Current Affairs 28 May 2021 – IAS Current Affairs

Current Affairs 28 May 2021  focuses on Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :

1. What is Yellow fungus ?
2. What is Currency Swap ?
3. Tracing Messages Will Violate privacy
4. Social Media Guidelines and Impact

What is Yellow fungus ?

Source : Indian Express
GS II : Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources

Why in News ?

Recent case of yellow fungus has become a cause for concern during the pandemic. 

Key Facts

• Fungal infections prevailed even before this pandemic, just that people were not that aware.
• A person with lesser immunity or suffering from comorbidities is prone to a number of fungal infections.
• Non-COVID patients are also prone to some such infections as they have been suffering from other prolonged severe physical conditions which have deeply affected their body’s defence mechanism.
• In fact COVID is not a solely responsible aggravating factor for such fungal infections, other contributing factors should be considered

What is Yellow Fungus ?

• Yellow fungus initially develops by the presence of moulds in the environment.
• It may be present with unnecessary fatigue, rashes, burning sensation on skin etc.
• It invades internal organs of the body and affects the entire functioning.
• Yellow fungus can be severe if not treated early.

  

• Causes of Yellow Fungus
  • Prolonged use of steroid and Uncontrolled diabetes
  • Contaminated environment and Unhygienic or dirty surroundings
  • Unhygienic habits
  • Lesser immunity
  • Co-morbidities
• How can It be Prevent ?
  • Avoid extra moisture
  • Frequently clean the equipment and change bedsheets.
  • Ensure clean water availability for patient’s use

What is Currency Swap ?

Source : Indian Express
GS II : Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora

Why in News ?

Bangladesh’s central bank has approved a $200 billion currency swap facility to Sri Lanka.

Key Facts

• Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh’s central bank, has in principle approved a $200 million currency swap agreement with Sri Lanka
  • This will help Colombo tide over its foreign exchange crisis.
  • They had an external debt repayment schedule of $4.05 million this month
• Bangladesh and Srilanka agreed upon currency swaping.

What is Currency Swap ?

• One country providing Dollar or specific currency as loan with an agreement that the debt will be repaid with interest in the currency agreed on.
• In Srilanka – Bangladesh context Bangladesh will give to Sri Lanka in dollars that will be repaid with interest in Sri Lankan rupees.
• How it helps Sri Lanka ?
  • Cheaper than borrowing from the market.
  • They are struggling to maintain adequate forex reserves even as repayment of its external debts.

Bangladesh Economy

• This may be the first time that Bangladesh is extending a helping hand to another country.
• Bangladesh’s economy grew by 5.2 per cent in 2020.
  • It is expected to grow by 6.8 per cent in 2021.
  • The country has managed to pull millions out of poverty.
  • Its per capita income just overtook India’s.
• First time that Sri Lanka is borrowing from a SAARC country other than India.

Implication for India

• Last year year Srilanka seek for a $1 billion credit swap.
  • Reserve Bank of India did extend a $400 million credit swap facility to Sri Lanka.
  • Also separately, a moratorium on debts that the country has to repay to India.
• India-Sri Lanka relations have been tense over Colombo’s decision to cancel a valued container terminal project at Colombo Port.
• The country is already deep in debt to China.

Reserve Bank of India Policy on Currency Swamping

• RBI can offer credit swap facilities to SAARC countries within an overall corpus of $2 billion. 
• The SAARC currency swap facility came into operation in November 2012.
• With the aim of providing to smaller countries in the region a funding for short-term foreign exchange liquidity requirements or balance of payment crisis till longer term arrangements are made.

About SAARC

• South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established with the signing of the SAARC Charter in Dhaka on 8 December 1985.
• SAARC comprises of eight Member States: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
• The Secretariat of the Association was set up in Kathmandu on 17 January 1987.
• Aims to promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia, improve their quality of life, to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development.

Tracing Messages Will Violate privacy

Source : Indian Express
GS II : Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures

Why in News ?

