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  • Veer Baal Diwas to be observed on December 26

    Prime Minister has declared that December 26 shall henceforth be marked as Veer Baal Diwas to pay homage to the courage of the Sahibzades, four sons of Guru Gobind Singh, the last Sikh guru.

    What is the legend of Sahibzades?

    • The word “Sahibzada” means “son” in Punjabi and is a term commonly used to refer to the 4 sons of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru.
    • The week of 21 to 27 December is celebrated as the Sacrificial Week in memory of the four Sahibzadas who made sacrifices for the protection of Sikhism and Hinduism.
    • Sahibzada Ajit Singh, Jujhar Singh, Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh got martyrdom while saving their religious faiths against forceful conversion.

    Their martyrdom: A backgrounder story

    • After the establishment of the Khalsa Panth, Guru Gobind Singh left the fort of Sri Anandpur Sahib with his family on 20-21 December 1704 to fight the invasion by Aurgangzeb.
    • The elder sahibzade Ajit Singh, Jujhar Singh stayed with Guru ji, while the younger sons Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh were with Mata Gujri ji.
    • Subedar Wazir Khan of Sirhind arrested the two Sahibzades subsequently and lured them for religious conversion.
    • In the end, it was announced to get them elected in the living walls.
    • The rest two sahibzades got assassinated in the battle of Chamkaur (1705).

    Implications of their martyrdom

    • When the news of this reached Guruji, he wrote a zafarnama (letter of victory) to Aurangzeb, in which he warned Aurangzeb that the Khalsa Panth was ready to destroy your empire.
    • Baba Banda Singh Bahadur took revenge for the martyrdom of Guruji’s Sahibzadas.
    • He punished Wazir Khan for his deeds in Sirhind and established Sikh hegemony over the entire area.
    • The result of this sacrifice was that later a large Sikh empire emerged under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

    A historic event in Indian History

    • This event is an important part of Indian history and the occasion of their martyrdom is remembered and commemorated both with great vigor and sorrow.
    • The names of Sahibzades are reverently preserved and are recalled every time Ardas (prayer) of supplication is recited at a congregation or privately by an individual.

     

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  • India’s first open Rock Museum in Hyderabad

    The Ministry of Science & Technology has inaugurated India’s first open rock museum displaying different types of rocks gathered from different States of ages ranging from 3.3 billion years to around 55 million years.

    Rock System in India

    Based on this complex and varied geological history, the Geological Survey of India has classified rock systems of the country into 4 major divisions:

    1. Archaean Rock System
    2. Dravidian Rock System
    3. Purana Rock System
    4. Aryan Rock System

    [I] Archaean Rock System:

    The Archaean group of rocks consists of two systems-(a) Achaean granites and gneisses, and (b) Dharwarian sedimentary:

    Archaean Gneisses and Schists (pre-2500 million years)

    • The Archean System contains the first formed rocks of the earth.
    • The rocks are primarily gneisses and granites, having no marks of fossils.
    • They often underlie the strata formed subsequently and the system is generally known as the basement complex or fundamental gneisses.
    • The Archaean rocks cover two-thirds of peninsular India. They also occur in the roots of the mountain peaks all along the Greater Himalayas, trans-Himalayan ranges of Zaskar, Ladakh and Karakoram.

    Dharwar System (2500-1800 million years ago)

    • The weathering of the Archaean rocks yielded the earliest sediments and formed the oldest sedimentary strata, the Dharwar system.
    • These are found today in metamorphic forms and do not contain fossils.
    • These rocks occur in scattered patches in parts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, central and eastern parts of Chotanagpur plateau, Meghalaya plateau, Aravalis, Himalayan region etc

    Mineral contents:

    • They contain gneisses (which range from granite to gabbro) and schists (crystalline rocks such as mica, talc etc.).
    • These rocks have metallic and non-metallic minerals like copper, tin, graphite, lead, zinc, etc.

