05-07-23 Daily-Haryana-HPSC Current Affairs

Aadhaar-based face authentication is gaining traction, having jumped to 10.6 million, up 34% since the start of this financial year, due to its increasing use in accessing central as well as several state government services. Latest government data estimates that its use has increased over 22 times since last September.

The service, introduced by theUnique Identification Authority of India(UIDAI) in October 2021, initially saw a slow to take off but has gained traction in recent months.

Official sources saidAndhra Pradeshgovernment is one of the top users among the states for its Jagananna Vidya Deevena Scheme for fee reimbursement to eligible higher education students and under the EBC Nestham scheme for welfare delivery to women from economically backward segments.

Face authentication is also used by central government staf for attendance and by senior citizens to provide life certification through the Jeevan Pramaan facility launched by the department of personnel and training.Aayushmaan Bharatand PM-Kisan are the two central schemes where the use of the tool has significantly picked up.

A recent study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) warns that the warming climate caused by climate change is poised to have a detrimental impact on bird populations, with an estimated 12 per cent decrease in the average songbird species. Researchers have found that the warmer climate will disrupt the breeding patterns of birds, leading to fewer chicks being produced.

The study, conducted by scientists from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and Michigan State University in the United States, highlights that the mismatch between an early spring onset and the birds’ readiness to breed is expected to worsen as global temperatures continue to rise.

The research reveals that birds experience reduced breeding productivity when they initiate breeding either too early or too late in the season. This phenomenon contributes to the projected 12% decline in the average songbird species.

Greater Chennai Police established a Drone Police Unit to assist cops in aerial surveillance. This will particularly be helpful in case of large gatherings, real-time checking of vehicle registration data and spotting of suspects.

According to the police, a total of nine drones under three categories are available in this unit: Quick Response Surveillance Drones (6), Heavy Lift Multirotor Drone (1) and Long Range Survey Wing Place (2). These are all equipped with built-in artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and can be operated up to a distance of 5-10 km from the ground station.

These drones equipped with AI technology can accurate estimate crowds during festivals or other gatherings, thereby enabling police to correctly plan crowd control strategies.

Debt-trappedPakistanwill become the fourth largestIMF borrowerin the world after receiving a fresh loan of $3 billion in the next nine months under the standby arrangement reached with the global lender.
Pakistan, which is facing its worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1947, was on March 31, 2023, ranked fifth in the list of countries with the highest borrowing from theInternational Monetary Fund(IMF), The Express Tribune newspaper reported, citing the global lender’s data.

However, Pakistan will move to the fourth place in this list when it receives another $3 billion in the next nine months under the Stand-By Arrangement made with the Washington-based global lender.

Earlier, in terms of loans from the IMF, Argentina ranked first with $ 46 billion, Egypt stood in second place with $18 billion, Ukraine came in third with $ 12.2 billion, Ecuador took the fourth spot with $8.2 billion, and Pakistan was at fifth position with $7.4 billion.
With loans from the global lender worth $10.4 billion, Pakistan will overtake Ecuador to become the world’s fourth-largest IMF borrower.

In August 2022, the IMF extended $1.1 billion to Pakistan as part of a $6.5 billion programme agreed back in July 2019.