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  • Last 30-Days Revision Plan to crack UPSC/UPPCS Prelims 2021 | Free Webinar With Parth Sir

    Last 30-Days Revision Plan to crack UPSC/UPPCS Prelims 2021 | Free Webinar With Parth Sir

    Dear Aspirants

    Most people give up just when they’re about to achieve success. And this holds true for Civil Services Aspirants. Most of you are in that last-minute hustle for the upcoming prelims examinations for UPSC Civil Services as well as UPPSC Upper Subordinate Examinations (popularly called UPPCS Exam!). And in this time, getting nervous or losing track of your hard work for the last 12-18 months is quite natural. But do not get bogged down with these examinations. Let’s get on a webinar together, this Sunday, to allay these fears and nervousness and get your preparation back on track.

    free session | Limited slots | Register now

    What We Will Be Covering In This Webinar?

    1. 30 Days Routine for the upcoming UPSC and UPPCS Prelims.
    2. How to go with the revision of static subjects for each prelim.
    3. How to cover Current Affairs in a limited time in the most efficient manner.
    4. The importance of giving mock tests in these last 30 days.
    5. How to take up the mock test challenge and get the most out of each test that you are going to give.
    6. What are the important topics and themes in static subjects to look after in revision in these 30 days?

    Do not miss this opportunity to get in the apt mode of Prelims for UPSC and UPPCS and score above the cut-off. The webinar is absolutely free. 

    Date: 12/9/2021 (Sunday)

    Time: 7.00 P.M.

    Limited slots are available. Please register immediately.

    Free session | click here to register

    About Mentor:

    Parth Verma is a senior faculty of Civilsdaily and for the last 3 and half years, he is actively engaged with team CD in all verticals. He has given all 6 UPSC Mains, always clearing Prelims with a score of more than 135+ marks. He has also given 2 UPPCS Interviews and 4 UPPCS Mains and has scored one of the highest marks in UPPCS 2018 Interviews.

    free session | Limited Slots | Register Now

  • [Burning Issue] Tribunal Reforms Bill, 2021 and Inherent Issues with Indian Judiciary

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

    “Justice delayed is democracy denied”

    —John F Kennedy, US president

    Recently, Parliament passed the Tribunal Reforms Bill, 2021, which seeks to lay down terms for service and tenure of members of various tribunals. The new law contained the same provisions as the Tribunal Reforms (Rationalization and Conditions of Service) Ordinance, 2021, which the Supreme Court struck down last month in a 2:1 verdict in Madras Bar Association versus Union of India saying it as unconstitutional as it interferes with the independence of the judiciary. This has triggered a fresh stand-off between the legislature and the judiciary over the powers of and limitations on lawmaking.

    What are Tribunals?

    • Tribunals are specialist judicial bodies that decide disputes in a particular area of law.
    • They are institutions established for discharging judicial or quasi-judicial duties.
    • The objective may be to reduce the caseload of the judiciary or to bring in subject expertise for technical matters.

    Creation of Tribunals

    In 1976, Articles 323A and 323B were inserted in the Constitution of India through the 42nd Amendment.

    • Article 323A: This empowered Parliament to constitute administrative Tribunals (both at central and state level) for adjudication of matters related to recruitment and conditions of service of public servants.
    • Article 323B: This specified certain subjects (such as taxation and land reforms) for which Parliament or state legislatures may constitute tribunals by enacting a law.
    • Article 262: The Indian Constitution provides a role for the Central government in adjudicating conflicts surrounding inter-state rivers that arise among the state/regional governments.
    • In 2010, the Supreme Court clarified that the subject matters under Article 323B are not exclusive, and legislatures are empowered to create tribunals on any subject matters under their purview as specified in the Seventh Schedule.

    Tribunal Reforms Bill, 2021

    (1) Dissolution of Existing Bodies

    • The Bill seeks to dissolve certain appellate bodies and transfer their functions to other existing judicial bodies.

    (2) Merging of Existing Bodies

    • The Finance Act, 2017 merged tribunals based on domain.

    (3) Search-cum-selection Committees

    • The Chairperson and Members of the Tribunals will be appointed by the central government on the recommendation of a Search-cum-Selection Committee.
    • The Committee will consist of:
      1. The Chief Justice of India, or a Supreme Court Judge nominated by him, as the Chairperson (with casting vote).
      2. Two Secretaries nominated by the central governments.
      3. The sitting or a retired Supreme Court Judge, or a retired Chief Justice of a High Court, and
      4. The Secretary of the Ministry under which the Tribunal is constituted (with no voting right).

    (4) State Administrative Tribunals

    • It will have separate search-cum-selection committees with the Chief Justice of the High Court of the concerned state, as the Chairman (with a casting vote).

    (5) Eligibility and Term of Office

    • The Bill provides for a four-year term of office (subject to the upper age limit of 70 years for the Chairperson, and 67 years for members).
    • Minimum age requirement of 50 years for appointment of a chairperson or a member.

    (6) Removal of Tribunal Members

    • The central government shall, on the recommendation of the Search-cum-Selection Committee, remove from office any Chairperson or a Member.

