18 March 2024

• Society: The Human Development Report 2023-24 analysis deepened: India's HDI at 0.644 (rank 134) highlights a 48 per cent improvement since 1990, but gender inequality remains stark at rank 108.
• Economy: The KCC Fisheries Scheme was integrated with the JanSamarth Portal, extending credit access to fish farmers and fishers with interest subvention benefits.
• Law: The EU's landmark Artificial Intelligence Act, the world's first comprehensive AI law, passed the European Parliament, introducing four risk categories for AI systems.
• Energy: ETHANOL 100 drew continued analysis as a high-octane alternative requiring flex-fuel vehicle compatibility before wide deployment.

GS area: Economy (human development), Society

The UNDP Human Development Report 2023-24 titled "Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining Cooperation in a Polarised World" contains several numbers the UPSC uses regularly:

• India's HDI rank: 134 of 193 countries.
• HDI value: 0.644 (medium human development).
• Life expectancy: 67.7 years.
• Expected years of schooling: 12.6 years.
• GNI per capita: USD 6,951.
• Historical improvement: HDI grew from 0.434 in 1990 to 0.644 in 2022, an improvement of 48 per cent.

Gender metrics:

• Gender Inequality Index: rank 108 of 166 countries, improved by 14 places from 2021.
• Maternal Mortality Ratio: 103 deaths per 1 lakh live births (GII component).
• Female parliamentary share: around 15 per cent of seats (GII component).

The HDI's three dimensions: health (life expectancy), education (mean and expected years), income (GNI per capita).

The index was created in 1990 by Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq, building on Amartya Sen's capabilities approach.

Static linkage: Economy (human development indicators), society.

GS area: Government schemes (agriculture, fisheries)

The Kisan Credit Card scheme for fisheries was integrated onto the JanSamarth Portal, enabling fish farmers and fishers to apply for short-term credit online with interest subvention. Key facts:

• Extended to fisheries in: 2018-19 (originally launched in 1998 for farmers).
• Coverage: individuals, joint borrowers, Joint Liability Groups, Self Help Groups engaged in fisheries.
• Interest subvention: 2 per cent annual interest subvention on short-term credit; additional 3 per cent for prompt repayment, effectively reducing the rate to 4 per cent.
• Card type: ATM-enabled RuPay debit card linked to Aadhaar.
• Achievement: 25 lakh fishery KCC applications sanctioned; target of 2.5 crore farmers overall for the scheme.
• JanSamarth Portal: a centrally sponsored scheme portal that aggregates government credit-linked schemes for digital application.

Static linkage: Government schemes (fisheries, credit), economy.

GS area: Science and Technology, Governance (international)

The European Parliament passed the Artificial Intelligence Act 2024, the world's first comprehensive law regulating AI. The Act classifies AI systems into four risk categories:

• Unacceptable risk: banned outright. Includes social scoring systems, subliminal manipulation, real-time remote biometric identification in public spaces (with limited exceptions for law enforcement).
• High risk: allowed but must undergo conformity assessment before deployment. Includes AI in critical infrastructure, education, employment, essential services, law enforcement and judiciary. These systems must demonstrate bias mitigation and maintain logs.
• Specific transparency risk: systems that interact with users (like chatbots) must disclose that they are AI.
• Minimal risk: most AI applications; no specific obligations.

India's response:

• India AI Mission: a Rs 10,000 crore initiative for AI development.
• National AI Strategy 2018 (NITI Aayog): the first strategic framework.
• TRAI advisory (2023): recommended a domestic statutory authority for AI oversight.
• India's stance: so far prefers a "light touch" approach focusing on harm mitigation rather than pre-deployment regulation.

Static linkage: Science and technology (AI governance), international relations.

GS area: History (modern India)

Maharashtra cabinet proposed renaming Mumbai Central railway station after Nana Jagannath Shankarseth, a key figure in 19th-century Bombay. Why he matters for prelims:

• First Indian on Bombay Legislative Council: nominated to represent Indian interests.
• Native School of Bombay (1849): later became Elphinstone College, now a historic institution.
• Bombay Association (1852): one of the earliest political associations in India, a precursor to the Indian National Congress.
• India's first railway: instrumental in the committee that launched the first Indian train service (Boribunder to Thane, 16 April 1853) alongside Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy and David Sassoon. Great Indian Peninsula Railway was the company.
• Women's education: active advocate for educating women at a time when it was socially contested.

Static linkage: History (modern India, social reform movements).

• Bhutan's Gelephu Mindfulness City: a planned special administrative zone in Bhutan, near the Indian border in Assam, targeting non-polluting industries including IT and education. India's support would involve financing, airport upgrades and South Asian power grid connectivity. Bhutan became a constitutional monarchy in 2008.
• Gulf of Tonkin geography: located in the South China Sea, bordered by Vietnam's northern coast to the west and China's Hainan Island and Guangdong coast to the east. Historically significant as the site of the 1964 incident that escalated US involvement in the Vietnam War. Relevant because China set new baselines in 2024, contested by Vietnam.
• NIA CCMS: the National Investigation Agency's Criminal Case Management System is a browser-based platform for states to manage terrorism and organised crime investigations. Launched alongside the "Sankalan" app from the NCRB, a guide to the new criminal laws.