Monthly-Current-Affairs-May-2020

Easy to PICK637 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 # Banks were wary about lending to these NBFCs, immediately affect the fiscal deficit. because of fears that their clients could default in amounts that would bring the viability of these On disposable income institutions into question. # Another component of the “liquidity” push is the # Those fears were confirmed when Franklin measures that temporarily increase the disposable Templeton announced that it was shutting down income of different sections. six of its funds, setting off redemption requests # Advance access to savings like provident fund across the NBFC sector, as investors rushed to contributions, lower tax deduction at take back their money, at a time when the ability source, reduced provident fund of these institutions to mobilise funds to meet contributions and moratoriums on debt service these demands had been impaired. payments for a few months, are expected to # Not surprisingly, banks were unwilling to provide access to cash inflows and reduce cash respond when liquidity was infused to target outflows, to induce agents to meet overdue lending to the NBFCs. payments or just spend to enhance the incomes of # The package identified more others. intermediaries (such as SIDBI, NABARD, NHB) # Overall, the “transmission” of the supply side that could refinance lending by the banks to push from these monetary policy initiatives for different sections, with targeted lending amounts relief and revival is bound to be weak. Given the providing figures to fatten the “stimulus”. circumstances, the liquidity push, even if partially # To persuade the banks and other intermediaries successful, would only culminate in eventual to take up these offers when the clients they must default, as borrowers use the debt to just stay lend to (micro, small and medium enterprises, afloat in the absence of new revenues. street vendors, marginal farmers, etc.) are Think new transfers themselves stressed, in some instances the What is needed now is government support in the government offered them partial or full credit form of new and additional transfers to people guarantees in case their clients defaulted. in cash and kind, and measures such as wage # The government also sought to persuade the subsidies, equity support and spending on RBI to lend directly to NBFCs against their employment programmes. paper. That, as many have acknowledged, would require # These measures, which are only marginally debt financed spending by the government, with effective even in the best of times, will not work borrowing at low interest rates from the central during this crisis. bank or a “monetisation” of the deficit. # Consider a bank or NBFC lending to small business. With economic activity either at a complete stop or at a fraction of the normal, those who can access credit would either not borrow or only do so to protect themselves and not use the funds either to pay their workers or buy and stock inputs. # Faced with sluggish demand, firms are unlikely to meet past and current payments commitments and help the revival effort, just because they have access to credit. # This would mean that credit flow would actually not revive. This danger is even greater because the government has been measly with its guarantees, not wanting to accumulate even contingent liabilities that do not

Easy to PICK638 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 How India can become self-reliant D. Raghunandan is with the Delhi Science Forum, industries or develop contemporary affiliated to the All India People's Science consumer products. India’s industrial Network ecosystem was thus characterised by low Paper-GS-III Aatmnirbhar bharat Ratings: productivity, poor quality and low ***** technology, and was globally uncompetitive. There needs to be significant government Limitations reinvestment in public sector undertakings and 1. India completely missed out on the ‘third R&D industrial Addressing the nation on the COVID-19 revolution’ comprising electronic goods, pandemi, Prime Minister emphasised the micro-processors, personal computers, necessity of a self-reliant India. He said the need mobile phones and decentralised was brought home by the absence of domestic manufacturing and global value chains production of personal protective equipment during the so-called lost decade(s). (PPE) when COVID-19 struck, but India initiated 2. Today, India is the world’s second largest and quickly ramped up PPE production. Mr. Modi smartphone market. However, it does said there needs to be improvement in quality not make any of these phones itself, and and domestic supply chains going forward. If manufactures only a small fraction of solar this is to happen though, India will have to make photovoltaic cells and modules currently major course changes in development strategies. used, with ambitious future targets. 3. At the turn of the millennium, when India Background embarked on liberalisation, Much has changed since the self-reliance model privatisation and globalisation, the very of the Nehruvian era, so a perspective for concept of self-reliance was Indian self-reliance in science and technology rubbished, in the belief that it was (S&T) and industry in a globalised world is long tantamount to reinventing the wheel when overdue. advanced technologies could simply be bought from anywhere at lower costs. Not globally competitive 4. Two related ideas have prevailed since  Self-reliance in state-run heavy industries then, and neither delivered the desired and strategic sectors in the decades results. following independence had placed India 5. The first was that public sector ahead of most developing countries. undertakings (PSUs) are, by definition,  In the 1970s and 80s, however, India did inefficient and sluggish for the competitive not modernise these industries to climb globalised scenario. No effort was made to higher up the technological ladder. engender either real autonomy or a  The private sector, which had backed the transition to new technological directions. state-run core sector approach in its Instead, PSUs with capability and scale for Bombay Plan, stayed content with near- the task were undermined or abandoned, monopoly conditions in non-core sectors along with many nascent research and in a protected market. development (R&D) efforts (for instance,  Little effort was made to modernise light in photovoltaics, semiconductors and advanced materials).

