Odd or Even?
Concentration levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) decreased by 10 to 13 per cent during the 15-day odd-even plan by the Delhi government, a new study has found.
Researchers from the Energy Policy Institute of the University of Chicago and Evidence for Policy Design at Harvard University studied the levels of PM2.5 in Delhi and surrounding areas before and after the odd-even trial. The researchers used hourly data from November 2015 to January 2016 from seven monitors of the Central Pollution Control Board in Delhi and 16 monitors of the data journalism initiative IndiaSpend in Faridabad, Noida and Gurgaon.
As per the study, the odd-even programme decreased PM2.5 levels in Delhi by 35 to 47 micrograms per cubic metre, which is 10 to 13 per cent on average. An additional 10 per cent decrease was seen between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. – the duration of the odd-even scheme. The level was well above 200 micrograms per cubic metre, while the standard for PM2.5 is 60.
The study says that though levels of PM2.5 increased across the NCR, the hike in levels in Delhi was comparatively less than that in Faridabad. This, the researchers said, points to the effectiveness of the odd-even policy.
Analysis: Air Quality in India
WHO had assessed 1,622 cities worldwide for PM2.5 and found India home to 13 of the 20 cities with the most polluted air. More cities in India than in China see extremely high levels of such pollution. The human cost is seen in soaring asthma rates, including among children.
India launched its color coded Air Quality Index(AQI) in 2015. It is based on recommendations by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. In India, as in many other countries, the Index is centred around five chief pollutants – Particulate Matter with a diameter less than 10 micrometres (PM10), Particulate Matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5), ozone (O3), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), and Carbon Monoxide (CO). A monitoring station should be able to give you the concentration of a particular pollutant at that moment in time, and its average over a period of time – for CO and O3, the average is taken over eight hours, while for the other three, it is a 24-hour average. The unit of measurement is microgram (or milligram in the case of CO) per cubic meter.
India has set standards for what it thinks are appropriate warnings for a particular level of pollutant. Here’s what the code is:
India is ranked high in particulate matter. Particulate matter, also called PM or soot, consists of microscopically small solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in the air. The smaller the particles, the deeper they can penetrate into the respiratory system and the more hazardous they are to breathe. Recent studies indicate that PM can have the following effects on our bodies:
1) PM pollution can cause lung irritation, which leads to increased permeability in lung tissue.
2) PM aggravates the severity of chronic lung diseases, causing rapid loss of airway function.
3) PM causes inflammation of lung tissue, resulting in the release of chemicals that can impact heart function.
4) PM causes changes in blood chemistry that can result in clots that may lead to heart attacks.
5) PM can increase susceptibility to viral and bacterial pathogens leading to pneumonia in vulnerable persons who are unable to clear these infections.
The smaller-sized particles – those 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter, called PM2.5 – are of greatest health concern because they can pass through the nose and throat and be absorbed deep inside the lungs. PM 2.5 are sometimes called “fine” particles, and they are about 1/28th the diameter of a human hair or smaller.
Source: The Hindu
Rupee breaches 68 to a dollar
India’s benchmark equity indices fell to their lowest levels in 20 months as concerns about a global economic slowdown amid slumping commodity prices and a weakening rupee spurred investors to sell shares.
The rupee breached the 68-a-dollar mark on Wednesday for the first time since August 2013. It closed at a record low of 68.85 a dollar on August 28, 2013, just days before Raghuram Rajan took charge as RBI Governor.
“The RBI intervened in both the currency futures as well as in the spot market,†said a dealer with a state-run bank. “The intention of the central bank was not to allow the rupee to depreciate at a fast pace.†The central bank always maintains that it intervenes to curb volatility and does not target any level for the rupee.
The rupee has weakened 2.74 per cent so far this year after declining more than 5 per cent in 2015. Still, the Indian currency has performed better than its emerging market peers from Russia, Brazil and South Africa. Dealers said there could be more pressure on the rupee, going forward.
Analysis
Shocks often have their origins in exuberance. It’s no different with the rupee. As 2015 came to a close, there was a flurry of reports from large international banks on why everyone should be bullish about the Indian currency as oil plunged to new lows.
