Current Affairs 08 November 2023

CONTENTS

1. Composite Water Management Index (CWMI)
2. National Security Strategy
3. Deepfake Technology
4. Southern Peninsular India: Sixth Driest October in 123 Years
5. Central Information Commission
6. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL)
7. Kamakhya Temple
8. Zika Virus

 Composite Water Management Index (CWMI)

Context:

NITI Aayog has reportedly designated the ‘Composite Water Management Index’ reports for 2018-19 and 2019-20 as for “internal use” after publicly releasing previous editions. The reports, first introduced in 2018, evaluate state progress in water management by considering 28 parameters, shedding light on India’s water challenges and ranking states accordingly.

Relevance:

GS II: Government policies and Interventions

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Background and Water Crisis in India
2. What is the Composite Water Management Index (CWMI)?
3.  NITI Aayog’s Decision to Make CWMI ‘Internal’

Background and Water Crisis in India

• India faces its most severe water crisis, endangering millions of lives and livelihoods.
• Approximately 600 million Indians experience high to extreme water stress, with nearly 200,000 annual deaths due to inadequate safe water access.
• By 2030, India’s water demand will double the available supply, leading to severe scarcity for many and a potential 6% loss in GDP.
• Norms indicate water shortage when availability falls below 1,700 cubic meters per person per year, and “scarcity” below 1,000 cubic meters.
• India is close to reaching a groundwater risk tipping point, where abrupt and often irreversible environmental changes occur.

What is the Composite Water Management Index (CWMI)?

• NITI Aayog introduced CWMI in 2018 to address India’s water crisis.
• Developed in collaboration with the Ministries of Water Resources, Drinking Water & Sanitation, and Rural Development.

Objectives:

• Improve water resource management and conservation.
• Provide an annual snapshot of water sector status and state/UT water management performance.
• Measure overall state progress and incremental improvements over time.

Significance:

• Promotes data-driven policy decisions and sustainable water resource management.
• Encourages competitive and cooperative federalism.
• Facilitates data access for researchers and entrepreneurs.

Themes and Indicators:

• 9 themes with 28 indicators, covering topics like groundwater and surface water restoration, irrigation, watershed development, water supply, and governance.

NITI Aayog’s Decision to Make CWMI ‘Internal’

• The first CWMI edition covered data for 2015-16 and 2016-17, while the second edition from August 2019 focused on 2017-18.
• The 2019-20 report ranked Gujarat as the top-performing state, with consistent year-on-year improvements, closely followed by Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.
• NITI Aayog has reached out to the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti to discuss the utility and applicability of the Index and whether CWMI should be continued.
• Despite this, there has been no response from the Ministry, while the third and fourth editions remain pending.
• The latest report highlights water scarcity as a national issue and anticipates a reduction in average annual per capita water availability, decreasing to 1,486 cubic meters per person per year by 2021 from 1,545 cubic meters per person per year in 2011.

-Source: Indian Express

National Security Strategy

Context:

After years of deliberations, India has recently started the process of bringing in a National Security Strategy and the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) has started collating inputs from several Central ministries and departments.

Relevance:

GS III: Security Challenges

Dimensions of the Article:

1. National Security Strategy
2. India’s Persistent Need for a National Security Strategy
3. Way Forward for National Security Strategy

National Security Strategy:

• A National Security Strategy (NSS) is a comprehensive document outlining a nation’s security objectives and the means to attain them.
• The NSS is a flexible document subject to periodic updates, adapting to evolving conditions and emerging threats.

Addressing Diverse Challenges:

• The NSS encompasses a broad spectrum of contemporary challenges and threats, including both conventional and modern warfare issues, reflecting the interconnected nature of today’s world.
• It encompasses not only traditional concerns like military and defense but also non-traditional ones such as financial and economic security, food and energy security, information warfare, critical information infrastructure vulnerabilities, supply chain disruptions, and environmental issues.

Comprehensive National Security View:

• By presenting a holistic perspective of India’s national security landscape and a strategic plan to confront these challenges, the National Security Strategy plays a pivotal role in guiding significant defense and security reforms.
• It serves as an indispensable tool in safeguarding the nation’s interests and promoting its security.

India’s Persistent Need for a National Security Strategy:

• India has frequently discussed the idea of formulating a National Security Strategy, but practical implementation has been elusive, primarily due to the absence of a unified, whole-of-government approach.
• The government has not publicly disclosed its national security objectives, which has added to the complexity of developing and implementing such a strategy.
• In light of the multifaceted emerging threats and increased uncertainties in global geopolitics, the development of a comprehensive National Security Strategy for India is a critical necessity.

