UPSC Key: Section 79 of IT Act, Oil import, and Mar-a-Lago Accord

Preliminary Examination: Present occasions of nationwide and worldwide significance

Mains Examination: Common Research-II: Authorities insurance policies and interventions for growth in numerous sectors and points arising out of their design and implementation.

What’s the continuing story: Elon Musk-owned X (previously Twitter) has challenged the federal government’s use of Section 79(3)(b) of the Data Know-how Act, 2000 (IT Act) to average and order the elimination of content material on social media.

The corporate has argued that the federal government’s “misuse” of the availability bypasses safeguards out there underneath different provisions of the IT Act — specifically Section 69A  — which are particularly meant for the aim of content material moderation.

Key Factors to Ponder:

— What’s the Data Know-how Act, 2000 (IT Act)?

— What are the latest amendments made to the act?

— What was the Supreme Court docket ruling within the Shreya Singhal v Union of India?

— What are the rights protected underneath Article 19?

— How judiciary act as a test on different organs of the federal government?

— The Supreme Court docket is entrusted with the protective of elementary rights of residents. Critically look at.

— What are the  “cheap restrictions” offered by Article 19?

— What’s the goal of the “Sahyog” portal?

Key Takeaways:

— In Shreya Singhal v Union of India (2015), the Supreme Court docket struck down Section 66A of the IT Act which criminally punished, amongst different issues, sending false data “for the aim of inflicting annoyance or inconvenience”.

— The SC in Shreya Singhal additionally clarified the appliance of one other provision — Section 79 of the IT Act. The supply is a “protected harbour” measure that exempts an “middleman” (corresponding to X) from legal responsibility for data revealed on the platform by a “third get together”, that’s, customers of the platform.

— However Section 79(3)(b) states that the middleman might be held liable if it doesn’t instantly take away such illegal data “upon receiving precise data, or on being notified by the suitable Authorities or its company”

— The apex court docket restricted the scope of this provision, ruling that the requirement underneath Section 79(3)(b) will solely kick in as soon as a court docket order has been handed to that impact, or the federal government points a notification stating that the content material in query is expounded to grounds offered in Article 19(2).

— However in October 2023, the Ministry of Electronics and Data Know-how (MeitY) issued a directive to all ministries, state governments, and the police saying that data blocking orders might be issued underneath Section 79(3)(b). A yr later in October 2024, MeitY launched a portal known as “Sahyog” the place the aforementioned authorities might concern and add blocking orders.

— X’s problem earlier than the Karnataka Excessive Court docket argues that MeitY’s orders are an try to “bypass the a number of procedural safeguards” offered underneath Section 69A. The petition depends upon the SC’s ruling in Shreya Singhal, and says that content material can solely be censored although the method given underneath Section 69A or by way of a court docket order.

Do You Know:

— X’s petition comes at a time when its AI chatbot Grok 3 has been courting controversy for its use of Hindi slang, and responses which are vital of the federal government.

— The Grok controversy introduces a unique approach in the case of “protected harbour” provisions like Section 79… Courts must decide if data revealed by a “third get together” consists of AI generated responses.

— Grok has the distinguishing functionality of looking out and utilizing knowledge on X (corresponding to public posts by customers) to supply “up-to-date data and insights.” The AI chatbot has additional been built-in on X in such a approach that customers solely need to tag Grok of their public timelines to obtain a response.

Different Vital Articles Overlaying the identical matter:

📍Grok gone wild: What the controversy reveals about AI, free speech, and accountability

📍Centre blocks 200 on-line platforms underneath Section 69(A) of IT Act: What’s the provision, the talk round it

Earlier yr UPSC Prelims Query Overlaying comparable theme:

(1) ‘Proper to Privateness’ is protected underneath which Article of the Structure of India? (2021)

(a) Article 15

(b) Article 19

(c) Article 21

(d) Article 29

Earlier yr UPSC Mains Query Overlaying comparable theme:

Focus on Section 66A of IT Act, on the subject of its alleged violation of Article 19 of the Structure. (UPSC CSE 2013)

Trump and a weaker greenback

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Present occasions of nationwide and worldwide significance

Mains Examination: Common Research-III: Indian Economic system and points regarding planning, mobilisation, of sources, development, growth and employment

What’s the continuing story: Udit Mishra writes: This week the main focus is on the opposite coverage choice that the Trump administration has — the devaluation of the US greenback — an choice that many imagine is probably going for use quickly.

