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The Supreme Court refused to stay the uploading of data collected in the recently concluded Bihar caste-based survey while debunking claims that the Nitish Kumar government has violated the fundamental right to privacy by compelling people to reveal their caste.
How is the right to privacy affected when somebody is asked to give his caste or sub caste? That individual data is not released to the public. What is released is the cumulative figures.
Senior advocate C.S. Vaidyanathan, who appeared for the NGO, Youth for Equality, against the survey, said that people
Justice Khanna asked. Mr. Vaidyanathan said that there were questions on caste, religion, and personal income. “Only thing voluntary is your Aadhaar information,” he said, adding that insisting on caste was just not “today’s thinking”.
However, Justice Khanna questioned the element of compulsion. “There is no penalty involved if a person chooses not to fill this up,” the judge pointed out. Mr. Vaidyanathan said that the survey had been undertaken on the basis of a mere executive order passed on June 6, 2022. An exercise impinging on a fundamental right — in this case, privacy — should have statutory backing.
A fundamental right cannot be infringed upon on the basis of an administrative order.
Senior advocate Shyam Divan, for the Bihar government, said that the petitions against the survey were “completely motivated”, noting that the survey had been completed on August 6.
Persons who forward abusive posts can’t escape liability: SC (Page no. 1)
(GS Paper 2, Judiciary)
The Supreme Court made it clear to actor and former MLA S. Ve Shekher that a person who mechanically forwards abusive or derogatory social media posts without actually reading or thinking them through is liable to face the consequences, which may extend to criminal action.
A Bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and P.K. Mishra did not seem very impressed when Mr. Shekher, who is accused of sharing a vulgar post about women journalists, said he had applied eye drops and his fingers accidentally touched the ‘send’ button.
Mr. Nagamuthu said social media had become an “essential part of our lives”, and it was hard to ignore it. “We manage well without social media.
The top court refused to interfere with the Madras High Court decision, refusing to quash multiple criminal cases filed against Mr. Shekher.
The Facebook post shared by him dates back to April 19, 2018. The High Court had said the message was “despicable”, to say the least.
We live in an era where social media has virtually taken over the lives of every individual in the world. We are now suffering from a virtual information diarrhoea where everyone is bombarded with messages. That is the reason as to why a person must exercise social responsibility while forwarding a message.
States
Chandrayaan-3 lander successfully undergoes deboosting, says ISRO (Page no. 3)
(GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
A day after the lander module of India’s third moon mission Chandrayaan-3 got separated from the propulsion module, it successfully underwent a deboosting operation.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said that the lander module successfully underwent a deboosting operation that reduced its orbit to 113 km x 157 km. The space agency plans to carry out the second deboosting operation on August 20.
The second deboosting operation is scheduled for August 20, 2023, around 0200 hrs. IST,” it said after the first deboosting operation. The lander is expected to touch down on the moon surface on August 23, 2023.
On August 17, the propulsion module and the lander module successfully separated and embarked on their respective journeys.
The lander will have the capability to soft land at a specified lunar site and deploy the rover, which will carry out in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface during the course of its mobility.
The lander and the rover have scientific payloads to carry out experiments on the lunar surface.
The main function of the propulsion module is to carry the lander module from launch vehicle injection till final lunar 100 km circular polar orbit and separate the lander module from the propulsion module.
The propulsion module also has one scientific payload as a value addition which will be operated post-separation of the lander module.
The payload will be operational for a period of three to six months. The lander and the rover have a mission life of one lunar day (14 earth days).
States
15% hike for women in Rajasthan’s rural livelihood projects (Page no. 4)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday announced 15% increase in the honorarium paid to women associated with the rural livelihood projects being run by the Rajasthan Grameen Ajeevika Vikas Parishad. The women will also get interest-free loans worth ₹1,000 crore for agricultural and non-farm works.
Addressing a ‘Sakhi Sammelan’ in Sitapura industrial area here, Mr. Gehlot said the women’s self help groups (SHGs), engaged in several income generating activities, were making a significant contribution to the State’s development. Women’s enterprises and innovations have boosted their confidence, enabling them to work in the spirit of cooperation.
