Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for November 1, 2023. If you missed the October, 31, 2023 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here THE WORLD Afghans head to Pakistan border as deportation deadline looms Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: • General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, • General Studies II: India and its neighborhood- relations. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story- Large numbers of Afghans crammed into trucks and buses in Pakistan on Tuesday, heading to the border to return home ahead of the expiration of a Pakistani government deadline for those who are in the country illegally to leave or face deportation. • Why large numbers of Afghans heading to the border to return home? • What is Pakistan’s new anti-migrant crackdown? • The expulsion campaign has drawn widespread criticism from U.N. agencies, rights groups and the Taliban-led administration in Afghanistan-Why? • For Your Information-U.N. agencies say there are more than 2 million undocumented Afghans in Pakistan, at least 600,000 of whom fled after the Taliban takeover in 2021. Human Right Watch on Tuesday accused Pakistan of resorting to “threats, abuse, and detention to coerce Afghan asylum seekers without legal status” to return to Afghanistan. The New York-based watchdog appealed for authorities to drop the deadline and work with the U.N. refugee agency to register those without papers. Although the government insists it isn’t targeting Afghans, the campaign comes amid strained relations between Pakistan and the Taliban rulers next door. Islamabad accuses Kabul of turning a blind eye to Taliban-allied militants who find shelter in Afghanistan, from where they go back and forth across the two countries’ shared 2,611-kilometer (1,622-mile) border to stage attacks in Pakistan. The Taliban deny the accusations. • In the recent cricket world cup match between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the recipient of the Man of the Match award, Ibrahim Zadran, expressed his intention to devote the accolade to individuals who are repatriated from Pakistan to Afghanistan-To what extent does the Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict exhibit a profound level of intensity and complexity? • When the Taliban took over Kabul in 2021, the then Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was the first to welcome the change of guard-What happened now? • What exactly is a refugee, an asylum seeker and a migrant? • What is UN’s position on migrants, refugees and asylum seekers? • To what extent has India provided assistance to Afghanistan during times of crisis? Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Life under the ‘new Taliban’: What’s changing and what isn’t 📍Explained: In numbers and dimensions, the global refugee crisis Yemen’s Houthis say fired missiles, drones at Israel Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story- Yemen’s Houthi rebels for the first time on Tuesday claimed missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, drawing their main sponsor Iran closer into the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip and further raising the risks of a regional conflict erupting. • Map Work-Yemen • Who are the Houthis? • Why Houthi rebels attacked Israel? • For Your Information-Founded in the 1990s by Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi, a member of Yemen’s Shia majority, the Houthi movement has a pretty straight forward slogan or sarkha: “God is great, death to America, death to Israel, curse on the Jews, victory to Islam.” After Yemeni soldiers killed Hussein in 2004, his brother Abdul Malik took over. After Yemen’s civil war in 1962-70, the once-powerful Zaidis first started to get sidelined. They were further alienated from the 1980s onwards, when Sunni ideals were increasingly rising to prominence in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. At the time, several disgruntled Shia Yemenis, unhappy with their long-time authoritarian president and Saudi ally Ali Abdullah Saleh, joined Saudi militant groups who were fighting against Riyadh. Eventually after a series of protests and assassination attempts, Saleh stepped down from his post in 2012. But the Houthis’ moment of reckoning came in 2014 — they decided to ally with Saleh and were able to seize Sana’a and overthrow the then-new president Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi. In December 2017 however, the Houthi’s killed Saleh after they realised he was going to switch sides and ally with the Saudi-led coalition. During his brief career as president, Hadi was unable to restore order in the country, which was fraught with corruption, widespread hunger, unemployment, attacks by jihadists, and a growing separatist movement in the south. It was Hadi’s weakness that allowed the Houthis to swoop in and capture much of northern Yemen, which remains under their control even today. • How did Iran get involved? • Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis: What Is Iran’s Involvement in the Israel-Hamas War? • Do You Know-The Houthis’ declaration further draws Iran into the conflict. Tehran has long sponsored both the Houthis and Hamas, as well as the Lebanese Shiite militia group Hezbollah, which continues to trade deadly cross-border fire with the Israelis. Iran has long denied arming the Houthis even as it has been transferring rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, missiles