17 September 2022

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – Cybersecurity in India: GS III – Internal Security

Context:

• To improve India’s cybersecurity system, the government of India recently met with representatives from NASSCOM and the private sector.

Why Do We Need a National Cybersecurity Strategy?

• The Number of Cyber Attacks Is Growing: According to Palo Alto Networks’ 2021 report, Maharashtra was the top targeted state in India, receiving 42% of all ransomware attacks.
• The study claims that because India is one of the most economically rewarding countries for hacker groups, they frequently demand ransom payments from Indian businesses in cryptocurrencies to regain access to their data.
• Ransomware would affect one out of every four Indian firms in 2021, which is more than the global average of 21%.
• Cyber Warfare Offensives: The US government is one of many that has invested a significant sum of money in developing not only anti-attack defences but also the capability to launch destructive cyber warfare offensives.
• The countries with the most sophisticated cyberwarfare capabilities are regarded to include the United States, China, Russia, Israel, and the United Kingdom.
• Digital usage is on the rise. Post-Covid: Critical infrastructure, including banking, manufacturing, power, and nuclear power plants, is being quickly digitalized.
• For Protecting Critical Sectors: This is particularly crucial given the growing interconnectedness of industries and the proliferation of internet access points, which may increase even further with the rollout of 5G.
• According to data kept and submitted to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, 6.97 lakh cyber security events were reported in the first eight months of 2020, almost matching the total number reported in the previous four years put together (CERT-In).

About cyberattacks:

• In order to target “a vast swath” of India’s electricity sector, a Chinese organisation by the name of Red Echo has boosted the use of tools like malware.
• The spyware called ShadowPad, which makes advantage of a backdoor to access servers, was released by Red Echo.
• The supply chain software and IT infrastructure of Bharat Biotech and the Serum Institute of India were found to have flaws and vulnerabilities by the Chinese hacker group Stone Panda.
• Regarding the government: A substantial amount of sensitive data about the nation (geographic, military-strategic assets, etc.) and its people is kept by a local, state, or federal government.
• People should be aware that their uploaded images, videos, and other personal data on social networking sites may be abused by others, posing a major and even fatal risk.
• For companies: Systems used by businesses include a lot of data and information.
• A cyber assault could lead to the loss of sensitive customer and employee data as well as competitive information (such patents or original work), which would completely undermine public confidence in the organization’s integrity.

What Constitutes a National Cyber Security Strategy’s Core Elements?

• Large-scale digitization of public services: Security should be given top priority in all digitization activities.
• enhancing institutional capability for rating, certification, and assessment of fundamental devices
• It is important to report vulnerabilities and events as soon as they occur.
• Supply chain monitoring and mapping for integrated circuits (ICT) and electronics devices.
• utilising the nation’s global assets in semiconductor design at the strategic, tactical, and technical levels.
• Integrating SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) security to protect critical information infrastructure
• maintaining a database of vulnerabilities.
• establishing a high-level security baseline for the industry and monitoring its controls.
• Establishing cyber-insurance policies and creating audit standards for threat readiness.
• Digital payments include, for example, the mapping and modelling of deployed devices and platforms, the supply chain, transacting entities, payment processes, interfaces, and data sharing.
• Creating policies at the state level, dedicating funds specifically for this purpose, reviewing digitalization strategies, and defining security architecture, operations, and governance standards are all part of state-level cyber security.
• Security for small and medium-sized businesses: Cybersecurity policy intervention that offers incentives for better cybersecurity readiness.
• Creating security frameworks, protocols, and architectures to support the industrialisation and adoption of IoT.

What suggestions are made in the report?

• Budgetary Provisions: It is advised that cyber security receive at least 0.25 percent of the annual budget, with the possibility of going up to 1 percent.
• 15-20% of each ministry’s and agency’s IT/technology expenditures should be set aside for cybersecurity.
• Additionally, it suggests setting up a cybersecurity Fund of Funds and providing central funding to governments so they can improve their cybersecurity capabilities.
• Research, innovation, skill development, and technology development are encouraged by the report, along with investments in deep-tech cyber security innovation and ICT modernization and digitisation. Outcome-based initiatives should also be used to create a short- and long-term cyber security agenda.
• A “cyber security services” made up of personnel from the Indian Engineering Services is another idea put out by the DSCI.
• To effectively prepare for a disaster, DSCI encourages organising cybersecurity simulations that include real-life scenarios and their effects.
• Cyber Insurance: Actuarial science is needed to manage cybersecurity risks in corporate and technology contexts and estimate threat exposures in this relatively new field of insurance.
• India’s international relations are significantly impacted by cyber diplomacy. As a result, important regional organisations like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) must maintain their readiness for cyber security through initiatives, exchanges, and business support.
• The government should strengthen India’s reputation as a trustworthy actor in cyber security and appoint “Cyber envoys” to important nations and regions in order to better diplomacy.
• Cybercrime Investigation: Due to the global increase in cybercrime, the research recommends that legislation be passed to handle spamming and fake news in order to relieve the pressure on the legal system.
• It also suggests setting up specific courts to handle cybercrime, reducing the backlog of cybercrime cases, and developing a five-year plan that accounts for projected technological changes.
• In order for law enforcement organisations to stay up to date in the era of AI/ML, Blockchain, IoT, Cloud, and Automation, DSCI also suggests that they undergo advanced forensic training.

