Context:

• In a recent judgment, the Allahabad High Court held that merely Liking a post on social media applications like Facebook, X, etc. cannot be punishable under Section 67 of IT Act.

Section 67 of IT Act

However, the Allahabad High Court ruled that ‘Sharing or retweeting a post would amount to “transmitting” under Section 67 of IT Act’ thereby attracting penal consequences.

What is IT Act 2000?

• The Information Technology Act, 2000 also Known as an IT Act.
• It is based on the United Nations Model law on Electronic Commerce 1996 (UNCITRAL Model) which was suggested by the General Assembly of the United Nations by a resolution dated on 30th January, 1997.
• The main objective of this act is to carry lawful and trustworthy electronic, digital and online transactions and alleviate or reduce cybercrimes.

What are the important provisions of IT Act?

Important provisions of IT Act are listed in table below;

• Section 66A of the Information Technology Act 2000 was struck down as unconstitutional by the Court in 2015 in the Shreya Singhal Case.

Source: The Hindu

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Context:

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has directed Credit Information Companies (CICs) to alert customers when Credit Institutions access their Credit Information Report (CIR).

RBI’s Directive on CIR Access

• The Credit institutions such as banks and NBFCs will also have to send an SMS or email alert to customers when they submit information to CICs on their default or Days Past Due (DPD) on existing credit.
• The new rules will come into effect within six months.
• The RBI has said that CICs should provide easy access to a “Free Full Credit Report (FFCR),” including credit score, once every calendar year.

What are the Credit Information Companies (CICs)?

• Credit Information Companies maintain and analyze the consumer and business credit information of individuals and companies across the country, as provided by banks and NBFCs.
• Based on this information, a CIC calculates and generates credit scores for individuals and credit ranks for companies as per their creditworthiness and past credit history.
• Trans Union CIBIL Ltd, Equifax India, and CRIF High Mark are some prominent CICs in India. 
• Where scores are awarded in the range of 300 and 850, and a score of 700 or above  is generally considered good.

Source: Indian Express

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Context:

• The Prime Minister of India inaugurated the 7th Edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2023 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

India Mobile Congress 2023

• India Mobile Conress is the largest telecom, media, and technology forum in Asia and will held from 27th to 29th October 2023 with the theme ‘Global Digital Innovation’. 
• It aims to strengthen India’s position as a developer, manufacturer, and exporter of key cutting-edge technologies. 
• During the India Mobile Congress 2023, the Prime Minister awarded 100 ‘5G Use Case Labs’ to educational institutions nationwide.

5G Use Case Labs

• Objective: To build competencies and engagement in 5G and beyond technologies for students and start-up communities.
• The 5G Use Case labs at higher educational institutions across all States/Union territories will facilitate the development and experimentation of 5G applications in various socioeconomic verticals. 
• The use cases could span socioeconomic verticals including education, agriculture, health, power, urban management, mining, logistics, resource management, tourism, sports, security, e-governance, etc.

Source: PIB

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Context:

• Recently, the National Event on Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) was held in Mumbai.

National Event on PMMVY: Key Highlights

• The event highlighted significant aspects and achievements of PMMVY, its journey, and the features of the PMMVY Portal and Mobile App.
• A new PMMVY Portal (PMMVYsoft MIS) has been developed that includes new features such as ‘facial authentication technology’ by UIDAI to verify eligible beneficiaries properly.
• Additionally, it incorporates NPCI Verification of beneficiary bank accounts to ensure smooth fund transfers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). 
• Furthermore, it introduces a paperless online registration system for beneficiaries and Anganwadi/ASHA workers to register directly through the portal.

What is PMMVY Scheme?

• It is a Maternity Benefit Programme being implemented as per provisions under Section 4 of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013.
• Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India is nodal ministry.
• It has been revised and incorporated as a component of Mission Shakti from 1st April 2022, as PMMVY 2.0.
• PMMVY Objectives
  • Providing partial compensation for the wage loss in cash incentives so that the woman can rest adequately before and after delivery of the first living child.
  • The cash incentive provided would improve health-seeking behavior amongst Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers (PW& LM).
  • The scheme also seeks to promote positive behavioural change towards girl child by providing additional cash incentive for the second child, if that is a girl child. 
• Target beneficiaries under PMMVY Scheme:
  • All Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers, (excluding PW&LM who are in regular employment with the Central Government or the State Governments or PSUs or those who receive similar benefits under any law for the time being in force).
  • A beneficiary is eligible to receive benefits under the scheme only once.

