Daily Current Affairs   Date : 7^thFebruary,2022

 (30+ Questions hit in Prelims 2021 from this series)

Covers 4 Most relevant Sources

• The Hindu
• Indian Express
• PIB
• Mint

Index

• Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO) (TH, pg 4)
• Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (TH, pg 6)
• Sea of Galilee (TH, pg 6)
• Basai Wetlands (TH, pg 3)
• What is State Mourning (TH, pg 1)
• The Sufi Movement (PIB)
• Bru-Reang Refugees (TH, pg 4)
• Centrally Protected Monumentsand ASI (TH, pg 1)
• Understanding Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) (TH, pg 15)
• Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR)(TH, pg 3)

 

A) Schemes, Policies, Initiatives, Awards and Social Issues

1. Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO) (TH, pg 4)

• Context: Prime Minister of India has stated that the Union government is resolved to mobilise small farmers into farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and make them influential market forces in the years to come to improve their incomes by developing agriculture value chain.

Analysis

• The concept behind Farmer Producer Organizations is that farmers, who are the producers of agricultural products, can form groups.
• To facilitate this process, the Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) was mandated by Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s welfare, to support the State Governments in the formation of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).
• The FPOs include farmer producer companies (FPCs) registered under the Companies Act as well as farmers’ cooperatives registered under the Cooperative Societies Act of state governments.
• FPO is now defined as “farmer” in the new Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act of 2020 for the purpose of trading in agricultural produce.
• They are formed for the purpose of leveraging collectives through economies of scale in production and marketing of agricultural and allied sector.
• An expert committee led by noted economist, Y. K. Alagh first recommended, setting up of producer companies in 2002 by incorporating a new Part IXA into the Companies Act.
• While farmers’ cooperatives existed for long, FPCs emerged with the insertion of a new chapter “Producer Companies” (Part IXA) in the Companies Act of 1956 in 2003.
• FPCs combine the cooperative (collective) spirit and structural advantages of companies.
• It allows farmers to register a producer company to engage in production, harvesting, processing and marketing of agricultural produce.

Central Sector Scheme to form and promote 10,000 new FPOs

• A new Central Sector Schemeto form and promote 10,000 new FPOs for five years (2019-20 to 2023-24) towards handholding of each FPO for five years from its aggregation and formation has been launched by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
• Implementing Agencies to form and promote FPOs are:

• Small Farmers Agri-business Consortium (SFAC),
• National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)
• National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited(NAFED) and
• National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

• States may also, if so desire, nominate their Implementing Agency in consultation with DAC&FW.
• FPOs will be formed and promoted through Cluster Based Business Organizations (CBBOs).

• FPOs are to be developed in produce clusters, wherein agricultural and horticultural produces are grown/cultivated for leveraging economies of scale and improving market access for members.

• Priority will be given for formation of at least 15% of the targeted 10,000 FPOs in aspirational districts in the country with at least one FPO in each block of aspirational districts.
• The ‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’ Programme aims to expeditiously improve the socio-economic status of 115 districts from across 28 states.
• At Government of India level, programme is anchored by NITI Aayog.
• FPOs will be promoted under “One District One Product” cluster to promote specialization and better processing, marketing, branding & export by FPOs.
• There will be a provision of Equity Grant for strengthening equity base of FPOs.
• States/UTs will be allowed to avail loan at prescribed concessional rate of interest under Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund (AMIF) approved for set up in NABARD for developing agriculture marketing and allied infrastructure.
• One of the focus areas of the Scheme is to promote agriculture marketing including exports through production of quality produce with the involvement of institution of FPOs.
• FPOs should have 300 minimum number of members in case of plain areas; while in case of North-East and Hilly areas, it shall be 100 to avail the benefit under the scheme.

Farmer Producer Organization (FPO)

• FPO is a generic name, which means and includes farmer- producers’ organization incorporated/ registered either under Part IXA of Companies Act or under Co-operative Societies Act of the concerned States and formed for the purpose of leveraging collectives through economies of scale in production and marketing of agricultural and allied sector.

• However, FPOs registered under Cooperative Societies Act of the State for the purpose of this Scheme, is to be insulated from all kinds of interference including in election process and day today management through suitable provisioning in their Memorandum of Association and Bye-laws with a view to encourage healthy growth and development of FPO.

Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC)

• Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is an Autonomous Society promoted by Ministry of Agricultureand Farmers’ Welfare.
• It was registered under Societies Registration Act, 1860.
• The Society is governed by Board of Management which is chaired, ex-officio, by Hon’ble Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare as the President.
• Society is pioneer in organising small and marginal farmers as Farmers Interest Groups, Farmers Producers Organisation and Farmers Producers Company
• It has been entrusted with the implementation of Delhi Kisan Mandi and e-NAM (National Agriculture Market Scheme on e-platform) to progressively free agricultural trade and offer price discovery to farmers.
• Equity Grant Scheme of SFAC extends support to the equity base of Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) by providing matching equity grants subject to maximum of Rs. 15.00 lakh per FPC in two tranche with in a period of 3 Year and to address nascent and emerging FPCs which have paid up capital not exceeding Rs. 30.00 lakh with a view to the undernoted primary objectives
  a) Enhancing viability and sustainability of FPCs.
  b) Enhancing credit worthiness of FPCs.
  c) Enhancing the shareholding of members to increase their ownership and participation in their FPC.
• Venture Capital Assistance is financial support in the form of an interest free loan provided by SFAC to qualifying projects to meet shortfall in the capital requirement for implementation of the project.
• It encourages farmers to diversify into high value crops aimed to increase farmer’s income and assured access to markets for their crops by linking their produce to the agribusiness unit.
• Key objectives of the scheme:
• To facilitate setting up of agri-business venture in association with banks.
• To catalyze private investment in setting up of agri-business project.
• Increasing rural income and employment.
• To strengthen backward linkage of agri-business project with producers.
• Assign producer groups and agriculture graduates to enhance their participation in value chain.

Central Sector Scheme to form and promote 10,000 new FPOs

• A new Central Sector Schemeto form and promote 10,000 new FPOs for five years (2019-20 to 2023-24) towards handholding of each FPO for five years from its aggregation and formation has been launched by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
• Implementing Agencies to form and promote FPOs, namely:

• Small Farmers Agri-business Consortium (SFAC),
• National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)
• National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited(NAFED) and
• National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

• States may also, if so desire, nominate their Implementing Agency in consultation with DAC&FW.
• FPOs will be formed and promoted through Cluster Based Business Organizations (CBBOs).

• FPOs are to be developed in produce clusters, wherein agricultural and horticultural produces are grown/cultivated for leveraging economies of scale and improving market access for members.

• Priority will be given for formation of at least 15% of the targeted 10,000 FPOs in aspirational districts in the country with at least one FPO in each block of aspirational districts.
• FPOs will be promoted under “One District One Product” cluster to promote specialization and better processing, marketing, branding & export by FPOs.
• There will be a provision of Equity Grant for strengthening equity base of FPOs.
• States/UTs will be allowed to avail loan at prescribed concessional rate of interest under Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund (AMIF) approved for set up in NABARD for developing agriculture marketing and allied infrastructure.
• One of the focus areas of the Scheme is to promote agriculture marketing including exports through production of quality produce with the involvement of institution of FPOs.
• FPOs should have 300 minimum number of members in case of plain areas; while in case of North-East and Hilly areas, it shall be 100 to avail the benefit under the scheme.

Farmer Producer Organization (FPO)

• FPO is a generic name, which means and includes farmer- producers’ organization incorporated/ registered either under Part IXA of Companies Act or under Co-operative Societies Act of the concerned States and formed for the purpose of leveraging collectives through economies of scale in production and marketing of agricultural and allied sector.

• However, FPOs registered under Cooperative Societies Act of the State for the purpose of this Scheme, is to be insulated from all kinds of interference including in election process and day today management through suitable provisioning in their Memorandum of Association and Bye-laws with a view to encourage healthy growth and development of FPO.

 

2. Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (TH, pg 6)

• Context:In a welcome development, the National Health Authority (NHA) — the body responsible for administering the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) — has initiated a consultation process on the retention of health data by health-care providers in India.

Analysis

• The National Digital Health Mission (now known as Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission) was launched on 15th August 2020.
• Three key registries of NDHM are namely Health ID, Health Professional Registry (HPR), Health Facility Registry (HFR) and digital infrastructure for data exchange have been developed.

