UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 February 2025
Kartavya Desk Staff
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 February 2025 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles
InstaLinks : Insta Links help you think beyond the current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background.
Table of Contents
GS Paper 2 : (UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 February (2025)
• Social Security Cover for Gig Workers
Social Security Cover for Gig Workers
GS Paper 3:
• India’s AI Independence: Should We Build Our Own Foundational Model?
India’s AI Independence: Should We Build Our Own Foundational Model?
Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):
• Watershed Yatra
Watershed Yatra
Facts for Prelims (FFP):
• SARAT Version 2 Tool
SARAT Version 2 Tool
• Donkey Route
Donkey Route
• Pinaka Ammunition
Pinaka Ammunition
• Sheikh Mujibur Rehman
Sheikh Mujibur Rehman
Mapping:
• Gomti River
Gomti River
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 February 2025
#### GS Paper 2 :
Social Security Cover for Gig Workers
Syllabus: Social Security
Source: NIE
Context: The 2025 Budget introduced health insurance and identity registration for gig workers to improve their social security. While this addresses basic welfare needs, challenges in enforcement and sustainability remain.
The Gig Economy: Growth and Challenges
• Rapid Expansion: The gig workforce constitutes 12% of the global labour market (World Bank) and is expected to reach 23.5 million in India by 2029-30 (NITI Aayog).
• Advantages: Provides flexible employment and income opportunities, driving economic growth, especially in e-commerce and service industries.
• Provides flexible employment and income opportunities, driving economic growth, especially in e-commerce and service industries.
• Challenges: Income insecurity due to irregular earnings. Lack of legal protection as gig workers do not fall under traditional labour laws. No employer contributions to pensions, insurance, or other social benefits.
• Income insecurity due to irregular earnings.
• Lack of legal protection as gig workers do not fall under traditional labour laws.
• No employer contributions to pensions, insurance, or other social benefits.
Existing Policy Framework
• Code on Social Security, 2020 Recognizes gig workers as a distinct category and provides for insurance, health benefits, pensions, and a Social Security Fund.
• Recognizes gig workers as a distinct category and provides for insurance, health benefits, pensions, and a Social Security Fund.
• Budget 2025 Provisions Health Insurance: Coverage under PM Jan Arogya Yojana. Identity Registration: e-Shram portal for tracking and integrating workers into social security schemes. Aggregator Module: Launched to streamline registration of workers and platform companies.
• Health Insurance: Coverage under PM Jan Arogya Yojana.
• Identity Registration: e-Shram portal for tracking and integrating workers into social security schemes.
• Aggregator Module: Launched to streamline registration of workers and platform companies.
Key Challenges in Social Security Implementation
• Lack of Employer-Employee Relationship: Gig workers are independent contractors, making it difficult to enforce labour protections and ensure mandatory contributions.
• Irregular Income & Financial Constraints: Unstable earnings limit workers’ ability to contribute to social security funds, making purely contributory schemes impractical.
• Gaps in Registration & Compliance: Many workers remain unregistered on the e-Shram portal, and platform aggregators have no legal obligation to provide social security.
• Sustainable Financing Mechanism: Funding social security requires a balanced approach, involving government support, platform aggregator contributions, and worker participation.
Global Best Practices for Gig Worker Protection
Country | Social Security Measures
UK | Minimum wage, paid leave, and pension for gig workers.
Singapore | Mandates platform aggregators to contribute to social security.
Oman & Thailand | Co-funded social security models.
Indonesia | Government-subsidized accident and life insurance.
Way Forward: A Sustainable & Inclusive Approach
• Multi-Stakeholder Social Security Model Government: Policy framework and partial funding. Platform Aggregators: Mandatory contributions to social security funds. Workers: Opt-in contributory pension and insurance schemes.
• Government: Policy framework and partial funding.
• Platform Aggregators: Mandatory contributions to social security funds.
• Workers: Opt-in contributory pension and insurance schemes.
• Expanding Benefits Beyond Health Insurance Pension & Retirement Plans: Small contributions pooled for old-age benefits. Skill Development: Upskilling for better income stability. Emergency Assistance: Financial aid for crisis situations.
• Pension & Retirement Plans: Small contributions pooled for old-age benefits.
• Skill Development: Upskilling for better income stability.
• Emergency Assistance: Financial aid for crisis situations.
• Strengthening Implementation & Compliance Mandatory Registration: e-Shram portal integration for better outreach. Worker Grievance Redressal: Institutional mechanisms to address concerns.
• Mandatory Registration: e-Shram portal integration for better outreach.
