Five new Basmati varieties, developed by a group of scientists from Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), in 2020 and 2021 are all set to bring revolutionary changes in the way this type of paddy is cultivated in the country.
About Basmati Rice
Basmati, pronounced is a variety of long, slender-grained aromatic rice which is traditionally grown in India, Pakistan, and Nepal.
As of 2019, India accounted for 65% of the international trade in basmati rice, while Pakistan accounted for the remaining 35%.
Many countries use domestically grown basmati rice crops; however, basmati is geographically exclusive to certain districts of India and Pakistan.
India accounts for over 70% of the world’s basmati rice production.
The areas which have a geographical indication are in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Western Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir
Export potential of Basmati
Basmati rice has a market abroad and brings about âš30,000 crore in foreign exchange every year.
While 75% of the export is to West Asian countries, European Union countries also import Indian Basmati.
However, recently, the export to EU countries faced certain hurdles due to the increase in the pesticide residue levels in the rice from India.
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As the 21st century advances, a new danger the cyber threat is becoming a daily monster. It is hardly confined to any one domain though the military is the one most often touted. Rather, it is the civilian sphere where the cyber threat is becoming more all-pervading today and, in turn, a serious menace.
What is mean by Cyber threat?
A cyber threat or cyber security threat is defined as a malicious act intended to steal or damage data or disrupt the digital wellbeing and stability of an enterprise.
Cyber threats include a wide range of attacks ranging from data breaches, computer viruses, denial of service, and numerous other attack vectors.
How Cyber threat is ever increasing?
Increasing Grey Zone Operations: Grey zone Operations which fall outside traditional concepts of conflicts have become the new battleground, especially in regard to cyber warfare. âGrey Zone Operationsâ are already beginning to be employed to undermine the vital of a stateâs functioning, a trend likely to grow. The convergence of emerging technologies alongside new hybrid usages, pose several challenges to nations and institutions.
Attack on examination: The recent arrest in India, of a Russian for hacking into computers involved in the conduct of examinations for entry into the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), is a reflection of how cybercriminals are significantly amplifying their Grey Zone Warfareâ tactics
Pervasive nature of cyber threat: What is most unfortunate is that not enough attention is being bestowed on the all-encompassing nature of the cyber threat. In the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the world seems awash with papers on artificial intelligence (AI)-driven military innovations and potential crisis hot zones, along with stray references to new forms of hybrid warfare.
Weaponization of everything: There is very little about the threat posed by cyber-attacks. Ignored also is the new reality of the weaponization of everythingâ which has entered the vocabulary of threats. The latter clearly demands a âproto-revolutionaryâ outlook on the part of policymakers, which is evidently lacking.
Becoming a Multi-dimensional threat: Lost in translation is also the nature of todayâs weapon of choice, viz., cyber. This lack of awareness is unfortunate at a time when states clearly lack the necessary resilience to face a variety of multi-vector threats.
Cyber weapon as symbol of national Power: Cyber space has been described by Lt. Gen. Rajesh Pant (retired), Indiaâs current national cyber security coordinator, as a âsuperset of interconnected information and communication technology, hardware, software processes, services, data and systemsâ. Viewed from this perspective, it constitutes a critical aspect of our national power.
Simultaneous attacks in multiple dimensions: Cyber threats are not confined to merely one set of conflicts such as Ukraine, where no doubt cyber tools are being extensively employed extending well beyond this and other conflicts of a varied nature. The cyber threat is in this sense all-pervading, embracing many regions and operating on different planes.
Challenges to Indiaâs cyber security infrastructure
Structural:
1. Absence of any geographical constraints.
2.Lack of uniformity in devices used for internet access.
Administrative:
Lack of national-level architecture for cybersecurity
Security audit does not occur periodically, nor does it adhere to the international standards.
The appointment of the National Cyber Security Coordinator in 2014 has not been supplemented by creating liaison officers in states.
Procedural
Lack of awareness in local police of various provisions of IT Act, 2000, and also of IPSC related to cybercrime.
Lack of data protection regime.
Human Resource Related
Inadequate awareness among people about the security of devices and online transactions.
Section 66F of ITA: Specific provision dealing with the issue of cyber terrorism that covers denial of access, unauthorized access, introduction of computer contaminant leading to harm to persons, property, critical infrastructure, disruption of supplies, âsensitive dataâ thefts. Provides for punishment which may extend to life imprisonment.
National Cyber Security Policy 2013: Policy document drafted by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology. Established National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) to improve the protection and resilience of the countryâs critical infrastructure information; Create a workforce of 5 lakh professionals skilled in cybersecurity in the next 5 years.
National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC): It has been setup to enhance the protection and resilience of Nationâs Critical information infrastructure. It functions under the National Technical Research Organization (NTRO).
Computer Security through CERT-IN: Organization under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology with an objective of securing Indian cyberspace. The purpose of CERT-In is to respond to computer security incidents, report on vulnerabilities and promote effective IT security practices throughout the country. According to the provisions of the Information Technology Amendment Act 2008, CERT-In is responsible for overseeing the administration of the Act.
Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative: It was launched in 2018 with an aim to spread awareness about cybercrime and build capacity for safety measures for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT staff across all government departments.
Cyber Crisis Management Plan (CCMP): It aims at countering cyber threats and cyber-terrorism.
National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC): It seeks to generate necessary situational awareness of existing and potential cyber security threats and enable timely information sharing for proactive, preventive and protective actions by individual entities. National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) under National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) coordinates with different agencies at the national level for cyber security matters.
Cyber Swachhta Kendra: This platform was introduced for internet users to clean their computers and devices by wiping out viruses and malware.
Information Security Education and Awareness Project (ISEA): Training of personnel to raise awareness and to provide research, education, and training in the field of Information Security.
Conclusion
With several non-state actors engaging in hybrid warfare and distorting day-to-day practices, including examinations, these pose legal, ethical and real dilemmas. Left unchecked, the world may have to confront a new kind of Wild West, before states find a common denominator for regulating cyber space and lay down proper rules and practices to prevent anarchy and chaos.
