 A very good evening aspirants, welcome to the Hindu newspaper analysis brought you by Shankar Iyer's academy for the day 22nd of June 2022. Displayed here are the list of news articles that I have chosen for today's discussion. See as I told you in every discussion it will be made a point to discuss a topic in both preliminary and mains perspective okay. So all these four topics are covered on the basis of both your preliminary preparation as well as your mains preparation. Now without wasting much time let's get into the first news article discussion. Now look at this op-ed article basically this article talks about artificial intelligence that is AI. It focuses on issues in artificial intelligence technology then it talks about NSCOS recommendation for the AI and finally it talks about the significance of the NSCOS recommendations okay. So this is the structure of this article in this discussion we will look at the points mentioned in the article in detail okay. I have displayed the syllabus regarding this discussion here you can just go through it. Now let us start our discussion. Firstly what is artificial intelligence? See AI or artificial intelligence refers to the simulation of human intelligence in missions. To put it in simple words artificial intelligence involves making missions think and act like humans. We are encountering artificial intelligence everywhere in our daily lives am I right. See from robots in online games to complex algorithms that help us monitor and predict weather patterns we could see the artificial intelligence. It won't be wrong if we say AI is omnipresent. The AI or artificial intelligence has so many applications it is only through AI precision agriculture function by analyzing the medical records AI will help us predict outbreaks of epidemics. I already mentioned the role of AI in weather pattern prediction also right. In modern policing by employing AI technology and facial recognition countries like China are developing predictive policing. Here predictive policing is nothing but nabbing a criminal before he commits a crime. Then artificial intelligence is used in traffic management, supply chain optimization, targeted AD campaigns and finally AI can also be trained to write programs. All in all the application and potential for AI is huge. In 2021 the AI market in India alone accounted for 7.8 billion US dollar so it is very important for our country also. Having seen the applications of AI technology now let us discuss some issues associated with AI technology. First issue is unequal representation in data. See the AI programs make decision by analyzing various data. Like Google Lens for example. For people who are not aware Google Lens is an image recognition technology. If you open Google Lens and focus on say a shoe, Google will identify it and help us with additional information about the shoe. But how does Google Lens recognize that you are pointing your camera at a shoe? How it works is the Google Lens program is fed beforehand with lots and lots of images of shoes. Through this process the Google Lens program learns what a shoe looks like. Through it it helps to identify it. Here the accuracy of the Google Lens in identifying an object depends on the data that it is fed beforehand. So if the data feed to the AI programs are not representative of the society then the AI might become biased and discriminatory. We know India and China account for one third of the global population. But in ImageNet only three percentage of images were of Indian and Chinese. See here ImageNet is a popular data set used to train AI software. Basically it is a bunch of photos. So if such a data set is used to develop facial recognition algorithms then the results will be discriminatory. Am I right? This is particularly scary with the use of predictive policing. Biases in facial recognition technologies might lead to wrongful arrest. So this is the first issue. Now the next issue with the AI technology is in terms of lack of representation in people who develop these AI technologies. This is an issue because people who write the programs might include their biases in their quotes. This might make the AI programs biased. These are the two major issues associated with AI technology. To address these issues know a global strategy has been evolved by UNESCO. This is nothing but UNESCO's recommendations on the ethics of artificial intelligence. Now let us see some important points from this UNESCO's recommendations. The three main stakeholders in AI technology are people, government and the business developing in this technology. Here if the businesses involved in AI do not put people's interests first the inequality due to AI will increase. So the main aim of this UNESCO's recommendation is to shift the balance of power between people and the businesses and governments developing AI. The next is regarding representation. We saw lack of representation is one of the issues right? To address this it recommends steps that have to be taken to make sure that women and minority groups are fairly represented on the AI design teams. So now the next recommendation is regarding privacy. Data privacy must be ensured. See control over the data must be in the hands of the user and not the corporations. Users must be allowed to access and delete information as needed. UNESCO also recommends that AI must not be used to develop mass surveillance programs. Next the recommendation says that the psychological and cognitive impact that these systems can have on children and young people must be kept in mind while developing AI technology. Finally UNESCO says that member states should invest in and promote not only digital media and information literacy skills but also socio-emotional and AI ethics skill has to be promoted. This is to strengthen critical thinking and competencies in the digital era. So