EDEN IAS - WEEKLY CURRENT ROUND-UP 24 June 2018

EDEN IAS
WCR(WEEKLY CURRENT ROUND-UP)
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(EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT & ENRICHMENT NETWORK)
24-JUNE-2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS
WEEK 2 24TH-JUNE
1. POLICE REFORMS IN INDIA 1
2. CRYPTO-CURRENCIES AND THE REGULATORS DILEMMA 7
3. REFUGEE LAW: THE INDIAN PERSPECTIVE 13
4. PARCHED OR POLLUTED: THE IMPENDING WATER CRISIS IN INDIA 16
5. DRAFT NATIONAL DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS POLICY-2018 21
6. THE TOBACCO MENACE IN INDIA 24
7. THE SURGE IN THE SECONDARY MARKET AN ABBERATION OR BEGINNING OF A TREND 28
8. COUNTERING THE DRAGON IN THE INDO-PACIFIC 30

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EDEN IAS WCR-(Weekly Current Round-Up)
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POLICE REFORMS IN INDIA
Introduction
According to Black’s law dictionary, Police is the function of that branch of the administrative machinery of government
which is charged with the preservation of public order and tranquility, the promotion of the public health, safety, and
morals, and the prevention, detection, and punishment of crimes.
The primary role of Police Forces is to
 Uphold and enforce laws.
 Investigate crimes.
 Ensure security for people and property.
Police Forces generally have two arms: Civil and Armed police. The Civil Police is responsible for day-to-day law and
order and crime control. Armed Police is kept in reserve, till additional support is required in situations like riots.
Under the Indian Constitution, police is a subject governed by the states. Therefore, each of the 29 states have their own
police forces. The centre is also allowed to maintain its own police forces to assist the states. Thus, it maintains central
police forces and some other police organizations for specialised tasks such as intelligence gathering, investigation,
research and recordkeeping, and training.
The present Indian police system is largely based on Police act of 1861. After independence some states came out
with their own police acts, for example Bombay Police Act, 1951, Kerala police act 1960, Delhi police act 1978.
States also have their police manuals detailing how police of the state is organised, their roles and responsibilities,
records that must be maintained, etc.
There has been a rise of public demand for an efficient, accountable and people-centric police that steadfastly upholds the
Rule of Law in all situations. Since independence, the National Police Commission as well as multiple expert committees
have submitted successive reports recommending extensive reforms in the Police. These recommendations have mostly
remained unimplemented.
Outstanding Issues with the Police in India
Huge Vacancies
Currently there are significant vacancies within the state police forces and some of the central armed police forces. As of
January 2016, the total sanctioned strength of state police forces across India was 22, 80,691, with 24% vacancies (i.e. 5,
49,025 vacancies). Vacancies have been around 24%-25% in state police forces since 2009. States with the highest
vacancies were Uttar Pradesh (50%), Karnataka (36%), West Bengal (33%), Gujarat (32%) and Haryana (31%).

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Vacancies in the central police forces have been in the range of 6%-14% since 2007. Sashastra Seema Bal (18%), Central
Industrial Security Force (10%), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (9%) and National Security Guards (8%) had relatively high
vacancies.
An Overburdened Force
A high percentage of vacancies within the police forces exacerbates an existing problem of overburdened police personnel.
Police personnel discharge a range of functions related to:
(i) Crime prevention and response (e.g., intelligence collection, patrolling, investigation, production of witnesses in
courts)
(ii) Maintenance of internal security and law and order (e.g., crowd control, riot control, anti-terrorist or anti-
extremist operations)
(iii) Various miscellaneous duties (e.g., traffic management, disaster rescue and removal of encroachments).
In India each police officer is also responsible for a large segment of people, given India’s low police strength per
lakh population as compared to international standards. Therefore, an average policeman ends up having an
enormous workload and long working hours, which negatively affects his efficiency and performance.
While the United Nations recommended standard is 222 police per lakh persons, India’s sanctioned strength is 181
police per lakh persons.
After adjusting for vacancies, the actual police strength in India is at 137 police per lakh persons
Police Accountability
Police forces have the authority to exercise force to enforce laws and maintain law and order in a state. However, this
power may be misused in several ways. For example, in India, various kinds of complaints are made against the police
including complaints of unwarranted arrests, unlawful searches, torture and custodial rapes.
To check against such abuse of power, various countries have adopted safeguards, such as accountability of the police to
the political executive, internal accountability to senior police officers, and independent police oversight authorities.
Constabulary related issues
i) Qualifications and Training: - The constabulary constitutes 86% of the state police forces. A constable’s
responsibilities are wide-ranging, and are not limited to basic tasks. For example, a constable is expected to exercise his
own judgement in tasks like intelligence gathering, and surveillance work, and report to his superior officers regarding
significant developments. He assists with investigations, and is also the first point of contact for the public. Therefore, a
constable is expected to have some analytical and decision making capabilities, and the ability to deal with people with
tact, understanding and firmness.
Note: - The Padmanabhaiah Committee and the Second Administrative Reforms Commission have noted that the
entry level qualifications (i.e. completion of class 10th or 12th in many states) and training of constables do not
qualify them for their role.

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ii) Promotions and Working Conditions: - The Second Administrative Reforms Commission has further noted that
the promotion opportunities and working conditions of constables are poor, and need to be improved. Generally a
constable in India can expect only one promotion in his lifetime, and normally retires as a head constable, which
weakens his incentive to perform well. This system may be contrasted with that in the United Kingdom, where police
officers generally start as constables and progress through each rank in order. Further, in India sometimes superiors
employ constables as orderlies to do domestic work, which erodes their morale and motivation, and takes them away
from their core policing work. The Commission recommended that the orderly system be abolished across states.
iii) Housing: Importance of providing housing to the constabulary (and generally to the police force) to improve their
efficiency and incentive to accept remote postings has also been emphasized by expert bodies, such as the National
Police Commission. This is because in remote and rural areas, private accommodation may not be easily available on
rent. Even in metropolitan areas, rents may be prohibitively high, and adequate accommodation may not be available in
the immediate vicinity of the police stations affecting their operational efficiency.
Crime investigation
In India, crime rate has increased by 28% over the last decade, and the nature of crimes is also becoming more complex
(e.g., with emergence of various kinds of cybercrimes and economic fraud). Conviction rates (convictions secured per 100
cases) however have been fairly low. The Law Commission has observed that one of the reasons behind this is the poor
quality of investigations.
Crime investigation requires skills and training, time and resources, and adequate forensic capabilities and infrastructure.
However, the Law Commission and the Second Administrative Reforms Commission have noted that state police officers
often neglect this responsibility because they are understaffed and overburdened with various kinds of tasks.
Further, they lack the training and the expertise required to conduct professional investigations. They also have
insufficient legal knowledge (on aspects like admissibility of evidence) and the forensic and cyber infrastructure
available to them is both inadequate and outdated. In light of this, police forces may use force and torture to secure
evidence. Further, while crime investigations need to be fair and unbiased, in India they may be influenced by political or
other extraneous considerations.
Police infrastructure
Modern policing requires a strong communication support, state-of-art or modern weapons, and a high degree of mobility.
The CAG has noted shortcomings on several of these fronts.
i) Weaponry: The CAG has found that weaponry of several state police forces is outdated, and the acquisition process
of weapons slow, causing a shortage in arms and ammunition.
ii) Police vehicles: Audits have noted that police vehicles are in short supply. New vehicles are often used to replace
old vehicles, and there is a shortage of drivers. This affects the response time of the police, and consequently
their effectiveness.
iii) Police Telecommunication Network (POLNET): The POLNET project was initiated by the central governed in 2002
to connect the police and paramilitary forces of the country through a satellite based communication network
that will be significantly faster than the existing system of radio communications. However, audits have found
that the POLNET network is non-functional in various states.
iv) Underutilisation of funds for modernisation: Both centre and states allocate funds for modernisation of state
police forces. These funds are typically used for strengthening police infrastructure, by way of construction of