• Health IDs are also known as ABHA – Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts.
• Creation of Health ID is voluntary.

• Under NDHM, every Indian will get a Health ID card.

• Every time you visit a doctor or a pharmacy, everything will be logged in this card.
• From the doctor’s appointment to the medication, everything will be available in your health profile.

• The National Health Authority (NHA), the attached office of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare which runs the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, would “design, build, roll-out and implement the NDHM.
• The NDHM would be a voluntary programme to reduce the gap among stakeholders, such as doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers, by connecting them in an integrated digital health infrastructure.

 

3. Sea of Galilee (TH, pg 6)

• Context:In October 2021, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Israel ahead of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relation between India and Israel.
• A trip to Israel is incomplete without visiting some of the ancient locations and archaeological and natural wonders like the Sea of Galilee.

Analysis

• The Sea of Galilee in northern Israel—one of the lowest-lying bodies of water in the world—has long been a source of religious inspiration and intrigue.
• It was along the shores of this shallow freshwater lake where the Christian gospels say Jesus performed some of his ministry and certain miracles.
• Some underground springs drain into the lake, but most of its water arrives through the Jordan River, which flows from Lebanon in the north to Israel and Jordan in the south.
• The Sea of Galilee (sometimes called Lake Tiberias or Lake Kinneret) lies within the Jordan Rift Valley (part of the East African Rift System), a narrow depression that began forming tens of millions of years ago as the Arabian plate tore away from Africa.

 

4. Basai Wetlands (TH, pg 3)

• Context:The Basai wetlands in Gurugram, Haryana, has shrunk to a quarter of its original size over the years.

Analysis

• Home to 300-plus species of rare, common and migratory birds, Basai is recognised as a key biodiversity area by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Wildlife Institute of India and the BirdLife International, a global network of NGOs that work to protect bird habitats.
• Given the accelerated expansion of the city of the future, the wetland continues to disappear under newly laid roads, modern housing constructions and other infrastructure development.
• An upcoming expressway, cutting through the terrain here, has majorly impacted the flyway of thousands of migratory birds from Europe and Central Asia.

 

5. What is State Mourning (TH, pg 1)

• Context: Lata Mangeshkar, affectionately called a “Nightingale of India”, who died after a brief illness, was cremated with State honours.
• As a mark of respect, the Union government announced a two-day national mourning, while the Maharashtra government has declared a public holiday.
• The Rajya Sabha will be adjourned for an hour on Monday morning in honour of the singer who was a member of the House from 1999 to 2005.

Analysis

• Observing or declaring a national mourning day is a symbolic gesture to pay tribute and express grief for a national tragedy.
• Such days include those marking the death or funeral of a renowned individual or individuals from that country or elsewhere, or the anniversary of such a death or deaths.
• It is designated by the national government.

• State government also can declare state mourning day/s in their respective state.

• After Mourning is declared by Ministry of Home Affairs following restrictions are observed in all central Institutions/organaisations/offices.
• National flag: On the day of mourning in India, the National Flag will be flown at half-mast throughout the country and in Indian missions abroad.
• Restriction on ceremonies and official entertainment: No ceremonial functions will be organised and there shall be no official entertainment during the period of state mourning. Memorial activities are often organised by people.
• State funeral is accorded with due respect to the dignitary.
• Half day holiday in Central government and its institution: A 1997 Central government notification that restricts declaration of public holiday only in the event of death of the sitting Prime Minister or President.

 

6. Bru-Reang Refugees (TH, pg 4)

• Context:All the internally displaced Bru tribal people who are living in relief camps in Tripura for years will be rehabilitated permanently within the State by March 31, Union Minister of State for Social Empowerment & Justice Pratima Bhoumik said

Analysis

• In 1997, the murder of a Mizo forest guard allegedly by Bru(also known as Reangs) militants led to a violent backlash against the community, forcing several thousand of them to flee out of their home state of Mizoram to neighbouring Tripura.
• Since then around 30,000 of them have been living in refugee camps in the Jampui Hills of Tripura.
• The Bru militancy was a reactionary movement against Mizo nationalist groups who had demanded in the mid-1990s that the Brus be left out of the state’s electoral rolls, contending that the tribe was not indigenous to Mizoram.
• Bru or Reang is a community indigenous to Northeast India, living mostly in Tripura, Mizoram and Assam. In Tripura, they are recognised as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group.

