with patient monitoring. For example, voice-enabled systems to remind people to take their medication in time and a &lsquo;smart&rsquo; pill that measures variables as the pill passes through the digestive system.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Nine out of 10 global consumer IoT brands studied in an IoT Security Foundation report (</strong><g class="gr_ gr_89 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="89" data-gr-id="89">IoTSF</g><strong>) did not allow researchers to share findings </strong><g class="gr_ gr_90 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="90" data-gr-id="90">about</g><strong> the vulnerabilities they found.</strong> There is thus, a lack of transparency in the research and development of IoT technologies.</li>
<li>IoT devices also collect and share personal data in real-time, making protecting our information and privacy one of the major challenges.</li>
<li>In the near future, IoT may be a default feature in home appliances, cars, transit systems, and much more. Consumers may soon be unable to avoid IoT devices.</li>
<li><strong>There is in this data-driven future</strong>, a growing concern about the potential for increased government surveillance and the resulting encroachment of civil rights, and the suppression of dissent or of marginalized communities.</li>
<li><strong>Processing the tremendous amount of real-time IoT data is possible only through artificial intelligence or AI algorithms.</strong> If AI systems power essential functions of smart cities, preventing hackers and miscreants from accessing it and manipulating its data still remains a challenge.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>While IoT technology is clearly of significant advantage to citizens worldwide, along with greater advantage comes a potential risk to privacy.</strong> This concern over data protection will need to be addressed and IoT manufacturers will have to build and sustain consumer trust in their devices.</li>
<li><strong>Around the world, legislators, device manufacturers, and law enforcement agencies should come together to figure out how to benefit from IoT while mitigating risks.</strong></li>
<li>Despite the challenges, India must drive full speed ahead towards IoT technology for the greater good of our citizens. With effective global alliances and by aligning Indian stakeholders, India can work to create more secure devices and help citizens.</li>
<li>The day when smart ambulances save lives through timely medical interventions, or when criminal behavior is curbed through remote monitoring, is the day when IoT arrives into our lives and society. <strong>Until that happens, we need to debate, discuss and plan extensively for that crucial day.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/141drishti_ias_The-Internet-of-Things-from-connecting-devices-to-creating-value-large.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/141drishti_ias_The-Internet-of-Things-from-connecting-devices-to-creating-value-large.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="574" height="365" caption="false" /></a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Read More: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bengaluru-to-host-3rd-edition-of-iot-india-congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bengaluru Hosted 3rd Edition of IoT India Congress</a></p>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-must-get-on-the-iot-highway-fast'
	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'In Depth: Strategic Petroleum Reserve',
		'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
		'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gJ7jJrsGgfQ" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">In light of the immense volatility in global crude prices, the government of India is planning to increase its oil reserves. It has sought investments worth 1.5 billion dollars from global oil producers and traders to build additional emergency crude reserves to act as a buffer against volatility in oil prices. The plan is to build <strong>underground caverns</strong> that can hold 6.5 million tons of crude at two locations - in Odisha and Karnataka. India already has three underground storage facilities that can store 5.33 million tonnes of crude oil. These three Strategic Petroleum Reserves can help meet 10 days of crude requirement. The two new ones will stretch that supply to 12 more days.</p>
<h3>Global Strategic Petroleum Reserves (GSPR)</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><g class="gr_ gr_87 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="87" data-gr-id="87">GSPRs</g> are stockpiles of crude oil maintained by countries or private industries<strong> as a hedge against potential future energy crises.</strong></li>
<li>They represent a <strong>defense against any event of downfall in future oil production</strong>, including physical or economic actions which disrupt any part of the production process from exploration and development through refining.</li>
<li><strong>Strategic reserves do not get counted among a nation's or company's proven oil reserves</strong>, as proven reserves must be available for production by definition.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Why <g class="gr_ gr_90 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="90" data-gr-id="90">are</g> Global Strategic Petroleum Reserves Necessary?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the age of globalization where the price of a product is determined by the demand-supply chain. The interconnected nature of international oil markets makes disruptions in any given area likely to affect prices in much wider geography.</li>
<li>In the event of <strong>a major disruption due to political or natural disaster, countries holding reserves could increase the available supply of oil by releasing some portion of their reserves. The increased supply would moderate price increases caused by the disaster.</strong></li>
<li>An agreement among members of the<strong> International Energy Agency (IEA) requires any country that does not export more reserves than it imports</strong> to maintain reserves equivalent to each country's average 90-day crude oil imports for the previous year.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>3 Biggest 'Global Strategic Petroleum Reserves'</strong></p>
<p><strong>The United States</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The United States is the world&rsquo;s largest holder of the crude reserve.</li>
<li>The United States maintains a strategic petroleum reserve in a complex of caves located along the Gulf Coast. At its maximum inventory, the U.S. reserve held 726.6 million barrels of oil.</li>