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police stations, purchase of weaponry, communication equipment and vehicles. However, there has been a
persistent problem of underutilisation of modernisation funds.
Police-Public relations
Police requires the confidence, cooperation and support of the community to prevent crime and disorder. For example,
police personnel rely on members of the community to be informers and witnesses in any crime investigation. Therefore,
police-public relations are an important concern in effective policing. The Second Administrative Reforms Commission
has noted that police-public relations is in an unsatisfactory state because people view the police as corrupt,
inefficient, politically partisan and unresponsive.
Possible Solutions
Accountability to the political executive vs. operational freedom
Both the central and state police forces come under the control and superintendence of the political executive (i.e., central
or state government). The Second Administrative Reforms Commission (2007) has noted that this control has been abused
in the past by the political executive to unduly influence police personnel, and have them serve personal or political
interests. This interferes with professional decision-making by the police (e.g., regarding how to respond to law and order
situations or how to conduct investigations), resulting in biased performance of duties.
To allow the police greater operational freedom while ensuring accountability, various experts have recommended that the
political executive’s power of superintendence over police forces be limited.
 The Second Administrative Reforms Commission has recommended that this power be limited to promoting
professional efficiency and ensuring that police is acting in accordance with law.
 Alternatively the National Police Commission (1977-81) suggested that superintendence be defined in the law to
exclude instructions that interfere with due process of law, or that influence operational decisions, or that
unlawfully influence police personnel transfers, recruitment, etc.
 The Supreme Court in Prakash Singh vs. Union of India, 1996 case ordered the centre and states to set up
authorities to lay down guidelines for police functioning, evaluate police performance, decide postings and
transfers, and receive complaints of police misconduct. The court also required that minimum tenure of service
be guaranteed to key police officers to protect them from arbitrary transfers and postings.
Independent Complaints Authority
The Second Administrative Reforms Commission and the Supreme Court have observed that there is a need to have an
independent complaints authority to inquire into cases of police misconduct. This may be because the political executive
and internal police oversight mechanisms may favour law enforcement authorities, and not be able to form an
independent and critical judgement.
The United Kingdom has an Independent Office for Police Conduct, comprising of a Director General
appointed by the crown, and six other members appointed by the executive and the existing members, to
oversee complaints made against police officers. Another example is that of the New York City Police which
has a Civilian Complaint Review Board comprising of civilians appointed by local government bodies and
the police commissioner to investigate into cases of police misconduct.

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India has some independent authorities that have the power to examine specific kinds of misconduct. For example, the
National or State Human Rights Commission may be approached in case of human rights violations, or the state Lokayukta
may be approached with a complaint of corruption.
However, the Second Administrative Reforms Commission has noted the absence of independent oversight authorities that
specialise in addressing all kinds of police misconduct, and are easily accessible.
In light of this, under the Model Police Act, 2006 drafted by the Police Act Drafting Committee (2005), and the Supreme
Court guidelines (2006), states are required to set up state and district level complaints authorities
Model Police Act, 2006
The central government set up the Police Act Drafting Committee (Chair: Soli Sorabjee) in 2005 to draft a new model
police law that could replace the Police Act, 1861. The committee submitted the Model Police Act in 2006, which was
circulated to all the states in 2006
The Model Police Act requires state authorities to have five members-
1) A retired High Court Judge
2) A retired police officer of the rank of DGP from another state cadre
3) A retired officer with public administration experience from another state
4) A civil society member and
5) A person with at least 10 years of experience as a judicial officer or lawyer or legal academic
Outsource or Redistribute some non-core police functions
The Second Administrative Reforms Commission has recommended that one way to reduce the burden of the police forces
could be to outsource or redistribute some non-core police functions (such as traffic management, disaster rescue and
relief, and issuing of court summons) to government departments or private agencies. These functions do not require any
special knowledge of policing, and therefore may be performed by other agencies. This will also allow the police forces to
give more time and energy to their core policing functions.
Constabulary related Recommendations
 One of the recommendations made in this regard has been to raise the qualification for entry into the civil police to
class 12th or graduation. It has also been recommended that constables, and the police force in general, should
receive greater training in soft skills (such as communication, counselling and leadership) given they need to deal
with the public regularly.
 The Second Administrative Reforms Commission has recommended that the orderly system be abolished across
states.
Specialized Investigation Units (SIU)
Experts have recommended that states must have their own specialized investigation units within the police
force that are responsible for crime investigation. These units should not ordinarily be diverted for other duties.

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Improving Police-Public Relations
One of the ways of addressing this challenge is through the community policing model. Community policing
requires the police to work with the community for prevention and detection of crime, maintenance of public
order, and resolving local conflicts, with the objective of providing a better quality of life and sense of security.
It may include patrolling by the police for non-emergency interactions with the public, actively soliciting requests
for service not involving criminal matters, community based crime prevention and creating mechanisms for
grassroots feedback from the community.
Various states have been experimenting with community policing including
 Kerala through ‘Janamaithri Suraksha Project’,
 Rajasthan through ‘Joint Patrolling Committees’,
 Assam through ‘Meira Paibi’,
 Tamil Nadu through ‘Friends of Police’,
 West Bengal through the ‘Community Policing Project’,
 Andhra Pradesh through ‘Maithri’ and
 Maharashtra through ‘Mohalla Committees’.
Directions of the Supreme Court in Prakash Singh vs. Union of India
Context:
In 1996, a petition was filed before the Supreme which stated that the police abuse and misuse their powers. It alleged
non-enforcement and discriminatory application of laws in favour of persons with clout, and also raised instances of
unauthorized detentions, torture, harassment, etc. against ordinary citizens. The petition asked the court to issue directions
for implementation of recommendations of expert committees.
Directions:
In September 2006, the court issued various directions to the centre and states including:
 Constitute a State Security Commission in every state that will lay down policy for police functioning, evaluate
police performance, and ensure that state governments do not exercise unwarranted influence on the police.
 Constitute a Police Establishment Board in every state that will decide postings, transfers and promotions for
officers below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police, and make recommendations to the state government
for officers of higher ranks.
 Constitute Police Complaints Authorities at the state and district levels to inquire into allegations of serious
misconduct and abuse of power by police personnel.

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 Provide a minimum tenure of at least two years for the DGP and other key police officers (e.g., officers in charge
of a police station and district) within the state forces, and the Chiefs of the central forces to protect them against
arbitrary transfers and postings.
 Ensure that the DGP of state police is appointed from amongst three senior-most officers who have been
empanelled for the promotion by the Union Public Service Commission on the basis of length of service, good
record and experience.
 Separate the investigating police from the law and order police to ensure speedier investigation, better
expertise and improved rapport with the people.
 Constitute a National Security Commission to shortlist the candidates for appointment as Chiefs of the central
armed police forces.
According to a report of the NITI Aayog , of 35 states and UTs (excluding Telangana), State Security Commissions had been
set up in all but two states, and Police Establishments Boards in all states. The two states in which the State Security
Commissions were not set up by August 2016 were Jammu and Kashmir and Odisha. Note that the report also found that
the composition and powers of the State Security Commissions and the Police Establishment Boards were at variance with
the Supreme Court directions. For example, in states such as Bihar, Gujarat and Punjab, the State Security Commission was
dominated by government and police officers. Further, many of these Commissions did not have the power to issue binding
recommendations.
Conclusion
The transformative reforms in the Indian Police is possible through appropriate interventions in skill building and attitudinal
training, through reforms that are both bold and practical, and through collective action of all stakeholders to drive a
nationwide campaign for change, keeping in mind, the difficult conditions under which our police functions.
Crypto-currencies and the Regulators Dilemma
Introduction
Crypto -Currencies
A Cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security. A Cryptocurrency is difficult to
counterfeit because of this security feature. A defining feature of a Cryptocurrency, and arguably its most endearing
allure, is its organic nature; it is not issued by any central authority, rendering it theoretically immune to government
interference or manipulation.
The first Cryptocurrency to capture the public imagination was Bitcoin, which was launched in 2009 by an individual
or group known under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. As of May 2018, there were over 17 million Bitcoins in

