PRELIMS
Giant African Snail Invasion
Why in News: The invasive Giant African Snail (Lissachatina fulica) has recently been detected in Chennai and its outskirts, posing ecological, agricultural, and public health risks.
About Giant African Snail (GAS):
- Scientific name – Lissachatina fulica
- Among the world’s 100 worst invasive species (IUCN).
- Native to East Africa; introduced to India in 1847.
- Reported in several states: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka.
Spread in Chennai (2024):
- Detected in St Thomas Mount, Tirusulam, Perungalathur Hills.
- Thrives in urban/semi-urban habitats.
- Flooding during monsoon accelerates dispersal.
Health Risks:
Carrier of parasitic nematodes:
- Angiostrongylus cantonensis → eosinophilic meningoencephalitis (brain inflammation).
- Angiostrongylus costaricensis → abdominal angiostrongyliasis.
- Infection route – ingestion of contaminated snails/residues.
Ecological & Agricultural Impact:
- Feeds on 500+ plant species, including crops.
- Competes with native snails; spreads plant pathogens.
- Causes severe crop loss & ecosystem damage.
Global Distribution:
- Widely spread in Asia, Africa, Americas, Pacific islands.
- Adaptable to multiple habitats → difficult to eradicate.
Control & Management:
- Rapid reproduction, flood-assisted dispersal → eradication challenging.
Measures:
- Public awareness & community monitoring.
- Integrated pest management.
- Strict regulations in some countries banning possession/sale.
Significance:
- Highlights biosecurity risks of invasive species.
- Chennai’s case underlines need for early detection & coordinated response to biological invasions.
India’s Fully Digital Census 2027
Why in News: India will conduct its first fully digital Census in 2027, with enumerators using their own smartphones and geo-tagging all buildings.
Key Features of Census 2027:
- First fully digital Census – no paper-based enumeration.
- Enumerators: ~34 lakh, using personal smartphones (Android & iOS).
- Mobile Applications: Multi-language support, upgraded from 2021 design.
- Direct Upload: Data sent to a central server → faster & accurate processing.
- Fallback Option: Paper data (if collected) → entered later into web portal.
Phases of Census:
- Houselisting operation: April – September 2026.
Population enumeration:
- Feb 2027 (most states).
- Sept 2026 (Ladakh, J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand).
- Self-enumeration option via web portal.
Geo-Tagging & Digital Mapping:
- All buildings (residential & non-residential) to be geo-tagged.
- Digital Layout Mapping (DLM): Unique latitude-longitude assigned to each building.
- Linked to Houselisting Blocks (HLBs) on GIS map → higher spatial accuracy.
Monitoring & Budget:
- Real-time monitoring website under Registrar General of India (RGI), MHA.
- Budget allocation: ₹14,618.95 crore.
- Comparison: 2011 Socio-Economic Caste Census used BEL-supplied devices; now personal devices + self-enumeration.
Significance:
- Ensures speed, transparency & accuracy in data collection.
- Enhances GIS-based planning & policy-making.
- Promotes citizen participation through self-enumeration.
What was the Harappan Language? – Culture Ministry Meet
Why in News: The Union Ministry of Culture will host an international conference (Sept 11–13, 2024, New Delhi) on deciphering the Harappan script.PM Narendra Modi to attend on Sept 12; Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sept 13.
Harappan Script – Key Facts:
- Discovered in Harappa & Mohenjo-daro (1920s).
- Over 4,000 inscriptions found on seals, tablets, pottery.
- Script remains undeciphered → no bilingual inscription (like Rosetta Stone for Egyptian).
- Symbols: ~400–600 signs (pictographic/ideographic).
- Writing direction: Right-to-left, sometimes boustrophedon (alternate lines opposite).
Debates on Language:
- Some scholars link it to Sanskrit.
- Others → Proto-Dravidian language family.
- Some suggest links to Munda languages (Santali, Gondi).
- No consensus yet.
Decipherment Challenges:
- Short length of inscriptions (average 5 signs).
