News In Short 06-11-2024

Maha Kumbh Mela

Syllabus: GS1/Culture 

In News 

• The upcoming Maha Kumbh Mela will be in Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26, 2025.

About Maha Kumbh Mela

• The Maha Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years.
• It is the world’s largest peaceful pilgrimage, drawing millions to bathe in sacred rivers for spiritual cleansing and liberation. 
• Historical Background: The Kumbh Mela dates back to the Maurya and Gupta periods.
  • During medieval times, it received royal patronage and was even attended by Mughal Emperor Akbar. 
  • Colonial records by British administrators like James Prinsep offer detailed documentation of the festival.
• Post-Independence: Since India’s independence, the Maha Kumbh Mela symbolizes national unity and cultural heritage. UNESCO recognized it as an intangible cultural heritage in 2017, highlighting its enduring cultural significance.
• Religious Significance: The festival is deeply rooted in Hindu mythology and rotates among four sacred sites: Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik, and Prayagraj.
  • Each is situated by a holy river, from the Ganges to the Shipra, the Godavari, and the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Sarasvati in Prayagraj.
  • The timing of each Kumbh Mela is determined by the astrological positions of the Sun, Moon, and Jupiter, believed to signal an auspicious period for spiritual cleansing and self-enlightenment
• Core Ritual: Central to the Kumbh Mela is the ritual of bathing at Triveni Sangam (confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and Sarasvati), believed to purify the soul, free one from rebirth, and guide toward spiritual liberation.
• Special Ceremonies: The grand Shahi Snan (royal bath) marks the festival’s start, with auspicious bathing dates like Paush Purnima. The Peshwai procession, where ascetics parade on elephants and chariots, is another iconic feature.
• Cultural Celebration: The Mela showcases Indian arts, music, dance, and crafts, allowing pilgrims to experience a cultural celebration alongside their spiritual journey.
• Global Participation: The Kumbh attracts international pilgrims drawn by its message of unity, tolerance, and universal spirituality, illustrating humanity’s shared pursuit of inner peace.

Source: PIB

Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das

Syllabus: GS1/Personality in News

Context

• Parliamentarians paid tribute to Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das on his Birth Anniversary.

About Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das (1870 – 1925)

• He was a freedom fighter, leader, and social reformer, regarded as one of the key figures in the early 20th-century nationalist movement.
• He became an active member of the Indian National Congress (INC) and aligned himself with the more radical wing of the party.
• His early political ideas were influenced by Bankim Chandra and ‘Rashtraguru’ Surendernath Banerjee who was twice the President of INC, in 1895 and 1902.
• He was a key figure in the Swadeshi Movement (1905–1908), which aimed at boycotting British goods in protest against the partition of Bengal by the British.
• He established the Swarajya Party within the Congress in collaboration with Pt. Motilal Nehru, the Ali brothers, Ajmal Khan, Vittihalbhai Patel and others. 

Source: PIB

T.N. Declares Heatwaves a State-specific Disaster

Syllabus: GS3/Disaster Management

Context

• The Tamil Nadu government has notified the heatwave as a State-specific disaster. 

About

• The World Meteorological Organization declared that 2023 was the hottest year on record. 
• In the summer of 2024, a severe and long heatwave impacted India, blistering plains and hills, causing deaths and heat strokes. 
• State Specific Disaster: It would entail providing relief to people affected by heatwaves and launch interim measures to help manage the heat.
  • Expenditure for this will be incurred from the State Disaster Response Fund.

Heatwave

• A heatwave is defined as a prolonged period of unusually and excessively hot weather, accompanied by high humidity. 
• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has specified the following criteria:
  • a heatwave need not be considered till the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40°C for plains and at least 30°C for hilly regions. 

Source: TH

Chalo India Campaign

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

Context

• The Ministry of Tourism is going to launch the Chalo India campaign on the sidelines of the ongoing World Travel Mart in London.

About

• Chalo India is a first-of-its-kind initiative to bring more foreign tourists to India, wherein the government will allow “friends” of diaspora members to get free visas. 
• Five foreign nationals nominated by each Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder on a special portal will be eligible for a gratis e-visa (visa granted without fees).

Overseas Citizen of India – OCI was introduced by the Indian government in 2005.  – A registered OCI is granted multiple entry, multi-purpose life-long visa for visiting India. – They are exempted from registration with Foreign Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) or Foreign Registration Officer (FRO) for any length of stay in India. – OCI cardholders can open special bank accounts in India, they can buy non-farm property and exercise ownership rights and can also apply for a driver’s licence and PAN card. 1. However they are required to seek permission or a permit to visit protected areas in India.  Eligibility Criteria – It provides for registration as an OCI of all Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) who were citizens of India on 26th January, 1950, or thereafter, or were eligible to become citizens of India on the said date. A foreign national who; 1. Belonged to a territory that became part of India after 15th August, 1947; or 2. A child or a grandchild or a great grandchild of such a citizen; or 3. A minor child of such persons mentioned above; or 4. A minor child whose both parents are citizens of India or one of the parents is a citizen of India is eligible for registration as OCI cardholder. Who cannot be an OCI?  – An applicant is not eligible to get an OCI card if his/her parents or grandparents have ever been a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh.  – Foreign military personnel either in service or retired are also not entitled for grant of OCI. What are OCIs not allowed to do? – The OCI card holder is not entitled to vote; to be a member of a Legislative Assembly or of a Legislative Council or of Parliament; to hold Indian constitutional posts such as that of the President, Vice President, Judge of the Supreme Court or High Court.  – He or she cannot normally hold employment in the government.

