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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS, 14 JUNE 2023

ARUNACHAL PRADESH'S UAPA

 
 
1. Context
A legislation enacted in Arunachal Pradesh in 2014, the Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (APUAPA), is currently under the scanner, with civil society organisations demanding its repeal and a petition challenging it before the Itanagar bench of the Gauhati High Court
Fifteen more persons who had been detained under the Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (APUAPA) in connection with the recent 72-hour bandh were released again

With this, 41 detainees have been released, including a minor. 40 were booked under APUAPA

2. About APUAPA

  • The APUAPA was notified in 2014 “to provide for more effective prevention of certain unlawful activities of individuals and associations.”
  • It enables the state government or any official not below the rank of a Secretary to the State Government or a District Magistrate to make on order for detaining certain categories of people to prevent them from “acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of the State, or maintenance of public order or maintenance of daily supplies and services essential to the public”
  • These categories of people include “any person who is bootlegger, habitual depredator of environment, habitual drug offender, property grabber, dangerous persons, unlawful persons associated with unlawful activities”
  • The Act defines public order as having been affected adversely as “directly or indirectly causing or is likely to cause any harm, danger or alarm or feeling of insecurity among the general public or any section thereof or a grave or widespread danger to life, property or public health.”
  • Within three weeks of detention, the matter is to be placed before an advisory board which will give its opinion on whether there is sufficient cause for detention of an individual.
  • If its opinion is that there is sufficient cause, a person can be detained for up to six months under the act.

3. Recent developments

  • The Act suddenly drew attention  when 41 people were booked and detained under it after a call was issued for a 72-hour bandh in various districts of the state from May 10 to 12
  • The bandh call had been issued in protest against the 2022 Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission paper leak case in which 42 government employees have been arrested so far
  • The protest call was to demand the implementation of 13-point charter of demands, including declaring all examinations conducted by the APPSC where anomalies were found as “null and void”
  • Thirty people had been detained under the APUAPA on May 9 and 10 even before the bandh commenced. Eighteen of them were released on May 29, while the remaining were released last week

4. On what Grounds APUAPA proposed

  • Activist Gyadi Paying has filed a petition challenging the constitutional validity of the Act and seeking its abolition
  • Among the grounds on which this is being sought is that it does not allow a detainee legal representation before the advisory board deliberating on their case, which, the petition states, is a violation of fundamental rights
  • The petition also points to a clause of the Act in which if the officer making the detention order has reason to believe that the person for whom the order has been made is absconding, they may apply provisions of the CrPC attaching the person’s property
  •  This, the petition states, amounts to “illegal encroachment beyond the jurisdiction of a district magistrate”

 

 

For Prelims: UAPA, AFSPA, APUAPA

For Mains: 1. The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) evolved over the years. Discuss criticism on this as well as on the ground UAPA being applied 

Source: indianexpress

CANCEL CULTURE 
 

1. Context

  • In June 2020, author J.K. Rowling posted some controversial tweets about the Transgender community.
  • There was a swift and fierce backlash against her online, especially from trans activists and fans of Hary Potter. Rowling was then promptly "Cancelled". 
  • The number of calls online to stop buying her books has only grown since then, as the author has refused to change her stance.
  • However, Rowling herself has said in interviews that she does not consider herself "cancelled", as her book sales have only shot up since the controversy erupted.

2. About the Phenomenon

  • Cancel Culture is a widely used contemporary term but without a clear-cut definition.
  • Broadly, when any perceived wrong, whether from two minutes ago or half a century ago, suddenly come under scrutiny from a group of people online and results in public shaming, censorship, loss of friends and connections or even a job, it means that the person who has aired such a view has been cancelled.
  • Demanding accountability from people holding such problematic views is central to cancel culture.
  • Those who are cancelled for not ascribing to a particular view or value or norm are often public figures such as Rowling.
  • However, we are also increasingly seeing online mob attacks on those without power.
  • For instance, in May 2020, a woman, Amy Cooper, was walking her dog in Central Park in New York when she ran into a Black man and birdwatcher, Christian Cooper.
  • Christian asked Amy to put her dog on a leash, as was the rule in Central Park. 
  • When she refused, he tried to give the dog a treat. Amy panicked, called the police and complained that an African American man was threatening her.
  • Christian recorded this on video, a part of which went viral. The public backlash for calling the police on a Black man for no reason resulted in Amy getting fired from her job at an investment company.
  • The interpersonal interaction in the park had, through the virality of the video, become a matter of scrutiny for society as a whole.
  • Therefore, what a group of people believed was the right consequence of her actions took precedence over.
  • It is also significant that this incident happened at the same time as the death of George Floyd when emotions were high on social media.


