9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – January 8th, 2024

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Mains Oriented Articles

GS PAPER - 1

child marriage in India- Rise in child marriages in West Bengal

Source: The post child marriage in India has been created, based on the article “Rise in child marriages in West Bengal” published in “ The Hindu” on 8th January 2024.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper1- Society- Social empowerment,- (social issue)

News: The article discusses the persistent issue of child marriage in India, focusing on its prevalence in West Bengal despite various policies and schemes.

Watch - Interview Preparation Strategy 2024 | Tackling DAF related Questions | by Ayush Sinha

 

What is the current state of child marriage in India?

Lancet Report:

Child marriage in India is decreasing but still prevalent, particularly in Bihar (16.7%), West Bengal (15.2%), Uttar Pradesh (12.5%), and Maharashtra (8.2%).

West Bengal saw an alarming increase of over 500,000 child marriages, a 32.3% rise in headcount.

NFHS-5 Report:

Consistent High Rates: West Bengal’s child marriage rate remains high at 41.6% for women aged 20-24.

District Variance: Murshidabad, an economically challenged district, shows a rise in child marriage rates from 53.5% to 55.4%.


sources: UNICEF

What are the reasons for child marriage in India?

Poverty and Social Norms: Child marriage is often driven by poverty and entrenched social norms in regions like West Bengal.

Migration and Security Concerns: Families often marry off daughters before migrating for work, fearing for their daughters’ safety at home alone, as noted in West Bengal.

Policy Implementation Gaps: Despite high rates of child marriage in West Bengal, only 105 cases were registered under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act in 2021, indicating a significant gap in law enforcement and policy implementation.

What are the impacts of child marriage on health?

  1. Health Risks:
  2. a) Child marriage is linked to higher infant mortality rates, as evidenced by the death of 10 infants in a day at Murshidabad Medical College.
  3. b) The same incident noted infants born with extremely low birth weight, a common issue stemming from child marriage.
  4. C) Young mothers face increased risks during pregnancy and childbirth, affecting both their health and the health of their infants.
  5. d) The consistent high rates of child marriage, such as 41.6% in West Bengal, indicate a widespread health burden affecting generations.
  6. Education Disruption: Early marriage often ends a girl’s education prematurely, limiting her future opportunities and economic independence.

What initiatives have been taken to overcome the issues of child marriage in India?

Kanyashree Prakalpa: West Bengal launched this cash transfer scheme to incentivize education for girls and discourage child marriage, reaching 81 lakh girls.

Rupashree Prakalpa: A cash incentive scheme for the marriage of girls, aiming to delay the age of marriage.

Legal Age Amendment: Introduction of the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021, to raise the legal marriage age for women to 21.

District Action Plans: In 2022, West Bengal called for district-specific plans to tackle child marriage, indicating a move towards localized solutions.

For information on steps taken to check child marriage read hear

Way forward

To address child marriage effectively, a comprehensive approach is needed, involving social campaigns, community involvement, and stricter law enforcement. Enhanced political will and public awareness are crucial to enforce existing laws and policies like Kanyashree Prakalpa and to create lasting change at the grassroots level.

Question for practice:

What are the reasons behind the prevalence of child marriage in India, and what are the health and educational impacts of this practice?

GS PAPER - 2

Structured Negotiation- Structured negotiation as a boost for disability rights

Source: The post Structured Negotiation has been created, based on the article “Structured negotiation as a boost for disability rights” published in “ The Hindu” on 8th January 2024.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS paper2- governance- mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

News: The article discusses structured negotiation as a method to resolve disputes without involving litigation. It also talks about its benefits and implications in India.

What is Structured Negotiation?

Structured negotiation is a collaborative, non-litigious dispute resolution method particularly effective in the realm of disability rights. It involves parties directly negotiating to resolve issues, focusing on achieving compliance with social welfare and accessibility laws without going to court. This approach has led to significant improvements in accessibility, such as in ATMs, point-of-sale devices, and prescription bottles accessible for blind or low vision customers .

Companies like Walmart have adopted it, showcasing its practicality and the broad scope of its application in improving access for the disabled.

What are the benefits of Structured Negotiation?

Avoids Litigation: Structured negotiation circumvents the high costs and negative publicity of court cases. It offers a beneficial outcome for both service providers and disabled individuals.

Institutional reform: It has also been able to drive institutional reform by facilitating strategies for creating more accessible voting machines and websites.

Corporate Adoption: Companies like Walmart, CVS, and Caremark have made accessible prescription bottles, showcasing its practicality.

