Context:

• A police officer in riot-hit Moreh, Manipur, died from gunshot wounds.

Moreh, Manipur – Key points

• Moreh is a border town on the India-Myanmar border in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district.
• Land Port Moreh has the advantage of acting as India’s Gateway to the East through the Moreh-Tamu border point.
• Moreh offers a distinctive Border Haat Trade experience, showcasing the India-Myanmar Barter Trade system.

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Context:

• A Fragile State of Preparedness: 2023 Report on the State of the World’s Preparedness  was released by Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB).

Key Findings of the Report

• Global preparedness for pandemics and other disease outbreaks remains inadequate. 
  • There have been some areas of progress since COVID-19 but this progress remains fragile, and some areas have declined, highlighting an urgent need for political commitment and increased resources.
• The trust deficit between countries and between communities is a significant impediment to progress in strengthening preparedness. 
• Evidence-based monitoring, including independent monitoring, is essential to increase effectiveness, ensure accountability, and build trust.

Recommendations

• Strengthening regional capacities for R&D, manufacturing and supply will help to address the inequities in global access to medical countermeasures.
• There is a need to strengthen mechanisms for coordination across the many sectors that play a key role in PPPR, nationally, regionally and globally.
• Pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPPR): PPPR financing requires fundamental reform to free it from the limitations of development assistance and place it on a sustainable footing, based on burden-sharing. 
  • Strengthening PPPR requires ensuring sustainable financing for WHO and other international organizations working on PPPR.

News Source: /reliefweb.int/report

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Context:

• The Second Rohini Nayyar Prize for outstanding contribution to rural development was presented to Deenanath Rajput for his work on empowering tribal women in Bastar, Chattisgarh.

What is Rohini Nayyar Prize?

• Rohini Nayyar prize awarded was in memory of the late economist-administrator Rohini Nayyar who contributed various academic journals on rural development and served as principal advisor in the Planning Commission. It came with a trophy, a citation and cash prize of Rs 10 lakh.

Work of Deenanath Rajput

• He set up the farmers producers organization (FPO), in 2018 with an initial membership of 337 women from Jagdalpur in Bastar, a district known to be a hub of Naxalite activities. 
• It helps women farmers by providing them with agricultural extension services, building cold storage infrastructure, connecting them with national and international markets for their products.

News Source: The Indian Express

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Context:

• The Annual Report on ‘Road Accidents in India-2022” has been published by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Road Accidents in India 2022 Report

• The annual report on Road Accidents in India 2022 is based on data sent by police departments of states/UTs in formats as provided by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific( It is one of the five regional commissions under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. ) under the Asia Pacific Road Accident Database project.

Road Accidents in India 2022 Report – Key Findings 

• Trends: The states and Union Territories (UTs) reported 461,312 incidents in 2022, which caused injuries to 443,366 people. 
  • The year marked an increase of 11.9 per cent in accidents, 9.4 per cent in fatalities, and 15.3 per cent in injuries compared to 2021.
  • In 2022, 106,682 accidents, which constitute 23 per cent of the total, took place on state highways and the remaining 202,633 (43.9 per cent) on other roads. 
  • In fatalities, national highways accounted for 36.2 per cent of the total, while state highways and other roads accounted for 24.3 per cent and 39.4 per cent.
• Demographic Trends: Adults in the age group of 18 to 45 years made up 66.5 percent of the victims in 2022 while those aged 18 to 60 years (working population) comprised 83.4 percent of the overall fatalities. 

• Reasons: The Road Accidents in India 2022 report also found that a large number of accidents remain attributable to human errors. 
  • In 2022, over speeding was a major cause, accounting for 71.2 percent of the persons killed. It was followed by driving on the wrong side (5.4 per cent).
• 33 percent of all road accidents and 35 percent of fatal accidents took place on national highways and expressways. 
  • This is despite record investments in improving highway infrastructure. 
• While deaths with respect to the num­ber of vehicle re­gistrations have reduced over the past decades, 2022 also saw the hi­g­hest number of deaths vis-à-vis Ind­ian pop­ul­at­i­on, with 12.2 casualties per one lakh people.
• Road Accidents in India 2022 Recommendation: 
  • The Road Accidents in India 2022 report underscores the urgency of adopting a comprehensive approach to address the contributing factors to these accidents, including speeding, reckless driving, drunken driving, and non-compliance with traffic regulations. 

