UPSC Key |EC on deepfakes, Cooperative Federalism, Muslim Quota and more

Prerequisites: 

— What is the Model Code of Conduct (MCC)?

— What are the key provisions of the MCC?

— What is deepfake?

— Know about the Information Technology (IT) Act and the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951.

— Read Article 324 of the Indian Constitution and learn about the Election Commission of India.

Key takeaways: 

— “Not allow their respective social media handles to publish and circulate deepfake audios/videos which violate the provisions of extant rules and regulations. Whenever such deepfake audios/videos, come to the notice of political parties, they shall immediately take down the post but maximum within a period of 3 hours and also identify and warn the responsible person within the party,” the advisory said.

— While the advisory did not mention any specific complaints or posts, it said its attention had been drawn to “certain violations of MCC” and the extant legal provisions by political parties/their representatives while using social media for election campaigning, which need to be regulated in the interest of transparency, ethical campaigning and level playing field during the elections.”

— The EC issued the advisory after the Delhi High Court last week directed it to resolve the issue raised by a petition on the use of deepfakes during the campaign.

— Acting on the directions, the EC advisory cited the relevant provisions of the IT Act, the RPA, 1951 and the Indian Penal Code regarding fraudulent information being circulated. The advisory also cited Section 505 of the IPC that pertains to publishing or circulating “rumour or report, creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes. 

— The EC also asked the parties to report such content to the social media platform and then approach the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) under Rule 3A of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

For Your Information: 

— The EC has earlier issued advisories prohibiting the use of children in campaigning, as well as advisories not to promote content derogatory towards women.

Points to Ponder: 

— When did MCC come into force?

— What is the statutory status of MCC?

— What are the issues associated with the MCC?

— What is the significance of MCC for ensuring free and fair elections?

— Recommendation of various committees on the implementation of MCC.

— How do new emerging technologies, such as AI and deepfake, pose a challenge to fair and free elections? What is the way forward?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

Which was the first state to implement the Model Code of Conduct (MCC)?

(a) Tamil Nadu

(b) Kerala

(c) Karnataka

(d) Andhra Pradesh

Mains

Discuss the role of the Election Commission of India in the light of the evolution of the Model Code of Conduct. (2022)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Explained: What is deepfake?

Explained: Model Code of Conduct comes into effect; here’s what that means

Amid debate over gender vocab SC opts for ‘pregnant persons’

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance- Constitution, Rights Issues.

Mains Examination: GS-II: Government policies and interventions, Issues relating to Health.

What’s the ongoing story- Amidst a debate over the use of gender-neutral vocabulary to identify the sexes, a Supreme Court bench has opted to use the expression “pregnant persons” while stating in its order that pregnancy can also be experienced by “some non-binary people and transgender men among other gender identities”.

Prerequisites: 

— What is the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (MTP Act), 1971?

—  What are the key provisions of the MTP Act, 1971?

— Article 21 of the Indian Constitution is related to what?

Key takeaways: 

— The 22-page judgement, authored by CJI D Y Chandrachud, uses the expressions pregnant person or persons 42 times while adjudicating a matter pertaining to the termination of pregnancy of a 14-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted. 

– By its April 29 order, a two-judge bench presided by CJI Chandrachud recalled its earlier order allowing a 14-year-old rape survivor to terminate her almost 31-week pregnancy. This came after her parents expressed concerns about her health in light of the inherent dangers of carrying out the procedure in an advanced pregnancy.

— In a footnote on page 12, the bench, explained, “We use the term ‘pregnant person’ and recognise that in addition to cisgender women, pregnancy can also be experienced by some non-binary people and transgender men among other gender identities”.

— The ruling elaborated on the “primacy of the pregnant person’s consent in abortion” and also said, “In case there is a divergence in the opinion of a pregnant person and her guardian, the opinion of the minor or mentally ill pregnant person must be taken into consideration as an important aspect in enabling the court to arrive at a just conclusion”.

For Your Information: 

— The MTP Act, 1971 allows the termination of pregnancy under the following circumstances.

(i) Upto 20 weeks, termination is allowed on the advice of one doctor.

(ii) In case of a pregnancy of 20-24 weeks, abortion is allowed as an exception, but only under certain categories, after two registered medical practitioners have evaluated the right to seek termination.