Key Factors to Ponder:

— Why US greenback have a robust buying energy?

— What’s the goal of imposing tariffs?

— What’s the overseas alternate reserve?

— Who do nations keep overseas alternate reserves?

— What are the explanations for the commerce deficit in America?

— Why is America imposing reciprocal tariffs on India?

— What are the Mar-a-Lago Accord and Plaza Accord?

— What’s the devaluation of foreign money?

— How is US greenback devaluation going to influence different nations?

Key Takeaways:

— The US posted an over $1 trillion commerce deficit in 2024. In different phrases, the entire worth of items imported (from the remainder of the world) by the US was $1 trillion greater than the worth of the products exported (to the remainder of the world) by the US. Additional, 2024 was reportedly the fourth consecutive yr when the US clocked a trillion greenback commerce deficit.

— Now, the actual fact is that, however these historic commerce deficits, the US has additionally had traditionally low unemployment charges. So arguably, the primary concern isn’t extra job creation; the central objectives for Trump are extra manufacturing inside and decrease commerce deficits.

— Given the energy of the US greenback, there are two important methods wherein Trump might have gone about these goals- Slap punitive tariffs on all its commerce companions or the US persuade different nations to permit the greenback to lose worth (devalue) relative to different currencies.

Do You Know:

— Plaza Accord: In 1985, the US signed the Plaza Accord — named after the Plaza Resort in New York that was the venue — with the opposite prime economies of that point: Japan, Germany, France and the UK (the G-5). The rumoured Mar-a-Lago Accord basically refers to a Plaza Accord-like settlement that Trump might signal at a later stage.

— A fall within the US alternate fee meant an increase within the alternate charges of all the opposite currencies (German Mark, Japanese Yen, British Pound, French Franc).

— These nations knew {that a} excessive alternate fee would instantly damage their exports competitiveness however the US satisfied them to just accept greenback devaluation as towards going through the uglier choice: Excessive tariffs — one thing that Trump is doing now.

— From the US perspective, they had been profitable to the extent that within the quick to medium time period they introduced down the US alternate fee and relieved it of the yawning commerce deficits. However the truth that 4 many years later, the US is again to the place it was, means that this isn’t a one-time resolution.

Different Vital Articles Overlaying the identical matter:

📍Trump says Japan, China can not hold lowering worth of their currencies

📍US Fed’s delicate dance, RBI’s process forward

UPSC Prelims Query Overlaying comparable theme:

(2) Take into account the next statements: (2021)

The impact of devaluation of a foreign money is that it essentially

1. improves the competitiveness of the home exports within the overseas markets

2. will increase the overseas worth of home foreign money

3. improves the commerce stability

Which of the above statements is/are right?

(a) 1 solely

(b) 1 and 2

(c) 3 solely

(d) 2 and 3

Why scientists had been shocked to search out life underneath Antarctic ice shelf

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Present occasions of nationwide and worldwide significance

Mains Examination: Common Research-III: Conservation, environmental air pollution and degradation, environmental influence evaluation

What’s the continuing story: A workforce of scientists might have found dozens of new species, together with big sea spiders, octopi, and corals on the newly uncovered seafloor left behind by the big A-84 iceberg that broke away from the George VI Ice Shelf on January 13.

Key Factors to Ponder:

— What’s the significance of deep-sea analysis?

— What’s Challenger 150?

— What are corals?

— What’s photosynthesising?

