Daily Current Affairs 01 June 2023 – IAS Current Affairs

Current Affairs 01 June 2023 focuses on Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :

India’s External Debt

Source : The Hindu
GS II : Indian Economy

Overview

1. News in Brief
2. What is the reason for external Debt?

Why in News ?

As per the RBI India’s external debt has risen up to $624.7 billion during the financial year 2023.

News in Brief

• India’s external debt increased by $5.6 billion to $624.7 billion by the end of March 2023 from the prior year, although the external

  

  debt-to-GDP ratio decreased from 20% to 18.9%.

• Gains in Value: The value gains resulting from the strengthening of the dollar against the Indian rupee and other important currencies including the JPY, SDR, and euro were estimated at $20.6 billion.
• Without the value impact, the foreign debt at the end of March 2023 over the end of March 2022 would have climbed by $26.2 billion as opposed to $5.6 billion.
• The current value of the payments specified in the initial agreement between the debtor and creditor, based on the supposition that they would be made with certainty, is the contractual value of a debt.
• With an initial duration of more than a year, long-term debt was valued at $496.3 billion, a $1.1 billion decrease from the level at the end of March 2022.
• At the end of March 2023, short-term debt (with an initial duration of up to one year) represented 20.6% of total external debt, up from 19.7% in the previous year.
• With a proportion of 54.6% at the end of March 2023, debt denominated in dollars continued to make up the greatest portion of external debt. This was followed by debt denominated in Indian rupees (29.8%), SDR (6.1%), yen (5.7%), and euros (3.2%).
• During FY23, the total amount of outstanding debt in the public and private sectors increased to $133.3 billion ($130.8 billion in FY22) and $491.3 billion ($488.3 billion), respectively.

What is the reason for external Debt?

• Money borrowed from an outside source is what it refers to. Foreign debt must be repaid in the currency used for the initial loan.
  Sources
• Foreign commercial banks, international financial organisations like the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the governments of other countries are all sources of external debt.
• These forms of debts typically take the form of linked loans, which must be utilised for certain purposes agreed upon by the borrower and the lender.
• Both firms and governments are eligible to borrow money abroad. These take the shape of commercial borrowings from outside sources.

PM-PRANAM Scheme

Source : The Hindu
GS II : Governance, Schemes

Overview

1. News in Brief
2. What is PM-PRANAM Scheme?

Why in News ?

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the PM-PRANAM (PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Generation, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth) scheme.

• It was a promise made in the last Budget.

News in Brief

• New scheme would promote use of nutrient-based, biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture and it would have a total outlay of ₹3,70,128.7 crore.
• The CCEA also hiked the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane by ₹10 per quintal.
• The FRP for the sugar season 2023-24 (October-September) will be ₹315 per quintal for a basic recovery rate of 10.25%. Last year, the amount was ₹305.
• Centre would incentivise those States which would adopt alternative fertilizers with the subsidy that was saved by reducing the use of chemical fertilizers.
  • For instance, if the State reduced its usage of traditional fertilisers from 10 lakh tonnes per year to 3 lakh tonnes, it would save 3,000 crore in subsidies.
  • The Centre would provide the State 1,500 crore, or 50% of the subsidy savings, to encourage the adoption of alternative fertilisers and other development projects.

What is PM-PRANAM Scheme?

• The PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment, and Amelioration of Mother Earth is also known as PM-PRANAM.
• The Union government made its initial announcement of PM-PRANAM in the budget for 2023–24.
• The programme encourages nations to employ alternative fertilisers in an effort to decrease the usage of chemical fertilisers.
• The scheme will subsidies the burden on chemical fertilizers, which was around Rs 2.25 lakh crores in 2022-2023.