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circulation with a total market value of over $140 billion. Bitcoin’s success has spawned a number of competing
cryptocurrencies, such as Litecoin, Namecoin and PPCoin.
What is a ‘Blockchain’?
A Blockchain is a digitized,decentralized,public ledger of all Cryptocurrency transactions. Constantly growing as
‘completed’ blocks (the most recent transactions) are recorded andadded to it inchronological order; it allows
market participants to keep track of digital currency transactions without central recordkeeping. Eachnode (a
computer connected to the network)gets a copy of the blockchain,whichis downloaded automatically.
Originally developed as the accounting method forthe virtual currency Bitcoin,blockchains – which use what’s
known as distributed ledger technology (DLT)– are appearing ina variety ofcommercial applications today.
Currently, the technology is primarily used to verify transactions, within digital currencies though it is possible to
digitize code and insert practically any document into the blockchain. Doing so creates an indelible record that
cannot be changed;furthermore,the record’s authenticity canbe verified by theentire community using the
blockchain instead of a single centralized authority.
A block is the ‘current’ part of a blockchain, which records some or all of the recent transactions. Once
completed,a block goes into the blockchain as a permanent database. Eachtime a block gets completed,a new one
is generated. There is countless numberof such blocks in the blockchain, connected to each other (like links in a
chain) in proper linear, chronological order. Every block contains a hash of the previous block. The blockchain has
complete information about different user addresses and their balances right from the genesis block to the most
recently completed block.
The blockchainwas designed so these transactions are immutable,meaning they cannot be deleted. The blocks are
added through cryptography,ensuring that they remain meddle-proof:The data can be distributed,but not copied.
However,the ever-growing size of the blockchainis considered by some to be a problem,creating issues ofstorage
andsynchronization
The blockchainis perhaps the main technological innovation of Bitcoin. Bitcoin isn’t regulated by a central authority.
Instead,its users dictate and validate transactions when one person pays anotherfor goods or services, eliminating
the need fora third party to process orstore payments. The completed transaction is publicly recorded into blocks
and eventually into the blockchain, where it’s verified and relayed by other Bitcoin users. On average, a new block is
appendedto the blockchainevery 10minutes, throughmining.

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What is ‘Bitcoin Mining?’
While traditional money is created through (central) banks, Bitcoins are “mined”. Bitcoinmining is the process by
which transactions are verified andadded to the public ledger, known as the block chain, and alsothe means
through whichnew Bitcoinare released. Anyone with access to the internet andsuitable hardware can participate
in mining. The mining process involves compiling recent transactions into blocks and trying to solve a
computationally difficult puzzle. The participant whofirst solves the puzzle gets to place the next block on the block
chain and claim the rewards. The rewards, which incentivize mining, are both the transaction fees associated with
the transactions compiled in the block as well as newly released Bitcoin.
The primary purpose of mining is to allow Bitcoinnodes to reach a secure, tamper-resistant consensus. Mining is
alsothe mechanism used to introduce Bitcoininto the system. Miners are paid transaction fees as wellas a subsidy
of newly created coins, called block rewards. This both serves the purpose of disseminating new coins in a
decentralized manner as wellas motivating people to provide security forthe system through mining.
Bitcoin is like gold in many ways. Like gold, Bitcoin cannot simply be created arbitrarily. Gold must be mined out of
the ground, andBitcoin must be mined via digital means. Linked with this process is the stipulation set forth by the
founders of Bitcoin that, like gold, it have a limited and finite supply. In fact, there are only 21 million Bitcoins that
can be mined intotal. Once miners have unlocked this many Bitcoins, the planet’s supply will essentially be tapped
out, unless Bitcoin’s protocol is changed to allow for a larger supply. Supporters of Bitcoin say that, like gold, the
fixed supply ofthe currency means that banks are kept in check and not allowed to arbitrarily issue fiduciary media.
But what will happen when the global supply of Bitcoin reaches its limit?

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Functioning of Crypto-currencies
The following concepts govern the functioning ofmost ofthe cryptocurrencies; however,they allvary in some way
orthe other interms of development andimplementation ofthe software or business rules:
 Decentralised: Majority of the fiat currencies in circulation are controlled by a government or a regulatory
body, and their creation can be regulated, based on the internal calculations, forecasts or requirements of the
regulatory or government backing the currency. This is different in the case of cryptocurrencies, whose creation
and transactions are open source and publicly available, controlled by the software code which is again open
source, and rely on “peer-to-peer” networks, rather than a centralised agency or authority. There is no single
entity that can affect or manipulate or regulate any of these aspects of the Cryptocurrency.
 Digital: Cryptocurrencies are completely digital – they could be stored in digital wallets and transferred
digitally to other peoples’ digital wallets or stored on a computer device, a pen drive or a hard drive. The
transactions are also digital – with a public record of the transactions on the network.
 Open Source: Cryptocurrencies developed with the open source methodology have their software source
code available for open review, integration, development and enhancement. Developers can create Application
Programming Interfaces (APIs) with cryptocurrencies without paying a fee and they are open for everyone to use
or join the network, irrespective of nationality, gender or location.
 Miners are the backbone of a Cryptocurrency. Miners pool in hardware and computing power and
collectively verify the authenticity, accuracy, and security of the blockchains. As the blockchain grows, so does
the complexity demanding tremendous amounts of computing power and electricity to power these computers.
Every new block in the chain brings a monetary reward to the miner whose block is accepted, and this injects
wealth into the Cryptocurrency system. The process of mining also generates value for the miners in the form of
transaction fees, which is optional and very low as compared to traditional banking systems.
 Proof-of-work is just a small set of data which is difficult to compute but quite easy for others (peers) in
the network to verify. Miners have to complete a proof-of-work on the present block of transactions, for their
block to be accepted by other nodes in the network as legitimate. The difficulty of this proof-of-work adjusts
based on the business rules of the software, which sets the approximate time limit to a new block. Proof-of-work
difficulty is determined by a self-adjusting target, based on the average number of blocks per hour. If the blocks
are being generated too fast, difficulty increases.
 Blockchain Technology: A blockchain is the electronic ledger which maintains record of all the transactions
from the time the first unit of the Cryptocurrency – the seed - was mined. Blockchain can validate the integrity of
all the units of currency at any given point of time. As a protocol, each new block contains the hash of the preceding
blocks, and this phenomenon links the previous blocks to the new block, thus forming a chain of blocks. This
process validates each block,all the way to the genesis block,integral to the security and integrity of the database.

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Cryptocurrencies as a Disruptive Innovation
Professor Clayton Christensen had coined and defined the term Disruptive Innovation as a “process by which a
product or service takes root initially in simple applications at the bottom of a market and then relentlessly
moves up market, eventually displacing established competitors.” There have been numerous instances where
disruptive technologies have displaced well-established competitors, WhatsApp displacing Short Messaging
Service (SMS) being one such example. Disruptive technologies offer value to the users, in terms of cost-
effectiveness, usability and simplicity. Considering cryptocurrencies in this perspective, they may well have the
potential to displace the existing financial systems which enable electronic flow of money across different political
boundaries. The success of cryptocurrencies could be attributed to the advantages they have, such as:
1. Privacy Protection: Privacy and anonymity of the transacting parties was the prime concern of the
proponents of cryptocurrencies when the idea was promulgated, and these became part of the underlying
principles. The use of pseudonyms conceals the identities, information and details of the parties to the
transaction – perquisites for privacy enthusiasts.
2. Cost-effectiveness: Electronic transactions attract fees and charges, which is on the higher side when the
transactions are transnational and undergo currency conversion, or attract processing fee levied by the
banks, third party clearing houses or gateways. Debit or credit card transactions also attract a processing
or transaction fee when used overseas, which is somewhere of the order of 1% to 3%, while electronic
transfers could exceed to 10% or 15%. Cryptocurrencies solve this problem, as they have single valuation
globally, and the transaction fee is extremely low, being as low as 1% of the transaction amount.
Cryptocurrencies eliminate third party clearing houses or gateways, cutting down the costs and time delay.
All the transactions over Cryptocurrency platforms, whether domestic or international, are equal.
Another facet, which brings the cost down considerably low, is inbuilt security and fraud prevention
mechanism, which accounts for 40% of the costs of payment processing gateways.
3. Lower Entry Barriers: Possessing a bank account or a debit/credit card for international usage requires
documented proofs for income, address or identification. Banks or financial institutions might have their
own set of eligibility criteria for these facilities. Cryptocurrencies lower these entry barriers, they are
free to join, high on usability and the users do not require any disclosure or proof for income, address or
identity.
4. Alternative to Banking Systems and Fiat Currencies: Governments have a tight control and regulation
over banking systems, international money transfers and their national currencies or monetary policies.
Cryptocurrencies offer the user a reliable and secure means of exchange of money outside the direct
control of national or private banking systems.
5. Open Source Methodology and Public Participation: A majority of the cryptocurrencies is based on open
source methodology; their software source code is publicly available for review, further development,
enhancement and scrutiny. The ecosystem of cryptocurrencies is primarily participation based, as software
development, bug reporting and fixing, testing etc. are driven by the wider user base, rather than a closed

