UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 September 2024
Kartavya Desk Staff
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 September 2024 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 September 2024)
• 23rd Law Commission Setup
23rd Law Commission Setup
• First Legally binding AI treaty
First Legally binding AI treaty
• Swachh Bharat Mission as a ‘Game-Changer’ for Public Health
Swachh Bharat Mission as a ‘Game-Changer’ for Public Health
Facts for Prelims (FFP)
• Enemy Property
Enemy Property
• INDIAsize initiative and VisioNxt
INDIAsize initiative and VisioNxt
• Konyak Tribes
Konyak Tribes
• Saturn’s rings
Saturn’s rings
• Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant
Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant
Mapping:
• Galathea Bay
Galathea Bay
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 September 2024
#### GS Paper 2:
23rd Law Commission Setup
Syllabus: Polity
Source: IE
Context: The 23rd Law Commission was notified on September 2
23rd Law Commission Key Details
• Term: September 1, 2024 – August 31, 2027
• Mandate: Review laws in light of the Directive Principles of State Policy and Constitutional objectives.
• Terms of Reference: Align laws with Directive Principles and the Constitutional Preamble. Assess globalization’s impact on food security and unemployment. Recommend protections for marginalized groups. Improve judicial administration to reduce delays, simplify rules, and manage case flow.
• Align laws with Directive Principles and the Constitutional Preamble.
• Assess globalization’s impact on food security and unemployment.
• Recommend protections for marginalized groups.
• Improve judicial administration to reduce delays, simplify rules, and manage case flow.
A brief overview of the Law Commission:
Aspect | Details
About | The Law Commission of India is a non-statutory advisory body established by the Ministry of Law and Justice to conduct research and recommend legal reforms.
History | Initially formed in 1834 under Lord Macaulay, it played a crucial role in codifying major legal frameworks such as the Indian Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code. Post-independence, the first Law Commission of Independent India was set up in 1955, chaired by M. C. Setalvad. To date, 23 Law Commissions have been appointed, each serving a fixed three-year term, continuing the tradition of legal review and reform.
Role | Reviews laws, suggests repeals and makes recommendations on legal reforms.
Members | Includes a chairperson (retired judge or expert), four full-time members, up to five part-time members, and ex officio members (Legal Affairs and Legislative Secretaries).
Recent Findings | 22nd Commission recommended retaining Section 124A (sedition) with amendments; and suggested laws for protecting trade secrets and simultaneous elections.
Key Objectives | – Identify obsolete laws for repeal – Create SOPs for law reviews – Amend laws in line with economic needs – Evaluate laws against Directive Principles and socio-economic needs.
Important findings of various Law Commissions of India since independence:
Law Commission | Year | Finding/Recommendation
1st Law Commission | 1955 | Codification of laws and reform of the Indian Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code.
7th Law Commission | 1988 | Recommended amendments to the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, for improved judicial efficiency.
11th Law Commission | 1992 | Suggested reforms to the legal system to address issues of delay and pendency in courts.
15th Law Commission | 1996 | Proposed a new bill to replace the outdated Indian Contract Act, 1872.
18th Law Commission | 2000 | Recommended reforms to family law, including amendments to the Hindu Marriage Act.
21st Law Commission | 2018 | Stated that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) was “neither necessary nor desirable” at that stage.
22nd Law Commission | 2022 | Reviewed issues related to the UCC, with a focus on its implementation and impact.
2022 | Proposed the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022, replacing the Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920.
Key limitations of the Law Commission of India:
• Non-Binding Recommendations: Its recommendations are advisory and not legally binding.
• Limited Implementation Power: It lacks enforcement power to ensure its suggestions are adopted.
• Resource Constraints: Often operates with limited financial and human resources.
• Political Influence: Recommendations may be influenced by prevailing political considerations.
• Delay in Reports: Delays in report submission can hinder timely reforms.
• Inconsistent Follow-Up: Past recommendations are sometimes not followed up or reviewed.
• Lack of Public Engagement: Limited scope for public consultation and feedback.
• Narrow Focus: Can focus on specific issues at the expense of broader legal reforms.
• Limited Scope for Implementation: Challenges in implementing recommendations across diverse jurisdictions.
• Dependency on Government: Reliant on government action for the adoption of its proposals.