 

7. The Sufi Movement (PIB)

• Context:The Prime Minister of India presented a Chadar which shall be offered at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah on the Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
• The Muslim masses also celebrate the death anniversaries of various saints in a ceremony called ʿurs’.
• The saints, far from dying, are believed to reach the zenith of their spiritual life on this occasion.

Analysis

• The tenth century is important in Islamic history for variety of reasons: it marks the rise of the Turks on the ruins of the Abbasid Caliphate, as well as important changes in the realm of ideas and beliefs.
• In the realm of ideas, it marks the end of the domination of the Mutazila or rationalist philosophy, and the rise of orthodox schools based on the Quran and Hadis (traditions of the Prophet and his companions) and of the Sufi mystic orders.
• The ‘rationalists’ had been accused of spreading scepticism and atheism. In particular, it was argued that their philosophy of monism which held that God and the created world were fundamentally one was heretical on the ground that it abolished the difference between the creator and the created.
• The works of the ‘traditionalists’ crystallized in four schools of the Islamic Law. Of these, the Hanafi school, which was the most liberal, was adopted by the eastern Turks who later came to India.
• Mystics, who are called Sufis, had risen in Islam at a very early stage. Most of them were persons of deep devotion who were disgusted by the vulgar display of wealth and degeneration of morals following the establishment of the Islamic empire.

• Hence, these saints wanted to have nothing to do with the state—a tradition which continued later on.

• Some of the early Sufis, such as the woman mystic Rabia (d. eighth century) and Mansur bin Hallaj (d. tenth century), laid great emphasis on love as the bond between God and the individual soul.
• But their pantheistic approach led them into conflict with the orthodox elements who had Mansur executed for heresy.
• Despite this setback, mystic ideas continued to spread among the Muslim masses. Al-Ghazzali (d. 1112), who is venerated both by the orthodox elements and the Sufis, tried to reconcile mysticism with Islamic orthodoxy. This he was able to do in a large measure.
• He gave a further blow to the ‘rationalist’ philosophy by arguing that positive knowledge of God and his qualities cannot be gained by reason, but only by revelation. Thus, the revealed book, Quran, was vital for a mystic.
• Around this time, the Sufis were organized in 12 orders orsilsilahs. A silsilah was generally led by a prominent mystic who lived in a khanqah or hospice along with his disciples.
• The link between the teacher or pir and his disciples or murids was a vital part of the Sufi system. Every pir nominated a successor or wali to carry on his work.

• The monastic organisation of the Sufis, and some of their practices such as penance, fasting and holding the breath are sometimes traced to the Buddhist and Hindu yogic influence.

• Buddhism was widely prevalent in Central Asia before the advent of Islam, and the legend of the Buddha as a saintly man had passed into the Islamic legend.
• Yogis continued to visit West Asia even after the advent of Islam and the yogic book, Amrit-kund, had been translated into Persian from Sanskrit.

• Thus, Hindu and Buddhist practices and rituals seem to – have been absorbed and assimilated by the Sufis even before they came to India.

• Whether, Buddhist philosophic ideas and Vedantist ideas had, in a significant manner, influenced Sufism is a matter of controversy. The origin of ideas is difficult to trace. The Sufi saints and many modern thinkers trace the Sufi ideas to the Quran.
• What is important to note here is that, irrespective of origin, there were many similarities in the ideas of the Sufis and the Hinduyogis and mystics about the nature of God, and His relationship with the soul, and the material world. This provided a basis for mutual toleration and understanding.

Ba-shara Vs Be-shara

• The Sufi orders are broadly divided into two: Ba-shara, that is, those which followed the Islamic Law (shara) and be-shara, that is, those which were not bound by it.
• Both types of orders prevailed in India, the latter being followed more by wandering saints.
• Although these saints did not establish an order, some of them became figures of popular veneration, often for the Muslims and Hindus alike.

