💥Join UPSC 2027,2028 Mentorship (August Batch) + XFactor Notes & Microthemes PDF
Talk to Mentor

Civilsdaily

Login

GS Paper: GS1

  • Constituent Assembly debates around Citizenship

    This newscard is an excerpt from the ‘Letter and Spirit’ section in the print edition of TH, which is a new column that will focus on explaining and understanding basic Acts and Articles enshrined in our Constitution.

    Context

    • With the contentious farm laws repealed, the discussions turn to the second most politically and legally resisted legislation of recent times, The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
    • The citizenship question finds its retro-reflection in the Constituent Assembly debates which serve as the undeniable autobiography of India’s basic law.

    Debate over CAA, yet again

    • CAA asserts that only people belonging to some faiths are victims of persecution and violence and the doors of the country can be legitimately shut to any other instance of persecution and ethnic violence.

    A ‘headache’ for the Drafting Committee

    • The citizenship question had been one of the most difficult tasks confronted by the drafting committee as admitted by Dr B.R.Ambedkar.
    • He moved a set of consolidated amendments to the citizenship provisions of the original draft.
    • He said that the task had given the drafting committee “such a headache” and multiple “drafts were prepared” and “destroyed” before arriving at a consensus.

    The critics

    • The draft did not satisfy all but to the most due to its secular and liberal provisions.
    • It was fiercely contested on the floor of the Constituent Assembly on religious, ethnic and hyper-nationalistic considerations.
    • The Article 5 of the draft constitution was criticized for its lack of exclusive and preferential provisions on religious lines regarding the declaration as to who shall be the citizen of India during commencement of the Constitution.
    • Then Article 5A (today’s Article 7 of the Constitution) sought to grant citizenship rights to the migrants of Pakistan who had returned to India under a permit for resettlement granted by Indian authorities.

    The ‘Jus Soli’ Principle

    • This principle is premised on the automatic grant of citizenship based on the place of birth provided the person is domiciled in India, qualifying it with religious identity.
    • It was in fact a proposal to ingrain religion into the bedrock of the Constitution.
    • Dr P.S.Deshmukh from the Central Provinces and Berar proposed changes to Article 5 of the draft by proposing to replace the universally honoured “jus soli” principle by qualifying it with a religion.
    • He went on to state that every person who is a Hindu or a Sikh by religion and is not a citizen of any other State, wherever he resides shall be entitled to be a citizen of India.

    Issue over indiscriminate grant of citizenship

    • The concern of Dr. Deshmukh justifying the exclusion of people belonging to other religions, as echoed in his question- Is it then wise that we should throw opens our citizenship so indiscriminately?
    • It found fraternal support from members who opined that Hindus and Sikhs have no other home but India.
    • This finds its resonance today in the presumptive base of the CAA.

    The defenders

    • Some highlighted the fact of panic driven migration without certain intention to settle down in Pakistan was left unanswered with precision.
    • Some retorted that mentioning the name of some communities will make other communities feel that they were being ignored.

    What did Nehru opine?

    • Nehru stated that we cannot have rules for Hindus, for Muslims and for Christians only.
    • He stressed upon the possibility of the second wave of migration including non-Hindus and non-Sikhs who were part of the first wave influx.
    • Hence, in his view, foreclosing the doors fearing the influx of some may deprive others of exercising their choice.

    Ambedkar on Pakistan returnees

    • Ambedkar clarified that the principal thrust of Article 5A was to declare that persons who migrated to Pakistan after 1st of March 1947 due to internal disturbances.
    • He declared that some migrants from Pakistan were allowed to return on the basis of the agreements between both the Governments and on the basis of an ordinance promulgated.

    Conclusion

    • The Constituent Assembly debates on citizenship showed that in the rousing of sentiments of ethnicity and distrust, sagacity had an upper hand, leading to the saner denouement of toleration.
    • History is known to set examples.

     

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • Significance of Raigad Fort in Maratha History

     

    President Ram Nath Kovind is commencing his visit to Maharashtra by visiting the Raigad Fort where he will pay tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

    Where is Raigad fort located?

    • Raigad is a hill fort situated about 25 km from Mahad in the Raigad district and stands 2,851 feet above sea level.
    • The British Gazette states the fort was known to early Europeans as the Gibraltar of the East.
    • Its decisive feature is a mile and a half flat top which has adequate room for buildings.
    • In its prime, the fort had 300 stone houses and a garrison of 2,000 men.

    When was it built?

    • The fort, which was earlier called Rairi, was the seat of the Maratha clan Shirke in the 12th century.
    • The fort changed hands a number of times from the dynasty of Bahaminis to the Nizamshahis and then the Adilshahis.
    • In 1656, Chhatrapati Shivaji captured it from the More’s of Javli who were under the suzerainty of the Adilshahi Sultanate.
    • The fort not only helped Shivaji challenge the supremacy of the Adilshahi dynasty but also opened up the routes towards Konkan for the extension of his power.

