The Observer Edition 12, Volume 22

The Observer An IIJNM publication

Some experts say there is no scientific evidence that backs the use of blue ray eyeglasses | P 2

Vol 22, Issue 12

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

@theweeklyobserver

Website: theweeklyobserver.in Epaper: https://issuu.com/ theweeklyobserver

Students and government bus corporations blame each other for accidents on BU campus | P 2

Physical stores hit as Govt’s indifference e-buying of gold rises to RTI has slowed disposal of appeals

Purchases at shops have plunged 30%

By Suryash Kumar

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By Vindhya Pabolu

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s more people are inclined to buy gold online, goldshop owners in Bengaluru have seen their sales drop over the past 12 months. The shop owners say the trend increased during the pandemic.

Over the past five years, online gold purchases have increased by 50 per cent, Vikas Singh, MD and CEO, MMTC-PAMP, said in an interview with Outlook.

Sampath Sunkara, owner of Laxmi Gold and Silver Ornaments, informed The Observer: “Our sales have dipped by 30 per cent since the pandemic and we are not able to reach our previous sales. Investing in online platforms for purchasing gold became popular among people. But what about the safety and quality of the gold? We can also provide them gold in the quantity that the customers want. We can give them the trust they need.”

Ningachar H, owner of MHN Jewellers and Works, shared: “We have been in the gold business for the past 15 years. People are now buying gold online which I’m not able to understand. Some of our customers ask numerous questions before purchasing gold but then also they trust the online platforms a lot more.”

According to data published by the World Gold Council, the online gold market in India is in its nascent stage, accounting

People nowadays are more inclined towards purchasing gold through online platforms | Credit:Vindhya Pabolu for just 1 to 2 per cent of overall gold sales. In the third quarter of 2019, only 17 per cent of gold jewellery purchases in cities and 3 per cent of purchases in rural areas were made online.

People say purchasing digital gold is simpler than purchasing gold from physical stores. It can be bought on PhonePe, Jar and other online platforms.

Dhanush S, a CA student, said: “Digital gold purchase is a lot easier compared to physical gold. We enjoy a lot of advantages like no interest rates and no wastage charges. I can sell the gold at the price it costs that day.”

NVIDIA architect Athya Vinod Kumar said: “Online gold purchases give me more options than physical gold. I used to buy gold coins using the Reliance app. It’s easier for me to sell or to purchase by not stepping out.”

Online platforms have begun to adopt methods that will make it easier for people to buy gold.

Yashwant S, a product manager at a fintech startup, said:

Awareness about health cover is low in rural areas

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ural people of Bengaluru are mostly unaware of health insurance schemes provided by the government, reports Shruti Banerjee.

The residents of Doddaballapur taluk in Bengaluru rural were not really interested in availing health insurance policies. While a few of them said that they had insurance cover, they knew little about it and were dependent on their agents. The insurance company officials say that lack of education is one of the primary reasons for not having insurance.

Full report on page 3

“General people are found mostly investing in digital gold. Digital technology has played a crucial role. Over the years, people who invested in digital gold have increased. We are thinking of launching a new product based on online gold platforms.”

Experts say digitalisation offers many advantages which is one of the reasons for the increase in digital gold purchases.

Nakula Reddy, a retired head of the department of economics at Osmania University, shared: “Egold purchases definitely influence gold purchases in shops. It is something like purchasing goods from Amazon or Flipkart. The quantity of gold we order and buy through Amazon or online platfroms, to that extent the purchases from shops will go down.

According to the World Gold Council, people in the 18-45 age group account for 70-80 per cent of online purchases for digital gold, while those over 45 account for 20 to 30 per cent. vindhya.p@iijnm.org

No scientific evidence backs use of blue ray eyeglasses

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pticians claim that blue ray emitted by digital gadgets is harmful. They say that wearing blue ray glasses can protect eyes.But experts are divided on these claims; reports Sneha TS. People have different experiences. Optometrist Dr. Gaurav C believes that blue rays are harmful to one‘s eyes and wearing blue ray glasses can help. The American Academy of Ophthalmology does not recommend blue ray glasses. There is no scientific evidence that light emitted by computer screens harms eyes.

