24 May 2024 Daily Current Affairs 

Known as ‘AI agents’, GPT-4o and Project Astra have been touted as far superior to conventional voice assistants such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant.

About AI agents:

• These are sophisticated AI systems that can engage in real-time, multi-modal (text, image, or voice) interactions with humans.
• Unlike conventional language models, which solely work on text-based inputs and outputs, AI agents can process and respond to a wide variety of inputs including voice, images and even input from their surroundings.
• These agents perceive their environment via sensors, then process the information using algorithms or AI models, and subsequently, take actions. Currently, they are used in fields such as gaming, robotics, virtual assistants, autonomous vehicles, etc.

How are they different from large language models?

• The Large Language Models (LLMs) like GPT-3 and GPT-4 have the ability to only generate human-like text, AI agents make interactions more natural and immersive with the help of voice, vision and environmental sensors.
• Unlike LLMs, AI agents are designed for instantaneous, real-time conversations with responses much similar to humans.
• LLMs lack contextual awareness, while AI agents can understand and learn from the context of interactions, allowing them to provide more relevant and personalised responses.
• Also, language models do not have any autonomy since they only generate text output. AI agents, however, can perform complex tasks autonomously such as coding, data analysis, etc. When integrated with robotic systems, AI agents can even perform physical actions.
• Potential Uses
  • AI agents can serve as intelligent and highly capable assistants. They are capable of handling an array of tasks, from offering personalised recommendations to scheduling appointments.
  • These can be ideal for customer service as they can offer seamless natural interactions and resolve queries instantly without actually the need for human interventions.
  • In the field of education and training, AI agents can act as personal tutors, customise themselves based on a student’s learning styles and may even offer a tailored set of instructions.
  • In healthcare, they could assist medical professionals by providing real-time analysis, diagnostic support and even monitoring patients.

Source: What are AI agents, that power OpenAI’s GPT4o and Google’s Project Astra?

 

4. Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989

The Allahabad High Court recently said that an alleged act of intentional insult or intimidation causing humiliation would constitute an offence under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 only if it is committed in public view.

About Foreigners Tribunal (FT): 

• The FTs came into existence through the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964, to let state administration (District Collector/District Magistrate) to make a reference about a person suspected to be a foreigner to the Tribunals. 
• The Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964, was enacted by the Central government through the use of powers granted under Section 3 of the Foreigners Act, 1946.
• The Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964, applies to the whole of India, yet, FTs exist only in Assam as of now.
• In other states, if an illegal immigrant is found, he is produced before a local court and dealt with as per the Foreigners Act, 1946.
• Prior to the 2019 amendment to the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964, only the Centre was empowered to establish FTs in states, but after this amendment, the power has been granted to states as well.
• Need for FT:
  • The superintendents of police (SPs) and district commissioners were empowered to detect suspected foreigners. References for these “suspected persons” were required to be made before an authority which came into existence through the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964.
  • The Election Commission of India (ECI) can also refer cases of D or Doubtful voters to the local SP, who then refers them to a tribunal to verify their citizenship.
  • The persons excluded from the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) as released in August 2019 can appeal before the FTs to prove their citizenship.
• What is FT supposed to do after receiving a reference against a person?
  • The Tribunal is supposed to serve upon such person a copy of the main grounds on which he is alleged to be a foreigner, as well as a show cause notice, within 10 days of receipt of reference from the concerned authority.
  • The notice should clearly indicate that the burden is on the proceedee to prove that he or she is not a foreigner.
  • The FT is to give the person a reasonable opportunity to make a representation (in person or through a lawyer) and produce evidence in support of his case.
  • If the proceedee fails to produce any proof in support of his claim of citizenship and also not able to arrange for bail, the FT shall detain him and send him to a detention centre.
• The SC held that the decision of the FTs regarding the nationality of a person will be binding. Also, the decision of the tribunal will be given more importance than that of the Government or credentials and the NRC verification authority.

About Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI):

• It is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament, viz., the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949, for regulating the profession of Chartered Accountancy in the country. 
• It functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India.
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• It is the second largest professional body of chartered accountants in the world.
• The affairs of the ICAI are managed by a Council in accordance with the provisions of the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949, and the Chartered Accountants Regulations, 1988. 
  • The Council consists of 40 members, of whom 32 are elected by the Chartered Accountants and the remaining 8 are nominated by the Central Government, generally representing the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and other stakeholders.
• Functions of ICAI:
• • Regulates the profession of Accountancy
  • Examination and education of Chartered Accountancy course
  • Continuing professional education of members
  • Conducting post-qualification courses
  • Formulation of accounting standards
  • Prescription of standard auditing procedures
  • Laying down ethical standards
  • Monitoring quality through peer review
  • Ensuring standards of performance of members
  • Exercise disciplinary jurisdiction
  • Financial reporting review
  • Input on policy matters to the government

Source: Supreme Court Upholds ICAI Rule Limiting Number Of Tax Audits By Chartered Accountants Per Yer; Declares It Operative From April 1, 2024

7. What is Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)?

BIMSTEC will now be open to new members and observers after a historic first charter of the grouping came into force recently.

