DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 11th March 2024

Syllabus

• Prelims and Mains – Polity

Context: National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) successfully organised the first National Lok Adalat of 2024 in the taluks, districts and high courts of 34 states and Union territories on Saturday.

Background:-

• Over 11.3 million cases settled in first National Lok Adalat of 2024.Figures show the effectiveness of alternative mechanisms for dispute resolution.

About Lok Adalat

• Lok Adalat is one of the alternative dispute redressal mechanisms, it is a forum where disputes/cases pending in the court of law or at pre-litigation stage are settled/ compromised amicably.
• Lok Adalats have been given statutory status under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987
• Under the said Act, the award (decision) made by the Lok Adalats is deemed to be a decree of a civil court and is final and binding on all parties and no appeal against such an award lies before any court of law.
• If the parties are not satisfied with the award of the Lok Adalat though there is no provision for an appeal against such an award, but they are free to initiate litigation by approaching the court of appropriate jurisdiction by filing a case by following the required procedure, in exercise of their right to litigate.
• There is no court fee payable when a matter is filed in a Lok Adalat. If a matter pending in the court of law is referred to the Lok Adalat and is settled subsequently, the court fee originally paid in the court on the complaints/petition is also refunded back to the parties.
• The persons deciding the cases in the Lok Adalats are called the Members of the Lok Adalats, they have the role of statutory conciliators only and do not have any judicial role; therefore they can only persuade the parties to come to a conclusion for settling the dispute outside the court in the Lok Adalat and shall not pressurize or coerce any of the parties to compromise or settle cases or matters either directly or indirectly.
• Disputes before Lok Adalat would be decided on the basis of the compromise or settlement between the parties. The members shall assist the parties in an independent and impartial manner in their attempt to reach amicable settlement of their dispute.

National Lok Adalat

• National Level Lok Adalats are held for at regular intervals where on a single day Lok Adalats are held throughout the country, in all the courts right from the Supreme Court till the Taluk Levels wherein cases are disposed off in huge numbers.

Permanent Lok Adalat

• The other type of Lok Adalat is the Permanent Lok Adalat, organized under Section 22-B of The Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
• Permanent Lok Adalats have been set up as permanent bodies for providing compulsory pre-litigative mechanism for conciliation and settlement of cases relating to Public Utility Services like transport, postal, telegraph etc.
• Here, even if the parties fail to reach to a settlement, the Permanent Lok Adalat gets jurisdiction to decide the dispute, provided, the dispute does not relate to any offence.

Source: Nalsa

Syllabus

• Prelims – Current Event

Context: With Haiti’s capital spiraling deeper into gang violence, the U.S. said on Sunday that it has airlifted non-essential American staff from its embassy.

Background:

• Armed groups who had been calling for Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s resignation have already attacked airports, police stations, sea ports, the Central Bank and the country’s national soccer stadium. The situation reached critical mass earlier this month when the country’s two main prisons were raided, leading to the escape of about 4,000 prisoners.

About Haiti:

• Haiti is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea.The capital is Port-au-Prince.
• It occupies the western three-eighths of the Hispaniola island which it shares with the Dominican Republic.
• Cuba lies some 50 miles (80 km) west of Haiti’s northern peninsula, across the Windward Passage, a strait connecting the Atlantic to the Caribbean.Jamaica lies on the west of Haiti and Great Inagua Island (of The Bahamas) lies roughly 70 miles (110 km) to the north of Haiti.
• It is the third largest country in the Caribbean (after Cuba and Dominican Republic)
• Haiti has the lowest Human Development Index in the Americas, as well as widespread slavery.
• The country endured a coup in 2004, which prompted U.N. intervention, as well as a catastrophic earthquake in 2010 that killed over 250,000 people and a cholera outbreak.
• Haiti has experienced a socioeconomic and political crisis marked by riots and protests, widespread hunger, and increased gang activity

Source: Wikipedia

Syllabus

• Prelims- Current Event

Context: Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved Rs 10,371.92 crore investment for the India Artificial Intelligence (AI) mission.

Background:

• The India Artificial Intelligence (AI) Mission is a significant initiative by the Indian government to harness the transformative potential of AI for the benefit of the nation.

About India Artificial Intelligence (AI) Mission

• The India Artificial Intelligence (AI) Mission is a significant initiative by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• India’s approach to AI is holistic, focusing on enhancing economic growth, social development, and leveraging AI for the public good.
• The mission aims to position India as a global leader in AI research and innovation.
• The India Artificial Intelligence (AI) Mission aligns with the vision of “Making AI in India” and “Making AI Work for India”.
• It aims to establish a comprehensive ecosystem that catalyzes AI innovation through strategic programs and partnerships across both the public and private sectors.
• AI is expected to play a pivotal role in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education, smart cities, infrastructure, and smart mobility. By integrating AI into these domains, India aims to drive innovation and address societal challenges.
• IndiaAI Innovation Centre will focus on developing and deploying indigenous Large Multimodal Models (LMMs) and domain-specific foundational models in critical sectors.
• The IndiaAI Mission will be implemented by the ‘IndiaAI’ Independent Business Division (IBD) under the Digital India Corporation (DIC).
• The approved budget for the mission is Rs. 10,371.92 crore.
• Startups, academia, researchers, and industry will have access to the AI supercomputing infrastructure established under this mission

Source: Times Of India

Previous Year Question

Q1. With the present state of development, Artificial Intelligence can effectively do which of the following?

1. Bring down electricity consumption in industrial units
2. Create meaningful short stories and songs
3. Disease diagnosis
4. Text-to-Speech Conversion
5. Wireless transmission of electrical energy

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1, 2, 3 and 5 only
2. 1, 3 and 4 only
3. 2, 4 and 5 only
4. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Syllabus

• Prelims : Economy

Context: Union Cabinet has approved Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme, 2024.

