22 December Current Affairs

Telecommunications Bill 2023

News:-

The government introduced the Telecommunications Bill 2023 in the Lok Sabha. It seeks to repeal the Indian Telegraph Act, of 1885, the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, of 1933, and the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act, of 1950. It also amends the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Act, 1997.

Provisions of Telecommunications Bill 2023

Authorization for Telecom-related Activities:

• Prior authorization from the central government will be required to provide telecommunication services, establish, operate, maintain, or expand telecommunications networks, or possess radio equipment.
• Existing licenses will continue to be valid for the period of their grant, or for five years, where the period is not specified.

Assignment of Spectrum:

• Spectrum will be assigned by auction, except for specified uses, where it will be allocated on an administrative basis. These include purposes such as national security and defense, disaster management, weather forecasting, transport, satellite services such as DTH and satellite telephony, and BSNL, MTNL, and public broadcasting services.
• The central government may re-purpose or re-assign any frequency range. The central government may also permit sharing, trading, leasing, and surrender of spectrum.

Satellite Internet Allotments: 

• The Bill introduces provisions for allocating spectrum to satellite Internet providers like OneWeb (supported by Bharti) and U.S.-based companies such as SpaceX's Starlink.
• Presently, active authorizations have been granted to OneWeb and Jio, paving the way for satellite-based Internet services.

Powers of Interception and Search: 

• Messages or a class of messages between two or more persons may be intercepted, monitored, or blocked on certain grounds.
• Such actions must be necessary or expedient in the interest of public safety or public emergency and must be in the interest of specified grounds which include: the security of the state, prevention of incitement of offenses, or public order.
• Telecom services may be suspended on similar grounds. The government may take temporary possession of any telecom infrastructure, network, or services in the occurrence of any public emergency or public safety.
• An officer authorized by the government may search premises or vehicles for possession of unauthorized telecom networks or equipment.

Powers to Specify Standards:

The central government may prescribe standards and assessments for telecom equipment, infrastructure, networks, and services.

Protection of Users:

• The central government may provide for measures to protect users which include: prior consent to receive specified messages such as advertising messages, creation of Do Not Disturb registers, and a mechanism to allow users to report malware or specified messages.
• Biometric Authentication is mandatory for telecom customers to combat spam calls and messages.
• Entities providing telecom services must establish an online mechanism for registration and redress of grievances.

Cholera

About:

• Cholera, a water-borne disease primarily caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholera strains 01 and 0139, poses a significant public health challenge worldwide.
• Strain 01 is the predominant cause of outbreaks, with 0139 occurrences being rare and mostly confined to Asia.
• It is an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine.
• The infection is often mild or without symptoms, but sometimes can be severe.

Symptoms:

• Profuse watery diarrhea, Vomiting, Leg cramps

Transmission:

• A person may get cholera by drinking water or eating food contaminated with the cholera bacterium.
• The disease can spread rapidly in areas with inadequate treatment of sewage and drinking water.

Vaccine:

• Currently, there are three WHO pre-qualified Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCV), Dukoral, Shanchol, and Euvichol-Plus. All three vaccines require two doses for full protection.

Geographical Distribution and Cholera Trends

• The majority of cholera cases persistently emanate from Africa and Asia, with Europe sporadically reporting "imported cases."
• In Africa, the 2022 cholera cases were more dispersed compared to 2021, with no single country reporting more than 25% of all cases and 30% of all deaths.
• However, this apparent improvement is overshadowed by the doubling of case and death numbers in countries apart from Nigeria, which experienced a massive cholera outbreak in 2021.
• A similar pattern of increased cases was observed in Asia, notably in countries like Lebanon, Syria, and Afghanistan.

Reforming Multilateral Development Banks

• Multilateral development banks (MDBs) are financial institutions that provide loans, grants and technical assistance to developing countries for their economic and social development.
• MDBs include the World Bank Group, the Asian Development Bank, the African Development Bank the Inter-American Development Bank, etc.
• MDBs have been instrumental in supporting the development of both low-income and middle- income countries (LICs and MICs) by addressing issues such as poverty reduction, infrastructure development, human capital formation, etc.
• However, MDBs are also facing several challenges and limitations that affect their relevance and performance in the changing global context. Therefore, there is a need to reform and strengthen MDBs to make them more responsive and effective in addressing the emerging challenges and opportunities in the digital space.

What is the Need for Reforming MDBs

• The current legal and institutional framework of MDBs is outdated and inadequate to deal with the rapid changes and complexities of the digital ecosystem.
• The current framework was established after World War II to address the post-war reconstruction and development needs of the less developed countries.
• The current framework does not reflect the contemporary realities and aspirations of the developing countries, especially those of the Global South.

To Enhance their Relevance and Performance in Supporting Developing Countries:

• The current operation strategies and business models of MDBs are not optimal for meeting the diverse and evolving needs of developing countries in pursuing inclusive and sustainable development.
• The current strategies and models do not leverage the full potential of MDBs to mobilize resources and partnerships, foster policy dialogue and alignment, monitor and evaluate progress, and address gaps and challenges.
• The current strategies and models do not diversify their portfolio of instruments and modalities to provide tailored and flexible solutions for different contexts and sectors.
• The current strategies and models do not support innovation and technology transfer for development solutions, especially for adaptation and resilience.

Implications for India

• India, as a leader and partner of the Global South, has a stake and a role in shaping the reforms of MDBs to make them more responsive and effective in addressing these issues and opportunities.

• India is also a major borrower and beneficiary of MDBs, especially the World Bank Group and the Asian Development Bank.
• India has received loans and grants from these institutions for various sectors such as infrastructure, health, education, agriculture, etc.
• India is also a contributor and shareholder of MDBs.
• India has provided capital and resources to these institutions to support their operations and lending capacity.
• India has also participated in their governance and decision-making processes.

Role of MDBs in Addressing Poverty and Inequality

Supporting the Implementation of the SDGs:

• The SDGs(sustainable development goals) are a set of 17 global goals that aim to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure peace and prosperity for all.
• MDBs can help developing countries align their national policies and strategies with the SDGs, mobilize resources and partnerships, monitor and evaluate progress, and address gaps and challenges. 
• MDBs can also support cross-cutting issues such as gender equality, human rights, governance, etc., that are essential for achieving the SDGs.