Table of Contents

Current Affairs 19 October 2023.

Today’s News.

The explosion of digital uncertainty.

Current Affairs 19 October 2023 | Relevant for GS paper-3, Science and Technology, Also Relevant for Essay.

Recent advancements in Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) have captivated the imagination of the public, businesses, and governments alike. Very recently, the Government of India has issued a comprehensive report on the possibilities presented by this ongoing wave of AI.
At the same time, there is a rapid surge in digital uncertainty. Few can completely grasp the nature of this new threat, which has not been observed in recent decades, if not centuries.
It is often reiterated that digital infrastructure is constructed with layers of all-knowing machine intelligence, human-coded software abstractions, and unreliable hardware components. Each layer is interconnected through intricate and deeply embedded protocols.
While cyber has undoubtedly garnered attention, there is little, if any, genuine understanding of the nature of today’s cognitive warfare. Cognitive warfare genuinely stands alongside other elements of modern warfare, such as the domains of maritime, air, and space
Cognitive warfare places a premium on sophisticated techniques aimed at destabilizing institutions, particularly governments, and manipulating various aspects of the news media by influential non-state actors.
Amid the complex landscape of emerging technologies, both businesses and governments find themselves facing a kind of Armageddon. The methods employed are highly insidious. For instance, in the more advanced countries, where nearly a third of companies invest more in intangible assets than physical ones, they are exposing themselves directly to risks from AI.
Therefore, digital uncertainty is evolving into radical uncertainty at a rather rapid pace. Presently, governments and government agencies are allocating substantial resources to mitigate the impact of misinformation and disinformation, but it may prove insufficient.
If AI is the significant threat that the world is currently pondering, we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg. As an increasing number of individuals—cognitively and psychologically—rely on digital networks, AI has the capacity to influence many crucial aspects of their thinking and functioning.
The imminent arrival of AGI is considerably more disruptive and perilous than anything else we have encountered thus far. There is genuine concern that it could change the very fabric of nation-states and unravel real and imagined communities globally. Social and economic inequalities will surge exponentially.

AGI will empower highly autonomous systems that surpass humans in various domains, encompassing economically valuable work, education, social welfare, and more. AGI systems will possess the capability to make decisions that are unpredictable and uncontrollable, potentially resulting in unintended and often harmful consequences.
Therefore, AGI has the potential to be as transformative in the 21st century as the Industrial Revolution was in the 18th century. It is highly likely to bring about significant changes in the geopolitical power balance, in ways not previously understood. The prospect of digital colonization is significant, with AGI-based power centers concentrated in specific locations.
AI can be deftly manipulated in specific situations, as was potentially the case in the recent Hamas-Israeli conflict, also known as the Yom Kippur War 2023. Some experts attribute Israel’s significant intelligence failure to an excessive reliance on AI, which was cleverly exploited by Hamas. AI relies on data and algorithms, and Hamas seems to have used deceptive tactics to obscure its true intentions by distorting the flow of information into Israeli AI systems.

Fear factor: Food and fuel prices may yet play spoilsport in the inflation battle.

Current Affairs 19 October 2023 | Relevant for GS paper-3, Growth.

Consumer inflation eased to 5% in September, providing relief following a significant surge in prices that commenced with July’s 15-month high inflation rate of 7.44%. This not only signifies a return to the 2% to 6% tolerance range of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) but also aligns with the bank’s revised estimate of a 6.4% average inflation between July and September.
While the RBI has forecasted an average inflation of 5.4% in 2023-24, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank increased their projections this month to 5.5% and 5.9%, respectively.
Even though food inflation, which triggered the surge in prices during July and August, has decreased to 6.6% in September, this decline was significantly impacted by the sharp drop in vegetable prices, while inflation rates rose for pulses, fruits, eggs, and sugar.
Inflation rates for cereals and spices persisted at 11% and 23.1%, respectively. Rural inflation continued to be higher than that experienced by urban consumers. With the erratic monsoon affecting kharif season sowing in crops like pulses and uncertainties regarding the El Niño effects on the rabi crop, the economy remains concerned about weak rural demand and food price pressures
The Wholesale Price Index, published on Monday, indicates a 17.7% surge in pulse prices, and a 55% increase in onion prices in September, as opposed to 10.4% and 31.4% in August, respectively. At -0.26%, the wholesale price rise managed to remain in a deflationary mode for the sixth consecutive month, influenced by double-digit increases during the corresponding period last year.
Global prices for urea, a major import for India, have risen by 20% since March. These increases are expected to impact retail prices soon, so it’s not the right time to rejoice over a decline in inflation.

