15 MAY 2024

Juvenile Justice Act

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

Context

• The Supreme Court has attempted to plug significant gaps in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act (JJA), 2015.

Background

• The SC was dealing with an appeal in a criminal case involving charges of rape and wrongful confinement under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).
• The case in question revolved around an appeal against the Children’s Court’s decision to treat the appellant as an adult rather than a “child in conflict with law” — a term used when a minor is accused of an offense.
  • A Session Court deals with ordinary criminal offenses, while a Children’s Court is a specialized court that deals with heinous offenses involving minors.

Juvenile Justice Act, 2015

• It was introduced and passed in Parliament in 2015 to replace the Juvenile Delinquency Law and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children Act) 2000.
• The Act seeks to achieve the objectives of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children as ratified by India on December 11, 1992.
• It allows the trial of juveniles in conflict with the law in the age group of 16-18 years as adults, in cases where the crimes were to be determined.

Procedures for handling legal violations by minors

• The JJA outlines procedures for handling legal violations by minors, managed by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), which also fulfills various socio-legal roles. 
• According to the JJA, a minor who encounters the criminal justice system due to an alleged offense is identified as a “child in conflict with law”.
  • In such cases, the case is presented before the JJB. 
• The JJB is endowed with the authority to adjudicate matters concerning minors, ensure they have access to legal representation, and oversee the conditions of juvenile residential establishments. 
• Should the board conclude that the minor should face trial as an adult, it will issue an order to that effect, which is subsequently forwarded to the Children’s Court for a final decision.

Supreme Court Judgement

• The supreme court ruled that an appeal against the JJB order should be filed within 30 days and also made it mandatory for the board to mention details, such as reasons for adjourning the hearing in a case in its orders.
• The court also addressed the interchangeable use of “Children’s Court” and “Court of Sessions” within the Act, noting the frequent absence of a clear appellate process.
  • If Children’s Court is available, even if the appeal is said to be maintainable before the Sessions Court, it has to be considered by the Children’s Court. 
  • Whereas, where no Children’s Court is available, the power is to be exercised by the Sessions Court.
  • This ensures that minors have the opportunity to appeal decisions in situations where the alternate court was not previously specified.

Source: The Print

Hydro Capacity to Meet Rising Peak Demand

Syllabus: GS3/ Infrastructure

Context

• The Ministry of Power has optimized hydropower generation to avoid supply shortfall as peak power demand is set to touch 240 GW during the summer months.

Renewable energy generation in India

• India is the world’s third largest producer of renewable energy and around 40 percent of installed electricity capacity comes from non-fossil fuel sources.
  • India has added a renewable capacity of over 18 GW in FY24.
• This green push has resulted in a sharp 24 percent reduction in emission intensity of GDP between 2005 and 2016, but it has also thrown up challenges in meeting peak demand with a grid being increasingly powered by renewables.
• However the reliance on coal and gas along with hydro power is preferred more to meet peak demand.

Energy Generation in India

What is Hydropower?

• Hydropower, or hydroelectric power, is one of the oldest and largest sources of renewable energy, which uses the natural flow of moving water to generate electricity. 

• Hydropower currently generates more electricity than all other renewable technologies combined and is expected to remain the world’s largest source of renewable electricity generation into the 2030s.
• Classification of Hydro Projects based on Installed Capacity: 
  • Micro: up to 100 KW
  • Mini: 101KW to 2 MW
  • Small: 2 MW to 25 MW
  • Mega: Hydro projects with installed capacity >= 500 MW
• India: In 2022-23, hydropower accounted for 12.5 percent of power generation in India. India had about 4745.6 MW pumped storage capacity in operation in 2023.
  • The hilly States of India mainly Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand constitute around half of this potential. 
  • Other potential States are Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Kerala.

