DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS
1 – Jalakandeswarar temple: GS I – Indian Culture
Context:
- The Jalakandeswarar temple trust will shortly get a letter from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) requesting the completion of a spatial survey and the repair of a 900-square-foot room located on the temple grounds in Vellore fort.
About the Temple:
- The temple Jalakandeswarar is devoted to Lord Shiva.
- It is situated in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore Fort.
- This temple dates back to the Vijaynagar era.
Buildings:
- One outstanding example of Vijayanagaram architecture is the Jalakanteshwara Temple.
- The temple features magnificent monoliths and sculptures, huge wooden gates, intricately carved stone pillars, and excellent carvings on its gopuram (tower).
- The temple also features a Mandapam, a hall supported by pillars of stone sculpted with images of horses, dragons, and yalis, which resemble lions.
- The temple is surrounded by water in the shape of a garland and is situated in the centre of a water tank known as Agazhi in Tamil.
- The Ganga Gouri Thertam, a historic well inside the temple, provides the water needed to bathe the deity (abishekam).
About the ASI:
- In India, archaeological research is carried out by the government-run Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
- It is a related office of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture’s Department of Culture.
- It is the leading institution for the study of archaeology and the preservation of the cultural heritage of the country.
- In compliance with the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, it is in charge of overseeing all archaeological works around the country.
- This statute also governs the Antiquities and Art Treasures statute, 1972.
Source The Hindu
2 – Government directive on deepfakes: GS II – Government Policies and Interventions
Context:
- As per the IT Rules 2021, the Indian government has mandated that “social media intermediaries” take down modified videos or deepfakes from their sites within 24 hours of receiving a complaint.
A deepfake: what is it?
- Deepfakes are collections of synthetic photos, videos, and audio that are assembled using machine learning algorithms in order to propagate false information and substitute similar synthetic voices or likenesses for the appearance or both of a real person.
- It has the ability to fabricate individuals and mimic actual people saying and acting in ways that they haven’t.
- In 2017, the phrase “deepfake” first appeared.
- Researchers have found that scammers and hackers are using deepfakes 230% more frequently, and they project that deepfakes will supplant phishing in a few years.
How is deepfake technology implemented?
- The method uses generative adversarial networks (GANs), a type of machine learning, to create or change images and movies.
- The artificial intelligence (AI) programme recognises and mimics the subjects’ gestures and expressions from the original footage, then replicates these in a different picture or video.
- The makers of deepfakes use a big library of source photos to make sure the final product is as authentic as possible.
- For this reason, there are more deepfake videos featuring politicians, celebrities, and public figures produced.
- Next, one piece of software uses the dataset to make a false video, and another uses it to look for evidence of forgery.
- The two software programmes work together to render the bogus video until the second programme is unable to recognise the forgery.
- When machine-language models teach themselves, this is referred to as “unsupervised learning.”
- It is challenging for other applications to recognise deepfakes using this strategy.
What is the legal position of deepfakes in India?
- Additionally, social media companies have received letters from the Indian IT ministry informing them that impersonating someone online is prohibited per Section 66D of the Information Technology Act of 2000.
- The IT Rules, 2021, also mandate that social media companies remove photos that have been artificially altered upon being notified, and they forbid hosting any content that impersonates another person.
The detrimental effects of deepfakes:
Possibly, the technology could be utilised for:
- provoke acts of political violence,
- manipulate elections,
- disrupt diplomatic ties, and
- propagate false information.
- degrade and extort individuals
- assault organisations by putting forth phoney proof.
Benefits associated with deepfakes:
- In order to help patients with ALS digitally replicate their voices in the future, the ALS Association has partnered with a startup to deploy voice-cloning technology.
Source The Hindu
3 – Regulating political funding: GS II – Election-related issues
Context:
- The funding of political parties is a fundamental aspect of Indian democracy, and it has garnered attention in light of the recent Supreme Court hearing on the legitimacy of electoral bonds.
Different facets of political financing:
Donation regulation:
- Donations from some people or organizations—for example, foreign nationals or businesses—may not be permitted.
- Additionally, donation caps can apply.
- Donation caps are intended to prevent a party from being dominated by a small number of powerful donors, be they private citizens, businesses, or civil society organisations.
- As a result, several governments rely on contribution caps to control the impact of money in politics.
- For example, various categories of donors are subject to differing contribution caps under US federal law.
- Some other nations, including the UK, rely on spending caps rather than contribution limitations.