    [II] Dravidian Rock System:

    • This is also known as carboniferous rock system and formed during the Paleozoic era, i.e., from 600- 300 million years ago.
    • They are not much abundant in India.
    • They have plentiful fossils and beginning of coal formation can be seen in this period. The quality of carboniferous coal is high.
    • They are found in extra- Peninsular regions of the Himalayas and the Gangetic plains.

    Mineral content

    • This type of rock system comprises of limestones, shale and quartzite and Mount Everest is formed of upper Carboniferous limestones.
    • Most of the coal is not of the Carboniferous period, which is found in India.
    • The meaning of Carboniferous in geology is coal-bearing.

    [III] Purana Rock System:

    The Purana rock system has two divisions: Cuddapah system and Vindhyan system. The word ‘Purana’ was used in place of a Proterozoic era in India.

    Cuddapah Rock system:

    • They are observed in Cuddapah districts of Andhra Pradesh.
    • The non-fossiliferous clay, slates, sandstones and limestones were accumulated in the depression between two-fold mountains which is known as synclinal basins.
    • They also have a large accumulation of building purpose cement grade limestones and quartzites.
    • This type of rock contains ore of iron, cobalt, nickel, manganese etc.

    Vindhya Rock System:

    • This type of rock system is also ancient or old sedimentary rocks which are superimposed on the Archaean rock base and derived its name from Vindhya mountains.
    • The recognition of fossils is negligible, only traces of few animal and plant life were found.
    • This rock system has diamond-bearing regions from which Golconda and Panna diamond mined.

    [IV] Aryan Rock System

    The Aryan rock system in India has the following four subsystems:

    1. Gondwana rock system
    2. Jurassic Rock System
    3. Cretaceous system/ Deccan Trap
    4. Tertiary rock system

    (1) Gondwana Rock System:

    • These are found mainly in Raniganj, Jharia regions of Jharkhand, Damodar valley, Pench valley in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
    • They are called so after the name of Gondwana tribe (indigenous people especially residing in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh region).
    • In this type of rock system, you found metallic minerals like iron, manganese, uranium etc. other than coal.
    • They have low carbon content as it is much younger than Carboniferous coal. These rocks have nearly 98% of India’s coal reserve.

    (2) Jurassic Rock System

    • During the latter part of Jurrasic when sea level rises as compared to land and shoreline moves towards ground or land which result in a flood. In geology, this phenomenon is called marine transgression.
    • This gives rise to a thick series of shallow-water deposits kin Rajasthan and Kutch. Between the Guntur and Rajamundry, another transgression in the east coast of Peninsula.
    • In Kuchchh, coral limestone, shales and conglomerates are found.

    (3) Deccan traps

    • These are formed by the flow of magma over the solidified rock system in layers.
    • Deccan trap gets rise due to volcanic outburst over a major area of Peninsular India from the end of Cretaceous till the beginning of Eocene.
    • The meaning of trap is “stair” or “step” in Swedish and called due to deposition of the volcanic outburst which has a flat top and steep sides.
    • It is mainly found in parts of Kuchchh, Saurashtra, Maharashtra, the Malwa plateau and Northern Karnataka and presently cover near 5 lakh sq. Km.
    • Regur, which is black soil, is formed due to the weathering of these rocks for a long time.

    (4) Tertiary rock system

    • The formation of this type of rock system occurs from 60 to 7 million years ago.
    • It is the most noteworthy period in India’s geological history as the Himalayas were born and recent form came in this period.

    Also read:

    The Geological Structure of India

     

     

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  • Significance of Delhi government’s recognition to fifth Sikh Takht

    The Delhi Assembly has passed an amendment Bill to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1971, recognizing Takht Damdama Sahib as the fifth Takht of Sikhs.

    What is a Sikh Takht?

    • A Takht, which means a throne, is a seat of temporal authority for Sikhs.
    • There are five Sikh Takhts, three in Punjab and one each in Maharashtra and Bihar.

