Khaan Quest exercise

Army contingent in Mongolia for 21^st Khaan Quest exercise.

Exercise KHAAN QUEST-

• It is a multinational military exercise which will bring together military forces from around the world to collaborate and enhance their peacekeeping capabilities.
• Last edition of Exercise KHAAN QUEST was conducted in Mongolia from 19th June to 2nd July 2023. 

Historical Background

• The 1st KHAAN QUEST took place in 2003 as a partnership between the US and Mongolia. Since then, it has grown into major Multinational peacekeeping exercise. In July 2023, the last drill took place. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command is one of the sponsors of the drill, which is being held by the Mongolian Armed Forces. This shows that it involves forces from many countries.
• Aim of Exercise KHAAN QUEST is to prepare Indian Armed Forces for peacekeeping missions while operating in a multinational environment, thereby increasing interoperability and military readiness in peace support operations under Chapter VII of United Nations Charter. The exercise will focus on high degree of physical fitness, joint planning and joint tactical drills.

Key Activities and Training Modules:

The exercise typically includes various training modules designed to cover a wide range of scenarios encountered during peacekeeping missions. These can include:

• Field Training Exercises (FTX):These are hands-on, practical exercises focusing on realistic scenarios that peacekeepers might encounter.
• Command Post Exercises (CPX):These are simulation-based exercises that test the decision-making processes and coordination among different units and command structures.
• Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR): Training modules focusing on providing aid and managing disasters, which are crucial for any peacekeeping force.
• Combating Improvised Explosive Devices (C-IED):Training to detect and neutralize IED threats, which are common in conflict zones.

Benefits of Participation

Engagement in KHAAN QUEST provides the Indian Army with several advantages:

• Enhanced peacekeeping skills for UN missions
• Valuable international exposure collaborating with diverse military forces
• Improved tactical proficiency through rigorous training exercises.

Broadcasting Bill

The Bill proposes to scrap the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act of 1995, which regulates the broadcast sector, in favour of unified regulation for broadcasting, OTT, Digital Media, DTH, IPTV.

Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill

• The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in India proposed theBroadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023, recognizing the need for a comprehensive law to streamline the regulatory framework in the digitized broadcasting sector.
• The bill, seemingly a forward-looking and adaptable framework for the evolving media industry, sets the tone for the future of broadcasting regulation in India.
• The Bill comprises of Six Chapters, 48 Sections and three Schedules.

Key Highlights:

1. Consolidation and Modernization:It addresses a long-standing need of consolidating and updating the regulatory provisions for various broadcasting services under a single legislative framework. It extends its regulatory purview to encompass broadcasting over-the-top (OTT) content and digital news and current affairs currently regulated through IT Act, 2000 and regulations made there under.
2. Strengthens the Self-Regulation Regime:It enhances self-regulation with the introduction of ‘Content evaluation committees’ and evolves the existing Inter-Departmental Committee into a more participative and broader ‘Broadcast Advisory Council’.
3. Differentiated Programme Code and Advertisement Code:It allows for a differentiated approach to Programme and Advertisement Codes across various services and require self-classification by broadcasters and robust access control measures for restricted content.
4. Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities:The bill addresses the specific needs of persons with disabilities by providing for enabling provisions for issue of comprehensive accessibility guidelines.
5. Statutory Penalties and Fines:The draft Bill introduces statutory penalties such as: advisory, warning, censure, or monetary penalties, for operators and broadcasters. Provision for imprisonment and/or fines remains, but only for very serious offenses, ensuring a balanced approach to regulation.
6. Equitable Penalties:Monetary penalties and fines are linked to the financial capacity of the entity, considering their investment and turnover to ensure fairness and equity.

Concerns Around Released Draft of Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023

Concerns about Erasure or Selective Representation

• The draft raises concerns that the proposed bill could lead to the erasure or selective representation of Indian minority communities.
• The regulatory framework might influence how minority communities are portrayed in broadcasting, potentially shaping a dominant narrative.

Ambiguous Framing of Point 36

• There are specific concerns about the broad and ambiguous framing of point 36 in the draft bill.
• The language used in this section is an example of the potential ambiguity and broad scope of the regulatory powers.
• It gives the authorised officer the ultimate power to prohibit the transmission of any program or channel not in conformity with prescribed codes or likely to promote disharmony.

Reenforces Government Influence

• Experts have expressed concerns about the potential influence of the government in the regulatory process and the independence of the authorised officer working under government directions.
• Such a connection could compromise the impartiality of decisions related to program prohibition.
• Hiring an authorised officer under government directions cannot be separated from the government''s sphere of influence.
• The regulatory process, as outlined in the draft bill, may not be entirely independent from governmental oversight.

