UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 17 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 – 17 September 2024)
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Decline in Jute Production India
GS Paper 4:
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UNESCO Calls for Open Science Principles in AI
Reports in News
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GCI 2024 Cybersecurity Assessment
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RBI on “Financing for Sustainable Agriculture”
Facts for Prelims (FFP)
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Sir M Visvesvaraya
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BHASKAR
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Irula community
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Operation Sadbhav
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MVA-BN vaccine
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Signal modulation
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Integrated Ocean Energy Atlas
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Centre for Rural Enterprise Acceleration through Technology (CREATE)
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 17 September 2024
GS Paper 2:
Decline in Jute Production India
Source: TH
Context: Jute production is projected to decline by 20% this year due to floods in West Bengal and Assam.
Jute Industry in India
- India produces about 70% of the world’s jute goods.
- West Bengal contributes about 73% of this production.
- 90% of jute production is consumed locally.
Opportunities
- Directly employs 0.37 million workers.
- Jute exports could reach ₹4,500 crore annually (₹3,000 crore in 2023-24).
About the Jute crop in India:
| About Jute Crop | |
| Temperature | Between 25-35°C |
| Rainfall | Around 150-250 cm |
| Soil Type | Well-drained alluvial soil |
| Production | India is the Largest producer of jute followed by Bangladesh and China. |
| Acreage and Trade | Bangladesh leads in acreage and trade, accounting for three-fourths of global jute exports. |
| Concentration | Mainly in eastern India due to the rich alluvial soil of the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta |
| Major Producing States | West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya, Tripura |
| Approximately 73% of the country’s jute industries are concentrated in West Bengal. | |
| Uses | Known as the golden fibre, used in making gunny bags, mats, ropes, yarn, carpets, and other artefacts |
| Production Share | India accounts for 70% of the world’s jute production. It employs over 3 lakh workers. 90% of production is consumed locally |
Challenges in the Jute Industry:
- Declining cultivation area, down by 1.7 lakh hectares between 2013-14 and 2021-22.
- Competition from low-cost synthetic alternatives and higher quality jute products from Bangladesh and China.
- Over 80% of raw jute is of poor quality.
- Lack of modernization and outdated mills needing technological upgrades.
- Insufficient raw material supply despite government efforts.
- Decrease in demand due to the availability of alternative fibres like Mesta.
- Frequent strikes and labour issues, especially in West Bengal.
- Infrastructure issues like power supply and transportation hinder sustainability.
Existing Initiatives:
- National Jute Board (NJB) and National Jute Development Programme for Jute Development.
- Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme and Jute Corporation of India (JCI) for jute promotion.
- Jute Packaging Materials Act for mandatory jute use.
- Additional initiatives include the Jute Mark Logo and Jute ICARE Scheme.
- Drafting Jute Technology Mission 2.0
- Golden Fibre Revolution and Technology Mission: It aims to enhance jute production in India.
- Jute Packaging Materials Act, 1987: Despite competition from synthetic fibres, the Jute Packaging Materials Act, 1987, mandates the use of jute packaging material to support workers and farm families.
- Jute Geo-Textiles (JGT) is promoted under the Technical Textiles Mission, offering diverse applications in civil engineering and erosion control.
- Jute SMART, an e-government initiative, enhances transparency in the jute sector by providing a platform for government procurement of sacking.
- Jute Mark Logo was launched (2022) for branding and positioning of Indian Jute globally.
Measures Needed:
- Upgrade machinery urgently to benefit both mill owners and consumers.
- Facilitate easy loan availability for industry upgrades and address sick mills.
- Ensure a consistent supply of raw materials, power, and labour; improve labour laws and skills.
- Promote foreign investment to boost competitiveness.
- Implement automation to enhance productivity and reduce costs.
- Encourage large-scale production for economies of scale and lower costs.
- Support research and development.
- Reassess fibre neutrality and explore trade agreement opportunities.
Conclusion
Atmanirbharta’ will not be possible if the government fails those sectors that are already self-sufficient and capable of dominating the global market. With focused interventions in this sector, we might enhance its performance in terms of more investment, employment generation and export earnings.
Initiatives of government like the Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (ATUFS), Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP) etc. are timely interventions in this sense.
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UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 17 September 2024 GS Paper 3:
UNESCO Calls for Open Science Principles in AI
Syllabus: Applications of Ethics
Source: Unesco
Context: UNESCO urged the application of open science principles to AI, noting that AI’s “black-box” nature and dominance by private companies limit open science.
