24 June 2023

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – Gartang Gully: GS I – Indian Culture

Context:

• The history of Gartang Gali/Gully, an ancient trade route connecting Tibet and India that is located atop a steep ridge in the Uttarkashi region, has long been shrouded in mystery.

Important details:

• Numerous ideas have been proposed as to how the wooden pathway came to be at such an unexpected location.
• According to the locals, Jaad Bhotiyas frequented the route for cross-border trade.
• Gartang Gali was constructed by British timber baron, hunter, naturalist, and writer Frederick Wilson for carrying out clandestine forays into Tibet for hunting and information collection, according to thorough study.
• The documents that are readily available estimate Gartang Gali’s age to be between 160 and 170.

Details regarding Gartang Gali:

• Gartang Gali is located in Uttarkashi’s picturesque Nelong valley.
• The 136 m long and 1.8 m wide path provides a skywalk experience.
• Up until 1962, Taknore Patti traders used the path, which is in an odd location, to carry out cross-border trade with Tibet.
• After the India-China conflict, the lovely wood building was entirely neglected and abandoned for many years.
• Because Garhwal only had temporary wooden bridges (Sanga) made from tree trunks up to the 1930s, there isn’t much information accessible about Gartang Gali.

Frederick Wilson:

• This method was commonly used by Frederick Wilson to establish a clandestine route to the Tibet region because outsiders were not permitted there.
• Known as Pahadi Wilson and Raja of Harsil, the former British Army soldier settled in Harsil (Uttarkashi) in the 1850s and married a local woman.
• It’s conceivable that after Frederick Wilson died in 1883, the traders from Uttarkashi began using the Gartang Gali to travel to Nelong.
• Wilson repaired the forest road and constructed multiple bridges, which aided in enhancing communication along the Mussoorie to Gangotri route.
• He built forest guesthouses in Dharasu, Uttarkashi, Bhatwari, and Harsil.
• Wilson was one of the most significant people in this region at the time and was known as the Ranger of the Himalayas.
• He used to operate covertly within Tibet from Bhairoghati.
• Wilson gained the respect of the Jaad community by assisting in their relocation to Nelong and Jadhong.

Source The Hindu

2 – Jagannath Rath Yatra: GS I – Indian Culture

Context:

• There is ongoing celebration of the Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra, one of the most important religious festivals in India.

Important details:

• The “Festival of Chariots,” as this celebration is often known, begins in the month of Ashadha.
• The event commemorates the annual visit of Lord Jagannath, Balaram, and Subhadra to the Gundicha temple in Odisha.
• Every year, the nine-day Rath Yatra, the biggest chariot parade in the world, takes place.

History:

• The holy Hindu texts Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, Skanda Purana, and Kapila Samhita indicate that Subhadra, Lord Jagannath’s sister, yearned to travel to Puri.
• To fulfil Devi Subhadra’s wish, Lord Jagannath and his older brother, Lord Balabhadra, rode a chariot to Puri.
• This ceremony represents the pilgrimage from their home temple to another temple, which is believed to be the place where their aunt lives.

Significance:

• This is the only event in the entire globe where gods leave their temples to greet their followers.
• The deities’ raths come at the Gundicha temple on the first day of the procession and stay there for the following days.
• They visit the Jagannath shrine once more on the ninth day.
• The three chariots used to convey the deities are constructed and embellished before the yatra even begins by master carpenters called “Maharana.”

Every chariot has a distinctive name:

• Nandighosh is the name of Lord Jagannath’s chariot.
• The Lord Balabhadra’s chariot is known by the name Taladhwaja.
• Darpadalana is the name of Devi Subhadra’s chariot.
• Participating in these rites is thought to bring prosperity and the accomplishment of one’s goals. Devotees are the ones who carry these raths.
• According to Hindu literature, Lord Jagannath is the “Lord of the Universe.”
• He is regarded as an avatar of Lord Vishnu and is well-liked by Vaishnavism followers.
• One of the four Char Dham pilgrimage destinations that Hindus are required to visit at least once in their lifetime is the Jagannath Temple.

