1.Lithium in Mandya and Yadgiri districts (Karnataka)

NEWS ATOMIC MINERAL directorate expedition and research

India has several states with significant lithium reserves, including Karnataka, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Andhra Pradesh. It was first discovered in Jammu and Kashmir in 1999, and other active lithium blocks in India Katghora in Chhattisgarh.

Mandya and Yadgiri Districts

1. Mandya: Located in Karnataka, known for its sugarcane farming and rich cultural heritage.
2. Yadgiri: Also in Karnataka, primarily an agricultural district.

2.Using Children’s Personal Data Legally and Securely 

Why in the news? 

• India’s school education system is among the largest and most intricate globally, comprising around 15 lakh schools, 97 lakh teachers, and nearly 26.5 crore students from pre-primary to higher secondary levels.  
• The importance of adhering to data privacy and minimization principles given the sensitivity of children’s personal data. 

Key Functions of Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+): 

Policy Formulation: Provides data-driven insights for developing and implementing evidence-based policies tailored to regional and demographic needs. 

Data Collection, Management, and Real-Time Updates

Comprehensive Data Collection: UDISE+ gathers detailed information on school infrastructure, teacher demographics, student enrolment, and academic performance. 

Centralised System: Integrates data into a centralised system, offering a holistic view of the education landscape. 

Real-Time Updates: Enables quick reflection of changes in school infrastructure, staffing, or student enrolment, providing policymakers with the most current information. 

Resource Allocation, Monitoring, and Evaluation

Effective Resource Allocation: Facilitates accurate distribution of resources such as textbooks and teacher deployment based on up-to-date data. 

Continuous Monitoring: Allows for ongoing assessment of educational programs and policies, helping the Ministry of Education adjust initiatives as needed. 

Educational Trends Mapping and Policy Formulation

Trend Mapping: Tracks enrolment rates, dropout rates, gender parity, and academic achievements to identify gaps and areas needing intervention

Policy Formulation: Provides data-driven insights for developing and implementing evidence-based policies tailored to regional and demographic needs. 

Concerns

• Privacy Risks:
  • UDISE+ enhances data management and policy formulation but raises significant data privacy and security concerns.  
  • Potential issues include inadequate guidance on what constitutes verifiable parental consent for minors’ data under the UDISE+/APAAR system. 
• Compliance Issues:
  • The Data Protection and Privacy (DPDP) Act requires that personal data be collected only for specified legitimate purposes.  
  • Using children’s data under UDISE+ for purposes beyond the authorised scope could breach this requirement. 
• Data Exposure:
  • The integration of various data sources raises concerns about the security of student information, with risks of exposure to multiple actors within the educational ecosystem. 
• Sensitive Information:
  • The reliance on personal data, including Aadhaar information, necessitates stringent protective measures to safeguard against data theft and cyber breaches. 

Way forward

• Puttaswamy Judgment Overview: The Supreme Court’s Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. The Union of India (2018) case recognized the right to privacy as a fundamental right.
  • It established a three-part test for assessing the impact of state actions on privacy: 
• Legitimate State Interest: The restriction must serve a legitimate state interest. 
• Necessity and Proportionality: The restriction must be necessary and proportionate to achieve the stated interest. 
• Legal Framework: The restriction must be imposed by law. 
• Aadhaar Compliance:
  • Integration of Aadhaar in APAAR/UDISE+ must align with these principles to ensure data privacy.  
  • Adequate measures should be in place to prevent unauthorised access, data theft, and cyber breaches

3. Kanwar Yatra order 

Why in the news? 

• The Supreme Court has extended the interim order staying the directives from the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments which required eateries along the Kanwariya pilgrim route to display the names of their owners and staff.  
• This stay order will remain effective until August 5, the next hearing date. 

Background of the Case: 

• Directive Issued by Muzaffarnagar District Police
  • Content: Hotels, dhabas, and shops on the Kanwar Yatra route were directed to display the names of their owners and employees. 
  • Objective: To avoid “religious discrimination” and prevent “law-and-order situations” due to confusion about shop names among Kanwariyas, who follow a strictly vegetarian diet. 
  • Kanwar Yatra Duration: July 22 to August 19, 2023. 
• Challenge in Apex Court
  • Petitioners’ Argument: The directive targets Muslim-owned businesses by forcing them to disclose their religious identity, potentially leading to economic consequences and targeting. 
  • Relief Sought: Public withdrawal of the directive. 
• Stay Order by the Supreme Court
  • Decision: Prohibited the enforcement of the public notice until further hearing. 