What is Open Science?
Open Science is an inclusive approach that aims to make scientific research and data openly available, accessible, and reusable for everyone. It encompasses sharing research outputs, methodologies, software, and data to promote transparency, collaboration, and inclusivity in scientific knowledge.
Benefits of Open Science in AI:
- Reproducibility: Enables validation and replication of AI experiments.
- Innovation: Accelerates new developments through shared research.
- Transparency: Makes AI systems more understandable by reducing “black-box” issues.
- Bias Mitigation: Helps identify and address biases in AI models.
- Inclusivity: Allows researchers from diverse backgrounds to contribute.
- Data Quality: Promotes the creation of standardized, high-quality datasets.
- Ethical Development: Encourages responsible and ethical AI practices.
- Cost Efficiency: Reduces duplication of research efforts.
Challenges AI Poses to Open Science:
- Reproducibility Crisis: Difficulty in replicating AI-based experiments.
- Interdisciplinarity: Limited collaboration between AI and other fields.
- Data Issues: Challenges in data quality and potential biases.
- Changing Incentives: Pressure on researchers to prioritize AI over other scientific rigour.
UNESCO’s Call for Ethical AI Governance
UNESCO also emphasizes the need for ethical AI governance and the use of the “Global AI Ethics and Governance Observatory.” This observatory supports policymakers, academics, and the private sector in tackling AI’s challenges, promoting ethical and responsible AI adoption globally.
UNESCO’s Ethics of AI Recommendation:
In 2021, UNESCO introduced the first global standard on AI ethics, emphasizing transparency, human rights, and fairness. It sets forth four core values for AI:
- Human Rights and Dignity: Respect and protection of fundamental rights.
- Peaceful and Inclusive Societies: Ensuring AI fosters justice and interconnectivity.
- Diversity and Inclusiveness: Promoting varied perspectives and inclusivity in AI.
- Environmental Sustainability: AI should contribute to environmental well-being.
Ten Core Principles:
The recommendation outlines ten principles, including proportionality, safety, privacy, transparency, human oversight, sustainability, and fairness. It also suggests actionable policies in eleven key areas for ethical AI development.
Implementation Tools:
UNESCO developed the Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) and Ethical Impact Assessment (EIA) to help Member States implement these principles effectively.
Women4Ethical AI Platform:
UNESCO’s Women4Ethical AI platform supports gender equality in AI design and deployment, uniting female experts to advance ethical AI practices and non-discriminatory algorithms.
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 |
For Generative AI: What are the potential applications and ethical concerns? Click Here
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UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 17 September 2024 Reports in News
Reports in News
| Reports | Description |
| GCI 2024 Cybersecurity Assessment | The Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2024 evaluates countries on five pillars: legal, technical, organizational, capacity development, and cooperation, using a five-tier system (Tier 1 to Tier 5). |
| Key Highlights:
|
India’s Position: India is among 46 countries in Tier 1, demonstrating strong cybersecurity commitment. |
| Global Progress: All regions have improved since 2021, with Africa showing the most advancement. | |
| Digital Expansion: Many countries are in Tier 3 (“establishing”) or Tier 4 (“evolving”), expanding digital services but needing better cybersecurity measures. | |
| Key Issues: | Increased ransomware attacks, breaches, and costly outages; shortages in skills, staffing, and resources; challenges in implementing cybersecurity agreements. |
| Recommendations | Develop and update a national cybersecurity strategy, build capacity for cybersecurity professionals and vulnerable groups, and enhance cooperation on information sharing and training. |
| RBI on “Financing for Sustainable Agriculture”
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The RBI highlights key issues in financing sustainable agriculture, including regional imbalances, with the Southern region receiving over 47% of agro-finance versus 0.76% for the Northeast. |
| What is Sustainable Agriculture? Sustainable agriculture focuses on farming practices that maintain environmental health, ensure economic viability, and support social equity. It aims to produce food in ways that preserve resources, reduce pollution, and support local communities for the long term. |
|
| Issues highlighted: Access to credit is problematic, with ~23% coming from non-institutional sources, and challenges such as fragmented land holdings and high finance costs persist. | |
| Suggested solutions include enhancing the role of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs), integrating value chain financing, and utilizing warehouse financing to stabilize prices. Technology adoption for irrigation and mechanization, capital formation through government schemes, and leveraging digital platforms for crop yield tracking are also recommended. |
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 17 September 2024 Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Sir M Visvesvaraya
Source: PM India
Context: On Engineers Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi honoured Sir M Visvesvaraya for his contributions to engineering.