    (1) Akal Takht

    • Located in Amritsar, it is the oldest of the Takhts, and considered supreme among the five.
    • It was set up in 1606 by Guru Hargobind, whose succession as the sixth Guru after the execution of his father, Guru Arjan Dev, is considered a turning point in Sikh history.
    • The Akal Takht, a raised platform that he built in front of the causeway leading to the sanctum sanctorum of the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple).
    • It symbolised the coming together of the temporal authority and the political sovereignty of the Sikh community (miri) with the spiritual authority (piri).
    • It is seen as the first marker of Sikh nationalism.

    The other four Takhts are linked to Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru.

    (2) Takht Keshgarh Sahib

    • Located in Anandpur Sahib in Punjab. It was here that Guru Gobind Singh raised Khalsa, the initiated Sikh warriors, in 1699.

    (3) Takht Patna Sahib

    • Guru Gobind Singh was born here in 1666.

    (4) Takht Hazur Sahib

    • In Nanded, where Guru Gobin Singh spent time and where he was cremated in 1708.

    (5) Takht Damdama Sahib

    • In Talwandi Sabo of Bathinda. Guru Gobind Singh spent several months here.

    What does the amendment to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act mean?

    • Simply put, it adds one more ex officio member in the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Managament Committee (DSGMC) house.
    • Earlier, there were four ex officio members in the house — the chiefs (jathedars) of the other four Sikh Takhts.

    Is it the first time it has been recognised as the fifth Takht?

    • It was back in 1999 that Takht Damdama Sahib was recognised as the fifth Sikh Takht by the Union Home Ministry.
    • It included it as such in the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 (Punjab Act VIII of 1925) with a notification dated April 23, 1999.
    • Before that, an SGPC sub-committee had declared it the fifth Takht of Sikhs back in November 1966 after Punjab was carved out as a separate state through the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.

    How politically significant is the move?

    • It comes ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections, where the, Delhi’s ruling party, has high stakes.

    What is the role of the Sikh Takhts?

    • The Takhts are known to issue hukumnamas (morality orders) from time to time on issues that concern the Sikh community.
    • Akal Takht is supreme among them because it is the oldest and was created by a Sikh Guru himself, say Sikh scholars.
    • Any edict or order concerning the entire community is issued only from Akal Takht.
    • It is from Akal Takht that Sikhs found to be violating the Sikh doctrine and code of conduct are awarded religious punishment (declared tankhaiya).

    Who appoints the jathedars of the Takhts?

    • The three Takhts in Punjab are directly controlled by the SGPC, which appoints the jathedars.
    • The SGPC is dominated by SAD members.
    • It is widely understood that SAD puts the final seal on the appointment of these three jathedars.
    • The two Takhts outside Punjab have their own trusts and boards.

     

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  • Western Disturbances to bring rain in New Delhi

    Under the influence of two consecutive western disturbances, New Delhi is in for a wet spell.

    Western Disturbances

    • A western disturbance is an extratropical storm originating in the Mediterranean region that brings sudden winter rain to the northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent.
    • It is a non-monsoonal precipitation pattern driven by the westerlies.
    • The moisture in these storms usually originates over the Mediterranean Sea, the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea.
    • Extratropical storms are global phenomena with moisture usually carried in the upper atmosphere, unlike their tropical counterparts where the moisture is carried in the lower atmosphere.
    • In the case of the Indian subcontinent, moisture is sometimes shed as rain when the storm system encounters the Himalayas.
    • Western disturbances are more frequent and strong in the winter season.

    Impact: Winter Rainfall and Extreme Cold

    • Western disturbances, specifically the ones in winter, bring moderate to heavy rain in low-lying areas and heavy snow to mountainous areas of the Indian Subcontinent.
    • They are the cause of most winter and pre-monsoon season rainfall across northwest India.
    • An average of four to five western disturbances forms during the winter season.

    Its significance

    • Precipitation during the winter season has great importance in agriculture, particularly for the rabi crops.
    • Wheat among them is one of the most important crops, which helps to meet India’s food security.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q. Consider the following statements:

    1. The winds which blow between 30°N and 60°S latitudes throughout the year are known as westerlies.
    2. The moist air masses that cause winter rains in the North-Western region of India are part of westerlies.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) Only 1

    (b) Only 2

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

     

     

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  • Who was Rani Velu Nachiyar?

