The highlights of the Consumer Confidence Survey (CCS) were recently released by the RBI pointing to some all-time lows.
Consumer Confidence Survey (CCS)
The RBI conducts this survey every couple of months by asking households in 13 major cities — such as Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Guwahati, Patna, Thiruvananthapuram — about their current perceptions and future expectations on a variety of economic variables.
These variables include the general economic situation, employment scenario, overall price situation, own income and spending levels.
Based on these specific responses, the RBI constructs two indices: the Current Situation Index (CSI) and the Future Expectations Index (FEI).
The main variables of the survey are- Economic situation, Employment, Price Level, Income and Spending.
The CSI maps how people view their current situation (on income, employment etc.) vis a vis a year ago. The FEI maps how people expect the situation to be (on the same variables) a year from now.
By looking at the two variables as well as their past performance, one can learn a lot about how Indians have seen themselves fairing over the years.
Why does it matter?
The CCS is a survey that indicates how optimistic or pessimistic consumers are regarding their expected financial situation.
If the consumers are optimistic, spending will be more, whereas if they are not so confident, then their poor consumption pattern may lead to recession.
What was the main finding?
As Chart 1 shows, the CSI has fallen to an all-time low of 48.5 in May.
An index value of 100 is crucial here, as it distinguishes between positive and negative sentiment.
At 48.5, the current consumer sentiment is more than 50 points adrift from being neutral — the farthest it has ever been. It is important to note that even a year ago, the CSI had hit an all-time low.
The FEI moved to the pessimistic territory for the second time since the onset of the pandemic.
What are the factors responsible for pulling down the CSI and FEI respectively?
The RBI states that CSI is being pulled down because of falling consumer sentiments on the “general economic situation” and “employment” scenario.
So, on the “general economic situation”, RBI finds that there has been a largely secular decline in both current consumer sentiment and future expectations since PM Modi’s re-election in 2019.
What is equally worse is that more people expect the employment situation to worsen a year from now — that is why the one year ahead expectation line is below the zero marks.
Big takeaways
These data layout the tricky challenge facing the Indian economy.
If the government’s strategy for fast economic growth — expecting the private sector to lead India out of this trough by investing in new capacities — is to succeed, then consumer spending (especially on non-essentials) has to go up sharply.
But for that to happen, household incomes have to go up; and for that to happen, the employment prospects have to brighten; and for that to happen, again, companies have to invest in new capacities.
The Rengma Nagas in Assam have written to Union Home Minister demanding an autonomous district council amid a decision by the Central and the State governments to upgrade the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) into a territorial council.
Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council
KAAC is an autonomous district council in the state of Assam, India for the development and protection of tribals living in area namely Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong district.
The council is constituted under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India and administratively functions under the Government of Assam.
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:
Q.The Government enacted the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act in 1996. Which one of the following is not identified as its objective?
(a) To provide self-governance
(b) To recognize traditional rights
(c) To create autonomous regions in tribal areas
(d) To free tribal people from exploitation
What are such Autonomous Council?
The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India allows for the formation of autonomous administrative divisions which have been given autonomy within their respective states.
Most of these autonomous district councils are located in North East India but two are in Ladakh, a region administered by India as a union territory.
Presently, 10 Autonomous Councils in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura are formed by virtue of the Sixth Schedule with the rest being formed as a result of other legislation.
Powers and competencies
Under the provisions of the Sixth Schedule, autonomous district councils can make laws, rules and regulations in the following areas:
Land management
Forest management
Water resources
Agriculture and cultivation
Formation of village councils
Public health
Sanitation
Village and town level policing
Appointment of traditional chiefs and headmen
Inheritance of property
Marriage and divorce
Social customs
Money lending and trading
Mining and minerals
Judicial powers
Autonomous district councils have powers to form courts to hear cases where both parties are members of Scheduled Tribes and the maximum sentence is less than 5 years in prison.
Taxation and revenue
Autonomous district councils have powers to levy taxes, fees and tolls on; building and land, animals, vehicles, boats, entry of goods into the area, roads, ferries, bridges, employment and income and general taxes for the maintenance of schools and roads.
The dark web refers to websites on the darknet, a network built over the internet which provides added anonymity. Many users surf the dark web due to its greater privacy levels compared to the regular internet, AKA the ‘clear web’. It can also, however, offer a platform to criminals looking to trade illegal goods and orchestrate darknet scams.
