Data can be an asset for governance, growth and public welfare

 Data is a critical component for measurable and actionable governance and policy perspectives, as well as for triggering innovation and growth. Data to enhance ease of living and efficiency has been addressed through several Government of India initiatives, including the Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile or JAM trinity, the Open Government Data Platform of India, and the National Judicial Data Grid.

The report by the Committee of Experts on Non-Personal Data Governance Framework, led by the ministry of electronics and information technology (NPD Report), and the Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture (DEPA) paper released by NITI Aayog have built on the concept of data’s benefits. Data as a beneficial good is also covered in the Economic Survey 2019, which proposed that data gathered by governments on issues of social interest ought to be democratised in the interest of social welfare, or made a public good.

The DEPA paper states how the architecture “flows from the Centre’s overarching position that data is primarily an economic good”. Its key goal is empowering individuals with control over their personal data, through a robust and dynamic regulatory, legislative, and institutional framework, supported by technology design for secure data-sharing. DEPA involves regulators across banking, securities, insurance, and pensions — namely, RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, PFRDA and the ministry of finance coming together.The DEPA platform’s availability as a public good allows market players across the financial and technology ecosystems as well as new entrepreneurs to have the chance to leverage and build on this digital platform. As the paper states, the problem is not that companies are benefiting from the data of individuals; the problem is that individuals and small firms do not benefit. The consent process of DEPA merits special mention, since it takes care of many of the potential concerns.

Data, especially non-personal data, is a vital component for elevating transparency and good governance. The NPD Reportemphasises its importance from a public good perspective. At the intersection of big data and good governance, access to current big data sets also helps provide opportunities to quickly address issues in new technology-led solutions. The report lucidly sets out the “why” and to a large extent, the “how” to accomplish maximum benefit, with enough flexibility within, to accommodate and dynamically adjust to the ground realities from the legal, regulatory, and design principle components. When weighing the risks and rewards of using big data sets for good governance, what needs to remain contextual is that adequate protections are being afforded to the community and individuals. The utility of raw/factual data sets comprising anonymised user information data that is collected is also crucial. The data sharing purpose is extremely relevant for policy on governance.

The recommendation that India should specify a new class of data at a national level, namely data of special public interest or high-value datasets, while also progressively identifying other priority sectors is important. Also insightful is the emphasis on the need for high quality India-relevant data sets in public good sectors to build on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning systems. Meta-data-sharing too will spur innovation on an unprecedented scale and also promote and encourage the development of domestic industry and startups that can scale their data businesses.

To ensure optimum governance outcomes, access to and utilisation of big data is going to be key. This will benefit Indian society from an ease of living perspective. It will also spur the overall achievement of ease of doing business along with world-leading innovation in India. This is what is contemplated by both DEPA and at a more macro-level, the NPD framework. These are important initiatives in this rapidly evolving landscape.

Amitabh Kant is CEO and Desh Gaurav Sekhri Is OSD, NITI Aayog

Source: Hindustan Times, 12/01/21

Quote of the Day January 12, 2021

 

“A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body.”
Benjamin Franklin

“एक मकान तब तक घर नहीं बनता जब तक उसमे मस्तिष्क और शरीर दोनों के लिए भोजन और अग्नि न हो।”
बेंजामिन फ्रैंकलिन

What is Vanadium?

 The Geological Survey of India has found promising concentrations of Vanadium in the Tamang and Depo areas of Arunachal Pradesh.

What are the new explorations of Vanadium in India?

According to Geological Survey of India, the Vanadium mineralisation is geologically similar to the “Stone Coal” Vanadium deposits of China. The GSI has discovered about seven metre thick carbonaceous phyllite for a length of more than six kilo metres in Depo area. Vanadium was also found in Subansiri district for a length of 15.5 km and thickness of 7 metres.

What is Vanadium?

Vanadium is a by-product obtained from the processing of Vanadiferous magnetite ores. In its pure form, Vanadium is soft, ductile and grey in colour.

How much Vanadium reserves does India hold?