3. Proponents 

  • For many people, such swift collective action has come to signify a form of social justice.
  • The idea of cancel culture began as a tool for marginalised communities to assert their values and norms against public figures who continued to cling to power despite wrongdoing.
  • Since changing the inherent structural inequality of society itself is not possible for such communities, cancel culture emerged as a way to change public sentiment.
  • Proponents of cancel culture believe that people with enormous power and clout cannot be made to get away with statements or acts that affect individuals and communities who do not enjoy such power (such as trans people).
  • However, many also believe that cancel culture is no longer about speaking truth to power and has become an online form of vicious mob intimidation.
  • They believe that it first and foremost affects free speech.
  • Second, as the goalposts of cancel culture keep changing, individuals and organisations are selectively targeted and face different degrees of outrage.
  • While some are made to feel embarrassed for a while, others are at risk of losing their careers.
  • Also, instead of focusing on those who discriminate against others or propagate injustice of some kind, cancel culture has become a way of shaming anyone who does not agree perfectly with a view that a person or group holds.
  • Third, cancel culture often signifies the lack of ability to forgive and move on.
  • The views that people held 20 years ago may not necessarily be the views that they hold today.
  • Fourth, cancel culture tends to club all kinds of people together a common man who did something wrong has, thanks to social media activism, sometimes been cancelled in the same way that a politician making a hate speech has been cancelled.
  • Finally, cancel culture has led to people being constantly aggravated and frustrated with each other.
  • They can't seem to move beyond that, to initiate a change of the kind they want to see, for public sentiment is constantly changing.
  • The democratic inclusion that we want can be achieved only if we speak out against the intolerant climate that has set in on all sides.
  • The free exchange of information and ideas, the lifeblood of a liberal society, is daily becoming more constricted.
  • While we have come to expect this on the radical right, censoriousness is also spreading more widely in our culture.

4. opponents

  • Am intolerant of opposing views, a vogue for public shaming and ostracism and the tendency to dissolve complex policy issues in a blinding moral certainty.
  • Predictably, this letter garnered criticism, with many defenders of cancel culture saying it is simply a way of demanding accountability for statements and actions and that the very same people who wrote this letter are perhaps afraid of their powers being increasingly questioned and their statements coming under scrutiny.
  • Conservatives in the U.S. have now latched onto the term "cancel culture as a cudgel to use against liberals whenever they face political adversity.
  • Former President Donald Trump even called it a form of "totalitarianism".
  • While cancel culture began as a way to correct power imbalances, it is also now being used by those holding positions of power against those it intended to help.

5. Conclusion

  • Today, the meaning of cancel culture may change depending on who you ask. 
  • For some, it is a form of harassment, for some a form of justice; for some a consequence of public misdemeanour; for some a form of mob vigilantism; for some a way to demand accountability and for some an act of censorship.
  • The truth is that it could be any of these. It often depends on your political prism, background, and importantly, the case at hand.
 
For Prelims: Cancel culture, Totalitarinism, 
 
For Mains: 
1. What is cancel culture? Explain how the cancel culture works and also explain how it is good for society. (250 Words) 
 
 
Previous Year Questions
 
1. Which one of the following statements is not correct about ‘Totalitarianism’? (CDS 2021) 
A. It is not akin to autocracy and authoritarianism.
B. It usurps political freedom of the individuals, but it doesn’t usurp personal freedoms.
C. It implies abolition of civil society
D. It is usually identified with a one-party state.
 
Answer: B
 
 
Source: The Hindu

HIROSHIMA AI PROCESS

 

1. Context

The annual Group of Seven (G7) summit, hosted by Japan, took place in Hiroshima in May 1921. Among other matters, the G7 Hiroshima Leaders communique initiated the Hiroshima AI Process (HAP) an effort by this bloc to determine a way forward to regulate Artificial Intelligence (AI).

