UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 August 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 1: (UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 August 2024)
-
Addressing Coastal Erosion: Challenges and Solutions
GS Paper 4:
-
AI needs cultural policies, not just regulation
Facts for Prelims (FFP)
-
Yen carry trades
-
Analogue research station
-
Vampire star
-
Four-ringed butterfly
-
Village Defence Guards
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 August 2024
GS Paper 1:
Addressing Coastal Erosion: Challenges and Solutions
Syllabus: Geography/Environment
Source: The Hindu
Context: Coastal erosion in Tamil Nadu is increasingly threatening livelihoods and infrastructure due to both natural processes and human interventions.
What is Coastal erosion?
It refers to the loss of coastal land due to the action of waves, currents, and human activities.
Examples:
- Tamil Nadu, with India’s second-longest coastline, faces significant erosion challenges exacerbated by construction projects like groynes, ports, and desalination plants. Groynes, intended to control erosion, often shift the problem to neighbouring areas rather than solving it.
- Chengalpattu: Groynes at Soolerikattukuppam are causing erosion to neighbouring villages.
- Puducherry: A port’s construction led to severe beach erosion, though recent efforts to restore the beach have had mixed results.
Key Findings of the Study Regarding Tamil Nadu Coast:
- Sand Movement: For most of the year, sand is carried from south to north by wind and sea currents; during the northeast monsoon, this flow reverses.
- Impact of Structures: Building ports, breakwaters, or groynes disrupts this natural sand movement.
- Erosion Effect: Sand accumulates on one side of these structures, leading to increased erosion on the opposite side, with waves encroaching further inland and heightening coastal risks.
Causes of Coastal Erosion:
Natural Causes:
- Waves: Powerful waves erode coastlines through abrasion and hydraulic action (e.g., the cliffs of Dover).
- Tides: High and low tides can significantly impact erosion, especially in areas with large tidal ranges (e.g., Bay of Fundy).
- Wind and Sea Currents: Cause long-term erosion by moving sand along the coast; direction reverses during monsoons (e.g., Tamil Nadu coast).
Human Cause:
- Hard Structures: Ports and groynes disrupt sand movement, leading to erosion on the down-current side and accumulation on the up-current side.
- Development Projects: Infrastructure changes, such as land reclamation, worsen erosion by altering the shoreline (e.g., Mumbai).
- Port Expansion: Breakwaters and jetties from expanded ports block sand movement, increasing erosion on one side (e.g., Ennore and Adani Kattupalli Ports).
Challenges:
- Ineffectiveness of Groynes: Often shifts erosion rather than prevents it.
- Regulatory Issues: Lack of proper clearance and adherence to Coastal Regulation Zone rules.
Solution:
- Green belts and artificial reefs help in the mitigation of coastal erosion.
- Coastal habitats such as Mangroves, Coral Reefs, and lagoons are recognized as the best defence against sea storms and erosion, deflecting and absorbing much of the energy of sea storms.
- Hybrid Approach: Combining hard and soft measures like bio-shields and nourishment to better manage erosion.
Government Initiatives to Tackle Coastal Erosion:
- Shoreline Mapping System: NCCR identifies 33.6% of the coastline as vulnerable to erosion.
- Hazard Line: Defined by MoEFCC for disaster management and adaptive planning.
- Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification 2019: Allows erosion control measures and sets up No Development Zones.
- Coastal Zone Management Plans (CZMP): States must map erosion-prone areas and prepare Shoreline Management Plans.
- National Strategy for Coastal Protection: Guidelines developed by MoEFCC for coastal states.
- Flood Management Scheme: State and Union Governments plan anti-sea erosion projects.
- Coastal Management Information System (CMIS): Collects coastal data for protection planning; and experimental setups in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry.
- State Initiatives: Tamil Nadu’s response includes building groynes and seawalls, though their effectiveness is debated.
- Using Geosynthetic tubes: currently being used along the coast in Odisha.
