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Explaining Li-Fi

 

• Light Fidelity or Li-Fi is a technology for wireless communication between devices using light to transmit data and position.
• It is based on visible light communication.
• In its present state only LED lamps can be used for the transmission of visible light.

Components

The main components of this communication system are :

• LED Bulb : A high brightness white LED which acts as a communication source.
• A Silicon photo-detector – It shows a good response to the visible wavelength region and serves as the receiving element.

Working of Li-Fi

• A lamp fitted with an LED with signal processing technology stream data embedded in its beam at ultra-high speed to its photodetector.
• A receiver dongle then converts the tiny changes in amplitude into an electric signal, which is then converted back into a data stream and transmitted to a computer or a mobile device.
• Moreover, as the LED bulbs that are used are a semiconductor, the current and optical output can be modulated at extremely high speeds making it too quick to be perceived with the human eye and hence the communication seems to be seamless just like radio frequency (RF) communication.

Li-Fi vs Wi-Fi

 

 

Potential Applications

Hospital: Li-Fi can be used in the places where it is difficult to install the optical fibers like hospitals. Besides providing a higher speed, light waves also have little effect on medical instruments and human bodies.

• Security : In contrast to radio frequency waves used by Wi-Fi, lights cannot penetrate through walls and doors. This makes it more secure and makes it easier to control access to a network.
• Traffic Management : Vehicles could communicate with one another via front and back lights to increase road safety. Also, street lights and traffic signals could also provide information about current road situations.
• Underwater application : Most remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) are controlled by wired connections. The length of their cabling places a hard limit on their operational range, and other potential factors such as the cable’s weight and fragility may be restrictive. Since light travels through water, Li-Fi based communications could offer much greater mobility.
• Industrial automation : Anywhere in industrial areas data has to be transmitted, Li-Fi is capable to replace slip rings, sliding contacts and short cables, such as Industrial Ethernet. Due to the real time capability of Li-Fi (which is often required for automation processes) it is also an alternative to common industrial Wireless LAN standards.

Conclusion

Li-Fi can act as one of the important role under wireless communication system technologies and can help in overcoming some of the constraint in existing technologies

Sexual Harassment at Workplace – #MeToo movement

Context

• Accusations of sexual assault have spread across India’s social media as the #MeToo movement took aim at prominent journalists, writers, editors and a comedian.
• Scores of women, many journalists, came out this week with accounts of sexual harassment from colleagues and editors, accusing them of indecent remarks, unwanted touches, demands for sex, and the dissemination of pornography.
• The last couple of years have seen a tidal wave of sexual allegations and accusations against men in professionally powerful positions across the globe, and it seems that finally, this wave has now reached Indian shores.

INTRODUCTION

Sexual harassment constitutes a gross violation of women’s right to equality and dignity. It has its roots in patriarchy and its attendant perception that men are superior to women and that some forms of violence against women are acceptable. Half of the total number of crimes against women is related to the molestation and harassment at the workplace.

The increasing work participation rate of women made it imperative for enacting a comprehensive legislation focusing on prevention of sexual harassment as well as providing a redressal mechanism, starting with Vishakha Guidelines to Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act.

Vishakha Judgement

• The Supreme Court in 1997 in the case of Vishakha vs. state of Rajasthan provided the first authoritative decision of ‘sexual harassment’ in India; and confronted with a statutory vacuum, it went creative and proposed the route of ‘judicial legislation’.
• It laid down the requirements for employers dealing with complaints of sexual assault and stipulated the formation of committees to dispose of complaints from victims of harassment. These guidelines came to be known as Vishakha Guidelines.
• This is part of what the Supreme Court had stated in 1997 that gender equality under Article 14, 19 and Right to Life under Article 21, the dignity of women has to be maintained.

Definition of Sexual Harassment as defined by the Supreme court

• Anything at work that can place the working woman at disadvantage compared to other male employees in her official career just because she is a woman – can be termed as sexual harassment.
• Unwelcome sexually determined behaviour & demands from males employees at the workplace, such as:
  • any physical contacts and advances,
  • sexually coloured remarks,
  • showing pornography,
  • passing lewd comments or gestures,
  • sexual demands by any means,
  • any rumours/talk at the workplace with sexually coloured remarks about a working woman, or
  • Spreading rumours about a woman’s sexual relationship with anybody.

