Month: March 2021

World day of the fight against sexual exploitation

Every year since 2009, 4th March has been designated as World Day of the Fight Against Sexual Exploitation. Although there are exceptions, sexual exploitation overwhelmingly involves women and children, and it is a problem of worldwide proportions. It has been estimated that every second of the day an average of eight women, girls and often young boys, are trapped by international criminal networks where the sole aim is to sexually exploit them, traffic them and enslave them.

This process obviously robs them of their basic human rights, including their right to freedom, their dignity, their right to live where they choose and the right to control their own bodies.

Although the problem is a worldwide one, some places are more vulnerable than others. These include areas in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and some Latin American and Caribbean countries. Trafficked women from these areas are generally taken to destination countries in the so-called developed world for the purposes of prostitution.

Although older teenage girls can be involved in this traffic, younger girls and boys who are involved in sexual exploitation will generally stay close to their region of origin. UNICEF estimates that more than 3 million children worldwide are affected by prostitution and that children make up more than a third of all sex workers in Asia.

Often this situation arises when poorly informed and ill-educated parents, who have no resources, are unable to raise their children under acceptable conditions. They are approached by shady characters who give them assurances that if the children are voluntarily entrusted to them they will be guaranteed a bright and better future away from their present impoverished environment.

Once they are cut off from their families and friends, the children lose their identity and become the easy prey of crime syndicates who exploit them by forcing them into sex work.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that nearly a million people are trafficked every year for purposes of sexual exploitation. Although 98% are women and girls, this number also includes a significant number of boys and young men.

The major international crimes are trafficking in drugs and weapons, but sexual trafficking follows closely behind and is now a highly lucrative international criminal industry. According to the ILO, human trafficking for sexual exploitation makes between US$ 7 billion and $12 billion a year on the initial “sale”. However, once the victims of trafficking arrive in the destination country and are exploited, a further US$32 billion will be generated by the “industry”.

Although huge sums of money are made, the victims rarely receive any of this, making human trafficking a modern form of slavery.

Prostitution is just one element in the sexual exploitation industry. Another is sexual tourism. In some countries, notably in Southeast Asia, restrictions have traditionally been less restrictive than in other parts of the world. This encouraged the growth of an industry where tourists, chiefly men, would travel to countries where they could indulge in sexual activity with under-age boys and girls.

In October 2012 the BBC reported that the problem of sex tourism was getting worse, with Child Protection charities warning that worldwide an estimated 250,000 people travel abroad every year for the purpose of having sex with minors. Sexual tourism is increasingly responsible for child prostitution around the world.

In the past many paedophiles were helped to escape justice by a lack of cross border legal co-operation, but in recent years there has been a crack-down on this problem as charities, the travel industry and international law enforcement agencies have been increasingly working together. In many cases it is now possible to prosecute paedophiles in their home countries for offences that have taken place overseas.

Yet another issue is child pornography. Depiction of pornographic acts involving minors is universally considered to be a major form of child abuse and for this reason it is considered to be immaterial whether the pornographic act is forced or consensual.

In most countries it is illegal to use the Internet to access material showing images of certain sexual acts, particularly those involving children or young people. In addition to its abusive nature, the bulk of this material would only have been produced following some form of coercion. Whenever such material is viewed, producers are encouraged to produce more, which in turn results in more children being abused.

World Day of the Fight Against Sexual Exploitation sets out to draw attention to this major worldwide problem. As so often happens with matters that thrive in the darker parts of society and teeter on the brink of illegality, sexual exploitation often goes unnoticed.

Even rich countries are affected. A report published in 2001 suggested that in the United States 300,000 children were running the risk of sexual exploitation that could be considered as commercial.

The sad truth is that this unpleasant trade is capable of destroying the lives of countless people every year, but it is a trade that can only function as a result of the perverse demands of others. The answer is to eliminate these demands and there will no longer be any need for supply, but that is a very uphill task.

At least by having a special day there is a chance of raising the international profile of the problem and that surely is a step in the right direction.

New Rules Notified To Make Social Media And OTT Platforms Accountable

It warms the innermost cockles of my heart to see that the Centre has in a bold, balanced and brilliant move weeks after a long spat with Twitter very rightly decided to take the right course of action of tightening of rules governing social media and streaming companies, requiring them to take down contentious content quicker, appoint grievance redressal officers and assist probe. This comes in the backdrop of so many anti-India messages being propagated on Whatsapp, Twitter and other social media platforms which were less against farm laws but more against the very unity and integrity of India by espousing a separate nation for Sikhs termed as ‘Khalistan’. How can any self respecting nation ever tolerate this brazen, open and completely anti-India activity to be carried on so brazenly in social media without being held liable to anyone?

