1. MULTIMODAL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
THE CONTEXT: The Artificial intelligence models have evolved with the passage of time and changed all the dimensions of growth in each and every sector. For the next possible frontier of AI models, ideas are pointing towards multimodal systems.
EXPLANATION:
- ChatGPT-maker OpenAI announced on September 25, 2023, that it had enabled its GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 models to study images and analyse them in words.
- Its mobile apps will have speech synthesis so that people can have full-fledged conversations with the chatbot.
- The Microsoft-backed company had promised multimodality in March, during the release of GPT-4.
- A report by “The Information” revealed that Google’s new yet-to-be-released multimodal large language model called Gemini, was already being tested in a bunch of companies.
- The report also stated that Google had an easy advantage over competitors in the multimodal world because of its readily available bank of images and videos via its search engine and YouTube.
- But OpenAI is moving fast to make inroads.
- The company is actively hiring multimodal experts with pay packages up to a hefty $3,70,000 per year.
- It is also reportedly working on a new project called Gobi which is expected to be a multimodal AI system from scratch, unlike the GPT models.
WHAT IS MULTIMODAL AI?
- Multimodal AI is artificial intelligence that combines multiple types, or modes, of data to create more accurate determinations, draw insightful conclusions or make more precise predictions about real-world problems.
- Multimodal AI systems train with and use video, audio, speech, images, text and a range of traditional numerical data sets.
- Most importantly, multimodal AI means numerous data types are used in tandem to help AI establish content and better interpret context, something missing in earlier AI.
HOW DOES MULTIMODEL AI WORK?
- Multimodal AI systems are trained on large datasets of multimodal data.
- This training data allows the system to learn how to combine the different modalities in a way that produces accurate and meaningful outputs.
- For e.g. OpenAI’s text-to-image model, DALL.E, upon which ChatGPT’s vision capabilities are based, is a multimodal AI model that was released in 2021.
- E is built on another multimodal text-to-image model called CLIP that OpenAI released the same year.
- E is underpinned with the same concept that runs other popular AI image generators like Stable Diffusion and Midjourney, linking together text and images in the training stage.
- The system looks for patterns in visual data that can connect with data of the image descriptions.
- GPT’s voice processing capabilities are based on its own open-source speech-to-text translation model, called Whisper, which was released in September last year.
- Whisper can recognise speech in audio and translate it into simple language text.
APPLICATIONS OF AI:
- Image captioning:
- Multimodal AI can be used to generate text descriptions of images.
- This is useful for applications such as accessibility for the blind and visually impaired, and for improving the accuracy of image search.
- Video summarization:
- Multimodal AI can be used to summarize videos into shorter, more concise versions.
- This is useful for applications such as video surveillance and social media.
- Machine translation:
- Multimodal AI can be used to improve the quality of machine translation by incorporating information from multiple modalities, such as images, audio, and video.
- Medical diagnosis:
- Multimodal AI can be used to help doctors diagnose diseases by combining information from medical images, patient records, and other sources.
- Robotics:
- Multimodal AI is essential for robots to be able to interact with the real world in a meaningful way.
- Robots need to be able to perceive their surroundings and respond to stimuli from multiple modalities, such as vision, audio, and touch.
2. THE PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION ACT, 1988
TAG: GS 2: POLITY
THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court will hear a plea challenging Section 17A Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act & 2018 PC Act Amendments on Nov 20, 2023.
EXPLANATION:
- The petition was filed by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation.
- The constitutionality of Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 has been challenged on the ground that it violates fundamental rights guaranteed under the Article 14 (Equality before law) and 21 (Protection of life and personal liberty) of the Indian Constitution.
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES?
- Primarily, the challenge is two-fold.
- The petition stated that the amendments have rendered the Act almost ineffective by dilluting some of the original provisions, by deleting some of the earlier offences and also by introducing new provision.
- Its effect would protect corrupt officials and exponentially increase level of corruption.
- Inter-alia, the petitioner has also assailed Section 12 of the Amendment Act that had introduced Section 17A (1) under the Act.
- It provides that no investigation/inquiry/enquiry can be initiated against any public servant in relation to the offences under the Act without prior approval from the appointing government.
- Section 7 of the Amendment Act, 2018 has also been challenged.
- This provision substituted sub-section (1) of Section 13 and thereby, deleted old provision under Section 13 (1) (d) (ii) of the Act.
- It has been contended that the deletion of Section 13 (i) (d) (ii) of the Act has substantially diluted the scope of the Act and would make it a very weak law.