Easy to PICK639 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 6. On the other hand, the private sector and 80s. South Korea, in particular, climbed displayed little interest in these heavy determinedly up the technology ladder and value industries and showed no appetite for chains in electronic goods, consumer durables, technology upgradation. With entry of automobiles, micro-processors, personal foreign corporations, most Indian private computers and heavy machinery. It emerged as a companies retreated into technology global powerhouse in manufacturing, but also in imports or collaborations. Even today, indigenously developed technologies. Taiwan most R&D in India is conducted by PSUs, developed technologies and manufacturing and much of the smaller but rising capacities in robotics and micro-processors, proportion of private sector R&D is by while Singapore and Hong Kong adapted foreign corporations in information advanced technologies in niche areas. These technology and biotechnology/pharma. self-reliant capabilities were enabled, among Given the disinclination of most of the other factors, by planned state investments in private sector towards R&D and high-tech R&D including basic research (3-5% of manufacturing, significant government GDP), technology and policy support to private reinvestment in PSUs and R&D is corporations, infrastructure and, importantly, essential for self-reliance. education and skill development (4-6% of GDP). Countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia 7. The second idea was that inviting foreign and Vietnam have focused on off-shore direct investment and manufacturing by manufacturing lower down the value chain and foreign majors would bring new without the thrust on self-reliance. This is useful technologies into India’s industrial for job creation but is an unsuitable model for a ecosystem, obviating the need for country of India’s size and aspirations. indigenous efforts towards self-reliance. China is, of course, unique in scale and in its determination to become a superpower not just 8. However, mere setting up of geopolitically but also in self-reliant S&T and manufacturing facilities in India is no industrial capability. China advanced guarantee of absorption of technologies purposefully from low-end mass manufacturing to (the ability to independently take them a dominant role in global supply chains. It has now to higher levels). There is no evidence decided on shifting to advanced manufacturing from any sector that this has taken place or and has set itself a target of becoming a world has even been attempted. leader by 2035 in 5G, supercomputing, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence (AI), 9. The fact is, foreign majors jealously guard autonomous vehicles, biotech/pharma and commercially significant or strategic other technologies of the ‘fourth industrial technologies in off-shore manufacturing revolution’. bases. The key problem of self-reliance is therefore neither external finance nor The way forward for India domestic off-shore manufacturing, but  Unfortunately, India may well have missed resolute indigenous endeavour including the bus in many of these technologies in R&D. which the U.S., Europe and China have established perhaps insurmountable leads. Case study  Yet self-reliant capabilities in electric Experience and achievements in other countries and fuel cell vehicles, electricity storage in Asia attest to this, and also contradict the systems, solar cells and modules, notion that self-reliance is a hangover from aircraft including UAVs, AI, robotics Nehruvian ‘socialism’. Learning from Japan’s and automation, biotech/pharma and post-war success, countries like South Korea, others are well within reach. Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong took huge technological and industrial strides in the 1970s

Easy to PICK640 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020  Large-scale concerted endeavours would, however, be required, since self-reliance will not happen by itself.  State-funded R&D, including in basic research, by PSUs and research institutions and universities needs to be scaled-up significantly, well above the dismal 1% of GDP currently.  Upgraded and reoriented PSUs would also be crucial given their distinctive place in the ecosystem. Private sector delivery- oriented R&D could also be supported, linked to meaningful participation in manufacturing at appropriate levels of the supply chain.  Finally, India’s meagre public expenditure on education needs to be substantially ramped up (as against current trends of privatisation which would only shrink access), including in skill development. No country has achieved self-reliance without mass quality public education.  And no country has developed without a much stronger public health system than what we have in India.

Easy to PICK641 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 Enjoying the fruits of their labour By, M. Venkaiah Naidu is the Vice-President of be the victims of a buyers’ market. India # The country is still far from ensuring efficient value chains for farm produce for want Introduction of required infrastructure like cold storage, Today, India is a leading producer of a variety stocking facilities, and transport of perishable of agricultural and allied produce and exporter commodities. of some of them. # Farmers are the cornerstone of food security of This is due to the relentless hard work and efforts our country. We have come a long way from of our farmers against the odds. They are the the ship-to-mouth existence under the PL480 epitome of the Nishkam Karma programme of the U.S. to being the leading philosophy taught by Krishna to Arjuna during producer of many kinds of farm produce. the Kurukshetra War: “Karmanye Vadhikaraste # The restrictive trade and marketing Ma Phaleshu Kada Chana (Do your duty without policies being practised with respect to expecting the fruits of your labour)”. agricultural prices have substantially eroded the Farmers toil day and night, through winter and incomes of farmers. summer, whether or not they get adequate returns. But they are not the masters of the price of their Data by Indian Council for Research on toil. If any class of economic agents of our country has International Economic Relations- been denied the constitutional right of freedom of trade, it is farmers. They don’t have the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and freedom of selling their produce even in their neighbourhood. Development (2018) Remunerative price is still a mirage for them. Their farm incomes are at the mercy of # A study on agricultural policies in India by markets, middlemen and money lenders. For every rupee that a farmer makes, others in the the Indian Council for Research on supply chain get much more. Both farmers and consumers are the sufferers International Economic Relations- of the exploitative procurement and marketing of farm produce. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Restrictions on farmers Development (2018), co-authored by the # This exploitation has its roots in the Bengal famine of 1943, World War II, and the droughts renowned farm economist Ashok Gulati, was and food shortages of the 1960s. # The Essential Commodities Act, 1955, and published with startling revelations. It concluded the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Acts of the States are the principle that the restrictions on agricultural sources of violation of the rights of farmers to marketing amounted to ‘implicit taxation’ on sell their produce at a price of their choice. # These two laws severely restrict the options of farmers to the tune of ?45 lakh crore from 2000- farmers to sell their produce. Farmers continue to 01 to 2016-17. This comes to ?2.56 lakh crore per year. No other country does this. Much-awaited freedom # Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of a ?20 lakh crore stimulus to rev up the economy, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the details of a package for the agriculture and allied sectors. # Apart from the approximately ?4 lakh crore support package for farming and allied sectors, aimed at improving infrastructure and enhancing credit support, the most welcome

