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26 February 2024

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – Idate Commission Report: GS II – Government Policies and Interventions

Context:

  • To address the concerns of India’s Nomadic, Semi-Nomadic, and De-Notified Tribes (NTs, SNTs, and DNTs), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recently emphasised the significance of implementing the recommendations of the Idate Commission report.
  • The Habitual Offenders Act, 1952 should be repealed, or the government should designate a member of the De-notified Tribe community in addition to the nodal officials required by the Act, as recommended by the NHRC.
  • Furthermore, it suggested making special policies for DNTs, NTs, and SNTs and removing them from the SC, ST, and OBC categories.

Which were the Idate Commission’s principal recommendations?

  • Under the direction of Bhiku Ramji Idate, it was founded in 2014 with the goal of creating a statewide database of Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs).
  • Recognising individuals who were not included in the Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC), or Other Backward Classes (OBC) categories and suggesting social programmes for their benefit was another duty.

Suggestions:

  • Assign people to the OBC category who are not listed among the SCs, STs, or OBCs.
  • To prevent atrocities and restore the sense of security among community members, strengthen legal and constitutional safeguards by adding a third schedule to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
  • Establish a permanent commission for the DNTs, SNTs, and NTs with legal standing.
  • Establish a separate department in states with sizable populations to handle the welfare of these people.
  • To assess the number and distribution of DNT families, conduct a comprehensive survey.

Who are the Nomadic, Semi-Nomadic, and Denotified Tribes?

  • Another name for them is “Vimukt Jatis.” These are some of the most marginalised and at-risk groups.
  • communities that were denotified after being classified as “born criminals” under British statutes such as the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871.
  • The Indian government formally de-notified them in 1952.
  • A small number of these de-notified communities were also itinerant.
  • Communities that are nomadic or semi-nomadic are characterised by constant movement rather than permanent residence.
  • Nomadic tribes and de-notified tribes have never owned homes or had access to private land in the past.
  • Some DNTs are not covered by any of the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), or Other Backward Classes (OBC) classifications, however the majority of DNTs are distributed among these three groups.
  • Principal Committees/Commissions for the Communities of NTs, SNTs, and DNTs:
  • In 1947, the United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh) established the Criminal Tribes Inquiry Committee.

Distribution:

  • About 10% of people in India are members of the NT, SNT, and DNT communities.
  • There are over 500 distinct communities that make up the population of Nomadic Tribes, compared to about 150 Denotified Tribes.
  • The greatest nomadic population in the world is thought to reside in South Asia.

What Difficulties Do Nomadic Tribes Face?

  • Lack of Basic Infrastructure Facilities: Communities are deprived of basic amenities when they do not have access to basic infrastructure, such as clean water to drink, shelter, and sanitary facilities. They also cannot access healthcare or educational services.
  • Lack of Social Security Coverage: Because they move about a lot, these people don’t have a fixed address, which prevents them from being covered by social security and keeps them out of government assistance programmes that need paperwork like caste certificates, Aadhar cards, and ration cards.
  • Bad Treatment by Local Administration: The local administration and police still treat them like criminals and torment them since they were once stigmatised for being called such.
  • Uncertain Caste Categorization: These communities are classified as Other Backward Classes (OBC) in certain states and as Scheduled Castes (SC) in others, making the caste system unclear.

What steps have been taken to help these tribes develop?

Ambedkar Scholarship for DNTs at the Pre- and Post-Matric Level:

  • Launched in 2014–15, this Centrally Sponsored Scheme was designed to support DNT students who do not qualify for SC, ST, or OBC benefits.
  • Pre-matric Scholarships for DNT students are a useful programme that helps educate DNT kids, particularly the girls.
  • The Nanaji Deshmukh Scheme for Building DNT Boys’ and Girls’ Hostels:
  • Launched in 2014–15, this Centrally Sponsored Scheme is carried out by State Governments, UT Administrations, and Central Universities.
  • The program’s objective is to provide DNT students who do not qualify as SC, ST, or OBC with hostel rooms.
  • The goal of this assistance is to make it easier for them to pursue higher education.

Plan for DNTs’ Economic Empowerment:

  • It seeks to offer livelihood projects, health insurance, housing aid, and free tutoring for competitive exams.
  • It guarantees that Rs. 200 crores will be spent over a five-year period starting in 2021–2022.
  • The implementation of this system has been assigned to the Development and Welfare Board for De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities, or DWBDNCs.

