19 Dec 2023

#GS2: 01. Will AI differ by region?

Researchers argue that the largely West- and English- centric internet will teach AI programs biases and sensibilities that are mostly tuned to Western countries. That’s why the Centre, researchers and industry veterans, speak about why AI in India would differ. Key variations would be in understanding non-English languages, and getting nuances of India-centric cases of harm, societal bias and polity. Experts say such factors will make AI differ by region and culture.

-Commentary in News

#GS3: 02. Super-efficient air- conditioners

The project will focus on Capacity building, introducing or disseminating better technologies for super-efficient air-conditioners. As our economy is growing and due to increasing intensity and frequency of severe heat wave sin India, there will be an estimated 30% rise in AC penetration in India from existing 5%, resulting in a significant rise in carbon footprints.

Initially, super-efficient cooling devices may be costlier, so there’s a need to bring in scale in production and for that we may have to do some kind of intervention.

• DPIIT Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh

#GS3: 03. ASTR & AI in Telecom

The need for regulation, of course, I cannot overemphasize, and we will get there, but it is important that we actually use this technology for the good of people, bridge the digital divide and provide good level of services. The government of India is cognizant that this has to be done, and that’s why they have actually started cross sectoral programs as well.

ASTR (artificial intelligence and facial recognition powered solution for telecom sim subscriber verification). ASTR checks all the facial images provided to us in the KYC documents for customers. We have been able to identify 60 lakh duplicate faces, and eliminated 50 lakh of them after re-verification.

-Neeraj Mittal, telecom secretary,

Key Terms/Issues : ASTR

#GS3: 04. Profiteering & Price Control

The rice industry needs to ensure that the prices in the domestic market need to be brought down to optimal level sand efforts at profiteering dealt with strictly.

domestic prices of rice are increasing despite a good crop this kharif, ample stocks with Food Corporation of India (FCI) and in the pipeline. The prices have increased despite various regulations in place on rice exports. There are reports of a sharp increase in the Margins being availed by wholesalers and retailers which needs to be tempered.

-GoI

For the case for farmer forms to make head-Way in the country, we must avoid placing restraints on farmers that leave them worse off. Crucially, are form path should be laid out for the sector and a proper consultative process pursued, with Parliament discussing every aspect of all proposed policy shifts, so that a healthy debate ensues and a popular consensus has a chance to emerge. No doubt, inflation control is also important for a stable economy, but this is a task best left to the central bank. For the sake of our agriculture, how policy makers envision its future needs to be made explicit. The free interaction of economic forces hasn’t yet got a fair chance to prove its worth. On the whole, we need g reater market orientation, not less. This message must ring out loud and clear.

#GS3: 05. EU’s Digital Services Act

The time of big online platforms behaving like they are ‘too big to care’ has come to an end. We now have clear rules, ex ante obligations, strong over sight, speedy enforcement, and deterrent sanctions and we will make full use of our tool box to protect tour citizens and democracies.
-EU Internal Markets Commissioner Thierry Breton

European Union (EU) took the first formal steps against El on Musk’s X over allegedly Breaking rules on how it handled illegal content and disinformation, in the first such probe of a major online platform since the bloc’s Digital Services Act came in to force this year.
-Commentary in News
Key Terms/Issues : Digital Services Act

#GS1: 06. Gender Violence

There is one universal truth, applicable to all countries, cultures and communities: violence against women is never acceptable, never excusable, never tolerable.
-ban ki-moon

The crimes against women in India rose by 4% in 2022 from the previous year, a Majority of the cases being cruelty by The husband or his relatives (31.4%).Delhi is still rated as the country’s most unsafe city for women, with an average of three reported rape cases per day, accounting for 29% of crimes committed against women in 19 major cities, according to 2023 data from The National Crime Records Bureau(NCRB).The latest edition of the NCRB report underlines the continued vulnerability of women to violence. A recent study, which analysed about 400,000 FIRs filed between 2015 and 2018 in Haryana where women Were the primary complainants of different offences, has revealed “multi-stage discrimination” in our criminal justice delivery system and raised the issue of whet her the complainant’s gender impacts police processes and judicial out comes. Commenting on its findings, a senior police officer said that “women complainants of ten get raw treatment during investing ation and trials, are not always viewed seriously by the police, and Sometimes get short shrift in the court proceedings.” Ina 2010 case, India’s Supreme Court observed that “most of the complaints Of assault and violence against women are Filed in the heat of the moment over trivial
issues.” It was cited in a 2017 case for the framing of ‘guidelines’ for arrest sunder Section 498-A of the Indian Penal Code that were reversed in 2018by a larger bench.