2. What is Hiroshima AI Process?

  • The communique accorded more importance to AI than the technology has ever received in such a form even as G7 leaders were engaged with other issues like the war in Ukraine, economic security, supply chain disruptions, and nuclear disarmament.
  • It said that the G7 work with other to "advance international discussions on inclusive AI governance and interoperability to achieve our common vision and the goal of trustworthy AI, in line with our shared democratic value.
  • we recognize the need to immediately take stock of the opportunities and challenges of generative AI, which is increasingly prominent across countries and sectors, and encourage international organizations such as the OECD (Organisation for Economics Co­operation and Development) to consider the analysis of the impact of policy developments and Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) to conduct practical projects.
  • In this respect, we task-relevant ministers to establish the Hiroshima AI process, through a G7 working group, in an inclusive manner and in cooperation with the OECD and GPAI, for discussions on generative AI by the end of this year.
  • These discussions could include topics such as governance, safeguarding of intellectual property rights including copyrights, promotion of transparency, response to foreign information manipulation, including disinformation, and responsible utilization of these technologies.
  • The HAP is likely to conclude by December 2023. The first meeting under this process was held on May 30. As Per the communiqué, the process will be organized through a G­7 working group, although the exact details are not clear.

3. How can the process be described?

  • An emphasis on freedom, democracy, and human rights, and mentions of “multi­stakeholder international organizations” and “multi­stakeholder processes” indicate that the HAP isn’t expected to address AI regulation from a state­centric perspective.
  • Instead, it exists to account for the importance of involving multiple stakeholders in various processes and to ensure the latter is fair and transparent.
  • The task before the HAP is really challenging considering the divergence among G­7 countries in, among other things, regulating risks arising out of applying AI. 
  • It can help these countries develop a common understanding of some key regulatory issues while ensuring that any disagreement doesn’t result in complete discord.

4. There are three ways in which the HAP can move forward

  • It can enable the G7 countries to move towards a divergent regulation based on shared norms, principles, and guiding values.
  • It can become overwhelmed by the divergent views among the G7 countries and fail to deliver any meaningful solution; or 
  • It can deliver a mixed outcome with some convergence on certain issues and at the same time a lack of common ground on many others.

5. What makes the process remarkable?

  • While the communique doesn't indicate the expected outcomes from the HAP, there is enough in there to indicate what values and norms will guide it and from where it will derive its guiding principles, based on which it will govern AI.
  • The communique as well as the ministerial declaration also say more than once that AI development and implementation must be aligned with values such as freedom, democracy, and human rights.
  • Values need to be linked to principles that drive regulation. To this end, the communique also stresses fairness, accountability, transparency, and safety.
  • It spoke of the importance of procedures that advance transparency, openness, and fair processes for developing responsible AI.
  • Openness and fair processes can be interpreted in different ways and the exact meaning of the procedure that advances them is not clear.

6. Providing an illustration of how the process can be beneficial

  • Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and AI: The relationship between AI and IPR is unclear in different jurisdictions, leading to conflicting interpretations and legal pronouncements.
  • HAP's role: The High-Level Artificial Intelligence Principles (HAP) can help G7 countries reach a consensus on AI and IPR by specifying guiding rules and principles.
  • Addressing copyright violation: An example is training generative AI models like ChatGPT on copyrighted material, which raises questions about copyright infringement.
  • 'Fair use doctrine: The HAP process can bring clarity to the role and scope of the 'fair use doctrine in AI applications, which traditionally permits certain activities without seeking permission from copyright owners.
  • Use of copyrighted materials in machine learning: Whether using copyrighted materials in machine learning datasets qualifies as 'fair use' is a controversial issue.
  • HAP guideline: The HAP can develop a common guideline for G7 countries allowing the use of copyrighted materials in machine learning datasets as 'fair use,' with certain conditions.
  • Differentiating AI-related uses: The guideline can distinguish between machine learning-specific uses and other AI-related applications of copyrighted materials.
  • Impact on global discourse: The HAP's efforts could influence global discussions and practices surrounding AI and intellectual property rights.