NHRC, or National Human Rights Commission:

  • guarantees the defence of the rights to life, liberty, equality, and human dignity as well as those protected by international agreements that are enforceable in Indian courts and the Indian Constitution.

Establishment:

  • founded on October 12, 1993, in accordance with the 1993 Protection of Human Rights Act.
  • modified by the Human Rights (Amendment) Act of 2019 and the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act of 2006.
  • Created in accordance with the Paris Principles, which were embraced with the aim of advancing and safeguarding human rights.
  • The Commission is composed of seven considered Members, five full-time members, and a chairperson.
  • Chairman is a judge of the Supreme Court or a former Chief Justice of India.

Nomination and Salary:

  • Chairman and members chosen by the President based on a six-person committee’s recommendations.
  • Leaders of the Opposition in both Houses of Parliament, the Union Home Minister, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, and the Prime Minister make up the committee.
  • The chairman and members serve three-year terms or until they are seventy.

Function & Role:

  • has the authority to hold judicial proceedings and civil court authorities.
  • Enabled to employ federal, state, or local government agents or investigative teams to look into alleged human rights abuses.
  • can look into issues within a year after they happen.
  • The main purpose of functions is to make recommendations.

Source The Hindu

2 – 3rd South Summit: GS II – International Relations:

Context:

  • Recently, China and the members of the Group of 77 (G77) met in Kampala, Uganda, for the 3rd South Summit.
  • In order to strengthen South-South cooperation on trade, investment, sustainable development, climate change, poverty eradication, and the digital economy, among other topics, the Third South Summit brought together China and the 134 members of the Group of 77. At the summit, “Leaving No One Behind” served as the theme.

Group of 77 (G77): What is it?

Establishment:

  • The “Joint Declaration of the Seventy-Seven Developing Countries,” which was released at the conclusion of the inaugural session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva, gave rise to the Group of 77 (G-77) on June 15, 1964.
  • With the exception of China, which the Chinese government views as a partner that offers the group financial and political support but does not consider itself a member, the G77 group has 134 members. Despite the fact that China is listed as a member of the group (G 77).

Goals:

  • The largest developing country intergovernmental organisation in the UN is called the Group of 77.
  • It gives the Southern countries the tools to express and advance their shared economic interests and strengthen their ability to negotiate together on all significant global economic problems within the framework of the United Nations.

Organisation:

  • The Group’s activity in each Chapter is coordinated by a Chairman who serves as its spokesperson.
  • The Chairmanship, the highest political authority in the Group of 77’s organisational structure, is held for one year in each Chapter and alternates amongst Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
  • Chapters are the regional divisions. At the moment, Uganda is the chairman of the African Chapter, serves as its spokesperson, and plans the G-77’s activities on behalf of its member nations.
  • The offices of the G77 in various locations serve as chapters, allowing the group to coordinate its efforts and advocate its interests in a variety of UN bodies and international forums.
  • The G77 has chapters at the UN in Geneva, the FAO in Rome, the UNDO in Vienna, the UNESCO in Paris, the UNEP in Nairobi, and the Group of 24 in Washington, D.C. (World Bank and IMF).
  • The Republic of Uganda is the G-77 Chairman for the year 2024.

South Summit:

  • The Group of 77’s highest decision-making body is the South Summit.
  • The First South Summit took place in 2000 in Havana, Cuba, while the Second South Summit took place in 2005 in Doha, Qatar.

Which parts of the Third South Summit Outcome Document stand out the most?

Demand a Peaceful Resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict:

  • In addition to calling for a “just and peaceful resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” member nations highlighted that “there can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development.”

Agendas being implemented globally:

  • The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA), the Paris Agreement on climate change, the New Urban Agenda (NUA), and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) were among the global agendas that the Outcome Document reaffirmed as being committed to implementing.

Eradication of Poverty:

  • Member nations reiterated that ending poverty is the biggest problem facing the world today and is essential to sustainable development.
  • Leaders urged industrialised nations to commit to a new phase of international cooperation through a reinforced and expanded global partnership for development, emphasising the significance of appropriate means of implementation.

