Weekly Current Affairs – July Last week

Issues to focus

Draft Personal Data Protection bill, 2018

E-Government Development Index (EGDI)

Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2018

National Register of Citizens

Issues at a glance

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana

Border Haats

West Bengal renames itself as ‘Bangla’

Global Tiger Day

Deep Ocean Mission (DOM)

National mission for manuscripts (NMM)

National Culture Fund (NCF)

Terms in News

DigiYatra

GDP deflator

VVPAT

Issues to Focus

Draft Personal Data Protection bill, 2018

What is the news?

A high-level expert group headed by former Supreme Court judge B.N. Srikrishna

submitted this draft to the government recently

Background

The right to privacy is a fundamental right which necessitates protection of personal data

as an essential facet of informational privacy

As of now, there is no statutory framework that holistically protects the informational

privacy of individuals in India

The much-awaited bill is under the government’s review and has been made public for

inviting suggestions.

What is this bill deals about?

Issues such as collection and processing of personal data, consent of individuals, penalties and

compensation, code of conduct and an enforcement model

What is sensitive personal data?

It will include passwords, financial data, health data, official identifier, sex life, sexual

orientation, biometric and genetic data, and data that reveals transgender status, intersex status,

caste, tribe, religious or political beliefs or affiliations of an individual.

Highlights of the draft

The crux of the proposed legislation is that the personal data of individuals (data

principals) can be processed (i.e. collected, used, stored, disclosed to third parties, etc.)

by entities (data fiduciaries) only if the individual has given her free, informed and

specific consent. Such consent is capable of being withdrawn

The proposed law contains exemptions for the processing of personal data for certain

purposes, such as journalistic activities, law enforcement, security of the state, etc.

Personal data may also be processed under certain specific circumstances such as state

function, emergent health and safety situations, compliance with a judicial order etc.

However, in each case, data fiduciaries, be it the government or private entities, will be

required to strictly comply with principles such as collection limitation, purpose

limitation, security safeguards, and measures of transparency and accountability that are

laid down in the law

The proposed law will be applicable to both private and public entities

Data Protection Authority of India (DPA) - It proposes setting up of a DPA, an

independent regulatory body responsible for the enforcement and effective

implementation of the law, consisting of a chairperson and six full-time members. In case

of any appeal against an order of the DPA, an appellate tribunal should be established or

an existing appellate tribunal should be granted powers to hear and dispose of any appeal.

Penalty Provisions - Regarding data misuse, the committee recommended a penalty of

either a certain percentage of the total worldwide turnover of the data misuser, or a fixed

amount set by the law.

Conclusion

The proposed data protection law, after taking into account the existing gaps in the

current framework and global best practices, creates a novel framework tailored to

India’s constitutional, economic, and socio-political realities

It is expected that through further consultations and dialogue, citizens and stakeholders

will build on this foundation by giving suggestions to strengthen the legal framework and

ensure that an effective data protection regime is set up in India

E-Government Development Index (EGDI) It measures countries use of information and communications technologies to deliver public

services.

The index captures the scope and quality of online services, status of telecommunication

infrastructure and existing human capacity.

The UN has been conducting the survey since 2001 to spread digital government throughout

the world and to achieve sustainable development goals by 2030.

The survey is conducted every 2 years by Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the

United Nations Secretariat with the assistance of International Telecommunication Union and

Institute for Statistics of UNESCO.

It is the only global report that assesses the egovernment development status of the 193 UN

Member States.

India’s Ranking

With an EGDI index score of 0.5669, India is just above the world average of 0.55.

o The Asian leader in e-government, South Korea, scored 0.9010 (marginally behind world

leader Denmark’s 0.9150).

o India’s score is also shy of Iran (0.6083).

Even in the SAARC region, Sri Lanka is ahead of India.

India does rank very high in one sub-index. It moved up 12 places in the E-Participation Index

(EPI), from 27 in 2016 to 15 in 2018.

