Restraint on liberties under Section 144 should not be too general, says Supreme Court - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Restraint on liberties under Section 144 should not be too general, says Supreme Court.

Court had sounded a warning in a 1970 judgment

Restrictions may be imposed under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) on personal liberties in the interest of public order, but they should never be “too general”.

The Supreme Court’s warning to the government over 50 years ago in Madhu Limaye vs Sub-Divisional Magistrate may play a major role if the imposition of Section 144 CrPC in various parts of the National Capital and other areas across the country is challenged in court.
The Limaye judgment by a seven-judge Bench of the apex court in 1970 continues to remain an authority on the nuances of Section 144 CrPC.
The judgment holds that restraining orders under Section 144 CrPC are passed against specific persons whose past conduct breeds “sufficient ground” that he is “likely to commit a breach of peace or disturb the public tranquillity or to do any wrongful act that may probably occasion a breach of peace or disturb the public tranquillity”. Section 144 CrPC is not meant to restrain personal liberties en masse.
But what can authorities do when it is unable to distinguish between trouble-makers and ordinary citizens who want to just get on with their ordinary lives?
“An occasion may arise when it is not possible to distinguish between those whose conduct must be controlled and those whose conduct is clear… A general order may be necessary when the number of persons is so large that the distinction between them and the general public cannot be made. A general order is thus justified, but if the action is too general, the order may be questioned by appropriate remedies for which there is ample provision in law,” the Bench led by then Chief Justice of India M. Hidayatullah held.
A restraining order should be temporary. The order should be reasoned as a person’s liberties are being proceeded against merely on the basis of information and suspicion.
The Supreme Court held that Section 144 CrPC is not a provision for detaining people as contemplated under Article 22 of the Constitution which means ‘preventive detention’ in custody. “Primarily, the provision enable the Magistrate to require the execution of a bond and not to detain a person. Detention results only on default of the execution of a bond,” the court laid down.
“The gist of action under Section 144 CrPC is the urgency of the situation, its efficacy in the likelihood of being able to prevent some harmful occurrences. As it is possible to act absolutely and even ex parte, it is obvious that the emergency must be sudden and the consequences sufficiently grave. Without it the exercise of power would have no justification,” the apex court had ruled. (Source: The Hindu)


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Restraint on liberties under Section 144 should not be too general, says Supreme Court.

India, Afghanistan, Iran meet to monitor implementation of Chabahar pact - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

India, Afghanistan, Iran meet to monitor implementation of Chabahar pact.

The first meeting of this "follow-up committee" took place on October 23 last year

The second meeting between officials of India, Afghanistan and Iran took place here on Friday to monitor implementation of the 2016 agreement regarding development and management of the Chabahar port in Iran, according to an official statement.

"All the three countries welcomed steady progress in port operations by India Ports Global Ltd company since the taking over of the port operations at Shaheed Beheshti Port at Chabahar in December 2018," said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement on Friday.
The second meeting of the "follow-up committee" took place on Friday at the level of "joint secretary/director general" at Delhi.
The Chabahar port -- being jointly developed by India, Iran and Afghanistan -- is considered a gateway to opportunities for trade by the three countries with central Asian nations. It is located on the Indian Ocean in the Sistan and Baluchistan province of Iran.
"It was also agreed to include Mormugoa and New Mangalore Port from India; in addition to JNPT (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Mumbai), Mundra, Kandla and Cochin as part of designated route under the Chabahar Agreement," the MEA said.
A study will be conducted by the Federation of Freight Forwarders' Associations in India (FFFAI) to streamline cargo transit through Chabahar port, they said.
The first meeting of this "follow-up committee" took place on October 23 last year.
"It was agreed to finalise the protocol to harmonise transit, roads, customs and consular matters...It was agreed to organise promotional and business events in Afghanistan and India to popularise the Chabahar port," the MEA said on Friday.
The Chabahar port, which is easily accessible from India's western coast, is increasingly seen as a counter to Pakistan's Gwadar Port which is being developed with the Chinese investment.
The third meeting of the "follow-up committee" will take place in first half of 2020, the MEA said. (Source: The Business Standard)


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India, Afghanistan, Iran meet to monitor implementation of Chabahar pact.

India ranks 59 on IMD World Talent Ranking Report; Switzerland first.-Pragnya Ias Academy News Analysis-Best Coaching Centre

India ranks 59 on IMD World Talent Ranking Report; Switzerland first.

The Top 10 was completed by Austria (4th), Luxembourg (5th), Norway (6th), Iceland (7th), Finland (8th), the Netherlands (9th) and Singapore (10th)

India has slipped 6 places to 59 rank on a global annual list of 63 countries, due to low quality of life and expenditure on education, according to the latest edition of IMD World Talent Ranking, which was topped by Switzerland.