- Section 13(1)(d)(ii) of the unamended Act made it an offence if a public servant abused his position to obtain for himself or for any other person any valuable thing or pecuniary advantage.
- This was irrespective of whether the public servant obtained or attempted to obtain a bribe/gratification or undue advantage.
- As per the petition: It is the provision of section 13 (1)(d)(ii) that is the very essence of saving the country from the evil of corruption and realization of Preambular ideals on equality and economic justice.
- It is the heart of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
- Although abuse of position has now been included in the amended section 7 of the Act.
- The marginal heading of section 7 states ‘Offence relating to public servant being bribed’.
- It makes clear that abuse of position by a public servant resulting in pecuniary advantage for any Person (including himself), would not by itself constitute an offence under the Act unless the element of bribery is necessarily established.
PREVIOUS SUPREME COURT RULINGS:
- The Supreme Court, in Vineet Narain’s case, has already had struck down the validity of a Single Directive issued by the Government which required prior sanction of the designated authority to initiate the investigation against officers of the Government and the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), nationalised banks above a certain level.
- The Central Vigilance Commissioner Act, 2003, reinstated this requirement.
- However, this directive was again struck down by the Supreme Court in the course of another judgment in 2014 on the basis that it violated the right to equality guaranteed by the Constitution.
THE PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION ACT, 1988:
- It came into force on 9th September, 1988.
- It was aimed at making anti-corruption laws more effective by widening their coverage and by strengthening the provisions to make the overall statute more effective.
- It incorporates the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1952, and Sec. 161 to 165-A of the Indian Penal Code with certain tweaks in the original provisions.
- It has enlarged the scope of the definition such as Public Duty and Public Servant.
- It has shifted the burden of proof from the prosecution as mentioned in the CrPC to the accused who is charged with the offense.
- The provisions of the Act clearly state that the investigation is to be made by an officer, not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police.
- The Act covers corrupt acts as bribe, misappropriation, obtaining a pecuniary advantage, possessing assets disproportionate to income and the like.
3. NOBEL PRIZE IN ECONOMICS FOR 2023
TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY
THE CONTEXT: The Nobel Prize in Economics for 2023 was awarded to Claudia Goldin, a Harvard University professor, for “having advanced our understanding of women’s labour market outcomes”.
EXPLANATION:
- Goldin is only the third woman to win this honour.
- In 2009, Elinor Ostrom got the award along with Oliver E Williamson, while in 2019, Esther Duflo shared it with Abhijit Banerjee and Michael Kremer.
KEY FINDINGS OF HER RESEARCH:
- OLDER DATA GAVE MORE PERSPECTIVE:
- Researchers believed that as the economy grew, so did women’s labour force participation.
- Goldin reached back to older data to reveal that before industrialisation, more women were likely to have been involved in economic activity related to agriculture and various cottage industries.
- With greater industrialisation, work was concentrated in factories, and women found it difficult to leave their homes and travel to work.
- This trend reversed in the early 20th century, with the growth of the services sector.
- Two other factors played a crucial role in women’s access to higher education and employment marriage and the contraceptive pill.
- THE LIMITATIONS OF MARRIAGE:
- Goldin’s work found that by the beginning of the 20th century, while around 20 per cent of women were gainfully employed, the share of married women was only five per cent.
- Marriage bars prevented married women from continuing their employment as teachers or office workers.
- Despite an increasing demand for labour, married women were excluded from parts of the labour market.
- This type of legislation peaked during the 1930s’ Great Depression and the years following it but was not the only reason.
- Women’s expectations were based on the experience of their mothers, and thus their educational and professional decisions were not taken with the expectation of having a long, uninterrupted, and fruitful career.
- CONTRACEPTIVE PILLS:
- By the end of the 1960s, as easy-to-use contraceptive pills became more popular, women could exercise greater control over childbirth and actually plan careers and motherhood.
- Women also ventured beyond the services sector, studying subjects like law, economics, and medicine.
- Now, women were catching up in terms of education and fields of employment.
- PAY GAP AND PARENTHOOD:
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- Till the time men and women worked in factories, where the pay depended on the day’s countable output, the pay gap was not too high.
- It became wider when monthly pay contracts came into the picture.
- One factor significantly impacted how men were paid versus women childbirth.
- As women had to shoulder more of the parenting responsibilities once a child was born, they were also punished for this at the work front in terms of a slower rise on the pay scale.