(iii) After 24 weeks of pregnancy, the law requires that a medical board be set up in “approved facilities”, which may “allow or deny termination of pregnancy” only if there is substantial foetal abnormality.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is India’s abortion law?

— What do you understand by the test of “foetal viability”?

— What is the significance of the Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) vs. the Union of India and Others (2017) judgment with reference to women’s reproductive rights?

Post Read Question:

Is there a question of ‘foetal viability’ in abortion in India, and do the rights of an unborn child matter in the same way as in many jurisdictions abroad?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

SC allows 14-yr-old rape survivor to terminate 30-week pregnancy

What is India’s abortion law?

The Editorial Page

Clear the bill

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economy

Mains Examination: GS-III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

What’s the ongoing story- Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are a key part of the Indian economy. Not only do they account for a significant share of the country’s manufacturing output and exports, they also employ a sizable section of the labour force. However, among the considerable hardships they face, the lack of access to credit and the issue of delayed payments are particularly serious.

Prerequisites:
— What are MSMEs? How are they defined?

— What is MSME Samadhaan Portal?

— What is the Udyam portal?

Key takeaways: 

— Micro and small enterprises, as several studies have shown, account for a majority of the annual delayed payments. Over the years, the government has taken steps to make matters easy for these enterprises. For instance, it launched the Samadhaan portal to monitor the outstanding dues to these enterprises. In the Union budget 2023-24, the government also introduced a provision to ensure timely payments to MSMEs. 

— The typical payment cycle of MSMEs ranges from 90 to 120 days. This large window tends to create mismatches between an entity’s cash inflows and outflows, thereby increasing its working capital requirements. The new provision tried to address this issue by aiming to secure payments to MSMEs within 45 days of the supply of goods and/or services. This was a well-intentioned move. However, it has ended up having unintended consequences.

— As reported, now larger companies are trying to circumvent this provision by cancelling orders to registered MSMEs as they prefer longer payment cycles and are now placing orders with unregistered MSMEs, who they would rather prefer to deal with as it gives them greater flexibility in operations. There are also reports of the bigger companies trying to “force suppliers to cancel their MSME registration”. 

— The government has initiated conversations with stakeholders for possible solutions to straighten out issues. It has also sought suggestions on ways to ensure “timely clearance of MSME bills”.

For Your Information: 

— MSME Samadhaan is a Portal created by Office of DC (MSME), Ministry of MSME, where Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) can file their applications online regarding delayed payments.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the status of the MSME sector in India?

— What are the challenges faced by MSMEs in India?

— What is the significance of the MSME sector for India’s economic growth and self-reliance?

— What are the initiatives taken by the government to support the growth of MSMEs?

(Thought Process: Read about the RAMP Scheme, ASPIRE Scheme, Zero Defect and Zero Effect, Credit Guarantee Trust Fund for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE), Credit Linked Capital Subsidy for Technology Upgradation (CLCSS), PLI Scheme, etc.)

Post Read Question:

Consider the following statements with reference to India : (2023)

1. According to the ‘Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006, the ‘medium enterprises’ are those with investments in plant and machinery between `15 crore and `25 crore.

2. All bank loans to the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises qualify under the priority sector.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

I-T clause to ensure MSMEs are paid on time creates hurdle

Don’t demonise the jab

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: GS-II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health.

What’s the ongoing story- Shahid Jameel writes-  “People on social media and even some mainstream channels are having their “we told you so” moment this week after the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca “admitted” in court to the side effects of its Covid-19 vaccine, manufactured and marketed in India as Covishield.”

Prerequisites: 

— What is the Covishield vaccine?

— What is Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS)? What are its symptoms? 

— Are there any risk factors for TTS?

Key takeaways: 

— “This follows a story in The Telegraph of the UK on April 28 about a class action suit brought against the company. The report says, “AstraZeneca has admitted for the first time in court documents that its Covid vaccine can cause a rare side effect,” a condition called Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), which translates to blood clots and low levels of platelets (a type of blood cell that prevents bleeding).”

— “Australian Department of Health and Aged Care found TTS in people who had taken the AstraZeneca vaccine to be “very rare” — 2-3 per 1,00,000…” 

— “To put this in perspective, the global risk of dying in a traffic accident is 17.4 deaths per 1,00,000…So, the risk of TTS in those who took the AstraZeneca vaccine is about 5 to 12 times lower than the risk of dying in a road accident.”

