UPSC Current Affairs: Kochrab Ashram, Bhima Nayak & More

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GS Paper 1

Kochrab Ashram 

  • News: The PM recently inaugurated the refurbished Kochrab Ashram in Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, Gujarat to mark the 94th anniversary of the Dandi March. 
  • Kochrab Ashram: 
    • Kochrab ashram is located in Kochrab village, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
    • It is still preserved as a memorial and tourist space by Gujarat Vidyapeeth.
    • It is the first ashram established by Mahatma Gandhi upon his return to India from South Africa in 1915.
    • It was called Satyagraha Ashram based on his ideas of achieving India’s independence from British rule through peaceful methods. 
    • Gandhi’s friend and fellow barrister Jivanlal Desai gifted him the land at Kocharab to build the Satyagraha Ashram. 
    • Mahatma Gandhi based himself here for about one-and-a-half years before moving to the new campus of Sabarmati Ashram.
  • History: 
    • Gopal Krishna Gokhale requested Gandhi to return to India, which needed his skills as a community organizer. 
    • About his decision to settle in Ahmedabad in 1915, Gandhi wrote that as a Gujarati, he should be able to serve the country best through Gujarati language.
    • Gandhi established his connection with Ahmedabad upon his return to India from South Africa.
    • On 20th of May, 1915, Gandhi began living in a bungalow in Kochrab village.
    • The bungalow, which he soon rechristened as the Satyagraha Ashram, was given to him by his fellow lawyer and colleague, Jeevanlal Desai.
  • Architecture: 
    • Kocharab Ashram is a colonial-style building with a white-washed façade. The campus has hostels and kitchens. 
  • Significance:
    • Kochrab Ashram, where Gandhi stayed for two years, served as a communal living space promoting self-improvement, self-sufficiency, and community service.
    • The ashram also served as the starting point for Gandhi’s advocacy of khadi, equality for the poor, Hindi as the national language, self-reliance, and independence.  
  • Dandi March:
    • The Dandi March, also known as the Salt March and the Salt Satyagraha, led by Mahatma Gandhi, was a milestone in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
    • It was started as a nonviolent protest against the unjust salt tax, imposed by the British Government in India.
    • On 12th March 1930, Mahatma Gandhi started the historic march along with 78 followers from the Sabarmati Ashram in the Ahmedabad district to the coastal town of Dandi near Surat.
    • They walked 241-miles for twenty-four days and reached Dandi on 5th April 1930. 
    • On the morning of 6th April, Mahatma Gandhi and his followers broke the Salt Act by producing salt from sea water.

Bhima Nayak

  • News: Recently, Government paid tribute to Great Tribal Leader Bhima Nayak.
  • Bhima Nayak:
    • Bhima Nayak (Bhima Naik) was a resident of Dhaba Bawdi in the Badwani district of Madhya Pradesh. 
    • He was a prominent leader of the Bhils of Nimar.
    • He was the 1st revolutionary to get punishment of Kalapani (island jail in Andaman & Nicobar Islands) & died in 1876.
  • Key Contributions:
    • He took part in the Uprising of 1857 against the British Raj raising an anti-British force by bringing in men from Bhil, Bhilala, Mandoi, and Naik tribes, and collaborated with Tantia Tope.
    • He was called Robinhood of Nimar as he looted British treasury & distributed same amongst poor people.
    • He played an important role in 1857 Ambagani War.
    • In the honour of sacrifices made by him, Martyrdom day is celebrated every year on 29th  December in Madhya Pradesh. 

Read also: UPSC Prelims & Mains: Top Books List to Ace the Exam (2024)