Full report on page 2

n increase in the pendency of applications has decreased the effectiveness of RTI as a tool to promote transparency and accountability.

The Right to Information Act, enacted in 2005, promised to be a tool that helps people to ask the right questions, and strengthens democracy. But Satark Nagrik Sangathan’s Report on the Performance of Information Commission, 2021-22, highlights how the government’s apathy towards RTI has weakened it.

As of June 30, 2022, the report says, that the Information Commissions of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar and Odisha had 99,722, 44,482, 30,358, 21,346 and 19,832 appeals and complaints which were pending respectively.

In the 26th Information Commissions, the number of appeals and complaints that were pending on June 30, 2022, were 3.14 lakh. The 2019 report said that as of March 31 that year, a total of 2.18 lakh appeals or complaints were pending in the commissions.

The number skyrocketed to 2.86 lakh as of June 30, 2021.

The RTI Act prescribes a timeline of 30 to 45 days to dispose of the first appeal, although no timeline is in existence for disposing of the second appeal.

Adesh G. Nashi, an advocate at the Karnataka High Court, said people are unaware of the mechanism to get information. “If the online process fails, people are unaware of how they can get information offline. They can go to different departments, pay the fees and get the information.

Continued on page 3

News briefs Plea seeking worship of ‘Shivling’ adjourned A Varanasi court has adjourned to Nov. 14 hearing of a plea seeking worship of a claimed Shivling found in the Gyanvapi mosque premises. ANI

Pak police register FIR in Imran case

After the Supreme Court warned it would initiate suo motu proceedings if the Punjab police failed to register an FIR regard-

ing the assassination attempt on Imran Khan, the case was registered under terrorism charges.

The Dawn

Mother tongue survey of 576 languages done

The government plans to set up a Web archive at the National Informatics Centre to preserve the originality of each indigenous mother tongue. The ministry has completed a mother tongue survey, of 576 languages and dialects across the country. The Hindu.

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The Observer Tuesday, November 8, 2022

CITY

No scientific evidence backs the use of blue ray eyeglasses Eyeware sector’s business is up as screen time rises

By Sneha T S

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here is no scientific evidence that screen light damages eyesight. Some experts recommend blue ray glasses and some do not.

Gaurav C, an optometrist, explained to The Observer: “Every spectrum of light has different wavelengths. Blue ray is the one with the shortest wavelength. It is emitted by electronic devices and has extremely high energy which can penetrate the lens and can badly affect the retina.”

He recommends blue ray glasses and believes they can protect one from blue rays. He suggests two to three hours of screen time for adults, and not more than one hour for children.

But the American Academy of Ophthalmology states that there is no scientific evidence that light emitted from computer screens damages the eyes. It recommends the 20-20-20 rule which states that for every 20 minutes of using a digital screen, shifting eyes and looking at an object that is at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds helps in relieving eye strain.

According to Lenskart, digital devices like phones, laptops and tablets emit harmful blue rays that can damage our eyes.

T.S. Rajiv, owner of a Lenskart franchise store, said blue light ex-

People are shifting towards blue ray glasses as they are claimed to block 90 per cent of these rays. | Credit: Sneha TS posure can cause eye strain and headaches. It can also affect a person’s sleep pattern. Blue ray glasses block 90 per cent of the exposure from these rays.

“Due to the lockdown, employees had to work from home which increased their screen time and, hence, the sales of blue ray glasses increased. These days many companies follow the hybrid model... has remained constant. Earlier, this segment came under the category of ‘wants’; now it has become a need.”

About the popularity of these glasses, he said: “These glasses are popular among all age groups ,including the school-going

children. Parents now consider buying them for their children.

The sale has increased by 60 per cent post-pandemic” They are generally not sold on the recommendation of doctors.

Nithu P, mother of a five-yearold said: “My daughter’s academic session began during the pandemic in 2020. Her school... screen time increased. Last year, I noticed that her eyes became watery after certain hours that she spent in front the laptop so I bought her blue ray glasses.”

Asked about the effectiveness of these glasses, she said she did not notice any apparent change.