7. What is the underlying vision or objective?

  • The G7 communique and ministerial declaration acknowledge that the common vision of trustworthy AI can differ among G7 members.
  • The G7 does not anticipate harmonizing its AI regulations and policies.
  • The emphasis is on collaborating with OECD countries and developing an interoperable AI governance framework.
  • The HAP process recognizes the need to address concerns from other country groups and international bodies involved in AI technical standards development.
  • Countries outside the G7 may launch their own processes similar to the HAP to influence global AI governance.
  • The establishment of the HAP highlights that AI governance is a global issue that is likely to become more contested in the future.
For Prelims: Hiroshima AI Process (HAP), Group of Seven (G7), Artificial Intelligence (AI), OECD (Organisation for Economics Co­operation and Development), Global Partnership on AI (GPAI), Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Fair use Doctrine.
For Mains: 1. How can artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques help in improving e-governance? Illustrate with the help of suitable examples. (250 Words)

Previous year Questions

1. With the present state of development, Artificial Intelligence can effectively do which of the following? (UPSC 2020)
1. Bring down electricity consumption in industrial units.
2. Create meaningful short stories and songs.
3. Disease diagnosis.
4. Text-to-Speech Conversion.
5. Wireless transmission of electrical energy.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
A. 1, 2, 3, and 5 only
B. 1, 3, and 4 only
C. 2, 4, and 5 only
D. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
Answer: B
 
2. With reference to Web 3·0, consider the following statements : (UPSC 2022)
1. Web 3·0 technology enables people to control their own data.
2. In the Web 3·0 world, there can be blockchain-based social networks.
3. Web 3·0 is operated by users collectively rather than by a corporation.
Which of the statements given above is correct?
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: D
Source: The Hindu

UNESCO

1. Context 

Recently, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) announced that the United States will rejoin it in July, four years after it left the agency (along with Israel), alleging that UNESCO was biased against Israel.
The move to rejoin will face a vote by UNESCO's member states and is expected to pass easily.
 

2. Background 

  • UNESCO is a UN agency tasked with furthering international cooperation and peace through the promotion of educational, scientific and cultural causes.
  • For instance, it designates locations globally as World Heritage Sites, which means international recognition and possible funding.
  • The United States was a founding member of UNESCO in 1945.
  • The US Department of State has now "welcomed how UNESCO had addressed in recent years emerging challenges, modernised its management and reduced political tensions.

3. Reasons for the US to leave UNESCO

  • The issue goes back to 2011 when UNESCO inducted Palestine as a member. 
  • This led to the US halting the agency's funding, worth millions of dollars, under then-President Barack Obama.
  • Notably, Palestine is not recognised as a sovereign state by the United Nations.
  • It was included as a non-member observer State over Israel's objections in 2012, meaning it could participate in General Assembly proceedings but lacked voting rights.
  • In 2013, Israel's ambassador to UNESCO told that his country supported the United States' decision to stop its funding, saying it was "objecting to the politicisation of UNESCO or any international organisation, with the accession of a non-existing country like Palestine".
  • The Palestinians claim the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip territories captured by Israel in the 1967 war for an independent state.
    Israel says the Palestinian's efforts to win recognition at the UN are aimed at circumventing a negotiated settlement and are meant to pressure Israel into concessions.
  • Israel and the United States termed the inclusion of Palestine, UNESCO's previous criticism of Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem and naming what it said were ancient Jewish sites as Palestinian heritage sites as examples of anti-Israel bias.
  • US laws, owing to the country's historical ties with Israel, prohibit, funding to any UN agency that implies recognition of the Palestinian's demands for their state.
  • But this was negotiated recently through an agreement in 2022 that allowed for giving UNESCO funds again.
  • Officials estimated that the US accrued $600 million in unpaid dues in these years and this amount was one of the reasons behind then-US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw in 2017, a year after he was elected President. The decision came into effect in 2019.
  • Israel owes an estimated $ 10 million and its also cut funding to the agency in the years leading up to its exit.

4. Reasons for the US Rejoining UNESCO

  • The decision to return was also due to China filling the gap left by the US in UNESCO policy-making, such as in setting standards for artificial intelligence and technology education around the world.
  • The US absence from UNESCO had strengthened China. The digital-age competition with China, can't afford to be absent any longer.
  • China's responded that Being a member of an international organisation is a serious issue, and we hope that the return of the US this time means it acknowledges the mission and the goals of the organisation.
  • There was no immediate response from the Israeli government.

5. US's earlier withdrawal from the UN

  • The United States previously pulled out of UNESCO under the Ronald Reagan administration in 1984 because it viewed the agency as mismanaged, corrupt and used to advance Soviet interests.
  • It rejoined in 2003 under then-President George Bush said that As a symbol of our commitment to human dignity, the United States will return to UNESCO.
    This organisation has been reformed and America will participate fully in its mission to advance human rights and tolerance and learning.
 
