Current Affairs for UPSC Civil Services Exam – August 03, 2024

{GS1 – Geo – EG – Mineral Resources} Navigating the Coal Transition: Insights from the U.K. for India

• Context (TH): Collapse of coal mining in Britain has lessons for India.

Coal Industry in the UK

• Once the backbone of the nation’s economy, it began shrinking in the mid-1950s due to cheaper energy alternatives and the decline of heavy industries.
• Over a decade starting in the mid-1980s, the British government closed most coal mines causing almost 90% of the workforce losing their jobs.

Economic Impact of Mine Closures on Workers

• Income: Fell by 40% in the year following a mine closure and remained depressed by 20% up to 15 years later.
• Lack of alternative employment: Led to income drops reaching up to 90%.
• Incomplete socio-economic recovery for miners and their communities, even with government support.

Coal Industry in India

• The coal sector is a crucial component of the country’s energy landscape meeting approximately 55% of India’s energy requirements.
• India’s coal reserves and production are among the largest in the world.
• Coal India Ltd. has shut down approximately 130 mines since 2009, with around 300 mines closed overall due depletion of coal reserves and the economic non-viability of certain mines.
• The study underscores the need for ambitious transition plans to better support displaced workers in future transitions.

Read more > Distribution of Coal in India

Socio-economic impact of mine closures in India

• Economic Dependence: Odisha, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh are heavily reliant on coal mining local economies; livelihoods dependent on the coal industry.
• Impact on Workers: Mine closures severely affect both formal and informal workers. However, the informal workers, who constitute a large portion of the workforce, face increased economic insecurity (Lack of protection and benefits).
• Local Economic Disruption: Disrupts local businesses and services, such as transport and retail operations, creating a ripple effect that impacts entire local economies closely tied to coal mining.
• Community Disintegration: Break up established communities, leading to social instability.
• Increased Poverty: Job losses often drive up poverty rates in affected areas.
• Environmental Damage: Abandoned mines can cause soil erosion and water contamination.
• Health Issues: Former miners and residents may face health problems from exposure to pollutants.

Read more > Illegal coal minings

Lessons from Britain’s Coal Decline: What India Can Learn

• Ambitious Transition Plans: Develop robust transition plans including severance packages, income support, and long-term assistance for displaced workers.
• Re-skilling Programs: Implement sector-specific training programs to help miners acquire new skills relevant to other industries.
• Regional Economic Diversification: Invest in economic diversification for coal-dependent regions to attract new businesses and create alternative job opportunities.
• Targeted Support for Informal Workers: Ensure that informal workers receive targeted support and assistance to mitigate their economic vulnerability.
• Utilize Existing Welfare Schemes: Make effective use of existing welfare schemes such as MGNREGS and PDS to support affected communities.
• Detailed Planning and Data Collection: Conduct detailed studies and collect comprehensive labor data to better understand and plan for the socio-economic impacts of mine closures.
• Community Engagement: Engage with local communities to tailor support and transition strategies to their specific needs and contexts.

{GS2 – Governance – Initiatives} Mediation and Arbitration

• Context (IE): The new guidelines are shifting the government away from arbitration and jeopardizing the previously robust domestic arbitration market, which now faces a rapid decline.

Read more > Mediation Bill of 2023

Read more> Why Arbitration is Preferable?

{GS2 – Governance – Laws} An Overview of the Broadcasting Bill, 2024

• Context (TH): A new bill designed to control and regulate online narratives through a licensing regime for digital content creators is on the way.

• The Broadcasting Bill of 2024, is a comprehensive piece of legislation aimed at regulating the broadcasting sector in India.

