General Studies Paper 3

• Context: The target of having 500 GW of non-fossil generating capacity by 2030 may look impressive. But, it may prove to be elusive unless we can enhance our storage capacity.

Why is storage not a prominent challenge for the energy sector in current times?

• India has more than 200 GW of coal-based capacity. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission recognises 55% as the technical minimum. It means that a 1,000 MW plant can run at 550 MW.
• The additional operating cost for running the plant at 55% capacity is allowed by the CERC as legitimate expenditure.

Why is there a need for a focus on storage capacity in the future?

• When India’s renewable capacity goes up further, some of the coal-based units would generate at the technical minimum and the extra renewable energy would be used to charge the batteries.
• This stored energy could be used to supply electricity during the non-solar hours, especially when the coal-based generating units would be phased out gradually.
• Some minimum coal-based generation would be required for meeting a part of the base load.

What are storage options for India and hurdles faced by storage options?

• These options are hydrogen-based storage, lithium-ion batteries and pump storage plants.
• Hydrogen storage is feasible for long-term storage. One can use this stored energy, for example, in situations when coal mining goes down or when hydro generation depletes due to low reservoir levels.
• For day-to-day storage, batteries are still the ideal source. Though the cost of batteries has declined by about 80% over the last decade, it is still quite expensive. Moreover, the pace of decline in the cost of batteries has reached a plateau.
• Pump storage plants, India has a total capacity of about 4.7 GW but only 3.3 GW is functional. A survey of the CEA estimated a pump storage potential of about 100 GW.
• Pump storage plants have not really grown in India due to several factors, including high investment costs, long gestation periods, non-remunerative pricing models and lack of adequate sites having the topography that is required for operating a pump storage plant.

What will be other challenges for the renewable energy sector in India?

• The financial condition of our distribution companies will be another hindrance. The additional solar and wind capacity has to come from the private sector.
• No developer will invest unless there is some credible payment security mechanism.
• Problems with land acquisition, and securing the right of way for laying down transmission lines will also continue to hinder progress.

General Studies Paper 1

• Context: Over the past week, maximum temperatures have been 5-11 degrees C higher than normal inmost parts of northern and western India.

Reasons for abnormal heat:

• According to the IMD, an anticyclonic formation over south Gujarat is one of the main reasons for the warming on the west coast.
• Around Maharashtra and Goa, a weaker-than-usual sea breeze along the Konkan coast was aggravating the effects of the
• This year is widely expected to be a little hotter than the previous two years, mainly because of the expected end of the strongest-ever La Niña

What are heat domes?

• A heat dome is a meteorological phenomenon that occurs when a high-pressure system traps hot air in a region, causing temperatures to rise and creating a dome of hot air. This dome of hot air can persist for several days or weeks, leading to prolonged periods of extreme heat and heat waves.
  

Effects of Heat Dome:

• They are dangerous for human health,especially for vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, and those with preexisting health conditions.
• Impacts food production
• Increasing wildfires.
• Lead to droughts and other environmental impacts
• Increased energy demand and strain on the power grid due to increased use of air conditioning.

What can be done?

• Staying hydrated, avoiding outdoor activities during the hottest parts of the day, and providing cooling centres for vulnerable populations.
• Governments and policymakers can also take steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change to prevent the frequency and intensity of heat domes from increasing further.

General Studies Paper 2

• Context: Over three years after the present Lok Sabha first met, the position of Deputy Speaker still remains vacant.

Presiding officers of Lok Sabha

• Speaker & Deputy Speaker:
  • There are two presiding officers for the Lok Sabha, namely the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, who are elected by the members of the House.
• Constitutional provisions:
  • Under Article 93 of the Constitution, as soon as the House meets after the election these two presiding officers are elected one after the other.
    • Article 178contains the corresponding position for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of a state.
  • Officers of Parliament:
    • The Speaker and the Deputy Speaker are described in the Constitution as officers of Parliament, which signifies their importance in the parliamentary system.

