Current Affairs 27th June 2019
Important Current Affairs
Current Affairs 27th June 2019
Pakistan to celebrate Maharaja Ranjit's Singh 180th death anniversary by unveiling a life-size sculpture in Lahore
The statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh will be installed outside the Sikh Gallery of the Lahore Fort.
The life-size statue, pictures of which were released on social media, shows Maharaja Ranjit Singh, riding his favourite Arabic horse Kahar Bahar. The Arabic horse was gifted to him by Dost Muhammad Khan, the founder of the Barakzai dynasty.
In 2003, a 22-feet tall bronze statue of Ranjit Singh was installed in the Parliament of India in his honour. Not only in India but in a French town called Saint Tropez, that had military links with Punjab, installed a bronze bust of Ranjit Singh in 2016 -- and Maharaja is revered worldwide.
About Ranjit Singh:
He expanded his empire by annexing states around him. The Sikh Empire existed from 1799 till 1849. At the empire’s peak, it extended from Khyber Pass in the west to western Tibet in the east, and from Kashmir in the north to Mithankot in the south. It started with Ranjit Singh’s annexation of Lahore from the Afghans in 1799. He successfully united all the Sikh misls under his rule.
The major towns in Ranjit Singh’s empire were Lahore, Amritsar, Multan, Peshawar, Jammu, Srinagar, Rawalpindi and Sialkot.
On 12 April 1801, Ranjit Singh was proclaimed the ‘Maharaja of Punjab’.
Ranjit Singh’s army was known as the Khalsa army and he modernized it and improved its training. He recruited people from different backgrounds and ethnicities in his army. He strengthened both infantry and artillery. He brought new equipment of warfare.
He also established cannon foundries, gunpowder and arms factories.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh had a long association with Lahore. Lahore was the capital of the Sikh Empire under the leadership of Ranjit Singh and is also his final resting place.
Before he took reigns of the Sikh empire, factionalism was rife in Lahore with different warring misls (groups) ruling different parts of the city.
He captured Lahore in the year 1799, which is also considered as the turning point for the Sikh Empire.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh unified all the warring misls into one empire. He also protected Lahore from invading Afghans and was responsible for the restoration of Mughal architecture in the city.
His samadhi (grave) is just next to the Lahore Fort.
India and UNSC
Why in News: India has won the unanimous support of all countries in the 55-member Asia-Pacific Group at the United Nations in support of its bid for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council (UNSC) for a two-year term in 2021-22.
About UNSC
The United Nations Security Council is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations formed in 1945.
Despite drastic changes in geopolitics and international relations, the Council has not been reformed yet.
UNSC REFORMS:
The demands for reform of the UNSC is based on five key issues:
1. categories of membership (permanent, non-permanent).
2. the question of the veto held by the five permanent members.
3. regional representation.
4. the size of an enlarged Council and its working methods.
5. the relationship between the Security Council and General Assembly.
Notably, any reform of the Security Council would require the agreement of at least two-thirds of UN member states.
Importantly, the agreement of all the permanent members of the UNSC enjoying the veto right is also required.
India has been long aspiring for permanent membership along with the same veto power as that of the existing members.
However, the present permanent members have been rejecting this demand.
The development is particularly significant for India given that Pakistan and China, both countries with which India has had diplomatic challenges at the UN, supported the move.
link:
HOW ARE COUNTRIES ELECTED FOR THE NON-PERMANENT MEMBER SEATS OF UNSC
Jal Shakti scheme
The Centre is set to initiate the Jal Shakti Abhiyan to ramp up rainwater harvesting and conservation efforts in 255 water-stressed districts from July 1, in line with the government’s promise to focus on water.
Though water is a State issue, the campaign would be coordinated by 255 central IAS officers of Joint or Additional Secretary-rank, drawn from ministries as varied as Space, Petroleum and Defence, according to a notification issued by the Department of Personnel and Training on Wednesday. The campaign seems to follow the model of last year’s Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, where central officials monitored the implementation of seven flagship development schemes in 117 aspirational districts across the country.
The campaign would run from July 1 to September 15 in States receiving rainfall during the south-west monsoon, while States receiving rainfall in the retreating or north-east monsoon would be covered from October 1 to November 30. Overall, 313 blocks with critical groundwater levels would be covered, along with 1,186 blocks with over-exploited groundwater and 94 blocks with low groundwater availability.
The Jal Shakti Abhiyan would aim to accelerate water harvesting, conservation and borewell recharge activities already being carried out under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme and the Integrated Watershed Management Programme of the Rural Development Ministry, along with existing water body restoration and afforestation schemes being undertaken by the Jal Shakti and Environment Ministries. Progress would be monitored in real time through mobile applications and an online dashboard at indiawater.gov.in.
3rd-century Buddhist sculpture unearthed in AP’s Guntur
A Buddhist sculpture of 'Naga Muchulinda', belonging to the third century Theravada and Mahayana, was unearthed in Guntur city in Andhra Pradesh. The rare sculpture, which highlights the glory of Buddhism in the state, was found at Agasthyeshwara temple in Old Guntur.
Dr. E Sivanagi Reddy, a Buddhist Scholar and CEO, The Cultural Centre of Vijayawada and Amaravati (CCVA), along with Subhakar Medasani, Secretary, Amaravati Buddha Vihara, came across the sculpture on the south-west corner of the temple, during their visit to the temple earlier this week.
According to Sivanagireddy, the Naga Muchulinda sculpture, which is carved on a Palnadu limestone, is the king of serpents who protected Buddha for four weeks with his hood as the latter was in mediation following his enlightenment.
Earlier, similar heritage was found in areas such as Amaravati, Chandavaram, Ghantasala, Nagarjunakonda, Pedakallepalli and Goli. The Amaravati region in Krishna basin is known for the glorious past of the Buddhist culture.
The sculpture represents the last phase of Amaravati School of Art of the Ikshwaku period