• Case of Miscarriage/ Still Birth: the beneficiary would be eligible to claim the remaining installment (s) in case of any future pregnancy.
• Case of Infant Mortality: she will not be eligible for claiming benefits under the scheme if she has already received all the installments.
• Benefits under PMMVY
  • Cash incentive of Rs 5000 in three installments.
  • 1st installment of Rs 1000 on early registration of pregnancy.
  • 2nd installment of Rs 2000 after six months of pregnancy on receiving at least one ante-natal check-up (ANC).
  • 3rd installment of Rs 2000  after childbirth is registered and the child has received the first cycle of BCG, OPV, DPT, and Hepatitis B, or its equivalent/substitute.
• The eligible beneficiaries would receive the incentive given under the (JSY) for Institutional delivery. The incentive received under JSY would be accounted towards maternity benefits so that on average a woman gets Rs 6000.

Source: PIB

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Context:

• The Ministry of Civil Aviation has asked Airline Companies to rectify their websites, following a series of complaints regarding practices by airlines and online travel agents that trick consumers into making unintended purchases.

Airline Tickets: Unveiling Dark Patterns

• Most complaints are related to airlines showing all available seats as paid when purchasing a ticket, and incidents of passengers being denied boarding despite a valid ticket.
• Some of these practices amounted to “dark patterns,” where the user interface of websites is designed to dupe consumers.

What is Dark Pattern?

• A dark pattern is one where an entity nudges consumers to buy products they didn’t intend to, which is an unfair trading practice and can constitute a cybercrime.
• It is a digital design interface used to manipulate customer behavior.
• These forms of dark patterns have been defined in the draft guidelines of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, which was released on September 7 to seek public comments for a period of 30 days (Refer Table).

How do companies use dark patterns?

• Social media companies and Big Tech firms such as Apple, Amazon, Skype, Facebook, LinkedIn, Microsoft, and Google use dark or deceptive patterns to downgrade the user experience to their advantage.
• For Example: In social media, LinkedIn users often receive unsolicited, sponsored messages from influencers. Disabling this option is a difficult process with multiple steps that requires users to be familiar with the platform controls.

Regulatory Measures Taken in India 

• Department of Consumer Affairs summoned cab and two-wheeler aggregators to come clean on their charges and algorithms, as consumer angst and frustration with these services rose to alarming levels. 
• The Department also formed a consultation group to address the issue of fake online reviews. 
• The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), has been addressing such issues through its existing code on misleading ads. 
• The ASCI code applies across media, including online advertising (including companies’ own websites, pages and handles). 

Source: The Hindu

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Context:

• NR Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys says Indians need to work harder (70 hours a week) if the nation is to achieve the kind of progress China, Japan and Germany did after World War II. he is probably right, right?

Hard Work vs Smart Work

• Murthy is right on two counts: One, India has a predominantly youthful population, more than half is under 25 years and 60% below 35 years of age; and two, India’s productivity is among the lowest in the world.
• India ranks in the bottom third of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) labor productivity rankings, based on GDP (in constant dollars) per hour worked.
• However, according to a Manpower Group survey, Indian millennials spend 52 hours at work per week, compared to 48 in China, 46 in Japan, and just 41 in Australia.
• Indians are working harder, longer, and for less money than their counterparts in most countries in the world. 
• The reasons this labor does not translate into higher productivity are manifold – from poor infrastructure to poor skills to lack of capital and technology to poor deployment of resources.
• Though, India’s productivity is low. But for this to go up, India needs to work smarter, not harder.
• While working hard emphasizes putting in hours, smart work aims to find better and more efficient ways to tackle different tasks.
• “Hard work is the key to success only if done smartly.”
• Smart workers don’t focus on inputs they focus on prioritizing to achieve the most valuable outputs in the most efficient ways. 
• For example, a smart worker will realize they are more productive during a certain time of day and batch their tasks based on difficulty to match when they are most productive. 
• Apart from that inculcating work ethics and improving work culture also played important roles in enhancing Productivity.

What is Work Ethics?

• A work ethic is a personal set of values that determines how any employee approaches their work. 
• Employees with strong work ethics are highly motivated and produce consistently high-quality results. 
• It is the commitment to fulfill the official responsibilities with dedication, involvement and sincerity. It implies that work is appreciated and not taken as a burden.

What are the characteristics of good work ethics?

• Values: like the blood nourishes the body, values nourish the organization (refer to Image)
• Effective leadership: leaders set the tone that permeates the organization’s culture.
• Balancing of stakeholders: so that mutual tension is resolved.
• The integrity of the process- where all the organization’s processes are aligned with its values, like recruiting, hiring, promoting, marketing, sales, etc.
• Long-term perspective- where the leadership is dedicated to strategic planning for the long term.
• A good work ethic can be taught as long as more productive behaviors are demonstrated to your employees.

What is Work Culture?

• It is regarded as a set of practices, values and shared beliefs within an organization and in its employees. It decides the way employees interact with each other and how the organization functions.
• It is the product of the organization’s history, traditions, values and vision. 

What are the characteristics of healthy work culture?

