Current Affairs – April 16, 2025

{GS2 – Governance – Issues} Digital Literacy **

• Context (TH): Kerala becomes 1^st state to achieve total digital literacy.

What is Digital Literacy?

• Digital Literacy: The ability of individuals and communities to understand and use digital technologies for meaningful actions within life situations.
  • It includes basic skills like using smartphones, navigating the internet, using email, and understanding digital safety and privacy.
• Digitally Literate Household: If at least one person in the household can operate a computer and use the internet (among individuals 5 years of age and older).
• Objective: To impart basic ICT skills relevant to the needs of the trainees, which would enable them to use IT and related applications to participate actively in the democratic process and further enhance opportunities for their livelihood.

Digital Literacy Status in India

• Only 38% of households in India are digitally literate. In urban areas, digital literacy is relatively higher at 61% compared to just 25% in rural areas.
• Education, healthcare, and finance sectors underwent rapid digitisation during the pandemic.

Importance of Digital Literacy

• Socioeconomic Benefits: Digital literacy in India empowers individuals to access government services, online education, and employment opportunities.
• Bridging the Gender Gap: Equipping women with digital skills can increase their participation in the workforce and decision-making processes.
• Boosting the Digital Economy: A digitally literate population fosters innovation, entrepreneurship, and participation in the growing digital marketplace.
• Empowering Citizens: Digital literacy skills enable individuals to access information, engage in civic discourse, and hold authorities accountable.
• Online Safety: Digital literacy empowers individuals to recognize and protect themselves from online threats like phishing scams and cyberbullying.
• Good Governance: People can also bypass machinery at lower levels of government, thus having access to enhanced accountability & transparency in service deliveries.
• Knowledge Economy: Since the nation targets & projects towards becoming a knowledge economy, digital literacy will ensure the participation of more & more people in digital platforms.

Challenges in Achieving Universal Digital Literacy

• Limited Access to Technology and Internet: Many individuals, especially in rural or economically disadvantaged areas, lack access to computers, the internet, and reliable connectivity, which is crucial for developing digital skills.
• Skills and Knowledge Gaps: Many individuals, including teachers and educators, lack the necessary digital skills to utilise technology for teaching and learning effectively.
• Illiteracy: A lack of foundational literacy skills can make it difficult for individuals to engage with digital content and develop digital literacy.
• Language Barriers: Much of the digital content is in English, thus less accessible to non-English speakers.
• Affordability: Smartphones, tablets, and data costs can be prohibitive for economically weaker sections.
• Digital Gender Divide: Women, particularly in rural areas, often have less access to digital tools due to socio-cultural factors.

Initiatives

• Digital India Program: Launched in 2015, the Digital India campaign aims to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.
• National Digital Literacy Mission (NDLM): The NDLM aims to impart digital literacy training to at least one person per household in select states and union territories.
• Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) is a Digital Literacy Scheme by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) to make six crore persons in rural areas across States/UTS digitally literate.
• Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (DISHA): Under the DISHA initiative, the government partners with various stakeholders, including NGOs, academic institutions, and private organisations, to promote skill development & digital literacy in India.
• National Digital Library of India (NDLI): The NDLI is a digital repository of learning resources that provides access to many e-books, e-journals, and other educational materials.
• SWAYAM & DIKSHA Platforms: These online learning platforms provide free educational resources to students and teachers, promoting digital education.
• Scheme for Promotion of Information Technology in Rural India (SPIRIT): This digital literacy program provides financial assistance to NGOs and institutions for setting up rural IT training centres.

{GS2 – MoPWR – Initiatives} STELLAR *

• Context (PIB): STELLAR was launched by the Central Electricity Authority.

Key Features

• STELLAR, short for “State-of-the-art Totally indigenously developed resource” adequacy model, is a unique software for integrated generation, transmission, and storage expansion planning.
• The model aligns with the Resource Adequacy Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Power in June 2023 and will help states prepare comprehensive plans to ensure a reliable power supply.

Benefits

• It ensures the electricity grid has the right amount of resources-neither too much nor too little, thus avoiding load shedding and unnecessarily stressed capacity.
• It helps optimise generation expansion and system operation costs while also considering demand response and storage needs.

Central Electricity Authority (CEC)

• It is a statutory organisation constituted under section 3(1) of the Electricity Supply Act 1948, which has been superseded by section 70(1) of the Electricity Act 2003.
• Composition: It consists of not more than 14 Members (including its Chairperson) of whom not more than 8 shall be full-time Members to be appointed by the Central Government.
• Headquarters: Delhi.

