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UNICEF report calls for greater government accountability regarding Children’s Diets to prevent malnutrition
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 1, 2021
UNICEF’s 2021 report titled ‘Fed to Fail? The crisis of Children’s diet in early life’ highlights the progress or the lack of it in addressing child malnutrition indicators around the world. While significant progress has been made in some countries in few of the indicators, large sections of the world population are still suffering from this scourge.
Nutritious food during the early ages is key to child development and has a life-long impact. The United Nations International Child Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has recently released the Child Nutrition Report – 2021 titled “Fed to Fail ? The crisis of Children’s diet in early life”. The report explores the data related to the various trends & inequities in the diets of young children (6-23 months) and the barriers for providing age-appropriate nutritious food.
In its opening remarks, the report highlights the importance of nutritious food during early childhood and its future impact.
In this story, we review the important observations, findings & recommendations from the report. We also look at the data made available in the report about the trends across countries as well as explore these numbers in the context of India.
Source of Data & Information:
The report is based on data from the UNICEF Global Database on Infant and Young Child Feeding. This database comprises of nationally representative data from 607 surveys conducted across 135 countries & territories. This is representative of nearly 90% of children under the age of 2, globally. The information is also based on analysis of national policies & programmes relating to provision of nutrition to children across seven geographical regions. Other sources include – Focus group discussions, Research relating to COVID-19 impact and review of global literature regarding child feeding practices & diets.
Significant progress made over the past two decades, but a lot is to be achieved yet
The report notes that over the last two decades, significant progress has been made in addressing malnutrition in children below 5 years. Four forms of malnutrition are highlighted by UNICEF are – Stunting, Wasting, Micronutrient deficiency & Overweight.
The report observes that over the last two decades, the global prevalence of child stunting fell by one-third to 22%. The number of children with stunted growth reduced by around 55 million. While this is a significant achievement, the report observes that there is a collective failure globally in protecting the right of children to food and nutrition. As per the Convention on Rights of the Child, governments have a legal obligation to protect and fulfill the right to food and nutrition for all children. As per the estimates,
From a geographical perspective, South Asia has the highest prevalence of Stunting with 53.8 million of its children under 5 suffering from the same. However, this is a remarkable improvement from about 86.8 million children in 2000.
Among the 7 geographical regions categorized in the report, all the regions except two have seen a reduction in the number of children suffering from stunting in the last two decades. While Eastern & Southern Africa reported a slight increase, the number of children suffering from stunting increased from 22.8 million to 29.3 million in West & Central Africa.
Regarding wasting, South Asia has the highest proportion of its children suffering from it with 14.7%. The global increase in overweight children is contributed by the increase in the Middle East & North Africa, East Asia & Pacific and Latin America & Caribbean regions.
Little to no improvement in Children’s diet over the last decade
Findings from the report further highlighted that majority of the children across the globe are not being fed the right food at the right time. It is important to introduce the right foods at the right age to aid in proper growth & development. The report notes the following about Children’s diet.
Based on an analysis of the data available from 50 countries, the proportion of children consuming a minimally diverse diet remains low with only an increase from 21% in 2010 to 24% in 2020.  Among these, only 21 countries have reported a significant improvement in the diversity of children’s diets. Another 10 countries have reported a significant decrease in the diversity of the diets. India is among the countries that have shown a significant increase.
The data does not account for the impact of COVID-19, which could have impacted millions of families in the ability to provide nutritious food due to loss of income, reduced access to nutritious food in view of pandemic-related control measures.
Disparity exists based on Income but not on Gender
According to the findings in the report, a major disparity exists between the regions and between the countries within a region. Regions that are poorer economically – Eastern and southern Africa, South Asia and West & Central Africa have the lowest rates of meal frequency, dietary diversity, and consumption of nutritious food.
Varying trends are observed among the regions:
Furthermore, there seems to be a direct correlation between income and the availability of nutritious food. It is less likely that children living in poorer households and rural areas consume sufficient meals and have diverse diets. The scope of these children being breastfed into the second year of their life is low.
There is not much difference observed in the change in feeding practices between poorer and wealthier households over the decade. Within the countries, huge disparity exists among the children based on the income of the households. For example, in Peru, there is a 30-percentage points gap between the best and worst-performing areas. The same can be said about Ethiopia. Hence national averages mask the disparity within the countries.
While the difference is stark in the case of the Rural-Urban and Poor-Wealthy divide, the same is not the case with the gender divide. To the extent of feeding children, wealth & location seem to have a higher influence in driving disparity than gender.
However, some of the findings from the report reveal that social, cultural & gender barriers have an influence on Children’s diets. COVID-19 pandemic has further worsened the situation for the marginalized households.  Studies conducted in countries of Eastern & Southern Africa; Indonesia & Nepal reveal this trend.
Another important impact on nutritious food of children is that of unhealthy processed foods that are easily accessible. India leads among ‘Confectionary’ with 30% of the children under the age of two years consuming it. India is also among the top-5 select countries in consumption of ‘Sugar’, ‘Sweet drinks’ & ‘Instant Noodles’ by these young children.
India is among the countries that made better progress in addressing malnutrition
In an earlier story based on data from NFHS (National Family & Health Survey) & CNNS (Comprehensive National Nutritional Survey), we observed that India has made significant progress over the last 15 years in addressing malnutrition in children.  Larger gains were made regarding children suffering from stunting and underweight. There is also a marginal fall in the number of children impacted by ‘Wasting’.
As per the data in the UNICEF report, India has been performing well especially regarding the reduction in the children affected due to Stunting. In 2012, 42% of the children were impacted by stunting, which fell to 31% in 2020. Cote d’Ivoire was another country that recorded an 11% contraction in the proportion of children suffering from stunting. Other South Asian countries of Nepal, Bangladesh & Pakistan have also shown improvement in the situation of children affected by stunting.
While the improvement in these countries including India is remarkable, it ought to be noted that the number of children affected by these conditions is still high. Developed countries like the USA & Germany have only around 2% of the children affected by stunting.  Meanwhile, the situation is worse in a few of the African countries like Libya & Angola.
However, as per UNICEF data, India is off track as far as children ‘wasting’ is considered.  About 17% of the children are categorized under ‘moderate – severe’ status while another 5 % are categorized under ‘severe’ as per the standards set by WHO. As already highlighted, the NFHS & CNNS also point out that the progress in the case of children being wasted is much less compared to the progress made in stunted children.
Among the other South Asian countries, Pakistan is ‘on track’ while Bangladesh & Nepal are ‘off track’ like India as far as ‘wasting’ is considered.  Many of the African countries are also ‘off track’.
Need for greater accountability regarding Children’s Diets
The report observes that Children’s diets are failing in – timeliness, meal frequency and dietary habits. These have barely improved over the decade and contribute towards the higher prevalence of malnutrition.  Few of the major barriers identified in the report include;
As highlighted earlier, the ‘Convention on Rights of the Child’ states that governments have a legal obligation to ensure the right to food & nutrition of children. The report thus suggests that the governments need to take a lead in ensuring this right of the child. It proposes action from the government to formulate policies & mobilize resources relating to the three systems of – food, health & social protection. The report lays down suggestive actions to be taken across the three systems and also develops multi-system governance for initiatives that do not fall in any of these three. In other words, the report calls for greater government accountability regarding Children’s diets
Featured Image: UNICEF’s Child Nutrition Report