About the Deputy Speaker 

• Origin:

• The history of the office of Deputy Speaker goes back to the government of India Act of 1919 when he was called Deputy President as the Speaker was known as the president of the central legislative assembly.
• Functions:

• • Although the main functions of a Deputy Speaker were to preside over the sittings of the assembly in the absence of the Speaker and chair the select committees etc., the position was considered necessary to share the responsibility of running the House with the Speaker and guide the nascent committees.

• Post independence:
  • This tradition was continued after Independence, when a Deputy Speaker was elected to the chair, besides the Speaker, the meetings of the Constituent Assembly (Legislative).
    • The first Speaker was G V Mavalankar and the first Deputy Speaker was M Ananthasayanam Ayyangar who was elected by the Constituent Assembly (Legislative)
  • Thereafter, every Lok Sabha had a Deputy Speaker who would be elected after a few days of the election of the Speaker.
• Who can be chosen as a deputy speaker?
  • Choosing an Opposition member as the Deputy Speaker has been, by and large, followed as a healthy convention.
  • But if a government does not favour an Opposition member for political reasons, it is free to choose a member from its own party.
• Election of deputy speaker:
  • President is not required to fix the election date:
    • The date of election of the Speaker is decided by the President who needs to go by the advice of the Union cabinet which, in fact, chooses the date.
    • In the case of the Deputy Speaker, there is no constitutional requirement for him to wait for the advice of the Union cabinet in fixing the date of election of the Deputy Speaker.
  • Mandate to Speaker:
    • As per Rule 8 of the Rules and Procedure of Lok Sabha it is the Speaker who has to fix the date of the election of the Deputy Speaker.
    • Once the date is fixed, any member can propose the name of any other member through a motion for the consideration of the House. The House can then proceed to elect its Deputy Speaker.
    • The practice followed so far has been to elect the Speaker after the oath-taking.
    • Motion:
      • The Deputy Speaker is elected once a motion proposing his name is carried in the House.
      • Thereafter, within a few days, the Deputy Speaker is also elected. Once elected, the Deputy Speaker usually continues in office for the entire duration of the House.
    • Independent from Speaker:
      • The Deputy Speaker is independent of the Speaker, not subordinate to him, as both are elected from among the members of the House.
    • Powers & Functions:
      • Article 95(1) says “While the office of Speaker is vacant, the duties of the office shall be performed by the Deputy Speaker”.
        • In general, the Deputy Speaker has the same powers as the Speaker when presiding over a sitting of the House.
        • All references to the Speaker in the Rules are deemed to be references to the Deputy Speaker when he presides.
      • No appeal:
        • Although the Deputy Speaker gets to exercise these powers only in the absence of the Speaker his decisions are final and binding when he gives a ruling.
        • It has been repeatedly held that no appeal lies to the Speaker against a ruling given by the Deputy Speaker.
      • Presiding committees:
        • In addition to presiding over the House in the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker chaired committees both inside and outside of Parliament.
      • Significance of the position:
        • The Deputy Speaker ensures the continuity of the Speaker’s office by acting as the Speaker when the office becomes vacant:
          • Illness, or
          • by death, or
          • because of resignation or
          • any other reason.
        • When the Speaker’s post falls vacant, it is the Deputy Speaker who assumes all the powers of the Speaker and exercises both legislative powers and administrative powers

Issue of non-election

• Lok Sabha:
  • In the present Lok Sabha, the House has not elected a Deputy Speaker even after three years and seven months of its term are over.
  • The non-election of the Deputy Speaker has now reached the Supreme Court, which has reportedly sent notice to the Union government.
• State Assemblies:
  • The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Centre and five states — Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand — over the failure to elect a Deputy Speaker.
• Centre’s position:
  • The Treasury benches have maintained there is no “immediate requirement” for a Deputy Speaker as “bills are being passed and discussions are being held” as normal in the House.
  • A Minister argued that “there is a panel of nine members — senior, experienced and selected from different parties — who can act as chairpersons to assist the Speaker to run the House”.
• Judiciary’s intervention:
  • Courts usually don’t intervene in the procedural conduct of Parliament. Article 122(1) says:
    • “The validity of any proceedings in Parliament shall not be called in question on the ground of any alleged irregularity of procedure.”
  • However, experts said that the courts do have jurisdiction to at least inquire into why there has been no election to the post of Deputy Speaker since the Constitution does envisage an election “as soon as may be”.

