April 2024

Current Affairs

US-UK AI Safety Testing Agreement

Context: The US-UK agreement represents a major step towards international cooperation in ensuring the safe and responsible development of AI technologies. It highlights the shared commitment of both nations to address the challenges and risks associated with advanced AI systems.

The agreement reflects the increasing global awareness of the potential risks and benefits of AI and the necessity for collaborative efforts to guide its development. It underscores the importance of establishing international standards and guidelines for AI safety, security, and ethics.

AI Safety and Security

US-UK Agreement
- The agreement facilitates the sharing of critical information on AI capabilities, risks, and best practices between the US and the UK.
- It promotes the alignment of approaches to ensure the safe deployment of AI systems and enables joint testing exercises to assess the performance and reliability of AI models.
- The agreement also encourages personnel exchanges between AI Safety Institutes to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing.
- Follows commitments made at the Bletchley Park AI Safety Summit (2023)
Importance of AI Safety
- AI safety measures are crucial to address the potential risks posed by advanced AI systems, such as algorithmic bias, privacy violations, and security vulnerabilities.
- Ensuring the safety of AI systems is essential to prevent unintended consequences and protect individual rights and societal values.
- Responsible AI development involves transparency, accountability, and the incorporation of human oversight and control.
Potential Impact of the Agreement
- The US-UK agreement sets the stage for enhanced global cooperation in AI safety and security, encouraging other nations to follow suit and collaborate on this critical issue.
- The agreement serves as a model for other nations to emulate, inspiring them to forge similar partnerships and prioritize AI safety in their own AI development efforts.
- The agreement recognizes the potential risks of AI in spreading misinformation and undermining election integrity, and seeks to develop strategies to counter these threats.

AI Regulation and Policy

US Efforts
- The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in the US has initiated a consultation process to gather insights on the risks, benefits, and potential policy implications of open-source AI models and dual-use foundation models.
- President Biden issued an executive order in 2023 that outlines the US government's commitment to ensuring the safe and responsible deployment of AI systems.
- In 2022, the White House released a Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, which sets forth principles and guidelines for protecting individual rights and promoting the responsible use of AI.
EU AI Act
- The proposed European Union AI Act seeks to establish comprehensive safeguards on the use of AI systems, with specific provisions for high-risk applications such as law enforcement.
- The act aims to ensure that AI systems are transparent, explainable, and subject to human oversight, while also empowering consumers to challenge decisions made by AI systems.
- The EU AI Act recognizes the potential for AI misuse and seeks to establish clear accountability mechanisms for AI developers and deployers.
India's Approach
- India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued evolving advisories on the deployment of AI systems in the country.
- The advisory, issued on March, 2024, directed intermediaries to label any under-trial/unreliable artificial intelligence (AI) models, and to secure explicit prior approval from the government before deploying such models in India.
- The Indian Government is developing an AI regulation framework, set for release in mid-2024, with the intention of harnessing AI for economic growth and addressing potential risks and harms.

Open-Source AI Models and Implications

Prominent Examples
- Meta has released Code Llama 70B, the largest and best-performing model in the Code Llama family. Code Llama is a state-of-the-art large language model (LLM) capable of generating code, and natural language about code, from both code and natural language prompts.
- OpenAI's ChatGPT has been released through a controlled API and product-based approach.
- Dual-Use Foundation Models with widely available weights, enabling both beneficial and malicious applications
Implications for Innovation and Competition
- In 2024, open-source pretrained AI models have gained significant traction, empowering businesses to accelerate growth by combining these models with private or real-time data.
- Generative AI challenges a core tenet of traditional intellectual property frameworks: only works created by humans are protected by copyright laws.
- Emerging use cases around generative AI are disrupting traditional views of creativity, authorship, and ownership and pushing the boundaries of copyright law.
- In 2024, open-source technology faces increased scrutiny as its prolific use, including in proprietary coding, raises the need for pervasive security screening.

Implications for India

The AI advisory in India emphasizes transparency, content moderation, consent mechanisms, and deepfake identification to ensure responsible AI deployment and safeguard electoral integrity.
AI presents significant opportunities for economic growth in India. The AI industry is estimated to grow year-over-year at a CAGR of 30%. India's AI market is growing at a CAGR of 25-35% and is projected to reach around $17 billion by 2027.
However, the adoption of AI technologies may lead to job displacement in certain sectors. As per market trends, more than 16 million working employees in India will need reskilling and upskilling due to AI's influence by 2027.
AI technologies have the potential to enhance law enforcement capabilities in India. However, the use of AI in law enforcement also poses risks, such as bias, privacy violations, and potential misuse of power.
An updated toolkit for responsible AI practices in law enforcement has been released by INTERPOL and UNICRI in 2024.
The NITI Aayog released an approach paper that explores the various ethical considerations of deploying AI solutions in India.

Opportunities for India

The digital divide in India is being addressed. There were 751.5 million internet users in India at the start of 2024, when internet penetration stood at 52.4 percent. Initiatives like BharatNet aim to bridge the digital divide and potentially lead to a major positive shift.
The Cabinet has approved the comprehensive national-level IndiaAI mission with a budget outlay of Rs.10,371.92 crore. The IndiaAI mission will establish a comprehensive ecosystem catalyzing AI innovation through strategic programs and partnerships across the public and private sectors.
India holds a prominent global position in AI skill penetration and talent concentration, showcasing a strong base of AI professionals. There were 4.16 lakh AI professionals, poised to meet the increasing demand expected to reach 1 million by 2026.
AI-driven platforms deliver insights to farmers on topics like disease risks, yield forecasts, labor needs, crop protection, weather impacts on crops, and harvest windows.
AI has been used thoughtfully by educators to support learning and to give them "time back" in their day. AI applications in education will be overwhelmingly administrative.