Source The Hindu

3 – Broadcast of sacred Gurbani: GS I – Indian Culture

Context:

• In order to end the alleged monopoly of PTC, a television network affiliated with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s family, on the broadcast of Gurbani from Sri Harmandir Sahib, the Punjab Assembly changed the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925.

Important details:

• The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) is required to spread the teachings of the Gurus by offering a continuous live feed of the holy Gurbani at no cost to any media organisations, outlets, platforms, channels, etc. who wish to broadcast anywhere in the world, according to Section 125A of the Bill, which amends the British Raj-era Act.
• The decision received criticism for being unconstitutional and obstructing the religious freedom of Sikhs.
• The Gurdwaras Act is said to be unchangeable by the Punjab Assembly, especially without the consent of the SGPC.

How is the live broadcast of the Gurbani currently configured?

• For an 11-year period, the SGPC and G-Next Media Pvt Ltd entered into a contract in 2012 to broadcast the revered Gurbani from Sri Harmandir Sahib.
• The company agreed to pay the SGPC an initial yearly charge of Rs. 1 crore plus an additional 10% annually.
• The SGPC appointed a committee to seek fresh bids for the telecast rights to the famed Gurbani as the contract’s expiration date approached the next month.
• The Chief Minister of Punjab declared that there was no need for tenders after the new law was passed.

What is the Sikh Gurdwaras Act of 1925?

• The SGPC was established in 1920 in order to launch a Gurdwara Sudhar Lehra (Gurdwara Reform Movement) for effective management of Gurdwaras in conformity with Sikh teachings.
• The Shiromani Akali Dal was established one month later.
• The early years of the SGPC were marked by warfare with the British government, which cost 500 Sikhs their lives and imprisoned 20,000 others.
• Finally, with the help of another Sikh legislator, Bhai Jodh Singh, Sardar Tara Singh Moga filed a Bill to create a management body for Gurdwaras in the Punjab Legislative Council on May 7, 1925.
• The Sikh Gurdwaras Act went into effect on November 1st, 1925.
• The SGPC was first granted responsibility over 241 Gurdwaras under this Act, including 65 Gurdwaras that joined Pakistan after Partition.

The Act following Independence:

• Up until 1966, the Gurdwaras Act was under the control of the East Punjabi administration.
• The Punjab Reorganisation Act of 1966, which created the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, declared the Sikh Gurdwaras Act of 1925 to be an interstate law. By doing this, it was certain that the SGPC would continue to oversee Gurdwaras.
• the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, which was approved by Parliament, to be modified.
• The Sikh Gurdwaras Act no longer applies to gurdwaras in Haryana as a result of the Haryana Assembly passing the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara (Management) Act in 2014.
• The Supreme Court affirmed the Haryana law when the 1925 Act was challenged, concluding that it had preserved the Sikhs’ exclusive sovereignty over their religious affairs.
• The Act has undergone seven modifications since 1925.
• The Union government took control of it in 1966, and five of these improvements were made.

Shiromani Gurdwara Committee:

• The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee is in charge of overseeing the management of gurdwaras in the states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh as well as the union territory of Chandigarh.
• In addition, SGPC oversees Amritsar’s Darbar Sahib.
• The SGPC is managed by the president of SGPC.
• In addition to maintaining priceless and archaeologically rare items like weapons, clothing, manuscripts, and writings of the Sikh Gurus, the SGPC is responsible for the financial, security, theological, and facility-maintenance aspects of the Gurdwaras.

The home of the SGPC:

• Ideally, the SGPC house should be selected every five years.
• Among the 191 members of the present house, 170 are from Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.
• The Head Granthi of Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib, the Jathedars of the five Takht Sahibs, and the fifteen nominees from across the country make up the remaining six members.
• Thirty seats in the house are reserved for females.

