07 March 2024

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – Global Burden of Cancer: GS II – Health-related issues

Context:

• The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer division of the World Health Organisation (WHO), presented the most recent estimates of the global burden of cancer in 2022 ahead of World Cancer Day on February 4th.
• According to the IARC estimates, there is an urgent need to address cancer disparities globally, given the growing burden of cancer and its disproportionate impact on marginalised people.

Which are the WHO’s Key Takeaways for the Global Burden of Cancer in 2022?

Worldwide Burden:

• 20 million new instances of cancer and 9.7 million deaths from the disease are predicted for 2022.
• 5 million people were predicted to still be alive five years after receiving a cancer diagnosis.
• Cancer affects 1 in 5 persons at some point in their lives.

Typical Types of Cancer:

• In 2022, the ten most common kinds of cancer accounted for approximately two thirds of all new cases and deaths worldwide.
• Lung cancer accounted for 2.5 million new cases globally, or 12.4% of all new cases, making it the most common cancer.
• With 2.3 million instances, or 11.6% of all cases, female breast cancer came in second, ahead of colorectal, prostate, and stomach cancers.

Principal Causes of Death:

• The most common cause of cancer-related fatalities (18.7% of all cancer-related deaths) was lung cancer (1.8 million deaths), which was followed by colorectal cancer (900 000 deaths, 9.3%), liver cancer, breast cancer, and stomach cancer.
• The resurgence of lung cancer as the most frequent malignancy is probably connected to Asia’s long-term tobacco consumption.

Cancer Disparities:

• The incidence of cancer has varied dramatically depending on human development. This applies especially to breast cancer.
• In nations with extremely high Human Development Indexes, 1 in 12 women may receive a breast cancer diagnosis during their lifetime, and 1 in 71 will pass away from the disease.
• In comparison, one in 48 women will pass away from breast cancer in nations with a low HDI, even though only one in 27 women will receive a diagnosis of the disease during their lifetime.
• Compared to women in high HDI nations, women in lower HDI countries had a 50% lower chance of receiving a breast cancer diagnosis. However, because of delayed diagnosis and insufficient access to high-quality treatment, these women also face a much higher risk of dying from the disease.

Estimated Rise in Burden:

• It is anticipated that there would be over 35 million new cases of cancer in 2050, a 77% increase over the projected 20 million cases in 2022.
• The fast increasing incidence of cancer worldwide is a result of changes in risk factor exposure, many of which are linked to socioeconomic development, as well as population expansion and ageing.
• The rising rate of cancer is mostly caused by alcohol, tobacco use, and obesity; air pollution is still a major contributor to environmental risk factors.
• High HDI nations are anticipated to bear the largest absolute rise in incidence, with an extra 4.8 million new cases expected in 2050 compared with estimates for 2022.

Request for Action:

• Major expenditures are desperately needed to address the disparities in cancer outcomes that exist around the world and guarantee that everyone, regardless of geography or socioeconomic background, has access to reasonably priced, high-quality cancer care.

What Are the Most Important Results Concerning India?

• In 2022, India recorded 1,413,316 new cases, with a greater percentage of female patients (691,178 women versus 722,138 men).
• With 192,020 new cases, breast cancer had the largest percentage in the nation, making up almost 26% of cases in women and 13.6% of all patients.
• Cervix and uterine, lung, oesophageal, lip and oral cavity (143,759 new cases, 10.2%), and breast cancer were the next most common cancers in India.
• According to a recent WHO study evaluating the cancer burden in Asia, which was published in The Lancet Regional Health, India was responsible for 28.1% of new instances of lip and oral cavity cancer and 32.9% of global deaths from this disease in 2019.
• This was due to the fact that South Asian nations like Bangladesh, India, and Nepal heavily consume smokeless tobacco (SMT) products including khaini, gutkha, betel quid, and paan masala. SMT accounts for half of the cases of oral cancer globally.
• According to the Lancet Global Health 2023, 23% of cervical cancer-related fatalities worldwide happened in India.
• The five-year survival rate for cervical cancer in India was 51.7%. That being said, India’s survival rate is lower than that of wealthy nations like the US.

Source The Hindu

2 – Delimitation Commission: GS II – Government Policies and Interventions

Context:

• After 2026, the First Census will serve as the basis for delineating the constituencies for the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
• Initially delayed by the Covid-19 epidemic and then by Central government delays, the 2021 Census was rescheduled.

Delimitation: What Is It?

