Content:
- Copyright’s Tryst with Generative AI
- What is a Presidential Reference?
- From Pyramids to Hourglasses: How AI Can Change Indian Workplaces
- ISRO: Satellite Launch Went Awry Minutes After Lift-Off Due to Glitch
- SC Directs States and UTs to Reclaim Reserve Forests Allotted to Private Parties
- Our Bodies Perform a Kind of mRNA Editing, and We Don’t Know Why
- PSLV: Centre of Attention
Copyright’s tryst with generative AI
Historical Context of Copyright Law
- Copyright law originated in 1710 due to the invention of the printing press.
- Its aim: protect publishers’ rights, encourage learning, and secure economic interests.
- Over time, it has adapted to photocopying, recording devices, and the Internet.
- Each technological shift brings debates on how copyright should respond.
Relevance : GS 2(Governance) ,GS 3(Invention ,Technology)
Generative AI: A New Challenge
- Current concern: generative AI trains on copyrighted material without permission.
- This shifts focus from “copying works” to “training on works.”
- Earlier legal concerns involved reproducing copies; now it involves usage in training datasets.
Global Legal Crossroads
- Generative AI companies (like OpenAI) use internet scraping to collect both copyrighted and non-copyrighted content.
- Lawsuits have emerged globally:
- India: Federation of Indian Publishers & ANI sued OpenAI in Delhi HC.
- USA: Claims countered with “fair use in education” exceptions.
- OpenAI introduced an opt-out mechanism, but it only applies to future training, not past.
India’s Unique Legal Landscape
- India follows an enumerated exceptions model under its Copyright Act.
- Unlike the U.S. “fair use” doctrine, India lists specific exceptions—limited scope.
- Educational use is confined to classroom settings—favouring right-holders in disputes.
- Indian courts may face jurisdictional challenges, but the core issue remains unresolved.
Key Judicial Considerations
- Amicus curiae (Dr. Arul George Scaria) suggestions:
- Assess feasibility of “unlearning” content already used in training.
- Balance AI development with access to legitimate information.
- Address false attribution issues in AI responses.
Concerns about Access and Equity
- Over-restriction may hurt access to books and knowledge—undermining copyright’s original intent.
- Newer, smaller AI players could suffer due to lack of access to high-quality training data.
- Courts must ensure a level playing field between dominant and emerging AI platforms.
Foundational Copyright Principles as a Guide
- Copyright protects expression of ideas, not the idea/information itself.
- If AI uses information (not expression), it’s not necessarily infringement.
- Law should distinguish between:
- Learning from content (permissible)
- Copying protected expressions (infringement)
Philosophical and Practical Implications
- All creativity—human or AI—is based on learning from the past.
- Creating a legal divide between human and machine learning may be counterproductive.
- Law must evolve but not at the cost of stifling creativity and future innovation.
What is a Presidential reference?
Constitutional Basis and Origin
- Article 143 empowers the President of India to refer questions of law or fact of public importance to the Supreme Court for its opinion.
- This is a non-binding, advisory opinion by the court.
- Originates from Section 213 of the Government of India Act, 1935.
Relevance : GS 2(Polity and Governance)
Comparative Perspective
- Canada: Has a similar provision; Supreme Court provides opinions on reference questions.
- USA: No advisory jurisdiction; advisory opinions are considered a violation of the separation of powers.
Key Features of Article 143
- The President acts on advice of the Council of Ministers while referring matters.
- Supreme Court may (not must) answer the reference.
- Requires a bench of at least five judges (as per Article 145).
- The opinion has persuasive value, not binding on the President or future courts.
Important Precedents (Historical References)
- Delhi Laws Act case (1951): Validated delegated legislation.
- Kerala Education Bill (1958): Harmonized Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles.
- Berubari Case (1960): Territorial cession needs constitutional amendment.
- Keshav Singh Case (1965): Legislative privileges defined.
- Presidential Poll Case (1974): Elections can proceed despite vacancies.
- Special Courts Bill (1978): Court can decline vague references.