Way Forward for India

Developing a National AI Strategy
Establishing a dedicated AI governance framework and regulatory body
Allocating resources and creating incentives for AI research and innovation
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit. GPAI is a multi-stakeholder initiative with 29 member countries aiming to bridge the gap between theory and practice on AI.
India is the lead chair of GPAI in 2024.

Countries like Japan, Rwanda, Benin, Egypt, Morocco, Mauritius, Tunisia, Sierra Leone, and Senegal have developed comprehensive AI strategies and governance frameworks. The Hiroshima AI Process was launched by the G7 under Japan's presidency in May 2023, with the aim of promoting safe, secure, and trustworthy AI.

Kalanamak rice

Context: A Finance Ministry notification said that the export of Kala Namak rice will be permitted through 6 customs stations.

About Kalanamak Rice

Kala Namak rice is grown in the Tarai area of Siddharth Nagar and ten neighboring districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh.
- Kalanamak Rice is approved for 11 districts of Zone 7 of UP. These 11 districts are located in the divisions of Gorakhpur (Deoria, Gorakhpur, Mahrajganj, Siddharth Nagar districts), Basti (Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Siddharth Nagar districts), and Devipatan (Bahraich, Balrampur, Gonda, Shravasti districts).
It is a scented rice variety which is generally offered at a better price as compared to other rice varieties to the farmers.
The name Kalanamk Rice has been derived due to its black husk (kala = Black, & the suffix 'namak' means salt).
It is famous for its taste, palatability, and aroma.
It is also featured in speciality rice of the world by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
Kala namak Rice is in cultivation since the Buddhist period (600 BC).
The grains were found from excavation of Aligarhwa (district Siddharthnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India), located at Nepal border.
Kalanamak rice was granted the Geographical Indication (GI) Tag in 2012 by the Government of India.
Nutritive Value: The Kala namak rice is rich in micronutrients like Iron and Zinc, has a low glycemic index, thus better for diabetic people and also has higher protein content when compared to other paddy varieties.

Turning the spotlight on the urban poor

Context: The article analyses the paradoxical increase of both unemployment and wages in urban India, revealing that despite higher incomes, the urban poor face persistent poverty and inequality, with slum dwellers particularly affected.

It points out that higher wages in casual and self-employment in urban areas do not necessarily lead to economic mobility, calling for more public support to address these disparities.

Key takeaways:

The India Employment Report (IER) 2024, produced by the Institute for Human Development and the International Labour Organization.
- It highlights the higher unemployment rates in urban settings (4.8%) compared to rural areas (1.5%) in 2000.
- It also notes higher average monthly earnings in urban locales across various employment types in 2022, thus presenting an intriguing case of higher unemployment coexisting with higher wages, necessitating further exploration into its implications for the urban poor.

Rural-Urban Migration Trends- The report signals a decline in the allure of urban migration for economic reasons, with male migration showing a downturn by 1.2% during 2000-08 and further marginally in 2021. The trend underlines the importance of analysing income and employment trends among slum dwellers to understand urban economic mobility and work quality.
Kolkata Slum Survey Insights -A study conducted over ten years in Kolkata's slums saw a decline in skilled and semi-skilled labour employment, contrasting with an increase in petty business and small shop employment. Thus, highlighting a shift towards self-employment and casual work amidst varying income dynamics.
Income Trends in Slums- Income Changes in Slums Income for most slum dwellers has fallen, with notable drops among government employees and shop owners. However, unskilled workers saw their income rise, pointing to a complex situation of earning and employment in slums. These findings suggest a broader economic transformation reflected in the slums.
Gender Dynamics and Workforce Participation -While the survey noted a decline in women's workforce participation in slums, the IER 2024 reports a modest increase in female workforce participation across urban areas.
Casual Work and Economic Mobility-There's an increase in casual, insecure jobs, which don't offer good pay or job security. This trend shows that while more people might be working, they're not necessarily in good jobs, impacting the economic stability of the urban poor

Urban poverty

Urban poverty is a form of poverty quite visible in mega cities characterized by substandard living conditions and income along with deficient provisions of basic amenities and low quality of life. As per NSSO survey reports, there are over 80 million urban poor. It is different from Rural poverty in its characteristics and causes.

The situation of Urban Poverty

Urban poverty in India is unique. Although the proportion of urban poor has declined over the last decades, there is a steady increase in the number which has a direct impact on the slum areas of the metros.
In India, “Gareebi Hatao” was made a major objective of the Fifth Five Year Plan (1974-79) when the urban poor got an identity. According to the report of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (2001), about 23.5% of urban households live in slums.
Although the percentage of slum dwellers had declined to 17% by 2011, the total number of slum households had increased from 10 million in 2001 to 13 million in 2011. The majority of urban poverty occurs in megacities.
The 2011 Census found that around 12 per cent of the urban population in “Class I” cities lived in slums, with higher rates in the larger cities.

Causes of urban poverty

1) Increasing migration: due to the decrease in opportunities in the rural sector and the continuously decreasing benefits of agriculture.