Needless to say, when there are rules for news channels and for newspapers then why should the social media and news media also not be held accountable? It is therefore in the fitness of things that Centre has after considering the pros and cons decided to finally take the bull by the horns! There is no reason why this should not be appreciated, applauded and admired in no uncertain terms. 
After all, how can we be oblivious of the irrefutable fact that concerns have been raised about abuse of platform in social media and news media for airing anti-India views in Supreme Court as also in Parliament itself? We all know too well that just recently on February 15, 2021, the Supreme Court Bench comprising of Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde and Justice AS Bopanna and Justice V Ramasubramanian had agreed to examine the new privacy policy of Whatsapp under which it had allegedly planned to share the data of its users with Facebook and other companies. So we finally see that for social media platforms, the draft titled ‘Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021’ has been notified replacing the moribund and outdated previous Code from 2011 that will now govern online content which includes allowing users to dispute action taken against them by social media intermediaries such as Facebook and Twitter and others and hold social media, news media and other companies accountable for “misuse and abuse”. This will also obligate the big tech platforms to constitute stronger grievance redressal mechanisms and appoint executives to coordinate with law enforcement in India. 
Truth be told, these rules very rightly makes it mandatory to identify the ‘first originator’ of the content that authorities consider anti-national. It is good to see that for social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, etc the guidelines essentially remove the “safe harbor” provided to these companies – it wrongly limited their liability over content that users posted on their platforms – if the platforms do not comply with due diligence norms. The rules also call for a three-tier regulation mechanism for over-the-top (OTT) platforms like Netflix, YouTube etc and require them to self-classify their content into five categories based on age suitability. 
It must be mentioned here that online curated content that is suitable for children and for people of all ages shall be classified as “U”, and content that is suitable for persons aged 7 years and older and which can be viewed by a person under the age of 7 years with parental guidance, shall be classified as “U/A7+ rating. Similarly, the content that is suitable for persons aged 13 years and above and can be viewed by a person under the age of 13 years with parental guidance shall be classified as “U/A13+ rating. Also, content which is suitable for persons aged 16 years and above, and can be viewed by a person under the age of 16 years with parental guidance shall be classified as “U/A16+ rating. 
It also deserves to be mentioned that online curated content which is restricted to adults shall be classified as “A” rating. Platforms would be required to implement parental locks for content classified as U/A13+ or higher, and reliable age verification mechanisms for content that is classified as “A”. Very rightly so!
It would be pertinent to mention here that Ravi Shankar Prasad who is the Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology very rightly pointed out that, “The rules establish a soft touch, self-regulatory architecture and a Code of Ethics and a three-tier grievance redressal mechanism for news publishers and OTT Platforms and digital media”. He also clarified in no uncertain terms that social media intermediaries are welcome to do business in India and while the government welcomes dissent, abuse of social media has to be curbed. Also, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Prakash Javadekar very rightly said that , “A free press symbolises the spirit of democracy, but no one should be allowed to spread fake news.” He also hastened to rightly add that while legacy media were governed by Press Council of India rules, there has been no such regulations for online media, stressing the need for a level playing field. No denying it! 
What’s more, beyond streaming and messaging, the Code will also set guidelines for digital publishers of news and current affairs content requiring them to disclose their ownership and other information. Ravi Shankar Prasad rightly said that the Code was needed to make social media and OTT companies accountable for “abuse”. 
It must be borne in mind that at a press conference, Union Law & IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had cited a 2018 Supreme Court observation and also a 2019 Supreme Court order in addition to discussion in Rajya Sabha which took place once in 2018 and then through a report laid by a Committee in 2020 to finally press ahead for the dire need to come up with rules to “empower the ordinary users of digital platforms to seek redressal for their grievances and command accountability in case of infringement of their rights.” It also cannot be overlooked that the government has not done it in a hurry as an “overnight exercise” but rather it has been first discussed, debated and deliberated upon each and every aspect of it for over three years. For this Centre has to be applauded in no uncertain terms.
Not just this, Centre as revealed by a statement by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said that it held consultations in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai over the past one-and-a-half years wherein OTT operators had been urged to develop a “self-regulatory mechanism”. The statement also added that, “The government also studied the regulatory models followed in other countries including Singapore, Australia, EU and UK and has gathered that most of them either have an institutional mechanism to regulate digital content or are in the process of setting-up one.” Very rightly so!
To put things in perspective, the rules are definitely users friendly as they seek to empower users by mandating the intermediaries which includes social media ones, to establish a grievance redressal mechanism. A Grievance Officer appointed for the purpose shall acknowledge the complaint within 24 hours and resolve it within fifteen days. Also, social media platforms on being asked by court or government will be required to disclose the first originator of the mischievous information that undermines the sovereignty of India, security of the state or public order which till now they were not obliged to disclose! This has to be welcomed in no uncertain terms!
As it turned out, the government also made it clear that, “The rules will come in effect from the date of their publication in the gazette except for the additional due diligence for significant social media intermediaries, which shall come in effect three months after publication of these rules.”
