FRINJEX 23 (GS Paper 2, Defence)
Why in news?
- Recently, the maiden Joint Military Exercise FRINJEX-23 between Indian Army and French Army will be conducted at Pangode Military Station, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Key Highlights:
- It is for the first time armies of both the nations are engaging in this format with each contingent comprising of a Company Group each from the Thiruvananthapuram based Indian Army troops and French 6th Light Armoured Brigade.
- The exercise is aimed at enhancing inter-operability, coordination and cooperation between both forces at tactical level.
- The scope of the exercise involve establishment and operationalisation of a joint command post to secure an envisaged area for undertaking joint humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, establishing an Internally Displaced Population (IDP) camp and move of disaster relief material.
Way Forward:
- The Joint exercise will further cement defence cooperation with France which is a key aspect of the overall Indo-France strategic partnership.
South Korea pushes to end disputes with Japan over wartime forced labour
(GS Paper 2, International Organisation)
Why in news?
- Recently, South Korea announced plans to compensate victims of Japan’s forced wartime labour, aiming to end a “vicious cycle” in the Asian powers’ relations and boost ties to counter the nuclear-armed North.
- The move to resolve the forced labour issue follows years of disputes over Second World War sex slaves, which had soured Japan-South Korea ties.
Background:
- South Korea and Japan have already ramped up security cooperation in the face of growing threats from Kim Jong Un’s regime, but bilateral ties have long been strained over Tokyo’s brutal 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean peninsula.
- Around 780,000 Koreans were conscripted into forced labour by Japan during the 35-year occupation, according to data from Seoul, not including women forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops.
- Seoul’s plan is to take money from major South Korean companies that benefited from a 1965 reparations deal with Tokyo and use it to compensate victims.
Japan’s response:
- Tokyo insists the 1965 treaty which saw the two countries restore diplomatic ties with a reparations package of about $800 million in grants and cheap loans settled all claims between the two relating to the colonial period.
- But Tokyo’s Foreign Minister welcomed the new plan as it would help to restore “healthy” ties after years of tensions.
What’s next?
- Japan and the U.S. immediately welcomed the announcement, but victims have criticised the proposal because it falls far short of their demand for a full apology from Tokyo and direct compensation from the Japanese companies involved.
Centre releases guidelines for celebrities, influencers, and virtual influencers on social media platform
(GS Paper 2, Governance)
Why in news?
- The Department of Consumer Affairs, under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, has released a set of guidelines called ‘Endorsements Know-hows!’ for celebrities, influencers, and virtual influencers on social media platforms.
- The guidelines aims to ensure that individuals do not mislead their audiences when endorsing products or services and that they are in compliance with the Consumer Protection Act and any associated rules or guidelines.
Key Highlights:
- The guidelines state that endorsements must be made in simple, clear language, and terms such as ‘advertisement,’ ‘sponsored’, “collaboration” or ‘paid promotion’ can be used.
- Individuals must not endorse any product or service that they have not personally used or experienced or in which due diligence has not been done by them.
- The department has observed that there is confusion regarding which disclosure word to use for what kind of partnership. Therefore, for paid or barter brand endorsement, any of the following disclosures may be used: "advertisement," "ad," "sponsored," "collaboration," or "partnership." However, the term must be indicated as hashtag or headline text.
- The guidelines specify that individuals or groups who have access to an audience and the power to affect their audiences' purchasing decisions or opinions about a product, service, brand, or experience, because of the influencer's/celebrity's authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with their audience, must disclose.
Disclosure:
- The guidelines state that the disclosure must be placed in the endorsement message in a manner that is clear, prominent, and extremely hard to miss. Disclosures should not be mixed with a group of hashtags or links.
- For endorsements in a picture, disclosures should be superimposed over the image enough for viewers to notice. For endorsements in a video or a live stream, disclosures should be made in both audio and video format and displayed continuously and prominently during the entire stream.
- The guidelines advise celebrities and influencers to always review and satisfy themselves that the advertiser is in a position to substantiate the claims made in the advertisement. It is also recommended that the product and service must have been actually used or experienced by the endorser.
Way Forward:
- In conclusion, the guidelines aim to ensure that individuals do not mislead their audiences when endorsing products or services, and that they are in compliance with the Consumer Protection Act and any associated rules or guidelines.
- It is essential for celebrities, influencers, and virtual influencers to adhere to these guidelines to maintain transparency and authenticity with their audience.
