State PCS

• 08 Apr 2024

Maoist-Hit Areas in Singhbhum to Witness Voting for First-Time

Why in News?

Areas in the Maoist den of Singhbhum will witness voting for the first time, or after decades-long gap, as polling teams and materials will be air dropped from helicopters to enable people living in Saranda, Asia's densest Sal forest, to exercise their franchise.

Key Points

• Despite improvement in the situation, West Singhbhum remains one of the worst left-wing extremism-affected districts of the country. It had also witnessed 46 Maoist-related incidents resulting in 22 deaths in 2023.
  • Maoism is a form of communism developed by Mao Tse Tung. It is a doctrine to capture State power through a combination of armed insurgency, mass mobilization and strategic alliances.
• Thalkobad and about two dozen other villages were earlier dubbed as 'liberated zones' but the administration succeeded in establishing its presence through massive operations by security forces, including Operation Anaconda.
  • Operation Anaconda was launched in 2011 in the Saranda forest area of Chaibasa district against the Maoist extremists.
  • This area is claimed as a liberated area by the Maoists and is functioning as the headquarters of their Eastern Regional Bureau.
• The administration is resorting to innovative ways, including putting up a giant sky balloon at a height of 100 feet, and running 1,284 'Chunav Pathshala' under the Systematic Voter's Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) to make people aware of the need to exercise their franchise.
• 118 remote booths will be set up by personnel and materials dropped from choppers such as Robokera, Binj, Thalkobad, Jaraikela, Roam, Rengrahatu, Hansabeda and Chhotanagra.

Left Wing Extremism (LWE)

• Also known as left-wing terrorism or radical left-wing movements, refers to political ideologies and groups that advocate for significant societal and political change through revolutionary means.
• LWE groups may target government institutions, law enforcement agencies, or private property to further their agenda.
• The LWE movement in India originated in a 1967 uprising in Naxalbari, West Bengal.

Systematic Voter's Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP)

• Started in 2009, as the flagship program of the Election Commission of India (ECI) for voter education.
• Primary goal is to build an inclusive & participative democracy by encouraging all eligible citizens to vote and make an informed decision & ethical choice.

Saranda: Asia's Densest Sal Forest

• It is located along the Jharkhand-Odisha border, and is home to a large number of animal, bird and reptile species.
• The word saranda means elephants and the forest gets its name due to the large number of elephants that call it home.

Advaita Ashrama Marks 125th Anniversary

Why in News?

Advaita Ashram in Mayavati, a centre of Ramakrishna Math and Mission in Uttarakhand, is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2024.

• A two-day programme was recently held in Mayavati to commemorate the milestone.

Key Points

• The ashram was founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1899.
• The objective of the Ashrama is to study, practice and preach the Advaita philosophy free from ritualistic settings, and also to train others in spreading it.
  • The Ashrama in a short time became a centre point for the best minds of the East and the West. It helped spread the core Advaita doctrine.
• Advaita Ashrama in Kolkata was established 21 years after Mayavati Ashram to meet the growing demand for its publications and journal Prabuddha Bharata.
• Advaita Vedanta is the core of Hindu Dharma, teaching the oneness of existence and solidarity of the human race.
  • For the past 125 years, Advaita Ashrama has been disseminating principles of Advaita ideology through literature published from its Kolkata branch.

Advaita Vedanta

• It articulates a philosophical position of radical nondualism, a revisionary worldview which it derives from the ancient Upanishadic texts.
• According to Advaita Vedantins, the Upanishads reveal a fundamental principle of nonduality termed ‘brahman’, which is the reality of all things.
• Advaitins understand brahman as transcending individuality and empirical plurality. They seek to establish that the essential core of one’s self (atman) is brahman.
• The fundamental thrust of Advaita Vedanta is that the atman is pure non-intentional consciousness.
  • It is one without a second, nondual, infinite existence, and numerically identical with brahman.

Swami Vivekananda

• He was born as Narendra Nath Datta, on 12th January, 1863.
• He was a monk and chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhansa.
• He introduced Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world and is credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the world stage during the late 19th century.
• He established Ramakrishna Mission in 1987, named after his Guru Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa. The institution did extensive educational and philanthropic work in India.
• He also represented India in the first Parliament of Religion held in Chicago (U.S.) in 1893.

NIA Raids 12 Places in a Naxal Conspiracy Case

Why in News?

