Context:

The G-20 leaders’ Declaration emphasised the role of technology in bridging digital divides and promoting inclusive and sustainable development. 

More on News:The G20 endorsed both the voluntary G20 Framework for Digital Public Infrastructure Systems and India’s proposal to establish a Global Digital Public Infrastructure Repository. 

• The Indian G20 presidency has placed inclusivity at the forefront of its agenda, seeking to amplify public concerns within high-level discussions.

About Inclusive growth:

• Inclusive growth is economic growth that is distributed fairly across society and creates opportunities for all. 
• 4 pillars of inclusive growth include:  
  • Inclusivity, Equity , Sustainability and Wellbeing (WISE)                         

Elements of Inclusive growth & G-20 Initiatives:

Inclusive growth is a multi-dimensional concept that facilitates inclusion from a variety of fronts that include:

• Skill Development: Harnessing the demographic dividend will depend upon the employability of the working age population, their health, education, vocational training and skills. Skill development plays a key role here. 
  • For Example: National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) showcased its transformative initiatives in skill development, higher education, and international employment opportunities at the G20 “Future of Work” exhibition in Bhubaneswar,

• Financial Inclusion: Financial Inclusion is the process of ensuring access to financial services to vulnerable groups at affordable costs. According to a G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) report prepared by the World Bank, which highlights that the JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, and Mobile) trinity has been instrumental in increasing the financial inclusion rate from 25 per cent in 2008 to over 80 per cent of adults in the past six years.
• Technological Advancement: This refers to the continuous improvement and innovation in technology, leading to the development of new products, services, and processes that enhance productivity, efficiency, and quality of life.
  • The G20 endorsed both the voluntary G20 Framework for Digital Public Infrastructure Systems and India’s proposal to establish a Global Digital Public Infrastructure Repository. 
  • It also recognized the One Future Alliance initiative aimed at helping low- and middle-income countries with DPI.
• Economic Growth: Economic growth can favour inclusive growth when it is structured and managed in a way that ensures the benefits are broadly shared among different segments of population by creating jobs, reducing poverty and inequality.
  • The G-20 Declaration established the importance of startups and SMEs as key engines of sustainable economic growth and innovation. The G20, for the first time, had a dedicated Startup20 summit under India’s Presidency. 

Challenges in Achieving Inclusive Growth:

• Unemployment: As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) of NSSO, the unemployment rate among the urban workforce was 7.8%, while the unemployment rate for the rural workforce was 5.3% totaling the total unemployment rate at 6.1%. 
  • The quality and quantity of employment in India are low due to illiteracy and due to over-dependence on agriculture.
• Agriculture Backwardness: Around 44% of people in India have agriculture-related employment but its contribution to the Indian GDP is only 16.5% which leads to widespread poverty.
• Regional Disparities:  Regional disparities are a major concern for India. Factors like the caste system, gap between rich and poor etc. contribute to the regional disparities which create a system where some specific groups hold more privileges over others. 
  • For Example: In terms of per capita income, Goa’s per capita income is Rs 4,67,998 in 2018 while per capita income of Bihar is just one-tenth of that i.e. Rs 43,822.
• Poverty: As per the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) 2018, India lifted 271 million people between 2005-06 and 2015-16, with the poorest regions, groups, and children, reducing poverty fastest. India demonstrates the clearest pro-poor pattern at the subnational level. 
  • Still, despite the massive gains, 373 million Indians continue to experience acute deprivations. 

Way Forward:

• Investing in human capital & physical infrastructure:  Countries should increase public and private investment in their citizens’ capabilities, which is the most important way they can durably lift their rate of productivity growth. 
• Skill Development: The best way to achieve inclusive growth is through developing people’s skills. 
  • The flagship Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) scheme was launched in 2015  to provide short-term training, skilling through ITIs
• Education: The working of existing government schools should be improved as a matter of priority. There is also a need to expand and modernise teacher-training facilities.
  • For Example: “Malviya Mission” to set up a nation-wide ecosystem for faculty development.
• The Indian government along with the state governments and local governments should continue to focus on eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable development in order to improve the lives of India’s people. 

News Source: Livemint

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context: There is an increase in cases related to the exploitation of social media for spreading misinformation and fake news.

• In a recent case, a TV anchor was booked by the Karnataka Police for spreading misinformation for political gains.

More about the news: 

• The Karnataka government announced the framework for a fact-checking unit to crack down on fake news on social media.
  • It  comprises an Oversight Committee, Review Single Point of Contact (SPOC), and Nodal Officers. It  will be run on content in Kannada, English and other regional languages.
• Social media platforms have now become breeding grounds for the spread of false, misleading, and manipulative information on an unprecedented scale.