Role and Functions

• It advises the Central Government on matters relating to the national electricity policy and formulates short-term and long-term plans for developing the electricity system.
• Specify the technical standards for constructing electrical plants, electric lines and grid connections.
• Specify safety requirements for the construction, operation and maintenance of electrical plants & lines.
• Advise the Appropriate Government and the Appropriate Commission on all technical matters relating to electricity generation, transmission and distribution.
• Promote research in matters affecting electricity generation, transmission, distribution and trading.

{GS3 – Envi – Conservation} Green Status Assessment of Asiatic Lions **

• Context (TH): IUCN’s first Green Status assessment has classified the Lion as ‘Largely Depleted’.

• The lion is the second-largest cat species in the world. It is divided into two subspecies: the African lion and the Asiatic lion (Persian or Indian Lion).

Report Highlights

• Conservation Status: IUCN Green Status assessment: ‘Largely Depleted’ | IUCN: ‘Vulnerable’.

• Updated Subspecies Classification (2017):
  • Panthera leo leo: Includes West & Central Africa and India.
  • Panthera leo melanochaita: Includes East & Southern Africa.

• Regional Extinction: Lost from large parts of their historical range, including North Africa, Southwest Asia and much of India except Gir.
• Human Impact: Human activities continue to limit the lion’s ability to perform its natural ecological role across its range, including habitat fragmentation and population decline.
• Conservation Successes: Efforts in India, South Africa, and parts of West and Southern Central Africa have prevented local extinctions and stabilised populations in certain regions.

Current Status of Asiatic Lions in India

• Conservation Status: WPA: Schedule I.
• Current Population: About 700 lions are restricted to the Gir forest and nearby areas in Gujarat. Nearly 300 reside in human-dominated habitats beyond Gir, including coastal regions like Diu.
• Primarily prey on deer (chital & sambar) & domestic livestock; adapted to human-modified landscapes.
• Human-Wildlife Coexistence: Despite proximity, lion attacks on humans remain remarkably low due to cultural acceptance and coexistence ethics.
• Threats to Asiatic Lions: High extinction risk due to Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) outbreaks, inbreeding depression, ageing population, territorial clashes, accidental deaths from open wells/roads, and confinement to Gir Forest.
• Neglect of Translocation to Kuno: Despite scientific viability and repeated recommendations (first from the Board for Wildlife in 1952, later the 2013 SC order), the government failed to relocate lions to Kuno, ignoring the urgent need for a second wild population.

{GS3 – IE – Pollution} EV Transition: Risks for India

• Context (IE): A study highlights various challenges of Electric Vehicle adoption in India.

EV Adoption Targets and Projections

• Government Targets: 30% for private cars and up to 80% for 2Ws and 3Ws by 2030.
• Current EV Share: About 8% of total vehicles sold.
• Forecasted Growth: Expected rise to 45-50 million EVs by 2030 from over 1 million in 2022.

Challenges of EV Adoption

• Financial Risk to Automakers: Automakers face cash flow threats due to the delayed EV transition.
• Grid Load Surge: Transport-related electricity demand may rise by 59% by 2030, straining India’s power grid and risking failure to meet climate targets due to coal-based electricity.
• Inadequate Charging Infrastructure: India has only ~2,000 public charging stations; investment in infra is 4–7 times more effective than subsidies according to the World Bank.
• Environmental Trade-offs: EVs can match Internal Combustion Engine emissions if powered by coal; they shift pollution from cities to rural thermal zones without renewable integration.
• Battery Supply Chain Dependency: India is heavily import-dependent for lithium, cobalt, and nickel, with minimal presence in global battery value chains, increasing strategic risks.
• Subsidy Inequity: Tax benefits disproportionately favour middle and upper-middle-class 4-wheeler buyers, raising questions about equity and efficiency of EV subsidies.
• Diverse Charging Needs: Two and three-wheelers require basic AC charging while four-wheelers demand both single and three-phase chargers, complicating standardization.
• Policy & Investment Lag: India requires 6.7 million public chargers by 2030, calling for urgent public-private investments and time-of-use tariff reforms to prevent grid overload.

Govt Initiatives for EVs

• National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020
• E-Amrit portal: Launched at the COP26 Summit in Glasgow, it is a one-stop destination for all information on EVS.
• GST restructuring: GST on EVs has been reduced from 12% to 5%; GST on chargers/ charging stations for electric vehicles has been reduced from 18% to 5% by the GST Council.
• PLI scheme for the manufacturing of Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) to bring down battery prices.
• Green license plates announced by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH).
• Go Electric campaign to create awareness of the benefits of EVs and EV charging infrastructure.
• Global EV30@30 campaign, which aims for at least 30% of new vehicle sales to be electric by 2030.