Mains Question
Q. Cyber threat is intruding the daily life of citizens and making the internal security more challenging task. Comment what are the policy loopholes in Indiaâs fight against the cyber threat?
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Context
Humanity has luckily survived 75 years without experiencing nuclear war, can one expect luck to last indefinitely?
In this article, we shall discuss about what raising the nuclear stakes meant for the war in Ukraine and for the world at large.
Nuclear Deterrence: A brief backgrounder
The principle of nuclear deterrence was born out of the symbiosis of the principle of military deterrence and the emergence of nuclear weapons.
It is a military doctrine according to which the possibility that a country will use the nuclear weapons it possesses in retaliation will deter an enemy from attacking.
The idea came to the forefront of US military policy.
It helps avoid a nuclear war as each side tries to secure their interests by avoiding a nuclear confrontation.
Understanding the logic behind
The basic principle of this logic is:
One actor prevents another from taking some action by raising the latterâs fear of the consequences that will ensue.
Hypothetically, if Country A launches a nuclear war against Country B, Country B will be able to inflict enough damage on Country A that it would lead to what theorists call âMutually Assured Destruction (MAD).â
Logic: Nobody will survive to claim oneself a winner!
Thus, in a nuclear war, both sides will be so badly harmed that it will be impossible to declare one side or the other as the winner.
Even if one of them tries to attack and disable the nuclear weapons of its rival, the other would still be left with enough nuclear weapons to inflict unacceptable destruction.
Advantages offered by Nuclear Deterrence
Averting escalation of a world war: The threat of MAD is enough to prevent the worldâs nuclear powers from escalating a conflict to the point that a military confrontation becomes inevitable.
Promote stability: Analysts claim that nuclear weapons do not just protect countries against use of nuclear weapons by others, but even prevent war and promote stability. Ex. Weapons for peace.
Increases stake and credibility of a nation: Security apparatus of a nation earns its global credibility. Having nuke inherently gives a geo-strategic advantage to countries.
Prohibiting coercion: The role of the weapon is narrowly framed for safeguarding against nuclear blackmail and coercion.
Limitations of Nuclear Deterrence
Increase in proxy wars: Nukes have not been shown to prevent proxy wars and acts of terrorism by various non-state actors. Â
Unequal advantage: With the unequal distribution of nuclear capabilities in today’s world, certain nations are at an immediate advantage over other countries. Ex. Russian annexation of de-nuclearized Ukraine.
Complete deterrence is a myth: Several nations have armed themselves with highly maneuverable nuclear missiles that have much more destructive power to burst earth into dust.
Alternative warfare: There is no assurance of peace even both conflicting countries may possess nuclear weapons. Biological wars have replaced nukes that are silent killers in disguise. Ex. Wuhan virus pandemic.
Rise in cold and economic warfare: The world has entered into the phase of a new Cold War e.g. the one between US and China, economic sanctions against Russia, embargo on Visa.
Non–state actors acquiring nukes: In worst nightmares, there is a likelihood that of inadvertent escalation due to acquisition of the nukes by Talibans or any other terror outfits.
Emergence of rogue states: Rogue nation or state regarded as breaking international law and posing a threat to the security of other nations. Ex. North Korea.
Limited nuclear war: In this each side exercises restraint in the use of nuclear weapons, employing small tactical weapons on selected targets. Ex. Pak Minister claiming âPav-Pav kilo ke nuclear bombsâ
Cyberattacks on nuclear command and control: China has been highly successful in manipulating power grids in Pakistan. This can also happen anywhere in the world triggering uncontrolled reactions in nuclear grids.
Problems with the logic of nuclear deterrence
(1) Limited American theory
There are many scholars who have expressed their scepticism about the logic of deterrence by arguing that just because it avoided a nuclear confrontation between then Soviet Union and the US.
The world and of coursem the global security exists beyond US and Russia.
It was the US who ushered nuclear era by bombing Japan and now sermons other to practice restrain.
(2) Still a unverified hypothesis
The logic of nuclear deterrence is not an established norm but a âhypothesisâ and, thus, basing a nationâs security strategy on it is a gamble.
Nuclear deterrence is based on the assumption that a country will avoid starting a nuclear war in order to protect its own security.
(3) Who shall punish the rogues?
Another major flaw with this logic is the presence of many uncontrollable variables.
Ex. the control falls into the hands of the wrong leaders or a soldier deliberately starting a nuclear war to create mischief.
Why is nuclear deterrence still necessary?
Cost-benefit analysis of a nuclear war: It is a given that nuclear weapons can bring so much destruction that the costs of war will outweigh the benefits and this would âdeterâ leaders from engaging in nuclear warfare.
Impact of second strike is dreadful: There is a renewed threat of âsecond-strike capabilityâ that keeps countries from engaging in nuclear warfare.
Acknowledged fact (even by the nerds): Leaders who are driven by personal interests are aware of the fact that no winner would emerge from a nuclear war.
Success of the theory: Despite China, India, and Pakistan having nuclear weapons, the region has been able to avoid a nuclear confrontation and peaceful resolution of conflicts.
During Kargil War, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Pakistan at the time, Shamshad Ahmed, told a Pakistani newspaper that Pakistan is willing to use âany weapon in our arsenal to defend our territorial integrity.â To this, George Fernandez, Indiaâs then Defence Minister, responded that in doing so they would âliquidateâ their own country in the process.
Nuclear Deterrence: Indian perspective
Nuclear deterrence can serve as a pillar of international security only in conjunction with negotiations and agreements on the limitation, reduction, and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
Without them, deterrence fuels an endless arms race, while any serious crisis between the great powers will bring them to the brink of nuclear war.
India believes that nuclear weapons are political weapons, not weapons of war fighting.
Their sole purpose is to deter the use and threat of use of nuclear weapons.
Indiaâs Nuclear Doctrine
This was first articulated by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on May 27, 1998, days after India had undertaken a series of nuclear tests in Pokhran.