    Significance of the fort in Shivaji’s life

    • In 1662, Shivaji formally changed the fort’s name to Raigad and added a number of structures to it.
    • By 1664, the fort had emerged as the seat of Shivaji’s government.
    • As the Marathas under the leadership of Shivaji gained strength in their struggle against the Mughals, the announcement of a sovereign, independent state was made.
    • On June 6, 1674, Shivaji was coronated at Raigad by Gagabhatt where he took on the title of Chhatrapati.
    • Six years later, Shivaji passed away in Raigad in 1680 and has been cremated at the fort.

    Importance of Raigad Fort in Maharashtra’s polity

    • Chhatrapati Shivaji is the tallest and the most revered icon in Maharashtra and there is a constant attempt by political parties of all hues to appropriate his legacy.
    • Due to the significance of Raigad in his life, many political leaders make it a point to visit the fort.
    • Maharashtra has already announced a mid-sea memorial in the Arabian Sea for the Maratha warrior king.

     

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • Tribes in news: Konyak

    An angry mob allegedly vandalized an Assam Rifles camp and the office of the Konyak Union in Nagaland’s Mon district.

    Konyak Tribe

    • With a population of roughly 3 lakh, the area inhabited by the Konyaks extends into Arunachal Pradesh, with a sizeable population in Myanmar as well.
    • They are known to be one of the fiercest warrior tribes in Nagaland.
    • The Konyaks were the last to give up the practice of head-hunting – severing heads of enemies after attacking rival tribes – as late as the 1980s.

    Significance in Naga Peace Process

    • Mon is the only district in Nagaland where the separatist group has not been able to set up base camps, largely due to resistance from the Konyaks.
    • The Konyaks therefore, are imperative for a smooth resolution of the peace talks, as well as the post-talk peace process in the state.

    Also read:

    Naga Peace Accord

     

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • Who was St. Francis Xavier?

    The Prime Minister has greeted the people of Goa on the day of the Feast of St. Francis Xavier.

    St. Francis Xavier (1506-1552)

    • Francis Xavier venerated as Saint Francis Xavier, was a Catholic missionary and saint who was a co-founder of the Society of Jesus.
    • He was born in Javier, Kingdom of Navarre (in present-day Spain), he was a companion of Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first seven Jesuits.
    • He led an extensive mission into Asia, mainly in the Portuguese Empire of the time and was influential in evangelization work, most notably in India.

    His works

    • He has asked for a special minister to the king of Portugal whose sole office would be to further Christianity in Goa.
    • He also was the first Christian missionary to venture into Japan, Borneo, the Maluku Islands, and other areas.
    • In those areas, struggling to learn the local languages and in the face of opposition, he had less success than he had enjoyed in India.
    • Xavier was about to extend his missionary preaching to China when he died on Shangchuan Island.
    • Known as the “Apostle of the Indies” and “Apostle of Japan”, he is considered to be one of the greatest missionaries since Paul the Apostle.

    Try this question from CSP 2021

    Q. Consider the following statements:

    1. Francis Xavier was one of the founding members of the Jesuit Order.
    2. Francis Xavier died in Goa and a church is dedicated to him there.
    3. The Feast of St. Francis Xavier is celebrated in Goa each year.

    Which of the statements given above are correct?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”bxt6o52qk5″ question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

     

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • Paika Rebellion to be included as ‘case study’ in history textbook

    The 1817 Paika Rebellion of Odisha would be included as a case study in the Class 8 NCERT history textbook, informed the Union Culture Minister.

    Who were the Paiks?

    • The Paiks of Odisha were the traditional landed militia and enjoyed rent free land tenures for their military service and policing functions on a hereditary basis.

    Paika Rebellion

    • When the British started tinkering with the revenue system in 1803, the farming community of Odisha rose in rebellion.
    • At that critical juncture, Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar — the military chief of the King of Khurda — led his army of Paikas forcing the British East India Company forces to retreat.
    • The rebellion came to be known as Paika Bidroh (Paika rebellion).

    When did it take place?

    • The rebellion, by the landed militia of Khurda called Paiks, predates the first war of independence in 1857 but did not get similar recognition.
    • It took place when the British East India Company wrested the rent-free land that had been given to the Paiks for their military service to the Kingdom of Khurda.

    Try this PYQ from CSP 2020:

    Q. With reference to the history of India, ‘ulgulan’ or the great tumult is the description of the which of the following?

