1 – Misleading Food Ads:

GS II

Government Policies and Interventions

·        Context:

·        The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has reported 32 new instances of food company operators making false statements in their advertising and product claims.

·        The FSSAI has reported the incidents to the licencing authorities and issued a warning that repeat offenders risk licence suspension or revocation in addition to fines of up to INR 10 lakh.

·        What exactly are deceptive advertisements?

·        Ads that intentionally mislead consumers include those that make untrue or excessive promises about a good or service.

·        Effect of deceptive advertising:

·        Examples:

·        Loss of Customer Trust: Volkswagen marketed their diesel vehicles as being ecologically benign through false advertising, which hurt the environment and eroded consumers’ faith in the brand.

·        Negative Brand Image: PepsiCo’s advertising campaign for Aquafina bottled water, which characterised the product as “pure, perfect, and refreshing,” was deceptive because it used tap water as its source.

·        Legal repercussions: The Federal Trade Commission (USA) filed a lawsuit against L’Oreal for falsely claiming that its anti-ageing lotions could simulate the results of a surgical facelift.

·        Health Impact: For instance, sugary beverages like soda are linked to a variety of health issues.

·        Unfair competition, breach of trust, deception, and manipulation are the ethical effects.

·        Legal protections against deceptive advertising:

·        Guidelines from the CCPA to Prevent False or Deceptive Advertising:

·        These rules, which were released in 2022 and apply to commodities, services, and products, are intended to stop deceptive or false advertising.

·        Regulations for Food Safety and Standards, 2018:

·        While the aforementioned rules cover goods, products, and services, the latter rule specifically addresses food (and related products) and controls product claims.

·        Rules for Cable Television Networks, 1994:

·        Advertisements cannot imply that a product has “some special, miraculous, or supernatural quality, which is difficult to prove.”

·        2006 FSS Act:

·        According to Section 53 of the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006, deceptive advertisements are illegal.

·        Fund for Consumer Welfare:

·        This fund was established under the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Act of 2017 and works to advance and safeguard consumer welfare.

·        Central Consumer Protection Council provides consumer redress methods, supports consumer education, and monitors and enforces consumer protection laws.

·        Rules for Consumer Protection in E-Commerce, 2020:

·        These requirements force merchants to accept returns for flawed or inadequate goods, discontinue services, or issue refunds if the goods or services do not match the platform’s representation.

·        ASCI, the Advertising Standards Council of India:

·        a self-regulatory body that oversees advertisements in India and responds to complaints against them.

·        Foods packed with labels include:

·        Natural:

·        a food item that is a single serving of food with no additional ingredients and was derived from a reputable natural source. There must be no preservatives or chemicals used in packaging.Fresh produce and fruits

·        Fresh Only food products that have been washed, peeled, refrigerated, trimmed, or cut without any further preparation that modifies its fundamental features are eligible to be referred to as “fresh”. Food that has been altered in any way to increase its shelf life cannot be described as “fresh.”

·        freshly squeezed juice and freshly baked bread.

·        Pure: Foods containing a single ingredient should be considered “pure” if no additional ingredients have been added and any unavoidable impurities fall within set limits.

·        Pure maple syrup and pure honey.

·        Original:

·        When referring to food goods with a traceable origin and an established formula, the term “original” is used.

·        potato chips made using a unique formula.

·        Nutritive assertions:

·        Nutritional claims in food ads may refer to a product’s particular ingredients or make comparisons to other foods.

·        Low in sugar and high in protein.

·        Conclusion:

·        Businesses in India should adjust their advertising to better communicate with consumers and give proof to back up their claims in order to improve food safety. Surveys should be conducted by the FSSAI and state food regulatory agencies to achieve better FSS Act administration and enforcement. In cases of injury or death, compensation and punishments should be enhanced, and new food testing facilities should be constructed.

·        CCPA, the Central Consumer Protection Authority:

·        Consumer Protection Central Authority was established in 2019.

·        Headquarters: New Delhi.

·        A regulatory body established under Section 10 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 to address issues impacting the rights of consumers by people or organisations is the Ministry of Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution.