Easy to PICK642 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 feature of this package is the firm commitment to rewriting the Essential Commodities Act and the APMC laws. # The revision of these restrictive laws is long overdue and will remove the hurdles that farmers face in getting a remunerative price for their produce by giving them more options to sell. # While allowing several buyers to directly access the produce from the farmers, a strong and effective network of Farm Producers’ Organisations should be created to enhance the bargaining power of farmers. # This will ensure that individual farmers are not exploited. An effective law on contract farming is also the need of the hour, to secure incomes of farmers besides enabling private investments. # Dr. Gulati, in a recent article, termed this announcement as “a 1991 moment for agriculture”. # A study by the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management has revealed that of the 3,500 farmers’ suicides examined, there was no farmer who had supplementary incomes from dairy or poultry. # The huge support to animal husbandry and fisheries in the stimulus package underlines the need for diversifying the income sources of farmers.

Easy to PICK643 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 The Swarm Locust Attack Introduction in the works. Just last week, eastern India was battered by one This led to record-breaking rainfall in India as of the most powerful cyclones in decades and well as in eastern Africa. now, even as hundreds of lives are lost every day But moist African deserts precipitated locust to the coronavirus, another danger lurks on breeding and favourable rain-bearing the nation’s west. winds aided their transport towards India. On the other hand, coronavirus Agrarian Disaster quarantines meant that routine A burgeoning locust swarm in Rajasthan, coordination activities involving India, Pakistan Gujarat and even parts of Madhya and Afghanistan regarding spraying pesticides Pradesh threatens to amplify into an agrarian were halted. disaster. Forecasts are for good rains in Rajasthan, and, The desert locust, as a species, is the bane of paradoxically, conducive conditions for locust agriculture. Monitoring and tackling periodic breeding during the sowing season. outbreaks of the marauding insects are among the objectives of the Locust Warning Way Ahead Organization (LWO) in Jodhpur.  A less highlighted aspect of global Data: There were 13 locust upsurges from 1964 warming is that it may link disparate to 1997, and after 2010 there was “no large scale disasters — floods, pandemics and breeding” reported. pestilence — amplifying the potency of Once a significant outbreak starts, it lasts for each. about two years, and then there is a quietus for  Improved science and technology is only about eight years. making it clearer that man’s follies LWO officials say that the swarm building up is transcend borders. This makes it necessary potentially the “worst in decades”. to abandon any territorial blame The East Punjab Agricultural Pests, Diseases game and focus on policies that will and Noxious Weeds Act, 1949, has a provision ensure an equitable, sustainable future. whereby a District Collector can “...call upon any male person not below the age of 14 years resident in the district to render all possible assistance ...” and there is potential imprisonment for failure to abide by the law. Reasons for this Locusts swarm The breeding locusts which threaten farming are an indirect fallout of the warming Indian Ocean, as some meteorologists suggest. Last year, there were fears that the monsoon may fall short because of an El Niño, or warming of the Equatorial Pacific. However there was an extreme flip. By July it was evident that a positive Indian Ocean Dipole, or relatively higher temperature in the western Indian Ocean, was

Easy to PICK644 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 Export blocks: On India’s trade amid the pandemic Introduction World trade # Official trade data for April, was the grimmest # The outcome for May is unlikely to be any better in over two decades. and the World Trade # Merchandise exports had collapsed by over Organization expects trade flows to slip by 60% and imports contracted only slightly between 13% and 32% over 2020. less. Only two of India’s 30 biggest export # The prognosis gets even murkier when one adds products clocked positive growth — iron ore and to this the new barriers on trade in medical and pharmaceuticals, the latter by just a quarter of a food supplies imposed by over 90 countries, and percent. an increasing tendency to look inward for # Thanks to the sharp dip in global oil prices, essential supplies (as India is doing too with its higher volumes of petroleum exports didn’t help emphasis on self-reliance). much in value terms. Way ahead India’s Exports # The country is again pitching to become an # The trade collapse was not surprising as the spate alternative investment destination for big global of national lockdowns around the world have not businesses in the hope that the COVID-19 only dented demand and investment, but also pandemic would prompt them to hedge their severely disrupted global supply chains and China-dependent supply chains. shipping routes. # India’s exports, however, were already in a free fall. The government’s economic stimulus package in totality offered several reform commitments, improvements in the ease of doing business along with some forbearance and a few sops for micro, small and medium enterprises (many of which are also export-oriented units). # However, there was no explicit respite offered for exporters. Steps taken by RBI to promote exports # The Reserve Bank of India, on May 22, did unveil a few measures, including a special ?15,000 crore liquidity facility for the Exim Bank of India and a six-month extension for importers to complete outward remittances. # For exporters, the maximum permissible credit period from banks was extended from 12 months to 15 months, for disbursements made up to July 31, 2020. # In an employment-intensive sector such as textiles, garment exports, which fell 16% between January and March, fell 91% in April.