The Chishti and Suharwardi Silsilahs

• Of the ba-shara movements, only two acquired significant influence and following in north India during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. These were the Chishti and Suharwardi silsilahs.
• The Chishti order was established in India by Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti who came to India around 1192, shortly after the defeat and death of Prithvi Raj Chauhan.
• After staying for some time in Lahore and Delhi he finally shifted to Ajmer which was an important political centre and already had a sizable Muslim population.
• No authentic record of his activities is available; he did not write any book, but his fame rose, it seems, along with that of his successors.
• Among the disciples of Shaikh Muinuddin (d. 1235) were Bakhtiyar Kaki and his disciple Faridud- Din Ganj-i-Shakar.
• Farid-ud-Din confined his activities to Hansi and Ajodhan (in modern Haryana and the Punjab, respectively).

• He was deeply respected in Delhi, so much so that streams of people would throng around him whenever he visited Delhi.
• His outlook was so broad and humane that some of his verses are later found quoted in the Adi-Granth of the Sikhs.

• The most famous of the Chishti saints, however, were Nizamuddin Auliya and Nasiruddin Chiragh-i-Delhi.
• These early Sufis mingled freely with people of the lower classes, including the Hindus.
• They led a simple, austere life, and conversed with people in Hindawi, their local dialect.
• They were hardly interested in effecting conversions, though later on, many families and groups, attributed their conversion to the ‘good wishes’ of these saints.
• These Sufi saints made themselves popular by adopting musical recitations called sama, to create a mood of nearness to God.
• Moreover, they often chose Hindi verses for the purpose, since they could make a greater impact on their listeners.
• Nizamuddin Auliya adopted yogic breathing exercises, so much so that the yogis called him a sidh or ‘perfect’.
• After the death of Nasiruddin Chiragh-i-Delhi in the middle of the fourteenth century, the Chishtis did not have a commanding figure at Delhi. As a result, the Chishti saints dispersed, and extended their message to the eastern and southern parts of India.
• The Suharwardi order entered India at about the same time as the Chishtis, but its activities were confined largely to the Punjab and Multan.
• The most well-known saints of the order were Shaikh Shihabuddin Suharwardi and Hamid-ud-Din Nagori.
• Unlike the Chishtis, the Suharwardi saints did not believe in leading a life of poverty.

• They accepted the service of the state, and some of them held important posts in the ecclesiastical department.
• The Chishtis, on the other hand, preferred to keep aloof from state politics and shunned the company of rulers and nobles.

• Nevertheless, both helped the rulers in their own way by creating a climate of opinion in which people belonging to different sects and religions could live in peace and harmony.

 

8. Centrally Protected Monumentsand theASI (TH, pg 1)

• Context:The 100-metre radius around Centrally protected monuments where construction is prohibited could be replaced with site-specific limits to be decided by an expert committee, as the Union Culture Ministry was working on amendments to the relevant Act.
• The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958, was amended in 2010 to declare the 100-metre radius of protected monuments as prohibited areas and the next 300-metre radius as regulated areas.

Analysis

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)

• The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), under the Ministry of Culture, is the premier organization for the archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation.
• It regulates all archaeological activities in the country as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.

• There is a ban on construction within 100 metres of a Centrally protected monument and regulated construction in the next 300-metre radius under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.
• The Act protects monuments and sites that are over 100 years old.
• At present, about 3,700 monuments nationwide are protected by the ASI, with the highest number in Uttar Pradesh.

• It also regulates Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972.

• If any question arises whether any article, object or thing is an art treasure or not, the decision of the Director-General, Archaeological Survey of India or an officer authorised by him shall be final.
• Under this Act, any object over 100 years old is an antique.

 

9. Understanding Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) (TH, pg 15)

• Context: Artificial Neural Network Market is set for a Phenomenal Growth from 2022 to 2028 according to report by Qualcomm.

Analysis

• The concept behind an Artificial Neural Network is to define inputs and outputs, feed pieces of inputs to computer programs that function like neurons and make inferences or calculations, then forward those results to another layer of computer programs and so on, until a result is obtained.
• Neural networks are designed to reflect the behavior of the human brain, allowing computer programs to recognize patterns and solve common problems in the fields of AI, machine learning, and deep learning.