Potentials of Hydro Electric power in meeting Energy demand

• Abundant water resources: India is endowed with several major rivers and their tributaries, which offer immense potential for hydroelectric power generation.
• Potential for small-scale projects: In addition to large-scale projects, India also has potential for small-scale hydroelectric projects, especially in hilly regions and remote areas where grid connectivity is limited.
• Storage capacity: Hydroelectric power plants with reservoirs offer the advantage of energy storage, which can be crucial for managing peak demand and providing stable electricity supply.
• Long Lifespan: Hydropower infrastructure, such as dams and turbines, can have long lifespans, often exceeding 50 years with proper maintenance. This longevity ensures a stable and enduring source of energy for a longer period of time.
• Reliable and Predictable: Unlike solar and wind energy, which are intermittent and dependent on weather conditions, hydropower provides a consistent and reliable source of electricity.
• Clean Energy: Hydropower produces minimal greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels, making it an environmentally friendly option for generating electricity

Challenges associated with Hydro Power generation

• Environmental Impact: Large-scale hydropower projects often require damming rivers, which alter ecosystems, disrupt fish habitats, and impact local biodiversity.
  • It also leads to issues like sediment buildup and water temperature changes downstream, affecting aquatic life.
• Social Impacts: Building dams and reservoirs displace communities and disrupt livelihoods, especially those relying on the affected rivers for fishing or agriculture. 
• High Initial Costs: Constructing hydropower facilities involves significant upfront investment costs. 
• Climate Change Vulnerability: Hydropower generation relies on consistent water flow, which can be affected by climate change-induced variations in precipitation patterns and glacial melt. 
  • A UK based thinktank found that the drought — likely exacerbated by climate change — drove an 8.5% drop in hydroelectricity around the world over the last two decades.
• Sedimentation: Dams trap sediment flowing downstream, leading to reservoirs gradually filling up with sediment over time.
  • This reduces the reservoir’s capacity and impacts the efficiency and lifespan of the hydropower facility.
• Maintenance Challenges: Hydropower infrastructure requires regular maintenance to ensure safe and efficient operation. 

Way Ahead

• The solution to address the rising peak demand is to diversify the power sources by incorporating other renewable technologies into the energy mix.
• Innovations around placing floating solar panels on the water’s surface in hydropower plants — as countries such China and Brazil are exploring — have significant potential.
• To compensate for the intermittency, pumped-storage hydroelectric plants – where it stores energy in the form of the gravitational potential energy of water with the help of renewable power is being seen as the most viable alternative

Source: IE

Regulatory Sandboxes in Artificial Intelligence

Syllabus: GS 3/S&T

In News

• Many governments and regulatory bodies have turned to innovative approaches such as “AI regulatory sandboxes” to strike a balance between fostering AI innovation and ensuring responsible development.

About  Regulatory Sandbox

• A regulatory sandbox is a tool allowing businesses to explore and experiment with new and innovative products, services or businesses under a regulator’s supervision.

Applications in AI

• Sandbox provides a controlled environment for experimentation, offering invaluable insights into AI technologies capabilities and limitations while fostering collaboration between innovators and regulators. 
• It promotes transparency and accountability by requiring participants to disclose information about their AI models, addressing concerns about opacity and enabling tailored regulations. 
• by mandating risk assessments and safeguards, the sandbox encourages responsible innovation, mitigating potential societal impacts of AI applications and nurturing a culture of ethical development within the industry.

Relevance 

• It has become a significant instrument in various countries, used to evaluate innovations within a defined and monitored time frame while being subject to regulatory oversight and controlled constraints. 
• It empowers policymakers to adopt a well-informed stance in crafting legal and policy responses that foster beneficial innovation. 
• It enhances access to funding by mitigating information imbalances and reducing regulatory costs. 
• It is  a catalyst for supporting economic growth, and ensuring responsible governance in a rapidly evolving landscape of emerging technologies.

Progress across the globe 

• The inception of the first formal regulatory sandbox is often attributed to the Financial Conduct Authority in the U.K.
• Numerous other nations have subsequently introduced or announced similar initiatives to assess innovations spanning various industries.
  • According to data from the World Bank, as of November 2020, there were approximately 73 regulatory sandboxes, both announced and operational, within the financial sector across 57 jurisdictions. 
• Article 53 of the European Union’s AI Act, has the provision of a regulatory sandbox to test technology before making it mainstream. 
• Spain became the first European country to have established the statute of the Spanish Agency for the Supervision of Artificial Intelligence (AESIA), ahead of the European regulation on artificial intelligence.