• Delimitation is the process of allocating each State’s territorial constituency borders and number of seats for the Lok Sabha and Legislative legislatures.
• It also entails figuring out which seats in these houses should be set aside for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST).
• The “Delimitation Commission,” which was established by a parliamentary legislation, oversees this “delimitation process.”
• Under the Acts of 1952, 1962, 1972, and 2002, delimitation commissions were established four times: in 1952, 1963, 1973, and 2002.
• In 1950–51, the President conducted the first delimitation process with assistance from the Election Commission.

Past:

• Based on the results of the 1971 census, the latest delimitation process that altered the Lok Sabha’s state-by-state makeup was finished in 1976.
• As per the Indian Constitution, the distribution of seats in the Lok Sabha must take into account the population of each state, with the aim of achieving a nearly equal ratio of seats to population in every state. The goal is to guarantee that every voter, regardless of state, has approximately the same weight when casting a ballot.
• But because of this clause, states that showed less interest in population control may wind up with more seats in Parliament.
• In order to prevent such outcomes, the 42nd Amendment Act of 1976 suspended, at the 1971 level, the distribution of Lok Sabha seats among the states and the partition of each state into territorial constituencies, effective until the year 2000.
• The 84th Amendment Act of 2001 gave the government the authority to redraw and rationalise state territorial constituencies based on the population estimates from the 1991 census.
• The 87th Amendment Act of 2003 mandated that constituencies be drawn using the results of the 2001 census rather than the 1991 census.
• It is possible to accomplish this without changing the number of Lok Sabha seats assigned to each state, though.

Articles of the Constitution:

• After each Census, the Parliament passes a Delimitation Act in accordance with Article 82.
• Following each census, states are also divided into territorial constituencies in accordance with the Delimitation Act under Article 170.

What Role Does Delimitation Play?

• By modifying the number of seats in accordance with changes in the population, delimitation guarantees equitable representation in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
• Maintaining the democratic ideal of “one citizen, one vote, one value” depends on this.
• Delimitation is the process of redrawing the borders of geographical constituencies in order to ensure that seats are distributed fairly among various regions while taking population movements into account.
• This assists in avoiding the under- or overrepresentation of particular regions.
• In compliance with constitutional provisions, delimitation determines the distribution of reserved seats for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), guaranteeing sufficient political representation for marginalised populations.
• Delimitation affects federal principles by affecting how states divide their political authority. Maintaining unity among varied regions necessitates striking a balance between federal considerations and population-based representation.

Methods of Population Control:

• In the past, population control measures were intended to be encouraged by the seat freezing based on the 1971 Census. But in light of shifting demographics, the upcoming delimitation process begs concerns about the efficacy and ramifications of this approach.

What Are the Delimitation-Related Concerns?

• population as the determining factor in the representation gap in the Lok Sabha between the northern and southern regions of India.
• The delimitation based only on population ignores the advancements in population control made by the southern states and could result in differences in the federal government’s organisation.
• The southern states provide 35% of the nation’s GDP even though they only make up 18% of the nation’s total population.
• Due to their faster rate of population expansion, the northern states—which did not prioritise population control—are anticipated to gain throughout the delimitation process.
• There were worries that the southern states might lose funding and parliamentary representation after the 15th Finance Commission based its recommendation on the results of the 2011 Census.
• Previously, recommendations to states about financing and tax devolution were based on the results of the 1971 Census.

Impacting SC and ST Reservations:

• In addition to costing southern states seats, the planned seat reallocation and delimitation could provide political parties with a stronghold in the north more influence.
• This might cause the balance of power to move from the south to the north.
• The division of seats set aside in each state (under Articles 330 and 332) for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes would also be impacted by the exercise.

Source The Hindu

3 – Jubilee Year of the Supreme Court: GS II – Judiciary-related issues

Context:

• The Supreme Court of India (SC) celebrated its 75th anniversary and diamond jubilee recently in the Supreme Court Auditorium in Delhi. Additionally, the Indian Constitution’s 75th anniversary falls on the same day.
• Several citizen-centric information and technology projects aiming at improving judicial accessibility and transparency were launched during the occasion.

Which aspects of the event stand out the most?

• The occasion included the debut of several digital projects, such as the Digital Supreme Court Reports (Digi SCR), Digital Courts 2.0, and a redesigned SC website.
• The goal of the Digital Supreme Court Reports (Digi SCR) project is to promote accessibility and transparency by offering free, electronic access to Supreme Court rulings from 1950 onward.
• A major advancement in the efficiency of record-keeping and judicial procedures is represented by Digital Courts 2.0, which use AI to transcribe court sessions in real time.
• The redesigned Supreme Court website provides easy access to judicial information with a user-friendly interface and is available in both Hindi and English.
• The emphasis was on improving the accessibility of justice, especially in distant places, and on extending the authority of the Supreme Court.
• The extension of the Supreme Court Building Complex and other investments in physical infrastructure were emphasised as essential measures to improve judicial efficiency.