Inclusive Development: Facilitates a more inclusive society by prioritizing the needs and right of disabled persons.

What are the impacts of Structured Negotiation in India?

Mitigates Legal Delays: Targets the backlog in Indian courts by providing a more efficient dispute resolution process.

Supports National Disability Law: Aids in enforcing the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, utilizing authorities like the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities to monitor compliance.

Varied Efficacy: Demonstrated by the PayTM incident, where efforts to make the app more accessible for disabled users led to it becoming less accessible. This demonstrates that while structured negotiation has potential, its effectiveness can vary greatly depending on implementation and monitoring. It underscores the importance of consistent, quality execution to truly benefit disabled individuals.

What should be done?

Enhance Monitoring: Implement continuous monitoring and incorporate user feedback to ensure effective solutions.

Legal Advocacy: Strengthen the body of disabled-friendly legal precedents to support structured negotiation.

Increase Awareness: Educate businesses and legal entities about the benefits of structured negotiation to encourage its adoption.

Utilize Authorities: Leverage the role of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities to enforce compliance.

Learn from Examples: Reflect on successful implementations in the U.S. to adapt strategies suitable for India’s context.

Question for practice:

Discuss the benefits and impacts of Structured Negotiation in the context of disability rights in India.

GS PAPER - 3

On Production of Pulses in India – Attaining self-sufficiency

Source: This post on Production of Pulses in India has been created based on the article “Attaining self-sufficiency” published in “Business Standard” on 8th January 2024.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 3 Agriculture – Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country.

News: The article discusses the benefits of increasing production of pulses in India. It also highlights the constraints in increasing production and the steps that can be taken to tackle the challenges.

India is the largest producer, consumer, and importer of pulses in the world.

What are the benefits of increasing production of pulses in India?

  1. Address food-security concerns.
  2. Address environmental challenges.
  3. Reduce Import bill.
  4. Addressing protein deficiency: Pulses are a source of dietary fibres and plant-based proteins.
  5. Enhancing soil fertility: Pulses can fix nitrogen in the soil.
  6. Low Water Requirement: Suitable for cultivation in rain-deficient or depleting groundwater regions.

What are the govt’s initiatives for increasing pulses production?

The government recently stated its objective of achieving self-sufficiency in pulses by the end of 2027.

Tur Dal Procurement Portal: Farmers can register and sell their produce to the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF).
The government also hopes to launch similar facilities for urad and masoor dal procurement in the future.

Hike in MSP: There have been several hikes in the minimum support prices (MSPs) of different varieties of pulses.

What is the current status of pulses imports?

India’s imports of pulses have come down from a high of 6.61 million tonnes (mt) in 2016-17 to 2.7 mt in 2021-22, and further to 2.52 mt in 2022-23.

The imports have declined mainly due to a sharp decline in the import of yellow peas (matar) and chickpea (chana) over the past 10 years, due to high import duties and procurement.

What are the constraints with pulses production in India?

Low Yields: The low yield arises mainly from those being grown in marginal and sub-marginal lands with low input usage.

Storage Issues: Pulses are difficult to store and their shelf life is shorter than that of wheat and rice.

What should be done?

  1. Improving productivity of pulses cultivation.
  2. Increased land under pulses cultivation: Diversion from paddy must be encouraged in water-deficient states such as Punjab.
  3. Higher MSPs: It can incentivise farmers to shift to pulses, resulting in higher availability and consumption at reasonably stable prices.

Question for practice:

What are the benefits of increasing production of pulses in India? What should be done to achieve this?

On the Aditya-L1 mission and ISRO outreach

Source: This post on the Aditya-L1 mission and ISRO outreach has been created based on the article “A new high” published in “The Hindu” on 8th January 2024.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 3 Science & Technology – Awareness in the fields of Space.

News: The article discusses the details of the Aditya-L1 mission and the need for public outreach by ISRO.

On January 6 the Aditya-L1 spacecraft was guided by ISRO into its orbit around the L1 Lagrange point, from where it will have a clear view of the sun for its expected lifetime of 5 years.

What is the L1 Lagrange point?

ISRO picked the L1 Lagrange point — 1.5 million km from the earth (one of five Lagrange points in the earth-sun system).

This is because at a Lagrange Point, the gravitational influences of the two bodies interact such that a smaller body here will not experience a net pull towards either. So, Aditya-L1 can stay at L1 while expending little fuel.

What are the instruments present on Aditya L1?