Conclusion:
To improve its effectiveness, the Law Commission of India should focus on ensuring better implementation of its recommendations, increasing public engagement, streamlining its processes, and maintaining independence from political influence. These measures will enhance its impact on legal reforms.
Insta Links:
• Extension of 22nd Law Commission
First Legally binding AI treaty
Syllabus: Governance: AI Governance
Source: IE
Context: The first legally binding AI treaty, signed by the US, EU, and UK, prioritizes human rights and democracy, adopting a risk-based approach to AI regulation across public and private sectors.
The Framework Convention on AI by the Council of Europe aims to mitigate AI threats to human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Unlike the EU AI Act, it ensures AI lifecycle activities align with these principles.
Key Features of the AI Treaty:
• Risk-Based Approach: Regulates AI systems based on risk levels throughout their lifecycle.
• Human Rights Focus: Ensures AI systems uphold human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
• Public and Private Sector Applicability: Covers AI use in both public and private sectors globally.
• Accountability: Signatories are responsible for harmful and discriminatory AI outcomes.
• Legal Recourse: Victims of AI-related rights violations are guaranteed legal protection.
• Democratic Safeguards: AI systems must not undermine democratic institutions or judicial independence.
• Global Reach: Involves commitments from nations beyond Europe for a united global AI standard.
• No Punitive Sanctions: Relies on monitoring for compliance rather than fines or penalties.
Significance of the AI treaty:
Area | Significance of the Treaty
Human Rights | Ensures AI systems respect human dignity and privacy, addressing risks like discrimination and bias.
Democracy | Protects democratic institutions by regulating AI’s role in political discourse and decision-making.
Rule of Law | Ensures legal safeguards against AI misuse, promoting accountability and equality before the law.
Global Governance | Establishes a global framework for responsible AI use, harmonizing international AI regulations.
Accountability | Holds AI developers and operators responsible for harmful outcomes, ensuring legal recourse.
Key Components of the EU Framework for AI Regulation:
Components | Details
Safeguards in Legislation | Empowerment of Consumers: Individuals have the ability to launch complaints against perceived AI violations.
Clear boundaries are set on AI usage by law enforcement agencies.
Strong restrictions on facial recognition technology and AI manipulation of human behaviour are specified.
Tough penalties for companies found breaking the rules.
Limitations on governments for use of real-time biometric surveillance in public areas (allowed only in cases of serious threats like terrorist attacks)
Categorization of AI Applications | AI applications are classified into four risk categories based on their level of risk and invasiveness.
- 1.Banned Applications: Mass-scale facial recognition and behavioural control AI applications are largely banned, with exemptions for law enforcement.
- 2.High-Risk Applications: Allowed with certification and provision for backend technique transparency, such as AI tools for self-driving cars.
- 3.Medium-Risk Applications: Deployable without restrictions, like generative AI chatbots, with explicit disclosure to users about AI interaction, transparency obligations, and detailed tech documentation.
- 4.Low-risk applications with transparency obligations.
Other EU’s Regulatory Achievements | General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Implementation: Enforced since May 2018, focusing on privacy and explicit consent for data processing.
Digital Services Act (DSA): Focus on regulating hate speech, counterfeit goods, etc.
Digital Markets Act (DMA): Identifying “dominant gatekeeper” platforms and addressing non-competitive practices and dominance abuse.
Concerns related to AI use:
Concerns | Explanation
Privacy | Risk of personal and sensitive information being used unethically, such as for targeted advertising or political manipulation.
Responsibility | AI models generating new content may lead to challenges in identifying responsibility, causing ethical dilemmas over the content’s origin.
Automation and Job Displacement | AI’s potential to automate processes raises concerns about job displacement, impacting those skilled in the automated areas.
Bias and Discrimination | AI training on biased data may result in decisions that unfairly disadvantage certain groups, perpetuating societal inequalities and discrimination.
Lack of Transparency | Concerns about accountability for AI actions, questioning whether responsibility lies with creators, deploying companies, or regulating governments.
India’s Stance on AI Regulation:
India aims to develop sovereign AI and AI computing infrastructure, focusing on real-life applications in healthcare, agriculture, governance, language translation, etc., to catalyse economic development.