WhatsApp has moved the Delhi High Court to challenge the traceability provision (Tracing Messages Will Violate privacy) in the new IT Rules 2021

• This breaks end-to-end encryption
• Also infringes upon users fundamental rights to privacy and freedom of speech.

Read this topic inline with : Social Media Guidelines UPSC

Key Facts

• To comply with the new rules WhatsApp said the provision requiring intermediaries to enable identification of the first originator of information on their platforms could also put journalists and activists at risk of retaliation in India and infringe upon rights to free speech and expression.
• Whatsapp About Privacy
  • Any country that requires intermediaries to enable identification of the first originator of information on end-to-end encrypted messaging services.
  • World have recognised the important benefits of end-to-end encryption and the dangers of undermining that security protocol.
  • Requiring messaging apps to trace chats is the equivalent of keep a fingerprint of every single message sent on WhatsApp.
  • This would break end-to-end encryption, and fundamentally undermine people’s right to privacy.
  • Protecting the privacy of the speaker is critical to protecting the right to freedom of speech and expression.
• About Traceability Provision
  • Intermediaries to enable identification of the first originator of information on their platforms.
  • Rule 4(2) states that a significant social media intermediary providing services primarily in the nature of messaging shall enable the identification of the first originator of the information on its computer resource as may be required by a judicial order or an order passed by a competent authority under the IT Act.

What happen if failed to comply with this provision ?

• Would take away the indemnity provided to social media intermediaries under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act.
• Section 79 of the IT Act
  • 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.

Social Media Guidelines and Impact

Source : PIB
GS II : Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures

Why in News ?

Recently based on the Social Media Guidelines issued by the Government News was circulating that Facebook, Twitter, Instagram could be banned in India.

Discussing the Facts on Social Media Guidelines UPSC Perspective.

Why Social Media Guidelines ?

The extensive spread of mobile phones, Internet etc. has also enabled many social media platforms to expand their footprints in India.

• WhatsApp users: 53 Crore

  

• YouTube users: 44.8 Crore
• Facebook users: 41 Crore
• Instagram users: 21 Crore
• Twitter users: 1.75 Crore

Gives rise to some serious concerns and consequences which have grown manifold in recent years.

• Persistent spread of fake news has compelled many media platforms to create fact-check mechanisms.
• Instances of use of abusive language, defamatory and obscene contents and blatant disrespect to religious sentiments through platforms are growing.
• Abuse of social media to share morphed images of women and contents to revenge against, have often threatened the dignity of women.
• Also circulation of obscene content, spread of disharmony, financial frauds, incitement of violence, public order etc. are a part negative side of Social Media.

What is a Social Media Intermediaries ?
Companies that mediate between Person and Society, other realms of social activity and maintain a balance between them. Include messaging related intermediaries, such as WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram, and media related intermediaries, such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Concerns by Authority and Representatives against Social Media

• The Supreme Court in suo-moto writ petition (Prajjawala case) observed that the Government of India may frame necessary guidelines to eliminate child pornography, rape and gangrape imageries, videos and sites in content hosting platforms and other applications.
• Calling Attention Motion on the misuse of social media and spread of fake news in the Rajya Sabha.
• Ad-hoc committee of the Rajya Sabha laid its report after studying the alarming issue of pornography on social media and its effect on children and society.
• The government brought video streaming over-the-top (OTT) platforms under the ambit of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

What happens if Social Media follows this Guidelines ?

• Failure to comply with any one of these requirements would take away the indemnity provided to social media intermediaries under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act.
• Section 79 of the IT Act
  • 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.
  • It 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.
  • Thus the act protect Social Media that as long as a platform acts just as the messenger carrying a message from one point to other point without interfering in any manner it will be safe from any legal prosecution brought upon due to the message being transmitted.
• The absence of the protection of Section 79 could also lead to situations where employees of the platform may be held liable for no fault on their part

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