For prelims: UNESCO, USA, China, Israeli, Palestine
 
For Mains: 
1. Discuss the reasons for the United States rejoining United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. Explain why the United States withdrew its United Nations Membership. (250 Words)
 
 
Previous Year Questions
 
1. Khajuraho, 'the City of the Gods' a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the name of which was first referred in the 11th century CE by (WBCS Prelims 2021)
A. Ibn Battuta
B. Ibn Sina
C. Abu Rihan Alberuni
D. Omar Khayyam
 
Answer: C
 
2. With reference to Indian history, who among the following is a future Buddha, yet to come to save the world? (UPSC 2018)
A. Avalokiteshvara      B. Lokesvara       C. Maitreya      D.  Padmapani
 
Answer: C
 
3. The UNESCO World Heritage Site, “MahabodhiVihar” is situated in which Indian state? (SSC MTS 2017)
A. Madhya Pradesh        B.  Himachal Pradesh           C. Bihar         D. Maharashtra
 
Answer: C
 
4. One of the heritage sites according to UNESCO is the_____.  (MP Police Constable 2017) 
A. Kesavnath Temple at Ujjain       
B. Bhojapur
C. Jahaz Mahal at Mandu
D. Khajuraho Monuments
 
Answer: D
 
5. Which one among these sites of Madhya Pradesh is NOT declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO? (MP Vyapam Sub-Engineer Electrical 2016)
A. Chanderi, Ashoknagar                  B. Khajuraho Group of Monuments
C. Buddhist Monuments, Sanchi       D. Rock Shelters, Bhimbetka
 
Answer: A
 
6. Recently, the USA decided to support India's membership in multilateral export control regimes called the "Australia Group" and the "Wassenaar Arrangement". What is the difference between them?  (UPSC 2011)
1. The Australia Group is an informal arrangement which aims to allow exporting countries to minimize the risk of assisting chemical and biological weapons proliferation, whereas the Wassenaar Arrangement is a formal group under the OECD holding identical objectives.
2. The Australia Group comprises predominantly of Asian, African and North American countries, whereas the member countries of Wassenaar Arrangement are predominantly from the European Union and American continents.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 
A. 1 only       B. 2 only          C. Both 1 and 2         D.  Neither 1 nor 2
 
Answer: D
 
7. The term "two-state solution" is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of (UPSC 2018)
A. China        B. Israel        C.  Iraq        D. Yemen
 
Answer: B
 
8. The area known as 'Golan Heights' sometimes appears in the news in the context of the events related to (UPSC 2015)
A. Central Asia          B. Middle East      C. South-East Asia   D. Central Africa
 
Answer: B
 
9. Consider the following pairs: (UPSC  2022) 
Country                  Important reason for being in the news recently
1. Chad                   Setting up of permanent military base by China
2. Guinea                Suspension of Constitution and Government by Military
3. Lebanon             Severe and prolonged economic depression
4. Tunisia               Suspension of Parliament by President
How many pairs given above are correctly matched?
A. Only one pair           B. Only two pair          C. Only three pair       D. All four pairs
 
Answer: C
 
 
10. Consider the following countries: (UPSC 2015) 
1. China 
2. France
3. India
4. Israel
5. Pakistan
Which among the above are Nuclear Weapons States as recognized by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)? 
A. 1 and 2 only        B. 1, 3, 4 and 5 only     C.  2, 4 and 5 only           D. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
 
Answer: A
 
11. Consider the following pairs: (UPSC 2018) 
Towns                      sometimes mentioned in news Country
1. Aleppo                 Syria
2. Kirkuk                 Yemen
3. Mosul                 Palestine
4. Mazar-i-sharif    Afghanistan
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched? 
A. 1 and 2      B.  1 and 4      C.  2 and 3         D. 3 and 4
 
Answer: B
 
12. Which among the following European Union countries is the first to officially recognize the State of Palestine? (BPSC 2015)
A. Sweden          B. Denmark          C.  Norway          D. Italy
 
Answer: A
 
13. What is the capital of Palestine? (HPPSC AE Civil 2016) 
A. Pristina     B.  Nicosia    C. Malabo     D. Ramallah
 
Answer: D
 
14. Fertile Crescent Region refers to the area covering : (TNTET 2019)
A. Jordan, Egypt and Iran
B. Egypt, Israel - Palestine and Iraq
C. Syria, Israel - Palestine and Jordan
D. Egypt, Iran and Iraq
 
Answer: B
 
Source: The Indian Express

GLOBAL SLAVERY INDEX

 

1. Context

Recently, the Global Slavery Index 2023 was published. The term "modern slavery" has a specific definition. According to the index, on any given day in 2021, approximately 50 million people were living in "modern slavery." Within this population, 28 million individuals suffer from forced labor, and 22 million experience forced marriages. Out of the 50 million, approximately 12 million are children.

