Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Taking a major step to boost exports, Centre today further expanded the scope of RoDTEP Scheme (Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products) by including the exports made from the Chemical sector, Pharmaceuticals sector and exports of articles of iron & steel under chapters 28, 29, 30 and 73 of ITC(HS) schedule of items.

About RoDTEP Scheme

• Launched by: Ministry of Commerce & Industry
• The RoDTEP scheme is replacing the earlier Merchandise and Services Export Incentive Schemes (MEIS and SEIS) that were in violation of WTO norms.
• It aims to reimburse all the taxes/duties/levies being charged at the Central/State/Local level which are not currently refunded under any of the existing schemes but are incurred at the manufacturing and distribution process.
• The refund under the scheme shall not be available in respect of duties and taxes already exempted or remitted or credited.
• The scheme seeks to rebate sales tax, excise duty, electricity duty, stamp duty etc.
• The rebate will be in the form of a transferable duty credit/electronic scrip (e-scrip) that will be maintained in an electronic ledger by the Customs.

Key Features of the RoDTEP Scheme

• The scheme covers over 8,555 tariff products, accounting for about 75% of traded items and 65% of India’s exports.
• The tax refund rates will vary between 0.5% and 4.3% of the export value of goods.
• The lowest rate is offered on items like chocolates, toffees and sugar confectionery.
• Yarns and fibres have been granted the highest rate.
• The scheme covers sectors such as marine, agriculture, leather, gems and jewellery automobile, plastics, textiles, electronics among others.

Question: What are the key features of the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) Scheme? 

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

The Government of India has approved the Scheme for the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration, 2022. The Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration has been designed to acknowledge, recognize and reward exemplary work done by civil servants across the country. 

For the year 2022, the Scheme for Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration aims to recognize the contribution of civil servants in the following areas:

• Promoting Swachh Jal (Clean Jal) through Har Ghar Jal Yojana
• Promoting Swasth Bharat (Healthy Bharat) through Health & Wellness Centres
• Promoting quality education with an equitable and inclusive classroom environment through Samagra Shiksha.
• Holistic Development through Aspirational District Program – overall progress with special focus on saturation approach.
• Innovations.

National Civil Service Day

• 21st April is celebrated as the National Civil Service Day as it marks the anniversary (21st April 1947) of the historic address given by the country’s 1st home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to the newly appointed administrative services officers.
• During the Speech, Sardar Patel had referred to the newly-appointed civil servants as the “steel frame of India”.
• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is regarded as the ‘Father of all-India Services’.
• The country’s first National Civil Service Day event was organised on 21st April 2006 in New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan. Since then, this function has become an annual affair that celebrates the contributions of civil servants to the country’s development.
• On this day, Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration are awarded “to acknowledge, recognize and reward the extraordinary and innovative work done by Districts/ Organizations of the Central and State Governments”.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Last week, OpenAI, the company best known for Dall-E — the AI-based text-to-image generator — introduced a new chatbot called ChatGPT. ChatGPT is a ‘conversational’ AI and will answer queries just like a human would– well, at least that’s the promise and premise.

About ChatGPT:

• ChatGPT is a ‘conversational’ AI.
• It is based on the company’s GPT 3.5 series of language learning models (LLM).
• GPT stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3
• This is a kind of computer language model that relies on deep learning techniques to produce human-like text based on inputs.
• It has gone viral is because of the kind of responses it gives, being seen as a replacement for much of the daily mundane writing, from an email to even college-style essays.
• The model is trained to predict what will come next, and that’s why one can technically have a ‘conversation’ with ChatGPT.
• It is trained using “Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF).”
• OpenAI uses Microsoft Azure’s cloud infrastructure to run these models.
• Users have the option of downvoting or upvoting a response.

How to access

• Currently, it is open in beta to all users.
• One can go to the OpenAI website and sign up to try out ChatGPT by creating an account.
• The chatbot has already crossed one million users, and you might get a message that the beta is full.

