29 Jul | UPSC Current Affairs: Sunken Museum, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Mettur Dam, and More

UPSC GS 1

India’s First Sunken Museum

• News:   India’s first sunken museum at the Humayun Tomb complex ,a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Delhi, will be inaugurated soon.
• Museum Design and Layout: 
  • • The museum’s layout is inspired by medieval ‘baolis’, or traditional water tanks.
    • It is located at the entrance zone of the World Heritage complex and serves as a bridge between Nizamuddin, Sunder Nursery, and Humayun’s Tomb.
    • The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) has built the museum on behalf of the ASI as part of the urban renewal initiative.
• Exhibits and Artefacts: 
  • • The museum features artefacts dedicated to Mughal rulers who built and shaped Nizamuddin, which is posited as the first Mughal City.
    • The museum displays several intriguing artifacts, including the finial of Humayun’s Tomb, which was damaged in a 2014 storm. 
    •  ‘Farmans’ (royal decrees)
    • An astrolabe
    • A celestial sphere from the 1840s
    • A warrior’s helmet from the 16th or 17th century
    • Highly-prized Jahangiri coins
    • A rare silver coin commissioned by Akbar with inscriptions ‘Allahu Akbar’ on one side and ‘Ram’ on the other.

• Humayun Tomb Complex:
  • • Location and Context: 
    • The tomb is located in Nizamuddin East, Delhi, India, close to the Dina-panah Citadel, also known as Purana Qila (Old Fort), founded by Humayun in 1533.
    • Construction and Design: 
    • Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi, was built by his widow, Bega Begum (Hajji Begum), in 1569-70, 14 years after his death, at a cost of 1.5 million rupees.
    • It is designed by Persian architects Mirak Mirza Ghiyas and his son, Sayyid Muhammad.

• • • The Garden: 
    • It is the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent and the first structure to use red sandstone at such a scale.
    • Humayun’s Tomb is an example of the charbagh, a four-quadrant garden with the four rivers of Quranic paradise represented.
    • It includes other 16th-century Mughal garden-tombs such as Nila Gumbad, Isa Khan, Bu Halima, Afsarwala, and Barber’s Tomb.
    • The complex also includes the Arab Serai, where the craftsmen employed for building Humayun’s Tomb stayed.
    • Architectural Influence: 
    • The tomb inspired several major architectural innovations and was a precursor to the construction of the Taj Mahal.
• Heritage Status and Restoration: 
  • • The tomb was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.

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Rashtrapati Bhavan

• News: President Droupadi Murmu has renamed two important halls of Rashtrapati Bhavan – ‘Durbar Hall’ and ‘Ashok Hall’ – as ‘Ganatantra Mandap’ and ‘Ashok Mandap’ respectively.
• Durbar Hall:
  • • Now renamed as Ganatantra Mandap. 
    • ‘Durbar Hall’ is the venue for important ceremonies and celebrations, such as the presentation of National Awards.
    • The term ‘Durbar’ refers to courts and assemblies of Indian rulers and the British.
    • The term lost relevance after India became a Republic, or ‘Ganatantra’.
    • The concept of ‘Ganatantra’ is deeply rooted in Indian society since ancient times, making ‘Ganatantra Mandap’ an apt name for the venue.
• Ashok Hall: 
  • • Now renamed as Ashok Mandap. 
    • ‘Ashok Hall’ was originally a ballroom.
    • The word ‘Ashok’ connotes someone who is ‘free from all sufferings’ or is ‘bereft of any sorrow’.
    • ‘Ashoka’ refers to Emperor Ashok, a symbol of unity and peaceful co-existence.
    • The National Emblem of the Republic of India is the lion capital of Ashok from Sarnath.
    • The word ‘Ashok’ also refers to the Ashok tree, which has deep significance in Indian religious traditions as well as arts and culture.
    • Renaming ‘Ashok Hall’ to ‘Ashok Mandap’ brings uniformity in language and removes traces of anglicisation while upholding the key values associated with the word ‘Ashok’.
• Rashtrapati Bhavan:
  • • The building is situated at the Raisina Hill end of the formal Rajpath, which was renamed Kartavya Path in 2022.
    • Rashtrapati Bhavan is the official residence of the President of India.
    • It is located in New Delhi and was designed by architect Sir Edwin Lutyens.
    • The construction of Rashtrapati Bhavan took place from 1912 to 1929.