NOBEL PRIZE:
- Since 1901, the Nobel Prize has been honouring men and women from around the world for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and for work in peace.
- The prizes consist of a gold medal, a diploma, and a monetary award.
- In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden’s central bank) established the Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, founder of the Nobel Prize.
- The prize is based on a donation received by the Nobel Foundation in 1968 from Sveriges Riksbank on the occasion of the bank’s 300th anniversary.
- The first prize in economic sciences was awarded to Ragnar Frisch and Jan Tinbergen in 1969.
- The prize in economic sciences is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden, according to the same principles as for the Nobel Prizes that have been awarded since 1901.
4. INDIAN OCEAN RIM ASSOCIATION (IORA)
TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
THE CONTEXT: Sri Lanka is set to take over the chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) succeeding Bangladesh during the 23rd Council of Ministers’ Meeting scheduled for October 11, 2023, in Colombo.
EXPLANATION:
- The Council of Ministers meeting in Colombo will see the participation of 16 Ministers including those of India, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Iran, Malaysia and South Africa.
- Sri Lanka will hold the chairmanship of the association from 2023 to 2025, with the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh ceremoniously handing over the chairmanship to Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister.
- The Ministers will deliberate on ways to cooperate on six priority areas identified by the IORA which are:
- Trade and Investment,
- Maritime Safety and Security,
- Fisheries Management,
- Strengthening Regional Ties,
- Disaster Risk Management and
- Blue Economy.
STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE FOR SRI LANKA:
- Navigating Geopolitical Dynamics:
- Sri Lanka often finds itself managing complex strategic interests involving India and China within the Indian Ocean Region, positioning it as a crucial player in the IORA.
- Regional Inclusivity:
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- Sri Lanka’s active participation in the forum aligns it with neighbouring nations, fostering regional inclusivity and cooperation.
- This engagement extends to countries such as Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Afghanistan.
INDIAN OCEAN RIM ASSOCIATION (IORA):
- It is an inter-governmental organisation which was established on 7 March 1997.
- It aims at strengthening regional cooperation and sustainable development within the Indian Ocean region through its 23 Member States and 11 Dialogue Partners.
- The association’s Secretariat is based in Cyber City, Ebene, Mauritius, responsible for managing, coordinating, servicing, and monitoring policy decisions, work programs, and projects adopted by member states.
IORA CHAIR:
- The Council of Ministers, on voluntary offer by Member States, elects a Chair of the Association for a period of two years.
- If there is no voluntary offer, the Chair is elected on the basis of geographical consideration.
- The incoming Chair is the Member State that served as the Vice-Chair of the Association during the term of office of the incumbent Chair.
STRUCTURE:
- IORA’s apex body is the Council of Foreign Ministers (COM) which meets annually.
- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) assumed the role of Chair since November 2019 November 2021, followed by the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
- A committee of Senior Officials (CSO) meets twice a year to progress IORA’s agenda.
- CSO consider recommendations by Working Groups and forums of officials, business and academics to implement policies and projects to improve the lives of people within the Indian Ocean Member States.
5. COLLAPSE OF CHUNGTHANG DAM
TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT
THE CONTEXT: Recently, the abrupt eruption of South Lhonak Lake, led to the collapse of the Chungthang dam situated in northern Sikkim.
EXPLANATION:
- The dam’s collapse triggered a staggering surge in water levels, elevating them by an alarming 15-20 metres within the Teesta River.
- The resultant flash flood wreaked havoc across numerous districts. On October 9, the death toll was at 74.
- Moreover, approximately 100 individuals, encompassing civilians and army personnel, are still reported as missing.
- The ongoing scientific investigations over Chungthang dam bursting are trying to unravel the exact cause of the abrupt eruption.
CHUNGTHANG DAM:
- The Chungthang dam was a part of the 1,200-megawatt (MW) Teesta Stage III Hydro Electric Project.
- It was constructed along the Teesta River and became operational in 2017, primarily for hydroelectric power generation.
- The dam stood at 817 metres and had a net head of 778 metres.
- This hydroelectric project was established to generate revenue for the Sikkim government.
- The project was designed to generate electricity at a scale nearly twelve times greater than the state’s demand, surpassing the typical requirement of approximately 100 MW.
- The primary objective was to export surplus power to neighbouring states, including West Bengal.
- Chungthang is situated at 1,700 metres above mean sea level and is the confluence point for the Lachen River, originating from South Lhonak Lake and the Lachung River, together forming the Teesta River.
For more information, please refer to the 5th September 2023 DNA.
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