Easy to PICK645 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 GS - IV

Easy to PICK646 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 Ramadan marks the revelation of the Quran, which places knowledge above all (Rahamathunnissa A) The writer is national deserving of it. This means that a believer secretary, women’s department, Jama’at-e-Islami should search for knowledge in every Many think that Ramadan is a month of fasting place possible. and giving charity. But is it just for that? What  The following saying of the prophet is the actual reason for believers being encourages the pursuit of knowledge: commanded to observe fasting during this “One who proceeds on a path in pursuit of month? These are important questions and their knowledge, God makes him proceed answers will help anyone to utilise this time in a therewith on a path to Paradise. way that will benefit both believers as well as all  And verily, the angels spread their wings of humanity. for the seekers of knowledge out of The Quran says that it was during Ramadan that delight. its revelation took place: “The month of  The learned are the heirs of the prophets, Ramadan is that in which was revealed the for the prophets did not leave behind a Quran, guidance for the people and clear legacy of wealth but that of knowledge.” proofs of guidance and criterion.” 2:185  Teaching someone is considered as an “ongoing charity” — such a person gets Important Points rewarded continuously even after his death. Teachers and learned scholars are  There is no Ramadan without the Quran. It held in high regard in Islamic societies. is an anniversary of the Book of guidance,  The Quran doesn’t differentiate between which transformed the illiterate Arabs into worldly and spiritual knowledge. the most cultured and civilised people  The longest verse in the Quran talks about within a short period — the shortest in the procedures to be followed and the human history. There was no magic. importance of documentation while lending or borrowing money (2:282).  There were the guidelines sent through the  There are many verses in the Quran that Quran by Allah. Its first command was not can be used as foundations for different to perform five times prayer or any branches of knowledge such as astronomy, spiritual activity. economics, politics, law, ethics, philosophy, biology, environmental  It was: “Read in the name of thy Lord who science, geography, zoology, sociology, has created..” 96:1 to 5 history and medicine. The Quran, in another part, tells that those  This is in addition to the guidelines and who have knowledge and those who do not commands on spirituality and worship. have knowledge are not equal. Any branch of knowledge, as long as it benefits mankind, is considered holy. The  The Quran deals with practically every Quran asks man to ponder and research the subject related to human life and all wonders of nature. branches of knowledge. Spending “Do they not observe the camels: How they resources on the path to acquiring were created? And the sky: How it was raised knowledge is encouraged as an act of high? And the mountains: How they were worship. fixed? And the earth: How it spread out?” 88: 17 to 20.  If one has to travel to seek knowledge, he The Islamic world influenced medieval can even combine and shorten his five prayers or postpone the compulsory European life and culture in various fields. The fasting.  The Prophet taught that the word of wisdom is the lost property of a believer and wherever he finds it, he is most

Easy to PICK647 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 European scholar Gerard of Cremona learned Arabic because of the “abundance of books in Arabic on every subject” and he translated 87 books from Arabic into Latin. Ramadan is the time to revisit the verses of the Quran and do more research on how to boost the world economy after the pandemic passes, as well as other issues facing the world.

Easy to PICK648 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 Right to Information Historical Background  To contain corruption and  To enhance people’s participation in  The right to information gained power when Universal Declaration of Human democratic process. Rights was adopted in 1948 providing everyone the right to seek, receive, Features of the Act information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.  Section 1(2) : It extends to the whole of India except the State of Jammu and  The International Covenant on Civil Kashmir. and Political rights 1966 states that everyone shall have the right to freedom of  Section- 2 (f): \"Information\" means any expression, the freedom to seek and impart material in any form, including Records, information and ideas of all kinds. Documents, Memos, e-mails, Opinions, Advices, Press releases, Circulars, Orders,  According to Thomas Logbooks, Contracts, Reports, Papers, Jefferson “Information is the currency of Samples, Models, Data material held in democracy,” and critical to the emergence any electronic form and information and development of a vibrant civil society. relating to any private body which can be However, with a view to set out a practical accessed by a Public Authority under any regime for the citizens to secure other law for the time being in force. information as a matter of right, the Indian Parliament enacted the Right to  Section- 2(j) : \"Right to Information Act, 2005. Information\" means the right to information accessible under this Act  Genesis of RTI law started in 1986, which is held by or under the control through judgement of Supreme Court of any public authority and includes the in Mr. Kulwal v/s Jaipur Municipal right to: Corporation case, in which it directed that o Inspection of work, documents, freedom of speech and expression records; provided under Article 19 of the o Taking notes, extracts or certified Constitution clearly implies Right to copies of documents or records; Information, as without information the o Taking certified samples of freedom of speech and expression cannot material; be fully used by the citizens. o Obtaining information in the form of diskettes, floppies, tapes, video Reasons for Adoption of Information cassettes or in any other electronic mode or through printouts where Act such information is stored in a computer or in any other device. The factors responsible for adoption of information act are as follows- What is Public Authority?  Corruption and scandals \"Public authority\" means any authority or body  International pressure and activism or institution of self government established or  Modernization and the information society constituted— Objectives and  by or under the Constitution;  by any other law made by Parliament/State  To empower the citizens  To promote transparency Legislature.  by notification issued or order made by the accountability