Features of the Scheme

• Funding
  • The Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilisers’, Department of Fertilisers will use savings from existing fertiliser subsidies to pay for the programme.
  • The PM-PRANAM plan won’t have a distinct budget.
• Aim
  • Promoting the usage of organic and biofertilizers will help advance sustainable farming methods.
  • As a result, the soil will be more fertile, environmental pollution will be decreased, and agricultural output will increase over time.
• Subsidy
  • The states will get a payment equal to 50% of the subsidy savings from the centre.
  • 70% of the grant can be put to use in the creation of assets for the technical uptake of substitute fertilisers and industrial units at various scales.
  • Farmers, panchayats, and other stakeholders engaged in fertiliser reduction and awareness raising might be rewarded and encouraged with the remaining 30%.

Dark Patterns and Examples

Source : Indian express
GS II: Governance; GS III : Science and Technology; GS IV: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude

Overview

1. What is a Dark Patterns and Examples?
2. What is unfair trade practice?
3. Consumer Protection Act, 1986

Why in News ?

To restrict dark patterns in internet marketing, the Union Consumer Affairs Ministry has decided to create particular standards.

News Brief

• The Union Consumer Affairs Ministry has urged consumers to flag such manipulative online practices on the National Consumer Helpline.
• It also asks online platforms not to engage in unfair trade practices or manipulate consumer choice
• Consumers to flag such manipulative online practices on the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) by calling 1915 or through a WhatsApp message to 8800001915.

What is the issue mentioned in the news?

• Many strategies are employed to attract customers including fake urgency which gives the illusion of scarcity and basket sneaking, which involves adding more goods or services to the shopping cart without the user’s knowledge.
• The Ministry has also become aware of hidden prices and subscription traps.
• Another business strategy that makes it simple for customers to join up for a service but challenging for them to cancel it
  • Some notable issue with travel and tourist websites.
• This will violate consumer rights under Section 2(9) of the Consumer Protection Act.

What is Dark Pattern and it’s Example?

• Harry Brignull first used the phrase “dark patterns” in 2010.
• It simply refers to a user interface that has been designed to deceive or mislead people into making decisions that are not in their best interests.
• Dark patterns cover a wide range of deceptive tactics, including bait-and-switch, drip pricing, covert advertising, decision manipulation, fake urgency, and privacy problems.

Who is using Dark Patterns advertising?

• Companies in the social media and big tech sectors, like Apple, Amazon, Skype, Facebook, LinkedIn, Microsoft, and Google, exploit cunning or substandard user experiences to their benefit.
• LinkedIn users often receive unsolicited, sponsored messages from influencers.
• Instagram is sponsored video ads getting scattered between reels and stories.

What are the examples for Dark Patterns?

• Subscription Traps makes it easy for consumers to sign up for a service but difficult for them to cancel it, often by hiding the

  

  cancellation option or requiring multiple steps.

• Hiding information in dull colour, especially “cancel button”.
• Online deals countdown.
• Ads appear as news and playing video while scrolling.
• Credit Card required after ending free subscription
• Hidden Costs tactic involves hiding additional costs from consumers. Say two rupee for bank account verification after providing details.
• Adding additional products or services to the shopping cart without user consent.
• Showing scarcity of product while buying.

How Dark Pattern impact users?

• dark patterns advertising endanger the experience of Internet users.
• This will make vulnerable to financial and data exploitation. 
• Dark patterns confuse users, introduce online obstacles, make simple tasks time-consuming.
• It makes users sign up for unwanted services/products.
• Also force them to pay more money.
• Collecting and share more personal information than they intended.
• Dark Patterns affect consumer consumer protection.

What is unfair trade practice?

• Businesses that use dishonest, fraudulent, or otherwise unethical means to obtain a competitive advantage or make a profit are said to be engaging in unfair trade practices.
• This includes 
  • Misrepresentation
  • Fraudulent advertising or representation of an item or service
  • Tied selling
  • Phoney free-gift or prize offers
  • Deceptive pricing
  • Noncompliance with manufacturing standards are examples of unfair commercial practices.
• It is also called as deceptive trade practices or unfair business practices.