— “Medicine is all about risk versus benefit. If the benefits of a drug far outweigh the risks, we use it. The hugely successful oral polio vaccine, which has been instrumental in eradicating polio from most of the world, including India, has a one in 2.7 million risk of causing vaccine-associated paralysis. To that one child, the risk is very high but for public health, the benefits are extremely high. And therefore, we use it.

— “Vaccines remain the most effective of public health tools. A modelling study on Covid-19 transmission and vaccination from Imperial College, London, estimated that vaccines saved 14 to 20 million excess deaths in just the first year of use. A Working Paper from the US-Asia Technology Management Center at Stanford University estimated that India prevented around 3.4 million excess deaths due to its Covid-19 vaccination programme.”

— “The bottom line is that these “new” disclosures by AstraZeneca are neither new nor worth worrying over. We should stay focused on improving public health everywhere and for everyone. Vaccines will remain central to those efforts.”

For Your Information: 

— In 2023, the WHO incorporated vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) into its classification of TTS.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is Guillain-Barré syndrome?

— What are the different types of Vaccine?

(Thought Process: Read and compare-Inactivated vaccines, Live-attenuated Vaccines, Messenger (m) RNA Vaccines, Toxoid Vaccines, Subunit, Recombinant, Polysaccharide, and Conjugate Vaccines; Viral Vector Vaccines)

— What are the different types of COVID-19 vaccines?

— What are the economic and ethical considerations involved in the development of vaccines?

— How does vaccination play a central role in the public health system of a country? 

— What is the significance of Indian Vaccination Programmes?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

In the context of vaccines manufactured to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic, consider the following statements: (2022)

1. The Serum Institute of India produced a COVID-19 vaccine named Covishield using an mRNA platform.

2. The Sputnik V vaccine is manufactured using a vector-based platform.

3. COVAXIN is an inactivated pathogen-based vaccine.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Mains

What are mRNA vaccines? How the development of mRNA vaccines was crucial to the development of Covid vaccines?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

AstraZeneca admits its vaccine causes clotting: Why Covishield vaccine takers in India shouldn’t panic

Covid Vaccine link to blood clots: The lawsuit in UK on Covishield

 

Explained

The ‘Muslim quota’ question

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance, Indian Polity and Governance- Constitution, Political System, Rights Issues

Mains Examination:  GS-II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice.

What’s the ongoing story- Faizan Mustafa writes-  “In election season, India is debating fundamental constitutional questions around reservation. Can a secular country like India have religion-based reservation? Have Muslims ever been given reservation by reducing the quota for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), or Other Backward Classes (OBCs)? Does reservation for SCs that is limited to only certain religious denominations amount to reservation based on religion?”

Prerequisites: 

— What do you understand by the term ‘Reservation’?

— What are the constitutional provisions governing reservation in India?

— Read about the Mandal Commission.

Key takeaways: 

— “The Constitution of India moved away from equality, which refers to equal treatment for all, to equity, which ensures fairness and may require differential treatment or special measures for some groups.”

—  “The Supreme Court has held that equality is a dynamic concept with many aspects and dimensions, and it cannot be “cribbed, cabined and confined” within traditional and doctrinaire limits (E P Royappa vs State Of Tamil Nadu, 1973).”

— “Formal equality is concerned with equality of treatment — treating everyone the same, regardless of outcomes — which can at times lead to serious inequalities for historically disadvantaged groups. Substantive equality, on the other hand, is concerned with equality of outcomes. Affirmative action promotes this idea of substantive equality.”

— “The first constitutional amendment inserted Article 15(4), which empowered the state to make “any special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes”.

— “Article 15 specifically prohibits the state from discriminating against citizens on grounds only of both religion and caste (along with sex, race, and place of birth). After the Supreme Court’s judgment in State of Kerala vs N M Thomas (1975), reservation is considered not an exception to the equality/ non-discrimination clauses of Articles 15(1) and 16(1), but as an extension of equality.”

— “The crucial word in Articles 15 and 16 is ‘only’ — which implies that if a religious, racial, or caste group constitutes a “weaker section” under Article 46, or constitutes a backward class, it would be entitled to special provisions for its advancement.”