·        About FSSAI:

·        A statutory agency established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, the FSSAI was constituted in 2008 and has its headquarters in New Delhi. The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, a consolidated act pertaining to food safety and regulation in India, is what gave rise to the establishment of the FSSAI. 

·        Source à The Hindu 

2 – Pokhran II:

GS III

Internal Security

·        Context:

·        Three nuclear bomb test explosions were carried out by India on May 11, 1998, at the Pokhran Test Range of the Indian Army under the codename Operation Shakti, which is Sanskrit for “strength”/Pokhran-II.

·        Operation Shakti/Pokhran-II’s timeline:

·        Physicist Homi J. Bhaba established the groundwork for India’s nuclear programme:

·        After Bhaba’s persuasive lobbying, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), India’s first research facility devoted to the study of nuclear physics, opened its doors in 1945 in Bombay.

·        Founded in 1954, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) was led by Bhabha.

·        China and Pakistan’s threat:

·        the Sino-Indian War of 1962 and China’s nuclear bomb test at Lop Nor the following year.

·        the India-Pakistan war of 1965, in which China publicly backed Pakistan.

·        As a result, India needed to take steps to develop her independence because it was surrounded by two hostile countries.

·        NPT that is “discriminatory”:

·        By the 1960s, discussions on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation had reached extremes as the US and the USSR were being driven by the Cold War weapons race.

·        The US, Russia (previously USSR), the UK, France, and China are considered nuclear-weapon nations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which was established in 1968 and defines nuclear-weapon states as those that constructed and tested a nuclear explosive device prior to January 1, 1967.

·        This makes it impossible for any other state to acquire nuclear weapons.

·        Due to the treaty’s failure to resolve India’s concerns, the Indian government refused to abide by its provisions.

·        Operation Smiling Buddha/Pokhran-I:

·        Vikram Sarabhai, Bhaba’s replacement at the DAE, worked to dramatically advance India’s nuclear technology by the 1970s.

·        India conducted its first nuclear test at the Pokhran test site on May 18, 1974, thanks to the political will displayed by the Indira Gandhi administration.

·        A “peaceful nuclear explosion” with “few military implications” was how this test was envisioned.

·        Post-Pokhran I international sanctions against India:

·        The world did not accept India’s explanation of Pokhran-I’s motivation, and nations like the US and Canada levied severe sanctions.

·        These restrictions (which focus mostly on tech transfer) would be a significant setback and significant slowdown for India’s nuclear path.

·        Between the two tests’ interval:

·        Domestic political unrest: The programme was abruptly stopped by the Emergency of 1975 and PM Morarji Desai’s resistance to nuclear weapons.

·        The 1980s saw an exponential expansion in India’s plutonium stockpiles after Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was appointed to oversee the country’s missile programmes in 1983.

·        1990S: India lost one of its most important military partners with the demise of the USSR in 1991.

·        The US kept giving Pakistan military assistance.

·        The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which would be finalised in 1996 but was not signed by India, was also being discussed at the UN.

·        Projecting India’s strength at Pokhran II:

·        The go-ahead to conduct a nuclear test was given in 1995. However, the tests were further delayed due to political and logistical issues.

·        Operation Shakti was carried out effectively in 1998 thanks to the political resolve displayed by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee administration.

·        Following Pokhran-II, the Indian Government declared itself to be a state having nuclear weapons, unlike the 1974 test.

·        Although the test prompted sanctions from several nations (including the US), there was much less outrage than there was in 1974.

·        The test enabled India to solidify its position as a powerful nation-state and to join the closely guarded group of nations with nuclear weapons capability.

·        India’s nuclear doctrine following Pokhran II, which was presented in 1999:

·        It emphasised a no-first-use (NFU) policy and credible minimum deterrence (CMD), while also promoting non-proliferation and total disarmament.

·        India’s nuclear deterrence serves only to dissuade enemies from using or threatening to use nuclear weapons.