    The Prime Minister has paid tributes to Rani Velu Nachiyar on her birth anniversary.

    Velu Nachiyar (1730-1796)

    • Rani Velu Nachiyar was a queen of Sivaganga estate from c. 1780–1790.
    • She was the first Indian queen to wage war with the East India Company in India.
    • She is widely known as Veeramangai (“brave woman”).

    Her legend

    [A] Early life

    • Velu Nachiyar was the princess of Ramanathapuram and the only child of King Chellamuthu Vijayaragunatha Sethupathy and Queen Sakandhimuthathal of the Ramnad kingdom.
    • Nachiyar was trained in many methods of combat, including war match weapons usage, martial arts like Valari, Silambam, horse riding, and archery.
    • She was a scholar in many languages and was proficient in languages like French, English and Urdu.

    [B] Battles fought

    • During this period, she formed an army and sought an alliance with Hyder Ali with the aim of launching a campaign against the East India Company in 1780.
    • When her husband, Muthu Vaduganatha Periyavudaya Thevar was killed in a battle with EIC soldiers, she was drawn into the conflict.
    • When Velu Nachiyar found the place where the EIC stored some of their ammunition, she arranged a suicide attack on the location, blowing it up.

     

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  • George Wittet, who left beautiful fingerprints across Mumbai

    The restored and refurbished Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) (erstwhile Prince of Wales Museum) will open this month as the building enters its centenary year.

    Who was George Wittet?

    • George Wittet was born in Blair Atholl, Scotland. He studied architecture in Perth, Scotland, and worked in Edinburgh and York before arriving in India in 1904.
    • In India, he became assistant to John Begg, consulting architect to the Government of Bombay.
    • Together, they pioneered the Indo-Saracenic style, using it in many government and public buildings across Bombay.
    • About a decade later, Wittet rose to be consulting architect himself and was also elected as the first president of The Indian Institute of Architects.
    • Besides the Prince of Wales Museum, Wittet also designed the Gateway of India, a fine example of Indo-Saracenic architecture and among the most identifiable landmarks of Mumbai.

    What is Indo-Saracenic style?

    • The Indo-Saracenic style was promoted by British architects starting from the late 19th century.
    • It is exemplified by the use of elements seen in architecture across India, from Mughal structures to Hindu temples.
    • The style was dominated by Indo-Islamic elements, but sometimes combined with Gothic and neo-classical elements popular in Britain at that time.
    • Major features of the style include domes and domelets, chhattris, minarets, and open pavilions.
    • Indo-Saracenic was seen as Raj’s efforts to promote “Indian” culture, so that their colonial subjects would view them more favorably, especially after the Revolt of 1857.

    Notable monuments

    Examples from other parts of India include the magnificent:

    • Victoria Memorial in Kolkata
    • Amba Vilas Palace (Mysore Palace) in Mysuru
    • Senate House (on the Madras University campus) in Chennai
    • Secretariat Building (Central Secretariat) in New Delhi

    Mumbai’s notable architecture: CSMVS

    • The dome of the CSMVS is based on the Gol Gumbaz, the mausoleum of king Mohammed Adil Shah of Bijapur.
    • Wittet had toured the historic buildings of Bijapur, which was key to his Indo-Saracenic designs.
    • CSMVS’s finial is based on that of the Taj Mahal.
    • However, even though he won the competition for the museum’s design, it wasn’t his design that was executed finally.

     

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  • Back in news: Aryan Invasion Theory

    The 2022 calendar of the IIT, Kharagpur on the theme of “evidence” for “rebutting the Aryan invasion myth” has caused controversy.

    What is the Aryan Invasion Theory?

    • It has always been understood that the Aryans migration from the Steppe happened after 2000 BCE.
    • In 1953 Mortimer Wheeler proposed that the invasion of an Indo-European tribe from Central Asia, the “Aryans”, caused the decline of the Indus Civilization.
    • As evidence, he cited a group of 37 skeletons found in various parts of Mohenjo-daro, and passages in the Vedas referring to battles and forts.
    • However, scholars soon started to reject Wheeler’s theory, since the skeletons belonged to a period after the city’s abandonment and none were found near the citadel.