created: October 1, 2021


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UNICEF report highlights the lack of uniform Data about ‘Children in Conflict with Law’
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 25, 2021
Recently, UNICEF released two reports which analysed the situation of children in conflict with the law. One of the reports looks into the record-keeping and undeveloped administrative data systems in many countries about children in conflict with the law. The second report looks into the responses of governments to UNICEF’s call for the release of detained children who were at a higher risk of contracting the virus, during the pandemic. Here is a review.
Children in conflict with the law are those aged below 18 years who have been accused of or recognized as having committed a criminal offence. These children are often held in police custody, prisons, or even detention centres which is a violation of international treaties, norms, and standards. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which defines the rights of the child is the first international agreement dealing with comprehensive protection of children’s rights. It asserts that children may be detained or imprisoned only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate length of time. The Convention also holds that children have the right to be treated such that their sense of dignity and worth is not affected. The treatment should be aimed at rehabilitating the children and reintegrating them into society. This is because more often than not, children who break the law do so as a result of restricted opportunities available for their development. Furthermore, those children who get into conflict with the law are often the victims of poor parenting, abuse and neglect, and social and economic difficulties, as per a UNICEF document.
UNICEF released two reports analysing the situation of children in detention
Recently, on the opening day of the World Congress on Justice with Children, UNICEF released two reports which analysed the situation of such children. One is the report titled ‘Estimating the number of children deprived of their liberty in the administration of justice’, which is the first such analysis since 2007 that looks into the record-keeping and undeveloped administrative data systems in many countries. The second report, Detention of children in the time of COVID-19 , looks into the responses of governments to UNICEF’s call for the release of detained children who were at a higher risk of contracting the virus, during the pandemic.
Accurate data on the number, characteristics, and well-being of children in detention is largely unavailable
According to the ‘Estimating the number of children deprived of liberty in the administration of justice’ report, accurate statistics on the number, characteristics, and well-being of children in detention is unknown due to incomplete record-keeping and undeveloped administrative data systems in many countries. Problems such as inconsistencies in data collection methods and in the data’s accuracy, completeness and coverage across countries further make the quality of available data poor. Proper administrative records of the data on children under police detention, pre-trial detention, and custodial detention will be useful for research, monitoring and evaluation of programs and interventions which can help in improving the services for such children.
To come up with the estimates for this study, data on the absolute number of children under age 18 detained in pre-trial, pre-sentencing or post-sentencing in any type of facility, including police custody, on a particular date, as reflected in national administrative data systems were compiled from January 2017 to October 2021 through web research and country-level solicitation.
38 countries did not have official figures or restricted external access to the figures
A total of 202 countries that covered 100% of the population were considered to get the information on data availability. Of these, 38 countries, 16 of which were in East Asia and the Pacific, either did not have official figures or restricted external access to the figures. For the remaining 164 countries, figures were available. Only the data for 159 countries, covering 87% of the global population of children aged 0 to 17, met the criteria for inclusion in the database. However, there was significant variation in the kind of data available. For instance, only 71 countries had sex-disaggregated figures and only one-half of them had data as recent as 2019 and 2020.
Further, the age range covered by each country is also different. Of the 156 countries, 76 countries did not have a lower bound for the age of children whereas the remaining 83 countries specified an age range. 14-17 years was the most common age range which was used in 22 countries.
Only seven countries produced the figures for children in police detention, pre-trial detention, and custodial detention
The study also noted that of the 159 countries with data that met the inclusion criteria, only 59 countries provided figures for children in detention as a result of being in conflict with the law but did not include a description of the detention setting. While UNICEF recommends that the data be provided for police detention, pre-trial detention, and custodial detention, only 51 countries provided figures for children in prisons, penal institutions, or correctional institutions while 30 countries provided figures for children in pre-trial and post-trial detention. Just seven countries produced the figures for children in all three settings.
NCRB reports have some data on juveniles in conflict with the law
In India, as per the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act), “child in conflict with law” (CCL) means a child who is alleged or found to have committed an offence and who has not completed eighteen years of age on the date of commission of such offence. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)’s annual Crime in India publication covers the data on Juveniles in Conflict with Law in the country, which is based on the police recorded FIR.
Data pertaining to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related crimes and Special & Local Laws (SLL) related crimes committed by children in each State/UT, and in major cities is provided in the report. Further, crime-head wise, age-group and gender-wise data on juveniles apprehended in each state and major cities are also provided along with the education and family background of the arrested juveniles. Further, the data on the number of 16 to 18-year-old prison inmates including convicts, undertrials, and detenues is available in NCRB’s Prison Statistics India report. However, the data isn’t adequate to understand the exact condition of children in detention in the country.
2.61 Lakh children were in detention globally on any day in 2020
Based on the available data, UNICEF has estimated that 2,61,200 children were in detention globally on any day in 2020 which translates to 29 children being detained per lakh children population. The estimated number of children detained ranges from 8,100 in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and in West and Central Africa to 50,300 in Latin America and the Caribbean. However, the rate of children in detention per lakh population varied from 8 in West and Central Africa to 137 in North America. Only three regions- West and Central Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East and North Africa had a rate less than the global average.
Lack of data is a major bottleneck
Despite the existence of conventions and norms, children in detention, in general, lack access to nutrition, healthcare, and hygiene services, and denied access to lawyers and family care, and are unable to challenge the legality of their detention. These have a devastating impact on their physical and mental health. Without the availability of the actual number of children in conflict with the law, it is difficult to understand the extent and scale of the problem. The report highlights the huge disparity in the kind of data available across the globe. The lack of reliable and uniform data on children who interact with the justice system makes it impossible to know if children are being denied their rights. To extend protection to children and assess if the decisions by law enforcement and courts are being made in the best interests of the child, improving the availability, quality and use of administrative data on justice for children is a must. The report calls on every country to work on this.
During the pandemic, 84 countries reported the release of detained children
The report on ‘Detention of children in the time of COVID-19’ revealed that more than 45,000 children across 54 countries were released from detention and safely returned to the family or an appropriate alternative since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. While only 54 countries provided specific data on the number of children released, 84 countries reported the release of detained children following the UNICEF’s call to release the children noting their increased risk of contracting COVID-19 in confined and overcrowded spaces.
Featured Image: Children in Conflict with Law

source: news-factly

created: November 25, 2021

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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UNICEF report notes that an additional 9 million children could be pushed into Child Labour if no additional measures are taken
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 12, 2021
The UNICEF & ILO’s report on the global child labour estimates for 2020 notes that 9 million children could be pushed into Child Labour if no additional measures are taken by countries. The report also notes that the number could rise to 46.2 million by the end of 2022 if no immediate action is taken, and if austerity measures or other factors cause slippage in social protection coverage.
Beyond exploitation, Child labour results in bodily and mental harm of children. Slavery, economic exploitation, and sexual exploitation of children cannot be ruled out. Children also miss out on the opportunity to go to schools and access to health care which is a restriction of their fundamental rights. Their future is also compromised because of child labour.
The UN General Assembly declared the year 2021 as the Year for the Elimination of Child Labour so that the international community steps up efforts to eradicate forced labour and child labour. The target 8.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) calls on the global community to: ‘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’.  Both the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are the co-custodians of this goal.
The progress towards this goal may have taken a severe hit in the light of the misery caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Various reports from global multilateral agencies indicate that a considerable number of children may be pushed into child labour as a result of the pandemic.
One in every ten children is a victim of child labour globally
In spite of the progress and development, child labour continues to be a persistent problem in today’s world. According to a recently published study from ILO and UNICEF, Child Labour: Global estimates 2020, trends and the road forward,  globally 160 million children aged between 5 to 17 years including 63 million girls and 97 million boys were engaged in child labour at the beginning of 2020.  Nearly half of them, about 79 million children were engaged in hazardous work which is defined as work that is likely to harm their health, safety, or morals.  The number has risen by 6.5 million since 2016.
Pandemic might result in another 46 million children pushed into child labour if no immediate action is taken
Data from the recent UNICEF reports indicates that since the year 2000, the total number of children engaged in various forms of child labour has dropped by 35% in 2020 while those engaged in hazardous work has dropped 54% during the same period. However, the number of children engaged in both hazardous and non-hazardous work has increased in 2020 compared to the year 2016.
However, the percentage of children engaged in child labour remained unchanged over the four-year period. The report estimates that 8.9 million more children are at risk of being pushed into child labour by the end of 2022 because of COVID-19 if no additional measures are taken. This number could rise to 46.2 million by the end of 2022 if no immediate action is taken, and if austerity measures or other factors cause slippage in social protection coverage.
Sub-Saharan Africa has reported an increase in child labour
As per the report, population growth, recurrent crises, extreme poverty, and inadequate social protection measures have resulted in an additional 16.6 million children pushed into child labour in sub-Saharan Africa, compared to 2016. More children are engaged in child labour in sub-Saharan Africa there than the rest of the world combined. Other areas- Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean have shown progress. However, the report notes that COVID-19 might endanger this progress. School closures and additional economic shocks due to the pandemic might make children more vulnerable.
Labour among children aged 5 to 11 years has witnessed an increase
Age group-wise data indicates that child labour among children aged 12 to 14 years, and 15 to 17 years, has declined since 2016 whereas, among young children aged 5 to 11 years, the progress has slowed down. In 2020, there were an additional 16.8 million children in the 5 to 11 age group engaged in child labour as compared to 2016. A few other key observations of the report include-
COVID-19 might impede the past gains in Child Labour
Over the last four years (between 2016 & 2020), the progress made in bringing children out of child labour has been obstructed with more children getting to child labour. On top of this, the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to derail the progress made in the past two decades. The report notes that it is incredibly important that all countries take necessary & immediate action to prevent this from happening. For this, the ILO and UNICEF have made certain recommendations that need to be implemented with immediate effect. These include-
The government of India launched the PM-CARES for Children’ scheme to support orphaned children
The Pradhan Mantri Gharib Kalyan Yojana was announced in March 2020 by the Government of India to extend help to the poor & vulnerable affected by the pandemic. The scheme included providing free food grains, monetary allowance etc. for a few months.
The second wave of COVID-19 in India has resulted in increased deaths and breadwinners in most families have succumbed to the virus. In some families, both parents passed away leaving behind children. As these orphaned children are more vulnerable to exploitation, the Indian government announced a new scheme in May 2021. The scheme aims to help all children who have lost both parents or surviving parents or legal guardian/adoptive parents due to COVID-19. Under the ‘PM-CARES for Children’ scheme, the following measures are extended to eligible children.
Apart from this, a centrally sponsored Child Protection Services (CPS) Scheme is also being implemented to help children in difficult circumstances.
Implementation of the various legal statutes is the need of the hour
There are multiple laws and initiatives in India aimed at protecting children and prevent exploitation. Many of these are aimed at alleviating child labour in the country. The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986 is being implemented which states that ‘no child below the age of fourteen years shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or employed in any hazardous employment’.
The National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme for the eradication of child labour is also being implemented under which children are rescued from work and are provided with bridge education, vocational training, mid-day meal, stipend, health care, etc. before being mainstreamed into the formal education system. India is also a signatory of various conventions of ILO aimed at ending child labour such as the Minimum Age Convention, Worst forms of Child Labour Convention, Forced Labour Convention, etc. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) also works towards the protection of the rights of the children in the 0 to 18 years age group.
In the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, as more children have been pushed to the edges of vulnerability, it is important that the laws & schemes aimed at child welfare are implemented with greater rigour. Spreading awareness, encouraging parents/guardians to send their children to school, economic support to poor & vulnerable families is the need of the hour to ensure proper implementation of the laws & schemes.