The Vishaka Guidelines

1. All employers whether in the public or the private sector should take appropriate steps to prevent sexual harassment.
2. Appropriate work conditions should be provided in respect of work, leisure, health and hygiene to further ensure that there is no hostile environment towards women and no woman should have reasonable grounds to believe that she is disadvantaged in connection with her employment.
3. Where such conduct amounts to specific offences under the Indian Penal Code or any other law, the employer shall initiate appropriate action in accordance with the law, by making a complaint with the appropriate authority.
4. Victims of sexual harassment should have the option to seek transfer of the perpetrator or their own transfer.

The Preventive Steps as suggested by SC in Vishaka Case

1. Guidelines should be prominently notified to create awareness about the rights of women employees.
2. Sexual harassment should be discussed at workers’ meetings, employer-employee meetings and at other appropriate forums.
3. Employers should assist the persons affected in cases of sexual harassment by outsiders or third parties.
4. Both Central and State governments are required to adopt measures including legislation to ensure that private employers also observe these guidelines.
5. Employers must form a Complaints Committee which is to be headed by a woman. Half the members of the committee should be women.

Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act

Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act was passed in 2013. It broadens the Vishaka guidelines, which were already in place.

Definition -An aggrieved victim is a woman “of any age whether employed or not”, who “alleges to have been subjected to any act of sexual harassment”.

• The Act thus covers the rights of all women working or visiting any workplace, in any capacity.
• Sexual harassment is any one or more of “unwelcome acts or behaviour”, committed directly or by implication.
• They include:

1. Physical contact & advances
2. A demand or request for sexual favours
3. Sexually coloured remarks
4. Showing pornography
5. Any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature

Additionally, the Act mentions five circumstances that amount to sexual harassment:

1. implied or explicit promise of preferential treatment in her employment
2. implied or explicit threat of detrimental treatment
3. implied or explicit threat about her present or future employment status
4. interference with her work or creating an offensive or hostile work environment
5. humiliating treatment likely to affect her health or safety

• ICC – Every employer must constitute an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) at each office or branch with 10 or more employees.
• For the ICC to act, it is not compulsory that the victim must write a complaint.
• If the woman is unable to make a complaint on account of her “physical or mental incapacity or death or otherwise”, her legal heir may do so.
• The identity of the woman, respondent, witness, any information on the inquiry, recommendation and action taken should not be made public.
• Time-frame – The complaint has to be made “within 3 months from the date of the incident”.
• For a series of incidents, it has to be made within three months from the date of the last incident.
• However, this time-frame is not rigid as the ICC can “extend the time limit”, if it is satisfied that the circumstances were such which prevented the woman from filing a complaint in that period.
• IPC – The ICC may forward the complaint to the police under Indian Penal Code Section 509.
• The Section relates to word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman, which would lead to the maximum punishment of 1 year in jail with fine.
• ICC Inquiry – Otherwise, the ICC can start an inquiry that has to be completed within 90 days.
• The ICC has similar powers to those of a civil court in respect of the following matters:

1. summoning and examining any person on oath
2. requiring the discovery and production of documents

• When the inquiry is completed, the ICC is to provide a report of its findings to the employer within 10 days.
• While the inquiry is on, the woman can make a written request to the ICC regarding work.
• The ICC, “may”, then recommend her transfer, leave for 3 months, or any other relief as may be prescribed.
• Actions – If the allegations are proved, the ICC recommends that the employer take action for sexual harassment.
• This would be in accordance with the provisions of the service rules, which vary from company to company.
• It also recommends that the company deduct from the salary of the person found guilty, “as it may consider appropriate”.
• Compensation is determined based on five aspects:

1. suffering and emotional distress caused to the woman
2. loss in career opportunity
3. her medical expenses
4. income and financial status of the respondent
5. the feasibility of such payment

• Appeal – After the recommendations, the aggrieved woman or the respondent can appeal in court within 90 days.
• False complaint – In a case of false/malicious complaint and false evidence, ICC “may recommend” the employer to take action against the woman who has made the complaint.
• However, it cannot be taken for “mere inability” to “substantiate the complaint or provide adequate proof”.
• Conciliation – The ICC “may”, before the inquiry, take steps to settle the matter between the victim and respondent through conciliation.
• This is only “at the request of the aggrieved woman,” and provided that no monetary settlement is made as a basis of conciliation.

Criticism of the Act

Firstly, it fails to cover those women working in the agricultural workers and armed forces, which are largely men – dominated sectors.

Secondly, the act appears to be gender biased since it only protects women.

Thirdly, the act has a wide scope for false allegations. There are high chances of these laws getting misused at the hands of women for their personal benefits.

