TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 13 .09.2024

1. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

DEEPFAKE IS GOING TO BE A SERIOUS MENACE – HIGH COURT

• Deepfake refers to synthetic media where a person’s likeness in an existing image or video is replaced with someone else’s likeness using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning techniques.
• The term “deepfake” is derived from “deep learning,” a subset of AI, and “fake,” indicating the creation of realistic but false content.
• Concerns and Implications
• Potential Misuse
• Misinformation and Disinformation: Can be used to spread false information, manipulate public opinion, and create political propaganda.
• Cyberbullying and Harassment: Individuals can be targeted with fake videos or images, leading to reputational damage and emotional distress.
• Fraud and Identity Theft: Can be used to impersonate individuals for fraudulent activities, including financial scams and identity theft.
• Legal and Ethical Issues
• Privacy Violations: Unauthorized use of a person’s likeness without consent raises significant privacy concerns.
• Defamation: Deepfake content can be used to defame individuals, leading to legal battles and social stigmatization.
• Intellectual Property: Issues related to the ownership and misuse of digital likenesses

2.BILATERAL

INDIA AND RUSSIA SIGN A WORKING PLAN TO HANDLE EMERGENCIES

• Agreement between India and Russia on disaster management cooperation:
• Agreement Signed: India and Russia signed the working plan of the Joint RussianIndian Commission on Cooperation in the Field of Emergency Management for 2025-26.
• The agreement was signed by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai and Russian Minister for Civil Defence, Emergencies, and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters, Kurenkov Aleksandr Vyacheslavovich, in Moscow.
• Implementation and Exchange: Both countries agreed to implement the plan during 2025-26.
• They will continue to exchange best practices and lessons learned in disaster management.
• Historical Context: The meeting builds on previous agreements, including the Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for cooperation in Emergency Management (December 2010) and the Regulation to establish the Indo-Russian Joint Commission for Cooperation (2013). 
• The first meeting of the commission was held in New Delhi in 2016.
• Specific Issues Discussed: Use of space monitoring technologies for risk forecasting and emergency response.
• Exchange of experiences in responding to large-scale disasters.
• Cooperation in training fire and rescue specialists.
• Future Plans:The next meeting of the commission will be held in India in 2026.
• The working plan aims to enhance bilateral efforts, mutual assistance, and capacity building in disaster management

3. NATIONAL

PMJDY PERSONIFIES DIGNITY AND EMPOWERMENT : MODI

• The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is a flagship financial inclusion program launched by the Government of India on August 28, 2014. The initiative aims to provide universal access to banking facilities, ensuring that every household in India has at least one bank account.
• Objectives:
• Financial Inclusion: To ensure access to financial services such as banking, savings and deposit accounts, remittance, credit, insurance, and pension in an affordable manner.
• Empowerment: To empower the economically weaker sections of society, particularly women, by integrating them into the formal banking system.
• Economic Participation: To enable every citizen, irrespective of their economic background, to participate in the economic life of the country.
• Key Features: Zero Balance Accounts: Accounts can be opened with zero balance.
• RuPay Debit Card: Account holders receive a RuPay debit card with an inbuilt accident insurance cover of ₹1 lakh.
• Overdraft Facility: After six months of satisfactory operation, an overdraft facility of up to ₹10,000 is available.
• Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): Facilitates the transfer of subsidies and benefits directly to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
• Mobile Banking: Access to mobile banking facilities for easy transactions.
• Achievements: Account Holders: Over 53 crore people have opened bank accounts under PMJDY.
• Deposits: These accounts collectively hold a total deposit balance of over ₹2.3 lakh crore.
• Women Empowerment: Nearly 30 crore women have been brought into the banking system through this initiative.
• Rural and Semi-Urban Focus: Significant emphasis has been placed on opening accounts in rural and semi-urban areas to ensure widespread financial inclusion.

4. ENVIRONMENT

ESTABLISHING A CARBON MARKET

• The transition from the Perform, Achieve, and Trade (PAT) scheme to a carbon market mode in India.
• Perform, Achieve, and Trade (PAT) Scheme
• Definition: The PAT scheme is a regulatory instrument aimed at reducing specific energy consumption in energy-intensive industries. It includes a marketbased mechanism to enhance cost-effectiveness through the certification of excess energy savings, which can be traded.
• Mechanism: Energy Efficiency Targets: Industries are given specific energy consumption targets. If they exceed these targets, they earn Energy Saving Certificates (ESCerts).
• Trading: These ESCerts can be traded with other industries that are unable to meet their targets, thus creating a market for energy efficiency.
• Advantages: Encourages industries to adopt energy-efficient technologies.
• Provides economic incentives for industries to exceed their energy efficiency targets
• Emissions Trading (Cap and Trade)
• Definition: Emissions trading, or cap and trade, is a market-based approach to controlling pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants.
• Mechanism: Emission Caps: Industries are given a cap on the amount of emissions they can produce.
• Trading: If an industry emits less than its cap, it can sell its excess allowances to other industries that exceed their caps.
• Advantages: Directly targets the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
• Provides flexibility for industries to meet their emission reduction targets in a cost-effective manner.

5. ECONOMY

FEMA VIOLATION – ED SLAPS RS.908 CRORE PENALTY ON DMK MP

• Penalty Imposed
• The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has imposed a penalty of ₹908 crore on S. Jagathrakshakan, a DMK MP from Arakkonam.
• The penalty is for violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
• Basis of the Order
• The penalty is based on an order dated September 11, 2020, issued under Section 37A of FEMA.
• The order involved the seizure of properties held in the names of Mr. Jagathrakshakan and his family members, valued at ₹89.19 crores.
• The ED charged Mr. Jagathrakshakan and his family members with violating FEMA provisions. Specifically, they were accused of investing ₹42 crore in a shell company
• Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA)
• Objective: FEMA aims to facilitate external trade and payments and promote the orderly development and maintenance of the foreign exchange market in India.
• Section 37A: Allows for the seizure of properties equivalent to the value of foreign exchange, foreign security, or immovable property situated outside India held in contravention of FEMA.
• Enforcement Directorate (ED)
• Role: The ED is responsible for enforcing economic laws and fighting economic crime in India, including violations of FEMA and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)

ONE LINER

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2. Government plan to use Navic guide in cell phones manufactured in India