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Review: UNODC highlights important issues in its first-ever ‘Corruption in Sport’ report - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 6, 2022
Recently, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), released its first edition of “Global Report On Corruption in Sport”. Among other things, the report highlights key transformative trends that affected sports, and notes that Illegal betting and manipulation a major threat to integrity of Sports. Here is a review.
Sports form an integral part of human culture. They act as a source of entertainment, promote a healthy lifestyle, provide jobs, are key to the economy, develop a culture of identity, provide connection among people, etc. among other things.
With the increasing popularity of various sports, there has been an influx of money which has also created scope for different forms of corruption.
Recently, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), released its first edition of “Global Report On Corruption in Sport”. The report was prepared by UNODC’s Corruption and Economic Crime Branch (CEB).
The report was developed by UNODC based on the request from the Conference of the State parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC)’s eighth Session in Abu Dhabi in 2019.
As per the resolution on Safeguarding Sport from Corruption, it requested UNODC to:
In the introduction to the report, UNODC states that there is a substantial increase in criminal activities in sports, influenced by a range of factors.
Globalization and Technology are among the key transformative trends that affected the sports
In the report, five key transformative trends are highlighted that have affected the sports sector in recent times. These trends contribute towards potential risks of corruption in sports with their linkage to the expansion of sport and economic innovation.
Globalization
A major trend over the past two decades across different sports disciplines is their globalization. Increased audiences for events like the Olympics and FIFA Football World Cup are a reflection. More than half of the World’s population over the age of 4 years have watched the 2018 FIFA world cup. Major Football clubs have developed market strategies of promoting their clubs beyond the national borders.
As per some estimates, as of 2018, the Sports industry is valued at $488.5 billion (Sport-specific products) and around $756 billion (including related sectors like transportation, entertainment, etc.) However, the benefits of these are not available beyond the elite sports, which are marred with financial difficulties and prone to corruption risks.
Financial Precarity
The report observes that there is an increasing trend of disparity and uncertainty in the revenues earned between the sports and within the sports. A major portion of the earnings is limited to top players or to top leagues.
As per a report by International Tennis Federation, out of the 14 thousand professional players, only around 600 managed to break even before the coaching costs.
In Football, the five top leagues account for 75% of the revenue in European football as of 2018. This increased from 69% in 2010.
The uneven revenue distribution, fewer post-career prospects, etc. can tempt players to make easy money during their last appearances and indulge in corrupt acts, notes the report.
Technology: Sports Betting
In the modern era of sports, betting and sports are linked to each other. In a few countries, sports betting is made legal.  As of 2020, Betting operators are the second most important main-shirt sponsors for European Football clubs. The betting markets have now expanded to non-European markets like Brazil, India, the USA, etc.
The adoption of the internet has revolutionised the betting industry through online betting. This has opened new options to betting operators like – placing multiple bets, placing bets beyond the jurisdiction that they have licenses, etc.  The betting markets have turned into unregulated marketplaces and also create a scope for competition manipulation.
Technology: Rise of e-sports
E-sport audience has increased from 380 million in 2016 to 557 million in 2021. However, this space is still unregulated, and the integrity largely depends on each game producer. Because of this, e-sports are vulnerable to two types of corruption – the competitiveness and stakes involved make them equally susceptible to corruption like traditional sports and secondly, the virtual nature of the sports make them vulnerable to structural manipulation.
Administration and Autonomy of sports
Sports are largely composed of organizations that have a private non-profit status and operate based on a private contractual legal framework. The report observes that, while many anti-corruption initiatives are launched, the sports organizations do not have the capabilities of law-enforcement authorities. This hinders their ability to effectively implement anti-corruption compliance initiatives.
The report also identified three major Corruption risks in sports
Illegal betting and manipulation are a major threat to integrity of Sports
The Global report on Corruption in Sport identifies various means by which the integrity of the sports is being compromised. Organised crime, manipulation of competition, abuse, gender disparity are a few of the aspects impacting the integrity of the sports. The report identifies illegal betting as a serious threat and warns about the resultant manipulation.
The report observes that illegal betting is only a major driver in corruption in sport but also a major channel for money laundering. It is estimated that the amount of money laundered in one year is between $800 billion to $2 trillion. While legal betting is valid and prevalent in many sports, there is also a growing market for illegal betting.  The sports betting activity is categorised into – White Market, Grey Market & Black Market.
The growth of the internet over the last two decades has contributed towards massive growth in illegal betting.
The report also highlights the approaches through which illegal betting is used for money laundering.
The report further highlights a few incidents where there was a crackdown on illegal betting:
The Global Report on Corruption in Sport further elucidates the measures taken by different countries like – China, the Philippines, Malta, Australia, etc. to combat illegal betting and using sports as a means for money laundering.
The report also notes the advent of Cryptocurrencies as a means for money laundering and illegal betting. The incident in China serves as an example.
India also has seen incidence of Illegal betting & money laundering
As per Europol, approximately 65% of the worldwide betting market is in Asia, of which the illegal & unregulated sectors are ten times larger than the regulated markets. Although the Report does not specifically state the prevalence of illegal betting in India, there are many incidents over the years that show the existence of illegal betting in India.
In India, only betting on Horseracing is legal, and remaining betting activities are considered illegal. The legality of sports betting in the country is based on the State-specific laws.  The two major laws governing it are Public Gambling Act of 1867 and Information Technology Act 2000.
The advent of franchise sports tournaments like the Indian Premier League (IPL), Indian Super League, etc. have created new avenues for sports betting. There are incidents of arrests of people involved in betting on these leagues, especially the IPL. A few years ago, there was a major Spot Fixing & Match Fixing scandal in IPL, which has resulted in the ouster of two franchises – Chennai Super Kings & Rajasthan Royals for a period of two years. There were also previous instances where Indians & cricketers of other nationalities were alleged to be involved in International Match-fixing.
While there is demand from certain quarters to make betting legal in India, as the international examples show, the legal framework could just be a front for illegal activities and corruption involving money laundering. Hence a careful consideration is required before coming up with the necessary regulatory framework.
Featured Image: Betting in Sports

