DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS 13.02.2025

• News 1: Hawaii
• GS-1 Geography

About The News:                                                 

• Hawaii’s regular sunshine, short rain showers, and clean air come together to create some of the planet’s best conditions for viewing rainbows.
• They’re such a frequent sight that a University of Hawaii professor calls the state the “rainbow capital of the world.”

Key points for prelims

Hawaii:

• Hawaii is a U.S. state located in the Pacific Ocean and is composed of a group of islands.
• The capital city of Hawaii is Honolulu, located on the island of Oahu.

Islands:

• Hawaii is made up of eight main islands: Hawaii (also known as the Big Island), Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, and Kahoolawe.
• These islands are part of an archipelago formed by volcanic activity.

Geography:

• The Hawaiian Islands are known for their diverse landscapes, including active volcanoes, lush rainforests, stunning beaches, and dramatic cliffs.
• The islands were formed by a hotspot in the Earth’s mantle, which has created a chain of volcanoes.

Volcanoes:

• Hawaii is home to some of the world’s most active volcanoes, including Kilauea and Mauna Loa.

Climate:

• Hawaii has a tropical climate, with warm temperatures throughout the year. The weather can vary from region to region and between the different islands.
• The trade winds play a role in moderating the temperature and bringing rainfall.
• NEWS 2: Electronic Voting Machines

GS-02 Polity 

About The News:

• The Supreme Court clarified that checking and verifying the burnt memory of microcontrollers of electronic voting machines (EVMs) for signs of tampering does not envisage the erasing or reloading of data in the machines.

Key points for prelims:

Electronic Voting Machine:

• EVM is a device used to record votes electronically. They were first used in the Paravur Assembly Constituency of Kerala in the year 1982.
• In 2003, all state elections and by-elections were held using EVMs.
• Development: It has been devised and designed by the Technical Experts Committee (TEC) of the Election Commission in collaboration with two Public Sector undertakings: Bharat Electronics Ltd, Bangalore (under Ministry of Defence ) and Electronic Corporation of India Ltd, Hyderabad (under Department of Atomic Energy).
• Functionality: It has two parts: a Control Unit and a Balloting Unit connected by a cable.
• The Control Unit stays with the polling officer, while the Balloting Unit is in the voting booth.
• The voter has to simply press the blue button on the Ballot Unit against the candidate and symbol of his choice and the vote is recorded.

Key Features:

• An EVM being used by ECI can record a maximum of 2,000 votes.
• They do not require electricity. They run on an ordinary battery assembled by Bharat Electronics Limited/Electronics Corporation of India Limited.
• The microchip used in EVMs is a one-time programmable/masked chip, which can neither be read nor overwritten.
• Furthermore, the EVMs are stand-alone machines and there is no operating system used in these machines.

GS-03 Science and Tech

About the news:

• Governance frameworks for artificial intelligence are “not just about managing risks and rivalries”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the AI Action Summit in Paris on Tuesday, calling for a collective approach to set standards for AI that benefit everyone, especially the Global South.

Key points for prelims:  

AI Action Summit:

• AI Action Summit is co-chaired by India and France in Paris on February 10-11, 2025, marked a significant milestone in global AI governance.
• The country played a key role in the Bletchley Park meeting, which focused on frontier AI models and safety concerns, and in the Seoul summit, which emphasised multilateral collaboration on AI risk management.
• India’s establishment of its own AI Safety Institute aligns with these global efforts, demonstrating its commitment to AI safety and governance.
• Beyond safety, India has been a strong advocate for the Global South, emphasising equitable access to AI infrastructure.
• Democratising Access to AI Resources:
• Ensuring access to:
• Computing infrastructure (cloud and distributed computing solutions).
• High-quality datasets and data storage facilities.
• Foundation models and AI development platforms.
• AI safety tools (e.g., watermarking for content authentication).
• India has been an active participant in global AI discussions.
• Prioritising AI Use-Cases for the Global South:
• Develop a structured framework to prioritise AI applications for developing nations in:
• Healthcare – AI-driven early disease detection.
• Education – Personalised learning platforms.
• Agriculture – AI tools for enhancing farming practices.
• Propose the creation of an AI use-case repository to guide Global South nations.
• Mains Questions:
• Discuss the significance of global AI governance in the context of the AI Action Summit. How can India play a pivotal role in ensuring equitable access to AI resources for developing nations