Impacts of fake news:

• Manipulating views of public:  It exposes people to biased information that confirms their existing beliefs, reinforcing their preconceptions and polarisation of society.
  • Fake videos were shared by media sources like the BBC in many parts of India which led to mischief to public property and the killing of innocent people. 
• Economic impact: It can lead to market volatility and economic ramifications.
• Fake images depicting an explosion near the Pentagon in the US led to the manipulation of the stock market and destabilisation of the economic parameters.
  • False information regarding COVID transmission through chickens spread during pandemic caused anxiety and led many people to temporarily or even permanently stop consuming chicken. 
  • As reported by the ICAR-Central Avian Research Institute, this had a severe impact on the poultry industry, resulting in estimated losses of over $3 billion.
• Threat to internal security: Fake news is disseminated by non-state actors especially Pakistan and China for radicalization and promoting propaganda against India. 
  • Example- After revocation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.
• Role of Deep fakes: Deepfakes are realistic-looking videos or images that have been manipulated to show something that did not actually occur. 
  • The surge of false videos depicting the Hindi-speaking labourers in Tamil Nadu, falsely portraying them as victims of attacks, is trying to create tension between Tamils and migrant workers in Tamil Nadu.
    • AI-generated Islamophobia: Deepfake images being used to hurt the sentiments of the Muslim community.
• Communal disharmony and social division: It has caused harmful incidents like mob lynching, communal riots, public and private loss of property due to the antisocial conduct of some people.
  • In 2018, two people lost their lives in mob attacks linked to WhatsApp rumors in Assam. 
• Narrowing down media diversity: The Artificial algorithms favour specific news stories or sources, leading to narrowing of perspectives and reinforce inequalities and biases. 
  • Ex- During Donand Trump’s election.
• Privacy Violations: During pandemic, medical records of Covid-19 positive individuals were circulated online compromising their privacy.

Legal Measures to curb fake news: 

• Indian Penal Code(IPC) Section 153A: It criminalises acts that promote hatred between different religious, racial, or linguistic groups, and actions.
• Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000: It blocks access to information online necessary in the interest of the safety and the security of the state. 
• Disaster Management Act 2005 (DMA): It deals with false warnings around a disaster leading to panic.
• Information Technology Rules(IT), 2021: It regulates content by online publishers of news and social media intermediaries. 
• Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2023:  It regulates fact checking of “false”, “fake” or “misleading” information related to the Union Government.
• Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2023: It has provisions to curb the misuse of individuals’ data on online platforms.

Way Forward: 

• Verifying information Source: Media organizations should prioritize regular fact-checking and work on raising public awareness about the issue.
  • Conducting a reverse image search on Google to determine the source of content before sharing it. Tools like Invid can be useful in exposing fake videos. 
  • Google has introduced the ‘About This Result feature’ that will let users evaluate the information and understand its source. 
• Fact Checking Standards: India needs to develop a framework based on international best practices like the IFCN (International Fact-Checking Network) code of principles for fact-checking.
• Robust Legislative framework: It is needed  to maintain a balance between free speech and protecting citizens from falling prey to malicious disinformation.

• Awareness Programs: Broader awareness campaign involving everyone to educate society about the laws and rules concerning fake posts and the harm they can cause.
• • Under Article 51A (h) of the Constitution of India, it shall be the duty of every citizen to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.
  • FactShala, a collaborative and multi-stakeholder media literacy network and Google will develop training modules to help users effectively spot disinformation. 
• Capacity Building of Law Enforcement Agencies:  They must take action against those who create and spread fake content, and for that, they need to increase their numbers and their expertise. 
• Regulation of Digital Media: Platforms like Facebook and Google in India announced the formation of an Information Trust Alliance (ITA) to combat fake content.
  • It is the time to develop and strengthen this initiative.

News Source: Indian Express

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context: 

The Rising Discrepancies in Indian GDP Data Point to a False Growth Story, Say Experts

More on News:

• India clocked in year-on-year GDP growth as of this financial year’s April-June quarter (Q1) at 7.8%, according to the National Statistical Office (NSO) which presents a positive image of economic growth.
• However, several experts have pointed out discrepancy in India’s GDP statistics, while underlying issues such as rising inequalities, job scarcity, and a decline in manufacturing jobs persist.

How GDP is Measured In India:

•  India’s GDP is calculated with two different methods – 
  • one based on Production (at factor cost),
  • the second based on Expenditure (at market prices).
• The factor cost method assesses the performance of eight different industries.
• The expenditure-based method indicates how different areas of the economy are performing, such as trade, investments, and personal consumption.
• Basically, the GDP figures from the two approaches may not be an exact match.
• • Discrepancies as a share of GDP have seen a sharp increase from -3.4% to 2.8%, that is 6.2% of the GDP.” which raises questions about the accuracy of the reported economic data.

Trends in GDP growth:

Real GDP:

• They show a collapse in the pandemic, followed by a strong recovery which continues through the first half of FY23, a temporary dip and a surge once again. 
• This is a narrative of a booming India, one that has recovered strongly from the pandemic and is back to about 8 per cent growth. 

Nominal GDP:

• The nominal figures track the real numbers until the first half of FY23, but then decline by a whopping 14 percentage points over the past three quarters. 
• This is a narrative of an economy which has decelerated sharply to very modest levels.

Table 1, shows that all the components of expenditure decelerated between FY23 and the first quarter of FY24, both when measured in nominal and in real terms.