Way ahead

• Article 93contains a mandatory provision that needs to be carried out by the House.
• In the present circumstances, the post of Deputy Speaker is desirable to maintain neutrality and smooth functioning of the Parliament.

General Studies Paper 3

• Context: Union Budget 2023 mentioned“Green Growth” as one of the seven priorities or Saptarishis.

About Biodiversity

• Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth.  Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic, species, and ecosystem levels.
• Identified species:
  • The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)states that only about 1.75 million species have so far been identified, including numerous insects, while there may be some 13 million species.
• Significance:
  • Interaction, coexistence & codependence:
    • Sum and variation of our biological wealth, known as biodiversity, is essential to the future of this planet.
    • Often called the web of life, biodiversity signifies the variety of species on earth, which are all connected and sustain the balance of ecosystems, enabling humans to coexist. 
      • They interact with the environment to perform a host of functions.
    • Ecosystem services:
      • Some familiar ecosystem services rendered by diverse living forms, of which plants and animals are the most visible, include
        • Providing humans with food, fuel, fibre, shelter, building materials, air and water purification, stabilisation of climate, pollination of plants including those used in agriculture, and moderating the effects of flood, drought, extreme temperatures and wind.
      • A disruption of these produces severe impacts such as failed agriculture, aberrant climate patterns and cascading losses of species that accelerate the degradation of earth.

Threats to biodiversity 

• Biodiversity loss continues to be largely invisible despite its victims being extremely visible.
  • Extinction:
    • Based on current trends, the UN reckons, an estimated 34,000 plant and 5,200 animal species, including one in eight of the world’s bird species, face extinction.
    • About 30% of breeds of main farm animal species are currently at high risk of extinction.
  • Deforestation:
    • Forests are home to much of the known terrestrial biodiversity, but about 45% of the earth’s original forests are gone, cleared mostly during the past century.
  • Causes:
    • The core threat to biodiversity on the planet is the combination of
      • Human population growth and
      • The resources used by that population.
        • The human population requires resources to survive and grow, and many of those resources are being removed unsustainably from the environment.
      • The five main threats to biodiversity are
        • habitat loss,
        • pollution,
        • overexploitation,
        • invasive species, and
        • climate change.
      • Increased mobility and trade have resulted in the introduction of invasive species while the other threats are direct results of human population growth and resource use.

Biodiversity in India & priority for “Green Growth”

• Biodiversity:
  • India currently hosts 17% of the planet’s human population and 17% of the global area in biodiversity hotspots, placing it at the helm to guide the planet in becoming biodiversity champions.
• India’s initiative towards “Green Growth”:
  • The emphasis on green growth is welcome news for India’s biological wealth as the country is facing serious losses of natural assets such as soils, land, water, and biodiversity.
  • The National Mission for a Green India:
    • The National Mission for a Green India aims to increase forest cover on degraded lands and protect existing forested lands.
  • The Green Credit Programme:
    • The Green Credit Programme has the objective to “incentivize environmentally sustainable and responsive actions by companies, individuals and local bodies”.
  • MISHTI:
    • The Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) is particularly significant because of the extraordinary importance of mangroves and coastal ecosystems in mitigating climate change.
  • PM-PRANAM:
    • The Prime Minister Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth (PM-PRANAM) for reducing inputs of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides is critical for sustaining our agriculture.
  • Amrit Dharohar scheme:
    • The Amrit Dharohar scheme directly mentions our biological wealth and is expected to “encourage optimal use of wetlands, and enhance biodiversity, carbon stock, eco-tourism opportunities and income generation for local communities”.
      • If implemented in letter and spirit, Amrit Dharohar, with its emphasis on sustainability by balancing competing demands, will benefit aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Suggestions