It outlined various principles:
Building and maintaining a Credible Minimum Deterrence
Posture of âNo First Useââ nuclear weapons will only be used in retaliation against a nuclear attack on Indian Territory or on Indian forces anywhere
Massive Nuclear retaliation to a first strike will be designed to inflict unacceptable damage
Non-use against non-nuclear states
In response to biological or chemical weapons, India will retain the option of retaliating with nuclear weapons
How India performs well on these lines?
On analyzing Sino-Indian relations, particularly the Ladakh stand-off of 2020, it is evident that both countries are careful to not use nuclear weapons even as a threat.
Both these countries have stated that both have declared No First Use (NFU) positions.
Indiaâs commitment for de-nuclearization
India has always batted for a universal commitment and an agreed global and non-discriminatory multilateral framework.
It has outlined a working paper on Nuclear Disarmament submitted to the UN General Assembly in 2006.
India participated in the Nuclear Security Summit process and has regularly participated in the International Conferences on Nuclear Security organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
India is also a member of the Nuclear Security Contact Group (but has signed off the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)).
India has expressed its readiness to support the commencement of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT).
India couldnât join the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) due to several concerns raised by India.
India has piloted an annual UNGA Resolution on âMeasures to Prevent Terrorists from Acquiring Weapons of Mass Destructionâ since 2002, which is adopted by consensus.
Conclusion
Nuclear deterrence is not just a Cold War term but is extremely valid in a post-Cold War scenario.
Countries have understood the importance of nuclear deterrence and it plays an important role in designing their security strategies.
It is used by countries as a bargaining chip to deter nuclear retaliation by other countries.
However, it should be noted that nuclear deterrence is not the only answer to security problems and its application can be enhanced by using other strategies such as peace talks and confidence-building measures.
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A recent World Bank report, titled âCorrecting Courseâ, captures the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global poverty. The economic mismanagement we were witness to in India resulted in 5.6 crore people slipping into extreme poverty in 2020.
Do You Know?
17 October is observed as International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
The theme for International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2022-2023 is “Dignity For All in Practice: The commitments we make together for social justice, peace, and the planet”
What is the Impact of COVID-19?
Rapid rise in extreme poverty: The number of people living in extreme poverty rose by seven crores million in 2020, as the global poverty rate rose from 8.4% in 2019 to 9.3%in 2020.
Increased Inequality: This is the first time in two decades that the poverty rate has gone up. Global inequalities have widened, evident in the relative impacts felt on incomes in the richest countries as opposed to the poorest; and, unsurprisingly, economic recovery has been similarly uneven.
What the World Bank report says on fiscal policy of developing Nations?
The report focuses on fiscal policy as an instrument for governments in dealing with crises such as the pandemic.
Poorer countries were unable to use fiscal policy as effectively and thus unable to offset the impact of the pandemic to a much lesser degree than richer countries.
Sluggish state of Indian Economy: Indiaâs economy continues to be sluggish in 2022, and one should look back at the policy choices that were made back in 2020.
Absence of official poverty data: The World Bank report relies on the Consumer Pyramids Household Survey (CPHS) by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), in the absence of official poverty data since 2011.
Poverty and fall in GDP: By the estimate, 5.6 crore people are likely to have slipped into poverty as Indiaâs GDP fell by7.5% in FY2020-21.
Indiaâs Population below poverty line: The population below poverty line in India stood at 10% in 2020.
Marginal Incremental spending: Refusal to provide a fiscal stimulus to consumption the Government announced a fiscal stimulus worth Rs.2 lakh crore, or 1% of GDP. However, only a small fraction therein reflected incremental spending.
Inadequate increase in MGNREGA wage: The minor increase to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) wage by Rs.20 per day was a long-pending correction and quite inadequate to say the least.
No money in the hands of households: The majority of Indiaâs stimulus package took the form of credit lines and refinancing schemes to private enterprises, which are an inefficient mechanism to realise the goal of putting money in the hands of people to boost household-level consumption.
The relationship between Indiaâs Tax policies and Poverty
Reduced corporate tax: Through the pandemic and beyond, India persisted with the reduced corporate tax rate that had been announced in September 2019. The reduction of corporate tax from 30% to 22% cost the exchequer Rs.1.84 lakh crore over the last two fiscal years, according to the Parliamentary Committee on Estimates.
Rise in corporate profit: India has refused to reintroduce wealth tax, or indeed, an inheritance tax. At the same time, corporate profits soared, as reported by the CMIE.
Rise in inequality: Through all of this, and in spite of the World Inequality Report terming India as a âpoor and very unequal countryâ.
GST as regressive tax regime: India has repeatedly increased the rates on a wide range of products covered by the Goods and Services Tax as well as increased the prices of cooking and transport fuels. While indirect taxes may help prop up public finances, they place a disproportionate burden on the poor.
Food aid through PMGKAY and the problem associated with it
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana: The announcement of 80-crore people in India would get food aid through the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY), a scheme that continues mainly because of the undeniable household-level distress. PMGKAY is currently estimated to cost about Rs.3.90 lakh crore. Started in April 2020, it has been extended till the upcoming Assembly elections are over.
PMGKAY is not a long-term solution: food aid is not a long-term solution, and certainly does not solve the problem of chronic malnutrition.
World Bank Suggested priorities for Post pandemic recovery
The World Bank report identifies three priorities for fiscal policy for governments to aid with post-pandemic recovery:
1. Targeted subsidies that benefit the poor
2. Public investment to build resilience in the long term;
3. Revenue mobilisation that should rely on progressive direct taxation rather than indirect taxes
Conclusion
Indiaâs fiscally prudent policies had ensured the wealthy state but poor people. However, we must not see Indiaâs story in isolation. Despite the good fiscal packages developed country like UK, USA are heading towards recession. Though sluggish, India has done well to maintain positive growth trajectory but this positive growth must include the growth of the poor as well.
Mains Question
Q.How fiscal policy can impact the poverty? What are the government initiatives to uplift the poor?