According to Indian Bureau of Mines, the total estimated reserves of Vanadium in India is around 24.63 million tonnes. Of this, the estimated Vanadium Pentoxide is 64,594 tonnes.

What is the Vanadium consumption of India?

India consumes 3,360 metric tonnes of vanadium annually. This is 4% of Vanadium consumed by the world. Globally, 84,000 tonnes of Vanadium is consumed annually.

What is the Vanadium production and consumption in China?

China consumes 44% of world Vanadium production. And China produces 57% of the world Vanadium.

What are the characteristics of Vanadium?

Vanadium alloys are durable in extreme environments. They are corrosion resistant. They improve tensile strength of steel and reinforce steel bars used for tunnels, buildings and bridges. Their atomic number is 23.

What are the major applications of Vanadium?

• The Vanadium Pentoxide is used as a catalyst in the production of Sulphuric acid.
• 85% of the Vanadium produced in the world are used as steel additive. Vanadium steel is used in gears, bicycle frames, axles and other critical components.
• Vanadium Dioxide is used in production of glass coatings that blocks infrared radiation.

National Youth Parliament

 

When was the first National Youth Parliament held?

The first National Youth Parliament was held in 2019 under the theme “be the voice of new India and find solutions and contribute to policy”.

Why is the National youth parliament organised?

The National Youth Parliament is organised to hear the voice of the youth between the age of 18 and 25 years.

Why is National Youth Parliament held on January 12?

It is held on January 12 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Also, the Government of India celebrates the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda as National Youth Day.

How is the National youth parliament held?

It is held at three levels. They are district youth parliament at district level, state youth parliament at state level, National youth parliament at National level.

What is the importance of National Youth parliament?

The National Youth Parliament will encourage the youth of the country to engage and understand the public issues in the view of a common man and form opinion and express them in an articulate manner. Their strong voices will be captured and documented to make them available to policymakers and implementers to take it forward.

Who organises the National Youth parliament?

The National Service Scheme operating under Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

What is National Service Scheme?

The National Service Scheme (NSS) is a central government scheme. It provides opportunity to students of class 11 and 12, graduate and postgraduate students at colleges and Universities to participate in various government alert community services.

What is the objective of National Service Scheme?

The main objective of the scheme is to provide hands on experience to young students in delivering community service.

When was the National Service Scheme started?

1969.

Current Affairs – January 12, 2021

 

India

Supreme Court Slams Centre over farmers protest

On January 11, 2021, Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the controversial agricultural laws. The apex court has proposed to constitute an independent committee chaired by Chief Justice of India to resolve the standoff between the farmers and the union government.

Government of India places order of 11 million doses of COVISHIELD

On January 11, 2021, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the state governments need not pay for vaccinating the priority group of three core health and Frontline workers. The cost or to be Borne by the Central Government. The Government of India has place a purchase order of 11 million doses of COVISHIELD with the Pune based Institute of India. The cost of one dose is 210 rupees including GST.

Government of India order state governments not to shutdown poultry markets

On January 11, 2021, the central government asked the state governments not to shutdown poultry markets. According to the World Health Organisation the virus will be destroyed if the poultry products are cooked at 70 degree Celsius and above .

ISRO to adopt hundred Atal tinkering labs

On January 11, 2021, Niti Aayog, Atal innovation mission and the Indian Space Research Organization announced that the ISRO will be adopting 100 Atal tinkering lab. This is being done to promote space education and space Technology related innovations for school students.

Heritage conservation committee approves construction of new Parliament building

On January 11, 2021, the Heritage conservation committee approved the construction of new parliamentary building. The committee is headed by the secretary of housing and urban affairs ministry.

Environment Minister releases management effectiveness evaluation of 146 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries

On January 11, 2021, the minister of environment in, forest and climate change Prakash Javadekar released management effectiveness evaluation of 146 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the country. The management effectiveness is required to assess the efficacy of protected areas in the country. Currently India has a network of 903 protected areas covering 5% of the total Geographic area of the country.

Khadi Prakritik Paint

The Khadi and Village Commission is to introduce Khadi Prakritik Paint.  The paint has antifungal and antibacterial properties. The main ingredient of the paint is cow dung.

