Context: 

Recently, the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) launched Bharat 6G Alliance to Drive Innovation and Collaboration in Next-Generation Wireless Technology (6G).

Background: Evolution from 1G to 6G

About Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA):

• B6GA is a collaborative platform consisting of public and private companies, academia, research institutions, and Standards development organisations.
• It will forge coalitions and synergies with other 6G Global Alliances, fostering international collaboration and knowledge exchange.
• Objective: 
  • To understand the business and societal needs of 6G beyond technology requirements.
  • Promote high-impact open research and development (R&D) initiatives.
  • To facilitate market access for Indian telecom technology products and services.
  • Enabling the country to emerge as a global leader in 6G technology. 
• Significance: 
  • Promote technology ownership and indigenous manufacturing.
  • Create a culture of technology co-innovation.
  • Promote the development of Intellectual Property (IP) creation of 6G technology.

Bharat 6G Project:

• Objectives:
  • Establish India as a global leader in affordable 6G telecom solutions
  • Identify priority areas for 6G research based on India’s competitive advantages
• Phases: 
  • Phase 1 (2023-2025):
    • Support explorative ideas and risky pathways
    • Conduct proof-of-concept tests
  • Phase 2 (2025-2030):
    • Develop promising concepts into use cases
    • Establish intellectual property and implementational IPs
    • Create testbeds leading to commercialization
• Apex Council: The Government has also appointed an apex council to:
  • Oversees the project’s implementation
  • Addresses standardisation and spectrum identification
  • Creates an ecosystem for devices and systems
  • Determines finances for research and development

Status of Digital ecosystem in India:

• Telecom Market:
  • India ranks as the second-largest telecom market globally with 1.2 billion digital subscribers.
  • Over the past nine years, India’s digital economy has grown 2.5 times faster than the national economy.
• Internet and Broadband Expansion:
  • Broadband users have soared from 60 million to 800 million, while internet connections have risen from 250 million to 850 million.
  • Both the government and private sector have laid over 2.5 million km of Optical Fiber to enhance connectivity.
• Digital Connectivity:
  • India is recognized as the most connected democracy worldwide.
  • Each day, 70 million e-authentications and over 8 billion UPI transactions are conducted monthly through the Unified Payment Interface.
  • The government has facilitated direct benefit transfers, sending over ~28 lakh crore directly to citizens.

​​Government Initiatives: 

• BharatNet Project: It seeks to provide connectivity to 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) through optical fibre. It is implemented by Bharat Broadband Network Ltd. (BBNL).
• Kerala Fibre Optical Network (KFON): Under it, Kerala government provides internet connections free of cost to 20 lakh below poverty line (BPL) families.
• Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) Scheme: It was launched by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) in 2022.

Challenges Faced by the Telecom Sector:

• Financial Struggles: The sector is grappling with poor financial health, including declining gross revenue. Gross revenue has dropped by 15% to 20% for the year 2017-18 over the preceding year for the incumbents and overall sector revenue has dropped.
• Spectrum Scarcity: The availability of spectrum is limited, and the delayed allocation of spectrum for 5G technology has hindered sector growth. Available spectrum is less than 40% as compared to European nations and 50% as compared to China.
• Insufficient Fixed-Line Penetration: The Indian network does not have very much fixed-line coverage, while most developed countries have a high penetration of fixed lines (telephone lines connected to a nationwide telephone network via metal wires or optical fibres).
  • There are fewer than 25% of towers in India connected to fibre networks, compared to more than 70% in developed nations.
• Intense Competition and Tariff Wars: The entry of Reliance Jio has sparked intense competition among telecom operators, leading to tariff wars and reduced profit margins. This financial strain has delayed further investments in the sector.
• Inadequate Telecom Infrastructure in Semi-rural and Rural Areas: The lack of infrastructure, including issues related to power supply, poses challenges for service providers. In India, adequate tele density has been achieved, but there is a large discrepancy between penetration in urban (55.42%) and rural (44.58%) areas.
• Revenue Reduction from New Technologies: The emergence of various applications like WhatsApp, OLA, and Uber has diminished revenue for the telecom sector. These applications operate independently, without requiring partnerships with telecommunications companies.
• High Licence Fees: The licence fee, including the Universal Service Levy (USL), stands at eight percent of the Adjusted Gross Revenue, making it one of the highest in the world.
• Low Broadband Penetration: The low penetration of broadband services in the country is a cause for concern. As per International Telecommunication Union (ITU), broadband penetration in India is only 7%. 