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set of individuals or an institution. They have their own consensus based decision making, built-in quality
control and self-policing mechanisms for building frameworks, practices, protocols and processes.
6. Immunity to Government led Financial Retribution: Governments have the authority and means to freeze
or seize a bank account,but it is infeasible to do so in the case of cryptocurrencies. For citizens in repressive
countries, where governments can easily freeze or seize the bank accounts, cryptocurrencies are immune
to any such seizure by the state.
Despite these numerous advantages anduser friendly processes, cryptocurrencies have their own set of associated
risks in the form of volatility in valuation, lack of liquidity, security and many more. Cryptocurrencies are being
denounced in many countries because of their use in grey and black markets. There are two sets of interconnected
risks; one being to the growth and expansion of these platforms in the uncertain policy environment, and the
other being the risks these platforms pose to the users and the security of the state.
Risks from Cryptocurrencies
1. Potential use for Illicit Trade and Criminal Activities: The perpetrators of Wannacry ransom-ware - which
created havoc across 150 countries in May 2017 - demanded ransom of 300-600 USD through Bitcoins.
Cryptocurrencies are virtual and decentralised, well beyond the control or authority of the state. Probably,
this has made their absorption quicker into grey and black markets, ransom-wares and a host of other
illicit activities of crime and money laundering.
2. Potential use for Terror Financing: In the aftermath of the attack on World Trade Centre on September
11, 2001, rigorous vigilance and regulatory controls were imposed on global financial systems to crack
down on terror financing. This moved terror outfits towards money laundering and hawala networks, but
owing to the similar reasons as stated above, cryptocurrencies are also emerging as a new funding stream
for terrorist outfits.
3. Potential for Tax Evasion: Cryptocurrencies are not regulated or controlled by governments,making them
a lucrative option for tax evasion. Sales made or salaries paid in the form of cryptocurrencies could be
used to avoid income tax liability. Taxation rules and regulations may vary from state to state, and many
countries do not yet have policies in place for cryptocurrencies.
Cryptocurrencies in India: Opportunities, Risks and Policy Options
For developing countries like India, disruptive technologies like cryptocurrencies bring their own set of benefits and
risks. At one end, traditional banking systems have their constraints regarding reach and innovation, where private
enterprises fill this space up with novel ideas and innovative business solutions. At the other end, developing countries
are at the lower end of technology adoption life cycle, as far as design, development or entrepreneurship in disruptive
technologies is concerned. These countries are generally caught by surprise, as disruptive innovations suddenly rise
up the value chain and rattle their existing policies, processes, strategies, instruments or technologies.

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Cryptocurrencies could be a great value proposition in this regard for India, but the prominent security threats, in
form of terrorism and left wing extremism, might bring in some hesitation in the early phase of adoption or integration
of this technology with the financial system.
Nevertheless,the three factors which aregoing to shapethe likely outcomes ofpolicy oncryptocurrenciesinIndia
are:
 The thrust of the government towards Digital economy, driven by the flagship programs of the government for
financial inclusion;
 The risks oftax evasion,giventhestringentregulationsin thepastone year forthe crackdownonblack andunaccounted
money; and
 The present security situation and experience with terrorism or Left Wing Extremism.
REFUGEE LAW: THE INDIAN PERSPECTIVE
Introduction
On the occasion of World Refugee Day- June 20th,
there was a fresh debate on the protection and regulation of Refugees. In
fact as per the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), presently there are more than 60 million
refugees worldwide. India currently hosts more than 32,000 refugees who were facing violence and severe prosecution in
several countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Myanmar, China, Somalia, etc. In addition, India has 1, 75,000 long-staying
refugees from Sri Lanka and Tibet who have been given asylum over decades.
The most common reasons for refugee crises are war, domestic violence, human trafficking, natural disasters,
environmental displacement and climate change. With increasing occurrence of the above causes, the number of refugees
will continue to grow. India will also witness increasing fresh arrivals of refugees.
Who is a refugee?
A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence. A
refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in
a particular social group. Most likely, they cannot return home or are afraid to do so. War, ethnic, tribal and religious
violence are leading causes of refugees fleeing their countries.
What is the 1951 Refugee Convention?
The 1951 Geneva Convention is the main international instrument of refugee law. The Convention clearly spells out
who a refugee is and the kind of legal protection, other assistance and social rights he or she should receive from the
countries who have signed the document.
The Convention also defines a refugee’s obligations to host governments and certain categories or people, such as war
criminals, who do not qualify for refugee status. The Convention was limited to protecting mainly European refugees in

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the aftermath of World War II, but another document, the 1967 Protocol, expanded the scope of the Convention as
the problem of displacement spread around the world.
UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugee, 1951
 Defines what the term ‘refugee’ as - A person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual residence;
fears persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political
opinion; and is unable or unwilling to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country, or to return there, for
fear of persecution.
 Outlines a refugee’s rights such as freedom of religion and movement, the right to work, education and
accessibility to travel documents
The principle of non-refoulement
The purpose of the Convention is to assure protection to refugees, as defined in the Convention, by ensuring
that they are not returned to their country or sent to any other territory where they could face persecution.
Article 33 puts forward what has become known as the principle of non-refoulement: ‘No Contracting
State shall expel or return (‘refouler‘) a refugee in any manner whatsoever to the frontiers of territories
where his life or freedom would be threatened on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership
of a particular social group or political opinion’. This protection does not apply however to persons who
represent a security threat to their host country (Article 33(2)). This principle has become part of other
international human rights treaties explicitly and automatically for example-Convention against Torture,
Article 3.
Under the 1951 Convention, mainly Europeans involved in events occurring before 1 January 1951 could apply for refugee
status. The 1967 Protocol removed these geographical and temporal restrictions.
Even though India has been the home for a large number and variety of refugees throughout the past, it has dealt with the
issues on a bilateral basis. It has been observing a ‘refugee regime’ which generally conforms to the international instru-
ments on the subject without, however, giving a formal shape to the practices adopted by it in the form of a separate
statute.
Refugees are no doubt ‘foreigners’. Even though there may be a case to distinguish them from the rest of the ‘foreigners’,
the current position in India is that they are dealt with under the existing Indian laws, both general and special, which are
otherwise applicable to all foreigners. This is because there is no separate law to deal with ‘refugees’. For the same reason,
cases for refugee ‘status’ are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Note: - While India has been human and generous towards refugees, the country has signed neither the
1951 United Nations Refugee Convention nor its 1967 Protocol. India does not have a refugee law also. The
term “refugee” is nowhere mentioned in any domestic laws of India.

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Note: The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 makes illegal migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist,
Jain, and Parsi or Christian religious communities coming from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan eligible
for citizenship
India, with its ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ motto might not have turned them away but has been reluctant in signing important
conventions like the 1951 UN Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol on the Status of Refugees (to which 140 of about
190-odd world nations have been signatories). It’s also appalling to note that India doesn’t have any domestic legislation
that takes into consideration the various needs and rights of refugees on humanitarian grounds.
Views Expressed by the Supreme Court of India
In Dongh Lian Kham vs. Union of India (2016), the Supreme Court stated that the principle of non-
refoulement is part of the guarantee under Article 21 of the Constitution of India irrespective of
nationality.
In NHRC vs. Arunachal Pradesh (1996), the Supreme Court held that the state is bound to protect
the life and liberty of every human being, citizen or otherwise.
Constitutional Safeguards
Article 14: Requires India to “not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal
Protection of the laws within the territory of India.”
 Article 21: prevents the state from allowing any person to be “deprived of his life or personal
Liberty except according to procedure established by law.”
Article 51(c): State is to foster respect for International laws and treaties.
Why India has been reluctant to sign the 1951 Refugee Convention?
 Weak Definition of a Refugee.
The Indian representative raised this concern at the 54th session of the Executive committee
Meeting of UNHCR in 2003. India stated that the definition fails to recognize “the fundamental factors which give rise to
refugee movements”.
 The South Asian Situation is Different
India believed that the 1951 Convention and Protocol were designed to meet the requirements of the post-war European
Countries. The conditions in the South Asian subcontinent were very different.
 Porous South Asian Borders.
The line of argument is that borders in South Asia are extremely porous and any conflict can result in a mass movement of
people. This can have two results: first, a strain on local infrastructure and resources in countries that are poorly equipped
to deal with sudden spikes in population.