    To summarize the transfer of functions and other provisions of the Bill, consider the following table:

    Transfer of functions of key appellate bodies as proposed under the Bill

    ActsAppellate BodyProposed Entity
    The Cinematograph Act, 1952Appellate TribunalHigh Court
    The Trade Marks Act, 1999Appellate BoardHigh Court
    The Copyright Act, 1957Appellate BoardCommercial Court or the Commercial Division of a High Court*
    The Customs Act, 1962Authority for Advance RulingsHigh Court
    The Patents Act, 1970Appellate BoardHigh Court
    The Airports Authority of India Act, 1994Airport Appellate TribunalThe central government, for disputes arising from the disposal of properties left on airport premises by unauthorized occupants. High Court, for appeals against orders of an eviction officer.
    The Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002Airport Appellate TribunalCivil Court#
    The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999Appellate BoardHigh Court

    Amendments to the Finance Act, 2017:

    • The Finance Act, 2017 merged tribunals based on domain.
    • It also empowered the central government to notify rules on:

    (i) Composition of search-cum-selection committees,

    (ii) Qualifications of tribunal members, and

    (iii) Their terms and conditions of service (such as their removal and salaries).

    • The Bill removes these provisions from the Finance Act, 2017.
    • Provisions on the composition of selection committees and term of office have been included in the Bill.
    • Qualification of members and other terms and conditions of service will be notified by the central government.

    What are the issues raised by the Supreme Court?

    (1) Bypassing the usual legislative process

    • The government has re-enacted the very same provisions struck down by the Court in the Madras Bar association case (2021).
    • There was no discussion over the bill in the Parliament.
    • It amounts to “unconstitutional legislative overriding” of the judgment passed by the SC.

    (2) Government not following repetitive directions issued by the Court

    • The Centre is not following the repeated directions issued by the Court to ensure the proper functioning of the Tribunals.
    • The provisions in the ordinance regarding conditions of service and tenure of Tribunal Members and Chairpersons were already struck down by the Supreme Court.

    (3) Issue over the Security of Tenure

    • The Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021 bars appointments to tribunals of persons below 50 years of age.
    • It undermines the length/security of tenure.

    (4) Violates the principles of separation of powers and judicial independence

    • Central Government can take a decision on the recommendations made by the selection Committee within three months from the date of such recommendations.
    • Section 3(7) of the bill mandates the recommendation of a panel of two names by the search-cum selection committee.
    • This violates the principles of separation of powers and judicial independence.

    (5) Existence of a large number of vacancies in the Tribunals

    • Currently, India has 16 tribunals including the National Green Tribunal, the Armed Forces Appellate Tribunal, and the Debt Recovery Tribunal, etc.
    • Many of these tribunals suffer from crippling vacancies.
    • Existence of large number of vacancies of Members and Chairpersons and the inordinate delay caused in filling them up has resulted in weakening of the tribunals.

    (6) Detrimental to the Decision-making Process

    • These cases will be transferred to High Courts or commercial civil courts immediately.
    • The lack of specialization in regular courts could be detrimental to the decision-making process.

    Government is yet to constitute the National Tribunals Commission (NTC)

    • Further, the Centre is yet to constitute a National Tribunals Commission (NTC), an independent umbrella body to supervise the functioning of tribunals, appointment of and disciplinary proceedings against members, and to take care of administrative and infrastructural needs of the tribunals.
    • The idea of an NTC was first mooted in L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of India (1997).
    • Developing an independent oversight body for accountable governance requires a legal framework that protects its independence and impartiality.
    • Therefore, the NTC must be established vide a constitutional amendment or be backed by a statute that guarantees it functional, operational and financial independence.
    • As the Finance Ministry has been vested with the responsibility for tribunals until the NTC is constituted, it should come up with a transition plan. 

     Advantages of NTC

    • The NTC would ideally take on some duties relating to administration and oversight.
    • It could set performance standards for the efficiency of tribunals and their own administrative processes.
    • It could function as an independent recruitment body to develop and operationalise the procedure for disciplinary proceedings and appointment of tribunal members.
    • Giving the NTC the authority to set members’ salaries, allowances, and other service conditions, subject to regulations, would help maintain tribunals’ independence.

    Inherent Issues with Indian Judiciary

    The Constitution of India, through its Preamble, has guaranteed its citizens ‘ Justice’’—economic, political, and social. But even after 70 years of independence, achieving substantive justice for the vast majority of the citizens has remained a distant dream. In the specific area of the justice delivery system, India is faced with several problems relating to large backlogs and pendency of cases.

    Despite the independence of the judiciary from the executive and legislative bodies, the Indian judicial system faces a lot of problems.

    The major issues that the system faces are:

    1. The pendency of cases.
    2. Corruption.
    3. Lack of transparency (particularly in the appointment of judges).
    4. Under trials of the accused.
    5. Lack of information and interaction among people and courts.

    1) Pendency of cases

    • India’s legal system has the largest backlog of pending cases in the world – as many as 30 million pending cases. Of them, over four million are High Court cases, 65,000 Supreme Court cases.
    • This number is continuously increasing and this itself shows the inadequacy of the legal system.
    • And also due to this backlog, most of the prisoners in India’s prisons are detainees awaiting trial.
    • It is also reported that in Mumbai, India’s financial hub, the courts are burdened with age-old land disputes, which act as a hurdle in the city’s industrial development.