Last month, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches across States and Union Territories as part of a pan-India operation, âMegh Chakraâ. The operation, against the online circulation and sharing of Child Sexual Abusive Material (CSAM) using cloud-based storage, was supposedly based on inputs received from Interpolâs Singapore special unit, in turn based on the information received from New Zealand.
Current system of detecting CSAM
Help of foreign agencies: As the public reporting of circulation of online CSAM is very low and there is no system of automatic electronic monitoring, Indiaâs enforcement agencies are largely dependent on foreign agencies for the requisite information.
Operation carbon: In November 2021, a similar exercise code-named âOperation Carbonâ was launched by the CBI, with many being booked under the IT Act, 2000.
American Model of fighting CSAM
Cyber tipline programme under NCMEC: The National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), a non-profit organization in the United States, operates a programme called Cyber Tipline, for public and electronic service providers (ESPs) to report instances of suspected child sexual exploitation. In 2021, the Cyber Tipline received more than 29.3 million reports (99% from ESPs) of U.S. hosted and suspected CSAM.
Mandatory reporting for Internet service providers (ISPs): ISPs are mandated to report the identity and the location of individuals suspected of violating the law. Also, NCMEC may notify ISPs to block transmission of online CSAM.
UK Model of fighting CSAM
Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to ensure safe online environment: In the United Kingdom, the mission of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), a non-profit organisation established by the United Kingdomâs Internet industry to ensure a safe online environment for users with a particular focus on CSAM, includes disrupting the availability of CSAM and deleting such content hosted in the U.K.
ISPs may be held responsible: The IWF engages the analysts to actively search for criminal content and not just rely on reports from external sources. Though the U.K. does not explicitly mandate the reporting of suspected CSAM, ISPs may be held responsible for third party content if they host or caches such content on their servers. In 2021, the IWF assessed 3,61,062 reports, (about 70% reports had CSAM) and seven in 10 reports contained âself-generatedâ CSAM.
Efforts of Global community
Global network for secure IT infrastructure: A global network of 50 hotlines (46 member countries), provides the public with a way to anonymously report CSAM. It provides secure IT infrastructure, ICCAM (I- âSeeâ (c)-Child-Abuse-Material) hosted by Interpol and facilitates the exchange of CSAM reports between hotlines and law enforcement agencies. ICCAM is a tool to facilitate image/video hashing/finger printing and reduce the number of duplicate investigations.
Removal of illegal URLs: In 2021, the number of exchanged content URLs stood at 9,28,278, of which 4,43,705 contained illegal content. About 72% of all illegal content URLs were removed from the Internet within three days of a notice and takedown order.
Internet service providers are exempted from the liability: In India, the Supreme Court of India, in Shreya Singhal (2015), read down Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act to mean that the ISP, only upon receiving actual knowledge of the court order or on being notified by the appropriate government, shall remove or disable access to illegal contents. Thus, ISPs are exempted from the liability of any third-party information.
In the Kamlesh Vaswani (WP(C) 177/2013) case: The petitioner sought a complete ban on pornography. After the Courtâs intervention, the advisory committee (constituted under Section 88 of the IT Act) issued orders in March 2015 to ISPs to disable nine (domain) URLs which hosted contents in violation of the morality and decency clause of Article 19(2) of the Constitution. The petition is still pending in the Supreme Court.
Aarambh India portal: a Mumbai-based non-governmental organization, partnered with the IWF, and launched Indiaâs first online reporting portal in September 2016 to report images and videos of child abuse. These reports are assessed by the expert team of IWF analysts and offending URLs are added to its blocking list. Till 2018, out of 1,182 reports received at the portal, only 122 were found to contain CSAM.
National cybercrime reporting portal: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) launched a national cybercrime reporting portal in September 2018 for filing online complaints pertaining to child pornography and rape-gang rape. This facility was developed in compliance with Supreme Court directions with regard to a public interest litigation filed by Prajwala, a Hyderabad-based NGO that rescues and rehabilitates sex trafficking survivors. As not many cases of child porn and rape were reported, the portal was later extended to all types of cybercrime.
National Crime Records Bureau (MHA): The National Crime Records Bureau (MHA) signed a memorandum of understanding with the NCMEC in April 2019 to receive Cyber Tipline reports to facilitate action against those who upload or share CSAM in India. The NCRB has received more than two million Cyber Tipline reports which have been forwarded to the States for legal action.
The ad hoc Committee of the Rajya Sabha: In its report of January 2020, made wide-ranging recommendations on âthe alarming issue of pornography on social media and its effect on children and society as wholeâ.
Widening of the definition of âchild pornographyâ: On the legislative front, the committee not only recommended the widening of the definition of âchild pornographyâ but also proactive monitoring, mandatory reporting and taking down or blocking CSAM by ISPs.
Breaking of end-to-end encryption: On the technical front, the committee recommended permitting the breaking of end-to-end encryption, building partnership with industry to develop tools using artificial intelligence for dark-web investigations, tracing identity of users engaged in crypto currency transactions to purchase child pornography online and liasoning with financial service companies to prevent online payments for purchasing child pornography.
What needs to be done?
Mandatory reporting of CSAM by ISP, s: According to the ninth edition (2018) report of the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children on âChild Sexual Abusive Material: Model Legislation & Global Reviewâ, more than 30 countries now require mandatory reporting of CSAM by ISPs. Surprisingly, India also figures in this list, though, the law does not provide for such mandatory reporting.
Establish liability of legal persons: The Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child that addresses child sexual exploitation encourages state parties to establish liability of legal persons.
Convention on The Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse: The Council of Europeâs Convention on Cybercrime and Convention on The Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse also requires member states to address the issue of corporate liability.
India should join INHOPE: It is time India joins INHOPE and establishes its hotline to utilize Interpolâs secure IT infrastructure or collaborate with ISPs and financial companies by establishing an independent facility such as the IWF or NCMEC.
Conclusion
India needs to explore all options and adopt an appropriate strategy to fight the production and the spread of online CSAM. Children need to be saved.
