Today's Brief (20-27/OCT/23)

1. POSH Act( GS 1-Women Empowerment &Governance ) : The Supreme Court has flagged “serious lapses” in the implementation of the PoSH Act to protect women from sexual harassment in workplaces

The Government of India (GoI) has enacted the Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act (the SH Act), 2013 with the objective to create a safe and secure workplace for women free from sexual harassment. This Act caters to women working both in organised and unorganised sector and establishes a redressal mechanism for the disposal of their complaints.

This Act is unique in its broad coverage which includes all women irrespective of their work status, whether working in organised or unorganised, public or private sectors, regardless of hierarchy. The domestic workers are also included within its ambit.

The 2013 law broadened and gave legislative backing to what are known as the Vishaka Guidelines, which were laid down by the Supreme Court in a judgment passed in 1997.

The Vishaka Guidelines defined sexual harassment and imposed three key obligations on institutions — prohibition, prevention, redress. The Supreme Court directed that they should establish a Complaints Committee, which would look into matters of sexual harassment of women at the workplace. The court made the guidelines legally binding.

sexual harassment includes “any one or more” of the following “unwelcome acts or behaviour” committed directly or by implication:

Physical contact and advances

A demand or request for sexual favours

Sexually coloured remarks

Showing pornography

Any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature.

the PoSH Act mentions five circumstances that amount to sexual harassment:

Implied or explicit promise of preferential treatment in her employment;

Implied or explicit threat of detrimental treatment;

Implied or explicit threat about the complainant’s present or future employment status;

Interference with the complainant’s work or creating an offensive or hostile work environment;

Humiliating treatment of the complainant that is likely to affect her health or safety.

2. Hydropower in India: The Union Minister for Power and Renewable Energy informed that the Glacier Lake Outburst (GLOF) that destroyed the Chungthang dam in Sikkim will not slow down India’s reliance on hydropower.

The Chungthang dam, a key component of the 1,200 MW Sikkim Urja hydel power project, was destroyed along with several highways, villages, and towns in Sikkim.

The early reports say that the dam wasn’t engineered to withstand flow from GLOF events.

What is it?

Hydropower, also known as hydroelectric power, is a renewable energy source that generates electricity by harnessing the energy of flowing water, typically from rivers or dams. It's an environmentally friendly and reliable method of producing electricity, as it doesn't produce greenhouse gas emissions and can provide a consistent source of power. The energy is generated as water flows over turbines, which convert the kinetic energy into electrical energy. It's a significant contributor to global renewable energy production.

The Indian power sector has undergone a significant transformation in the past decade.

In 2012, the energy deficit was nearly 4.2%. Over 175 GW generation capacity has been added since 2014 transforming the country to power surplus.

The hydropower potential of India is around 1,45,000 MW and at 60% load factor, it can meet the demand of around 85, 000 MW.

Around 26% of Hydropower potential has been exploited in India.

3.Palestinians : refers to the people who are ethnically and culturally associated with the region of historical Palestine, which includes the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and parts of modern-day Israel. They are part of a complex and long-standing geopolitical conflict involving their desire for self-determination and a Palestinian state. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been a central issue in the Middle East for decades, with differing opinions on how to achieve a peaceful resolution and address the rights and aspirations of Palestinians.

This topic involves a range of historical, political, and social complexities.

The term “Palestine” is derived from the Greek word Philistia, which refers to the ancient state of the Philistines.

In Arabic it was referred to as “Filasteen” and in Hindi is “Filisteen”.

4.Use of AI in Defence Sector (GS:3-Science and Technology/Internal Security): Artificial intelligence (AI) is a field of computer science that focuses on creating systems capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. These tasks include learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, speech recognition, and language understanding. AI systems can be categorized into two main types:

1. Narrow or Weak AI: These AI systems are designed to perform specific tasks or solve particular problems. They excel in tasks like image recognition, natural language processing, and playing games. Virtual personal assistants like Siri and recommendation systems like those used by Netflix are examples of narrow AI.

2. General or Strong AI: General AI refers to machines or software that possess human-like intelligence and can perform any intellectual task that a human can do. Achieving this level of AI remains a significant research challenge and has not been fully realized yet.

AI technologies rely on various techniques, including machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, and computer vision. AI has applications in a wide range of fields, from healthcare and finance to autonomous vehicles and robotics. It continues to advance rapidly, with the potential to transform many aspects of our daily lives and industries. However, ethical and societal considerations around AI, such as bias and privacy, are essential aspects of its development and deployment.

The Defense Minister launched 75 newly-developed AI technologies during the first-ever “AI in Defense” symposium where products like robotics, automation tools and intelligence surveillance were on display.

The United States and India have also agreed to launch an inaugural Defense Artificial Intelligence Dialogue and expand their joint cyber training.

At Aero India, one of the largest air shows in Asia, an AI-based surveillance software called AGNI-D was unveiled for surveillance and thwarting transgression.

It is deployed in the eastern Ladakh sector, a region of strategic importance due to its closeness to China.

5.Meri Maati, Mera Desh’, Railways plans special trains : The Indian Railways will operate special trains to transport volunteers carrying mitti (soil) from State capitals and other major stations across the country to reach New Delhi.

The initiative is part of the ‘Meri Maati Mera Desh’ [My soil, my country] campaign.

The campaign is being organised by the Ministry of Culture as a tribute to the Veers and Veeranganas [bravehearts] who have made the supreme sacrifice for the country.

Around 20,000 volunteers with kalash (urn) containing the soil in their possession will reach Delhi to participate in events culminating in the year-long Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

,To facilitate the movement of the volunteers, the Ministry of Railways would operate special ‘Amrit Kalash Yatri’ trains.

6.Mega infrastructure projects have draped Mumbai city with construction dust at a scale unprecedented in sweep and volume

Record levels of airborne particulate matter, PM2.5 (fine particles that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter) and PM10 (diameter of 10 microns or less) have been deteted that together make up a lethal cocktail of pollutants which can be inhaled.