Way Forward: A Regulation on Conflict of Interest

• The Indian government has not effectively managed conflicts of interest in the media industry, especially the connections between MSOs (Multi-Service Operators), politicians, and vertical integration.
• This has led to a loss of trust and the issues with the CTRN Act show a significant lack of trust.
• Therefore, a regulation on conflicts of interest is the need of the hour.

Phishing attacks

CERT-In warns CrowdStrike users of phishing attacks.

 Phishing:

 It refers to an attempt to steal sensitive information in the form of usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, bank account information or other important data to utilize or sell the stolen information.

 How Phishing is done:

1. In a phishing attack, the sender pretends to someone trustworthy to the recipient, such as a family member, the CEO of their company, or a well-known figure offering giveaways.
2. The message prompts immediate action, often with a sense of urgency and directing the recipient to a fake website resembling a legitimate one.
3. They are asked to input their login credentials which are then stolen by the attacker for identity theft, financial fraud, or selling personal information. The phishing email’s destination URL closely resembles the legitimate one.

Steps taken by government for cyber threats

• Information Technology Act, 2000: Section 43, 66, 70, and 74 of the IT Act, 2000 deal with hacking and cyber-crimes.
• CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team): CERT-In issues alert and advisories regarding the latest cyber threats and vulnerabilities. It provides countermeasures to protect computers and networks, aiming to enhance cybersecurity nationwide.
• National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC): It is established to generate situational awareness of existing and potential cyber security threats. It facilitates timely information sharing for proactive, preventive, and protective actions by various entities to mitigate cyber risks.
• Cyber Swachhta Kendra (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre): Launched to detect malicious programs, the Cyber Swachhta Kendra provides free tools for removing such programs. It plays a crucial role in enhancing cybersecurity by identifying and neutralizing threats in digital environments.
• Bharat National Cyber Security Exercise 2023 (Bharat NCX): Bharat NCX aims to improve strategic leaders’ understanding of cyber threats. It helps assess readiness and develop skills for cyber crisis management and cooperation, bolstering the nation’s cybersecurity preparedness.
• Chakshu Facility:The Chakshu Facility is a newly introduced feature on the Sanchar Saathi portal. It encourages citizens to proactively report suspected fraudulent communications received via call, SMS, or WhatsApp, facilitating the identification and mitigation of cyber threats.

Surprising ‘dark oxygen’ discovery could ensnarl deep-sea mining

Dark Oxygen:

• Oxygen that is being produced in complete darkness thousands of feet below the ocean surface is termed dark oxygen.

Why is the discovery important?

• Until now, it was thought that oxygen was created only through photosynthesis, a process that requires sunlight. 
• Oceanic plankton, drifting plants, algae, and some bacteria are the primary elements attributed to the production of oxygen in the ocean. All these organisms are capable of photosynthesis. 
• The production of oxygen at such depths is thought to be impossible because there isn''t enough sunlight for plants to do photosynthesis.
• However, in this case, oxygen is not being produced by plants.
• The oxygen comes out of Polymetallic nodules that are similar in resemblance to lumps of coal.
• These nodules, made up of metals like manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, and lithium, can generate oxygen through electrochemical activity even in the absence of light.
• They are splitting H2O molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.

Polymetallic Nodules:

• Polymetallic nodules, also known as manganese nodules, are small, rounded accretions found on the seabed of the deep ocean floor.

What is Deep Sea Mining?

• Deep sea mining involvesremoving mineral deposits and metals from the ocean’s seabed.

There are three types of such mining:

1. Taking deposit-rich polymetallic nodules off the ocean floor.
2. Mining massive seafloor sulfide deposits.
3. Stripping cobalt crusts from rock.

Major Issues associated with the deep-sea mining:

• Environmental impacts: Mining operations can disturb and damage fragile deep-sea ecosystems, including coral reefs, hydrothermal vents, and other important habitats.
• Thermal pollution:The mining vehicles also generate sediment plumes that could smother the benthic species at the bottom of the ocean.
• Noise pollution:The process generates noise pollution that can overlap with the frequencies at which cetaceans communicate, causing auditory masking and behavioral changes in marine mammals.
• Regulatory gaps:There is currently a lack of international regulations governing deep-sea mining, which could lead to environmental harm and other negative impacts.
• Social and economic impacts:The potential benefits of deep-sea mining may not be evenly distributed, and could lead to social and economic disparities between different communities.
• Technological challenges: Deep-sea mining requires advanced technologies and equipment that are currently under development, and may not be cost-effective or efficient enough to make the practice commercially viable.