Mains Question
Q. How children are Vulnerable against child sexual abuse material (CSAM)? What legal remedies available in India against CSAM?
Prime Minister Narendra Modiâs remarks on English in a recent campaign rally, the controversy over medical education in Hindi and the parliamentary report on promoting Hindi, will give new life to Hindi vs non-Hindi debate.
The status of Hindi language in India
The 2011 linguistic census: Accounts for 121 mother tongues, including 22 languages listed in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.
Widely spoken language: Hindi is the most widely spoken, with 52.8 crore individuals, or 43.6% of the population, declaring it as their mother tongue. The next highest is Bengali, mother tongue for 97 lakh (8%) less than one-fifth of Hindiâs count. In terms of the number of people who know Hindi, the count crosses more than half the country.
Hindi as second language: Nearly 13.9 crore (over 11%) reported Hindi as their second language, which makes it either the mother tongue or second language for nearly 55% of the population.
The Eighth Schedule contains a list of languages in the country. Initially, there were 14 languages in the schedule, but now there are 22 languages.
There is no description of the sort of languages that are included or will be included in the Eighth Schedule.
Constitutional position of Eighth Schedule
There are only two references to these languages in the text of the Constitution.
(i) Article 344(1):
It provides for the formation of a Commission by the President, which should have a chairman and members representing these scheduled languages.
The purpose of the Commission is to make recommendations for the progressive use of Hindi for official purposes of the Union and for restricting the use of English.
(ii) Article 351:
It says it is the Union governmentâs duty to promote the spread of Hindi so that it becomes âa medium of expression for all elements of the composite culture of Indiaâ.
It also aims to assimilate elements of forms and expressions from Hindustani and languages listed in the Eighth Schedule.
What are challenges for promotion of Hindi Language?
Higher knowledge is not available in Hindi: The challenge of Hindi is that inhabiting the world of Hindi is seen as closing off access to the frontiers of knowledge, not just in science but in civic knowledge, like higher echelons of law.
Perceived as inferior language: It is also treated as a marker of parochialism and inferior status.
Hindi as language of Identity not as knowledge: The problem may be less acute with other languages like Tamil, Kannada or Bengali, but it exists. The anomaly of the India experiment is not diversity: It is the claim that the language of self, identity and culture be different from the language of knowledge, privilege and access. This is the experiment India is conducting on a large scale. Is it a sustainable one?
Cultural assertion through language: It is the untapped resentment of a Hindi culture that often is made conscious of its own second-class status in global hierarchies. Millions of vernacular speakers feel disenfranchised in the worlds of knowledge and prestige.
Poor translation mechanism: Our translation missions are so meagre that except for literature, they do not grow the language by translating knowledge into it. So, the division of the function of languages has also become a division of persons, between those whose fluency in English is greater than their fluency in a vernacular, and those who might know English but struggle with it.
English transition is not easy in mid high school: There was also a generation that was taught in a vernacular language very well. They found it easy to switch to English later. Now the education system does not prepare you for either trajectory, not at least on a mass scale, leaving the Hindi speaker relatively stranded.
What should be the way forward?
Hindi should be used for knowledge sharing and communication: The discussion of the language issue ought to be pedagogical rather than political. It will be, for instance, important for doctors to have English to easily access a continually evolving world of research; just translating a few textbooks into vernaculars will not solve the challenge. But it is equally true that the ability to communicate fluently in vernacular languages will be a great asset.
Higher Education in Hindi should be made available: It is also possibly true that for those who did not get an English education, continuing vernacular education should be a medium of expanding their opportunities.
Government has to do its homework: Our education system will have to do the homework to make any language strategy work fully. The skepticism of teaching medicine or engineering in the vernaculars (and not just Hindi) is that our knowledge eco system is not prepared for it; the skepticism of English is that it has left so many people behind.
Conclusion
The genius of India is that it has, historically, not locked itself into binaries over language choice. With creative pedagogies, we can reclaim that heritage. But raising the political pitch on language serves neither the cause of knowledge or national unity.
Mains Question
Q. Why government indulges in promotion of Hindi? Does it right in Indian context to promote only one language nationally?
Coffee cultivation is becoming an increasingly loss-making proposition in India. Already weighed down by the high cost of inputs and production as well as labor shortage, the industry is now also affected by changes in climate patterns, reports from Karnatakaâs coffee heartland.
All you need to know about Coffee plantation
Coffee is a tropical plantation crop.
16° â 28°C temperature, 150-250cm rainfall and well-drained slopes are essential for its growth.
It grows on hilly slopes at the height of 900-1800m.
Low temperature, frost, dry weather for a long time and harsh sunshine are harmful for its plant.
The status Coffee in India
India contributes about 4% of the worldâs total coffee production. It ranks 6thin the world in coffee production.
At present, more than half of the total coffee production in India is produced by Karnataka alone, followed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Coffee plants grow better in the laterite soils of Karnataka in India.
The Arabica variety initially brought from Yemen is produced in the country.
Indian coffee is highly rated and commands premium prices in the global coffee markets.
Indian coffee offering innumerable flavors, aromas and blends. The commodity, for several decades, enjoyed a special position in Indiaâs export lists.
Coffee has high value and high imagery potential at home and overseas market. From being handled and sold as a berry, a green bean, a processed bean, a roasted bean and now a roasted and ground offering, coffee has climbed the hierarchy of value-addition.
Coffee was an important export item for the Union government, when the commodityâs exports were in the range of âš4,000-âš5,000 crore annually.
Do you know the history of Coffee in India?
The history of Indian coffee dates back to around 1600 AD with the planting of Seven Seeds of Mocha by legendary saint Baba Budan in the courtyard of his hermitage in Chikmangalur, Karnataka. The coffee plants remained a garden curiosity before they gradually spread as backyard plantings, and later on to the hills of what is now known as Baba Budan Hills.
However, it wasnât until the 18th century the British entrepreneurs started taking coffee cultivation properly and turned forests in Southern India into commercial coffee plantations
What are Challenges faced by Coffee cultivation in India?