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 Little or no Monetary support taken by India
Another argument is that India already does its duty, so where’s the need to sign this piece of paper? It mostly doesn’t even
take UN money to look after the refugees.
 India is a developing country
The resources in India are limited and India cannot bind herself to an international agreement of this kind where her own
domestic laws can get compromised.
 Security Concerns
India is very apprehensive of a situation where such legal documents can be used as a cloak for terrorists and infiltrators
which can create huge challenges for internal security.
 Skepticism about theUNHCR
A major reason offered by some scholars is that India retains a degree of skepticism about the UNHCR. This apparently
flows from the Bangladesh war of 1971.
Conclusion
So what would ratifying the Convention mean for India? Would it be better or worse off for signing it? Most experts believe
pitching your lot with other liberal democracies on an important ethical and humanitarian issue can only bring India good
returns. It will also strengthen India’s claim in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) but there will be many
commitments India will have to take on. As Though we may provide humanitarian support to refugees in distress, internal
security can’t be compromised on any ground.
Parched or Polluted: The impending Water Crisis in India
Introduction
 600 million people face high-to-extreme water stress;
 75 per cent of the households do not have drinking water
 84 per cent do not have piped water access
 70 per cent of our water is contaminated.
“When water is available, it is likely to be contaminated, resulting in nearly 2, 00,000 deaths each year.”
The NITI Aayog’s Composite Water Management Index, which ranks States on water management on the basis of nine
parameters, once again reminds us that India is in the grip of a water crisis that needs to be addressed on a war footing.
The report flags a few factoids that point to how life-threatening the situation is:

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 600 million people face high-to-extreme water stress;
 75 per cent of the households do not have drinking water
 84 per cent do not have piped water access
 70 per cent of our water is contaminated.
“When water is available, it is likely to be contaminated, resulting in nearly 2, 00,000 deaths each year.”
Even as India relies increasingly on groundwater for its irrigation and livelihood needs, with rivers running dry or being
reduced to sewers, it has recently come to light that uranium contamination is common. Moreover, critical groundwater
resources, which accounted for 40% of India’s water supply, are being depleted at “unsustainable” rates and up to 70% of
India’s water supply is “contaminated”.
With water levels dropping to 1,000 feet in dry regions of peninsular India in particular, fluoride contamination too is
on the rise. The report assesses States on restoration of surface and ground water, development of watersheds,
participatory irrigation, sustainable farming and urban water supply and sanitation and places Gujarat, Madhya
Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra in the top five. The Centre expects a new groundwater man-
agement regime as well as a technology partnership with Israel to make a difference.
Twenty-one cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad will run out of groundwater by 2020, affecting
100 million people, the study noted. If matters are to continue, there will be a 6% loss in the country’s Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) by 2050.
Moreover, critical groundwater resources, which accounted for 40% of India’s water supply, are being depleted at “unsus-
tainable” rates and up to 70% of India’s water supply is “contaminated”.
Increased population pressure along with competing demand for water from different sectors (drinking, agriculture,
industry and energy) are putting a huge stress on water resources in India. The data published by the Central Water Com-
mission indicate that agriculture alone accounts for about 85 per cent of all water use, mostly drawn from groundwater.
A growing population, lack of adequate planning, crumbling infrastructure, indiscriminate drilling of bore wells, large-scale
consumption of water, and a false sense of entitlement in using water carelessly are causing water shortages.

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Reasons behind water scarcity in India
The water scarcity is mostly man made due to excess population growth and mismanagement of water resources. Some of
the major reasons for water scarcity are:
Inefficient use of water for agriculture. India is among the top growers of agricultural produce in the world and therefore
the consumption of water for irrigation is amongst the highest. Traditional techniques of irrigation cause maximum water
loss due to evaporation, drainage, percolation, water conveyance, and excess use of groundwater. As more areas come
under traditional irrigation techniques, the stress for water available for other purposes will continue. The solution lies in
extensive use of micro-irrigation techniques such as drip and sprinkler irrigation.
Reduction in traditional water recharging areas. Rapid construction is ignoring traditional water bodies that have also
acted as ground water recharging mechanism. We need to urgently revive traditional aquifers while implementing new
ones.
 Sewage and wastewater drainage into traditional water bodies. Government intervention at the source is urgently
required if this problem is to be tackled.
Release of chemicals and effluents into rivers, streams and ponds. Strict monitoring and implementation of laws by the
government, NGOs and social activists is required.
Lack of on-time de-silting operations in large water bodies that can enhance water storage capacity during monsoon.
It is surprising that the governments at state levels have not taken this up on priority as an annual practice. This act alone
can significantly add to the water storage levels.
Lack of efficient water management and distribution of water between urban consumers, the agriculture sector and
industry. The government needsto enhance its investmentin technology and includeall stakeholders at the planning level
to ensure optimization of existing resources.
Theproblem hasbeencompounded with increased concretization due to urban developmentthat has choked
ground water resources. Water is neither being recharged nor stored in ways that optimizes its use while retaining
the natural ingredients of water. In addition, the entry of sewage and industrial waste into water bodies is severely
shrinking the availability of potable water. Marine life is mostly lost in these areas already. This is the genesis of a
very serious emerging crisis. If we do not understand the source of the problemwe will never be able to find
sustainablesolutions.
India’s water problem is being caused by several factors — increase in population, reduced rainfall, encroachment
of water bodies, poor handling of industrial waste water, exploitation of natural resources, change in food
consumption pattern etc. have all come together to deplete the amount ofwater available. Let us see how the
changeinfood consumptionincreases the demand forwater

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Solutions and Techniques from across the world
We need to look fornew paradigms to obtainusable water from various sources coupled with technology.
Israel
Today, Israel is the most efficient to handle water crisis by adopting innovative technologies, dedicating its greater
resources andsocial consciousness to the water crisis.
 Drip Irrigation — growing crops even in the dessert
70% of the total available fresh water is used by agriculture. So it’s time to revolutionize the farming method to use
less water and Israel is creating wonders in this area. Drip irrigation, an Israel invention in the area of irrigation
process is the modern technique whichis a type of micro-irrigation that has the potential to save water and
nutrients by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either from above the soil surface or buried below
the surface. The goal is to place water directly into the root zone and minimize evaporation. Drip irrigation systems
distribute water through a network ofvalves, pipes, tubing andemitters.
 Waste water recycling
In many countries waste water is not treated at all, polluting rivers and oceans. Whereas in Israel, nearly 85% of the
sewage water is recycled and reused for agriculture.
 Extracting water from the air
Water-Gen Ltd., an Israelicompany whose technology captures humidity inorder to make drinking water out of air.
 Desalination — the process of removing salt from sea water
Israel,one ofthe driest countries onthe earthwith 60% dessert now makes more freshwater than it needs.

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Peru
 Fog Catcher
It is an invention which traps water drops from fog. In desert areas like the Peruvian coast there is lack of water and
rain, but there is a lot of fog. The aim is to capture the micro droplets suspended in the air and trap them in the
mesh. The little water drops caught by this mesh are collected and passed through an organic filter into a tank. From
this tank fresh water is derived.
Solutions to overcome water scarcity problems
 A simple addition of a ‘water free’ urinal in our homes can save well over 25,000 liters of water, per home
per year. The traditional flush dispenses aroundsix liters of water per flush. This must be made mandatory
by law andfollowed up by educationandawareness both at home andschool.
 The amount of water that is wasted during dish washing at home is significant. We need to change our dish
washing methods and minimize the habit of keeping the water running. A small step here canmake a
significant saving in water consumption.
 Every independent home/flat andgroup housing colony must have rainwater harvesting facility. If efficiently
designed and properlymanaged,this alone canreduce the water demand significantly.
 Waste water treatment andrecycling fornon-drinking purposes. Several low cost technologies are available
that canbe implementedingroup housing areas.
 Very often, we see water leaking in our homes, in public areas and colonies. A small steady water leak can
cause a loss of 226,800 liters of water per year! Unless we are aware and conscious of water wastage we will
not be able to avail the basic quantity of water that we need to carry on with our normal lives.
 The government needs to come up with solutions like changing the cropping patternwhich requires less
water and rectify the mistakes that are being done over years.
 There is great awareness now about airpollution, however, India’s water crisis need to get that kind of
attention. We need to be more responsible,sensibleandprudent when it comes to the use ofwater andin
understanding the sentiments ofthepeople.
 The government must give higher MSPs to less resource-intensive cropsandfix its procurement policy.
 It must tell states that it will procure from their farmers if they keep water-productivity in mind; For instance
central procurement in Punjab should shift from paddy to, say, maize,while paddy should be procured from
states like Assam andBengal.