Key provisions of the draft bill

• Inclusion of digital platforms: Covers online content, OTT platforms, and digital news outlets, in addition to traditional television and radio broadcasting.
• Social media influencers: Influencers with a significant following may also be brought under the regulatory purview.
• Content regulation: The government is granted more power to regulate content, including the ability to prohibit broadcasting services in the “public interest” including news and current affairs.
• Broadcast Advisory Council: It is the third tier of regulation and hear complaints arising from appeals against decisions of SROs or referred to by the central government.
• Oversight of digital platforms: Requires the social media intermediaries to exercise greater due diligence in content moderation.
• Content evaluation committees: Mandates the formation of Content Evaluation Committees (CEC) to assess program content.
• Advertising regulations: Advertising content, including online advertising, will be subject to stricter regulations.
• Self-regulation: Establishes a self-regulatory structure for compliance with government codes, with self-regulation by broadcasters as the first tier and self-regulatory organizations (SROs) as the second tier.
• Penalties for violations: Outlines penalties for non-compliance with the provisions of the act.
• Foreign investment: Addresses foreign investment in the broadcasting sector.
• Disaster management: Broadcasters are expected to adhere to specific guidelines during disasters and emergencies.
• Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities: Enhances accessibility for PwDs by promoting the use of subtitles, audio descriptors, and sign language, and also provides for the appointment of a Disability Grievance Officer.

Advantages

• Consistency: Consolidates regulations for various broadcasting mediums, ensuring a consistent approach and establishing a common set of regulations across television, radio, and digital platforms.
• Content Regulation: Protects viewers, especially children, from harmful content by restricting explicit material, violence, and hate speech.
• Advertising Standards: Regulating advertising can prevent deceptive practices, ensuring fair competition with clear rules on misleading ads, product placement, and children’s advertising.
• Fair Competition: Bringing digital platforms under the same regulations as traditional media can create a level playing field and prevent unfair advantages.
• Prevent Unfair Advantage: Imposing similar obligations on traditional and digital platforms can prevent digital giants from exploiting user data or gaining undue advantages.
• Disaster Management: Provisions for disaster management can enhance broadcasting’s role in disseminating crucial information during emergencies.
• Adaptability: Address evolving technology by including provisions for digital platforms and emerging media like virtual reality and augmented reality.
• Innovation: A clear regulatory environment can foster innovation and growth by encouraging investment in new technologies and content formats.
• Promotes ‘ease of doing business’: By including provisions for a Dispute Resolution mechanism in broadcasting.
• Empowers broadcasters by establishing Content Evaluation Committees for self-certification: Granting the industry autonomy in certification matters.

Concerns and Challenges

• Censorship fears: The bill grants the government more power to regulate content have led to concerns about potential censorship and suppression of dissenting voices. For example, In China, strict content regulations have led to censorship of dissenting voices.
• Vague definitions: Broad and ambiguous terms could allow for arbitrary restrictions on content. For example, The broad definition of “fake news” in the IT Rules, 2021 led to arbitrary content removal.
• Excessive regulation: Overly stringent regulations could stifle innovation and hinder the growth of the media industry. For example, The General Data Protection Regulation in the EU has been criticized for stifling innovation with its complex requirements.
• Increased compliance costs: The burden of complying with complex regulations might be disproportionate for smaller media outlets. For example, Small U.S. media outlets have struggled with compliance costs imposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
• Data privacy concerns: Increased government access to user data raises concerns about privacy and surveillance. Eg., The Cambridge Analytica scandal highlighted issues with extensive user data access and privacy.
• Job losses: An economic downturn in the media sector due to increased regulations could lead to job losses. For example, Regulatory measures in the U.K. newspaper industry have led to job losses and closures.
• Political interference: The bill’s provisions could be misused for political gain or to target specific media outlets. For example, Turkey has used media regulations to target opposition outlets and suppress critical journalism.
• Freedom of Speech Concerns: The increased government control over content raises concerns about potential censorship. For instance, restrictions on critical reporting or dissenting opinions could stifle freedom of expression.
• Economic Implications: The bill’s provisions, such as increased taxes or fees, could adversely impact the media industry’s economic viability. Eg., higher licensing fees might burden small broadcasters and regional news channels.
• Exclusion of Key Stakeholders: Online creators, large parts of the media industry, and civil society are not being adequately consulted.
• Issues with the Content Evaluation Committees (CEC): Concerns over independence due to government-prescribed criteria, violations of the Right to Privacy, and Digital Personal Data Protection legislation due to the required disclosure of personal details.
• Issues with the Broadcast Advisory Council (BAC): Concerns that all members are centrally nominated and the BAC has final authority on content censorship, the government may influence content censorship decisions.