Mr. Gehlot disbursed loans worth ₹702 crore, released by banks, Mahila Nidhi, Watershed Development Convergence and Livelihood Promotion Assistance on the occasion. He said about 43 lakh women members of the 3.60 lakh SHGs had already received loans of ₹4,774 crore.
The Chief Minister launched the Samarth Sakhi Yojana, rural segment of the Indira Rasoi Yojana, integrated farming cluster programme and the Digital Sakhi Yojana during the programme.
Editorial
The issue is not about India’s GDP, but it’s JDP (Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
Participating in the debate on the motion of no-confidence in Parliament last week, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman waxed eloquent about India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growing in double digits, the Indian economy being the world’s fastest, and also highlighted glowing reports by foreign institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Morgan Stanley.
Former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram countered Ms. Sitharaman by pointing out that annual GDP growth under the United Progressive Alliance was higher.
Economist-politician Subramanian Swamy too has weighed in about India’s abysmal economic performance by giving suggestions, largely outlandish, to improve GDP growth.
The whole debate among India’s leading economic policymakers has revolved around whose GDP growth was higher (i.e. the National Democratic Alliance or the UPA), or what must be done to achieve higher growth. But no one has really asked the question, whose GDP growth is it in the first place?
If India’s economy is growing so rapidly, then why is the demand for minimum wage work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme also growing so fast? After all, only those who have absolutely no alternative sources of income will ask to toil in the sun the whole day for bare minimum wages.
Ever since the Narendra Modi government took office, India’s real GDP has grown 5.3% (annualised), but demand for MGNREGA work also grew at 5.4% every year.
That is, when India was apparently the fastest growing economy in the world, more and more people were also clamouring for MGNREGA work.
If the economy is doing well, it should be creating many jobs, which should then lower the demand for minimum wage MGNREGA work. MGNREGA demand should be inversely proportional to economic growth.
A ‘fab’ way to conduct India-Japan tech diplomacy (Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
India and Japan, in July 2023, agreed to collaborate on semiconductors in a bid to create a more resilient supply chain for this critical technology and work together for the joint development of the semiconductor ecosystem.
The partnership will focus on five areas: ‘semiconductor design, manufacturing, equipment research, establishing resilience in the semiconductor supply chain, and talent development’, paving the way for government-to-government and industry-to-industry collaborations.
The deal comes in the wake of the rapid expansion in the semiconductor industry, particularly the importance of specialised chips, which has prompted the need for growing the pool of talent available in the industry alongside increasing the number of semiconductor fabrication plants (fabs).
The partnership fosters the exchange of technical knowledge, research, and innovation between the Indian and Japanese semiconductor industries, facilitates technology transfer, and enables Tokyo and New Delhi to stay at the forefront of semiconductor advancements.
Both nations have aligned their policies to support semiconductor manufacturing and research. India’s “Make in India” initiative and Japan’s “Society 5.0” vision share the goal of technological self-reliance and innovation-driven growth.
Bilateral agreements have been signed to promote technology transfer, cooperation in semiconductor research, and reciprocal trade in semiconductor-related products.
The collaboration stands as a testament to the power of strategic alliances and technological synergy. Both nations recognise the critical importance of semiconductor technology in driving innovation, economic growth, and national security.
Japan, with its advanced semiconductor industry, has long been a global leader in chip manufacturing and research. India has a growing information technology sector and a burgeoning demand for semiconductor products across industries.
News
Meitei Pangals fear they will be ‘pulled’ into Manipur conflict (Page no. 9)
(GS Paper 2, Governance)
The United Meitei-Pangal Committee of Manipur on Friday said its best efforts to broker peace between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities were not yielding any results and urged the President, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the National Commission for Minorities to urgently intervene and bring peace.
Over the last three months, Meitei Pangals (Meiteis who practise Islam) have remained a neutral community. While speaking to reporters in Delhi, leaders of the UMPC said with the violence continuing, they find themselves in a tight spot and were “afraid that we will be pulled into the conflict”.