GS Paper 2

Simultaneous Elections: Justifications and Challenges

  • News: The high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind on simultaneous elections has submitted its report to the President of India. 
    • The Committee has recommended simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies as the first step, and holding Municipal and Panchayat Polls within 100 days of the general election in the next phase from the 2029 general election cycle.
  • Simultaneous Polls: 
    • The first general elections to Lok Sabha and all State Legislative Assemblies were held together in 1951-52. That practice continued over three subsequent general elections held in the years – 1957, 1962 and 1967. 
    • However, due to the premature dissolution of some Legislative Assemblies in 1968 and 1969, the cycle got disrupted for the first time.
    • After 1967, elections to State Assemblies and Parliament have been held separately.
    • Currently, the elections to the State Assemblies and the Lok Sabha are held separately — that is whenever the incumbent government’s five-year term ends or whenever it is dissolved due to various reasons. 
    • The idea of “One Nation, One Election” envisages a system where elections to all states and the Lok Sabha will have to be held simultaneously. 
    • This would mean that the voters will cast their vote for electing members of the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies on a single day.
  • Justification for Holding Simultaneous Elections: 
    • It was felt that holding simultaneous elections would reduce the massive expenditure incurred for conduct of separate elections every year. 
    • Elections lead to imposition of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in the poll bound State/area and as a result, the entire development programme and activities of the Union and State Governments in the poll bound State would come to a standstill. 
    • Frequent elections lead to disruption of normal public life and impact the functioning of essential services. 
    • If simultaneous elections are held, this period of disruption would be limited to a certain pre-determined period of time.
    • The system will help ruling parties focus on governance instead of being constantly in election mode.
    • It would free the crucial manpower which is often deployed for prolonged periods on election duties. 
    • Frequent elections can perpetuate caste, religion and communal issues across the country.
    • Simultaneous elections will also keep alive the enthusiasm of voters and will boost voter turnout.
  • Challenges to Simultaneous Elections and their Remedies:
    • Despite its desirability, there are several difficulties which might be encountered for conducting simultaneous elections. 
    • National and state issues are different, and holding simultaneous elections is likely to affect the judgment of voters.
    • Since elections will be held once in five years, it will reduce the government’s accountability to the people. Repeated elections keep legislators on their toes and increases accountability.
    • Simultaneous elections might also create situations where President’s rule will have to be imposed at the Union/State level. This will be a blow to democracy and federalism.
    • A no-confidence motion, if passed, may curtail the term of Lok Sabha/State Assembly. 
    • If no party secures a majority to form the government, it may result in a hung Lok House/ State Assembly.
    • The Election Commission of India (ECI) felt that simultaneous conduct of elections would increase its budget towards large scale purchase of Electronic Voting Machines and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines and towards warehousing costs. 
  • Recommendations for holding Simultaneous Elections:
    • The term of the Lok Sabha would normally commence and expire on a particular date (and not on the date on which it completes five years from the date of its first sitting) which could be called ‘Appointed Date.’
    • The terms of all State Legislative Assemblies should also normally come to an end on the date on which term of the Lok Sabha is expiring. 
    • That may also mean, to begin with as one time measure, that the term for the existing Legislative Assemblies will have to be either extended beyond five years or curtailed so that fresh elections can be held simultaneously with Lok Sabha election. 
    • As also recommended by the Law Commission of India in one of its reports, the ‘no-confidence motion’ could be replaced with a ‘constructive vote of no-confidence.’
    • In a constructive vote of no confidence, the government may only be removed if there is confidence in an alternate government. 
    • It further suggested the option of limiting the number of such motions during the term of the House/ Assembly. 
    • In order to deal with hung Lok Sabha/State Assembly, the Law Commission recommended that the President/Governor should give an opportunity to the largest party along with their pre or post-poll alliance to form the government.
    • If the government can still not be formed, an all-party meeting may be called to resolve the stalemate.  If this fails, mid-term elections may be held.  
      • In spite of the above arrangements, if there is a situation where dissolution of Lok Sabha/State Assembly cannot be avoided, then the following options can be considered:  
    • If the remainder of the term of the Lok Sabha/State Assembly is not long (period to be specified), there could be a provision for the President/Governor to carry out the administration of the country, on the aid and advice of his Council of Ministers to be appointed by him till, the time the next House is constituted at the prescribed time.
    • If the remainder of the term is long (period to be specified), then fresh election may be held and the term of the Lok Sabha/State Assembly in such case should be for the rest of what would have been the original term.
    • Two windows of one-and-a-half months each may be fixed for holding all bye-elections that become due in a particular year. 
    • To effect these changes, the high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind on simultaneous elections has recommended amendments to Article 83 (duration of Houses of Parliament) and Article 172 (duration of State legislatures) of the Constitution.
    • The panel recommended suitable amendments to Article 324A of the Constitution to allow simultaneous elections in panchayats and municipalities; and Article 325 to allow the Election Commission of India (EC), in consultation with State election authorities, to prepare a common electoral roll and voter ID cards.
    • Both these constitutional amendments would require ratification by the States, the report said.
    • Presently, the EC is responsible for Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, while local body polls for municipalities and panchayats are managed by State election commissions.

