Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: MSP
Mains level: Paper 3- Agri bills and issue of MSP
Question of MSP regime while arguing in favour of recently passed agri bills has made the farmers apprehensive of the purpose of the bill. The article argues for allaying the fears of the farmers and explains the salience of the MSP.
Flawed argument over MSP
- The recently enacted farm bills have triggered debate on the desirability of the MSP regime.
- But, the bills do not facilitate a policy to do away with Minimum Support Prices (MSPs).
- The bills allow free entry to agents who wish to set up markets — whether they be private individuals, producer collectives or cooperatives.
- This means that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and other associated agencies can procure in the traditional mandis, or in a new market established under this law — or in their own backyard.
- So, the argument that if the mandis cease to exist, the procurement will also cease is, in fact, flawed.
- Supporters of the bills have quoted the Shanta Kumar committee’s figures to argue that MSPs are anyway irrelevant for most of the farmers in the country.
- This linkage of the farm bills with the MSP only adds to the apprehension that farmers have about the bills.
Significance of MSP
- It is true that the procurement has remained confined to only a few crops.
- But the benefits to the farmers even beyond Punjab and Haryana are certainly not negligible.
- It is true that only a small fraction benefits directly from the procurement.
- But one cannot ignore the indirect benefit of this to all foodgrain producers in the country.
- As the procurement significantly exceeds the PDS requirement, this creates additional demand in the foodgrain market, pushing up the prices.
- This has been a great help for all the grain producers in the country, especially when the international prices have remained low for a long time now.
- The RBI’s annual report of 2017-18 on impact of MSP on the food prices conclusively shows that MSP is a leading factor influencing the output prices of the farm produce in the entire country.
- The issue of MSP is all the more important for rain-fed agriculturists, being deprived of irrigation, they don’t derive benefit from subsidies on electricity and fertiliser as their use is limited.
- So, at the moment, the only state support these farmers (primarily cotton and pulse producers) have is that of MSPs.
Conclusion
The debate on whom and how the state should support is an issue that should be addressed independently of the farm acts. Presenting these acts as an alternative to MSPs will not persuade farmers.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Mandate of the commission
Mains level: Air pollution in Delhi
The President of India has signed the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance, 2020.
Try this question from CS Mains 2015:
Q.Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata are the three megacities of the country but the air pollution is a much more serious problem in Delhi as compared to the other two. Why is this so?
About the Ordinance
- The Ordinance seeks to create an overarching body to consolidate all monitoring bodies and to bring them on one platform so air quality management can be carried out in a more comprehensive, efficient, and time-bound manner.
- It came within days of the hearing in ‘Aditya Dubey vs Union of India’ in the court of the CJI, where Solicitor General had indicated the setting up of such a Commission.
Why has the central government set up this Commission?
- The monitoring and management of air quality in the Delhi NCR region have been done piecemeal by multiple bodies including the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the adjacent state PCBs and state governments.
- They, in turn, are monitored by the Environment Ministry, and the Supreme Court itself, which monitors air pollution as per the judgment in ‘M C Mehta vs Union of India’, 1988.
Consolidating the efforts
- The Centre seeks to relieve the Supreme Court from having to constantly monitor pollution levels through various pollution-related cases.
- The body indicates the central government’s push to bring all stakeholders on one platform.
- This is important because the management of air pollution in Delhi NCR will involve controlling stubble-burning (Agriculture Ministry and state governments), and the control of industrial emissions (Commerce and Industries Ministry), etc.
About the Commission
- The Commission, which will be a permanent body, will have over 20 members and will be chaired by a retired official of the level of Secretary to the GoI or Chief Secretary of a state.
- It will include a representative of the Secretary of the MoEFCC, five Secretary level officers who will be ex officio members and two joint secretary-level officers who will be full-time members.
- The Commission will also have representation from the CPCB, ISRO, air pollution experts, and three representatives of non-government organisations (NGOs).
- As associate members, the Commission will have representatives from various other Ministries including the Ministries of Agriculture, Petroleum, Power, Transport, Housing etc.
Power and functions
- In matters of air pollution and air quality management, the Commission will supersede all existing bodies.
- It will have the powers to issue directions to the states.
- The Commission will also coordinate efforts of state governments to curb air pollution, and will lay down the parameters of air quality for the region.
- It will have powers to restrict the setting up of industries in vulnerable areas and will be able to conduct site inspections of industrial units.