• Worker Grievance Redressal: Institutional mechanisms to address concerns.
• Leveraging Technology for Social Security Digital Payment Integration: Efficient contribution and benefit disbursal. AI-driven Monitoring: Real-time tracking of worker participation and compliance.
• Digital Payment Integration: Efficient contribution and benefit disbursal.
• AI-driven Monitoring: Real-time tracking of worker participation and compliance.
Conclusion:
Ensuring long-term success requires strong enforcement, sustainable funding, and aggregator accountability. A multi-stakeholder approach can balance flexibility with essential worker protections.
Insta Links:
• Social-security-code
• Examine the role of ‘Gig Economy’ in the process of empowerment of women in India. [UPSC -2021]
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 February 2025 GS Paper 3:
India’s AI Independence: Should We Build Our Own Foundational Model?
Syllabus: Artificial Intelligence
- •Source: TH*
Context: As AI becomes a strategic and economic driver, India must decide whether to build its own foundational AI model or rely on foreign ones.
Why is a Sovereign Foundational AI Model Needed?
• Technological Sovereignty: AI models are primarily controlled by U.S. firms like OpenAI, Google, and Meta. Future sanctions, similar to U.S. restrictions on Huawei’s AI chips, could limit India’s access.
• Dependence on Foreign AI: Proprietary models like GPT-4 require licensing, making India reliant on external pricing and policy changes, potentially increasing costs for businesses and governance.
• India-Specific AI Applications: A sovereign model can cater to India’s diverse linguistic needs (22 official languages, 121 spoken by over 10,000 people).
E.g. AI for Bharat is already developing Indic language AI tools.
• Strategic Economic Growth: AI is projected to contribute $500 billion to India’s GDP by 2025. Developing a sovereign model ensures India captures a larger share of this value instead of relying on foreign providers.
Advantages of a Sovereign AI Model
• Control Over AI Ethics and Regulations: India can ensure AI aligns with national interests and cultural values, avoiding biased datasets from Western-trained models.
E.g. Facial recognition biases in Western AI models often fail to recognize Indian faces accurately.
• Long-Term Cost Savings: Developing a model is expensive, but licensing foreign AI repeatedly costs more in the long run.
E.g. OpenAI’s GPT-4 API charges businesses for every query, making large-scale adoption expensive.
• Innovation and Job Creation: Building AI models can create high-value jobs in machine learning, data science, and chip manufacturing, helping retain talent within India.
Eg: The AI industry in India is expected to create 2 million jobs by 2030.
• Resilience in Global AI Competition: Countries like China (Baidu’s ERNIE) and the EU (Aleph Alpha) are developing their own AI models to reduce dependency on U.S. firms. India risks falling behind if it does not act.
Challenges in Building a Foundational AI Model
• High Costs of Development: Training a foundational model costs hundreds of millions of dollars.
E.g. DeepSeek V3’s training cost was $5.6 million per run, and Meta’s LLaMA-4 is expected to cost $1 billion.
• Lack of AI-Specific Hardware: India does not manufacture advanced GPUs like Nvidia H100, essential for AI training.
E.g. DeepSeek relies on Huawei’s Ascend 910C chips, which India currently cannot produce.
• Limited AI Research Infrastructure: India’s R&D spending is 0.7% of GDP, far lower than the U.S. (3%) and China (2.4%). A lack of high-end research institutes delays AI innovation.
• Small Domestic AI Market: AI automation is not as cost-effective in India due to lower labor costs.
E.g. In the U.S., AI can replace a $4000/month employee, whereas in India, that cost is only $200/month.
• Government Procurement Bottlenecks: AI research requires risk-taking and iteration, but India’s bureaucratic public funding process is slow and risk-averse.
E.g. Unlike the U.S., where DARPA funds cutting-edge research with high failure rates, India lacks similar mechanisms.
Way Forward
• Focus on Applied AI Solutions: Instead of competing with OpenAI’s GPT-4, India should focus on AI for governance, healthcare, and Indic languages.
E.g. AI for Bharat’s IndicTrans2 for local language translation.
• Public-Private Collaboration: Encouraging startups and universities to build on open-weight models can accelerate innovation.
E.g. DeepSeek modified Meta’s LLaMA model instead of building from scratch.
• Investment in AI Chip Manufacturing: Partnering with TSMC or Samsung for semiconductor manufacturing and developing indigenous chip capabilities will ensure long-term AI independence.
• AI-Specific Policy Reforms: Increasing AI R&D funding and creating a flexible public funding model can encourage innovation.
E.g. The IndiaAI Mission’s GPU cluster subsidies are a step in the right direction.