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Conclusion
The government has come upwith a Rs. 6,000-crore World Bank-aided Atal Bhujal Yojana with community
participation to ensure sustained groundwatermanagementin overexploited andgroundwater-stressed areas in
sevenStates.
There needs to have a multidisciplinaryapproach involving various scientists and ecologists to devolve various
water management techniques so thateffective solutions are created than building dams andcanals.
We need to connect with nature to help rebalance thewater cycle ina sustainable and cost-effective way by
planting new forests,reconnecting rivers to floodplains and restoring wetlands. Governments, communities, the
private sector, and researchers must collaborate.
Conscious efforts need to be made at the household level and by communities, institutions and local bodies to
supplement the efforts ofgovernments and non-governmentalbodies inpromoting waterconservation.
Sustained measures should be taken to prevent pollution of water bodies, contamination of groundwater and
ensure proper treatment of domestic and industrial waste water. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle must be the
watchwords ifwe have to handover a liveable planet to the futuregenerations.
Draft National Digital Communications Policy – 2018
Introduction
Digital infrastructure and services are increasingly emerging as the key enablers and critical determinants of a
country’s growth and well-being. With significantly advanced capabilities in both telecommunications and software,
India, more than most countries, stands poised to benefit from harnessing the new digital technologies and platforms; as a
means to unlock productivity, as well as to reach unserved and underserved markets; thus catalysing economic growth
and development, generating new- age jobs and livelihoods, and ensuring access to next generation services for its
citizens.
The task before India’s policy makers is to ensure that the advantages of the new technologies are accessible to all
equitably and affordably; while securing them against existing and emerging threats.
India needs to particularly ensure that its communications infrastructure supports the entire population, whose
demographic profiles vary widely across various indices such as literacy, economic conditions and urbanisation. It is
important for India to remain sensitive to these factors and promote policies that increase opportunities for their social and
economic development.
Digital India is already unfolding
 India’s digital profile and footprint is one of the fastest growing in the world. With over a billion mobile phones and
digital identities and half a billion internet users, India’s mobile data consumption is already the highest in the
world.

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 Over 200 million Indians regularly use social media and in the last year alone, over 200 million Indians took to
mobile banking and digital payments. At the current pace of digitisation and digitalisation, it is estimated that
India’s digital economy has the potential to reach one trillion USD by 2025.
 The rapid and unprecedented proliferation of the mobile phone, the internet, social media platforms, digital
payments, data consumption and generation across India indicate that the data economy and digital technologies
and services are no longer the prerogative of the privileged few; but that they have indeed evolved into widespread
instruments of access and empowerment for more than a billion Indians.
The objective under such circumstances should be to lay out a policy and principles framework that will enable creation of
a vibrant competitive telecom market to strengthen India’s long term competitiveness and serve the needs of our aspiring
nation. It has been broadly estimated that a 10% increase in broadband penetration in a country could potentially
lead to an over 1% increase in GDP. However, studies in India estimate that the impact could be significantly higher for the
country, given the increased productivity and efficiency gains that are likely to accrue to the economy.
What should India do?
 Currently, India has approximately 1.5 million kilometers of OFC, and less than one-fourth of the towers are fibre-
connected. In order to expand mobile and broadband connectivity across the country, it is necessary to expand this
network.
 It would be critical to focus on fixed infrastructure development and Right of Way clearances that will form the
bedrock of next generation technologies.
 While India has embarked on one of the world’s largest rural optic fibre roll-outs in the world, aiming to connect
600,000 of its villages by broadband through its flagship initiative called ‘BharatNet’; the convergence of a cluster
of revolutionary technologies including 5G, the cloud, IOT and data analytics, along with a growing start-up
community, promise to accelerate and deepen its digital engagement, opening up a new horizon of opportunities.
Hence they must be emphasized.
 As the world prepares for what is increasingly being called as the fourth industrial revolution, India, and indeed
every single sector of its economy, need to be readied to embrace this wave.
 A robust, competitive landscape, which ensures availability of new communications technologies, services and
applications, is central to the growth of GDP, productivity and creation of new jobs in the economy. For consumers,
competition leads to innovation, access to new technologies, improved quality, affordable prices and wider choice.
 Improvement in regulation and ongoing structural reforms are the pillars of a sound policy initiative. Regulatory
reform is not a one-off effort, but a dynamic, long-term and multidisciplinary process
 Continued improvement in the regulatory frameworks required for attracting investments and ensuring fair
competition, and to serve the needs of Indian citizens. Given the sector’s capital-intensive nature, any policy should
be designed to attract long-term, high quality and sustainable investments.
 If India’s economic, social and political interests in the emerging data economy are to be effectively secured, its
‘digital sovereignty’ encompassing the data privacy, choice and security of its citizens requires to be kept in prime
consideration while participating in the global digital economy

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Keeping the above points in mind India the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has released draft of new Telecom
policy – National Digital Communications Policy, 2018. The policy seeks to unlock transformative power of digital
communications networks to achieve the goal of digital empowerment and well-being of the people of India.
The National Digital Communications Policy, 2018
The National Digital Communications Policy, 2018 seeks to unlock the transformative power of digital communications
networks - to achieve the goal of digital empowerment and well being of the people of India; and towards this end,
attempts to outline a set of goals, initiatives, strategies and intended policy outcomes
The National Communications Policy aims to accomplish the following Strategic Objectives by 2022:
 Provisioning of Broadband for all.
 Creating 4 Million additional jobs in the Digital Communications sector.
 Enhancing the contribution of the Digital Communications sector to 8% of India’s GDP from ~ 6% in 2017.
 Propelling India to the Top 50 Nations in the ICT Development Index of ITU from 134 in 2017.
 Enhancing India’s contribution to Global Value Chains.
 Ensuring Digital Sovereignty.
Lastly, the Policy talks of incentivising the use of renewable energy technologies in the communications sector, including
utilisation of small cell fuel batteries, lithium-ion batteries or other similar technologies; promoting research and
development of green telecom through active participation of stakeholders across government, industry and academia and
rationalising of taxes and levies on the manufacture, production and import of such equipment for digital communication
technologies.
Conclusion
The objective of a national policy on digital communications is to prepare the country and its citizens for the future.
Achieving these goals would require that the key stakeholders – namely the Centre, the States, local governments and
agencies, Telecom Service Providers, Internet Service Providers, handset and equipment manufacturers, the academic
community, the innovators and start-ups come together to forge a coalition to deliver this national policy and its missions.
The National Digital Communications Policy, 2018 envisages three Missions:
1. Connect India: Creating Robust Digital Communications Infrastructure to promote Broadband for all as a
tool for socio-economic development, while ensuring service quality and environmental sustainability.
2. Propel India: Enabling Next Generation Technologies and Services through Investments, Innovation and
IPR generation to harness the power of emerging digital technologies, including 5G, AI, IoT, Cloud and Big
Data to enable provision of future ready products and services; and to catalyse the fourth industrial revolution
(Industry 4.0) by promoting Investments, Innovation and IPR.
3. Secure India: Ensuring Sovereignty, Safety and Security of Digital Communications To secure the interests
of citizens and safeguard the digital sovereignty of India with a focus on ensuring individual autonomy and
choice, data ownership, privacy and security; while recognizing data as a crucial economic resource.