2) Lack of investment: Lack of investment in basic requirements like skills, education, and health in rural areas of India

3) Loss of income: A person migrating from a rural area does not get a proper salary in cities. Due to this they are forced to work in the unorganized economy and are exploited by the capitalists.

4) Affordable Housing Shortage: The congestion in slum areas increases continuously due to a reduction in affordable housing. This further leads to a lack of facilities like light, water, and sanitation.

5) Informalisation of Labour: urban jobs are often informal, meaning they're not officially recognized, regulated, or protected by the government. These jobs tend to be insecure, without benefits like healthcare or pensions, and contribute to the persistence of poverty.

6) Disproportionate Impact of Inflation: Inflation affects everyone, but the impact on the poor is much greater. As prices go up, those with lower incomes find it harder to afford basic necessities, deepening their poverty.

7) Deprivation of government benefits to Migrants: When people move from rural areas to cities, they often struggle to access government programs and benefits they're entitled to, such as subsidized food or healthcare, exacerbating their poverty in the urban setting.

8) Lack of Access to Community Assets: The difficulty that urban poor have in accessing shared resources that can help improve their lives, like clean water, education, or safe spaces for children to play. Without access to these community assets, it's harder for them to break out of poverty.

State Response to Urban Poor

One Nation One Ration Card- Department of Food and Public Distribution has launched the ‘Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS)’ for implementation in all States/UT.

Objective

Introduce nationwide portability of ration card holders under NFSA, 2013 enabling them to lift their entitlement to food grains from any Fair Price Shop of their choice in India with their same ration card.
The remaining family members who migrate to another location can claim their share of the PDS ration.
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihood Mission (DAY-NULM)-launched by the Government in 2013 by restructuring the Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY).
- Coverage: All district’s headquarter towns (irrespective of population) and all other towns with a population of 1 lakh or more as per Census 2011.
- Target Population: The primary target of NULM is the urban poor, including the urban homeless.
- Funding: Funding will be shared between the Centre and the States in the ratio of 75:25. For North-eastern and Special Category States, this ratio will be 90:10.
- Aim: Reducing the poverty and vulnerability of urban poor households.

PM SVANidhi

It is a Central Sector Scheme (100% funded by MoHUA). The scheme will be implemented by MoHUA. SIDBI will be the implementation partner of the scheme.

Objectives

The scheme will help formalise the street vendors and will open new opportunities to this sector to move up the economic ladder.

Facilitate working capital loans up to Rs 10,000
Incentivise regular payment
Reward digital transactions

Measures to be Taken to Tackle Urban Poverty

Formalizing Informal Employment: A substantial step towards integrating urban poor into the economy is the formalization of informal jobs. This includes legal recognition, which would enable access to social security benefits.
Government Scheme Inclusivity: Expanding the reach of government programs, such as the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme, to cover the migrant urban population ensures no individual is left out due to geographic mobility.
Urban Job Guarantee Scheme: Implementing a job guarantee program similar to the rural-focused MGNREGA can provide the urban poor with stable employment and income.
Financial Empowerment: Recognizing the urban poor as a priority group for sector lending would facilitate their access to necessary financial services, empowering them to start businesses and improve their housing and living conditions.
Skill-Based Data Mapping: Aligning the urban poor's database with their skills can open pathways for suitable employment opportunities. The national migrant database is a crucial initiative to enable this alignment.
Urban Development- Improved infrastructure is a prerequisite for increased economic growth in India. Poverty can be reduced quickly with rapid urban development.
Urban Employment Guarantee Programme - It can generate a new set of ‘green jobs’ that can strengthen the capacity of ULBs as well as promote sustainable urban development.

Near Kutch Harappan graveyard, a skeleton & the key to a puzzle

Context: Archaeologists have found a human skeleton at a Harappan site (Padta Bet) in Gujarat.

Padta Bet site of Indus Valley Civilisation:

In 2018, archaeologists had unearthed a mass burial site with 500 graves on the outskirts of Khatiya village in Gujarat's Kutch district.
In the recent excavations, the finding of the skeleton, along with pottery artefacts and animal bones, from, nearby Padta Bet site, point to the presence of a 5,200-year-old Harappan settlement that was nearby the mass burial ground of Juna Khatiya, an Early Harappan necropolis (a cemetery, especially a large one belonging to an ancient city).
- The latest find supports the theory that the graveyard site may have served as a common facility for a cluster of several such smaller settlements.
- A network of such small Harappan settlements around the necropolis might have played a significant role in the cultural formation of Early Harappan and subsequent occupations in this arid area.
Researchers identified two localities where the archaeological deposits were found during excavation:
- Locality 2 with artefacts from the Early Harappan era (3,200 BC to 2,600 BC), Mature Harappan era (2600 BC to 1900 BC) and Late Harappan era (1900 BC to 1700 BC).
- Locality 1 with artefacts dating back to the Mature Harappan era and Late Harappan era.
Pottery artefacts and the animal bones, representing cattle, sheep or goat and shell fragments point to possible animal domestication. These findings indicate the occupational practices of the Harappan people.
The excavations of the ceramic artefacts, and give information about one of the unidentified pottery traditions of the Harappans.
Semi Precious stone beads made of carnelian and agate, terracotta spindle whorls, copper, lithic tools, grinding stones and hammer stones are also found from the site.

