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Daily News Simplified - DNS

29 04 20Notes

SL. NO. TOPICS THE HINDU

PAGE NO.1 1.5 Billion Dollar aid from ADB 01 & 08

2 Anti-graft laws cover deemed universities 08

3 NITI Aayog slams India's terror ranking 08

4 USCIRF downgrades India in 2020 List 08

5 Privacy concerns during a pandemic 07

6 Home Rule League 07

Dated: 29-April-2020 DNS Notes

Title 1. 1.5 Billion Dollar aid from ADB (The Hindu – Pg. 01 + 08)Syllabus GS paper III – Indian EconomyTheme Resource MobilizationHighlights

Context: The Government of India has taken a $1.5 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to fund its immediate response to COVID-19, both in terms of the health and socio-economic impacts. The bank is also in talks with the government to fund further stimulus measures, including support for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises and for extending health services through public-private partnerships. The money, translating to more than Rs 11,000 crore, will be spent to implement the containment plan and rapidly ramp up the test-track-treatment capacity.

ADB’s CARES PROGRAME

ADB’s COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support (CARES) Program will contribute directly to the improvement of access to health facilities and care, as well as social protection for more than 800 million people, including families below the poverty line, farmers, health care workers, women, senior citizens, people with disabilities, low wage earners, and construction workers.

The CARES Program is funded through the COVID-19 pandemic response option (CPRO) under ADB’s Countercyclical Support Facility. CPRO was established as part of ADB’s $20 billion expanded assistance for developing member countries’ COVID-19 response.

The CARES Program will be provided with a $2 million technical assistance grant to support the government to strengthen its operational framework and efficient targeting, delivery, and monitoring and evaluation of its pro-poor economic package, as well as its health sector and social protection interventions.

Support to India in the Medium Term

In the medium term, ADB will support government efforts and coordinate with other development partners to stimulate the economy, build capacity for monitoring and evaluation of government programs, and improve economic resilience against future shocks. This will include the economic recovery of affected industries and entrepreneurs through better access to finance for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises; a credit enhancement facility for infrastructure projects; and the strengthening of public service delivery at national and state levels.

India has taken proactive and decisive measures to contain COVID-19 to protect lives, including the implementation of social distancing, community quarantine, and testing and tracking.

The government’s COVID-19 response program includes a $2 billion health sector project to rapidly ramp up test-track-treatment capacity; and a $23 billion pro-poor relief package, which will provide additional social protection measures targeting the poor, women, vulnerable population, and disadvantaged groups. Insurance coverage for all types of health workers engaged in the COVID-19 response is also included.

Around 65% of the package is in the form of direct social assistance and protection to the poor and vulnerable, including women.


Title 2. Anti-graft laws cover deemed universities (The Hindu – Pg. 08)Syllabus GS paper II - Polity & GovernanceTheme Prevention of CorruptionHighlights

Context: Supreme Court has held that bribery and corruption in a deemed university can be tried under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

What did the Supreme Court held?

Supreme Court held that officials of a deemed university, though not seen as public servants in the conventional sense, perform duties in the discharge of which the State, the public and the community at large has an interest.

The object of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 was not only to prevent the social evil of bribery and corruption, but also to make the same applicable to individuals who might conventionally not be considered public servants.

The purpose under the PC Act was to shift focus from those who are traditionally called public officials, to those individuals who perform public duties. Accordingly, the officials of deemed university performs public duty.

Who can be tried for corruption in a deemed university

All individuals, authorities or officials connected to the functioning of deemed university come under the definition of public servant of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

Deemed universities come within the ambit of the term ‘university’ in Section 2(c)(xi) of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, 1988.

What is a deemed university?

University and Deemed University has been defined under University Grants Commission Act, 1956.

Section 2 (f) - “University” means a University established or incorporated by or under a Central Act, a Provincial Act or a State Act, and includes any such institution as may, in consultation with the University concerned, be recognised by the University Grant Commission.

Section 3 - Application of Act to institutions for higher studies other than Universities —The Central Government may, on the advice of the Commission, declare, by notification in the Official Gazette, that any institution for higher education, other than a University, shall be deemed to be a University for the purposes of this Act. All the provisions of this Act shall apply to such deemed universities recognised by UGC.

Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 - Section 2 (c) defines public servant and includes –

Any person who is a Vice-Chancellor or member of any governing body, professor, reader, lecturer or any other teacher or employee, by whatever designation called, of any University and any person whose services have been availed of by a University or any other public authority in connection with holding or conducting examinations.

Any person who is an office-bearer or an employee of an educational, scientific, social, cultural or other institution, in whatever manner established, receiving or having received any financial assistance from the Central Government or any State Government, or local or other public


authority.