— “Some Muslim castes were given reservation not because they were Muslims, but because these castes were included within the backward class, and reservation was given without reducing the quota for SCs, STs, and OBCs by creating a sub-quota within the OBCs.

— “The Mandal Commission, following the example set by several states, included a number of Muslim castes in the list of OBCs. The Supreme Court in Indra Sawhney (1992) laid down that any social group, whatever its mark of identity, if found to be backward under the same criteria as others, will be entitled to be treated as a backward class.”

Points to Ponder: 

— What do you understand by the term equality? Is there any difference between equality and equity?

— How does affirmative action promote this idea of substantive equality?

— What were the recommendations of the Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee (2006) and the Justice Ranganath Misra Committee (2007)? 

— What does the Indian Constitution say on religion-based reservations?

— What are the issues related to the reservation?

— What are the benefits of reservations in India?

Post Read Question:

What are the reasons behind the increasing demand for reservations? 

With veteran Sunita Williams on board, Boeing’s Starliner set to launch

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of international importance.

Mains Examination: GS-III: Awareness in the fields of Space

What’s the ongoing story-  Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, carrying two NASA astronauts, will be launched by an Atlas V rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, to the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday (May 7).

This will be Starliner’s first crewed test flight. If the mission is successful, Boeing will become the second private firm to be able to provide NASA crew transport to and from the ISS, alongside Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

Prerequisites:

— Who are Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams?

— What are SpaceX and Boeing?

Key takeaways: 

— Starliner is a partially reusable crew capsule, officially known as CST-100 (crew space transportation). The capsule consists of two modules- crew module and service module (the powerhouse of the spacecraft).

— The main objective of the mission is to see how Starliner performs in space with a crew onboard. It is supposed to dock with the ISS — a day after the launch — for around 10 days before it returns to the Earth.

— But before Starliner automatically docks with the space station, the crew members, who are NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams, will test flying it manually. 

— The mission’s success is crucial for both NASA and Boeing. Currently, NASA has only one private company, SpaceX, which can take its astronauts and cargo to the ISS. Starliner getting approval for conducting routine flights to and from the ISS would give NASA a backup and option to not depend on one company or vehicle for space launches.

For Your Information:

Utilising the services of SpaceX for the first time, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will deploy its heavy communication satellite GSAT-20 through the Falcon-9 rocket of the private space agency towards the middle of this year.

Points to Ponder: What are Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman, Sierra Space, Special Aerospace Services, ThinkOrbital and Vast?

— What is IN-SPACe?

 —Private space sector is set to make a big splash in India. How?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

India to use SpaceX rocket to launch communications satellite

IN-SPACe explained

 

The Ideas Page

To auction or not

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: GS-II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

What’s the ongoing story- Rajat Kathuria writes- “Policy for the telecom sector is best left to TRAI and DoT; to auction or not to auction is a task given to them and they should be responsible for it and be made accountable.”

Prerequisites: 

— When was Telecommunications introduced in India?

— What is Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)? What are its functions and powers?

— What is the Digital India Programme?

— Read about the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). 

Key takeaways: 

— “The 3G spectrum auction of 2010, held in the wake of the 2G scandal of 2008, was a blessing at the time, for it achieved two objectives for the beleaguered process of air wave assignment to telecom operators. One, it ensured transparency in the process of allocation of scarce spectrum and two, it resulted in a revenue windfall for the government.”

— But “auctions, in the current format, are inimical to the sector’s growth and downstream competitiveness and that the historical lack of institutional integrity is adding to the challenge.”

— “The year 2010 was a defining moment for Indian telecoms. Until then, spectrum was administratively assigned, and thereafter by auctions. The pre-2010 administrative assignment of spectrum suffered from a lack of transparency, favouritism and avoidable scandals. The Supreme Court thus ordered the government to auction spectrum for “all time to come”.

— “For telecoms, the backbone of Digital India, downstream competitiveness of user industries relies heavily on robust connectivity. Providing spectrum at a reasonable upfront fee to operators, thus helping firm-level efficiency and promoting competitiveness, would do what toll roads have done for the government. 

— “Another consideration against auctions is that the revenue outcomes have been mixed. The direct and indirect opportunity costs of unsold spectrum due to high reserve prices have been steep.”