Key Takeaways:

— The break-away of the 510-sq-km iceberg — round two-and-a-half instances the dimensions of Kolkata — gave entry to an underwater world that was beforehand past human attain. A remotely-operated submersible received to the seafloor on January 25, the place it captured images and movies, and collected specimens.

— The mission was half of Challenger 150, a UNESCO-endorsed international initiative for deep-sea analysis.

— Their observations embrace giant corals and sponges supporting an array of animal life corresponding to icefish, big sea spiders, and octopi. Additionally they discovered an enormous phantom jelly, a species of jellyfish that may develop as much as a metre vast, and a vase-shaped sponge that may be tons of of years previous.

— The rationale scientists had been shocked to search out numerous ecosystems underneath the ice shelf is that deep-sea communities sometimes rely on photosynthesising organisms to rain down vitamins from the floor to the seafloor.

Do You Know:

Listed here are some of probably the most mind-blowing new animal species found in 2024:

1. Vampire Hedgehog (Hylomys macarong)

• What It Is: A soft-furred hedgehog species with fang-like tooth
• The place: Better Mekong area
• Why It’s Cool: Its distinctive fangs earned it the “vampire” moniker, making it one of the yr’s most intriguing finds

2. ‘Starry Evening’ Gecko (Cnemaspis vangoghi)

• What It Is: A tiny lizard with colouration reminiscent of Vincent van Gogh’s “The Starry Evening”
• The place: South Western Ghats, India
• Why It’s Cool: Its distinctive patterns are so creative that Pensoft, the journal writer, ranked it because the No. 1 new species of 2024

Different Vital Articles Overlaying the identical matter:

📍7 new animal species found in 2024

Earlier yr UPSC Prelims Query Overlaying comparable theme:

(3) Sure species of which one of the next organisms are effectively often called cultivators of fungi? (2022)

(a) Ant

(b) Cockroach

(c) Crab

(d) Spider

ECONOMY

India’s oil import dependency on the right track to hit contemporary full-year excessive in FY25 amid rising demand, stagnant home manufacturing

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Present occasions of nationwide and worldwide significance

Mains Examination: Common Research-III: Infrastructure: Vitality, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways and so on.

What’s the continuing story: Rising demand for gasoline and different petroleum merchandise amid stagnant home crude oil output led India’s reliance on imported crude oil growing to over 88 per cent within the first 11 months of the present monetary yr ending March (FY25), indicating that the import dependency for the complete monetary yr might breach the all-time-high stage of the final monetary yr.

Key Factors to Ponder:

— What’s the share of crude oil in India’s complete power combine?

— How a lot oil is imported by India?

— What are the explanations for the rise in oil imports?

— Why is the Indian financial system susceptible to international oil worth fluctuations?

— What are the initiatives taken by the federal government to lower oil imports?

Key Takeaways:

— India’s power wants are constantly rising, resulting in increased oil imports. That is fuelled by components corresponding to rising energy-intensive industries, elevated car gross sales, a quickly increasing aviation sector, rising consumption of petrochemicals, and a rising inhabitants.

— India’s heavy reliance on imported crude oil makes its financial system susceptible to international oil worth fluctuations. This additionally impacts the nation’s commerce deficit, overseas alternate reserves, the rupee’s alternate fee, and inflation fee, amongst others.

— The Indian authorities goals to cut back the nation’s reliance on imported crude oil however faces challenges because of sluggish home oil output amid rising demand. In 2015, the federal government aimed to cut back reliance on oil imports to 67 per cent by 2022. Nevertheless, import dependency has solely elevated.

Do You Know:

— India’s crude oil imports rose to 219.9 million tonnes (mt) within the 11 months to February from 213.4 mt within the year-ago interval. In the meantime, home oil manufacturing declined barely to 26.2 million tonnes from 26.9 million tonnes.

— India—the world’s third-largest shopper of crude oil and additionally one of its prime importers—is a internet exporter of petroleum merchandise.

