Reviews will be provided in a week. (In the order of submission- First come first serve basis). In case the answer is submitted late the review period may get extended to two weeks.
*In case your answer is not reviewed in a week, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. If Parth Sir’s tag is available then tag him.
For the philosophy of AWE and payment, check here: Click2Join
This news card is an excerpt from the original article published in The Indian Express and is articulated by C. Raja Mohan.
The Great Reset
The Great Reset is a proposal by the World Economic Forum (WEF) to rebuild the economy sustainably following the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was unveiled in May 2020 by the United Kingdom’s Prince Charles and WEF director Klaus Schwab.
The basis for the said reset
It is based on the assessment that the world economy is in deep trouble.
Schwab has argued that the situation has been made a lot worse by many factors, including the pandemic’s devastating effects on global society, the un- folding technological revolution, and the consequences of climate change.
He demands that the world must act jointly and swiftly to revamp all aspects of our societies and economies, from education to social contracts and working conditions.
Every country must participate, and every industry, from oil and gas to tech, must be transformed.
Agenda behind
The agenda of The Great Reset touches on many key issues facing the world a/c to C Raja Mohan. Three of them stand out as:
First is the question of reforming capitalism
The WEF has been at the forefront of calling for “stakeholder capitalism” that looks beyond the traditional corporate focus on maximizing profit for shareholders.
Second, it is certainly right to focus on the deepening climate crisis
Climate skeptics have been ousted from Washington and President Biden has rejoined the 2015 Paris accord on mitigating climate change.
The third is the growing difficulty of global cooperation
The era of great power harmony that accompanied the liberalization of the global economy at the turn of the 1990s has yielded place to intense contestation. The contestation is not just political but increasingly economic and technological.
The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways has approved a proposal to levy a ‘green tax’ on old vehicles.
Do read about Green Mobility, India’s FAME-I and II Scheme.
Green Tax
Personal vehicles will be charged a tax at the time of renewal of Registration Certification after 15 years.
The policy will come into effect from April 1, 2022.
The levy may differ depending on fuel (petrol/diesel) and type of vehicle.
The proposal will now go to the States for consultation before it is formally notified.
It includes 10-25% of road tax on transport vehicles older than eight years at the time of renewal of fitness certificate.
The proposal on green tax also includes a steeper penalty of up to 50% of road tax for older vehicles registered in some of the highly polluted cities in the country.
Revenue collected from this tax will be kept in a separate account and will be used for tackling pollution, and for States to set up state-of-art facilities for emission monitoring.
Why such a move?
To dissuade people from using vehicles which damage the environment
To motivate people to switch to newer, less polluting vehicles
Green tax will reduce the pollution level, and make the polluter pay for pollution
Exemptions to this tax
Vehicles like strong hybrids, electric vehicles and alternate fuels like CNG, ethanol, LPG etc to be exempted;
Vehicles used in farming, such as tractor, harvester, tiller etc to be exempted;
Other proposals
The Ministry also approved a watered-down policy of deregistration and scrapping of vehicles, bringing only those vehicles owned by government departments and PSUs and are older than 15 years under its ambit.
In 2016, the Centre had floated a draft Voluntary Vehicle Fleet Modernization Programme that aimed to take 28 million decade-old vehicles off the road.
The Supreme Court has asked the Home and Law Ministries to explain the nearly three-year-long lapse in making appointments to the Law Commission.
Try this PYQ:
Q.The power to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court of India is vested in
(a) The President of India
(b) The Parliament
(c) The Chief Justice of India
(d) The Law Commission
What is the news?
The posts of Chairperson and Members have been vacant ever since the 21st Law Commission under the former Supreme Court judge, Justice B.S. Chauhan completed its tenure in August.
The government approved the constitution of the 22nd Law Commission on February 19 last.
However, it has not appointed the Chairperson and Members to date.
What is the Law Commission?
It is an executive body established by an order of the Government of India. The first law commission of independent India was established post Independence in 1955
Tenure: 3 Years
Function: Advisory body to the Ministry of Law and Justice for “Legal Reforms in India”
Recommendations: NOT binding
First Law Commission was established during the British Raj in 1834 by the Charter Act of 1833
Chairman: Macaulay; It recommended for the Codifications of the IPC, CrPC etc.
Composition
The 22nd Law Commission will be constituted for a period of three years from the date of publication of its Order in the Official Gazette. It will consist of:
a full-time Chairperson;
four full-time Members (including Member-Secretary)
Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs as ex-officio Member;
Secretary, Legislative Department as ex officio Member; and
not more than five part-time Members.
Terms of reference
The Law Commission shall, on a reference made to it by the Central Government or suo-motu, undertake research in law and review of existing laws in India for making reforms therein and enacting new legislations.
It shall also undertake studies and research for bringing reforms in the justice delivery systems for elimination of delay in procedures, speedy disposal of cases, reduction in the cost of litigation, etc.