Key Takeaways from the Hearing: 

• No Government Order
  • Observation: No government order empowered the police to issue such directions. 
  • Alternative Acts: Suggested directives could be issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, or the Street Vendors Act, 2014, to ensure strictly vegetarian food for Kanwar Yatris. 
• Limits to Police Action
  • Observation: Police cannot usurp the powers of the competent authority under these Acts without a legal foundation. 
  • Voluntary Display: The police directions asked shops to “voluntarily display” the names of their owners and employees. 
  • Legal Authority: Penal actions against food business operators indicated the police might have overstepped their legal authority. 
• Question of Discrimination
  • Constitutional Arguments: The petitioners argued that the directions violated Article 15(1) by discriminating based on religion and supporting untouchability, banned under Article 17. 
  • Economic Boycott: Led to an economic boycott of establishments hiring Muslims and Dalits. 

Legal Basis for the Directions Issued by Police: 

• No Specific Law Cited
  • Police Directions: Muzaffarnagar Police did not cite any specific law. 
  • Section 144 IPC: Typically used in urgent situations involving “nuisance or apprehended danger,” mirrored in Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. 
  • Magistrate’s Authority: Allows a Magistrate, empowered by the state government, to direct individuals to refrain from certain acts to prevent public disturbances or danger to life and safety. 
• SC Guidelines for Exercising Power under Section 144
  • Case: ‘In Re: Ramlila Maidan Incident’ (2012) 
  • Grounds: Actions by public authorities must be tested on:
    • Legal authority conferred by law. 
    • Reasonableness. 
  • Current Case Onus: Determine whether any law grants the police and state government the power to issue directions to shopkeepers and if those directions were reasonable. 

Police Directives and Shopkeepers’ Right to Privacy: 

• Right to Privacy under Article 21:
  • Judgement: ‘Justice K S Puttaswamy v. Union of India’ (2017) 
  • Scope: Recognized the fundamental right to privacy, including the “privacy of the mind” covering religious faith and the freedom to express or withhold such choices. 
• Three-Fold Test for Restrictions:
  • Existing law allows such restrictions. 
  • Legitimate state aim. 
  • Proportionality to the government’s objective. 
• Evaluation in Kanwar Yatra Case
  • Consideration: Whether the police directions restrict the right to privacy. 
  • Supporting Law: If found, the Court will evaluate if avoiding a “law and order situation” is a legitimate aim and if the measure is proportionate. 

Police Directions and the Issue of Discrimination: 

• Article 15(1) of the Constitution: The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them.” 
• Assessment: Whether the requirement to disclose names, revealing religious and caste identities, constitutes discrimination, particularly targeting Muslim-owned businesses. 
• Police Justification: Intended to provide convenience to devotees abstaining from certain food items. 
• Petitioners’ Argument: Directions are based on discriminatory assumptions about who can prepare and serve satvik or pure veg food. 
• Article 19(1)(g): Right to “practise any profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business.” 
• Claim: Directions led to an economic boycott of Muslim minorities 

4.1954 Hague Convention

CONTEXT-

the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict was adopted in 1954 under the auspices of UNESCO.

● Now widely referred as the 1954 Hague Convention, is the first and the mostcomprehensive multilateral treaty dedicated exclusively to the protection ofcultural heritage in times of peace as well as during an armed conflict.

● The 1954 Hague Convention aims to protect cultural property, such as monuments of architecture, art or history, archaeological sites, works of art,manuscripts, books and other objects of artistic, historical archaeological interest, as well as scientific collections of any kind regardless of their origin or ownership.

5.KHADI AND VILLAGE INDUSTRIES COMMISSION

State/UT-wise details of Khadi Gramodyog Sansthans/ Khadi Institutions (KIs) registered and certified with KVIC

Ministry of MSME, through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), is implementing various schemes under the Khadi Vikas Yojana by providing financial assistance to Khadi artisans which are as follows:

1. Under Modified Market Development Assistance (MMDA), 35% of MMDA is provided to artisans as incentive in case of Khadi Institutions of cotton, woolen, polyvastra and 30% quantum of MMDA is provided to artisans as incentive in case of Khadi Institutions of silk.
2. Under ‘Workshed Scheme for Khadi Artisans’, financial assistance is provided to artisans for construction of individual workshed, an assistance upto Rs 1,20,000/- or 75% of the total cost of the workshed {90% for North Eastern Region (NER)} and for group Workshed (minimum 5 and maximum 15 artisans), an assistance up to Rs. 80,000/- per artisan or 75% of the total cost of the group Workshed (90% for NER), whichever is less, is provided.

State/UT-wise details of financial assistance provided to the Khadi artisans under the MMDA and the Workshed Scheme

Government has been constantly endeavouring to provide latest skill training and toolkits to weavers, spinners and other artisans. Some of the fresh steps in this direction include the launch of Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma, new training programmes under KVIC ecosystem and empanelling 25 new training partners to reach out the rural artisans, unemployed youth and women across the nation.

This information was given by the Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Shri Jitan Ram Manjhi in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.