Aditya-L1 is an observatory-class solar mission that will study the sun with the following instruments:

  1. VELC, a coronagraph to study the uppermost layer of the sun’s atmosphere;
  2. SUIT, an ultraviolet imaging telescope;
  3. SoLEXS and HEL1OS, to study solar flares and coronal mass ejections;
  4. ASPEX and PAPA, to study the solar wind and plasma;
  5. Set of digital magnetometers to measure properties of the magnetic field around the spacecraft.

For more on the Aditya L1 Mission, read here and here.

What more should be done by ISRO?

Expansion of public outreach efforts: This can be done by hosting open days focused on specific missions and communicating on new results at regular intervals.

Question for practice:

What are the various instruments present on the Aditya L1 mission for solar exploration? What is the significance of the mission.

Lessons can India learn from Japan Airlines’

Source: The post lessons can India learn from Japan Airlines has been created, based on the article “Aviation professionalism which India must draw from” published in “The Hindu” on 8th January 2024.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS paper3

News: A Japan Airlines Airbus A350 collided with a Japanese Coast Guard Bombardier Dash 8 at Tokyo’s Haneda airport, leading to five fatalities on the smaller aircraft while all 379 passengers on the JAL plane survived.

What are some other notable incidents?

Air France AF 358 (2005): Overshot the runway in heavy rain in Toronto, catching fire; all 309 passengers evacuated safely, 11 injured.

Emirates EK 521 (2016): Crashed while landing due to lack of passenger discipline in grabbing hand luggage, delaying evacuation.

Air India Airbus (2023): Experienced an extreme hard landing in Dubai; the aircraft was on the ground for more than a week, reflecting serious operational and safety oversights.

Indian Airlines IC 171 (1976): Crashed due to confusion between operating Boeing and Caravelle aircraft.

Indian Airlines Airbus Crash (1990): 92 fatalities with pilots fresh from conversion training, indicating training deficiencies.

What lessons can India learn from Japan Airlines’ (JAL) plane escape?

Effective Crew Training: The disciplined and orderly evacuation by the JAL crew, despite only three exits available and no functioning cabin public address system, showcases the importance of rigorous emergency training.

Importance of Passenger Discipline: The JAL passengers’ adherence to instructions, evacuating without taking hand luggage, contrasts with other incidents where evacuation was delayed by passengers retrieving bags, emphasizing the need for passenger education on safety protocols.

Rapid and Transparent Response: The swift release of ATC transcripts and prompt preliminary report on the JAL accident highlight the need for immediate and transparent investigation processes, unlike the lengthy delays often seen in India.

Adhering to Safety Protocols: Acknowledging and acting upon issued notices and clearances, as a lapse in these areas speculated in the Coast Guard’s actions, are crucial for preventing runway collisions.

What are the Aircraft Evacuation Standards?

Aircraft evacuation standards demand a full evacuation within 90 seconds using only half of the emergency exits. This simulates scenarios where exits might be unusable due to blockages or damage, ensuring preparedness for various emergencies. The 90-second rule is derived from preventing flashover in post-crash fires.

What is Hard landing?

Hard landings are a critical concern in aviation, often leading to passenger discomfort, damage to the aircraft, and in severe cases, fatalities.

The severity of landings is quantified using “touch down g,” which refers to the gravitational force exerted on the aircraft’s tires at landing. Generally, a landing with a “touch down g” exceeding 1.8 is classified as hard, indicating the force was 1.8 times the aircraft’s weight.

Way forward

To enhance aviation safety, airlines must prioritize rigorous training, strict adherence to operational standards, and address fatigue and stress in pilots. Lessons from incidents like Japan Airlines’ evacuation success and the hard landing of Air India should drive improvements. The focus should be on discipline, clear communication, and maintaining high standards in crew selection and emergency procedures.

Terminology used

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the regulatory body in Civil Aviation, mainly dealing with safety issues. It is responsible for regulation of air transport services to/from/within India and for enforcement of civil air regulations, air safety, and airworthiness standards. The DGCA also co-ordinates all regulatory functions with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Question for practice:

Examine how lessons from Japan Airlines’ plane evacuation can contribute to improving aviation safety in India.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

PRASADAM: India’s First Healthy & Hygienic Food Street

Sources: This post is based on the article “India’s first health food street launched in Ujjain” published in “The Indian Express” on 8th January 2024.

Why in the news?

Recently, the Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, inaugurated India’s first Healthy & Hygienic Food Street, ‘PRASADAM,’ at Neelkanth Van, Mahakal Lok, in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. 