Conclusion: 

    • Simultaneous elections hold promise in streamlining India’s electoral processes, reducing costs, and fostering governance continuity. 
    • However, addressing associated challenges necessitates comprehensive constitutional amendments and meticulous planning. 
    • By implementing the recommended measures, India can navigate these challenges and potentially realize the benefits of synchronized electoral cycles across the nation.

India and Bhutan

  • News: Prior to the visit of Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay to India, the Cabinet has approved two agreements. They are: 
  • Agreement on Food Safety Cooperation: 
  • Signing of an agreement between the Bhutan Food and Drug Authority (BFDA) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for cooperation in food safety has been approved. 
  • The agreement will facilitate trade between the two countries.
  • BFDA will issue a health certificate as proof of compliance with requirements prescribed by FSSAI for exporting products from Bhutan to India. 
  • This move will promote ease of doing business and reduce compliance costs on both sides.
  • Memorandum of Understanding on Energy Efficiency: 
  • The Cabinet also approved the signing of a MoU between India’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency and Bhutan’s department of energy.
  • It aims to extend co­operation in energy efficiency and energy conservation measures.
  • India aims to assist Bhutan in enhancing energy efficiency in households by promoting the star labelling programme developed by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency. 
  • The framing of building codes to suit the climate conditions of Bhutan will be facilitated based on India’s experience. 
  • The creation of a pool of energy professionals in Bhutan is also envisaged by institutionalising the training of energy auditors.

PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (SVANidhi) Scheme

  • News: The PM recently addressed the beneficiaries of PM SVANidhi.
  • Launch: It was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on June 01, 2020.
  • Aim: It is a micro-credit facility for facilitating collateral free working capital loan to street vendors to restart their businesses.
  • Type of Scheme: Central Sector Scheme
  • Implementation Agency: Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
  • Eligibility: The PM SVANidhi scheme is available to all street vendors who are engaged in vending in urban areas as on or before March 24, 2020.
  • Features:
    • The vendors can avail a working capital loan of up to Rs. 10,000, which is repayable in monthly instalments in the tenure of one year. 
    • On timely/ early repayment of the loan, an interest subsidy @ 7% per annum will be credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer on quarterly basis. 
    • There will be no penalty on early repayment of loan. 
    • The scheme promotes digital transactions through cash back incentives up to an amount of Rs. 100 per month. 

GS Paper 3

Human Development Index (HDI) Report

  • News: India ranks 134th in global human development index as per UNDP report.
  • Title of the Report: “Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining Cooperation in a Polarized World”.
  • Published by: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). 
  • Definition: The HDI is a summary measure of human development.
  • History: UN Human Development Index (HDI) was introduced in 1990 by Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq, with assistance from Amartya Sen. 
  • Components:  The HDI is a summary composite measure of a country’s average achievements in three basic aspects of human development: 
      • Health- Life expectancy at birth,
      • Education- Expected years of schooling and Mean of years of schooling
      • Living standard- Gross National Income per capita 
  • Usage:
      • The HDI can be used to question national policy choices, asking how two countries with the same level of GNI per capita can end up with different human development outcomes.
  • Limitation: 
      • The HDI is the geometric mean of normalized indices for each of the three dimensions.
      •  It does not reflect on inequalities, poverty, human security.
  • India and Human Development Index (HDI) Report 2022
      • Improvement in Ranking:  India’s ranking  in HDI improved by one position in 2022 to 134 out of 193 countries ranked compared to 135 out of 191 countries in 2021.
      • India’s improvements across all HDI Indicators: Life expectancy increased from 67.2 to 67.7 years, expected years of schooling reached 12.6, mean years of schooling rose to 6.57, and GNI per capita grew from USD 6,542 to USD 6,951.
      • Gender Inequality Index (GII): It measures gender inequalities in three key dimensions — reproductive health, empowerment and labour market. 
      • India demonstrated progress in reducing gender inequality. 
      • India’s GII value of 0.437 is better than the global average of 0.462 and the South Asian average of 0.478. 
        • However, India also has one of the largest gender gaps in the labour force participation rate, a 47.8% difference between women (28.3%) and men (76.1%).
      • Inequality in India:  India experiences a loss of 31.1% in its HDI due to inequality, highlighting significant disparities within the country.
      • South Asia’s loss in the HDI due to inequality is among the highest in the world (after Sub-Saharan Africa), followed by the Pacific. 
      • Comparative Analysis: India ranked below Bhutan and Bangladesh in the ‘Medium Human Development’ category. 

