Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 2- India-US relations
The India-US ties have advanced by leaps and bounds. Yet, there is a persistent underestimation of India’s capacity to rework its great power relations. The article deals with this issue.
Expanding partnership
- India-US relations have been on a steady upward trajectory over the last three decades.
- This partnership withstood significant political transitions in both countries and managed to overcome many difficult barriers.
- The US is now India’s most comprehensive partner.
- The Russia relationship is long on defence but short on commerce.
- India’s commercial ties with China are large, but tilted heavily in Beijing’s favour.
- Collective Europe is big on commerce but small on security cooperation.
- The US has a sizeable presence in both economic and security dimensions and the political common ground with India has steadily expanded.
So, why persistent doubt in India about the US partnership
- One part of it is the ingrained ideological bias in the dominant foreign policy elite.
- Delhi’s stilted debate on the US is, unfortunately, reinforced by the sad absence of investment in institutional capabilities to study American politics, economics and international relations.
Issues with our assessment of relations with India
- There is an enduring reluctance of India’s foreign policy community to either acknowledge or accept the unfolding transformation of India’s ties with the US.
- There is also continuing underestimation of India’s capacity to rework its great power relations to meet India’s changing interests and circumstances.
- It was widely held that the Indo-Pacific and the Quad will become footnotes in Biden’s foreign policy.
- This in turn was based on the bet that Biden is likely to embrace China rather than confront it in the manner that Trump did.
- All these assumptions turned out to be inaccurate.
- Concern for democracy and human rights has always been part of US foreign policy ideology.
- But no state, not even a revolutionary one, can run its foreign policy on a single-point agenda.
Underestimating India’s agency to shape the partnership
- Even as it continuously misjudged the US, the Indian foreign policy elite has not appreciated India’s agency to shape the relationship with America.
- The conviction that Delhi is perennially under US pressure to accept policies harmful for itself further distorts the discourse in the media and among the chattering classes.
- The evidence from the 1990s — one of India’s most vulnerable moments after Independence — should have corrected this misperception.
- The traditional discourse finds it hard to come to terms with the twin factors shaping India’s new approach.
- One is the significant increase in India’s material capabilities.
- India’s aggregate GDP increased ten-fold between 1990 ($270 billion) and 2020 (about $2,700 billion).
- Equally important is the new political will in Delhi.
Consider the question “There is a continuing underestimation of Delhi’s capacity to rework its great power relations with the US to meet India’s changing interests and circumstances. Critically examine.”
Conclusion
The new India no longer wrings its hands in dealing with the US; it relishes the large room for strategic bargaining with America. Even more important, Delhi is no longer a reluctant partner to Washington.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 3-Privatisation of banks in India and debate around it
The article highlights the different aspects that need to be considered while contemplating the idea of privatisation of public banks.
Opposite trends in India and the US
- While the United States epitomises the private banking model, a nationwide public banking movement is coming into vogue.
- In contrast, India seems to be quickly warming to the idea of bank privatisation.
Public or the private?
- The development view sees government presence in the banking sector as a means to overcome market failures in the early stages of economic development.
- The government-owned banks can improve welfare by allocating scarce capital to socially productive uses.
- The stellar success of Indian PSBs in implementing the PMJDY while missing the mark on creating high-quality credit highlights a critical divide between the asset and the liability side of a bank.
- Banks provide two functions at a fundamental level: Payments and deposit-taking on the liability side and credit creation on the asset side.
- The payment services function, a hallmark of financial inclusion, is similar to a utility business — banks can provide this service, a public good, at a low cost universally.
- The lending side, in contrast, is all about the optimal allocation of resources through better credit evaluation and monitoring of borrowers.
- Private banks are more likely to have the right set of incentives and expertise in doing so.
- It comes as no surprise that the PSBs in India are better at providing the public good functions, whereas private banks seem better suited for credit allocation.
- However, the political view argues that vested interests can influence the lending apparatus to achieve political goals.
- This results in distortion of credit allocation and reduce allocative efficiency in government-owned banking systems.
Reasons for privatisation of banks
- Evidences shows that government ownership in the banking sector leads to lower levels of financial development and growth
- This led to waves of banking sector privatisations that swept emerging markets in the 1990s.
- Cross-country evidence suggests that bank privatisations improved both bank efficiency and profitability.