E-Participation Index (EPI)

the EPI looks at issues like e-information, e-consultation and e-decision making to arrive at a

score.

India’s high ranking does signify two things:

o that the government is making more information available online

o that more people are in a position to access that information, and also electronically

participate in policy formation and decision-making.

A good example of this was when the government first mooted its ‘smart cities’ initiative,

when citizens were able to actively participate with ideas on what kind of initiatives their city

should adopt and how these initiatives should be designed and implemented.

World Ranking

In a 2018 ranking of countries on egovernment development, Denmark has topped with a

score of 0.915, followed by Australia, and Republic of Korea

Somalia has been in last place with a score of 0.0566.

Significance

It serves as a tool for countries to learn from each other, identify areas of strength and

challenges in egovernment and shape their policies and strategies in this area.

It is also aimed at facilitating discussions of intergovernmental bodies, including the United

Nations General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, on issues related to e-

government and development and to the critical role of ICT in development.

The reason the UN compiles this index and urges member countries to focus on e-government

initiatives is that there is a clear link between greater e-governance and easier public access to

government services and a reduction in poverty and inequality.

Flawed implementation of Schemes in India One of the biggest reasons our poverty alleviation measures have failed to achieve the desired

impact (apart from corruption and leakage) is inefficient targeting, and lack of information

with the intended beneficiaries about plans and schemes meant to assist them.

In areas like public health and land records, the progress has stopped with putting up some

downloadable forms online.

o Many government departments still insist on physical forms and signatures, despite the

near universalisation of an identity instrument like Aadhaar, which allows simple and

foolproof authentication.

So, talk of pushing the cause of e-governance in India, actual progress has been slow.

Conclusion

Knowledge is power, but access to knowledge is another kind of power. This is where digital

can be a great disruptor.

With the India Stack (Aadhaar, UPI, etc. aimed at ensuring presence-less, cashless and

paperless service delivery), and the ongoing mobile and broadband revolution, India can

become a world leader in e-governance.

Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2018

What is the news?

The president gave approval to the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 1988,

recently

What is the highlights of the bill?

The bill seeks to punish bribe-givers and bribe-takers

The Bill provides for jail terms of three to seven years, besides fine, to those convicted of

taking or giving bribes to public officials.

The Bill extends the ambit of public servants who will be protected by the provision of a prior

government sanction for prosecution.

o It proposes a ‘shield’ for government staff, including those retired, from prosecution by

making it mandatory for investigating agencies like the CBI to take prior approval from

competent authority before conducting any enquiry against them.

o This has been provided to ensure that honest officers were not intimidated by false

complaints.

The amended law also sets a two-year deadline to decide on corruption cases, as per the Act

National Register of Citizens

What is the news related to it?

The much-anticipated second and final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC)

was published recently with 2.9 crore names out of the total 3.29 crore applicants in

Assam.

The names of 40.07 lakh applicants did not find a place in the historic document, touted

to be a proof of Assamese identity. The Home Ministry has advised the Assam

government that no action should be initiated by the administration or the police based on

the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC)

What is National Register of Citizens?

It is a register containing the list of bona fide (genuine/real) Indian citizens. Those failing

to enlist their names in the register would be deemed, illegal migrants.

The first list was made in 1951, covering the whole of India, as per the census of that

year.

Currently, the list is being updated for the first time, and only in Assam

Now, the registration is not linked to census but one has to link oneself to a family

member whose name had appeared either in the NRC of 1951 or to any of the state’s

electoral rolls prepared till midnight of 24th March 1971.

The year of 1971 is chosen as it was agreed in Assam accord 1985. If the applicant’s

name is not on any of these lists, he can produce any of the 12 other documents dated up

to March 24, 1971, like land or tenancy record, citizenship certificate or permanent

residential certificate or passport or court records or refugee registration certificate.

Why is the list being updated?

