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The Centre is considering issuing a directive to big tech companies like Facebook, Google and Amazon to share anonymised personal data in their possession with a government-backed database.
The move, if finalised, could see these companies claim intellectual property rights over such data, and initiate discussions around the ownership of such data.
The government has long been interested in this issue since such datasets form the bedrock of artificial intelligence (AI) models.
Under the upcoming Digital India Bill, the successor to the Information Technology Act, 2000, the IT Ministry is understood to have added a provision which will mandate big tech companies to deposit all the non-personal data they hold to the India datasets platform, a senior government official said, requesting anonymity since the draft is not public yet.
Govt & Politics
Three years jail for possessing phone in draft prison law (Page no. 8)
(GS paper 2, Governance)
The draft prison law by MHA has suggested to DG/IG (prisons) of all states/UTs that a host of steps like three years jail for possessing a phone, segregation of inmates like drug addicts, first-time offenders, high-risk, foreigners and grant of leave on wearing electronic tracking devices for monitoring their movement and activities.
In September, a parliamentary panel had informed MHA that their panel was informed about the bracelet/anklet tracker by the Odisha government.
The committee is of the view that technology can be used to make cost-effective bracelet or anklet tracker for prisoners who have procured bail.
As per the draft law, technology will be used for surveillance, regular frisking of prisoner and prisoners may be granted prison leave upon their willingness to wear electronic tracking devices and any violation shall attract cancellation of prison leave, in addition to disqualification from any prison leave in future.
Editorial
Arms and the Man and AI (Page no. 10)
(GS paper 3, Science and Technology)
Like all major technological advances, artificial intelligence poses major challenges to the world in developing responsible use in civil and military domains.
While the discussion on promoting and regulating the civilian use of AI has gained much ground in recent years, the discourse on military uses has begun to gain international traction.
There is a growing global sentiment, on the one hand, for a severe limitation of the military applications of AI, especially autonomous weapons that can operate without human control.
On the other hand, major powers are already investing heavily in the accelerated development of greater autonomy, based on AI, for weapons systems.
As the two trends play out, India has its tasks cut out in devising an effective national military strategy for AI and a credible international approach to limiting the dangers of these weapons.
Ideas Page
Nine things to do for clean air (Page no. 11)
(GS paper 3, Environment)
Air pollution is the fifth-largest cause of death in India — it led to premature deaths of 1.6 million Indians in 2019. This is more than three times the official number of Covid deaths during the pandemic.
Poor air amounts to about Rs 7 lakh crore of economic loss annually, more than a third of our annual GST collection. This does not account for the human impact and routine disruption of life, work and study.
Even worse, it discounts the impact of poor air on the health of rural Indians, who make up two-thirds of the air pollution-led premature deaths, despite their limited contribution to emissions that lead to severe air days across the country.
Why have we failed to improve this situation despite awareness of the problem and solutions? The answer is both simple and complex.
Air pollution is a systems problem that cuts across state and regional boundaries, spanning rural and urban areas, multiple sources of emissions, and is linked to interconnected economic factors and interests. But our responses to this systemic crisis are often fragmented, addressing symptoms and not root causes.
Express Network
Four out of five organ recipients in country are men: NOTTO data (Page no. 12)
(GS paper 3, Science and Technology)
FOUR OUT of five organ recipients in India between 1995 and 2021 were men, according to data collated by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) — numbers which indicate the prevailing gender disparity among those seeking healthcare.
Out of the total 36,640 patients who underwent the transplants, 29,695 were men, according to the data available on gender break-up.
What the data of recipients shows is that the number of women undergoing transplants is disproportionately low. We have to assume that prevalence of conditions leading to the need for transplants affects men and women at a similar rate. If women who need transplants are not getting treated, it is definitely an issue.
Although studies show that the number of women donors is higher, apparently because families want to protect earning male members, Dr Kumar said there are enough safeguards within the law to ensure that consent is not forced upon them.
Economy
Wholesale inflation at -0.52% in October; in negative zone for seventh straight month (Page no. 17)
(GS paper 3, Economy)
Wholesale price Index- based inflation rate fell more than expected to (-) 0.52 per cent in October, marking the seventh consecutive month in the negative territory, data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Continued deflation in manufactured products, and fuel and power categories kept the WPI inflation lower even though sequentially there was some uptick in food prices led by cereals, vegetables and protein items.
The inflation rate has been in the negative zone since April and was at (-) 0.26 per cent in September 2023 and at 8.67 per cent in October last year.
Wholesale inflation, which reflects prices at producers’ end, remains below retail inflation. The latest retail inflation data for October showed Consumer Price Index-based inflation eased to a four-month low of 4.87 per cent in October.
A negative wholesale inflation though could result in a lower nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with some estimates pegging it to not be over 9 per cent due to slower GDP deflator that has a significant weight of WPI.
The lower nominal GDP growth could result in fiscal slippage risk, with the government’s fiscal deficit estimates calculated as a percentage of the GDP.
Govt to invite bids for 20 critical mineral blocks in next two weeks (Page no. 17)
(GS paper 3, Economy)
The government will invite bids for 20 critical mineral blocks, including for lithium and graphite, in next two weeks, Mines Secretary V L Kantha Rao said on November 14 to news agency PTI.
Last month, the Centre had approved royalty rates of three per cent each for lithium and niobium and one per cent for Rare Earth Elements (REEs).
Critical minerals have become important for the nation's economic development and national security.
Lithium and REEs have gained significance keeping in mind the country's commitment towards energy transition and achieving net-zero emission by 2070.