Learning IQ

  Highlights The new guidelines have been notified with the aim of regulating social media and OTT platforms. These rules were put into public by the union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Prakash Javadekar. The Union Ministers also said that social media platforms have empowered the ordinary Indians. They praised these platforms for gaining popularity and huge users. They also welcomed the move by social media platforms to do business in India. Why new rules have been framed? The government has notified the new rules on digital media and OTT with the aim of empowering the ordinary users regarding the social media. With the new rules, the government wants to set up a mechanism for redressal and timely resolution of their grievance. The new rules are progressive, liberal and contemporaneous. It seeks to address varied concerns of people. It also wants to remove any misapprehension with respect to the restrictions on creativity and freedom of speech & expression. The rules were ...

  Key Findings of the report As per the report, the COVID-19 pandemic risks have reversed the efforts that were made worldwide in a decade to provide nutritious food to the most vulnerable children across the globe. The report highlights that, one in two school children that would count as around 388 million children worldwide received the school meals when the pandemic was at its peak. This accounts for the highest number in history. When the pandemic was at its peak around April 2020, 199 countries had closed their schools. Because of which, 370 million children were suddenly deprived of nutritious meal of the day. The report highlighted that, the lockdown threw spotlight on the critical role that school plays in feeding vulnerable children and protecting their futures. Recommendations by the report It proposes to strengthen the global action in order to get the coverage to the pre-pandemic levels. It also proposes to reach around 73 million vulnerable children who were not getti...

  Highlights This legislation mandates the global digital platforms to pay for publishing the Australian news content on their respective platforms. The legislation mainly targets Facebook and Google. The law easily passed the tech giants (Facebook and Google) signed agreements with the government to pay Australian news organisations. The agreement was signed in order to avoid the tough mandatory bargaining rules under the new regulation. This legislation will ensure that news businesses “are fairly paid for their content”. It will also help in sustaining the “Public Interest Journalism” in the country. Background The Parliament in Australia had proposed this legislation targeting Google and Facebook. Under this legislation, they are required to make payment negotiations with the media companies in order to use their content.  However, Facebook & Google had pointed out that these media industry were already benefiting from the traffic routed to their websites through these...

  Key Points Pressure increased on WTO after several European Union lawmakers and group of least developed countries (LDC) provided their support to India’s proposal of waiving the TRIPS on vaccines. The European Commission and the European Council put forward a declaration after a group of 115 members of European Parliament asked them to drop their opposition to India’s proposal at WTO. Further, a group of lawmakers from the Democratic Party is also seeking from US President Joe Biden to support the India’s proposal. As of now, around 90 countries have extended their supported the TRIPS waiver proposal. However, wealthy countries such as US, Britain and the European Union are against this proposal. Why wealthy nations are opposing the proposal? The wealthy nations are of the view that, TRIPS Waiver at WTO will choke the innovation at pharmaceutical companies. Because, it will put off their incentive in order to make huge investments for research and development. In turn, this move...

  Key Points The loan agreement was signed worth $304 million. This loan will be used for strengthening electricity transmission system in the state of Assam. The agreement for the AIIB Loan was signed by acting director-general of investment operations at AIIB, Rajat Mishra and the Joint Secretary at the Economic Affairs Department, Baldeo Purushartha. Total estimated cost of the Power Transmission project in Assam is $365 million. Out of this, $304 million will be provided by AIIB. Rest of the amount will be provided by the state government of Assam. This loan from AIIB has a maturity period of 24 years and a grace period of 5 years. This loan amount from the AIIB will be used to improve the existing power transmission network in Assam. About Assam Power Transmission Project This power transmission project will build new networks in the state that will ensure the affordable and reliable power supply in state. The project will also address the substantial energy deficit that the s...

  Highlights The spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Anurag Srivastava stated that the Secretary (CPV & OIA) chaired the meeting and highlighted the themes, priorities, and calendar for the BRICS 2021. Earlier, the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had launched India’s BRICS 2021 website at Secretariat of BRICS at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan. President of China, Xi Jinping, might also visit India later for the BRICS summit. China had also provided its supports to India in hosting the meeting and is willing to work with the BRICS countries so as to expand its cooperation in the fields of politics, economy and people-to-people exchanges. About BRICS It is the acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. These members are known for their significant influence in the region. The respective government of the BRICS state meet annual formal summits starting from 2009. The 12 th  BRICS Summit was held by the Russia on November 17, 2020 virtually amid t...