State PCS

• 13 Jul 2024

Maoist Insurgency on Decline

Why in News?

In 2024, India has observed 162 Maoist-related fatalities, with Chhattisgarh accounting for 141 of these deaths.

• This marks one of the highest casualty figures for extremists in the predominantly tribal state since the establishment of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) (CPI-M) in 2004.

Key Points

• "Operation Green Hunt," started in 2009 by involving the Central Reserve Police Force’s CoBRA force and Chhattisgarh police “search and comb” operations led to decline in Maoist activities in India.
• While Maoist casualties have increased, the deaths of security force personnel have come down.
  • In 2024, 14 security force personnel died in the insurgency, compared to the highest of 198 in 2007.
  • The number of civilian deaths has also been at its lowest since 2014, with 23 people killed in Maoist attacks.
• Bijapur and neighboring Sukma have 20 Border Security Force (BSF) camps due to intense operations.
• In Kanker, a joint BSF and District Reserve Guard operation killed 29 Maoists, including a top commander. In Dantewada, declared 'Maoist-free' in 2021, only 15 Maoists were killed in 2024.

The Greyhounds

• It is an elite anti-Maoist force raised in 1989 by IPS officer K.S. Vyas to combat the growing Maoist threat in Andhra Pradesh.
• The members are well-trained in guerilla and jungle warfare.

Operation Green Hunt

• Operation Green Hunt was a military operation by paramilitary forces and the states forces against the Naxalites.
• The operation began in November 2009 along 5 states in the "Red Corridor."

Red Corridor

• The Red Corridor is the region in the central, eastern and southern parts of India that experience severe Naxalism–Maoist insurgency.
• It includes the states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala

New User Interface for Blind

Why in News?

Recently, Experts from the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Allahabad, in collaboration with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany, have created a tool for blind and visually impaired individuals to create and access chart images.

Key Points

• Blind people can use this tool to search images and understand them with alternative texts (Alt-text) generated by Artificial Intelligence based software.
• The research work discussed in a paper titled 'Alt4 Blind: A User Interface to Simplify Charts Alt-Text Creation' is presented at an international conference on computers helping people with special needs in Linz, Austria.
  • Alt-Text is manually crafted by authors, but this approach frequently results in problems such as oversimplification or overcomplexity.
    • Emerging trends have seen the adoption of AI technology for the generation of Alt-Text.
  • The research presented an online, open-source tool to enhance alt-text writing by using Al image retrieval, making it more engaging.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• AI is defined as the ability of machines and systems to acquire and apply knowledge and to carry out intelligent behaviour.
  • The term "Artificial Intelligence" was coined by John McCarthy, an American computer scientist and cognitive scientist. He was one of the founders of the discipline of AI.
• It includes technologies like machine learning, Deep Learning, Big Data, Neural Networks, Computer vision, Large Language Models etc.
• The ideal characteristic of artificial intelligence is its ability to rationalize and take actions that have the best chance of achieving a specific goal.

Sajjangarh Biological Park

Why in News?

Sajjangarh Biological Park in Udaipur is anticipated to receive a pair of lions from Sakkarbaug Zoological Park in Junagadh, Gujarat, as part of an animal exchange initiative.

Key Points

• The lion safari project, with a budget of Rs 3.45 crore, aims to boost the attractiveness of the biological park established in 2015.
  • Covering 26 hectares, the safari will include both a holding area and a display area for the lions, capable of accommodating up to eight lions.
• In exchange, Sajjangarh Biological Park will provide Sakkarbaug Zoo with two pairs of foxes, one pair of hyenas, two pairs of jackals, a pair of wild cats, and two chinkaras.
• The Central Zoo Authority approved the transfer of the lions in February 2024 to boost tourism in Udaipur by launching the lion safari before the year's end.
  • Besides the lion safari, the biological park is also expanding its facilities to include a reptile section, a nocturnal animals’ section, and a leopard rescue center.

Sajjangarh Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in Udaipur (Rajasthan).
• It is a part of Sajjangarh Palace (also known as Monsoon Palace) built in 1884.
  • The Palace derived its name from Maharana Sajjan Singh, one of the rulers of the Mewar dynasty.
• It is famous for chitals, panthers, hares, blue bulls (Nilgais), jackals, wild boars, hyenas, and sambhar.