Insta Links:
Coastal erosion and landforms thus formed
Mains Link:
The extent and severity of the coastal erosion problem are worsening with global sea level rise. It has both ecological and economic costs and needs to be addressed urgently. Analyse. (250 words)
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 August 2024 GS Paper 4:
AI needs cultural policies, not just regulation
Syllabus: Applications of Ethics
Source: TH
Context: To fully realize AI’s potential and ensure its equitable benefits, we need more than just regulation; we must promote high-quality data as a public good.
What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the ability of a computer or robot to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as reasoning, learning, and problem-solving. Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) allow AI to learn from large data sets.
What is Ethical AI?
Ethical AI involves developing and using AI systems in ways that align with ethical principles, societal values, and human rights, ensuring benefits while minimizing harms and biases.
AI’s Potential for Ethical and Moral Behavior:
| Aspect | AI’s Potential for Ethical and Moral Behavior |
| Views | |
| Understanding Ethics and Morality | For e.g., AI systems can be trained to identify hate speech and offensive content to maintain a respectful online environment. |
| Bias Mitigation | AI can be programmed to mitigate biases and avoid unfair discrimination. |
| Decision-Making | AI can make ethical decisions based on predefined rules and data. (but lacks true moral understanding) |
| Counterview | |
| Learning from Data | AI learns from data, which might include biased or unethical information, leading to unintended consequences. |
| Ethics in AI: Kantian Perspective | Applying Kantian ethics to AI decision-making within governance raises concerns. Delegating decisions to algorithms could undermine human moral reasoning and responsibility. Isaac Asimov’s ‘Three Laws of Robotics’ also highlights the challenges in translating ethics into AI rules. |
| Programming Ethics into AI: A Complex Task | Programming ethical AI is more challenging than programming AI for tasks like chess due to the intricate nature of ethical considerations. |
| Autonomy and Intent | AI lacks consciousness and intent, making its actions neither inherently moral nor immoral. E.g., A robot that assists the elderly with daily tasks completes them efficiently but without genuine care or compassion. |
| Accountability and Liability | As AI assumes decision-making roles, accountability questions arise. If AI-based decisions turn out to be unethical, who bears responsibility? Punishing AI is problematic as it lacks emotions. Deciding who is accountable—AI developer, AI user, or AI itself—poses a significant challenge |
| Unintended Consequences | E.g., Social media algorithms, while aiming to show relevant content, might inadvertently create echo chambers and reinforce biases. |
| Continuous Learning | AI’s ability to learn and adapt can lead to ethical shifts over time, requiring ongoing evaluation. |
| Human Oversight | The ethical behaviour of AI often requires human oversight and intervention. E.g., Content moderation platforms use AI to flag potentially inappropriate content, but human moderators make final decisions. |
Steps Taken for Ethical AI:
| Steps | Description |
| International | Global Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship: Launched AI for Social Innovation initiative at WEF 2024 with Microsoft to promote positive AI impact and responsible guidelines. Examples: China, Canada, and Singapore have AI regulations |
| EU AI Act: Comprehensive regulation for AI risk governance and citizen protection | |
| California: Bill for AI safety testing to prevent misuse. | |
| UK AI Safety Summit: The 2023 summit focused on AI safety and international cooperation. | |
| Tech Giants: Microsoft, Meta, Google, Amazon, and Twitter have responsible AI teams for ethical oversight | |
| National | Advisory on AI Models: MeiTY issued guidance on AI models and deepfakes in 2024. |
| IndiaAI Mission: Promotes AI innovation through public-private partnerships, improving data quality and ethical AI. | |
| Responsible AI for Youth: National program launched for youth. | |
| National Strategy on AI: NITI Aayog’s 2018 strategy for safe, inclusive AI adoption across sectors with the “AI for All” mantra. |
Conclusion:
Ethics integration into AI is intricate, and its implications must be approached with care. While AI can contribute to decision-making, ensuring its ethical behaviour requires addressing complex challenges and considering liability scenarios.
For Generative AI: What are the potential applications and ethical concerns? Click Here
Insta Links:
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 August 2024 Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Yen carry trades
Source: ET
Context: The yen carry trade has recently gained attention due to the sharp appreciation of the yen following the Bank of Japan’s (BoJ) interest rate hike and reduction in bond purchases.
- This prompted investors to unwind their positions to avoid losses, leading to a selloff in US tech stocks and impacting global markets, including Asia.