{GS3 – S&T – NanoTech} Miniature Laser on Silicon Chip

• Context (TH): Scientists have successfully grown miniaturised lasers directly on silicon chips, overcoming a key limitation in silicon photonics.

What is Silicon Photonics?

• It is the integration of photonic systems into silicon-based electronic chips for faster data transmission using light instead of electricity.
• Uses Photons Instead of Electrons because photons carry information faster, with lower energy losses and greater data capacity than electrons.

Components of a Silicon Photonic Chip

• Laser (Light Source): Produces photons, which are the hardest to integrate directly on-chip.
• Waveguides: Act like wires, directing photon movement.
• Modulators: Encode/decode data onto/from light by varying its properties like intensity or wavelength.
• Photodetectors: Convert light signals into electric signals.

Core Innovation and How It Works?

• Researchers grew a nano-ridge laser directly onto a 300-mm silicon wafer.
• The entire process was carried out in standard Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) lines, ensuring compatibility with current semiconductor manufacturing.
• Wavelength of Light Produced: 1,020 nm, suitable for short-range chip-to-chip communication.
• Materials Used for Laser Creation:
  • Gallium Arsenide (GaAs): Used for its direct bandgap for efficient light emission.
  • Indium Gallium Arsenide: Optimised light emission by replacing 20% gallium atoms with indium.
  • Indium Gallium Phosphide (InGaP): Used as a protective top layer.
  • Silicon Dioxide: Insulating material used to trap defects at the bottom of ridges.

Significance

• Improved Data Centres: Lower energy consumption and heat generation; Higher data-handling capacity with lower latency.
• Solving a Long-standing Limitation: Eliminates the need to externally attach lasers, reducing cost and increasing operational speed and scalability.

Potential Applications

• Enhanced Data Transmission: Faster & energy-efficient computing by replacing electrons with photons.
• Quantum Computing: Laser integration can significantly benefit quantum systems & photonic sensors.

{GS3 – S&T – Tech} Q-Shield *

• Context (PIB | AV): On World Quantum Day, Q-Shield was launched.

Q-Shield Platform

• It is the world’s first unified, end-to-end platform for quantum-safe cryptography management.
• Designed to protect data at rest and in transit using post-quantum cryptographic standards.
• Developed by QNu Labs, incubated at IIT Madras Research Park (2016). Supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under the National Quantum Mission.
• Objective:
  • To secure critical infrastructure with quantum-resilient cryptography across cloud, on-premises and hybrid setups;
  • To enable tamper-proof cryptography management in a future-ready digital ecosystem.

Significance of Q-Shield Launch

• Builds a robust defence against future quantum computing threats.
• Protects sectors handling sensitive data such as banking, healthcare, defence and governance.

World Quantum Day (April 14)

• Date (4.14) refers to Planck’s constant (≈4.14×10⁻¹⁵ eV·s), a quantum physics fundamental, which relates the energy of a photon to its frequency.
• UN has declared 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQST) to celebrate 100 years of quantum mechanics.

Also refer to Quantum Governance.

{GS3 – S&T – Tech} Tensor Processing Unit (TPU)

• Context (IE): Recently, Google launched a new computer chip, called Ironwood.

• It is the company’s 7^th generation Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), which has been designed to run artificial intelligence (AI) models. Processing units are hardware units that are the brain of a computer.

What is TPU?

• A TPU is also a type of Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), meaning it is designed to perform a narrow scope of intended tasks.
• 1^st used by Google in 2015, TPUs were specially built to accelerate machine learning (ML) workloads.
• TPUs have been at the heart of some of Google’s most popular AI services, including Search, YouTube and DeepMind’s large language models.
• TPUS are engineered to handle tensors, a generic name for the data structures used for ML operations.
• They excel in processing large volumes of data and executing complex neural networks efficiently, enabling fast training of AI models.
  • Neural networks, also known as artificial neural networks, are a method that teaches computers to process data. They are a subset of ML and mimic how the human brain works.

Difference Between CPU and GPU

• Developed in the 1950s, a CPU is a general-purpose processor that can handle various tasks.
• A CPU has at least a single core, the processing unit within the CPU that can execute instructions.
• Initially, CPUs used to have just one core, but today, they can contain from two to up to 16 cores.
• Unlike a CPU, a Graphics processing unit (GPU) is a specialised processor (a type of ASIC) designed to perform multiple tasks concurrently rather than sequentially (like in a CPU).
• Modern GPUs comprise thousands of cores, which break down complex problems into thousands or millions of separate tasks and work them out in parallel, a concept known as parallel processing.

{Prelims – In News} Unique Sleeping Patterns

• Context (IE): Aquatic creatures and those in the wild running from predators have adapted their bodies to doze off whenever possible to restore energy and recuperate.