Way Forward

• Clarity and Precision: Employ clear and precise language to avoid ambiguity and potential misuse. Eg., specific guidelines for determining “public interest” and “harmful content” can be defined to prevent arbitrary interpretations.
• Proportionality and Necessity: Regulations should be proportionate to the intended goals and necessary to address specific issues. For instance, instead of imposing blanket restrictions, the bill could focus on targeted measures to address concerns like child safety or hate speech.
• Safeguarding Freedom of Speech: Protect freedom of speech and expression, with clear exceptions only for content that incites violence or harms public order. For example, establishing independent regulatory bodies to oversee content restrictions can help prevent government overreach.
• Promoting Digital Innovation: The bill should encourage innovation in the digital media space by fostering a conducive regulatory environment. For instance, providing incentives for digital content creators and platforms can stimulate growth and competition.
• Effective Implementation and Monitoring: Establish robust mechanisms for implementing and monitoring the bill’s provisions including transparent decision-making processes, regular reviews, and independent oversight. For example, creating a dedicated regulatory authority with expertise in the media industry can ensure effective implementation.
• Ensure the independence of the CEC and BAC: The government should nominate members from both the broadcast industry and civil society.

{GS2 – IR – Asia} India – Vietnamese Relations

• Context (IE): Indian PM and visiting Vietnamese PM underlined the importance of non-militarization and self-restraint in the conduct of all activities.

• They emphasized the legal framework set out by the UNCLOS within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out.

Convergences

• Historical Ties: Mahatma Gandhi and President Ho Chi Minh exchanged messages during their countries’ independence struggles.
• Strategic Partnership: India-Vietnam relations were elevated to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” in 2016 and both countries have shared security concerns, including border issues with China.
• International groupings: High-level interactions include meetings at the G7 Plus Summit, India-ASEAN Summit, and the UNFCCC.
• Trade and Economic Cooperation: Bilateral trade reached USD 14.82 billion in 2023-2024.
  • Exports: Engineering goods, agricultural products, and pharmaceuticals.
  • Imports: Electronics, machinery, footwear, and garments.
• Development assistance: India supports Vietnam through training, capacity building, and socio-economic development projects. For example, Quick Impact Projects under the Mekong Ganga Cooperation framework.
• Defense and Security Cooperation: The VINBAX exercise is a joint military exercise between India and Vietnam, gifting the missile corvette INS Kirpan to Vietnam and joint military exercises.
• Capacity building: India provides training programs and scholarships to Vietnam, contributing to Vietnam’s socio-economic development.
• Indian diaspora: Around 8,500 Indians live in Vietnam and are employed in various sectors, and Indian businesses have a presence in Vietnam.

Way Ahead

• Promote cultural exchange: For example, India gifting bodhi trees to Vietnam to symbolize their friendship.
• Enhancing relations to the realization of the SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) initiative.
• Promote the blue economy and enhance security in the Indo-Pacific region.

{GS2 – Social Sector – Education} Ensuring Equivalence of Schools across India

• Context (IE): Aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, PARAKH has delivered an ‘equivalence’ report’ to the Ministry of Education.

Equivalence report

• It aims to standardize academic and infrastructural quality across India’s 69 school boards.
• It outlines recommendations for aligning curricula, assessments, and administrative practices to ensure uniform educational standards.
• The report sets standards for the boards across five categories – administration, curriculum, assessment, inclusiveness, and infrastructure.