Fourthly, the provision regarding the fixing of the monetary compensation according to the economic potential of the person makes it discriminatory since the person with high rank and status will be made to pay more than the person with low status, which from nowhere seems to serve any purpose other than being discriminatory in nature.

The Effects of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

The impact of sexual harassment at the workplace is far-reaching and is an injury to the equal right of women. Not only does it impact her, but it also has a direct bearing on workplace productivity as well as the development of society.

1. Emotional Well-Being 
Sexual harassment can jeopardize the victim’s emotional and mental health. It can lead to the loss of self-esteem and it may even compromise personal relationships. Sexual harassment in the workplace can cause significant stress and anxiety.

2. Physical Health 
Physical health and emotional health are closely linked. It often leads to physical health issues, such as loss of appetite, headaches, weight fluctuations, and sleep disturbances. Sleep disturbances can, in turn, lead to other serious health problems, such as hormonal imbalance, an increased risk of high blood pressure, and a weakened immune system.

3. Financial Challenges 
In addition to causing health problems, sexual harassment frequently leads to financial challenges. Some victims of sexual harassment may even face broader career repercussions, such as the loss of job references. They may decide to leave their current position or employer to avoid a hostile work environment.

4. Global Consequences

• Sexual harassment has a direct effect on employers and the global economy. Each year, millions are lost due to absenteeism , low productivity, employee turnover, low morale, and legal costs stemming from sexual harassment. The economy also suffers due to premature retirement and higher insurance costs.
• National Sample Survey (NSS) data for India show that labour force participation rates of women aged 25-54 (including primary and subsidiary status) have stagnated at about 26-28% in urban areas, and fallen substantially from 57% to 44% in rural areas, between 1987 and 2011.

Concerns / Challenges

• Despite these advances, a 2015 study by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and EY suggested that 36% of Indian companies and 25% of multinational corporations in India were not compliant with this Act.
• The problem is of mindset particularly those educated and well trained.
• Much of it depends on the implementation which is worrisome. Some people who are in very influential position are accused and they have got away with it. In India wherever the accused has been influential they have got a free hand. It creates a sense of alienation, disbelief about the law.
• Women are exploited by the superior in the matter of promotion, emoluments and better prospects in job etc.

The need of the Hour

• There has to be a sense of fear in the mind of the offenders which has to be ensured.
• Elaborate suggestion, punishment and disciplinary action have to be taken. The Department of Personnel and Training,  Ministry of Women and Child Development should see to it that no matter who is accused should be severely dealt with which would instil a gender sensitive society.
• More than this is the attitudinal change, how we raise the sons in the families, how we make men respect women within the family and within the private spaces will matter. The socialisation process and education all go towards making the man much more sensitive while dealing with women.
• There must also be equal punishment to women who make false charges.
• The law makers must think it over that any complaint of rape should have a time bar and complaints cannot be entertained beyond certain time limit. There are instances where the women approach the police or court with the charges of rape happened three years ago and there can be some motive behind the complaint. So there has to be a time bar within which the compliant should be registered say within 6 months or 1 year.
• There are 100s of private companies where they don’t have any committee to look into the complaints of sexual harassment of women. The government have to look upon these companies and have proper investigation.

What does the MWCD Handbook specify?

• The Ministry of Women & Child Development (MWCD) has published a Handbook in this regard.
• It gives more detailed instances of behaviour that constitutes sexual harassment at the workplace:

1. Sexually suggestive remarks, offensive remarks, inappropriate questions or remarks about a person’s sex life
2. Display of sexist/offensive pictures, posters, MMS, SMS etc
3. Intimidation, threats, blackmail around sexual favours; also, any kind of threats against an employee who speaks up
4. Unwelcome social invitations with sexual overtones, commonly seen as flirting/Unwelcome sexual advances

• It says “unwelcome behaviour” is experienced when the victim feels bad or powerless, causing anger/sadness or negative self-esteem.
• It adds that unwelcome behaviour is one which is “illegal, demeaning, invading, one-sided and power based”.

Conclusion

Not just a healthy balance sheet but a healthy and free work environment is most is the hallmark of a successful work culture, but also India’s GDP. The economic impact of achieving gender equality in India is estimated to be US$700 billion of added GDP by 2025. The IMF estimates that equal participation of women in the workforce will increase India’s GDP by 27 percent. Sexual harassment in the workplace cannot be tackled by legislation alone. It needs cultural change.

Fourth Industrial Revolution: What it Means, Why it’s being Discussed 

CONTEXT

• CEOs, political leaders, social entrepreneurs, technologists and other global leaders are all at Davos to further the World Economic Forum’s mission of improving the state of the world.
• But, the big buzz at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos this year is about the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’.

