Bombay HC strikes down Centre’s amended IT rules

• Justice Chandurkar said the Information Technology Amendment Rules, 2023, violated Article 14 (right to equality), 19 (freedom of speech and expression) and 19(1)(g) (freedom and right to profession) of the Constitution”.

Information Technology Amendment Rules, 2023

• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2023, which are an amendment to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. 

Fact Checking Unit and Amended IT Rules 2023

• Fact Checking Unit: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, designated the FCU as a statutory body under the Press Information Bureau (PIB) as per the amendment made to Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 in 2023.
• FCU has been tasked with flagging content deemed to be false information related to the central government and its agencies on social media platforms.

Key Provisions of IT Rules, 2023 Regarding Fake News:

• Online intermediaries, such as social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter,along with internet service providers like Airtel, Jio, and Vodafone Idea, are required to ensure they do not disseminate inaccurate information about the Government of India.
• Additionally, these platforms must make reasonable attempts to avoid hosting content related to the Central Government that has been flagged as false or misleading by a fact-checking unit.
• If the fact-checking unit identifies any information as false,online intermediaries will be obligated to remove it.
• Failing to do so could result in the loss of their safe harbour protection, which shields them from legal action regarding third-party content.

FCU & the Freedom of Speech Debate

• The proposed introduction of the FCU has raised concerns among internet freedom activists.
• The amendment, however, does not define the term ‘any business of the Central government.’
• Experts have warned that intermediaries are likely to protect their own commercial interests rather than risk losing safe-harbour protectionfor non-compliance with the directions of the FCU, even at the cost of curbing their users’ right to freedom of speech and expression.
• Under IT Act, safe harbour safeguard essentially exempts intermediaries from liability for any third-party information made available or hosted by them, provided they observed “due diligence” while performing their obligations under the IT Act.

Concerns

No clarity for Fake News:

• The IT Rules, 2023 don''tspecify what qualifies as false or misleading information or the qualifications and procedures for the fact-check unit.
• This has raised concerns about the government''s arbitrary power to determine what qualifies as fake news, as the rules do not provide a clear definition of the term.

Removable of Information:

Intermediaries will remove information deemed false by the Fact Check Unit, leaving only the state to determine what is true.

• The new regulation gives the government the power to decide what information is bogus and exercise censorship by compelling intermediaries to take down posts deemed fake or false.

Violates the Supreme Court''s Judgment:

• Shreya Singhal vs Union of India (2015), Supreme Court held that a law that limits speech can neither be vague nor over-broad.

Way Forward

• To combat misinformation and fake news, the government and intermediaries can use technology solutions like algorithms and fact-checking websites.
• Intermediaries can also implement self-regulatory measures such as monitoring content and working with fact-checking websites.
• Additionally, raising public awareness about the dangers of censorship and promoting free speech can be achieved through social media campaigns, workshops, and discussions in public forums.

Kalari practitioners held a protest by performing ‘Kalaripayattu,’ a martial art of Kerala, on the streets.

• The protest was held against the alleged discriminatory practices against the practitioners of the martial art by the Kerala Sports Council.

Kalarippayattu: 

• The word "Kalari" means "battlefield" in Sanskrit. Kalaripayattu, like most Indian martial systems, incorporates Hindu ceremonies and ideas.
• With a history extending over 3,000 years, it is said to be India''s oldest surviving combat art.
• Kalaripayattu is a martial art based on ancient human body knowledge.
• It began in Kerala in the 3rd century BC and continued till the 2nd century AD. It is presently practiced in portions of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• A ''Kalari'' is the location where this martial art is practiced. It is a Malayalam term that refers to a gymnasium of some sort. Kalari means ''threshing floor'' or ''battlefield'' in Greek.
• The Tamil Sangam literature first uses the word Kalari to designate both a battlefield and a fighting arena.
• It is also known as the "Father of Modern Kung Fu."
• Kalaripayattu incorporates elements from the yoga tradition as well as finger movements from nata dances.