• • • Historical Context: 
    • When Rashtrapati Bhavan was built, it was known as the Viceroy’s House, named after the British viceroys who ruled India in the final years of the Raj.
    • Construction Details: 
    • It took seventeen years to complete the construction of Rashtrapati Bhavan, which was finished in 1929.
    • Mughal Gardens: 
    • The Mughal Gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan cover an area of 15 acres.

Mettur Dam

• News:  Tamil Nadu will open Mettur Dam for Kuruvai cultivation after Cauvery review meet.
• General Information: 
  • • Mettur Dam is one of the largest dams in India and was built in 1934.
• Location: 
  • • It is located at Mettur, in the District of Salem, Tamil Nadu.
    • The dam is constructed in a gorge where the Kaveri River enters the plains.
• Features: 
  • • The dam is a masonry gravity dam.
    • Its length is 1,700 meters with a maximum height of 120 feet.
    • The dam has a capacity of 93.4 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft).
    • It creates the Stanley Reservoir.

• Hydropower and Facilities: 
  • • The Mettur hydroelectric and thermal power plant was set up at the foot of the dam in 1937, with a hydropower generation capacity of 32 MW.
    • There is a park adjoining the dam on the opposite side, featuring lawns, fountains, and the Muniappan/Aiyanar statue.
• Irrigation: 
  • • The dam provides irrigation facilities to parts of Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Tiruchirappali, and Thanjavur districts.
    • It supports irrigation for 271,000 acres (110,000 hectares) of farmland.

Tell Umm Amer Heritage Site

• News: The World Heritage Committee (WHC) has decided to include the Palestinian site of Tell Umm Amer in both the UNESCO World Heritage Site List and the Lost of World Heritage in Danger during its 46th session in New Delhi.
• Location: 
  • • The site is situated on the coastal dunes of the Nuseirat Municipality, just 10 km south of Gaza city.

• Historical Background: 
  • • The ancient Christian monastery was founded in the fourth century by Hilarion the Great (291-371 CE), who is considered by some to be the father of Palestinian monasticism.
    • The monastery is also known as the ‘Monastery of Saint Hilarion.’
• Significance: 
  • • It was the first monastic community in the Holy Land and laid the groundwork for the spread of monastic practices in the region.
    • The monastery occupied a strategic position at the crossroads of major trade and communication routes between Asia and Africa.

UPSC GS 2

Cultural Property Agreement

• News:  The Government of India and the Government of the United States of America signed the first ever ‘Cultural Property Agreement’ at the 46th World Heritage Committee, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
• Introduction:
  • • The Government of India and the Government of the United States of America signed their first ‘Cultural Property Agreement’ during the 46th World Heritage Committee meeting at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
• Purpose of the Agreement: 
  • • The agreement aims to prevent and curb the illicit trafficking of antiquities from India to the USA.
    • It aligns with the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, to which both countries are signatories.

• Agreement Details:
  • • The agreement restricts the importation into the United States of certain archaeological and ethnological materials.
    • This includes materials ranging from 1.7 million years ago through 1770 CE and various categories of civic, religious, and royal architectural material, religious items, ceremonial objects, and manuscripts from the 2nd century BCE to 1947 CE.
    • The USA is obligated to offer to return any object or material on the Designated List forfeited to the Government of the United States.
• Comparison with Other Agreements: 
  • • The USA has previously executed similar agreements with countries including Algeria, Belize, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Italy, Jordan, Mali, Morocco, Peru, and Turkey.
• Significance: The agreement will facilitate the quick seizure of Indian antiquities at US Customs and their repatriation back to India.

Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC)

• News:  India has assumed the Chair of Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC).
• Establishment and Status:
  • • ADPC is an autonomous international organization established in 1986.
• Focus and Objectives:
  • • The center focuses on cooperation and implementation of disaster risk reduction and building climate resilience in the Asia-Pacific region.
    • ADPC provides training, deploys disaster risk management (DRM) strategies, and works to mitigate the impacts of natural disasters and climate change.
• Founding Members:
  • • Founding members of ADPC include India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
• Recent Developments:
  • • India chaired the 5th Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting of ADPC, which was held on July 25, 2024, in Bangkok, Thailand.
    • Shri Rajendra Singh, Member & Head of Department of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), has taken over the chairmanship of ADPC from China.
• Headquarter:  Bangkok, Thailand

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E-Upahaar Portal

• News: Rashtrapati Bhavan will auction selected gift items next month, presented to the President and former Presidents on various occasions, through an online portal called E-Upahaar.
• Purpose and Function:
  • • E-Upahaar is an auction portal of the President’s Secretariat (office of the President of India) for auctioning gift items presented to the Hon’ble President and former Presidents of India.
• Launch Details:
  • • The portal was launched by the President of India on July 25, 2024.
• Development and Hosting:
  • • The portal was conceptualized, designed, developed, and is hosted by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• Objective:
  • • The aim of this initiative is to increase citizen engagement and support noble causes.
    • All proceeds from the auction will be donated to help children in need.