Penal powers
- The Commission will have some penal powers.
- If its directions are contravened, through say, the setting up of an industrial unit in a restricted area, the Commission will have the power to impose a fine of up to Rs 1 crore and imprisonment of up to 5 years.
Wasn’t EPCA effective?
- The one body with powers similar to the new Commission’s was the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA).
- It was not a statutory body but drew legitimacy from the Supreme Court, which has been looking at cases of air pollution as part of the judgment in M C Mehta vs Union of India (1988).
- The EPCA was not, however, supported by a legal framework in the form of a law. It did have the authority to issue fines or directions and guidelines to the governments in other states.
How is the new commission expected to alter the situation?
- By forming a new commission, the government has taken the issue of air pollution out of the purview of the judiciary.
- As per the Ordinance, only NGT, and not civil courts, is authorised to hear cases where the commission is involved.
- The central government has got itself out of the clutch of Supreme Court and closed down SC-appointed EPCA.
Challenges ahead
- The Commission has a large number of members from the central government, which has not gone down well with the states.
- It is full of officials from the central government. Taking away any say from the state government is not the way to go further.
- Also, political differences will also now play a part in the functioning of the Commission because states are not happy with the overarching powers being vested in it.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Great Barrier Reef
Mains level: Impact of climate changes on coral reefs
Australian scientists have found a detached coral reef on the Great Barrier Reef that exceeds the height of the Empire State Building and the Eiffel Tower.
Try this PYQ:
Q.Consider the following statements:
- Most of the world’s coral reefs are in tropical waters.
- More than one-third of the world’s coral reefs are located in the territories of Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
- Coral reefs host far more number of animal phyla than those hosted by tropical rainforests.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1 and 3 only
About Great Barrier Reef
- The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands.
- It is stretched for over 2,300 kilometres over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres.
- The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
- It was world heritage listed in 1981 by UNESCO as the most extensive and spectacular coral reef ecosystem on the planet.
Why it is significant?
- This is first such discovery in over 100 years.
- The “blade-like” reef is nearly 500 metres tall and 1.5 kilometres wide.
- It lies 40 metres below the ocean surface and about six kilometres from the edge of the Great Barrier Reef.
Tap to read more about:
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: POWER Initiative
Mains level: Women in sciences
The Union Minister for Science & Technology has launched a Scheme titled SERB-POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women in Exploratory Research).
Try this MCQ:
Q.The POWER initiative sometimes seen in news is related to
a)Reforms in the DISCOMs
b)Renewable Energy Sector
c)Women Empowerment
d)Health Sector
POWER Initiative
- It is a scheme to mitigate gender disparity in science and engineering research funding in various S&T programs in Indian academic institutions and R&D laboratories.
- The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body of the DST has been contemplating to institute a scheme to mitigate gender disparity in science and engineering.
- SERB – POWER Scheme will have two components namely (i) SERB-POWER Fellowship (ii) SERB- POWER Research Grants.
A. Salient features of the SERB-POWER Fellowship
- Target: Women researchers in 35-55 years of age. Up-to 25 Fellowships per year and not more than 75 at any point in time.
- Components of support: Fellowship of Rs. 15,000/- per month in addition to regular income; Research grant of Rs. 10 lakh per annum; and Overhead of Rs. 90,000/- per annum.
- Duration: Three years, without the possibility of extension. Once in a career.
B. Salient features of the SERB – POWER Research Grants
POWER Grants will empower women researchers by funding them under the following two categories:
- Level I (Applicants from IITs, IISERs, IISc, NITs, Central Universities, and National Labs of Central Government Institutions): The scale of funding is up to 60 lakhs for three years.
- Level II (Applicants from State Universities / Colleges and Private Academic Institutions): The scale of funding is up to 30 lakhs for three years.
Why need such a scheme?
- Integration of the gender dimension in research design has gained considerable attention in the global scenario.
- Enhancement of participation and promotion of women in the research workforce has to be one of the prime priorities.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Meri Saheli Initiative
Mains level: Women safety
Indian Railways has launched “Meri Saheli” initiative for focused action on the security of women across all zones with an objective to provide safety and security to lady passengers.
Such a feedback-based initiative can be replicated in unsafe cities while addressing distress situation.
