Daily Prelims Notes 7 March 2025

March 7, 2025
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

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Daily Prelims Notes

7 March 2025

Table Of Contents

1. AI Kosha: India’s Repository for AI Development

Sub :Sci

Sec: Awareness in IT and Computer

Why in News

The Union government has launched AI Kosha, a centralized repository of non-personal datasets aimed at facilitating the development of artificial intelligence (AI) models and tools. The initiative is a part of the broader IndiaAI Mission, with an outlay of ₹10,370 crore.

AI Kosha:

AI Kosha serves as a platform for non-personal datasets to enable AI model training.
At launch, the platform contains 316 datasets, which include information from Telangana’s open data initiative, 2011 Census data, satellite imagery, meteorological data, and pollution data.
AI Kosha is one of the seven pillars of the IndiaAI Mission.
Under its Compute Capacity pillar, the government has enabled pooled access to GPUs for startups and academia.
The number of GPUs commissioned has been increased from 10,000 to 14,000, with plans to expand further on a quarterly basis.
The government has designated Chief Data Officers across ministries and departments. These officers are responsible for curating and providing datasets that can be accessed by researchers, companies, and policymakers.

IndiaAI Mission:

The IndiaAI Mission is a comprehensive national initiative launched by the Government of India to position the country as a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI).
With a budget outlay of ₹10,371.92 crore, the mission is structured around seven key pillars:
- IndiaAI Compute: Establish a high-end computing ecosystem with over 10,000 GPUs to support AI research and development.
- IndiaAI Innovation Centre: Foster innovation by providing a collaborative platform for AI research and development.
- IndiaAI Dataset Platform: Create a repository of high-quality datasets to facilitate the training and validation of AI models.
- IndiaAI Application Development Initiatives: Promote the development of AI applications across sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and education.
- IndiaAI Future Skills: Equip the workforce with AI and technology-focused skills to meet industry demands.
- IndiaAI Startup Financing: Provide risk capital to AI startups to foster innovation and entrepreneurship.
- Safe & Trusted AI: Ensure the ethical and responsible use of AI technologies.

Access to Non-Personal Data:

In 2018, a committee led by Kris Gopalakrishnan was formed to explore the possibility of mandatory data-sharing by private firms.
The objective was to grant startups and government bodies access to non-personal data, such as traffic data from ride-sharing apps.
The report was submitted in 2020, but faced resistance from the tech industry, which was reluctant to share proprietary data.

2. ₹1 Lakh Crore Fund to Boost Private Sector R&D Nears Approval

Sub : Sci

Sec: Msc

Why in News

The Government of India is finalizing an ambitious ₹1 lakh crore fund aimed at stimulating private sector investment in core research and development (R&D).

Details:

The fund will provide low-interest, long-term loans to private companies for the development of novel products and intellectual property.
Unlike previous R&D support schemes, this fund will be exclusively available for private enterprises and not for universities or academic institutions.

Low R&D Investment in India:

India’s total R&D spending is only 0.65% of GDP, significantly lower than that of scientifically advanced nations, which allocate between 1.5% and 3%.
The private sector in India contributes only 30%-36% of total R&D expenditure, compared to 75% in the U.S. and 77% in China.

Allocation of Funds:

The fund was first announced by Finance Minister in the Interim Budget (February 2024).
₹20,000 crore from this allocation has already been earmarked for the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
The newly established Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) is expected to play a key role in administering the fund.

Loan Structure and Terms:

Loans will be provided at near-zero interest rates.
The tenure for loans will range from five to seven years.
Unlike grants, companies will have to justify that their research will result in commercially viable products.
A professional evaluation body, independent of DST, will review project proposals before approval.
The scheme is sector-agnostic, covering industries such as space, pharmaceuticals, automotive, and energy.
However, sectors like information technology (IT) and other service-based industries may not qualify.

Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF):

Established under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Act, 2023.
Acts as the apex body to guide research and innovation in natural sciences, engineering, technology, environmental and earth sciences, health, agriculture, and their interfaces with humanities and social sciences.
Replaces the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), which was established in 2008 to promote basic research in science and engineering.
Provides high-level strategic direction for scientific research in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) guidelines.
Targets a corpus of ₹50,000 crore during 2023-28.
The Central Government has allocated ₹14,000 crore.
The remaining funds are expected from donations by public sector enterprises, private sector entities, philanthropic organizations, foundations, or international bodies.
Funds Structure: Comprises multiple funds, including:
- ANRF Fund: For salaries, allowances, and administrative purposes.
- Innovation Fund: To support outstanding creativity in supported areas.
- Science and Engineering Research Fund: For projects initiated under the previous SERB Act.
- Special Purpose Funds: For specific projects or research initiatives.
Chaired by the Prime Minister, who presided over the first meeting.
Early Career Research Grant (PM ECRG): Launched to support early career researchers, recognizing their vital role in scientific and technological progress.

3. Cyclone Alfred in Australia: What makes it rare and potentially more dangerous

Sub :Geo

Sec: Physical geo

Context:

Cyclone Alfred is a rare event impacting Australia’s southeastern coast, particularly Queensland and northern New South Wales.
This storm is unusual for two key reasons: it has formed further south than typical cyclones and is moving slowly, which makes it more dangerous.
The fact that Alfred is targeting densely populated areas, including Brisbane (Australia’s third-largest city), means that over four million people are potentially at risk.

Cyclone Alfred’s Path and Intensity:

Cyclone Alfred is currently classified as a category 2 storm, based on its wind intensity.
According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, sustained winds near the cyclone’s centre are reaching 95 km/h, with gusts up to 130 km/h.
The cyclone is expected to affect several regions, including:
- Double Island Point (Queensland)
- Grafton (New South Wales)
- Major cities such as Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Byron Bay, and Ballina.
Alfred’s slow movement means it will dump significant rainfall over the affected areas, potentially causing severe flooding and coastal erosion.

Unusual Nature of Cyclone Alfred:

Cyclones are usually confined to tropical zones, making the storm’s formation southward highly unusual. Cyclones typically occur in Australia’s northern regions, but Cyclone Alfred is an exception.
It is striking areas that are not typically prone to such storms, such as southeastern Queensland and northern New South Wales. The shift towards these southern regions increases the vulnerability of areas unprepared for such weather conditions.
The last significant cyclone in the Gold Coast area was Cyclone Zoe in 1974.

Why is Cyclone Alfred Slow:

Alfred’s slow movement is due to weak steering winds. The winds that typically guide the storm are not strong enough to push it forward quickly.
This lack of strong winds is why Alfred is taking longer to move, leading to greater destruction.

Tropical Cyclones:

Tropical cyclones are violent storms that originate over oceans in tropical areas and move over to the coastal areas bringing about large-scale destruction due to violent winds, very heavy rainfall and storm surge.
They are irregular wind movements involving closed circulation of air around a low-pressure centre. This closed air circulation is a result of rapid upward movement of hot air which is subjected to Coriolis force.

Conditions Favourable for Tropical Cyclone Formation

Large sea surface with temperature higher than 27°C.
Presence of the Coriolis force enough to create a cyclonic vortex.
Small variations in the vertical wind speed.
A pre-existing weak low-pressure area or low-level-cyclonic circulation.
Upper divergence above the sea level system.

4. Sudan files case against UAE at the ICJ over ‘complicity in genocide’

Sub :IR

Sec: Int org

Context:

Sudan has filed a case against the UAE at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of violating the Genocide Convention by supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in ethnic attacks on the Masalit tribe in West Darfur in 2023.

The Darfur Crisis:

The Darfur region of Sudan has been the site of severe violence since 2003, with the Sudanese government and affiliated militia groups, including the RSF, accused of perpetrating atrocities against ethnic groups such as the Masalit, Fur, and Zaghawa.

Rapid Support Forces (RSF):

The RSF, a paramilitary group originally formed from militia groups, has been accused of committing widespread atrocities, including mass killings, sexual violence, and the displacement of communities in Darfur.
Sudan alleges that the UAE has provided financial, logistical, and military support to the RSF, which escalated the violence against the Masalit community.

About Masalit community:

The Masalit are an ethnic group residing primarily in the western region of Sudan’s Darfur and eastern Chad. Traditionally, the Masalit trace their origins to Tunisia, migrating through Chad before settling in the Darfur region of Sudan.
They speak the Masalit language, which belongs to the Maban language group of the Nilo-Saharan language family.
Their religious practices are predominantly Sunni Islam.
The Masalit are primarily subsistence agriculturalists, cultivating crops such as peanuts, millet, and sorghum.