Developing Multilateral Organisations:

  • The UN General Assembly (UNGA) and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) must play a stronger role in addressing the transformation of the global financial architecture, according to the summit’s declaration.
  • The failure of the global financial system to offer developing nations a safety net on a global scale was brought to light. Proposed were extensive reforms, such as an annual USD 500 billion SDG Stimulus, sufficient capitalization of MDBs, and an increase in emergency funding for developing nations.
  • encouraged an ambitious new finance goal at the UN Climate Change Conference in 2024 (UNFCCC COP 29) by calling for significant contributions to climate finance, including the delivery of USD 100 billion annually and the doubling of adaptation money by 2025.

Needs for Financing and Solutions for Debt:

  • Member nations pushed Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to use grants and concessional funding to address the financial needs of all developing nations, including low- and middle-income nations.
  • The leaders demanded that more debt be exchanged for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to climate change and the environment.

Quick Changes to Promote Equity and Inclusion:

  • During the summit, leaders emphasised the need for an international financial system based on equity and inclusivity and demanded immediate reforms in multilateral organisations to acknowledge and capitalise on the importance of the Global South.

What is the Global South?

  • Misunderstood as a strictly geographic term, the Global South is actually a collection of varied nations that are influenced by historical, developmental, and geopolitical circumstances.
  • Its definition is not limited to geography; rather, it encompasses all countries that are having developmental difficulties.
  • The northern hemisphere is home to many of the nations that make up the Global South, including China, India, and every nation in northern Africa.
  • Conversely, while being in the southern hemisphere, Australia and New Zealand do not belong to the Global South.

Historical Background:

  • Willy Brandt, the former chancellor of Germany, created the Brandt Line in the 1980s to represent the per capita GDP-based north-south difference.
  • This line, which zigzags across continents to represent the global economic split, includes portions of Africa, the Middle East, India, and China but leaves out Australia and New Zealand.
  • G-77: The Group of 77 (G-77) was formed in 1964 when the member nations of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) met for the first time in Geneva and signed a Joint Declaration.
  • The G-77 is an alliance of developing countries, mostly from the global south, that was established to jointly solve UN economic and development challenges.

The Global South’s comeback:

Dynamics of the Economy:

  • Covid-19 Exposes Economic Inequalities: The epidemic widened already-existing economic gaps, disproportionately affecting nations in the Global South because of their inadequate supply chains, weakened healthcare infrastructure, and strong reliance on industries susceptible to lockdowns.
  • Trade and Supply Chain Shifts: Following the pandemic, reassessments of global supply chains in light of recent geopolitical conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, have sparked discussions about reallocating production centres. This has given some Global South economies the chance to reorganise and expand their roles.

Realities of Geopolitics:

  • With the help of the Global South’s collective voice, power dynamics changed and its viewpoints and interests were given more weight in international fora like the G20.

Impact on the Environment and Climate:

  • Vulnerability to Climate Change: Due to the Global South’s disproportionate impact on climate change, conversations about resilience-building, climate adaptation, and the need of fair global climate action are being sparked.
  • Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development: Global attention and support were drawn to the Global South’s emphasis on environmental conservation, renewable energy investments, and sustainable development goals.

Source The Hindu

3 – Increasing the BSF’s authority: GS III – Internal Security:

Context:

  • The argument about the BSF’s (Border Security Force) authority expansion in Punjab is scheduled to be heard by the Supreme Court (SC).
  • A notification was released in 2021 by the Ministry of Home Affairs, extending the jurisdiction of the BSF to include Punjab, West Bengal, and Assam. The government of Punjab contested this.

BSF: What is it?

  • The India-Pakistan war ended in 1965, and the BSF was established.
  • Under the administrative direction of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), it is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces of the Union of India.
  • Assam Rifles (AR), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), National Security Guards (NSG), and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) are other Central Armed Police Forces.
  • The 2.65-lakh force is stationed near the borders of Bangladesh and Pakistan.
  • Along with the Indian Army, it is used in anti-naxal operations and on the international borders between Bangladesh and Pakistan as well as the Line of Control (LoC).
  • With its cutting edge fleet of water craft, BSF has been protecting Sir Creek in the Arabian Sea and the Sundarbans delta in the Bay of Bengal.
  • It sends a sizable number of its skilled labour force annually to the UN peacekeeping mission, providing committed services.

Why was the jurisdiction of the BSF expanded?

BSF’s jurisdiction:

  • With the authority to arrest, search, and seize under several laws, including the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) of 1973, the Passports Act 1967, the Passport (Entry into India) Act 1920, and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), 1985, among others, the BSF is tasked with safeguarding India’s borders with its neighbouring countries.
  • According to Section 139(1) of the BSF Act, the central government may designate, by order, a region “within the local limits of such area adjoining the borders of India” where BSF members are authorised to use their authority to prevent offences against any Acts that the government may designate.

