Farmers' associations can help fight poverty: Experts
New Delhi, June 20: Setting up farmer-producer organisations can be the biggest weapon against poverty, said experts at a panel discussion on 'Making markets work for the poor' hosted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) here.
"Farmer-producer organisations can help farmers increase their income and provide them better access to services. Dairy like cooperatives are coming up in the country," said International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Director for South Asia Pramod K. Joshi.
He said the current government has given a new lease of life to such organisations by promoting its formation and by offering the farmers incentives to become members. Poultry, 80 per cent in the organised sector, grew 12 per cent annually last decade, he said.
Self-Employed Women's Association's (SEWA) Social Security Team Director Mirai Chatterjee said: "Basic building block is organisation. It increases the collective strength, bargaining power and helps gain access to resources which no individual can alone do."
More than 270 million Indians still live on less than two dollars a day and millions more are in a state of near-poverty, one health emergency or crop failure away from destitution, BMGF said in a report, adding that systemic poverty presents the greatest barrier to equal opportunity.
"The foundation believes in 'All lives have equal value' and there is a continuous reduction in child mortality, infant mortality, tuberculosis, polio and the likes. But all lives do not have equal opportunity," said BMGF Executive Director Rodger Voorhies.
The BMGF's Global Growth and Opportunity division is a response to this, he said, adding that it is designed to redesign financial, technological, infrastructural and social systems so they provide equal opportunities to all. It works in four areas: agricultural development, financial services for the poor, water, sanitation and hygiene, and gender equality.
"No country has been able to come out of poverty without addressing problems and working on advancements in the agricultural sector," said Voorhies. Better collection of data, access to services and new technologies can increase farmers' productivity, he added.
KaliedoFin Co-Founder Sucharita Mukherjee said: "Procuring documents and letters from the poor to authenticate them was a cumbersome process. Aadhaar has made a big difference. Technology is making things possible but lot of businesses are still to adapt."
Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Swachh Bharat campaign, Drinking Water and Sanitation Secretary Parameswaran Iyer said: "There is 90 per cent usage of toilets reflecting success in behavioural change. This is important for security and dignity of women, health impact and the huge savings each family does by way of reduction in doctor visits and medicines."
He said that while they have 10 months to completely make India open defecation free (ODF), the government is coordinating with states and districts to keep it sustainable, i.e. ODFS (ODF-Sustainable), and plans to take it beyond that with ODF+ (ODF-Plus), which would also look into solid and liquid waste management.
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CCI slaps Meta with Rs 213 crore fine over WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy policy update
New Delhi, Nov 18: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Monday imposed a penalty of Rs 213.14 crore on social media major Meta for unfair business ways with respect to WhatsApp privacy policy update done in 2021.
Besides, the competition watchdog has directed Meta to “cease and desist” from anti-competitive practices.
Meta and WhatsApp have also been asked to implement certain behavioural remedies within a defined timeline to address the anti-competition issues, according to a CCI order.
The regulator has called for implementing various remedial measures, including barring WhatsApp from sharing data collected on its platform with other Meta companies or Meta company products for advertising purposes for five years.
Among other directions, CCI has said that sharing of user data collected on WhatsApp with other Meta companies or Meta company products for purposes other than for providing WhatsApp services shall not be made a condition for users to access WhatsApp Service in India.
The Competition Commission of India (Commission) on Monday imposed a penalty of Rs 213.14 crore on Meta for abusing its dominant position,
Passing the order against abuse of dominance, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) said this (penalty) relates to how WhatsApp's 2021 Privacy Policy was implemented and how user data was collected and shared with other Meta companies.
For the case, CCI delineated two relevant markets -- OTT messaging apps through smartphones in India, and online display advertising in India. "Meta Group operating through WhatsApp was found to be dominant in the market for OTT messaging apps through smartphones in India. "Furthermore, it was also found that Meta holds a leading position compared to its competitors in online display advertising in India," CCI said in a release.
Starting from January 2021, WhatsApp notified users about updates to its terms of service and privacy policies.
The in-app notification, effective from February 8, 2021, stated that users were required to accept these terms, including expanded scope of data collection as well as mandatory data sharing with Meta companies, to continue using WhatsApp.
Under the previous privacy policy dated August 25, 2016, WhatsApp users were given the option to decide whether they wanted to share their data with Facebook, the release said.
"However, with the latest policy update in 2021, WhatsApp made data sharing with Meta mandatory for all users, removing the earlier option to opt-out. As a result, users had to accept the new terms, which include data sharing with Meta, in order to continue using the platform," it added.
The watchdog has concluded that the 2021 policy update by WhatsApp on a "take-it-or-leave-it" basis constitutes an imposition of unfair condition under the Competition Act, as it compels all users to accept expanded data collection terms and sharing of data within Meta Group without any opt out.
"Given the network effects and lack of effective alternatives, the 2021 update forces users to comply, undermining their autonomy, and constitutes an abuse of Meta's dominant position. Accordingly, the Commission finds that Meta (through WhatsApp) has contravened Section 4(2)(a)(i) of the Act," it said.
Further, CCI said that sharing of WhatsApp users' data between Meta companies for purposes other than providing WhatsApp Service creates an entry barrier for the rivals of Meta and thus, results in denial of market access in the display advertisement market.
According to the regulator, Meta has engaged in leveraging its dominant position in the OTT messaging apps through smartphones to protect its position in the online display advertising market in contravention of the competition law.
CCI has barred WhatsApp from sharing data collected on its platform with other Meta companies or Meta company products for advertising purposes for five years and the debarment period will start from the date of receipt of this order.
With respect to sharing of WhatsApp user data for purposes other than advertising, the regulator said WhatsApp's policy should include a detailed explanation of the user data shared with other Meta companies or Meta company Products.
"This explanation should specify the purpose of data sharing, linking each type of data to its corresponding purpose," it said.
The watchdog also said that sharing of user data collected on WhatsApp with other Meta companies or Meta company products for purposes other than for providing WhatsApp services shall not be made a condition for users to access WhatsApp Service in India.
Regarding sharing of WhatsApp user data for purposes other than for providing WhatsApp services, CCI said all users in India (including users who have accepted 2021 update) will be provided with the choice to manage such data sharing by way of an opt-out option prominently through an in-app notification.
Also, the regulator has asked for the option to review and modify their choice with respect to such sharing of data through a prominent tab in settings of WhatsApp application, and all future policy updates should comply with these requirements.