Key Recommendations

• Class 12 results will be based on cumulative scores from Class 9, 10, 11, and 12 with weightages of 15%, 20%, 25%, and 40%, respectively.
• Implementation of a credit system for assessments, including evaluations from online courses and holistic progress cards.
• Development of a question bank and blueprints for question papers for Classes 9, 10, 11, and 12.
• Training of ‘professional paper setters’ to ensure uniformity in assessments to achieve standardization of question papers.
• Standardization of school affiliation guidelines, including periodic reviews and a maximum affiliation period of three years.
• Empowerment of boards to recognize and regulate unrecognized institutions.
• Incorporation of digital literacy, coding, and cybersecurity into the curriculum.
• Adherence to the National Curriculum Framework and ensuring basic infrastructure in schools, such as toilets, internet, and libraries.
• Measures to prevent cheating, manage exam papers, and consider digital assessments where applicable to ensure examination integrity.

Significance of Equivalence of Schools Across India

• Fair Competition: Ensures that students nationwide have equal opportunities, enabling those from rural areas to compete fairly with their urban counterparts for higher education and jobs.
• Quality Education: Ensures quality education is accessible to all students, regardless of their socioeconomic background, such as ensuring that rural students receive comparable education to those in urban private schools.
• National Integration: A unified educational standard fosters national unity, allowing students from diverse states and cultures to interact and build a cohesive society.
• Global Competitiveness: Enables Indian students to meet global education standards, improving their competitiveness for top international university admissions.
• Economic Development: A consistent educational standard contributes to a skilled workforce, driving innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth.

Challenges

• Infrastructure Disparity: The Annual Status of Education Report, 2023 and other government reports consistently show that urban schools often have superior infrastructure and technology compared to rural schools, which may lack basic amenities like proper classrooms, libraries, and sanitation.
• Teacher Quality and Training: Teacher quality varies widely, with many lacking adequate training and skills to provide effective instruction. Almost 8% of India’s schools have only one teacher (ASER, 2023).
• Curriculum and Pedagogy: Variations in curricula among state boards and private schools lead to inconsistent learning outcomes, and outdated teaching methods hinder critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Language Barriers: India’s linguistic diversity complicates the development of a uniform curriculum and teaching materials, and varying mediums of instruction impact learning. The NEP 2020 addresses the issue, but implementing this policy effectively will demand significant effort and resources.
• Governance and Management: The decentralized education system leads to inconsistent policies and implementation, with weak governance and management affecting education quality.
• Socioeconomic Disparities: Economically disadvantaged students face barriers to quality education, with high dropout rates and child labor exacerbating educational challenges (ASER, 2023).
• Enrollment and Retention rates: The high dropout rate also indicates issues with school quality and retention (ASER, 2023).

Way Forward

• Standardized Curriculum and Assessment: Implement a national curriculum framework and uniform assessments to ensure consistent educational content and evaluation. Countries like Finland have implemented a national curriculum with positive outcomes in terms of equity and student performance.
• Infrastructure Development: Upgrade school facilities, focusing on rural and underserved areas to provide essential amenities. The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) aimed at universalizing elementary education has led to some improvements in school infrastructure but challenges persist.
• Teacher Training and Quality: Improve teacher training and professional development to enhance instructional quality nationwide. Countries like Singapore have invested heavily in teacher training and development, leading to improved student outcomes.
• Unified Language and Medium: Create common instructional resources that address linguistic diversity and support effective teaching.
• Governance and Accountability: Strengthen oversight and accountability to ensure consistent policy implementation and quality management. Performance indicators like dropout rates, enrollment ratios, and learning outcomes can be used to assess governance effectiveness.
• Address Socioeconomic Disparities: Implement programs to support disadvantaged students, reduce dropouts, and combat child labor to ensure equal educational access.

{GS2 – Social Sector – Health} Global Struggle for a Pandemic Treaty

• Context (TH): The 77th World Health Assembly(WHA) failed to finalize the Pandemic Agreement.