Akash S, a Civil Services aspi-

Students, govt bus corporations blame each other for accidents

By Yukta Mudgal

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n October 2022, two persons died in accidents involving buses of state-run corporations. An MSC student died two weeks after she was run over while trying to board a BMTC bus. Another woman died after being hit by a KSRTC bus.

Students protested Shilpa Sree’s death on the Bangalore University campus and demanded a ban on vehicles, especially buses, on the campus.

Naveen Kumar, a PhD scholar at the university, said: “We are demanding another road for buse..

For two years, we have seen more than 35 accidents on the university road. After Shilpa Sree’s accident, we saw seven more accidents.” One person is still in a coma.

Kumar J, a KSRTC driver, said sometimes accidents happen because of drivers’ negligence; at other times because of the bad roads. “But the people who get injured are, most of the time,

Within two years 35 people lost their life due to accidents. | Credit: Yukta Mudgal hooked to their phones while walking on the road.”

“We drivers have a responsibility to take care of around 50 people sitting in the bus, we cannot take risks, so we drive cautiously,” he added.

Hanumaiah, assistant traffic superintendent, BMTC West Division, said: “We operate 6,000 buses which have had very few accidents; (there are) only 8-10 accidents every month.”

BMTC buses, operating for 10 years, are meant to have speed of 40 km per hour. When crossed the limit, the bus stops running.

“Every year, training is conducted in our Magadi Road training centre for drivers to improve driving skills,” he said.

Asked about the Bangalore University accident on October 10, Hamumaiah said: “Both the driver and the girl were responsible. The girl was using her phone while boarding the bus.”

Ramyarani S.K., a zoology student , said we do not want buses inside the university premises.

“If buses come and go at a particular time inside the campus, it’s fine. None of the universities, allows vehicles inside the campus.”

Preetham N. Raj, a research scholar at the university, said: “We need the buses. But the road does not have a speed breaker. If the university provides buses, then everything would be fine.”

Read the complete story on: www.theweeklyobserver.in

rant, said: “I have been wearing corrective glasses for years. I got to know about blue ray glasses recently. My sister... I have to spend long hours reading on the screen.”

He noticed a difference but said that the glasses are not the solution to solve the problem of eye strain; instead one should limit his/her screen time.

The glass is being marketed to such an extent that even the people who do not spend many hours on screen are also buying it.

Jyoti A, a homemaker said: “Buying these glasses is a waste of money, but my children forced me to buy them. Unlike them, I do not have to spend hours on screen. I use them only while watching television.”

Dr Lijo Joseph, an ophthalmologist, said: “I generally never recommend blue ray glasses to my patients. Only in rare cases have I recommended them. For instance, a student had approached me saying that she was facing difficulty while reading notes from her smartphone.... I did recommend these glasses to her.”

He added: “Humans can tolerate a minimum amount of blue light.Not everybod needs to wear specific glasses for it. Limiting one‘s screen time is the best option. Also there are other technologies like anti-blue light screen for digital gadgets.”

Dibin P, who works at Titan Eye Plus, said: “Sales have increased by 75 per cent. I can say we sold around 200 blue ray glasses last month. After bifocals this is the segment in which we are doing well.” sneha.ts@iijnm.org

Citizen’s Voice Democrats’ win would be a victory for women’srights This election time, it’s important that that Democrats’ win to support what the United States stands for. They must defeat the Republicans, who have become nothing less than a cult of religious fanatics. The latter have given a trailer by attacking women’s rights over their own bodies by introducing draconian abortion laws. Soon, they will go after groups like LGBTQ+ and minorities. There should be no such place for hate in the US. Ashish Kaushik

Permanent solution to mental illness needed

The world today talks about mental health. Everyone is promoting the concept of therapy. But the irony is that professionals who give therapy to others need a therapist for themselves at a certain point of time. It is like a slow cycle, a cycle of dependency which does not eradicate the problem, just passed on from one to another. A solution can be the redirection of our energy towards living a more inclusive life with our family members and loved ones, who listen to us not as a therapist but as our well-wishers.

Madhvi Maingi

Quiz 1.Who was the last Tsar of Russia?

2.How many bones do we have in an ear?

3.What is the only continent with land in all four hemispheres?