- No bilingual texts.
- Limited context (mostly seals, not long manuscripts).
Static Info – Harappan Civilization (3300–1300 BCE):
- Also called Indus Valley Civilization (IVC).
- Mature Phase: 2600–1900 BCE.
- Major sites: Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Dholavira, Lothal, Rakhigarhi, Kalibangan.
- Features: Urban planning (grid system, drainage), standard weights, seals, trade links (Mesopotamia).
- Decline around 1900 BCE due to climate change, river shifts, declining trade.
IGNCA (Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts):
- Autonomous institute under Ministry of Culture.
- Established: 1987.
- Functions: Research, documentation, dissemination of Indian arts & heritage.
Significance:
- Harappan script = key to understanding social, economic, cultural life of IVC.
- Decipherment would clarify origins of Indian languages and civilizational continuity.
Gaganyaan Simulation Missions
Why in News:ISRO has begun conducting Gaganyaan Analog Experiments (Gyanex), where astronauts spend several days in spacecraft-like confined conditions to simulate human spaceflight missions.
Key Details
- Objective: To prepare astronauts for space-like conditions and help ISRO develop protocols for communication, resource management, and crew activities.
- Limitation: Unlike actual missions, gravity is present during these simulations.
- Location: Conducted in a static mock-up spacecraft simulator in Bengaluru.
First Mission (Gyanex-1):
- Held in July 2025.
- Group Captain Angad Pratap and two others stayed confined for 10 days.
- Conducted 11 scientific experiments.
- Monitored parameters: crew activities, psychological impact of confinement, and routine management.
- Future Plan: Series of Gyanex missions to refine protocols before the actual human spaceflight.
Associated Institutions
- DRDO: Provides astronaut food.
- Astronaut Training: Complementary training also in Russia and the US, including exposure to microgravity environments.
Static Info
- Gaganyaan Programme: India’s first human spaceflight mission by ISRO.
- Mission Timeline: First crewed mission slated for 2027.
- Crew Module: Will carry 2–3 astronauts to low Earth orbit (~400 km).
- Launch Vehicle: HLVM-3 (Human-rated LVM3, previously GSLV Mk-III)
Can AI Chatbots Become Conscious?
Why in News: Rapid advances in GPT-based and other AI chatbots, which can emulate human-like conversation and emotions, have sparked debates on whether they could ever become conscious.
Key Concepts
Consciousness:
- Phenomenal consciousness – subjective first-person experience (“what it feels like”).
- Access consciousness – ability to reflect and use knowledge deliberately.
Current AI Systems:
- Operate on statistical pattern recognition.
- Lack memory, beliefs, emotions, or subjective experience.
- Produce output via input–output mappings, not true comprehension.
Arguments Against Chatbot Consciousness
1. No Subjective Experience – algorithms cannot feel pain, joy, or awareness.
2. No Intentionality – no independent goals or desires.
3. No Self-awareness – cannot truly reflect on existence.
4. No Embodiment – lack of bodily/sensorimotor interaction, crucial in some theories of consciousness.
Related Concept
- ELIZA Effect: Human tendency to attribute emotions/agency to machines that merely simulate conversation.
Case Study
- 2022: Google engineer Blake Lemoine claimed LaMDA chatbot was sentient → resulted in his dismissal.
Ethical Concerns
- Over-trust & deception in sensitive domains (healthcare, law).
- Emotional attachment risks → psychological harm or exploitation.
- Bias & misinformation liability.
- Job displacement due to growing chatbot capabilities.
Speculative Outlook
- Some argue machine consciousness could arise if computational systems mimic brain processes.
- Barriers remain: consciousness may rely on biological/quantum mechanisms unique to living beings.
- Raises dilemmas of rights, personhood, and ethics if machine consciousness ever emerges.
Prelims Static Info
- ELIZA chatbot (1960s): Early natural language program that mimicked conversation.
- Large Language Models (LLMs): AI trained on vast text corpora to predict word patterns, not to “understand”.
