Daily News Simplified -

DNS
20 03 21
Notes
SL. THE HINDU
TOPICS
NO. PAGE NO.

1 IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules, 2011 - (WhatsApp) 01

2 Bill to amend GNCTD Act - (Delhi) 06

QUAD Partnership – Counter-challenge to China

3 06 + 13
New phase of US-China ties comes with tests for India

4 Houthis march on Yemen's Marib 13

5 Govt. questions Global Hunger Index 09

1. UPSC Current Affairs: Centre asks HC to stop WhatsApp’s new privacy policy | Page – 01

UPSC Syllabus: GS Paper II – Polity & Governance

Sub Theme: IT (Intermediaries guidelines) Rules, 2011 | Privacy Policy| UPSC

Context: The Centre asked the Delhi High Court to restrain WhatsApp from implementing its new privacy
policy, which is likely to take effect on May 15. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
(MeitY), in an affidavit, said the policy was not in tune with the IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules, 2011.

 Notably, the rules require a body corporate who collects, stores or otherwise deals with data to issue
a privacy policy providing for certain safeguards, in addition to imposing various other obligations. The
impugned privacy policy violates the 2011 Rules..,” MeitY said.
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 The Ministry said WhatsApp’s policy fails to specify types of sensitive personal data being collected.
Crucially, there is no distinction between personal data or sensitive personal data which is being
collected,” the Ministry said.

IT ACT – INTERMEDIARIES

Intermediary, with respect to any particular electronic records, means any person who on behalf of another
person receives, stores or transmits that record or provides any service with respect to that record and
includes telecom service providers, network service providers, internet service providers, web-hosting service
providers, search engines, online payment sites, online-auction sites, online-market places and cyber cafes;

The Information Technology (Intermediaries guidelines) Rules, 2011

Due diligence to he observed by intermediary — The intermediary shall observe following due diligence while
discharging his duties, namely : —

(1) The intermediary shall publish the rules and regulations, privacy policy and user agreement for access-or
usage of the intermediary's computer resource by any person.
(2) Such rules and regulations, terms and conditions or user agreement shall inform the users of computer
resource not to host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, update or share any information that —
(a) belongs to another person and to which the user does not have any right to;
(b) is grossly harmful, harassing, blasphemous defamatory, obscene, pornographic, paedophilic, libellous,
invasive of another's privacy, hateful, or racially, ethnically objectionable, disparaging, relating or encouraging
money laundering or gambling, or otherwise unlawful in any manner whatever;
(c) harm minors in any way;
(d) infringes any patent, trademark, copyright or other proprietary rights;
(e) violates any law for the time being in force;
(f) deceives or misleads the addressee about the origin of such messages or communicates any information
which is grossly offensive or menacing in nature;
(g) impersonate another person;
(h) contains software viruses or any other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt, destroy or
limit the functionality of any computer resource; (i) threatens the unity, integrity, defence, security or
sovereignty of India, friendly relations with foreign states, or public order or causes incitement to the
commission of any cognisable offence or prevents investigation of any offence or is insulting any other nation.
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2. UPSC Current Affairs: Bill to amend GNCTD Act - (Delhi) | Page – 06

UPSC Syllabus: GS Paper II – Polity & Governance

Sub Theme: National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 | Article 239AA | UPSC

The Centre’s Bill seeking to amend the law relating to the running of the National Capital Territory of Delhi
claims that it is aimed at giving effect to the interpretation given by the Supreme Court judgments on Delhi’s
governance structure. The proposed changes are the very antithesis of what the Court has said. The Bill, if it
becomes law, will wholly undermine the Court’s efforts to strengthen the elected government vis-à-vis the
appointed Lieutenant Governor. The Constitution Bench verdict of July 4, 2018, said: “The Lieutenant
Governor has not been entrusted with any independent decision-making power. He has to either act on the
‘aid and advice’ of the Council of Ministers, or he is bound to implement the decision taken by the President
on a reference being made by him.” The ‘aid and advice’ clause pertains only to matters on which the elected
Assembly has powers under the State and Concurrent Lists, but with the exception of public order, police and
land, and, wherever there are differences between the L-G and the elected government, the former should
refer the question to the President. The Court was at pains to clarify that the power to refer “any matter” to
the President did not mean that “every matter” should be referred thus. The guiding principle was that the
elected government should not be undermined by the unelected administrator. The Bill introduced in the Lok
Sabha does violence to this interpretation.