— Not like many nations, India is seen as a significant development centre for oil demand given the long run consumption potential and comparatively low per-capita power demand presently.

— The Indian authorities goals to cut back its reliance on imported crude oil however faces challenges because of sluggish home oil output amidst rising demand. In 2015, the federal government aimed to cut back reliance on oil imports to 67 per cent by 2022. Nevertheless, import dependency has solely elevated.

— The most recent being the Oilfield (Regulatory and Growth) Modification Invoice, which was lately handed by the Parliament.

— The federal government has carried out a number of insurance policies to encourage investments in India’s oil and fuel exploration and manufacturing sector. It is usually selling electrical mobility, biofuels, and different various fuels to cut back oil imports.

— Whereas there was a rise in electrical mobility adoption and the mixing of biofuels with typical fuels, it’s not ample to offset petroleum demand development.

Different Vital Articles Overlaying the identical matter:

📍India’s oil import dependency up at 88.1% in April-December as demand development pips home output

UPSC Prelims Query Overlaying comparable theme:

(4) The time period ‘West Texas Intermediate’, generally present in information, refers to a grade of (2020)

(a) Crude oil

(b) Bullion

(c) Uncommon earth parts

(d) Uranium

Mains Query Overlaying comparable theme:

“Entry to reasonably priced, dependable, sustainable and trendy power is the sine qua non to realize Sustainable Growth Objectives (SDGs)”.Touch upon the progress made in India on this regard. (2018)

EXPRESS NETWORK

Chhattisgarh’s new give up coverage for Maoists: Free meals, money, talent & shelter

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Present occasions of nationwide and worldwide significance

Mains Examination: Common Research-III: Function of exterior state and non-state actors in creating challenges to inside safety

What’s the continuing story: As anti-Maoist operation in Chhattisgarh intensifies, Residence Minister Vijay Sharma has introduced a brand new ‘Give up and Rehabilitation Coverage’ for surrendered crimson rebels – provision of free meals, shelter, money, abilities, land and a house.

Key Factors to Ponder:

— Outline Maoism.

— How are Maoism and Naxalism threats to inside safety?

— What are the steps taken by the federal government to counter Naxalism?

— How is it completely different from terrorism?

— Why do Naxals proceed to carry out in Chhattisgarh?

— What’s a Pink hall area?

— What’s the historical past of Naxalism in India?

Key Takeaways:

— “As soon as that’s determined, for 3 years, shelter and meals will likely be free for 3 years. They are going to obtain Rs 10,000/month, will bear talent growth and will get a land and residence underneath the Prime Minister housing scheme. They are going to get additional advantages for bringing a weapon and they may even get the bounty quantity they’ve on their arrest,” he mentioned.

— Beneath the brand new rehabilitation coverage, the state will sponsor the schooling of kids who’ve misplaced mother and father to “Naxal violence”.

— “These displaced because of Naxalism will get financial support and land,” Sharma mentioned.

Do You Know:

— Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2004 has known as the Maoists violence because the “best inside safety menace for the nation”.

— Between 2018 and 2020, Chhattisgarh has accounted for 45% of all incidents within the nation and 70% of safety personnel deaths in such incidents.

— In response to the information offered by the Ministry of Residence Affairs (MHA) in Lok Sabha (2022), Left Wing Extremism (LWE) violence has decreased from 2,258 in 2009 to 509 in 2021.