— “On April 22, the DoT moved the Supreme Court to modify its 2012 order to allow administrative allocation of spectrum in select cases, where using the auction route is either not technically feasible or not desirable, such as for space and satellite applications. The recently-passed Telecom Act, 2023, specifies that only limited and narrowly-defined cases, including spectrum for BSNL, will be given on administrative basis.” 

— “It is the government’s prerogative whether it uses auctions for these or other types of assignment. It could have easily arrogated to itself the power to assign spectrum in the best interest of the country in the Telecom Act, 2023. This is a policy decision and ought not to be subject to a Supreme Court decision from over a decade ago, which directed that all spectrum will be assigned by auction for all time to come.”

— “Situations and market dynamics change and, hopefully, so do institutions. The DoT is giving itself the benefit of doubt that it can, under changed circumstances, assign spectrum through administrative procedures…..Whatever route the assignment of spectrum takes, it is a policy decision and under normal circumstances ought to be decided by the policy maker — which is the DoT.”

Points to Ponder: 

— How has India’s telecom sector evolved?

— What is the Telecommunication Act 2023? What are its key provisions? How it will affect the telecom industry in India?

— What is the difference between the different generations of mobile networks (1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, etc.)?

— What are the challenges related to the telecom sector in India?

— What are the steps taken by the government for reform in the telecom sector? 

— What is India’s National Digital Communications Policy, 2018? 

Post Read Question:

In India, which of the following review the Independent regulators in sectors like telecommunications, insurance, electricity, etc.? (2019)

1. Ad Hoc Committees set up by the Parliament

2. Parliamentary Department Related Standing Committees

3. Finance Commission

4. Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission

5. NITI Aayog

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1, 3 and 4 only

(c) 3, 4 and 5 only

(d) 2 and 5 only

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

How will the Telecommunication Act impact competition, tech neutrality in India?

 

Economy 

FM: GST exemplifies cooperative federalism, empowering states

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development and Indian Polity and Governance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein

What’s the ongoing story- Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) have reached pre-GST levels, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday. Underlining the milestones achieved under the GST regime, Sitharaman said it is a myth that all GST collections are “pocketed by the Centre”, adding that GST contributes significantly to state revenues.

Prerequisites: 

— What is GST and How does it work?

— 101st Amendment Act, 2016-Know in detail

— What are the different types of GST?

(Thought Process: Know the differences between Central GST (CGST), State GST (SGST), Union territory GST (UTGST) and Integrated GST (IGST))

— Read about the GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT). 

Key takeaways: 

—- The statement by Sitharaman came on the day of her having administered the oath to Justice (Retd) Sanjaya Kumar Mishra as the President of the GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT). Mishra’s appointment marks the beginning of the operationalization of the GSTAT, a crucial body for resolving GST-related disputes that has come after a long gap of nearly seven years of rollout of the indirect tax regime in July 2017.

— GST “exemplifies cooperative Federalism in India, empowering states”, Sitharaman said, adding that it has improved tax buoyancy for states.

— Sitharaman said as the Chairperson of the GST Council, she “ensured all states’ voices are equally heard without bias”. GST Council, with a 75 per cent majority vote requirement, assigns one-third voting power to the Centre & two-thirds to states.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is cooperative federalism? How GST is contributing to cooperative federalism in India?

— What do you understand by the term “tax buoyancy”?

— What are the reasons for the surge in GST revenue?

— What are the benefits of GST?

— What are the issues and challenges related to GST?

— GST Council and Article 279A of the Constitution-Key Provisions

Post Read Question:

Prelims

What is/are the most likely advantages of implementing ‘Goods and Services Tax (GST)’? (2017)

1. It will replace multiple taxes collected by multiple authorities and will thus create a single market in India.

2. It will drastically reduce the ‘Current Account Deficit’ of India and will enable it to increase its foreign exchange reserves.

3. It will enormously increase the growth and size of economy of India and will enable it to overtake China in the near future.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only 

(b) 2 and 3 only 

(c) 1 and 3 only 

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Mains

Explain the rationale behind the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Act of 2017. How has COVID-19 impacted the GST compensation fund and created new federal tensions? (2020)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

GST collection hits record high of Rs 2.10 lakh crore in April