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  • Bard: Google’s answer to ‘ChatGPT’

    bard

    Google has finally decided to answer the challenge and threat posed by Microsoft-backed OpenAI and its AI chatbot- ChatGPT.

    What is Bard, when can I access it?

    • Google’s Bard is functioned on LaMDA, the firm’s Language Model for Dialogue Applications system, and has been in development for several years.
    • It is what Sunder Pichai termed an “experimental conversational AI service”.
    • Google will be opening it up to trusted testers ahead of making it more widely available to the public in the coming weeks.
    • It is not yet publicly available.

    What is Bard based on?

    • Bard is built on Transformer technology—which is also the backbone of ChatGPT and other AI bots.
    • Transformer technology was pioneered by Google and made open-source in 2017.
    • Transformer technology is a neural network architecture, which is capable of making predictions based on inputs and is primarily used in natural language processing and computer vision technology.
    • Previously, a Google engineer claimed LaMDA was a ‘sentient’ being with consciousness.

    How does it work?

    • Bard draws on information from the web to provide fresh, high-quality responses.
    • In short, it will give in-depth, conversational and essay-style answers just like ChatGPT does right now.
    • It requires significantly less computing power, enabling us to scale to more users, allowing for more feedback.

    A user will be able to ask Bard to explain new discoveries from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to a 9-year-old, or learn more about the best strikers in football right now, and then get drills to build your skills.

     

    What about its computing power?

    • Remember running these models also requires significant computing power.
    • For instance, ChatGPT is powered by Microsoft’s Azure Cloud services.
    • This also explains why the service often runs into errors at times, because too many people are accessing it.

    Key difference between ChatGPT and Google’s Bard

    • It appears that to take on ChatGPT, Google has an ace up its sleeve: the ability to draw information from the Internet.
    • Bard draws on information from the web to provide fresh, high-quality responses.
    • ChatGPT has impressed with its ability to respond to complex queries — though with varying degrees of accuracy — but its biggest shortcoming perhaps is that it cannot access real-time information from the Internet.
    • ChatGPT’s language model was trained on a vast dataset to generate text based on the input, and the dataset, at the moment, only includes information until 2021.

    Is Bard better than ChatGPT?

    • Bard looks like a limited rollout right now.
    • Google is looking for a lot of feedback at the moment around Bard, so it is hard to say whether it can answer more questions than ChatGPT.
    • Google has also not made clear the amount of knowledge that Bard possesses.
    • For instance, with ChatGPT, we know its knowledge is limited to events till 2021.
    • Of course, it is based on LaMDA, which has been in the news for a while now.

    Why has Google announced Bard right now?

    • Bard comes as Microsoft is preparing to announce an integration of ChatGPT into its Bing Search engine.
    • Google might have invented the ‘Transformer’ technology, but it is now being seen as a latecomer to the AI revolution.
    • ChatGPT in many ways is being called the end of Google Search, given that conversational AI can give long, essay style and sometimes elegant answers to a user’s queries.
    • Of course, not all of these are correct, but then AI is capable of correcting itself as well and learning from mistakes.

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  • NASA-ISRO partnership’s NISAR and its Mission

    nisar

    An earth-observation satellite NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) jointly developed by NASA and ISRO is all set to be shipped to India later this month for a possible launch in September.

    What is NISAR?

    • NISAR has been built by space agencies of the US and India under a partnership agreement signed in 2014.
    • The 2,800 kilograms satellite consists of both L-band and S-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) instruments, which makes it a dual-frequency imaging radar satellite.
    • While NASA has provided the L-band radar, GPS, a high-capacity solid-state recorder to store data, and a payload data subsystem, ISRO has provided the S-band radar, the GSLV launch system and spacecraft.
    • Another important component of the satellite is its large 39-foot stationary antenna reflector.
    • Made of a gold-plated wire mesh, the reflector will be used to focus the radar signals emitted and received by the upward-facing feed on the instrument structure.

