Phishing Attacks in India 

Why in news?

• According to the 2024Data Breach Investigations Report by Verizon Business, India is one of the key countries affected by phishing attacks.

What is a Phishing Attack?

• Phishing is a type of cyberattackwhich attempts to steal sensitive information, typically in the form of usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, bank account information or other important data in order to utilize or sell the stolen information.
• By pretending as a reputable source with an enticing request, an attacker lures in the victim in order to trick them.

Reasons for phishing attacks

• The report mentioned that In 2023, 15 percent of breaches involve a third party, including data custodians, third-party software vulnerabilities, and other direct or indirect supply chain issues.
• About 68 percentof breaches, whether they include a third party or not, involve a non-malicious human element, which refers to a person making an error or falling prey to a social engineering attack.

Steps taken by Government 

• Information Technology Act, 2000: Section 43, 66, 70, and 74 of the IT Act, 2000 deal with hacking and cyber crimes.
• Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In)issues alerts and advisories regarding latest cyber threats/vulnerabilities and countermeasures to protect computers and networks on a regular basis.
• National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC) has been set up to generate necessary situational awareness of existing and potential cyber security threats and enable timely information sharing for proactive, preventive and protective actions by individual entities.
• Cyber Swachhta Kendra(Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre) has been launched for detection of malicious programs and provides free tools to remove the same.
• Bharat National Cyber Security Exercise 2023:Bharat NCX will help strategic leaders to better understand cyber threats, assess readiness, and develop skills for cyber crisis management and cooperation.
• Chakshu Facility:It is a newly introduced feature on the Sanchar Saathi portal that encourages citizens to proactively report suspected fraudulent communications received via call, SMS, or WhatsApp.

Conclusion:

• India is one of the key countries affected by phishing attacks, where employees often click on malicious links or attachments, often leading to severe financial losses.
• However, there’s a silver lining as reporting practices have improved, with 20 percent of users now identifying and reporting phishing during simulation tests.

Balanced Fertilisation 

Why in news?

• Balanced fertilisationis likely to be on the priority list of the government post the Lok Sabha polls.

About

• Balanced fertilisationmeans supplying these primary (N, phosphorus-P and potassium-K), secondary (sulphur-S, calcium, magnesium) and micro (iron, zinc, copper, manganese, boron, molybdenum) nutrients in the right proportion, based on soil type and the crop’s own requirement.
  • Farmers apply too much urea, di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) or muriate of potash (MOP), which only have primary nutrients in high concentrations.
• The fiscal ended March 2024 saw urea consumption hit a record 35.8 million tonnes (mt), 9% higher than the 30.6 mt in 2013-14.

Concerns of Using Urea in High Concentration

• Environmental Impact:Excessive use of urea leads to nitrogen runoff into water bodies, causing eutrophication and disrupting aquatic ecosystems.
• Soil Health:Overuse of urea leads to soil acidification and depletion of organic matter, reducing soil fertility in the long run.
• Crop Damage:Many farmers in fruit producing areas use a lot of urea, resulting in tree death, with very serious consequences.

Government Initiatives

• Neem-coated urea:The government has introduced 100% Neem Coating on all subsidized agricultural grade urea in the country in order to increase the nutrient efficiency, crop yield, soil health and check the diversion of agricultural grade urea for non-agricultural activities.
• PM PRANAM scheme: PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness Generation, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother – Earth (PMPRANAM)” was launched to incentivize States/ Union Territories to promote alternate fertilizers and balanced use of chemical fertilizers.
• Nano Urea: It is a liquid fertilizer developed by IFFCO. It is an alternative to conventional urea.
• Nutrient-Based Subsidy (NBS) Policy: Under the NBS policy, subsidies are provided based on the nutrient content of fertilizers rather than on a per-unit basis.
  • This encourages farmers to use a balanced mix of fertilizers, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, thereby reducing the overreliance on urea.
• Soil Health Card Scheme:The Soil Health Card Scheme aims to assess the nutrient status of soil and provide customized recommendations for nutrient management to farmers.
• Promotion of Precision Farming:Initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) promote precision farming techniques, including drip irrigation and fertigation, which enable more efficient use of fertilizers, including urea, by delivering nutrients directly to plants’ root zones.

Way Ahead

• Addressing these concerns requires a holistic approach, including promoting the use of balanced fertilizers, improving soil health through organic farming practices, enhancing nutrient management techniques, and investing in research and development of sustainable agricultural practices.
• Additionally, policies that incentivize the efficient use of fertilizers and promote alternatives to urea can help mitigate these issues.