Concept of backpropagation (i.e. learning from Feedback)

• As part of this neural network, a difference between intended output and input is computed at each layer and this difference is used to tune the parameters to each program. This method is called backpropagation and is an essential component to the Neural Network.
• These can be used for both normal Machine Learning tasks like classification or clustering and for Deep Learning/ANN tasks.
• ANN are computing systems inspired by the biological neural networks that constitute animal brains.

The popularity of ANNs

• Data Science, used interchangeably with Machine Learning, is the computer technology that uses data to detect patterns.
• This approach of using neural networks of many layers to automatically detect patterns and parameters is called Deep Learning.
• A couple of key developments in the past two decades helped ANNs mature.
• Cloud computing provided enormous computing resources that are needed for ANNs to “work through” massive volumes of data.
• Along with this, it was observed that instead of the CPU in a computer, Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) which is good at performing massive parallel tasks can be used for setting up ANNs.
• In the last two decades, the software for neural networks matured and backpropagation techniques became robust.
• Combining these concepts, if thousands of GPUs are available that can take up chunks of data and can execute programs on those chunks, then ANNs can be made available for a variety of tasks.
• Many commercial and free software have become available which use GPUs and Cloud and offer readily available ANNs.
• A few popular free neural network frameworks are TensorFlow, Keras, PyTorch and Theano. 

Free neural networks

• TensorFlow was developed by Google. Popular implementations of TensorFlow are Google’s search algorithm RankBrain and Twitter’s tweet ranking.
• Neural networks have been applied in diverse fields including aerospace, automotive, banking, defense, electronics, entertainment, financial, insurance, manufacturing, medical, oil and gas, speech, securities, telecommunications, transportation, and environment.
• It involves computations and mathematics, which simulate the human–brain like processes. Many of the recently achieved advancements are related to the artificial intelligence researcharea such as image and voice recognition, robotics are using ANNs.
• The ANN frameworks or software mentioned above can be used for both normal Machine Learning tasks and for Deep Learning/ANN
• There are tasks that cannot be done with good accuracy by normal Machine Learning and hence need Deep Learning
• Automatic Image Recognition of rich images (instead of only simple hand-written digits) and Speech Recognition are two popular uses of Deep Learning.
• Deep Learning has progressed to the next level and instead of only working on input data and detections, it can now actually generate creative output like music or paintings. (Asked in UPSC PRELIMS 2021)
• Deep Learning made news in 2016 when an ANN-based product called AlphaGo defeated a player in a game of “Go”.
• ANNs are present in many smartphone applications that we use, like voice to type, Siri and Alexa. 
• Some of the diverse applications of neural networks are as under
• Facial Recognition: Facial Recognition Systems are serving as robust systems of surveillance. Recognition Systems matches the human face and compares it with the digital images.
• Stock Market Prediction
• Social Media: Artificial Neural Networks are used to study the behaviours of social media users. Data shared everyday via virtual conversations is tacked up and analyzed for competitive analysis and targeted advertisement.
• Aerospace: Aerospace Engineering is an expansive term that covers developments in spacecraft and aircraft. Fault diagnosis, high performance auto piloting, securing the aircraft control systems, and modeling key dynamic simulations are some of the key areas that neural networks have taken over
• Defence: Unmanned Airborne Vehicle (UAV), and Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) these autonomous sea vehicles use convolutional neural networks for the image processing.
• Healthcare: ANN are actively employed in the healthcare industry for X ray detection, CT Scan and ultrasound. It is used in image processing, the medical imaging data retrieved from aforementioned tests is analyzed and assessed based on neural network models.
• Fraud Detection: Artificial Neural Networksare used for verifying the signatures. ANN are trained to recognize the difference between real and forged signatures. ANNs can be used for the verification of both offline and online signatures.
• Weather Forecasting and Disaster management: Weather Forecasting is primarily undertaken to anticipate the upcoming weather conditions beforehand. In the modern era, weather forecasts are even used to predict the possibilities of natural disasters. Various inputs like air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and solar radiations were considered for training neural network based models.

 

10. Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR)(TH, pg 3)

• Fifteen years after declaration as a tiger reserve and failure of revival of big cat population through India’s first inter-State tiger relocation programme, the Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR)in Odisha has started making efforts afresh to re-establish it as a tiger habitat.
• The State and Forest department are attempting to relocate inhabitants of three villages from its core area to create 500 sq km area of inviolate zone for tigers.