- Third Judges Case (1998): Defined the collegium system for judicial appointments.
Court’s Discretion
- The Supreme Court is not bound to answer every Presidential reference.
- Has declined only once — in Ram Janmabhoomi case (1993).
Current Presidential Reference (2024-25)
- Stems from a recent SC ruling that:
- Imposed timelines on Governors and the President for acting on Bills.
- Made their actions subject to judicial review.
- President Droupadi Murmu has raised 14 questions concerning:
- Interpretation of Articles 200 & 201.
- Judicial review of executive actions before enactment.
- The scope of Article 142 (extraordinary powers of the SC).
- Issue arises due to Centre-State tensions, especially with Opposition-ruled States.
Core Issues Raised
- Can the Supreme Court prescribe timelines not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution?
- Are Governor/President’s decisions justiciable before a Bill becomes law?
- What is the extent of Article 142 powers?
Broader Implications
- Touches upon separation of powers and federalism.
- May define boundaries of judicial activism in legislative processes.
- An authoritative opinion can ensure smooth Centre-State legislative functioning.
Conclusion
- Presidential references serve as a constitutional dialogue between the executive and judiciary.
- The current reference may set important precedents on executive discretion, legislative processes, and judicial boundaries.
From pyramids to hourglasses: how AI can change Indian workplaces
Shift from Pyramid to Hourglass Model
- Traditional pyramid structure: Top-heavy with bosses, middle managers, and a broad base of workers.
- Hourglass structure: AI flattens the middle tier by automating coordination and decision-making tasks.
- Leaders focus on strategy, while the base comprises frontline workers and AI systems working collaboratively.
Relevance : GS 2(Governance) ,GS 3(Technology)
AI’s Economic Promise
- McKinsey projects AI could add trillions to the global economy.
- Potential to increase productivity by up to 25% for firms embracing AI.
- SMEs in India could significantly benefit due to the potential for efficiency and flexibility gains.
Global Trends and India’s Context
- Western firms are already adopting hourglass models (e.g., 20% of firms may reduce middle managers by 2026).
- India’s scenario is unique:
- Ranks 72nd in IMF’s AI Preparedness Index.
- Urban-rural divide limits infrastructure and connectivity.
- Cultural hierarchy and respect for authority slow organizational flattening.
India’s Hybrid Approach
- Indian firms are adapting selectively:
- Flipkart, Jio use AI for supply chain and customer behavior prediction but retain human layers for local adaptability.
- Hybrid model: AI + human oversight accommodates India’s multilingual, diverse market needs and low labor costs.
Advantages of AI in Indian Workplaces
- Efficiency: AI-driven demand forecasting and supply chain optimization.
- Innovation: Generative AI improves task performance by 66% (NNG Group).
- Flexibility: AI helped pharma firms during pandemic disruptions.
- Customer/employee experience: 24/7 chatbots, automated payroll systems.
- New job roles: Rise in demand for AI experts, data ethicists — projected 1.25 million jobs by 2027 (Deloitte & Nasscom).
Key Challenges
- Job Displacement:
- Risk to middle managers and less-skilled workers.
- Up to 800 million jobs may shift globally by 2030.
- Indian non-graduates and older workers most vulnerable.
- Reskilling Needs:
- While 94% of Indian firms plan to reskill (LinkedIn), execution remains challenging.
- Ethical Concerns:
- Biased datasets can affect fairness in decisions (loans, hiring).
- Data privacy: 79% of Indians dislike data being sold (ISACA).
- Digital Personal Data Protection Act (2023) still in early implementation.
- Infrastructure Gaps:
- 65% of India lives in rural areas, many without internet access.
- High costs of AI tools and platforms make it hard for smaller firms.
- Cultural Barriers:
- Preference for hierarchical structures in family-owned businesses and traditional companies.
Recommendations
- Reskilling: Expand digital literacy and problem-solving training (e.g., through Skill India).
- Ethical Frameworks: Adopt clear AI ethics guidelines (OECD model), address bias and build public trust.