How public banks performed in India
- Public sector Banks (PSBs) dominate Indian banking, controlling over 60 per cent of banking assets.
- The private-credit to GDP ratio, a key measure of credit flow, stands at 50 per cent, much lower than international benchmarks — in China it is150 and in South Korea it is 150 per cent.
- India’s Gross NPA ratio was 8.2 per cent in March 2020, with striking differences across PSBs (10.3 per cent) and private banks (5.5 per cent).
- The end result is much lower PSB profitability compared to private banks.
- The rationale for privatisation stems from these considerations.
Way forward
- The optimal mix of the banking system across public and private boils down to what you need out of your banking system.
- When the wedge between social and private benefits is large, as with financial inclusion, there is a strong case for public banks.
- At this stage, inefficiency in capital allocation seems to be a bigger issue for the Indian banking sector, whereas, in the US, the debate is centred around the public goods aspects of banking.
Consider the question “What are the factors India needs to consider as it reverses the course of history by privatising the public banks?”
Conclusion
At this stage, inefficiency in capital allocation seems to be a bigger issue for the Indian banking sector, whereas, in the US, the debate is centred around the public goods aspects of banking.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Various judgments and commissions
Mains level: 50% quota debate
The Supreme Court sought responses from all states on whether the 50% ceiling limit on reservation needs to be reconsidered.
Debate: The 50% Cap
- The ceiling was imposed by a nine-judge Constitution Bench in the Indira Sawhney case in 1992, wherein the court strictly held that reservation cannot exceed 50%.
- However, the bench did indicate that in exceptional circumstances, reservation could be extended.
A case for Maratha Reservation
- The court is set to examine whether the Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission had made up a case of “extraordinary circumstances” of deprivation suffered by the Maratha community.
- In fact, the Bombay High Court had, in June 2019, reduced the quantum of reservation for Marathas from the 16% recommended by the Gaikwad Commission to 12% in education and 13% in employment.
- The ruling was challenged before a Supreme Court Bench, which referred it to a larger Constitution Bench.
Challenges to the Maratha quota
There are two main constitutional questions for the court to consider in the challenge to the Martha quota law.
- The first is whether states can declare a particular caste to be a socially and educationally backward class.
- The second is whether states can breach the 50% ceiling for “vertical quotas” set by the Supreme Court.
What is the Indra Sawhney Case?
- In 1979, the Second Backward Classes Commission (Mandal Commission) was set up to determine the criteria for defining the socially and educationally backward classes.
- The Mandal report identified 52% of the population at that time as “Socially and Economically Backward Classes” (SEBCs) and recommended 27% reservation for SEBCs in addition to the previously existing 22.5% reservation for SC/STs.
- In 1990, when the V P Singh led-government set out to implement the Mandal report, it was challenged in court amidst widespread protests against the move.
- The case came up before a nine-judge Bench and a 6:3 verdict was delivered in 1992.
What did the verdict say?
- The court upheld the office memorandums that essentially implemented the Mandal report.
- The majority opinion said the executive orders mandating 27% reservation for backward castes were valid.
- It held that the reservation was made not just on the basis of caste, even if it appears so, but on the basis of objective evaluation of social and educational backwardness of classes.
- The inclusion in the list of Backward Classes is very much warranted by Article 15(4).
Precedents set by the judgment
The landmark Indra Sawhney ruling set two important precedents.
- The court said that the criteria for a group to qualify for reservation are “social and educational backwardness”.
- It also reiterated the 50% limit to vertical quotas it had set out earlier. The court said this 50% limit will apply — unless in “exceptional circumstances”.
How does the Maratha reservation relate to the Indra Sawhney case?
- Based on the 102nd Amendment to the Constitution, which gives the President powers to notify backward classes, the court will have to look into whether states have similar powers.
- Also, since this power flows from the Constitution, whether the President is still required to comply with the criteria set by the Supreme Court in the Mandal case.
- The relevance of the Indra Sawhney criteria is also under question in another case in which the validity of the 103rd Amendment has been challenged.
- The 103rd Amendment, passed in 2019, provides for 10% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for the economically weaker section in the unreserved category.
- Since the Indra Sawhney verdict gives a pass to a breach of the 50% quota rule only in exceptional circumstances, the court will have to test if the Maharashtra law qualifies to be an exception.
Rising aspirations for backwardness!
Similar to the Maratha issue are the cases of Patels in Gujarat, Jats in Haryana, and Kapus in Andhra Pradesh.