Source The Hindu

4 – National Capital Civil Services Authority: GS II – Statutory and Non-Statutory Bodies

Context:

• The Chief Minister of Delhi attended the inaugural meeting of the National Capital Civil Services Authority (NCCSA), which he characterised as a fruitless exercise.

About the NCCSA:

Composition:

• The Principal Home Secretary, the Chief Secretary, and the Chief Minister of the National Capital Territory of Delhi will make up the National Capital Civil Service Authority. The Chief Minister will serve as the authority’s ex officio chairperson.

Decision-making and voting:

• The majority of the members present and voting will decide on any issues that need to be decided by the authority.
• The decision of the Lieutenant Governor is final if there is a difference of opinion.
• The member secretary must confirm all recommendations made by the authority.

Strengths and abilities:

• The National Capital Civil Service Authority will convene when necessary at a location and time chosen by the member secretary with approval from the authority chairperson.
• To address concerns like officer tenure, compensation, benefits, provident funds, and other responsibilities, the central government may enact regulations.
• The Authority would propose all Group ‘A’ officials and DANICS officers working for the Delhi government’s transfers and postings.

Source The Hindu

5 – Lake Victoria: GS I – Geography-related issues

Context:

• In East Africa’s Lake Victoria Basin (LVB), populations are in danger from flooding, windstorms, and severe rains, according to a recent study.

Principal findings of the study:

• The paper Extreme climatic events will intensify across the Lake Victoria Basin under global warming studied future precipitation patterns over the LVB.
• Extreme weather events like frequent flooding have a big influence on the 40 million residents of LVB, which includes some of the largest freshwater lakes and fisheries in the world.
• The extreme flooding that hit towns around lakes forced over 200,000 people to flee to Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
• Rapid urbanisation, agricultural development, population increase, and industrialisation have all had a negative impact on Lake Victoria and the marshes and woods that surround it.
• This pressure is only made worse by LVB’s altered equatorial climate.
• The study calculated the mean annual and seasonal precipitation levels across the study domain.
• The results show that over the LVB, sub-seasonal scale precipitation changes are more likely to occur than seasonal and annual fluctuations.
• It shows a consistent increase in mean daily precipitation intensity across all seasons.

Impact:

• These changes would have a significant effect on the area, which already sees disputes over water and water resources.
• Additionally, it shows significant impacts on the fish and other biodiversity in LVB.
• 76% of the indigenous species in the lake are endangered, according to a report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Conclusion:

• The biodiversity of the lake must be properly monitored and protected in order to lessen the effects of climate change on it.
• This is problematic since there are currently insufficient climate models and expertise to adequately represent weather and climate processes over the LVB.

In relation to Lake Victoria:

• Lake Victoria is one of Africa’s Great Lakes.
• Lake Victoria is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, the largest tropical lake, and the largest lake in Africa, surpassing Lake Superior in North America.

Source The Hindu

6 – Aurangzeb’s tomb: GS I – Indian Culture

Context:

• The head of the Shiv Sena (UBT) downplayed the most recent visit by one of his allies to Aurangzeb’s tomb.

Details of the Tomb:

Location:

• In Khuldabad, Maharashtra’s Aurangabad district, is the tomb of Aurangzeb, the last Mughal emperor.

Architecture:

• Unlike other Mughal cemeteries, which are significant examples of Mughal construction, Aurangzeb is interred in an unmarked grave at the compound of the dargah or shrine of Sheikh Zainuddin. He had taken the initiative to do this.
• Following his burial, Aurangzeb was given the honorary title “Khuld-makan” (which means “he whose abode is in eternity”).
• Later, Lord Curzon filled the area with marble and surrounded it with a perforated marble screen.
• The tomb is covered by “the vault of the sky”.
• The gateway and the porch with a dome were built around 1760.

The complex’s further tombs include:

• The dargah has the tombs of Nasir Jung, Muhammad Azam Shah, and his wife in addition to the first Nizam of Hyderabad, Asaf Jah I.

Source The Hindu