About BIMSTEC:

• It is a multilateral regional organization comprising seven member states lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal, constituting a contiguous regional unity. 
• Aim: Accelerating shared growth and cooperation between littoral and adjacent countries in the Bay of Bengal region.
• Formation:
  • It was founded as BIST-EC in June 1997, with the adoption of the Bangkok Declaration, with Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand as members.
  • It became BIMST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation) with the entry of Myanmar in late 1997, and eventually, it was named in its current form when Nepal and Bhutan became members in 2004.
• Current Member States: Five deriving from South Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka and two from Southeast Asia, including Myanmar and Thailand.
• Permanent Secretariat: Dhaka, Bangladesh
• Areas of cooperation:
  • It is a sector-driven cooperative organisation in which, initially, six sectors had been included:
  • Trade, Technology, Energy, Transport, Tourism, and Fisheries
  • As of now, BIMSTEC has 14 priority areas of cooperation. Climate change was added as the 14th priority area of cooperation in 2008.
  • Among these priority areas, a member country chooses which of the 14 priority areas it is willing to take the lead.
  • India is lead country for Transport & Communication, Tourism, Environment & Disaster Management, Counter-Terrorism & Transnational Crime.

Source: BIMSTEC acquires ‘legal personality’ after charter comes into force

8. Ujani Dam

Six persons, including two children, drowned after their boat capsized in the Ujani dam backwaters in Maharashtra's Pune district recently.

 

About Ujani Dam:

• It is located on the Bhima Rivernear Ujjani village in the Solapur district of the state of Maharashtra.
• It is an earth-fill cum masonry gravity dam.
• It was constructed between 1977 and 1980 with the primary objective of providing irrigation water and hydroelectric power to the region.
• With a total length of 2,534 m, the Ujani Dam is founded on massive basaltic rock formations and comprises a central portion, which is the spillway dam of 602m in length. 
• The dam has a height of 63 meters.
• With a storage capacity of 117 thousand million cubic feet (TMC), the dam has a live storage of 54 TMC and 63 TMC is dead storage.
• Power Generation Capacity: 12MW
• Pollution: The water quality of the Ujani Dam is very bad as it contains hazardous pollutants from Pune and many other small cities located on the banks of the Bhima River or its tributaries.

Key Facts about Bhima River:

• The Bhima River (also known as the Chandrabagha River) is a major river in southwest India.
• It is a major tributary of the Krishna River.
• Course:
  • It originates in the Bhimashankar hills near Karjat on the western side of the Western Ghats, in the Pune District of Maharashtra.
  • Bhima flows southeast through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana.
  • Itmerges into the Krishna River at Kadlur (Raichur) in Karnataka.
• This 861 km-long river has the Western Ghats on the west, the Balaghat Range in the north, and the Mahadeo Hills in the south.
• The total basin area of the river is 48,631 sq. km, out of which 75 percent lie in the state of
• Major tributaries are the Sina and Nira rivers.
• Pandharpur is an important pilgrimage centre located on the right bank of the Bhima River.

Source: 6 Drown As Boat Capsizes In Dam Backwaters In Pune

9. Travel & Tourism Development Index

India has improved its ranking in recently released Travel & Tourism Development Index as compared to the previous report.

 

About Travel & Tourism Development Index:

• It is the second edition of an index that evolved from the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) series, a flagship index of the World Economic Forum that has been in production since 2007.
• It is created in collaboration with the University of Surrey and with input from leading Travel & Tourism (T&T) stakeholder organizations, thought leaders and data partners.
• It measures the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable and resilient development of T&T.
• India is ranked 39th, the highest in South Asia and among other lower-middle-income economies.
• India's new ranking is a notable improvement from its 54th position in the 2021 index.
  • On an overall index score of 7, where 1 is the worst, and 7 is the best, India scored 4.25. India’s significant leap in the rankings underscores its growing competitiveness in the global tourism landscape.
• The biennial index analyzed the travel and tourism sectors of 119 countries, evaluating them on a range of factors and policies that foster tourism development. 

Source: India ranks 39th on the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development

10.What is eVTOL?

Indian Institute of Technology, Madras-incubated ePlane Company is expected to launch its e-flying taxis in Bengaluru this year but the Indian government has yet to establish clear policies regarding eVTOL flying taxis.

About eVTOL Aircraft:

• An electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft is one that uses electric power to hover, take off and land vertically.
• It is one of the newer technologies and developments in the aerospace industry.
• It is a low-altitude urban air mobility aircraft capable of carrying only a few passengers- six-seaters and eight-seaters.
• Technology used:
  • Most eVTOLs use distributed electric propulsion technology which means integrating a complex propulsion system with the airframe. There are multiple motors for various functions; to increase efficiency; and to also ensure safety.
  • This is a technology that has grown on account of successes in electric propulsion based on progress in motor, battery, fuel cell and electronic controller technologies and also fuelled by the need for new vehicle technology that ensures Urban Air Mobility (UAM). 
• Applications:Air Taxi, Delivery, Medical assistance (EMS), Cargo Transport, Recreation.
• Significance: In the near future, these eVTOLs will enhance “on-demand” mobility for intra- and intercity transportation, improving connectivity between metropolitan city centers and airports.

Source: Is eVTOL a boon or bane? It depends on how we put it to use