    What led to the underperformance of the Indian Judiciary?

    The issue of heavy arrears pending in the various courts of the country has been a matter of concern since the time of independence. The primary factors contributing to docket explosion and arrears as highlighted by Justice Malimath Committee report are as follows:

    1. Population explosion
    2. Litigation explosion
    3. Hasty and imperfect drafting of legislation
    4. Plurality and accumulation of appeals (Multiple appeals for the same issue)
    5. Inadequacy of judge strength
    6. Failure to provide adequate forums of appeal against quasi-judicial orders
    7. Lack of priority for disposal of old cases (due to the improper constitution of benches)

    2) Corruption in the judiciary

    • Like any other institution of the Government, the Indian judicial system is also allegedly corrupt.
    • There is no system of accountability. The media also do not give a clear picture on account of the fear of contempt.

    3) Lack of transparency

    • Another problem facing the Indian judicial system is the lack of transparency. It is seen that the Right to Information (RTI) Act is totally out of the ambit of the legal system.
    • Thus, in the functioning of the judiciary, the substantial issues like the quality of justice and accountability are not known properly.
    • In the recent past, there have been many debates regarding the Collegium system and the new system that the government wanted to introduce for the appointment of judges, the NJAC.

    4) Hardships of the undertrials

    • Right to a speedy trial is an integral part of the principles of fair trial and is fundamental to the international human rights discourse.
    • In Indian jails, most of the prisoners are undertrials, which are confined to the jails until their case comes to a definite conclusion.
    • In most of the cases, they end up spending more time in the jail than the actual term that might have had been awarded to them had the case been decided on a time and, assuming, against them.
    • Plus, the expenses and pain and agony of defending themselves in courts is worse than serving the actual sentence. Undertrials are not guilty till convicted.

    5) No interaction with society

    • It is very essential that the judiciary of any country should be an integral part of the society and its interactions with society must be made regular and relevant.
    • Lack of faith in a fair and swift judicial system creates a low-trust society.
    • The rule of law and trust are central to enable people in large societies, who do not personally know each other, to live together peacefully and collaborate.

    The inherent issues can be addressed with some simple measures like:

    • For pendency, time-limits should be prescribed for all cases based on priorities. So setting time-standards is essential and it will vary for different cases, and also for different courts depending on their disposal-capacity. Alternative disputes resolution  (ADR) mechanisms should be promoted for out of court settlements.
    • To imbibe transparency, a thorough understanding of the principle of independence of the judiciary and ensuring its accountability is the sole prerogative of the Supreme Court itself. The judiciary should come up with its own solution for transparent functioning and judicial appointments.
    • To make trials speedy, the judiciary must scrutinize the sensitivity of a particular case before taking up for hearing. Fast track courts must be established for varieties of cases.

    Way Forward

    • Impartiality, independence, fairness and reasonableness in decision-making are the hallmarks of the judiciary.
    • Speedy trial and quick justice are a fundamental right implicit in the guarantee of life and personal liberty enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution.
    • The effort to fast-track the judicial process is in a major policy tangle. The need for a new policy framework and governmental and judicial initiative are need of the hour.
    • The executive and judiciary are the two pillars of Indian democracy and their independence is the most important thing for nation to grow and democracy to flourish and live long.
    • Tribunals have shown immense potential in the past and to make most out of it, the government should look to strengthen them giving them more powers and resolving the issues faced by them like insufficient staff.
    • The rapidly evolving field of “legal tech” enables us to use emerging technologies like digitization, process automation, data and analytics, AI to completely reimaging how a 21st century, the citizen-centric legal system should work.

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

  • Streak Daily Compilation of Questions & Videos – Sep 10, 2021

    Maintaining consistency is one of the biggest issues faced by IAS Aspirants. Streak’s initiative is to help Aspirants in their day-to-day preparation. You can follow the monthly, weekly, and daily timetables and continue this streak until you find yourself on the final list.

    Please register for Streak Initiative (free) through this link:- https://www.civilsdaily.com/course/streak-daily-initiative/

    You will get following study material:-

    1. Questions (PDF).
    2. RSTV/Yojana monthly notes (PDF).
    3. Burning issue (PDF).
    4. Subject specific (PDF).
    5. Mentor’s phone call for support & encouragement.

    _____________________________________________

    UPSC Daily Study Plan For 2021 and 2022 || STREAK – by Ravi Ranjan

    CSAT for UPSC Prelims || Free CSAT Sessions by Civilsdaily – by Ravi Ranjan

    UPSC PRELIMS-2021 || Current Affairs Based Most Probable Questions on Polity – by Sukanya Rana

    Q1) Consider the following statements with respect to Model Panchayat Citizens Charter 

    1. Panchayats are responsible for delivery of basic services as enshrined under article 243G of the Constitution of India. 
    2. The Charter would ensure transparent and effective delivery of public services and accountable Local Self Governments. 
    3. The charter was prepared by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in collaboration with National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR). 

    Which of the statements given above are correct? 

    a. 1 and 2 only 

    b. 1 and 3 only 

    c. 2 and 3 only 

    d. 1, 2 and 3

    Q2) With respect to Election Commissioners, consider the following statements: 

    1. The Chief Election Commissioner and the Election Commissioners have equal powers and receive equal salary, which are similar to those of a judge of the Supreme Court. 
    2. In case of difference of opinion amongst the Chief election commissioner and the other election commissioners, the matter is decided by the Commission by majority. 

    Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 

    a. 1 only 

    b. 2 only 

    c. Both 1 and 2 

    d. Neither 1 nor 2

    Q3) Consider the following statements with respect to PENCIL Portal 

    1. It is an electronic platform developed for the enforcement of legislative provisions of National Child Labour Policy (NCLP).
    2. It works under the control of the Ministry of Labour & Employment. 

    Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 

    a. 1 only 

    b. 2 only 

    c. Both 1 and 2 

    d. Neither 1 nor 2

    Q4) Consider the following statements with respective to Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) 

    1. Under UAPA, the period of probe and detention of the accused can be extended up to 180 days. 
    2. Investigation of cases under UAPA, may be conducted by officers of the rank of Deputy Superintendent or Assistant Commissioner of Police or above. 

    Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 

    a. 1 only 

    b. 2 only 

    c. Both 1 and 2 

    d. Neither 1 nor 2

    Q5) Consider the following statements with respective to Inland Vessels Bill, 2021 

    1. It will approve separate rules framed by the States for registration of inland vessels. 
    2. It will provide for a central database for recording the details of vessel, vessel registration, crew on an electronic portal. 

    Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect? 

    a. 1 only 

    b. 2 only 

    c. Both 1 and 2 

    d. Neither 1 nor 2

    UPSC PRELIMS-2021 || Most Probable Questions on Environment and Ecology – by Santosh Gupta

    Q1) Consider the following statements regarding Project MIKE (Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants) : 

    1. It has been established by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). 
    2. It is a site-based system designed to monitor trends in the illegal killing of elephants to help range States make appropriate management and enforcement decisions. 
    3. The largest number of MIKE-sites are in India. 

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    a. 1 and 2

    b. 2 and 3

    c.  1 and 3

    d. all of them 

    Q2) Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding Biosphere Reserves (BRs)? 

    1. BRs are admitted into the Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme by the United Nations Environment Programme. 
    2. BRs under MAB programme remain under the sovereign jurisdiction of the State where they are situated. 
    3. There are 28 Biosphere reserves in India under MAB programme. 

    Select the correct answer using the code given below.

    a. 1 and 2 only

    b. 2 only

    c. 1 and 3 only

    d. All of them

    Q3) Consider the following statements with respect to SAVE programme: 

    1. The objective of the programme is to save Asian vultures from extinction. 
    2. It is an initiative of International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) 

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    a. 1 only

    b. 2 only

    c. 1 and 2 only

    d. None of them

    Q4) Consider the following statements regarding Global Footprint Network: 

    1. It was established by the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002. 
    2. It is responsible for hosting and calculating Earth Overshoot Day. 

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    a. 1 only

    b. 2 only

    c. Both 1 and 2

    d. None of them

    Q5) Consider the following statements regarding ‘Biosafety Clearing House’: 

    1. It has been established to facilitate the exchange of information on Living Modified Organisms to protect biological diversity. 
    2. It is a mechanism set up by the  Nagoya Protocol. 

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    a. 1 only

    b. 2 only

    c. Both 1 and 2

    d. None of them

    Daily Dose: Complete Snapshots of Everyday News – by Shweta Mishra

  • The national security discourse is changing

    Context

    From a rising China to the pressures of climate change; from the challenges of counter-terrorism to the COVID-19 pandemic (the four Cs), the old order is collapsing much faster than the ability of nations to create the foundations of a new one.

    The reduced difference between the domestic and foreign policy of the  U.S.

    • The idea that foreign and domestic policies are tightly intertwined is not a novel one.
    • All serious grand strategic thinking in democracies looks for sustenance in popular public support.
    • A process that was started by former U.S. President Donald Trump has been taken forward by the Biden Administration.
    • Asserting that “foreign policy is domestic policy and domestic policy is foreign policy,” the new administration has suggested that their task is to re-imagine American national security for the unprecedented combination of crises they face at home and abroad.
    • These crises include the pandemic, the economic crisis, the climate crisis, technological disruption, threats to democracy, racial injustice, and inequality in all forms”.
    • There is a growing bipartisan acknowledgment in the U.S. today that the requirements of American national security today are different from what they were during the Cold War.
    • Today’s strategic environment requires a different response for national security: one that shores up domestic industrial base helps in maintaining pre-eminence in critical technologies, makes supply chains for critical goods more resilient, protects critical infrastructure from cyberattacks and responds with a sense of urgency to climate change.

    Indian situation: Dependence on the external supply chain is the national security challenge

    • In India too, there is greater recognition of the challenges emanating on national security from domestic vulnerabilities.
    • Dependence on Chinese manufacturing: One of the most significant consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic has been to reveal how deeply India has been dependent on Chinese manufacturing for critical supplies.
    • At a time when Indian armed forces were facing the People’s Liberation Army, this exposed India to a new realization that dependence on overseas supply chains is a national security challenge of the highest order.
    • Dimensions of national security: The Indian Army chief has argued that “national security comprises not only warfare and defence but also financial security, health security, food security, energy security, and environmental security apart from information security”.