created: January 6, 2022


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Various reports highlight improvement in water quality of major Rivers during the lockdown
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 31, 2021
While the nationwide lockdown in 2020 was debilitating to the economy, it came as a respite to the environment, particularly to rivers. Studies by the Central Pollution Control Board & other non-profits confirm that there has been considerable improvement in water quality of major rivers during the lockdown. Here is a review.
In this story, we look at the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the water quality of major rivers. The reports by Center Pollution Control Board (CPCB) indicate improvements in terms of reduced organic pollution and increased saturation level for major rivers and significant improvement in the water quality of Yamuna and Ganga. Action Aid’s report highlights community experiences with changes in river water quality during the lockdown by registering an increase in domestic usage of river water, aquatic life, and water quality.
On 24 March 2020, the Government of India imposed a nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The lockdown was further extended in four different phases to 31 May 2020, and an unlock period thereafter. During the lockdown period, the movement of public transportation, commercial and industrial activities had been restricted strictly.
The lockdown led to economic loss, and at the same time, it came as a respite to the environment. Few rivers were able to rejuvenate naturally to some extent in view of no industrial wastewater discharge, non-operation of commercial centres, places of worship, washing and bathing activities, etc.
To access the quality of all major rivers in the country, Center Pollution Control Board (CPCB) conducted sampling in association with State Pollution Control Board (SPCB)/Pollution Control Committee (PCCs). A comparative assessment of water quality in 19 major rivers during pre-lockdown (March 2020) and during lockdown (April 2020) and a report titled Assessment of Impact of Lockdown on Water Quality of Major Rivers was subsequently published in September 2020.
The study was carried out with a view to:
The analysis of collected samples revealed improvements in terms of reduced organic pollution and increased saturation level in case of few rivers. However, bacterial load continued to be predominant especially along with the urban centres due to continued flow of treated/partially treated sewage. Overall, a marginal improvement was observed in the water quality of the monitoring rivers.
Overall observations on 19 Major Rivers monitored during Pre-lockdown (March 2020) and Lockdown Period (April 2020) are highlighted below.
What about ‘Primary Water Quality Criteria for Outdoor Bathing’?
100% compliance: Four rivers viz., Baitarani, Mahanadi, Narmada and Pennar showed 100% compliance with the ‘Primary Water Quality Criteria for Outdoor Bathing’ during pre-lockdown and lockdown period. Cent percent compliance was observed during lockdown w.r.t ‘Primary Water Quality Criteria for Outdoor Bathing’ in case of 6 rivers (viz., river Baitarani, Brahmani, Brahmaputra, Mahanadi, Narmada and Pennar) which may be attributed to the availability of adequate infrastructure for management of sewage in the catchment of the respective river bodies and might have adequate dilution.
100% non-compliance: River Ghaggar failed to comply with the ‘Primary Water Quality Criteria for Outdoor Bathing’ during Pre-lockdown and lockdown period.
No change: Water quality of two rivers viz., Sabarmati (55.6 %) and Mahi (92.9 %) remains unchanged in terms of compliance to ‘Primary Water Quality Criteria for Outdoor Bathing’ during pre-lockdown and lockdown.
Improvement: Improvement in water quality w.r.t ‘Primary Water Quality Criteria for Outdoor Bathing’ was noticed in case of 7 rivers viz., Brahmani (increase in compliance to the bathing criteria limits from 85% to 100%), Brahmaputra (enhancement in compliance to the criteria limits from 87.5% to 100%), Cauvery (a marginal improvement from 90.5% to 96.97%), Godavari (increase in compliance from 65.8% to 78.4%), Krishna (improvement in compliance from 84.6% to 94.4%), Tapi (improved compliance from 77.8% to 87.5%) and Yamuna (increase in compliance from 42.8% to 66.67%).
Deterioration: Water quality has not improved during the lockdown period in case of five rivers viz., Beas (reduced from 100% to 95.45%), Chambal (reduced compliance to the criteria limits from 75% to 46.15%), Ganga (reduced compliance to the criteria limits from 64.6% to 46.2%), Sutlej (reduction in compliance from 87.1% to 78.3%) and Swarnarekha (reduction in compliance from 80% to 53.33%).
According to the report, improvement in water quality of few major rivers can be attributed to:
Exclusive studies on Yamuna and Ganga indicate improvement in water quality
The CPCB’s Report on Assessment of Impact of Lockdown on Water Quality of River Yamuna – Delhi Stretch, indicates that there is considerable improvement in water quality of river Yamuna (with respect to DO/Dissolved Oxygen, BOD/Biochemical Oxygen Demand and COD/Chemical Oxygen Demand) when compared with pre-lockdown and lockdown period
According to the report, post-lock down improvement in water quality can be attributed to:
Similarly, CPCB’s Report on Impact of Lockdown on Water Quality of River Ganga, indicates nationwide lockdown has resulted in an overall improvement in water quality of River Ganga especially with regards to increased Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and reduced nitrate concentration. This may primarily be attributed to the absence of industrial wastewater discharge, agricultural runoff, and increased freshwater flow. The reduction in Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) concentration was relatively less due to continuous discharge of domestic wastewater into the river.
Increase in community-perceived changes water quality, aquatic life, domestic usage of river water
Apart from understanding the river water quality vis-à-vis testing, another way to look at the impact of lockdown on river water quality is through experiences of communities living on the bank of rivers and dependent on the water source. ActionAid Association (India)’s a report titled River Ecology: An assessment of the impact of COVID-19 lockdown, highlights community experiences with changes in river water quality during the lockdown.
The study collected responses from 550 respondents in 10 river valleys across 10 major states, who are dependent on the river either directly or indirectly to understand the impact of lockdown on river ecology. This study presents information with the objective of getting people to reflect on the changes in quality of river water, changes in the presence and availability of aquatic species, changes in river ecology due to COVID-19 lockdown and in river water consumption patterns.
The study found that more than 70% of respondents expressed an increase in colour of the water indicating cleanness, around 20% said there is a decrease in water colour indicating dirtiness of water and less than 10% said that there is no change in colour. With respect to bad odour from river water due to pollution and other garbage, around 80% felt a decrease in bad odour, 10% felt an increase and 10% expressed no change.
More than 95% of respondents expressed a decrease in industrial pollution in river water and only less than 5% expressed that there is no change. On one hand, about 40% of respondents expressed a decrease in domestic waste and 60% expressed a decrease in hospital waste, on the other hand, around 30% of respondents expressed there has been no change in domestic waste and 20% expressed no change in disposal of hospital waste into the river water. However, this data varies from river to river as hospitals and urban setups vary.
Almost 100% of respondents expressed that there has been an increase in aquatic species in Mahanadi, Narmada, Ganga, Yamuna and Nagavali.  A large majority reported increase of aquatic life in Krishna (75%), Kaveri (70%), Gandak (75%), Godavari (80%) and Gomati (78%) as well. People perceived that the increased presence of fish and other aquatic species is due to a decrease in water pollution. About 60% of respondents also shared that an increasing number of migratory birds were seen in the rivers during the lockdown period.
People use river water for different purposes starting from bathing to cleaning, washing and other purposes. The study found an increase in river water usage for bathing, cleaning, washing, etc. In case of Ganga, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri, the pattern varied from 80% to 25% increase, while in case of Gandak, Narmada, Yamuna, Nagavali the increase was 100%. The study also found that there has been an increase in the use of river water for agriculture in Ganga by 100%, Godavari & Nagavali by 75% and Krishna & Gandak by 60% during the lockdown period.
Overall, the report points out visible changes perceived by dependent communities in the quality of river water due to COVID-19 lockdown. The communities attested to positive changes in water quality of the river, improved river biodiversity, increased fish population and visibility of new species. The ActionAid’s report highlighting community-perceived changes in water quality of major rivers in many ways corroborates the findings of Center Pollution Control Board (CPCB)’s reports, which reported improvements in the quality of water in major rivers across the country.
Featured Image: Vjdchauhan via Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 3.0 ]