What are the objectives of the initiative?

PRASADAM street food in Ujjain
Source- The Indian Express

1) Prasadam aims to connect people in every corner of the country with pure and safe local and traditional food.

2)  It is in line with the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’.

3) The food street is designed to provide various facilities including a kids’ play area, drinking water facility, CCTV surveillance, parking, public conveniences and seating spaces.

4) The ‘Prasadam’ initiative strives to enhance Ujjain’s tourism allure and safeguard its culinary heritage while also playing a role in fostering economic development.

5) The initiative is provided with financial support which is extended to states and Union Territories (UTs) with a funding distribution ratio of either 60:40 or 90:10, under the National Health Mission.

6) Standard branding of these food streets will be done as per FSSAI guidelines.

Note- The food street at Neelkanth Van, Mahakal Lok in Ujjain, will be the first of 100 food streets that will come up in as many districts across the country.

What is ‘Viksit Bharat’ Vision?

1) Viksit Bharat@2047 is the vision to make India a developed nation by 2047, the 100th year of its independence.

2) The vision encompasses various aspects of development, including economic growth, social progress, environmental sustainability, and good governance, among others.

UPSC Syllabus: Schemes and programmes

Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs)

Source: This post is based on the article “Election Commission tweaks rules for allocation of symbols to unrecognised political parties” published in “The Hindu” on 4th January 2024.

Why in the news?

Recently, the Election Commission of India brought in new rules for the allocation of symbols to Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs).

What are the new rules?

1) RUPPs (Registered Unrecognized Political Parties) are now required to furnish audited accounts for the last three fiscal years.

2) They are mandated to submit expenditure reports for the two preceding elections.

3) The application process for symbols, along with the authorized party official’s signature, has been integrated into a unified format.

4) Annexure No. 3, which is a declaration that they have submitted the requisite reports, has been added to the application.

5) These updated regulations are set to be enforced starting January 11, 2024.

6) These modifications aim to streamline the process and improve transparency in the allocation of symbols to RUPPs.

What are Registered Unrecognised Political Parties?

1) RUPPs are those parties which are either newly-registered parties or those which have not secured enough percentage of votes in the Assembly or general election to become a State party or those that have never contested elections after being registered. 

2) Common symbols are provided to RUPPs based upon an undertaking that they would put up “at least 5% of total candidates with regard to said Legislative Assembly election of a State”.

3) The EC receives the applications from RUPPs in prescribed proforma for allotment of symbol under Provisions of Para 10B of the Election Symbols (Reservation & Allotment) Order, 1968.

4) In September 2022, the EC had de-listed 86 non-existent RUPPs and declared another 253 as ‘Inactive RUPPs’.

UPSC Syllabus: Polity and Nation

First Inland Waterways Development Council Meeting

Source: This post is based on the article “Shri Sarbananda Sonowal to chair the First Inland Waterways Development Council Meeting to be held tomorrow in Kolkata” published in “PIB” on 7th January 2024.

Why in the news?

The Inland Waterways Authority of India is set to host the inaugural ‘Inland Waterways Development Council’ meeting on January 8, 2023, in Kolkata.

What are the Key Initiatives to be unveiled during the meeting?

1) This will be the first meeting of the Inland Waterways Development Council. 

2) The Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) meeting boasts a comprehensive agenda that aims to tackle pivotal issues concerning the advancement of inland waterways in India.

3) As part of the agenda, several initiatives, including the “Harit Nauka – Guidelines for Green Transition of Inland Vessels” and the “River Cruise Tourism Roadmap 2047” will also be launched at the event.

4) The meeting’s focus will encompass crucial aspects such as fairway development, private sector engagement, and optimizing cargo transport efficiency in Inland Water Transport (IWT).

5) The agenda also includes promoting eco-friendly vessels for passenger transportation, exploring economic advantages in river cruise tourism, and advocating for sustainable practices in inland waterways development.

What is Inland Waterways Development Council?

1) It was established in October 2023 by the Government of India.

2) It was established to focus on comprehensive development of inland waterways and the associated Inland Water Transport (IWT) ecosystem for improved cargo efficiency, passenger movement, and river cruise tourism, with active participation from States and Union Territories.

What are growth Targets for Cargo and Cruise Sectors?

1)The Ministry aims to raise inland waterways’ cargo modal share from 2% currently to 5% under Maritime India Vision 2030.

2) The 2047 goals envision cargo volumes to rise from 120 million tonnes per annum presently to over 500 million tonnes.