Meri Saheli Initiative
- The initiative was started as a pilot project in South Eastern Railway in September 2020 and after getting encouraging response from lady passengers.
- An initiative of RPF, the strategy entails interaction with lady passengers especially those travelling alone by a team of lady RPF personnel at the originating station.
- These lady passengers are briefed about all precautions to be taken during the journey and told to dial 182 in case they face or see any problem in the coach.
- The RPF team collects only the seat numbers of the ladies and conveys them to stoppages en-route.
- RPF/RPSF escort onboard also covers all the coaches/identified berths during its duty period.
Based on feedbacks
- RPF teams at the destination collect the feedback from the identified lady passengers.
- The feedback is then analysed and corrective action, if any, is taken.
- If some distress call comes from a train covered under “Meri Saheli” initiative, the disposal of the call is monitored at the level of senior officers.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: National Productivity Council (NPC)
Mains level: Not Much
National Productivity Council (NPC) has been granted accreditation conforming to ISO 17020:2012 by National Accreditation Board for Certification Body (NABCB).
National Productivity Council (NPC)
- NPC is a national level organization to promote productivity culture in India.
- The NPC comes under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
- Established in 1958, it is an autonomous, multipartite, non-profit organization and has been registered as a Society under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860.
- NPC is a constituent of the Tokyo-based Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an Inter-Governmental Body, of which the Government of India is a founder member.
Why ISO status?
- It has been granted accreditation for undertaking inspection and audit work in the area of Food Safety Audit and Scientific Storage of Agricultural Products.
- NPC has been conducting inspections/audit for different statutory bodies such as Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) and FSSAI and is already having high credentials in the area of inspections and audits.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Deepfakes
Mains level: Paper 3- Threats of the deepfakes
Deepfakes poses threaten the society at various level due to their disruptive potential. The article explains the threat and suggest the measures to deal with the threat.
Understanding deepfakes
- Deepfakes are the digital media (video, audio, and images) manipulated using Artificial Intelligence.
- This synthetic media content is referred to as deepfakes.
- They make it possible to fabricate media — swap faces, lip-syncing, and puppeteer.
- Access to commodity cloud computing, algorithms, and abundant data has created a perfect storm to democratise media creation and manipulation.
- Synthetic media can create possibilities and opportunities for all people.
- But as with any new innovative technology, it can be weaponised to inflict harm.
Threat posed by deepfakes
- Deepfakes, hyper-realistic digital falsification, can inflict damage to individuals, institutions, businesses and democracy.
- Nation-state actors with geopolitical aspirations, ideological believers, violent extremists, and economically motivated enterprises can manipulate media narratives using deepfakes, with easy and unprecedented reach and scale.
- Pornographic deepfakes can threaten, intimidate, and inflict psychological harm and reduce women to sexual objects.
- Deepfakes can be deployed to extract money, confidential information, or exact favours from individuals.
- Deepfakes can cause short- and long-term social harm and accelerate the already declining trust in news media.
- Such an erosion can contribute to a culture of factual relativism, fraying the increasingly strained civil society fabric.
Undermining democracy
- A deepfake can also aid in altering the democratic discourse and undermine trust in institutions and impair diplomacy.
- False information about institutions, public policy, and politicians powered by a deepfake can be exploited to spin the story and manipulate belief.
- A deepfake of a political candidate can sabotage their image and reputation.
- Voters can be confused and elections can be disrupted.
- A high-quality deepfake can inject compelling false information that can cast in doubt the voting process and election results.
- Deepfakes contribute to factual relativism and enable authoritarian leaders to thrive.
- Another concern is a liar’s dividend; an undesirable truth is dismissed as deepfake or fake news.
Solution to the problem
- Media literacy for consumers and journalists is the most effective tool to combat disinformation and deepfakes.
- Improving media literacy is a precursor to addressing the challenges presented by deepfakes.
- Meaningful regulations with a collaborative discussion with the technology industry, civil society, and policymakers can facilitate disincentivising the creation and distribution of malicious deepfakes.
- We also need easy-to-use and accessible technology solutions to detect deepfakes, authenticate media, and amplify authoritative sources.
Conclusion
Deepfakes can create possibilities for all people. However, as access to synthetic media technology increases, so does the risk of exploitation. To counter the menace of deepfakes, we all must take the responsibility to be a critical consumer of media on the Internet, think and pause before we share on social media, and be part of the solution to this infodemic.
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