Currently, India is transitioning from a no-regulation stance on AI to actively formulating regulations based on a risk-based, user-harm approach. India’s AI penetration factor is 3.09, the highest among G20 and OECD countries. Some of the initiatives are:
Initiatives:
• Awareness Initiatives like #AIFORALL
• NITI Aayog’s National Strategy for AI (2018) focused on inclusive and responsible AI
• NITI Aayog’s ‘Principle of Responsible AI*,*‘ outlines seven key principles for AI use
• Meity launched IndiaAI in 2023, covering all AI-related research.
• TRAI proposed a domestic statutory authority for AI regulation in July 2023, emphasizing a risk-based framework.
• Ethical guidelines for AI in healthcare by the Indian Council of Medical Research
• SEBI’s circular guiding AI policies in the capital market
• National Education Policy 2020 recommends integrating AI awareness into school courses.
Initiatives by other countries:
Country | Initiative
G7 | The Group of Seven (G7) has proposed a “risk-based” regulation for artificial intelligence (AI) tools, which could be a first step towards creating a template to regulate AI such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard
Italy | Became the first major Western country to ban OpenAI’s ChatGPT due to privacy concerns.
UK | Adopts a ‘light-touch’ approach to encourage innovation in the AI industry.
Japan | Takes an accommodative approach to AI developers.
China | Drafted a 20-point plan to regulate generative AI services, expected to be enforced later this year.
US | Proposed a nonbinding roadmap, the AI Bill of Rights Blueprint, outlining five core principles for the responsible use of AI.
Conclusion:
Although the risks of AI are widely known, it remains unclear how the AI regulations would address these risks and how grievances would be remedied. Previously, Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak, and over 15,000 others had called for a six-month pause in AI development, and for shared safety protocols to be implemented by labs and independent experts.
Insta Links:
• What are hallucinating chatbots?
Prelims Links:
Q1. With the present state of development, Artificial Intelligence can effectively do which of the following? (UPSC 2020)
• Bring down electricity consumption in industrial units
• Create meaningful short stories and songs
• Disease diagnosis
• Text-to-Speech Conversion
• Wireless transmission of electrical energy
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2, 3 and 5 only (b) 1, 3 and 4 only (c) 2, 4 and 5 only (d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
Ans: B
Swachh Bharat Mission as a ‘Game-Changer’ for Public Health
Syllabus: Social Justice: Health
Source: TOI
Context: A study published in the *Nature* journal by the International Food Policy Research Institute suggests that the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) has led to a significant reduction in infant deaths by improving sanitation.
About SBM:
Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) was launched on October 2, 2014, to fulfil the vision of a cleaner India by October 2, 2019. The objective of the Mission was to eliminate open defecation, eradicate manual scavenging, and promote scientific solid waste management.
Key Findings of the Report:
• Infant and Child Mortality: The post-Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) period showed accelerated reductions in infant and under-five mortality rates.
• Toilet Coverage: Districts with over 30% toilet coverage under SBM saw a 5.3 lower Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and 6.8 lower Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR).
• Improved Health Outcomes: Higher SBM coverage corresponded with greater utilization of health programs such as antenatal care (ANC) and institutional deliveries.
• Reduced Diarrheal Deaths: WHO reported 300,000 fewer diarrheal deaths in 2019 compared to 2014 due to improved sanitation.
• Child Wasting: Non-ODF areas experienced 58% higher rates of child wasting (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation).
• Women’s Safety: 93% of women reported feeling safer at home with improved sanitation facilities (UNICEF).
• Education: Poor WASH facilities hinder student attendance and enrollment, particularly for girls.
Reasons for the success of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM):
Reason | Description
Community Engagement | SBM combined toilet construction with community involvement, encouraging local ownership of sanitation efforts.
Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) | Substantial investments in IEC campaigns helped bring about behavioural changes by raising awareness of the importance of sanitation and hygiene.
Capacity Building and Training | Extensive training programs for government officials, frontline workers, volunteers, and communities enhanced the implementation and sustainability of SBM.
Waste Management Systems | Developed systems for waste segregation, collection, transportation, disposal, and treatment, including recycling centres for effective waste management.
Citizen Engagement and Monitoring | Introduced mobile and web applications for active citizen participation, feedback, and monitoring of sanitation progress.
