26 APRIL 2024

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

NEWS 1
GENDER GAP IN INDIAN STEM FACULTIES

● Overview
1. A significant gender gap exists in Indian STEM(science, technology,
engineering, and math) faculties, with a BiasWatchIndia study revealing
that only 13.5% of faculty members across 98 universities and institutes
are women.
2. This underrepresentation is more prominent in India compared to
countries like the US and UK.
● Why is there a Gender Gap in Indian STEM Faculties?

1. Social Bias Against Women in Certain STEM Fields: Fields like

Biology, seen as "soft sciences," have higher female
representation compared to hard sciences like Engineering and
Physics.
a. Societal biases discourage women from pursuing fields
perceived as less feminine, affecting their choices in
higher education and research.
2. Lack of Support During PostDoc to Faculty Transition: The
critical transition from postdoc to faculty often aligns with family
planning, leading to difficult choices for women.
 a. Societal pressure prioritising family over career
ambitions and a lack of support structures exacerbate
the challenge.
3. Toxic Workplace Environment: Many women exit STEM
academia due to a toxic work environment.
a. Factors include disrespect, inadequate access to
resources, and limited advancement opportunities
compared to male colleagues.
4. Difficulty Accessing Gender Representation Data: Absence of a
central database tracking women faculty in STEM across India.
a. Lack of data hinders understanding of the gender gap
and monitoring progress towards gender equality.
● What are the government initiatives to promote women in STEM?
1. Women in STEMM (WiS) Program: Launched by the
Department of Science and Technology(DST), it provides
scholarships, fellowships, and research grants to women in
STEM. It also offers mentorship and networking opportunities.
2. Vigyan Jyoti: It was introduced in 2019-20 to encourage
meritorious girl students in classes 9-12 to pursue higher
education and careers in STEM fields, addressing the
underrepresentation of women in these areas.
a. Developed by the Department of Science and
Technology, it offers workshops, mentoring, and
resources for young women in STEM.
b. The program provides support from the school level to
PhD level.
3. Women in Science and Engineering-KIRAN (WISE-KIRAN): It
encourages women scientists to pursue research in frontier
areas of science and engineering and to address societal
 problems through S&T-based internship and self-employment
opportunities.
a. Many well-qualified women face challenges in
participating in S&T activities due to circumstances
typically associated with gender, such as career breaks
due to motherhood and family responsibilities.
b. To address these issues, the DST will provide
opportunities for women scientists and technologists
aged 27-57 who have taken a career break but wish to
return to mainstream work.
● What steps can be taken to bridge the Gender Gap in Indian STEM
faculties?
1. Flexible Work Arrangements and On-site Childcare: Offer
flexible work schedules, part-time options, and on-site childcare
facilities for female faculty members, particularly those with
young children. This can help address work-life balance
challenges.
a. Programs like DST's WISE-KIRAN can be expanded to
offer targeted support, such as childcare options and
flexible work arrangements, to ease this crucial
transition.
2. "Back to Academia" Fellowships: Creating fellowship programs
that support women who may have taken a break from
academia to raise families, providing them with resources and
mentorship to re-enter the research and teaching track.
3. International Collaboration and Exchange Programs:
Encouraging female faculty members to participate in
international research collaborations and exchange programs,
broadening their perspectives and research networks.
 4. Visibility and Recognition: Highlighting and celebrating the
achievements of female faculty members through awards, public
recognition, and media coverage. This boosts morale, inspires
others, and promotes role models.
5. Women Safety and Data-Led Development: Robust policies are
needed in addressing workplace harassment and ensuring
equal opportunities are crucial for retaining female talent.
a. Data collection on female faculty can be incorporated to
create a central database, enabling better-targeted
interventions.

NEWS 2
SOCIAL MEDIA REGULATION IN INDIA

● Overview

Recently, the Supreme Court of India has raised concerns about the growing
misuse of social media to spread misinformation about ongoing court cases.
The court believes this "fake news" interferes with judicial proceedings and
needs to be addressed.

● How Social Media is Regulated in India?

1. Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act): It is the principal law
that by establishing a legal foundation for electronic governance
and governs all areas of electronic communication, including
social media
● Section 69A of the IT Act, 2000 empowers Government to
block information from public access under specific conditions
of
 ○ interest of sovereignty and integrity of India
○ defence of India
○ security of the State
○ friendly relations with foreign States
○ public order
○ for preventing incitement to the commission of any
cognizable offense relating to above.
● Section 79(1) of the IT Act, 2000 grants intermediaries (like
social media platforms) exemption from liability for third-party
information, subject to certain conditions:
○ The intermediary's role is limited to providing access to
a communication system through which third-party
information is transmitted, hosted, or stored.
○ The intermediary does not initiate or control the
transmission, recipient selection, or content
modification.
○ However, some controversial sections like Section 66A
(dealing with online content) were struck down by the
Supreme Court due to concerns about freedom of
speech in Shreya Singhal V/s Union of India Case.
● Information technology(Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media
Ethics Code)Rules, 2021
A. Rules (2021) mandate social media platforms to exercise greater
diligence in content moderation, ensuring online safety by
promptly removing inappropriate content.
B. Users must be educated about privacy policies, avoiding
copyrighted material, defamatory content, or anything that
threatens national security or friendly relations.
 C. The 2023 Amendment to these rules states that online
intermediaries, including social media platforms like Facebook
and internet service providers like Airtel, must prevent the
spread of inaccurate information about the Indian government.
D. They should also remove content flagged as false by
fact-checking units to maintain legal protection from third-party
content.
2. However, the implementation of amended provisions was
recently halted by the Supreme Court.
● International
1. India’s IFSCA and Kuwait’s CMA signed an MoU for information
sharing
a. On Tuesday, the Indian Embassy in Kuwait hosted the
second edition of the India-Kuwait Investment Conference.
Additionally, both nations signed a Memorandum of
Understanding to exchange information on technologies
and innovation in the financial and regulatory sectors.
b. The conference was held with the support of the Indian
Business and Professional Council (IBPC), Union of
Investment Companies (UIC) and Kuwait Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (KCCI).

2. Air India broadens its collaboration with Japan’s ANA

a. Air India and All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan's largest

airline, have established a codeshare partnership. Effective
from May 23, 2024, this agreement enables passengers of
both airlines to seamlessly combine flights between India
and Japan with a single ticket.
● Important Days
1. World Intellectual Property day
This annual celebration on April 26 was established by the World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2000. It aims to increase
awareness of the impact of patents, copyrights, trademarks, and
designs on everyday life, highlighting the role of intellectual property
rights in fostering innovation and creativity.
2. International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day
On April 26th each year, we mark International Chernobyl Disaster
Remembrance Day, dedicated to honouring the victims of the Chernobyl
nuclear disaster and promoting awareness of this tragic incident. The
explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, then part of
the Soviet Union, on April 26, 1986, released a significant radioactive
cloud, affecting around 8.4 million people with harmful nuclear radiation.