Of course, it has been rightly reported that social media companies need to appoint officers who will be responsible for complying with content moderation orders and both they and streaming service providers will be brought under a three-tier regulatory framework, according to the proposed new rules that will cover high profile media companies such as Facebook and OTTs such as Netflix. Apart from this, it has already been stated above that these platforms will have to carry ratings such as (U)Universal or (Adult) – something they are not required to do currently. This is definitely a good development. 
No doubt, the final trigger for pushing ahead with these guidelines came after it was reported that more than 300 to 400 anti-India messages were sent from Pakistan alone and about 1500 from other countries to incite violence and which we saw culminating in the most infamous and worst unprecedented violence in Red Fort on January 26 due to which Centre and Twitter were deeply embroiled in a huge spat over the removal of certain accounts from social media platform but which was not complied with by them accordingly and it was after huge pressure that Twitter initially while refusing to remove allegedly inflammatory tweets and hashtags supporting farmer protests finally agreed to withdraw them! It must be noted that in the Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, the government cited powers provided to it under Section 87 of the Information Technology Act, 2000. This Section 87 allows the government to make rules to carry out the provisions of the law by notification in the Official Gazette and in the Electronic Gazette. 
Be it noted, the policy which has been notified on evening of February 25 also brings digital news publishers under the ambit of Section 69(A) of the Information Technology Act which empowers the government to order the blocking of access to content that is considered a threat to public order. It is true that the new rules take effect immediately but it is equally true that significant social media providers (based on number of users) will get three months before they need to start complying. We need to pay attention here to this vital fact that an authorized officer from the I&B Ministry who will head an Inter-Ministerial Committee at the apex of the self-regulatory system can also issue this order under emergency circumstances where the companies will not be given a chance to offer an explanation. The Committee will have to meet within 48 hours to ratify the emergency block. 
What is capturing maximum eyeballs is the commendable rules that lay down 10 categories of content that the social media platform should not host. These include content that “threatens the unity, integrity, defence, security or sovereignty of India, friendly relations with foreign States, or public order, or causes incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence or prevents investigation of any offence or is insulting any foreign States”; “is defamatory, obscene, pornographic, paedophilic, invasive of another privacy, including bodily privacy; insulting or harassing on the basis of gender; libelous, racially or ethnically objectionable; relating or encouraging money laundering or gambling, or otherwise inconsistent with or contrary to the laws of India”, etc. It is also really good to note that the rules stipulate that upon receipt of information about the platform hosting prohibited content from a court or the appropriate government agency, it should remove the said content most promptly within 36 hours. 
It has to be said with a big smile on face that Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad was fully right when he underscored that the platforms cannot follow double standards when it comes to different countries. He rightly said that, “There can’t be a double standard for Capitol Hill and Red Fort violence.” We all saw how all human rights activists all over the world condemned the violence by supporters of former US President Donald Trump but those very same activists start questioning Indian government itself when it comes to Red Fort violence even though no force was used against those vandalisers who never deserved so much of kid glove treatment! This is what pinches us most as an Indian! 
It is a no-brainer that what Centre has done now was the crying need of the hour also! Now the executives of intermediaries which fail to act on an order issued by the government citing threat to sovereignty or integrity, defence, security of the state or public order, can be jailed for up to a period of seven years under Section 69 of the IT Act. The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) whose members include Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hotstar, Facebook and Twitter very rightly welcomed the announcement of the framework. It said in a statement that, “IAMAI has welcomed the much awaited Intermediary Guidelines 2021. The guidelines, focused primarily on consumer complaints, will help users of online content and social media resolve their complaints in a process oriented manner.” A Facebook spokesperson said that, “We have always been clear as a company that we welcome regulations that set guidelines for addressing today’s toughest challenges on the Internet. Facebook is committed to people’s ability to freely and safely express themselves on our platforms.” The spokesperson for Facebook also added that, “We acknowledge and appreciate the recognition from the Minister on the positive contributions of social media to the country. Facebook is an ally for India and the agenda of user safety and security is a critical one for our platforms. We will continue to work to ensure that our platforms play an enabling role in fuelling the exciting digital transformation of India.”
On balance, it is high time and now Opposition parties too must stop smelling fishy on whatever government does and applaud it in totality as those big Companies like Facebook and Twitter among others have themselves welcomed it sincerely even though it is they themselves who will now be subjected to the strictest scrutiny wherever the matter involves our national security and honour of the nation or compromises with the privacy of an individual in any manner! It cannot be lightly dismissed that India has 53 crore WhatsApp users, 44.8 crore You Tube users, 41 crore Facebook users, 21 crore Instagram users and 1.75 crore are on Twitter! So regulation over all these big companies was certainly needed also! What Centre has done is a watershed moment and it must be welcomed with both arms! All the big Companies who are operating social media and news media will now be held accountable and answerable for what they publish and propagate and not just escape away conveniently without any accountability with impunity as most unfortunately we had been seeing until now! 
Sanjeev Sirohi
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