Sea-Vigil 21 exercise

The Indian Navy is to organise a mega defence exercise called Sea Vigil-21. The exercise will cover the 7516 kilometres of coastline and the Exclusive Economic Zone.

Air India operates longest non-stop Flight operated by an all women crew

Air India recently operated the longest non-stop Flight operated by an all women cockpit group. The flight recently landed at the Kempegowda international airport in Bengaluru. They flew for 17 hours.

Kerala government wave entertainment tax for Cinemas

On January 11, 2021, the Kerala government waved entertainment tax for Cinemas to help the film industries in the state.

Abhilash Tomy retires

On January 10, 2021, commander Abhilash Tomy retired from Indian Navy. He was the first Indian to circumnavigate the globe solo and unassisted in a sail yacht.

Turlapati kutumba Rao dies

On January 11, 2021, the veteran journalist and Padma Shri awardee Kutumba Rao died in Vijayawada at age of 87.

Bangladesh to be the country of focus at the 51st international film festival of india

At the 51st international film festival of India, Bangladesh should be the country of focus. The festival is to be organised from January 16 to January 24, 2021 in Goa. In paragraph economy and corporate

Single window clearance portal of coal ministry launched

On January 11, 2021, the ministry of coal launched single window clearance portal. It is a unified platform to facilitate approvals required for starting a coal mine in India.

World

India hands over Chinese soldiers

The Indian Army recently handed over the People’s Liberation Army Soldiers who strayed into Ladakh region.

Tenzin Lekphell appointed as new secretary general of BIMSTEC

Tenzin Lekphell has been appointed as the new secretary general of BIMSTEC. BIMSTEC initiative for multi-sectoral technical and economic cooperation .

William J Burns to Lead The Central Intelligence Agency

On January 11, 2021, the US President elect Joe Biden announced that he has nominated the former career diplomat William J Burns to lead the Central Intelligence Agency.

Ved Prakash Mehta dies

On January 9, 2021, the Indian American novelist and journalist Ved Prakash Mehta died at the age of 86.

Sports

Cheteshwar Pujara crosses 6,000 run mark in Test cricket in his 80th match played in Sydney.

ISRO to adopt 100 Atal Tinkering Labs to promote scientific temperament among students

 ISRO will adopt 100 Atal Tinkering Labs across the country to promote scientific temperament among students and encourage them for space education and space technology-related innovations. This decision was taken by ISRO and Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog at a virtual meeting on Monday.

Through this collaboration, the Indian Space Research Organisation will facilitate coaching and mentoring of students in advanced 21st century cutting-edge technologies, including those related to space, an official statement said.

The students will not only gain theoretical but also practical and application-based knowledge of STEM and Space Education related concepts such as electronics, physics, optics, space technology, material sciences and many more, it said.

Atal Innovation Mission and NITI Aayog have established over 7,000 ATLs across the country so far, enabling more than three million students between classes 6 to 12 to acquire a problem solving, tinkering, and innovative mindset, the statement said.

It said scientists and engineers from ISRO centres, in close coordination with the Capacity Building Programme Office at the space agency’s headquarters, would actively mentor the children, as well as interact with teachers in these ATLs for encouraging experiments, brainstorming ideas and spreading awareness in space activities.

ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan invited students associated with these ATLs to witness the launch of one of its rockets from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, a spaceport at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

In his address, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant expressed joy over collaborating with ISRO to make advancements in space technology via Atal Innovation Mission and its initiatives.

“I am glad that to nurture our future space scientists, ISRO, in collaboration with their regional research centers, are adopting 100 Atal Tinkering Labs where ISRO scientists and researchers will personally guide and mentor the young innovators in the field of STEM education and Space technology,” Kant added.

Source: Indian Express, 11/01/21

A new vision for legal education in India

 

Legal education and law schools are the foundation whose quality, workmanship and solidity determine the beauty, longevity and functional utility of the superstructure of law. But, in India, only a few dynamic and outstanding law schools remain islands of excellence amid a sea of institutionalised mediocrity.