Govt Initiatives to promote deep sea mining:

• National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR):It was established in 2020 by the Ministry of Earth Sciences in Goa, which is tasked with exploring the country’s deep-sea mineral wealth.
• Draft Deep Seabed Mining Regulations, 2021:It has been formulated by the Indian government to provide a legal framework for the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources in the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
• International collaborations:The government is also considering setting up a nodal agency to regulate deep sea mining activities in the country, in line with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The Great Nicobar Island Development Project

What is the Great Nicobar Island Development Project?

• The Great Nicobar Project-The project involves a comprehensive Rs 72,000-crore infrastructure upgrade on Great Nicobar Island. It is being implemented by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO).
• The project covers 16,610 hectaresand aims to leverage the island’s strategic location near the Malacca Strait. The Great Nicobar Island Development project includes developing:
  An International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT)
  2. A greenfield international airport
  3. Two greenfield cities
  4. A coastal mass rapid transport system
  5. A free trade zones

Purpose:

Economic Reasons:

• As per the NITI Aayog report, the proposed port will allow Great Nicobar to participate in the regional and Global maritime economy by becoming a major player in cargo transshipment.
• It is equidistant from Colombo to the southwest and Port Klang (Malaysia) and Singapore to the southeast, and positioned close to the East-West international shipping corridor, through which a very large part of the world’s shipping trade passes.

Strategic Reasons:

• The proposal to develop Great Nicobar was first floated in the 1970s, and its importance for national security and consolidation of the Indian ocean region has been repeatedly underlined.
• Increasing Chinese assertion in the Indian Ocean has added great urgency to this imperative in recent years.

 The associated concerns with the project

• Threat to biodiversity-Nearly a million trees could be felled as part of the project. This could potentially devastate the island’s ecosystem, including coral reefs, the Nicobar Megapode bird, and leatherback turtles. The compensatory afforestation is being planned in Haryana.
• Threat to rights of Indigenous Tribes-The proposed Nicobar project endangers the rights of the Shompen and Nicobarese tribes, living on the island. It also violates the letter and spirit of the Forest Rights Act (2006), which holds the Shompen as the sole legally empowered authority to protect, preserve, regulate and manage the tribal reserve.
• Seismic Vulnerability-The proposed port which is an integral part of this project, is located in a seismically volatile zone, which experienced permanent subsidence of around 15 feet during the 2004 tsunami. This raises concerns about the safety and viability of constructing such a large-scale infrastructure project in a high-risk, disaster-prone area.
• Lack of Adequate Consultation-The project has been pushed through without adequate deliberations of all the stakeholders like the The Tribal Council. The National Green Tribunal’s high-powered committee’s report reviewing the environmental clearances has also not been made public.
• Undermining international obligations-The Galathea Bay Wildlife Sanctuary located in the Great Nicobar Island forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hence the preservation of this pristine biodiversity is an International Obligation of India.
• Lack of adequate Social Impact Assessment-The Campbell Bay panchayat has raised concerns regarding the lack of adequate social impact assessment before land acquisition. For ex- Increased contact with outsiders, will increase the risks of Shompen tribe to diseases for which their immunity is not developed.

 The Way Forward

• Due regards to tribal rights-The development work must be carried out with due regard to tribal rights. This should involve proper adherence to policies like the Shompen Policy of 2015. The Shompen Policy of 2015 calls for giving priority to tribal rights over large scale development proposals.
• Separation of security and development capabilities-The security capabilities of Andaman and Nicobar Island need to be addressed separately. This must have no linkage with the developments contemplated for Great Nicobar Island.
• Proper Social and Environmental Impact Assessment-Any construction under the Great Nicobar Development plan should involve a proper and detailed Environment impact assessment (as mandated by the Environment Protection Act 1986). This will make development more socially and environmentally feasible.
• Eco-friendly Construction-The construction of infrastructure should be done using eco-friendly practices like strict adherence to GRIHA code for building construction.
• Transparency in Data and Report-NITI Aayog and the agencies participating in planning should maintain transparency in data. The government should release the data on the rationale, the process of creation, consulted groups etc. in public domain. This will give a holistic view to critics and supporters.
• Enhanced International Cooperation-India should enhance Cooperation with countries like Japan, South Korea etc. This will help in developing successful island development models.