• Google has announced Bard, a ChatGPT competitor that uses Google’s own language model.

About:

• Bard is based on the Language Model for Dialogue Application (LaMDA), Google’s own conversational AI chatbot.
• It will give in-depth, conversational and essay-style answers just like ChatGPT does right now.
  • However, the model is currently a “lightweight” version of LaMDA, and the one being “requires significantly less computing power, enabling it to scale to more users.

Features:

• It is built on Transformer technology, which is also the backbone of ChatGPT and other AI bots.
• Transformer technology was pioneered by Google and made open source in 2017.
• Transformer technology is a Neural Network Architecture, which is capable of making predictions based on inputs and is primarily used in natural language processing and computer vision technology.
• The architecture determines how the network processes information and influences its accuracy and efficiency in solving a particular problem. Common architectures include feedforward networks, recurrent networks, and convolutional neural networks.

Difference Between ChatGPT and Bard

• ChatGPT has impressed with its ability to respond to complex queries — though with varying degrees of accuracy — but its biggest shortcoming perhaps is that it cannot access real-time information from the Internet.
• But Microsoft just unveiled a new version of Bing that’s powered by ChatGPT which is a significant improvement of the version of ChatGPT.
• ChatGPT’s language model was trained on a vast dataset to generate text based on the input, and the dataset, at the moment, only includes information until 2021.
• Whereas, for questions where there might not be a clear-cut answer, Bard will synthesise a response that reflects differing opinions.

Concerns regarding AI-Based Generative Chatbots

• The text generation software from Google and OpenAI, can be extremely prone to inaccuracies, experts have pointed out.
• The ability to search the Internet in real-time, including content such as hate speech and racial and gender biases and stereotyping, could lead to problems, and take the sheen off these new products.
• Even with natural language processing, they may not fully comprehend a customer’s input and may provide incoherent answers.

Many chatbots are also limited in the scope of queries that they are able to respond to.

• Over the last few days, the Assam government has arrested over 2,000 men in a campaign against child marriages that have taken place in the state.
• The police will retrospectively book people who participated in child marriage in the last seven years and the focus will especially be on “mullahs, kazis, and pujaris” conducting these marriages. The arrests come in the backdrop of growing debate on the minimum age of marriage of Muslim women.

Legal Scenario

• The men who married girls below 14 years of age would be booked under the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and those marrying girls between the age of 14 and 18 years would be booked under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006.

POCSO Act:

• The POCSO Act, of 2012 criminalises sex between a minor and an adult. The law does not recognize a minor’s consent as valid.
• Sexual assault under POCSO is a non-bailable, cognisable offence. This means that the police can make an arrest without warrant.
• So, a presumption of sexual assault is being made in cases of child marriage involving minor girls below the age of 14. Sexual assault, that is not penetrative, carries a minimum imprisonment of three years that may extend to five years with a fine.
• Under Section 19, the Act imposes a “mandatory reporting obligation” which requires every person who suspects or has knowledge of a sexual offence being committed against a child must report it to the police or the Special Juvenile Police Unit. Failure to do so will result in imprisonment, a fine, or both.

Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) 2006:

• It says that child marriages are illegal but not void. They are voidable at the minor’s choice if he/she petitions the court to declare the marriage null and void.
• The Act stipulates 18 years as the minimum marriageable age for women, while for men it is 21 years.
• The Act punishes child marriage with rigorous imprisonment which may extend to two years or with a fine which may extend to one lakh rupees or both. The punishment also extends to anyone who performs, conducts, directs, or abets any child marriage.

Central Government’s Stand

• At the time of India’s independence, the minimum marriageable age stood at 15 years for females and 18 years for men.
• In 1978, the government increased it to 18 for girls and 21 for men.
• In 2008, the report of the Law Commission the minimum marriageable age for both men and women should be 18 years of age.
• In 2020, the Jaya Jaitly Committee was established by the Ministry of Women & Child Development which also recommended the same in light of factors like reproductive health, education, etc.
• In 2021, the Central government sought to introduce the Prevention of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill 2021, to raise the manageable age for women across all religions, from 18 to 21 years.

International Conventions

• The United Nations (UN) Convention on Consent to Marriage (1962)
• Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages (1962)
• The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979)
• The Beijing Declaration (1995)

• The Home Minister, while chairing the meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on LWE, gave details about Left Wing Extremism.