Way Forward:

• Implement National Digital Communication Policy (NDCP): Prioritise the implementation of the NDCP, which emphasises the establishment of a National Digital Grid, collaborative mechanisms for rights of way, and removal of approval barriers. 
• State Governments’ Role: State governments should actively participate in setting up adequate telecom infrastructure to support the objectives of the NDCP. They should collaborate with central authorities and private stakeholders to expand connectivity in rural areas.
• Improve Rural Connectivity: Increase optical fibre and fixed-line penetration in rural areas to bridge the digital divide. 
• Facilitate Entry and Exit of New Players: Create a favourable environment for the entry and exit of new players in the telecom sector. This will encourage competition, innovation, and investment, leading to improved services and affordability for consumers.
• Reduce Licence Fee: Lower the licence fee, which is currently one of the highest in the world, to alleviate financial burdens on telecom operators. 
• Sharing of Infrastructure: Sharing telecom infrastructure allows operators to optimise their capital expenditure (capex) as a significant portion, around 40% to 60%, is typically used for setting up and managing infrastructure.

Difference between 5G and 6G:

News Source: PIB

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The Centre has asked e-commerce companies to not use “dark patterns” on their platforms that may deceive customers or manipulate their choices.

More on News:

• The government has set up a 17-member task force to prepare guidelines to protect consumers.
• The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has started classifying complaints received on the National Consumer Helpline 1915 to compile information on dark patterns, which can be used by the Central Consumer Protection Authority to initiate action under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

About Dark Patterns:

• Dark patterns are also known as deceptive patterns.
• It is the term used to describe the ways in which websites or apps make their users 
  • Do things that the users do not intend to do or would not otherwise do
  • To discourage user behaviour that is not beneficial for the companies.
• Coined by: Harry Brignull, a user experience (UX) designer, in 2010.
• Examples: 
  • Annoying advertisement that keeps popping up on the user’s screen, and the user can’t find the cross mark ‘X’ to make it go away because the mark is too small to notice (or to click/ tap). 
  • When users try to click/ tap on the tiny ‘X’, users sometimes end up tapping the ad instead.

Types of dark patterns identified the Consumer Affairs Ministry:

• False urgency: Creates a sense of urgency or scarcity to pressure consumers into making a purchase or taking an action;
• Basket sneaking: Dark patterns are used to add additional products or services to the shopping cart without the user’s consent;
• Confirm shaming: Uses guilt to make consumers adhere; criticises or attacks consumers for not conforming to a particular belief or viewpoint;
• Forced action: Pushes consumers into taking an action they may not want to take, such as signing up for a service in order to access content;
• Nagging: Persistent criticism, complaints, and requests for action;
• Subscription traps: Easy to sign up for a service but difficult to quit or cancel; option is hidden or requires multiple steps;
• Bait & switch: Advertising a certain product/ service but delivering another, often of lower quality;
• Hidden costs: Hiding additional costs until consumers are already committed to making a purchase;
• Disguised ads: Designed to look like content, such as news articles or user-generated content.

Steps taken by other governments

• The United States and the United Kingdom have passed legislation to curb dark patterns.
• Companies have been sued for indulging in dark patterns behaviour in Australia. 

News Source: Indian Express

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The CH3+ molecule, which is also known as methyl cation, has been detected in space for the first time by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). 