and other weaponry to the Yemeni militia using sea routes. Independent experts, Western nations and United Nations experts have traced components seized aboard other detained vessels back to Iran. The reason for that likely is a UN arms embargo that has prohibited weapons transfers to the Houthis since 2014. There also has been at least one attack that the Houthis claimed where suspicion later fell fully on Iran. In 2019, cruise missiles and drones successfully penetrated Saudi Arabia and struck the heart of its oil industry in Abqaiq. That attack temporarily halved the kingdom’s production and spiked global energy prices by the biggest percentage since the 1991 Gulf War. While the Houthis claimed the Abqaiq attack, the US, Saudi Arabia and analysts blamed Iran. UN experts similarly said it was “unlikely” the Houthis carried out the assault, though Tehran denied being involved. Iran’s mission to the UN did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Houthi attacks. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Explained: Houthis and the war in Yemen, in which Indian lives have now been lost FRONT PAGE Several in Opp allege snooping after Apple phone alert, Govt rejects charge Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies II: Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story-A political firestorm erupted Tuesday after several Opposition leaders said they received an alert from Apple warning them of “state-sponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise” their iPhones and alleged surveillance by the government, a charge rejected by Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw who assured a thorough investigation. • Who all received the Apple threat notification? • What exactly Apple threat notification said? • Who are these “state-sponsored attackers” that Apple refers to? • For Your Information-Following the allegations, Apple said in a statement on Tuesday that it “does not attribute the threat notifications to any specific state-sponsored attacker”. In a note issued earlier, the tech giant had said: “State-sponsored attackers are very well-funded and sophisticated, and their attacks evolve over time. Detecting such attacks relies on threat intelligence signals that are often imperfect and incomplete. It’s possible that some Apple threat notifications may be false alarms, or that some attacks are not detected.” Attackers backed by governments go after specific individuals and their devices, based on their identity or activities. Such attacks are very different from the ones carried out by regular cybercriminals, who usually target a large number of users for financial gain. According to Apple, state-sponsored attacks are often short-lived, and are designed to evade detection and exploit vulnerabilities that may not be known to the public. • What is this threat notification that Apple issues? • What does Apple advise users should do when an attack is detected? • What exactly is the Lockdown Mode, and how can it be turned on? • Pegasus spyware scandal and recent Apple threat notification-Connect the dots • What was the Pegasus spyware case? • What was this expert committee, and what was it tasked to do? • Did the committee find Pegasus in the phones it examined? • So what exactly did the committee’s report say? Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍What is Apple’s ‘state-sponsored attackers’ alert, received by multiple Opposition leaders? 📍Recalling Pegasus, the last time phones of Oppn leaders were allegedly targeted by spyware President terminates services of Major with Strategic Forces unit for security breach Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story- President Draupadi Murmu has terminated the services of an Indian Army Major posted with a Strategic Forces Command (SFC) unit. An Army inquiry had earlier found that the Major was involved in several lapses which comprised national security. • What Section 18 of the Army Act, 1950 says? • What is Article 310 of the Constitution? • Article 310 of the Constitution and Article 311 of the Constitution-Compare • What is Strategic Forces Command (SFC) unit? • What is the meaning of the doctrine of pleasure? • What is the position of doctrine of pleasure in India? • What are the constitutional safeguards for Defence personnel and civil servants? • What are the restrictions imposed upon the doctrine of pleasure? • What is the role of Indian judiciary on the doctrine of pleasure • The President of India is the supreme commander of the defence forces of India. In that capacity, what are the powers conferred on the president? • Do You Know-“There shall be a President of India”, says Article 52 of the Constitution, and explains, in the next Article, his role and position: “The executive power of the Union shall be vested in the President and shall be exercised by him either directly or through officers subordinate to him in accordance with this Constitution.” He appoints and removes high constitutional authorities, including the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, Governors of states and Lt-Governors of Union Territories, the Attorney General, Comptroller and Auditor General, Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners, and Chairman and members of Union Public Service Commission. He is the Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces, and appoints their Chiefs. The country declares war in his name. He can declare a state of Emergency