Since the 1950s, there is a lot of controversy regarding citizenship and migration issues in

Assam. Original inhabitants of Assam fear that the migrants from Bangladesh would compete

with them for land, jobs and consequently hamper Assam’s culture.

In the late 1970s, a massive drive was spearheaded by the All Assam Students’ Union,

popularly known as the Assam Agitation calling for the detection, deletion and deportation of

illegal Bangladeshi migrants. The whole state was then brought to a standstill as it witnessed

frequent strikes, boycotting elections, political instability etc.

In 1985, in order to put an end to such agitations, Assam accord was signed between Rajiv

Gandhi and leader of Assam movement led by All Assam Students Union (AASU) and the

‘All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad’ (AAGSP).

Consequently, it paved the way for the formation of government in Assam and brought about

stability.

The demands put forth by them regarding migration issues were:

1. All those foreigners who had entered Assam between 1951 and 1961 were to be given full

citizenship, including the right to vote.

2. Those who had done so after 1971 were to be deported; the entrants between 1961 and 1971

were to be denied voting rights for ten years but would enjoy all other rights of citizenship.

3. Anyone who entered the state without documents after March 24, 1971, will be declared a

foreigner and were to be deported.

However, for a very long time, the provisions in the Assam accord were not implemented.

In 2005, another agreement was signed between the Centre, the Assam government and the

AASU and decision was taken to update the NRC on the basis of NRC 1951 and electoral

rolls up to 1971.

A 2-year deadline was fixed to complete the exercise. As a result, a pilot project was launched

in some districts but it soon erupted violent agitations by groups opposed to such exercise and

the NRC update was halted.

In 2009 Assam Public Works (APW), an NGO filed a petition in the Supreme Court

demanding identification of Bangladeshi foreigners in the State and deletion of their names

from the voters’ list.

In 2013, the Supreme Court finally ordered to complete the exercise by December 31, 2017,

leading to the present updation of NRC in Assam.

Issues at a glance

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana

Why is it in the news?

By amending Sukanya Samriddhi Account Rules, 2016, the Union Government has

reduced minimum yearly deposit required under popular girl child savings scheme,

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana to Rs 250 from Rs 1,000 earlier. This has been lowered to

enable more people to enjoy benefits of this scheme.

What is it?

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) is a small deposit scheme for the girl child launched as

a part of the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign.

Key features It is currently 8.1 per cent and provides income-tax benefit under section 80 C of the Income

Tax Act,1961. Even the returns are tax free in the scheme.

A Sukanya Samriddhi Account can be opened any time after the birth of a girl till she turns

10, with a minimum deposit of Rs 250 (Earlier it was Rs 1,000). In subsequent years, a

minimum of Rs 250 and a maximum of Rs 1.5 lakh can be deposited during the ongoing

financial year.

The account can be opened in any post office or authorised branches of commercial banks.

The account will remain operative for 21 years from the date of its opening or till the

marriage of the girl after she turns 18.

To meet the requirement of her higher education expenses, partial withdrawal of 50% of the

balance is allowed after she turns 18.

About BBBP

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme was launched in January, 2015. The scheme

is aimed at promoting gender equality and the significance of educating girls.

The Scheme is targeted at improving the Child Sex Ratio through multi sectoral interventions

including prevention of gender biased sex selection and promoting girls’ education and her

holistic empowerment.

It is a tri-ministerial effort of Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health & Family

Welfare and Human Resource Development.

Border Haats

What is the news?

First meeting of India-Bangladesh Joint Committee on Border Haats was recently held in

Agartala, Tripura.

In the meeting both sides noted the positive impact of Border Haats on the livelihoods of

the people living in areas adjoining the Haats. Extensive discussions were held on issues

related to review of operations of the four functional Border Haats.

What are Border Haats?

They are market places organised by the two countries one day each week. It is not only a

market for buying daily commodities but also a reunion spot for families living on both

sides.