    Way forward for India

    • Shore up domestic capacities: India has since moved towards increasing domestic capacities in critical areas and also started looking at free trade agreements through a new lens.
    • Whole-of-government approach: Army Chief had suggested that instead of viewing national security “primarily from the perspective of an armed conflict, there is a need to take a whole-of-government approach towards security”.
    • Investment in armed forces: The Army chief has pointed out that investment in the armed forces contributes to the national economy.
    • Therefore, indigenization of defence procurement provides an impetus to indigenous industries, aid to civil authorities, or Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).
    • Demand for hi-tech military products by the armed forces helps entire industries.
    • Transportation and logistics capacities of the armed forces are acting as force enablers for the Government in times of emergencies.

    Consider the question “The idea that foreign and domestic policies are tightly intertwined is not a novel one. In light of this, examine the challenges facing India’s national security that are linked with its domestic vulnerability. Suggest the ways forward.”

    Conclusion

    As nations across the world reconceptualise their strategic priorities, policymakers will need to think more creatively about the roles of various instruments of statecraft. National security thinking is undergoing a shift. India cannot be left behind.

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

  • Last 30-Days Revision Plan to crack UPSC/UPPCS Prelims 2021 | Free Webinar With Parth Sir

    Last 30-Days Revision Plan to crack UPSC/UPPCS Prelims 2021 | Free Webinar With Parth Sir

    Dear Aspirants

    Most people give up just when they’re about to achieve success. And this holds true for Civil Services Aspirants. Most of you are in that last-minute hustle for the upcoming prelims examinations for UPSC Civil Services as well as UPPSC Upper Subordinate Examinations (popularly called UPPCS Exam!). And in this time, getting nervous or losing track of your hard work for the last 12-18 months is quite natural. But do not get bogged down with these examinations. Let’s get on a webinar together, this Sunday, to allay these fears and nervousness and get your preparation back on track.

    free session | Limited slots | Register now

    What We Will Be Covering In This Webinar?

    1. 30 Days Routine for the upcoming UPSC and UPPCS Prelims.
    2. How to go with the revision of static subjects for each prelim.
    3. How to cover Current Affairs in a limited time in the most efficient manner.
    4. The importance of giving mock tests in these last 30 days.
    5. How to take up the mock test challenge and get the most out of each test that you are going to give.
    6. What are the important topics and themes in static subjects to look after in revision in these 30 days?

    Do not miss this opportunity to get in the apt mode of Prelims for UPSC and UPPCS and score above the cut-off. The webinar is absolutely free. 

    Date: 12/9/2021 (Sunday)

    Time: 7.00 P.M.

    Limited slots are available. Please register immediately.

    Free session | click here to register

    About Mentor:

    Parth Verma is a senior faculty of Civilsdaily and for the last 3 and half years, he is actively engaged with team CD in all verticals. He has given all 6 UPSC Mains, always clearing Prelims with a score of more than 135+ marks. He has also given 2 UPPCS Interviews and 4 UPPCS Mains and has scored one of the highest marks in UPPCS 2018 Interviews.

    free session | Limited Slots | Register Now

  • 10th Sept 2021 | Current Affairs Test 07

    [WpProQuiz 775]

    [WpProQuiz_toplist 773]

  • Places Associated with Buddha’s Life and Buddhism

    10th Sept 2021

     

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

     

    Astamahasthanas are eight great holy places associated with the life of Buddha.  These include four pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha viz. Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath and Kushinagara and four other sites viz. Sravasti, Sankasya, Rajgir and Vaishali.

    Lumbini

    Lumbini is currently located in the Kapilavastu district of Nepal. It is the birthplace of Buddha. At the time of the birth of Buddha, Lumbini was a part of Shakya Janapada, which was a republic.

    Bodhgaya

    It is located in Bihar on the bank of river Neranjana {this river was known as Uruwela at that time}. It is known as a place of enlightenment of Buddha.

    Sarnath

    Sarnath {also known as Mrigadava, Migadaya, Rishipattana, Isipatana} is the deer park where Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon or Dhammachakraparivartan Sutra. At the time of Buddha, it was a part of Kashi Janapada.

    Kushinagar

    Kushinara or Kushinagara is located in the Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh. It is the site of Buddha’s death and mahaparinirvana. At the time of Buddha’s death, it was the capital of Malla janapada.

    Sravasti

    Sravasti was located in Uttar Pradesh around the area of Balrampur in modern Uttar Pradesh. It is closely associated with the life of Buddha because Buddha had spent 24 Chaturmasas {implies 24 years because one year as only one Chaturmasa between Ashadha to Kartika}. Thus, we can say that most of the monastic life of Buddha was spent in Shravasti. In Buddha’s times, Shravasti was the capital of Kosala Kingdom. Shravasti is also the birthplace of Jaina Tirthankar Sambhavanath, and thus is important for Jains also.

    Sankasya

    Its current location is the Farrukhabad district of Uttar Pradesh. It has some faiths of Buddhism that Buddha after his death descended from heaven here.

    Rajgir

    Rajgir was the early capital of Magadh Janapada, which was ruled by Bimbisara during Buddha’s time. After the great departure (Mahabhinishkramana), Buddha had first gone to Rajgir. He started begging alms over there and living a life of an ascetic. King Bimbisara had offered Buddha his throne which he turned down.