A lawyer is to be a harmoniser, a reconciler, a legal architect, indeed an inventor. The character of law schools determines the character of the Bar and Bench. We must focus on tying up the existing corpus of rich data on legal education into a national legal education plan. The democratisation of legal education is vital. We have to spread distributive equity over inclusive legal education. And the fact that no Indian law school — barring two — finds a place in the top 300 global law schools adds to the urgency of designing a road map to transform legal education.

First, our legal curricula must be made multidisciplinary, creative and flexible. We must integrate topics such as reforms in the justice delivery system, clinical legal education, practitioner’s workshops, legal writing and alternative dispute resolution into a national course module.

Second, there is the serious problem of law teachers, or the lack of them. Law teaching can attract young minds only by shortening the substantial financial gap between leaders of the Bar and teachers. Reciprocally, those under special remunerative schemes have to be bound by valid legal instruments to teach for a minimum duration. A pilot programme must create an alternative remuneration scheme with more public-private partnerships, greater autonomy and special financial terms.

Third, our law libraries are too few and poorly stocked. The latest technological tools of research must link each law school with the best sources of knowledge globally. A library cess levied only on senior advocates across the country must be operationalised for law libraries for maximum ground impact in rurban and rural India.

Fourth, internships and post-degree placements have to be sewn up into a national scheme — today placements are ad hoc with no institutionalised system of matching applicants and hosts. Some students, especially with contacts, have the luxury of plenty, while several of their more talented but less influential colleagues fall by the wayside.

Fifth, a national scheme must ensure that senior practitioners, with expertise in particular areas, compulsorily take a minimum number of classes in lesser-endowed law schools. The legal educational sector, the Bar, the Bench, the corporate legal sector and law firms continue to function in silos of isolated splendour when the need is for the exact opposite— close, continuous, coordinated alignment qua legal education.

Sixth, even experienced and established lawyers, judges and other law persons must submit to periodic and continuing legal education programmes. Judges and lawyers alike should be ready for such short, structured, continuing legal education capsules.

Seventh, our National Law Schools shone because of three important innovations; academic autonomy by making each a stand-alone university; entrance through a strictly merit-based admission system based on a written test; and an integrated, professional five-year law programme plus curricula innovation. Why we don’t have this, even partially, in other Indian law schools, remains a mystery.

Eighth, the 2009 Bar Council resolution that all law schools should establish a legal aid centre to provide inexpensive and efficient advice to needy sections of society has been observed mostly in the breach.

Ninth, the negative impact of stratification of colleges has to be remedied. Central Universities set up by Parliament have their law faculty as the university’s law school. State universities are mostly affiliating universities for private law colleges. There is an institutionalised mediocrity and dilution of academic standards in most of these affiliated colleges. Many do not have adequate and qualified faculty or law libraries with e-resources and no regular conduct of classes and examinations.

Tenth, phasing out of many existing colleges must be completed swiftly. The Madras High Court said in 2017 that 85% of law colleges must be closed, an irony since the number has jumped from 800 in 2000 to 1,500 in 2019. The closure of at least 500 mediocre profit shops would minimise the sale of fake law degrees.

Eleventh, our starry-eyed view of five-year courses must not be at the cost of strengthening the three-year programme which must be made more rigorous and full-time.

Twelfth, the unique aspect of legal education in the United States (US) with its engagement between law firms, corporations, non–governmental organisations, legal aid centres, think tanks, government agencies and intergovernmental organisations, must be replicated in India.

Last, the elephant in the room must be addressed. The Bar Council has too many functions — law reform, disciplining lawyers, setting standards — to do justice to a full-time job like legal education. Electoral politics compromises its independence. An empowered committee of academicians, chief justices and eminent lawyers should be set up or an independent, autonomous National Council for Legal Education and Research must be created to bring objectivity into the system.

Abhishek Singhvi is a third-term MP; jurist; former chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law & Justice; former Additional Solicitor General; and senior national spokesperson, Congress

By Abhishek Singhvi

This is based on a speech delivered at a global conference organised by Jindal Global Law School

Source: Hindustan Times, 10/01/21