Where unfair trade practice occurred?

• Unfair trade practices are commonly seen in the purchase of goods and services by consumers, tenancy, insurance claims and settlements, and debt collection.
• This is also seen in virtual world as Dark Pattern an example. 

Some Examples for unfair trade practice

• Misguiding about some product by giving benefits, advantages that they actually dont have
• Mutual fund advertisement recently curbs by the Court that doesn’t have the risk involved.
• It misrepresents any policy as being shares of stock.

Consumer Protection Act, 1986

Definition: An Act to provide for protection of the interests of consumers and for the said purpose, to establish authorities for timely and effective administration and settlement of consumers’ disputes and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

• The new Consumer Protection Act, 2019 came into force on 20th July 2020.
• Consumer Protection Act, 2019 establishes the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)
• A manufacturer, product seller, or product service provider will be held accountable for compensating for harm or damage brought on by a defective product or a lack of services.
• Alternate Dispute Resolution Mechanism of Mediation
  • Dispute Resolution Alternatives Where there is potential for an early resolution and the parties consent, a Consumer Commission will refer a case for mediation.
  • The mediation will take place in the Mediation Cells, which the Consumer Commissions will set up.
  • There won’t be an appeal against the mediation-based settlement.
  • Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission Rules, there will be no fee for filing cases up to Rs. 5 lakh.
• Rights of Consumers
  • The right to be shielded from the promotion of items, services, or anything that endanger life and property
  • The right to information on the specifications of goods, services, and/or products, where appropriate, in order to safeguard consumers against unfair business practices
  • The right to be guaranteed access to a variety of goods, products, or services at reasonable costs, wherever possible
    a consumer’s right to be heard and to be certain that their concerns will be taken into consideration in the proper forums
  • The right to file a complaint about unethical business practices, restricting business practices, or shady consumer exploitation.
  • The right to informed consumer choice

Poaching in Satpura Tiger Reserve (STR)

Source : India Today
GS II : Environment

Overview

1. News Brief
2. Indian Tigers
3. How tiger population estimated?
4. Reasons for falling number of tigers
5. Poaching In India
6. What is St. Petersberg Declaration on Tiger Conservation?
7. Satpura Tiger Reserve (STR)

Why in News ?

An adult tiger was killed in Satpura Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh allegedly by poachers who carried away its head

• The decomposed headless carcass was found in the core area of the reserve.

News Brief

• The body parts have been sent for forensic examination and the probe into the incident would cover all angles.
• Department were not suspecting a big gang behind the tiger’s death.
  • If professional poachers were behind the killing they would have taken away all the body parts.
• Some people believe the use of tiger parts in witchcraft can help bring prosperity.
• As per wildlife experts, around Rs 5 lakh is spent annually on monitoring and protecting a tiger in the country.

Indian Tigers

• About 3,000 wild tigers now survive compared with 100,000 at the turn of the 20th century.
• A little over 1,800 people were believed to make up the population in the first nationwide tiger census, which was done in 1972.
• This worrisome decline in tiger population is concerning.
• Project Tiger was started at the Palamau Tiger Reserve in 1973
• India has 441 sanctuaries and more than 75 national parks, some of which have been designated as tiger reserves.
• The Project Tiger set the rules for tiger reserves.
• It is a Ministry of Environment and Forests Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• The National Tiger Conservation Authority is in charge of running it.
• Tigers represent an Umbrella Species that indicate the health of the ecosystem.
• In the IUCN red list, Tigers are listed in the category of endangered species.

How tiger population estimated?

• Tiger censuses are conducted to determine the number of tigers present in a specific location, undertaken on a regular basis.
  • The approach aids in gathering data on the density of tiger populations and related prey in addition to determining the number of tigers.
• Initial days Pugmark Census Technique was most frequently utilised where pugmark impressions were captured for identification.
• These days, it is frequently employed as one of the indicators of the presence and relative abundance of tigers.
• Recent techniques for estimating the number of tigers include DNA fingerprinting and camera trapping.