Key features of Kalaripayattu:

• Emphasis on physical fitness: Kalaripayattu is a very demanding physical artform that requires a high level of fitness. 
• Training includes exercises to improve strength, flexibility, and agility.
• Use of weapons: Kalaripayattu training includes the use of a variety of weapons, including swords, daggers, spears, maces, and bows and arrows.
• Spiritual focus: Kalaripayattu is a highly spiritual art form that emphasizes the development of the mind, body, and spirit. 
• Training includes meditation, yoga, and other spiritual practices.

There are mainly two main styles of Kalarippayattu: 

1. Vadakkan (Nothern style) – The Vadakkan Kalarippayattu is predominantly practised in the Malabar region of Kerala. The Vadakkan style emphasizes more on graceful body movement and weaponry.
2. Thekken (Southern Style) – The Thekken Kalarippayattu or Adi Murai is practised mainly in the Travancore region, this style involves more free armed techniques & powerful movements.

Blockchain, smart materials, among innovative projects mooted in PM solar scheme

• As part of the 75,000-crore PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has announced a 500-crore sub-component for “Innovative Projects”.
• Some examples of innovative projects envisioned include “blockchain based peer-to-peer RTS [Rooftop Solar], digital solutions for RTS, smart building materials, RTS with EV (electric vehicles), grid responsive RTS with battery storage solutions, DISCOM (Distribution Company) systems for RTS management”.
• The PM Surya Ghar scheme was established on February 29, 2024 to increase the share of solar rooftop capacity and have residential households to generate their own electricity. The scheme has an outlay of 75,021 crore and is to be implemented till FY 2026-27.

PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana:

• It is a government scheme launched on February 15, 2024, that aims to provide free electricity to households in India.
• Under the scheme, households will be provided with a subsidy to install solar panelson their roofs.
• The subsidy will cover up to 40% of the cost of the solar panels.
• The scheme is expected to benefit 1 crore households across India.
• It is estimated that the scheme will save the government Rs. 75,000 crore per year in electricity costs.
• The scheme has an outlay of Rs 75,021 crore and is to be implemented till FY 2026-27. 

Who are eligible to apply for the Scheme?

• The applicant must be an Indian citizen. 
• Must own a house with a roof that is suitable for installing solar panels. 
• The household must have a valid electricity connection.
• The household must not have availed of any other subsidy for solar panels

Impact of PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana

• Through PM-Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, the households will be able to save electricity bills as well as earn additional income through the sale of surplus power to DISCOMs.
• A 3-kW system will be able to generate more than 300 units a month on average for a household.
• The proposed scheme will result in the addition of 30 GW of solar capacity through rooftop solar in the residential sector, generating 1000 BUs of electricity and resulting in a reduction of 720 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions over the 25-year lifetime of rooftop systems.
• It is estimated that the scheme will create around 17 lakh direct jobs in manufacturing, logistics, supply chain, sales, installation, O&M, and other services.

Challenges

• Household Reluctance: A significant challenge is the reluctance of households to adopt rooftop solar systems due to the availability of free electricity provided by several states and union territories.
• Restricted Space Use: Serving the 1-2 kW segmentis complicated due to limited terrace space, uneven terrain, shading, low property ownership, and risks like vandalism or theft of solar panels.
• Operational Strain on DISCOMs: The current net metering system is financially burdensome for DISCOMs, which already face substantial losses. 
• DISCOMs become unpaid storage facilities for homeowners who generate energy during the day but draw from the grid at other times especially night.
• Storage Integration: The lack of a mandate for storage systems with rooftop solar installations could lead to grid management issues similar to the “duck curve”. 
• The Duck Curve refers to a graphical representation of electricity demand from the grid on days when solar energy production is high and demand in the grid is low.
• Quality Assurance Challenges: Customers often find it difficult to assess the quality of the installed systems, making themvulnerable to substandard service and performance.