on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers after satisfying himself that the country’s security or financial stability is in danger. Technically, Parliament comprises the President, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The President nominates 12 members to Rajya Sabha from amongst people having a special knowledge or practical experience in the fields of literature, science, art, cinema and social service. He convenes sessions of Parliament. The first session in every calendar year, called the Budget Session, begins with the President’s address. In case of an impasse between the Houses during the legislative process, he summons a joint session to resolve the issue through a combined vote. A Bill passed by both Houses becomes an Act after the President gives his consent. The government has to obtain prior sanction from him before introducing legislation for creating a new state, or making changes in the boundary or name of a state. Any Bill dealing with fundamental rights has to be cleared by the President in advance. He promulgates Ordinances when Parliament is not in session. He can ask the Council of Ministers to reconsider a Bill sent to him for consent; he has to, however, fall in line if the Council of Ministers sends it back to him. The same holds good with regard to the recommendation for the invocation of Article 356. India’s ambassadors and high commissioners represent him and foreign envoys present their credentials to him. Article 72 vests in him the power to grant pardon to a convict. He can seek the advisory opinion of the Supreme Court on legal and constitutional matters, and on matters of national and the people’s interest as per Article 143. He can ask the Attorney General to attend parliamentary proceedings and report any unlawful functioning to him (Article 88). The President authorises the presentation of the union Budget. Money Bills can be introduced in Lok Sabha after his consent. He can take advances from the Contingency Fund of India. He constitutes a Finance Commission after every five years to recommend distribution of taxes among the Centre and states. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Why the President of India is also Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces EXPRESS NETWORK Road accidents up by 12% to 4.6 lakh from last year, 19 deaths/hour: Report Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc. Mains Examination: General Studies III: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story- The number of road accidents in India went up by an alarming 12 per cent to over 4.6 lakh in 2022, resulting in death of 19 persons every hour, according to a report by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). The report showed that 53 road accidents take place every hour in the country. "A total of 4,61,312 road accidents have been reported by states and Union Territories (UTs) during the calendar year 2022, which claimed 1,68,491 lives and caused injuries to 4,43,366 persons. • Road Accidents in India-Know Broad Profile of Road Accidents • Why Road Safety is must in India? • What position does India have in terms of Road safety? • Road accidents are multi-causal phenomenon and are the result of an interplay of various factors-What are those factors? • What are the Initiatives Related to Road Safety? • What actions are being taken by the Supreme Court of India in the matter of Road Safety? • What are the Initiatives Related to Road Safety at national as well at international level? • What is ‘Brasilia Declaration on Road Safety’? • What is the Significance of Road Safety in India? • Data and Statistics-A total number of 4,61,312 road accidents have been reported by States and Union Territories (UTs) during the calendar year 2022, claiming 1,68,491 lives and causing injuries to 4,43,366 persons. The number of road accidents in 2022 increased by 11.9 percent compared to previous year 2021. Similarly, the number of deaths and injuries on account of road accidents were also increased by 9.4 percent and 15.3 percent respectively (Table 1.1). These figures translate, on an average, into 1,264 accidents and 462 deaths every day or 53 accidents and 19 deaths every hour in the country. During 2020-21, the country saw an unprecedented decrease in accident and fatalities (Table 1.1). This is primarily due to the unusual outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic and resultant stringent nationwide lockdown particularly during March-April, 2020 followed by gradual unlocking and phasing out of the containment measures. Accidents parameters have followed similar trend till 2019, sudden drastic fall occurred in 2020 was due to Covid-19 pandemic. It may be seen in Table 1.1; major indicators of accidents had increased in 2022 compared to 2021. Amongst the States, Tamil Nadu with 64,105 accidents (13.9 %) recorded the highest number of road accidents in 2022 followed by Madhya Pradesh (54,432 i.e., 11.8%). Uttar Pradesh (22,595 i.e., 13.4 %) topped the States in respect of the number of fatalities due to road accidents followed by Tamil Nadu (17,884 i.e., 10.6%). Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍ROAD ACCIDENTS IN INDIA 2022 📍India’s road deaths are not accidents — they are a public health crisis THE EDITORIAL PAGE In the interest of all Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: • General Studies II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. • General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story- Chinmaya R Gharekhan Writes: Just as the British dumped the Palestine issue on the United Nations in 1947, this time too, the matter will have to be dealt with by the UN. A UN peacekeeping force can be deployed along the Israeli-Gaza border, with an effective and implementable mandate to monitor all movements of people and supplies. This can only be done with Israel’s consent. • The General Assembly of the United Nation adopted a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza-What happened to this resolution? • Israel has absolutely refused to agree to any kind of cease-fire-why? • “The North-South divide, which became apparent after Russia’s failed invasion of Ukraine, has become further pronounced due to the developments in the Middle East”-Analyse • What has the UN done and said on the Israel-Palestine conflict so far? • Why U.N. Security Council failed again to address the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza? • What UN chief Antonio Guterres said? • “It is important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation”-Comment • “The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas”-elaborate • How does the United Nations see Israel-Palestine? • United Nations-what all you know about this organisation? • What is United Nations Relief and Works Agency? • How United Nations Relief and Works Agency helping Palestinian refugees? • What is the international law of Refugees? • What is the 1951 international refugee law? • Is Palestine subject to international law of Refugees? • Do You Know-It is interesting to note that of the 193-member UN General Assembly, 14 countries, including the US, voted against the Jordan-drafted resolution calling for immediate and sustained truce. The 44 abstentions include Canada, Germany, Japan, UK and India. The US veto is understandable. The US wants to leave Israel free to “finish” the job of “eliminating” Hamas, irrespective of how long it might take and how many lives might get lost. All wars end. This one will too. When and how, it is too early to guess. Israel will keep fighting and bombarding until it achieves its stated goal, unachievable as it is. At some time, it might unilaterally declare that it has succeeded in wiping out Hamas, and claim victory. What happens after Hamas has been “eliminated”? For sure, Israel would not want to reoccupy the Gaza Strip, it would be a death trap for them. Much as the ordinary people of Gaza might want to get rid of Hamas rule, they would be even more resentful of Israelis in Gaza. Hand over Gaza to Egypt to administer it for some time? “No, thank you” would be Egypt’s response. Invite the Palestine Authority (PA), based in Ramallah in the West Bank, to return to Gaza and restore its authority which they had lost in 2006? (It is pertinent to recall that Hamas had fairly and squarely won a democratic election in 2006, but it was not recognised by the democratic West.) This would seem to be the only practicable solution. PA President Mahmoud Abbas might be tempted to welcome it. On paper at least, the Palestinian movement would have unified. However, he is most unpopular in the West Bank for corruption and for collaborating with Israel. He will lose all credibility among his people. It would be something like what happened in Afghanistan in 1979 when Babrak Karmal came on a Soviet tank and assumed presidency; he received no support from the people or internationally. But even that would not reassure the people of Israel about their security. The “international community” keeps talking of a two-state solution, like a mantra. But the same international community knows, or ought to know, that the two-state solution is a chimaera. A state to become a state, must have land. Where is the land for a future Palestinian state? The West Bank is heavily populated by Israeli settlers, by some accounts more than 7,00,000 of them, who will never return to Israel. Whatever land is left is like Swiss cheese, dotted with innumerable settlements. The current Prime Minister will never agree to a Palestinian state, however truncated. He had opposed the Oslo accords which envisaged a future Palestinian state. Just as the British dumped the Palestine issue on the United Nations in 1947, this time too, the matter will have to be dealt with by the UN. After the Anglo-French-Israeli attack on Egypt following President Nasser’s nationalisation of the Suez canal in 1956, a UN peacekeeping force, called UNEF — United Nations Emergency Force, was deployed to keep peace between Egypt and Israel. In the same manner, a UN peacekeeping force can be deployed along the Israeli-Gaza border, with an effective and implementable mandate to monitor all movements of people and supplies. This can only be done with Israel’s consent. Israel, at present, is most unhappy with the United Nations, but it should remember that it owes its very birth to the same United Nations. The establishment and deployment of a peacekeeping force will be the responsibility of the Security Council where Israel’s staunch ally, the US, wields enormous power and influence and will go to any length to fully protect Israel’s interests. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍UN Security Council again fails to address Israel-Hamas war EVERY DROP COUNTS Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies I: Urbanization, their problems and their remedies. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story-A report published, last week, by United Nations University has warned that 27 of the 31 aquifers in the country are depleting faster than they can be replenished. The alarm bells have been ringing for at least a decade. • ‘Interconnected Disaster Risks Report 2023’ Report-know the key takeaways • What are the reasons for groundwater depletion? • What are the Issues with Groundwater Management in India? • What policy challenges does groundwater depletion impose on policymakers? • What is the Current Situation of Groundwater in India? • Water production and distribution system for domestic consumers in India-How water supply is done in metro Cities, Cities and in urban areas?? • India is greatly dependent on which external water resources? • What the 2030 Water Resources Group’s report “Charting Our Water Future” predicted about India way back in 2009? • What is the ‘per capita water availability’? • Map work-Mark the North India Drainage Basins • What is the National Water Policy, 2002? • What do you understand by the term ‘water table’? • Depleting water levels-Reason out • How water table vary in a region-Know the Long-term reasons • Groundwater Decline and Depletion-Know the reasons • What initiatives has the Government of India taken? • For Your Information-The report ‘Interconnected Disaster Risks Report 2023’, which looks at six environmental tipping points — accelerating extinctions, groundwater depletion, mountain glacier melting, space debris, unbearable heat and an uninsurable future — has also found that 27 of the world’s 31 major aquifers are depleting faster than they can be replenished. According to the report, 78% of wells in Punjab are considered overexploited, and the north-western region as a whole is predicted to experience critically low groundwater availability by 2025. Environmental tipping points are critical thresholds in the Earth’s systems beyond which abrupt and often irreversible changes occur, leading to profound and sometimes catastrophic shifts in ecosystems, climate patterns and the overall environment, the report states. Groundwater is an essential freshwater resource stored in underground reservoirs called “aquifers”. “These aquifers supply drinking water to over two billion people, and around 70% of withdrawals are used for agriculture. However, more than half of the world’s major aquifers are being depleted faster than they can be naturally replenished. As groundwater accumulates over thousands of years, it is essentially a non-renewable resource,” the report said. The tipping point in this case is reached when the water table falls below a level that existing wells can access. Once crossed, farmers will no longer have access to groundwater to irrigate their crops. “This not only puts farmers at risk of losing their livelihood, but can also lead to food insecurity and put entire food production systems at risk of failure,” it added. Around 30% of the world’s fresh water is stored as groundwater and occasionally brought to the surface through springs, lakes or streams, or is extracted from wells drilled into the aquifer. Groundwater depletion rates worldwide have accelerated since the mid-20th century, the report said, to the extent that “groundwater is a non-trivial contributor to sea level rise”. “The excessive pumping of groundwater has also caused the Earth’s axis to tilt 4.36 cm per year. The regions where groundwater depletion is most severe include parts of India, north-eastern China, western United States, Mexico, Iran, Saudi Arabia and parts of northern Africa,’’it said. “Some regions, like Saudi Arabia, have already surpassed this groundwater risk tipping point… Other countries, like India, are not far from approaching this risk tipping point, too,’’it added. Agricultural intensification is a major factor pushing us towards a groundwater depletion risk tipping point with groundwater irrigation sustaining the production of approximately 40 per cent of the world’s crops, including a large portion of staple crops like rice and wheat. Access to groundwater has driven the expansion of irrigated agricultural land worldwide. The 20th century alone has seen a dramatic increase, from 63 million hectares in 1900 to 306 million hectares in 2005. India is the world’s largest user of groundwater, exceeding the use of the United States and China combined. “The north-western region of India serves as the breadbasket for the nation’s growing 1.4 billion people, with the states of Punjab and Haryana producing 50% of the country’s rice supply and 85% of its wheat stocks. However, 78% of wells in Punjab are considered overexploited, and the north-western region as a whole is predicted to experience critically low groundwater availability by 2025,” it said. A strong relationship between groundwater and international food supply chains is also driving groundwater depletion. Many of the products grown in countries that overdraft their groundwater resources are sold and consumed in places far away. For instance, the USA exports 42% of its crops grown from depleted groundwater, mostly corn, to other places like Mexico, China and Japan. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍India heading towards groundwater depletion tipping point, warns UN report 📍Groundwater extraction this yr down 6 bn cubic metres from ’20 Previous Year Prelims Questions Based on Similar theme: 📍On the planet earth, most of the freshwater exists as ice caps and glaciers. Out of the remaining freshwater, the largest proportion (Please refer GS1 2013 for the complete question) 📍Consider the following statements: 1. 