J&K tops medals tally at Khelo India Winter National Games in Gulmarg

Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir topped the medals tally in the second edition of Khelo India Winter National Games. J&K won 11 gold, 18 silver and 5 bronze medals. The five-day mega sports event which began on 26th of February, concluded in the famous ski resort of Gulmarg in the north Kashmir’s Baramulla district yesterday.
 
The event was e-inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In his address, Mr Modi had said that the second edition of Khelo India winter games is a major step towards making Jammu and Kashmir a hub of the winter games. In the event, more than 1,000 athletes from 27 states and union territories took part. The event was organised by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in collaboration with the J&K Sports Council and the Winter Games Association of Jammu and Kashmir. 

US imposes fresh sanctions against Russia over Navalny issue

The United States has slapped sanctions on Russian individuals and entities over the near-fatal poisoning of prominent opposition figure Alexei Navalny with a nerve agent. Speaking to reporters, the senior White House officials said the sanctions were being imposed in coordination with the European Union, and urged the release of Navalny from prison.

The white house said these sanctions mark the first of several steps by the Biden administration to respond to a number of destabilizing actions. The sanctions are the first against Russia by the Biden administration. Meanwhile, Russia has condemned moves to impose sanctions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said those who continue to depend on these measures should probably give it some thought. Vladimir Chizov, Russia’s envoy to the EU, said Moscow would respond to the latest round of EU sanctions imposed.

Swiss open badminton: Many Indians to play their opening round singles matches today

In Swiss Open Badminton Championship, many Indian players will play their singles opening matches today including P.V. Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, H.S. Prannoy, P. Kashyap and Sai Praneeth.In men’s singles, Kidambi Srikanth won his first round match beating fellow Indian Sameer Verma 18-21, 21-18, 21-11 today.In Women’s singles, P.V. Sindhu will take on Neslihan Yigit of Turkey, Saina will be clashing with Phittayaporn Chaiwan of Thailand.

Ajay Jayaram will meet Thailand’s Sitthikom Thammasin and P. Kashyap will square off against Spain’s Pablo Abian. Olympic hopeful Praneeth, who was forced to withdraw from the last event in Thailand after testing positive for COVID-19, will clashes with Israel’s Misha Zilberman.

Young Lakshya Sen, who missed the Thailand events due to an injury, will be rearing to go when he opens against Victor Svendsen of Denmark. H.S. Prannoy takes on Mark Caljouw of Netherlands, while Sourabh Verma will open against Switzerland’s Christian Kirchmayr.

In the men’s Doubles, the duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will play against the Scottish pair of Chistropher and Mathew Grimley. Ashwini Ponappa and N. Sikki Reddy will play their women’s doubles match against German pair of Annabella Jaiger and Stine Kuspert. 