Have any other states breached the 50% ceiling before?
- States have breached the 50% ceiling before and intend to bring more reservation. A notable example is in Tamil Nadu.
- Its Act of 1993, reserves 69% of the seats in colleges and jobs in the state government.
- However, this was done by amending the Constitution, to place the law in the Ninth Schedule after the Indra Sawhney judgment.
How does the Ninth Schedule come to the picture?
- The Ninth Schedule provides the law with a “safe harbour” from judicial review under Article 31B of the Constitution.
- Laws placed in the Ninth Schedule cannot be challenged for reasons of violating any fundamental right protected under the Constitution.
- However, when the Tamil Nadu law was challenged in 2007 (I R Coelho v State of Tamil Nadu), the Supreme Court ruled that while laws placed under Ninth Schedule cannot be challenged on the grounds of violation of fundamental rights.
- However, they can be challenged on the ground that it violates the basic structure of the Constitution.
- A later Bench was to decide whether the Tamil Nadu law itself (breaching the 50% ceiling) violates basic structure, based on the I R Coelho verdict. The Bench has not yet been set up.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: United Bengal Plan, Partition of Bengal
Mains level: Two nation theory
In a recent election rally, a politician spoke about the contributions of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee in the making of West Bengal immediately after independence.
This newscard contains some archaic statements and thoughts (that may seem like polarized opinions) which are directly reproduced from the newspaper.
The 1947 independence era circumstances are discussed with context to the United Bengal Plan and its subsequent partition.
The United Bengal plan
- A most striking aspect of the Partition of Bengal was the fact that the same people, who had vociferously opposed the 1905 partition of the region by Lord Curzon, were the ones who demanded the division of the province on communal lines.
- One way to understand this is by noting the fact that the communal skirmishes that had started in 1905, reached its peak by 1947.
- But there was also the fact that Bengal politics changed dramatically in 1932 with the introduction of the Communal Award.
- It gave more seats in the Legislative Council to Muslims than Hindus. It also provided separate electorates for the Dalits.
- Consequently, Bengali Hindus ceased to be as significant and visible in provincial politics as they were before.
- What further aggravated the situation was the communal violence in Calcutta in August 1946 and those in Noakhali just seven weeks later.
Try this PYQ from CSP 2013:
Q.The Partition of Bengal made by Lord Curzon in 1905 lasted until
(a) The First World War when Indian troops were needed by the British and the partition was ended.
(b) King George V abrogated Curzon’s Act at the Royal Darbar in Delhi in 1911
(c) Gandhiji launched his Civil Disobedience Movement
(d) The Partition of India, in 1947 when East Bengal became East Pakistan
Mukherjee and the Plan
- Mukherjee, who was president of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha between 1943 and 1946, is known to have been the man behind the Partition of Bengal in 1947.
- Calcutta riots (1947) led the Hindu Mahasabha under Mukherjee to put forward the demand for dividing Bengal on religious grounds.
- He was one of the strongest voices to have opposed the united Bengal plan of the Bengal provincial League leader and PM Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy.
- As per the plan, Bengal would be a separate nation, independent from both India and Pakistan.
Debate over partition
- In the meantime Suhrawardy along with few other top Bengal politicians like Sarat Bose and K.S. Roy came up with an alternative for the Partition.
- They argued for a united Bengal, independent from India and Pakistan.
- Suhrawardy had realized that the Partition of Bengal would mean economic disaster for East Bengal since all jute mills, coal mines and industrial plants would go to the western part of the state.
- Suhrawardy argued strongly for a united Bengal because Bengal was indivisible in view of its ‘economic integrity, mutual reliance and the necessity of creating a strong workable state.
Why did Mukherjee oppose the united Bengal plan?
- The Hindu Mahasabha under Mukherjee spearheaded a fierce attack against the united Bengal scheme, which he thought would force Hindus to live under Muslim domination.
- He further defended the Partition to the Viceroy by drawing upon Jinnah’s two-nation theory.
- Finally, for Mukherjee, the idea of a united Bengal was not appealing because he believed that a ‘sovereign undivided Bengal would be a virtual Pakistan’.
- Eventually, the idea of a united Bengal failed to garner sufficient support from among the Muslim League and the Congress.
- It also did not find sufficient support from the grassroots as most Hindus favoured the Partition of Bengal.