National Annual Rural Sanitation Survey (NARSS) | Periodic assessment of progress through NARSS ensured accountability and data-driven decision-making in rural sanitation efforts.
Limitations of Swachh Bharat Mission:
• Low Toilet Usage: Despite achieving 100% sanitation coverage by 2019, only 85% of rural Indians utilize safe and hygienic toilets, indicating a usage gap.
• Quality and Infrastructure Issues: Problems such as malfunctioning facilities, unhygienic conditions, and structural defects like full pits or collapsing superstructures impede toilet usage.
• Water Scarcity Impact: Limited water access, particularly in rural areas like Gujarat’s Dahod district, contributes to increased non-usage of toilets.
• Behavioural and Social Norms: Cultural norms and behaviours influence toilet usage, with some households repurposing toilets for activities other than defecation.
• Caste-Based Variances: Toilet access and usage exhibit variations across castes, with surprising trends showing higher non-usage rates among upper castes.
• Challenges in Larger Households: Overcrowding and inadequate facilities pose challenges to toilet usage in larger households.
• Issues in solid waste management: While toilet construction has been successful, scientific collection, segregation and disposal of growing waste volumes remain an issue due to resource and capacity constraints of urban local bodies.
• Partial focus on plastic waste: The mission has focused mostly on toilet construction and solid waste. Effectively tackling and recycling plastic waste is still a gap area.
• Centralized approach and targets: The focus has been on meeting toilet construction targets in a centralized, top-down manner. Decentralized, community-driven efforts have been fewer.
Way forward:
• Greater focus on behaviour change communication and public awareness campaigns, especially for hygienic toilet use, waste segregation and not littering. Engaging school children and youth groups can be highly impactful. The “Darwaza Band” campaign and community-level awareness programs have promoted positive sanitation norms.
• The “Darwaza Band” campaign and community-level awareness programs have promoted positive sanitation norms.
• Innovations in Technology: Decentralized sewage treatment plants, as seen in Devanahalli, highlight technological advancements in sanitation.
• Strengthening capacities of urban local bodies for scientifically collecting, segregating, transporting and processing different types of waste. Mechanized sweeping, underground waste bins can be expanded.
• Linking with other programmes: Align sanitation initiatives with other related programs like the Jal Jeevan Mission for better outcomes.
• Developing localized waste management models through community participation, and public-private partnerships, so that solutions are tailored to local needs. Programs like the “Nirmal Gram Puraskar” foster community involvement and awareness in achieving open-defecation-free villages.
• Programs like the “Nirmal Gram Puraskar” foster community involvement and awareness in achieving open-defecation-free villages.
• Expanding solid waste processing infrastructure through biomethanation plants, material recovery facilities, composting units etc. across towns and cities.
• Improved monitoring for functionality and maintenance of public/community toilets through citizen oversight and social audits.
• Expanding coverage of toilets to include slums and public spaces like bus stops, and parks, through customizable, prefabricated toilet models.
• Incentivizing waste segregation, recycling and reuse through both regulatory policies as well as awareness programs on circular economy principles.
Other initiatives for sanitation:
• Central Rural Sanitation Programme (CRSP): Launched in 1986, it was India’s initial step towards improving rural sanitation with substantial subsidies.
• Total Sanitation Campaign: Started in 1999, this marked a shift to a lower subsidy, demand-driven approach.
• Phase II of SBM-G: Focuses on sustainability, promoting solid and liquid waste management, and covering households left out earlier.
• National Annual Rural Sanitation Survey (NARSS): Conducted to assess rural sanitation coverage, showing 95% of rural India having toilet access.
• Rural Sanitation Strategy 2019 to 2029: The Ministry of Jal Shakti’s Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) has initiated a 10-year Rural Sanitation Strategy spanning from 2019 to 2029.
Conclusion
The mission should transition from a toilet-construction-focused programme to a more holistic, decentralized, community-driven cleanliness model relying on public participation for sustainability. The aim should be to make Swachhata a national way of life.
Insta Links:
• 75% of Villages Are Now ODF Plus under Swachh Bharat Mission – Grameen
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 September 2024 Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Enemy Property
Source: HT
Context: A 13-bigha farmland in Kotana, Baghpat, linked to former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s family, was auctioned for ₹1.38 crore.