Application

• It will answer queries just like a human would.
• Such as tips on how to set up a birthday party, write an essay on why parliamentary democracy is better, and even a fictional meeting between two well-known personalities.
• It can answer follow-up questions and can also admit its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests.
• It is being seen as a replacement for the basic emails, party planning lists, CVs, and even college essays and homework.
• It can also be used to write code, solve math equations, and even spot errors in code.
• It can write fiction but not at the level of a humans.

Limitations

• It may generate incorrect information, and create “biased”
• Its knowledge of the world and events after 2021 is limited
• It could give “plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical”
• It can sometimes overuse certain phrases
• The chatbot displayed clear racial and sexist biases
• The chatbot gives answers which are grammatically correct and read well– though some have pointed out that these lack context and substance, which is largely true.

About Open AI

• ChatGPT is a start-up of Open AI focused on artificial intelligence and its potential use cases.
• OpenAI’s notable investors include Microsoft, Khosla Ventures and Reid Hoffman’s charitable foundation. Greg Brockman is the company’s chairman and president, while Sam Altman is the CEO. Ilya Sutskever is Open AI’s chief scientist.
• The company is best known for Dall-E — the AI-based text-to-image generator

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Neuralink, the Elon Musk company that is the target of a federal investigation over its animal trial program, has been trying to develop a brain chip that would enable the paralyzed to walk and the blind to see.

NEURALINK

• Founded in 2016 by Musk and a group of engineers, Neuralink is building a brain chip interface that can be implanted within the skull, which it says could eventually help disabled patients to move and communicate again, and also restore vision.
• Neuralink’s device has a chip that processes and transmits neural signals that could be transmitted to devices like a computer or a phone.
• Neuralink also believes its device will eventually be able to restore neural activity inside the body, allowing those with spinal cord injuries to move limbs. 

Application

• The company hopes that a person would potentially be able to control a mouse, keyboard or other computer functions like text messaging with their thoughts.
• Neuralink also believes its device will eventually be able to restore neural activity inside the body, allowing those with spinal cord injuries to move limbs.
• The San Francisco and Austin-based company also aspires to cure neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The Delhi Police will soon move to a more efficient internal communication system, aimed at faster exchange of information and bigger networks.

• The force is set to design, install and supply the ‘Open Standard Digital Trunking Radio System’ (OS-DTRS) and will phase out the current tetranet wireless network services. 
• The project will cost close to Rs 100 crore.

About Trunking System

• The trunking system provides multiple channels and common groups for policemen. 
• This way, they are communicating with more personnel using fewer groups. 
• Groups are formed based on geographical area and function.
• It will also have a voice logger system, which can be used to describe a crime scene, interrogation details and evidence. 
• The logs are saved in the system.
• It is an internal communication system of Delhi Police
• It is more efficient and aims at faster exchange of information.
• The project’s master site will be at the Delhi Police HQ. Police are looking for private companies to run the system on 800 MHz frequency band and microwave links.
• There will be a tower that can withstand wind speeds of up to 160 kmph. 
• Around 15,000 concurrent radio sets will be made first and later expanded to 30,000 over time.
• The master site will have OS-DTRS control and switching equipment, a network management system, 90 IP-based logger systems, 50-inch or bigger LED monitors, an antenna system and maintenance systems.
• Equipment and services are expected to run for at least 10 years and fix network issues faced by personnel on the ground.
• The system should be equipped to support multi-channel operation for meeting current traffic requirements and should be expandable by 100% in future
• The system will have talk groups, in which members have the same functions/role, and each radio system will have a unique ID.

Question: What are the features Open Standard Digital Trunking Radio System’ (OS-DTRS) recently adopted the Delhi Police?  

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary met today and reviewed preparedness of Central Ministries/Agencies, and State/Union Territory Governments to review preparedness for the possible cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal.

About NCMC:

• Government of India had set up a Standing National Crisis Management Committee for effective implementation of relief measures in the wake of natural calamities.
• The committee is headed by Cabinet Secretary.It also includes Secretaries of Ministries / Departments and agencies with specific Disaster management responsibilities. 
• The key functions of the committee include (a)oversee the Command, Control and Coordination of the disaster response and (b)give direction to the Crisis Management Group(CMG) as deemed necessary. 