Harappan Civilisation:

The Harappan civilization, also known as the Indus Valley Civilization, is considered the beginning of Indian history. It can be divided into three phases:
- Early Harappan Phase from 3200 to 2600 BCE.
- Mature Harappan Phase from 2600 to 1900 BCE.
- Late Harappan Phase from 1900 to 1700 BCE.
The early Harappan phase marked the transition towards the mature Harappan period.
During this phase, farmers from the highlands gradually migrated between their mountain residences and the lowland river valleys.
The earliest specimens of the Indus script date back to the third millennium BCE, and trade networks connected this civilization to other regional cultures and distant sources of raw materials.
By this time, the villagers had successfully cultivated a diverse range of crops such as peas, sesame seeds, dates, and cotton. Additionally, they also domesticated animals like the water buffalo.
By 2600 BCE, early Harappan villages had developed into major urban centres, signalling the beginning of the mature Harappan phase.

For more information: https://compass.rauias.com/current-affairs/history/harappan-civilisation/

Cardamom

Context: Indian cardamom exports are expected to gain significantly in the near term, thanks to drought conditions in Guatemala, one of the largest producers globally.

Cardamom crop

Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) is one of the oldest known spices in the world.
Evergreen forests of Western Ghats of South India are considered as the centre of origin as well as natural habitat of cardamom.
Cardamom is commercially cultivated for its dried fruits (capsules), which is also referred as cardamom of commerce.

Types/cultivars

Based on adaptability, nature of panicle, shape and size of capsules, the cultivars are categorized into Malabar, Mysore and Vazhukka.
The cultivar Malabar with a prostate panicle (panicles spreading on ground) is widely grown in Karnataka.
The cultivar Mysore, characterized with erect panicles is extensively cultivated in Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu.
The cultivar Vazhukka, a natural hybrid between Malabar and Mysore types with a distinct semi-erect (pendant) panicle, is the most popular cultivar in Kerala.

Climate and soil

The crop thrives well in regions which receive a well-distributed annual rainfall of 1500-2500 mm with a mean temperature of 15°C to 35°C and 600-1200 m above MSL (mean sea level).
Cardamom grows luxuriantly in forest loam soils, which are generally acidic in nature with a pH range of 5.5-6.5.
Growth of cardamom is enhanced, when planted in humus rich soils with low to medium available phosphorus and medium to high available potassium.

Propagation

Propagation by vegetative means through suckers is considered to be the most preferred method.
Production of planting materials from seeds and through tissue culture are alternative methods of propagation.
Seedling propagated plants may not be true to its parent.

Production of Cardamom

Kerala is the largest producer of cardamom in India (Share 58.6%), followed by Sikkim and Nagaland.

Mustard

Context: Central Government plans to raise the area under Mustard cultivation from the current 4 lakh hectares and yield from 8 quintals per hectare to help achieve the larger objective of self-sufficiency in edible oils.

About Mustard and Rapeseed

Rapeseed and mustard comprise several oilseeds such as rai, sarson, toria and taramira. These are subtropical crops cultivated during rabi season in north-western and central parts of India.
These are frost sensitive crops and their yields fluctuate from year to year. But with the expansion of irrigation and improvement in seed technology, their yields have improved and stabilised to some extent.
About two-third of the cultivated area under these crops is irrigated.
These oilseeds together occupy only about 2.5% of total cropped area in the country.

Major Cultivating States

Rajasthan contributes about one-third production while other leading producers are Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.
Yields of these crops are comparatively high in Haryana and Rajasthan

Cropping Conditions

Climatic Requirements: Require cool and dry weather and a fair supply of soil moisture during the growing period and dry clear weather at the time of maturity. In India they are grown in Rabi season from September-October to February-March.
Soil: Sandy loam to clay loam soils but thrive best on light loam soils. Do not tolerate water logging conditions or heavy soils. Soil having neutral pH is ideal for their proper growth and development.
Rotations and mixed cropping: Rape and mustard are grown in rotation with other crops like maize, cotton, bajra, pulses, etc. and should never be grown in fields which were sown with the same crops in previous two years.
Field preparation: A clean and well pulverised seedbed of good tilth is needed for better germination. The land should be well prepared first by ploughing deep, followed by two cross harrowings. Care should be taken to see that weeds and stubbles are well removed from the field and the soil contains adequate moisture.
Time of sowing: Toria should be sown from the mid to the last week of September. Sowing of sarson and rai must be completed in the first fortnight of October.
Manures and fertilisers: Split application of nitrogen has been found useful for rape and mustard crop.
Water Management: Good yields can be achieved if the fields are bunded and levelled before the monsoon and ploughed 2-3 times during the monsoon season. Inter-cultivation or mulching on the soil surface reduces moisture evaporation. Two irrigations at pre-bloom and pod filling stages are beneficial.
Weed Control: Weeds cause approximately 20-30 percent reduction in yield. The most common weeds are Chenopodium album (bathua), Lathyrus spp.(chatrimatri), Melilotus indica (senji), Cirsium arvense (kateli), Fumaria parviflora (gajri) and Cyperus rotundus (motha).

Wadge bank

Context: Indian diplomats, with previous experience in engaging with Sri Lanka, emphasized that Delhi successfully gained access to Wadge Bank and its abundant resources. India got formal sovereignty over Wadge Bank in 1976, two years after the agreement between India and Sri Lanka agreement over Katchtheevu as a part of Sri Lanka.

