Rapid Fire
Rapid Fire Current Affairs
- 29 Aug 2023
- 6 min read
India's Current Account Deficit Narrows Amid Trade Shifts
India's Current Account Deficit (CAD) is being influenced by shifts in trade patterns. The deficit is expected to decrease to around USD 10 billion or 1% of the GDP in the April-June quarter of 2023-24, down from USD 18 billion or 2.1% in the same period of 2022-23.
- CAD is a crucial economic indicator that quantifies the difference between a country's earnings from foreign trade and its expenditures on imports of goods and services, including transfer payments.
- A CAD arises when a nation's imports exceed its exports, leading to an outflow of currency and often necessitating foreign borrowing to bridge the gap.
- A low CAD can be seen as a positive economic indicator because it often implies that the country's economy is self-sustaining and is able to finance its external commitments without straining its resources.
- It can also indicate that the country is competitive in international trade and has a balanced approach to its imports and exports.
Read more: Current Account Deficit
Public Declarations Not Necessary for Marriages: Supreme Court
Recently, the Supreme Court has declared that not all marriages necessitate a public declaration or solemnization. Also, the court approved a Tamil Nadu law that allowed “self-respect” marriages and affirmed that lawyers can officiate at 'self-respect marriages' between consenting adults.
- Through a state amendment in 1967, Section 7-A of the Hindu Marriage Act, applicable to Tamil Nadu, provides legal recognition to self-respect or reformist marriages among Hindus.
- These marriages can be solemnized in the presence of relatives, friends, or other individuals and allow couples to marry without a formal public ceremony and empower advocates to conduct such unions in private settings.
- The court's ruling upholds an individual's right to choose a life partner without external interference, in accordance with Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
- Solemnizing marriage without a Brahmin priest was the prime objective of the Self Respect Movement started by E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker (Periyar) in 1925.
Read more: Hindu Marriage Act, Article 21, Supreme Court.
Exploring Consciousness in Artificial Intelligence
Researchers have developed a checklist based on neuroscience-based theories that could help assess whether an Artificial Intelligence(AI) system is conscious.
- The study suggests that the rapid progress in the field of AI has raised the possibility that conscious AI systems could be built in the near future.
- However, human-like behaviors can make it difficult to judge the true level of engagement by AI systems.
- Being conscious means experiencing consciousness or having the potential for it.
- "Conscious" is different from "sentient" which refers to having senses.
- No AI system appears to be a strong candidate for consciousness at present.
- Microsoft's study: GPT-4 AI can think and use common sense like humans.
- Researchers believe assessing AI consciousness is scientifically doable, and the authors provided initial evidence that many of the indicator properties can be implemented in AI systems using current techniques.
Read more: India and Generative AI
Kampala Declaration on Climate Change
A significant step has been taken by 48 African countries to adopt the Kampala Ministerial Declaration on Migration, Environment, and Climate Change (KDMECC) to address the interconnection between human mobility and climate change on the continent.
- The decision was discussed at a Conference of States co-hosted by Kenya and Uganda. The initiative was supported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
- IOM was born in 1951 out of the chaos and displacement of Western Europe following the Second World War.
- Africa is highly vulnerable to climate change's impacts, leading to increased migration due to extreme weather events.
- KDMECC Originally signed by 15 African states in Kampala, Uganda, in July 2022. The KDMECC-AFRICA is expected to be signed by Member States during the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi on September 4, 2023.
- The Declaration is the first comprehensive, action-oriented framework led by Member States to address climate-induced mobility in a practical and effective manner.
- The KDMECC-AFRICA will ensure that all voices, including those of youth, women, and persons in vulnerable situations are the priority of the expanded declaration.