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The Tobacco Menace in India
Introduction
Tobacco use kills nearly six million people worldwide each year. According to the World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates, globally, there were 100 million premature deaths due to tobacco in the 20th
century, and if the current trends of
tobacco use continue, this number is expected to rise to 1 billion in the 21st
century.
Tobacco use in children and adolescents is reaching pandemic levels. The World Bank has reported that nearly 82,000–
99,000 children and adolescents all over the world begin smoking every day. About half of them would continue to smoke
to adulthood and half of the adult smokers are expected to die prematurely due to smoking related diseases. If current
smoking trends continue, tobacco will kill nearly 250 million of today’s children.
India is the third largest producer and consumer of tobacco in the world. The country has a long history of tobacco use.
Tobacco is used in a variety of ways in India. Tobacco addictions for a large number of people begin during their
adolescence. Considering the enormous health complications associated with tobacco use, it is of utmost importance to
understand the factors leading to its use and to plan strategies to reduce its intake. This is especially relevant for the
developing countries like India, where tobacco use continues to be common notwithstanding the recognition of harmful
consequences of its usage.
Extent of the Problem
 According to the Report of WHO, India is second to China in terms of number of smokers aged 15 or above
accounting for 106 million of the world’s 1.1 billion smokers.
 According to the most recent Government of India’s National Sample Survey data, there are 184 million tobacco
consumers in India. About 40% of them use smokeless tobacco, 20% consume cigarettes, and another 40% smoke
beedis.
 Adolescents and children are the prime targets of the tobacco industry when recruiting new smokers. About 20
million children of ages 10–14 are estimated to be tobacco-addicted according to a survey done by the National
Sample Survey Organization of the Indian Government.
 The majority of adolescent smokers report withdrawal symptoms when they try to quit smoking.
 According to studies, India now has 12.1 million women smokers and only lags behind the United States in this
segment.
The Dangerous Case of Second-Hand Smoking
Second-hand smoke is a mixture of side stream and mainstream smoke. The smoke which comes
from the burning end of a cigarette is termed as side stream smoke and the smoke that is exhaled by
the smoker is mainstream smoke. Being exposed to second-hand smoke affects an adult’s heart and
blood vessels directly. Adult nonsmokers who live with smokers are at about 25 percent more risk of
developing heart disease.

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Psychosocial Factors Leading to Initiation of Tobacco Use
 The role of family
Family plays a very important role in initiation of tobaccouse by a young child or adolescent. Tobaccouse by parents
or an elder sibling increases the likelihood that a child begins smoking.
 The role of peer influence
Although children may start smoking for psychosocialreasons like peer influences, curiosity, desire for
experimentation oras a remedy for stress, the pharmacological motives take on place very early intheir smoking
career.
 Easy availability of tobacco products
Tobacco products are socially sanctioned but are freely available in every nook and corner throughout the
country. Beedis are a bit cheaperthan the cigarettes andhence are preferred by the poorwho cannot afford
cigarettes.
 Psychological/emotional factors
Poor schoolperformances, truancy,low aspiration for future success,andschool dropouts have beenfound to be
associated with smoking at an early age. Children and adolescents with anxiety and depression are likely to use
tobacco and other drugs, as these have anxiety relieving and mood elevating properties
 Promotion by tobacco companies
Advertisements of various tobacco products are very common inall forms of media including the print media,
television,and the roadsidehoardings and banners. Tobaccoadvertising andpromotioneffectively target the young
people with images ofsmokers as trendy, sporty andsuccessful.
To summarize, multiple factors determine initiation oftobaccouse. These factors are both promoting and
prohibitive and havebeenconstantly changing overthe time depending onseveral economical andmarketing
forces. Traditionally,cigarette smoking had an association with the upperclass of the society,reminiscent of the
British colonial era. Though in the recent past it has percolated to all strata of the society, it is still more common
amongthe upper andmiddle classes.

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Tobacco Control in India
1. Cigarettes Act, 1975: Largely limited to statutory warnings- ‘Cigarette Smoking is Injurious to Health’ to be
displayedon cigarette packs andadvertisements. However,it didnot include non-cigarettes.
2. Prevention and Control of Pollution Act of 1981- Recognized smoking as an air pollutant
3. The Motor Vehicles Act 1988- Made smoking illegal in public vehicle
4. Cable Television Networks Amendment Actof 2000- Prohibited the transmissionofadvertisements ontobacco
and liquor in India
5. Government of India has issued regulations underthe Food Safety and Standards Act2006which lay down that
tobaccoor nicotine cannot be used as ingredientsin food products
6. Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003: Replaced the Cigarettes Act of 1975 The Act also
included cigars, bidis, cheroots,pipe tobacco,hookah, chewing tobacco,panmasala, andgutka.
Preventive Strategies
Considering the enormous adverse health consequences accompanying tobaccoaddiction,it is very important to
develop preventive strategies toreducetobacco consumption. Preventive strategies especially focused towards
children andadolescents need to be initiated onemergentbasis. This is more important for the developing countries
like India, whichhave become the main targets ofadvertisement andpromotionalpropaganda ofvarious
multinationaltobacco companies
1) Prohibition of smoking in public places (including indoor workplaces). This has been implemented from 2nd
October 2008 in the whole of India.
2) Prohibition of advertisement, direct and indirect, sponsorship and promotion of tobacco products.
3) Prohibition of sales to minors- children less than 18 years of age.
4) Prohibition of sales within a radius of 100 yards of any educational institutions.
5) Regulation of health warning:
 English and one more Indian language to be used for health warnings on tobacco packs.
 Pictorial health warnings also to be included.
6) Regulation and testing of tar and nicotine contents of tobacco products and declaring on tobacco products
packages.
Note: India is a signatory to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), 2003

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1) E-cigarettes banned
In 2018, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare took an in-principle decision to ban the manufacture, distribution
and sale of E-cigarettes.
Conclusion
Humans have used tobacco in many forms for several centuries. Its use often starts early in life. In recent years, there
has been a rising trend in tobacco use, more in smokeless forms in India. There are no nationwide data available in
India on the exact extent of the tobacco use among adolescents, although a number of surveys have been reported
from different parts of the country.
There is a need to collect nationwide data on the use of different forms of tobacco by children and adolescents, and the
factors leading to initiation of such harmful habits. There is an urgent need to take effective steps, especially on
launching community awareness programs for the school children and public to educate them about the consequences
of tobacco use, and on assessing their effectiveness in curbing the problem. It is also necessary to keep abreast of the
policies and conventions of the international agencies like WHO and other similar agencies on tobacco use, in order to
utilize their expertise for curbing this problem.

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THE SURGE IN THE SECONDARY MARKET
AN ABBERATION OR BEGINNING OF A TREND
Introduction
For stock markets it is said that “No Price is too low for a bear or too high for a bull”. This can be witnessed in the current bull
run of Indian stock market. Both Sensex and Nifty have attained a historical high. Sensex had crossed 36000 and Nifty had
crossed 11000 in the continuing bull run. However this trend has reversed since the coming of General Budget 2018-19 due
to slippage on Fiscal Consolidation front and budget proposal of long-term capital gain tax.
Until thepresentation ofBudget 2018-19,there wasa continuousbull-run in the stock market since the beginning ofDecember.
REASONS BEHIND THIS UNPRECENDENTED BULL-RUN OF STOCK MARKET?
Uninterrupted foreign fund inflows, strong corporate earnings and positive global leads have been cited as the main
reasons behind this unprecedented Bull Run.
The broad view in the West, is bullish, at least for the first half of 2018. Foreign portfolio flows — which have crossed $ 30
billion over the past year — could continue to be robust over the next several months, given the strong global economic
recovery, and the perception that reforms such as the Goods and Services Tax will start paying off.
The optimistic outlook and confidence of global equity investors is framed against the backdrop of rising markets, led by
the rally in US stocks on the back of an expected growth of 3%, and a rebound in Europe — France has lifted its
growth forecast to almost 2%, as Germany continues to grow strongly.
The assumption also is that global central banks may not be keen to raise interest rates quickly in the near term so that
the surge in stocks could sustain for a while.
With the IMF and World Bank having projected India as the world’s fastest growing economy at almost 7.5% in 2018,
and with key structural changes under way, like GST, more money would flow in.
 The assessment of many overseas investors of India’s growth prospects are, in fact, far more positive than those of
their Indian counterparts. This bullishness may offer comfort to Indian policymakers who must now address the serious
challenge of rising inflation and oil prices. The positive news is that, if flows continue to be as buoyant as some of these
experts reckon, it should help to finance the country’s current account deficit (the excess of imports over exports).
 The exceptionally favourable current global economic context i.e. a growing Europe, with France pushing labour
reforms; record low levels of unemployment in the US; the expected positive impact of the deep corporate tax cut
by the Trump administration and with global trade now growing faster than global GDP after a gap of a couple of years
to explain the confidence that has seen markets shrug off worries.