    Basis of this theory

    • This was first propounded when linguistic similarities between Sanskrit and the major European languages were discovered by European scholars during the colonial era.
    • This tool was used by the colonizers to legitimize their rule in India.
    • The theory hypothesizes that during 2000BC Aryans from Europe invaded or migrated into the Asian subcontinent.
    • It states these ‘invaders’ killed the original Dravidians and set up the Aryan race in the South-Asian subcontinent.
    • The Aryan Invasion Theory claimed that these ‘invaders’ were the root of modern Indian civilization, not the Harappan civilization.

    Its rebuttal

    • Recent studies have debunked the theory after DNA samples from 5000-year old Harappan remains were proven to be similar to modern Indians’ DNA as part of the Rakhigarhi Project.

    Who were the Harappans then?

    • The Harappans who created the agricultural revolution in northwestern India and then built the Harappan civilization were a mix of First Indians and Iranians who spoke a pre-Arya language.
    • The Arya were central Asian Steppe pastoralists who arrived in India between roughly 2000 BCE and 1500 BCE, and brought Indo-European languages to the subcontinent.
    • The new study says the Iranians arrived in India before agriculture or even herding had begun anywhere in the world.
    • In other words, these migrants were likely to have been hunter-gatherers, which means they did not bring a knowledge of agriculture.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q With reference to the difference between the culture of Rigvedic Aryans and Indus Valley people, which of the following statements correct?

    1. Rigvedic Aryans used the coat of mail and helmet in warfare whereas the people of Indus Valley Civilization did not leave any evidence of using them.
    2. Rigvedic Aryans knew gold, silver and copper whereas Indus Valley people knew only copper and iron.
    3. Rigvedic Aryans had domesticated the horse whereas there is no evidence of Indus Valley people having been aware of this animal.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    (a) Only 1

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

     

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  • Places in news: Konark Sun Temple

    The Archaeological Survey of India is working on a preliminary roadmap to safely remove sand from the interiors of Odisha’s Sun Temple, which was filled up by the British 118 years ago to prevent it from collapsing.

    Konark Sun Temple

    • Konark Sun Temple is a 13th-century CE Sun temple at Konark about 36 kilometres northeast from Puri on the coastline of Odisha, India.
    • The temple is attributed to king Narasinga Deva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty about 1250 CE.
    • Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1984 it remains a major pilgrimage site for Hindus, who gather here every year for the Chandrabhaga Mela around the month of February.

    Its architecture

    • Dedicated to the Hindu Sun God Surya, what remains of the temple complex has the appearance of a 100-foot (30 m) high chariot with immense wheels and horses, all carved from stone.
    • Its architecture has all the defining elements of the Kalinga architecture – it includes Shikhara (crown), Jagmohana (audience hall), Natmandir (dance hall), and Vimana (tower).
    • Also called the Surya Devalaya, it is a classic illustration of the Odisha style of Architecture or Kalinga Architecture.
    • Once over 200 feet (61 m) high, much of the temple is now in ruins, in particular the large shikara tower over the sanctuary; at one time this rose much higher than the mandapa that remains.
    • The structures and elements that have survived are famed for their intricate artwork, iconography, and themes, including erotic kama and mithuna scenes.
    • The Jagamohan is the only structure that is fully intact now.

    Earlier restoration efforts

    • It had been filled with sand and sealed by the British authorities in 1903 in order to stabilize the structure, a/c to ASI.
    • The sand filled in over 100 years ago had settled, leading to a gap of about 17 feet.
    • However, the structure was found to be stable.

     

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  • Supreme Court clarifies on abuse linked to Dowry Deaths  

    Dowry death can be presumed if the wife was harassed, mentally and physically close before her death in the marital home, the Supreme Court has held.

    Section 304B, IPC

    • A Bench led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana was interpreting Section 304B of the Indian Penal Code (dowry death).
    • The provision mandates that the death of a married woman could be linked to the crime if she had been harassed for dowry “soon before her death”.