Major Developments

International Health Regulations Amendments

• Aimed at enhancing responses to Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEIC) and introducing a Pandemic Emergency (PE) category.
• It ensures equitable access to health products during emergencies, mobilizes financial resources for developing countries, and mandates a National IHR Authority for better coordination, emphasizing solidarity and equity.

Intergovernmental negotiating body (INB)

• An extension of Pandemic Treaty Negotiating Body tasked with completing the Pandemic Agreement for consideration at the 78th WHA in May 2025, or earlier.

Issues in the Pandemic Agreement

• Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS): Lower- and middle-income countries (LMIC) seek a guarantee of at least 20% of shared pandemic products, while high-income countries (HIC) argue for a maximum limit of 20%.
• Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property: Disagreements persist over conditions for technology transfer, the use of TRIPS flexibilities, and the binding nature of these transfers. High-income countries favor Voluntary and Mutually Agreed Terms (VMAT), while LMICs advocate for mandatory approaches.
• One Health Approach: HICs, especially the EU, strongly support One Health, but LMICs see it as an unfunded mandate that further strains their limited resources.
• Enforcement Challenges: Lack of robust compliance mechanism and, accountability in International Health Regulations (IHR), and implementation of the Pandemic Agreement.

{GS3 – Agri – Crops} ‘FullPage’ Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) and ‘FreeHit’ Zero Tillage (ZT) Technology

• Context (IE): Two private companies, RiceTec Inc. (USA) and Mahyco Pvt. Ltd. (India), have formed a joint venture (JV) named Paryan Alliance Pvt. Ltd.

• Objective: It focuses on technologies for growing rice by direct seeding and wheat through zero tillage, and reducing water, labour, fuel consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions in cultivation.
• Advantage: The rice hybrids ‘Sava 134’ and ‘Sava 127’ (RiceTec/Savannah) and wheat varieties ‘Goal’ and ‘Mukut’ (Mahyco) have a mutated gene that allows them to tolerate the herbicide Imazethapyr, enabling farmers to spray it to kill only the weeds.

‘FullPage’ Direct Seeded Rice (DSR)

• RiceTec’s FullPage technology incorporates the herbicide-tolerance trait as well as Direct Seeded Rice-compatible plant genetics and seed treatment solutions.
• It replaces water (a natural herbicide) with Imazethapyr.

Benefits

• High quality: With strong roots and stalks, with higher plant populations (35-40 per square meter, as against 15-20 in normal transplanting).
• Pest resistance: Contains a seed treatment (Squad) solution of micro-nutrients, fungicide and insecticide that helps in germination and protecting the young plants from soil-borne diseases and pests.

‘FreeHit’ Zero Tillage (ZT) Technology

• Zero tillage is a minimum tillage practice in which the crop is sown directly into soil not tilled since the harvest of the previous crop.
• In ZT, farmers cut the standing paddy stubble and mixes it in the soil and sow wheat with a regular seed-cum-fertiliser drill and apply the herbicides when the crop is about 25 days old.

Benefits

• Direct sowing: The wheat seeds can sow directly without any stubble burning or land preparation.
• Effective weed control: Imazethapyr along with Metribuzin, a selective herbicide used in wheat helps to control weeds.

{GS3 – Envi – Species} Hornbills in the Kalahari

• Context (TH): Persistence of current warming trends in the Kalahari Desert may cease breeding of hornbills by 2027.

Reasons for Breeding Output Decline

• Temperature Rise: The Kalahari region has experienced a temperature rise of about 1°C per decade, which is five times faster than the global average.
• Breeding Failure Threshold: Breeding attempts failed when average daily maximum air temperatures exceeded 35.7°C.
• Climate change: Even species not prone to mass die-offs due to heat might face rapid declines and local extinctions due to climate change.