In an anti-India conspiracy case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided 12 places in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Key Points

• Of the total, 11 locations were searched in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh and one location in Kaimur district of Bihar in connection with the case registered originally by Uttar Pradesh's Anti Terror Squad (ATS).
  • During the search operation, several digital devices, including mobile phones, SIM cards and memory cards, along with incriminating documents like pamphlets of the proscribed naxal outfit were seized.
• As per NIA's investigations so far, the banned outfit is making active efforts to re-energise its presence in the Northern Regional Bureau, comprising Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

National Investigation Agency (NIA)

• The NIA is the Central Counter-Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency of India mandated to investigate all the offences affecting the sovereignty, security and integrity of India. It includes:
  • Friendly relations with foreign states.
  • Against atomic and nuclear facilities.
  • Smuggling of arms, drugs and fake Indian currency and infiltration from across the borders.
  • The offences under the statutory laws enacted to implement international treaties, agreements, conventions and resolutions of the United Nations, its agencies and other international organisations.
• It was constituted under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act, 2008.
• The agency is empowered to deal with the investigation of terror related crimes across states without special permission from the states under written proclamation from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Headquarters: New Delhi

Naxalism in India

• The term Naxalism derives its name from the village Naxalbari of West Bengal.
• It originated as rebellion against local landlords who bashed a peasant over a land dispute. The rebellion was initiated in 1967, with an objective of rightful redistribution of the land to working peasants under the leadership of Kanu Sanyal and Jagan Santhal.
• Started in West Bengal, the movement has spread across Eastern India; in less developed areas of states such as Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
• It is considered that Naxals support Maoist political sentiments and ideology.

Vice President Urges Young Professionals for India's 2047 Goal

Why in News?

Recently, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar urged young professionals to be part of the endeavour of making India a developed country by 2047.

Key Points

• He was addressing the 6th convocation ceremony of IIM Bodh Gaya in Bihar.
• He emphasized that young minds and students are torchbearers of India’s future and appealed to young students to harness their skills and talent to script a new chapter in India’s growth story.
• The Vice President conferred degrees to students of MBA in a convocation ceremony.
• The Vice President also paid a visit to the world famous Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya and offered prayers.

The Maha Bodhi Temple

• It is one of the four holy sites related to the life of the Lord Buddha, and particularly to the attainment of Enlightenment (Bodhi).
  • The other three are: Lumbini (Birth) in Nepal, Sarnath (Dharma-Chakra-Pravartana - 1st Sermon) and Kushinagar (Mahaparinirvana- death) in Uttar Pradesh.
• The original structure was built by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka. However, it was reconstructed entirely in brick in the late Gupta period. The present temple dates from the 5th or 6th centuries.
• It was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2002.

Vision India@2047

• It is a project initiated by the NITI Aayog, the apex policy think tank of India, to create a blueprint for India’s development in the next 25 years.
• The project aims to make India a global leader in innovation and technology, a model of human development and social welfare, and a champion of environmental sustainability.

3.7 Magnitude of Earthquake in Rajasthan

Why in News?

According to the National Center for Seismology, an Earthquake of magnitude 3.7 shook Pali, Rajasthan, recently.

Key Points

• An earthquake in simple words is the shaking of the earth. It is a natural event. It is caused due to release of energy, which generates waves that travel in all directions.
• The vibrations called seismic waves are generated from earthquakes that travel through the Earth and are recorded on instruments called seismographs.
• Types of Earthquakes: Fault Zones, Tectonic Earthquakes, Volcanic Earthquake, Human Induced Earthquakes.
• Earthquake in India:
  • India is one of the highly earthquake affected countries because of the presence of technically active young fold mountains - Himalaya.
  • India has been divided into four seismic zones (II, III, IV, and V) based on scientific inputs relating to seismicity, earthquakes that occurred in the past and tectonic setup of the region.

Kuno National Park

Why in News?

Tourists are visiting Kuno National Park located in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district, to see Cheetahs.

Key Points

• Kuno National Park is home to several cheetahs translocated from Namibia and South Africa.
  • The Cheetah Reintroduction Project in India formally commenced on September 17, 2022, to restore the population of cheetahs, which were declared extinct in the country in 1952.
  • The project is implemented by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in collaboration with the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, Wildlife Institute of India (WII), and cheetah experts from Namibia and South Africa.