More on the news

• Reduction of deaths: According to the Union Home Minister, for the first time in four decades, the number of deaths of civilians and security forces in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) came down to under 100 in 2022.
• Left Wing Extremism has come down by 76% in 2022 as compared to 2010.
• He said that the Ministry of Home Affairs is determined to destroy the entire ecosystem of LWEs by financial choking.
• MHA’s policy to deal with LWE has three main pillars:
  • Strategy to curb extremist violence with ruthless approach,
  • Better coordination between Centre and states, and
  • Eliminating support for LWE through public participation in development.
• Strengthening Armed Forces:
  • New camps: Sharing details of the measures taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs, he said since 2019, the armed forces had established 175 new camps to plug the security vacuum in the LWE-infested zones.
  • BSF Air Wing: The BSF air wing has been strengthened with the induction of new pilots and engineers in the last one year to aid operations in LWE-affected areas.
  • Police stations: Funds were also provided to the State police forces for modernisation and assistance related to construction of fortified police stations.

Left-wing Extremism (LWE) in India

• Left-wing extremists, popularly known as Maoists worldwide and as Naxalites/Naxalism in India, has been a major threat to India since the 1960s. The term Naxalism derives from the name of the Naxalbari village in West Bengal where a peasant revolt took place against local landlords over a land dispute in 1967.
• Red Corridor: The influence zone of LWE in India is called the Red corridor, which has been steadily declining in terms of geographical coverage and number of violent incidents.

Government’s initiatives

• As part of the goal to ensure all-round development in the affected areas, several special schemes were being implemented apart from the flagship programmes of the Central government.

1. SAMADHAN doctrine: It is the one-stop solution for the LWE problem. It encompasses the entire strategy of government from short-term policy to long-term policy formulated at different levels. SAMADHAN stands for-
2. ROSHNI : It is a special initiative under, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (Formerly Ajeevika Skills), launched in June 2013 for training and placement of rural poor youth from 27 LWE-affected districts in 09 States.
3. Intelligence sharing and raising of a separate 66 Indian Reserved Battalion(IRBs), CRPF battalions like COBRA battalion, Bastariya battalion etc were done by the government to curb the menace of LWE organizations.
4. Improvements in Road Connectivity and Mobile connectivity and opening of Banks, ATMs & Post offices
5. Eklavya Residential Model School: So far, 245 Eklavya schools had been sanctioned in 90 LWE-affected districts and 121 of them were now functional.

• Res earchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) have created an artificial structure/material that can make stealth vehicles and well as covert establishments less visible to a radar.
• This material can absorb a wide range of radar frequencies, irrespective of the direction from where signals hit the target. It can also be used to cover windows or glass panels of stealth vehicles and covert establishments that must be invisible to radars.
  • Being invisible to radars is a crucial defence strategy and the ability to evade radar detection can reduce chances of being targeted by enemy weapons.
• Any technology that makes things invisible to radars can also be used in the commercial sector to reduce radiation leakages from buildings and make them more secure. For example, invisibility to radar can also be used in private or covert establishments for privacy.
• The material has been developed using the technology based on frequency selective surface (FSS) that absorbs a wide range of frequencies used in radars, which makes surface invisible to radars.

• As many as seven species of vulture are facing the threat of extinction in the state due to poisoning by diclofenac.
• Diclofenac has been banned for veterinary use since 2006, but there is no move to ban other such salts like aceclofenac and ketoprofen as of now.
• As per the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) findings in 2013, there were seven types of vulture that were facing threat to their lives, owing to poisoning by diclofenac.
• Among these, three species have been categorised as near-threatened, which are close to being at the high risk of becoming extinct. They comprise bearded Himalayan griffon , Bearded vulture and cinereous vultures.
• Another specie named Egyptian vulture is endangered and faces the risk of being extinct.
• Three others – white-rumped, slender-billed and red-headed — are critically endangered as they face extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
• Diclofenac was toxic even in small doses to the vultures. “It causes kidney failure and leads to the accumulation of uric acid in the bird’s blood and crystallising around their organs. The vultures are exposed to the drug when they consume the carcasses that are treated with diclofenac shortly before the animal’s death. They die within days of consuming it.
• The drug is also used by humans for treating aches and pains as well as problems with joints, muscles and bones.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has launched a Vulture Action Plan 2020-25. It aims to step up conservation measures. It is supposed to set up a mechanism to ensure that toxic drugs other than diclofenac are also banned for veterinary use.