The Law Commission of India shall, inter-alia: –
identify laws that are no longer needed or relevant and can be immediately repealed
examine the existing laws in the light of DPSP and Preamble
consider and convey to the Government its views on any subject relating to law and judicial administration that may be specifically referred to it by the Government through Ministry of Law and Justice (Department of Legal Affairs);
Consider the requests for providing research to any foreign countries as may be referred to it by the Government through the Ministry of Law and Justice (Department of Legal Affairs);
take all such measures as may be necessary to harness law and the legal process in the service of the poor;
revise the Central Acts of general importance so as to simplify them and remove anomalies, ambiguities, and inequities
India was ranked the seventh worst-hit country in 2019 in the Global Climate Risk Index 2021.
The report holds much significance for prelims as well as mains. Just for the sake of information, we must be aware of India’s performance.
Global Climate Risk Index
The GCRI is released annually by the environmental think tank and sustainable development lobbyist Germanwatch.
It analyses to what extent countries have been affected by the impacts of weather-related loss events (storms, floods, heat waves etc.).
It pushes for the need to support developing countries in coping with the effects of climate change.
Highlights of the 2020 year
Global prospects
Mozambique, Zimbabwe and The Bahamas were the worst-affected countries in 2019.
While hurricane Dorian ravaged The Bahamas; Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi were affected by the single extreme weather event of cyclone Idai.
Japan and Afghanistan were the other countries that fared worse than India on the Index, while South Sudan, Niger and Bolivia fared better in comparison but still made it to the top 10 worst-affected countries.
The burden of development
Eight of the 10 countries most affected between 2000 and 2019 were developing countries with low or lower middle income per capita.
Vulnerable people in developing countries suffered most from extreme weather events like storms, floods and heatwaves, whereas the impact of climate change was visible around the globe.
Poorer countries are hit hardest because they are more vulnerable to the damaging effects of a hazard and have the lower coping capacity.
Data about India
According to the Index floods caused by heavy rain in 2019 took 1,800 lives across 14 states in India and displaced 1.8 million people.
Overall, the intense monsoon season affected 11.8 million people, with the economic damage estimated to be $10 billion (Rs.72,900 crore at $1=INR 72.9).
A total of eight tropical cyclones meant that 2019 was one of the most active Northern Indian Ocean cyclone seasons on record. Six of them intensified to become “very severe”.
The worst was Cyclone Fani in May 2019 which affected a total of 28 million people, killing nearly 90 people in India and Bangladesh, and causing economic losses of $8.1 billion (Rs.59,066 crore).
Union Home Minister has rolled out the ‘Ayushman CAPF’ scheme, extending the benefit of the central health insurance programme to the personnel of all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) in the country.
Who are the CAPFs?
The CAPFs refers to uniform nomenclature of five security forces in India under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Their role is to defend the national interest mainly against the internal threats.
They are the Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)
Ayushman CAPF
Under this scheme, around 28 lakh personnel of CAPF, Assam Rifles and National Security Guard (NSG) and their families will be covered by ‘Ayushman Bharat: PM Jan Arogya Yojana’ (AB PM-JAY).
For the CAPF, the existing health coverage was not comprehensive as compared to other military forces.
Do you know?
The goal of universal health coverage (UHC) as stated in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs no. 3) is one of the most significant commitments to equitable quality healthcare for all.
About Ayushman Bharat
PM-JAY aims to provide free access to healthcare for 40% of people in the country.
It is a centrally sponsored scheme and is jointly funded by both the union government and the states.
It was launched in September 2018 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The ministry has later established the National Health Authority as an organization to administer the program.
Key features:
Providing health coverage for 10 crores households or 50 crores Indians.
It provides a cover of 5 lakh per family per year for medical treatment in empanelled hospitals, both public and private.
Offering cashless payment and paperless recordkeeping through the hospital or doctor’s office.
Using criteria from the Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011 to determine eligibility for benefits.
There is no restriction on family size, age or gender.
All previous medical conditions are covered under the scheme.
It covers 3 days of pre-hospitalization and 15 days of post-hospitalization, including diagnostic care and expenses on medicines.
The scheme is portable and a beneficiary can avail medical treatment at any PM-JAY empanelled hospital outside their state and anywhere in the country.
Note these features. They cannot be memorized all of sudden but can be recognized if a tricky MCQ comes in the prelims.
Indian Sunderbans, which is part of the largest mangrove forest in the world, is home to 428 species of birds, a recent publication of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) States.
Sundarban Biosphere Reserve
Sundarbans is the largest delta and mangrove forest in the world.
The Indian Sunderbans, which covers 4,200 sq km, comprises of the Sunderban Tiger Reserve of 2,585 sq km is home to about 96 Royal Bengal Tigers (2020) is also a world heritage site and a Ramsar Site.
The Indian Sunderbans is bound on the west by river Muriganga and on the east by rivers Harinbhahga and Raimangal.
Other major rivers flowing through this eco-system are Saptamukhi, Thakuran, Matla and Goasaba.