Impact of Climate Change: Drastic changes in climate patterns over the last few years have adversely impacted Indiaâs coffee production and the quality of the crop. There were dry spells between 2015 and 2017 and unseasonal heavy rains, floods and landslides between 2018 and 2022. According to the Coffee Board of Indiaâs post-blossom estimate, production for the 2022 crop is anticipated to be some 30% lower than the estimated production due to the extreme climatic conditions.
Impact of heavy rains: Destruction caused by heavy rains between July and September. The impact of the rains continues, with diseases affecting plants, and estate infrastructure suffering long-term damage. Plantations in Wayanad in Kerala and Palani in Tamil Nadu have also suffered similar losses. fruit rot, stalk rot and root rot and other irreparable damage due to heavy rainfall and landslides, berries turned black and dropped.
Emergence of New diseases: Erratic weather conditions are helping pests to breed and new diseases to emerge, further stressing coffee plantation.
No adequate fund support by government: Sturdy and weather-resistant varieties of coffee may help and stand against climate change, but sadly the government is not providing adequate funds to coffee research stations to develop these.
The volatility in market prices marginalizing producers: The volatility in market prices and the reduced influence of producers in the value chain render coffee cultivation an increasingly loss-making proposition. Producers are getting marginalized. This is rapidly turning out to be a buyer-driven commodity market.
Impact of Exports on cost competitiveness: More than 75% of Indian coffee production is exported. This has an impact on the cost competitiveness of Indian coffee vis-Ă -vis the coffee that is exported from other producer regions, especially since those growers get their finances at very low interest rates.
High Cost of financing: Most private banks insist that growers provide collateral for financing. Since small and medium-size growers are invariably not in a position to provide collateral, the interest rates are high, at around 12%. International interest rates, on the other hand, are negligible, mostly in single digits. This is an advantage for competing coffee-producing region.
Increasing cost of Inputs: Due to the rise in the cost of inputs year on year and the increase in the cost of labor and benefits, which constitute 60% to 70% of total plantation expenditure, coffee growers are left with very little money in hand which is not adequate to repay loans. The cost of inputs around coffee such as fertilizers and agrochemicals has increased by almost 20% in a year.
No pricing mechanism: There is no official price setting mechanism even in the domestic market. So, traders and curers are calling the shots and fixing prices, and growers are at their mercy.
Identity crisis for Indian coffee: On the brand front, Indian coffee is still facing an identity crisis in global markets, although the country started exporting coffee actively before the 19th century. The fact that India sells Robusta and Arabic at a price higher than the hugely advertised Colombia is an indication of the brand building done by the Indian exporter and the quality of Indian coffee. Yet, Indian coffee does not have an individual brand identity in the international markets, Indian coffee was never considered a separate origin coffee. It was always used as filler.
What are the reasons behind the High cost of production?
Rising labor charges: In India, production of coffee is low while the cost of production is on the rise compared to other coffee countries such as Vietnam and Brazil. In Brazil, labour charges account for 25% of the entire production cost, but in India, planters say they account for about 65%
Hard terrain and topography: It is possible to bring down the cost of production to some extent through mechanization, but Indiaâs coffee terrains and topography limit this possibility. At the same time, Indian coffee has a unique positioning as it is shade-grown and grown at elevations, while other major producing countries grow coffee in flat lands.
High cost of Irrigation: Power cuts makes irrigation expensive as the cost of diesel is high. The high cost of inputs leads to the high cost of production which is the main problem for coffee growers. It makes coffee cultivation unviable. Earlier, the cost of production would go up by 4% to 5% annually, but now it goes up at least 20% annually.
Unskilled migrant labour and wage costs: There is increasingly a shortage of labor while the cost of labour is on the rise in the coffee sector. The children of workers in all the three coffee-growing States Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala prefer to move to urban areas. This means plantations are forced to depend heavily on migrant labours who are unskilled. A lot of effort, time and energy has to be invested in training migrant labours. As wage costs are not linked to productivity, growers are mandated to pay the usual wage along with other social costs such as housing and medicines, which adds up some 30% more to the wages. Most plantations simply donât find skilled labour, especially for tasks such as shade-lopping, pruning, and borer tracing.
Way forward
Alternative source of revenue: Finding alternative sources of revenue and increasing domestic consumption on the one hand and branding and promoting Indian coffee better in the global market on the other.
Creating in addition revenue streams: Growers should create additional revenue streams through inter-cropping or through innovative measures. In addition to traditional inter-cropping of pepper and cardamom, coffee growers could try planting exotic fruit-bearing trees, food crops, or getting into fish farming, dairy farming, apiary or green tourism to increase incomes from their coffee gardens. For instance, progressive farmers from Thandikudi in Dindigul district in Tamil Nadu, and from Sakleshpur in Chikkamagaluru district, are growing avocados, mangosteens, oranges, guavas and other fruit bearing trees, amid their coffee plants. In some seasons they say they have even earned more money from these than from coffee and pepper.
Government should permit to plant alternate crops: Considering the change in land use, the government could permit growers to plant alternate crops in a land not suitable for coffee cultivation. Timely conversion will prevent growers from going financially sick.
Coffee Act and the new Coffee (Promotion and Development Bill), 2022: Indiaâs share in the global coffee market may be less than 5%, but the coffee sector is hopeful that the Coffee Act and the new Coffee (Promotion and Development Bill), 2022, will do away the 80-year-old coffee regulation and usher in change.
Conclusion
The coffee community in India, comprising close to 4 lakh coffee growers, hundreds of large planters, associations that represent growers, planters, curers and exporters, and over a dozen Fair Trade Organizations, hopes to boost coffee in the domestic and international markets and counter the problems the industry faces.
Mains Question
Q. Even after getting out of the shackles of the pooling system in 1996, the bean maintained a special status as a valuable export commodity for a long time. Discuss the problems of coffee industry taking a back seat in India and suggest solutions.
The Two-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in the popular âHijab caseâ has delivered a split verdict. The matter will be now heard by a larger Constitution Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India.