Road Accidents in India 2022 Report Significance

• The Road Accidents in India 2022 publication serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders in the realm of road safety. 
• It offers in-depth insights into various aspects of road accidents, including their causes, locations, and their impact on different categories of road users. The report also sheds light on emerging trends, challenges, and the Ministry’s road safety initiatives.

News Source: Business Standard

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Context:

• The rapid melting of West Antarctica’s ice sheet due to warm waters around it is now unavoidable, no matter how much carbon emissions are cut, according to a new study.

Warming in the Amundsen Sea, West Antarctica

• To conduct the analysis, the scientists have used a high-resolution computer model of the Amundsen Sea to provide the most comprehensive assessment of warming in West Antarctica to date. 
• Scientists  have used the model to run many different simulations of the 21st century, totalling over 4,000 years of ocean warming and ice-shelf melting in the Amundsen Sea.

Key Findings of Study

• Ocean warming and ice-shelf melting in the 1.5°C scenario is statistically the same as in a mid-range scenario, which is closer to what existing pledges to reduce fossil fuel use over the coming decades would produce.
  • This will most likely lead to an increased sea level rise, which will affect coastal communities across the world, including in India.

• Melting of Ice Sheets: There are various processes through which ice sheets melt. One of them is when warm ocean waters melt ice shelves — the edges of an ice sheet which floats on the ocean.Even under a best-case scenario of limiting global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels, water in West Antarctica will continue to get warmer three times faster than in the 20th century, leading to an increased melting of the region’s ice sheet.
• Sea-level rise: The melting West Antarctic ice sheet is just one contributor to sea level rise, which is just one impact of climate change.
• Climate Change Impact: Some impacts of climate change can no longer be avoided, and substantial ice loss in West Antarctica is probably one of them.
  • But, climate change is not all or nothing, and there are many other impacts which we can still avoid or limit: like the loss of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, or the severity of heatwaves, droughts, and extreme rainfall.

News Source: The Indian Express

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Context:

• Recently, the  Brazzaville Summit or Three Basins Summit  was attended by more than 3,000 delegates from countries in the three basins of the Amazon, Congo and Borneo-Mekong-Southeast Asia.

Brazzaville Summit or Three Basins Summit 2023

• Brazzaville Summit concluded with the declaration by the Heads of State and Government of the States.
• Fund Commitment: There is a need to create a fund to address loss and damage due to climate change. 
  • Leaders urged developed countries to meet their commitments. These include the $200 billion per year by 2030, as set out in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and $100 billion per year in climate finance as new, additional, predictable and adequate resources to developing countries. 
• Importance of Three Basin: These basins are responsible for around three-quarters of all global biodiversity and 80 percent of the world’s forest cover.

Brazzaville Summit Declaration

• Recognise the value of enhanced cooperation between the three basins Recognise that sovereign management of biodiversity, forests and associated resources of the three basins is essential
• Develop solutions together 
• Pool and capitalize on existing knowledge, experience, resources and achievements
• Involve all states and national authorities, including indigenous peoples, youth, women, civil society, academia and the private sector
• Encourage financial mobilization and the development of traditional and innovative financing mechanisms
• Establish a sustainable system of remuneration for the ecosystem services provided by the three basins.  

News Source: Down to Earth

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Context:

• This article is based on the news “Land acquisition clarity could be Singur’s legacy” Which was published in the Live Mint. Recently, a three-member Arbitral Tribunal ruled in favor of Tata Motors in the Singur land acquisition case and ordered the West Bengal government to pay around Rs 766 crore as compensation.

Arbitral Tribunal Verdict on Singur Land Acquisition Case

• The arbitral tribunal also ordered the West Bengal Industrial Development Corp. Ltd (WBIDC) to pay the interest on the amount at an 11% rate.

What is the TATA Singur Land Acquisition Case?