• Targeted GPU Resource Allocation: Government-backed GPUs should be used for high-impact research areas.
E.g. AI for Bharat’s text-to-speech system for Indian languages needs only 500–1000 GPUs for effective results.
Conclusion:
Building a sovereign AI model can strengthen India’s technological and economic position, but financial and infrastructural constraints require a strategic approach. Instead of directly competing with U.S. AI giants, India should prioritize applied AI solutions, invest in AI hardware, and foster a strong R&D ecosystem to ensure long-term AI self-reliance.
Insta Links:
• Deepseek
• The emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Digital Revolution) has initiated e-Governance as an integral part of government”. Discuss.
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 February 2025 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
Watershed Yatra
Context: Union Minister Rural Development launched the “Watershed Yatra”, a national-level mass outreach campaign to promote community participation in watershed development under WDC-PMKSY 2.0.
About Watershed Yatra:
What is Watershed Yatra?
• A nationwide outreach campaign to mobilize community participation in watershed development and conservation.
• Part of the Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY 2.0).
• Focuses on improving water conservation, soil health, and agriculture sustainability.
Key Features of Watershed Yatra:
• Nationwide Coverage: Spanning 805 projects, 6673 Gram Panchayats, and 13587 villages across 26 states and 2 UTs.
• Community Participation: Involves Shramdaan (voluntary labor), Bhoomi Poojan, and Watershed Mahotsav to engage local communities.
• Public-Private-People Partnership (4Ps): Encourages collaborative efforts between government, private sector, and citizens.
• Watershed Janbhagidari Pratiyogita: Rewards top-performing projects with an additional ₹20 lakh per project, with a total allocation of ₹70.80 crore.
• Youth Involvement: Linked to MY Bharat portal, providing certificates to youth volunteers to encourage participation.
• Capacity Building: Learning Management System (LMS) developed for training and knowledge dissemination.
Relevance in UPSC Exam Syllabus:
• GS Paper 1 (Geography & Society): Watershed management, soil conservation, rural development, and community participation.
• GS Paper 2 (Governance & Schemes): WDC-PMKSY 2.0, decentralized governance, and role of Gram Panchayats in water resource management.
• GS Paper 3 (Environment & Agriculture): Sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, water conservation techniques, and environmental sustainability.
• Essay Paper: “Community-led Conservation: A Pathway to Sustainable Development”.
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 February 2025 Facts for Prelims (FFP)
SARAT Version 2 Tool
Source: PIB
Context: Union Minister for Science and Technology announced the launch of SARAT Version 2, an advanced tool enhancing the efficiency of Indian search-and-rescue agencies with improved accuracy, faster response times, and better visualization capabilities.
About SARAT (Search and Rescue Aid Tool) Version 2:
• What it is: SARAT is a specialized tool developed to assist search-and-rescue (SAR) operations, particularly in the Indian Ocean region.
• Ministry: Developed under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and implemented by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS).
• Aim: To improve the efficiency, accuracy, and success rates of SAR operations by providing precise search areas, exportable data, and enhanced visualization tools.
• Key Features:
• Accurate Search Areas:Anchored to the Last Known Position (LKP) for precise search region computation.
• Exportable Data:Digital search area formats for seamless integration with rescue planning maps.
• Enhanced Visualization:Features like particle trajectory visualization, color-coded search regions, and LKP markers for clearer interpretation.
• Training Initiatives:INCOIS conducts workshops and training for SAR agencies like the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Airports Authority of India (AAI).
• Future Enhancements:Plans to improve accuracy by integrating high-frequency radar measurements and advanced ocean modeling techniques.
Insta links:
• Integrated-ocean-energy-atlas
Donkey Route
Source: ET
Context: Delhi has emerged as a major transit hub for illegal immigration through Donkey Routes to the US, with a 100% surge in arrests of agents and facilitators in 2024.
About the ‘Donkey Route’:
• What it is: The ‘Donkey Route’ refers to an illegal immigration method where individuals take circuitous routes through multiple countries to avoid detection while attempting to reach the US.
• Features:
• Indirect Travel:Avoids direct flights to the US, instead using pit-stops in random countries to evade suspicion.
• Fake Documents:Relies on counterfeit visas, forged immigration stamps, and fabricated travel histories.
• Syndicate Networks:Operated by organized networks of agents and facilitators across India and abroad.
• Impacts:
• Exploitation of Migrants:Desperate individuals are often misled, financially exploited, and left stranded in foreign countries.
• Security Risks:Poses challenges to national and international security by enabling illegal entry.