Reasons for falling number of tigers

• Climate Change:  For instance, in Sundarbans region rising sea levels and higher salt levels are killing the region’s Sundri trees, thus shrinking the tigers’ habitat.
• Development: Large-scale development projects like dams, industries, mines, railway lines, etc. cause pressure on habitat, habitat fragmentation, and habitat loss.
• Poaching: The killing of tigers for their body parts to be utilised in traditional Chinese medicine is known as ongoing poaching.
• Invasive species: obliterate the regional farmers.
• Changes in food chain: As the top of the food chain, tigers are most severely affected. The majority of tiger parks have lost their prey populations due to local poaching, forcing the tigers to go outside in search of food and are more easily killed.
• Human-tiger conflict: Their natural habitats are already shrinking and hence, they are seeking their habitat in the human habitation.

Poaching In India

• Skin and Bones: Tiger trafficking analysis from January 2000 to June 2022,” showed a total of 3,330 tigers were illegally confiscated globally during this timeframe.
• Along with claws and fangs, tiger skin is the portion of the animal that is most in demand.
• According to the research, 42% of the claws and teeth and 38% of the tiger skins collected worldwide were found in India.
• In recent days poachers are also looking for innovative ways to hunt down tigers.

Effort to stop poaching

• The International Tiger Day celebrated on 29th july is an annual event marked to raise awareness about tiger conservation.
• According to the Tiger Census Report, 2019, the Tiger population has substantially increased from 2,226 in 2014 to around 2,967 in 2019.
• Project Tiger
  • In order to give central support to the tiger States for tiger conservation in designated tiger reserves in India, the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change established Project Tiger in 1973.
• National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
  • Formed by the recommendation of the Tiger Task Force.
  • The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) oversees the Project Tiger.
  • It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: It was constituted under enabling provisions of the act, as amended in 2006, for strengthening tiger conservation, as per powers and functions assigned to National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

What is St. Petersberg Declaration on Tiger Conservation?

• At an international tiger forum held in St. Petersburg, Russia, in November 2010, the presidents of 13 nations with tigers as their national animals approved this resolution.
• It sought to spread awareness about the protection of white tigers and advance a global framework to safeguard tigers’ natural habitats.
• The Global Tiger Recovery Programme, which was created to carry out the resolution.
  • Its main objective to increase the population of wild tigers from 3,200 to more than 7,000 by the year 2022.
• Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam are the 13 nations that make up the Tiger Range Countries.

Satpura Tiger Reserve (STR)

• It is situated in Madhya Pradesh’s Hoshangabad district.
• It is situated in the Central Indian Landscape’s Satpura mountains.
• It is located south of the Narmada River.
• Between the Narmada and Tapti Rivers, Satpura—which literally translates to “Seven Folds”—forms a watershed.
• It is connected to Pench National Park by a corridor.
• The habitat has more than 50 rock shelters that range in age from around 1500 to 10,000 years old, making it a significant example of how humans have evolved.
• The Deccan trap series, Gondwanas, and metamorphic rocks are examples of geological formations.
• Tropical riparian fringing forest, southern tropical thorn forest, central Indian sun tropical hill forest, dry and moist grassland, southern tropical moist deciduous forest, southern tropical dry deciduous woodland, and tropical riparian thorn forest.
• A number of Central Indian Highlands-specific plants may be found there.
  • These include teak, bamboo, Indian gooseberry, several acacias, wild mango, and satinwood, among others.
• There are 26 species in the Himalayan region and 42 in the Nilgiri regions.
  • As a result, STR is sometimes referred to as the northernmost point of the Western Ghats.
• Along with other iconic species like co-predators, birds, reptiles, and fish, the tiger includes other mammals like the gaur, sambhar, and chital.