• Implementation & monitoring:
  • It is critical that these programmes respond to the current state of the country’s biodiversity with evidence-based implementation.
  • A science-based and inclusive monitoring programme is critical not only for the success of these efforts but also for documentation and global learning.
• Utilising modern concepts of sustainability:
  • New missions and programmes should effectively use modern concepts of sustainability and valuation of ecosystems that consider ecological, cultural, and sociological aspects of our biological wealth.
• Wetland ecosystems:
  • The future of our wetland ecosystems will depend on how we are able to sustain ecological flows through the reduction in water use in key sectors such as agriculture
  • There is a need for investments in water recycling in urban areas using a combination of grey and blue-green infrastructure.
• Focus on ecological restoration:
  • As far as the Green India Mission is concerned, the implementation should focus on ecological restoration rather than tree plantation
  • Choosig sites where it can contribute to ecological connectivity in landscapes fragmented by linear infrastructure is also required.
• Mangrove initiative:
  • Site selection should also be carefully considered for the mangrove initiative with a greater emphasis on the diversity of mangrove species with retention of the integrity of coastal mud flats and salt pans themselves, as they too are important for biodiversity.

Way ahead

• These efforts must be inclusive of local and nomadic communities where these initiatives will be implemented.
  • Traditional knowledge and practices of these communities should be integrated into the implementation plans.
• Each of these programmes has the potential to greatly improve the state of our nation’s biodiversity if their implementation is based on the latest scientific and ecological knowledge.
• As a consequence, each programme should include significant educational and research funding to critically appraise and bring awareness to India’s biological wealth.

General Studies Paper 2

• Context: The Russian President announced to suspension of its participation in the last remaining major military agreement with the US –New START.
• The original Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty/START-I was signed between the US and the erstwhile USSR in 1991and came into force in 1994.
• START-I,which capped the number of nuclear warheads (to 6,000) and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs to 1,600), lapsed in 2009.
• This was replaced first by the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT)/the Treaty of Moscow and then by the New START treaty.

What is the New START?

• Officially, the Treaty between the USA and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, entered into force on February 5,
• It placed new verifiable limits (to be met by 2018)on intercontinental-range nuclear weapons. For example, 700 deployed ICBMs, deployed SLBMs (submarine-launched) and deployed heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments, etc.
• The US and Russian Federation subsequently agreed to extend the treaty through February 4, 2026.
• How is compliance with the treaty ensured?The two parties have conducted on-site inspections, exchanged notifications, held meetings with the Bilateral Consultative Commission, and held data exchanges.

What is the latest situation on compliance?

• US: Russia was not complying with the New START, jeopardising a source of stability in their relationship.
• Russia:The USA’s goal is Russia’s strategic defeat, and for Russia the “theatre of the absurd” (the idea of existentialism) is important.

Conclusion:

• Over the decades, the two sides signed various arms control agreements, imposing breaks on the nuclear arms race – an alarming feature of the Cold War competition.
• However, deep fissures in their relationship and the suspension of almost all the treaties in recent years, have once again raised the risk of a nuclear arms race

General Studies Paper 1

• Context: The La Niña itself is going on for a record-breaking third consecutive year; forecasts for 2023 are predicting that El Niño  will occur with more than a 50% probability.

About El Niño and La Niña:

• El Niño refers to a band of warmer water spreading from west to east in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Similarly, a La Niña occurs when the band of water spreads east-west and is cooler.
• Both phenomena affect the weather worldwide and can have drastic effects on economies that depend on rainfall.
• Together, El Niño and La Niña make up a cyclical process called the El Niño Southern Oscillation (or ENSO).