<li>It was created in 1973 when the US faced <g class="gr_ gr_88 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="88" data-gr-id="88">oil</g> crisis caused by Arab oil embargo.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>China</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It has the 2nd largest reserves in the world.</li>
<li>Its endeavor to store crude oil started relatively late, in 2007.</li>
<li>A report says that Chinese reserves stand at 475 million barrels at the end of 2017.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Japan</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Japan has third largest petroleum reserves at 324 million barrels.</li>
<li>In 2007 Japan announced its plan to share the strategic reserves with other countries.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Strategic Petroleum Reserves In India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve (ISPR) refers to the emergency<strong> fuel storage maintained by Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited</strong>, a Special Purpose Vehicle - wholly owned subsidiary of Oil Industry Development Board under the Ministry of Petroleum &amp; Natural Gas.</li>
<li>Strategic crude oil storages are at <strong>Mangalore (Karnataka), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and Padur (Karnataka)</strong> as per Phase I. They have fuel storage of total 5. 33 MMT (Million Metric Tonnes).</li>
<li><strong>The government of India is planning to set up two more such caverns at Chandikhol (Odisha) and Udupi (Karnataka) as per phase II</strong> through Public-Private Partnership. This will give an additional 6.5 million tons of the oil reserves.</li>
<li><strong>Thus, a total of 22 days (10+12) of oil consumption will be made available by ISPR.</strong></li>
<li>Crude oil from underground rock caverns (considered safest for storage of Hydrocarbons) can be supplied to refineries through pipelines and ships.</li>
<li><strong>Indian refiners also maintain crude oil storage (industrial stock) of 65 days.</strong> Thus, a total of 87 days (22 by ISPL + 65 by Indian refiners) of oil consumption will be made available in India after completion of Phase II by ISPR. This will be very close to 90 days mandate by the IEA.</li>
</ul>
<h3>India and Oil &amp; Gas sector</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India is expected to be one of the largest contributors to non-OECD petroleum consumption growth globally.</li>
<li>India retained its spot as the third largest consumer of oil in the world in 2017. Oil imports rose sharply to US$ 87.37 billion in 2017-18 from US$ 70.72 billion in 2016-17.</li>
<li>India imports 82% of its oil needs and aims to bring it down to 67% by 2022 by replacing it with local exploration, renewable energy, and indigenous ethanol fuel.</li>
<li>India was the fourth-largest Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) importer in 2017 after Japan, South Korea, and China.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Government Initiatives</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The government of India approved <g class="gr_ gr_102 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling" id="102" data-gr-id="102">fiscal</g> incentives to attract investments and technology to improve recovery from oil fields which is expected to lead to hydrocarbon production worth Rs 50 lakh crore in the next twenty years.</li>
<li>S<strong>tate-run oil firms are planning investments worth Rs 723 crore in Uttar Pradesh to improve the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) infrastructure in a bid to promote clean energy and generate employment.</strong></li>
<li>India is working to establish a natural gas trading exchange as part of a shift away from a reliance on crude oil based products which are blamed for much of the country&rsquo;s pollution problem.</li>
<li>India wants to develop a transparent market for natural gas where the price is determined on an exchange. The aim is to increase the use of natural gas in India&rsquo;s total energy mix from 6.5 percent to 15 percent between 2028 and 2030.</li>
<li><strong>The Oil Ministry plans to set up bio-CNG (compressed natural gas) plants and allied infrastructure to promote the use of clean fuel.</strong></li>
</ul>',
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	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'Strategy for New India @ 75',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>NITI Aayog has released <strong>&lsquo;Strategy for New India @ 75&prime;</strong> document with an aim to <strong>accelerate economic growth to 9-10%</strong> and make the country a <strong>$4-trillion economy by 2022-23.</strong> The document replaces the now-defunct five-year plans.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The document defines the strategy for 2022-23 across <strong>forty-one areas</strong>. Each chapter includes:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Objectives for 2022,</li>
<li>Progress already made,</li>
<li>Binding constraints,</li>
<li>Way forward for achieving stated objectives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The document was prepared after <strong>extensive consultation</strong> with over 800 stakeholders from within the government &ndash; central, state and district levels.</li>
<li>The document has been disaggregated under <strong>four sections: Drivers, Infrastructure, Inclusion and Governance.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Drivers</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Drivers include chapters on growth and employment, doubling of farmers&rsquo; incomes, upgrading the science, technology and innovation ecosystem and promoting sunrise sectors like fintech and tourism.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Sunrise Sector:</strong> It is a new industry that is expanding rapidly and expected to be rise further in the future. It is characterised by high growth, number of startups, increased investment especially through venture capital funding.</p>
</div>
<p><strong>Key recommendations in the section on drivers are</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Economy:</strong> Accelerate the GDP growth rate to raise the economy&rsquo;s size in real terms from USD 2.7trillion in 2017-18 to nearly<strong> USD 4 trillion by 2022-23.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The paper sets an <strong>annual inflation target of 2% to 6%</strong> by 2022-23.</li>
<li>Increase the <strong>investment rate in housing &amp; infrastructure</strong> as measured by gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) from the present 29% to 36% of GDP by 2022.</li>
<li><strong>Rationalise direct taxes</strong> for both corporate tax and personal income tax, ease the tax compliance burden and eliminate direct interface between taxpayers and tax officials using technology.</li>