Then, China happened. As China’s stock exchanges halted trading amid a sell-off, it sent shock waves across markets on the second trading day of 2016. Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das said the ongoing currency and stock market volatility stem from investor expectation of rate increase by the Federal Reserve as well as uncertainty around the Chinese economy.
Asserting that the slide of the rupee was a good sign for India, Assocham on Sunday said the country must allow the currency to depreciate to help exports remain competitive. “Any depreciation in rupee on account of China-led turmoil in the global financial markets should only be welcome sign for India, else Indian exports will suffer more at the hands of China and other emerging countries witnessing correction in their currencies.” Yuan devaluation – the third in the last five months – will negatively impact Indian firms which have export exposure to China in sectors such as tyres, pharmaceuticals, steel and organic chemicals textiles due to a volatile change in terms of trade, the chamber said.
“The biggest concern is the steadily deteriorating balance on the merchandise trade account with China,” Assocham president said.
A number of global factors including falling crude oil prices, increase in US interest rates, IMF’s concern over global growth forecast and China’s yuan devaluation along with slowed growth is causing the turmoil.
RBI aims to curb the volatility in rupee as it causes problems for exporters and businesses. Volatility also abets increased speculation over the currency in derivatives market and is not good for the economy. RBI tries to intervene in currency markets to arrest such volatility by selling US dollars.
Source: NDTV Profit, TheHindu
The Question of Free Basics
In a strongly-worded communiqué uploaded on its website on Tuesday 19 Jan night, TRAI slammed Facebook’s approach to the consultation on differential pricing of data services, the irrelevance of template submissions from millions of its users backing Free Basics and the nature of consent it had obtained from these users.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India called the social networking giant’s “crude†attempt at turning the consultation over differential pricing of data services into an “orchestrated opinion poll†on its Free Basics product.
The TRAI in December began a new round of collecting public opinion on Net neutrality, a hot topic in the country. In response to this, the Menlo Park, California-based company started its Save Free Basics campaign, which encouraged its users to send emails through their Facebook accounts to the TRAI and voice their support of the service.
TRAI said it was concerned that the social network asked for support from its users without letting them known precisely what they’re responding to — a consultation form that TRAI had sent out to the public. Instead, Facebook’s Save Free Basics campaign provided users with a template message that touted the benefits of the service to send to TRAI. The telcom watchdog called the template “tangential”, noting that it was largely irrelevant since the questions on its consultation form didn’t specifically revolve around Free Basics.
Analysis: Free Basics and Net Neutrality
Free Basics is a pet project of CEO Mark Zuckerberg that brings limited Internet use to those who would otherwise not be able to afford it. Originally launched as Internet.org, the service is available in over 30 countries. Though it may seem like a gesture of good will on the part of Facebook, many have expressed concern that the project, by offering only select apps and services rather than the entire Internet, violates the principle of Net neutrality. TRAI, in late December, requested that Facebook halt Free Basics until it turned over more information about the terms of the program.
What is Net Neutrality? – Net neutrality (also network neutrality, Internet neutrality, or net equality) is the principle that Internet service providers and governments should treat all data on the Internet the same, not discriminating or charging differentially by user, content, site, platform, application, type of attached equipment, or mode of communication.
What is Free Basics? – Internet.org was rechristened Free Basics in September, just ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Facebook’s headquarters at founder Mark Zuckerberg’s invitation. According to Facebook, it is an open platform that gives Indian developers the opportunity to make their services and websites available free of cost to those who cannot afford internet access. However, this free access is limited to partner websites and applications. It was launched two years ago globally in partnership with Samsung, Ericsson, MediaTek, Opera Software, Nokia and Qualcomm.
What are the trade offs? The problem is that, contrary to what it claims, Free basics doesn’t offer equal and unbiased access to all services. Facebook is partnering with ISPs to provide preferential and selective access to a set of app developers and services. This is the main criticism of those opposed to Free Basics; they argue that the internet should be free and equal for all users. This is also the cornerstone of net neutrality.
Source: Business Standard, TheHindu
