Daily Current Affairs : 16th May

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CSE

Topics Covered

1. Article 324
2. Payment Systems Vision 2021
3. Christchurch Call to Action
4. National Institute of Nutrition
5. Facial Recognition Technology
6. Global Drug Survey
7. Malappuram Fever

1 . Article 324

Context : In a first and an unprecedented step, the Election Commission Wednesday banned campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies from 10 pm Thursday night in view of the recent violence in Kolkata in the last 24 hours after BJP and TMC supporters clashed on the streets Tuesday. The poll watchdog also ordered the removal of Principal Secretary (Home) and Additional Director General, CID from their postings in West Bengal.

What is Article 324

• Article 324 in the Indian Constitution gives power to the Election Commission to direct, control, and conduct elections to all Parliament, to the Legislature of every state and of elections to the offices of the President and Vice President held under the Constitution.
• Article 324 of the Constitution vests the “superintendence, direction and control of elections” in an Election Commission consisting “of the Chief Election Commissioner and such number of other Election Commissioners, if any, as the President may from time to time fix”.

Case Law

• Mohinder Singh Gill & Anr vs The Chief Election Commissioner and Others (December 2, 1977), the Supreme Court ruled that “Article 324, on the face of it, vests vast functions in the Commission, which may be powers or duties, essentially administrative, and marginally, even judicative or legislative”. This means the ECI mainly has administrative functions in the preparation of electoral rolls and conduct of elections.
• Supreme Court in Kanhaiya Lal Omar case construed the expression ‘superintendence, direction and control’ in Article 324 to include a specific or general order, and mandated that such power is to be ‘construed liberally so that the object for which the power is granted is effectively achieved’. Thereby the Commission was not circumscribed in the exercise of its power and could issue executive orders as may be required to discharge its functions”.
• In Union of India versus Association for Democratic Reforms, the Supreme Court held that: “Under Article 324, the superintendence, direction and control of the ‘conduct of all elections’ to Parliament and to the Legislature of every State vests in Election Commission. The phrase ‘conduct of elections’ is held to be of wide amplitude which would include power to make all necessary provisions for conducting free and fair elections.”

2 . Payment Systems Vision 2021

Context : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has envisaged four times growth in digital transaction in two years, in the payment system vision document for 2019-2021 released on Wednesday.

Details of the Payment System Vision Document

• Payment Systems Vision 2021, with its 36 specific action points and 12 specific outcomes, aims to achieve a ‘highly digital’ and ‘cash-lite’ society through the goal posts of competition, cost effectiveness, convenience and confidence (4Cs).
• The RBI expects accelerated growth in individual retail electronic payment systems, both in terms of number of transactions and increased availability.
• Payment systems like UPI and IMPS are likely to register average annualised growth of over 100%, and NEFT at 40%, over the vision period.
• The number of digital transactions is expected to increase more than four times from 2,069 crore in December 2018 to 8,707 crore in December 2021.
• A 35% growth has been targeted in use of digital modes of payment for purchase of goods and services through increase in debit card transactions at point-of-sale terminals during the vision period.
• Mobile based transaction are projected to increase by 50%, considering lower base.
• The document talks about creating customer awareness, setting up a 24X7 helpline and self-regulatory organisation for system operators and service providers, among others.
• The aim is to enhance customer experience, empower payment system operators and service providers, enable the payments ecosystem and infrastructure, put in place forward-looking regulations and undertake risk-focused supervision.

Advantages of Digital Transaction

• Removal of Black Economy: When the transactions are made digitally, they can be easily monitored. Any payment made by any customer to any merchant will be recorded. This way, there will be no means for illegal transactions to occur. By restricting the cash-based transactions and using only digital payments, the government can efficiently expel the black economy.
• Increase in Revenues: When the transactions are digitized, monitoring sales and taxes becomes convenient. Since each transaction is recorded, the customers will get a bill for their purchase, and the merchants are bound to pay the sales tax to the government. This, in turn, increases the revenue of the government – thus resulting in growth of the overall financial status of the country.
• Empowerment to People:  When the payments move digital, each and every individual is bound to have a bank account, a mobile phone, etc. This way, the government can easily transfer the subsidies directly to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts of people. In short, people no longer have to wait to receive the incentives and subsidies that they are bound to receive from the government.
• Paves the way to e-governance: The quicker, safer, and more efficient alternative to traditional governance, e-governance will be the ultimate outcome of the digital economy. From birth certificate to death certificate, everything is available online – thus it is convenient for people to access the information they need on the go. Digital economy will definitely pave a way to e-governance, where delivery of all government services would be done electronically.
• Creation of new jobs: The digital economy has a lot of potentials to enhance job opportunities in new markets as well as increasing employment opportunities in some of the existing occupations in the government. This way, the unemployment rate in the country is bound to decrease.