— Prakash Singh writes: that there are two elementary flaws in our anti-Naxal technique. First, in most states, there’s a tendency to outsource the operations towards Naxals to the central armed police forces. Second, “the event paradigm pursued since independence has all the time been ‘imposed’ on the tribal communities and has been insensitive to their wants and considerations”

Different Vital Articles Overlaying the identical matter:

📍Defined: Combating Left Wing Extremism in Chhattisgarh, and elsewhere

📍 Maoism must be seen as a social and financial downside

Earlier yr UPSC Mains Query Overlaying comparable theme:

Naxalism is a social, financial and developmental concern manifesting as a violent inside safety menace. On this context, talk about the rising points will get a multilayered technique to sort out the menace of Naxalism. (UPSC CSE 2022)

What are the determinants of left-wing extremism within the Jap half of India? What technique ought to the Authorities of India, civil administration and safety forces undertake to counter the menace within the affected areas? (UPSC CSE 2020)

THE IDEAS PAGE

5 years on, 5 classes from Covid lockdowns

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Financial and Social Growth – Sustainable Growth, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, and so on.

Mains Examination: Common Research-II: Authorities insurance policies and interventions for growth in numerous sectors and points arising out of their design and implementation.

What’s the continuing story: Sonalde Desai writes: This March marks 5 years for the reason that world stopped. On March 11, 2020, the World Well being Organisation (WHO) declared Covid a pandemic. On March 24, the Authorities of India declared a nationwide lockdown, one of probably the most stringent globally.

Key Factors to Ponder:

— What’s the trigger of transmission of COVID-19?

— What was the influence of the Covid pandemic on numerous sectors?

— How covid vaccinations had been developed?

— What measures had been taken to supply meals and livelihood to folks in the course of the pandemic?

— What are the collective measures taken on the international stage?

— What’s a pandemic? How is it completely different from an epidemic?

— What are the standards utilized by WHO to declare a pandemic?

Key Takeaways:

— 5 classes from the pandemic are related. First, many issues are international. Closing our borders to maintain illnesses like HIV/AIDS or COVID-19 at bay isn’t an choice.

— There are incipient indicators of growing international biomedical collaboration as seen within the launch of the Indian genomic dataset to encourage international collaborations. This can be a distinctive alternative to create worldwide collaborations wherein India might and ought to take a lead.

— Second, the options typically must be native and regionally related.

— Third, catastrophe preparedness begins with planning and constructing methods that may be activated as wanted. One of the explanations the pandemic and lockdown didn’t result in mass hunger in India was the existence of a public distribution system.

— Fourth, knowledge and data should be half of the DNA of trendy governance.

— Fifth, belief in authorities is the important thing to efficiently implementing troublesome choices throughout emergencies.

Do You Know:

— 4 years after the outbreak of Covid, an skilled group constituted by NITI Aayog has advisable establishing a complete framework to successfully handle future public well being emergencies or pandemics.

— The Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response (PPER) framework has known as for a brand new Public Well being Emergency Administration Act (PHEMA), and the implementation of different measures to make sure a swift and efficient response throughout the first 100 days of the outbreak.

— Public well being emergencies require governments to train particular powers corresponding to necessary screening of folks and placing restrictions on free motion. Through the Covid-19 pandemic, provisions of the Epidemic Ailments Act (EDA), 1897, and the Nationwide Catastrophe Administration Act (NDMA), 2005, had been invoked.

— A pandemic is a illness outbreak that spreads throughout nations or continents. It impacts extra folks and takes extra lives than an epidemic.

Different Vital Articles Overlaying the identical matter:

📍Making ready for the subsequent pandemic: what NITI Aayog report says

📍 Three years since WHO declared Covid-19 a pandemic: What was the primary pandemic of trendy India?

UPSC Prelims Query Overlaying comparable theme:

(5) Within the context of vaccines manufactured to stop COVID-19 pandemic, think about the next statements: (2022)

1. The Serum Institute of India produced a COVID-19 vaccine named Covishield utilizing an mRNA platform.

2. Sputnik. V vaccine is manufactured utilizing a vector-based platform.

3. COVAXIN is an inactivated pathogen-based vaccine.

Which of the statements given above are right?