Indian Air Force to participate for the first time in Exercise Desert Flag beginning in UAE today

Indian Air Force (IAF) will participate for the first time in Exercise Desert Flag which is beginning in Al-Dhafra airbase in UAE from today. Exercise Desert Flag is an annual multi-national large force employment warfare exercise hosted by the United Arab Emirates Air Force. The Indian Air Force is participating in the Exercise along with air forces of United Arab Emirates, United States of America, France, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Bahrain. The exercise will conclude on 27th of this month.

The Indian Air Force is participating with six Sukhoi Su-30 MKI, two C-17 and one IL-78 tanker aircraft. C-17 Globemaster will provide support for induction or de-induction of the IAF contingent. Su-30 MKI aircraft will undertake long range ferry, routing direct from India to the exercise area with aerial refueling support from IL-78 tanker aircraft. The aim of the exercise is to provide operational exposure to the participating forces while training them to undertake simulated air combat operations in a controlled environment.

The participating forces will get an opportunity to enhance their operational capabilities along with mutual exchange of best practices. The large-scale exercise involving diverse fighter aircraft from across the globe will provide the participating forces, including IAF, a unique opportunity to exchange knowledge, experience, enhance operational capabilities and interoperability. Exercising and interaction with the participating nations in a dynamic and realistic warfare environment will also contribute to strengthen international relations.

Over the last decade, IAF has regularly hosted and participated in multi-national operational exercises, wherein collaborative engagements are undertaken amongst the best air forces of the world.

Over one crore 56 lakh people vaccinated so far; Centre allows more private hospitals to administer COVID-19 vaccine

The COVID-19 recovery rate in the country has touched 97.06 per cent. The Health Ministry said, over 13 thousand people were discharged in the last 24 hours. Till now, over one crore 8 lakh 12 thousand people have recovered from the COVID-19 infection. In the last 24 hours, around 15 thousand new cases were reported. With this, the total number of cases have reached over one crore 11 lakh. The Ministry said, 98 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. So far, over one crore 56 lakh beneficiaries have been vaccinated.
 
The Union Government has removed time constraints for COVID vaccination at hospitals and has allowed the facility for 24×7 vaccination facility. Confirming the decision today, Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that Hospitals don’t have to necessarily stick to a fixed schedule to vaccinate people against COVID-19 and can extend or advance the vaccination schedule any day. He added that this will help speed up the vaccination drive as more and more people become eligible for the life-saving jabs.
 
Dr. Harsh Vardhan stated that since all hospitals including private and government are involved in the inoculation drive and are linked with the CoWIN system, the flexible schedule allowed by the government will be applicable to both. He asserted that the flexible timing will also avoid crowding at the vaccination sites. The Health Minister added that States and Union Territories in consultation with private hospitals should open vaccination slots for 15 days to a month and announce this as part of their vaccine timetable.
 
The Centre has also decided to allow all the private hospitals empanelled to Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PM JAY) Central Government Health Scheme and similar State Health Insurance Schemes can function as COVID Vaccination Centres.
 
In a press release, the government has said, the decision was taken to utilise 100 per cent capacities of all private hospitals. The government also permitted those private hospitals not empanelled with the three schemes as a COVID Vaccination Centres. It said, the private hospital will be worked as COVID Vaccination Centres, if they have adequate number of vaccinators, adequate space for observation of the vaccinated, adequate cold chain arrangement and adequate arrangement for management of AEFI.
 
Ensuring the adequate allocation of vaccines to all hospitals, the governemnt said the Centre has adequate stock and will provide the required vaccine doses to the States and UTs. It added that States and UTs should not store, reserve, conserve or create a buffer stock of the COVID vaccines at the State and district levels. The government also asked the all Private Vaccination Centres to have in place effective crowd management protocols along with facilities for seating, water and proper signage.

PM urges People should do everything possible to ensure protection of country’s forests, safe habitats for animals

On World Wildlife Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has saluted all those working towards wildlife protection. He said, be it lions, tigers and leopards, India is seeing a steady rise in the population of various animals.

Mr Modi added that people should do everything possible to ensure protection of the country’s forests and safe habitats for animals.

New National Education Policy focuses on providing self-confidence to youth through education & skill, to build Aatmanirbhar Bharat: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that the Union Budget has broadened government’s efforts to link education with employability and entrepreneurial capability. He said, the second biggest focus after health in this year’s budget is on education, skill, research and innovation.
 
