Current Affairs 14th Sep 2024 for UPSC Prelims Exam

Right of Accused to Remain Silent

Context: In a recent Judgement a SC Judge while granting bail to the Delhi Chief Minister upheld the right of an accused to remain silent during interrogation.

Provision Under Article 20(3):

• No self-incrimination
  • No person accused of any offence shall be compelled to be a witness against himself.
  • It extends only to criminal proceedings and not to civil proceedings or proceedings which are not of criminal nature.
• Other Provisions of Article – 20:
  • No ex-post-facto law [Article 20(1)]:
    • No person shall be convicted of any offence except for violation of a law in force at the time of the commission of the act.
    • No person shall be subjected to a penalty greater than that prescribed by the law in force at the time of the commission of the act.
    • This is applicable only in Criminal cases & not for Civil Cases.
  • No double jeopardy [Article 20(2)]:
    • No person shall be prosecuted and punished for the same offence more than once.
    • The protection against double jeopardy is available only in proceedings before a court of law or a judicial tribunal.
    • It is not available in proceedings before departmental or administrative authorities as they are not of judicial nature.

Open AI 01

Context: Recently OpenAI has launched its latest Artificial Intelligence model Open AI 01. It is a part of its secretive ‘Project Strawberry’.

What is Open AI 01?

• Purpose: Designed to solve complex tasks in science, coding, and maths.
• Presently, it lacks functionalities like web browsing and file/image management.
• Features:
  • The new model “thinks” more carefully about queries, similar to human problem-solving.
  • It approaches problems from multiple perspectives, checks its output and learns from its mistakes.
  • It is expected to be performed at the level of PhD students in subjects like physics, chemistry, and biology.
• Safety Measures
  • OpenAI has introduced new training methods to ensure the safety of these models, improving their ability to follow safety guidelines and prevent AI jailbreaking.
    • Jailbreaking is a form of hacking that aims to bypass an AI model’s ethical safeguards and elicit prohibited information.
  • The new version scored 84/100 in safety tests, a significant improvement from the previous 22/100 score.

Brain on Chip Design

Context: Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru have created an analogous computing platform within a molecular film that mimics human brain-like functioning.

About the Brain on Chip Technology

• It is a technology which can store and process information in a way similar to how the human brain works within a tiny electronic device.
• Features:
  • Unlike regular computers that use just two states (0 and 1) to process information, this new technology can handle 16,500 different states. This allows it to perform more complex tasks efficiently.
  • It is more energy-efficient and faster than existing digital computing platforms.
• Significance:
  • This Indigenous innovation represents a significant step forward in Neuromorphic computing.
    • It is a computer engineering field that mimics/copies the human brain’s structure and function to create more efficient and versatile computing systems.

Co-location

Context: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) closed proceedings against the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and seven of its former employees in the co-location matter. It ruled that there was no evidence of collusion between OPG Securities directors and the NSE employees.

What is Co-location ?

• It is a data centre facility where a third party can lease space for servers and other computer hardware.
• Co-location facilities provide infrastructure like power supply, bandwidth, and cooling for setting up servers and storage of data.

National Stock Exchange (NSE) Co-location Case

• NSE also provides co-location service which allows brokers to place their servers within the NSE’s data centre.
• This gives them faster access to the price feed and the execution of trades.
• In 2015, SEBI received a complaint alleging loopholes in the system.
• Some brokers who leased space at the NSE co-location facility were able to log into the NSE systems with better hardware specifications and engage in algorithmic trading.
• This gave certain brokers an unfair advantage over other members.

Zorawar & VL-SRSAM

Context: Recently the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the preliminary automotive trials of the Indian light tank, Zorawar. It will be deployed in high-altitude areas.

About Zorawar

About Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM)

• Developed by: DRDO & Indian Navy
• Speed:
  • Maximum speed – Mach 4.5 (approximately 5,500 kilometres per hour)
  • It uses solid propellant, which ensures high-speed performance.
• Features:
  • It is Indigenously Designed & Developed.
  • It is designed for quick response and precise targeting and is capable of identifying and neutralising threats from all directions.
  • It can intercept targets flying at altitudes as high as 16 kilometres
  • It is based on the Astra air-to-air missile system.

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