Introduction
A darknet or darknet is an overlay network within the Internet that can only be accessed with specific software, configurations, or authorization, and often uses a unique customized communication protocol.
Dark Web is the virtual equivalent of a black market. Like Silk Road that marketed illegal drugs through the Dark Web, entities that want to operate out of the arms of the law seek refuge in the Dark Web.
The darknet, also known as the “dark web,” is a component of the greater “deep web,” a network of encrypted Internet content that is not accessible via traditional search engines.
The darknet is most often used for illegal activities such as black markets, illegal file sharing, and the exchanging of illegal goods or services (including stolen financial and private data), and the anonymity of the darknet attracts drug dealers, hackers, and child pornography peddlers.
Darknet markets have been instrumental in the development of cryptocurrencies because transactions completed on darknet markets using cryptocurrency protect both the buyer and seller.
Darknet Vs Darkweb
The terms “darknet” and “deep web” are occasionally used interchangeably. However, this is not correct.
The darknet is part of the greater deep web. The deep web encompasses all unindexed sites that don’t pop up when you do an Internet search.
Not all activities associated with the deep web are nefarious. In most cases, these pages are not searchable through traditional channels.
The darknet is part of the deep web, but it refers to websites that are specifically used for nefarious reasons. Darknet sites are purposefully hidden from the surface net by additional means.
How it works
One of the most common ways that darknet websites are separated out from the surface net is through encryption. Most darknet websites use the Tor encryption tool to help hide their identity.
Tor allows individuals to hide their location, appearing as if they are in a different country.
When individuals use Tor, their IP addresses and other identifying information are similarly encrypted.
It is not difficult for an individual to access the darknet as long as they have the proper encryption tools.
The Tor encryption tool uses many layers of encryption and anonymizes all traffic by routing it through a dense network of secure relays.
Tor software is not illegal but the way that it is used can be illegal. Tor is not always used to access darknet services.
Advantages
Express views: The dark web helps people to maintain privacy and freely express their views. Privacy is essential for many innocent people terrorized by stalkers and other criminals.
Facilitate whistleblowing :The dark net can facilitate whistleblowing and news leaks, act as a tool to allow individuals to circumvent censorship networks, and can be used as a means of protecting political dissidents from reprisal.
Journalists seeking to interview citizens of repressive countries where communications are monitored might use the dark net.
Undercover activities: The popularity of the dark web with criminals makes it a perfect way for undercover police officers to communicate.
Disadvantages
Computer crime (cracking, file corruption, etc.)
File sharing (warez, personal files, pornography, confidential files, illegal or counterfeit software, etc.)
Sale of restricted goods on darknet markets
Purchase or sale of illicit or illegal goods or services
Circumventing network censorship and content-filtering systems, or bypassing restrictive firewall policies.
While the dark web promises privacy to its users, it can also be used to violate the privacy of others. Private photos, medical records, and financial information have all been stolen and shared on the dark web.
Need of a data protection law
Data protection is a must in the age of digital era. The law should encompass all the aspects- data collection, processing and sharing practices in an integrated manner. The Kerala Police has set up a ‘state-of-the-art lab’ to intervene and crack down on the rising criminal activities over the Darknet, also known as the underworld of the Internet. The state must prevent and investigate digital crimes, prevent misuse of data and encourage data security through legislation.
Data theft protection: Unlike the data protection regulations in place in the European Union and in the U.S., India still lacks a comprehensive legal framework to protect data privacy. Considering the manner in which public data are being stored and used by both the state and private entities, data of individuals is at high risk for being misused in Darknet. For efficient management of data in the age of digitisation, a data protection law is needed.
Right to privacy: The Supreme Court (SC) in Justice K.S Puttaswamy vs Union of India case, declared that the right to privacy is an inherent part of the fundamental right under Article 21 of the constitution. Thus, it is the duty of the state to safeguard individual’s privacy through legislation.
Rising cyber-crime: Public data leaks have been quite common in India from government websites enabling the download of Aadhaar numbers to electoral data rolls being downloaded in bulk, among others. Due to increased digitisation and increased digital complexities, data protection is needed for the hour. Recent rise of crimes like WhatsApp, Pegasus scam demands a data protection law in place.
Regulating companies: Large amounts of personal data have been collected by state agencies and private companies and their flow across national boundaries has been a cause for concern. There are many instances that the state and private agencies that are using the personal data are not transparent on the purpose for which the data is being used. To curtail the perils of unregulated and arbitrary use of personal data a legislation must be in place.