Spending caps:
- Spending limitations protect politics from a financial arms race if the goal of contribution limits is to prevent political parties from being captured.
- It releases political parties from the burden of having to fight over funds before they can even begin to fight over voters.
- As a result, several governments set a cap on political parties’ spending.
Public funding:
- Numerous nations not only control expenditures and donations, but they also finance political parties with public funds.
In general, public funding can be implemented in two ways:
Preset standards:
- Across the globe, the most widely utilised approach is to establish predefined standards.
- Parties in Germany, for example, are granted public subsidies based on their standing in the political hierarchy.
- This is typically determined by looking at their membership dues, historical election results, and the quantity of contributions they have received from individual donors.
Vouchers for democracy:
- With this system, qualified voters receive a set quantity of vouchers from the government.
- Every voucher has a specific value.
- These vouchers allow voters to make donations to the candidate of their choice.
- Voters individually decide how to divide the public funds that support the voucher.
- In other words, voters get to “vote” with their money prior to casting a ballot.
Requirements for disclosure:
- A less invasive kind of regulation is disclosure.
- Donors or parties are not completely prevented from accepting or making donations by it.
- Rather, revelations discourage voters from choosing public officials who have used or intend to utilise their position for favouritism.
- It might therefore deter parties from abusing public office to further the interests of their funders.
- The foundation of disclosure regulation is the idea that public scrutiny and the availability of information may affect the choices made by politicians and the votes cast by the people.
- Mandatory disclosure of party donations isn’t necessarily a good idea, though.
- Donor anonymity might occasionally be beneficial in safeguarding donors.
- Donors might worry, for example, about extortion or revenge from those in positions of authority.
- In turn, donors may be discouraged from giving money to causes they support if they fear punishment.
India’s difficulties:
No restrictions on donations:
- There are no restrictions on individual donations in India.
- Additionally, the Finance Act of 2017 eliminated all formal contribution caps on businesses.
- Put another way, a person or organisation is free to give a political party as much money as they choose.
No cap on legal expenses:
- Political parties are also not legally limited in how much they can spend.
- A political party is allowed to spend as much money as it wishes on its national or state campaign, provided that the money is not used to support any one candidate.
Legal impediment to restricted disclosures:
- Donations exceeding Rs 20,000 must be disclosed by parties, unless they are obtained through electoral bonds.
- When a single donation is less than Rs 20,000, the parties are not obligated to reveal the amount or the source.
- Parties typically divide substantial gifts from a single donor into several smaller donations, which is where the legal loophole comes in.
- They are not required to disclose anything because of this practise.
Donations concealed by official banks:
- Large donors can now conceal their contributions made through official banking channels provided they utilise electoral bonds, as of 2017.
- Political parties and major funders can reach agreements without being held accountable to the public thanks to the bonds.
Availability of donor information:
- The goal of electoral bonds is to prevent victimisation of donors; however, this plan is undermined by the ruling party’s ability to obtain information about other parties’ donors through law enforcement authorities.
The next step:
- Electioneering in India is no longer limited to political parties and candidates.
- The number of political consultancies, campaign groups, and civil society organisations participating in online and offline political campaigns has increased dramatically during the past ten years.
- Therefore, striking a balance between the right and wrong of public transparency and anonymity is the most common answer.
- Many regimes achieve this balance by requiring disclosure of big donations, while allowing anonymity for smaller donors.
The following is the case in favour of this strategy:
- Small donors are perhaps the most susceptible to partisan victimisation and have the least influence in the administration.
- However, big funders are more inclined to work out agreements with parties in exchange for something in return.
Source The Hindu
4 – Speedy disposal of cases against lawmakers: GS II – Judiciary-related issues
Context:
- Guidelines for the prompt resolution of criminal charges against members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) and Members of Parliament (MPs) were released by the Supreme Court.
Important information:
- The court mandated that high courts nationwide follow certain criteria, one of which was the creation of a “special bench” to oversee criminal charges against politicians and the suo motu registration of such cases by HCs.
- A bench chaired by the Chief Justice of India issued the directives in response to a 2016 plea asking for the prompt resolution of cases involving legislators.
- In addition, it asked for a lifetime prohibition on politicians convicted of crimes, including current lawmakers, from running for office as opposed to the six-year restriction stipulated by Section 8(3) of the Representation of People Act, 1951.
- The primary topic covered by Section 8 of the RP Act, 1951, is the disqualification of legislators upon conviction for specific acts.