Source The Hindu

 2 – Recognition of Political Parties: GS II – Election related issues

Context:

• Some retired bureaucrats have petitioned the Election Commission of India (ECI) to cancel the Aam Aadmi Party recognition.

Political party registration is governed by the terms of Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951:

• According to the rules established by the Election Commission of India in exercising the authority granted by Article 324 of the Commission of India and Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, a party seeking registration with the Election Commission under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, must submit an application to the Commission within 30 days of its formation.

The requirements listed below need to be fulfilled in order to be considered for a “National Political Party”:

• It receives at least 6% of the legitimate votes cast in any four or more states during a general election for the House of the People or the State Legislative Assembly.
• A minimum of four seats in the House of People must also come from any State or States for it to succeed.
• It receives at least 11 seats in the House of People, or 2% of the total 543 seats, and these representatives are chosen from at least three different states.

The requirements listed below need to be fulfilled in order to be considered for a “State Political Party”:

• It wins either the House of People or the Legislative Assembly of the State in question with at least 6% of the valid votes cast in a general election in that state.
• Additionally, it wins two seats or more in the state legislature.
• It must win three seats in the Assembly or at least 3% (3%) of the total number of Legislative Assembly members in the State.

Benefits:

• If a party is recognised as a “National Party,” it is entitled to exclusive allotment of its reserved symbol to candidates it creates throughout India. If a party is recognised as a “State Party,” it is entitled to exclusive allotment of its reserved symbol to candidates it creates in the State in which it is recognised.
• Recognized “State” and “National” parties can submit nominations with just one proposer and are entitled to two free sets of electoral rolls during roll revision as well as one free copy of the electoral roll during general elections.
• They also have access to broadcast and telecasting resources during general elections via Akashvani and Doordarshan.
• The election spending reports of the candidates for their party are not to include the travel costs of prominent campaigners.

Source The Hindu

 3 – Single-Use Plastic: GS III – Environmental Conservation

Context:

• The Indian government, working with state governments, has been putting a lot of effort into eliminating single-use plastics from India. Recently, a meeting on the subject was convened.

Principal producers:

• Half of the single-use plastic used in the world is produced by 20 large firms.
• A Chinese-owned petrochemicals behemoth and a Bangkok-based company came after two American companies.
• Banks in particular are one of the project’s primary investors in the financial services sector.
• Governments have a big impact on this sector. Over 40% of the largest single-use plastic producers in the world are owned by governments, including those of China and Saudi Arabia.

Growth:

• Single-use plastic has performed remarkably well, and this pattern is anticipated to remain. Within the following five years, a 30% increase in production capacity is anticipated.
• Between wealthy and poorer nations, there is a huge wealth gap:
• The ordinary Indian consumes less than one-twelfth of the 50 kilos of single-use plastic that the average American uses each year.

Concerns:

• Less Recycling: Only about 8% of plastic is recycled in the United States. Newly generated plastic is much less expensive to manufacture things from than recycled plastic.
• Limited Efforts: State and local governments have outlawed certain products like plastic grocery bags, foam cups, and drinking straws. However, there hasn’t been much progress in reducing the production of single-use plastic.
• The majority of consumer advocacy initiatives to persuade them to use less plastic have failed.
• Global Initiatives: In order to comply with a legislation passed by the European Union in 2025, consumer brands must use at least 30% recycled material in their plastic bottles.
• Indian Initiatives: The Union government released a multi-ministerial plan in 2019 to discourage the use of single-use plastics across the nation in an effort to rid India of them by 2022.
• The 2016 Plastic Rubbish Management Rules increased the obligation of manufacturers and brand owners to collect waste produced by their products.

About:

• Plastics for one-time use, also referred to as throwaway plastics, are used just once before being thrown away or recycled.
• These products include, for instance, plastic bags, straws, coffee stirrers, soda and water bottles, and the majority of food packaging.
• Because it is so convenient and affordable, plastic has replaced all other materials in the packaging industry, yet it takes hundreds of years to disintegrate.
• It is a serious problem. The numbers show that of the 9.46 million tonnes of plastic waste produced in our nation each year, single-use plastic makes up 43%.
• Single-use plastic products can also help stop the spread of disease.
• Syringes, applicators, drug tests, bandages, and wraps are examples of disposable medical equipment.
• Additionally, single-use plastic products have been incorporated into the fight against food waste, extending the freshness of food and beverages and lowering the danger of contamination.

