Context: 

• Activists have expressed concerns that the Right to Information (RTI) system is gradually becoming less effective, potentially diminishing its role in holding public officials accountable.

More about the news: 

• The Chief Justice of India recently directed the information commissioners to be proactive in abiding by disclosures as mandated under the RTI Act. 
• The RTI platform has seen significant structural changes like removal of the signing up process to create an account followed by repeated warnings of deletion of old, unused accounts.
• Removal of the signing-up form to create new user accounts disallowed people from creating a new account and made tracking RTI applications complicated. 
• All RTI applications dated before 2022 were removed suddenly without prior notice leading to concerns about the possible loss of valuable information. 

Significance of the act:

• Fundamental Right to Information: It provided a legal framework to access information held by public authorities, empowering individuals to exercise their right to know and be informed about government activities.
  • Replying to an RTI, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had informed that 23,000 cases of fraud have been reported by various banks in the past five years, which involved Rs 1 lakh crore.
• Strengthening Democracy: It promoted transparency, accountability, and citizen participation by ensuring that citizens have the means to hold public authorities accountable for their actions.
  • An RTI revealed that the RBI did not agree with the Centre on its justification that the demonetisation would curb the circulation of black money and counterfeit money.
• Curbing Corruption and Promoting Good Governance: By providing access to information, it increased transparency in government operations and exposed instances of corruption and maladministration. Ex- Revelation of Adarsh Society Scam
• Enhancing Efficiency and Effectiveness: The availability of information through the act reduced bureaucratic delays, improved service delivery, and promoted better decision-making by public officials. 
  • An RTI filed by a non-profit organization revealed that the Delhi government had diverted Rs 744 crore from funds earmarked for the welfare of the Dalit community to the Commonwealth Games.
• Empowering Marginalized Sections of Society: It provided them with a mechanism to access information, claim their entitlements, and fight against discrimination or neglect. 
  • In Assam, an RTI request revealed irregularities in the distribution of food meant for people below the poverty line. The allegations of corruption were probed and several government officials arrested.
• Setting a Global Example: Its success in promoting transparency, accountability, and citizen empowerment inspired many nations to enact their own RTI laws, contributing to the global transparency movement.
• RTI legislation in India served as a template for law implementing in Bangladesh and acted as a  standard for NGOs that advocate for changes to or adoption of their national laws.

Challenges of the act:

• Lack of software accountability: Lack of accountability within all government institutions i.e.even if there are solutions to the problems, they are not implemented. 
  • The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) did not give any actual explanation in response to the RTI request by the Internet Freedom Foundation filed in 2021 about the discontinuation of the signing-up form.
• Neglect of Suo Motu disclosures: The authorities have apathetically ignored suo moto disclosures especially those related to health, migrant laborers, finances etc.
  • For example, the query submitted to the Department of Financial Services (DFS) to obtain information about the voluntary disclosure of actual access to the PM Garib Kalyan Yojna.
•  Harassment and victimization of RTI officers and activists: They lack adequate protection and maintenance of records in the offices. 
  • A 30-year-old RTI activist faced a brutal assault for his sustained work exposing corruption in projects granted under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in Kumpaliya panchayat.
  • As per Satark Nagrik Sangathan (SNS) report, more than a dozen RTI activists have been brutally attacked in Rajasthan alone over the past 10 years.
• Defunct Commission: Jharkhand and Tripura State Information Commissions (SIC) have become non-functional due to the absence of new commissioners being appointed after the previous ones left their positions. 
• Backlog of appeals: Large backlog of appeals and complaints in many commissions across the country have resulted in inordinate delays in disposal of cases, which render the law ineffective.
  • As per SNS, 14,323 appeals and complaints were pending as on June 30, 2022, in the 26 Information Commissions. 
  • The commissions did not impose penalties in 95 per cent of the cases where penalties were potentially imposable.
• Infrastructural bottlenecks: Errors in payment processing and the general unresponsiveness of the portal have made the portal practically unusable. 
  • While these issues are not new, DoPT has never acknowledged its responsibility to fix them. 
• Data protection bill of 2019: It amends the RTI Act and gives exemption to disclosure of any information to any RTI applicant on the ground of personal data. 
  • In a way, it is denial of the right to information.
  • The CIC, in two separate decisions, had directed that information to queries on PM and CM Relief Funds must be given but the matter is pending in the high court since 2018.