3 . Christchurch Call to Action

Context : India on Wednesday signed the ‘Christchurch Call to Action’. The agreement came in the backdrop of the attacks on mosques on March 15 and is aimed at stopping abuse of the Internet by extremists.

What is Christchurch Call to Action

• The Call outlines “collective”, “voluntary” commitments from Governments and online service providers intended to address the issue of terrorist and violent extremist content online and to prevent the abuse of the internet as occurred in and after the Christchurch attacks.
• The document highlights, “All action on this issue must be consistent with principles of a free, open and secure internet, without compromising human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression.
• It must also recognise the internet’s ability to act as a force for good, including by promoting innovation and economic development and fostering inclusive societies.”
• While the document stresses on the need to ensure that it does not impinge upon the rights of free speech of citizens of any country, the US has decided not to sign the document amid free speech concerns.

The document states that the governments/signatories should commit to :

• Counter the drivers of terrorism and violent extremism by strengthening the resilience and inclusiveness of societies to enable them to resist terrorist and violent extremist ideologies, including through education, building media literacy to help counter distorted terrorist and violent extremist narratives, and the fight against inequality.
• Ensure effective enforcement of applicable laws that prohibit the production or dissemination of terrorist and violent extremist content, in a manner consistent with the rule of law and international human rights law, including freedom of expression.
• Encourage media outlets to apply ethical standards when depicting terrorist events online, to avoid amplifying terrorist and violent extremist content.
• Support frameworks, such as industry standards, to ensure that reporting on terrorist attacks does not amplify terrorist and violent extremist content, without prejudice to responsible coverage of terrorism and violent extremism.
• Consider appropriate action to prevent the use of online services to disseminate terrorist and violent extremist content, including through collaborative actions

The documents draws in the online service providers to commit to :

• Take transparent, specific measures seeking to prevent the upload of terrorist and violent extremist content and to prevent its dissemination on social media and similar content-sharing services, including its immediate and permanent removal, without prejudice to law enforcement and user appeals requirements, in a manner consistent with human rights and fundamental freedoms.
• Provide greater transparency in the setting of community standards or terms of service, including by:
  • Outlining and publishing the consequences of sharing terrorist and violent extremist content;
  • Describing policies and putting in place procedures for detecting and removing terrorist and violent extremist content.

Among a list of other things, the document puts in safeguards for free speech in a manner consistent with human rights and fundamental freedoms, including by:

• Prioritising moderation of terrorist and violent extremist content, however identified;
• Closing accounts where appropriate;
• Providing an efficient complaints and appeals process for those wishing to contest the removal of their content or a decision to decline the upload of their content.

4 . National Institute of Nutrition

Context : The National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) said on Tuesday that it stands by its findings certifying mid-day meals without onion and garlic provided by the Akshaya Patra Foundation (APF) in Karnataka schools as compliant with nutritional norms laid down by the State government.

About NIN

• National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) was founded by Sir Robert McCarrison in the year 1918 as ‘Beri-Beri’ Enquiry Unit in a single room laboratory at the Pasteur Institute, Coonoor, Tamil Nadu.
• Within a short span of seven years, this unit blossomed into a “Deficiency Disease Enquiry” and later in 1928, emerged as full-fledged “Nutrition Research Laboratories” (NRL) with Dr. McCarrison as its first Director. It was shifted to Hyderabad in 1958.
• At the time of its golden jubilee in 1969, it was renamed as National Institute of Nutrition (NIN).