The ranking, which is based on the performance in three main categories -- investment and development, appeal and readiness, noted that India is also lagging behind fellow BRICs countries - China ranked 42nd on the list, Russia (47th) and South Africa (50th).
India also witnessed one of the sharpest declines among Asian economies owing to low quality of life, negative impact of brain drain, and the low priority of its economy on attracting and retaining talents.
"The drop is a combination of several factors including expenditure on education (per student) and the quality of education which may be linked to the GDP growth," said Jose Caballero is a Senior Economist at the IMD Business School Switzerland and Singapore.
Caballero further said: "There are other issues that have an equally important impact than GDP growth, such as the effectiveness of the health system and women's participation in the labour force".
On India's appeal factor with regard to the recent pollution issues, Caballero said, "Remuneration is an issue but when combined with other factors, exacerbate the status of the country in terms of Appeal".
Switzerland retained its title as the world's top talent hub, while Europe lead the way in fostering the best conditions for competitiveness in a skills-scarce global economy.
Denmark was placed second and Sweden, was in the third place.
The Top 10 was completed by Austria (4th), Luxembourg (5th), Norway (6th), Iceland (7th), Finland (8th), the Netherlands (9th) and Singapore (10th).
The countries at the top of the rankings share strong levels of investment in education and a high quality of life.
Meanwhile, China ranked in the lower half of the index. China (42nd) fell 3 places due to low ranking on government expenditure per student, cost of living index and exposure to particle pollution.
In Asia, Singapore, along with Hong Kong SAR (15th) and Taiwan (20th) lead in terms of talent competitiveness due to the readiness of talent pool.
Singapore rose from 13th to 10th position compared to last year, Hong Kong SAR from 18th to 15th, and Taiwan from 27th to 20th.
"Most leading economies emphasize long-term talent development by focusing on investment and development. This emphasis, however, goes beyond purely academic aspects to encompass the effective implementation of apprenticeships and employee training. Such an approach ensures a consistent alignment between talent demand and supply," said Professor Arturo Bris, Director of the IMD World Competitiveness Center. (Source: The Business Standard)


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India ranks 59 on IMD World Talent Ranking Report; Switzerland first

Steep climb in global nitrous oxide levels: Study - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Steep climb in global nitrous oxide levels: Study.

Global atmospheric levels of nitrous oxide (N2O) increased 10 per cent between 2000-2005 and 2010-2015, according to a new research. The absolute value of the increase was 1.6 TgN per year.

N2O is the third-most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). It has the highest global warming potential among the three — 300 times than CO2.
The research also flagged a discrepancy in the way the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates N2O levels.
Scientists from several institutes in Europe and the United States, including some from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), collaborated for the research. Its results were published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
The authors of the paper brought together N2O emission estimates deduced from three global atmospheric inversion frameworks from 1998 to 2016, themselves based on N2O observational data from global networks.

Within this, IIASA contributed data from the Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model.
“We see that the N2O emissions have increased considerably during the past two decades, but especially from 2009 onwards,” Rona Thompson, senior scientist at NILU and lead author of the study, said. She did not offer any reason for the increase post-2009.
“Our estimates show that the emission of N2O has increased faster over the last decade than estimated by the IPCC emission factor approach,” Thompson said.
The panel’s estimates were based on the extent of usage of fertilisers and manure by different countries and a default emission factor — the amount of N2O emitted relative to the amount of nitrogen fertiliser used.
The current research found the estimation factor to be 2.3 (+/- 0.6) per cent — much above IPCC’s default 1.375 per cent.
“The larger emission factor, and the accelerating emission increase found from the inversions suggest that N2O emission may have a non-linear response at global and regional scales with high levels of nitrogen input,” according to a IIASA statement.
Authors of the study recommended using more complex algorithms and region-specific emission factors to estimate N2O.
The main reasons for this dramatic increase in N2O levels since the mid-20th century and especially in the past two decades has been the “production of nitrogen fertilisers, widespread cultivation of nitrogen-fixing crops (such as clover, soybeans, alfalfa, lupins, and peanuts) and the combustion of fossil and biofuels,” according to the authors of the research. (Source: down to earth)


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Steep climb in global nitrous oxide levels: Study

IEA projects rapid increase in installed solar capacity by 2040 - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

IEA projects rapid increase in installed solar capacity by 2040.