About Wadge Bank:

The Wadge Bank, located south of Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin), is a resource-rich deep sea fishing ground (submarine). It is a continental shelf nearly 80 kilometers (50 miles) seaward from the coast of Kanyakumari.
The India-Sri Lanka agreement of 1976 recognised the Wadge Bank as part of India’s exclusive economic zone, granting India sovereign rights over the area and its resources. Under the agreement, Sri Lankan fishing vessels and personnel were not allowed to engage in fishing activities in the Wadge Bank.
The agreement allowed Indian fishermen to use the resources in the Wadge Bank area.
In late 2023, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MOPNG) invited Notice Inviting Offers (NIO) under the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) for the exploration of oil in Wadge Bank. However, residents of the area objected to it, highlighting the area’s importance to fishing communities in Kanyakumari.

Tax Exemption to Political parties

Context: Income tax department has given notice to Congress Party to pay the due tax on account of being denied the tax exemption benefits due to violation of tax exemption compliance requirements.

Income tax exemption to parties:

Section 13A of Income Tax Act is a special provision for the political parties that provide tax exemption in some cases. According to this section, any income a political party receives from voluntary contributions or any interest, dividend, or rent from its assets is not included in the party's total income for taxation.

Which are the exemptions available for the political party?

According to Section 13A, following income of a political party from the following sources is exempt from tax:

Income from house property.
Income from other sources.
Capital gains;
Income by way of voluntary contributions the political party receives from any individual.

Conditions to avail of exemptions U/S 13A:

A political party that wants to claim tax exemption under Section 13A must meet the following requirements:

Must be registered under Section 29A of RPA, 1951.
Must keep books of account and other documents that allow the Assessing Officer to compute its income.
Must record every contribution of more than Rs 20,000 along with the name and address of the contributor unless the contribution is made through an electoral bond.
Must have its books of account audited by a chartered accountant
Must not have received any donation of more than Rs 2,000 except by way of account payee cheque/demand draft or ECS or through a bank account or electoral bond
Must submit a report of donations received above Rs 20,000 to the Election Commission of India for the financial year on or before the due date for furnishing the return of income for that financial year under Section 29C of RPA.

How does a political party furnish their return of Income?

According to Section 139(4B) of the Income Tax Act, a political party must file a return of income if its income (before claiming exemption) under Section 13A exceeds the basic exemption limit (without considering the exemption under Section 13A). The tax rate applicable for political parties is the same as that for a normal resident individual. The return of income must be filed and signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the political party for the relevant financial year.

Tax exemption for donation to political party:

Under Section 80GGC of the Income Tax Act, 1961, an individual can claim a tax deduction for any donations or contributions to any political party or an electoral trust. The entire amount of donation or contribution is eligible for deduction under this section. However, the donation or contribution must be made through legitimate banking channels and not in cash or kind. The individual must also furnish a receipt for proof of donation or contribution.

Is it mandatory for political parties to pay taxes?

Even though political parties cannot participate in commercial activities and cannot make profit, they do have income from voluntary contributions, and such income are exempt u/s 13 A of Income tax act subject to furnishing of report to Election commission.

Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act, 1954

Context: Supreme Court has come down heavily on Patanjali for promoting misleading advertisements about its Covid-19 medicine i.e. ‘Coronil’, which is a violation of the provisions of The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act, 1954.

About Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act, 1954:

'Advertisement' includes any notice, circular, label, wrapper or other document, and any announcement made orally or by any means of producing or transmitting light, sound or smoke.
'drug' includes—
- i)a medicine for the internal or external use of human beings or animals.
- ii)any substance intended to be used for or in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in human beings or animals.
- iii)any article, other than food, intended to affect or influence in any way the structure or any organic function of the body of human beings or animals.
'Magic remedy' includes a talisman, mantra, kavacha and any other charm of any kind which is alleged to possess miraculous powers for or in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of any disease in human beings or animals or for affecting or influencing in any way the structure or any organic function of the body of human beings or animals.
Prohibition of advertisement of certain drugs for treatment of certain diseases and disorders: No person shall take any part in the publication of any advertisement referring to any drug which suggest or are calculated to lead to the use of that drug for—
- (a) procurement of miscarriage in women or prevention of conception in women; or
- (b) maintenance or improvement of the capacity of human beings for sexual pleasure;
- (c) correction of menstrual disorder in women.
Prohibition of misleading advertisements relating to drugs: No person shall take any part in the publication of any advertisement relating to a drug if advertisement contains any matters which--
- (a) directly or indirectly gives a false impression regarding the true character of the drug; or
- (b) makes a false claim for the drug; or
- (c) is otherwise false or misleading in any material particular.
No person carrying on or purporting to carry on the profession of administering magic remedies shall take any part in the publication of any advertisement referring to any magic remedy which directly or indirectly claims to be efficacious for any of the below purposes
- (a) procurement of miscarriage in women or prevention of conception in women; or
- (b) maintenance or improvement of the capacity of human beings for sexual pleasure;
- (c) the correction of menstrual disorder in women
Penalty: Whoever contravenes any of the provisions of this Act 1[or the rules made thereunder] shall, on conviction, be punishable—
- (a) in the case of the first conviction, with imprisonment which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both.
- (b) in the case of a subsequent conviction, with imprisonment which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both an offence punishable under this Act shall be cognizable.
Powers of entry, search, etc: Subject to the provisions of any rules made in this behalf, any Gazetted Officer authorised by State Government may, within the local limits of the area for which he is so authorised,
- (a) enter and search at all reasonable times, with such assistants, if any, as he considers necessary, any place in which he has reason to believe that an offence under this Act has been or is being committed;
- (b) seize any advertisement which he has reason to believe contravenes any of the provisions of this Act:
Offences by Companies: If the person contravening any of the provisions of this Act is a company, every person who, at the time the offence was committed, was in charge of, and was responsible to, the company for the conduct of the business of the company as well as the company shall be deemed to be guilty of the contravention and shall be liable to be proceeded against, and punished accordingly.