these are some important points from UNESCO's recommendation on the ethics of artificial intelligence. This is a global guideline that individual countries can refer to and adopt in their national policies. Already Finland in the year 2017 adopted these recommendations in the AI strategy. Experiences from Finland shows that governments can effectively promote ethical AI use without compromising the desire to be on the cutting edge of new technologies. With this we will also see some efforts taken by India regarding the AI technology or artificial intelligence technology. Firstly in the year 2018 NETIOG released the National Strategy on Artificial Intelligence. This strategy highlights the massive potential of AI in solving complex social challenges that are faced by the Indian citizens across areas such as agriculture, health and education. Then it also highlighted the economic potential of AI. The next one is NETIOG's AI for all campaign. It focused on developing ethical AI governance. It helped in the development of AI tools and technology which has humanistic values at its core. So that is all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw about what is AI, then we saw about the applications of AI technology, then we saw the issues associated with AI technology. After that we saw some points from the UNESCO's recommendation on the ethics of artificial intelligence and finally we entered our discussion with the steps taken by India in terms of AI technology. See this topic is very much relevant for your UPSC Main's examination. Also in a way I made you cover this topic in Prillim's perspective also. So with these key points in mind now let's move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article. This news article mentions that in the 12th meeting of joint working group India and Nepal discussed about curbing trans-border criminal activities. Also they discussed about the curbing of terror activities and strengthening the border infrastructure. So let us now know few facts about the India-Napal border. Nepal is a close neighbour of India and it shares a border of over 1850 km. Some sources say it is just 1751 km. And when you asked me what are all the states that are sharing borders with Nepal it includes Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. See such a close border resulted in unique ties of friendship and cooperation and deep rooted people to people contacts of kingship and culture. The diplomatic relations now started with the signing of the India-Napal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950. Under the treaty Nepalese citizens availed facilities and opportunities on par with Indian citizens. Actually nearly 8 million Nepali citizens live and work in India. This was made possible by a long tradition of free movement of people across the borders. And this was strengthened by the treaty also. See the treaty agreed to grant certain privileges to the nationals of one country in the territory of the other. This is somewhat like a reciprocal basis. So now what are these privileges? Firstly it is to provide the same privileges on matters of residence, ownership of property, participation in trade and commerce, movement and other privileges of a similar nature. So it provides free movement of people and goods. Which is nothing but another way of saying an open border. Open border means that nationals of either country do not require a passport or visa to cross over into each other's territory, okay. So overall India and Nepal have the open border system. And the citizens of both the countries cross over the India-Napal border for livelihood opportunities, marriages, familial ties etc etc. Now when countries share border, security related issues are one of the prime concerns. But in case of India-Napal no, they are open border. Plus it is also porous. See what do you mean by porous border? We call a border porous when the security along the border is not tight or when it is liberal due to the bilateral relation and it becomes almost impossible to prevent the movement of people. When people of two countries share high cultural and economic ties, the porosity is present even when there are tight security measures restricting the movement of people. So you can understand the scenario when there is an open border. Because it facilitates border porosity. Such open and porous India-Napal border makes them vulnerable to threats such as trafficking in persons that is human trafficking, then trafficking in drugs, fake currency, migrant smuggling, arms trafficking and free movement of terrorists and insurgents. So open and porous border provides a safe heaven for smugglers criminals and terrorists to carry out their activities in an uninterrupted manner. For example, if we take the cross-border human trafficking, border areas of Bihar, UP and West Bengal are most vulnerable to trafficking from Nepal. Some important routes used by human traffickers include the Saunali border in the Maharajganj district of Uttar Pradesh and Birganya, Raksul and Nakathya Ganj borders in Bihar. See, these borders know it is difficult to curtail this crime because every day thousands move across the border and it becomes difficult to identify or distinguish between a legal migrant and a victim of trafficking. So mechanisms have been instituted to manage such security issues. For example, we use certain measures like home secretary level meetings, joint working groups on border management and border district coordination committees for managing such security issues. So that's all about this news article. See, this topic is very much relevant to for your GS2 paper in Main's examination and note that regarding the India-Napal border, I discussed the states, right? That is very much important for your preliminary examination. So this topic is covered in a holistic manner combining both your