In 2006, the West Bengal government acquired nearly 1,000 acres of land in Singur, Hooghly, to build a manufacturing facility for the Tata Nano. 

• The land acquisition was opposed which led to a mass movement against land acquisition in Singur. 
• The movement was successful and the project forced the company to relocate it to Gujarat in 2008.

Know more about the Singur Land Acquisition Case 

What is Land Acquisition?

• Land acquisition: It is the process by which the government acquires private property for public purposes without the consent of the land-owner. It is thus different from a land purchase, in which the sale is made by a willing seller.
• Land acquisition in India is governed by the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCT-LARR) Act, 2013. 
• The 2013 Act focuses on providing not only compensation to the land owners but also extends rehabilitation and resettlement benefits to livelihood looser from the land, which shall be in addition to the minimum compensation. 
• Provisions under the act:
  • Mandatory: 70% consent for Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects, 80% consent for private projects, and Social impact assessment (SIA) for every project.
  • Compensation: 4 times the market rate in rural areas and 2 times in urban areas.
  • Stringent provisions for relief and rehabilitation.
  • Private companies can acquire land for public purposes.
  • The provisions of this Bill shall not apply to acquisitions under 16 existing legislations including the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005, the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, the Railways Act, 1989, etc.

Why land acquisition is needed?

The importance of improving land laws in India has gathered traction in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic as a necessity to enhance India’s attractiveness to global businesses. 

• Land is Scarce Resource: It is scarce and inefficiently used  in India. Land is the source of livelihood for over half of India’s population. 
  • For instance, India holds only 2.4% of total land surface but we host more than 18% of the world population. 
• Infrastructure Development: To build roads, highways, railways, airports, and other critical infrastructure projects, acquiring land is necessary. 
  • For example, Uttar Pradesh acquired land for the Yamuna Express Highway. 
• Industrial and Economic Growth: Land is required for establishing industries, manufacturing units, special economic zones, and technology parks etc.
  • For instance, land acquisition for establishment of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) has been aimed at boosting manufacturing, trade, and economic activities.
• Urban Expansion and Housing: Urbanisation is taking place at a faster pace and by 2050, India is likely to see 850-900 million people living in urban spaces. As cities expand and populations grow, land acquisition becomes essential for housing and related amenities. 
  • For example, the government have undertaken land acquisition for slum redevelopment projects in various cities. 
• Energy Projects: Land acquisition is essential for the development of power plants, renewable energy projects, and other energy-related initiatives. 
  • Several hydroelectric power projects, such as the Tehri Dam in Uttarakhand, Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat, and Bhakra-Nangal Dam in Himachal Pradesh, have required substantial land acquisition for the construction of dams, reservoirs, and power generation infrastructure.

What are the challenges of land acquisition in India?

• Lack of Support to Private Firms: Most countries have an ‘eminent domain’ policy for the state to take over land needed for a public purpose but private firms cannot expect the same privilege. 
  • Private firms need to strike their own bargains with multiple owners which makes them vulnerable to ransom demands.
  • Eminent Domain: State’s power to acquire private property against the consent of the owner for a ‘public purpose’. The taking should be under a valid law, the land owner must be paid just compensation and the acquisition of the property should only be for public purposes.
• Land Deprivation: Land ownership and control have been central to India’s social structure and have been a source of power, wealth, and social status.
  • India needs to industrialize as an economic necessity, but sentiments over land deprivation are easily evoked, even when compensations are far more than actual price. 
• Social Disorder: The process of land acquisition is often followed by protests and agitation due to multiple reasons ranging from environmental to political concern, often turning violent. 
  • For example, in 2007, protestors lost their lives to gunfire in Nandigram as farmers were being evicted for a chemical hub. 
  • The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) was a mass movement that began in 1985 to protest against the lack of an appropriate resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) policy.
• Overlapping Jurisdiction: Though land is a state subject, “acquisition and requisitioning of property” is in the concurrent list. Both Parliament and state legislatures can make laws on this subject. 
  • For example, Telangana brought drastic changes to subvert the procedure laid down by the LARR Act by eliminating the SIA for certain types of development projects, such as those in the infrastructure category.
• Politicization of Issue: Land acquisition issues are often exploited for political gain as opposition parties have used the discontent among affected communities to challenge the ruling parties. 
  • For example, the Nandigram dispute provided the Trinamool Congress (TMC) a poll-winning agenda.
• Ideological Clash: Land ownership has been a source of ideological conflict between capitalism and communism. 
  • Capitalism allows private ownership of land whereas communism favors its collective ownership with government intervention.
• Misuse of “Public Purpose”: The Supreme Court has expanded the definition of “public purpose” in decisions like Yamuna Expressway , and several such cases. The term is vague and ambiguous which leads to a high potential for its misuse which increases land disputes. 

