GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

Kerala’s Wayanad district has recently experienced a catastrophic landslide and flood due to heavy rains.

Why is Kerala prone to disasters?

• Disaster-prone region: Kerala is prone to heavy rains and flooding, with an estimated 14.5 per cent of land area seen as vulnerable. Kerala has faced several severe floods and landslides in recent years, including the devastating 2018 floods.
  • In 2011, the Western Ghats Ecology Experts Panel (WGEEP), chaired by ecologist Madhav Gadgil, had classified most of the Idukki and Wayanad districts as category 1 under eco-sensitive zones, meaning they were highly vulnerable and forest land in these areas should not to be used for agriculture or non-forest activities. However, two years later, the Kasturirangan report had toned down the recommendations,
• About 8 per cent of the area in the Western Ghats in the southern state is labelled as a critical zone for mass movements, including debris flow, landslides, rock falls and slumps.

Why are such disasters increasing?

• Changing Rainfall Patterns: Kerala has witnessed increasingly intense and erratic rainfall patterns, exacerbated by climate change. Recent heavy rains in Wayanad, amounting to 30 cm in a short period, triggered landslides and floods.
• Climate Change: The changing climate has increased the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, contributing to the instability of the region’s slopes.
• Forest Destruction: Extensive deforestation in the Western Ghats for urbanization and tourism has destabilized the soil. The clearing of forests for resorts and hotels has reduced the natural ability of the land to absorb rainfall.
• Urbanization: Rapid and unplanned development, including the construction of resorts on hillocks, has further aggravated the risk of landslides. The destruction of natural vegetation has made the land more susceptible to erosion and instability.

The Uttar Pradesh government has proposed significant amendments to its existing law against unlawful religious conversion. This move, which was recently tabled in the state Assembly and passed by voice vote, aims to make the law more stringent.

Key Highlights of the Changes

• Increased Punishments:
  • General Offences: The maximum punishment for unlawful conversion has been increased from 10 years to life imprisonment. The minimum jail term for ordinary offences is now five years, up from one year previously.
  • Offences Involving Minors, Women, Dalits, and Tribals: Maximum imprisonment has been raised to 14 years, with a new minimum term of five years. Fines have been increased from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh.
  • Mass Conversions: The penalty for mass conversions has been raised from a maximum of 10 years to 14 years, with fines doubled to Rs 1 lakh.
• Expanded Definitions and Provisions:
  • Serious Offences: The law now includes serious offences such as promises or conspiracies involving marriage, trafficking or selling of minors and women, and instilling fear to facilitate conversions. These offences carry life imprisonment or a minimum of 20 years in prison.
  • Foreign Funding: A new provision mandates a minimum of seven years’ imprisonment, extendable to 14 years, for receiving foreign funds for unlawful conversions, with a fine of Rs 10 lakh.
• Filing Complaints and Bail Conditions:
  • Complaint Filers: Any person can now file a complaint under the law, not just the aggrieved person or their close relatives as previously stipulated.
  • Bail Conditions: Bail applications will require public prosecutor’s input and will only be heard in sessions courts. The process for obtaining bail has been made more stringent.

Need for the Bill

• Addressing Unlawful Conversions: The Uttar Pradesh government argues that the bill is necessary to combat organized and allegedly anti-national activities related to unlawful conversions. They claim that the existing law needs strengthening to deal with the scale of the issue effectively.
• Preventing Misuse: Amendments are also aimed at addressing the issues arising from inconsistent interpretations and misuse of the existing law, particularly concerning who can file complaints and how they are handled.

What about Freedom of Religion?

• The amendments have sparked concerns about the potential infringement on individual freedoms.
• The right to religious freedom is a fundamental right under Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees all individuals the freedom to practice, profess, and propagate their religion.
• Critics argue that the expanded scope of the law and the new provisions might infringe upon constitutional rights by complicating the bail process, increasing penalties, and allowing any person to file complaints.

Farmers have been advocating for MSP implementation aligned with the recommendation of the MS Swaminathan Report.

What is the Swaminathan Report?

• The National Commission on Farmers (NCF), chaired by Professor M S Swaminathan, was established in 2004.
• It produced five reports between 2004 and 2006 to improve the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of farming in India.
• These reports are collectively known as the Swaminathan Report.