Background:

• The Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme, is a transformative initiative by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to foster economic growth and industrialization in the North Eastern Region of India.

About Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme:

• Government of India has formulated The Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme, also known as UNNATI 2024, as a Central Sector Scheme.
• It aims for the development of Industries and generation of employment in the states of North East Region.
• It will be implemented by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in cooperation with the states.
• The implementation will be overseen by committees at the national and state levels.
• The Steering Committee, headed by the Secretary of DPIIT, will decide upon any interpretation of the scheme within its overall financial outlay and issue detailed guidelines for execution.
• The scheme’s main objective is to generate gainful employment, which will lead to the area’s overall socio-economic development.
• It will create productive economic activity in the manufacturing and service sectors.

Source: PIB

Syllabus

• Prelims – Current Event

Context: Recently India hosted the 17th Annual International Biocuration Conference (AIBC-2024).

Background:

• It is the first time the Annual International Biocuration Conference is being held in India. The 16th Annual Biocuration Conference was held in Italy.

About Biocuration

• Biocuration is a critical process in managing and organizing biological data.
• It involves curating, annotating, and structuring information related to genes, proteins, pathways, and other biological entities.
• Biocurators play a vital role in ensuring the accuracy, consistency, and accessibility of biological databases.
• The International Biocuration Conference is a unique event that provides a forum for curators, developers, and users of clinical and life sciences data, knowledge, and models to discuss their work, promote collaboration, and foster the community around this active and growing area of research.
• 17th Annual International Biocuration Conference (AIBC-2024) held in New Delhi, India.
• This event is jointly organized by the Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC), the Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB) in Faridabad, and the Department of Plant Molecular Biology at the University of Delhi South Campus.

Indian Biological Data Center (IBDC)

• The IBDC serves as India’s first national repository for life science data.
• It stores diverse biological data generated from publicly funded research within the country.
• The IBDC operates with assistance from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), operates under the Ministry of Science and Technology in India.

Source: PIB

Syllabus

• Mains – GS 3

Context: In 2050, one-third of global river sub-basins are projected to face severe scarcity of clean water due to nitrogen pollution, new research has found.

Background:

• Analysing more than 10,000 global river sub-basins, an international team of researchers found that nitrogen pollution dramatically increased the number of river basin systems considered scarce with regards to its water quality. The supply of clean water for all is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030.

About Nitrogen Pollution:

• It refers to the excessive presence of nitrogen compounds in the environment, primarily in water bodies like rivers and lakes.
• According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), each year, 200 million tonnes of reactive nitrogen, 80% of the total, is lost to the environment.

Sources of Nitrogen Pollution:

• Agricultural activity is one of the main drivers of nitrogen pollution has been the rising consumption of nitrogen-based fertilizer, which can leach into groundwater or runoff into surface water bodies.
• Industrial processes like manufacturing processes, particularly those involved in the production of nitrogen-based chemicals and fertilisers, release nitrogen compounds into the environment.
• Combustion of fossil fuels in industries also emits nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.
• Livestock waste, primarily from manure and urine, contains nitrogen compounds such as ammonia. Improper storage and management of livestock waste can lead to nitrogen runoff, contaminating water bodies and contributing to eutrophication.
• Wildfires and burning of cow dung cake as a fuel release nitrogen oxide (NOx) and nitrous oxide (N2O) into the atmosphere. These emissions contribute to air pollution and can have regional and global impacts on atmospheric chemistry and climate.

Consequences/Impacts of Nitrogen Pollution:

• Excess nitrogen acts as a nutrient fertiliser for aquatic plants, leading to excessive growth of algae and other aquatic vegetation. This phenomenon is known as eutrophication and leads to algal blooming. This creates oxygen-depleted zones (dead zones), where aquatic life suffocates and dies.
• Nitrogen pollution can have direct and indirect effects on human health. High levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the air can exacerbate respiratory conditions such as asthma and increase the risk of respiratory infections.
• Nitrate contamination of drinking water can also pose health risks, particularly to infants, by causing methemoglobinemia or blue baby syndrome.
• Nitrous oxide (N2O) released into the atmosphere can lead to the depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, which protects the Earth from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. It can increase the risk of skin cancer, cataracts, and other health problems in humans, as well as harm marine ecosystems and agricultural crops.

Government measures to reduce Nitrogen Pollution:

• Bharat Stage (BS VI) Emission Standards have made stricter emission standards for vehicles and industries aimed to curb the release of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, which are precursors to air and water pollution.
• Nutrient-Based Subsidy (NBS) incentivizes the use of controlled-release fertilisers, encouraging more efficient nutrient management.
• Soil Health Cards issued to farmers, these cards provide soil nutrient status and customised fertiliser recommendations, promoting balanced nutrient application.
• Nano Urea is a fertiliser patented and sold by the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO), which reduces the unbalanced and indiscriminate use of conventional urea and increases crop productivity.

Source: Economic Times

Q1.) With reference to Indian Biological Data Center (IBDC), consider the following statements:

1. It serves as India’s first national repository for life science data.
2. It stores diverse biological data generated from publicly funded research within the country.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q2.) With reference to the Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme – 2024 , consider the following statements:

1. Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme is a Central Sector Scheme.
2. It aims for the development of Industries and generation of employment in the states of North East Region.
3. It will be implemented by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.

How many of the statements given above are not correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. None

Q3.)With reference to India Artificial Intelligence (AI) mission, consider the following statements:

1. It is an initiative by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
2. It aims to position India as a global leader in AI research and innovation.
3. It will be implemented by the ‘IndiaAI’ Independent Business Division (IBD).

How many statements given above are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. None