AMIGOS IAS Daily Current Affairs (21^st Sept 2024)

Bombay HC invalidates Centre’s ‘Fake News’ fact check rule

GS 2: Polity and Governance: Fact Check Unit

Why is it in the news?

• The Bombay High Court has recently invalidated a significant provision of the amended Information Technology (IT) Rules, 2021, which allowed the government to label content as “fake news” through a Fact Check Unit (FCU) which may have broader implications, impacting similar initiatives in various states.

More about the news

• The contested amendment, made in April 2022 by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEiTY), broadened the definition of “fake news” to include content related to “government business.”
• Under these rules, the FCU could flag posts as “fake” or “misleading,” requiring social media platforms such as Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube, to remove such content to maintain their legal immunity for user-generated posts.
• Further, a government-appointed organization will make determinations on such content, and non-compliance by intermediaries could result in the loss of their safe harbor status under Section 79 of the IT Act, 2000.
• But critics expressed concerns about free speech, arguing that this provision gave the government undue power as the “sole arbiter” of truth.
• According to the recent ruling, the amended rule is in violation of Articles 14 and 19 of the Constitution, which ensure equality and freedom of speech. It also criticized the vague terms “fake, false, or misleading,” asserting that they imposed unreasonable restrictions on free expression and warranted striking down the rules.
• With this ruling, the issue is resolved in favour of the petitioners, but an appeal to the Supreme Court is possible, as similar cases are being heard in other High Courts. Further, other provisions of the 2021 guidelines regarding social media platforms remain under review.

PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana

GS 2: Polity and Governance: Enhancing solar rooftop capacity

Why is it in the news?

• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has introduced a ₹500-crore sub-component for “Innovative Projects” under the ₹75,000-crore PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana.

More about the news

• This initiative encourages companies and individuals to propose novel ideas related to rooftop solar installations, which will be reviewed by a dedicated committee.
• Among the innovative projects envisioned are blockchain-based peer-to-peer rooftop solar (RTS) solutions, digital platforms for RTS management, smart building materials, integration of RTS with electric vehicles (EVs), and grid-responsive RTS systems that incorporate battery storage solutions.
• Each project is expected to have a maximum duration of 18 months, with financial support capped at 60% of the total project cost, up to a maximum of ₹30 crore.
• The National Institute for Solar Energy (NISE) will oversee the implementation of this initiative.

PM Surya Ghar scheme

• Launched on February 29, 2024, the PM Surya Ghar scheme aims to enhance solar rooftop capacity, enabling residential households to generate their own electricity.
• With an outlay of ₹75,021 crore, the scheme is set to run until FY 2026-27. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently noted that since its launch, 1.3 crore families have registered for the scheme, with 3.75 lakh homes having already installed rooftop connections.
• The scheme offers subsidized RTS installations, providing up to ₹78,000 per household. Notably, applicants can now choose vendors online and also access subsidized loans from banks for installation, marking a shift from previous initiatives.

A New White Revolution

GS 3: Economy: Enhancing dairy sector

Why is it in the news?

• Operation Flood, launched in 1970, marked the beginning of the White Revolution, transforming India’s dairy sector.
• Recently, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah announced plans for “White Revolution 2.0,” aimed at further enhancing this sector.
• This initiative seeks to build on the foundation of cooperative societies that were central to the original operation, with an ambitious goal of increasing milk procurement from 660 lakh kg per day in 2023-24 to 1,007 lakh kg per day by 2028-29.

More about the news

• The focus of White Revolution 2.0 is on expanding dairy cooperatives, which are pivotal in enhancing market access for dairy farmers in uncovered areas.
• The Ministry of Cooperation aims to increase milk procurement by 50% over the next five years. This expansion not only targets higher production but also aims to generate employment and empower women within the sector.
• Since its establishment in 2021, the Ministry of Cooperation has prioritized the growth of dairy cooperatives. Currently, these cooperatives operate in about 70% of Indian districts, with approximately 1.7 lakh dairy cooperative societies covering around 2 lakh villages and 22% of producer households.
• Notably, while states like Gujarat, Kerala, and Sikkim see over 70% village coverage, regions like Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal lag behind, with less than 20% coverage.
• The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has outlined a plan to create around 56,000 new multipurpose dairy cooperative societies in the next five years and to enhance 46,000 existing ones by improving milk procurement and testing facilities.
• In February 2023, a pilot project was launched to establish dairy cooperatives in underserved gram panchayats across Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka, successfully procuring 15,000 litres of milk per day from about 2,500 farmers.
• Funding for White Revolution 2.0 will primarily come from the National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) 2.0, a new central scheme under the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying. This initiative aims to provide financial support for village-level milk procurement systems and capacity-building efforts.