(a) 1 and 2 solely

(b) 2 and 3 solely

(c) 1 and 3 solely

(d) 1, 2 and 3

FRONT

SC Collegium favours switch of Delhi HC choose after report of money at his residence

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Present occasions of nationwide and worldwide significance

Mains Examination: Common Research-II: Construction, organisation and functioning of the Government and the Judiciary—Ministries and Departments of the Authorities; stress teams and formal/casual associations and their position within the Polity.

What’s the continuing story: The Supreme Court docket Collegium has proposed the switch of Delhi Excessive Court docket choose Justice Yashwant Varma to the Allahabad Excessive Court docket, his dad or mum Excessive Court docket, following a report about money at his New Delhi residence the place a fireplace broke out on March 14.

Key Factors to Ponder:

— What’s collegium?

— What are the challenges going through the transparency and accountability of the judiciary?

— How are judges appointed within the Supreme Court docket and Excessive Court docket?

— What are the challenges going through the judicial system in India?

— What are the constitutional provisions associated to judicial appointments and switch?

— What’s the Nationwide Judicial Appointments Fee (NJAC) Act?

— Why did the SC struck down the NJAC Act?

Key Takeaways:

— The SC Collegium met Thursday night and determined to advocate the switch of Justice Varma again to Allahabad Excessive Court docket. Extremely-placed sources mentioned the five-member Collegium thought of the switch after they had been apprised a few video of the incident at Justice Varma’s residence.

— These developments, aside from creating ripples in authorized circles, echoed in Parliament Friday when Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, referring to the incident involving money on the residence of the choose, mentioned “if the malaise had been handled, maybe we’d not have countenanced such form of points”.

— Dhankhar referred to the Nationwide Judicial Appointments Fee (NJAC) Act, cleared by Parliament in 2014 and struck down by the Supreme Court docket in 2015.

Do You Know:

— Collegium is the system by which judges of the upper judiciary in India — the Supreme Court docket and Excessive Courts — are appointed and transferred. Though not rooted within the Structure or any particular legislation promulgated by Parliament, it has advanced through the years by way of judgments of the apex court docket popularly often called the the “Judges Instances”.

— The Supreme Court docket collegium is a five-member physique headed by the incumbent Chief Justice of India (CJI), and comprising the 4 different seniormost judges at the moment.

— Excessive Court docket collegiums are led by the incumbent Chief Justice and the 2 different seniormost judges of that court docket.

— The SC collegium recommends the names of judges to be appointed to the apex court docket. So do HC collegiums (for his or her respective Excessive Courts), though their suggestions should be accepted by the SC collegium.

— These suggestions attain the federal government, whose position within the course of is proscribed to conducting an Intelligence Bureau (IB) inquiry into the individuals advisable. Whereas the federal government can elevate objections and search clarifications concerning the collegium’s decisions, it’s sure underneath Structure Bench judgments to approve the names if the collegium reiterates the identical.

Different Vital Articles Overlaying the identical matter:

📍 Money in Delhi HC choose’s residence: An unbiased judiciary should even be an accountable judiciary

📍This Phrase Means: Collegium

📍Debate over the collegium system: How are SC and HC judges appointed?

Earlier yr UPSC Prelims Query Overlaying comparable theme:

(6) Take into account the next statements: (2019)

1. The movement to question a Choose of the Supreme Court docket of India can’t be rejected by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha as per the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.

2. The Structure of India defines and offers particulars of what constitutes incapacity and proved misbehaviour’ of the Judges of the Supreme Court docket of India.

3. The small print of the method of impeachment of the Judges of the Supreme Court docket of India are given within the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.

4. If the movement for the impeachment of a Choose is taken up for voting, the legislation requires the movement to be backed by every Home of the Parliament and supported by a majority of complete membership of that Home and by not lower than two-thirds of complete members of that Home current and voting.

Which of the statements given above is/are right?

(a) 1 and 2 solely

(b) 3 solely

(c) 3 and 4 solely

(d) 1, 3 and 4 solely

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🚨 Click on Right here to learn the UPSC Necessities journal for March 2025. Share your views and solutions within the remark field or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