BHASKAR
Source: PIB
Context: The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is set to launch BHASKAR (Bharat Startup Knowledge Access Registry), a digital platform designed to support and enhance India’s startup ecosystem.
- Under the Startup India program, BHASKAR will centralize resources and streamline collaboration among startups, investors, mentors, service providers, and government bodies.
- Key features include personalized IDs for stakeholders, networking and collaboration opportunities, centralized access to resources, and improved discoverability of opportunities.
- The platform aims to position India as a global hub for innovation by promoting cross-border collaborations and supporting the growth of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
BHASKAR is expected to drive innovation, job creation, and economic growth, solidifying India’s reputation as a leader in global entrepreneurship.
Irula community
Source: HT
Context: The Irula tribe of Tamil Nadu, which supplies nearly 80% of India’s anti-snake venom, plays a vital role in public health.
- However, despite selling snake venom, the community continues to struggle with poverty.
- A cooperative society of Irula tribals near Chennai, responsible for this critical work, faces an uncertain future, highlighting the economic challenges despite their contribution to healthcare.
The Irula tribe, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Tamil Nadu, primarily resides in the Nilgiris region, with communities also in Karnataka and Kerala.
They place great importance on ancestor worship.
According to anthropological studies, the Irulas are one of India’s oldest tribal communities, belonging to the Negrito race, believed to have migrated from Africa.
They speak the Irula language, written in the Tamil script.
Operation Sadbhav
Source: TH
Context: India has launched Operation Sadbhav to provide humanitarian assistance to Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam, all severely affected by flooding from Typhoon Yagi.
- Under this mission, India has committed $1 million in aid to Vietnam and $100,000 to Laos.
- The Indian Navy and Air Force are actively deploying ships and aircraft to deliver relief, including food, clothing, medicines, and water purification items.
- India’s Act East Policy supports its rapid response, reinforcing solidarity with ASEAN nations.
Typhoon Yagi, Asia’s strongest cyclone in 2024, has displaced millions and caused widespread devastation across Southeast Asia.
MVA-BN vaccine
Source: DTE
Context: The World Health Organization (WHO) has prequalified the Danish MVA-BN vaccine, making it the first approved vaccine to combat mpox.
- This prequalification facilitates broader and faster access to the vaccine, particularly for high-risk populations, aiming to reduce transmission and contain outbreaks.
- The MVA-BN vaccine, developed by Bavarian Nordic A/S, shows 76% effectiveness with a single dose and 82% with two doses.
- The vaccine can be stored at 2-8°C for up to eight weeks and is recommended for adults over 18.
Signal modulation
Source: TH
Context: Signal modulation involves adjusting wave properties—amplitude (AM), frequency (FM), or phase (PM)—to carry information.
- AM (Amplitude Modulation) changes the wave height to encode signals, while FM (Frequency Modulation) alters the wave’s frequency.
- PM (Phase Modulation) shifts the wave’s phase for clear digital transmissions like Wi-Fi, being less affected by interference.
- FM offers better sound quality than AM, but its range is shorter.
However, as technology advances, digital broadcasting is replacing analog due to its efficiency and resistance to interference.
Integrated Ocean Energy Atlas
Source: TH
Context: The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has launched the “Integrated Ocean Energy Atlas” for India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), revealing the vast potential of marine energy resources.
- Unveiled by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the atlas identifies areas rich in renewable energy sources like solar, wind, waves, tides, ocean currents, and thermal gradients.
- It provides annual, monthly, and daily energy estimates via a WebGIS interface.
Centre for Rural Enterprise Acceleration through Technology (CREATE)
Source: PIB
Context: The Centre for Rural Enterprise Acceleration through Technology (CREATE) was inaugurated via virtual mode.
- The centre aims to enhance rural industrialization and promote enterprise creation, benefiting local communities in Ladakh.
- CREATE will provide facilities for Pashmina wool processing, essential oil extraction from roses, and bio-processing of local fruits.
- The centre is expected to improve product quality, increase local productivity, and uplift the livelihoods of artisans in the region.
The initiative seeks to support traditional artisans, particularly in Ladakh’s challenging geographical conditions.
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 17 September 2024
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