Conclusion

• With White Revolution 2.0, the Indian government aims to build on past successes by enhancing cooperative structures and expanding their reach, ultimately striving for greater efficiency, empowerment, and sustainability in the dairy sector.

Starlink Satellites: The Challenge of Radio Interference for Astronomers

GS 3: Science and Technology: Governing satellite operators

Why is it in the news?

• Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites are causing significant disruption for astronomers, as highlighted in a recent study published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
• With over 6,300 satellites orbiting Earth at an altitude of approximately 550 km, Starlink provides high-speed internet to underserved areas, but it also generates unintended electromagnetic radiation (UEMR), which interferes with radio astronomy.

More about the news

• Radio astronomy involves studying celestial objects through radio frequencies, distinct from optical astronomy, which relies on visible light. Just as bright headlights can obscure vision for a driver, the radio noise produced by Starlink satellites can “blind” radio telescopes.
• Experts explain that observing a satellite in the field of view is akin to trying to spot faint stars in the presence of a full Moon.
• The situation may worsen as Starlink’s second-generation satellites, which currently make up less than a third of the network, emit UEMR levels 32 times brighter than the first generation. Despite efforts to dim the initial satellites, the new generation appears to be brighter, raising concerns about the impact on astronomical observations.
• Experts warn that the increasing number of satellites—potentially reaching 100,000 by 2030—highlights the urgent need for regulations governing satellite operators.
• Just as there are regulations to control radio pollution from ground-based sources, similar standards are necessary for satellites to minimize UEMR.
• Currently, astronomers depend on informal collaborations with companies like Starlink to mitigate these issues.

Ambedkar vs. Gandhi: Disagreements on Separate Electorates for Scheduled Castes

GS 1: Culture and History: Views on separate electorates

Why is it in the news?

• On September 20, 1932, Mahatma Gandhi began a fast unto death at Pune’s Yerawada Jail to protest the award of separate electorates for Scheduled Castes.
• This fast and the subsequent Poona Pact between Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar have had lasting implications for India’s reservation system.

An Analysis

• Gandhi and Ambedkar had fundamentally different views on caste. Gandhi evolved from supporting prohibitions on inter-dining to rejecting untouchability, referring to untouchables as harijans.
• However, he did not fully reject caste, which Ambedkar argued would require renouncing the foundations of Hinduism. Ambedkar believed that caste’s legitimacy stemmed from the divine authority of the shastras and that meaningful reform must challenge this authority.
• Ambedkar emphasized the necessity for lower castes to gain political power, stating, “Nobody can remove your grievances as well as you can, and you cannot remove them unless you get political power in your hands.”
• He advocated for separate electorates as a form of affirmative action, asserting that the depressed classes were a distinct group that would not achieve political power without special provisions, including double votes—one for SC candidates and another for the general electorate.
• However, Gandhi opposed separate electorates, arguing they did “too little” for lower castes and that they should aspire to rule the nation. He feared that separate electorates would fracture Hindu unity and aid the British strategy of “divide and rule,” especially during rising Hindu-Muslim tensions.
• The debate culminated in Gandhi’s fast, which he framed as a “God-given opportunity” to sacrifice for the downtrodden. This put Ambedkar in a difficult position; while he disagreed with Gandhi’s approach, he recognized the potential consequences for the Dalit movement if Gandhi were harmed.
• Ultimately, Ambedkar succumbed to Gandhi’s pressure and signed the Poona Pact, which secured reservations for Scheduled Castes but effectively abandoned the demand for separate electorates. While many viewed Gandhi’s fast as a victory against British policies, others saw it as coercive.
• Ambedkar later criticized the outcome, questioning why Gandhi did not fast against untouchability itself. He remained dissatisfied, stating in What Congress and Gandhi have done to the Untouchables (1945) that the Joint Electorate was a “Rotten Borough,” allowing Hindus to nominate an untouchable merely as a tool for upper caste interests.