Addressing a webinar on implementation of Budget in education sector, Mr. Modi said to build Atmanirbhar Bharat, the youth of the country needs self-confidence which is directly connected to their education, knowledge and skill. He said, the new National Education Policy has been developed with this key thought. He also said, in the new National Education Policy, the use of the Indian languages has been encouraged and it is the responsibility of the experts of every language, how the best content of the world should be made available in Indian languages.
 
The Prime Minister said, it is an injustice to the nation to keep knowledge and research in limits. With this mindset, the government is opening up several sectors like agriculture, space, atomic energy and DRDO for youth. He added that India has tested the Hydrogen Vehicle and now the country has to make itself industry-ready to utilize hydrogen as a fuel for transport. He also said, future fuel and green energy are very important so as to make the country self-reliant in the energy sector. Thus, the Hydrogen Mission announced in the budget is a massive project.

Poor cyber security – Chinese cyber attacks on Indian vaccine development company servers

The claims of cyber intelligence agencies related to Chinese cyber attacks in India are very important in view of the country’s cyber security. One of these claims is related to US cyber intelligence company Future Recorded, which in its latest report has feared that China’s cyber attack may be responsible for the failure of the power grid in Mumbai last year. 

Reports suggest that labs of two Indian companies that make power grid and COVID vaccine were under Chinese cyber attack. These cyber attack attempts have not only exposed but also have given a future warning for cyber security,

Cyberma, the cyber intelligence firm of rating agency Goldman Sachs, claims that the servers of two Indian companies, Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech, engaged in the manufacture of the Corona vaccine, had been targeted by Chinese hackers for the past few weeks. Certainly these claims of cyber intelligence agencies are yet to be confirmed, but the threat of cyber attack from China is not new, even if it gives a million explanations. 

According to a New York Times report related to Future Recorded’s claim, in Ladakh when tension between India and China was at its peak, on October 12 last year, the power grid was targeted by a Chinese cyber attack that stalled power supplies in India’s commercial capital for several hours, and in the treatment of Corona patients which was a big obstacle. 

There is no reason to doubt the assurance of the Union Ministry of Power that cyber monitoring mechanism is working in the entire power supply system of the country. Not only this, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), the cyber security agency of India, is also not only fully prepared, but has also given power system operation corporation (POSOCO) handling the power grid in the country about the risk of possible cyber attack ,were also warned in November last year. Since cyber attack can be carried out with malware from thousands of kilometers away, there is a need to be very vigilant. 

Future Recorded’s report only shows the severity of this new threat, according to which how a country can be severely harmed without using weapons or fighting nuclear war, by putting malware in the electric grid or other sensitive infrastructure. The methods will not work, we need to be prepared to deal with cyber threats.

Changes in the National Food Security Act

 The NITI Aayog recently circulated a discussion paper on a proposed revision in the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013. The NFSA provides a legal right to persons belonging to “eligible households” to receive foodgrains at subsidised price– rice at Rs 3/kg, wheat at Rs 2/kg and coarse grain at Rs 1/kg — under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS). These are called central issue prices (CIPs). A revision of CIPs is one of the issues that have been discussed. The other issues are updating of the population coverage under the NFSA, and beneficiary identification criteria.

Under sub-section (1) of Section 3 of the Act, the term “eligible households” comprises two categories — “priority households”, and families covered by the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY). Priority households are entitled to receive 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month, whereas AAY households are entitled to 35 kg per month at the same prices. Under Schedule-I of the Act, these subsidised prices were fixed for “a period of three years from the date of commencement of the Act”. While different states began implementing the Act at different dates, the deemed date of its coming into effect is July 5, 2013, and the three-year period was therefore completed on July 5, 2016.

However, the government has yet not revised the subsidised prices. The government can do so under Schedule-I of the Act, after completion of the three-year period. To revise the prices, the government can amend Schedule-I through a notification, a copy of which has to be laid before each House of Parliament as soon as possible after it is issued. The Act has prescribed the coverage under “eligible households” — 75% of the rural population and up to 50% of the urban population. On the basis of Census 2011 figures and the national rural and urban coverage ratios, 81.35 crore persons are covered under NFSA currently. This overall figure has been divided among the states and Union Territories, based on the NSSO Household Consumer Expenditure Survey 2011-12. In its discussion paper, the NITI Aayog has suggested that the national rural and urban coverage ratio be reduced from the existing 75-50 to 60-40. if this reduction happens, the number of beneficiaries under the NFSA will drop to 71.62 crore (on the basis of the projected population in 2020).