The UMPC insisted that “there can be no compromise on the integrity of the State of Manipur”, clarifying that it does not support any bifurcation in a bid to solve the current crisis.
Any attempt for a separate administration will put us, as minorities, in a tough spot because we have been living peacefully with members of both communities for centuries. Another said the increasingly communal politics in the State would pose another problem.
The UMPC has also highlighted its concerns on communal politics in its August 17 memorandum to the President, the PMO, the MHA and the NCM.
The leaders said that the Manipur government allegedly “allowed” the situation to flare up and the Centre has since “turned a blind eye”.
In a press statement, the UMPC said it was shocked and anguished that the “powerful mechanisms of the Union government and its agencies” had not yet been able to bring peace in the State.
Criminal law Bills sent to committee on Home Affairs (Page no. 9)
(GS Paper 2, Governance)
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, 2023, and Bharatiya Sakhshya Bill, 2023, have been referred to the Standing Committee on Home Affairs.
The Committee has three months to carry out consultations and submit its report on the three Bills, which seek to replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872.
The Standing Committee on Home Affairs is headed by BJP Rajya Sabha MP Brij Lal. The government argued that these Bills are aimed at decolonising the Indian justice system. All the three laws that are being repealed, the government noted, were framed by the British and enacted by the British Parliament.
These three Acts which will be replaced were made to strengthen and protect the British rule and their purpose was to punish, not to give justice. We are going to bring changes in both these fundamental aspects.
The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, which will replace the Cr.PC, will now have 533 Sections; 160 Sections have been changed, nine new sections have been added, and nine Sections have been repealed.
25 student suicides since 2018 are ragging-related, UGC says in RTI response (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 2, Education)
Over the last five and a half years, at least 25 students have died by suicide after they were subjected to ragging, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has revealed.
In reply to a Right to Information (RTI) query filed by RTI activist Chandrashekhar Gaur, the UGC said that these complaints were registered with the central body between January 1, 2018 to August 1, 2023.
Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have reported four deaths each followed by Odisha with three deaths. Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana have reported two deaths each.
Of the four cases of suicide in T.N., three were reported from Chennai - two from the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras and one from Jayagovind Harigopal Agarwal Agarsen College. The fourth suicide was reported from the Government Medical College in Thoothukudi district.
In Maharashtra, there were two incidents from IIT-Bombay and two each from Topiwala National Medical College and MGM Medical College.
The UGC anti-ragging cell serves as a bridge between the students and educational authorities. Reports and complaints received through the helpline are escalated to appropriate authorities for timely action,” Mr. Kumar said.
Mr. Kumar said that UGC gets information from the helpline on the type of assistance requested by students, such as those related to distress calls. We do get a large number of calls from across the country. UGC takes up cases when they are reported.
Mr. Kumar said that it is very unfortunate that most cases are reported from engineering or medical colleges. “Universities must create avenues for students to talk freely about their feelings.
Such students need support and should be encouraged to seek professional help at the university’s counselling centre.
Economy
RBI tells lenders not to levy ‘penal interest’ on borrowers (Page no. 11)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued fresh guidelines to banks, NBFCs and other lenders to ensure reasonableness and transparency in disclosure of penal interest.
This follows findings that many lenders were using penal rates of interest, over and above applicable interest rates, in case of defaults/non-compliance by the borrower with the terms of the credit facility.
The intent of levying penal interest/charges is essentially to inculcate a sense of credit discipline and such charges are not meant to be used as a revenue enhancement tool over and above the contracted rate of interest.
However, supervisory reviews have indicated divergent practices among [lenders] with regard to levy of penal interest/charges leading to customer grievances and disputes.
As per the new directive, penaltyif charged for non-compliance with material terms and conditions of loan contract by the borrower would be treated as ‘penal charges’ and shall not be levied in the form of ‘penal interest’ that is added to the rate of interest charged on the advances.
“There shall be no capitalisation of penal charges i.e., no further interest computed onsuch charges. However, this will not affect the normal procedures for compounding of interest in the loan account,” the central bank said in the circular.