National Maritime Heritage Complex Lothal

Source : PIB
GS II :  Art and Culture

Overview

1. Key Facts
2. What is the importance of Lothal?

Why in News ?

In Gujarat’s Lothal, the National Maritime Heritage Complex is being built by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways as part of the Sagarmala plan. 

• The project was launched in 2022, and is being developed at a cost of Rs 3,500 crore.

Key Facts

• An edutainment strategy utilising cutting-edge technology would be used to promote awareness of India’s maritime legacy at NMHC.
• Tourism: This would be created as a worldwide tourism destination showcasing the nautical heritage of India from ancient to present times.
• Facilities: The marine complex, which is expected to become one of the most popular international tourist sites in the world, will comprise the tallest lighthouse museum in the world, the largest open aquatic exhibition, and the largest naval museum in India.
• Economy: Through this initiative, the region’s tourism potential will be increased, which will further the area’s economic growth.

What is the importance of Lothal?

• Located in the Bhal district of the Indian state of Gujarat, Lothal was one of the southernmost Indus Valley civilization sites.
• The city’s construction is said to have started about 2200 BCE.

Civilisation

• In the Indus age, the inhabitants of Lothal produced important and frequently original contributions to human civilization in the areas

  

  of urban planning, art, architecture, science, engineering, ceramics, and religion.

• Their wealth was based on their work making jewellery, beads, seals, and metal objects.
• Religion: The people of Lothal worshipped a fire god who is speculated to be the horned deity depicted on seals.
• Trade: Lothal was a thriving trade centre in ancient times, with its trade of beads, gems and ornaments reaching West Asia and Africa.
• The presence of private and public fire-altars found.
• According to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Lothal had the world’s earliest known dock, connecting the city to an ancient course of the Sabarmati river.

 Governor Move Dangerous Unconstitutional

Source : The Hindu
GS II : Indian Polity

Overview

1. How it impacts?
2. Cases Related
3. Governor’s Power And Authority of CM

Why in News ?

A member of the Tamil Nadu Council of Ministers was fired by the state’s governor. The governor then changed his mind, maintaining the status quo of the dismissal order.

• According to the letter from the governor, he was using Articles 153, 163 and 164 of the Constitution.

How it impacts?

• A hazardous precedent will be created by this unusual act of removing a Minister from a government that has an absolute majority in

  

  the state assembly without the support of the chief minister of the state.

• It has the capacity to undermine State governments, endangering the federal structure.
• The whole constitutional structure will disintegrate if Governors are permitted to utilise the authority to remove specific Ministers without the consent of the Chief Minister.
• The constitutional framework outlined in these articles does not grant the Governor discretionary powers in the appointment or removal of ministers, which is under the purview of the CM.
• It would be unconstitutional for the Governor to terminate someone on his own initiative on the pretence that his prior recommendation to do so was ignored.

Cases Related

• Shamsher Singh vs State of Punjab 1974: The President and Governor, who are the guardians of all executive authorities, must only employ their official constitutional powers in conformity with the counsel of their Ministers, ruled a seven-judge Constitution Bench.
• Nabam Rebia vs Deputy Speaker (2017): Constitution Bench reaffirmed  the discretionary powers of the Governor are limited to the postulates of Article 163 of the Constitution.

Governor’s Power And Authority of CM

• According to Article 164 of the Constitution, the Governor appoints the CM without consulting anybody else.
• Governor  names the individual Ministers on the CM’s recommendation.
• According to the Article, the Governor is not permitted to designate a certain Minister at his discretion.
• Therefore, it makes sense that the Governor can only fire a Minister on the CM’s recommendation.
• Authority of CM
  • Only the CM has the authority to select his ministers. He chooses who will serve as his Council’s Ministers.
  • He also chooses who will leave his Council as a Minister. The CM, who ultimately answers to the public, made this political choice.
  • The Governor does not now have the CM’s discretion under the Constitution.

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