However, it expects carbon dioxide emissions to continue rising for decades.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has projected a rapid increase in installed capacity of solar power by 2040, from 495 GW now to 3,142 GW, in its latest World Energy Outlook (WEO).
This is a massive departure from its previous stance as the projected capacity addition trend now is almost the exact opposite of the projection made in 2018.
The strong growth of solar has now been projected on account to optimistic policy changes around the world, including China’s partial reversal of a decision to reduce subsidies; India’s announced target of 450 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030; and strengthening of some renewables portfolio standards in the United States.
Despite turning bullish on solar, IEA remains conservative in its projections compared to other energy thinktanks such as the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) which in its recently released 'Future of Solar Photovoltaic' report projected solar growth to be over 6,000 GW by 2040.
IEA is an inter-governmental organisation established in the framework of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The WEO is its flagship publication.
In the 2019 edition, IEA projects a ‘profound shift’ in global energy systems, with rapid increase in the installed solar capacity by 2040, flattening of coal-based power generation and a decline in reliance of oil.
However, it expects (CO2) emissions to continue rising for decades unless polices reflect greater ambition on climate change. This is primarily due to the longevity of the existing stock of coal-based plants, which account for 30 per cent of all energy-related emissions.
In the developing countries of Asia where the majority of the new plants are located, the average age of coal-based plants is just 12 years.
Mapped climate scenarios
The report models three policy scenarios. The first is the Current Policy scenario where the world continues to function according to the old regulations and the energy demand rises annually by 1.3 per cent by 2040.
The second scenario is the Stated Policy Scenario, formerly known as New Policies Scenario, which incorporates new policies already announced by governments, where the energy demand rises by one per cent per year.
The third, more ambitious, Sustainable Development Scenario (SDS) scenario charts out a path aligning with the Paris agreement to maintain the global temperature well below two degrees Celsius (°C) and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.
However, the report does not define a pathway for the world’s temperature increase to remain below or at 1.5°C from the pre-industrial levels.
Additionally, the SDS comes quite close to the Stated Policies scenario, with the additional reliance on carbon sequestration beyond 2050 to overcome the overshoot. IEA points to the difficulty in the sustainable delivery of an extensive end-of-century deployment plan.
Importantly, IEA doesn’t see energy-related CO2 peaking by 2040 due to economic growth and population increases.

Change in energy mix
Under the Stated Policy scenario, solar surges ahead of coal and gas to become the largest source of installed power by 2035, if stated policies and targets are perused.
Growth of coal-based capacity is expected to decline marginally post-2020, and remain around 2100 GW.
As for generation, the share of renewable generation could nearly double, from 26 per cent today to 44 per cent to 2040, surpassing coal-based generation in 2026.

IEA’s past projections
The IEA has long faced criticism for being overtly bullish with its prediction of coal and other fossil fuel dependence, and underpaying the importance being gained by solar PV.
For instance, in its WEO 2012 report, IEA had suggested that solar capacity will grow by 15 GW in 2015. However, in reality, the solar capacity in 2015 was 52 GW.
Even in successive publications following the 2012 report, the projected amount for 2015 remained lower than actual. Similarly, its 2013 report projected a growth of 29 GW by 2018 whereas the actual in 2018 was close to 108 GW.
Moreover, in its 2016 projection it suggested a decline in solar capacity growth post 2035.


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IEA projects rapid increase in installed solar capacity by 2040.

India leads mobile ad fraud in Asia, blockchain can help fix issues: Report -Pragnya Ias Acadamy-News Analysis

India leads mobile ad fraud in Asia, blockchain can help fix issues: Report.

Only 37% respondents are aware of Blockchain and its application to fraud prevention.

India is leading mobile ad fraud in Asia with a rate of 62 per cent as marketers are spending nearly 20 per cent of their advertising budget on ad fraud, a new report said on Monday.
Nine out of 10 marketers said there is scope for improvement in ad fraud prevention methods while 95 per cent respondents felt that lack of penalties and transparency in industry regulations give rise to ad fraud," said the report titled 'Ad Fraud Benchmark Report' from global non-profit organization Mobile Marketing Association.
Major types of ad fraud are cookie stuffing (74 per cent), adware traffic (65 per cent), data fraud (61 per cent) and ad injection (54 per cent).

Only 37 per cent respondents are aware of Blockchain and its application to fraud prevention, said the report published in collaboration with a leading research firm Decision Lab.
"In India, the awareness on ad fraud risks is very low with almost a fifth of the marketers being unclear of their ad fraud budget and majority of them believing that fraudulent activities will only increase," said Moneka Khurana, Country Head, MMA India.
"Marketers must understand the potential of technologies such as Blockchain that can help solve issues related to fraud and create security and transparency in mobile marketing ecosystem," Khurana added. (Source: The Business Standard)


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India leads mobile ad fraud in Asia, blockchain can help fix issues: Report

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