Regulation of AI

  • News: World’s first major act to regulate AI passed by European lawmakers. 
  • Aim: It aims to: 
      • Protect fundamental rights, democracy, the rule of law and environmental sustainability from high-risk AI
      • Boost innovation and establis Europe as a leader in the field.
  • Key Highlights: EU AI Act divides the technology into categories of risk:
      • Unacceptable risk (Prohibition): Violation of EU Fundamental Rights.
      •  High-risk (Require conformity assessment and monitoring): Impact on health, safety Fundamental Rights, etc.
      •  Specific Transparency risk (Require Information and transparency obligations): Risk of manipulation, impersonation.
      • Minimal risk (No specific regulations): Common AI systems like spam filters.
  • Importance: 
    • The AI Act has pushed the development of AI in a direction where humans are in control of the technology.
    • The technology will help leverage new discoveries for economic growth, societal progress, and to unlock human potential.
    • It is a major milestone for international artificial intelligence regulation, noting it could pave the path for other countries to follow suit. 

Small and Medium Real Estate Investment Trusts (SM REITs)

  • News: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has recently notified SM-REITS. 
  • Aim: To regulate the fractional ownership industry and safeguard investor interests, incorporating both commercial and residential properties within the new framework.
  • Small and Medium Real Estate Investment Trusts (SM REITs): 
      • It is a new type of REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) introduced by SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) in March 2024.
      • SM REITS are similar to traditional REITs, but with a lower minimum asset value. 
      • It allows investment in smaller and medium-sized income-generating real estate properties. 
  • Fundraising Mechanism: SMREITs may raise funds from Indian & foreign investors by the issuance of units.
  • Asset Value Requirement: Minimum asset value: Rs. 50 crore (compared to Rs. 500 crore for traditional REITs). 
  • Unitholder Criteria:  Minimum number of unitholders (excluding investment manager): 200
  • Investment Manager’s Stake:  Investment manager must hold a minimum of 5% of outstanding units (unleveraged) or 15% (leveraged).
  • Fund Utilization: Used for acquiring & managing real estate assets, generating income for the investors.
  • Impact:
    •  It is expected to increase investment in smaller commercial properties like office spaces,shopping centers, and warehouses.
    • It may lead to more formalization and regulation of the fractional ownership market.
    • Ownership of Assets: It will be structured through one or more schemes, each operating under special purpose vehicles (SPVs).
  • About REITs:
    • REIT is a company that owns, operates, or finances income-generating real estate properties. 
    • REITs function similarly to mutual funds, but instead of stocks, they invest in real estate assets
    • REITs pool capital from multiple investors, allowing individuals to invest in a diversified portfolio of real estate without directly buying, managing, or financing individual properties.
    • REITs generate income through rent collected from tenants in the properties they own or manage. This income is then distributed to shareholders as dividends.

Graphics Processing Unit (GPUs)