Mandate

• Periodic Assessment of Nutrient intakes, Health and Nutrition status of the population for optimal health, and assist the Government and regulatory bodies in policy making
• Establishment of Dietary Reference Intake values, Recommended Dietary allowances, Dietary guidelines for Indian population; and assessment of Nutrient Composition of Foods
• Identify various nutrition deficiency disorders prevalent among different segments of the population
• Conduct operational research for planning and implementation of National Nutrition Programmes in the country
• Conduct surveys and study the risk factors of NCDs through multidisciplinary research
• Conduct innovative basic science Research on nutrient interactions, requirements, responses etc
• Identify and study food and environmental safety challenges for providing scientific input for policy and regulation.
• Development of human resource in nutrition and also provide evidence-based nutrition knowledge to the community

Current Issue

• In January, 2019, the Karnataka government had asked NIN to assess Akshaya Patra Foundation meals for nutritional compliance, food safety, taste and diversity of meals following objections by the Karnataka State Food Commission as well as activists that absence of onion and garlic from meals made the food unpalatable and resulted in children consuming less quantity of food.
• APF provides food under the government’s mid-day meals programme at 2,814 schools in the State.
• NIN certified mid-day meals without onion and garlic provided by the Akshaya Patra Foundation (APF) in Karnataka schools as compliant with nutritional norms laid down by the State government.

5 . Facial Recognition Technology

What is Facial Recognition Technology

• Facial recognition is a biometric technology that uses distinctive features on the face to identify and distinguish an individual.

How it Works

• Step 1. A picture of your face is captured from a photo or video. Your face might appear alone or in a crowd. Your image may show you looking straight ahead or nearly in profile.
• Step 2. Facial recognition software reads the geometry of your face. Key factors include the distance between your eyes and the distance from forehead to chin. The software identifies facial landmarks — one system identifies 68 of them — that are key to distinguishing your face. The result: your facial signature.
• Step 3. Your facial signature — a mathematical formula — is compared to a database of known faces. And consider this: at least 117 million Americans have images of their faces in one or more police databases. According to a May 2018 report, the FBI has had access to 412 million facial images for searches.
• Step 4. A determination is made. Your faceprint may match that of an image in a facial recognition system database.

Concerns Raised Regarding Face Recognition Technology

• Concerns over the loss of privacy, and fears that the state may be unwilling or incapable of protecting this fundamental right of citizens.
• Identification of people without their knowledge and consent stands in the way of their ability to act and move about freely.
• China is using facial recognition technology to racially profile its citizens — sorting faces into categories of Han Chinese and Uyghur Muslim. The Uyghurs, a Turkic people living in China’s western Xinjiang Autonomous Region, have been restive under Beijing’s rule, and the Chinese state has responded with an oppressive system of surveillance, arrests and detentions.

6 . Global Drug Survey

Context :A global survey of recreational drug use, which for the first time polled respondents from India, has found that Indians — more than from other nationalities — are seeking help to reduce their alcohol intake.

About Global Drug Survey

• GDS is an independent research company based in London.
• GDS aims to make drug use safer, regardless of the legal status of the drug, by sharing information with individuals, communities, health and policy organisations.
• The Global Drug Survey (GDS) is an anonymised, online survey that uses a detailed questionnaire to assess trends in drug use and self-reported harms among regular drug users and early adopters of new trends.

Findings on India

• Alcohol, tobacco and cannabis were the most common stimulants used by Indians. Of the nearly 1,00,000 respondents from 30 countries, Indians reported ‘being drunk’ on an average of 41 times in the last 12 months — behind the U.K., the U.S., Canada, Australia and Denmark in that order but well above the global average of 33 times.
• Indian respondents to the survey, conducted online during October-December 2018, appeared more than other nationalities to be eager for help with reducing their alcohol intake. According to the 2019 GDS, 51% of the respondents wanted to ‘drink less’ in the following year and 41% ‘wanted help to do so’ — again the highest percentage among other countries.
• 43% of 250 Indians surveyed reported using cannabis and 44% of them said they sourced it from ‘known dealers’, 21% said they got their fix ‘from friends.’ 51% said they wanted to use ‘less cannabis’ in the following year; more than any other nationality and well above the global average of 31%.

7 . Malappuram Fever

Context : The Health Department is striving to identify the genesis of a fever outbreak in different parts of Malappuram district that claimed five lives between March and May second week.

About the Fever

• Over 60 people had symptoms of encephalitis or inflammation of the brain, and around 20 had symptoms of meningitis or inflammation of the meninges, the three membranes lining the skull and vertebral canal and enclosing the brain and the spinal cord. A few encephalitis cases were reported from Kozhikode district too during the period.
• The presence of an entero virus, which is transmitted through the intestine, was reportedly confirmed in the cerebrospinal fluid of one of the patients when tested at the virology lab. Encephalitis and myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscles, are some of its manifestations.
• Sources pointed out that the symptoms of some patients were structurally similar to that of Japanese Encephalitis.
• However, it is yet to be confirmed whether the infection was caused by a virus or a bacteria, or the combined effect of both of them.