prelims perspective and Main's perspective, okay? So with these key points in mind, now let's move on to the next news article discussion. Now have a look at this news article. The news article talks about the international yoga day celebrations throughout the country. Mass demonstration events were held at 75 iconic locations. So in this context, let us see about yoga and the significance of international yoga day. See, yoga is a discipline originated in India that dates back to thousands of years. It is a spiritual discipline and a combination of practices that aims to bring harmony between the body and the mind. The practice of yoga helps to attain self-realization. How? It is by improving the inherent power of an individual in a balanced way. So yoga is regarded as one of the best practices known to calm the inner self. Yoga was founded by saints and sages. Know that Maharishi Patanjali is called as the father of yoga. Maharishi Patanjali has defined yoga as the suppression of the modifications of the mind. Because yoga works on the mind, energy and emotional levels of an individual, thus promoting physical and mental well-being. Overall, it has many benefits like increased muscle strength and tone, then increased flexibility, increased respiration, energy and vitality, then maintaining a balanced metabolism, then it helps in weight reduction, also it helps in cardio and circulatory health, then improved athletic performance, etc. etc. The very first dimension of yoga was in the Rig Veda and these are the different types of yoga. Just go through it. So because of the benefits associated with yoga, today it is practiced in various forms around the world. As a result of yoga's global reach, India proposed a draft resolution for establishing the International Day of Yoga at the United Nations, that is UN. Finally, in 2014, UN proclaimed 21st June as the International Day of Yoga. This date is special for another reason also. It is the summer solstice and the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. Am I right? And the International Day shows the worldwide acceptance of yoga, which is a matter of pride for our country. The aim of this day is to raise awareness worldwide about the benefits of practicing yoga. This will help in promoting a sustainable lifestyle in harmony with planet earth. Know that this year's theme was yoga for humanity. See, by celebrating yoga day and practicing it every day, yoga came in handy in the COVID-19 pandemic. It helped in the lockdowns by elevating the suffering, then by bringing people together through compassion, kindness, foster a sense of unity and build resilience among people world of world. Due to this only, our Prime Minister has noted that yoga is becoming a basis for global cooperation. Okay, so that's all about this news article. See, this topic is very much useful for your preliminary perspective. Also, you can utilize these key points in your main's answer and make your answers unique. Because in global cooperation, you can mention yoga as a way of approaching global cooperation. Okay, so with these key points in mind, now let's move on to the next news article discussion. Now, look at this news article. This news article says that a free trade agreement that is FDA between India and the United Kingdom will be concluded by Deepavali. The Minister for Commerce and Industry and Textiles said that the government was moving ahead on FTAs with Canada, European Union and the UK. The Minister also mentioned that Australia, Israel, Brazil and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries had expressed an interest to forge FTAs with India. This is about the news article given here. In this context, let us see what is this FTA or free trade agreement. And lastly, let us see about the advantages that India stands to gain by signing the free trade agreement with the United Kingdom or UK. Okay. First of all, what is an FTA? See, FTA or free trade agreements are arrangements between two or more countries or trading blocs. This arrangement primarily aims to reduce or eliminate customs tariff and non-tariff barriers on trade between them. The tariff barriers are the tags or duty imposed on the goods which are traded to or from abroad. On the contrary, a non-tariff barrier is a way to restrict trade using forms other than a tariff. Non-tariff barriers include quotas, embargoes, sanctions and libees. Here, the European Union restricting Alfonso Mango imports from India citing phytosanitary issues is an example of non-tariff barriers. Okay. Now, coming back. FTAs normally cover trade in goods such as agricultural or industrial products or trade in services such as banking, construction, trading etc. FTAs can also cover other areas such as intellectual property rights, investment, government procurement and competition policy etc. See, free trade agreements don't just reduce and eliminate tariffs. They also help to address various issues behind the border such as intellectual property, e-commerce and government procurement. So, this is about the free trade agreement or FTA. Now, let us see the advantages of signing on FTA with the United Kingdom. See, this is how you have to take a topic and cover it in preliminary perspective and then take it exclusively to means. In this way, you can cover both your preliminary preparation and means preparation on a topic. Okay. Now, coming back to a discussion. Right now, the total trade between India and the United Kingdom stood at 16 billion US dollar in the first 11 months of the financial year 2022. When the free trade agreement is signed, this is bound to increase. This is bound to be beneficial to both India and the United Kingdom. Now, moving on. See, we know India is aiming to integrate into the global supply chain. The United Kingdom is aiming to diversify its supply chain. The United Kingdom is planning