Personal Notes


Title 3. NITI Aayog slams India's terror ranking (Page number 08)Syllabus GS paper II – International RelationTheme Global TerrorismHighlights

Context: NITI Aayog has criticised the report of 2019 Global Terrorism Index as it has ranked India as the 7th worst terrorism affected country ahead of conflict-ridden countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Palestine and Lebanon.

About 2019 Global Terrorism Index

It is published by Institute of Economics and Peace. India has moved to the seventh position from the previous year’s 8 th position

in the annual Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2019. The countries ahead of it are Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Syria, Pakistan and Somalia.

Why is NITI Aayog compiling report on global indices?

Cabinet had tasked NITI Aayog to track 32 such global indices to find out where India was lacking and also to suggest as to how these indices could help drive reforms and growth.

This was important according to Cabinet Secretariat because such poor rankings impacts global investments in India and other opportunities.

Accordingly, NITI Aayog has not only criticised 2019 Global Terrorism Index but also questioned the opaque funding of the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).

Important Highlights of 2019 Global Terrorism Index

Deaths from terrorism have decreased by 15.2 per cent in 2018 to 15,952 globally. This is the fourth consecutive year of improvement.

The Taliban has overtaken ISIL to become the deadliest terrorist group in the world, recording a 71 per cent increase in terrorism deaths. The group was responsible for 38 per cent of all terrorist deaths globally in 2018.

98 countries improved this year, with 40 deteriorating — the highest number of countries to improve year-on-year since 2004.

Terrorism still remains a global security threat with 71 countries recording at least one death in 2018 — the second highest number of countries since 2002 and four more than in 2017.

Deaths in Europe fell by 70 per cent, with Western Europe recording its lowest number of incidents since 2012.

There has been an increase in far-right terrorism for the third consecutive year in Western Europe, North America, and Oceania, with the number of deaths increasing by 52 per cent in 2018.

This trend has continued into 2019, with 77 deaths to the end of September 2019. The global economic impact of terrorism was US$33 billion in 2018, a decrease of 38 percent from the previous year.


Personal Notes


Title 4. USCIRF downgrades India in 2020 List (The Hindu Pg 08)

Syllabus GS paper II – International RelationTheme Religious FreedomHighlights

Context: U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has downgraded India to the lowest ranking, “countries of particular concern” (CPC) in its 2020 report. The report has placed India alongside China, North Korea, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. India was categorised as a “Tier 2 country” in last year’s listing. This is the first time since 2004 that India has been placed in this category. However, the central government has termed the report as biased and tendentious.

Highlights of the Report

India took a sharp downward turn in 2019 due to concerns about the Citizenship Amendment Act, the proposed National Register for Citizens, anti-conversion laws and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

The national government used its strengthened parliamentary majority to institute national-level policies violating religious freedom across India, especially for Muslims.

The panel said that the Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) designation was also recommended because national and various state governments allowed nationwide campaigns of harassment and violence against religious minorities to continue with impunity and engaged in tolerated hate speech and incitement to violence against them.

The commission also recommended that the U.S. government should take stringent action against India under the “International Religious Freedom Act” (IRFA).

The Commission has asked US authorities to impose targeted sanctions on Indian government agencies and officials responsible for severe violations of religious freedom by freezing those individuals’ assets and/or barring their entry into the United States under human rights-related financial and visa authorities, citing specific religious freedom violations.


Personal Notes


Title 5. Privacy concerns during a pandemic (The Hindu Pg 07)

Syllabus GS paper II – Polity and GovernanceTheme Right to PrivacyHighlights

Context: The article suggests that government’s technology solutions to fight COVID-19 do not meet minimum legal requirements.

This articles highlights that to meet the extra ordinary situation created due to COVID-19 Pandemic, the government has invoked use of technology at three levels:

First, in creating a list of persons suspected to be infected with COVID-19 Second, in deploying geo-fencing and drone imagery to monitor compliance

by quarantined individuals; and Third, through the use of contact-tracing smartphone applications, such as

Aarogya Setu App.

Problems with these state activities:

In creating a list of infected persons, State governments have channelled the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897. But this law does not authorise state to publicise such information.

The use of geo-fencing and drone technologies is similarly unsanctioned. While cell-phone based surveillance might be allowed in extreme cases subject to Indian Telegraph Act, 1885.

Using drone imagery is also not authorised under any law. As drones equipped with the ability to conduct thermal imaging, night-time reconnaissance and ability to integrate facial recognition into existing databases such as Aadhaar is not legally permitted.

Security concerns have also been raised on use of Arogya Setu App. Application’s technical architecture and its source code have not been made

public and is also not backed by any legislation. Further, the application can be used as a coercive method for relaxation purpose in economic activity.

AarogyaSetu is framed as a necessary technological invasion into personal privacy, in a bid to achieve a larger social purpose. But without a statutory framework, and in the absence of a data protection law, the application’s reach is boundless.