What is the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

• As described by the founder and executive chairman of WEF, Klaus Schwab, “the fourth industrial revolution is a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work and relate to one another”.
• The fourth industrial revolution is the current and developing environment in which disruptive technologies and trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) are changing the way we live and work.

Background:

1^st industrial revolution: The first Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the last quarter of the 18th century with the mechanisation of the textile industry, harnessing of steam power, and birth of the modern factory.

2^nd industrial revolution: The Second Industrial Revolution, from the last third of the nineteenth century to the outbreak of World War I, was powered by developments in electricity, transportation, chemicals, steel, and mass production and consumption. Industrialization spread even further – to Japan after the Meiji Restoration and deep into Russia, which was booming at the outset of World War I. During this era, factories could produce countless numbers of identical products quickly and cheaply.

3^rd industrial revolution: The third industrial revolution, beginning c. 1970, was digital — and applied electronics and information technology to processes of production. Mass customisation and additive manufacturing — the so-called ‘3D printing’ — are its key concepts, and its applications, yet to be imagined fully, are quite mind-boggling.

How different will be the 4^th industrial revolution?

There are three reasons why today’s transformations represent not merely a prolongation of the Third Industrial Revolution but rather the arrival of a Fourth and distinct one: velocity, scope, and systems impact.

• The speed of current breakthroughs has no historical precedent. When compared with previous industrial revolutions, the Fourth is evolving at an exponential rather than a linear pace.
• Moreover, it is disrupting almost every industry in every country. And the breadth and depth of these changes herald the transformation of entire systems of production, management, and governance.
• The 4^th revolution will be characterized by the advent of cyber-physical systems which, while being reliant on the technologies and infrastructure of the third industrial revolution, represent entirely new ways in which technology becomes embedded within societies and even our human bodies. Examples include genome editing, new forms of machine intelligence, and breakthrough approaches to governance that rely on cryptographic methods such as blockchain.
• Hence, it can be said that the 4^th industrial revolution is conceptualised as an upgrade on the third revolution and is marked by a fusion of technologies straddling the physical, digital and biological worlds.

How does mankind benefit from this?

Like the revolutions that preceded it, the Fourth Industrial Revolution has the potential to raise global income levels and improve the quality of life for populations around the world.

• By gaining access to the digital world, consumers will be benefited in several ways. With the advent of new technology, we get to use more and more efficient products.
• In the future, technological innovation will also lead to a supply-side miracle, with long-term gains in efficiency and productivity.
• Transportation and communication costs will drop, logistics and global supply chains will become more effective, and the cost of trade will diminish, all of which will open new markets and drive economic growth.

Challenges posed by this revolution

Economists have pointed out that the 4^th revolution could yield greater inequality, particularly in its potential to disrupt labour markets.

• As automation substitutes for labour across the entire economy, the net displacement of workers by machines might exacerbate the gap between returns to capital and returns to labour.
• With this revolution, it is also possible that in the future, talent, more than capital, will represent the critical factor of production. This will give rise to a job market increasingly segregated into “low-skill/low-pay” and “high-skill/high-pay” segments, which in turn will lead to an increase in social tensions.
• In addition to being a key economic concern, inequality represents the greatest societal concern associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
• The largest beneficiaries of innovation tend to be the providers of intellectual and physical capital—the innovators, shareholders, and investors—which explains the rising gap in wealth between those dependent on capital versus labour.

What will be the impact on the government?

As the physical, digital, and biological worlds continue to converge, new technologies and platforms will increasingly enable citizens to engage with governments, voice their opinions, coordinate their efforts, and even circumvent the supervision of public authorities.

• Simultaneously, governments will gain new technological powers to increase their control over populations, based on pervasive surveillance systems and the ability to control digital infrastructure.
• On the whole, however, governments will increasingly face pressure to change their current approach to public engagement and policymaking, as their central role of conducting policy diminishes owing to new sources of competition and the redistribution and decentralization of power that new technologies make possible.
• Ultimately, the ability of government systems and public authorities to adapt will determine their survival. If they prove capable of embracing a world of disruptive change, subjecting their structures to the levels of transparency and efficiency that will enable them to maintain their competitive edge, they will endure. If they cannot evolve, they will face increasing trouble.

Impacts on national and international security

The Fourth Industrial Revolution will also profoundly impact the nature of national and international security, affecting both the probability and the nature of the conflict.