The Bill seeks to declare that in the context of legislation passed by the Delhi Assembly, all references to the
‘government’ would mean the “Lieutenant Governor”. Indeed, Delhi is a Union Territory; but it is somewhat
incongruous for a territory with an elected House to be declared the sole domain of the L-G. The apex court
had rightly concluded that the scheme set out in the Constitution and the Government of National Capital
Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, envisages a collaborative structure that can be worked only through
constitutional trust. The proviso to Article 239AA, which empowers the L-G to refer a difference of opinion
with the Council of Ministers to the President, does not mean that the administrator is given an opportunity to
come up with a different opinion on every decision made by the Ministry. Yet, it is precisely what the Bill
proposes to do. And it is quite incongruous that instead of Parliament identifying the matters on which the L-
G’s opinion should be sought, the Bill proposes that the L-G himself would specify such matters. The clause
that declares void any rule that empowers the Assembly or its Committees to discuss any matter of day-to-day
administration or conduct enquiries amounts to a rollback of representative government. The ‘Union
Territory’ concept is one of the many ways in which India regulates relations between the Centre and its units.
It should not be used to subvert the basis of electoral democracy.
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3. UPSC Current Affairs: QUAD Partnership – Counter-challenge to China + New phase of US-China ties

comes with tests for India | Pg 06 + Pg 13

UPSC Syllabus: GS Paper II – International Relations

Sub Theme: QUAD | Osaka declaration | The challenge of countering China | UPSC

Relevance of this article

1. It deals with the international relation question of GS paper 2.

2. It covers broad aspects of Indo-US, Indo-China, QUAD relevance and Indo-Pacific importance in
current geopolitics.

Background of the title: recently US and Chinese official met in Alaska to discuss the course of current
geopolitics. This is first time that a geopolitics relevant meeting has been organized in Alaska. This shows the
rising global concern on Climate Change. This submit has come after QUAD’s first virtual meeting and serious
of visits by US official to nations including India.

Quad in focus:

Background on QUAD

1. America is back; Joe Biden

2. US sees China as its primary policy challenge for global leadership (why)
3. QUAD might provide the counter challenge (HOW?)
4. Each QUAD partner has one or the other issue with the China; China’s coercion with Australia,
Senkaku island (map relevant) issue with Japan, border aggression with India (other matters also
which include Cartographic aggression, BRI, inroads to Indian Neighbours and all-weather friendship
to Pakistan including defense trade)
5. Recent QUAD meeting focused on 3Cs that is COVID vaccine, climate change and critical technology.
This shows the soft diplomatic aspect of QUAD nations as against previous assumption of it being the
defense bloc or security alliance. However, China is apprehensive that it could be the 4 th C.

Vaccine diplomacy:

This is a new buzzword in current geopolitics and this could bring India at the center stage to fight the global
pandemic. India has already shown it vaccine diplomacy by registering the highest number of vaccine exports
and donations (over 58 million to 71 nations). However, India has to take a word of caution as domestic need
of over 300 million has to be met right on time and as there is second wave surge of COVID case, India might
end up going slow in its vaccine donation plan.

QUAD nations other than India, must acknowledge the fact that initiative to provide over a billion doses from
the India soil should come with a waiver on TRIPS agreement.

Climate change, technologies:

New US president is positive about the fight against the climate change and would provide required funds for
this purpose (including that to Green Climate Fund). However, developing nations like India would expect
more including the transfer of technology.
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Similarly, on technological front India has far more expectation from QUAD member other than vaccine
support. This would include; telecommunication, rare earth minerals, defense technologies (THAAD), green
technologies, strategic technologies (nuclear from Japan and Australia) among other. India is already
apprehensive regarding the data localization (Osaka declaration: initiative seeks the removal of prohibitions
on data localization and urges nations to negotiate rules on data flows, cloud computing among others.)

How to handle china?

China is India’s foreign policy concern and also the necessity (explain how?)

India has been the prime supporter of maritime security and rule based maritime order in East China sea
(India has strategic relations with Vietnam, high Value trade passes from this area and there is nine dash line
issue).

India has been facing the tough stance from China as seen in recent Galwan clash. However, India cannot take
the external help explicitly to counter Chinese aggression. This could be counterproductive and incite further
tension in the South Asian arena.

However, to take balanced approach towards china, India requires to go for three major initiative: expend
more resources, troops, infrastructure, secondly, ensure no recurrence of the People’s Liberation Army. Lastly
focus more on the continental arena rather than maritime arena.

Direction for India:

India has perceived QUAD just like other grouping and assume same role to assure strategic autonomy (key
word).