Easy to PICK649 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 appropriate Government, and includes and deliberately empowered the any— Information Commission to be the highest authority in the country with the mandate o body owned, controlled or to order any office in the country to substantially financed; provide information as per the provisions of the Act. And it empowered the o non-Government organisation Commission to fine any official who did substantially financed, directly or not follow the mandate. indirectly by funds provided by the  Right to information has been seen as the appropriate Government. key to strengthening participatory democracy and ushering in people centred  Section 4 of the RTI Act requires suo governance. motu disclosure of information by each  Access to information can empower the public authority. However, such poor and the weaker sections of disclosures have remained less than society to demand and get information satisfactory. about public policies and actions, thereby leading to their welfare. It showed an early  Section 8 (1) mentions exemptions against promise by exposing wrongdoings at high furnishing information under RTI Act. places, such as in the organisation of the Commonwealth Games, and the allocation  Section 8 (2) provides for disclosure of of 2G spectrum and coal blocks. information exempted under Official  Right to information opens up Secrets Act, 1923 if larger public interest government’s records to public scrutiny, is served. thereby arming citizens with a vital tool to inform them about what the government  The Act also provides for appointment does and how effectively, thus making the of Information Commissioners at government more accountable. Central and State level. Public authorities  Improves decision making by public have designated some of its officers as authority by removing unnecessary Public Information Officer. They are secrecy. responsible to give information to a person who seeks information under the RTI Act. Challenges  Time period: In normal course,  Different types of information is sought information to an applicant is to which has no public interest and be supplied within 30 days from the sometimes can be used to misuse the law receipt of application by the public and harass the public authorities. For authority. example- o If information sought concerns the life or liberty of a person, it shall o Asking for desperate and be supplied within 48 hours. voluminous information. o In case the application is sent through the Assistant Public o To attain publicity by filing RTI Information Officer or it is sent to o RTI filed as vindictive tool to a wrong public authority, five days shall be added to the period of harass or pressurize the public thirty days or 48 hours, as the case authority may be.  Because of the illiteracy and unawareness among the majority of population in the Importance country, the RTI cannot be exercised.  Though RTI’s aim is not to create a  The RTI Act, 2005 did not create a new bureaucracy for implementing the law. Instead, it tasked and mandated officials in every office to change their attitude and duty from one of secrecy to one of sharing and openness. It carefully

Easy to PICK650 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 grievance redressal mechanism, the RTI vs OSA notices from Information Commissions often spur the public authorities to redress The OSA was enacted in 1923 by the British to grievances. keep certain kinds of information confidential, including, but not always limited to, information RTI vs Legislations for Non involving the affairs of state, diplomacy, national Disclosure of Information security, espionage, and other state secrets.  Some provisions of Indian Evidence  Whenever there is a conflict between the Act (Sections 123, 124, and 162) provide two laws, the provisions of the RTI Act to hold the disclosure of documents. override those of the OSA. o Under these provisions, head of department may refuse to provide  Section 22 of the RTI Act states that its information on affairs of state and provisions will have effect only swearing that it is a state notwithstanding anything that is secret will entitle not to disclose inconsistent with them in the OSA. the information. o In a similar manner no public  Similarly, under Section 8(2) of the RTI officer shall be compelled to Act, a public authority may allow access disclose communications made to to information covered under the him in official confidence. OSA, “if the public interest in disclosure outweighs the harm to the protected  The Atomic Energy Act, 1912 provides interest”. that it shall be an offence to disclose information restricted by the Central RTI and Political Parties Government. Why activists want political parties to be brought  The Central Civil Services Act provides under RTI? a government servant not to communicate or part with any official documents except  To contain corruption in accordance with a general or special  Huge donations from corporates which order of government. lead to favouritism or crony capitalism  The Official Secrets Act, 1923 provides  Illegal foreign contribution that any government official can mark a  The leader of the opposition is statutorily document as confidential so as to prevent its publication. mandated to be part of the select committees to choose Chairperson for RTI vs Right to Privacy CIC, Lokpal, CBI Director and CVC  Various members of the opposition are  Conceptually, RTI and the right to privacy also part of various parliamentary are both complementary as well as in committees conflict to each other.  They enjoy multiple benefits like concessional office spaces, free airtime on  While RTI increases access to information, DD & AIR from govt the right to privacy protects it instead. Stand of Political Parties  PP’s are not public authorities, hence  At the same time they both function, as cannot be brought under RTI Act. citizen rights safeguarding liberty, against  Disclosed information can be misused. state’s overreach.  Can disclose financial information under the IT Act. When the question of harmonising the contradicting rights arises, it should Recent Amendments  give justice to the larger public interest  The RTI amendment Bill 2013 removes  advance the public morality political parties from the ambit of the definition of public authorities and hence from the purview of the RTI Act.