    (a) The revolt of 1857

    (b) The Mappila rebellion of 1921

    (c) The Indigo revolt of 1859-1860

    (d) Birsa Munda’s revolt of 1899-1900

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”5jsad1unuu” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • [pib] Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages of India (SPPEL)

    The Government of India has initiated a Scheme known as “Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages of India” (SPPEL) informed the Minister of Culture and Tourism.

    About SPPEL

    • The Scheme was instituted by Ministry of Human Resource Development in 2013.
    • The sole objective of the Scheme is to document and archive the country’s languages that have become endangered or likely to be endangered in the near future.
    • The scheme is monitored by the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) located in Mysuru, Karnataka.
    • The CIIL has collaborated with various universities and institutes across India for this mission.
    • University Grants Commission (UGC) is also providing financial assistance for the creation of centres for endangered languages at Central and State Universities.

    What are Endangered Languages?

    • At the moment, the languages which are spoken by less than 10,000 speakers or languages that are not been linguistically studied earlier are considered endangered language.

    Present status of the scheme

    • Presently, 117 languages have been listed for the documentation.
    • Documentation in the form of grammar, dictionary and ethno-linguistic profiles of about 500 lesser known languages are estimated to be accomplished in the coming years.

     

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • Emission caused by Nuclear Energy

    Supporters of the Nuclear Energy source say that it is a climate-friendly way to generate electricity. However, this is subjected to various considerations often not discussed.

    Why focus on Nuclear Energy?

    • The main factors for its choice were reliability and security of supply.
    • The latest figures on global carbon dioxide emissions call into question the world’s efforts to tackle the climate crisis.

    Soaring CO2 emissions

    • CO2 emissions are set to soar 4.9% in 2021, compared with the previous year, according to a study published earlier this month by the Global Carbon Project (GCP), a group of scientists that track emissions.
    • In 2020, emissions dropped 5.4% due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns.
    • The energy sector continues to be the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, with a share of 40% — and rising.

    Is nuclear power a zero-emissions energy source?

    No. Nuclear energy is also responsible for greenhouse gas emissions.

    • Uranium mining: Uranium extraction, transport and processing produces emissions.
    • Construction of power plants: The long and complex construction process of nuclear power plants also releases CO2, as does the demolition of decommissioned sites.
    • Nuclear waste and its transportation: This also has to be transported and stored under strict conditions — here, too, emissions must be taken into account.
    • Water consumption: Power plants depend on nearby water sources to cool their reactors, and with many rivers drying up, those sources of water are no longer guaranteed.

    How much CO2 does nuclear power produce?

    • Results vary significantly, depending on whether we only consider the process of electricity generation, or take into account the entire life cycle of a nuclear power plant.
    • A report released in 2014 by the IPCC estimated a range of 3.7 to 110 grams of CO2 equivalent per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
    • It’s long been assumed that nuclear plants generate an average of 66 grams of CO2/kWh.

    How climate-friendly is nuclear compared to other energies?

    • If the entire life cycle, nuclear energy certainly comes out ahead of fossil fuels like coal or natural gas.
    • But the picture is drastically different when compared with renewable energy.
    • Nuclear power releases 3.5 times more CO2 per kilowatt-hour than photovoltaic solar panel systems.
    • Compared with onshore wind power, that figure jumps to 13 times more CO2.
    • When up against electricity from hydropower installations, nuclear generates 29 times more carbon.

    Can we rely on nuclear energy to help stop global warming?

    • Around the world, nuclear energy representatives, as well as some politicians, have called for the expansion of atomic power.
    • Other countries have also supported plans to build new nuclear plants, arguing that the energy sector will be even more damaging for the climate without it.

    Feasibility of Nuclear Energy

    • High cost of construction: Due to the high costs associated with nuclear energy, it also blocks important financial resources that could instead be used to develop renewable energy.
    • Renewables are better: Those renewables would provide more energy that is both faster and cheaper than nuclear.
    • High water consumption: During the world’s increasingly hot summers, several nuclear power plants have already had to be temporarily shut down due to water scarcity.

    Conclusion

    • Taking into account the current overall energy system, nuclear energy is by no means CO2 neutral.
    • The contribution of nuclear energy is viewed too optimistically.
    • In reality construction, times are too long and the costs too high to have a noticeable effect on climate change. It takes too long for nuclear energy to become available.

     

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • Were there domestic horses in ancient India?

    A group of researchers has been able to collect bones and teeth samples of over 2,000 such ancient specimens from regions from where domestic horses could have originated.

    Research on horse domestication

    • The research has studied fossils from the Iberian Peninsula in the southwestern corner of Europe, or the western-most edge of Eurasia (Spain and its neighbours), Anatolia (modern Turkey), and the steppes of Western Eurasia and Central Asia.
    • These collective data have led them to decide that until about 4200 BCE, many distinct horse populations inhabited various regions of Eurasia.