What Are the Crucial Details Concerning the Supreme Court?

• Establishment: The Supreme Court was established on January 28, 1950, two days after India became a Sovereign Democratic Republic.
• It took over from the Federal Court of India, which was founded in 1935 by the Government of India Act.
• The British Privy Council was superseded by the Supreme Court, which now has more jurisdiction than its predecessor because it is the highest court of appeals.
• Constitutional Provisions: Part V of the Constitution, Articles 124 to 147, addresses the Supreme Court’s structure, autonomy, authority, and other matters.
• They can also be regulated by the Parliament.
• Present Members: The President of India appoints 34 justices, including the Chief Justice of India, to the Supreme Court of India.
• A Supreme Court with a Chief Justice and seven puisne judges was envisioned in the 1950 original Constitution, which left it up to Parliament to raise the number.
• Chief Justice of India appointments are made by the President following discussions with a subset of Supreme Court and High Court justices.
• The Chief Justice and extra justices from the Supreme Court and High Court advise the President before appointing further judges.
• Any judge appointed other than the Chief Justice of India must first consult with the Chief Justice of India.
• Qualifications for Appointment: An individual must be an Indian citizen in order to be eligible to serve as a Supreme Court judge.
• They also need to be acknowledged by the President as a distinguished jurist and have served as a judge in a high court for a minimum of five consecutive years, or as an advocate in a high court for a minimum of ten consecutive years.
• Nonetheless, there is no minimum age requirement for nomination to the Supreme Court as a judge specified by the Constitution.
• When they turn sixty-five, they retire.
• Judges are not allowed to practise in any Indian court or before any authority once they retire.
• Judge Removal: The President may issue an order to remove a Supreme Court judge from their position.
• Only after receiving a presentation from Parliament in the same session regarding the removal, may the President issue an order for its removal.
• On the basis of demonstrated misbehaviour or incapacity, the speech must receive the endorsement of a special majority of each House of Parliament, which is equivalent to a majority vote of two-thirds of the members present and voting.
• Language of Proceedings and Regulation: Only English is used for Supreme Court proceedings.
• The Supreme Court’s practice and procedure are governed by the Supreme Court Rules, 1966 and 2013, which are created under Article 145 of the Constitution.

Supreme Court independence:

• Fixed Service Conditions: Unless there is a sudden financial emergency, Parliament sets the salaries, allowances, and other perks for judges, guaranteeing consistency in their service conditions.
• In order to maintain financial independence, salaries, benefits, and administrative expenses are charged against the Consolidated Fund, rendering them non-votable by Parliament.
• behaviour Immunity: With the exception of impeachment procedures, Parliament and State Legislatures are not permitted to debate the behaviour of judges (Article 121).
• Power to Punish Contempt: Article 129 of the Constitution grants the Supreme Court the power to punish contempt in order to uphold its authority and rulings.
• Autonomy in Staff Appointment: The Chief Justice of India is unrestricted by the executive branch in selecting Supreme Court employees and determining their terms of employment.
• Protection of Jurisdiction: Parliament may increase but not decrease the Supreme Court’s authority.
• Executive Influence in Judicial Matters to Be Eliminated: The Constitution’s Article 50 requires the judiciary and executive branches to be kept apart in public services.

Relevance of the High Court:

• Guardian of the Constitution: By issuing writs pursuant to Article 32, the Supreme Court upholds the Constitution, guaranteeing its supremacy and defending fundamental rights.
• Maintaining the Rule of Law: By using the Judicial Review power, it serves as the last arbiter in legal disputes, interpreting the law and making sure it is applied fairly.
• Human rights and social justice: The court is essential to advancing social justice, defending underprivileged groups, and respecting these rights.
• Monitoring Executive Overreach: It ensures that the executive branch operates within the bounds of the law by acting as a check on it.