2. What is Modern Slavery?

  • According to the Index, "Modern slavery" refers to the situation of exploitation that a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, or abuses of power.
  • Modern slavery is an umbrella term and includes a whole variety of abuses such as forced labor, forced marriage, debt bondage, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, slavery-like practices, forced or servile marriage, and the sale and exploitation of children.
  • The schematic provides a broad framework of what all modern slavery covers.
  • The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations also resolve to end modern slavery.
  • Target 8.7 of the SDGs states: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms.
Image Source: The Indian Express

3. What is the Global Slavery Index?

  • The index presents a global picture of modern slavery. It is constructed by Walk Free, a human rights organization, and is based on data provided by the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, which in turn, is produced by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Walk Free, and International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
  • This is the fifth edition of the Global slavery index and is based on the 2022 estimates.
  • However, the initial estimates are regional and to arrive at country-wise estimates, the index uses several representative surveys.

4. What are the country-wise findings?

  • There are three sets of key findings. The first looks at the prevalence of modern slavery.
  • The prevalence refers to the incidence of modern slavery per 1000 population. On this count, the following 10 countries are the worst offenders: North Korea, Eritrea, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Tajikistan, United Arab Emirates, Russia, Afghanistan, and Kuwait.
  • These countries share some political, social, and economic characteristics, including limited protections for civil liberties and human rights, states the index.
  • Following are the countries with the lowest prevalence: Switzerland, Norway, Germany,  Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Ireland, Japan, and Finland.
  • However apart from prevalence the index also calculates the countries hosting the maximum number of people living in modern slavery. Here the list is as follows: India, China, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Indonesia, Nigeria, Turkey, Bangladesh, and the United States.
  • Collectively, these countries account for nearly two in every three people living in modern slavery and over half the world's population. Notably, six are G20 nations: India, China, Russia, Indonesia, Turkey, and the US, points out of the index.

5. Why is the finding of this index contested?

Notwithstanding the regular publication, the index has come in for sharp criticism even from those in civil society that work on issues such as human trafficking. Bandana Pattanaik, International Coordinator of the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW) in Thailand, says that while authors of the Index have very good intentions they end up "depoliticizing the problems and distracting us from the real problems".

5.1 Pattanaik points out several reasons for her disagreement with the index:

  • Definition of modern slavery: There is no internationally agreed definition for modern slavery, unlike trafficking in persons which does have a defined definition.
  • Calculation and estimation concerns: The estimation of the number of people experiencing modern slavery is based on a country's "risk score," which overlaps with factors used to determine a country's development status. This can lead to biased rankings, such as Europe being considered the region least vulnerable to modern slavery and Africa being the most vulnerable.
  • Contradictory statistics and qualitative analysis: Some statistics presented in the index contradict the qualitative analysis within the report, raising concerns about the reliability of the data. For example, the index highlights the UK as having the strongest government response to modern slavery, while further analysis indicates a decline in the overall response and potential violations of international law.
  • Stigmatization and responsibility: Pattanaik argues that ranking countries in this way stigmatizes poorer countries and absolves richer countries of their responsibility in addressing issues like trafficking in persons.
  • Challenges faced in countries like India: Despite the criticisms of the index, it remains evident that workers in countries like India face significant challenges, as seen during the Covid lockdown and the low female labor force participation rates, reflecting the poor status of women in terms of economic freedoms.
For Prelims: Global Slavery Index, Modern Slavery, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), United Nations, International Labour Organisation (ILO), Walk Free, and International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Child Labour, Human Trafficking.
 

Previous year Question

1. According to Kautilya's Arthashastra, which of the following is correct? (UPSC 2022)
1. A person could be a slave as a result of judicial punishment.
2. If a female slave bore her master a son, she was legally free.
3. If a son born to a female slave was fathered by her master, the son was entitled to the legal status of the master's son.
Which of the statements given above is correct?
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: D
Source: The Indian Express
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