Protests over furling Hanuman flag over National flag
Keragodu village in Mandya district, Karnataka, witnessed a contentious incident when authorities removed a Hanuman flag from a 108-foot pole, sparking widespread protests.
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- Chief Minister Siddaramaiah supported the decision, stating that the national flag should have been hoisted instead. This move resulted in heightened tensions, prompting a significant police presence in the village.
- The ‘Hanuma dwaja,‘ a saffron flag featuring Lord Hanuman’s portrait, was taken down by district authorities.
- The controversy unfolded as residents from Keragodu and surrounding villages, supported by opposition parties, opposed the removal of the saffron flag. It was reported that the installation of the flag post had received funding from locals and organizations.
- The flagpole in Keragodu village falls under the panchayat’s jurisdiction. Permission was given to hoist the national flag on Republic Day, but the flag was reportedly replaced that evening.
- The opposition leader from the BJP expressed disapproval of the government’s perceived “anti-Hindu stance,” condemning the removal of the Hanuma Dwaja. Also asserted that the flag had received approval from the gram panchayat and accused the Congress government of acting hastily, terming it an “anti-Rama stand” and an “insult to Lord Hanuman.”
- Part IV-A of the Constitution:
- The Part IV-A of the Constitution (which consists of only one Article 51-A) specifies the eleven Fundamental Duties.
- According to Article 51A (a), it shall be the duty of every citizen of India to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem.
- The Flag Code of India permits the display of the Tricolour without restrictions as long as it is done with due respect and dignity for the flag.
- Article 25 (Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and propagation of religion) Article 25 guarantees the freedom of conscience, the freedom to profess, practice, and propagate religion to all citizens. The above-mentioned freedoms are subject to public order, health, and morality.
Daimond Jubliee Celebration of Supreme Court
Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the importance of justice as a right for every Indian citizen during the Diamond Jubilee celebration of the Supreme Court.
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- The recent Diamond Jubilee celebration of the Supreme Court (SC) was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India. He urged the Supreme Court to focus on capacity-building for all stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition from old laws to the new regime.
- SC is the highest judicial authority under the Constitution of India, as outlined in Article 124.
75th Anniversary Initiatives:
- Digital Supreme Court Reports (Digi SCR): A digital repository with 36,308 cases since 1950, accessible to the public.
- Digital Courts 2.0: Facilitates digital access to court records for district court Judges, incorporating real-time AI-driven speech-to-text transcription.
- New SC Website: Bilingual (English and Hindi) and redesigned for enhanced user-friendliness.
Judicial System Improvements:
- Over Rs. 7,000 crore disbursed since 2014 for enhancing physical infrastructure.
- Approval of Rs. 800 crore for the expansion of the Supreme Court building and related facilities.
- Initiatives to translate SC judgments into regional languages.
- Abolished outdated colonial criminal laws, introducing new legislation such as Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Samhita, Bhartiya Nyaya Samhita, and Bhartiya Sakshya Adhiniyam.
- Enactment of the Jan Vishwas Bill to reduce pending cases, easing the burden on the judiciary.
Supreme Court
- Established on January 26, 1950, coinciding with the enactment of the Constitution.
- Inaugurated on January 28, 1950, two days after India became a Sovereign Democratic Republic.
- Initially operated from the old Parliament building for 12 years until 1958.
- Relocated to the present New Delhi building, housing statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
- Comprises 34 Judges, including the Chief Justice of India.
- Harilal J. Kania served as the 1st Chief Justice of India.
Database for containing Forest fires:
Forest officials in Karnataka have compiled a database containing information on forest fires that have occurred in the past 15-20 years. The database, created in collaboration with the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre (KSRSAC), has been shared with ground staff officials to enhance forest fire management.
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- Highlighting the necessity for ongoing monitoring, there was an urgent call to the specialized division within the department to stay vigilant in order to minimize the impact of forest fires this year.
- Additionally, plans were discussed to deploy more personnel, strengthen field staff with additional forest fire watchers, and employ drone technology for surveillance in the event of any incidents.
- Acknowledging instances of intentional forest fires by miscreants, there was a firm commitment to take strict action, including initiating criminal cases against those responsible.
- Officials highlighted the shift in the alert system, which previously involved notifications from NASA to ISRO, then to the Forest Survey of India, and finally to state government departments. Now, the state department collaborates directly with KSRSAC, receiving images promptly from both NASA and ISRO for immediate action on the ground.
- The improved system allows information access and dissemination within seconds, a significant advancement from the previous 12-14 hour process.
- Additionally, a feedback mechanism ensures that ground staff promptly submits a fire dousing report with a photograph after receiving an alert, facilitating swift control and improvement of mitigation measures.
- The Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre (KSRSAC) was established in the year 1986 and designated as the Nodal Agency for implementation of Remote Sensing (including Photogrammetry) and GIS programmes in the State.
- The KSRSAC will be the repository of the information / data / maps collected by the Centre or by any Government Department, Statutory Board or any Undertaking through GIS and Remote Sensing.
The nodal agency will create GIS on base maps and general / common features and provide full services on Remote Sensing and GIS to all the Line Departments. The nodal agency will work out the planning / architecture of Remote Sensing and GIS implementation / feasibility for new proposals / coding / standardization / training as well as to organize periodic workshops to bring more interaction and co-ordination among the Line Departments.
Revenue Adalat
In Bengaluru, an official order has been issued to extend the devolution period for Pahani amendment powers to Tahsildars through the Revenue Adalat program. Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda emphasized that the program aims to address common people’s issues efficiently in a centralized manner.
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- During a meeting at Vikas Soudha on Monday, the Revenue Minister directed officials to relaunch the Revenue Adalat program statewide to rectify flaws in computerized records related to land holdings.