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Various studies highlight the severe impact of COVID-19 on MSMEs
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 6, 2021
MSMEs have been one of the worst affected sectors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple studies by KVIC, NSIC, ABDI highlight the severe stress in the sector and the various problems faced by them. A parliamentary standing committee recently made important recommendations to revive the MSMEs. Here is a review.
Among the various sectors impacted by COVID-19 pandemic, MSMEs (Medium, Small & Micro Enterprises) are one of the worst affected. The lockdowns & restrictions imposed as a response to contain COVID-19 spread had a severe impact on various aspects related to the functioning of the MSMEs. This is reflected in MSMEs being included in the various COVID-19 relief packages announced by the Government of India.
In an earlier story, we highlighted the various challenges faced by MSMEs during the early period of the COVID-19 onset in India. Since then, the country experienced a period of opening of the economy followed by further control measures due to the second wave of COVID-19 infection. These could have further aggravated the challenges already faced by MSMEs.
As per a government response in the Lok Sabha on 22 July 2021, it is understood that no study has been conducted by the Ministry of MSME (MoMSME) to assess the impact of COVID-19 & the stimulus package on MSMEs.
However, in the same response, there is a reference to the studies conducted by the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) & Khadi and Village Industries Commissions (KVIC) to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on MSMEs.  Further, there is a report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industry submitted in July 2021, regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the MSME sector.
In this story we look at the findings of these studies & reports along with the responses in the parliament by the Government and a few other international reports, to ascertain the impact of COVID-19 on MSMEs.
88% of beneficiaries under the PMEGP scheme reported a negative impact of COVID-19
As already highlighted earlier, the Ministry of MSME has not yet conducted a study on the impact of the pandemic on MSMEs. However, in a press release on 19 July 2021, the government referred to two studies conducted by KVIC & NSIC. The ministry provided the important findings of these studies in their statement.
As per the study by KVIC, which apart from studying the impact of COVID-19 on MSMEs, more specifically focused on the units’ set-up under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMGEP) scheme.
Apart from these, around 57% of those who said there was a negative impact on their business stated that they had to shut down their business for some time. The study finds that the impact on the revenues of the employers has percolated to the employees as well. Around 42.5% of the employers stated that they paid partial salaries to their employees, while around 11% of them were unable to pay any salary for some time. These responses from the study indicate a deeper negative impact on the MSMEs due to the pandemic. However, it also presents a positive picture of those MSMEs who are involved in specific businesses-like essentials & health-related.
The ministry also referred to another study conducted by NSIC. The study which focused on beneficiaries of NSIC due to the pandemic found that around 91% of the MSMEs were functional. Apart from this, the study identified different critical problems faced by the MSMEs during the pandemic. The majority of the units i.e., 55% identified liquidity to be the major problem faced by them.
As per a study by ADB, 49% of firms in India reduced the number of Permanent employees
The Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) published a working paper on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises in Asia. The study was conducted in 8 Asian countries including India. Few of the observations from this study confirm the observations made in the studies of KVIC & NSIC.
KVIC’s study highlights the impact of COVID-19 on the workers in MSMEs, where-in employers were unable to pay salaries to employees. ADBI’s working paper observes that in India, around 49% of the firms have reduced the number of permanent employees after the pandemic. Further, 17% of the firms reduced the number of permanent employees by more than 40%. Among the 8 countries that were studied, the situation in India is better off than in Laos, Vietnam & Pakistan.
There was a comparatively greater negative impact on the temporary employees. 60% of the firms stated that they have reduced the number of temporary employees after the pandemic. Around 22% of the firms reduced the temporary employees by more than 40%. The numbers relating to temporary employees working in MSMEs in countries like Malaysia, Pakistan & Vietnam is bleaker.
Furthermore, the study observes that around 78% of the firms have experienced a decline in their sales compared to the earlier year. More than a third i.e., 36% of the firms had experienced a decline in sales by more than 40%.
In the study conducted by NSIC, the majority of the firms highlighted liquidity as one of the major challenges during the pandemic. This is further corroborated by ADBI’s study. Nearly 46% of the firms have experienced Cash shortage due to the pandemic. However, the situation in India is better off compared to Bangladesh, Mongolia, Pakistan & Vietnam.
Around 23% of the MSME firms in India stated that they had experienced a temporary exit, while 12% of the firms faced a situation of cash shortage as well as temporary exit.
Union Government announced various initiatives as part of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’
The government of India identified MSMEs as one of the key sectors impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, various initiatives & relief measures were announced by the government as part of the Aatmanirbhar scheme. In various responses provided in the parliament and also in the press release by the relevant ministry, the government has specified the various initiatives it took to support MSMEs.
Apart from this, the union government has also made some changes in criteria & functioning relating to MSMEs. One of the important policy decisions to encourage the domestic MSMEs is to keep a stop on global tenders for procurement up to Rs. 200 crores. This is aimed at facilitating the domestic MSMEs to gain greater business by reducing the international competition.
Most of these initiatives were announced in the immediate aftermath of the spread of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the findings from the different studies as discussed above raise important questions about the efficacy of these measures.
A deeper study by the Ministry could have helped understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the MSMEs and analyze the benefits of the government initiatives and the gaps in providing support to MSMEs. In this context, the observations made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee in its recent report provide important insights.
The Standing Committee observed that the stimulus package announced by the government was inadequate
The standing committee noted that the impact of COVID-19 on MSMEs has been disastrous and that this sector is one of the most severely impacted ones. Various segments of the industry have had varied impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While units in Automotive, tourism, non-food retail, appeals, etc. were among the most impacted, sectors like pharma, online retailers, essentials, medical equipment, OTT, etc. had a positive impact. The MSME units relating to these sectors had the respective impact.
Few of the key observations of the committee based on the views of different organizations associated with the sector include:
The committee took cognizance of the fact the Ministry has not conducted any intensive study to understand the losses suffered by the MSME sector. It observed that a study would have helped in understanding the vulnerabilities and the problems faced by the sector and enabled in taking the necessary steps in the wake of further waves of COVID-19 pandemic and to chalk out an effective plan in the revival of the MSME sector.
The committee made the following key recommendations in the report.
It is evident from the studies that MSMEs are one of the worst-hit by the pandemic. The studies indicate that despite the measures announced, there has been extreme stress on the sector and the relief packages have not been adequate.
The government needs to take cognizance of these observations and develop a plan that would provide immediate relief to MSMEs to tide over the current challenges and also lay out a plan for the stabilization of the sector.
Featured Image: Impact of COVID-19 on MSMEs

created: August 6, 2021


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Review: What are some of the major Indian Evacuation operations of the last two decades? - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 8, 2022
The Government of India launched ‘Operation Ganga’ to bring home Indian students & Indian nations from conflict-ridden Ukraine. Over the years, India has successfully conducted multiple large-scale evacuation operations. In 2009, the government also set up the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) to assist Overseas Indians during crises.
On 24 February 2022, the President of the Russian Federation announced a ‘Special Military Operations’ in Ukraine. The Indian Embassy in Ukraine had issued multiple advisories before the launch of the military operation and later asked Indians to leave the country if possible due to the increasing hostilities.
International Organizations like the UNO called the Russian Federation’s military offensive ‘Wrong, against Charter, Unacceptable, But Not Irreversible’.  Amidst increasing violence on the ground in various parts of Ukraine, the government of India launched an initiative ‘Operation Ganga’, to evacuate stranded Indians from war-torn Ukraine.
In this story, we look at the timeline details of some of the major evacuations carried out by the government of India during a crisis in various countries. The data considered for this story is only related to evacuation operations during a war or an internal conflict in a specific country. Evacuation during COVID-19 is not considered for the story.
Data Note: The evacuation operations data used in this story is sourced from the annual reports of the Ministry of External Affairs between 2000-01 to 2020-21, replies to questions in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
The Ministry of External Affairs serves (MEA) as a nodal point for evacuation operations.
Though India has no formal rescue and evacuation policy, it has conducted more than two dozen evacuation operations across the world in the last two decades. Of all the external evacuation operations carried out by India, MEA served as the major point of contact in these extraordinary situations often with coordination of other ministries or departments like Civil Aviation for logistical support, with Defence Ministry for the deployment of military capabilities, and with Finance Ministry for financial support for repatriation, to name a few.
India conducted several Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO)
Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO) are missions/operations to evacuate Indian citizens, and sometimes of other friendly countries, from unstable, potentially dangerous, and conflict-affected areas. Below are a few important and well-known wartime evacuations conducted by India in the last two decades.
To begin with, during the First Gulf War that began with the Iraqi forces moving into Kuwait on 2 August 1990 and lasted until they were expelled on 27 February 1991, India conducted the evacuation of over 150,000 Indians which is recognised as the biggest ever civilian airlift in history.
Operation Sukoon (2006): During the Israel-Lebanon war in July-August 2006, an Indian fleet led by warship INS Mumbai went right into Beirut harbour. About 12,000 Indians were residing in Lebanon then. The Indian Navy evacuated 1836 Indians who desired to leave and evacuated other nationals which includes 65 Nepalese, 433 Sri Lankans. They were evacuated by ships to Larnaca in Cyprus and from there by Air India chartered flights to India.
Operation Safe Homecoming (2011): Multiple evacuation operations were organized in the year 2011. As the situation deteriorated in Libya, more than 16,200 Indian nationals desirous of returning to India were evacuated from Libya by all means, i.e. by air, sea, and land. Further, 698 Indian nationals were also evacuated from Yemen in view of civil disturbance. Due to the turmoil in Egypt during January & February of 2011, Air India arranged three special flights, on a ‘no profit’ basis, for Indian citizens living in Egypt and stranded Indian tourists who wanted to leave Egypt. Around 670 Indians availed of these special Air India flights to return to India.
Operation Raahat (2015):  The Government conducted Operation ‘Raahat’ in March-April 2015 for the evacuation of Indian nationals from Yemen. The then Minister of State and former Army chief Gen V.K. Singh headed that mission from Djibouti- 4,748 Indians and 1,962 foreign nationals of 48 nations were evacuated in all, some by ships to Djibouti, while others were flown out of Sana in a specially negotiated humanitarian window for flights.
Operation Sankat Mochan (2016):  Led on the ground by Minister of State for External Affairs Gen. V. K. Singh, the Operation was launched on 14-15 July of 2016, which was a one-day operation to bring back about 153 Indians and 2 citizens of Nepal. They were evacuated on board two C-17 aircraft from Juba, South Sudan, during a ceasefire in the fighting.
Operation Devi Shakti (2021): In mid-August 2021, after the Taliban takeover, following the rapid decline in the security situation in Afghanistan, India-based personnel from Indian Embassy and other Consulates were recalled and the Government of India ran a mission named operation ‘Devi Shakti’ to evacuate a total of  565 people including 438 Indians.
Apart from the above, there were several minor yet important wartime evacuation operations carried out by the government of India in Yemen and Egypt in 2011, in Ukraine, Iraq, Malta, Libya, and the Central African Republic in 2014 due to a range of reasons like an internal political crisis, wars, breakdown of law and order, and deteriorating security conditions
Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) to assist Overseas Indians during a crisis
In 2009, the Government of India set up the ‘Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF)’ in all the Indian Missions/Consulates abroad. The fund was set up to meet contingency expenditure incurred for carrying out various welfare activities for overseas Indian citizens who are in distress and emergency in the ‘most deserving cases’ on a ‘means tested basis’.
Some of the important objectives of the fund are:
The fund is raised by the Indian Missions by levying additional charges on consular services. For instance, the Embassy of India in Kuwait raised about 3.4 crore rupees as fees/contributions towards ICWF in the year 2014, for aiding Indian nationals in Kuwait.
Earlier in 2016, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) provided data of country-wise and case-wise number of Overseas Indians who were provided assistance through ICWF, in response to a question in Parliament. The data provided was till the year 2016.
Since the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic till October 2021, the Government of India has spent approximately Rs. 44 crores for Boarding and Lodging, Air Passage, Emergency Medical Care, and evacuation purposes from the Indian Community Welfare Fund.
The government also provided details of the number of beneficiaries of the ICWF since 2014, in response to a question in the Lok Sabha in August 2021. As per this update, since 2014, around Rs. 447.2 crores have been utilized to extend assistance to over 2.61 lakh Indians abroad from the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF). As per another response in the Lok Sabha, as of September 2021, the Indian Community Welfare Fund has an available amount of approximately Rs. 474 crores.
The year-wise number of beneficiaries and the amount utilized is given in the following chart.
Evacuations are important to India’s foreign policy
India’s foreign policy has a special place for the welfare of expatriate workers, students, and others worldwide. India has more than 3 crore overseas Indians spread across 210 countries which means any kind of conflict anywhere in the world is sure to affect Indian nationals in those countries.
According to a 2016 paper by Constantino Xavier, a fellow at Carnegie India, to ensure the protection and safe homecoming of its repatriates, the Indian government must strive to institutionalize standard operating procedures and invest in training and contingency plans.