Immediate Mitigation Strategies

• Water Provision: Ensuring accessible water sources for birds in arid regions.
• Insulated Nest Boxes: Provide better temperature regulation for breeding birds.
• Habitat Preservation: Protecting and conserving habitats that are less prone to rapid warming or have natural features that mitigate the effects of heat.
• Global Climate Action: Reducing GHG emissions to slow down the rate of climate change, ensuring long-term survival for many species, including the southern yellow-billed hornbill.

{GS3 – S&T – AI} Regulating Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• Context (TH): To ensure safe and trustworthy AI for all, we must balance regulation with policies which promote high-quality data as a public good.

Role of Data in AI Development

• Training AI Models: Alongside computing power and algorithmic innovations, large and diverse datasets are critical for training AI systems like Large Language Models (LLMs).
• Improves performance of AI: Larger datasets lead to better AI performance. For example, Meta’s LLama 3, trained on 15 trillion tokens, demonstrates the reliance on extensive data for high-performing AI.

Issues in Development of LLMs

• Limited data: LLMs are trained on a mix of licensed content, publicly available data, and social media interactions that reflect and amplify the biases of our predominantly anglophone and present-focused cyberspace.
• Ethical Concerns and Data Access: Using pirated content like the ‘Books3’, a trove of pirated books widely believed to feed leading LLMs.
• Absence of primary sources: Current LLMs are often trained on secondary sources, which lack the depth and richness of primary cultural artifacts such as archival documents, oral traditions, and inscriptions.

Way Forward

• Implementing cultural policies: To promote the digitization and open access of cultural heritage. For example, Italy’s ‘Digital Library’ project, reduced the cost of digitisation, enabled to extract text from printed and manuscript documents with unprecedented accuracy and speed.
• Making resources publicly available: To improve the diversity and quality of training datasets, leading to an equitable AI application. For example, Canada’s Official Languages Act, became the most important datasets for training translation software.

{Prelims – In News} Chaliyar River

• Context (IE): Heavy rainfall has triggered landslides in the Wayanad region of Kerala leading to rescue operations along the 169 km long Chaliyar River.

• Origin: The Chaliyar River originates from the Elambalari Hills in the Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu.
• It passes through the Malappuram and Kozhikode districts of Kerala.
• It is the Fourth-longest River in Kerala and drains into the Arabian Sea at Beypore port.
• Major Tributaries: Cherupuzha, Iringipuzha, Kurumbanpuzha, Kanhirapuzha, Punnapuzha, Karimpuzha, Vadapurampuzha, Chaliyarpuzha.
• Historically, the river was crucial for the timber industry, particularly for transporting teak from the Nilambur forests to the Beypore port.
• The river banks are also known for their natural goldfields.
• The river has faced significant pollution issues in the past, primarily due to the discharge of effluents from a pulp factory at Mavoor, which severely impacted the river’s marine life.

{Prelims – In News} National Culture Fund (NCF)

• Context (PIB): The National Culture Fund (NCF) received ₹3.70 crore from non-government sources over the past five years.

• Establishment: As a Trust under the Charitable Endowment Act of 1890.
• Aim: To mobilise extra resources through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to promote, protect, and preserve India’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
• Governing Council: Chaired by the Minister of Culture.
• Donations: Eligible for 100% tax benefit under the Income Tax Act, of 1961.
• Auditing: Of Annual Accounts by Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
• Its activities are covered under of the Companies Act, 2013, making it a valid receptacle for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contributions.

Role of National Culture Fund (NCF)

• Establishes collaborations with Corporates, NGOs, and other organizations to implement heritage preservation and conservation projects.
• Project Flexibility: Allows donors/sponsors to specify projects, locations, aspects, and implementing agencies to execute their chosen projects.
• Resource Mobilization: Through PPP to fund the protection, restoration, conservation, and development of India’s cultural heritage.
• Space Expansion: of existing museums and creating new ones to showcase cultural artefacts.
• Documentation and Preservation: of cultural expressions at risk of fading out or extinction.