What is aim of the border Haats

The border haats aim at promoting the wellbeing of the people dwelling in remote areas

across the borders of two countries, by establishing traditional system of marketing the

local produce through local markets.

Operational Border Haats between India and Bangladesh:

Currently, four border haats are operational along the India-Bangladesh border. Two

border haats are located in Meghalaya at Kalaichar and Balat and two are located in

Tripura at Srinagar and Kamalasagar.

West Bengal renames itself as ‘Bangla’

What is the news?

The West Bengal Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution to change the name of the State

as ‘Bangla’ in three languages — Bengali, English and Hindi.

Background of the issue

The Mamata Banerjee government's proposal of renaming West Bengal as "Paschim Bango"

in 2011 was also turned down by the Centre.

The proposal has been pending since August 2016, when the Assembly passed a resolution to

change the name to ‘Bengal’ in English, ‘Bangla’ in Bengali and ‘Bangal’ in Hindi.

The Centre, however, turned it down in 2017, objecting to having three names in three

languages.

Why is this move?

The move is aimed at climbing the alphabetical sequence of state names in which West

Bengal appears last in the list now.

What next?

The state will have to wait for the nod from the Home Ministry for a final approval on the

resolution.

Global Tiger Day

As the world has celebrated Global Tiger Day on July 29, there are a number of success

stories of tiger conservation that India can boast of.

A few months ago, the first successful inter-state translocation of a pair of tigers was carried

out from tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh to Satkosia in Odisha.

Stats

The Ministry of Environment recently said that 45% of the tiger deaths between 2012 and

2017 could be attributed to unnatural reasons.

Of the 45%, 22% of the deaths were due to poaching, 15% due to seizures of body parts and

the remaining could be attributed to road and railway accidents.

Over the past few years, instances of tigers travelling hundreds of kilometres looking for

territory has come to the fore.

In 2017, 115 tigers died and in 2016, the number of deaths was 122.

The Ministry has admitted that there is a 29% frontline staff vacancy against sanctioned posts

in the tiger reserves of the country.

India

The results of the ongoing All India Tiger Assessment, 2018, are expected by the end of the

year.

As per the assessment of the Status of Tigers, Co-predators and Prey (2014), the number of

tigers in the country is estimated at 2,226 as compared to the 2010 estimate of 1,706.

India being home to 70% of the tiger population in the world can be a global leader in tiger

conservation.

Way forward

A lot more needs to be done on the conservation front.

The tiger is a collective responsibility of all stakeholders and it cannot be left to the forest

staff alone.

There is a need for surveillance and maintenance of tiger corridors.

There is a need for capacity building of the forest staff.

Deep Ocean Mission (DOM)

It is an initiative of Ministry of Earth Sciences

It will help in improving India’s position in ocean research field.

The mission proposes to explore the deep ocean similar to the space exploration started by

ISRO

Key Deliverables

It is working to deliver offshore desalination plant that will work with tidal energy, and

developing a submersible vehicle that can go to a depth of at least 6,000 metres with three

people on board.

So, the focus will be on technologies for deep-sea mining, underwater vehicles, underwater

robotics and ocean climate change advisory services

India’s Exclusive Rights to Explore Polymetallic Nodules India has been allotted a site of 1,50,000 square kilometres in the Central Indian Ocean Basin

(CIOB) by the UN International Sea Bed Authority for exploitation of polymetallic nodules

(PMN).

These are rocks scattered on the seabed containing iron, manganese, nickel and cobalt.

International Seabed Authority (ISA) ISA is a UN body set up to regulate the exploration and exploitation of marine non-living

resources of oceans in international waters. It has responsibility for the regulation of seabed

mining beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. It was established in 1994.

India actively contributes to the work of International Seabed Authority.

National mission for manuscripts (NMM)

In 2003, National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM), a Mission mode Project,

was launched by the Ministry of Culture for documentation, conservation, preservation

and digitization of manuscripts.