    Vaishali

    At the time of Buddha, Vaishali was in Vajji Janapada.  After leaving Kapilavastu for renunciation, he came to Vaishali first and had his spiritual training from Allara and Udaka.

    Other places of importance in Buddhism

    Amaravati

    Amaravati in Andhrapradesh’s Guntur district is also known as Dhanyakataka or Dharanikota and was the site of a great Buddhist Stupa built in pre-Mauryan times, ruled by Satavahana kings.

    Nagarjunkonda

    Nagarjunkonda is near Nagarjun Sagar in Andhra Pradesh. Once, it was home to more than 30 Buddhist Viharas (Buddhist universities and monasteries), attracting students from as far as China, Gandhara, Bengal, and Sri Lanka. Nagarjunkonda was one the largest and most important Buddhist centers in South India from the second century BC until the third century AD. It was named after Nagarjuna, a renowned Buddhist scholar, and philosopher, who had migrated here from Amaravati to propagate and spread the Buddha’s message of universal peach and brotherhood. Remains were discovered in 1926 by archaeologist AR Saraswati 1926.

    Ajanta Caves

    Ajanta Caves are 31 rock-cut caves from the 2nd to 8th century AD, located in Aurangabad. The first caves called Chaityas were created during Satavahana Dynasty. Cave No. 1 has the painting of Padmapani and Vajrapani. Painted narratives of the Jataka tales are depicted on the walls.

    Angkor Wat

    Angkor Wat is located in Cambodia. The temple complex was built by Suryavarman II and it was first devoted to Vishnu and later to Buddhists.

    Bodh Gaya

    Bodh Gaya was known as Bodhimanda, Uruvela, Sambodhi, Vajrasana, and Mahabodhi till the 18th century when Bodh Gaya’s name became popular. It has the Mahabodhi temple and Bodhi tree. It became Unesco’s world heritage site in 2002.

    Bodhi Tree

    It’s a Pipal Tree (Ficus Religiosa) and is known as Bo in Sri Lanka. Located in Bodh Gaya. Under this tree Gautama attained enlightenment. The current tree is a descendent of the original tree. There are other Bodhi trees as well viz. Anandabodhi tree in Sravasti and the Bodhi tree (Bo) or also known as Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi planted in 288 BC in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka and both of them have been propagated from the original tree. It is also known as the oldest living Human Planted tree in the world with known planting date.

    Borobudur

    Borobudur is located in Indonesia and comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. It’s a world Heritage site. There are 3 Buddhist temples which are known as Borobudur Temple Compounds.

    Bamyan Caves

    They are located in Afghanistan and have statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art of the 6th century, They were the largest examples of standing Buddha carvings in the world before they were blown by dynamite by the Taliban in 2001.

    Ellora Caves

    Ellora Caves represent Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu Rock-cut temples built by Rastrakuta Kings. The earliest Buddhist cave is Cave 6; most caves of Buddhism are Viharas. Cave number 10 is a Chaitya hall also known as Chandrashala or Vishwakarma Cave and also known as carpenter’s cave. At the heart of this cave is a 15 ft statue of Buddha seated in a preaching pose.

    Pushpagiri University

    Lalitgiri, Ratnagiri, and Udayagiri are part of the Puspagiri University which flourished till the 11th century in Odisha. They lie atop the Langudi hills in Jajpur and Cuttak of Orissa.

    Vikramshila, Odantapuri and Somapapuri

    Vikramshila. Odantapuri & Somapapuri were the Buddhist Viharas founded by Palas.

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  • The fall of Afghanistan, the fallout in West Asia

    Three weeks after they walked into Kabul without any resistance, the Taliban now has announced an interim Council of Ministers.

    Chord with Pakistan: Crowing of its puppets

    • Pakistan appears to have got its way. This government formation has tightly controlled the head of its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
    • Afghanistan’s acting PM is Mullah Hassan Akhund, a close associate of former Taliban founder Mullah Omar.
    • Abdul Ghani Baradar is his deputy, but again, this could be a token position.
    • Baradar had been arrested in 2010 by the Pakistanis for pursuing a dialogue with the Hamid Karzai government without Pakistani sanction and jailed for eight years.
    • Pakistan’s true proteges are Sirajuddin Haqqani, the acting interior minister, and Mohammed Yaqoob, the acting defence minister, a son of Mullah Omar, who is also close to Haqqani.

    The West Asian players

    Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iran have been direct role-players in Afghan affairs for over 25 years.

    • Sheikhdom involvement: In the 1990s, the first two were supporters and sources of funding for the Taliban, while Iran was an antagonist. After 9/11, all three countries became deeply involved with the Taliban. Since 2005, the Gulf sheikhdoms have contributed millions of dollars to different Taliban leaders and factions.
    • Iran’s defiance of the US: Iran began a substantial engagement with various Taliban leaders from 2007 and provided funding, weapons, training and refuge when required. It wanted the Taliban to maintain pressure on the U.S. forces to ensure their speedy departure from the country.
    • Regional competition: In the 2010s, when the US began to engage with Iran on the nuclear issue, Saudi Arabia became more directly involved in Afghan matters to prevent Iran’s expanding influence among Taliban groups. Thus, besides Syria and Yemen, Iran and Saudi Arabia have also made Afghanistan an arena for their regional competitions.
    • Earliest acknowledgment of the Taliban: In 2012, Qatar, on U.S. request, allowed the Taliban to open an office in Doha as a venue for their dialogue with the Americans. This has made Qatar an influential player in Afghan affairs, with deep personal ties with several leaders, many of whom keep their families in Doha.