Back2Basics: Partition of Bengal
- The first Partition of Bengal (1905) was a territorial reorganization of the Bengal Presidency implemented by the authorities of the British Raj.
- The reorganization separated the largely Muslim eastern areas from the largely Hindu western areas. Announced on 19 July 1905 by Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy of India.
- It was implemented on 16 October 1905, it was undone a mere six years later.
- Hindus were outraged at what they saw as a “divide and rule” policy, even though Curzon stressed it would produce administrative efficiency.
- The partition animated the Muslims to form their own national organization along communal lines.
- To appease Bengali sentiment, Bengal was reunited by Lord Hardinge in 1911, in response to the Swadeshi movement’s riots in protest against the policy.
- In 1947, Bengal was partitioned for the second time, solely on religious grounds, as part of the Partition of India following the formation of the nations India and Pakistan.
- In 1955, East Bengal became East Pakistan, and in 1971 became the independent state of Bangladesh.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Quasars
Mains level: Black holes and gravitation waves
An international team of astronomers have discovered the most distant ‘radio-loud’ quasar with the help of the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT).
Ever found this on YouTube? Take time to watch this amazing video. It will literally blow up your mind and curiosity!
TIMELAPSE OF THE FUTURE: A Journey to the End of Time (4K)
This video will make up your perceptions and conceptions of how a galaxy dies after the sun runs out of fuel and what a black hole actually is!
What are Quasars?
- A quasar known as a quasi-stellar object is an extremely luminous active galactic nucleus (AGN), in which a supermassive black hole with mass ranging from millions to billions of times the mass of the Sun is surrounded by a gaseous accretion disk.
- As gas in the disk falls towards the black hole, energy is released in the form of electromagnetic radiation, which can be observed across the electromagnetic spectrum.
- The power radiated by quasars is enormous; the most powerful quasars have luminosities thousands of times greater than a galaxy such as the Milky Way.
- Most active galaxies have a supermassive black hole at the centre which sucks in surrounding objects.
- Quasars are formed by the energy emitted by materials spiralling around a black hole right before being sucked into it.
What makes this event special?
- 90 per cent of quasars do not emit strong radio waves, making this newly-discovered one special.
- It took 13 billion years for the quasar’s light to reach earth.
- Named P172+18, the quasar emitted wavelengths had a redshift of 6.8.
- Only three other ‘radio-loud’ sources with a redshift greater than six have been discovered so far and the most distant one had a redshift of 6.18.
- The higher the redshift of the radio wavelength, the farther away is the source.
As an object moves away from us, the sound or light waves emitted by the object are stretched out, which makes them have a lower pitch and moves them towards the red end of the electromagnetic spectrum, where light has a longer wavelength. In the case of light waves, this is called redshift.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: SATAT Scheme, CBG
Mains level: SATAT scheme
Oil and Gas Marketing Companies (OGMCs) are inviting potential entrepreneur to procure Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) under the SATAT scheme.
Try this MCQ:
Q.SATAT is an initiative of the Government of India, aims at:
(a) Promoting Self Help Groups in rural areas
(b) Providing financial and technical assistance to young start-up entrepreneurs
(c) Promoting affordable transportation
(d) Providing affordable and quality education to the citizens for free
SATAT Scheme
- SATAT stands for Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation.
- It is an initiative aimed at setting up Compressed Bio-Gas production plants and makes them available in the market for use in automotive fuels by inviting Expression of Interest from potential entrepreneurs.
- The initiative was launched in October 2018 by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas in association with the PSUs- Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd.
Its implementation
- CBG plants are proposed to be set up mainly through independent entrepreneurs.
- CBG produced at these plants will be transported through cascades of cylinders to the fuel station networks of OMCs for marketing as a green transport fuel alternative.
- The 1,500-strong CNG stations network in the country currently serves about 32 lakh gas-based vehicles.
- The entrepreneurs would be able to separately market the other by-products from these plants, including bio-manure, carbon-dioxide, etc., to enhance returns on investment.
- So far 9 CBG plants have been commissioned and started supply of CBG under the scheme.
- These plants are located in Andhra Pradesh (1No.), Gujarat (3 No.), Haryana (1 No.), Maharashtra (3 No.) and Tamil Nadu (1No.).
