Prelim Bits 31-01-2024 | UPSC Daily Current Affairs

Haji Malang Dargah

Recently, Chief Minister of Maharashtra said that he was committed to the liberation of the Malanggad dargah which Hindus claim to be a temple.

• Haji Malang Dargah – A 300-year-old shrine dedicated to Baba Abdur Rehman Malang, a Sufi saint who arrived in India from the Middle East in 12th century AD.

• Controversy – Over identity of the sacred site atop Malanggad.
• Muslim community – It is the final resting place of Baba Abdur Rehman Malang.
• Hindu community – It is Machindranath Samadhi, an incarnation of Navanath as per Nath Sampraday tradition.
• Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency – 1882 data corroborate the existence of Haji Abd-ul-Rahman's tomb in Malanggad but there is no mention of Machindranath’s tomb in these records.
• Supreme Court of India – In 1968, SC referred to the site as a dargah.
• Name change – In 1996, local Hindus with backing of a politica party succeeded in officially changing the name from Haji Malang to Malanggad.
• Syncretic tradition – Despite this, it still continues to be a shared space where, traditionally, both a Hindu vahivatdar (priest) and a Muslim mutavalli (caretaker) officiated at religious ceremonies.

Sufism is a way of life that outwardly rejected the religion and emphasized love and devotion to God and compassion towards all fellow human beings. The 4 main Sufi orders practiced in India are Chisti, Qadiriyya, Suhrawardiyya and Naqshbandi order.

Reference

India Today| Efforts to liberate Haji Malang Dargah

Kalpasar Project

Local fishers of Gujarat’s Baruch district suffer from lack of fish catch due to Bhadbhut barrages and others dams across River Narmada.

• It is known as ‘The Gulf of Khambhat Development Project’.
• Mission – To make a sustainable water state where there is ‘water for all, water forever and more crops per drop’.
• Vision – To store Gujarat’s 25% average annual surface water by 30 km long dam across the Gulf of Khambhat.
• It will be the world’s largest fresh water reservoir in sea.
• Benefits – It will improve irrigation facility including rejuvenation of rivers and will help in reduction of soil salinity.

Bhadbhut barrage

• Foundation stone in – 2017, part of Kalpasar project.
• Location – About 25 km before Narmada River merges with sea.
• Aim – To stop the ingress of salinity along the Narmada River during high tide, prevent floods as well as to meet the water requirement of industrial units
• Benefits – It will create water reservoir and will provide water supply for drinking, agriculture and industrial purposes.
• It will prevent erosion of cultivable land.
• Challenges – ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute’s 2021 annual report states that
  • Cut off of the flow of sea water in Narmada River has affected the availability of hilsa fish in the estuary and thereby reduced the income of fishermen.

References

1. Down To Earth| Limitations of Bhadbhut Barrage
2. Kalpasar| Gulf of khambhat Development Project

Economic Survey

Recently, the Ministry of Finance released a report titled “Indian Economy – A Review" as Economic Survey was not be released at this time.

The report ‘Indian Economy – A Review’ gives the top highlights in the Indian economy from the past 10 years.

• ES – A comprehensive annual report which displays the performance of the Indian economy in the past fiscal year.
• Prepared by – Department of Economic Affairs, ministry of Finance.
• Presented in – Parliament, normally on 31^st January, a day before the presentation of the Budget.

The 1^st Economic Survey of India was presented in 1950-51 as a part of the Union Budget. However, since 1964, it has been decoupled from the Budget presentation.

• ES in 2024 – Since the Lok Sabha elections are due in April, only interim budget will be presented before it.
• Thus, a complete budget and the Economic Survey will be presented only in July 2024, after the results are declared.
• Presented by – The Chief Economic Advisor (CEA).
• Features – It summarises the performance of government's initiatives and provides an outlook of the prospects of the Indian economy in the short to medium term.
  • Part A – Major economic developments in the year as well as a broad review of the economy.
  • Part B – It covers specific topics such as social security, poverty, education, healthcare and human development.
• Importance – It helps the government in analysing the performance of various sectors, identifying the major impediments to economic growth and in formulating economic strategies for the coming year.

References

1. The Indian Express| Delaying of Economic Survey in 2024
2. Business Standard| Basis of Economic Survey

Communities & Crisis in Meghalaya

Recently, Meghalaya has released an official state anthem on its statehood day that has led to a controversy over the state’s Jaintia tribe.

Meghalaya celebrates its statehood day every year on January 21^st and 2024 marks its 52^nd statehood day. It got its statehood status in 1972.

• Boundaries – It is surrounded by Assam to the north and northeast and by Bangladesh to the south and southwest.
• Communities in Meghalaya – Garo, Khasi and Jainitia are 3 major matrilineal communities while other communities are Khynriam, War, Bhoi and Lyngnam.
• Population – State’s total population is 29.7 lakh (Census 2011).
  • Garos are around 8.21 lakh.
  • Jaintias, Khasis along with tribes War, Bhoi and Lyngngam make a total of about 14.1 lakh.
• 3 Autonomous District Councils – Khasi Hills, the Jaintia Hills and the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council are created under the provisions of the 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
• It is for the administration of tribal areas in certain states.

• Crisis – The 2-minute-long anthem features segments in 3 languages namely English, Garo and Khasi.
• It led to controversy as it had left out the Jaintia or Pnar language.
• Government’s response – It has followed the Meghalaya State Language Act and has used languages that are recognised by the act.
• Meghalaya State Language Act of 2005
  • State’s official language – English
  • Associate Official Language – Khasi and Garo

U Kiang Nangbah is an Jaintia freedom fighter who led an uprising against the British in the Jaintia Hills in the 19th century after the annexation of the Jaintia Kingdom.

Reference

The Indian Express| Controversy over Meghalaya’s State Anthem

Corruption Perceptions Index 2023

India slipped on the corruption perceptions index (CPI) for 2023 to 93 as against 85 it scored for 2022.

• Released by – Transparency International.
• Rankings – It ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption according to experts and business people.
• Scale – 0 to 100
  • 0 – Highly corrupt
  • 100 – Very clean.

Key Findings of the 2023 Report

• Over two-thirds of countries score below 50 out of 100, which strongly indicates that they have serious corruption problems. 
• Global average – It is stuck at only 43, while the vast majority of countries have made no progress or declined in the last decade.
• 23 countries fell to their lowest scores to date this year.
• Top positions – It includes countries like New Zealand (3) and Singapore (5) with continued high score.
• Bottom positions – It includes fragile states with authoritarian regimes, including North Korea and Myanmar.
• Asia Pacific region – For 5 years in a row, the average CPI score for the region stagnates stubbornly at 45 out of a possible 100.
• 71% of the countries have a CPI score below the regional average and the global average.
• In South Asia – Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka grapple with their respective debt burdens and ensuing political instability.
• India – Its overall score was 39 while in 2022, it was 40.
• It shows score fluctuations small enough that no firm conclusions can be drawn on any significant change.
• Reason for weak scores – Lack of delivery by elected officials on anti-corruption agendas, crackdowns on organised civil society and attacks on freedoms of press, assembly and association.

References

1. The Hindu| Key findings of Corruption Perception Index 2023
2. Transparency| Corruption Perception Index