How can neuromorphic computing be applied to real-world problems like climate change, healthcare, and finance?
Mains Answer Writing Latest Questions
Rubi GautamBegginer
List the problems that India has with managing and storing food grains. Mention the actions the government has done to resolve this as well.
Firoj dudBegginer
Describe the reasons behind India’s need to encourage energy efficiency. Mention a few of the actions the government has taken to address this.
-
Energy efficiency essentially means using a lesser amount of energy while producing a given amount of output. For example, incandescent lights used to transform only a maximum up to 10% of electrical energy to useful light, whereas LED light converts at least 25% of the energy input into visible ligRead more
Energy efficiency essentially means using a lesser amount of energy while producing a given amount of output. For example, incandescent lights used to transform only a maximum up to 10% of electrical energy to useful light, whereas LED light converts at least 25% of the energy input into visible light energy.
Need for promoting energy efficiency in India
- High demand for energy: A growing population and rising aspirations of a growing middle class is driving the demand for energy resources in India. One unit of energy saved at the consumption level reduces the need for fresh capacity creation by 2 times to 2.5 times.Therefore, energy efficiency plays a crucial role in ensuring energy access.
- Energy Security: India meets its energy demands majorly from oil and coal; 80% of which is imported. This necessitates saving energy for reducing import dependence that increases the vulnerability of the country’s economy to global geopolitical and economic risks.
- Cost considerations: High costs of electricity hinders the competitiveness of basic Indian industries in the global market. Energy efficiency measures are therefore not only important to save money on electricity bills but also improve ease of doing business.
- Environmental pollution: A focus on energy efficiency is also necessary to reduce the heavy pollution- especially air pollution- caused by the industry and transport sector.
- Combating climate change: Energy efficiency is central to achieve India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets to lower the emissions intensity of GDP by 33-35 per cent by 2030 from 2005 levels.
India had realised the importance of energy rationing long back, evident from the launch of the Energy Conservation Act in 2001. Overall, various energy efficiency measures have translated into savings worth INR 89,000 crores (approximately) in 2018-19 and contributed in reducing 151.74 Million Tonnes of CO2 emission in India. This has been made possible due to various government efforts such as:
- National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE) under NAPCC: It aims to strengthen the market for energy efficiency by creating a conducive regulatory regime and fostering innovative business models. It includes market based mechanisms like Perform Achieve and Trade scheme, Energy Efficiency Financing Platform for raising finance etc.
- Promotion of Electric Vehicles National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP): The government has launched the scheme namely Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles (FAME India) under NEMMP 2020 in the Union Budget for 2015-16.
- Capacity Building of DISCOMS: Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana was launched in 2015 with the objective of capacity building of DISCOMs and promoting energy conservation programme.
- Promotion of Energy Efficient LED Bulbs – UJALA scheme: It aims to promote efficient use of energy at the residential level, enhance the awareness of consumers about the efficacy of using energy efficient appliances.
- Standards and Labeling: The Bureau of Energy Efficiency initiated the Standards and Labeling programme for equipment and appliances in 2006 to provide the consumer an informed choice about the energy savings.
By urgently and fully adopting an energy energy effici efficient lifestyle, India can build a positive momentum towards transformation of the energy system that will achieve the common climate change and sustainable development goals.
See less
Neeru KumariBegginer
Describe inclusive growth and discuss its implications for India’s overall development.
-
India has made significant progress on several indicators of inclusive growth such as, skill development, financial inclusion, improvement in indices such as Human Development Index, Social Progress Index etc. However, the process of inclusive growth has not been completely actualised. Inclusive groRead more
India has made significant progress on several indicators of inclusive growth such as, skill development, financial inclusion, improvement in indices such as Human Development Index, Social Progress Index etc. However, the process of inclusive growth has not been completely actualised. Inclusive growth is significant for overall development in India for following reasons:
- Alleviating poverty and bridging income inequality: As per 2011 Census, about 22% of India’s population lives below the poverty line. Further, an Oxfam report reveals that India’s richest 1% holds more than four- times the wealth held by the bottom 70% of the country’s population. In such a situation,inclusive growth through equitable distribution of resources and sustainable economic growth, will help in lifting millions out of poverty and bridging the gap between the rich and poor.
- Curbing unemployment: According to the National Sample Survey Office’s (NSSO) jah survey for 2017-18, the unemployment rate in India was over 6 per cent which is a 45-year high.Inclusive growth can ensure targeted development of physical infrastructure which is crucial for creation of large scale employment opportunities for the unskilled/semi-skilled workers in India.
- Improving healthcare, water and sanitation facilities: Inclusive growth can lead to massive extension of affordable healthcare, control of drug prices, free availability of drinking water and sanitation facilities. This will help in tackling the issues like high infant and maternal mortality, high out-of-pocket health expenditure etc.
- Enhancing the education sector: According to 2011 Census Data, nearly 26% Indians were not literate which is far below world average which is around 14%. Hence, inclusive growth by erasing illiteracy and massive expansion of primary and technical education can enhance labour productivity and gainful employment opportunity of the excluded agents in the current growth process. It will also lead to optimisation of India’s demographic dividend potential.
- Inclusive agriculture: Since agriculture is the largest employment sector in India, its development has a direct correlation with the welfare of millions. Inclusive agriculture will help to tackle the challenges of low income for farmers, lack of access to institutional credit etc.
- Environmental sustainability: Sustainable environmental development is one of the crucial elements of inclusive growth. Thus, inclusive growth will promote environmental sustainability by overcoming the problems like degradation of land, pollution etc.
The government has undertaken several initiatives in this context such as Jan Dhan Yojana, Zojana, MGNREGA, Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, Ayushman Bharat Yojana, PM-KISAN scheme etc. However, more measures are needed to attain multi-dimensional inclusive growth. Further, hitherto marginalised groups such as specially-abled, transgenders, elderly etc. need to be made active participants in the development process going forward.
See less
Neuromorphic computing, inspired by the human brain's architecture, has the potential to revolutionize several fields through its energy-efficient, adaptive, and highly parallel processing capabilities. In climate change, neuromorphic systems can enhance climate modeling and prediction by processingRead more
Neuromorphic computing, inspired by the human brain’s architecture, has the potential to revolutionize several fields through its energy-efficient, adaptive, and highly parallel processing capabilities.
In climate change, neuromorphic systems can enhance climate modeling and prediction by processing vast amounts of environmental data more efficiently. Their ability to learn and adapt in real-time can improve the accuracy of models, helping to predict extreme weather events and enabling better-informed climate policies.
In healthcare, neuromorphic computing can accelerate the analysis of complex medical data, such as imaging and genomic information, leading to faster and more accurate diagnoses. Its real-time processing capabilities can also support advanced prosthetics and brain-machine interfaces, providing more responsive and personalized treatments for patients with neurological disorders.
In finance, neuromorphic systems can transform data analysis and decision-making processes. Their capacity for real-time learning and adaptation can improve algorithmic trading, risk assessment, and fraud detection. By processing large datasets quickly and identifying patterns, these systems can provide more timely and accurate financial insights, leading to better investment strategies and enhanced security measures.
Overall, neuromorphic computing offers significant advancements in efficiency and adaptability, making it a powerful tool for addressing complex, data-intensive challenges across various sectors.
See less