Increasing BSF’s Jurisdiction:

  • Before the October 2021 announcement, the BSF could operate in Punjab, West Bengal, and Assam within 15 km of the border. This was extended by the Centre to a radius of 50 km near the border.
  • According to the notification, the BSF can only use its authority under the Passport (Entry into India) Act, the CrPC, and the Passports Act within this broader 50-kilometer jurisdiction.
  • The 15-kilometer limit is still in place for additional central laws.
  • It encompasses the whole state in the states of Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Justifications for Expanding Jurisdiction:

  • Increased Use of Drones and UAVs: In reaction to the growing use of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which have the ability to travel great distances and are used for espionage and the smuggling of phoney cash and weapons, the BSF expanded its jurisdiction.
  • Another problem that the BSF seeks to address is cattle smuggling. By extending its jurisdiction, the BSF is better equipped to handle the difficulties presented by smugglers who could try to exploit regions outside of its initial purview.
  • Smugglers frequently look for safety outside of BSF’s purview.
  • Uniform authority: By standardising the 50-kilometer limit, which was already in place in Rajasthan, the extension of BSF authority into Punjab, West Bengal, and Assam creates uniformity in the jurisdiction of the BSF throughout states in India.
  • The notification also lowered Gujarat’s jurisdiction from 80 kilometres to 50 miles.

What Concerns Have the States Made About the BSF Jurisdiction Extension?

Issues with State Powers:

  • The state’s sole authority to enact laws pertaining to public order and law enforcement would be violated by the BSF’s enlargement of its jurisdiction.
  • According to Article 246 of the Constitution, certain authorities are given to the states that are listed in Entries 1 and 2 of the State List.
  • Nonetheless, the Union Lists’ Entries 1 (defence of India), 2 (armed forces), and 2A (deployment of armed forces) also grant the legislative authority to give directives.
  • The central government has overreached itself into domains that have historically been the purview of the states by expanding the BSF’s jurisdiction.

FedEx’s non-cooperative model:

  • Some states believe that the BSF’s expanded jurisdiction goes against the fundamentals of federalism, which place an emphasis on the division of powers between the federal government and the states.

Regional Disparities:

  • The 50-kilometer jurisdiction would encompass a large number of cities and towns in Punjab, while the territories along the international boundary in Gujarat and Rajasthan are largely unpopulated and comprise marshlands or deserts.
  • One of the main things affecting the impact of the jurisdiction extension is this geographic disparity.

What Has to Be Done to Manage Borders Without Undermining State Jurisdiction?

Working Together:

  • To manage border security cooperatively, federal and state law enforcement authorities must be encouraged to collaborate.
  • putting in place a structure to facilitate coordination and information exchange between various security forces.
  • For particular border regions, form joint task groups with officers from the state and central police.

The State Police’s Role:

  • In order to supplement the efforts of central forces such as the BSF, border monitoring must engage state police units.
  • Follow the Indian Navy’s and the Coast Guard’s maritime agreements, in which both forces have exclusive jurisdiction yet cooperate with one another in vigilance.

Integration of Technology:

  • To improve border monitoring, make investments in cutting-edge surveillance equipment including drones, sensors, and communication networks.
  • Create a centralised platform for exchanging information that combines data from several sources for analysis in real time.

Unambiguous Legal Structure:

  • Provide a precise legal framework that specifies the obligations, responsibilities, and authority of state and federal forces in border regions.
  • Establish procedures for handling occurrences that occur across borders and, if necessary, collaborating on joint investigations.

Frequent Meetings:

  • Regular conferences and meetings between federal and state officials are necessary to address issues and problems pertaining to border management.
  • Provide a forum for ongoing discussion so that tactics can be adjusted in response to changing security conditions.

Global Collaboration:

  • Take up diplomatic measures to improve border security cooperation with surrounding nations.
  • Examine collaborative efforts, information exchange, and synchronised patrols with adjacent nations to tackle transnational security issues.

Source The Hindu

4 – Healthcare Use of Generative AI Ethics: GS III – Science and Technology:

Context:

  • The World Health Organisation (WHO) has acknowledged the revolutionary influence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as ChatGPT, Bard, and Bert and has produced guidelines on the ethical usage and governance of Large Multi-Modal Models (LMM) in healthcare.