The Way Ahead:

• Dividing the Supreme Court: The Tenth Law Commission of India suggested creating the Constitutional Division and the Legal Division as the two separate branches of the Supreme Court.
• The plan stated that the Constitutional Division would consider only cases pertaining to constitutional law.
• In a similar vein, the Eleventh Law Commission reaffirmed in 1988 that dividing the Supreme Court would improve justice accessibility and lower legal fees.
• In order to hear cases involving non-constitutional matters, the 229th Law Commission Report of 2009 suggested setting up four regional benches in Delhi, Chennai or Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai.
• Enhanced Judicial Sitting: In order to alleviate the backlog of unresolved cases, the Malimath Committee recommended raising the Supreme Court’s working days to 206 days and reducing vacation time by 21 days.
• In a similar vein, the 2009 Law Commission suggested in its 230th report that all judicial levels shorten court vacations by 10 to 15 days in order to reduce the backlog of cases.
• Reexamining the NJAC’s Establishment: The NJAC Act may be revised to include measures guaranteeing its constitutionality and restructured to guarantee the judiciary’s continued majority control.
• Improving Diversity by Gender in the Judiciary: Establishing a set proportion of female judges would encourage the growth of an inclusive legal system in India.
• Gender parity in the judiciary will be achieved with the nomination of Justice B.V. Nagarathna, who is expected to become India’s first female Chief Justice of India in September 2027.

Source The Hindu

4 – Personally Identifiable Information: GS II – Government Policies and Interventions

Context:

• Following a cybersecurity researcher’s alert to the Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-In), the Ministry of Corporate Affairs has addressed a significant vulnerability in its web portal.
• According to reports, the breach exposed over 98 lakh directors of Indian firms’ Personally Identifiable Information (PII), including Aadhaar, Permanent Account Numbers (PAN), Voter identities, dates of birth, phone numbers, and communication addresses.

PII stands for Personally Identifiable Information:

• Any data or information kept on file by a company or organisation that might be used to identify a particular person is known as personally identifiable information, or PII.
• Information like Aadhaar, PAN, voter identity, passport, date of birth, phone number, email address, and biometric data may be included in this.
• Depending on the nation of origin of an individual, different PII components apply.

PII types:

• Direct identifiers and indirect identifiers are the two categories of PII.
• Individually identifiable numbers, such as a driver’s licence or passport number, are examples of direct identifiers.
• Usually, one direct identification is sufficient to establish someone’s identity.
• A non-unique indirect identifier is one. They contain more generic personal information like birthplace and race. A person can only be identified by a mix of indirect identifiers; a single one cannot.
• Certain PII contains more sensitive information than others.

Private Information:

• It is private data that may be used to identify a specific person and that, in the event that it is stolen or disclosed, might be extremely harmful.
• Most current data privacy regulations require organisations to protect sensitive personal information (PII) by encrypting it, limiting access, or implementing other cybersecurity measures. Sensitive PII is often not available to the public.

Non-sensitive Personal Information:

• It’s private information that, if disclosed or taken, wouldn’t seriously hurt an individual.
• It could be specific to an individual or not.
• A social network handle, for instance, wouldn’t be considered sensitive PII. It may be used to identify a person, but with just the name of a social network account, a bad actor couldn’t steal someone’s identity.
• Information like zip code, colour, gender, and religion are also included in this. They are not reliable means of identifying a specific person.

Not PII:

• Information that cannot be used to locate or identify a person on its own is known as non-personally identifiable information, or non-PII. Nonetheless, non-PII can be utilised to identify a specific person when combined with other data.
• Photographic images (particularly of the face or other distinguishing features), place of birth, religion, geographic indications, work details, educational background, and medical records are examples of non-PII information.

What Dangers Come with Exposure to PII?

Theft of Identity:

• Exposure to personally identifiable information (PII) raises the danger of identity theft, in which thieves utilise stolen personal data to assume identities in order to commit fraud.
• Cyberattacks and flaws in digital infrastructure may expose personally identifiable information (PII) of citizens.

Financial Theft:

• Financial fraud may result from exposed personal information (PII), such as credit card numbers or bank account details.
• Criminals have the ability to get access to bank accounts, carry out fraudulent activities, steal money from accounts assigned to recipients of government assistance programmes, and cause financial damage for the victim.

Infractions of Privacy:

• Exposure of PII may infringe privacy, jeopardising people’s autonomy and secrecy.
• Unauthorised access to personal data may lead to harassment, stalking, or invasions of privacy for those involved.

Attacks using social engineering and phishing:

• Cybercriminals may utilise PII that has been made public to launch phishing attacks, which deceive victims into divulging more private information or clicking on harmful links.
• Social engineering attacks, like pretexting and impersonation schemes, use exposed personally identifiable information (PII) to trick people into disclosing private information or allowing unauthorised access.

Repercussions of Data Breach:

• Data breaches frequently result in PII exposure, which can cause large financial losses, remediation expenses, and reputational harm to the company.
• Reduced income, a decline in consumer trust, and heightened scrutiny from stakeholders and authorities can all be detrimental to an organisation.

Source The Hindu