Call for Strategy Revision:

• Notably, former Army Chief General emphasized the outdated nature of the existing political direction for the Armed Forces and advocated for its revision.
• The sole existing political direction for the Armed Forces is the Defence Minister’s operational Directive of 2009.
• Experts stress that substantial military reforms, like the theaterization of the armed forces, should be grounded in a comprehensive national security strategy.
• The absence of such a strategy is likened to initiating military reforms without a clear roadmap.

International Precedents:

• Most developed countries with advanced military and security structures have established National Security Strategies, subject to periodic updates.
• Examples include the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, and China, which has a Comprehensive National Security strategy closely integrated into its governance structure.
• Even Pakistan has introduced a National Security Policy 2022-2026, elucidating its national security objectives and priority areas.

Way Forward for National Security Strategy:

Defining Key Assets and Adversaries:

• The 21st-century National Security Strategy should distinctly outline the assets that need protection and identify potential adversaries employing unconventional tactics to disorient the population. 

Focusing on Technological Priorities:

• Prioritize the development of departments and initiatives to support innovation and technology advancements.
• Areas of focus should include hydrogen fuel cells, seawater desalination, thorium for nuclear technology, anti-computer viruses, and new immunity-boosting medicines.

Multi-Dimensional Anticipation and Deterrence:

• Develop a strategy that anticipates threats from multiple dimensions.
• Employ demonstrative yet limited pre-emptive strikes to deter potential adversaries.
• China’s cyber capabilities represent a new threat, necessitating a tailored strategy for countering it.

Cybersecurity Measures:

• Allocate a separate budget for cybersecurity to address evolving cyber threats.
• Establish a centralized body of cyber experts to counter state-sponsored hackers.
• Leverage India’s software development talent pool by offering career opportunities in the field.
• Bootstrap cybersecurity capability programs in states through central funding.

Defense, Deterrence, and Exploitation:

• Emphasize the defense of critical information infrastructure, with individual ministries and private companies required to transparently report breaches.
• Deterrence in national security should be addressed comprehensively, similar to nuclear deterrence, by establishing clarity on adversaries’ capabilities.

Military Intelligence and Preparedness:

• Initiate preparations for a robust national security strategy by focusing on military intelligence gathering, target evaluation, and the development of specific tools to ensure long-term national security.

-Source: Indian Express

Deepfake Technology

Context:

In a recent turn of events, popular actress Rashmika Mandanna has found herself at the center of a controversy involving a deepfake video.

Relevance:

GS III: Science and Technology

Dimensions of the Article:

1. What is a deepfake?
2. Measures to address the threats related to deepfakes
3. Way forward

What is a deepfake?

• Deepfakes are a compilation of artificial images and audio put together with machine-learning algorithms to spread misinformation and replace a real person’s appearance, voice, or both with similar artificial likenesses or voices.
• It can create people who do not exist and it can fake real people saying and doing things they did not say or do.

Background:

• The term deepfake originated in 2017, when an anonymous Reddit user called himself “Deepfakes.”
• This user manipulated Google’s open-source, deep-learning technology to create and post pornographic videos.
• The videos were doctored with a technique known as face-swapping.
• The user “Deepfakes” replaced real faces with celebrity faces.

Where can it be used?

• It is used to generate celebrity porn videos, produce fake news, and commit financial fraud among other wrongdoings.
• It is now being used for nefarious purposes like scams and hoaxes,election manipulation, social engineering, automated disinformation attacks, identity theft and financial fraud.
  • Deepfake technology has been used to impersonate former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg and Hollywood celebrity Tom Cruise.

Measures to address the threats related to deepfakes:

Collaborative actions and collective techniques across legislative regulations, platform policies, technology intervention, and media literacy can provide effective and ethical countermeasures to mitigate the threat of malicious deepfakes.

Media literacy:

• Media literacy for consumers and journalists is the most effective tool to combat disinformation and deepfakes.
• Media literacy efforts must be enhanced to cultivate a discerning public. As consumers of media, we must have the ability to decipher, understand, translate, and use the information we encounter.
• Even a short intervention with media understanding, learning the motivations and context, can lessen the damage. Improving media literacy is a precursor to addressing the challenges presented by deepfakes

Legislative regulations:

• Meaningful regulations with a collaborative discussion with the technology industry, civil society, and policymakers can facilitate disincentivising the creation and distribution of malicious deepfakes.

Technological solutions:

• We also need easy-to-use and accessible technology solutions to detect deepfakes, authenticate media, and amplify authoritative sources.

