30 April 2024, The Indian EXPRESS
BJP complains to EC about deepfakes during campaign
Page no-5
GS2- Salient Features of the Representation of People’s Act.
- The BJP Monday complained to the Election Commission about deepfake videos circulating on the internet at a time when Lok Sabha elections are in progress, and requested the EC to ask social media giants to promptly delete such content when it comes to their notice, block accounts of habitual purveyors of disinformation and also place ads in newspapers to caution people against deep fakes.
- A delegation comprising Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, BJP chief spokesperson Anil Baluni and party leader Om Pathak brought to the notice of the EC deepfake videos of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and actors Aamir Khan and Ranveer Singh, to peddle fake narratives.
Cambodia cyber fraud: Home Secretary Bhalla holds meeting to identify and plug loopholes
Page no- 9
GS3- Basics of Cyber Security
- With fraudesters in Cambodia accessing thousands of activated Indian SIM cards and Indian bank accounts to defraud people here, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla held a meeting earlier this month with the Telecom Ministry, Reserve Bank of India and CBI, asking them to identify and close loopholes in banking and telecom sectors that enable such scams.
- As first reported by The Indian Express on March 28, over 5,000 Indians are suspected of being stuck in Cambodia and forced to carry out the cyber frauds. According to government estimates, people in India have been duped of at least Rs 500 crore in the past six months.
ISRO to test Gaganyan parachutes by dropping module from chopper
Page no- 9
GS3- Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology; Indigenization of Technology and Developing New Technology
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is likely to undertake an important test under the Gaganyaan mission to check the parachute system of the crew module in the next few days, according to officials in know of the matter.
- The Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT) will see a Chinook helicopter dropping the crew module from a height of around 4-5 km.
- “The test is likely to be conducted in the next two or three days. The first IADT will test the parachute system under nominal conditions, meaning it will mimic the process of splashdown of the crew module when both parachutes open in a timely manner,” the official said.
Mom, baby and us
Page no-11
GS2- Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections of the population by the Centre and States and the Performance of these Schemes
- Which parent is primarily responsible for the hands-on work that goes into raising children until they are adults?
- In India, like elsewhere in the world, it is typically the mother.
- The central government has a childcare leave (CCL) policy which allows for 730 days of paid leave to female employees during their entire service period, for taking care of a maximum of two children under 18 years.
- This is over and above maternity leave.
- The explicit mention of female employees as beneficiaries could be viewed as a valid recognition of the fact that it is primarily mothers who do the heavy lifting of raising children that extends beyond the first six months after birth (the period considered under maternity leave).
- Men are eligible for CCL only if they are single fathers.
Potential ICC arrest warrant elicit concern among Israel’s top official
Page no-12
GS2- Important International Institutions, agencies and fora - their Structure, Mandate
- Israel is voicing concern that the International Criminal Court could be preparing to issue arrest warrants for government officials on charges related to its war against Hamas
- The ICC – which can charge individuals with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide – is investigating Hamas’ October 7 cross-border attack and Israel’s devastating military assault on Hamas-ruled Gaza, now in its seventh month.
- In response to Israeli media reports that the ICC might soon issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli government and military officials, Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Sunday warned Israeli embassies to bolster their security because of the risk of a “wave of severe antisemitism”.
Hangor class submarine
Page no-13
GS3- Science and Technology- Developments and their Applications and Effects in Everyday Life
- The first Hangor class submarine, built by China for Pakistan, was launched on April 26 at a Wuhan shipyard. This was the first of eight submarines of this class that the Pakistan Navy is set to induct into its fleet by 2028.
- The Hangor-class, an export variant of the Chinese Type 039A Yuan class, is a diesel-electric attack submarine, named after the now decommissioned PNS Hangor, which famously sank Indian frigate INS Khukri during the 1971 war.
Cong split and Garibi Hatao: last poll before Emergency
Page no-13
GS1-Post-independence Consolidation and Reorganization within the country
- The fourth Lok Sabha was dissolved late at night on December 27, 1970, almost 15 months before the expiration of its term.
- In an address to the people of India, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi said “there comes a time in the life of a nation when the government…has to take an unusual step to cut through difficulties in order to solve…pressing problems”.
- She wanted to turn the election into a referendum on her social and economic reforms, including the nationalisation of banks, and abolition of the privy purses of former princes. Polls were held between March 1 and 10, 1971.
iPadOS subject to bloc’s tech rules: EU
Page no-13
GS3- Awareness in the fields of IT
- Apple’s operating system for iPads has been designated as a gatekeeper under the bloc’s landmark tech rules by EU antitrust regulators because of its importance to business users, the European Commission said on Monday.
- Under the Digital Markets Act which came into force this year, 22 services owned by Apple, Alphabet’s Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta Platforms and TikTok owner ByteDance have already been labelled gatekeepers which control access to their platforms.
- The European executive’s decision followed an investigation launched in September last year.
- Apple’s operating system iOS, its browser Safari and its App Store were designated gatekeepers last year.