    Competitions for influence

    The low-key reactions of the Gulf countries to recent developments in Kabul reflect the uncertainties relating to the Taliban in power.

    Nature of the govt: Their ability to remain united, their policies relating to human rights, and, above all, whether the Taliban will again make their country a sanctuary for extremist groups.

    Fractionalization within terror groups: The country already has several thousand foreign fighters, whose ranks could swell with extremists coming in from Iraq and Syria, and threaten the security of all neighbouring states.

    Three sets of regional players are active in Afghanistan today:

    1. Pakistan-Saudi coalition: This has been the principal source of support for the Taliban-at-war. They would like to remain influential in the new order, but neither would like to see the Taliban revert to their practices of the 1990s that had justifiably appalled the global community.
    2. Turkey and Qatar: They represent the region’s Islamist coalition and, thus, share an ideological kinship with the Taliban. Both would like to see a moderate and inclusive administration.
    3. Iran: While many of its hardliners are overjoyed at the U.S. “defeat”, more reflective observers recall the earlier Taliban emirate which was viscerally hostile to Shias and Iran. Iran also sees itself as the guardian of the Tajik, Uzbek and Hazara minorities in the country.

    Options Available: The outlook for security

    Linking with Israel-Palestine Conflict: The region now has two options: one, an Israel-centric security order in which the Arab Gulf states would link themselves with Israel to confront Iran. This is being actively promoted by Israeli hawks since it would tie Israel with neighbouring Arab states without having to concede anything to meet Palestinian aspirations.

    Comprehensive regional security arrangement: The other option is more ambitious: The facilitators and guarantors of this security arrangement are likely to be China and Russia: over the last few years, both have built close relations with the major states of the region. i.e., Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

    Consensus to ward away the US

    • The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states led by Saudi Arabia lifted the over three-year blockade of Qatar.
    • The discussions between Iran and Saudi Arabia and plans are in place for the next meetings.
    • Turkey has initiated diplomatic overtures towards Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
    • None of these initiatives involves the Americans.

    Conclusion: A new order is in making

    • These developments suggest that the germ of a new regional security order in West Asia is already sown in fertile ground.

    Way forward for India

    • The Indian policies are at a crossroads. Continued bandwagoning with the US makes no sense.
    • Indian diplomacy should harmonize with the regional capitals, including Beijing, which can be a natural ally on issues of terrorism.
    • The bottom line is that India’s vital interests remain to be secured.
    • Demonizing the Taliban can only be counterproductive.

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  •  How India and Germany can work together to tackle climate change?

    Both nations, India and Germany with innovative economies and many highly-trained people can tackle the climate challenge.

    India-Germany Relations: A backgrounder

    Freedom struggle: Subhas Chandra Bose, a prominent freedom fighter for Indian independence, made a determined effort to obtain India’s independence from Britain by seeking military assistance from the Axis powers. The Indische Legion was formed to serve as a liberation force for British-ruled India principally made up of Indian prisoners of war.

    Diplomacy: India maintained diplomatic relations with both West Germany and East Germany and supported their reunification in 1990. Contrary to France and the UK, Germany has no strategic footprint in Asia.

    Past contentions: Germany condemned India for liberating Goa from Portuguese rule in 1961 and supported Portugal’s dictatorial regime under Salazar against India. It was critical of India for intervening in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.  It rejected India’s 1998 nuclear tests.

    Quest for UNSC: India and Germany both seek to become permanent members of the UNSC and have joined with Japan and Brazil to coordinate their efforts via the G4 collective.

    Cultural ties: Germany has supported education and cultural programs in India. Germany helped establish the IIT Madras after both governments signed an agreement in 1956 and increased its cooperation and supply of technology and resources over the decades to help expand the institution

    Trade and investment: Germany is India’s largest trading partner in Europe. Germany is the 8th largest foreign direct investor (FDI) in India.

    Common concerns

    • In South Asia and Europe, we have become used to extremely hot weather, flooding, dramatic depletion of groundwater tables, and drought.
    • The EU has adopted an ambitious Green Deal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and to decouple economic growth from the consumption of natural resources.

    Why the two?

    • India is one of few countries that looks set to deliver on the national goals it set itself as part of the Paris agreement.
    • Compared to other G20 countries, its per capita emissions are very low.
    • Germany recently adopted laws on reducing greenhouse gases more quickly, achieving climate neutrality by 2045 and stopping the use of coal for electricity production by 2038.

    Collaborated efforts to date

    • In 2015, India’s PM and Germany’s Federal Chancellor agreed to further strengthen the two countries’ strategic partnership.
    • On this basis, Germany and India have succeeded in building up a cooperation portfolio worth almost 12 billion euros.
    • Already, nine out of 10 measures support climate goals and SDGs together.