Way Forward

• Ensure Targeted Beneficiary Outreach: Partner with local bodies to develop strategies to reach the economically disadvantaged households that consume less than 200-300 units monthly.
• Community Solar Projects:  Encourage the development of Community Solar Projectsthat allows shared solar generation from a central plant, benefiting low-income and rural households who cannot install rooftop solar systems.
• Revise Net Metering: Explore options like Time-of-Use (TOU) pricing, where consumers are charged based on the time they consume energy, to reduce the grid strain from surplus daytime solar generation.
• Mandate Storage Integration: Make storage integration mandatory for all rooftop solar installations to enhance grid stability and optimise the use of surplus solar energy.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addresses National PM Vishwakarma Program in Wardha, Maharashtra

• Launches Acharya Chanakya Kaushalya Vikas Scheme and Punyashlok Ahilyabai Holkar Women Start-Up Scheme.
• Lays foundation stone of PM MITRA Park in Amravati.
• Releases certificates and loans to PM Vishwakarma beneficiaries.
• Unveils commemorative stamp marking one year of progress under PM Vishwakarma.
• “Basic spirit of Vishwakarma Yojna is ‘Samman Samarthya, Samridhi’”
• “Government is setting up 7 PM Mitra Parks across the country. Our vision is Farm to Fibre, Fiber to Fabric, Fabric to Fashion and Fashion to Foreign”

PM Vishwakarma Scheme

• This is a central sector scheme launched by the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, which offers services like market linkage support, skill training, and incentives for digital transactions to artisans and craftspeople engaged in specified trades.
• Time period: Five years (FY 2023-24 to FY 2027-28). 

Aim: 

• To strengthen and nurture the Guru-Shishya parampara, or family-based practice of traditional skills by artisans and craftspeople working with their hands and tools. 
• The scheme also aims at improving the quality as well as the reach of the products and services of artisans and craftspeople and to ensure that the Vishwakarmas are integrated with the domestic and global value chains.

Eligibility& coverage:

• It is available for rural and urban artisans and craftsmen across India.
• It covers 18 traditional crafts such as Boat Maker; Armourer; Blacksmith; Hammer and Tool Kit Maker; etc.
• Five lakh families will be covered in the first year and 30 lakh families over five years.

Benefits to the Artisans and Crafts Persons

• Recognition: Recognition of artisans and craftspeople through PM Vishwakarma certificate and ID card.
• Skill Upgradation: Basic Training of 5-7 days and Advanced Training of 15 days or more, with a stipend of Rs. 500 per day.
• Toolkit Incentive: A toolkit incentive of upto Rs. 15,000 in the form of e-vouchers at the beginning of Basic Skill Training.
• Credit Support: Collateral free ''Enterprise Development Loans'' of upto Rs. 3 lakh in two tranches of Rs. 1 lakh and Rs. 2 lakhs with tenures of 18 months and 30 months, respectively, at a concessional rate of interest fixed at 5%, with Government of India subvention to the extent of 8%. Beneficiaries who have completed Basic Training will be eligible to avail the first tranche of credit support of upto Rs. 1 lakh. The second loan tranche will be available to beneficiaries who have availed the 1st tranche and maintained a standard loan account and have adopted digital transactions in their business or have undergone Advanced Training.
• Incentive for Digital Transaction: An amount of Re. 1 per digital transaction, upto maximum 100 transactions monthly will be credited to the beneficiary''s account for each digital pay-out or receipt.
• Marketing Support: Marketing support will be provided to the artisans and craftspeople in the form of quality certification, branding, onboarding on e-commerce platforms such as GeM, advertising, publicity and other marketing activities to improve linkage to value chain.

India Achieves Tier 1 Status in Global Cybersecurity Index 2024

• With a remarkable score of 98.49 out of 100, India joins the ranks of ‘role-modelling’ countries
• India’s high score signifies robust legal, technical, and organisational measures, alongside international cooperation and education initiatives promoting cyber resilience.

Measures which boost India’s Performance

• According to the GCI 2024 report, India excelled in the legal pillar, establishing a robust framework of laws and regulations to govern cybersecurity. 
• The Information Technology Act (2000) and its amendments hold significant weight in this regard, outlining measures to combat cybercrime, protect critical infrastructure, and ensure data privacy.
• Additionally, the passage of the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill (2022) further strengthens India’s legal framework, providing enhanced safeguards for citizen data.

Global Cyber ​​Security Index

• It was launched by the International Telecommunication Union in the year 2015.
• The purpose of this index is to help countries identify areas of improvement in the context of cyber security and to encourage countries to work towards capacity and capability building.
• This index measures the commitment of different countries to raise awareness about the importance of cyber security and its various dimensions at the global level.