Easy to PICK651 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020  The draft provision 2017 which provides to systematic failures. for closure of case in case of death of applicant can lead to more attacks on the lives of whistleblowers.  The proposed RTI Amendment Act 2018 is aimed at giving the Centre the power to fix the tenures and salaries of state and central information commissioners, which are statutorily protected under the RTI Act. The move will dilute the autonomy and independence of CIC.  The Act proposes to replace the fixed 5 year tenure to as much prescribed by government. Other Issues  Information commissioners do not have adequate authorities to enforce the RTI Act.  In case of award of compensation to activist by public authority as ordered by commision, compliance cannot be secured.  Poor record-keeping practices  Lack of adequate infrastructure and staff for running information commissions  Dilution of supplementary laws like the whistleblowers protection Act. Conclusion As observed by Delhi High Court that misuse of the RTI Act has to be appropriately dealt with; otherwise the public would lose faith and confidence in this \"sunshine Act\". It is well recognized that right to information is necessary, but not sufficient, to improve governance. A lot more needs to be done to usher in accountability in governance, including protection of whistleblowers, decentralization of power and fusion of authority with accountability at all levels. This law provides us a priceless opportunity to redesign the processes of governance, particularly at the grass roots level where the citizens’ interface is maximum. The Right to Information Act was made to achieve social justice, transparency and to make accountable government but this act has not achieved its full objectives due to some impediments created due

Easy to PICK652 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 New habits-COVID-19 Overcoming inertia factors. Starting new habits is tough and  In normal times we don’t pay much requires overcoming inertia. Most of the time humans like maintaining the status quo. attention to our environment because we The majority of us don’t change the default don’t need to. If one has to take a crowded settings when we buy a new mobile phone. train to work because of lack of better Nor we do change the default settings of any new choice, we get used to it because the goal app we download. is to get to office, in time. The tendency to stick with defaults happens across  The environment becomes part of our different aspects of our lives, from personal to sub-conscious. social to office work.  We navigate through life, lanes, stations, Rise of New habits etc. without paying much attention to our surroundings. But the pandemic is now  This pandemic has jolted us out of our making us aware of our surroundings. inertia. We’re now doing new things that  Besides behaviours like hand washing, we haven’t done before. sanitising and wearing masks to prevent contracting COVID-19, the pandemic is  Those not used to cleaning their own driving another big behavioural change dishes or homes are doing so now. Those — keeping safe distance. not used to working from home are forced Behavioural nudges to do so now. Managers who wouldn’t  Merely informing people that they need to allow their teammates to work from home maintain at least six-feet distance from one have no choice but to ask them to work another is not enough. People tend to from home now. forget about distancing while talking to one another. Maintaining distance is an  The pandemic has forced us to start new alien concept for us. habits by breaking away from our status  That’s why we’re now seeing examples quo. of behavioural design nudges in our environment that help us in maintaining Physical distancing habit in India distance in public spaces. Markings in One habit that we Indians are not used to is the form of circles and squares are being maintaining sufficient physical distance from one painted outside grocery stores and another in public spaces. pharmacies to help people maintain There are many reasons for this are: distance.  People are now standing in these circles 1. Urban cities are densely packed with and squares while waiting in queues. people. Houses in slums are cramped. Maintaining physical distancing  Around the world behavioural design 2. Few roads have footpaths, forcing nudges are being implemented to help pedestrians to take up a portion of the road. people keep safe distance from one another. 3. Lanes are narrow; even main roads are  Restaurants in Hong Kong are putting narrow. tapes over alternate tables so that people do not occupy tables next to each other. 4. Trains and buses are always packed.  A bus station in Thailand has put stickers 5. Queues are long. The population is overwhelming. Environmental factors  Behavioural science studies are showing evidence that a large part of human behaviour is led by environmental

Easy to PICK653 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 on alternate seats so that people sit leaving one seat empty.  Schoolchildren in Hangzhou, China are being made to wear caps with fan-like blades so that they cannot come close to other children.  A police station in Thailand has placed transparent protective shields on desks creating a barrier between the police inspector and civilians.

Easy to PICK654 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 Older men worry less about Covid-19 than others: study  Data on Covid-19 so far has indicated that men are more vulnerable than women, and the elderly more vulnerable than the young.  Now, a study has found that older men worry less about Covid-19 than women their age or than younger men and women, and thus may be at greater risk of contracting it.  This is a concern given that older men are already more at risk, according to the study by researchers at Georgia State University, and published in The Journals of Gerontology.  In general, worry begins to ease with age, and is also lower among men than women.  “Not only do older adults exhibit less negative emotions in their daily lives, they also exhibit less worry and fewer PTSD symptoms following natural disasters and terrorist attacks,” gerontology and psychology researcher Sarah Barber said in a statement.  Knowing that older adults tend to worry less, Barber conducted a study to see how this affected responses to the global pandemic.  Older men were less worried about Covid-19, and had adopted the fewest number of behaviour changes.  They were relatively less likely to have worn a mask, to report having stopped touching their faces or to have purchased extra food.