Issues in predicting El Niño:

• El Niño forecasts before spring tend to be notoriously unreliable due to a so-called ‘spring predictability barrier’. 
• The tropical Pacific Ocean soaks up heat like a sponge and builds up its volume of warm water. During El Niño, this warm water spills from the western part of the Pacific Ocean to the eastern part.
• But the earth has had three straight La Niña years, which means the Pacific’s warm-water volume is fully loaded and is likely to birth an El Niño soon.

Effects on the northern Indian Ocean:

• It tends to produce the largest deficit in the monsoon, approximately15%.
• The vertical shear (change in the intensity of winds from the surface to the upper atmosphere) tends to be weaker as well. This in turn can favour enhanced cyclogenesis, i.e. cyclone formation.

General Studies Paper 2

• Context: Recently, there were allegations of sexual harassment against higher authorities by some women sportspersons.

What are the reasons behind sexual harassment of women at workplace?

• Sexual harassment at the workplace, is both direct and structural. The enabling environment for reporting direct violence has shown a gradual improvement.
• But, indirect violence remains poorly addressed. It is embedded deep in our social and economic structures. It is more visible in the employment imbalance prevalent between men and women.
• More men at the workplace feel entitled to take undue advantage of the historical fact that the society is still patriarchal and women occupy a few of the higher positions.
• The number of women in leadership positions is not enough to generate confidence in the female subordinates. Women in lower positions feel reluctant to air their grievances.
• The Periodic Labour Force Survey for 2020-21shows that the participation of women in the total labour force was 25.1% in 2020-21. It is still much less when compared to men.
• There is absence of an enabling and safe working environment. Most women do not complain of sexual harassment. The current redress mechanism is either non-existent or ineffective.
• Women are more vulnerable to exploitation by their employer due to the fear of job insecurity. Which makes them vulnerable to sexual favour by employers.
• Whenever allegations of sexual harassment are levelled against superior authorities, the enquiry is not done properly. Instead, an accused either resorts to multiple litigation to stall the due process or attempts to bring disrepute to the victim.

Way forward:

• It is the responsibility of the employer to provide a safe work environment.
• Theshort-term goals may include providing the requisite women-friendly infrastructure, the
• constitution of internal complaint committees, and the spreading of awareness about the law and procedure of grievance redress.
• Medium-term goals may include the increase of female participation in the labour force,
• improvement of tooth-to-tail ratio, and providing incentives to prevent drop-outs such as paid maternity leave.
• In the long-run,it is essential to address the deep-rooted structural and cultural violence against women.
• There is a need to develop the mindset of treating men and women as equals at an early stage of character formation during childhood. Parents should respect each other and treat their girl and boy child on a par in all respects.

General Studies Paper 3

• Context: Recently, there are large cracks appearing on the Badrinath highway. From Joshimath, to the river city of Karanprayag, to the eastern edges of Himachal, the disturbing shifts and slides of the ground pose big questions for the protection of the Himalayan ecosystem.

WHAT IS THE PRESENT STATE OF ECOLOGICAL DAMAGE IN INDIA?

• The past century has seen the disappearance of almost a third of the country’s forest cover; many tree, plant and insect species are extinct or headed in that direction.
• Millions of hectares of grassland and sanctuaries are encroached upon by either the local population or excessive tourism and commerce. For example, Mumbai’s mangroves and Deodar forests all across Himachal was destroyed for making roads  and apartment blocks respectively.
• Moreover, forests are cleared regularly for industrial parks, mining, commercial plantations and grazing. Further, the tree cover of 10 million hectares is destroyed every year.
• There is no institutional policy or active manpower push to contain the destruction and reverse ecological damage.
• The damage inflicted is so pervasive and complete, in many cases, it is irreversible and may take many decades to repair.

What are the major reasons for ecological damage in India?

• This is due to two environmentally destructive strategies, excess and instant gratification. For example, the fragile ecology of the Garhwal Himalayas is under tremendous stress due to
• a)Hydroelectric projects, increased traffic and construction activities which led to a breach in the carrying capacity of the Uttarakhand hills,
• b) Constructing a four-lane highway in the Himalayan region. Though four-lane highways seem like a major advance, such a development strategy is neither economically sound nor ecologically tenable.