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Review: What are the changes made to the different NCRB reports for 2021?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 5, 2022
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) publishes three major annual reports Crime in India, Accidental deaths and Suicides in India, and Prison Statistics of India. Every year, the NCRB makes certain changes to the kind of data released in these reports. Here is a review of the changes made in the 2021 reports.
No society is devoid of crimes. In fact, crimes have become an intrinsic part of society. Crimes do not just affect the individuals involved, instead, they have wider implications on society. Crime and society reinforce each other – the type of society influences the incidence of crime and vice versa. Studying crime is critical to exploring the conditions under which society functions and the situations under which it breaks down. Hence, understanding crime patterns, both qualitatively and quantitatively, is of utmost importance, for it provides important inputs for the governments to suitable adapt and adjust their resources.
Crime patterns provide us insights into the short-term and long-term changes in the incidences of crime. On this basis, assessments can be made to understand the above changes. In India, the ‘Crime in India’ (CII) report published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), is a comprehensive source of annual crime statistics. It is a repository of all the police-recorded crime statistics in India, including the nature and type of the crime, the progress in investigations, the convictions secured, and other such parameters.  Changing societal environments coupled with advancements in technology give rise to new forms of crime. Accordingly, the crime statistics and their definitions and scope must be effectively updated and expanded to incorporate the latest additions.
In this story, we look at the changes made in the CII report by NCRB in its 2021 report. Factly had earlier published similar articles on the changes in crime statistics from NCRB in 2017 & 2020. In addition, we also look at changes made in other reports by the NCRB, such as the Accidental deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI) and Prison Statistics of India (PSI).
Changes over previous publications
Crime in India (CII)
In the previous edition, data on crimes under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 had been included under Special & Local Laws. Most of the data pertaining to the transgenders in the earlier editions were concentrated on this act. However, in the latest edition of 2021, the data related to transgenders have been included in the persons disposal i.e., persons arrested, persons charge sheeted, persons convicted, persons discharged, and persons acquitted.
This is important in the sense that it extends the scope of the gendered nature of the individuals involved in crimes. Major such additions could be seen in the disposal of persons arrested for crimes against women and children (arrested, charge-sheeted, and convicted) both state-wise as well as in Metropolitan cities. It is also included in the age profile of the child victims of the POCSO act (state/UT wise), Child and adult victims of Kidnapping & Abduction (Gender & Age Group‐wise) (State/UT‐wise, Metropolitan cities), Purpose of Kidnapping & Abduction (Alive Victims), Recovery of Kidnapped & Abducted Persons (Gender & Age Group‐wise) (State/UT‐wise, Metropolitan cities), and Juveniles Apprehended – IPC and SLL Crimes (Crime Head, Age Group & Gender-wise). These are some of the key areas where such expansion is done.
Under the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), details of the result of searches and prosecutions under the direct taxes enactments during 2021-22 are added. Under the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs, NIA, and DRI, seizures of drugs, fake Indian/foreign currency, explosives, wildlife, etc., are included. Additionally, in CBI and NIA, seizures relating to firearms and ammunitions are also added.  Under the NCB, data relating to seizures of drugs is included.
Source: Crime in India, Volume III- 2020, 2021
Accidental deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI)
Families and society as a whole suffer irreparable harm when people die in accidents or by suicide. Additionally, they cause the loss of priceless productive man-years, which has an impact on the country’s economic growth. It is crucial to study the data related to accidents and suicides to conduct any relevant research and create effective intervention strategies. Such a compilation is called ADSI, and it is released yearly by the NCRB.
Changes:
Prison Statistics in India
The management of prisons has changed from a punitive approach to one that emphasises reformation and rehabilitation of the offenders as one of its goals to reintegrate them into society after their release as potential contributors to the economy. Prisons are a necessary component of the criminal justice system. It is crucial that the statistics in the report encompass a wide range of information on many elements of prisons.
Changes:

created: September 5, 2022


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What are different variants of SARS- CoV-2 (COVID-19) detected so far?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 22, 2021
The SARS- CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has undergone mutations and given rise to multiple variants. Many variants of the virus are being detected in various parts of the world. Some of these are popularly known as the UK variant, South African variant, etc. A new double mutant variant has recently been discovered in India. Here is a review of all these variants.
The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 has crossed 142 million and over 3 million deaths have been reported worldwide, as of 20 April 2021. Recently, India surpassed Brazil as the country with the second-highest number of confirmed cases in the world, after the USA. India has so far reported more than 15.6 million cases and 1.82 lakh deaths. Since 16 April 2021, India has been reporting more than 2 lakh new cases every day. States have begun imposing curfews and localized lockdowns to curb the rapid spread during the current wave. India’s surge in cases has raised alarm with the discovery of new variants of the virus. The rapid spread during the current wave means that countries like the UK have included India in the red list of countries from which travel to the UK is banned for those who are not UK or Irish residents or a British citizen if they’ve been in India in the previous 10 days.
With time, variants of the virus emerge through mutations
Viruses are constantly changing. Genetic variations occur with time which results in the emergence of new variants with varying characteristics. SARS- CoV-2, the coronavirus behind the ongoing pandemic is no exception to it. Each coronavirus contains a sequence of around 30,000 letters of RNA. When the virus infects a living cell, it makes copies of itself and while doing so, there can be small copying errors known as mutations which result in a new ‘lineage’ of the virus as the mutation gets passed down. A variant is a virus with one or more new mutations as compared to the original virus. That is, with the mutations, the variant virus is genetically different from the main strain but is not different enough to be considered a new strain.
CDC has classified variants into 3 broad categories
It has been more than a year since the pandemic began. Multiple variants of SARS- CoV-2 are being detected globally. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA has classified all the variants into three- Variants of Interest (VoI), Variants of Concern (VoC), and Variants of High Consequence (VoHC).
VoI and VoC have D614G mutation which increases Virus’ transmissibility
Those variants which show an increase in transmissibility, more infectious and causing more severe disease resulting in increased hospitalizations or deaths, reduced response to treatments and vaccines, a significant reduction in neutralization by antibodies generated during previous infection or vaccination, or failure in diagnostic detection are treated as Variants of Concern, VOC. Currently, there are five VOCs according to CDC. All the five variants share one specific mutation called D614G which makes the virus more transmissible than its original form.
3 variants have been categorized as Variants of Interest (VoI)
Variants with specific genetic markers that have been associated with changes to receptor binding, reduced neutralization by antibodies generated against previous infection or vaccination, reduced efficacy of treatments, potential diagnostic impact, or predicted increase in transmissibility or disease severity are VOIs. That is, the mutations may help the virus to dodge antibodies and treatment but is not as infectious as VOCs. CDC has classified three variants as VOIs. All three, share a specific mutation, D614G, and have the potential to evade antibodies.
VoHCs are variants with evidence that prevention measures or medical countermeasures have significantly reduced effectiveness as compared to other variants. So far, no SARS-CoV-2 variant falls under this category.
INSACOG detected UK and South African variants in India in March 2021
The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) is a network of ten laboratories established in December 2020 for continuously monitoring the genomic changes of SARS-CoV-2 in India. INSACOG has detected 771 VoCs in a total of 10787 positive samples shared by States since it began the work. These include 736 samples positive for viruses of the UK (B.1.1.7) lineage. 34 samples were found positive for viruses of the South African (B.1.351) lineage.  One sample was found positive for viruses of the Brazilian (P.1) lineage, across 18 states in the country as of March 2021.
New variant with two mutations was discovered by INSACOG in India
INSACOG also discovered the double mutant variant in India upon analysing samples from Maharashtra which revealed an increase in the fraction of samples with E484Q and L452R mutations. The E484Q mutation is similar to that found in the B.1.1.7 lineage identified in UK and B.1.351 variants identified in South Africa which gives the virus the ability to evade antibodies and the L452R mutation is like that in the Californian B.1.427 and B.1.429 variants, which is infectious. Both the mutants are present in the B.1.617 variant of SARS-CoV-2 found in India. Research about the virus is still ongoing, and this virus has still not been classified by the CDC.
B.1.617 has spread to USA, UK, and other countries
The new double mutant has spread to the USA, Germany, UK, Australia, and Germany.  It also has been found in Belgium, Ireland, Namibia, and New Zealand. Higher transmissibility of this variant is not established as yet, according to the Health Ministry’s recent press release.  It also added that RT PCR tests used in India do not miss these mutations and that the sensitivity and specificity of the RTPCR tests remain the same as earlier.
Sequences of B.1.618 lineage has been discovered in West Bengal
Initial sequences in B.1.618 lineage have been identified in West Bengal, according to a tweet by Vinod Scaria, who is a researcher at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s Institute of Genomic and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB). Members in this lineage have also been reported from the USA, Germany, Switzerland, and Singapore. However, it is predominantly found in India. The variant is characterized by the deletion of two amino acids in the spike protein —H146del and Y145del, which are both linked to immune escape or in other words evade antibodies. In addition, the variant also carries the D614G mutation in the spike protein and the E484K mutations, which are associated with increased infectivity and immune escape, respectively. It has also been noticed that the proportion of SARS-CoV-2 samples of the B.1.618 lineage has been increasing in West Bengal in recent months. However, there is no conclusive data as yet to ascertain that the new lineage is driving the epidemic in West Bengal.
Efficacy of vaccine may be lowered but may not be completely ineffective according to WHO
With the identification of new variants, a major concern is the effectiveness of vaccines that are being administered across the world. As seen previously, the efficacy of the AstraZeneca vaccine against the B.1.351 variant from South Africa was low. Studies also suggest that the efficacy of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and Moderna vaccine substantially decreased in the presence of the E484K mutation. An ICMR study claims to have found that Covaxin was effective against multiple variants of the coronavirus including the variants that originated in the UK, Brazil, and South Africa. It was also stated that the vaccine was effective against the double mutant strain as well. But detailed knowledge & information about vaccine efficacy against emerging variants is still not available. However, the vaccines which are under development and approved are expected to provide some form of protection against the new variants. Changes or mutations in the virus need not make vaccines completely ineffective, according to WHO. Moreover, since the mutations and variants are related to the original strain, the changing composition of vaccines may also help if they prove to less effective.
Taking precautions is a must
With the increasing number of mutants and variants being detected around the world, emphasis must be on using public health interventions to slow the spread of viruses which can also slow down the emergence of variants as more mutations and variants are formed through infections. For this, one must continue to follow the precautions of respiratory hygiene, social distancing, wearing masks, and getting vaccinated.


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Review: What are the Highlights of the ‘India AI 2023’ Report?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 3, 2023
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology is implementing a ‘National Program on AI.’ The Ministry set up seven working groups, each with focus on different pillars of the India AI framework. The India AI 2023 is a compilation of reports of each of these working groups.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is an exciting and rapidly evolving landscape. It is already transforming various aspects of the present in significant ways, starting from the data analysis and insights for businesses to the healthcare industry in terms of disease diagnosis, and personalized treatment plans. AI is identified to be a ‘kinetic enabler’ in India’s digital economy transition. By 2035, AI is poised to infuse USD 967 billion into the Indian economy, whereas in the nearer horizon, by 2025, AI is forecasted to make a remarkable contribution of USD 450 to 500 billion to India’s GDP, accounting for 10% of the audacious goal of a USD 5 trillion GDP.
Recognising AI’s potential to transform economies and the need for India to strategize its approach, the Finance Minister, in his budget speech for 2018-19, mandated NITI Aayog to establish the National Program on AI, with a view to guiding the research and development in new and emerging technologies. Accordingly, NITI Aayog rolled out the ‘National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence ’, whose aim was to project India among the leaders in the global AI map with a unique brand ‘#AIforALL.’ The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has taken measures by implementing a ‘National Program on AI.’ This program encompasses four critical components: the Data Management Office, the National Centre for AI, Skilling in AI, and the promotion of Responsible AI practices. However, recognizing the specific gaps within the AI ecosystem, ‘India AI’ emerges as a vital companion to the ongoing ‘National Program on AI.’  Accordingly, the Ministry set up seven working groups, each with a focus on different pillars of the India AI framework. The India AI 2023 is a compilation of reports of each of these working groups. In today’s story, we look at the key highlights of this report.
India and AI
There has been significant policy activity that has started regarding AI in India. In August 2017, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry established an Artificial Intelligence Task Force with the aim of integrating AI into our economic, political, and legal frameworks, creating a systematic capability to help India become a leading AI-driven economy.
In June 2018, NITI Aayog published the discussion paper for the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (NSAI). Subsequently, a thorough analysis of each recommendation is being carried out to create detailed implementation plans, also known as “Approach papers.” The first of these approach papers is AIRAWAT which aims to establish an AI-specific cloud computing infrastructure for India.
Further, recognizing the possible impact of AI on society, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had constituted four Artificial Intelligence Committees.
The reports were released in July 2019 and were published in December 2019.
Further, on 20 May 2020, the Indian Government introduced the National Artificial Intelligence Portal. This portal will serve as a centralized digital platform for all AI-related developments in India, facilitating the sharing of resources like articles, startups, and investment funds dedicated to AI, organizations, companies, and educational institutions involved in AI within India.
In addition to these activities at the all-India level, state governments are also keen on adopting and levering AI, with states like Karnataka and Telangana investing in the creation of Centres of Excellence.
Brief about the working groups
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology set up seven working groups to determine the vision, design, outcomes, and design for each of the India AI pillars. These working groups aimed at building the core goals of the India AI program. Below is a representation of the seven working groups and their study areas.
Key recommendations of the working groups
The seven working groups provided key implementational and operational functionalities for each of their research area. Some of the working groups even provided sample frameworks regarding the same, such as the model curriculum framework for future skilling, sample selection processes for Centres of Excellence and datasets exchange model among others. Some of the major recommendations are as below.
Further, the working group on future lab computing recommended establishing best-in-class AI computing infrastructure at five locations, with a capacity of 3000 AI Petaflops, along with an Inference Farm (2500 AI PF) and Edge Compute (500 AI PF) systems. The working group on Semi Con India AI chipsets recommended assessing the existing infrastructure of chipsets and charting out requirements for technical capabilities, latency, and specifications, detailing the scalability and flexibility of the infrastructure to meet evolving needs and elaborating on the pricing models including applicability, eligibility for a subsidy if any, etc.
Efforts to maximize AI potential laudable, but key issues remain.
AI as a technology holds a lot of promise, and it has both raised aspirations as well as fears. Hence, any blueprint for advancing AI must remain vigilant to the lurking elements in the AI realm that could compromise ethical behaviour, infringe on individual privacy, and weaken security protocols.
Since AI models generate lots of data, and entities might gain an unfair advantage by knowing key insights about the consumers, the utmost important aspect is to have a comprehensive data protection framework with legal backing. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 is a step in the right direction even though there are concerns surrounding some provisions.
There could also be a potential weaponization of AI, with cybercriminals using it for malicious purposes. Many of these often involve multiple countries. Accordingly, there is a need to develop cybersecurity techniques and tools that use AI to defend against attacks. Further, fostering international collaboration with a mutual exchange of best practices is a much-needed step to prevent cross-border weaponization of AI.
Additionally, there must be a review of existing laws that may be necessary to adopt AI applications, and the question of the ‘Civil Liability’ of AI must be deliberated as early as possible to prevent any undue damages.
Lastly, as the Committee on cyber security and AI recommended, the Central Government should establish a National Resource Centre for AI in Cyber Security. The Centre may also be designated as the nodal agency for other related issues such as safety, ethical and legal issues.