• There is respect for fellow workers.
• Conflicts are minimal and are resolved after considering the underlying cause.
• Impartiality in the treatment of employees.
• An employee is judged only by his work and nothing else.
• Employee participation in the decision-making process is improved.
• The existing skills of the employees are enhanced through workshops, seminars, etc.

Conclusion:

Now, India is aspiring to be a world leader. The mantra of Vivekananda  ‘’Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.” is as, relevant and inspiring today as it was earlier for youth. In practice, combining hard work and smart work often yields the best results.

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Context:

• This article is based on the news “Either Repeal or Revise the Country’s Fiscal Law” Which was published in the Mint. Policymakers have argued that the government has not strictly adhered to the fiscal targets under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act (FRBM Act), 2003 and have suggested either repealing or revising the law.

Beyond Budget Deficit Ceilings: A Call for Flexible Fiscal Policies

• They have emphasized on the need for flexible fiscal policies, combining public and private spending.
• It has been suggested that arbitrary limits on budget deficits might not be the most effective approach. 

What is the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act (FRBM Act), 2003?

• About: FRBM Act establishes financial discipline to reduce fiscal deficit. It aims to manage fiscal deficit, and maintain macroeconomic stability. 
• Objectives
  • FRBM Act aim to introduce transparency in India’s fiscal management systems. 
  • Its long-term objective for India is to achieve fiscal stability and to give the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) flexibility to deal with inflation in India. 
• Key features of the FRBM Act
  • The FRBM Act made it mandatory for the government to place the following along with the Union Budget documents in Parliament annually:
    • Medium Term Fiscal Policy Statement: It lays down the limits on the size of the budget deficits for three years and target for tax and non-tax receipts.
    • Macroeconomic Framework Statement: The macroeconomic framework gives the government’s outlook on growth prospects of the economy. 
    • Fiscal Policy Strategy Statement: FRBM Act explains how the current policies follow sound fiscal management principles and give reasoning for any deviation from the deficit targets set by it under the Act.
  • It sets a target for the Centre’s annual fiscal deficit ratio (FDR) at 3% of gross domestic product (GDP). 
    • The states had to legislate their own FRBM Acts, limiting a state’s FD to 3% of its own GDP.
  • According to the latest road map, the Centre has to bring down its fiscal deficit to 4.5% by 2025-26.
  • The FRBM Act prohibits borrowing by the government from the Reserve Bank of India, thereby, making monetary policy independent of fiscal policy.
  • The FRBM Act bans the purchase of primary issues of the Central Government securities by the RBI after 2006, preventing monetization of government deficit.

ALSO READ: BUDGET AND TAXATION

FRBM Act Exemptions/ Escape Clause:  The option allows the government to widen the deficit by 0.5 percentage points in times of exigencies such as a war or calamities of national proportion.

Need of FRBM Act

• Fiscal Discipline: FRBM Act goal was to limit government borrowing and spending in order to reduce fiscal deficits and encourage general financial responsibility.
• Debt Management: The aim is to control the amount of public debt and make sure it stayed within sensible bounds. 
• Fiscal Imbalances: High levels of fiscal deficit and revenue deficit lead to excessive government borrowing having adverse effects on the economy.
• Public Debt Management: Effective debt management is necessary to manage the increasing public debt burden..
• Macroeconomic Stability: The FRBM Act aimed to address unchecked fiscal deficits which lead to inflation, trade imbalances, and overall economic instability.

How effective has the FRBM Act been?

• As per a recent working paper, “Fiscal Policy, Devolution and Indian Economy”, between 2004 and 2008, the Indian government had made giant strides on reducing both revenue deficit and fiscal deficit. 
• However, since the Global Financial Crisis and a domestic slowdown, there have been several amendments to the FRBM Act essentially postponing the targets.
  • India’s fiscal deficit for 2020-2021 zoomed to 9.5% of GDP after the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Thus, the Government of India has not been able to achieve targets set under it. 
• The initial deadline to reach the 3% target was 2007-08 but it has been extended several times over the years. In 2018, the deadline was again extended to 2020-21.
• However, in the FY21 Budget, the target was relaxed to 3.5% as permitted under the FRBM Act. The Centre made use of escape clause to deviate from the fiscal consolidation road map.
• In 2016, a committee under N K Singh was set up to suggest changes to the FRBM Act. 

What are the challenges associated with FRBM Act, 2003?