Large Multi-Modal Models (LMM): What Are They?

  • LMMs are models that simulate human-like perception by utilising a variety of senses. This enhances the naturalness and intuitiveness of interactions by enabling AI (Artificial Intelligence) to respond to a greater variety of Human speech.
  • Multiple data types, including text, language, audio, photos, and other heterogeneity, are integrated using LMMs. This enables the models to interact with users and comprehend photos, movies, and voice.
  • A few instances of multimodal LLMs are Midjourney, GPT-4V, MedPalm M, Dall-E, and Stable Diffusion.

What are the recommendations made by the WHO for the use of LMMs in healthcare?

The five main uses of LMMs in healthcare are outlined in the latest WHO guidelines:

  • diagnosis and therapeutic care, including answering written questions from patients;
  • patient-guided use, including symptom and treatment research;
  • administrative and clerical duties, include recording and summarising patient visits in electronic health records;
  • instruction in medicine and nursing, which includes simulating patient experiences for trainees, and;
  • pharmacological development and scientific research, including the identification of novel chemicals.
  • In June 2023, the Indian Council of Medical Research released ethical guidelines for the use of AI in biomedical research and healthcare.

What worries has WHO expressed regarding LMMs in the medical field?

Quick Acceptance and Precautionary Notes:

  • The rate of adoption of LMMs has surpassed that of any other consumer technology, which is unparalleled.
  • LMM is renowned for its capacity to replicate human speech and carry out operations without the need for explicit programming.
  • This quick adoption, however, emphasises how crucial it is to carefully balance the advantages over any potential concerns.

Dangers and Obstacles:

  • LMMs have potential uses, but they also carry some concerns. One such risk is the creation of biassed, incorrect, or inaccurate comments that could influence people’s health decisions.
  • Issues with quality or bias in the data used to train these models may have contributed to the perpetuation of inequities based on age, sex, gender identity, race, or ethnicity.

LMMs’ affordability and accessibility:

  • In addition, there are more general worries about LMM accessibility and cost as well as the possibility of Automation Bias, or the propensity for healthcare providers and patients to overlook mistakes due to an excessive reliance on automated systems.

Cybersecurity:

  • Another crucial concern, considering the sensitivity of patient data and the dependence on the reliability of these algorithms, is cybersecurity.

What are the WHO’s Main Recommendations for LMMs?

  • called for a cooperative strategy to be used in all phases of LMM research and implementation, encompassing governments, IT companies, healthcare professionals, patients, and civil society.
  • emphasised the necessity of cooperative global leadership for the effective regulation of AI technologies. All nations’ governments must work together to spearhead initiatives aimed at efficiently regulating the creation and application of AI technology, including LMMs.
  • The recently released guidelines provide a road map for utilising LMMs in the healthcare industry while managing their complexity and moral dilemmas.
  • When designing, developing, and implementing AI for health, the WHO emphasised in May 2023 the significance of putting ethical principles and proper governance into practice. These guidelines are listed in the WHO guidance on the ethics and governance of AI for health.

The six guiding concepts that the WHO has identified are:

Preserve individuality:

  • Advance the public interest, human well-being, and human safety
  • Make sure everything is comprehensible, transparent, and explainable.
  • Encourage accountability and responsibility
  • Make sure equity and inclusivity
  • Encourage the use of sustainable and responsive AI.

How is AI now governed globally?

In India:

  • The Responsible AI for All study and the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence are two of NITI Aayog’s policy papers on AI issues.
  • places a strong emphasis on innovation, reliability, and social and economic inclusion.

Britain:

  • outlined a light-touch strategy, requesting that authorities from various industries apply current laws to artificial intelligence.
  • released a white paper with five guidelines that businesses should adhere to: fairness, responsibility and governance, contestability and redress, safety, security, and robustness.

US:

  • The United States published a Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights (AIBoR), which lists five guidelines for reducing the negative effects of AI on civil and economic rights.
  • Rather than adopting a horizontal strategy like the EU, the Blueprint supports a sector-specific approach to AI governance, allowing sectoral federal agencies to develop their plans and implementing policy interventions for specific areas including health, labour, and education.

China:

  • China released some of the first legally obligatory national legislation in the world in 2022, focusing on particular kinds of AI and algorithms.
  • It passed legislation governing recommendation algorithms, emphasising the way in which they distribute information.

Source The Hindu

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