• Economic Burden:Strains resources of both origin and transit countries due to increased enforcement and deportation costs.
Insta links:
• Illegal-migration
Pinaka Ammunition
Source: TH
Context: The Defence Ministry signed ₹10,147 crore contracts with EEL, MIL, and BEL to enhance Pinaka MRLS firepower, improve range, precision, and modernize artillery systems under Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Key Features of the Procurement:
• Enhanced Firepower: ADM Type-1 Rockets: Disperse sub-munitions over a large area; effective against mechanized forces. HEPF Mk-1 (Enhanced) Rockets: Extended range, higher lethality, designed for deep-strike.
• ADM Type-1 Rockets: Disperse sub-munitions over a large area; effective against mechanized forces.
• HEPF Mk-1 (Enhanced) Rockets: Extended range, higher lethality, designed for deep-strike.
• Increased Range & Precision: Pinaka MRLS as India’s long-range artillery backbone. DRDO-tested guided rockets (38- 75 km range); plans for 120 km and 300 km.
• Pinaka MRLS as India’s long-range artillery backbone.
• DRDO-tested guided rockets (38- 75 km range); plans for 120 km and 300 km.
• Indigenous Defence Boost: Supports Aatmanirbhar Bharat, promotes MSMEs, reduces foreign dependency.
• Supports Aatmanirbhar Bharat, promotes MSMEs, reduces foreign dependency.
• Operational Strengthening: Modernizes artillery; Shakti software upgrade enhances targeting & coordination.
• Modernizes artillery; Shakti software upgrade enhances targeting & coordination.
About Pinaka Rocket Missile System:
• Type: Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) designed by DRDO’s Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE).
• First Use: Played a crucial role in neutralizing enemy positions during the Kargil War.
• Features: Launcher system includes a multi-tube launcher vehicle, command post vehicle, and replenishment vehicles. Can fire 12 rockets in 48 seconds, covering an area of 700 × 500 square meters. Mounted on a Tatra truck for mobility with hydraulically actuated outriggers for stability during firing.
• Launcher system includes a multi-tube launcher vehicle, command post vehicle, and replenishment vehicles.
• Can fire 12 rockets in 48 seconds, covering an area of 700 × 500 square meters.
• Mounted on a Tatra truck for mobility with hydraulically actuated outriggers for stability during firing.
Insta links:
• PINAKA
Sheikh Mujibur Rehman
Source: NOA
Context: India strongly condemned the vandalism of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman’s historic residence in Bangladesh, emphasizing its symbolic importance in the country’s freedom struggle.
About Sheikh Mujibur Rehman:
• Founding Father of Bangladesh: Led the independence movement and became its first President and Prime Minister.
• Political Evolution: Initially associated with the All-India Muslim League, later founded the Awami League, advocating for Bengali nationalism.
• Liberation War Leader: Led the Six-Point Movement for autonomy, spearheaded the 1971 Liberation War, and declared Bangladesh’s independence.
• Post-Independence Governance: Focused on nation-building, drafted Bangladesh’s Constitution, and established diplomatic relations.
• Authoritarian Rule & Assassination: Established a one-party rule in 1975, later assassinated in a military coup on August 15, 1975.
• Legacy: Despite controversies, hailed as Bangabandhu (Friend of Bengal) and recognized for his role in Bangladesh’s independence.
Insta links:
• Bangladesh Crisis
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 February 2025 Mapping:
Gomti River
Source: HT
Context: Lucknow is set to launch cruise services on the Gomti River, enhancing tourism and offering a scenic view of the city’s skyline.
About Gomti River:
• Origin: The Gomti River originates from Gomat Taal (Fulhaar Jheel) in Pilibhit district, Uttar Pradesh.
• States Flowing Through: It flows entirely within Uttar Pradesh, passing through Lucknow, Barabanki, Sultanpur, Faizabad, and Jaunpur before merging with the Ganga River.
• Tributaries: Major tributaries include the Sai River, Kathina River, Chowka River, and Saryu River.
• Significant Cities Along Its Course: Lucknow (state capital), Jaunpur, Sultanpur, and Barabanki are key urban centers along the river.
• Tributary of: The Gomti is a right-bank tributary of the Ganges (Ganga) River.
• Hydrological Characteristics: It is a perennial river with a sluggish flow, except during the monsoon season, when heavy rainfall leads to increased runoff.
• Environmental Concerns: The river suffers from pollution due to urban waste and industrial discharge, particularly in Lucknow and Jaunpur.
Insta links:
• Gumti-river-tripura
Daily Current Affairs + PIB Summary 7 Feb 2025
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