Sam Altman’s biometric project (GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
Why in news?
- Recently, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman formally re-introduced Worldcoin, a project of his that was eclipsed by the popularity of ChatGPT.
- It allow eyes to be scanned in order to prove human uniqueness, and receive some crypto and an ID (called a World ID) in exchange.
What is Worldcoin?
- Worldcoin is an initiative to create a digital network in which everyone can claim some kind of stake, and join the digital economy.
- Using a device called “Orb,” Worldcoin volunteers known as ‘Orb operators’ scan a person’s iris pattern to collect their biometric data and help them get a World ID through the World app.
How does Worldcoin work?
- The users need to be willing to scan irises and/or get their own irises scanned. Volunteers sign up to be “Orb operators” in their locality and receive basic training and a biometric device with which to scan irises.
- Orb operators can even rent out the Orb to others to let them scan eyeballs as well. Those who have their irises scanned and collect a World ID can use this to claim the WLD crypto, which they may use for transactions or hold on to the asset in the hope that its price might rise, as it did after launching. However, users can also buy or sell WLD without getting scanned or using the app.
- In return for signing up more people to the Worldcoin network, Orb operators get WLD, which is a token based on the Ethereum blockchain.
- Ethereum has a native coin, Ether, which is the second-largest crypto by market capitalisation. However, anyone can create a token which runs on the Ethereum blockchain. WLD is one such cryptocurrency.
Why does Worldcoin scan irises?
- It wanted to include everyone in its network and that using biometric information to avoid duplication was a valid method for this. The company claimed that India had “proven the effectiveness of biometrics” through its Aadhaar system. Aadhaar IDs stopped people from signing up multiple times to benefit from social welfare schemes.
- It uses a technology known as zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) to maintain users’ privacy. Worldcoin has also said it is fully compliant with Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Concerns:
- Worldcoin was criticised long before its re-launch. NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden pointed out that even if a person’s biometric scans were deleted for privacy reasons, as Worldcoin said it would do, the unique identifier for the scan would match future scans of the same person’s eyes.
States lax response to lynching
(GS Paper 2, Judiciary)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Supreme Court has asked the Ministry of Home Affairs and the governments of Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana to respond to a petition filed by the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW).
- It seeks an explanation for their “consistent failure” in the past five years to act against lynching and mob violence committed on Muslims by cow vigilantes.
Details:
- A Bench of Justices issued notice to the Ministry and the police chiefs of the six States to explain the “alarming rise” in lynchings despite a Supreme Court judgment in Tehseen Poonawala versus Union of India in 2018.
- It held that no right is higher in a secular, pluralistic and multiculturalist social order than the right to live with dignity and to be treated with humaneness. Vigilantism cannot become the “new normal”.
- No citizen can assault the human dignity of another, for such an action would comatose the majesty of law, the judgment had declared.
Demands raised by the NFIW:
- The NFIW has urged the court to examine whether the “rampant rise” in lynchings and mob violence against a particular religious community revealed police apathy; a direct violation of the constitutional guarantees provided under Articles 14 (equality before the law), 15 (religious non-discrimination) and 21 (right to life) of the Constitution; and the police are in breach of a “duty of care”.
- The petition has sought the court to direct the Centre and the States to disburse immediate interim compensation to the victims’ families.
- It has urged the court to direct the government to pay a “minimum uniform amount” to the victims of lynchings and mob violence in addition to any pay-outs after taking into consideration factors such as nature of bodily injury, psychological injury and loss of earnings, including loss of opportunities of employment, education and legal and medical expenses incurred by the victims.
What was Tehseen Poonawala judgment?
- The judgment of the Supreme Court held that it was the “sacrosanct duty” of the state to protect the lives of its citizens.
- The court declared that the authorities of the States have the “principal obligation” to see that vigilantism, be it cow vigilantism or any other vigilantism of any perception, does not take place.
- The judgment warned that vigilantes usher in anarchy, chaos, disorder and, eventually, there is an emergence of a violent society.
What were the seven remedial directions given by the SC?
- They include the appointment of a designated nodal officer, not below the rank of Superintendent of Police for taking measures to prevent prejudice-motivated crimes like mob violence and lynching.
- The immediate lodging of an FIR if an incident of lynching or mob violence comes to the notice of the local police.
- It is the duty of the Station House Officer who has registered the FIR to inform the nodal officer in the district, who in turn should ensure that the families of the victims are spared of any further harassment.
- The investigation of the crime should be personally monitored by the nodal officer and the investigation and chargesheet are filed within the stipulated period in law.
- There should be a scheme to compensate victims of such prejudice-motivated violence. Any failure to comply with the court’s directions by a police or district administration officer would be considered as an “act of deliberate negligence and/or misconduct for which appropriate action must be taken against him/her and not limited to departmental action under the service rules”.
- The departmental action shall be taken to its logical conclusion preferably within six months.
- States should take disciplinary action against their officials if they did not did not prevent the incident an incident of mob lynching, despite having prior knowledge of it, or where the incident has already occurred, such official(s) did not promptly apprehend and institute criminal proceedings against the culprits.
House panel suggests coordination committee to help India’s soft power projection, cultural diplomacy
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Why in news?
- The Standing Committee on External Affairs has reiterated its recommendation to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to constitute a coordination committee on soft power projection and cultural diplomacy with other line ministries and departments.
Line Ministry:
- A line ministry is one that is involved in managing an activity or policy with regards to an issue.
- In this case, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports or the Ministry of Culture would also do activities abroad to promote culture or ‘soft power’.
- The activities would not come under the MEA but the specific line ministry in charge of the programme.
Background:
- The parliamentary panel had previously made this recommendation in its 16th report on ‘India’s Soft Power and Cultural Diplomacy: Prospects & Limitations’, laid before the Parliament in 2022.
Lack of co-ordination:
- The MEA itself had identified the lack of coordination among multiple institutions as a key factor enabling effective conduct of India’s soft power but nothing was being done to establish any coordination mechanism.
- NITI Aayog had also suggested the creation of a coordination committee consisting of representatives from all concerned ministries.
- The committee also reiterated that the MEA should undertake a formal study of international best practices in soft power projection on a ‘priority basis’.
- The committee recommended that the MEA take “immediate steps” for assessing India’s soft power potential so that strategies for its “optimum utilisation” can be deployed to achieve India’s foreign policy objectives.
Adequate ICCR budget:
- In its 16th report, the committee had raised the issue of non-availability of adequate financing, ‘derailing’ India’s soft power projection, and had recommended a 20 percent increase in the budgetary allocation for the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
- In the latest report, it has highlighted that it is looking forward to the MEA ensuring adequate allocation of funds to the ICCR to carry out its mandate.
- The committee also recommended the creation of a study group to assess the working of the ICCR in comparison with foreign counterparts.