    What is the mission?

    • Once launched into space, NISAR will observe subtle changes in Earth’s surfaces, helping researchers better understand the causes and consequences of such phenomena.
    • It will spot warning signs of natural disasters, such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and landslides.
    • The satellite will also measure groundwater levels, track flow rates of glaciers and ice sheets, and monitor the planet’s forest and agricultural regions, which can improve our understanding of carbon exchange.
    • By using synthetic aperture radar (SAR), NISAR will produce high-resolution images.
    • SAR is capable of penetrating clouds and can collect data day and night regardless of the weather conditions.

     

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  • In news: Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)

    The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has decided to form a special committee to trace and certify 24 protected monuments that have gone “missing”.

    Why in news?

    • PMO has in a report last month said there was an urgent need to “rationalise” the list of monuments of national importance.

    Sites in news

    • Barakhamba Cemetery temple ruins, Mirzapur (UP) dating to 1000 AD
    • Kos Minars – one at Faridabad’s Mujesar and
    • Inchla Wali Gumti at Mubarakpur Kotla in the capital

    Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) 

    • Founded by Alexander Cunningham, who is also revered as the “Father of Indian Archaeology”
    • He was the protege of James Prinsep.
    • It was Lord Canning who helped pass a statute for ASI’s establishment in 1861.
    • Post-Independence, it is a Statutory body that now works under Ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains act (AMASR Act), 1958.
    • It works as an attached Office of the Ministry of Culture.
    • ASI has 3678 protected monuments and Archaeology sites of National Importance + 29 cultural under the World Heritage List by UNESCO.

    Initiatives by ASI

    1. Museums
    • ASI’s museums are customarily located right next to the sites that their inventories are associated with “so that they may be studied amid their natural surroundings and not lose focus by being transported”.
    • A dedicated Museums Branch maintains a total of 44 museums spread across the country.
    1. Publications by ASI
    • Epigraphia Indica
    • Ancient India
    • Indian Archaeology: A Review (Annually)
    1. Library
    • Central Archaeological Library in the National Archives building in Janpath, New Delhi

     

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  • [pib] Yuva Sangam Portal

    The Union Ministry of Education has launched the “Yuva Sangam” registration portal.

    Yuva Sangam

    • The Yuva Sangam is an initiative of Hon’ble Prime Minister to build close ties between the youth of North East Region and rest of India under the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
    • Yuva Sangam embodies the philosophy of our rich culture, our glorious history and ancient heritage.
    • Youth between the ages of 18 and 30 will take part in this program.
    • Over 20000 youth will travel across India and gain a unique opportunity of cross cultural learning.
    • Through the course of the program, students will interact with each other in the areas of language, literature, cuisine, festivals, cultural events and tourism.
    • They will get a first-hand experience of living in a completely different geographical and cultural scenario.

    Significance of the program

    • The program will give an opportunity to see, know, and understand India and do something for the country.
    • This is yet another initiative of PM Modi for cementing the bond between the northeast and the rest of India.
    • Yuva Sangam will celebrate India`s diversity, rejuvenate the spirit of oneness and highlight the strength of India`s democracy as envisioned by the PM.

     

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  • 73rd establishment day of Supreme Court

    supreme court

    The Supreme Court of India is hosting its celebration of the 73rd anniversary of its establishment today.

    Why in news?

    • This year’s event is being aired on social media platforms and will witness Singapore’s Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, who is of Indian origin, as the chief guest.

    When was the Supreme Court founded?

    • On January 28, 1950, two days after India became a sovereign democratic republic, the Supreme Court of India came into being.
    • The first CJI of India was H. J. Kania.
    • The inauguration took place in the Chamber of Princes in the Parliament building which was the home to the Federal Court of India for 12 years preceding the Supreme Court’s establishment.
    • The Parliament House was to be the home of the Supreme Court for years that were to follow until the court acquired its own present building with lofty domes and its signature spacious colonnaded verandas in 1958.