To make these changes in the law, the government will have to amend sub-section (2) of Section 3 of the NFSA. For this, it will require parliamentary approval.

Besides the Food Ministry and the NITI Aayog, discussions on the proposed revisions include the Chief Economic Adviser and top officers of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. According to sources, several meetings have been held under the chairmanship of Prof Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog, to review the population coverage criterion. If the national coverage ratio is revised downward, the Centre can save up to Rs 47,229 crore (as estimated by the NITI Aayog paper). However, the move may be opposed by some of the states.

On the other hand, if the rural-urban coverage ratio remains at 75-50, then the total number of people covered will increase from the existing 81.35 crore to 89.52 crore —an increase of 8.17 crore. This estimate by the NITI Aayog is based on the projected 2020 population, and, according to the paper, will result in an additional subsidy requirement of Rs 14,800 crore.

Lok Sabha passed the abortion amendment bill, a big step for women's right

All major religions across the world believe that life is a creation, so a person does not have the right to end someone’s life. Voluntary abortion is a punishable offense in India. The right to life is a fundamental right in the Constitution of India. 

Some people believe that reproduction and abortion are a woman’s personal choices and rights. On the other hand many people believe that the ultimate duty of the state is to protect life, not to take life. 
They consider full protection as an integral part of life and abortion as immoral. 
After a great long debate in England, the abortion law was first enacted in 1967 after protests and amendments were made from time to time. There, abortion is allowed only on specific and prescribed basis. In 1973, abortion was legalized by the Supreme Court of America on special grounds and circumstances.
Under the Medical Abortion Act, 1971 in India, abortions can be done up to 12 weeks on the basis of a doctor’s opinion and up to 20 weeks based on the opinion of two doctors, if the life of a pregnant woman and her mental or physical health are in deep danger . Rape can lead to miscarriage within 20 weeks of conception, including failure of pregnancy and birth control measures, or even in the case of a fetus abnormality. There has been a demand for this law amendment in India for a long time. 
The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Bill, 2020 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 2, 2020 by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Health Minister, was passed by the Lok Sabha after discussion on 17 March. There is a proposal for some amendment to increase the upper limit of abortion from 20 weeks to 24 weeks. The bill is in the interest of rape victims, family sexual harassment, sexual protection of minors and personal dignity and female self-respect. It is proposed in the Bill to decide whether a pregnancy can be terminated after 24 weeks in cases of fetal abnormality.
In some cases abnormal fetus or unwillingness are life-threatening situations to the fetus and woman, due to which the abortion will now be done on the prescribed procedure and on a certain basis. Hopefully, the Rajya Sabha will also pass it in the current session. This amendment bill is progressive, fulfills a long expectation and conforms to and empowers the dignity and autonomy of women.

Lok Sabha passed the abortion amendment bill, a big step for women's right

All major religions across the world believe that life is a creation, so a person does not have the right to end someone’s life. Voluntary abortion is a punishable offense in India. The right to life is a fundamental right in the Constitution of India. 

Some people believe that reproduction and abortion are a woman’s personal choices and rights. On the other hand many people believe that the ultimate duty of the state is to protect life, not to take life. 
They consider full protection as an integral part of life and abortion as immoral. 
After a great long debate in England, the abortion law was first enacted in 1967 after protests and amendments were made from time to time. There, abortion is allowed only on specific and prescribed basis. In 1973, abortion was legalized by the Supreme Court of America on special grounds and circumstances.
Under the Medical Abortion Act, 1971 in India, abortions can be done up to 12 weeks on the basis of a doctor’s opinion and up to 20 weeks based on the opinion of two doctors, if the life of a pregnant woman and her mental or physical health are in deep danger . Rape can lead to miscarriage within 20 weeks of conception, including failure of pregnancy and birth control measures, or even in the case of a fetus abnormality. There has been a demand for this law amendment in India for a long time. 
The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Bill, 2020 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 2, 2020 by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Health Minister, was passed by the Lok Sabha after discussion on 17 March. There is a proposal for some amendment to increase the upper limit of abortion from 20 weeks to 24 weeks. The bill is in the interest of rape victims, family sexual harassment, sexual protection of minors and personal dignity and female self-respect. It is proposed in the Bill to decide whether a pregnancy can be terminated after 24 weeks in cases of fetal abnormality.
In some cases abnormal fetus or unwillingness are life-threatening situations to the fetus and woman, due to which the abortion will now be done on the prescribed procedure and on a certain basis. Hopefully, the Rajya Sabha will also pass it in the current session. This amendment bill is progressive, fulfills a long expectation and conforms to and empowers the dignity and autonomy of women.