Provided that nothing contained in this subsection shall render any such person liable to any punishment provided in this act if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.

Power to exempt from application of Act:

If, in the opinion of the Central Government, public interest requires that the advertisement of any specified drug or class of drugs [or any specified class of advertisements relating to drugs] should be permitted, it may, direct that the provisions of sections 3,4,5 and 6 or any one of such provisions shall not apply' or shall apply subject to such conditions as may be specified in the notification to or in relation to the advertisement of any such drugs or class of drugs [or any such class of advertisements relating to drugs].

Power to make rules: Central Government makes rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act.

Judicial custody

Context: Recently, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has been sent to 15 days judicial custody in Delhi Excise policy case.

Concept of Custody: The word 'custody' means apprehending someone for protective care. The principle behind arresting the suspect of a crime is to save other people from the accused in society.

Police Custody:

After the receipt of an information/complaint/report by police about a crime, an officer of police arrests the suspect involved in the crime reported, to prevent him from committing the offensive acts further, such officer brings that suspect to police station, this process is called as Police Custody.
It is the custody of a suspect with the police in a lock up at the police station, to detain the suspect. During this detention, the police officer in charge of the case may interrogate the suspect. This detention is not supposed to be longer than 24 hours.
When Police take a person into custody, Section 57 of Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.P.C.) kicks-in and police must produce the accused before a Magistrate within 24 hours of the arrest.

Judicial Custody:

Judicial Custody means an accused is in the custody of the concerned Magistrate.
In police custody, the accused is lodged in police station lockup while in case of judicial custody, it is the jail.
When judicial custody kicks in, the accused is processed under Section 167 of Cr.P.C. and the judicial magistrate has the power to extend this period of custody from time to time.

Difference between police custody and judicial custody:

Police custody	Judicial custody
It means that police have the physical custody of the accused.	Judicial Custody means an accused is in the custody of the concerned Magistrate.
Accused is lodged in lock up.	Accused is lodged in jail.
A person lodge in police custody has to appear before the concerned magistrate within 24 hours.	The person detained in judicial custody is kept in jail until Court gives bail.
Police custody begins when a police officer arrests a suspect upon receiving a complaint or FIR.	Judicial custody begins when the public prosecutor satisfies the court that for the purpose of the investigation, custody of such accused is necessary.
The maximum period of police custody is 24 hours, and which may be extended to 15 days as a whole by the appropriate magistrate	Maximum period of detention is 90 days where the investigation is related to offenses punishable with death, imprisonment for life or imprisonment for a term not less than ten years and 60 days where the investigation is related to offenses punishable with imprisonment for a term less than 10 years.

Rock Art Sites of the Chambal Valley:

Context: The Rock art sites of the Chambal Valley have been included in the UNESCO’s Tentative list of World Heritage Sites.

About Chambal Site:

(Battle scene, on a rock painting from Chambal Valley)

Chambal Basin and Central India region contain the largest concentration of known rock art sites in the world.
Rock art sites have thrived in the hilly areas: Vindhyan, Satpura, and Kaimur ranges.
These rock art sites are from: Lower, Middle and Upper Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Megalithic, and Proto Historic periods.
Currently, only Chaturbhujnath Nala is partially protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Chambal River:
- Known as Charmavati in ancient times, it originates from the Malwa trap zone.
- Covers: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Earliest traces of human habitation in the region are Acheulean tools, including cleavers, hand axes, scrapers, cores, have been found here.
Chambal basin rock art includes: Cupules, with the oldest ones found at Darki, Madhya Pradesh.

Note:

Rock cupules are artificially made depressions on rock surfaces that resemble the shape of an inverse spherical cap or dome.
They were made by direct percussion with hand-held hammer-stones, on vertical, sloping or horizontal rock surfaces.