• The history of warfare and international security is the history of technological innovation, and today is no exception.
• Modern conflicts involving states are increasingly hybrid in nature, combining traditional battlefield techniques with elements previously associated with nonstate actors.
• As new technologies such as autonomous or biological weapons become easier to use, individuals and small groups will increasingly join states in being capable of causing mass harm.
• This new vulnerability will lead to new fears. But at the same time, advances in technology will create the potential to reduce the scale or impact of violence, through the development of new modes of protection or greater precision in targeting.

The impact on people

The Fourth Industrial Revolution will change not only what we do but also who we are. It will affect our identity and all the issues associated with it: our sense of privacy, our notions of ownership, our consumption patterns, the time we devote to work and leisure, and how we develop our careers, cultivate our skills, meet people, and nurture relationships.

• Also, the revolutions occurring in biotechnology, which are redefining what it means to be human by pushing back the current thresholds of lifespan, health, cognition, and capabilities, will compel us to redefine our moral and ethical boundaries too.

How can we be prepared for the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

• By providing universal access to affordable education and job training.
• By continuing to ensure basic protection for workers as the changes take place. Governments have, along with the private sector, an obligation to strengthen these core protections.
• By modernizing infrastructure. Governments have fundamental responsibilities to build roads, bridges, railways, ports, broadband. And all of this can have a profound impact on economic growth, generating well-paying jobs and bringing opportunity to areas where it does not exist.
• By having a more progressive tax code.
• By expanding access to capital. Existing capital and the tools that support entrepreneurship should be made widely available to people who haven’t had access to it before.

What the Fourth Industrial Revolution means for India

• For India, the Fourth Industrial Revolution brings tremendous opportunities to leapfrog many stages of development, hastening its journey towards becoming a developed economy. In many ways, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is a leveller.
• The technologies being used in India will be the same as those in use in the developed world. Robots, AI, IoT are all technologies transforming the industry in the West and are ready to do the same in India.
• Companies are adopting different elements of the revolution in diverse ways, some gingerly, some in a sure-footed manner. Many have launched pilot projects, while many others have totally migrated some of their business functions to AI-led processes.
• There is much that India has to be worried about too. An overreliance on automation will shrink job creation. Automation and robotics in industrial manufacturing suits countries with low productive populations. But it does not suit countries like India, where 12–13 million people enter the job market every year.
• There is a natural fear of job loss resulting from automation and robotics in India. Repetitive processes are being increasingly automated. Banks in India are already using chatbots and even humanoid robots. HDFC Bank has the Ira robot, which helps customers choose the right service and financial products.
• There are several projections for job losses owing to factors such as automation and consolidation in the market. A report by PeopleStrong says, one in four job losses in India will happen on account of automation.
• The use of data analytics is opening up efficiencies in sectors like agriculture that did not exist earlier. Cargill India, for instance, is allowing thousands of traders to be part of the system by using mobile-based pricing data.
• A report by mobile analytics firm App Annie says India is already the fourth largest app economy. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, said more than 750,000 jobs here can be attributed to apps on the Apple IoS platform. Indian developers have created 100,000 apps; registering a growth of 57% over 2016.
• New industry sectors are being created. These have the potential to create work for millions. There is already an industry association for producing and promoting the use of drones in India.

The Way Ahead for India:

• India needs a collaborative effort. It will have to create a long-term ecosystem that trains and educates professionals. India could collaborate with the US, Germany, and the EU. The central government can consider a joint platform between ministries, state governments and industry bodies to create a mission for making the most of the Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies.

Suggestions by Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant

1. There is an urgent need for more industry-academia collaboration and to develop requisite skills in technology.
2.  Introduction of a compulsory apprenticeship programme to encourage hands-on experience on technology as early as higher secondary level.
3. He also suggested fortifying quality, prioritizing investments in innovation and R&D and invest in life-long learning for employees. He urged industry to think big and think global.
4. To effectively embrace digitalisation, the industry has to foster competitive advantage across their value chains, focus on productivity and fill productivity gaps to compete globally.

Conclusion

• In its most pessimistic, dehumanized form, the Fourth Industrial Revolution may indeed have the potential to “robotize” humanity and thus to deprive us of our heart and soul.
• But as a complement to the best parts of human nature—creativity, empathy, stewardship—it can also lift humanity into a new collective and moral consciousness based on a shared sense of destiny.
• It is incumbent on us all to make sure the latter prevails. We should thus grasp the opportunity and power we have to shape the Fourth Industrial Revolution and direct it toward a future that reflects our common objectives and values.