How do other countries conserve ecology?

• Bhutan’s ‘high value, low volume’ tourism strategy: The country charges foreign tourists a sustainable development feeof around $200 per person per night. Indian visitors also have to pay Rs 1,200 per day.
• Central and South American countries:
• Costa Rica’s Blue Flag Ecology Programme:The country accounts for 4% of the world’s biodiversity and relies on tourism for 10.3% of its GDP. A strict set of environmental criteria is laid down under the programme. Under it, all local stakeholders in the tourism industry work together to attain the coveted Blue Flag tag.
• Chile: The tourism industry is allowed to operate only in sustainable ways within protected areas. Tourism stakeholders are then held accountable for any breaches in these agreements.

What should be done to protect the Himalayan ecosystem?

• Cap pilgrimage count: Many countries around the globe cap pilgrim and tourist numbers. Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district administration has indicated there may be a cap on pilgrims. The government should implement this without hesitation.
• Greening of the denuded sections of the landscape: This includes replanting along with multiple ecological plans to encourage bees, butterflies and birds, besides a wider variety of regional plants and trees.
• Focus on all species: A calibrated study of varied animal and insect species is required to create a balanced ecosystem within forests.
• In forest and rural areas, hyenas, wild hens, boar, foxes, deer, wolves and other animal species need to be nurtured; they have been grossly neglected, due to excessive focus on tigers, lions and cheetahs.
• Promote deliberate underdevelopment in ecologically-sensitive regions: The rewilding of India must be closely tied to de-populating certain overburdened areas of the country.  But that should be accompanied by a clear policy on areas available for tourism, limited tourism, and no-go areas.
• Find middle ground: India, wild like remote Africa, or India overbuilt like Las Vegas, it will take some serious steps to find a middle ground.

General Studies Paper 2

• Context: Recently, Union Finance Minister made it clear that the Centre will not consider demands for “special category status” for any state as the 14^th Finance commission has clearly said no special status can be given.
• This comes as a blow to states like Odisha, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh which have been pushing for it for some years now.

What is Special Category Status (SCS)?

• SCS is a classification given by the Centre to assist development of states that face geographical and socio-economic disadvantages.
• Constitution does not make a provision for SCS and this classification was later done on the recommendations of the Fifth Finance Commission in 1969.
• Status was first accorded to Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Nagaland in 1969.
• SCS for plan assistance was granted in the past by the National Development Council of the erstwhile Planning Commission.
• Eleven States including Assam, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Uttarakhand and Telangana have been accorded the special category state status.
  • Telangana, the newest State of India, was accorded the status as it was carved out of another state Andhra Pradesh.
• The 14^thFinance Commission has done away with the ‘special category status‘ for states, except for the Northeastern and three hill states.
  • It suggested to fill the resource gap of such states through tax devolution by increasing it to 42% from 32%.
• SCS is different from Special status which imparts enhanced legislative and political rights, while SCS deals with only economic and financial aspects.
  • For instance, J&K used to have Special status before Article 370 was repealed.
• Parameters (Based on Gadgil Formula):
  • Hilly Terrain;
  • Low Population Density and/or Sizeable Share of Tribal Population;
  • Strategic Location along Borders with Neighbouring Countries;
  • Economic and Infrastructure Backwardness; and
  • Nonviable Nature of State finances.

What are the Benefits of Special Category Status?

• The Centre pays 90% of the funds required in a centrally-sponsored scheme to special category status states as against 60% or 75% in case of other states, while the remaining funds are provided by the state governments.
• Unspent money in a financial year does not lapse and is carried forward.
• Significant concessions are provided to these states in excise and customs duties, income tax and corporate tax.
• 30% of the Centre’s Gross Budget goes to Special Category states.

What are the Concerns regarding Special Category Status?

• It causes Increased burden on Central Finances.
• Also, giving special status to a state leads to demands from other states too. For instance, demands from Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Bihar.