Composition

• Cabinet Secretary (Chairperson).
• Secretaries of Ministries / Departments and agencies with specific Disaster management responsibilities.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

The National Commission for Minorities today held a meeting with the Sikh Intelligentsia for inviting suggestions and advice to make the commemoration of the Veer Bal Diwas more meaningful.

• The Prime Minister had announced the 26th of December to be observed as Veer Bal Diwas to mark the martyrdom of Sahibzada Zorawar Singh Ji and Sahibzada Fateh Singh Ji. 
• They were martyred in Sirhind after being sealed alive in a wall on the 26th of December, 1704. Thereafter, the Central Government decided to commemorate the day as Veer Bal Diwas.

About National Commission of Minorities(NCM):

• National Commission for Minorities (NCM) is a statutory body set up in 1993 under the National Commission for Minorities(NCM) Act, 1992.
• Section 2 of the NCM Act stipulates that ‘Minority’ for the purposes of the Act means a community notified as such by the Central Government.
• Initially, five religious communities namely Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Zoroastrians(Parsis) were notified as minority communities. In 2014, Jains were also notified as another minority community.

Composition:

• The Commission consists of: Chairperson, Vice- Chairperson, and five Members.
• Hence, a total of 7 persons are to be nominated by the Central Government from amongst persons of eminence, ability, and integrity.
• Each Member holds office for a period of three years from the date of assumption of office.

Functions of NCM:

• Evaluate the progress of the development of minorities under the Union and States;
• Monitor the working of the safeguards provided in the Constitution and in laws enacted by Parliament and the State Legislatures;
• Make recommendations for the effective implementation of safeguards for the protection of the interests of minorities by the Central Government or the State Governments;
• Look into specific complaints regarding deprivation of rights and safeguards of the minorities
• Recommend measures for the removal of problems arising out of any discrimination against minorities;
• Conduct studies, research, and analysis on the issues relating to the socio-economic and educational development of minorities;
• Suggest appropriate measures in respect of any minority to be undertaken by the Central Government or the State Governments;
• Make periodical or special reports to the Central Government on any matter pertaining to minorities and in particular difficulties confronted by them; and
• Any other matter which may be referred to it by the Central Government.

Question: Discuss the composition and powers of the National Commission for Minorities. 

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

The government has introduced paperless entry at select airports to make air travel hassle-free. Under this initiative, airports will use a facial recognition software called ‘DigiYatra’ for entry. This means, passengers won’t need to carry their ID card and boarding pass.

What is DigiYatra and how will it work?

• DigiYatra envisages that travellers pass through various checkpoints at the airport through paperless and contactless processing, using facial features to establish their identity, which would be linked to the boarding pass. 
• With this technology, the entry of passengers would be automatically processed based on the facial recognition system at all checkpoints – including entry into the airport, security check areas, aircraft boarding, etc.

Which airports/airlines offer the facial recognition technology?

• The facility will be available for passengers taking domestic flights at Delhi’s Terminal 3, Bengaluru and Varanasi airports. 
• DigiYatra will be launched at four more airports — Hyderabad, Pune, Vijaywada and Kolkata — by next March. 
• Later, DigiYatra will be rapidly rolled out across all other airports.
• Among airlines, passengers travelling Air India, Vistara and IndiGo on their domestic network can avail this facility at the three airports.

How can people avail the DigiYatra facility?

• For availing the service, a passenger has to register their details on the DigiYatra app using Aadhaar-based validation and a self image capture. 
• In the next step, the boarding pass has to be scanned, and the credentials are shared with airport authorities.
• At the airport e-gate, the passenger has to first scan the bar coded boarding pass and the facial recognition system installed at the e-gate will validate the passenger’s identity and travel document. 
• Once this process is done, the passenger can enter the airport through the e-gate.

How is DigiYatra being implemented?

• The project is being implemented by the DigiYatra Foundation — a joint-venture company whose shareholders are the Airports Authority of India (26% stake) and Bengaluru Airport, Delhi Airport, Hyderabad Airport, Mumbai Airport and Cochin International Airport. These five shareholders equally hold the remaining 74% of the shares.

