- Published on
Current Affairs for the date of 31 August 2023
- Authors
- Name
- Current Affairs Wala
Introduction
The hindu analysis for the day of 31 August 2023 for the UPSC CSE WBPCS preparation.
- ECONOMY
- Curbs on Rice Export
- Science
- How to manage Nuclear Waste?
- Polity
- Need for India to Regulate AI
- International Relations
- Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan
ECONOMY
Curbs on Rice Export
The Government of India prohibited the export of white rice to maintain the food security and price control of domestic rice.
The Government of India has levied a 20% export duty on rice till October 15 and permitted the export of basmati rice only with value of 1200 dollars a tonne or above.
Due to the less rainfall or delayed monsoon, states like Tamil Nadu where Samba crop sowing starts usually in August in the Kaveri delta are delayed as stated by the farmers.
Reset the new season crop generally arrives around 1st of September but as it is an El nino year the arrival will be impacted.
Government has increased the minimum support price for rice and paddy.
Now the rice Millers at the higher prize than the MSP
Extractions will ensure the return of steep climb in rice prices in the Indian market.
Government has levied 20% export duty, and the market is still competitive.
Indonesia which rice exporters are looking towards import as the international demand of rice is very high.
Science
How to manage Nuclear Waste?
Japan has started releasing treated radioactive water into Ocean from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Again the most driving question and relevant at the same point is honking the global leaders. That is how to manage the nuclear waste.
Nuclear energy is an excellent alternative for the carbon emitting energy sources which are responsible for global warming and climate change like coal and petroleum.
But it comes with a question of how to manage this radioactive waste as these are life threatening both for plants and animals.
Currently 10% of this world's electricity comes from nuclear processes as every country running to achieve its aim of net emission many countries like us India and China are urging for nuclear energy as a way towards transition from carbon sources to net zero sources.
The radioactive particles if once exposed to nature or any part of the ecosystem is gonna impact each brutally for 100S of years.
Option includes stolen spent fuel in pools and until the cool and then buried in near surface or ground level or below.
The waste is placed in a world and backfilled with a huge amount of soil and clay; the volume is then covered with an impermeable material and topsoil.
Finland is seems to be showing a way as this country will become the first to realize this option when the Onkalo repository opens in 2025.
Project will use the Swedish KBS3 concept which proposes 3 layers protection.
The waste displaced in copper containers wrapped in bentonite clay and buried more than 400 m below and ancient bedrock.
Years will be there to keep the waste isolated from its surroundings.
Polity
Need for India to Regulate AI
Recently the governments across the globe are coming up with regulations for artificial intelligence systems.
Among them the western countries like European Union, Brazil, Canada and now finally the eastern countries like China and Japan are coming with their regulations.
The Western model focuses on a risk best approach where each logicals creates a pyramid of risk intensity based on the different applications.
The pyramid of risk is then divided into several groups like acceptable risk, high risk, limited risk and low risk.
The Unacceptable risk indicating pyramids are strictly prohibited and the limited risk or no risk applications are allowed with some basic norms.
The Japanese government integrated innovation strategy promotion council has framed a set of rules called "social principles of human to human centric AI". Manifests the year capable society and the society's need and upbringing.
The Chinese revolution is even more interesting here. The last prescribes the kind of values that should be fulfilled and promoted by artificial intelligent services and the end that should be achieved through these AI applications and services.
Western models are good for their countries as it made up of rules and which will abide by society undoubtedly
But the eastern model is more open and embraces the overlap between the legality of the roles and the morality also undertaken which makes it very interesting.
Recently NITI Aayog circulated three discussion papers on the regulation of artificial intelligence and this paper particularly shows India's Western inclination in terms of regulation.
Indian society is very much different from the Western society in terms of ethics and culture. Concrete Westernization of AI regulation will not be 100% applicable for India
International Relations
Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan
The Indus water treaty was signed on 19 September 1960, between India and Pakistan.
Under this treaty India got unrestricted use eastern rivers RAVI, BEAS & SUTLEJ and Pakistan got unrestricted use of western rivers that is INDUS, JHELUM & CHENAB
India is allowed to store 3.60 million acre feet of water.
While the main issue between India and Pakistan involves the kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectric power plants in India Jammu and Kashmir.
India considered this project very crucial to meet the demand of energy supply in Kashmir regions. Pakistan has raised objections saying violation of the treaty and potential negative effects on its water supply which goes against the provision.
In 2013 the coa delivered the final judgment that Kishan Ganga hydroelectric project is a run of river dam so India can divert water from the river.
The court has also stated that India has to maintain a minimum flow of water in kishanganga or Neelam river to 9 cusecs.
Pakistan again went to the World bank arising issue against India violating quotes birthday and objection to the Ratle project in 2016.
To this India requested a neutral expert to be appointed to deal with this.