Benefits of the programme
There are multiple benefits from converting agricultural residue, cattle dung and municipal solid waste into CBG on a commercial scale:
- Responsible waste management, reduction in carbon emissions and pollution
- Additional revenue source for farmers
- Boost to entrepreneurship, rural economy and employment
- Support to national commitments in achieving climate change goals
- Reduction in import of natural gas and crude oil
- Buffer against crude oil/gas price fluctuations
Back2Basics: Compressed Bio Gas (CBG)
- Biogas is produced naturally through a process of anaerobic decomposition from waste / bio-mass sources like agriculture residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press mud, municipal solid waste, sewage treatment plant waste, etc.
- After purification, it is compressed and called CBG, which has a pure methane content of over 95%.
- CBG is exactly similar to the commercially available natural gas in its composition and energy potential.
- With calorific value (~52,000 KJ/kg) and other properties similar to CNG, CBG can be used as an alternative, renewable automotive fuel.
- Given the abundance of biomass in the country, CBG has the potential to replace CNG in automotive, industrial and commercial uses in the coming years.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Stand-Up India Scheme
Mains level: Not Much
The Ministry of Finance has informed that more than 81% of account holders are Women under Stand Up India Scheme.
Try this PYQ from CSP 2016:
Q.With reference to ‘stand up India scheme’, which of the following statement is/are correct?
- Its purpose is to promote entrepreneurship among SC/ST and women entrepreneurs.
- It provides for refinance through SIDBI.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Stand-Up India Scheme
- Stand Up India Scheme was launched on 5 April 2016 to promote entrepreneurship at the grass-root level of economic empowerment and job creation.
- This scheme seeks to leverage the institutional credit structure to reach out to the underserved sector of people such as SCs, STs and Women Entrepreneurs.
- The objective of this scheme is to facilitate bank loans between Rs.10 lakh and Rs.1 crore to at least one SC or ST borrower and at least one woman borrower per bank branch for setting up a Greenfield enterprise.
- The offices of SIDBI and NABARD shall be designated Stand-Up Connect Centres (SUCC)
- It is similar to but distinct from Startup India.
Back2Basics: Start-Up India Scheme
- Startup India Scheme is an initiative of the Indian government, the primary objective of which is the promotion of startups, generation of employment, and wealth creation.
- It was launched on the 16th of January, 2016.
- A startup defined as an entity that is headquartered in India, which was opened less than 10 years ago and has an annual turnover of fewer than ₹100 crores (US$14 million).
- The action plan for this initiative is based on the following three pillars:
- Simplification and Handholding
- Funding Support and Incentives
- Industry-Academia Partnership and Incubation
- An additional area of focus is to discard restrictive States Government policies within this domain, such as License Raj, Land Permissions, Foreign Investment Proposals, and Environmental Clearances.
- It was organized by The Department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPI&IT).
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: World heritage sites in India
Mains level: Not Much
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has provided some useful information about the World Heritage Sites By UNESCO in India.
We regret for the distorted view of this newscard on the app. Pls refer to the webpage link.
[pib] Declaration of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO
World Heritage Sites in India
- At present, India has 38 World Heritage Properties. All the sites under the Ministry are conserved as per ASI’s Conservation Policy and are in good shape.
- ‘Dholavira: A Harappan City’ has been submitted for the nomination of World Heritage Site in 2019-2020.
- Nomination dossiers of ‘Santiniketan, India’ and ‘Sacred Ensemble of Hoysalas’ have been submitted to UNESCO for the year 2021-22 cycle.
WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN INDIA (38)
CULTURAL SITES:
Under Protection of Archaeological Survey of India (22)
| S.No. |
Name of Site |
State |
| 1 |
Agra Fort (1983) |
Uttar Pradesh |
| 2 |
Ajanta Caves (1983) |
Maharashtra |
| 3 |
Ellora Caves (1983) |
Maharashtra |
| 4 |
Taj Mahal (1983) |
Uttar Pradesh |
| 5 |
Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (1984) |
Tamil Nadu |
| 6 |
Sun Temple, Konark (1984) |
Odisha |
| 7 |
Churches and Convents of Goa (1986) |
Goa |
| 8 |
FatehpurSikri (1986) |
Uttar Pradesh |
| 9 |
Group of Monuments at Hampi (1986) |
Karnataka |
| 10 |
Khajuraho, Group of Temples (1986) |
Madhya Pradesh |
| 11 |
Elephanta Caves ( 1987) |
Maharashtra |
| 12 |
Great Living Chola Temples at Thanjavur, Gangaikondacholapuram and Darasuram (1987 & 2004) |
Tamil Nadu |
| 13 |
Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (1987) |
Karnataka |
| 14 |
Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989) |
Madhya Pradesh |
| 15 |
Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi (1993) |
Delhi |
| 16 |
Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (1993) |
Delhi |
| 17 |
Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003) |
Madhya Pradesh |
| 18 |
Champaner-Pavagarh Archaeological Park (2004) |
Gujarat |
| 19 |
Red Fort Complex, Delhi (2007) |
Delhi |
| 20 |
Hill Forts of Rajasthan
- Kumbhalgarh, Jaisalmer and Ranthambhore, Amber and Gagron Forts) (2013)
(Amber and Gagron Forts are under protection of Rajasthan State Archaeology and Museums) |
Rajasthan |
| 21 |
Rani-ki-Vav (The Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan (2014) |
Gujarat |
| 22 |
Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University) at Nalanda (2016) |
Bihar |
Under Protection of Ministry of Railways (2)
| 23. |
Mountain Railways of India Darjeeling,(1999), Nilgiri (2005), Kalka-Shimla (2008) |
West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh |
| 24. |
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004) |
Maharashtra |
Under Protection of Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee (1)
| 25 |
Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya, (2002) |
Bihar |
Under Protection of Rajasthan State Archaeology and Museums (1)
| 26. |
The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur (2010) |
Rajasthan |
Under Protection of Chandigarh Administration (1)
| 27. |
The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement (2016) |
Chandigarh |
Under Protection of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (1)
| 28. |
Historic City of Ahmedabad (2017) |
Gujarat |
Under Protection of Bombay Municipal Corporation (1)
| 29. |
Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai (2018) |
Govt of Maharashtra |
Under Protection of Jaipur Municipal Corporation (1)
| 30. |
Jaipur City, Rajasthan (2019) |
Govt of Rajasthan |
NATURAL SITES: (7)
Under Protection of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Changes
| 31. |
Kaziranga National Park (1985) |
Assam |
| 32. |
Keoladeo National Park (1985) |
Rajasthan |
| 33. |
Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (1985) |
Assam |
| 34. |
Sunderbans National Park (1987) |
West Bengal |
| 35. |
Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (1988, 2005) |
Uttarakhand |
| 36. |
Western Ghats (2012) |
Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra,Tamil Nadu |
| 37 |
Great Himalayan National Park (2014) |
Himachal Pradesh |
MIXED SITE: (1)
Under Protection of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Changes
| 38. |
Khangchendzonga National Park (2016) |
Sikkim |
Back2Basics: UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area, selected by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for having cultural, historical, scientific or other forms of significance, which is legally protected by international treaties.
- The sites are judged to be important for the collective and preservative interests of humanity.
- To be selected, a WHS must be an already-classified landmark, unique in some respect as a geographically and historically identifiable place having special cultural or physical significance (such as an ancient ruin or historical structure, building, city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument, mountain, or wilderness area).
- It may signify a remarkable accomplishment of humanity, and serve as evidence of our intellectual history on the planet.
- The sites are intended for practical conservation for posterity, which otherwise would be subject to risk from human or animal trespassing, unmonitored/uncontrolled/unrestricted access, or threat from local administrative negligence.
- The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Program administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 “states parties” that are elected by their General Assembly.
UNESCO World Heritage Committee
- The World Heritage Committee selects the sites to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger.
- It monitors the state of conservation of the World Heritage properties, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties.
- It is composed of 21 states parties that are elected by the General Assembly of States Parties for a four-year term.
- India is NOT a member of this Committee.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Exercise Dustlik-II
Mains level: NA
The Second Edition of Joint Exercise Dustlik is scheduled from tomorrow.
Must read:
[Prelims Spotlight] Various Defence Exercises in News
Exercise Dustlik-II
- It is a bilateral defence exercise held between the Indian Army And Uzbekistan Army.
- It is named after Dustlik, a town in the Jizzakh region of Uzbekistan.
- The first edition of the exercise, Dustlik-I was held in Uzbekistan, near Tashkent, from November 3-13, 2019.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had flagged off the exercise along with his Uzbek counterpart, Major General Bakhodir Kurbanov in 2019 for the first time.
- The joint exercise focused on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in urban settings.
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