UPSC Syllabus: Indian Economy

No local body representatives in J&K from January 9

Source– This post is based on the article “No local body representatives in J&K from January 9; no Assembly since 2018” published in “The Hindu” on 7th January 2024.

Why in the News?

Starting January 9, electoral representation at the grassroots level in Jammu and Kashmir will be lost as the five-year term of nearly 30,000 local representatives comes to an end.

What is the timeline for this issue?

1) Since the collapse of the BJP-PDP coalition government in June 2018, J&K has been under Central rule.

2) In September 2018, the Union government transferred 29 subjects, including primary health centers and schools, to Panchayats under the 73rd amendment.

3) J&K partially adopted these changes after the 1993 passage of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act.

4) In 2020, the Union Cabinet approved the adapted Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, creating District Development Councils in the UT, with members directly elected by the people and no involvement from the Legislative Assembly.

5) Upon the conclusion of the term for local representatives, new panchayat elections in J&K will be conducted following the ongoing delimitation exercise.

Note– The last Panchayat elections in the former state of J&K took place in late 2018.

What are the constitutional provisions for local body elections?

1) 73rd Amendment Act, 1992 (Panchayati Raj):
a. Enacted to strengthen the Panchayati Raj system in rural areas.
b. Provides constitutional status to Panchayats (local self-government institutions at the village, intermediate, and district levels).
c. Part IX of the Constitution contains provisions related to Panchayats.
d. There are 29 subjects addressed in Schedule 11 concerning panchayats.

2) 74th Amendment Act, 1992 (Urban Local Bodies):
a. Aimed at strengthening Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in urban areas.
b. Provides constitutional status to Municipalities (local self-government institutions in urban areas).
c. Part IXA of the Constitution contains provisions related to Municipalities.
d. There are 18 subjects covered in Schedule 12 pertaining to municipalities.

UPSC Syllabus- Polity and Nation

Voice cloning fraud

Source- This post is based on the article “How voice cloning through artificial intelligence is being used for scams” published in “The Hindu” on 8th January 2024.

Why in the News?

Voice clone fraud is increasing in India, with a May report indicating that 47% of surveyed individuals in the country have been affected by an AI-generated voice scam.

What are the Findings of the Report?

1) A May report titled ‘The Artificial Imposter‘ disclosed that 47% of surveyed Indians, nearly double the global average of 25%, have either fallen victim to or known someone affected by an AI-generated voice scam.

2) India ranked highest globally in the number of victims to AI voice scams.

3) McAfee reported that 66% of Indians would respond to a call appearing to be from a friend or family member urgently seeking money.

4) The report found that messages claiming the sender was robbed (70%), in a car accident (69%), lost their phone or wallet (65%), or needed financial aid while traveling abroad (62%) were the most effective excuses.

5) The report revealed that 86% of Indians share their voice data online or via voice notes at least once a week, making these tools highly potent.

How are Voice Clones Done?

1) Once a scammer acquires an individual’s audio clip, uploading it to online programs such as Murf, Resemble, and Speechify allows for accurate voice replication, excluding some intonations.

2) Voice cloning often employs deep learning techniques and neural networks, such as recurrent neural networks (RNNs) or convolutional neural networks (CNNs). These models can capture complex patterns in speech and generate realistic-sounding synthetic voices.

UPSC Syllabus- Science & Technology

National Landslide Susceptibility Map

Source- This post is based on the article “IIT Delhi team makes first hi-res landslide risk map for India” published in “The Hindu” on 4th January 2024.

Why in the News?

In the wake of severe monsoon triggered heavy floods and landslides, IIT Delhi team has developed India’s first national landslide susceptibility map.

What are the features of National Landslide Susceptibility Map?

1) The map has been devised using 1.5 lakh known landslides event from sources like Geological Survey of India (GSI) along with 16 landslide conditioning factors such as soil cover, the number of trees covering the area, and how far it is from any roads or mountains, etc.

2) The team used ensemble machine learning methods to analyse the data.
Note- Ensemble machine learning is when multiple machine learning models are used together to average out an oversize impact from any one model.

3) High resolution mapping- The map offers a detailed (100 sqm. resolution) overview of landslide susceptibility across India, including previously unrecognized areas.

4) Revealing new risk zones- It identified high landslide susceptibility in familiar areas like the Himalayan foothills, Assam-Meghalaya region, and Western Ghats. Additionally, it uncovered new high-risk zones, including parts of the Eastern Ghats north of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

5) Map available online- The map is accessible to the public, and anyone can engage with the data without requiring technical expertise.