- Hybrid Strategy: Combine AI’s efficiency with human adaptability for decision-making.
- Collaborations: Partner with Western firms to develop customised AI for Indian needs.
- Long-term Monitoring: Treat AI as an ongoing transformation, not a quick fix — adapt to cyber threats and regulation changes.
ISRO: satellite launch went awry minutes after lift-off due to glitch
Mission objective:
- PSLV-C61 aimed to deploy Earth observation satellite EOS-09 into a sun synchronous polar orbit, 17 minutes post-lift-off.
- EOS-09 intended to support remote sensing applications with enhanced observation frequency, built on RISAT-1 heritage platform.
Relevance : GS 3(Space ,Science and Technology)
Failure details:
- The rocket lift-off was successful at 5:59 a.m. from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
- A technical glitch occurred during the third stage — a solid rocket motor — resulting in a drop in chamber pressure inside the motor casing.
- This pressure drop led to mission failure: the satellite was not placed into the intended orbit.
Stages performance:
- First and second stages performed normally.
- Third stage started perfectly but encountered anomalies mid-operation causing the mission to abort.
Context and history:
- PSLV-C61 was the 63rd flight of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle and the 27th in the PSLV-XL variant.
- Since 2017, PSLV had an excellent success record after only two prior failures (1993’s first mission and 2017’s 41st flight).
- The recent failure follows a January 2025 incident where ISRO failed to raise orbit of NVS-02 satellite due to valve malfunction, highlighting ongoing technical challenges.
Technical challenges and response:
- The third-stage solid motor had a history of development difficulties and multiple failures, as highlighted by former ISRO Chairman S. Somanath.
- Despite unusual reappearance of issues, confidence remains high that the root cause will be identified and fixed promptly.
Implications:
- The failure underscores the technical complexity and risk inherent in space missions, especially in critical propulsion stages.
- It may cause delays in satellite data availability for operational uses like remote sensing.
- ISRO’s resilience and iterative problem-solving will be key to sustaining its launch success momentum.
Next steps:
- ISRO will conduct detailed analysis of the third-stage anomaly before resuming similar missions.
- Continued improvements in motor design and quality control are critical.
- Monitoring and learning from such failures contribute to overall strengthening of India’s space capabilities.
SC directs States and UTs to reclaim reserve forests allotted to private parties
- Supreme Court directive:
- Chief Secretaries of States and Administrators of Union Territories (UTs) must form Special Investigation Teams (SITs).
- SITs to examine forest lands held by Revenue Departments that have been allotted to private parties for non-forest (non-afforestation) uses.
Relevance : GS 3(Environmental Governance)
- Action required:
- Identify and reclaim reserve forest lands wrongly allotted to private individuals/entities.
- Repossess such lands and hand them over to the respective forest departments.
- Exceptions & compensations:
- If repossession is not in larger public interest, States/UTs must recover the cost of the land from private holders.
- Recovered funds must be used solely for forest development and afforestation.
- Timeframe:
- The entire exercise must be completed within one year from the judgment date.
- Land use:
- Going forward, such forest lands must only be used for afforestation and forest-related activities.
- Conversion to agricultural or commercial purposes is prohibited.
- Case reference:
- Judgment arose from the illegal allotment of 11.89 hectares of reserve forest land at Kondhwa Budruk, Pune (allotted in 1998 for agriculture and sold to a builder in 1999).
- Environmental Clearance given to the builder in 2007 was quashed as illegal.
- Court observations:
- Highlighted the nexus between politicians, bureaucrats, and builders driving illegal forest land conversion.
- Called this a “classic example” of misuse and commercialisation of precious forest resources.
- Legal implications:
- Sets a precedent reinforcing strict protection of reserve forests.
- Empowers forest departments and strengthens forest conservation enforcement.
- Broader significance:
- Aims to curb illegal deforestation and safeguard ecological balance.
- Ensures accountability of government officials and private parties in forest land misuse.