• Under the scheme, the senior citizens will be taken on a spiritual tour free of cost. They will be taken to pilgri mage sites that are located outside the state. One or two pilgrimage sites will be visited by them. The scheme is funded by the Government of Madhya Pradesh.
• The scheme is applicable only to senior citizens, that is, persons of age 60 years
• For women, two years of age concession is provided
• The scheme is to be implemented with the help of IRCTC.
• During the travel, the tourists will be provided with food, accommodation, bus travel cost, drinking water, etc. meaning all the expenses will be borne by the State Government.

Eligibility

• Only the MP state people shall apply for the scheme.
• He or she applying to the scheme should not be an income taxpayer.
• Physical and mental fitness certificates are essential to apply for the scheme. The applicants should not be suffering from diseases like TB, obstructive respiratory diseases, mental illness, etc.

• The Rajasthan state Forest Department has proposed to construct a zoo inside Keoladeo National Park, a World Heritage Site popularly known as Bharatpur bird sanctuary, to display a range of wetland species, including rhinos, water buffaloes, crocs, dolphins and exotic species.
• As per the the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the Rajasthan Forestry and Biodiversity Development Project (RFBDP)purpose of this zoo, called Wetland ex-situ Conservation Establishment (WESCE), is “to rejuvenate the bio-diversity of Keoladeo National Park, thereby boosting its outstanding universal values.”
• The Rs 15-crore WESCE plan for Bharatpur is part of the ambitious RFBDP for which Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the overseas development arm of the French government, has agreed to fund up to Rs 1,200 crore over eight years.
• According to the DPR, several facilities are planned inside Keoladeo national park. These include:
  • a breeding and re-introduction centre for locally extinct species, such as otters, fishing cats, blackbucks, hog deer, etc, “with collateral provision as exhibits for tourists”;
  • an aquarium for indigenous species like Gangetic Dolphin, crocodiles;
  • enclosures for the display of large wetland species like Indian Rhino, Water Buffalo, Barasingha (swamp deer); an aviary, a reptile house and a veterinary care facility; and
  • an integrated administrative block, tourist facilities, and residential quarters for Park manager, field staff and families.

Keoladeo National Park

• It is a Ramsar as well as a World Heritage Site.
• Due to its strategic location in the middle of Central Asian migratory flyway and presence of water, large congregations of ducks, geese, coots, pelicans and waders arrive in the winter.
• Wetlands of Keoladeo are not natural, they are dependent on monsoon and on water pumped in from outside.
• Fauna and Flora: Some 364 species of birds, including rare Siberian crane.

• India’s First Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine (H2-ICE) powered truck was developed by Reliance in partnership with Ashok Leyland. The H2-ICE truck is the first of its kind in India to be powered by hydrogen. the truck emits zero carbon. It is completely clean.
• TO harness energy from hydrogen, there are two technologies: hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and hydrogen internal combustion engines (H2ICE).
• FCEVs generate electricity from hydrogen in a device known as a fuel cell that is used to power the electric motor, whereas H2ICE burn hydrogen in an internal combustion engine.

Recent technology trends

• Most of these OEMs are modifying their existing conventional spark-ignition engines to develop H2ICEs.
• This is because a four-stroke H2ICE operates on the same cycle as regular natural gas engine and shares most of the components.
• H2ICE, however, requires minimum changes to the fuel injection and ignition systems along with different controls to handle high pressure hydrogen fuel and the corresponding light changes to the cylinder head.
• With higher part-sharing and a known technical arena, R&D costs required to develop H2ICE from a base spark-ignition engine are much lower than the cost of FCEV development.
• Also, with these engines being manufactured in the same production facilities and following the same manufacturing processes as conventional fossil-fuel ICE, with limited changes, economies of scale could be achieved faster. Moreover, the existing and established ICE supply chain can be leveraged efficiently.

Challenges

• An area where additional investment would be needed is that H2ICE require a storage tank similar to FCEVs.

FCEV

• In comparison to H2ICE, fuel cell technology is very cost-intensive.
• Operationally, it requires pure hydrogen and a high specification compressor to supply compressed air.
• Intricate designs of critical components such as bipolar plates, membranes, etc, add to the cost.
• Also, new development and testing methods are required to validate the technology.

