DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 18th November 2024

Syllabus:

• Prelims & Mains – CURRENT EVENT

Context: The government recently reiterated its stance to revisit the safe harbour clause for social media intermediaries such as X, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, etc, amid an increase in instances of misinformation and fake news over these platforms.

Background: –

• Currently under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, the platforms have the immunity against legal prosecution for content posted by users. In case of removal of safe harbour clause or changes in its contours, such platforms will themselves become directly accountable for the user content and won’t be able to enjoy legal immunity.

Key takeaways

• Section 79 of the IT Act says any intermediary shall not be held legally or otherwise liable for any third party information, data, or communication link made available or hosted on its platform. 
• This protection, the Act says, shall be applicable if the said intermediary does not in any way, initiate the transmission of the message in question, select the receiver of the transmitted message and does not modify any information contained in the transmission.
• The protection accorded under Section 79, however, is not granted if the intermediary, despite being informed or notified by the government or its agencies, does not immediately disable access to the material under question. 
• The intermediary must not tamper with any evidence of these messages or content present on its platform, failing which it lose its protection under the Act.
• The government talked about reconsidering the safe harbour clause last year during consultations on the Digital India Act, which once implemented will replace the decades old IT Act, 2000. However, the government is yet to issue a draft of the Digital India Bill for public consultation.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus:

• Prelims – CURRENT EVENT

Context: Recently, Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Pope Francis jointly launched a ‘Pope Francis Yunus 3Zero Club’ in Rome in an effort to “usher in a transformative and inclusive future for humanity”.

Background: –

• Yunus, a Nobel laureate had in 2017 penned a book ‘A World of Three Zeroes: the new economics of zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions’.

Key takeaways

• The Pope Francis Yunus 3Zero Club is an initiative launched by Professor Muhammad Yunus and Pope Francis in Rome on November 16, 2024. 
• According to the latest counts, there are at least 4,600 Three Zero clubs across the globe, all inspired by Prof Yunus’s vision. Many of the clubs are set up in universities.
• The club aims to create a transformative and inclusive future for humanity by focusing on three main goals: zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions.

Objectives:

• Zero Poverty: Eradicating poverty and ensuring that everyone has access to basic needs and opportunities.
• Zero Unemployment: Creating sustainable job opportunities and promoting economic growth.
• Zero Net Carbon Emissions: Reducing carbon emissions to combat climate change and promote environmental sustainability.

Key Features:

• Youth Empowerment: The 3Zero Club provides a platform for young people, especially those from marginalized communities, to develop innovative ideas and create concrete and sustainable solutions.
• Collaborative Efforts: The initiative encourages collaboration across countries, generations, and sectors to achieve its goals.

Source: PTI

Syllabus:

• Prelims & Mains – CURRENT EVENT

Context: Carbon trade, being relied upon to accelerate emission cuts around the world, has been largely ineffective till now, and only a very small number of projects have resulted in real emissions reductions, a new study published in Nature journal has found. 

Background:

• The study looked at thousands of projects that together generated carbon credits worth one billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, and found that only 16 per cent of these credits represented actual reductions in emissions. 
• These credits were generated mostly by a mechanism created under the Kyoto Protocol, the 1997 climate agreement that was replaced by the Paris Agreement in 2015.

Key takeaways

• Carbon markets allow for trade in carbon credits by incentivising emissions reductions. 
• An industrial unit which outperforms its emission standards, meaning that it produces less emissions than it is mandated to, can earn carbon credits. Another unit, which is struggling to meet its emissions standards, can buy these credits. 
• Credits can be generated by any activity that can show an additional reduction or avoidance of emissions beyond what is prescribed or would have happened in business-as-usual scenario.
• The Nature study found that the most effective emissions reductions happened in projects that involved the abatement of HFC-23 chemicals. Credits generated from projects that facilitated the elimination of HFCs, and their replacement with substitutes, used to dominate carbon trade about a decade ago.
• Carbon credits generated under the Kyoto Protocol mechanisms were often criticised for not being robust enough. The carbon market mechanism being created under the Paris Agreement seeks to address those weaknesses.
• The creation of a carbon market is the last remaining part of the 2015 Paris Agreement yet to be operationalised. This time, rules and procedures are being prepared meticulously to ensure that the integrity of credits is maintained.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus:

• Mains – GS 2

Context: The Supreme Court recently underscored that it is unconstitutional to demolish a person’s property without adhering to the due process of law, simply on the grounds of their alleged involvement in a crime. 