What is a Carry Trade?
- A trading strategy where investors borrow in a country with low interest rates and reinvest in assets of another country with higher returns.
- It is a significant source of flows in the global currency market.
Yen Carry Trade:
- The Japanese yen is a popular currency for carrying trades due to Japan’s prolonged zero-interest rate policy.
- Investors borrow yen at low interest rates and invest in higher-yielding foreign assets, such as US equities.
Current Focus on Yen Carry Trade:
- The yen appreciated by over 3% against the dollar after the BoJ raised interest rates to 0.25% and reduced bond purchases.
- This move is seen as a shift towards normalizing monetary policy, prompting investors to unwind and carry trades to avoid losses.
Impact of Unwinding Yen Carry Trades:
- Unwinding has led to a severe selloff in US tech stocks, spilling over to Asian markets, including India.
Impact on Indian Equities:
- Unclear how much yen carry trade money has flowed into India, but it’s likely some has.
- Japanese foreign portfolio investors hold significant assets in Indian equities.
- A stronger yen could worry Indian companies with unhedged yen borrowings.
Analogue research station
Source: The Print
Context: Scientists have proposed Ladakh as the ideal location for India’s first analogue research station to simulate conditions on the Moon and Mars.
- This proposal aligns with ISRO’s ambitious space program goals, such as the Gaganyaan mission and plans for lunar and interplanetary exploration.
Ladakh’s dry, cold, and arid desert, along with its rocky terrain, makes it geomorphologically similar to the lunar and Martian landscapes.
The region’s features include rocky ground, loose rock, flat land, ground ice, permafrost, rock glaciers, dunes, and drainage networks, mirroring early Mars and the Moon.
Vampire star
Source: TH
Context: Researchers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have discovered a “vampire star” in the star cluster M67 in the constellation Cancer.
- These vampire stars, known as blue straggler stars (BSS), defy standard stellar evolution models and appear younger than they are.
- The star, named WOCS 9005, rejuvenates by siphoning material from a companion star.
- This detection was made possible using data from the UltraViolet Imaging Telescope on AstroSat, India’s first space observatory.
- Spectroscopic analysis revealed the star’s atmosphere is rich in heavy elements like barium, yttrium, and lanthanum, indicating it has been polluted by material from its binary companion, which has since become a white dwarf.
- This discovery provides significant insight into the complex mass transfer process in binary star systems.
Four-ringed butterfly
Source: TH
Context: A four-ringed butterfly, the great four-ring (Ypthima cantliei), has been rediscovered in India after 61 years, according to a study published by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).
- The butterfly was recorded in 2018 in Namdapha National Park, Arunachal Pradesh.
The great four-ring, part of the Satyrinae subfamily, was last reported in 1957 from Margherita, Assam.
This butterfly features dull brown-grey wings with distinctive yellow-ringed eye spots and is larger than other Ypthima species, which are mostly found in China.
Village Defence Guards
Source: TH
Context: Union Minister announced that Village Defence Guards (VDGs) in Jammu have been equipped with sophisticated weapons to combat rising terror incidents in the region.
About Village Defence Guards:
- Formation: Set up in the mid-1990s as a force multiplier against militant attacks.
- Purpose: Provide weapons and arms training to residents of remote hilly villages to defend themselves.
Need to Setup Village Defence Guards:
- Context: Militancy spread from Kashmir to Doda district by the mid-1990s.
- Trigger: Demand arose after the 1993 massacre of 13 people in Kishtwar.
- Implementation: The Home Ministry initiated VDCs in 1995, later expanding to other areas in the Jammu division as militancy spread to Udhampur, Reasi, Rajouri, Poonch, Kathua, and Samba districts.
Contribution:
- Role in Combat: Played a significant role in combating militancy during its peak, particularly in Chenab Valley, Pir Panjal regions, and the hills of Udhampur, Reasi, and Kathua districts.
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 August 2024 [PDF]
Follow us on our Official TELEGRAM Channel HERE
Subscribe to Our Official YouTube Channel HERE
Please subscribe to Our podcast channel HERE
Official Facebook Page HERE
Twitter Account HERE
Instagram Account HERE
LinkedIn: HERE