Way Forward: 

• Protection to whistleblowers: India needs to put in place long-term measures to prevent the assaults on whistleblowers starting with timely and effective investigation.
  • The central government has not yet enforced the WhistleBlowers Protection Act enacted by Parliament in 2014.
• Redefining exemptions: The existing exemptions are quite broad and need to be refined and made more specific.
  • Information even remotely linked to national security is currently being categorically denied, whether it pertains to matters like leave and working conditions or details regarding transfers within the armed forces.
  • To enhance the robustness of the RTI Act, the authority to expand the list of exemptions, currently permitted through executive order under Section 24, should be exclusively granted to the legislature.
• Filling vacancies: According to Transparency International, one-fourth information commissioner posts are vacant and there are only 5% (only 8) women information commissioners in the country. 
  • Out of total 165 posts of information commissioners, 42 are vacant, including two chief State information commissioners.
• Robust RTI machinery: RTI queries increased by 83.83%, from 8,86,681 in 2012-13 to 16,30,048 in 2018-19, indicating the rising faith of our people in the RTI system. 
  • The relevant portals need updating  with suo motu disclosures bolstering  the RTI machinery.
• Active tool for citizens: Instead of turning the citizens into passive consumers of information provided by press releases, the RTI Act should become a formidable weapon in the hands of the citizens.

News Source: The Hindu

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Context:

According to a report and survey by the Indian Cellular and Electronic Association (ICEA) along with Accenture, around 206 million devices (smart phones and laptops) are lying idle with consumer households.

More on News:

• Pathways to a Circular Economy in the Indian Electronics Sector Report:
  • Hoarding: 40% respondents were hoarding four or more devices which have remained unused for years.
  • Lack of Awareness: Two of five consumers did not give their devices for recycling.
  • In 2021, about 75 million devices were added as idle inventory.
• Collection and Recycling: 90 percent of the collection of end-of-cycle phones and 70 percent of the recycling is still done by the informal sector.

About e-Waste:

• E-waste: It is the discarded electronic equipment that is unfit for further use because of malfunctioning, lack of repair or spare parts, or is too outdated to be sold commercially efficiently.
• Toxic Emission: The e-waste emits toxic substances such as mercury, lead, cadmium, polychlorinated biphenyls, benzene, and dioxins.
• Legislations: Since 2011, laws are in place for regulating collection and recycling of e-waste. The E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 and E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 were also introduced to formalise e-waste management.
• E-Waste Clinic: For segregation, processing and disposal of e-waste from household and commercial units, the first e-waste clinic was set-up in Bhopal.
• Nairobi Declaration 2006: To control the trans-boundary movement of hazardous waste, Nairobi Declaration was adopted at COP 9 of the Basel Convention.

Challenges Related to E-Waste Management:

• Health Risk: According to WHO, mounting tsunami of e-waste is putting lives and health at risk.

• • For instance, around 12.9 million women are working in the informal waste sector which exposes them to risk to effects like negative birth outcomes, neurological disorders, DNA damage etc.
• Illegal Dumping of e-Waste in India: Government had banned import of e-waste in the country by listing e-waste in the Schedule VI of the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016.
  • According to the Ministry of Finance, there were a total 29 cases of illegal import of e-waste between 2019-2021.
• Environmental Pollution: If improperly disposed of or recycled, the hazardous materials from e-waste can leach into soil and water, contaminating ecosystems and posing serious health risks to humans and wildlife.
  • Researchers studied soil and groundwater in Delhi’s Krishna Vihar industrial area which houses unorganised e-waste handling and dumping units and discovered an alarming amount of toxic heavy metals leaching into them.
• Electronic Devices Proliferation: The rapid advancement of technology leads to the frequent replacement of electronic devices, which contributes to the growing volume of e-waste.