Declared “enemy property,” the land was sold by the Custodian of Enemy Property, and the auction concluded at nearly three times its reserve price of ₹39 lakh.
About Enemy Property:
The Enemy Property Act, 1968, defines ‘enemy’ as a country (and its citizens) engaged in external aggression against India, such as Pakistan and China.
Enemy property refers to assets owned by or managed on behalf of an enemy. A 2017 amendment expanded the definition to include legal heirs or successors of enemies, regardless of their citizenship, and enemies who have changed nationality. The Act authorizes the Custodian of Enemy Property of India, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, to manage, preserve, control, and sell these properties.
INDIAsize initiative and VisioNxt
Source: Economic Times
Context: The Indian government is set to launch the ‘INDIAsize’ initiative and VisioNxt, aiming to create standardized measurements tailored to Indian body types, addressing fitting issues with current US and UK size standards used by many brands.
About VisioNxt:
• VisioNxt, is a platform combining AI and Emotional Intelligence to forecast fashion trends.
• Bilingual web portal of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT).
• Along with reducing dependence on global forecasting agencies, it would also support weavers, homegrown designers, etc.
Konyak Tribes
Source: TH
Context: The Konyak Union, representing the Konyak tribe in Nagaland, has requested to address errors in the boundary depiction between Nagaland’s Mon district and Assam’s Charaideo district on Google Maps.
• They pointed out that two Nagaland villages, Hota-Hoti and Tekun, established over six decades ago, are incorrectly shown within Assam.
About Konyak Tribes:
The Konyak people, of Mongoloid origin, historically practised animism, worshipping natural objects before adopting Christianity.
Their language belongs to the Northern Naga sub-branch of the Sino-Tibetan family.
Known as headhunters in Northeast India, they follow a patriarchal social structure.
Saturn’s rings
Source: LM
Context: Saturn’s iconic rings will “disappear” from view in March 2025 due to the planet’s axial tilt, which will align the rings edge-on from Earth’s perspective.
• This phenomenon, known as an equinox, happens twice during Saturn’s 29.5-year orbit around the Sun.
• At these times, both of Saturn’s hemispheres receive equal sunlight, causing the rings to become nearly invisible when observed from Earth.
• However, the rings are not gone forever—they will reappear later in 2025 as Saturn continues its orbit.
• This rare occurrence was first noted by Galileo in the 1600s with his early telescope.
About Saturn’s rings:
Saturn’s rings are vast, thin structures made mostly of ice, dust, and rock particles that orbit around the planet.
They are the most prominent ring system in the solar system, extending up to 175,000 miles (282,000 km) from Saturn but are surprisingly thin—about 30 feet (10 meters) thick.
The rings are divided into several main sections, labelled A, B, and C, with other smaller rings like the D, E, F, and G rings.
These rings are made of billions of tiny particles, ranging in size from dust grains to large chunks the size of mountains. They are believed to be remnants of comets, asteroids, or moons that were torn apart by Saturn’s gravity.
Saturn’s rings are held in place by the planet’s strong gravitational pull and influenced by its moons, which help shape and stabilize the ring structures.
Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant
Source: IE
Context: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has completed the Arab world’s first nuclear power plant, the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, according to the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC).
• The four-reactor facility will supply 25% of the UAE’s electricity needs, roughly equivalent to New Zealand’s annual consumption, supporting sectors like oil, steel, and aluminium production.
• Located in Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi, the plant is a key part of the UAE’s strategy to diversify energy sources and achieve net-zero emissions.
• It also contributes to the country’s goal of 50% renewable energy by 2050.
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 September 2024 Mapping:
Galathea Bay
Source: ET
Context: The Centre has designated Galathea Bay in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands as a ‘Major Port,’ marking the start of a ₹44,000 crore project.
The Great Nicobar Island International Container Transshipment Terminal (GNIICTT) at Galathea Bay, with a depth of 20 meters, is a $9 billion project in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It will be India’s second deep-water container transhipment terminal, following Vizhinjam International Seaport. This international transhipment hub will be developed through a public-private partnership and aims to capture cargo currently handled abroad.
India has 12 major ports and 200 non-major ports, with major ports regulated by the Major Ports Authority Act, 2021, and non-major ports managed by State Maritime Boards.
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