4.Simone Biles is famous for her skill in what sport?

5.Who wrote the famous book 'We the people'?

Answers on page 3

POLICE & SWIGGY AGENT SPOTTED WITHOUT HELMETS

Police officers and a Swiggy employee were seen violating traffic rules by riding without helmets on Bangalore University Road. Last month a 21-year-old female student died on the road, which has witnessed more than 30 road accident within two months.Student unions are demanding a ban on vehicles inside the campus | Credit: Yukta Mudgal

CITY

Continued from page 1 he Karnataka Information Commission, till April this year, had three vacancies and works with 10 information commissioners as against its sanctioned strength of 11.

The Karnataka commission has not published an report since the years 2016-2017.

“No one is pressuring them; everyone is silent; they haven’t fulfilled that aspect of the mandate. Media organisations are ignoring it, and people are silent.”

Karnataka’s chief information commissioner N.C. Srinivasa said Information Commissions do not impose penalties on commissioners who have cases pending with them.It can’t do unless an applicant can mala fide intention or intentional denial. The Supreme Court and high courts have stressed on this. “Just because the statute has a penalty, it doesn’t mean penalty needs to be imposed.”

Asked why KIC has not published a report on the working of RTI since 2016-17, the CIC replied: “Unless the report is laid before state legislative assembly and approved, the reports cannot be published. We have submitted the report till last year and are waiting for approval.”

Amrita Johri from Satark Nagrik Sangathan said: “The purpose of RTI is to provide citizens with information in a time-bound manner.... The governments of different states are trying to undermine RTI by keeping designated posts vacant in the Information Commission.”

She added: “CIC has adopted a norm for disposing of 3,000 appeals by each Bench of the Information commission.”

The Satark Nagrik Sangathan, a citizens’ group established in 2003, aims to hold governments accountable by promoting transparency and accountability.

Vacancies at Information Commissions can be avoided by adhering to the Supreme Court guideline that the commission must advertise for filling a vacancy two or three months before the post gets vacant, Johri said.

Asked why the Information Commissions do not penalize information commissioners who delay the disposal of appeals, she said: “Penalty is important; it sends the message that strict action will be taken if applications are not disposed of within a timeline. It breaks the impunity culture. (But) often Information Commissions don’t issue showcause notices of the cases.”

On annual reports, she said they are an important part of the RTI process as people get to know how the commissions are doing.

An official at Karnataka Information Commission said: “The pendency of caseseeac fo reased because Covid threw the system upside down. After Covid, the process was shifted online by government, and limited cases were taken by the RTI officials. suryash.k@iijnm.org

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Awareness about health cover is low in villages Some people are reluctant to buy policies

By Shruti Banerjee

E

ven though there are numerous health insurance policies, people living in rural areas are either unaware of them or reluctant to avail these health insurances.

Amir Pasha, a resident of Doddaballapur in Bengaluru Rural, informed The Observer he knows about various health insurance policies of the government and private companies but will not avail of their benefits.

Asked why, he could not give a clear answer to The Observer.

Rajashekhar, who runs a grocery shop, said he has insurance provided by the National Insurance Company, while Mumtaz (name changed), a homemaker, said she is unaware of any health insurance schemes offered.

Rakshit Gowda, a tea stall owner, said he has benefited from health insurance provided by LIC. His insurance agent knows the insurance policies and conditions he has subscribed to.

Prakash, a 61-year-old in Doddaballapur, shared that his insur-

ance policy under Ayushman Bharat covered the expenses for his spine surgery .

According to the National Survey Office (NSO) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, only 14 per cent of the rural population said they had health coverage.

S.P. Nagaraj, an insurance agent and consultant of New India Assurance Ltd, explained : “Lack of knowledge and education among the villagers is the reason for many of them not availing of health insurance services.

Insurance agents have done door-to-door campaigning about health insurance policies but most of them met with disap-

pointment as rural people are not interested to avail to these health insurance schemes.”

People living in villages do not understand the terms and conditions under which health insurance is provided. Most cases want immediate returns after buying a policy. Owing to insufficient knowledge, they accuse insurance companies of making false promises, Nagaraj shared.

Health insurance is the last thing rural people want to avail.