Recent studies claim that the Indian Sundarban is home to 2,626 faunal species and 90% of the country’s mangrove varieties.
What is the latest research?
The scientists have listed 428 birds, some, like the Masked Finfoot and Buffy fish owl, are recorded only from the Sunderbans.
India has over 1,300 species of birds and if 428 species of birds are from Sunderbans.
The area is home to nine out of 12 species of kingfishers found in the country as well rare species such as the Goliath heron and Spoon-billed Sandpiper.
Try this PYQ:
With reference to India’s biodiversity, Ceylon frogmouth, Coppersmith barbet, Gray-chinned miniyet and White-throated redstart are–
The second Decimate Prelims Open(free) Test 2021 will live now.
There is no better way to assess your preparation than by writing a test. Do it now and join us for the discussion on Habitat. (links below)
To help you understand your current preparation level before the start of our DECIMATE PRELIMS 2021 program three Free prelims tests were scheduled on 17th Jan, 24th Jan, and 31st Jan 2021.
If you haven’t attempted the first test yet, attempt it. Take some rest. Test solutions and explanations will be emailed to you as soon as you submit the test. Check your All India Ranking.
Quickly go through the solutions. Join us on this (click) Habitat group for the discussions and for doubts. We’ll discuss on how to proceed from there.
3rd Free Decimate Prelims Open Test will be held on 31st Jan 2021. Register for free below.
Decimate Prelims 2021 @ Habitat is a three-phased program that ensures full coverage of current affairs syllabus, related static parts, tests, intensive discussions, and revision.
We’re going more intensive and comprehensive to make sure that you comfortably go beyond 130+ marks and literally decimate prelims.
UPSC is evolving, are you? Bury the old ways of IAS Prelims preparation
Privacy policy update by the WhatsApp recently led to widespread protest from the user forcing company to put the update on hold. If India had made Personal Protection Bill into the law, the privacy policy update would have been illegal. The article deals with this issue.
About WhatsApp
WhatsApp’s unique blend of text, audio, and voice messaging and calling platform.
In November 2014, WhatsApp adopted the Signal protocol for end-to-end encryption after its acquisition by Facebook.
WhatsApp has two billion users worldwide, of which 400 million are in India, the largest in any country.
What the privacy policy update is about
The updated policy seeks consent from users to allow the platform to share their data with Facebook and its companies,
It means that WhatsApp would share transaction data, mobile device information, IP addresses, and other metadata on how users interact with businesses on WhatsApp.
Such sharing would be done with the user being notified before the start of a chat if the business uses Facebook to store and analyze data and the user would have the option of blocking the business.
The update would defy the principle of purpose limitation that has been the yardstick of addressing privacy concerns at a global level.
What is the principle of purpose limitation
The Indian government has also sent a strong note to WhatsApp, seeking the company’s response to 14 queries.
This note has sent a clear message to WhatsApp to not subject Indian users to greater information security risks and vulnerabilities with the consolidation of data from WhatsApp and Facebook.
In the note, the government referred to the principle of purpose limitation provisions in the Personal Data Protection Bill (PDPB) currently being discussed by a joint select committee.
Had the bill been passed by now, WhatsApp’s move would have been illegal.
Provisions in the bill required that every data intermediary has to take explicit permission from the user whose data would be harvested.
Even the method of data classification into sensitive personal data and critical data has been defined and their processing possibilities mentioned in the bill.
Way forward
The government should make the Personal Data Protection Bill into law so that such restrictive practices can never be introduced in the first place.
It is due to such law, WhatsApp did make an exception for its users in the European Union.
The Competition Commission of India should take note that this is a classic case of an organization using its near-monopolistic power to push through something that is not in the consumer interest.
Consider the question “What is the principle of purpose limitation in the Personal Data Protection Bill? How it can help user protect its privacy?”
Conclusion
As Digital India expands and brings in more users from the current base of 70 crores, and more take to social media for communications and business, they must be ensured a safer digital space, given that most wouldn’t be aware of the reach of the data being generated.
The second Decimate Prelims Open(free) Test 2021 will be live tomorrow. – 24th Jan.
To help you understand your current preparation level before the start of our DECIMATE PRELIMS 2021 program three Free prelims tests were scheduled on 17th Jan, 24th Jan, and 31st Jan 2021.
If you hvaent attempted the first test yet, attempt it. Take some rest. Test solutions and explanations will be emailed to you as soon as you submit the test. Check your All India Ranking.
Quickly go through the solutions. Join us on this (click) Habitat group for the discussions and for doubts. We’ll discuss on how to proceed from there.
3rd Free Decimate Prelims Open Test will be held on 31st Jan 2021. Register for free below.
Decimate Prelims 2021 @ Habitat is a three-phased program that ensures full coverage of current affairs syllabus, related static parts, tests, intensive discussions, and revision.
We’re going more intensive and comprehensive to make sure that you comfortably go beyond 130+ marks and literally decimate prelims.
UPSC is evolving, are you? Bury the old ways of IAS Prelims preparation
