UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 1 : Questions on India AI mission and significance of the Prime Meridian (Week 63)

QUESTION 2

Examine the historical and cultural significance of the Prime Meridian and its role in global timekeeping.

General points on the structure of the answers

Introduction

— The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one-liner is not a standard introduction.

— It may consist of basic information by giving some definitions from the trusted source and authentic facts.

Body

— It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content.

— The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points.

— Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question, but do not over analyse.

QUESTION 1: Discuss the key objectives and challenges associated with the India AI mission. How can the government address the digital divide to achieve the mission’s goals?

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— The IndiaAI Mission seeks to create a comprehensive ecosystem that encourages AI innovation by democratising computing access, improving data quality, developing indigenous AI capabilities, attracting top AI talent, facilitating industry collaboration, providing startup risk capital, ensuring socially impactful AI projects, and promoting ethical AI.

— This mission promotes the responsible and inclusive growth of India’s AI ecosystem through the following seven pillars:

IndiaAI Compute Capacity

IndiaAI Innovation Centre

IndiaAI Datasets platform

IndiaAI Application development initiative

IndiaAI Future skills

IndiaAI Startup Financing

Safe and Trusted AI

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

Objectives

— To implement intelligent systems in a variety of decision-making processes, improve connection, and increase productivity.

— To apply intelligent systems to meet India’s societal demands in sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, smart cities, infrastructure, and mobility.

— To generate new information and build novel applications for intelligent systems.

What are the challenges associated with IndiaAI?

— Data security and privacy issues

— Limited AI expertise and lack of investment to implement AI solutions

— Lack of AI and cloud computing infrastructure

— Lack of data and poor data quality

— Lack of integrity and ethics with AI and ML solutions

How can the government address the digital divide to achieve the mission’s goals?

— With the rapid expansion of generative AI and the introduction of newer and more powerful Large Language Models (LLMs), countries and organisations around the world are racing to stay up with the rapid advancements and jockey for leadership positions.

— The goal is to increase compute capacity to meet local demand while also bridging the “AI divide” by providing low-cost compute for targeted industries.

— The technology is advancing at breakneck speed, with Nvidia releasing new versions every 12 months. The game will inevitably go beyond Nvidia, with Intel, AMD, startups such as Cerebrus, and every major technology corporation releasing their own AI-focused CPUs.

— AI is a vital technology that the country must maintain control over. As a result, the government should form strong contractual relationships and provide a clear mandate that this sovereign AI capacity be hosted within the country’s boundaries.

Conclusion:

— The Cabinet has budgeted Rs 10,372 crore for this effort. It is built around a few important pillars, including dataset platforms, innovation and application development centres, and future skills, as well as startup finance and a focus on safe and trusted AI.

— Both the AI for All plan and the IndiaAI Mission are commendable moves by the government; but, it must now collaborate with industry and geopolitical allies to ensure that its tenets are effectively implemented and that we become leaders in this inevitable age of AI.

(Source: IndiaAI Mission: How the government can realise its goal of AI without a digital divide by Jaspreet Bindra, indiaai.gov.in)

Points to Ponder

Role of AI in Healthcare, Space and other fields

Role of AI in agriculture

Challenges in implementing AI

Related Previous Year Questions

Elucidate the relationship between globalisation and new technology in a world of scarce resources, with special reference to India. (2023)

What is Cryptocurrency? How does it affect global society? Has it been affecting Indian society also? (2021)

QUESTION 2: Examine the historical and cultural significance of the Prime Meridian and its role in global timekeeping.

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— The prime meridian is the line of 0° longitude, which serves as the beginning point for measuring distances east and west around the Earth. The prime meridian is arbitrary, thus it might be anywhere.

— The prime meridian separates the eastern and western hemispheres. The International Date Line is located halfway around the planet, at 180 degrees longitude.

— The Prime Meridian and the International Date Line form a circle that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. This is comparable to how the Equator acts as the 0° latitude line, dividing the Earth into the northern and southern hemispheres.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

Historical and cultural significance in India

— The Ujjain prime meridian is first mentioned in the ancient Sanskrit work Surya Siddhanta, which was written between the fourth and eighth century CE.

— The literature offers sophisticated ideas about astronomy, geography, and mathematics, ranging from the motion of celestial bodies to the procedure for calculating sine values.

— According to Surya Siddhanta’s mythology, the scripture was a revelation from the Sun God (or Surya) to the asura Maya.

— In the first chapter of the Surya Siddhanta, the concept of a prime meridian (also known as rekha or ‘line’) is introduced in regard to the method for estimating planetary position.

— Some scholars believe Ujjain’s relative location vis-a-vis ancient trade routes had something to do with the prime meridian passing through it.

— Burgess wrote in his accompanying commentary to Surya Siddhanta “Of all the centres of Hindu culture, it lay nearest to the great ocean-route by which, during the first three centuries of our era, so important a commerce was carried on between Alexandria, as the mart of Rome, and India… That the prime meridian was made to pass through this city proves it to have been the cradle of the Hindu science of astronomy, or its principal seat during its early history.”

Role of Prime Meridian in global timekeeping

— To symbolise zero degrees longitude—the line splitting the world in half—a prime meridian is arbitrarily selected. From this line, one can measure any position east or west. For example, in his Geographia from the second century CE, the Alexandrian polymath Ptolemy traced his prime meridian through the Insulae Fortunatae (the “Fortunate Isles,” which are today’s Canary Islands) off the western coast of Africa.

— The world became increasingly interconnected and time became standardised in the 19th century because of technological advancements like the telegraph, steamships, and railroads.

— In 1884, the International Meridian Conference was held in Washington, DC, where representatives from 26 countries decided to “adopt a single prime meridian for all nations, in place of the multiplicity of initial meridians which now exist”.

— The prime meridian also establishes Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). UTC does not alter daylight savings time or anything else. The prime meridian is the standard for longitude, while UTC is the standard for time. All countries and regions use UTC to measure their time zones.

— The prime meridian also contributes to the International Date Line. The 180° longitude line is halfway between the prime meridian and the Earth’s longitude, which is 360°. The International Date Line refers to the meridian at 180° longitude.

Conclusion:

— Much like the Equator divides Earth into the northern and southern hemispheres by acting as the 0° latitude line, the prime meridian and the International Date Line form a circle that divides Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

— The Eastern Hemisphere is located east of the prime meridian and west of the International Date Line, and it includes the majority of Earth’s landmasses, including all of Asia and Australia and most of Africa.

(Source: From Ujjain to Greenwich: a brief history of prime meridians by Arjun Sengupta, education.nationalgeographic.org)

Points to Ponder

Difference between prime meridian and International date line

What is Indian Standard Time?

Related Previous Year Question

Major hot deserts in northern hemisphere are located between 20-30 deg N latitudes and on the western side of the continents. Why? (2013)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 61)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 62)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 62)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 63)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 63)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 62)

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