Earlier in march 2022, stating that wearing the hijab is not an essential part of Islam and freedom of religion under Article 25 of the Constitution is subject to reasonable restrictions, a full bench of the Karnataka High Court had dismissed a batch of petitions filed by Muslim girls studying in pre-university colleges in Udupi seeking the right to wear hijabs in classrooms.
This decision of the Karnataka HC was challenged in the Supreme court which now received this verdict.
Thus, in this edition of the burning issue we will be analyzing the âHijab Issueâ; the verdicts of different courts, and finally a way forward.
What is a Hijab?
Hijab is a scarf or clothing worn by Muslim women to cover their hair to maintain modesty and privacy from unrelated males either in public or at home.
The concept, however, is not unique to Islam but embraced by other religions too such as Judaism and Christianity.
Different kinds of veiled clothing
Hijab: The hijab covers the hair and chest and is common among Muslim women in South East Asia. Hijab is also a general term referring to the practice of wearing veils of all kinds.
Niqab: It is a veil that covers the face and head, keeping the eye area open.
Burqa: covers the entire body including the whole face, with a mesh window for the woman to see out of.
Khimar: It is a long scarf that covers the head and chest but keeps the face uncovered.
Shayla: A rectangular piece of cloth wrapped around the head and pinned in place.
What is the Hijab Issue?
The origin of the issue: The controversy erupted nationally on January 1, 2022, when six girl students of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial College in Udupi gave a press conference to protest the college authoritiesâ denial of permission to them to keep wearing their hijabs after they entered their classrooms.
Student’s response: The students portrayed the ban as an attack on their religious rights as a minority. Several educational institutions protested against the Karnataka governmentâs compulsory uniform order and denied entry to Muslim girls wearing the hijab. This was challenged in the Karnataka High Court (HC).
How is religious freedom protected under the Constitution?
Article 25(1) of the Constitution guarantees the âfreedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate religionâ.
It is a right that guarantees negative liberty â which means that the state shall ensure that there is no interference or obstacle to exercising this freedom.
However, like all fundamental rights, the state can restrict the right for grounds of public order, decency, morality, health and other state interests.
What was the Karnataka High Court decision?
Upholding the ban: On March 15th, 2022, a three-Judge Bench of the Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justices Krishna Dixit and J.M. Khazi upheld the ban on the hijab in the Stateâs educational institutions.
Distinction needed: In the Judgment, the Court created a distinction between âFreedom of Conscienceâ and âReligious Expressionâ, claiming that while conscience is an internal belief, religious expression is an outward expression of this belief. Wearing the hijab is a form of religious expression, and must be subject to the Essential Religious Practices test.
Not an essential practice: The Court held that wearing the hijab is not an Essential Religious Practice. It did not merit protection under Article 25 of the Constitution of India, 1950.
Should be within fundamental rights ambit: Further, the Court stated that even if it were to accept that wearing the hijab is an Essential Religious Practice, the practice would receive constitutional protection only if it did not conflict with constitutional values such as equality and dignity. The requirement that a practice must be an Essential Religious Practice for constitutional protection is a threshold requirement.
Do not violate the right to freedom: The Court held that the ban on the hijab in State educational institutions did not violate their Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression under Article 19(1) of the constitution.
What Supreme Courtâs spilt verdict says?
(A) Arguments of SC Justice Hemant Gupta:
Justice Hemant Gupta upheld Karnatakaâs prohibitive government order of February 5, saying âapparent symbols of religious belief cannot be worn to secular schools maintained from State fundsâ.
Justice Gupta held that adherence to the uniform was a reasonable restriction to free expression. The discipline reinforced equality. The State had never forced students out of State schools by restricting hijab. The decision to stay out was a âvoluntary actâ of the student.
Justice Gupta held that discipline was one of the attributes students learn in schools; that defiance of rules would be an antithesis of discipline. The students had a right to education under Article 21 but not of insisting on wearing something additional to their uniform, as part of their religion, in a secular school.
He also said âsecularityâ meant uniformity, manifested by parity among students in terms of uniformity. Justice Gupta pointed out that the uniform is an equalizer of inequalities. If students of one faith insisted on a particular dress, others would follow suit. Permitting one religion to wear religious symbols would be an antithesis of secularism.
Justice Gupta, agreed with the government that the âethic of fraternity is best served by complete erasure of all differencesâ, especially religious. Wearing hijabs in secular schools âwould stand out and overtly appear differently. None of the fundamental rights were absolute and all of them should be read together as a whole.
(B) Arguments of SC Justice Dhulia
In his divergent opinion, Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia said secularity meant tolerance to âdiversityâ.
Justice Dhulia stated that the point of whether the hijab was an essential religious practice under Islam or not was essential for the determination of the dispute. According to him, âIf the belief is sincere, and it harms no one else, there can be no justifiable reasons for banning the hijab in a classroom.â The young girl petitioners had asserted their individual and not community right.
Courts are not the forums to solve theological questions as there will always be more than one religious view on a particular religious matter
Wearing or not wearing a hijab to school was âultimately a matter of choiceâ. For girls from conservative families, âher hijab is her ticket to educationâ.
Justice Dhulia disagreed with the idea of forced homogeneity. He said schools and pre-university colleges were the âperfect institutionsâ for children to learn the rich diversity of India and imbibe values of tolerance and accommodation.
He also referred to the Puttaswamy judgment and in particular Justice D.Y. Chandrachudâs observations on the link between privacy and human dignity.
What is the essential religious practices test?
Shirur Mutt case: In 1954, the Supreme Court held that the term âreligionâ will cover all rituals and practices âintegralâ to a religion.
The test to determine what is integral is termed theâessential religious practicesâ test.
The test, a judicial determination of religious practices, has often been criticized by legal experts as it pushes the court to delve into theological spaces.
In criticism of the test, scholars agree that the court should prohibit religious practices for public order rather than determine what is so essential to a religion that it needs to be protected.
Several instances of a court applying the test
In a 2004 ruling, the SC held that the Ananda Marga sect had no fundamental right to perform Tandava dance in public streets since it did not constitute an essential religious practice of the sect.