• Reliance on fixed targets or numbers:  Focusing on a fixed target for the fiscal deficit as compared with a range restricts the government from dealing with dynamic situations typical of market economies. 
  • The requirement to achieve a fixed number has prevented fiscal policy from being countercyclical when needed. 
• Escape clauses: The FRBM Act has also been criticized because of incorporating imprecisely defined fiscal deficit escape clauses and limited accountability in the event of missed targets.
• Weak linkage between policy setting and implementation: This has hindered the ability to promptly and clearly adjust to changes in fiscal policy. 
  • The medium-term fiscal framework was also not closely integrated with the overall fiscal strategy and stance.
  • The transparency and accountability framework has not been able to provide sufficient coverage or assessment of fiscal risks.
• Lack of debt ceiling law:  India’s fiscal rules are mainly focused on traditional budget balance rules with no debt ceiling law.
  • Emerging best practices have moved toward a structural budget balance rule or an expenditure rule.
• Insufficient coverage or assessment of fiscal risks: There was no attempt to assess the potential fiscal risks.
  • Ex-The impact of the announcement of the Pay Commission, the increase in commodity prices and the implications on fiscal policy, the implications of off-budget items such as contingent liabilities.

Way Forward

• Focus on macroeconomic stability: The relevant targets for this are the fiscal deficit, the primary deficit, and the debt/GDP (gross domestic product) ratio.
  • The fiscal deficit and debt ratio of India need to be corrected which are much higher than those of other comparable emerging market countries.
• Focus on capital expenditure: The numerical simulations indicate that fiscal deficit, primary deficit, and public debt ratios all gradually decline as a result of prudently higher capital expenditure. 
  • Thus, India needs to reorient public expenditures toward growth-enhancing investment while maintaining overall fiscal discipline. 
• Clearly defined escape clauses and strengthening the enforcement of fiscal rules: These include measures such as
  • the establishment of independent fiscal councils;
  • full fledged fiscal stability reporting, addressing the coverage of off-budget items like contingent liabilities; 
  • improving linkages between fiscal policy and budget processes; 
  • sharing of responsibilities and coordination within tiers of government for stabilization and sustainability
  • introducing state credit ratings for measuring fiscal performance. 

Conclusion:

The call to either repeal or revise the FRBM Act reflects the ongoing debate over its effectiveness, with challenges including fixed targets, escape clauses, and weak policy implementation. Policymakers advocate for a focus on flexible fiscal policies, emphasizing macroeconomic stability and a need for clear, accountable rules in the face of evolving economic dynamics.

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Context:

• Recently, eight former Indian Navy personnel have been sentenced to death by a court in Qatar. 

Qatar Court Sentences eight Indian Navy Veterans to Death

• The eight former Navy personnel were working at the now defunct Al Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services, a defence services provider company.
• Reason: Although official charges were not made public by the Qatari authorities, according to media sources, they were arrested on undeclared charges of espionage. 
• They were working in their private capacity with Al Dahara to oversee the induction of small Italian stealth missiles. 

About India Qatar Relations 

• India Qatar relations are deep-rooted and actively nurtured by both sides, with hundreds of thousands of Indians working in Qatar, making up a substantial part of the country’s foreign workforce. 
• Historical Ties: The diplomatic relations between India and Qatar were established in 1973 and historical ties date back centuries due to trade and cultural interactions.
• These relations have evolved and grown over the time stronger and steadier marked by high level exchanges between the two countries.

What challenges are associated with India Qatar relations?

• Current Challenges in India Qatar Relations
  • Unprecedented Verdict: The death sentence to eight former Indian Navy personnel was deeply shocking for India, might test diplomatic relations between the two countries.

• • For instance, The individuals include highly decorated veterans such as Commander Purnendu Tiwari was honored with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman.
  • Lack of Transparency: The details of the present case are too opaque to justify such an extreme sentence in a short trial.

Other Challenges in India Qatar Relations

• Cultural and Religious Challenges in India Qatar Relations: Ensuring cultural integration, understanding, and addressing any challenges faced by the Indian community in Qatar or by the two countries can be challenging tasks.
  • For example, Qatar demanded a public apology with reference to the controversy involving derogatory remarks about the Prophet on a TV show in India.
• Labor and Migrant Workers’ Issues:  While Qatar has made progress in labour reform, there have been concerns about the welfare of Indian migrant workers, including issues related to working conditions, wages, and access to legal protection. 
  • India has often raised concerns about the rights and well-being of its citizens working in Qatar, leading to diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
• Geopolitical Dynamics in the Region: India’s relations with other nations in the Middle East, which might not always align with Qatar’s alliances, could potentially strain bilateral ties.
  • For instance, in 2017, Saudi Arabia-led bloc’s closure of sea, land and air borders with Qatar complicated India’s relations with other Gulf Arab countries. 
• India raised the issue of Indian fugitive Zakir Naik wanted by Indian authorities since 2016 for alleged money laundering and inciting extremism through hate speeches, traveling to Qatar for the FIFA World Cup. 

Also read: India’s Diplomacy with West Asia Countries

Conclusion:

In the context of India Qatar relations, these two nations need to resolve this complex and sensitive issue through diplomatic channels, reinforcing their enduring friendship. India’s approach exemplifies its commitment to diplomacy and the value it places on its relationships in the global arena.

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