    History of established

    • In 1861, the Indian High Courts Act 1861 was enacted to create high courts for various provinces and abolished Supreme Courts at Calcutta, Madras and Bombay and also the sadar adalats in presidency towns in their respective regions.
    • These new high courts had the distinction of being the highest courts for all cases till the creation of the Federal Court of India under the Government of India Act 1935.
    • The Federal Court had jurisdiction to solve disputes between provinces and federal states and hear appeals against judgment of the high courts.

    Premise of the Supreme Court

    • In 1958, when the court shifted its premises, the building was shaped to project the image of scales of justice, in the central wing.
    • In 1979, two new wings – the East wing and the West wing – were added to the complex. In all, there are 19 Courtrooms in the various wings of the building.
    • The Chief Justice’s Court is the largest of the Courts located at the Centre of the Central Wing.

     

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  • What is the North Star?

    north star

    Vice President said Parliament is the “North Star” of democracy, “a place of discussion and deliberation to realize the aspirations and dreams of the people”.

    What is North Star?

    • North Star is a metaphor to refer to something constant/permanent that leads and provides direction.
    • Polaris, also known as the North Star or the Pole Star, is a very bright star (around 2500 times more luminous than our sun) placed less than 1° away from the north celestial pole.
    • Its position and brightness have made humans use it for navigation since late antiquity.
    • It is a part of the constellation Ursa Minor and is around 323 light-years away from Earth.

    How it helps navigation?

    • It stands almost motionless in the night sky, with all the stars of the northern sky appearing to rotate around it.
    • This makes it an excellent fixed point from which to draw measurements for celestial navigation.
    • Simply the elevation of the star above the horizon gives the approximate latitude of the observer and in the northern hemisphere, if you can see Polaris you can always tell which way is north.
    • Upon crossing the equator to the South, the North Star is lost over the horizon and hence stops being a useful navigational aid.

    When the North Star was first used to navigate?

    • Polaris seems to have been first charted by the Roman mathematician and astronomer Ptolemy, who lived from about 85 to 165 B.C.
    • While there does exist some evidence pointing at how the star was used for navigation in late antiquity, it is during the ‘Age of Exploration’ that it becomes such a central part of human history.
    • Christopher Columbus, on his first trans-Atlantic voyage of 1492, “had to correct (his ship’s bearings) for the circle described by the pole star about the pole”, wrote his son in his biography.
    • As European colonizers set sail for exotic locations across the world, the North Star became an ever-so-important feature.

     

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  • Muons and their use to analyse large structures

    muon

    As per a new study, researchers are examining the fortress wall of Xi’an, an ancient city in China, by using tiny outer space particles ‘Muon’ that can penetrate hundreds of metres of stone surfaces.

    What are Muons?

    • Muons are subatomic particles raining from space.
    • They are created when the particles in Earth’s atmosphere collide with cosmic rays — clusters of high-energy particles that move through space at just below the speed of light.
    • About 10,000 muons reach every square metre of the Earth’s surface a minute.
    • These particles resemble electrons but are 207 times as massive.
    • Therefore, they are sometimes called “fat electrons”. Because muons are so heavy, they can travel through hundreds of metres of rock or other matter before getting absorbed or decaying into electrons and neutrinos.
    • In comparison, electrons can penetrate through only a few centimetres. Muons are highly unstable and exist for just 2.2 microseconds.

    What is muon tomography or muography?

    • Muography is conceptually similar to X-ray but capable of scanning much larger and wider structures, owing to the penetration power of muons.
    • As these high-energy particles are naturally produced and ubiquitous, all one needs to do is place a muon detector underneath, within or near the object of interest.
    • The detector then tracks the number of muons going through the object from different directions, to form a three-dimensional image.

    Muons and archaeology

    • The technique was first used in the late 1960s, when Nobel Laureate and US experimental physicist Luis Alvarez joined hands with Egyptologists to search for hidden chambers in the Pyramid of Khafre, Giza.
    • Nothing was found at the time.