<li><strong>Increase tax-GDP ratio to 22% of GDP by 2022-23.</strong> India&rsquo;s tax-GDP ratio is around 17%, half of the average 35% for countries part of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).</li>
<li>States should undertake greater mobilisation of their taxes such as<strong> property tax</strong> and take steps to<strong> improve administration of GST</strong> to better tax collections.</li>
<li>The strategy paper also called for having <strong>flexible fiscal deficit targets,</strong> governance reforms in<strong> public sector banks</strong>, performance assessment of executives and <strong>increased flexibility in personnel policy.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Agriculture:</strong> Convert farmers to <strong>&lsquo;agripreneurs&rsquo;</strong> by further expanding <strong>e-National Agriculture Markets (e-NAM)</strong> and replacing the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act with the Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing Act.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The document is silent on farm loan waivers but has suggested the concept of a minimum support price for produce be replaced with that of a <strong>Minimum Reserve Price.</strong> The latter should be the starting point for auctioning at official wholesale markets, so that <strong>farmers get at least a basic income.</strong></li>
<li>Consider <strong>replacing</strong> the Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices<strong> (CACP)</strong> by an<strong> agriculture tribunal</strong> in line with the provisions of Article 323B of the Constitution.</li>
<li>The<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pradhan-mantri-fasal-bima-yojana-(pmfby)" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana</a> needs to promote<strong> weather-based insurance.</strong></li>
<li>Give a strong push to &lsquo;<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-11th-august-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zero Budget Natural Farming</a>&rsquo; techniques that reduce costs,improve land quality and increase farmers&rsquo; incomes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Employment:</strong> Codification of labor laws, upscale and expand apprenticeships.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Enhance female labour force participation, by ensuring employers' adherence to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/maternity-leave-government-for-incentive-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017</a>, and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Minerals:</strong> Launch a mission <strong>&ldquo;Explore in India&rdquo;</strong> by revamping minerals exploration and licensing policy.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Infrastructure</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Infrastructure deals with the physical foundations of growth.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key recommendations in section of Infrastructure are:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Transport:</strong> Expedite the establishment of already approved <strong>Rail Development Authority (RDA)</strong>, for an integrated, transparent and dynamic pricing mechanism for the railways.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Double the <strong>share of freight transported</strong> by coastal shipping and inland waterways.</li>
<li>Develop an <strong>IT-enabled platform</strong> for integrating different modes of transport and promoting multi-modal and digitized mobility.</li>
<li><strong>Private investment</strong> in infrastructure should be focused on through a renewed public-private partnership model.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Digital India:</strong> Aim to <strong>deliver all government services</strong> at the state, district, and gram panchayat level digitally by 2022-23.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Inclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Inclusion deals with investing in the capabilities of all of India&rsquo;s citizens. The <strong>three themes</strong> in this section revolve around the dimensions of <strong>health, education and mainstreaming of traditionally marginalized sections of the population.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key recommendations in section of inclusion are&nbsp;</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Health:</strong> Successfully implementing the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/ayushmanbharat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ayushman Bharat</a> programme, create a focal point for public health at the central level with state counterparts, promote integrative medicine curriculum.</li>
<li><strong>Education:</strong> Upgrade the <strong>quality of the school education</strong> system and skills, including the creation of a new innovation ecosystem at the ground level by establishing at least 10,000 <a href="/summary-of-important-reports/niti-aayog-annual-report-2017-18" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Atal Tinkering Labs</a> by 2020.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Conceptualize an electronic national educational registry for tracking each child&rsquo;s learning outcomes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Housing for all:</strong> Affordable<strong> housing in urban areas</strong> to improve workers&rsquo; living conditions and ensure equity while creating very large <strong>multiplier effects</strong> in the economy.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Governance</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Governance deals with how the governance structures can be streamlined and processes optimized to achieve better developmental outcomes.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key recommendations in section of Governance are</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Implement the recommendations of the <strong>Second Administrative Reforms Commission</strong>.</li>
<li>Set up a new autonomous body, viz., the <strong>Arbitration Council of India</strong> to grade arbitral institutions and accredit arbitrators to make the arbitration process cost effective and speedy, and to preempt the need for court intervention.</li>
<li>Address the<strong> backlog of pending cases</strong> - shift part of workload out of regular court system.</li>
<li>Expand the scope of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/Swachh%20Bharat%20Mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swachh Bharat Mission</a> to cover initiatives for landfills, plastic waste and municipal waste and generating wealth from waste.</li>
</ul>',
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