Soil Degradation

The problems of our time include climate change, loss of biodiversity, lack of drinking water, poor sanitation and the depletion of fuel wood supplies due to unsustainable rates of use. All of these are significant, but it could be argued that land degradation is the most pressing environmental and social problem facing society today, particularly affecting the world’s poor. 

It is estimated that an area equal to the size of China and India combined is now classified as having impaired biotic function (damaged ecosystem structure) as a result of poor land management resulting in soil loss. As populations expand, and as social and cultural changes occur, greater and greater demands are being made on larger areas of landscape and soil. In MEDCs where there has been a relatively long tradition of agriculture (agriculture on an industrial scale) there exists, within the agricultural culture, a knowledge of land management that aims for sustained soil fertility and strives to avoid soil erosion. However even in MEDCs there are occasions when climate and intensive agriculture conspire to bring about unprecedented levels of soil erosion. 

Two types of processes can give rise to soil degradation: 


• Processes that take away the soil (erosion). This mainly occurs when there is no vegetation on the soil. Wind and water can then simply take the soil away. 
• Processes that make the soil less suitable for use. In these processes various chemicals end up in the soil and turn the soil useless in the long run. 


Examples of human activities that lead to soil degradation are: overgrazing, deforestation and unsustainable agriculture. Overgrazing occurs when too many animals graze in the same area. Overgrazing of grasslands leaves bare patches where roots no longer hold the soil together. When this is combined with the action of rain and wind the bare patches become bigger and soil is removed from the area. This happened on a huge scale in the Sahel area in Africa (just south of the Sahara desert) in the 1970s and 1980s. In many African countries the wealth of a man is measured by the number of cattle he has (quantity not quality is important) — this leads to very high stocking levels and overgrazing becomes a problem. This was then exacerbated in the 705 and 80s when a long dry period strongly reduced the growth of the vegetation which was subsequently eaten by cattle. The soil particles were no longer kept in place by roots and were blown away by the wind. This resulted in the death of most of the cattle and, later on, in a terrible famine. As soil formation is a very slow process, it will take many years for the Sahel region to recover. In wet climates it is often rain water that takes the soil particles away, especially when the rain water is flowing down slopes. 


Overcropping depletes soil nutrients and makes the soil friable (dry and susceptible to wind erosion). This reduces soil fertility as no nutrients are being returned to the soil. If the crop fails then the soil surface again becomes susceptible to erosion. This is especially true in dry regions where crop failure can lead to removal of topsoil by wind. During the 1930s, the American Mid West suffered a major period of wind erosion known as the ‘Dust Bowl’. Through overuse of the land an area about twice the size of the United Kingdom, from Nebraska through to Texas, was affected by severe wind erosion. The winds moved soil and dust many thousands of kilometres. 


Deforestation is the removal of forest. This can be done in different ways, ranging from careful removal of some of the trees to complete removal of all vegetation. Of course, the more vegetation is removed, the more the soil will be prone to erosion. As most forests are in relatively wet areas, the erosion will mainly be due to water. Deforestation can have a massive effect on soil erosion, especially in tropical regions. The leaves of forest trees both deflect and slow down the progress of rain drops. This helps to stop them explosively removing soil particles. The root systems of forests help to bind the soil together and give it stability, while also absorbing large quantities of water from the soil directly. The absorbed water is eventually returned to the atmosphere via transpiration. 


Unsustainable agricultural techniques are techniques that cannot be applied over a long period of time without decrease in productivity or increased inputs of chemicals like fertilizers or energy. Urbanization and paving of land in cities for human settlements that result in run-off is also a major factor contributing to soil degradation. The scale of the problem is self evident. Hence, soil conservation methods, sustainable farming techniques and eco-friendly lifestyles are a must to conserve the soil that provides for us and sustains our planet.