About the RP Act:
- BR Ambedkar presented it to the Parliament.
- The 1951 Representation of the People Act stipulates:
- the holding of elections for each state’s legislature and the houses of parliament,
- the prerequisites and exclusions for joining those houses,
- dishonest behaviour, and
- other crimes committed during or in relation to the elections.
Section 8:
Section 8 addresses the disqualification of lawmakers upon conviction for offences such as:
- encouraging animosity between two factions,
- bribery,
- excessive influence,
- accumulating,
- Making a profit,
- adulteration of medication or food.
What verdict did the court issue?
Filing cases on a suo motu basis:
- One of these was the chief justices of several high courts nationwide registering suo motu proceedings to oversee the prompt resolution of ongoing criminal cases against lawmakers.
Cases listed on a regular basis:
- The court added that these matters can be listed at regular intervals, if needed, and that they can be heard by a special bench chaired by the CJ or by a bench that she designates.
Support from additional advocates:
- The prosecutor or advocate general may also be called upon by the special bench to support the court.
States should create their own regulations:
- The court left it to the high court to come up with strategies to efficiently manage such matters, stating that it would be challenging to provide universal guidelines for trial courts across the nation to handle such cases.
Case priority:
- The court declared that cases against legislators who face the death penalty or life in prison would take precedence.
- In addition, cases carrying a minimum five-year prison sentence will be given priority.
Authority of Superior Courts:
- For the efficient resolution of such issues, high courts may issue comparable directives and orders.
- The Principal District and Sessions Judge may also be asked by the HCs to assume the duty of assigning “subject cases” to these courts.
Source The Hindu
5 – Cloud seeding: GS III – Environmental Conservation
Context:
- In an effort to reduce air pollution, the Delhi administration had previously declared that it was thinking of using “artificial rain” or cloud seeding.
Cloud seeding: what is it?
How do clouds form?
- The droplets that make up a cloud are formed when water vapour condenses around tiny particles.
- It starts to rain as these raindrops collide and get heavier, saturating the cloud.
- In cloud seeding, the “seed”—sodium chloride, potassium iodide, or silver iodide—is often injected into the clouds.
- It is anticipated that these salts will supply more nuclei around which more cloud droplets would be able to form.
- Either using aircraft or ground-based generators, they are distributed into the cloud.
- Seeding expedites microphysical cloud operations.
- We require droplets that are big enough to reach the earth’s surface without evaporating en route.
- Cloud condensation nuclei and ice nuclei, which originate from two distinct salts, are required for the material that is spread into the cloud.
- As ice nuclei aid in the formation of ice crystals, cloud condensation nuclei aid in the formation of cloud droplets.
- Ice crystals enlarge and descend more quickly than droplets do.
What prerequisites must be met in order to perform cloud seeding?
Cloud type and cover:
- It is required to have cloud cover and a specific kind of cloud.
- Only when there are enough clouds and a specific depth to these clouds can cloud seeding take place.
Sufficient droplets:
- There must be a sufficient quantity of cloud droplets inside.
- By increasing the radius of the cloud droplets, cloud seeding causes them to enlarge and eventually descend as rainfall due to gravity.
Few prerequisites:
- When a western disturbance passes over the area in the winter, clouds begin to build over Delhi.
- These storms provide non-monsoonal rainfall to northwest India; they originate in the Caspian or Mediterranean Sea.
- In winter, when the atmosphere is stable, clouds are expected to form when a western disturbance upsets this equilibrium.
Has India ever performed cloud seeding before?
- In India, seeding has primarily been undertaken in regions like Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu during the monsoon.
- In the monsoon seasons of 2018 and 2019, the fourth phase of the Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement Experiment (CAIPEEX-IV) was carried out in drought-prone Solapur, Maharashtra.
- It indicated a corresponding increase in rainfall of 18%.
Does it lower the amount of pollution?
- Cloud seeding has only been attempted to address drought-like circumstances in India thus far; it has not been used to reduce pollution.
- China has experimented with weather management techniques in a few instances.
- There have been no studies conducted in India on this topic (the effect of cloud seeding on pollution).
- Because of the differences in our circumstances, a thorough investigation will be required.
- For the first time, this is being done in regards to air pollution.
- To remove pollution, there should be a substantial amount of rain.
- If it is successful at all, it will only be temporary but will stop the flow of contaminants.
Source The Hindu