About ICJ:

The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN).
It was established in June 1945 by the Charter of the United Nationsand began work in April 1946. The ICJ is based at the Peace Palace in The Hague.
It is the only one of the six principal organs of the UN that is not located in New York City.
The ICJ has 15 judges who are elected to nine-year terms by the UN General Assembly and Security Council, which vote simultaneously but separately.
The ICJ is tasked with resolving disputes between states based on international law.

Jurisdiction of ICJ:

All members of the UN are automatically parties to the ICJ statute, but this does not automatically give the ICJ jurisdiction over disputes involving them.
The ICJ gets jurisdiction only if both parties consent to it.
The judgment of the ICJ is final and technically binding on the parties to a case.
There is no provision of appeal; it can at the most, be subject to interpretation or, upon the discovery of a new fact, revision.
However, the ICJ has no way to ensure compliance of its orders, and its authority is derived from the willingness of countries to abide by them.

The Genocide Convention:

The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG), or Genocide Convention, is an international treaty that criminalizes genocide and obligates state parties to enforce its prohibition.
It was the first legal instrument to codify genocide as a crime, and the first human rights treaty unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, on 9 December 1948.
The Convention entered into force on 12 January 1951 and has 152 state parties.
The Genocide Convention was conceived largely in response to World War II, which saw atrocities such as the Holocaust that lacked an adequate description or legal definition.
The Convention defines genocide as an ‘intentional effort to completely or partially destroy a group based on its nationality, ethnicity, race, or religion.

5. UN report finds women’s rights were ‘weakened in a quarter of countries’

Sub :IR

Sec: Int conventions

Context:

A recent report by UN Women, highlighted that women’s rights have regressed in a quarter of countries around the world in the past year.
The report attributes this decline to various factors, including climate change, democratic backsliding, and increasing challenges to gender equality.

Factors Contributing to Regression of Women’s Rights:

Democratic Backsliding: The weakening of democratic institutions is closely linked to setbacks in gender equality. In many countries, anti-rights actors have been actively undermining long-established consensus on women’s rights issues.
Climate Change: The effects of climate change have disproportionately impacted women, particularly in vulnerable regions, affecting their rights and opportunities.

Backlash on Gender Equality:

According to the UN Women report, almost one-quarter of countries are experiencing a backlash against gender equality.
This has hampered the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, a document from the 1995 World Conference on Women, which laid out a global agenda for women’s rights.

Positive Developments in Women’s Rights:

Female Representation in Parliaments: Since 1995, the number of women in parliamentary positions has more than doubled, although men still represent about three-quarters of all parliamentarians.
Social Protection: The number of women with social protection benefits increased by one-third between 2010 and 2023. However, two billion women and girls still live in regions without such protections.

Key Challenges faced by Women Globally:

Gender Employment Gaps: Employment rates for women have remained stagnant. About 63% of women between the ages of 25 and 54 are employed compared to 92% of men in the same age group.
Conflict-Related Sexual Violence: The report reveals a sharp increase in conflict-related sexual violence, with incidents spiking by 50% over the past decade. The majority (95%) of the victims are young women and children.
Women in Conflict Zones: In 2023, 612 million women lived within 50 kilometres of active armed conflicts, marking a 54% increase since 2010.
Gender-Based Violence Online: In Europe and Central Asia, at least 53% of women in 12 countries have experienced gender-based violence online.

About UN Women:

UN Women is a United Nations entity dedicated to promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women worldwide.
It was established in 2010 through the merger of four previously distinct UN offices focused on gender issues, aiming to streamline efforts for women’s rights and gender equality across the UN system.

6. Assam Governor to Head Autonomous Councils if Polls Are Delayed

Sub :Polity

Sec: Federalism

Introduction

The Assam Assembly has passed amendment Bills related to seven autonomous councils.
These amendments authorize the Governor to take over the functioning of these bodies if elections cannot be held even after the extended term ends.