Background: –

• The court issued a slew of guidelines to prevent illegal and retributive bulldozing of homes and private properties of accused persons by States. Earlier, the top court had extended its interim order halting demolitions across the country without express permission except for encroachments on public land or unauthorised structures.

Key takeaways

• Over the last few years, there has been an advent of communal and retributive bulldozing of homes and private properties of accused persons by States. Demolitions have been justified on account of action against encroachment or under the pretext of unauthorised construction.
• What began with the bulldozer demolitions in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri following communal violence rapidly escalated and spread to other parts. The violence that ensued in Nuh, Haryana, due to a clash between two religious groups in 2023, ended with the local administration demolishing homes. Similarly, communal riots in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh, led to the demolition of houses and businesses owned by Muslims, who were deemed to be “alleged rioters.”
• According to a 2024 estimate by the Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN), authorities at the local, State, and central levels demolished 153,820 homes in 2022 and 2023, displacing over 738,438 individuals across rural and urban areas of the country. 

Rule of law

• Court underscored that exercise of arbitrariness by government officials strikes at the very heart of the “rule of law” and undermines public trust. 
• Court cautioned against the executive usurping the judiciary’s role by preemptively punishing the accused.
• Notably, the judges acknowledged that demolition drives not only target the alleged perpetrators of an offence but also impose a form of “collective punishment” on their families by destroying their place of dwelling. Justice Gavai pointed out that this offends the constitutional guarantee of the right to shelter under Article 21.

Directives issued

• The top court issued guidelines aimed at fostering greater institutional accountability. However, it clarified that these directives would not apply to unauthorised constructions on public lands—such as roads, water bodies, or forested areas—or to demolitions mandated by a court. 
• To curb potential impunity, the judges specified that officials responsible for carrying out illegal demolitions would face disciplinary action, contempt charges, and monetary penalties.
• The court mandated that no demolition drive should proceed without a 15-day prior notice. Such notice must provide details of the nature of the unauthorised construction, details of specific violations and grounds warranting such a coercive action.
• Further, the designated authority has to extend an opportunity of hearing to the owner. The minutes of such a meeting are directed to be recorded with the final order detailing the contentions of the parties including whether the unauthorised construction is compoundable, or whether there is a need to undertake demolition of the entire structure. 
• Additionally, the concerned authority must prepare a detailed inspection report, signed by at least two witnesses, before proceeding with the demolition drive.
• The authorities should ensure that the entire demolition process is videographed. Following this, a detailed demolition report must be prepared, specifying the names of officials and personnel involved. The report is to be placed before the Municipal Commissioner and uploaded on a digital portal to ensure public accessibility.

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus:

• Prelims – GEOGRAPHY

Context: Lake Kariba is at near-record low, causing daily power cuts and devastating two African economies.

Background: –

• A punishing drought has drained Lake Kariba, raising the prospect that the Kariba Dam, which powers the economies of Zambia and Zimbabwe, may have to shut down for the first time in its 65-year history.

Key takeaways

• Lake Kariba is the world’s largest man-made lake and reservoir by volume. 
• It is located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe in central Africa.
• Formation:
  • Kariba Dam: The lake was created by damming the Zambezi River at the Kariba Gorge between 1958 and 1963.
  • Purpose: The dam was built to provide hydroelectric power to Zambia and Zimbabwe.
• Biodiversity: The lake supports a vibrant ecosystem, including fish species like the kapenta, Nile crocodiles, and hippopotamuses.
• Tourism: The area around Lake Kariba is a popular destination for tourists, offering activities like fishing, boating, and wildlife viewing.

Source: Guardian

Q1.) Lake Kariba, often seen in the news, is located on which of the following rivers?

(a) Limpopo River

(b) Nile River

(c) Congo River

(d) Zambezi River

Q2.) Consider the following statements regarding the 3Zero Club:

1. The 3Zero Club focuses on achieving zero gender violence, zero unemployment, and zero hunger globally.
2. It was launched as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Q3.) Consider the following statements regarding the Safe Harbour Clause under the IT Act, 2000:

1. Section 79 of the IT Act provides legal immunity to intermediaries for content hosted by users.
2. The safe harbour clause remains applicable even if intermediaries fail to act upon notifications from government authorities to remove harmful content.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!!

ANSWERS FOR ’  Today’s – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs

Q.1) – b

Q.2) – d

Q.3) – a