Key Recommendations of the Swaminathan Report

• Food and Nutrition Security: To develop strategies to ensure food and nutrition security across the country.
• Farming Productivity and Sustainability: To implement reforms to enhance the productivity and sustainability of farming systems.
• Rural Credit Flow: To increase the availability of rural credit to support farmers.
• Land Reforms: To address land ownership inequality by distributing surplus and wastelands.
• Irrigation: To improve water distribution and increase rainwater harvesting to support rain-fed agriculture, which constitutes 60% of the gross cropped area.
• MSP: The NCF had recommended that the MSP should be at least 50 per cent more than the weighted average cost of production. This was also known as the C2+50 per cent formula, which includes the input cost of capital and the rent on the land, to give the farmers 50 per cent of the returns.

China has recently completed and operationalized a nearly 400-meter-long bridge connecting the north and south banks of Pangong Lake, as seen in Satellite images. This development comes amid ongoing tensions between India and China over the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh.

About the Bridge:

• The bridge is situated in Chinese-held territory since 1958, near the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.
• Khurnak Fort, located on the northern shore of Pangong Tso, has been under Chinese control since 1958. Previously, the boundary between India and China was considered to be at Khurnak Fort, but China has since taken control.
• During the 1962 India-China war, Khurnak Fort served as China’s forward headquarters for operations in Ladakh.
• Since May 2020, Indian and Chinese troops have engaged in violent skirmishes along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh.
• Indian infrastructure: Following the clashes with China, India has intensified its infrastructure development efforts in Ladakh, including the
  • construction of tunnels to provide year-round access to the region
  • In 2021 alone, 87 bridges were built in Ladakh
  • In 2022, the government allocated over Rs 2,000 crore for infrastructure projects along the China-India border, with 18 major initiatives specifically planned for Ladakh.

Ethiopia, facing severe financial difficulties, eased foreign exchange restrictions as part of a comprehensive economic reform plan. This move coincides with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approving a loan for the country, which is seeking a multibillion-dollar financial rescue package ($1 billion).

About the IMF

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an international financial institution headquartered in Washington, D.C.
• It was established in 1944 during the Bretton Woods Conference with the goal of fostering global monetary cooperation, securing financial stability, facilitating international trade, promoting high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reducing poverty around the world.
• The IMF provides financial assistance and policy advice to member countries facing economic difficulties.
• Key Functions of the IMF:
  • Surveillance: Monitoring the economic and financial developments of member countries.
  • Financial Assistance: Providing loans to member countries facing balance of payments problems.
  • Technical Assistance and Training: Offering support and training to help member countries improve their economic management.

The final Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) of Kerala is likely to be submitted to the Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change for approval shortly.

What is Coastal Zone Management (CZM)?

• Coastal zone management (CZM) is a process of managing the coast, in all aspects of the including geographical and political boundaries, to achieve sustainability.
• India has an exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 2.02 million sq. km and a long coastline of 8,118 km with rich and diverse marine living resources.
• Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) is the area up to 500m from the high-tide line and a stage of 100m along banks of creeks, estuaries, backwater and rivers subject to tidal fluctuations.
• The CRZ Notification, first issued in 1991 and revised in 2011 and 2019, regulates activities in India's coastal areas.

Classification of Coastal Areas

• The new CRZ norms aim to promote sustainable development based on scientific principles.
• It classifies the coastal areas into different zones and imposes restrictions on industrial and developmental activities to protect coastal ecosystems.
  • CRZ-1: These are ecologically sensitive areas as they help in maintaining the ecosystem of the coast. They lie between low and high tide line. Exploration of natural gas and extraction of salt are permitted
  • CRZ-2: These areas are urban areas located in the coastal areas. Now under new coastal zone regulations 2018, the floor space index norms have been de-freezed.
  • CRZ-3: Rural and urban localities which fall outside the 1 and 2. Only certain activities related to agriculture even some public facilities are allowed in this zone
  • CRZ-4: This lies in the aquatic area up to territorial limits. Fishing and allied activities are permitted in this zone. Solid waste should be let off in this zone. This zone has been changed from 1991 notification, which covered coastal stretches in islands of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshdweep

Two women in Brazil have recently become the first humans in the world to die from Oropouche fever, a disease caused by the Oropouche virus.

About the Oropouche Virus

• The Oropouche virus was first identified in Trinidad and Tobago in 1955.
  • The virus has been known since 1955 but had not previously resulted in fatalities.
• It is primarily transmitted through the bites of midges, specifically the Culicoides paraensis midge, but can also be spread by mosquitoes.
• There is no evidence of direct human-to-human transmission, though there are ongoing investigations into potential transmission from pregnant women to their unborn children.
• Symptoms: Fever, Headaches, Pain,  Chills, Joint stiffness, Sometimes nausea and vomiting
• Most patients recover within seven days, and severe cases are rare.
• Treatment There is no specific antiviral treatment or vaccine available for Oropouche fever.