The manuscripts documented and digitized by the NMM will be made available to

researcher and scholars through a

Background

India possesses an estimate of ten million manuscripts, probably the largest collection in

the world. These cover a variety of themes, textures and aesthetics, scripts, languages,

calligraphies, illuminations and illustrations.

Trusted Digital Repository.

The ultimate object of the Mission is to establish a Digital Manuscripts Repository at

IGNCA in which researchers and scholars can view and consult the manuscripts to

understand our past in its totality.

What are Manuscripts?

A manuscript is a handwritten composition on paper, bark, cloth, metal, palm leaf or any

other material dating back at least seventy-five years that has significant scientific,

historical or aesthetic value. Lithographs and printed volumes are not manuscripts.

Manuscripts are found in hundreds of different languages and scripts. Often, one

language is written in a number of different scripts. For example, Sanskrit is written in

Oriya script, Grantha script, Devanagari script and many other scripts

Manuscripts are distinct from historical records such as epigraphs on rocks, firmans,

revenue records which provide direct information on events or processes in history.

Manuscripts have knowledge content.

National Culture Fund (NCF)

National Culture Fund (NCF) was set up as a Trust under the Charitable Endowment Act,

1890 in November 1996 by the Government, with a view to mobilize extra resources

through Public Private Partnerships.

The National Culture Fund is managed and administered by a council headed by Hon’ble

Culture Minister to decide the policies and an Executive Committee headed by Secretary,

Culture to actualize those policies.

The Fund aims at inviting the participation of the corporate sector, non-government

organizations, private/public sector as well as individuals in the task of promoting,

protecting and preserving India’s cultural heritage.

All the projects undertaken by the NCF are completed within a specified period, in

accordance with an MoU signed by NCF with the concerned donor organization.

The donations/contributions to NCF are eligible for 100% tax deduction under the

Income Tax Act, 1961 subject to the limits and conditions prescribed in the said Section

and relevant Rules.

Terms in the News

DigiYatra

It is an initiative of Ministry of Civil Aviation

The ‘DigiYatra’ is an industry-led initiative coordinated by the Ministry in line with the Prime

Minister Modi’s Digital India’s vision to transform the nation into a digitally empowered

society.

It aims to bring together entire industry to develop a digital ecosystem that will deliver Indian

customers a seamless, consistent and paperless service experience at every touch point of their

journey.

The basic objective is to reduce queues at airports and bring efficiency to the boarding process

All aviation stakeholders – airlines, airport operators, security and immigration agencies, cab

operators, retail establishment and others are working to devise digital standards which can

enable seamless exchange of data and information.

GDP deflator

The GDP deflator is a measure of inflation. It is the ratio of the value of goods and

services an economy produces in a particular year at current prices to that of prices that

prevailed during the base year.

This ratio helps show the extent to which the increase in gross domestic product has

happened on account of higher prices rather than increase in output.

Since the deflator covers the entire range of goods and services produced in the economy

— as against the limited commodity baskets for the wholesale or consumer price indices

— it is seen as a more comprehensive measure of inflation.

GDP GDP price deflator measures the difference between real GDP and nominal GDP.

Nominal GDP differs from real GDP as the former doesn’t include inflation, while the

latter does.

As a result, nominal GDP will most often be higher than real GDP in an expanding

economy.

VVPAT

The Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail is a method that provides feedback to voters. It is

an independent verification printer machine and is attached to electronic voting machines.

It allows voters to verify if their vote has gone to the intended candidate.

When a voter presses a button in the EVM, a paper slip is printed through the VVPAT.

The slip contains the poll symbol and name of the candidate. It allows the voter to verify

his/her choice. After being visible to the voter from a glass case in the VVPAT for seven

seconds, the ballot slip will be cut and dropped into the drop box in the VVPAT machine

and a beep will be heard. VVPAT machines can be accessed by polling officers only.