29
Indian Stock Market Surge
The stock market surge in India has coincided with a
deceleration in economic growth.
India’s current corporate earnings-GDP ratio has been
sliding since the global financial crisis, falling to just 3.5
per cent.
Real interest rates in India have risen to historically
high levels averaging 2.2 per cent.
USA Stock Market Surge
US growth has accelerated along with surge in Stock
market.
Profits in the US have remained a healthy 9 per cent
of GDP. Moreover, the recently legislated tax cuts in the
US are likely to increase post-tax earnings.
Real Interest Rates in the US have persisted at
negative levels averaging -1 percent.
HOW THE SITUATION IN INDIAN STOCK MARKET IS DIFFERENT FROM USA?
SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE ECONOMY
Share Market movements, mostly, denotes what is happening in the economy. Bullish stock markets means companies can
raise funds easily which is essential for the creation of new jobs. This is more significant in the current Indian scenario when
Banks have been paralyzed by NPA issue.
However, there is no fixed correlation between Stock Markets movement and Economic Growth(GDP Growth rate).As
can be seen in Indian scenario where stock markets is performing quite good despite GDP growth rate slowing down.
Milton Friedman, prominent economist and strong believer of free-market capitalism, said that “The stock
market and economy are two different things”. This is true for short-term like few quarters where stock
market is performing too good or bad irrespective of current state of economy. But, if we look into data of
several years then we can find the correlation among the two. Overall, we can say that in short term there
might be perfect/little/no correlation between stock market and economy but in long run both seems to
converge.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE PEOPLE
Bullish stock market presents the great opportunity for the people to earn good returns on their investments. On an average,
return on investment(ROI) is quite high for stocks in long-term compared to other modes of investments like fixed deposits,
real estates, precious metals etc. Also pension funds which are part of NPS (National Pension System) will also reap good
return which will indirectly benefit the pensioners. However Stock markets are often risky.
People also tend to behave based on psychological factors rather than thinking rationally. So sometimes stock markets reach
into the unexpectedly high zone and leads tospeculative economic bubble. Sooner or later these bubbles burst andthat leads
to stock market crash. For example- Stock market crash of 1929 led to great depression, 1987 crash, Asian Financial crisis of
1997, Dot-com bubble of 2000, and Financial Crisis of 2008.
CONCLUSION
As per IMF’s World Economic Outlook report, India would be the world’s fastest growing major economy in 2018 and
2019.Combined with other factors as mentioned earlier it doesn’t seems to be a bubble waiting to burst. However, there
are certain areas like crude oil price; growing inflation; breach of fiscal deficit limit, possible end of easy money policies
of developed countries and probable geopolitical risks due to unfriendly neighbours etc needs to be kept in mind while
investing in Indian stock markets.

30
 Productivity gains will be the key to sustain the growth story. These could be brought about by investing more in
education, infrastructure, keeping budgets under control, and through more open trade in many countries. India can
learn from Singapore which is a classic case of a recipe for success in a country that has hardly any resources.
 Two factors are likely to help in such situation. First, India has a manageable current account deficit that is being
funded by foreign direct investment. Second, domestic liquidity support is strong thanks to the dedicated money
flowing into mutual funds each month through systematic investment plans.
COUNTERING THE DRAGON IN THE INDO-PACIFIC
INTRODUCTION
The global economic power shift from the West to East (Asia) and the increasing geostrategic significance of the Indo-
Pacific region has resulted in cooperation and competition among the established and rising powers in the region. While
the economic cooperation between them has significantly grown in recent past, the geostrategic and geopolitical
frameworks remain very uncertain. In essence, the emerging trends and issues in the Indo-Pacific offer unique
opportunities as well as daunting challenges to the nations. These developments have generated great interest and debate
among the researchers, academics as well as policymakers circles across the world.
Western Pacific region is witnessing the increasing maritime and geopolitical competition between rising China and
emerging India in the region. The transformation of India’s relationship with the United States (US) and Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Indo-Pacific region has created a new picture in the region.
Chinese military assertiveness and territorial claims in the South China Sea, and the US policy of containing China is only
adding fuel to the already prevailing tensions.

31
Significance of the Indo-Pacific Region
It is the geographical connotation of the area which covers the Eastern Coast of Africa through Indian Ocean and Western
Pacific Ocean. It has recently gained wide acceptance in geopolitical circles.
The Indo-Pacific region is an emerging geostrategic and geo-economic concept that has been gaining significance in the
field of defence and security studies.
The Look East Policy has not only helped India in reviving its traditional relationship with the South-East and East Asian
countries but also interlinking across the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Indeed, the Indo-Pacific ‘forms a composite entity of sea regions and littorals marked by a multiplicity of cultures,
ethnicities, religions, economic models and governance structures.
Importantly, the maritime powers, such as Australia, China, Japan, India and the US, determine the pivot of the Indo-
Pacific region, while they seek to dominate and influence each other to achieve their national goals.
It, in fact, represents the centre of gravity of the world’s economic, political and strategic interests. It is rich in natural
resources, especially hydrocarbons which fuel the industrial engines of the world’s economies.
It has swiftly emerged as a centre of international trade and investments.
It indeed embodies a large market which is defined by nearly half of the world’s population.
The Indo-Pacific region has emerged as a significant geostrategic space and a theatre of Great Power competition and
rivalry
China and its assertive foreign policy has created geostrategic flux in the Indo-Pacific region, which poses serious military,
economic and political challenges to the US interests in the region.
China Factor
Rising China is clearly a key factor in the Indo-Pacific region. It has been pointed out that China’s rise is swiftly altering the
geostrategic equations in the region. Its assertive foreign policy, backed by growing economic and military power, has also
changed the geo-economics and geopolitics of the region.
Though China’s rise has benefited regional countries in the economic field, its increasing expenditure on military
modernisation and power projection, particularly in the East and South China Seas, have caused major concerns for them
including for the US.
China’s nationalistic leadership and aggressive pursuit of national interests that has created a regional flux. Regional and
extra-regional countries are therefore trying to fix this regional flux by founding new regional economic and security
architectures.

32
Implications for India
India’s relationship with the South-East and East Asian countries is very traditional. It has revived this traditional
relationship through its LEP in the early 1990s, and recently through ‘Act East Policy’ under the present government.
 It currently conducts its bilateral relationship at the level of ‘strategic partnerships’ with Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan,
South Korea, China and Australia.
 India’s strategic relationship with the ASEAN and the US has dramatically developed over the last one decade
 There is also an India–Japan–Australia–US quadrilateral and India–Japan–US trilateral partnership.
 The US, in particular, considers India as a ‘linchpin’ in its rebalancing strategy towards the region.
 India appears to have set a long-term plan during which it will build its capabilities—economic and military
strength, network of military facilities and agreements to access military facilities in countries across the Indo-
Pacific, expanding economic and military ties.
 The Wuhan summit and Prime Minister’s speech at the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore laying down India’s vision
in the Indo-Pacific region indicate that India is going to bide its time and avoid direct confrontation with China but
will be proactive in building various capabilities.
 Japan, India, the US and Australia will also join Rimpac (Rim of the Pacific) exercises commencing in June. India
and the US are planning to hold the first two-plus-two dialogue (between their foreign and defence ministers) in
Washington on 6 July.
 There is, however, concern that ‘the Indian Ocean Region could witness a major military surge by China, turning it
into an arena of great power competition in Asia
 China has rapidly developed its relationship with Indian Ocean rim countries, which is perceived as a ‘string of
pearls’ strategy, to contain emerging India.
 In response to the Chinese strategy India has sought to further improve its naval and security cooperation with the
South-East and East Asian countries, including Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines, etc.
 However, India’s strategic leverage, particularly in East Asia, is not comparable with that of China’s growing clout in
the Eastern Indian Ocean
Conclusion
As the global economy’s centre of gravity continues to shift from the West to the East (Asia) with growing geostrategic
significance of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, it is most likely that the regional and extra-regional countries will find ways to
form new economic and strategic partnerships.
Economically and strategically, the global centre of gravity is shifting to the Indo-Pacific. If the region’s stakeholders don’t
act now to fortify an open, rules-based order, the security situation will continue to deteriorate—with consequences that
are likely to reverberate worldwide.

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