India has to take best out of QUAD and try to expand its approach on the soft diplomacy. This could provide
India a bargaining chip to further meet its desired objectives like entry to United Nation security council, entry
to Nuclear supplier group among other.
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4. UPSC Current Affairs: Houthis march on Yemen’s Marib | Page - 13

UPSC Syllabus: Mains – GS Paper II – International Relations

Sub Theme: Unrest in Yemen | Houthi rebels | UPSC

 Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have made major advances on Marib city after seizing a strategic
mountain in clashes that caused dozens of casualties on both sides, government sources said on
Friday.
 The Houthis and the internationally recognised government have been locked in a power struggle
since 2014, when the rebels seized control of the Yemeni capital Sanaa.
 Since last month, the rebels have been pushing to seize Marib, the government’s last northern
stronghold and the capital of an oil-rich region.
 The Houthi rebels “took control of Mount Hilan overlooking the city, after fighting which left dozens of
dead and wounded on both sides,” a source said.
 The loss of Marib would be a huge blow for the Yemeni government, but would also affect civilians,
including one million displaced people sheltering in desolate camps in the surrounding desert.
 The Houthis had “cut the supply lines of some fronts and are now within firing range of the Al-
Mashjab line west of Marib city,” the source added.
 Meanwhile, a drone strike sparked a fire at a Riyadh oil refinery on Friday, in an attack claimed by
Houthis.
 Marib houses a key oil refinery that produces 90 percent of the country’s liquefied petroleum gas,
which is used for cooking and heating in almost all Yemeni households. Severe fuel shortages already
plague many areas across the country.
 The fighting in Marib could displace at least 385,000 people, according to the UN migration agency.
Four displacement camps in the province have been abandoned since the start of the offensive, said
Olivia Headon of the International Organization for Migration in Yemen.
 Yemen has been convulsed by civil war since 2014 when the Houthis took control of the capital of
Sanaa and much of the northern part of the country, forcing the government of President Abd-Rabbu
Mansour Hadi to flee to the south, then to Saudi Arabia.
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5. UPSC Current Affairs: Govt. questions Global Hunger Index | Page – 09

UPSC Syllabus: Prelims: Social Issues | Health & Nutrition

Sub Theme: Global Hunger Index | UPSC

Union Minister of State for Agriculture Parshottam Rupala, in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, questioned the
methodology and data accuracy of the Global Hunger Index (GHI) report, which has placed India at 94 th among
107 countries in 2020.

The Minister said the government had written to the NGO, Welthungerhilfe, which compiles the report,
expressing concerns about their methodology, data accuracy and sample size and was yet to hear from them.

Government’s argument

 According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-4, the percentage of wasted, stunted and
malnourished children in 2015-16 stood at 21, 38.4 and 35.7, respectively.

 Compared to NFHS-4 data, the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS) of 2017-18 showed
an improvement of 4%, 3.7% and 2.3% in wasted, stunted and malnourished children respectively.

 CNNS was commissioned by the government in 2016 and was conducted from 2016-18, led by the
Union Health Ministry, in collaboration with the UNICEF. CNNS includes only nutrition data, whereas
NFHS encompasses overall health indicators.

GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX 2020

 GHI is a peer-reviewed annual report, jointly published by Concern Worldwide, an Ireland-based

humanitarian group, and Welthungerhilfe, a Germany-based NGO.
 The data for the indicators come from the United Nations and other multilateral agencies, including
the World Health Organization and the World Bank.
 It is designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country
levels.
 It says the aim of publishing the report is to trigger action to reduce hunger around the world.
 The GHI scores are calculated each year to assess progress and setbacks in combating hunger. It is
calculated on the basis of four indicators:
o Undernourishment: Share of the population with insufficient caloric intake.
o Child Wasting: Share of children under age five who have low weight for their height,
reflecting acute undernutrition.
o Child Stunting: Share of children under age five who have low height for their age, reflecting
chronic undernutrition.
o Child Mortality: The mortality rate of children under the age of five.

INDIA’S PERFORMANCE IN INDEX

 With a score of 27.2, India has a level of hunger that is “serious”.

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 It ranks 94 out of 107 countries in the Index. In 2019, India’s rank was 102 out of 117
countries.
 India is behind Nepal (73), Pakistan (88), Bangladesh (75), Indonesia (70) among others.
 Out of the total 107 countries, only 13 countries fare worse than India including countries
like Rwanda (97), Nigeria (98), Afghanistan (99), Liberia (102), Mozambique (103), Chad (107)
among others.
 Performance on various Indicators:
o Undernourishment: 14% of India’s population is undernourished (2017-19). It was
16.3% during 2011-13.
o Child Wasting: 17.3% (2015-19), it was 15.1% in 2010-14.
o Child Stunting: 34.7%, it has improved significantly, from 54% in 2000 to less than
35% now.
o Child Mortality: 3.7%, it was 5.2% in 2012.