While these issues are largely understood to be community-based, there are instances in which the court has applied the test to individual freedoms as well.
For example, in 2016, the SC upheld the discharge of a Muslim airman from the Indian Air Force for keeping a beard.
Armed Force Regulations, 1964, prohibits the growth of hair by Armed Forces personnel, except for âpersonnel whose religion prohibits the cutting of hair or shaving of faceâ.
The court essentially held that keeping a beard was not an essential part of Islamic practices.
Issues over the doctrine
In the beginning, the court engaged with the question of whether untouchability, manifested in restrictions on entry into temples, was an âessential part of the Hindu religionâ.
After examining selected Hindu texts, it concluded that untouchability was not an essential Hindu practice.
The idea of providing constitutional protection only to those elements of religion that the court considers âessentialâ is problematic as it assumes that one element or practice of religion is independent of other elements or practices.
So, while the essentiality test privileges certain practices over others, it is all practices taken together that constitute a religion.
How have courts ruled so far on the issue of a hijab?
There are two sets of rulings of the Kerala High Court, particularly on the right of Muslim women to dress according to the tenets of Islam, throwing up conflicting answers.
In 2015, at least two petitions were filed before the Kerala High Court challenging the prescription of dress code for the NEET exam which prescribed wearing clothes with a certain dress code.
Here the Kerala HC directed the CBSE to put in place additional measures for checking students who âintend to wear a dress according to their religious custom, but contrary to the dress codeâ.
Amna Bint Basheer v Central Board of Secondary Education (2016): Here, the Kerala HC examined the issue more closely.
The Court held that the practice of wearing a hijab constitutes an essential religious practice but did not quash the CBSE rule.
The court once again allowed for the âadditional measuresâ and safeguards put in place in 2015.
Fathima Tasneem v State of Kerala (2018): On the issue of a uniform prescribed by a school, the Kerala HC held that the collective rights of an institution would be given primacy over the individual rights of the petitioner.
Way Forward
Pluralism and inclusiveness are characterized by religious freedom. Its purpose is to promote social harmony and diversity.
There is no one uniform code today which is mandated throughout the State. It would be a depressing response from a government that prioritizes uniformity over diversity.
Religious fanaticism, whether by the majority or the minority, has only damaged the secular mosaic.
Despite many criticisms of the practice of hijab being oppressive and detrimental to womenâs equality, many Muslim women view the way of dress to be a positive thing.
The dress code was seen as a way to avoid harassment and unwanted sexual advances in public and worked to desexualize women in the public sphere to allow them to enjoy equal rights of completely legal, economic, and political status.
Conclusion
Given the split verdict, it will be a while before the final verdict in the matter is delivered. Ultimately, it must be remembered the State has a responsibility towards the education of the girl and her future and maintaining the secular fabric in India.
Thus the government, civil society, religious and student bodies must try to come together and look for an amicable out-of-court solution to the issue which is in the best interest of all and also reduces dependency on courts for social reforms.
Global terror-financing watchdog FATF has announced Pakistan‘s removal from its grey list, saying the country has largely completed its action plans on anti-money laundering and financing of terrorism.
What is the FATF?
FATF is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1989 on the initiative of the G7 to develop policies to combat money laundering.
The FATF Secretariat is housed at the OECD headquarters in Paris.
It holds three Plenary meetings in the course of each of its 12-month rotating presidencies.
As of 2019, FATF consisted of 37 member jurisdictions.
India’s say in FATF
India became an Observer at FATF in 2006. Since then, it had been working towards full-fledged membership.
On June 25, 2010, India was taken in as the 34th country member of FATF.
EAG of FATF
The EAG is a regional body comprising nine countries: India, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus.
It is an associate member of the FATF.
What is the role of FATF?
The rise of the global economy and international trade has given rise to financial crimes such as money laundering.
The FATF makes recommendations for combating financial crime, reviews membersâ policies and procedures, and seeks to increase the acceptance of anti-money laundering regulations across the globe.
Because money launderers and others alter their techniques to avoid apprehension, the FATF updates its recommendations every few years.
What is the Black List and the Grey List?
Black List:Â The blacklist, now called the âCall for actionâ was the common shorthand description for the FATF list of âNon-Cooperative Countries or Territoriesâ (NCCTs).
Grey List:Â Countries that are considered safe haven for supporting terror funding and money laundering are put in the FATF grey list. This inclusion serves as a warning to the country that it may enter the blacklist.
Consequences of being in the FATF grey list:
Economic sanctions from IMF, World Bank, ADB
Problem in getting loans from IMF, World Bank, ADB and other countries
Reduction in international trade
International boycott
How had it impacted Pakistan economically?
A country on the âgrey listâ is not subject to sanctions.
However, the âgrey listâ signals to the international banking system that there could be enhanced transaction risks from doing business with the said country.
In 2018, the Economist noted that there had been no direct economic implications when Pakistan was on the grey list from 2012 to 2015.
Instead, Pakistan managed to obtain a $6 billion bailout package from IMF in 2013 and raise additional funding in global debt markets in 2015.
Pakistan claimed the politicization of FATF. Is that true?
In the run-up to the February 2018 decision, the US had weaned Saudi Arabia away, leaving only China and Turkey supporting Pakistan.
China eventually withdrew its objection.
A few days later, India publicly congratulated China for its election as vice president of FATF, lending credence to the speculation that a deal had been reached behind closed doors.
How Pakistan managed to get out of the âingloriousâ list?
Removal from the list mark the culmination of a four-year reform process that has required far-reaching changes to Pakistan’s financial system.
It appears that, Pakistan has performed well in particular to laws governing money laundering and terrorism financing.
Pakistan was given an action plan by FATF in 2018 to address strategic counter-terrorist financing-related deficiencies.
Conclusion
This is not the first time for Pakistan to exit Grey List. It has been swinging on its position on terror financing.
Pakistan first figured in a FATF statement after the plenary of February 2008.