Question: What are prospects and challenges of aviation sector in India? Also mention steps taken by the government to promote it.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace scripted history by becoming the first private Indian organisation to launch a rocket from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s launchpad in Sriharikota.

Vikram S rocket:

• It is a part of Mission Prarambh, which means the beginning.
• Prarambh is a Sanskrit word, which means the beginning. So we wanted to call this mission the beginning of a new era or dawn in India’s space industry. 
• Vikram-S was the first launch. 
• It is a sub-orbital rocket, which reached outer space and then splashed into the sea.
• Next launch will be Vikram-1, an orbital vehicle that puts satellites into orbit. 

Mechanism of Vikram S

• There are four spin thrusters, which will generate the rocket’s spin. This gives stability so that it doesn’t deviate much from the trajectory. 
• It experiences Max-Q during the lift-off, which is the maximum stress on the rocket. 
• Many rockets get broken at this point that is 15 seconds down the flight. 
• At around 23 seconds, the rocket motor or the engine burns out. During this time, it just lofts to space and achieves five times the speed of sound or Mach 5.
• It descends after reaching the maximum point called ‘Apogee’ and then it falls back and splashes down into the sea. 
• So, it takes around two and a half minutes to reach the Apogee and another two and a half minutes to splash down. 

Technologies used

• Carbon composites: porous structure made of carbon and carbon fibre and four times lighter and has higher strength than steel.
• The lighter the rocket, the more payload we can use.
• 3D printing: reduces the cycle time by 90 per cent compared with traditional methods and allows to build complex shapes.
• Cycle time is the time required to manufacture a component.
• Cost-effectiveness
• Efficient technology
• Utilising existing govt infrastructure
• Operating out of India

About Skyroot Aerospace

• It is an Indian private aerospace manufacturer and commercial launch service provider headquartered in Hyderabad.
• Mandates: cutting-edge innovation and cost-effectiveness
• Next launch will be Vikram-1, an orbital vehicle that puts satellites into orbit.
• Vikram-2 will have a higher capacity than Vikram-1.
• Skyroot Aerospace focuses on reusability of rockets.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

Nation pays homage to Bharat Ratna Dr BR Ambedkar on his 67th Mahaparinirvan Diwas.

• Lakhs of followers from all over the country gathered at Chaityabhoomi in Dadar in Mumbai to pay tribute to the great leader.
• This year, a large number of people are expected to visit the Chaityabhoomi and other places associated with Dr. Ambedkar as the followers could not visit these places for the past two years due to the global pandemic.

About Dr. B.R.Ambedkar

• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was born on 14 April 1891 in Mhow, Central Province (now Madhya Pradesh).
• He was India’s first Law Minister and was Chairman of the Drafting Committee for the new Constitution.
• Dr Ambedkar was a jurist, economist, politician and a social reformer who campaigned against social discrimination of downtrodden, women and labourers.
• Known as The Father of the Indian Constitution
• He was conferred the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1990.

Education:

• He completed his matriculation in from Elphinstone High School.
• He completed his Post Graduation in Economics.
• He completed another doctorate from the London School of Economics – thesis “The problem of the rupee: Its origin and its solution”.
• He completed his Ph.D. degree in Economics from the University of Columbia.

Contributions

• Mahad Satyagraha: It was led by B. R Ambedkar in 1927 to allow the  untouchables to use water in a public tank in Mahad,Maharashtra.
• He participated in all three round-table conferences.
• Poona Pact: In 1932, Ambedkar agreed on Poona pact with Mahatma Gandhi and an agreement was signed between Ambedkar and Madan Mohan Malviya which abandoned the idea of separate electorates for the depressed classes(Communal Award).
• Organisations: Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha (1923), Independent Labor Party (1936), Scheduled Castes Federation (1942).
• Books: Annihilation of Caste, Buddha Or Karl Marx, Buddha and His Dhamma, Who were the Shudras, The Rise and Fall of Hindu Women among others.
• Journals: Mooknayak, Bahishkrit Bharat, Samatha, Equality Janata among others.