Current Affairs 2 April 2024 for UPSC And State PSC Exam

Table of Contents

Atal Tunnel

News- Recently, the Manali-Leh highway experienced a closure due to new snowfall near the Atal Tunnel in the Lahaul and Spiti districts.

About

Name: Atal Tunnel (formerly Rohtang Tunnel)

Location: Pir Panjal Range, Himalayas, Himachal Pradesh

Altitude: Approximately 3,100 meters (10,171 feet) above sea level

Passes Through: Rohtang Pass

Length: 9.02 kilometers

Purpose: Connects Manali to Lahaul and Spiti Valley year-round, overcoming the previous barrier of heavy snowfall that isolated the area for about six months annually

Design: Horseshoe-shaped, single-tube, double lane

Features

Semi-transverse ventilation system
Emergency exits every 500 meters
Evacuation lighting
Broadcasting systems
Fire hydrants for safety

Hume AI

News- Recently, Hume, a research lab and technology company based in New York, unveiled what is being described as the ‘first conversational AI equipped with emotional intelligence’.

About

Innovation: Hume AI is labeled as the world’s first emotionally intelligent voice AI.
Functionality: It processes live audio input, generating both audio and transcripts enhanced with vocal expression metrics.
Technology Core: Operates through a proprietary empathic large language model (eLLM) designed to understand and mimic vocal tones and emphasis, enhancing human-AI conversations.
Training: The eLLM is trained on human reactions to encourage positive outcomes such as happiness and satisfaction, with ongoing learning from user interactions.
Capabilities: Analyzes speech’s tune, rhythm, and timbre to introduce new features, including timely response initiation and the generation of empathetic language matching the appropriate tone.

Large Language Model

Nature: A large language model (LLM) is a sophisticated AI program capable of text recognition and generation, among other functionalities.
Training Data: It is trained on vast amounts of data, which justifies the descriptor “large.”
Foundation Technology: Utilizes machine learning technology, particularly a kind of neural network known as a transformer model.
Core Ability: An LLM is essentially a computer program that, through extensive training on numerous examples, can understand and process human language and other complex data types.

Lalit Kala Akademi

News- Recently, the powers of the Chairman of the Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA) have been reduced by the Ministry of Culture, which now prohibits him from executing any “administrative actions.”

About

Inauguration Date: August 5, 1954
Inaugurated By: Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the then Minister for Education
Registration: Under the Societies Registration Act of 1860
Collection: Preserves and documents a permanent collection showcasing contemporary, modern, folk, and tribal art in India
Purpose: Established as India’s national academy of fine arts by the Government of India to promote and propagate understanding of Indian art both domestically and internationally
International Promotion: Engages in promoting Indian Visual Art globally through Cultural Agreements and Cultural Exchange Programmes
Funding: Supported by the Ministry of Culture
Headquarters: Located in New Delhi
Regional Centres: Chennai, Lucknow, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Garhi

Clean Energy Transitions Programme

News- Recently, the annual report for 2023 on the Clean Energy Transitions Programme was released by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

About

Clean Energy Transitions Programme (CETP)

Launch Year: 2017
Initiative by: International Energy Agency (IEA)
Purpose: To accelerate progress towards a global net-zero energy system.
Focus: Facilitates clean energy transitions, especially in emerging and developing economies.
Alignment: Goals are aligned with the 2015 Paris Agreement and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Key Facts About the IEA

Nature: An autonomous inter-governmental organization within the OECD framework.
Mission: Collaborates with governments and industry to ensure a secure and sustainable energy future for all.
Foundation Year: 1974
Reason for Establishment: In response to the 1973-1974 oil crisis, aiming to secure oil supplies.
Membership: Comprises 31 member countries and eleven association countries.
Requirement for Membership: A candidate country must be a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

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