36% of India’s districts are classified as “overexploited” or “critical” by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA). 2. CGWA was formed under the Environment (Protection) Act. 3. India has the largest area under groundwater irrigation in the world. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (Please refer GS1 2020) THE IDEAS PAGE Where Alan Turing started it Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies III: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story-C. Raja Mohan Writes: The London summit this week on the safe use of Artificial Intelligence could be an important first step towards the global governance of a technology that offers much promise and unprecedented danger. • What happened in the London AI summit? • The London AI summit-Know the key takeaways • For Your Information-Convened by the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday and Thursday at Bletchley Park outside London, the summit will have the US Vice President Kamala Harris and several other world leaders in attendance. Many top honchos of the technology companies are expected to join them. The participation has been limited to about 100 people to facilitate serious and intensive discussion. Part of Sunak’s motivation, critics allege, is to shore up his standing as a global leader amid the certain prospects, as of now at least, that he will preside over the defeat of the Conservative Party in the next general elections. Whatever his personal political interest might be, Sunak is certainly trying to claim a leadership role for Britain in the global governance of AI. In the run-up to the summit, Sunak has talked about his plans to make Britain “not just the intellectual home, but the geographical home of global AI safety regulation”. This is part of Sunak’s ambition to make Britain a “technology superpower”. Sceptics might discount Sunak’s rhetoric, but Britain remains one of the world’s leading technological powers. In convening the summit at Bletchley Park, Sunak is also reminding the world of AI’s origins in Britain. It was at Bletchley Park that early research on AI was pioneered by Alan Turing, who is widely considered as the “father of AI”. Turing and his team of mathematicians had helped crack “Enigma”, a German code during World War II, giving the Allies a huge advantage in their military operations. Although the United States and China are the leading powers in AI development today, Britain has retained its place as one of the major hubs of AI development in the world. The London AI summit comes amid steps by various governments to address the challenges of governing AI. Earlier this week, the US President Joe Biden issued an executive order to ensure that “America leads the way in seizing the promise and managing the risks of artificial intelligence (AI)”. It establishes “new standards for AI safety and security, protects Americans’ privacy, advances equity and civil rights, stands up for consumers and workers, promotes innovation and competition, advances American leadership around the world, and more.” The EU, meanwhile, is discussing the promulgation of what could be the world’s first comprehensive framework for regulation. It will define rules to govern the development and use of AI across the European Union. It will involve the setting up of a European Board for Artificial Intelligence to audit and administer the new rules. • What is artificial intelligence (AI)? • How is artificial intelligence (AI) currently governed? • NITI Aayog and National Strategy for AI and the Responsible AI for All report-Know in detail • What are the use of AI in different areas? • Is Artificial Intelligence a Human-stein Monster? • What is global AI governance? • Why is governance important in AI? • ‘AI is not intelligence and idea that AI will replace human intelligence is unlikely’-Comment • Why AI regulation is needed? • If Regulated then what should be the limit? • If regulated, then what are the risks associated with regulating AI? • What has been India’s Response to demands for AI Regulation? Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍The 360° UPSC Debate: Should Artificial Intelligence Be Regulated? EXPRESS NETWORK Southern peninsular India sees 6th driest October in 123 years; 60% less rainfall Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography Mains Examination: General Studies I: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story-The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday that southern peninsular India this year experienced the sixth driest October in 123 years. This region – comprising Kerala, Mahe, south interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Karaikal, Puducherry, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and Rayalaseema – received only 74.9mm of rain in October, which was over 60 per cent below normal. • Where is the southern peninsula of India? • Map Work- southern peninsula of India • Why is southern part of India called a peninsular? • Southern peninsular India during October sees rainfall from both the retreating southwest monsoon and the incoming northeast monsoon. But this year, the region remained dry for nearly 25 days in October-Why? • For Your Information-One of the major contributors to this poor rainfall was the timing of the northeast monsoon coinciding with other oceanic factors. While the northeast monsoon onset