17 September 2024, The Indian Express
Digi Yatra: IT wanted guard rails, aviation said app will be new normal
Page no- 1
GS3- Infrastructure: Digital
- There is potential for abuse of facial recognition technology such as Digi Yatra by private entities and more guard rails are needed to prevent the misuse of biometric data. And, the showpiece airport app may soon become the de facto gateway for checking in and boarding at all airports.
- These are among the key inputs provided by the ministries of IT, Civil Aviation and Home for a study on facial recognition technology and Digi Yatra, which was conducted by Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy with financial assistance from Niti Aayog, according to documents obtained by The Indian Express under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
Congress to chair three LS standing committees, 1 RS
Page no- 8
GS2- Parliament—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these
- The negotiations for the Parliamentary Standing Committees between the government and the Opposition are over, with the Congress having managed to get chairs for three committees in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha.
- Highly placed sources told The Indian Express that in the Lok Sabha, the Congress will get chairs for the External Affairs Standing Committee, Standing Committee on Agriculture and the Standing Committee on Rural Development. In the Rajya Sabha, the Opposition party will get the Standing Committee for Education.
Govt plans Rs 6,000-cr scheme to boost precision farming
Page no- 9
GS3- Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage
- The Centre is contemplating to earmark Rs 6,000 crore to promote precision farming, a modern approach that uses smart technology such as Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, drones and data analytics to boost production through maximal use of resources while minimising environmental impact.
- Union Ministry of Agriculture is planning a Smart Precision Horticulture Programme under the existing Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) scheme, it is learnt.
Project Cheetah audit: Lack of coordination between Centre, state, ‘unjustified’ expenses
Page no- 12
GS3- Conservation
- A report by the Accountant General of Madhya Pradesh has flagged concerns over the management of Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park (KNP), highlighting a “lack of coordination” between central and state government departments as well as issues regarding expenditure.
- The concerns were raised in a sample audit of records – from August 2019 to November 2023 – that was made public Monday in response to an RTI query by wildlife activist Ajay Dubey.
Antibiotics overuse led to 33% of sepsis deaths in India: Study
Page no- 12
GS3- Science and Technology
- When a 60-year-old patient with leukaemia was admitted to the emergency department with high fever and low blood pressure, he was immediately started on broad-spectrum antibiotics. However, the drugs didn’t work, complicating his condition. A blood culture later revealed a drug-resistant Klebsiella infection, which required a combination of drugs to bring it under control.
- “The patient’s condition deteriorated because of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a condition where bacteria and parasites become resistant to medicines that were previously effective against them,” said Dr Abdul Ghafur, infectious diseases expert at Apollo Hospital, Chennai.
Good rains, full reservoirs
Page no- 14
GS1- Geography: Rainfall pattern in India
- Since the southwest monsoon covered the entire country on July 2, the majority of geographical regions have received steady or continuous rainfall. As on September 12, the country had received 836.7 mm of rain, an 8% surplus for this time of the season.
- The latest weekly reservoir and river basin data from Central Water Commission (CWC) show the overall storage position is better than that of last year, as well as the normal storage position during the corresponding period.
Kejriwal wants early elections to Delhi Assembly. What does the law say?
Page no- 14
GS2- Elections; Provisions of the Constitution
- Arvind Kejriwal is likely to submit his resignation as Chief Minister during a scheduled meeting with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena at 4.30 pm on Tuesday.
- Kejriwal told Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers on Sunday that he would give up his post and give an “agnipariksha” to prove his innocence in the alleged excise policy corruption case, in which he was granted bail by the Supreme Court last week.
- Kejriwal has asked for Assembly elections to be held in Delhi along with Maharashtra, where a new House must be elected before November 26. However, the term of the Delhi Assembly ends only on February 23, 2025.