Way forward:

Deepfakes can create possibilities for all people irrespective of their limitations by augmenting their agency. However, as access to synthetic media technology increases, so does the risk of exploitation. Deepfakes can be used to damage reputations, fabricate evidence, defraud the public, and undermine trust in democratic institutions. To counter the menace of deepfakes, we all must take the responsibility to be a critical consumer of media on the Internet, think and pause before we share on social media, and be part of the solution to this infodemic.

-Source: Indian Express

Southern Peninsular India: Sixth Driest October in 123 Years

Context:

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recent analysis regarding the rainfall patterns in Southern peninsular India, spanning 123 years of records, exposed that the region encountered its sixth driest October in its meteorological history.

Relevance:

GS I: Geography

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Factors Influencing Rainfall Deficiency in Southern Peninsular India
2. Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)
3. Cyclone Hamoon
4. El Nino

Factors Influencing Rainfall Deficiency in Southern Peninsular India

Confluence of Northeast Monsoon and Cyclone Hamoon:

• The region experienced an abnormally low rainfall of 74.9mm in October due to the confluence of the northeast monsoon with the development of Cyclone Hamoon.
• This coincided with the deviation of moisture away from southern peninsular India, disrupting wind patterns and delaying the onset of the northeast monsoon.

El Nino and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD):

• The year 2023 is marked by El Nino conditions along with a positive phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD).
• This climatic combination has led to reduced rainfall in northern Tamil Nadu and neighboring areas.
• Conversely, the southernmost regions of Tamil Nadu and Kerala have received more substantial rainfall during the same period.

Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)

• The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), sometimes referred to as the Indian Nino, is a phenomenon similar to El Nino.
• It occurs in a relatively smaller area of the Indian Ocean, between the Indonesian and Malaysian coastline in the east and the African coastline near Somalia in the west.
• In the IOD, one side of the ocean along the equator becomes warmer than the other.
• A positive IOD occurs when the western side of the Indian Ocean, near the Somalia coast, becomes warmer than the eastern Indian Ocean.
• Conversely, a negative IOD indicates cooler temperatures in the western Indian Ocean.

Negative IOD

• Air circulation in the Indian Ocean basin moves from west to east near the surface and in the opposite direction at the upper levels.
• Warmer waters from the western Pacific cross into the Indian Ocean, causing a slight temperature rise in that region.
• During normal years, this leads to the rising of air and helps maintain the prevailing air circulation.
• In years when the air circulation becomes stronger, more warm surface waters from the African coast are pushed towards the Indonesian islands, resulting in a warmer western Indian Ocean.
• Hotter air rises, reinforcing the cycle of a negative IOD.

Positive IOD

• Air circulation becomes weaker than normal, and in rare cases, it may even reverse direction.
• As a result, the African coast becomes warmer, while the Indonesian coastline experiences cooler temperatures.
• Positive IOD events often occur during El Nino periods, while negative IOD is sometimes associated with La Nina.
• The cooling effect of El Nino on the Pacific side of Indonesia contributes to the development of a positive IOD in the Indian Ocean.

Cyclone Hamoon:

• Cyclone Hamoon, a highly severe tropical cyclone, made landfall in Bangladesh on October 25, 2023.
• This cyclone originated from a low-pressure system situated in the west-central Bay of Bengal.
• The name “Hamoon” for the cyclone was given by Iran and is derived from the Persian word referring to inland desert lakes or marshlands.

El Nino:

• El Nino is a natural climatic phenomenon characterized by periodic warming of surface waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
• The term “El Niño” is of Spanish origin and translates to “Little Boy.”
• El Nino is one of the two phases of the climate pattern known as El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
• In the context of India, El Nino tends to suppress monsoon rainfall.

-Source: The Hindu

Central Information Commission

Context:

Recently, the Information Commissioner, Heeralal Samariya, was sworn in as the chief of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by the President Of India.

Relevance:

GS II: Polity and Governance

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Central Information Commission
2. Eligibility

Central Information Commission:

The Central Information Commission (CIC) was established under the Right to Information Act, 2005. It holds jurisdiction over all Central Public Authorities.

Objectives:

• To exercise the powers conferred on them under the RTI Act, 2005.
• To receive and investigate complaints from any citizen (as per Section 18 of the RTI Act, 2005).
• To receive and make decisions on the second appeal filed by any citizen (according to Section 19 of the RTI Act, 2005).
• To fulfill the duty of “Monitoring and Reporting” as stated in Section 25 of the RTI Act, 2005.

Composition:

• The CIC comprises a Chief Information Commissioner and up to ten Information Commissioners.
• Appointment:
• The President of India appoints members of the CIC on the recommendation of a committee, which includes the Prime Minister as Chairperson, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.