UPSC GS 3

Hantavirus

• News:  A health alert has been issued in the state of Arizona, in the United States, after a rodent-borne hantavirus killed four people.
• About Hantavirus: 
  • • Hantaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause severe illnesses and potentially lead to death.
    • They can cause severe infections of the lungs, leading to symptoms like cough and shortness of breath, or affect the kidneys, resulting in abdominal pain and sometimes kidney failure.
    • Hantaviruses cause diseases such as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).
• Transmission:
  • • Hantaviruses are primarily spread by rodents like rats and mice.
    • The virus is not transmitted from person to person.
    • Transmission to humans occurs through inhalation of infected rodent urine, droppings, or saliva.
• Symptoms:
  • • Symptoms of hantavirus infection can range from mild to severe.
    • The infection typically begins with sudden fever, headache, muscle aches, and sometimes abdominal symptoms.
    • These symptoms may be followed by a cough and shortness of breath if the lungs are infected, or by kidney problems.
    • The infection progresses rapidly, and lung failure can occur, potentially leading to death.
• Treatment:
  • • There is no specific treatment for hantavirus infection.
    • Early medical care can be beneficial if serious disease develops.
    • More than half of individuals with hantavirus infection affecting the lungs may die from the illness.

Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve

• News:  In 2023, three forest employees have been attacked by encroachers in the Tourenga forest range of Chhattisgarh’s Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve (USTR).
• Location:
  • • The Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve is located in the Dhamtari District of Chhattisgarh.
    • It was formed by combining two wildlife sanctuaries: Udanti and Sitanadi.
• Size and Status:
  • • The reserve covers a total area of 1,842.54 square kilometers.
    • It was declared a tiger reserve in the year 2008-09.
• Rivers and Waterfalls:
  • • The Udanti River flows from west to east through the Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary.
    • The Sitanadi River originates from the middle of the Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuary.
    • The reserve also has a few perennial springs, including the famous Deodhara and Godene falls.

• Topography:
  • • The topography is characterized by a broken mass of land with numerous hill ranges and strips of plains.
• Vegetation:
  • • The reserve features mixed vegetation, including dry deciduous forests, tropical, and sub-tropical vegetation.
    • Vegetation is particularly dense around streams and waterways.
• Flora:
  • • The flora includes various types of forest crops mixed with Sal Forest.
    • The ground is covered with a maze of grass, plants, bushes, and saplings.
• Fauna: 
  • • The reserve is home to all representative faunal species of Central India.
    • The Asiatic Wild Buffalo is a key endangered species found in the Core Area.
    • Other endangered and rare species include the Indian Wolf, Leopard, Sloth Bear, and Mouse Deer.

Mako Missile

• News:  The United States has decided to bolster its defence capabilities by equipping its fighter aircraft with a new hypersonic missile named ‘Mako’.
• Overview: 
  • • The Mako Missile is an air-launched hypersonic multi-mission missile.
    • It was developed by Lockheed Martin, an American aerospace and defense manufacturer.
• Capabilities:
  • • The Mako Missile will be the world’s first hypersonic weapon capable of being fired from the internal weapons bays of fifth-generation stealth fighter jets such as the F-35 and the F-22 Raptor.
    • It is designed for a wide range of missions, targeting sea, air, and land-based objectives.

• Features:
  • • Named after the fastest shark in the seas, the Mako Missile is designed to strike time-sensitive targets and penetrate advanced air-defense systems.
    • It can achieve speeds exceeding Mach 5 with high maneuverability, making it challenging to intercept.
    • The missile represents one of Lockheed Martin’s first generation of missiles developed within an entirely “digital engineering ecosystem.”
• Specifications: 
  • • The missile weighs approximately 590 kg.
    • It has a diameter of 13 inches and an approximate length of 4 meters.