Way Forward

• Digitalisation and Modernisation of land records are fundamentals of an efficient land market in India facilitating price discovery and quick transactions.
  • For example, through the SVAMITVA scheme the government is providing a ‘Record of Rights’ to the property owners. 
• Promotion of SEZs: Promoting export-oriented SEZ into broader hubs for enterprise can help private firms overcome the challenges of bulk land acquisition.
  • For instance, the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Act of 2005 allows the government to transfer land acquired for public purposes to private companies for development.
  • Taking the Middle Path: Ensuring the twin objectives of farmer welfare along with expeditiously meeting the strategic and developmental needs of the country are fulfilled.
• Land Leasing over Acquisition: Alternative proposals to land acquisition is leasing the land from landowners for a certain lease period. Leasing land may also support sustainable project development since the lands need to be returned to the landowners at the end of the lease period.
• Ensuring Ease of Doing Business (EoDB): Efficient and fair land acquisition processes are essential for the EoDB improving the overall business environment in India. 
  • For instance, Gujarat is best in land-related interventions and online mechanisms for environment clearances.
• Promoting Land Pooling and Land Banks: Land pooling is a voluntary land acquisition strategy where landowners give their land to the government for development. After the development is complete, the land is returned to the original owners. 
  • Land bank is a repository of all industrial infrastructure-related information serving as a decision support system for investors.

Conclusion:

Strengthening the rehabilitation and resettlement measures for affected communities while ensuring sustainable livelihoods, adequate housing, and essential amenities with proper planning and execution of these measures are essential for successful land acquisition.

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Context:

• This article is based on the news “C Raja Mohan writes: London Summit and how to make AI responsible” Which was published in the Indian Express. The two-day Global AI summit London on the safe use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being hosted by the UK for discussing the risks and opportunities posed by artificial intelligence. 

 Global AI Summit London – Key Highlights

• The Global AI Summit 2023 is convened by the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Bletchley Park outside London. Early research on AI was pioneered at Bletchley Park” by Alan Turing who is widely considered as the “father of AI” .
  • Turing and his team of mathematicians had helped crack “Enigma”, a German code during World War II, giving the Allies a huge advantage in their military operations.
• Global AI Summit London will discuss the establishment of 
  • International register of frontier AI models that will allow governments to assess the risks involved with AI.
  • AI Safety Research Institute will examine, evaluate and test new types to understand what each new model is capable of and its risks. .
• It marks an important first step towards the global governance of AI that offers unprecedented danger to human rights.