A promising future

• H2ICE will require minimum incremental changes to the conventional powertrain and vehicle architecture, which makes it a logical option, especially for cost-conscious markets such as India, Southeast Asia, Africa, etc.
• It can also potentially open up new opportunities such as retrofitting of the current on-road ICE commercial vehicle fleet, long distance intercity buses, etc.
• The fuel cell technology is more expensive, but both technologies (fuel cell and H2ICE) share the same infrastructure. Therefore, development of any one technology will consequently help the development of the other. Overall, H2ICE offers an immediately viable powertrain option for decarbonisation in the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle application in India.
• It can be a bridging technology to remain cost-competitive till the fuel cell technology is commercialised while propelling the development of the hydrogen infrastructure.

• Bengaluru-based composer Ricky Kej won a Grammy for Best Immersive Audio Album for his most recent album Divine Tides with rock-legend Stewart Copeland (The Police), making him the only Indian to win three Grammy awards.
• He won his first Grammy in 2015 in the Best New Age Album category for ‘Winds of Samsara’. The project had debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard New Age Albums Chart –a first for any person of Indian origin. 
• In 2022, Kej won asecond Grammy under the same category for his collaborative work with Copeland.

Grammy Awards

• Popularly known as Grammy Award, it is originally named Gramophone Award, presented annually in the United States by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS; commonly called the Recording Academy) to honour artistes in the music industry for their exceptional work in a year.
• It was started in 1959to respect the performers for the year 1958. Once it was made, the committee decided to call it Grammy as a tribute to Emile Berliner’s gramophone.

Categories

• The “General Field”are four awards that are not restricted by genre:
  • Album of the Year
  • Record of the Year
  • Song of the Year
  • Best New Artist
• Winners are selected from more than25 fields, which cover such genres as pop, rock, rap, R&B, country, reggae, classical, gospel, and jazz, as well as production and postproduction work, including packaging and album notes. The honorees receive a golden statuette of a gramophone.

• The recent data presented by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) revealed that the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) is currently functioning with less than 50% of its sanctioned strength.

National Commission for Schedule Tribes

• NCST was set up in 2004 by amending Article 338 and by inserting a new article 338A in the Constitution through the 89th Constitution Amendment Act, 2003. Hence, it is a constitutional body.
  • By this amendment, the erstwhile National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was replaced by two separate Commissions i.e the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), and the National Comission for Schedule Tribes (NCST).
• Article 338A inter-alia gives powers to the NCST to oversee the implementation of various safeguards provided to Scheduled Tribes (STs) under the Constitution or under any other law for time being in force or under any other order to the Government and to evaluate the working of such safeguards.
• It consists of a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson and 3 other Members, appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal. At least one member should be a woman.
• Tenure-The Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson and the other Members hold office for a term of 3 years.
• The Chairperson has been given the rank of Union Cabinet Minister, the Vice Chairperson has the rank of a Minister of State and other Members have the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.
• Reappointment -The members are not eligible for appointments for more than two terms.

Duties and Functions of the NCST

• To investigate and monitor all matters relating to the safeguards provided for the STs under the Constitution or under any other law for the time being in force or under any order of the Government.
• To inquire into specific complaints with respect to the deprivation of rights and safeguards of the STs.
• To participate and advise in the planning process of the socio-economic development of the STs and to evaluate the progress of their development.
• The Commission shall provide reports on the operation of those safeguards to the President annually and as necessary.
• To make in such reports recommendations as to the measures that should be taken by the Union or any State for effective implementation of those safeguards.
• The President, subject to the provisions of any law made by Parliament, may, by rule, discharge any other functions relating to the protection, welfare, development, and advancement of the STs.

Constitutional Provisions:

• Article 366(25) provides a process to define STs: “STs means such tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within such tribes or tribal communities as are deemed under Article 342 to be Scheduled Tribes for the purposes of this Constitution.”
• Article 342(1): The President with respect to any State/UT (after consultation with the Governor in case of state) may specify the tribes/tribal communities/part of or groups within tribes/ tribal communities as a Scheduled Tribe in that State/UT.
• Fifth Schedule: It lays out provisions for the Administration and Control of Scheduled Areas and STs in states other than 6th Schedule States.
• Sixth Schedule: Deals with the administration of the tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
• Statutory Provisions-
  • Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 against Untouchability.
  • Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
  • Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996.
  • Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.