Key Issues:

• The Central Statistical Office (CSO) uses single deflation (deflating the nominal value added in each sector by various price indices) rather than the internationally standard technique of double deflation (deflating output by output prices and inputs by input prices).
• A number of sectors of the economy are deflated by inappropriate indices. In particular, the wholesale price index (WPI) does not include services.
• The GDP deflator will never be the same as CPI, as the former measures producer prices and the latter consumer prices. The difference has been large and fluctuating wildly, swinging from plus 5.1 per cent in the first half of FY23 to minus 4.9 per cent in the first quarter of FY24.

Way Ahead: In sum, a careful reading of the national income accounts suggests that India needs to improve its GDP calculation methods and align it with best international practices to reduce discrepancies and controversies surrounding it.

Source: Business Standard

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context: Recently, the Chief Justice of India announced the onboarding of the Supreme Court on the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG).

• The NJDG portal is a national repository of data relating to cases instituted, pending and disposed of by the courts across the country.

About National Judicial Data Grid:

• It is a database of orders, judgments and case details of District and subordinate Courts and High Courts created as an online platform under the eCourts Project. 
• Feature: The data is updated in real-time and has granular data up to the Taluka level.
• Management: It operates under Phase II of the e-Courts project, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• Development: National Informatics Centre (NIC) in coordination with the Computer Cell, Registry of the Supreme Court.
• Current Data Reach:
  • National Judicial Data Grid integrates data from over 18,735 computerized courts across India.
  • It provides access to case status information for 23.81 crore cases and more than 23.02 crore orders/judgments.

Significance of National Judicial Data Grid: 

• Pendency Monitoring and Management: NJDG is a monitoring tool to identify, manage, and reduce case pendency by providing real-time data on pending cases at various levels of the judiciary.
• Insightful Analysis and Identifying Bottlenecks: Enables identification of specific bottlenecks in judicial processes.
  • For instance, it aids in recognizing trends such as an increase in land disputes, prompting policymakers to consider legal strengthening in related areas.
• Enhanced Legal Insights through Data Integration:
  • It also helps generate inputs related to particular areas of law. For example, to track cases related to land disputes, Land Records data of 26 States have been linked with NJDG.

News source: The Indian Express

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context: Recently, India has become an International Organisation of Legal Metrology (OIML) certificate-issuing authority. India applied to become an OIML certificate-issuing authority in March 2023.

• India’s inclusion as an authorized issuer expands the list to 13 countries.

About International Organisation of Legal Metrology (OIML):

• It is an International Organisation of Legal Metrology established in 1955 and headquartered in Paris.
• India became a member of the International Organisation of Legal Metrology (OIML) in 1956. In the same year, India signed the metric convention.
• Functions: It serves as an international standard-setting body, developing model regulations, standards, and related documents for legal metrology authorities and industry use.
• Objective: To harmonize national laws and regulations concerning the performance of various measuring instruments, including clinical thermometers, alcohol breath analyzers, radar speed measuring instruments, ship tanks at ports, and petrol dispensing units.
• International Organisation of Legal Metrology (OIML) Certificate:
  • The OIML-CS is a system for issuing, registering, and using OIML certificates, and their associated OIML-type evaluation/test reports, for instruments like digital balance, clinical thermometers, etc.

Significance for India of International Organisation of Legal Metrology (OIML) Membership:

• Export Facilitation: Legal Metrology certificate streamlined certification process enhances export prospects for Indian manufacturers.
• Foreign Exchange Earnings: Attracts foreign manufacturers for certification, contributing to foreign exchange earnings.
• Employment Opportunities: Establishment of a specialized unit for certification can generate employment.
• Reduction of Redundancy and Savings: Local certification reduces redundancy and saves resources for manufacturers.
• Global Acceptance and Streamlined Export Process: International Organisation of Legal Metrology (OIML certificates are universally accepted worldwide.
  • Manufacturers in India can now obtain the necessary certification locally.

News Source: The Indian Express

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context:  India wants the World Bank to consider several measures taken by the government to improve logistics while determining the logistics ranking of countries. 

About Logistics Performance Index:

• The LPI is an interactive benchmarking tool developed by the World Bank to help countries identify the challenges and opportunities they face in their performance on trade logistics and what they can do to improve their performance. 
• Parameters: At present, the World Bank considers six parameters that include customs, infrastructure, international shipments, logistics competence, tracking and tracing, and timelines.
• India’s Ranking: It has climbed six places on the World Bank’s Logistic Performance Index (LPI) 2023, now ranking 38th in the 139 countries index.
  • The national logistics policy has fixed a target to take up India’s ranking in top 25 by 2030.

India’s Desired LPI Measurement Inclusions: 

• PM GatiShakti Initiative: The PM GatiShakti initiative, a significant logistics and infrastructure development project in India, should be considered in the LPI assessment.
• Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP): The ULIP, a digital gateway that enables access to logistics-related datasets, should be acknowledged in the assessment for its role in facilitating smoother logistics operations.
• Logistics Data Bank: India suggests incorporating the Logistics Data Bank.
  • It was launched in 2016 to enhance the efficiency of India’s logistics sector through the use of Information Technology (IT).x
• Objective-Based Methodology: India advocates for a shift to an objective-based methodology for LPI scoring.

News Source: The Economic Times

DOWNLOAD PDF