Petroglyphs (cupules) discovered at Chattaneshwar and Kanyadeh (Rajasthan).
Bhanpura (Madhya Pradesh) area also boasts a significant collection of petroglyphs.
Engraved ostrich egg shells found at Chandrasel in Kota district (Rajasthan) date back approximately 40,000 years B.P.
Rock art themes during the Mesolithic period:
- Scenes from the lives of simple hunting and gathering societies.
- Painted animals in this period were adorned with abstract designs like triangles.
- Bichrome paintings (in two colours) were a notable feature of Mesolithic rock art.
Chalcolithic period:
- Pastoralism and cattle herding became prominent themes
- Economic importance of Humped cattle: It is appearing in about ninety percent of the rock art depictions.
- Cattle were also depicted in other art forms like terracotta bull figures, seals, and sealings.
- Red and its variants were the most commonly used pigments.
Chalcolithic sites in Chambal basin:
- Ahar (Rajasthan), Kayatha (Madhya Pradesh) and Malwa (Malwa region of Central India and parts of Maharashtra in the Deccan Peninsula.
- Ahar culture, dating around 3600-1500 B.C.E., is believed to be the first to settle in the Basin and establish settlements.
- Ahar culture sites: Balathal, Gilund, and Ojiyana (Rajasthan).
Not much information about the rock paintings from the Megalithic phase have been found:
- However, a few dolmens with cup marks have been discovered.
- Also, cup marks were found on the capstones of dolmens and on boulders within stone circles from the Kotra Vihar (Madhya Pradesh).
Early Historical period:
- Rock art is typically found in isolated locations near perennial water sources.
- These locations also contain remnants of ancient temples or mounds from this historical era.
- Many of these sites have temples dedicated to deities like Shiva or mother goddesses.
- Significant social, political, and economic change:
  - Establishment of states, organized religions, and the use of written scripts, all of which are reflected in the rock art of this era.
  - Rock art from this period is work of warriors, war refugees, elite hunters, or local tribal communities who sought refuge or temporary shelter in these rock shelters during wars or hunting expeditions.
- Symbols and designs with religious significance in rock art: fire altars, kalashas, swastikas, triratna, and alpana patterns.
- Art reflects themes and designs from local traditions, including rangoli patterns and depictions of human forms.
- Rock art includes representations of Hindu deities like Ganesha, Rama.
- Religious Sites in the Chambal Basin: Bhimlat Mahadev, Chatturbhuj Nath Nala, Garadia Mahadev, Bukki Mata, Chattaneshwar, Kanyadeh, Narsinghgarh, Kotra Vihar Jogania Mata, and Gepadnath.

Mesolithic Culture:

Mesolithic sites are found in most parts of India.
Sites: Paisra (Bihar), Langhnaj (Gujarat), Baghor II, Chopani Mando, Sarai Nahar Rai, Mahadaha and Damdama (all in Uttar Pradesh), Sankanakallu and Kibbanahalli (Karnataka).
Rock shelter sites: Lekhakia and Baghai Khor in Uttar Pradesh; Adamgarh and Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh.
Rock paintings: Bhimbetka near Bhopal, Raisin and Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh and South Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh are some of the sites.
Coastal sites: Mumbai, Teri sites of Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
In India, Mesolithic cultures appeared around 10,000 BCE.
In certain parts of India including Kerala and Tamil Nadu, it continued up to 1000 BCE, till the beginning of the Iron Age.
Hunting wild animals and gathering plant food and fishing were people’s main occupation during this age.
Agriculture was not practised in the early stages. At the end of the Mesolithic period, humans domesticated animals and paved the way for the Neolithic way of life.
They made temporary huts and also used caves and rock shelters.
- Many caves and shelters feature paintings.
- Circular huts are seen in rock paintings.
- Traces of oval and circular huts and possible wattle daub are found in Chopani Mando and Damdama in Uttar Pradesh and Bagor and Tilwara in Rajasthan.
Mesolithic people buried the dead.
- Suggests their beliefs and humane relationships.
- Human skeletons have been found in Mahadaha, Damdama and Sarai Nahar Rai in Uttar Pradesh.
- One burial had an ivory pendant as the grave good.

Chalcolithic Culture:

The Pre Harappan cultures are the earliest Chalcolithic cultures of India, and they are found in the time before the beginning of the mature phase of the Harappan culture, and continued to exist in the later period.
Unlike the mature urban phase of the Harappan civilization, Chalcolithic cultures were pastoral and based on farming, generally rural in nature.
They used copper and stone blades and pottery and also low-grade iron in the later period.
Their settlements were sedentary or semi-sedentary.
In the north western and western regions of India, the early farming cultures are associated with the Chalcolithic cultures rather than the Neolithic cultures.
The Chalcolithic people also began to domesticate animals in addition to agriculture.
The houses were made of stone, mud bricks, mud and perishable wooden materials, and built on a stone foundation.
People used black and red ware and black on red ware pottery.
These sites have produced a large quantity of copper objects, such as flat axes, bangles, rings, knives, blades, socket-less axes, barbed and tanged arrowheads, choppers and chisels.

Ahar-Banas Culture:

A Chalcolithic archaeological culture on the banks of the Ahar River of southeastern Rajasthan.
Dated: from c. 3000 to 1500 BCE.
Contemporary and adjacent to the Indus Valley civilization.
Sustained on a number of crops, including wheat and barley.
More than 90 sites of the Ahar culture have been identified to date.
A number of sites with Ahar culture level are also found from Jawad, Mandsaur, Kayatha and Dangwada in Madhya Pradesh state.
Rajasthan: Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Dungarpur, Banswara, Ajmer, Tonk and Bhilwara districts.
Based on the pottery excavated here, this site is considered as a separate archaeological culture.
Ahar pottery is a Black-and-red ware (BRW) with linear and dotted designs painted on it in white pigment.

For more information:

Kallakkadal: A coastal Hazard

Context: Kallakkadal, a coastal flooding phenomenon caused by distant ocean storms, has recently affected Kerala, India. The current event, triggered by a low-pressure system from South Atlantic Ocean, has flooded hundreds of houses in Alappuzha, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram districts.

Kallakkadal differs from tsunamis and can now be predicted by the INCOIS Swell Surge Forecast System. The swell surge is expected to continue for the next two days before weakening.