date was realised on October 21, the active Bay of Bengal and cyclogenesis around the same time influenced the monsoon onset. “This year, the commencement of the northeast monsoon coincided with the genesis of the cyclone Hamoon which crossed the Bangladesh coast. As a rSet featured image 1200×667esult, most of the moisture was dragged away from southern peninsular India. So much so that it even altered the wind flow pattern. Thus, it was a weak northeast monsoon onset,” explained Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general, IMD. According to the IMD, the October rainfall as on October 31 was as follows: coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam (18mm, -90 per cent), Rayalaseema (12.7mm, -90 per cent), Tamil Nadu, Karaikal and Puducherry (98.5mm, -43 per cent), south interior Karnataka (64.5mm, -53 per cent) and Kerala (311mm, 1 per cent). With 2023 being an El Nino year, when combined with the positive phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), such rainfall deficits are commonly observed during October and have been previously recorded, added Mohapatra. Notably, 2023, 2016 and 1988, among the six driest October months over the southern peninsula, were El Nino years The rainfall forecast for November, too, for this region is promising. The Long Period Average (LPA) of rainfall for south peninsular India during November (based on 1971 to 2020) is about 118.69 mm. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Country to experience warm days in November, says IMD EXPLAINED What a ‘normal’ monsoon hides Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography Mains Examination: General Studies I: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story-The monsoon season this year ended with 94 per cent overall rainfall, making it the eighth year in succession that the seasonal rainfall has been broadly in the normal range. This makes it seem as though monsoon rainfall in the country has been remarkably consistent in recent years. • “There have been large variations in the distribution of rainfall, in spatial as well as temporal terms”-Analyse • At the district level, rainfall has been highly erratic-What data is saying? • What is normal rainfall and actual rainfall? • What is the normal range of rainfall in India? • The increasingly erratic behaviour of monsoon rainfall is usually blamed on climate change, but it is not that simple. There are other factors too-what are the other factors? • What is the all India monthly and seasonal rainfall? • What do we mean by long period average (LPA) of rainfall? • What is below normal, normal and above normal rainfall for the country as a whole? • What is the role of monsoon trough? • How El Niño Impacts-Know Sector and region wise • Do You Know-El Nino refers to the unusual warming of the equatorial Pacific Ocean off the coast of northwest South America, which influences weather events across the world. Over India, it has the effect of suppressing the monsoon rainfall. A similar phenomenon in the Indian Ocean, called the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), was expected to turn favourable for the monsoon rainfall this year, but did not have much impact, Rajeevan said. “It is only now that the IOD is getting into a positive phase. But the relationship of the IOD with the Indian monsoon is not as well established as El Nino’s. It is futile to expect that IOD would compensate for El Nino. In fact, there is some evidence to even suggest that it is the monsoon that affects the IOD, and not the other way. This is not yet a settled question,” Rajeevan said. The only regions that received good rainfall in August were east and northeast India. Incidentally, these parts had remained significantly dry in June and July, showing a deficit of 15 per cent and 32 per cent in those respective months. August rainfall brought welcome relief in this region, but even though the monthly rainfall in most of these states has been more than normal, it has not been sufficient to wipe off the seasonal deficit. “The impacts of El Nino unfold in such a manner that rainfall over almost the entire country, barring the east and northeast, is suppressed. And that is exactly what we have seen in August. Beyond El Nino, there are some other systems that can also bring about short spells of rain. Many of these were favourable during July, but unfortunately, none in August. For example, except for one feeble low-pressure event that brought some rains over Madhya Pradesh, there was a complete absence of low-pressure systems in August,” D Sivananda Pai, a senior scientist with IMD, said. Both Rajeevan and Pai said there were chances of a revival of the monsoon in the first or second week of September. “A strengthening of monsoon activity is expected around the first week of September and it is likely to last for a week or 10 days, but it is uncertain how much rainfall this will result in. As of now, under the influence of El Nino, September is expected to be deficient too,” Rajeevan said. • But why have El Niño conditions continued for three years? • What is Inter Tropical Convergence Zone? • Impact of Monsoons on Life in India-Economical, Cultural and Social Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍El Nino and the monsoon 📍Express View: Monsoon worries 📍Staring at driest-ever August: Breaking down El Nino impact on the monsoon Maratha quota: what govt is doing now, what courts have said earlier Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story-As