• • Consumers often discard functional but outdated devices in favor of newer models, exacerbating the e-waste problem.
• Consumer Behaviour: Lack of e-waste disposal and recycling due to a lack of good economic incentivisation, high personal attachment to devices, and the lack of awareness. 

 Way Forward:

• Circular Economy: It is an alternative to the “take, make, and dispose” linear model, replacing it with the concept of restoration and regeneration.
  • ICEA-Accenture says circular electronics will have a market size of $13 billion by 2035, and $20 billion as if it meets its total economic potential.
• Right to Repair: Enable consumers to independently repair and modify their own consumer goods where the manufacturers require the consumer to use only their offered services.
  • For example, Apple Inc has prevented companies from repairing or refurbishing its products without their permission.
•  LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) Approach:
  • Repair and use electronic devices over discarding the devices.
  • Discard gadgets in nearest e-recycling units.
  • Use rechargeable lithium cells.
  • Prefer cloud storage over a hard drive.
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): EPR has been adopted in the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016, which stipulate phase wise collection target to producers.
  • Under EPR regime, producers of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) have given annual e-waste collection and recycling targets based on the generation from the previously sold EEE.
• Donate e-Waste: Giving away electronic equipment which are no longer in use to those in need can have multi-fold advantages.
  • Donour: Will get rid of waste and additionally may claim tax deductions for donations made.
  • Receiver– Will get electronic products for free of cost.

Conclusion

Countries can work towards more effective and sustainable e-waste management, reducing the negative environmental and health impacts while maximizing the economic benefits of recycling and resource recovery.

News Source: Business Standard

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Context:

Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched Aditya L-1, its first space-based mission to study the Sun, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

About Aditya-L1 Mission:

• Aditya-L1 is the first Indian space mission to observe the Sun and the solar corona.
• It will be placed in a halo orbit around the first Lagrange point, L1, of the Sun-Earth system which allows it to look at the Sun continuously.

Image Credit: The Indian Express

• It contains seven payloads namely:
  • The Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) will study the Corona, imaging and spectroscopy, and Coronal mass ejections.
  • The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) will focus upon the Photosphere and Chromosphere imaging- narrow and broadband. It will also measure the solar irradiance variations. t
  • The Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS) and High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) will study the soft and hard X-ray flares form the Sun over a wide X-ray energy range.
  • The Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) and Plasma Analyser Package For Aditya (PAPA) will analyze the electrons and protons in the Solar wind or particles. It will also study the energetic ions.
  • The Advanced Tri-axial High Resolution Digital Magnetometers will study the interplanetary magnetic field at L1 point.
• It will provide greater advantage of observing the solar activities and its effect on space weather.

Objectives of the Mission:

• The mission will focus on study of the Solar upper atmospheric (chromosphere and corona) dynamics. 
• It will also study the chromospheric and coronal heating, physics of the partially ionized plasma, initiation of the coronal mass ejections, and flares.
• The mission will observe the particle and plasma environment which will be providing the data for the study of particle dynamics from the Sun. 
• The mission will also focus on understanding the physics of solar corona and its heating mechanism.
• It will dive deeper into the temperature, velocity and density of coronal and coronal loops plasma. 
• It will also research the development, dynamics and origin of CMEs.

Sun’s Corona:

• The corona is the outermost layer of the Sun.
• The corona’s high temperature causes its particles to move at very high speeds. 
  • These speeds are so high that the particles can escape the Sun’s gravity.
• The corona is usually hidden by the bright light of the Sun’s surface. However, the corona can be seen during a total solar eclipse.
• The corona is very dim as it is about 10 million times less dense than the Sun’s surface. This low density makes the corona much less bright than the surface of the Sun.
• The corona extends far out into space. From it comes the solar wind that travels through our solar system. 