Eligibility:

• Members of the CIC and State Information Commissions (SIC) should be individuals of eminence in public life with substantial knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass media, or administration and governance.
• They should not be Members of Parliament or Members of the Legislature of any State or Union Territory. Additionally, they should not hold any other office of profit, be associated with any political party, or engage in any business or profession.

Tenure:

• The Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners hold office for a term of three years from the date they assume their positions.

-Source: Indian Express

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL)

Context:

The researchers found a statistically significant correlation between a rise in soy production and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) deaths in children between 2008 and 2019 in Brazil’s Amazon and Cerrado biomes.

Relevance:

GS II: Health

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL)
2. Causes

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL):

• ALL is a form of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, which is the soft tissue within bones responsible for producing blood cells.
• The term “acute” in acute lymphocytic leukaemia signifies the disease’s rapid progression and the production of immature blood cells instead of mature ones.
• It is the most prevalent cancer among children.

Symptoms:

• Common symptoms include bleeding from the gums, bone pain, fever, frequent infections, and frequent or severe nosebleeds.

Causes:

• ALL is the result of genetic mutations in bone marrow cells. These mutations alter the DNA, which contains instructions for a cell’s growth and lifespan.
• In cases of ALL, the mutated DNA instructs the bone marrow cell to continue dividing uncontrollably. This leads to the production of abnormal cells called lymphoblasts, which are a type of leukemic white blood cell.
• These malformed cells are unable to function correctly and can accumulate, displacing healthy cells.
• The exact cause of the DNA mutations that lead to acute lymphocytic leukaemia is not well understood.

Treatment:

• Treatment options may involve chemotherapy or targeted drugs designed to specifically eliminate cancer cells.

-Source: Down To Earth

Kamakhya Temple

Context:

The Bhutan King began his maiden three-day tour to Assam with a visit to the famed Kamakhya Temple atop the Nilachal Hills in Guwahati.

Relevance:

GS I: History

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Kamakhya Temple
2. Ambubachi Mela

Kamakhya Temple:

• Located on Nilachal Hill, adjacent to the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River in Guwahati, Assam.
• A prominent center for Tantric practices, it is considered one of the oldest among India’s 51 Shakti Peethas.

Temple Architecture:

• Uniquely designed with a combination of two architectural styles, the traditional Nagara (North Indian) and Saracenic (Mughal) styles, known as the Nilachala Style of Architecture.
• The only temple in Assam with a fully developed ground plan, comprising five chambers: the garbhagriha (sanctuary), antarala (vestibule), Jagan Mohan (principal chamber), bhogmandir (ritual chamber), and natmandir (opera hall for traditional dance and music).
• Each chamber features distinct architectural elements, such as a modified Saracenic dome in the main temple, a two-roofed design in the antarala, five domes in the bhogmandir, and a shell-roof with an apsidal end in the natmandir.

Ambubachi Mela:

Ambubachi Mela is an annual Hindu fair held at the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Assam. Here are some details about Ambubachi Mela and the Kamakhya Temple:

• Location: It takes place at the Kamakhya Temple, situated on Nilachal Hill in Guwahati, Assam, India.
• Timing: The fair is celebrated during the monsoon season, specifically in the Assamese month of Ahaar, which falls around the middle of June.
• Occasion: Ambubachi Mela is the celebration of the yearly menstruation course of goddess Maa Kamakhya. It is believed that during this time, the goddess undergoes her menstrual cycle, and the temple remains closed for three days.
• Other names: The fair is also known as Ameti or Tantric fertility festival, as it is closely associated with the Tantric Shakti cult prevalent in eastern parts of India.

-Source: The Hindu

Zika Virus

Context:

Recently, the Karnataka State Health Department issued an alert following Zika virus detection in mosquito samples from Talakayalabetta, Chikkaballapura village.

Relevance:

GS II- Health

About Zika Virus Disease:

• Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in monkeys. It was later identified in humans in 1952 in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania.
• ZVD is caused by a virus transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes (AM), mainly Aedes aegypti.
• This is the same mosquito that transmits dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever.
• Zika virus is also transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy, through sexual contact, transfusion of blood and blood products, and organ transplantation.
• Symptoms are generally mild and include fever, rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise or headache. Most people with Zika virus infection do not develop symptoms.
• Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause infants to be born with microcephaly (smaller than normal head size) and other congenital malformations, known as congenital Zika syndrome.
• There is no vaccine or medicine for Zika. Instead, the focus is on relieving symptoms and includes rest, rehydration and acetaminophen for fever and pain.

-Source: The Hindu