Key Provisions of the Amendments

The Governor will head the autonomous councils if elections are delayed beyond the extended term.
The normal term of the elected councils is five years.
There is a provision to extend the term of the elected councils by a maximum of one year.
If elections remain “impractical” even after this extended period, the Governor will assume control.

Autonomous Councils Affected

The amendment Bills pertain to the following councils:

Mising Autonomous Council
Bodo Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council
Thengal Kachari Autonomous Council
Deori Autonomous Council
Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council
Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council
Tiwa Autonomous Council

Autonomous Councils in India

Autonomous councils are special administrative bodies created under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution or through state legislation.
They provide self-governance to certain tribal and ethnic communities in Northeast India and other states.
These councils have legislative, executive, and financial powers in matters like land, forests, agriculture, village administration, and cultural affairs.
In Assam, multiple autonomous councils exist to protect the rights and interests of different tribal communities.

States with Sixth Schedule ADCs

The Sixth Schedule applies to certain tribal areas in:

Assam
Meghalaya
Tripura
Mizoram

Each state has multiple ADCs governing specific tribal regions.

Membership of Autonomous Councils

Elected Members: The majority are chosen through democratic elections for a five-year term.
Nominated Members: The Governor appoints a limited number of members to ensure adequate representation of marginalized communities.

7. ISRO’s Semi-Cryogenic Engine Test

Sub :Sci

Sec: Space

Introduction

ISRO successfully conducted the hot test on a semi-cryogenic engine (SE2000), marking a crucial step toward finalizing the cryogenic stage for future heavy-lift space missions.
The test, known as the Power Head Test Article (PHTA), is the first hardware test in the development of semi-cryo engines.

Power Head Test Article (PHTA)

The PHTA, without the thrust chamber, has been successfully realized.
It is approximately 3 meters in height.
A crucial precursor test to validate the integrated performance of key subsystems, including:
- Gas generator
- Turbo pumps
- Pre-burner
- Control components
The test involved hot-firing for a brief duration of 4.5 seconds.

Previous Attempts

A July 2023 test attempt at ISRO’s Mahendragiri facility was aborted due to a technical glitch.
Since then, the ISRO team has worked on developing the semi-cryogenic engine with 2,000 kN thrust.

Propulsion Systems in ISRO

Propulsion systems provide the muscle power for a rocket’s liftoff and journey into space.
Selection of propellant systems depends on:
- Thrust required
- Reusability
- Cost-effectiveness
- Core competency
ISRO has been using environment-friendly propellants such as:
- Liquid Oxygen (LOX)
- Liquid Hydrogen (LH2)
- LOX-Kerosene-based propulsion systems

Comparison: Cryogenic vs. Semi-Cryogenic Engines

Cryogenic Engines:
- Uses Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Liquid Hydrogen (LH2).
- Liquid Hydrogen storage is challenging (requires -253°C and is highly inflammable).
Semi-Cryogenic Engines:
- Uses Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Kerosene.
- Advantages:
  - Readily storable kerosene.
  - High-density impulse compared to cryogenic.
  - Less toxic and cost-effective.

LVM3 and Future Developments

ISRO is working on Launch Vehicle Mk III (LVM3) with the C32 cryogenic upper stage.
Advantages of C32 over C25:
- Carries more propellant, increasing space mission life.
- Enhances payload capacity by 25%.
Future goals:
- Increase launch capacity from 4 tonnes to 5.1 tonnes at Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit without raising costs.
- Develop a LOX-kerosene propulsion system powered by a 2,000-tonne thrust engine.

Development of Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV)

NGLV will be used for Gaganyaan missions.
It is a new-generation human-rated launch vehicle.
Features:
- High payload capacity and reusability.
- Reusable first stage, offering 30 tons to Low Earth Orbit.
Structure:
- First and second stages will use LOX engines.
- Upper stage will be a cryogenic stage.
The design is complete, and ISRO has moved to the development phase.

Advancements in Reusability

ISRO is developing technologies for recovering and reusing launch vehicles.
Recent success in recovering the first stage of NGLV.

Future Propulsion Systems

A specialized ISRO team is studying advanced propulsion systems.
Proposed new system:
- Normal aircraft-like takeoff.
- Switches to cryogenic engine mid-flight.
- Covers thousands of kilometers across continents in just hours.