    What is the recent judgment?

    Ans. Bridges the gap between extreme Harassment and Death

    • The cruelty has to be proved during the close proximity of time of death. It should be continuous.
    • Such continuous harassment, physical or mental, by the accused should make life of the deceased miserable which may force her to commit suicide, ruled Justice Hima Kohli.
    • The court said the expression “soon before her death” would normally imply that the interval should not be much between the cruelty or harassment concerned and the death in question.
    • In other words, there exists a proximate and live link between the effect of cruelty based on dowry demand and the death concerned.

    Other takeaways

    • Frequent incidents of cruelty disturb the mental equilibrium of the women concerned, ruled the court.
    • However, the presumption of dowry death was also rebuttable, observed the court.

    Dowry System : A Backgrounder

    • The dowry system in India incorporates payments in the form of capital, durable goods, real estate among others, made to the bridegroom from the family of the bride as a condition for marriage.
    • The abuse for the demand for dowry can be in the form of verbal and the most serious can take the shape of death of the victim or dowry death.

    Dowry Deaths in India

    • Dowry deaths are deaths of married women who are murdered or driven to suicide by continuous harassment and torture by their husbands and in-laws.
    • This is mainly over the demand of dowry, making the women’s homes the most dangerous place for them to be.

    What numbers reveal?

    • In 2020, reported dowry death cases in India amounted to nearly seven thousand.
    • This was a gradual decrease from the 2014, in which this number was approximately 8.5 thousand.

    Why is dowry so much prevalent?

    • Bride pricing: There exists a system of “bride price”, whereby the family of the groom had to give some gifts to the family of the women before marriage.
    • Property inheritance: Until its amendment in 2005, the Hindu Succession Act of 1956 was biased towards the male next of kin when it came to property inheritance.  The amendment stated that women had the right to their parents’ property irrespective of being married.
    • Financial dependency: In practice, the inheritance of the woman is socially imparted to her as dowry in marriage leading to financial dependence on the husband or the in-laws.

    Factors contributing to its continuance

    • Traditions and historicity: It has been a preconceived notion of the people that the dowry system has been existing since centuries back and it is quintessential to be followed by the two families.
    • Social status associated with Dowry: It is a belief among people that dowry giving or receiving gives a lot of merit in reputation and honor within the society.
    • Illiteracy: Although dowry is something that is even practiced by the literates of our society, it becomes a lot difficult to make them understand the laws.
    • Bridegroom coercion: The demand for the well-earned bridegroom in prestigious workplaces often encourages brides families to pay hefty dowries leading to the continuance of such evil customs.

    Legal measures against dowry

    • Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973: Dowry death is a non-bailable offence and the person cannot be acquitted without court’s order.
    • Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961: It was passed by the government which prohibits the giving or taking of dowry in India.

    Dysfunctions created by the Dowry system

    • Defamation: There have been many instances where these laws have been used to defame or slander one’s name.
    • Fights for property inheritance: This go ugly when the girl involves into interfaith marriage. This often leads to honor killing.

    Way forward

    • The dignity, modesty and safety of women must be prioritized by all. Abusing them just for dowry or any other financial favour is a shameful act in itself.
    • To prevent such heinous crimes stringent provisions and measures need to be undertaken by the government.

     

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  • Places in news: Carmichael Mine in Australia

    The Adani Group will begin exporting high quality, low sulphur coal from its Carmichael mine in Australia as early as this week, tapping a new multi-decade source to meet energy needs.

    Carmichael Mine

    • The Carmichael mine is located in the North Galilee Basin, more than 300 kilometers from the Queensland coastline and approximately 160 km north-west of Clermont in regional Queensland.
    • The Carmichael project, proposed in 2010, had provoked a sustained campaign by climate activists in Australia and other places globally, forcing banks and insurers not to work with the Adani group.
    • The conglomerate run by India’s second-richest man Gautam Adani has planned an initial production of 10 million tonnes a year from the mines in the Galilee Basin.
    • The Coal mined here has low sulfur content and high calorific value.

     

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