The way some Governors handle legislation passed by State legislatures is under scrutiny, especially after the Supreme Court questioned their actions in Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. This issue has prompted States like Kerala and West Bengal to challenge Governors' actions in court, raising concerns about federalism and constitutional propriety.

Governors' Actions and Supreme Court Interventions

• Governor’s Inaction: Governors have been accused of deliberately delaying or withholding assent to Bills passed by State Assemblies.
• Supreme Court's Role: The Supreme Court ruled that Governors must return Bills to the Assembly if they withhold assent and act on Bills "as soon as possible."
• New Tactic: Governors now send Bills to the President for consideration, leading to concerns about misuse of this provision to subvert federalism.

Kerala and West Bengal’s Legal Challenges

• Kerala’s Petition: Kerala has challenged the Governor's action of sending Bills to the President and the subsequent refusal of assent, questioning the indirect central intervention.
• Punjab and Telangana Judgments: The Court highlighted that Governors do not have veto power and must act promptly on Bills, but Governors in Kerala and West Bengal seem unaffected by these judgments.
• Implications for Federalism: The core issue is whether the Constitution allows such indirect central control over State legislation, as highlighted by the challenges from Kerala and West Bengal.

Mains Question

Q: Discuss the implications of Governors sending State legislation to the President for assent on the federal structure of India. How does this practice align with constitutional provisions and judicial pronouncements on the role of Governors?

The Union government is focusing on digital content creators following the 2024 general election, proposing the Broadcasting Regulation Bill, 2024, to control online political commentary that might influence voter preferences.

Influence of Digital Media

• Survey Insights: CSDS-Lokniti surveys show 29% of respondents consume political material daily on digital platforms, challenging traditional TV dominance.
• Platform Usage: WhatsApp (35.1%), YouTube (32.3%), and Facebook (24.7%) are frequently used for political content, highlighting the growing impact of digital media.
• Government Concerns: The Union government, recognizing the threat to its power, is seeking to regulate digital creators under the new Broadcasting Bill.

Legal and Regulatory Moves

• Existing Regulations: The IT Rules, 2021, expanded MeitY and MIB's powers over digital content, including encryption and content blocking.
• Recent Amendments: The government created Grievance Appellate Committees in 2023 and introduced a "fact-checking amendment," which the Supreme Court has stayed.
• New Bill Introduction: The Broadcasting Bill, 2024, aims to enforce stringent controls over digital content creators, requiring registration and compliance with MIB directives.

Implications of the Broadcasting Bill

• Scope Expansion: The Bill classifies individual commentators as "Digital News Broadcasters" and content creators as "OTT Broadcasters," demanding registration based on user thresholds.
• Safe Harbour Regime: It introduces a new compliance regime independent of the IT Act, enabling broad censorship powers for MIB.
• Vague Provisions: The Bill's vague provisions risk arbitrary enforcement, creating a bureaucratic and politicised system of digital control.

Mains Question

Q. Evaluate the potential impact of the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2024, on digital freedom in India. How might this legislation alter the balance between government control and democratic expression in the digital age?

Indian cities are struggling to manage monsoon rains, with several areas experiencing severe flooding, highlighting systemic issues in urban planning and drainage infrastructure.

Common Issues in Flood Management

• Outdated Infrastructure: Drainage systems in many cities are not equipped to handle heavy rainfall, leading to frequent floods.
• Poor Planning: Urban planning often neglects local hydrology, exacerbating flood risks.
• Limited Response: Civic agencies focus primarily on relief and rescue, rather than proactive flood management.

Need for Climate Resilience

• Climate Change Impact: Increased rainfall intensity due to climate change has intensified flooding issues, as seen in recent events in Pune and Mumbai.
• Lack of Preparedness: Despite having climate action plans, cities like Mumbai lack effective institutional mechanisms for climate resilience.
• Technological Solutions: Early alert systems and improved stormwater drains, as seen in cities like Buenos Aires, are essential for reducing flood-related damage in Indian cities.

Mains Question

Q. Critically evaluate the effectiveness of urban planning and infrastructure in Indian cities in managing monsoon-related flooding. In light of recent events, how can cities enhance their resilience to climate change?