Digital India: With a billion population, India has the second highest internet user base in the world. India has 450 million internet users and is expected to increase to 730 million by 2020. With emphasis on digital India, the government must ensure the safety of citizen’s data.
Darknet and India
The Centre has directed all law enforcement agencies to have eye over foreign-based content providers of data and metadata and to make legislative changes to provide immunity for cyber hackers, which law enforcement agencies use to counter Dark web transactions.
In India, the Information Technology Act deals with cybercrime and comes under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. There are only six sections in the law that deal with cybercrime.
Centre for Development of Advanced Computing is working with CSIR on developing a darknet telescope base cyber security monitoring and interference framework. This will help law enforcement agencies track cyber criminals who are selling illegal products and services on such platforms and also track terrorism relate communications and activities.
Way Forward
Since the dark web serves as both a hotbed for illegal activity and a platform for users to anonymously voice their thoughts freely, there is demand for its continued existence. In the future, the dark web community will develop advanced tactics to evade detection by the authorities. To minimize the illegal activities on darknet following steps must be taken:-
Nodal agency: As cryptocurrency becomes more mainstream, it will increasingly be used to facilitate dark web transactions. To stop or minimize this a nodal agency must be set up so as to keep a check on crypto transactions used for nefarious activities.
Cybercrime units around the world must be kept updated with advancements in the darknet society thereby giving them enough power to handle and tackle any illegal activity across the darknet. There must be international cooperation to deal with the issue.
Kerala Police Department’s initiative, Cyberdome, a premier facility dedicated to prevent cybercrime and mitigate cybersecurity threats to the State’s critical information infrastructure, is a step in the right direction which other concerned authorities across the nation can learn from.
President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday appointed of Anup Chandra Pandey, a retired Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer, to the post of Election Commissioner.
Election Commission of India (ECI)
The ECI is a constitutional body responsible for administering elections in India according to the rules and regulations mentioned in the Constitution of India.
It was established on January 25, 1950.
The major aim of the election commission of India is to define and control the process for elections conducted at various levels, Parliament, State Legislatures, and the offices of the President and Vice President of India.
It can be said that the Election Commission of India ensures the smooth and successful operation of the democracy.
Functions
According to Article 324 of the Indian Constitution:
the ECI has superintendence, direction, and control of the entire process for conduct of elections to Parliament and Legislature (state legislative assembly & state legislative council) of every State and to
the offices of President and Vice-President of India
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:
Q.Consider the following statements:
The Election Commission of India is a five-member body.
Union Ministry of Home Affairs decides the election schedule for the conduct of both general elections and bye-elections.
Election Commission resolves the disputes relating to splits/mergers of recognized political parties.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (CSP 2017)
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 3 only
Its composition
Initially, the commission had only a Chief Election Commissioner. Presently, it consists of a Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners.
For the first time, two additional Commissioners were appointed on 16th October 1989 but they had a very short term till 1st January 1990.
Afterward, on 1st October 1993, two additional Election Commissioners were appointed.
The concept of a multi-member Commission has been in operation since then, with decision-making power by majority vote.
Appointment & Tenure of Commissioners
The President has the power to select Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners.
They have a tenure of six years, or up to the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
They have the same status and receive pay and perks as available to Judges of the Supreme Court of India.
The CEC can be removed from office only through accusation by Parliament.
The election commissioner or a regional commissioner shall not be removed from office except on the recommendation of the CEC.
The Supreme Court has directed the States and Union Territories (UTs) to take stringent action against private individuals and NGOs who invite people to illegally adopt children orphaned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The court ordered the government to step in and prevent private entities from revealing the identities of COVID-19 affected children, usually on social media and inviting people to adopt them.
No adoption of affected children should be permitted contrary to the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 the court-ordered.
It was illegal to invite strangers to adopt children, already traumatized by their personal losses, without the involvement of the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA).
About CARA
Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) is an autonomous and statutory body of the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It was set up in 1990.
It functions as the nodal body for the adoption of Indian children and is mandated to monitor and regulate in-country and inter-country adoptions.
CARA is designated as the Central Authority to deal with inter-country adoptions in accordance with the provisions of the 1993 Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption, ratified India in 2003.
It primarily deals with the adoption of orphaned, abandoned and surrendered children through its associated and recognized adoption agencies.
In 2018, CARA has allowed individuals in a live-in relationship to adopt children from and within India.