Easy to PICK655 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 EDITORIAL PLUS

Easy to PICK656 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 The New Normal By, Purushottam Basava, I.A.S., is PS (Chief of The list is: 1.Semester completion Staff) to Union Minister HRD. Challenge: Since neither students nor teachers were prepared [email protected] for this sudden lockdown, it has become difficult for them to continue as per the original plan. Smarthveer Sidana is an IIT Delhi alumnus & Harvard HCONF Scholar. [email protected] Focus area: Emphasis should be given to develop a robust plan in order to complete semesters and ensure degree completion of final-year students. The academic plan needs to be modified in order to suit the current situation, changing both teaching and assessment methods. Introduction Building technology infrastructure to deliver content, strengthening the existing Ministry of With the pandemic set to transform higher Human Resource Development (MHRD) content education as we know it, there are platforms like Swayam, along with promoting huge challenges before us, as well as room for innovative personalised teaching-learning innovation platforms, teacher training and student awareness will be key. Given the rapidly evolving situation around the pandemic, has this forced shift from offline to As a short-term solution, allowing course online mode of teaching-learning given us a peek completion via Swayam as a substitute for course into the reality ahead? How will COVID-19 requirements within universities can address this transform the future of teaching-learning? crisis. Technology-enabled teaching is definitely the Hence, a blend of traditional and online future we are looking towards, but will it be easy methods of teaching-learning could emerge as the to make this transition? How should different more feasible and scalable model. stakeholders contribute to ensure a smooth transition? 2. Jobs and internship opportunities Challenge: It is important to identify key challenges for Some companies are rescinding job/internship students and teachers in the current scenario. Once offers after being negatively impacted by COVID- identified, academic leadership and the 19. government can address these through innovations in focus areas. Junior students are finding it harder to find internships, especially foreign research opportunities, which play a key role in interdisciplinary research and exposure to global research facilities. Focus area:

Easy to PICK657 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 New project opportunities by universities and Focus area: within government institutions should be floated A policy needs to be in place to ensure proper and due recognition given. financial support for all kinds of research, whether COVID-19 related or not. In the long run, leadership within universities and The proposed National Research government institutions should push policies to Foundation will address the challenges motivate and support an entrepreneurial mentioned above, and it is imperative that it is set ecosystem within colleges by setting up more up at the earliest. innovation and incubation centres, grants/fellowships to pursue start-up ideas and 5. Spending on tech infrastructure: flexible policies for deferred placement for start- Challenge: up enthusiasts. Universities will suddenly need to invest huge amounts to establish a tech-enabled teaching- 3. Psychological disturbance learning network. This will be a problem with Challenge: most private universities who are already asset It is normal for faculty and students to undergo heavy and hence may hesitate to spend more stress because of the uncertainty they are facing. money during times of recession. Not being able to carry on with a set routine will Focus area: further add to their anxiety and affect their mental Private universities should come up health. with innovative solutions and use open-source Focus area: platforms for digital transformation and to build A proper psychological support system needs to their tech infrastructure. be established through courses/curriculum and training. Focus should be on maintaining mental 6.Reduced paying capacity of parents well-being in these difficult times. Challenge: This will be a time of global recession, with many 4.Innovation through research(COVID-19- people experiencing financial difficulties. related research) The gap between private and public mode of Challenge: education will further increase because of the Even though many students and faculty are sudden requirement of a digital facility — coming together to find a solution to COVID-19, creating even more problems for students from the lack of financial support in the form of a middle and lower classes. dedicated COVID-19 research grant might hold Focus area: them back. New avenues for scholarships and loans should Focus area: be opened, enabling students to complete Faculty and students should be encouraged their higher education, get placed, and repay the to undertake research, and proper funding for loan it should be ensured by the university, industry and government Institutions. In short, to move forward post the pandemic phase, it is important to: (In the long run for non-COVID-related research) 1. Build a robust infrastructure for tech- Challenge: enabled teaching-learning, ensuring both Companies might show a lack of interest and students and teachers are fully equipped funds to sponsor non-COVID-19 research due to a for the digital transformation in higher falling economy, and give more preference to education COVID-19 research. This can lead to tech research being compromised in the long run. 2. Create a three-way communication channel between students, teachers and the government, which operates offline

Easy to PICK658 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 and online and bridges the teaching- learning gaps in areas without an Internet/4G access. 3. Relax criteria/policies for universities to offer online and hybrid degrees. This will enable universities to cater to a much wider audience in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, making degree certifications much more economical and logistically easier. 4. Boost counsellor/teacher capacity to provide psychological support within institutions, catering to the growing mental health issues. Teachers should be trained to understand their students’ mental health needs. 5. Build, maintain, and fund entrepreneurial ecosystems in universities, leading to job creation in the short run and boosting the economy in future. 6. Increase upper cap over financial support for biotech research projects, to ensure there is no constraint for students/faculty doing COVID-19 related research. 7. Push collaboration for interdisciplinary research. For example, motivating research across engineering, medical and management, which may bring innovative outcomes. 8. Set up Disaster Management Research Centres. All universities must have a mandatory course on Disaster Management to ensure that everyone is prepared for a sudden crisis like this one and can ensure least damage. We must remember that this is only a phase and this too shall pass. However, we must make sure that it does not create a long-term impact, which is difficult to mend. It will take a huge amount of public and private sector investment, in terms of time and money, to tackle this impending educational crisis.