Maratha quota protests intensify in Maharashtra, the state government has formed a panel of three former High Court judges to advise it on the legal battle over the issue in the Supreme Court. Ahead of Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, activist Manoj Jarange-Patil has launched a fast-unto-death protest for Maratha reservation, putting pressure on the state government. The Marathas are a group of castes comprising peasants and landowners, among others, constituting nearly 33 per cent of state’s population. The demand for Maratha reservation is not new in the state. The first protest over this was held 32 years ago by Mathadi Labour Union leader Annasaheb Patil in Mumbai. • What is Maratha reservation issue? • What are the Marathas demanding? • What is the History and Status of the Maratha Reservation Demand? • Who are the Marathas? • Why Marathas demanding for reservation? • What did the Bombay High Court rule in 2019? • For Your Information-In June 2019, the Bombay High Court upheld the constitutional validity of the Maratha quota under the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018. While ruling that the 16 per cent quota granted by the state was not ‘justifiable,’ the HC reduced it to 12 per cent in education and 13 per cent in government jobs, as recommended by the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission. The HC, however, said that the limit of reservation should not exceed 50%. However, in exceptional circumstances and extraordinary situations, this limit can be crossed. It said that this will be subject to availability of quantifiable and contemporaneous data reflecting backwardness, inadequacy of representation and without affecting the efficiency in administration. The court heavily relied on the findings of the 11-member Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC) headed by Justice G M Gaikwad (retd). The commission surveyed nearly 45, 000 families from two villages from each of 355 talukas with more than 50 per cent Maratha population. The report submitted on November 15, 2018 said the Maratha community is socially, economically and educationally backward. The HC expressed satisfaction over the data and observed that the commission had conclusively established the social, economic and educational backwardness of the Maratha community. It had also established inadequacy of representation of Maratha community in public employment in the state. • In May 2021, a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan struck down the provisions of Maharashtra law providing reservation to the Maratha community-Why? • What is 1992 Indra Sawhney (Mandal) judgment? • One immediate demand from the Marathwada region is that the state government should grant Kunbi status to all Marathas-Why? • What is the latest step by the Maharashtra government? • What is the existing reservation in Maharashtra? Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Maratha reservation: A long history of political tug-of-war and litigation ECONOMY India’s Russian oil imports slip in Oct, Saudi supply rebounds from Sept low Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story-India’s oil imports from Russia averaged 1.57 million barrels per day (million bpd) in October, down from 1.78 million bpd in September, as per Kpler data. India’s overall oil imports for the month, however, rose 8.1 per cent sequentially to 4.50 million bpd, mainly on the back of higher imports from Riyadh. • What percentage of India’s oil import is imported from Russia? • Why India imports oil from Russia? • How can India reduce its dependency on oil imports? • What crude oil means? • What are the types of crude oil? • Why India is dependent on crude oil? • Where does India import oil? • India’s domestic crude oil and natural gas production has declined steadily-why? • What steps have been taken by the Government of India to reduce the imports of crude oil? • What is the difference between Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP), New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) and Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP)? • How high reliance on imported crude oil impacts the Indian economy? • Do You Know-The share of high-sulphur crudes, or sour crudes, in India’s oil imports in 2022-23 rose to 77.5 per cent from 76.6 per cent a year ago. Indian refiners imported a total of 197.9 million tonnes of sour crudes during the fiscal, up from 185 million tonnes a year ago. Import volumes of low-sulphur crudes, or sweet crudes, rose marginally to 57.3 million tonnes in 2022-23 from 56.7 million tonnes in 2021-22. Sour crudes have high sulphur content, which makes the refining process complex and relatively more cost-intensive than refining sweeter grades of oil. However, sour crudes are usually cheaper than sweet crudes and newer refineries are equipped to process them. In the Indian crude basket, which represents a derived basket of the two grades as per Indian refineries’ processing of crude, the ratio of sour to sweet grades is 75.62 to 24.38. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Explained: The fall in crude oil prices, and its impact in India 📍The significance of rise in India’s petroleum product exports to EU For any queries and feedback, contact priya.shukla@indianexpress.com The Indian Express UPSC Hub is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest Updates. Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.