About CH3+:

• CH3+ is a very simple organic molecule, just one carbon atom and 3 hydrogen atoms. 
• It reacts inefficiently with hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, while reacting easily with other molecules, facilitating the creation of more complex carbon-based molecules.
• Detection: 
  • Scientists found the fingerprints of the CH3+ molecule in light coming from a swirling disk of dust and gas around a young star. 
  • It was detected in the star and protoplanetary disc system located about 1,350 light-years away in the Orion Nebula which is 1,350 light years from Earth.

(Protoplanetary discs are discs of dense gas and dust surrounding young stars. The material in these discs eventually coalesces to form planets.)

• Significance: 
  • Its presence in space tells us that basic building blocks for life are out there.
  • It has been theorised to be the cornersntone of interstellar organic chemistry.
  • Its detection proves that ultraviolet radiation plays a critical role in the early chemical stages of the origins of life by producing CH3+.

News Source: Indian Express

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The Union government has decided to provide medical, financial and infrastructure support to victims in cases where the sexual assault results in pregnancies.

About the Scheme 

• Aim of the scheme : To provide shelter, food, daily needs, safe transportation for attending court hearings and legal aid to minor girls who have been abandoned by their family due to forced pregnancy, either due to rape or gang rape, or due to any other reason, and have no other means to support themselves.
• Nodal Ministry: The Ministry of Women and Child Development 
• Funding: It would operate under the aegis of the Nirbhaya Fund and an amount of ₹74.1 crore has been allocated.
• Collaborative effort: The government will leverage the administrative structure of Mission Vatsalya, in collaboration with state governments and child care institutions.
• Setting up shelters for victims:  This could be in the nature of standalone shelters, or wards earmarked for such victims in existing child care institutions (CCIs).

About Mission Vatsalya Scheme:

• Objective: 
  • To achieve development and child protection priorities aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  • To support the children through Non-Institutional Care under Private Aided Sponsorship wherein interested sponsors (individuals/ institutions/ company/ banks/ industrial units/ trusts etc.)
  • To emphasise  child rights, advocacy and awareness along with strengthening of the juvenile justice care and protection system with the motto to ‘leave no child behind’. 
• Implementation Framework: Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 provisions and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 form the basic framework for implementation of the Mission
• Type of the scheme: Centrally Sponsored Scheme 
• Assistance given: 
  • Vatsalya scheme can provide assistance to children in difficult circumstances. 
  • The District Magistrates take measures to encourage individuals or Public/ Private Sector Organisations to sponsor a child or a group of children or an Institution. 
  • Such arrangements are subject to stipulations as per the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and Rules thereof.

News Source: The Hindu

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Recently the Prime Minister congratulated new homeowners in Bengaluru’s first project under SWAMIH Fund which has helped more than 3000 families in owning their dream homes. 

About SWAMIH Fund:

• The Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing (SWAMIH) Investment Fund I is a social impact fund specifically formed for completing stressed and stalled residential projects.
• Launched in: 2019
• Sponsored by: Ministry of Finance
• Managed by:  SBICAP Ventures Ltd., a State Bank Group company.
• Lender of last resort for distressed projects: The Fund will consider first-time developers, established developers with troubled projects, developers with a poor track record of stalled projects, customer complaints and NPA accounts.
• Criteria to be eligible for funding :
  • Project stalled or likely to be stalled if no funding is made available
  • At least 90% of the available Floor Space Index (FSI)/ Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is being developed as Affordable Housing units or Mid-Income Housing units
  • Project is net worth positive – value of sold receivables plus unsold inventory is greater than cost to complete construction and to service the investment by the Fund
  • Project has completed at least 30% of the construction and development
  • Project requires last mile funding – sufficient to complete construction
  • Project which is a part of a RERA registered project.
• Nature of the funding: 
  • The Fund expects to primarily structure its investments in the form of Non-Convertible Debentures. 
  • This funding shall be used only for completion of the stalled project and for purposes as approved.
• Funds raised so far: Rs 15,530 crore with an aim to provide priority debt financing for the completion of stressed, brownfield and RERA-registered residential projects that fall in the affordable, mid-income housing category.