Source: IE

SC Upholds validity of U.P. Madrasa Act

Syllabus: GS2/ Polity and governance

Context

• The Supreme Court held that the validity of a law cannot be challenged for violating the Basic Structure of the Constitution.

Supreme Court ruling

• The Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the ‘Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education Act 2004′ and set aside the Allahabad High Court’s judgment which had struck it down earlier.
• The reason is that concepts such as democracy, federalism, and secularism are undefined concepts.
  • Allowing courts to strike down legislation for violation of such concepts will introduce an element of uncertainty in our constitutional adjudication.
• The court referred to the observation made by the  Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain case.

Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain case – The basic structure doctrine, established in Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973), held that certain foundational aspects of the Constitution cannot be amended even by Parliament.  – However, in Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain (1975), a majority of the Bench ruled that the doctrine does not apply to ordinary legislation, as statutes are subordinate to constitutional amendments and remain within the bounds of legislative competence.

Source: TH

India-Kazakhstan Form Joint Venture For Titanium Slag Production

Syllabus: GS3/Economy/ S&T

In News

• India and Kazakhstan have signed an agreement to establish a joint venture company, IREUK Titanium Limited, for the production of titanium slag in India. 

About Titanium

• Titanium is a strong, lightweight, and corrosion-resistant metal and it is the 9th most abundant element on Earth.
• Primary Ores: Rutile (TiO₂) and Ilmenite (FeTiO₃)
  • Titanium slag is a byproduct of the ilmenite smelting process, where ilmenite ore is processed to produce high-purity titanium dioxide (TiO₂) feedstock for further refining.
• Applications: Used in industries requiring durability and lightweight materials. This includes aerospace components (aircraft engines, frames), medical implants (due to its biocompatibility), automotive parts, electronics, and even sports equipment.

Source: ET

LignoSat: World’s First Wooden Satellite

Syllabus: GS 3/Space

Context

• Japan has launched LignoSat, the world’s first wooden satellite into space to prove that wood is a space-grade material.

About: LignoSat

• Named after the Latin word for “wood”, LignoSat is made of honoki, using a traditional Japanese crafts technique without screws or glue.
  • Honoki, a kind of magnolia tree native to Japan and traditionally used to make sword sheaths.
• Developed by Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry Co. is scheduled to orbit the Earth for six months.
• The satellite will measure how wood endures the extreme environment of space, where temperatures fluctuate from -100 to 100 degrees Celsius every 45 minutes as objects orbit through darkness and sunlight. 
• It will also gauge timber’s ability to reduce the impact of space radiation on semiconductors, making it useful for applications such as data centre construction.

Do you know? – Wood is more durable in space than on Earth because there’s no water or oxygen that would rot or inflame it. – Conventional metal satellites create aluminium oxide particles during re-entry, but wooden ones would just burn up with less pollution.

Source: AIR

River City Alliance

Syllabus: GS3/Environment

Context

• Union Minister for Jal Shakti Shri inaugurated Ganga Utsav 2024 in Haridwar under the River City Alliance.

River City Alliance

• It is an organization that now includes 145 river cities nationwide. 
• The alliance’s main objective is to promote healthy urban rivers through an integrated approach to river-sensitive urban planning. 
• The Alliance is open to all river cities of India. Any river city can join the Alliance at any time.

Source: PIB

PM E-DRIVE Scheme

Syllabus: GS3/Environment 

In News 

• The PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme was approved by the Cabinet with an outlay of Rs. 10,900 crore till March  2026.

PM E-DRIVE Scheme

About:

• It promotes mass mobility through the support of public transportation systems. 
• Its primary aim is to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), establish charging infrastructure, and build a robust EV manufacturing ecosystem in the country.

Objectives:

• Promote mass mobility via EVs.
• Offer upfront incentives for EV purchases to boost adoption.
• Establish a competitive EV manufacturing ecosystem aligned with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
• Improve air quality and reduce transportation-related environmental impacts.

Key Components:

• Subsidies: Incentives for various EV types, including e-2Ws, e-3Ws, e-ambulances, e-trucks, and other emerging EV categories.
• Grants for Capital Assets: Funding for electric buses, charging stations, and upgrades to testing facilities.
• Administrative Costs: Includes funding for IEC (Information, Education & Communication) activities and a project management agency.

Eligible EV Categories:

• Two-Wheelers: 24.79 lakh electric two-wheelers, both private and commercial, with advanced batteries.
• Three-Wheelers: 3.2 lakh electric three-wheelers for commercial use with advanced batteries.
• e-Ambulances: Rs. 500 crore allocated, with performance and safety standards under development.
• e-Trucks: Rs. 500 crore allocated for e-trucks with scrapping certificate verification.
• e-Buses: Rs. 4,391 crore allocated for 14,028 electric buses, with demand aggregation for major cities, especially replacing older buses.

Source: PIB