- Under the Revenue Adalat program, the rectification of defective vehicles concerning sale deed and discrepancies in entries in has been ongoing. The decision to continue this program after reviewing the progress of the year 2022-23, emphasizes the importance of reforming Pahani through the Revenue Adalat movement for quick resolution of pending cases.
- During a visit to Kodagu district, it was revealed that out of the total 1,32,618 cases in the state regarding differences in Pahani columns 3 and 9, over 60 thousand cases were in Kodagu. Responding to this, Krishna Byregowda stressed the urgency to prioritize work in Kodagu due to the high number of cases with discrepancies.
- This in turn expected to complete this task promptly and directed the Podi Adalat to expedite the combined conversion Podi work.
- Revenue adalat organised by the district administration to find solution to the problems related to revenue department.
The segment of survey numbers into different sub divisions is known as PODI of Agricultural Land. This is completed by the Officials from the Survey Department. It is currently required in Karnataka to have a Land Podi completed prior to purchasing or selling any agricultural land.
Quality job generation with AVGC sector
In Bengaluru, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the Karnataka government’s ambitious plan to generate 30,000 high-quality jobs in the animation, visual effects, gaming & comics (AVGC) sector by 2028.
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The goal is for exports to constitute at least 80% of the sector’s revenue. Speaking at the GAFX event’s fifth edition inauguration, the Chief Minister highlighted Karnataka’s role as a torchbearer in technology, innovation, and growth.
Emphasizing the state’s commitment to creating jobs in the AVGC sector, the government has initiated a policy based on six key pillars:
- Boosting skill development.
- Creating sustainable infrastructure.
- Empowering startups and MSMEs.
- Providing global market access.
- Ensuring incentives, concessions, and financial support.
- Focusing on AVGC products tailored for mobile handsets, such as smartphones.
AVGC sector
- Given the current momentum of the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) industry, there is a critical need to establish a supportive ecosystem to foster its growth in India.
- To enhance domestic capabilities and expand opportunities, collaborations in academia, co-production, technology, policy, and research should be explored to capitalize on existing industry expertise.
- As part of the broader media and entertainment sector, the AVGC segment holds significant potential for youth employment.
To achieve this goal, the Hon’ble Finance Minister announced the formation of the AVGC Promotion Task Force during the Budget Speech 2022-23. This task force was subsequently established in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in April 2022.
PRELIMS BYTES
Australian Open: Grand Slam title
- In a remarkable achievement, 22-year-old Jannik Sinner, the World No. 4 from Italy, secured his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open 2024.
- Jannik Sinner overcame a two-set deficit to defeat Daniil Medvedev, making him the youngest Australian Open champion since Novak Djokovic in 2008.
- Sinner’s journey to elite tennis status involved gradual growth, steady improvement, and the development of mental resilience despite early expectations as a teenage prodigy.
Binny Bansal reigns as Flipkart Co-founder.
- Reportedly, Binny Bansal, co-founder of Flipkart, has resigned from the company’s board as he embarks on a new venture in the ecommerce sector.
- Binny Bansal’s new startup, OppDoor, aims to provide comprehensive solutions to e-commerce firms, focusing on global expansion. OppDoor is described as a managed services platform that offers end-to-end services, including insights into global markets, customer behavior, taxation and compliance, partnerships, and third-party vendors.
- The startup, registered in Singapore in May 2021, operates as a venture capital firm and was previously known as ‘Three State Ventures Pte Ltd.’
Binny Bansal’s departure from Flipkart follows his co-founding of the company with Sachin Bansal in 2007.
ISSF World Cup
Sonam Muskar from India clinched a silver medal in the women’s 10m air rifle event at the ISSF World Cup.
- Scoring 251.1 points in the opening competition at the Egypt International Olympic City Shooting, Sonam secured the second position.
- The gold was won by Germany’s Anna Jansen with a slim 0.9-point lead, and the bronze went to Poland’s Aneta Stankiewicz.
- During the qualifying round for the final, Sonam and Nancy from India finished fifth and fourth, respectively. Nancy maintained her fourth position in the finals.
The ISSF World Cup was introduced by the International Shooting Sport Federation in 1986 to provide a homogeneous system for qualification to the Olympic shooting competitions. It still is carried out in the Olympic shooting events, with four competitions per year in each event. For the best shooters there is since 1988 a World Cup Final.
ICC Awards 2023
In the ICC Awards 2023, Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav have been honored as the ICC Men’s One Day International (ODI) Cricketer of the Year 2023 and ICC Men’s Twenty20 International (T20I) Cricketer of the Year 2023, respectively.
- Virat Kohli’s recognition comes for his outstanding performance in 2023, particularly in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, where he was awarded the Player of the Tournament. Kohli emerged as the highest run-scorer, accumulating 765 runs, the most ever in a single edition of an ODI World Cup.
- Suryakumar Yadav secured the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year for the second consecutive year, building on his 2022 achievement. In January 2023, Yadav notably scored a century in 45 balls during a T20I match against Sri Lanka, making him the second-fastest century-scorer for India in men’s T20Is, behind Rohit Sharma.
The International Cricket Council (ICC), headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and established in 1909, oversees international cricket. The current Chairman is Greg Barclay.
World Leprosy Day
World Leprosy Day (WLD) is an annual global observance that takes place on the last Sunday of January. It aims to celebrate individuals who have faced leprosy (Hansen’s disease) and to promote the dignity of those affected by it.
- World Leprosy Day 2024, observed on January 28, 2024, marks the 71st edition of the day, and the theme for 2024 is “Beat Leprosy.”
- Established in 1954 by the French journalist Raoul Follereau, WLD has two primary goals:
- Advocate for the equal treatment of individuals affected by leprosy.
Re-educate the public about leprosy by correcting historical misconceptions surrounding the disease.