Insurance companies were supposed to campaign among newlyweds and pregnant women for a scheme for children born with deformities and genetic disorders. It provides an immediate cover for up to Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh for a disabled child. Insurance agents failed as people refused to believe that a child in their home could be born with a deformity.

Poonam Rani, deputy manager of the National Insurance Company, said people living in rural areas at times think they do not need insurance as they can get free treatment. Insurance companies are trying hard to penetrate rural areas but are met with strong resistance from people.

Data by NSO states that over 13% of rural population said they were covered by government sponsored health insurance. shruti.b@iijnm.org

Not many citizens know that emergency number 112 exists

By Siddhi Chauhan

Located 84 km north of Udaipur in the wilderness, Kumbhalgarh is the second most important citadel after Chittorgarh in the Mewar region. Cradled in the Aravalli Range, the fort was built in the 15th century AD by Rana Kumbha. The inaccessibility and hostility of the topography lends a semblance of invincibility to the fort. It served the rulers of Mewar as a refuge in times of strisssfe. The fort also served as refuge to King Udai of Mewar in his early childhood when Banbir killed Vikramaditya and usurped the throne. It is of immense sentimental significance for the people being the birthplace of king Maharana Pratap.

Source: Rajasthan Tourism

Tweetcasm Elon Musk should buy Instagram and charge ＄8 to couples who post “1 month anniversary” pics. @sagarcasm

Did You Know?

The shortest war in history lasted 38 minutes! It was between Britain and Zanzibar and known as the Anglo-Zanzibar War, this war occurred on August 27, 1896. It was over the ascension of the next Sultan in Zanzibar and resulted in a British victory.

Quote of the day

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rives organized by the BMTC in collaboration with the Bengaluru police have failed to create awareness about the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS), launched two years ago.

ERSS is a single emergency number (112) to address and look after emergencies of citizens through help of police, ambulance, fire and rescue services.

Tejaswini, a daily commuter, said she never sees any stickers promoting 112 in the buses she travels in. She was clueless.

Another traveller, Swetha Muthukumar, said she has noticed these posters but is unsure about what they are about.

Bhawna B, who travels by bus, said the posters are for the helpline, adding that the number is to seek help in cases of robbery.

The Observer tried to reach BMTC officials multiple times, but they were unavailable.

Suresh, assistant sub-inspector, Rajarajeshwari police station, said earlier the helpline number to call the police was 100. Now the government has come up with a single helpline number. This number is unified, which means it addresses problems related to

Wonders of the World

It is the women who are the leaders in change and without their participation poverty can never be removed. –Ela Bhat

Quiz answers Nicholas II Three Africa Gymnastics Nani Palkhivala

State govts fail to upload yearly reports

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ERSS is a single emergency number to address emergencies of citizens Credit: BMTC Twitter account health, fire and crime. with BMTC, had organized Earlier, when one dialled 100, drives, but nothing has changed. only male officers used to go, but They pasted posters about the now a citizen can approach 112 emergency helpline in buses. women police officers too.

M. Nageshwar, a bus conduc“Whenever someone dials 112, tor, said a drive was conducted in the call is forwarded to the control early October to inform people room of the police. The control about the 112 number. BMTC ofroom, either through a message ficials participated in the drive. or online, will notify the station The Centre government dethat is close to the service re- cided to launch this system as quester’s location,” he explained . after 2012 gang-rape case in Tukaram, a constable at the Delhi. The Justice Verma ComKengeri police station, said the mittee recommended the implecalls that they get through ERSS- mentation of a pan-India single 112 are less than those they used emergency number that would to get via 100 emergency number. address all distress calls.

The Bengaluru police, along siddhi.c@iijnm.org

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The Observer Tuesday, November 8, 2022

The Observer Produced by the Print students of the Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media at Nityananda Nagar, Kumbalgodu, Kengeri hobli, Bengaluru 560074.

Editor: Yukta Mudgal News editor and Photo editor: Sneha T S Copy editors: Vindhya Pabolu, Suryash Kumar, Siddhi Chauhan, Shruti Banerjee Other IIJNM publications l The Beat magazine l CityCast l The SoftCopy