    Key findings of the research

    • A similar genetic analysis has found that horses with the modern domestic DNA profile lived in the Western Eurasian Steppes, particularly the Volga-Don River region.
    • By around 2200–2000 BCE, these horses spread out to Bohemia (the Czech Republic of today and Ukraine), and Central Asia and Mongolia.
    • These horses were bred by breeders from these countries to sell them to countries that demanded them.
    • Riding on horses became popular in these nations by around 3300 BCE, and armies were built using them, for example, in Mesopotamia, Iran, Kuwait and the ‘Fertile Crescent’ or Palestine.
    • The first spoke-wheeled chariots emerged around 2000-1800 BC.

    Indian story

    • Horses were never native to India.
    • The only animals native to India were the Asian elephant, snow leopard, rhinoceros, Bengal tiger, Sloth bear, Himalayan wolf, Gaur bison, red panda, crocodile, and the birds peacock and flamingo.
    • Thus, it seems clear from these sources that horse is not native to India.
    • Horses must have come into India through inter-regional trading between countries.
    • Indians might have traded their elephants, tigers, monkeys, birds to their neighbours and imported horses.

    When did India get its horses?

    • Horse-related remains and artefacts have been found in Late Harappan sites (1900-1300 BCE).
    • Horses did not seem to have played an essential role in the Harappan civilization.
    • This is in contrast to the Vedic Period, which is a little later (1500-500 BCE).
    • The Sanskrit word for horse is Ashwa, which is mentioned in the Vedas and Hindu Scriptures.
    • These are roughly towards the end of the late Bronze Age.

    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

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”in2agsa14u” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

     

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • [pib] Who was Lachit Borphukan?

    The Prime Minister has paid tributes to Lachit Borphukan on Lachit Diwas.

    Who was Lachit Borphukan?

    • The year was 1671 and the decisive Battle of Saraighat was fought on the raging waters of the Brahmaputra.
    • On one side was Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb’s army headed by Ram Singh of Amer (Jaipur) and on the other was the Ahom General Lachit Borphukan.
    • He was a commander in the Ahom kingdom, located in present-day Assam.
    • Ram Singh failed to make any advance against the Assamese army during the first phase of the war.
    • Lachit Borphukan emerged victorious in the war and the Mughals were forced to retreat from Guwahati.

    Lachit Diwas

    • On 24 November each year, Lachit Divas is celebrated statewide in Assam to commemorate the heroism of Lachit Borphukan.
    • On this day, Borphukan has defeated the Mughal army on the banks of the Brahmaputra in the Battle of Saraighat in 1671.
    • The best passing out cadet of National Defence Academy has conferred the Lachit gold medal every year since 1999 commemorating his valour.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.What was the immediate cause for Ahmad Shah Abdali to invade and fight the Third Battle of Panipat:

    (a) He wanted to avenge the expulsion by Marathas of his viceroy Timur Shah from Lahore

    (b) The frustrated governor of Jullundhar Adina Beg khan invited him to invade Punjab

    (c) He wanted to punish Mughal administration for non-payment of the revenues of the Chahar Mahal (Gujrat Aurangabad, Sialkot and Pasrur)

    (d) He wanted to annex all the fertile plains of Punjab upto borders of Delhi to his kingdom

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”cm8azvlxsr” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • Who was Rani Gaidinliu?

    Union Home Minister has laid the foundation for ‘Rani Gaidinliu Tribal Freedom Fighters Museum’ in Imphal, Manipur.

    Rani Gaidinliu

    • Gaidinliu (26 January 1915 – 17 February 1993) was a Naga spiritual and political leader who led a revolt against British rule in India.
    • At the age of 13, she joined the Heraka religious movement of her cousin Haipou Jadonang.
    • The movement later turned into a political movement seeking to drive out the British from Manipur and the surrounding Naga areas.
    • Within the Heraka faith, she came to be considered an incarnation of the Goddess Cherachamdinliu.

    Meeting with Pt. Nehru

    • Gaidinliu was arrested in 1932 at the age of 16, and was sentenced to life imprisonment by the British rulers.
    • Jawaharlal Nehru met her at Shillong Jail in 1937 and promised to pursue her release.
    • Nehru gave her the title of “Rani” (“Queen”), and she gained local popularity as Rani Gaidinliu.

    Her legacy

    • She was released in 1947 after India’s independence and continued to work for the upliftment of her people.
    • An advocate of the ancestral Naga religious practices, she staunchly resisted the conversion of Nagas to Christianity.
    • She was honored as a freedom fighter and was awarded a Padma Bhushan by the Government of India.

     

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)