Bathukamma Festival.

Current Affairs 19 October 2023 |Relevant for Prelims, Cultural News.

The colorful nine-day annual Bathukamma flower festival commenced on a vibrant note throughout Telangana.
This lively floral festival is joyously celebrated by women using exquisite local flowers.
The festival aligns with the monsoon season, bringing life to ponds and adorning the surroundings with vibrant wildflowers.
Abundant use of local flowers such as ‘gunuka,’ ‘tangedu,’ ‘banti,’ and ‘nandi-vardhanam’ is a hallmark of the celebration.
The festival kicks off a week before the ‘Saddula Bathukamma’ (the grand finale), which occurs two days before Dussehra.
Throughout the preceding week, women craft ‘boddemma’ (a deity of Gowri – mother Durga – made with earthly mud) alongside Bathukamma, immersing it in the pond.
This tradition aids in fortifying the ponds and enhancing their water retention capacity.
The festival emphasizes the interconnectedness between humans, the earth, and water, featuring rituals dedicated to the preservation of natural resources.

Estivation.

Current Affairs 19 October 2023 | Relevant for Prelims, Science and Technology.

Estivation, a fascinating survival strategy employed by animals during hot and arid summers, has garnered attention for its impressive adaptations to extreme conditions.
Estivation is a biological phenomenon in which animals undergo a prolonged period of dormancy or inactivity in response to elevated temperatures or drought-like conditions. This adaptive mechanism aims to conserve energy and water during challenging times.
This strategy helps animals evade desiccation, a state characterized by the extreme dryness of the skin, and provides a defense against the threat of predation.

Examples of Estivation in Action:

The West African lungfish (Protopterus annectens) takes refuge by burrowing into the mud of a drying water body and secretes a protective cocoon of mucus around itself during periods of drought.
Desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) create burrows and retreat into them during the scorching summer months as a means of coping with the harsh conditions.

Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

Current Affairs 19 October 2023 | Relevant for Prelims, IR, International Agreements and Groups

Four years after India pulled out, the neighboring nations of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are considering joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

About RCEP

The RCEP stands as a significant economic agreement uniting ASEAN members with Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partners, forming the world’s largest trading bloc. It aims to foster economic integration, trade liberalization, and collaboration among its member nations. Initiated in 2012, the RCEP was formally signed in November 2020, marking a pivotal moment in regional trade, and it came into effect on January 1, 2022.
Comprising 15 member countries, including China, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Australia, and ASEAN nations (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam), the RCEP negotiations cover a spectrum of areas such as trade in goods, trade in services, investment, economic and technical cooperation, intellectual property, competition, dispute settlement, e-commerce, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The primary objectives of RCEP encompass facilitating trade and investment among member nations, reducing or eliminating tariffs and non-tariff barriers, enhancing economic cooperation, and promoting regional supply chains. The benefits it brings include fostering economic growth, streamlining trade procedures, encouraging foreign investment, and boosting competitiveness and innovation.
RCEP member nations collectively represent over 30% of the global GDP, covering about one-third of the world’s population and holding significant potential to impact global trade. Positioned as a key player in international trade, RCEP strengthens the influence of the Asia-Pacific region and sets a precedent for future trade deals and regional cooperation.
India, once a founding member, decided to withdraw from RCEP negotiations in 2019. This decision was rooted in concerns about potential impacts on the domestic economy, including worries about an influx of Chinese goods affecting local industries. Issues related to service mobility, reservations from the agriculture sector, and concerns of small businesses also played a role in India’s withdrawal from RCEP.

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Daily Current Affairs 19 October 2023 | GS | Sociology Optional for UPSC Civil Services Examination | Triumph IAS