- Promotes sustainable development through forest restoration efforts.
- Next steps for States/UTs:
- Immediate formation of SITs and thorough audits of forest land allotments.
- Proactive repossession or cost recovery and forest department handover.
- Implementation monitoring by judiciary or relevant authorities to ensure compliance within the one-year deadline.
Our bodies perform a kind of mRNA editing, and we don’t know why
Basic concept:
- DNA is like a recipe book coding for proteins made from amino acids.
- Genes (recipes) are transcribed into mRNA, which ribosomes “read” to build proteins.
- mRNA letters (A, U, G, C) correspond to amino acids; “A” stands for adenosine.
Relevance : GS 3(Science and Technology)
What is A-to-I mRNA editing?
- ADAR enzymes convert adenosine (A) in mRNA to inosine (I).
- Ribosomes read inosine as guanine (G), causing changes in the protein sequence.
- This editing can alter protein function by changing amino acids.
Why is it puzzling?
- DNA could directly encode G instead of A, but it doesn’t—mRNA editing adds complexity.
- For example, editing can convert stop codons (UAG, UGA) into a codon for tryptophan (UGG), allowing proteins to be longer.
- The purpose of this complicated mechanism is unclear.
Recent study insights from Fusarium graminearum (a fungus):
- No A-to-I editing during vegetative (growth) stage on infected plants.
- Massive A-to-I editing (over 26,000 sites) during sexual reproduction stage.
- Focused on 71 genes with premature stop codons (PSC genes) “rescued” by editing.
- Deleting PSC genes affected fungus only during sexual stage, proving editing’s developmental role.
Functional implications:
- Unedited versions of some PSC genes help resist environmental stress during vegetative growth, so direct DNA mutation (A→G) would be disadvantageous early on.
- Suggests evolutionary advantage in delaying editing until necessary for development.
Evolutionary perspective:
- A-to-I editing may be a transitional evolutionary mechanism.
- Over time, more genes might depend on editing, making ADAR essential for gene expression.
- This could eventually lead to accumulation of G-to-A mutations in DNA “masked” by editing.
Scientific challenge:
- Understanding the net evolutionary benefit of A-to-I editing is more complex than discovering its function.
- The mechanism adds a regulatory layer that seems unnecessarily complicated.
Broader significance:
- mRNA editing adds flexibility to gene expression without permanent DNA changes.
- Can help organisms adapt protein function dynamically to developmental or environmental cues.
- Raises fundamental questions about genetic information processing and evolution.
PSLV: centre of attention
What is PSLV?
- PSLV = Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, designed to launch satellites into sun-synchronous polar orbits (SSPO).
- It is a four-stage rocket with sequentially firing engines, shedding stages to reduce weight during ascent.
Relevance : GS 3(Science and Technology)
Technical specifications:
- First stage: Uses HTPB (hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene) fuel, peak thrust ~4.8 MN; XL version adds 6 strap-on boosters for extra thrust.
- Second stage: Powered by Vikas engine using unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (fuel) and nitrogen tetroxide (oxidiser), thrust ~0.8 MN.
- Third stage: Uses HTPB fuel again.
- Fourth stage: Uses monomethylhydrazine and mixed oxides of nitrogen with two engines.
PSLV-C61 mission specifics:
- Launched May 18, 2023, at 5:59 am carrying EOS-09 satellite intended for SSPO.
- Mission ended in failure due to a problem in the third stage.
Cause of failure:
- ISRO chairman V. Narayanan revealed that chamber pressure in the third-stage motor casing dropped during flight.
- Loss of pressure led to mission failure.
Next steps:
- ISRO is investigating the exact cause of pressure loss.
- Plans to reattempt the launch with a replacement EOS-09 satellite.
Significance of PSLV:
- Workhorse rocket for ISRO, reliable for multiple types of missions (earth observation, navigation, interplanetary).
- XL configuration adds thrust capacity via boosters to carry heavier payloads.
- Despite rare failures, PSLV remains crucial to India’s space ambitions.