Conclusion

• As suggested by 14^thFinance commission, tax devolution to states has been increased to 42% and the same has been continued by 15th FC (41%)  too to fill the resource gap without extending SCS.

General Studies Paper 3

• Context: Since its release, ChatGPT has received a lot of attention. While, the users are marvelling at its ‘human-like’ responses, technology experts are debating the potential applications and concerns associated with Generative AI (Artificial IntellIgence). Generative AI has the potential to revolutionise almost every field of human activity. However, the possibility of misuse of the technology and loss of skilled and semi-skilled jobs has prompted calls for more cautious approach in the development of the Generative AI.

WHAT IS GENERATIVE AI?

• Generative AI uses Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning algorithms to enable machines to generate new content (machine generated). Systems use previously created content, such as text, audio, video, images, and code. The term ‘Generative’ refers to the ability of the models to learn how to create new data rather than simply recognising it. For example, a generative model may learn how to generate images that resemble faces given a set of parameters (such as the eyes, hair, or skin colour etc.). The content (text, image etc.) generated by AI is so ‘authentic’, that it is difficult to distinguish whether the content has been generated by human or computer.

APPLICATIONS OF GENERATIVE AI:

• The applications of Generative AI are wide and still evolving.
• Motion Picture Industry: Applications of Generative Artificial Intelligence in the movie industry is wide. It can utilized to alter the background/landscape according to the need (rather than wait for required conditions to exist e.g., a movie scene requiring cloudy weather can be shot under any weather conditions, and the background can be altered later on using AI). Images or videos of Actors at various ages are also possible with Generative AI technology. By using face synthesis and voice cloning, artist’s/actor’s original voice can be matched with a lip-sync. This will also help in archiving artefacts after restoration for future references.
• Search Engine Services: Generative Artificial Intelligence has the capability to take search engine services to the next level, e.g., Text to Image translation may be utilized to provide search results. It can also be used to produce realistic photographs from textual descriptions of objects like birds and flowers.
• Security Services: Generative Artificial Intelligence can create front-on photos from photos taken at different angles and vice versa for face verification or face identification systems. Such systems can be deployed at airports, international border check-points etc.
• Healthcare: Semantic-Image-to-Photo Translation can convert inputs that are semantic images or sketches to photo-realistic images e.g., if X-ray or any CT scan images can be converted to real images, diagnosis can be much more accurate.
• Advertising: Generative AI can create new advertisements based on existing ones, making it easier for companies to reach new audiences.
• Location Services: This involves converting satellite images to map views. This can be a huge step towards venturing into unexplored geographic locations.
• The possible applications of Generative AI are still being explored and can expand considerably as the technology evolves further. It can expand to fields like education, content creation, banking among others.

BENEFITS OF GENERATIVE AI:

• Increased efficiency: generative artificial intelligence can be used to automate tasks that would otherwise require manual Labor. This can help businesses save time and money, as well as increase efficiency e.g., it can be used to generate images and videos quickly and accurately, which can be used in marketing campaigns or other projects.
• Improved Quality: Generative Artificial Intelligence can help improve the quality of content generated. It can be used to create high-quality images and videos that are more visually appealing than those created manually. Additionally, it can be used to generate text that is more accurate and relevant than text created by humans.
• Faster Results: Generative Artificial Intelligence can help businesses get results faster than they would with manual labor. It can create images and videos in a fraction of the time it would take a human to do the same task. This can help businesses get their projects done at a much faster rate.
• Cost Savings: By automating tasks, businesses can reduce their labor costs and save money. Additionally, it can help businesses reduce costs associated with creating content, such as images and videos.
• Improved Decision Making: By using Generative AI, businesses can generate data that can be used to make better decisions e.g., it can be used to generate data that can be used to make decisions about marketing campaigns or product development. Applications in the medical field can help in better diagnosis.
• Increased Creativity: Businesses can generate new ideas and concepts that can be used to create new products or services.
• Improved Customer Experience: Businesses can generate content that is more accurate and relevant to their customers. This can help businesses create a better customer experience and increase customer satisfaction.