    Indo-German development cooperation focuses on three areas:

    1. Transition to renewable energies
    2. Sustainable urban development and
    3. Sustainable management of natural resources

    What does Germany have to offer?

    • As a pioneer of the energy transition, Germany is offering knowledge, technology transfer, and financial solutions.
    • The pandemic has shown global supply chains are vulnerable.
    • Yet, when it comes to agriculture and natural resources, there are smart solutions that are being tested in India and Germany for more self-reliance, including agroecological approaches and sustainable management of forests, soils, and water.
    • Experience in India has shown that these methods also boost incomes for the local population and make them less dependent on expensive fertilizers, pesticides and seeds.

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  • Tasks accomplished by the Chandrayaan-2

    The failure of Chandrayaan-2, India’s second mission to the Moon, to make a soft landing on the lunar surface had led to much disappointment.  But that did not mean the entire mission had been wasted.

    Chandrayaan-2: A quick recap

    • Chandrayaan-2 consisted of an Orbiter, Lander and Rover, all equipped with scientific instruments to study the moon.
    • The Orbiter would watch the moon from a 100-km orbit, while the Lander and Rover modules were to be separated to make a soft landing on the moon’s surface.
    • ISRO had named the Lander module as Vikram, after Vikram Sarabhai, the pioneer of India’s space programme, and the Rover module as Pragyaan, meaning wisdom.

    Utility of the Orbit

    • The Orbiter part of the mission has been functioning normally. It is carrying eight instruments.
    • Each of these instruments has produced a handsome amount of data that sheds new light on the moon and offers insights that could be used in further exploration.

    Some of the most significant results so far:

    (a) Water

    • The presence of water on the Moon had already been confirmed by Chandrayaan-1, India’s first mission to the Moon that flew in 2008.
    • Using far more sensitive instruments, the Imaging Infra-Red Spectrometer (IIRS) onboard Chandrayaan-2 has been able to distinguish between hydroxyl and water molecules and found unique signatures of both.
    • This is the most precise information about the presence of H2O molecules on the Moon to date.
    • Previously, water was known to be present mainly in the polar regions of the Moon.
    • Chandrayaan-2 has now found signatures of water at all latitudes, although its abundance varies from place to place.

    (b) Minor elements

    • The Large Area Soft X-ray Spectrometer (CLASS) measures the Moon’s X-ray spectrum to examine the presence of major elements such as magnesium, aluminum, silicon, calcium, titanium, iron, etc.
    • This instrument has detected the minor elements chromium and manganese for the first time through remote sensing, thanks to a better detector.
    • The finding can lay the path for understanding magmatic evolution on the Moon and deeper insights into the nebular conditions as well as planetary differentiation.
    • CLASS has mapped nearly 95% of the lunar surface in X-rays for the first time.
    • Sodium, also a minor element on the Moon surface, was detected without any ambiguity for the first time.

    (c) Study of Sun

    • One of the payloads, called Solar X-ray Monitor (XSM), besides studying the Moon through the radiation coming in from the Sun, has collected information about solar flares.
    • XSM has observed a large number of microflares outside the active region for the first time.
    • This has great implications on the understanding of the mechanism behind the heating of the solar corona, which has been an open problem for many decades.

    Utility of this Data

    • While the Orbiter payloads build upon existing knowledge of the Moon in terms of its surface, sub-surface and exosphere, it also paves the path for future Moon missions.
    • Four aspects — mineralogical and volatile mapping of the lunar surface, surface and subsurface properties and processes involved, quantifying water in its various forms across the Moon surface, and maps of elements present on the moon — will be key for future scope of work.
    • A key outcome from Chandrayaan-2 has been the exploration of the permanently shadowed regions as well as craters and boulders underneath the regolith, the loose deposit comprising the top surface extending up to 3-4m in depth.
    • This is expected to help scientists to zero in on future landing and drilling sites, including for human missions.

    Who is going to use it?

    • Some key future Moon missions that hope to make use of such data include the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)-ISRO collaboration Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX) mission scheduled for launch in 2023/2024.
    • Its aim is to obtain knowledge of lunar water resources and to explore the suitability of the lunar polar region for setting up a lunar base.
    • NASA’s Artemis missions plan to enable human landing on the Moon beginning 2024 and target sustainable lunar exploration by 2028.
    • The Chinese Lunar Exploration Programme too plans to establish a prototype of the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) at the lunar south pole and build a platform supporting large-scale scientific exploration.

    What was missed because of the crash-landing?

    • The most obvious miss has been the opportunity to demonstrate the technology to make a soft landing in outer space.
    • The lander Vikram and rover Pragyaan were carrying instruments to carry out observations on the surface.
    • These were supposed to pick up additional information about the terrain, and composition, and mineralogy.
    • While the instruments onboard the Orbiter is making “global” observations, those on the lander and rover would have provided much more local information.
    • The two diverse sets of data could have helped prepare a more composite picture of the Moon.

    Future with the Chandrayaan-3

    • ISRO scientists maintain that the accident was caused by a relatively small error that has been identified and corrected.
    • But, to demonstrate this technology all over again, ISRO would have to send a fresh mission, Chandrayaan-3, planned for next year.
    • It is expected to have only a lander and rover, and no Orbiter.

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