Kallakkadal

Kallakkadal is a Malayalam term that combines "Kallan" (meaning thief) and "Kadal" (meaning sea). This term was formally approved by UNESCO in 2012.
It refers to the phenomenon of coastal flooding during the pre-monsoon season (April-May) along the southwest coast of India, caused by ocean swells generated by distant storms.
The latest instance of Kallakkadal took place after a low atmospheric pressure system moved over the region around March 25 from the South Atlantic Ocean — 10,000 kilometres off the Indian coast.
Swell surge is another term used to describe the coastal flooding caused by Kallakkadal.

Causes and Formation

Energy transfer from air to water during distant storms
- Kallakkadal events are triggered by the energy transfer from air to water during distant storms, such as hurricanes or intense low-pressure systems.
- During these storms, winds can reach speeds of over 100 km/h, leading to the formation of high waves.
Wave propagation
- The high waves generated by distant storms can travel thousands of kilometers from the storm center to eventually reach the shore.
- Swell waves associated with Kallakkadal can propagate at speeds of up to 50 km/h and cover distances of over 10,000 km.

Affected Areas

Kerala: The state of Kerala, particularly the districts of Alappuzha, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram, is among the worst affected by Kallakkadal. During these events, hundreds of houses are flooded, and relief camps are opened to accommodate the affected population.
Lakshadweep: The low-lying coral atolls of Lakshadweep are vulnerable to sea-level rise and coastal flooding associated with Kallakkadal events. The unique geography of these islands makes them particularly susceptible to the impacts of swell surges.
Tamil Nadu coast: The Tamil Nadu coast, which has a coastline of over 1,000 km, is another region that is expected to be impacted by Kallakkadal events. INCOIS has stated high waves will move to the Tamil Nadu coast.

Early Warning System

Swell Surge Forecast System by INCOIS (2020)
- This system provides forewarning of Kallakkadal events seven days in advance, allowing coastal communities to prepare and take necessary precautions.
- The forecast system uses numerical ocean models, observations, and artificial intelligence techniques to generate accurate predictions.
Challenges in forecasting Kallakkadal
- Forecasting Kallakkadal events is challenging because they often occur without precursors or local wind activity.
- In such situations, the traditional knowledge of fishermen and coastal communities plays a crucial role in identifying and responding to these events.

Different between Tsunami and Kallakathal

Characteristic	Tsunami	Kallakkadal
Definition	A series of enormous waves created by underwater disturbances, usually associated with earthquakes	Coastal flooding during the pre-monsoon (April-May) season by swell waves on the southwest coast of India
Wave Height	Can reach heights of over 30 meters	Typically range from 2-6 meters
Wave Speed	Can travel at speeds of up to 800 km/h	Travel at speeds of up to 50 km/h
Cause	Sudden displacement of a large volume of water, often due to seismic activity or underwater landslides	Energy transfer from distant storms to the ocean surface
Recent Events	- Tsunami that hit Tonga's largest island, Tongatapu, due to a volcanic eruption- Powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Taiwan, prompting nearby Japan to issue a tsunami warning	The latest instance took place after a low atmospheric pressure system moved over the region around March 25 from the South Atlantic Ocean
Terminology	The term "tsunami" is derived from the Japanese language, meaning "harbor wave"	- The term "Kallakkadal" is a combination of two Malayalam words, "Kallan" (meaning thief) and "Kadal" (meaning sea)- Formally approved by UNESCO in 2012

INCOIS Alerts

Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has issued alerts for coastal areas vulnerable to sea erosion, advising communities to take necessary precautions and ensure the safety of their property and lives.
It is observed that 33.6% of the Indian coastline was vulnerable to erosion, 26.9% was under accretion (growing), and 39.6% was in a stable state.
This long-term shoreline analysis indicates that out of 550 km of coast in Odisha, 28% of the coast is eroding, 21% is stable, and 51% is accreting.
To protect the coastal areas from erosion, initiatives such as mangrove plantation, shelterbelt plantation, and installation of Geo-Tubes in 500 m (Pentha Village Odisha) have been carried out.

Climate Change and Kallakkadal

Rising sea levels due to climate change
- According to NASA, the global mean sea level has risen by about 0.3 inches (0.76 centimeters) from 2022 to 2023, a relatively large jump due mostly to a warming climate and the development of a strong El Nino.
- The total rise is equivalent to draining a quarter of Lake Superior into the ocean over the course of a year.
Warmer ocean temperatures
- Climate change is also leading to warmer ocean temperatures, which can contribute to more intense storms and larger swell waves.
- As the ocean surface warms, it provides more energy for storms to intensify, potentially leading to stronger winds and higher waves.
Increased risk for coastal communities
- The extent of coastal flooding has increased over the past 20 years as a result of sea level rise, meaning 14 million more people worldwide now live in coastal communities with a 1-in-20 annual chance of flooding.

Mitigation and Adaptation Measures

Strengthening early warning systems and disaster preparedness
Coastal protection and management measures can help reduce the vulnerability of coastal areas to flooding and erosion.
Hard engineering structures, such as seawalls and groins, can be built to protect the shoreline from the impact of waves and current.
Nature-based solutions, like mangrove restoration and beach nourishment, can also help to buffer the coast against erosion and provide additional ecosystem benefits.
In the long term, mitigating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions is essential to limit the extent of sea-level rise and ocean warming.
Promoting sustainable development and climate-resilient infrastructure in coastal areas
On the international level, India updated its climate action plans at the CoP26 Leader's Summit, demonstrating a renewed commitment to the Paris Agreement's goal of reducing GHG emissions intensity of GDP by 33-35 percent by 2030.