    Recent feats achieved

    • In 2017, modern archaeologists repeated the experiment with more sophisticated and advanced muon detectors and stumbled upon a major finding.
    • By placing several detectors, the archaeologists were able to discover a previously unknown chamber at least 30 metres long.
    • It was the first major inner structure to be found in the pyramid since the 19th century.

    Uses of muography beyond archaeology

    • Apart from archaeology, muography has found use in customs security, internal imaging of volcanoes and others.
    • Around 2015, scientists used the technique to look inside the Fukushima nuclear reactors after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
    • As the site was highly radioactive, they put the two muon detectors in 10 centimetres thick boxes to protect them from radiation and then carried out the scanning.
    • Muography is also being used by researchers to analyse Mount Vesuvius, a volcano in Italy.

     

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  • Two years of Myanmar Coup and Concerns for India

    myanmar coup

    It is exactly two years since the Myanmar army seized power.

    Myanmar Coup: A quick recap

    • A coup in Myanmar began on the morning of 1 February 2021, when democratically elected members of the country’s ruling party, were deposed by the Tatmadaw—Myanmar’s military.
    • The coup occurred the day before the Parliament of Myanmar was due to swear in the members elected at the 2020 election, thereby preventing this from occurring.
    • Pivot leader Aung San Suu Kyi was detained, along with ministers, their deputies, and members of Parliament.

    India’s continuing policy tightrope in Myanmar

    • For some three decades, India has pursued a ‘Dual-Track Policy’ which essentially means doing business with the junta.
    • India shares a 1,600 km border with Myanmar along four NE states.
    • It has a maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal, the failure of the Myanmar state presents a foreign policy dilemma that it is struggling to resolve.
    • It has ruled over Myanmar for all but five years since 1990, with tea and sympathy for the pro-democracy forces.

    Why in news now?

    Ans. Pro-democracy armed rebellion within

    • Hundreds of armed pro-democracy civilian resistance groups (People’s Defence Forces) are fighting the junta and turning swathes of the country into no-go areas for the army.
    • In addition some among the two dozen ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) that have been fighting the Myanmar state for autonomy for the last seven decades, have joined hands with the PDFs.

    India’s concerns

    • Chinese inroads: Over the last two decades, as China with its deep pockets emerged as a rival in the region, engaging with the junta was also seen as a way to retain Indian influence in Myanmar.
    • No democratic restoration: Delhi had to calibrate this engagement during the “democratic transition” of the last decade and rebalance the dual track.
    • Narrowed interests: These are becoming apparent, even going by India’s narrowly defined national interests: border security management, and restricting China in Myanmar.
    • Limitations to strategy: India has limited to its old template of engagement— doing business with the military regime, encouraging it restore democracy, and offering sympathy to democratic forces.

    Recent success: Completion of Sittwe Port

    • In the first week of January, Sittwe port, developed by India as part of the Kaladan project, was ready for operation.
    • It is set to be inaugurated soon.

    Five ways in which India’s calculations have been upset

    • Bluff over connectivity: While maritime trade was one objective, the primary objective of this project, to provide alternate access to India’s landlocked north-east states, now seems like a bridge too far.
    • Huge refugee influx: Mizoram is hosting tens of thousands of refugees from the adjoining Chin state in Myanmar. Refugees have come into other Northeastern states, though in fewer numbers.
    • Clouds of terrorism: More dangerously, the recent bombing by the Myanmar Air Force of a Chin militia headquarters on the border with Mizoram, with shrapnel hitting the Indian side during this operation, triggered panic in the area.
    • Narcotics smuggling: Another potential cross-border spillovers is contained in the latest report of the UN Office for Drugs and Crime on Myanmar (Myanmar Opium Survey).
    • Supporting insurgents in India: Myanmar junta has recruited Indian insurgent group (IIGs) in regions adjoining Manipur and Nagaland to fight against the local PDFs and other groups.
    • Worsening of Rohingya crisis: The military cannot resolve the Rohingya crisis, another regional destabilizer.