Status in India 

• In India, all financial sector regulators, including the Reserve Bank of India, Securities and Exchange Board of India, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority, and International Financial Services Centre Authority, have launched their respective regulatory sandboxes. 
• The recently passed Telecommunications Act 2023 proposed a regulatory sandbox where the central Government has the authority to establish one or more regulatory sandboxes, as prescribed, to promote and facilitate innovation and technological development in the field of telecommunications, specifying the manner and duration for their implementation.

Conclusion and Way Forward 

• India’s interest in regulating AI is grounded in a multifaceted approach encompassing economic ambitions, ethical considerations, job creation, industrial transformation, and overall societal welfare. 
• As a global technology hub, the chair of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence and the Delhi Declaration, India aspires to foster innovation in alignment with its cultural and ethical values.
•  A comprehensive regulatory sandbox can be envisioned to guide businesses, researchers, and policymakers, steering AI development towards sustainable growth.
• A regulatory sandbox should not be viewed as an approach to directly govern AI, but rather as a progressive step preceding formal legislation. 
• It serves as a preparatory measure tailored to India’s specific circumstances, paving the way for future regulatory actions aligned with the country’s needs and developments in the AI landscape. 

Additional Information  – In India, NITI Ayog released a discussion paper outlining a national strategy for AI, which led to the establishment of the national AI Portal.  – The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), released a report on AI Innovation 2023 highlighting India’s AI vision through seven working groups. – The latest proposal of the Digital India Act, 2023 also talks about regulating AI by creating a separate set of laws and regulations.

Source:TH

NISAR Satellite will Monitor Tectonic Movements

Syllabus: GS3/Science and Technology

Context

• Recently the ISRO Chairman S. Somanath said that the NISAR satellite will be able to monitor tectonic movements accurately and can fully map the earth twice a month.

NISAR Satellite

• NISAR is an Earth-observation satellite that stands for (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar).
• It is Jointly developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation under a partnership agreement signed in 2014.
• It will be launched into a polar Sun-synchronous dawn-dusk orbit.
• NISAR is the first satellite mission to collect radar data in two microwave bandwidth regions, called the L-band and the S-band.
  • The S-band payload has been made by the ISRO and the L-band payload by the U.S. 

Monitoring of Earth Surface

• The NISAR system comprises a dual frequency, fully polarimetric radar, with an imaging swath greater than 150 miles (240 km). 
• This design permits complete global coverage every 12-days, allowing researchers to create time-series interferometric imagery and systematically map the changing surface of Earth.
  • It can monitor various aspects in very high resolution.
• After a 90-day commissioning period, the mission will conduct a minimum of three full years of science operations with the L-band radar to satisfy NASA’s requirements,
  • ISRO requires five years of operations with the S-band radar.

Objectives of the Mission

• NISAR can measure tectonic plate movements accurately. So a lot of geological, agricultural and water-related observations can be obtained from this satellite.
• It can study the water-stressing, climate change-related issues, agricultural changes through patterns, yield, desertification and continental movements precisely with respect to annual water cycle movements. 
• NISAR’s data can help people worldwide better manage natural resources and hazards, as well as providing information for scientists to better understand the effects and pace of climate change. 

Source: TH

India-Middle East EU Economic Corridor (IMEC) Project

Context

• With uncertainty gripping the ambitious India-Middle East EU Economic Corridor (IMEC) project due to the deepening of the West Asia crisis, India is examining the possibility of beginning work on the eastern leg of the corridor.

• Background: The IMEC, a proposed 4,800 km long route was announced in 2023 on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.
  • This followed a meeting between the leaders of India, the US, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Italy, France, Germany, and the European Commission.
• Members: India, European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, UAE and US announced the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). 
• Aim: Integration of Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
• The IMEC will comprise of two separate corridors:
  • The east corridor connecting India to the West Asia/Middle East and 
  • The northern corridor connecting West Asia/Middle East to Europe.