News Source: Indian Express , pib

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Recently, the Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj released Report on Panchayat Development Index at National Workshop on Panchayat Development Index.

About Panchayat Development Index (PDI):

• The government had constituted a committee for preparation of the Panchayat Development Index which included members from different ministries and departments of Union and state governments.
• Launched by: Ministry of Panchayati Raj
• Statistics: PDI has 144 local targets, 577 local indicators on 9 themes of LSDGs. 
• The PDI ranks panchayats on the basis of scores, and categorise them into four grades
• Nine themes: 
  • Poverty free and enhanced livelihood in village
  • Healthy village
  • Child friendly village
  • Water sufficient village
  • Clean and green village
  • Village with self-sufficient infrastructure
  • Socially just and socially secured villages
  • Village with good governance
  • Women friendly village
• Objective: 
  • To enable the process of Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs) in PRIs.
  • To play a pivotal role in the process of quantified evaluation and mechanism for computation of the composite score on 9 themes of LSDGs
  • To pave the way for outcome oriented development goals at Panchayats. 
• Significance: 
  • PDI will act as a baseline for Panchayat for setting local targets & local action points with measurable indicators in preparation of thematic Gram Panchayat Development Plan. 
  • The PDI will help to reflect the current status of the Panchayats to take concerted actions to achieve development goals through building institutional mechanisms.

News Source: pib

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Recently, the NCP led by Sharad Pawar filed a disqualification petition against the nine NCP MLAs who joined the BJP-Sena government in Maharashtra.

Constitutional provisions for disqualifying the lawmakers:

• Article 102 of the Constitution of India lays down the grounds under which a legislator may be disqualified from being a member of the house. 
• The first part of Article 102 elaborates several instances when such a disqualification may be done 
  • If the person holds any undeclared office-for-profit under the Government
  • If he is declared to be of unsound mind by a competent court
  • If he is an undischarged insolvent etc.
• The second part of Article 102 gives authority to the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution to disqualify any member. It is this Tenth Schedule that is popularly known as the anti-defection law.
  • The Tenth Schedule finally came into being through the Constitution (52nd Amendment) Act in 1985.

Features of the Anti-Defection Law:

• Disqualification on ground of defection: A legislator belonging to a political party will be disqualified if he: 
  1. Voluntarily gives up his party membership
  2. votes/abstains to vote in the House contrary to the direction issued by his political party. 
  3. A member is not disqualified if he has taken prior permission of his party, or if the voting or abstention is condoned by the party within 15 days. 
  4. Independent members will be disqualified if they join a political party after getting elected to the House. 
  5. Nominated members will be disqualified if they join any political party six months after getting nominated.
• Exemptions in Cases of merger: 
  • Members are exempted from such disqualification when at least two thirds of the original political party merges with another political party. 
  • The members must have become members of the party they have merged with/into, or 
  • They should have not accepted the merger and choose to function as a separate group.
• Decision Making Authority: The decision to disqualify a member from the House rests with the Chairman/Speaker of the House.

Recent Supreme Court Judgment:

The Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud in the May 11 verdict in Shiv Sena tussle case, laid down principles for the Speaker of the Assembly.

• The Constitution bench had said that unless there are extraordinary circumstances, the courts do not adjudicate the disqualification pleas at the first instance.
• On proceedings:
  • In arriving at their decision (in disqualification proceedings), the Speaker must consider the constitution of the party as well as any other rules and regulations which specify the structure of the leadership of the party.
  • The Speaker must also consider defence raised by the member against whom a disqualification petition has been filed.
  • If the two or more versions of the party constitution are submitted by rival groups, the the Speaker must consider the version which was submitted to the ECI before rival factions emerged.
• On Whip, Leader of Legislative Party:
  • The Whip and Leader of the Legislative Party must be appointed by the political party as a whole unit, and not merely by the legislative party as it is “crucial for the sustenance of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
• To decide the issue in “reasonable time”:
  • The SC had said the Speaker  must decide the disqualification petitions within a reasonable period.

News Source: Indian Express 

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