    Way forward for India

    • Championing this cause in G20: India has projected its year-long presidency of the G20 as an opportunity to project the voice of the global south.
    • Extra-diplomatic engagement: India can open channels to the democratic forces and to some ethnic groups; it can work more actively with ASEAN; it could open an army-to-army channel with the junta; increase people-to-people channels; offer scholarships to Myanmar students like it did for Afghan students in a different era.
    • Ensuring fair elections: The junta is mulling elections later this year after rejigging the first-past-the-post system to proportional representation to undermine the NLD’s electoral might.

     

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  • What are Shaligram Stones?

    shaligram

    Two sacred Shaligram stones arrived in Ayodhya for crafting the idols of Lord Ram and Janaki at the Ram Temple.

    What is a Shaligram Stones?

    • Shaligram stones are fossils of ammonite, which is a type of mollusk that lived between 400 million and 65 million years ago.
    • They are found in the Shaligram Pilgrimage in the Nepal Himalayas.
    • They date specifically from the Early Oxfordian to the Late Tithonian Age near the end of the Jurassic Period some 165-140 million years ago.
    • Mostly found in riverbeds or banks of the Kali Gandaki, a tributary of the Gandaki River in Nepal, this stone is revered as a representation of Lord Vishnu.
    • The stone is considered to have divine powers and is seen as a symbol of good luck and prosperity.

    Mythological significance

    • Historically, the use of shaligrama shilas in worship can be traced to the time of Adi Shankara through the latter’s works.
    • Specifically it finds mention in the Taittiriya Upanishad.
    • The statue of Vishnu in the Padmanabhaswamy Temple of Thiruvananthapuram and Badrinath Temple of Garhwal region, and that of Krishna in Krishna Matha of Udupi and Radha Raman Temple of Vrindavana are also believed to be made from shaligrama shilas.

     

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  • No bar on contesting two seats in one poll: Supreme Court

    The Supreme Court has refused to set aside a provision in the election law that allows candidates to contest polls from two constituencies simultaneously.

    What is the issue?

    • The petition had sought the court to declare Section 33(7) of the Representation of People Act invalid and ultra vires.
    • Like one-person-one-vote, one-candidate-one-constituency is the dictum of democracy, argued the petition.

    What did the SC say?

    • This is a policy matter and an issue concerning political democracy.
    • It is for the Parliament to take a call, CJI observed.

    Provision for contesting polls from two constituency

    • Under section 33 (7) of the RPA, 1951, a person is allowed to contest polls, whether a general election, more than one by-elections or biennial elections, from a maximum of two seats.
    • Before this law, candidates could run in any number of constituencies.
    • If candidates win both seats, they must vacate one within 10 days, triggering a by-election, as stated under section 70 of the Act.
    • Under the Constitution, an individual cannot simultaneously be a member of either House of Parliament (or a state legislature), or both Parliament and a state legislature, or represent more than one seat in a House.

    Issues with two polls provision

    • Issues with twin victories: There have been cases where a person contests election from two constituencies, and wins from both. In such a situation he vacates the seat in one of the two constituencies.
    • Expenses of bye-election: The consequence is that a by-election would be required from one constituency involving avoidable expenditure on the conduct of that bye-election.

    ECI supports one-candidate-one-constituency

    • The Election Commission had, in an affidavit in 2018, supported the petition.
    • It had informed the Supreme Court that it had proposed an amendment to Section 33(7) in July 2004.

    Way ahead

    • Heavy election deposits: A candidate should deposit an amount of ₹5 lakh for contesting in two constituencies in an Assembly election or ₹10 lakh in a general election.
    • Recurring election expenses: The amount would be used to cover the expenses for a by-election in the eventuality that he or she was victorious in both constituencies and had to relinquish one.

     

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