General Studies- II
Topic- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)
Context
BEE Notifies New Energy Performance Standards for Air Conditioners.
About
- The Central Government in consultation with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has notified new energy performance standards for Room Air Conditioner (RACs).
- The 24 0C default setting has been made mandatory from Jan 1, 2020 for all room air conditioners.
- The Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (ISEER) as per the new standards will range from (3.30 – 5.00) for split and (2.70 – 3.50) for window air conditioners.
BEE Star Ratings
- Bureau of Energy Efficiency provides star ratings to all the major kind of appliances in the form of labels.
- These star ratings are given out of 5 and they provide a basic sense of how energy efficient each product is, just in a single glance.
Criteria for Star Ratings
- BEE Star Rating is solely based on the appliance’s power consumption.
- BEE sets all the standards and norms which need to be followed while rating an appliance.
- While some category of appliances necessarily have to be given a star rating, for others it’s optional.
- The appliances with the lowest energy consumption in a product category are given the most stars and those with the highest energy consumption are given the least.
Appliances which need to have an energy rating label mandatorily are:
- Frost-free refrigerator,
- Tubular Fluorescent Lamps,
- Room Air-Conditioners,
- Distribution Transformer,
- Colour TV,
- CST AC,
- Direct Cool Refrigerator and
- Electric Geyser.
Category of labels
There are two variants of these labels, a big one and a smaller version.
- The big energy rating label aimed at appliances which have a constant usage and consume more electricity.
- These labels show additional information such as the yearly energy consumption of the product.
- Big label allows to calculate the actual money you would spend in electricity bills for that particular product.
- Small labels can be found in appliances which usually don’t consume more energy.
- These labels give a visual representation of the energy consumption levels by showing star ratings.
About Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) was set up under the provision of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
BEE is a statutory body under the Ministry of Power, Government of India
Objectives
- The mission of Bureau of Energy Efficiency is to assist in developing policies and strategies with a thrust on self-regulation and market principles.
- The primary objective is reducing energy intensity of the Indian economy within the overall framework of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
- To leverage multi-lateral and bi-lateral and private sector support in implementation of Energy Conservation Act and efficient use of energy and its conservation programs.
- To demonstrate delivery of energy efficiency services as mandated in the EC act through private-public partnerships.
Function
- BEE coordinates with designated consumers, designated agencies, and other organization.
- It identifies and utilizes the existing resources and infrastructure, in performing the functions assigned to it under the energy conservation act.
General Studies-III
Topic- Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Context
An Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered learning ecosystem that will assist the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector: Commerce and Industry & Railways Minister
What is Artificial intelligence (AI)?
- Artificial intelligence (AI) is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems.
- Specific applications of AI include expert systems, natural language processing (NLP), speech recognition and machine vision.
- The term was coined in 1956 by John McCarthy at the Dartmouth conference, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
AI programming focuses on three cognitive skills: learning, reasoning and self-correction.
Learning processes
- This aspect of AI programming focuses on acquiring data and creating rules for how to turn the data into actionable information.
- The rules, which are called algorithms, provide computing devices with step-by-step instructions for how to complete a specific task.
Reasoning processes
- This aspect of AI programming focuses on choosing the right algorithm to reach a desired outcome.
Self-correction processes
- This aspect of AI programming is designed to continually fine-tune algorithms and ensure they provide the most accurate results possible.
Advantages of artificial intelligence
- Artificial neural networks and deep learning artificial intelligence technologies are quickly evolving.
- It’s primarily because AI processes large amounts of data much faster and makes predictions more accurately than humanly possible.
- While the huge volume of data that’s being created on a daily basis, AI applications that use machine learning can take that data and quickly turn it into actionable information.
Disadvantages of AI
- The primary disadvantage of using AI is that it is expensive to process the large amounts of data that AI programming requires.
- Stephen Hawkins has once said “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. Once humans develop artificial intelligence, it will take off on its own and redesign itself at an ever-increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete and would be superseded”.
- AI technologies falling into terrorist hands may unleash modern terror network including machine and therefore vulnerability of humans may magnify.
- It may lead to moral degradation in society due to decreased human to human interactions.
- The decrease in demand for human labour due to machines and intelligent robots taking over the jobs in the manufacturing and the services sectors.
Artificial intelligence in India
- As per Global AI Report 2019, India stood at the ninth position in terms of the number of the AI specialists working in the field.
- The US, China and the UK topped the list.
- IIT Hyderabad has launched a full fledged Bachelor of Technology (B Tech) program in AI becoming the first Indian educational institution to do so.
- It is also most likely the third educational institute in the world after Carnegie Mellon University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to have a full fledged B Tech program on AI.
- Defence forces of India are now venturing into the products and technologies which will aid defence measures using the AI and technologies.
- In India, corporates have started collaborating with academia on AI.
- It is estimated that AI will add 957 billion dollars to India’s GDP by the year 2035 boosting India’s annual growth by 1.3% points.
Benefits of AI in India
- NITI Aayog estimates that adopting AI means a 15% boost for the gross value added (GVA) for the economy by 2035.
- India still has a conventional policing. AI based products open a new window of opportunity to do predictive policing in India.
- With the help of AI, one can predict the pattern of crime, analyze lot of CCTV footage which are available across the country to identify suspects.
- AI can increase access and affordability of quality healthcare.
- In agriculture, it can contribute towards enhancing farmers’ income, increase farm productivity and reduce wastage.
- It can also improve access and quality of education.
- Develop smarter and safer modes of transportation to address traffic and congestion problems.
- Increase efficiency and enhance governance across the government.
- ‘Make in India’ programme can be strengthened and help India in becoming a major manufacturing hub with AI-assisted technology.
General Studies- II
Topic- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
National Stock Exchange (NSE) Knowledge Hub
Context
Commerce and industry minister inaugurates NSE knowledge hub in New Delhi
About
- Commerce and Industry & Railways Minister inaugurated the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Knowledge Hub in New Delhi.
- It is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered learning ecosystem that will assist the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector.
What will it do?
- The NSE Knowledge Hub will enhance skills and help academic institutions in preparing future-ready talent for the financial service industry.
- Industry driven learning eco system will help India in building next generation skills and capabilities in the BFSI sector.
NSE Knowledge Hub and AI
- The use of AI will ensure that the skill upgradation is affordable and accessible and helps in the creation of a workforce that is adequate for the requirements of the sector.
- AI and Machine Learning will contribute USD 1 trillion by 2035.
- It is a good beginning by NSE to tap the potential of AI and use it as a tool to create a workforce in the BFSI sector in India.
Significance
- The AI technology hub will also ensure affordable skill upgradation.
- Although India has developed as the second largest fin-tech hub in the world, a lot of work still needs to be done in the BFSI sector.
- The Knowledge Hub created by NSE will fill in these gaps and help the financial sector to move into the future.