CONCERNS ASSOCIATED WITH GENERATIVE AI:

• Accuracy: Despite the advancements, the Generative AI technology is not fool proof and produce erroneous content. The Machine Learning Algorithms depend on the quality of the input data. Erroneous or inaccurate data can generate inaccurate results.
• Increase Biases: Generative Artificial Intelligence systems can perpetuate and amplify existing biases. If the models are trained on biased, non-inclusive data, they will generate biased outputs, such as offensive or discriminatory language, demeaning and degrading imagery, and prejudicial content. A rights-group in the US pointed out the example of an AI-based generative imagery programme showing images of only white men for the prompt ‘CEO’.
• Malicious Purposes: Generative AI systems can create content for malicious purposes, such as deepfakes, disinformation, and propaganda. It can also generate offensive or inappropriate content. Nefarious actors may use AI-generated media to manipulate people and influence public opinion. It can be misused by enemy States, or non-State actors to destabilise domestic peace by spreading misinformation.
• Low Quality Output: It may also produce low-quality and less accurate information, specifically in the context of complex engineering and medical diagnosis.
• Concern over Data Privacy: Data privacy issues can arise from using generative AI in different industries, such as healthcare, since it involves collecting private information about individuals.
• Limitations in Creativity: AI uses past data as a template for future work. It means that the output produced by Generative AI is usually based on something that has already happened rather than anything genuinely creative. In short, AI systems lack creativity, originality and human ingenuity. AI Systems cannot generate new ideas by themselves, they can only make associations based on the data fed into them by humans.
• Issues Related to Copyright: It can be challenging to determine who is responsible for the content generated by a Generative AI system. The acquisition and consent model around the training data and intellectual property issues make it difficult to hold anyone accountable for any harm resulting from its use. In addition, there are concerns related to use of copyrighted content to train AI systems. The work derived from such content can have copyright implications. Getty Images has sued Stable Diffusion in the London High Court, accusing them of using its images illegally.
• Risk of Unemployment: Although it is too early to make certain judgements, there is a risk that generative AI could contribute to unemployment in certain fields. This could happen if generative AI automates tasks or processes previously performed by humans, leading to the displacement of human workers.
• Environmental Concerns: AI systems require a lot of computing power. This has implications for environments, in terms of energy consumed in operating AI systems. An analyst pointed out that training a transformer model just once with 213 million parameters can emit carbon emissions equivalent to 125 air-flights between New York and Beijing. GPT3 has 175 billion parameters, so its emissions would have been much larger.

WAY FORWARD:

• First, to address bias and fairness, researchers can use techniques such as de-biasing and fair representation learning, which can help to remove biases present in the training data.
• Second, Researchers can also use techniques such as counterfactual data generation, which can help to generate more diverse and representative training
• Third, there is need to add rigour and responsibility to developing AI technology, develop and enforce ethical guidelines, conduct regular audits for fairness, identify and address biases, and protect privacy and security.
• Fourth, there is need to add adequate policy, regulation, awareness, and education guardrails to develop and use Generative AI services ethically and responsibly. China has proposed a policy for the same. Some measures include requirement for the users of Generative AI to ensure that any doctored content using the technology is explicitly labelled and can be traced back to its source. The regulation also mandates people using the technology to edit someone’s image or voice, to notify and take the consent of the person in question.
• Fifth, Intellectual property law must find a way to protect artists from copies that erode the value of their original work, but at the same time encourage them to continue to be inspired by others. The US Copyright Office has already declared that AI generated art is not entitled to intellectual property protection as it lacks the ‘nexus between the human mind and creative expression’, which is necessary to invoke copyright protection.

CONCLUSION

• The Generative AI is a revolutionary technological development. However, as is the case with every new technology, it has several associated concerns. A pragmatic approach is necessary that can minimize the negative impacts of technology. A cooperation at a global level will be required to establish the norms and standards, as well as checking misuse of the technology that can transcend national boundaries.