News Source: The Hindu

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Context:

The Delhi High Court permitted two children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to undergo stem cell therapy for treatment of their condition.   

About Stem Cell Therapy:

• Stem cell therapy is a form of regenerative medicine designed to repair damaged cells within the body by reducing inflammation and modulating the immune system. 
• This phenomenon makes stem cell therapy a viable treatment option for various medical conditions.  
• It can be used to treat a variety of medical conditions, such as autoimmune, inflammatory, and neurological disorders. 

What are Stem cells?

• Stem cells are cells from which all other cells, with their respective specialised functions, are generated. 
• The human body, under certain conditions, “divides” stem cells to either create new stem cells or cells with specific functions, such as blood cells, brain cells, bone cells, muscle cells, etc.

Sources of Stem cells: 

• Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs): These are derived from early-stage embryos and have the potential to become any cell type in the body. 
  • However, their use is ethically controversial and strictly regulated in many countries.
• Adult Stem Cells: These are found in specific tissues and organs throughout the body and play a role in tissue maintenance and repair.
  • For Example: It includes hematopoietic stem cells (found in bone marrow) and mesenchymal stem cells (found in various tissues like bone, fat, and dental pulp).
• Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs): These are adult cells that have been reprogrammed to behave like embryonic stem cells. 
  • They can be generated from a patient’s own cells, reducing the risk of rejection.

Applications of Stem Cell Therapy:

• Regenerative Medicine: Repairing or replacing damaged tissues and organs, such as heart muscle, cartilage, or nerve cells.
• Treatment of Chronic Diseases: Exploring potential treatments for conditions like diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and spinal cord injuries.
• Immune Disorders: Modifying or enhancing the immune system to fight cancer or autoimmune diseases.
• Orthopedics: Treating orthopedic injuries and conditions like osteoarthritis.
• Cosmetic Procedures: Using stem cells for procedures like facial rejuvenation.

News Source:  The Indian Express

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Context:

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the merger of Vistara with Air India as well as allowed Singapore Airlines to acquire 25.1% stake in the erstwhile national carrier.

About Competition Commission of India (CCI):

• It is a statutory body of the Government of India responsible for enforcing the Competition Act, 2002, it was duly constituted in March 2009.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Corporate Affairs
• Composition: The Commission consists of a Chairperson and not more than 6 Members appointed by the Central Government.
• Eligibility: According the Competition Act, 2002, the Chairperson and every other member shall be: 
  • A person of ability, integrity and standing; 
  • Who has been, or is qualified to be, a judge of a High Court, or 
  • Who has special knowledge of, and professional experience of not less than 15 years in international trade, economics, business, commerce, law, finance, accountancy, management, industry, public affairs, administration or in any other matter which, in the opinion of the Central Government, may be useful to the Commission.
• It acts as a quasi-judicial body which gives opinions to statutory authorities and also deals with other cases.

• Role of CCI: 
  • To eliminate practices having adverse effects on competition, protect the interests of consumers and ensure freedom of trade in the markets of India.
  • To give opinion on competition issues on a reference received from a statutory authority.
  • To undertake competition advocacy, create public awareness and impart training on competition issues.

News Source: The Hindu

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Context:

• The Union government announced a committee to explore the possibility of simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.

About Simultaneous election/One Nation One Election:

• One Nation One Election refers to conducting simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, thereby synchronizing the election cycle and reducing the frequency of elections. 
• This would involve holding elections in all states and the Lok Sabha in a gap of five years, allowing voters to cast their votes for both the LS and state assemblies on the same day, either simultaneously or in a phased manner. 
  • By doing so, it aims to address the current situation where elections take place throughout the year due to staggered terms and premature dissolutions.

