Rajasthan Government Appoints Rajendra Prasad Gupta as Advocate General | Rajasthan | 05 Feb 2024

Why in News?

On 3^rd February 2024, Rajasthan government appointed senior advocate of the Rajasthan High Court Rajendra Prasad Gupta as the Advocate General of the state.

Key Points

Rajendra Prasad Gupta was the Additional Advocate General (AAG) from January 2014 to January 2019.
He has a good reputation in the field of advocacy and has been practicing in the Jaipur Bench of the High Court since 1985.
He is an academic member of the National Law University, Jodhpur. He has also done CA in addition to obtaining an LLB degree.
The state government initiated the move after a petition was filed in the High Court regarding the delay in the appointment of the Advocate General.

Advocate General of State

The Advocate General of State is responsible for advising the State Government on legal matters referred to him by the Governor.
This is a Constitutional post and authority duly appointed under Article 165 of the Constitution of India. He/She acts as the highest law officer in the State.
- Under this article, the Governor of each State shall appoint a person who is qualified to be appointed as a Judge of a High Court to be Advocate General for the State.
The Advocate General appears in court on behalf of the state in all cases involving the state.
The Advocate General is entitled to address and participate in the sessions of both Houses of the State legislature and he has the privilege of participating in the activities of any committee of the State legislature if appointed a member.
- But he does not have the right to vote.

Additional Advocate General (AAG)

An Additional Advocate General (AAG) is a legal officer who assists the Advocate General (AG) of a state or union territory in India.
The AAG is appointed by the Governor of the state on the recommendation of the AG.
The AAG performs the duties assigned to him or her by the AG, such as appearing in the High Court or other courts on behalf of the state government, giving legal opinions, and drafting pleadings.

Rajasthan Artisans Craft at UAE’s First Hindu Temple | Rajasthan | 05 Feb 2024

Why in News?

The artisans from villages in Rajasthan’s Makrana are beaming with pride as their craft has found a place in Abu Dhabi’s first Hindu temple, set to be inaugurated.

Key Points

The temple is being built by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha on a 27-acre site in Abu Mureikhah, near Al Rahba off the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway.
The temple’s facade features exquisite marble carvings set against a sandstone backdrop, crafted from more than 25,000 pieces of stone by skilled artisans from Rajasthan and Gujarat.
- A substantial number of pink sandstone were transported from northern Rajasthan to Abu Dhabi for the temple.
Architectural elements include two ghumats (domes), seven shikhars (spires) that symbolise the seven UAE’s seven emirates, 12 samrans (dome-like structures) and 402 pillars.
Within each shikhar, intricate carvings depict stories from the Ramayana, Shiv Purana, Bhagavatam and Mahabharata, as well as narratives of Lord Jagannath, Lord Swaminarayan, Lord Venkateshwara and Lord Ayyappa.
The ‘Dome of Harmony’ serves as a unique portrayal of harmony of the five natural elements- earth, water, fire, air and space.
The camel - a symbol of persistence, commitment and endurance, has also been etched into the carvings while drawing inspiration from the landscape of the UAE.

Pink Sandstone

Sandstone is a sedimentary rock largely made up of sand grains in size ranging from 2 mm to 120 mm of varying compositions. The sand may consist of grains of quartz, felspar and other detrital minerals with interstitial cementing material.
- The pink color of sandstone is primarily due to the presence of iron oxide minerals.
Like other sandstones, pink sandstone is mainly composed of sand grains, which can be quartz, feldspar, and other minerals.
- The cementing material that binds these grains together can be calcite, silica, or iron oxide.
Pink sandstone is prominently found in India, primarily in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat.
- Notable locations include Dholpur in Rajasthan, known for its Dholpur Pink Sandstone; Jodhpur, Rajasthan, producing Jodhpur Pink Sandstone; Bhuj in Gujarat, renowned for Bhuj Pink Sandstone; and Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh, which yields Shivpuri Pink Sandstone.

Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha

It is a Hindu denomination within the Swaminarayan Sampradaya.
It was formed in 1905 by Yagnapurushdas following his conviction that Swaminarayan remained present on earth through a lineage of gurus starting with Gunatitanand Swami.