created: November 3, 2023


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Review: What are the latest Studies saying about COVID-19 in India?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 7, 2020
Ever since the onset of COVID-19 in India, efforts are on to understand the virus and its effects with more clarity. The latest issue of Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR) published a few of these studies. We summarise three such studies that look at the profile of COVID-19 patients in North India, a mathematical model to study the impact of lockdown and the comparison between RT-PCR & rapid tests for COVID-19 diagnosis in India.
In earlier stories, we looked at important research and studies around COVID-19 being carried out in India up until July 2020. We referred to the articles published in various issues of ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research)’s Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR). In this article, let us understand the relevant research developments that have further informed our understanding of COVID-19 since July 2020.
While young and asymptomatic patients were in majority, patients with comorbidities more vulnerable to complications.
The COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a major public health emergency. Considerable disparities in demographic and clinical patterns have been observed between countries across different continents. A study conducted by ICMR in northern India analyses the clinical profile and outcomes of patients with COVID-19. The study was conducted at the Nehru Hospital Extension Block, a dedicated COVID hospital at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India, from April 1 to May 25, 2020. The major findings of the study are as follows:
This study highlights the clinical characteristics and outcomes of consecutive adult patients (>12 yr) who tested positive on RT-PCR for COVID-19 on a throat and/or a nasopharyngeal swab and were admitted to a tertiary care hospital. Pregnant women and children were not included in the study.
During the study period, 114 patients with COVID-19 infection were admitted. The median age of the patients was 33.5 yr (13-79 yr), and there were 66 (58%) males. The history of contact with COVID-19-affected individuals was available in 75 (65.8%) patients. Of the total enrolled patients, 48 (42%) were symptomatic. Among the symptomatic patients, the common presenting complaints were fever (37, 77%), cough (26, 54%) and shortness of breath (10, 20.8%). Nineteen (17%) patients had hypoxia. Thirty four (29.8%) patients had an accompanying comorbid illness. These comorbidities included hypertension in 19 (16.6%), diabetes in 17 (14.9%) and chronic renal disease in three (2.6%) patients. Ten patients (8.7%) had multiple comorbidities. Age more than 60 yr and presence of diabetes and hypertension were significantly associated with severe COVID-19 disease. Admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) was needed in 18 patients, with three (2.6%) patients requiring assisted ventilation. Mortality of 2.6 per cent (3 patients) was observed.
Asymptomatic patients were younger with a mean age of 29.90 ± 12.91 yr while the mean age of patients with severe COVID-19 was 55.9 ± 12.91 yr. Comorbidities including hypertension and diabetes were observed more frequently in patients who were symptomatic as compared to those who were asymptomatic.
Fifty nine (51.75%) patients were given specific therapies for COVID-19. Thirty seven patients (32.4%) received hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), 20 (17.54%) received a study drug Immuvac-18 and two patients (1.75%) received tocilizumab (interleukin-6 inhibitor). By the end of 25 May 2020, 108 (94.7%) patients were discharged, three were still undergoing treatment and three (2.6%) patients had died. All the three patients who succumbed to the illness had diabetes mellitus, while two patients also had chronic kidney disease.
Initial lockdown slowed down the spread of COVID-19 significantly for the country.
Another important study by ICMR presented a mathematical model for a time series prediction and analysed the impact of lockdown in the country. Several existing mathematical models were not able to account for asymptomatic patients, with limited testing capability at onset and no data on sero-surveillance. In this study, a new model was used which was developed on lines of susceptible-asymptomatic-infected-recovered (SAIR) to assess the impact of the lockdown and make predictions on its future course. The major findings of the study are as follows:
A consultative committee was constituted by the Department of Science and Technology to develop a supermodel consisting of mathematical predictions as related to the COVID-19 pandemic in India. Several mathematical models namely the standard susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR)/susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered (SEIR) models failed to account for asymptomatic patients. Limited testing capability in India at the time of onset of the pandemic and non-availability of data on asymptomatic cases were some of the limitations. Building on earlier models and in-depth analysis, a new susceptible-asymptomatic-infected-recovered (SAIR) model was proposed to assess the magnitude of the impact of the lockdown on the disease burden.
The effect of lockdown and the spread in active infections and hypothetical effects of timing of lockdown are depicted in the following chart.
The mathematical model used in this study was developed to analyze the spread of the disease under three different hypothetical scenarios, namely no lockdown, lockdown starting 01 April 2020 and lockdown starting 01 May 2020. The study concludes that with no lockdown and significant travel all over, the spread of the virus would have happened much faster. It revealed that if there was no lockdown, the number of active infections would have peaked at 14+ million and the peak would have arrived by mid-May.
Comparison of test accuracy for rRT-PCR and RDT
In another interesting study by ICMR, diagnostic test accuracy was studied along with its implications for COVID-19 management in India. In an earlier article, we discussed how WHO has recommended real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)  as the diagnostic method to be used for COVID-19. The limited supply of RT-PCR kits and reagents made meeting the rising demand for increased testing incompetent, worldwide. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of a rapid chromatographic immunoassay-based test (index test) compared with a clinical reference standard (RT-PCR).
The RT-PCR received emergency use authorization (EUA) by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the qualitative detection of COVID-19 from the respiratory specimens. The RT-PCR testing requires a sophisticated Biosafety level (BSL)-2/BSL3 laboratory setup and trained technicians to run the test and interpret results. The RT-PCR takes a minimum of 8-10 h from the collection of swab to reporting of results, which can further increase in resource-limited and high-burden settings. In small towns and cities, molecular diagnostic laboratories are non-existent and the reagents/viral transport medium (VTM) and resources are difficult to procure. Therefore, the study argues that a highly sensitive and specific antigen-based rapid diagnostic test (RDT) is the need of the hour.
Many diagnostic test manufacturers are developing/have developed rapid diagnostic kits and devices to facilitate point-of-care testing. These sample kits are based on either antibody detection from blood/plasma/serum or the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigens from respiratory samples. However, there is very limited data on the performance and potential diagnostic utility of a rapid chromatographic immunoassay-based test for COVID-19 in suspected patients. Therefore, the study evaluates the results with RDT & compares it with RT-PCR for the diagnosis of COVID-19 in India.
A cross-sectional, single-blinded, single-centre study was conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital in north India. Patients eligible for inclusion were consecutive adults (>18 yr) with suspected COVID-19 infection. Paired samples were taken for RDT and RT-PCR (reference standard) from consecutive participants screened for COVID-19 to calculate the sensitivity and specificity of the RDT. Further subgroup analysis was done based on the duration of illness and cycle threshold values.
Of the 330 participants, 77 were RT-PCR positive for COVID-19. Sixty four of these patients also tested positive for COVID-19 by RDT. The RDT was found to have an acceptable overall sensitivity and specificity of 81.8% and 99.6% respectively. The sensitivity of RDT was higher (85.9%) in participants with a duration of illness ≤5 days.
The study concludes that RDT may be used to rule in COVID-19 in patients with a duration of illness ≤5 days. The advantages of RDT such as yielding rapid results, being at a reasonable price and being safe due to viral inactivation and the fact that this does not require sophisticated laboratory set-up or technical expertise make it an ideal test to be rolled out in high-prevalence community settings. However, this test may not be good for surveillance purposes because negative results cannot rule out COVID-19 infection, all negative tests should be covered by RT-PCR. Moderate sensitivity of the RDT can lead to false-negative results, which must be taken into consideration while making diagnostic algorithms.
Featured Image: Hopkins Medicine

created: December 7, 2020