What is National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping (NLSM) Programme ?

1) The Geological Survey of India initiated the Macro Scale (1:50,000) National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping (NLSM) program in 2014.

2) The goal is to map the 0.42 million sq. km landslide-prone areas across the country.

3) Aim and objectives:
a. To create a dynamic National Landslide Susceptibility Geodatabase for India.
b. To prepare GIS – based seamless Landslide Susceptibility Maps of India on 1:50,000 scale.
c. To prepare a nation-wide repository on GIS-based Landslide Inventory.

UPSC Syllabus- Miscellaneous (Disaster Management)

AI Bio-Imaging Bank for Cancer Detection

Source– This post is based on the article “How AI can help detect cancer and why India’s biggest cancer treatment hospital is utilizing it” published in “The Indian Express” on 7th January 2024.

Why in the News?

Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), India’s largest cancer hospital, embraces AI with a ‘Bio-Imaging Bank’ for early stage cancer detection.

What is Bio-Imaging Bank?

1) It is a comprehensive repository containing radiology and pathology images with clinical details, outcome data, treatment specifics, and additional metadata.

2) This resource is strategically crafted for training, validation, and rigorous testing of AI algorithms.

3) The project uses deep learning to develop a cancer specific tailored algorithm for early detection, incorporating data from 60,000 patients.

4) Initially the project is dedicated to head and neck cancers as well as lung cancers, with a goal of having at least 1000 patients for each cancer type.

5) It focuses on medical tasks like screening for lymph node metastases, nucleus segmentation, classification, and predicting biomarkers (e.g., HPV in oropharyngeal, EGFR in lung cancer), as well as therapy response prediction.

5) Funded by– The Department of Biotechnology, in collaboration with IIT-Bombay, RGCIRC-New Delhi, AIIMS-New Delhi, and PGIMER-Chandigarh.

How does AI help in early cancer detection?

1) It analyzes radiological and pathological images, learning from extensive datasets to identify unique features associated with different cancers, enabling early detection of tissue changes and potential malignancies.

2) The teams at TMH segments and annotates images, correlating them with biopsy results, histopathology reports, and genomic sequences to develop algorithms.

What is its Significance?

1) The AI aids in early diagnosis which has proven to be 98 percent correct after doctors cross-check.

2) AI’s potential lies in tailoring treatment approaches based on diverse patient profiles, and thus optimising therapy outcomes.

3) It reduces radiation exposure for pediatric patients undergoing CT scans by 40 %.

UPSC Syllabus- Science & Technology

SC Legal Services Committee

Source- This post is based on the article “Justice Gavai nominated as SC Legal Services Committee Chairman: What law says on free legal aid in India” published in “The Indian Express” on 5th January 2024.

Why in the News?

Justice BR Gavai has been nominated as the Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC), replacing Justice Sanjiv Khanna.

What is the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC)?

Aspect Details
What is it? 1) The SCLSC was established under Section 3A of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
2) It aims to offer “free and competent legal services to the vulnerable sections of society” in cases under the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction.
Composition 1) The committee comprises a sitting Supreme Court judge as the Chairman and 9 other members appointed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI)
2) The Centre prescribes the qualifications for membership.
3) The CJI can also appoint the Secretary to the Committee.
Features The Committee has the authority, as per the Center’s prescription and in consultation with the CJI, to appoint officers and employees.

What are the constitutional provisions governing the provision of legal services?

1) Free Legal Aid: Article 39A underscores the imperative of making justice accessible by providing free legal assistance to the impoverished and vulnerable segments of society.

2) Articles 14 and 22(1): Advocating for equality and ensuring well-informed rights for all.

What is the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987?

1) The Act established a statutory foundation for legal aid programs.

2) Aim– To offer free and competent legal services to various eligible groups, such as women, children, SC/ST and EWS categories, industrial workers, disabled persons, etc.

3) Section 27 of the 1987 Act empowers the Centre, in consultation with the CJI, to make rules through notification for implementing the Act.

4) In 1995, NALSA was constituted under the Act to monitor and evaluate the implementation of legal aid programs and to formulate policies for ensuring the availability of legal services.

5) In every state, State Legal Services Authorities (SLSA) were established to implement NALSA’s policies and directions, give free legal services to people, and conduct Lok Adalats.

6) Similarly, District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) and Taluk Legal Services Committees were established in districts and most taluks.

UPSC Syllabus- Polity and Nation

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