Concerns on App’s Privacy Policy

According to the app’s privacy policy, Aarogya Setu collects the personal data of its users and allows the disclosure of such data to the government to provide it with necessary details for “carrying out medical and administrative interventions necessary in relation to COVID-19.”

The government is also at liberty to revise the terms of the privacy policy at its discretion and has done so without notifying its users.

The author highlights that given the design of the App, it can used for surveillance of its users. Simultaneously the App also equips the government with an instrument for restricting and regulating the right of freedom of movement of citizens, especially due to its unspecific terms of service.

New Delhi based Internet Freedom Foundation have raised alarms over information collection, purpose limitation, data storage, institutional divergence, and transparency.

The App’s privacy policy does not disclose the departments or ministry or officials who are authorised to access the data.

So, apart from the App’s terms of use, currently there is no legal framework which regulates Aarogya Setu App.

Impacting Citizen’s Rights

This article highlights that colour coding of the App may restrict people’s entry to important places for essential services such as Ration shops, Banks, Govt. offices etc.

The resultant impact will be disproportionately higher on the most vulnerable sections of the society.

In future, individuals may be forced to download the app to be able to access basic amenities and services.

This may not only lead to increased surveillance by the government but also restriction on fundamental rights of citizens including profiling of citizens and their movement design.

Thus, citizens may be forced to give up their rights of autonomy and privacy to get government benefits.

Further, the existing users of the app could be subject to arbitrary restrictions in their fundamental rights without their informed consent as they would not have foreseen such restrictions at the time of giving their consent to downloading the app.

As per the author, present situation seems similar to Aadhaar where initially it was voluntary but later was made compulsory for every citizen.

Way Forward

To avoid unforeseeable dangers of mass surveillance and disproportionate restrictions of fundamental rights, it is therefore imperative that the Aarogya Setu app is implemented only through law. Also because as of now, India lacks any data protection law.

Making a law to regulate Aarogya Setu App will not only ensure proper deliberation on the matter in Parliament but will also restrict government’s action on surveillance through the App.

Personal Notes


Title 6. Home Rule League (The Hindu Pg 07)

Syllabus GS paper I – Indian HistoryTheme Freedom struggleHighlights Mahatma Gandhi joining Home Rule League

Mr. M.K. Gandhi joined the All India Home Rule League and accepted the office of the President of the League.

Mr. Gandhi writing to the press in that condition says that he would engage the league in activities such as the promotion of Swadeshi, Hindu-Moslem unity, with special reference to Khilafat, acceptance of Hindustani as the national “lingua franca” and linguistic redistribution of provinces.

He proposed to treat the Home Rule League as a non-party organisation and considers the Congress of which the League is an auxiliary as a national organisation providing a platform for all parties.

While he did not expect the League to follow him in civil disobedience methods, however, he expected the principles of uncompromising truth and honesty in political life accepted and acted upon by the All-India Home Rule League.

Factors leading to Home Rule League

A section of nationalists felt that popular pressure was required to attain concessions from the Government.

The Moderates were disillusioned with the Morley Minto reforms. People were feeling the burden of wartime miseries caused by high taxation

and a rise in prices, and were ready to participate in any aggressive movement of protest.

The War, being fought among the major imperialist powers of the day exposed the myth of white superiority.

Tilak was ready to assume leadership after his release in June 1914.

Home Rule League


The Home Rule Movement was the Indian response to the First World War. The Indian Home Rule Leagues were organized on the lines of the Irish Home

Rule Leagues. Annie Besant and Tilak were the pioneers of Home Rule League.

Both Tilak and Besant realised that the sanction of a Moderate-dominated Congress will not be effective and a more radical politics was required.

Having failed at the 1914 session of the Congress to reach a Moderate-Extremist consensus, Tilak and Besant decided to revive political activity on their own.

Tilak's League was set up in April 1916 and was restricted to Maharashtra (excluding Bombay city), Karnataka, Central Provinces and Berar. It had six branches and the demands included swarajya, formation of linguistic states and education in the vernacular languages.

Besant's League was set up in September 1916 in Madras and covered the rest of India (including Bombay city).

The League campaign aimed to convey to the common man the message of Home Rule as self-government.

It carried a much wider appeal than the earlier mobilisations did and also attracted the hitherto 'politically backward' regions of Gujarat and Sindh.

The aim was to be achieved by promoting political education and discussion through public meetings, organising libraries and reading rooms containing books on national politics, holding conferences, organising classes for students on politics, propaganda through newspapers, pamphlets, posters, illustrated post-cards, plays, religious songs, etc., collecting funds, organising social work, and participating in local government activities.

The Russian Revolution of 1917 proved to be an added advantage for the Home Rule campaign.


Personal Notes

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