More than 1.10 lakh web links, including websites and online marketplaces, have been taken down in the operation Pangea XIV.
Operation Pangea XIV
Code-named “Operation Pangea XIV”, the exercise was coordinated by Interpol.
It involved the police, customs, and health regulatory authorities of 92 countries against the sale of fake and illicit medicines and medical products.
Indian agencies also participated in the operation, said an official of the Central Bureau of Investigation that is the nodal body for the Interpol in the country.
It showed that criminals were continuing to cash in on the huge demand for personal protection and hygiene products due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Supreme Court has ordered the Haryana government to take “all essential measures” to remove encroachments, including some residential constructions, in the ecologically fragile Aravali forest land near a village.
Aravali Range
The Aravali is a mountain range in Northwestern India, running approximately 670 km in a southwest direction, starting near Delhi, passing through southern Haryana and Rajasthan, and ending in Gujarat.
The highest peak is Guru Shikhar at 1,722 meters.
The Aravalli Range, an eroded stub of ancient mountains, is the oldest range of fold mountains in India.
The natural history of the Aravalli Range dates back to times when the Indian Plate was separated from the Eurasian Plate by an ocean.
Three major rivers and their tributaries flow from the Aravalli, namely Banas and Sahibi rivers which are tributaries of Yamuna, as well as Luni River which flows into the Rann of Kutch.
The Sariska-Delhi leopard wildlife corridor is a 200 km long important biodiversity and wildlife corridor which runs from the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan to Delhi Ridge.
Threats to its existence
Ecological degradation in the Aravalli region is in an alarming situation.
This is due to the increasing population of humans and cattle, injudicious use of natural resources, unscientific mining, uncontrolled grazing, and felling of trees.
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:
Q.With reference to the river Luni, which one of the following statements is correct?
(a) It fl ows into Gulf of Khambhat
(b) It fl ows into Gulf of Kuchchh
(c) It fl ows into Pakistan and merges with a tributary of Indus
(d) It is lost in the marshy land of the Rann of Kuchchh
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The article discusses the future pushback against China in South Asia and Indo-Pacific as Quad gains more momentum.
Context
Recently, the Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh, Li Jiming, warned Dhaka that there will be “substantial damage” in bilateral ties between China and Bangladesh if the latter joins the Quad.
Bangladesh’s reaction
Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen promptly and publicly challenged the Chinese envoy’s statement, underlining categorically that Dhaka pursues an independent foreign policy.
That China’s remarks would reverberate far beyond South Asia was expected and perhaps intended.
The spokesperson of U.S. State Department remarked, “What we would say is that we respect Bangladesh’s sovereignty and we respect Bangladesh’s right to make foreign policy decisions for itself.”
Implications for South Asia and Info-Pacific
With its message to Bangladesh, Beijing was laying down a marker that nations should desist from engaging with the Quad.
This episode captures the emerging fault lines in South Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific.
For all its attempts to play down the relevance of the Quad, Beijing realises that the grouping, with all its weaknesses, is emerging as a reality and there is little it can do to prevent that.
And so, it is agitated about Quad’s future role and its potential success in offering the regional states an alternative to its own strong-arm tactics.
About Quad’s agenda
The Quad member states are figuring out a cohesive agenda amongst themselves and there are no plans for an expansion.
There is a desire to work with like-minded nations but that can only happen if the four members of the Quad can build a credible platform first.
Quad has not asked any country to join and no one has shown an interest.
But China wants to ensure that after failing in its initial attempt to prevent the Quad from gaining any traction.
Its message is well understood by other states who may harbour any desire of working closely with the Quad members.
Way forward
Beijing has failed to prevent nations from the West to the East from coming out with their Indo-Pacific strategies.
It has failed to prevent the operationalisation of the Quad, and now it might be worried about other nations in the region thinking of engaging with the Quad more proactively.
Even Bangladesh is planning to come out with its own Indo-Pacific strategy and Beijing has now warned Dhaka that a close cooperation with the Quad should not be part of the policy mix.
As the Quad gains more momentum and the churn in the waters of the Indo-Pacific leads to new countervailing coalitions against China, Beijing’s belligerence can only be expected to grow.
Conclusion
Beijing is more likely to demand clear-cut foreign policy choices from its regional interlocutors, as its warning to Bangladesh underscores. But as Dhaka’s robust response makes it clear, states are more likely to push back than become subservient to Chinese largesse.