  • News: The Graphics Processing Units approved under the IndiaAI Mission will be made available in the next 18-24 months.
  • GPU: A Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is a computer chip that renders graphics and images by performing rapid mathematical calculations.
  • Applications: 
    • GPUs are used for both professional and personal computing. 
    • Originally, GPUs were responsible for the rendering of 2D and 3D images, animations and video, but now they have a wider use range.
    • Now they are used in creative content creation, video editing, high-performance computing (HPC), and artificial intelligence (AI).
  • Working:
    • GPUs work by using a method called parallel processing, where multiple processors handle separate parts of a single task. 
    • A GPU will also have its own RAM (Random Access Memory) to store the data it is processing.
    • RAM is a type of computer memory that is used to store data and machine code currently being used or processed by a computer. RAM is volatile memory, meaning that its contents are lost when the power to the device is turned off.
    • This RAM is designed specifically to hold the large amounts of information coming into the GPU for highly intensive graphics use cases.
    • For graphics applications, the CPU sends instructions to the GPU for drawing the graphics content on screen. 
    • The GPU executes the instructions in parallel and at high speeds to display the content on the device — a process known as the graphics or rendering pipeline.
  • Difference between GPU and CPU: 
    • One important difference is that the GPU is specifically designed to handle and accelerate graphics workloads and display graphics content on a device such as a PC or smartphone.
    • A typical modern CPU is made up of between 8 and 16 “cores”, each of which can process complex tasks in a sequential manner.
    • GPUs, on the other hand, have thousands of relatively small cores, which are designed to all work at the same time (“in parallel”) to achieve fast overall processing.
    • This makes them well suited for tasks that require a large number of simple operations which can be done at the same time, rather than one after another.
  • India AI Mission: 
    • The Cabinet has approved the India AI Mission with an outlay of Rs 10,372 crore for five years to encourage AI development in the country.
    • Under the mission, supercomputing capacity, comprising over 10,000 GPUs (graphics processing units), will be made available to various stakeholders for creating an AI ecosystem.

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Fact for Prelims

Calling Name Presentation (CNAP)

  • News: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, commonly referred to as TRAI, recently recommended the introduction of Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) by telecom operators.
  • Aim:  It aims to combat spam by showing the caller name.
  • Operation: When a user gets a call, the network provider will refer and use the databases maintained by network providers to get the name of the caller and show it to the other person 
  • Difference with TrueCaller: 
    • Caller identification services like Truecaller are based on crowd-sourced information, which may not always be accurate. 
    • On the other hand, the CNAP database will be based on information obtained from the Customer Application Form (CAF), which is verified using Government-recognized identity proofs. 

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

  • News: India remains World’s Largest Arms Importer as per SIPRI Report.  
  • SIPRI: 
      • It is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control & disarmament.
      • It was established in 1966.
      • It aims to:
        • undertake research and activities on security, conflict & peace
        • provide policy analysis & recommendations
        • facilitate dialogue & build capacities
      • SIPRI is based in Stockholm, Sweden.
  • Important Highlights of 2024 Report: 
  • India remained the world’s top arms importer (9.8% of global share) between 2019-23. 
  • Russia remained India’s primary supplier, but for the first time since the 1960s, its share (36%) fell below half of India’s total arms imports.
  • Followed by Russia, France (33%) is India’s second largest arms supplier and the US (13%) is the third largest supplier of weapons for India.
  • Among the top 10 arms importers, India is followed by Saudi Arabia (8.4%), Qatar (7.6%), Ukraine (4.9%), Pakistan (4.3%), Japan (4.1%), Egypt (4%), Australia (3.7%), South Korea (3.1%) and China (2.9%). 

Phani Yerava Tribes

  • News: Concerns such as alcohol abuse, pose a significant threat to the ‘Phani Yerava’ tribal community in Karnataka. 
  • Location: Theses tribes live in the Makuta village (Kodagu district), in Kerti reserved forest of Karnataka’s Western Ghats.
    • Kerti Reserved Forest is part of a World Heritage site in India and is located in Coorg, Karnataka.
  • Yerava Tribe: The Phani Yerava tribes, a subset of the larger Yerava tribal community, have a unique history and cultural heritage in Karnataka. 
  • Migration and Settlement: Originally migrating from the Wayanad district in Kerala, the Yeravas found their home in Kodagu, Karnataka.
  • Language and Culture: Their distinctive language, known as Revula, reflects their rich cultural identity.
  • Economic Shifts:  Traditionally, the Yeravas worked as agricultural serfs, but their livelihood patterns have evolved over time.
  • Land Rights Achievement:  In a significant development, all 19 Yerava households secured their forest land rights under the Forest Rights Act in 2021.
  • Land Ownership:  This achievement resulted in the ownership of 135 acres of forest land, marking a milestone in their community’s journey.
  • Tribes of Karnataka: Adiyan, Barda, Gond, Bhil, Iruliga, Koraga, Patelia, Yerava. 
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