·        As a result of the policy, the US, who had previously opposed India’s nuclear programme, inked a civil nuclear agreement with India in 2008, recognising it as a responsible nuclear participant.

·        Way Forward:

·        India needs to take two types of steps for long-term national security:

·        to construct intelligently enough and resilient retaliatory capability to communicate genuine deterrence in order to handle immediate security concerns.

·        to make innovative, long-term diplomatic investments geared towards fostering world peace and complete nuclear disarmament.

·        India can simultaneously use its economic, political, and cultural attractiveness to highlight the benefits of its nuclear deterrent strategy. 

·        Source à The Hindu

3 – Remission:

GS II

Parliament related issues

·        Context:

·        The recent pardons of Anand Mohan Singh and the defendants in the Bilkis Bano case, according to the report, are unethical and politically driven.

·        About Remission:

·        Definition:

·        the full end of a sentence at a shortened point without altering the phrase’s meaning.

·        Purpose:

·        to inspire repentance and give convicts hope for release.

·        Legal Support:

·        Articles 72 and 161 of the Constitution, as well as Sections 432, 433A, 434, and 435 of the CrPC, grant statutes power.

·        Eligibility:

·        Any person found guilty of a crime is subject to specific restrictions and the authority of the relevant authorities.

·        Conditions:

·        Any condition that is broken will result in the remission being cancelled and the requirement to complete the entire sentence.

·        Evaluation:

·        Each case needs to be examined individually while taking into account all pertinent variables.

·        Principled Right:

·        The Supreme Court has made it clear that no prisoner has a basic right to be pardoned, but the state is required to give each application of mercy serious attention.

·        Pardon vs. Remission:

·        While a pardon is a complete absolution of a punishment and the removal of all associated legal ramifications, remission is the lessening of a term without altering its essence.

·        Remission’s moral ramifications

·        Unfairness to the victims: Remission of punishment for those found guilty in the Bilkis Bano case of raping and killing many people, including a pregnant mother, during the riots in Gujarat in 2002.

·        Political meddling:

·        Remission of sentence for Anand Mohan Singh, a former member of parliament and convicted felon who participated in numerous violent and homicidal incidents. After making a request to the Chief Minister of Bihar, his wife—who was also a former MP—was granted remission.

·        Absence of responsibility:

·        Without properly evaluating the offender’s behaviour or progress during the term, remission is granted.

·        Social status-based discrimination:

·        Prisoners from wealthy families receive pardons more frequently than those from underprivileged areas.

·        Insufficient transparency:

·        Lack of precise procedures or standards for awarding remission, which could indicate favouritism.

·        Disregard for how serious the offence is:

·        granting pardons for severe crimes like murder or rape without taking into account the gravity of the offence or how it would affect the victim and their family.

·        Conclusion:

·        Remission is a crucial component of the criminal justice system that enables a prisoner to have their sentence reduced. It should be applied sparingly and in accordance with the laws of justice, mercy, and public safety. 

·        Source à The Hindu

4 – ODF Plus Status:

GS II

Social Issues

·        Context:

·        Over half of the country’s villages have attained ODF Plus status under the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G) Phase II, according to a statement from India’s Ministry of Jal Shakti.

·        What ODF+ status means:

·        It implies that these communities develop solid or liquid waste management systems in addition to maintaining their Open Defecation Free (ODF) status.

·        Leading states: Among the best-performing states are Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh. Among smaller states, Goa and Sikkim are at the top. Additionally, more than 1 lakh gramme panchayats have adopted resolutions against single-use plastics.

·        Regarding SBM-Gramin:

·        Open defecation in rural regions is to be eradicated by 2019 according to the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G) Phase I, which was initiated in 2014. Phase II, which runs from 2020–2021 through 2024–2025, is concerned with the sustainability of the ODF status.

·        It also contains:

·        Waste Management of Solid and Liquid (SLWM).

·        Management of Plastic Waste (PWM).

·        Management of faeces and sludge (FSM).

·        GOBARdhan.

·        Communication and Information Education.

·        Communication that changes behaviour.

·        Capacity Development 

·        Source à The Hindu