Easy to PICK659 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 The pandemic and the challenge of behavior change – Social Marketing By, S.N. Srikanth is Chairman and Managing The Indian example Director of the Hauer-Diana Group of Companies of India India is one of the few countries that appears to have recognised the power of deliberately Introduction crafted emotive cues to action such as the Prime Minister’s call for a voluntary “Janata The COVID-19 crisis is far from over, but Curfew”, exhorting citizens to show that they care governments everywhere appear to have either for themselves and their loved ones, and to display relaxed lockdown parameters or will do so soon. their patriotism. Containing COVID-19 and restoring our People were asked to stay indoors but, at 5 p.m., economies requires not just good policy decisions to also applaud health-care workers and others and medical advice; it also needs continued who are a part of the pandemic battle. compliance with the recommended behavioural The blend of fear, patriotism and changes that in many ways go against social and gratitude extolled by the Prime Minister appeared cultural conventions. to have been just the right buttons to push and The science of social marketing uses people did stay indoors. known marketing principles and behaviour Yet at 5 p.m., while many applauded from their change theory to influence people’s behaviour for balconies, hordes of others congregated in large the benefit of both the target audience and of groups, throwing social distancing to the winds. society. Fear, patriotism and gratitude, even if they Public health, safety and environmental were effective as “initiating” cues to concerns are some of the areas where social action, were insufficient to sustain behaviour marketing can have huge impact. change and needed to be periodically rekindled. The Prime Minister later called upon citizens to Health Belief Model (HBM) switch off lights at 9 p.m. for 9 minutes on a chosen day and light lamps to go “from darkness The Health Belief Model (HBM), developed by to hope”. Irwin M. Rosenstock suggests that a person’s As is well known, the number 9 and lighting health-related behaviours ultimately stem from the desire to avoid illness. lamps are powerful positive symbols in India. The two most important constructs of the In Singapore, the government, perhaps taking a model are: cue, supported an event, “Sing Together Perceived benefits — the effectiveness of actions Singapore”. People at home were encouraged to available to reduce the threat of the disease, sing as well and wave a torchlight as gratitude for and perceived barriers — the obstacles to frontline and migrant workers. performing a recommended health action. Going back to the main constructs of the HBM, to The model also recognises the importance of be effective, the social marketing message would “cues to action” or triggers which set into motion present the benefits as applying direct to the the process of adopting the desired behaviours. individual, not just indirectly to society at large. These cues, typically, are emotional, not just And, messaging about barriers should not make informative or educational. the change appear too difficult to engage in or The HBM presumes that knowledge or education make the cost of adopting the behaviours appear alone is grossly insufficient to change a too high. Supportive measures should facilitate person’s behaviour. Cigarette sales, for example did not decline significantly for years despite the the adoption of the desired behaviour. ills of smoking having been widely publicised. Here is an example to illustrate this. In the 1970s, Bangladesh undertook an ambitious family planning campaign keeping in mind the

Easy to PICK660 – “UPSC Monthly Magazine\" May - 2020 country’s limited resources. Research showed that experience in projects to make villages open while the women were able to readily see the defecation free through the use of Community-led benefits, the men, who were the decision makers Total Sanitation, a technique that liberally and at home, could not. successfully uses “naming and shaming” to The campaign became successful after social achieve its goals. marketers decided to empower women by A well-crafted social marketing making female contraceptives available through campaign would help address the COVID-19 women rural medical practitioners who made crisis and set foundations that will help ameliorate house calls. the adverse consequences of future pandemics. The marketers also designed a communications programme directed at men highlighting benefits such as better health for their wives, thereby enabling them to look after their husbands and children better. Gauging receptivity This writer conducted informal interviews (not scientific by any means) in Chennai to gauge receptivity to recommended behaviours during the pandemic. Here are the findings in relation to some of the recommended behavioural actions and possible messaging and support measures. Many were not quite convinced of the threat posed by asymptomatic others merely because they were close by. The perceived direct benefits of social distancing were thus moderate at best. Further, one does not have the luxury of observing physical distancing in many situations (especially in densely populated areas). Telling someone to stand away is also difficult because it could be considered rude. Hygiene instructors often ask an audience to colour their hands and then show the imprints they leave everywhere to demonstrate how germs can spread. Would a social marketing campaign that paints a picture of the virus “jumping” onto you if you are close to an infected person work? This needs to be supported by physical barriers wherever possible to promote social distancing. The recommendation to hand wash often or use an alcohol-based hand rub was unrealistic for too many people even though they saw the merit in it. If alcohol-based hand rubs were available within arm’s reach, people had no need to interrupt their work and drying their hands was not a problem since they would swiftly dry on their own. Shame is a powerful disincentive to undesirable behaviour. This writer has considerable