Problems:

• Petroleum-based plastic is not biodegradable and typically ends up in the environment, either in a landfill or in the ocean after being dumped into the water.
• During the breakdown process, toxic chemicals (additives used to form and harden the plastic) are released and end up in our food and water systems.

What to do:

• It is necessary to find alternatives that are resource-conserving and economically and environmentally viable, and their costs will decrease as demand increases.
• It is important to promote substitutes like cotton, khadi bags, and biodegradable plastics.
• More R&D (Research and Development) and funding are needed to find sustainable viable options.
• Citizens must change their behaviour, participate in rubbish management, and refrain from littering.

Source The Hindu

 4 – Lightning in India:GS III – Environmental Conservation

Context:

• A recent lightning strike resulted in a few fatalities and reported damage to infrastructure.

About:

• A significant amount of electricity is released into the environment very quickly. A extremely brief, high-voltage electrical discharge between a cloud and the ground or within a cloud, accompanied by a blinding flash, a loud bang, and occasionally thunderstorms, is a natural occurrence.
• Cloud-to-cloud or cloud-to-cloud lightning (IC) is visible and safe.
• Cloud to ground (CG) lightning is risky because of the “high electric voltage and electric current” that result in electrocution.

Mechanism:

• It is brought on by the difference in electrical charge between a cloud’s top and bottom.
• The clouds that produce lightning typically have a base that is 1-2 km from the Earth’s surface and a height of 10–12 km. The summit’s temperature ranges from -35 to -45 degrees Celsius.
• Water vapour condenses into water as it rises in the cloud because of the lower temperatures. Large amounts of heat are produced throughout the process, which causes the water molecules to rise.
• As the temperature drops below zero, drops turn into little ice crystals. They develop mass as they ascend, becoming so heavy that they must descend.
• As a result, smaller ice crystals rise while larger ones fall throughout the system. The ensuing collisions result in the release of electrons in a manner similar to the production of electric sparks. The free electrons that are travelling cause more collisions and more electrons, which sparks a chain reaction.
• The top layer of the cloud becomes positively charged as a result, while the middle layer acquires a negative charge.

Other information:

• Within a short period of time, a huge current that can range from thousands to millions of amps starts to flow between the layers.
• It produces heat, which warms the air column positioned between the two cloud layers.
• This heat causes the air column to appear red during lightning.
• When a hot air column expands and sends out shock waves, thunder is the result.

The Earth’s Surface Is Pounded:

• The Earth is a very good conductor of electricity. While electrically neutral, it is positively charged when contrasted to the cloud’s middle layer. As a result, approximately 20% to 25% of the current flow is directed towards the Earth.
• Damage to life and property is caused by the current flow.
• Lightning is more likely to strike higher items on the ground, such as trees or buildings, than it is to strike low-lying objects.
• Lightning A conductor is a device that prevents structures from being struck by lightning. During construction, a metallic rod taller than the structure is inserted in the building’s walls.
• The shore of Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela has the greatest lightning activity on the planet.
• Every year, on average, 260 storm days occur around the Catatumbo River’s confluence with Lake Maracaibo, with 28 lightning flashes per minute in October – a phenomena known as the Beacon of Maracaibo or the Everlasting Storm.

Climate Change and Lightning: What’s the Connection?

• According to a study published in 2015 by California University, an increase of one degree Celsius would increase the incidence of lightning strikes by 12%.
• In March 2021, a study published in Geophysical Research Letters found ties between climate change and increased lightning strikes in the Arctic.
• Between 2010 and 2020, the number of lightning strikes recorded throughout the summer months increased from around 18,000 at the start of the decade to over 1,50,000 by 2020.
• As a result, the Indian Institute of Tropical Management (IITM) believes that the rise in lightning strikes is linked to the climate crisis and the availability of more moisture over land as a result of global warming.
• The IITM in Pune is India’s sole full-time lightning and thunderstorm research institute.

In India, Lightning Strikes Have Increased:

• According to India’s second annual report on lightning, released recently by Lightning Resilient India Campaign (LRIC), 18.5 million lightning strikes were reported in India between April 2020 and March 2021.
• Climate Resilient Observing-Systems Promotion Council (CROPC), National Disaster Management Authority, India Meteorological Department (IMD), Union Ministry of Earth Science, World Vision India, and UNICEF are among the organisations that have joined forces to form LRIC.
• By 2022, the programme hopes to reduce the number of deaths to under 1,200 per year.
• Between April 2019 and March 2020, at least 13.8 million strikes were documented, a 34 percent increase over the previous year.

Source The Hindu