to reduce its dependence on China. So, by signing the free trade agreement, India can smoothly integrate itself into the UK's supply chain. The UK also can reduce its dependency on China. Am I right? Next, after signing the free trade agreement, the FTA that is the foreign direct investment from the UK will increase. See, this will create new economic opportunities in India. The next advantage will be for the customers in the United Kingdom and India. The products will become cheaper as the taxes are rationalized. Finally, with the signing of the free trade agreement, both India and the UK will become more economically integrated. See, with reliable economic integration comes strong political cooperation. This will be beneficial for both the countries in the long run. So, these are some of the advantages of India signing an FTA with the United Kingdom. So, with this, let us conclude this discussion. In this discussion, we saw what is the free trade agreement or FTA and then we took the discussion further by looking at the advantages of India while signing the free trade agreement with the United Kingdom. So, with these key points in mind, now let us move on to the next part of the news article discussion which is the preliminary practice question discussion. Today, I have three prelims questions for you. Now, let us start with the first question. It is regarding our discussion on the International Yoga Day. Your two statements are given. So, whenever two statement question comes, you have to go through both the statements before arriving at the answer. And note that the question is asking for incorrect statement. Okay? Now, look at the statement one. See, this was said in the discussion itself, right? Yes, International Day of Yoga is celebrated on 21st of June, which is the same day as the summer solstice. So, this statement is correct. Now, look at the statement two. T. Krishnamacharya and V.K.S. Ayyongar are renowned yoga gurus. See, regarding this, we will have a quick discussion. This statement is also correct. Thirumali Krishnamacharya that is T. Krishnamacharya is one of India's most respected authorities on the Vedic tradition and yoga teachings and practice. Okay? And Krishnamacharya was probably the first yoga master to introduce a concept of Vinyasa, means movement through a series of poses coordinated with breathing. He is even referred as the father of modern yoga. Okay? Now, coming to B.K.S. Ayyongar was a student of Thirumali Krishnamacharya. He also was a world renowned yoga teacher, famous for his style of yoga called Ayyongar yoga. These are other yoga gurus recognized by the Indian government. Just go through their names. Try to remember their names. Okay? So, now coming back to the question. The question is demanding for incorrect statement. So, your answer here will be neither one nor two that is option D is the correct answer. Okay? Now, look at the second question. It is regarding the free trade agreements. The question says with which of the following countries India has signed the free trade agreements or FTAs? Five countries are given Nepal, Bhutan, USA, Thailand and Singapore. See, the answer for this question is option C, one, two, four and five only. So far, India has signed 13 free trade agreements. It is signed with its trading partners including the three agreements namely India Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Corporation and Partnership Agreement, then India UAE Comprehensive Partnership Agreement and India Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement. These are signed during the last five years. See, I have displayed the list of free trade agreements signed by India. You can just go through it. In this, India Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement and the India UAE CEPA has been signed but not yet implemented. Okay? All other agreements are both signed and under implementation. See, this is very much important for your problems. Okay? So, except for USA, India is having the free trade agreement with Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand and Singapore. So, your answer for this question will be option C, one, two, four and five only. Okay? Now, look at this last question. It is a three-statement question. So, whenever you have three-statement type question or multiple-statement question, you can try applying elimination technique if possible. Okay? Now, let me start with statement three. It says India-Napal border is the longest among the international land borders India shares with its neighbours. See, this statement is absolutely incorrect. The longest international land border is between India and Bangladesh. It is about 4,096 km. Whereas, if you take Indian-Napal border, its length is in the fourth place. Okay? So, if you had found that statement three is incorrect, you can eliminate two options here. One is option C, another one is option D. So, the leftover options will be option A and B and from this, you can understand the statement two is definitely correct. So, just read the first statement and confirm whether it is correct or incorrect. Okay? The first statement says India does not share open border with any country. See, in today's discussion itself, we saw that India and Nepal are sharing open border. Am I right? So, this statement is absolutely incorrect. So, you can eliminate option A and arrive at your answer which is option B, two only. Yes, Nepal shares border with five Indian states. Who are they? They are Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Okay? So, that's all for the preliminary practice question. Now, displayed here is a means question for you. Go through the question and post your answers in the comment section. If you like this video, do like, share and comment and don't forget to subscribe to the Shankar A.S. Academy's YouTube channel. Thank you for listening.