Benefits of simultaneous elections:

• Reduced Expenditure: It will lead to avoidance of replication of efforts in holding repeated elections and will bring considerable savings to political parties and candidates in their election campaigns.
  • As per annual audit reports of political parties submitted to the Election Commission of India, more than Rs 6,500 crore was spent on elections between 2015 and 2020.
• Issue of model code of conduct:Simultaneous elections can mitigate the issue of the Model Code of Conduct which sometimes hinders the government from announcing projects or policy plans.
• Improved Governance: Simultaneous elections will allow elected governments and ruling parties to concentrate on governance rather than diverting their attention towards frequent election preparations in various regions.
• Disruption of public services: Deputing government employees frequently on election duty can hinder public services resulting in challenges for the smooth functioning of government operations and delivery of services to the public.
• Curbing black money: Frequent elections have been associated with the possibility of black money being turned into white money, leading to the emergence of a parallel economy. Holding one-time elections could help reduce such a possibility.
• Fostering unity: Simultaneous polls promote a national perspective over regional ones, which is important for cultivating unity within the country.
• Recommendations of Law Commission: As per the Commission, simultaneous elections can help prevent the nation from being in a constant election mode and also increase voter turnout.

Views of Reports in favour of Simultaneous Elections: 

• 170th Report of the Law Commission of India, “Reform of Electoral Laws” (1999):
  • The Commission observed that holding of separate elections to State Legislative Assemblies should be an exception and not the rule. The rule must be one election once in five years for LokSabha and all the Legislative Assemblies.
• 79th Report of Parliamentary Standing Committee, 2015: The Committee noted several justifications for holding simultaneous elections:
  • The massive expenditure that is currently incurred for the conduct of separate elections.
  • The policy paralysis that results from the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during election time. 
  • Impact on delivery of essential services.
  • Burden on crucial manpower that is deployed during election time.

Challanges: 

• Against federal structure: It has the tendency of moving the country towards a unitary state rather than a federal one that the Constitution envisages. 
• Fading of local issues: Mixing of national and regional issues will lead to fading of local issues, distorting priorities and giving an unfair advantage to national parties over regional ones.
• Logistic Challenges: Logistical challenges could arise in organizing simultaneous elections once in five years, especially with the deployment of security forces in large numbers for free and fair conduct.
• Scheduling Challenges: Scheduling time slots may be a challenge due to India’s geographical and administrative diversity, including weather, agricultural cycles, exam schedules, religious festivals, and public holidays.
• Controlling mid term dissolution: Ensuring adequate legal safeguards would be a challenge which is necessary to prevent mid-term dissolution of Houses and protecting the simultaneous elections cycle.

News Source: Hindustan times

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10 billion UPI Transactions

Context: 

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) recorded over 10 billion transactions in August, a historic milestone.

Consistent Month-on-Month Growth:

• In July, UPI saw 9.96 billion transactions, indicating a steady month-on-month growth.
• In August, UPI averaged around 330 million transactions per day, potentially reaching 10.5 billion transactions for the month.

Expected Transaction Value Record:

• The transaction value for August is estimated to surpass July’s record of Rs 15.33 lakh crore, settling around Rs 15.4 – 15.6 lakh crore.

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI’s) Ambitious Target:

• NPCI aims to achieve 30 billion transactions per month, equivalent to one billion transactions daily, in the next two to three years.
• NPCI is an umbrella organisation for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India, is an initiative of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) under the provisions of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007,

UPI’s Evolution and Growth Factors:

• UPI has evolved from a person-to-person money transfer system to a major driver of commerce, with 57 percent of transactions now being merchant transactions.
• QR code adoption by millions of merchants, along with popular UPI apps like PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm, Cred, and Amazon Pay, contributed to this rapid growth.
• Factors like demonetization and the pandemic accelerated the digitization of payments in India, supported by proactive policies.

News Source: Economic Times

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