Need of Global AI Governance

• Lack Of Laws To Regulate Data Scraping: Web scrapers for Generative AI gather data for training the models properly and this data needs to be regulated.
  • Currently, there is no uniform global law to regulate this data.
• Dominance of The AI Big Three: China, the European Union (EU) and the US are shaping the new global order of governance, development of AI and the data-driven digital economy in support of their interests. 
  • The AI Big Three aim to control and own global critical infrastructure and software, and hardware value chains that are prerequisites for national AI deployments. 
  • At an industry level, the AI Big Three are headquarters of the top 200 most influential digital technology companies worldwide, and they shape current industry-led global AI governance.
• Widening social disparities: Today, AI development is with large digital corporations.
  • The concentration of AI expertise in a few companies and nations could exacerbate global inequalities and widen digital divides.
• Cyber crime: The potential risks with AI, include online harassment, hate and abuse, and threats to children’s safety and privacy. 
  • In the realm of generative AI, it points to the danger of foreign information manipulation, which involves spreading disinformation, undermine democratic values, suppress freedom of expression, and threatening the enjoyment of human rights. 
  • HYAS Labs created a polymorphic malware called BlackMamba using Large Language Models, as a proof of concept, which could collect sensitive information like usernames, passwords, and credit card numbers.
• Curb of individual rights: The risks posed by AI to freedom of expression entail, among others, excessive content blocking and restriction and opaque dissemination of information.
  • For example, DeepMind, Google’s AI unit, is alleged to violate UK data protection laws and patient privacy rules during the development and testing of an app for the NHS (National Health Services).
• Exclusionary AI governance frameworks: Current transnational AI governance frameworks do not adequately consider the perspectives of Global South.
  • Without active participation in the multidimensional global AI governance discourse, countries in the Global South will likely find it challenging to limit the harm caused by AI-based disruption.
  • There is also a lack of consideration for the fact that Western knowledge, values, and ideas, might not function as effectively in other regions.

Also Read: Empowering Legislation: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Better Governance

What has been India’s progress towards regulating AI?

• NITI Aayog: It issued the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in 2018 which had a chapter dedicated to responsible AI. 
  • In 2021, it issued a paper, ‘Principle of Responsible AI’. 
• During the G20 meeting, India emphasised on a global framework on expansion of “ethical” AI. 
  • This implies establishment of a regulatory body to oversee the responsible use of AI, akin to international bodies for nuclear non-proliferation. 
• In the recently concluded G20 meeting, it suggested international collaboration to come out with a framework for responsible human-centric AI.
• Sector-specific frameworks: These were issued due to absence of an overarching regulatory framework for the use of AI system in India.
  • In June 2023, the Indian Council of Medical Research had issued ethical guideline for AI in biomedical research and healthcare;
  • In January 2019, SEBI issued a circular for creating an inventory in AI systems in the capital market and guide future policies. 
  • Under the National Education Policy 2020, AI awareness has been recommended to be included in school courses.
  • Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended setting up a domestic statutory authority to regulate AI in India, through the lens of a risk-based framework.

Way Forward

• Uniform Global Regulation: All countries need to build a set of harmonised regulations that govern all Generative AI models and their data crawlers/scrapers.
  • Enforcing global governance through a fragmented approach, and regulating AI in some nations while leaving it unregulated elsewhere holds limited effectiveness. 
• Establishment of a Global AI Knowledge Hub:  There should be a centralised platform for sharing best practices, research findings, and policy recommendations on AI governance. 
  • It would address ethical issues and involve experts and citizens into governance mechanisms, thereby benefiting countries of both the Global North and Global South.
• Support for International Technical Standards: Technical standards function as a baseline to gauge a product’s features and performance. 
  • These technical standards enable a common platform for risk assessments and audits, allowing countries with varying regulations to mutually assess and evaluate AI systems or services.
• Creation of  a coordinating committee for the governance of artificial intelligence and data (CCGAID):  It will institutionalize linkages between relevant actors within the G20
  • Decolonial-informed approach (DIA) to responsible AI governance can help address power imbalances.
  • To support a DIA, the CCGAID must establish a dedicated Global South Working Group (GSWG) that includes multistakeholder representatives from the Global South. 
  • This working group would ensure the inclusion of diverse perspectives in shaping responsible  AI governance frameworks.
• Blueprint for effective AI governance: 
  • Human-centred: Firmly rooted in the principles of human rights, ethical values, and the rule of law
  • Comprehensive: Leaves no room for gaps or grey interpretations
  • Agile: Provides the necessary flexibility for policymakers to adjust and make necessary corrections as AI continues to develop
  • Anticipatory: Focuses on possible risks before they materialise
  • Inclusive: Welcomes the involvement of all stakeholders.

Conclusion:

Global AI Summit London 2023 highlights the imperative for unified global governance in regulating AI, addressing ethical concerns, and mitigating potential risks, emphasizing the need for inclusive collaboration and a decolonial-informed approach to ensure responsible and equitable AI governance.

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