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Future of Election Funding in India after the abolition of Electoral Bond Scheme

Context: Supreme Court has struck down the Electoral Bond scheme as being unconstitutional. This has again raised debates about the model of Electoral funding in India.

Electoral Funding in India:

Representation of Peoples Act, 1951 regulates the election financing landscape in India.
Section 77 of the RPA, 1951 and Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 provides for limit on electoral expenditure for contesting candidates.
Section 10A of RPA, 1951 provides for the disqualification of candidates for a period of three years for the failure to lodge accounts of election expenses.
Section 29B of RPA, 1951 provides for political funding of parties and there is no limit on funds to be received. Note: It bans foreign funding of political parties in India.
Section 29C of RPA, 1951 regulates the disclosure of donations received by political parties and prepare an annual report on it, which is to be submitted to Election Commission of India.
Section 182 of Companies Act, 2013 provides for the corporate donations to political parties.

Need for Electoral Funding reforms in India:

Supreme Court in Kanwar Lal Gupta case highlighted that financial superiority translates into electoral advantage.
Money power in elections has raised the issue of violation of equality and equal footing between the rich and poor candidates.
Issue of Black money, bribery, and quid pro quo corruption through electoral funding by private business entities. This was highlighted by Supreme Court in Ashok Shankarrao Chavan case (2014).
Capture of government by private individuals and groups in a quid pro quo mechanism.
At the same time, the election funding scheme should respect the privacy of donors as there is a possibility of targeting of donors by other parties.

Legal loopholes:

Expenditure on star campaigners is shown in disproportionately in financial reports of parties to hide the real areas of expenditure.
Scope of section 77(1) of RPA, 1951 is very narrow. It only applies on election expenditures of a candidate from the date of nomination to the date of declaration of results.
There is no limit on election expenditure by a political party.
New modes of VOTE for NOTE being devised such as the "Thirumangalam Formula" of Tamil Nadu.

Alternative Models for Election Funding

A. Electoral Trust scheme:

In the Electoral Bond Judgement, SC suggested Electoral Trusts as a better model to be followed which balanced the need for transparency of electoral funding and the confidentiality and anonymity of donors.
Any company registered under Section 25 of Companies Act, 1956, can form an Electoral Trust.
Under Section 17CA of the Income-tax Act, 1961, any citizen of India, a company registered in India, or a firm or Hindu Undivided Family or association of persons living in India, can donate to an electoral trust.
The electoral trusts have to apply for renewal every three financial years.
They must donate 95% of contributions received in a financial year to political parties registered under Representation of the People Act, 1951.
The contributors’ PAN (in case of a resident) or passport number (in case of an NRI) is required at the time of making contributions.
Transparency under Electoral Trust Scheme:
- Electoral trusts are mandated by law to maintain a list of contributions and submit to the Election Commission of India. Such records must also be submitted to income tax commissioner along with an audit report.
- Electoral Trusts receive donations from various donors and donate to various political parties. This makes it difficult to determine to whom an individual donor may have contributed.
During the period 2017-18 — the financial year in which Electoral Bonds were first made available — to 2021-22, the money donated through Electoral Bonds was more than five times the amount that came through the Electoral Trusts.

B. Recommendations of 255th Law Commission Report:

Scope of section 77(1) of RPA, 1951 should be enlarged to cover the period spanning date of notification of election to the date to declaration of results.
Limits on election related expenditure of political parties should be imposed.
The decision regarding funding of political parties should be taken in the Annual General Meeting and not in the meeting of Board of Directors as done presently.

C. State Funding of Elections recommended by Dinesh Goswami and Indrajit Gupta Committee.

Conclusion

Before finalizing the future models of electoral funding to be adopted, adequate consultation with all stakeholders should take place with the aim to boost transparency and address issues of black money in the election funding.

Read about Supreme Court Judgement for abolishing Electoral Bond Scheme: Link

Baleen Whales : Explained

Context: A few species of baleen whales produce the higher-pitched sounds that people are more familiar with as whale songs.

Baleen Whales

There are 14 species of baleen whale including the blue, bowhead, right, humpback, minke and gray whale.
Baleen whales are generally larger than toothed whales except for the sperm whale which is very big and has teeth.
Many baleen whales migrate annually, travelling long distances between cold water feeding areas and warm water breeding areas.

Feeding Technique

Baleen whale, any cetacean possessing unique epidermal modifications of the mouth called baleen, which is used to filter food from water.
Baleen whales seek out concentrations of small planktonic animals.
The whales then open their mouth and take in enormous quantities of water.
When the mouth is closed, they squeeze the water out through the sides, catching the tiny prey on the baleen’s bristles.

Special Structure Baleen

Baleen is a keratinized structure like hair, fingernails, and hooves.
In the Greenland right whale (Balaena mysticetus), single plates of baleen can reach 5.2 meters (17 feet) long.
Before the invention of spring steel and celluloid in the 19th century, “whalebone,” as baleen was called, was very valuable.
Because it is flexible and retains shapes imposed on it with heat, baleen was used for springs and in products such as corsets, knife handles, umbrella ribs, brushes, and fans.

Songs

The large air-breathing sea animals use a special voice box that enables them to make sounds underwater.
Baleen whales do not have teeth or vocal cords like humans and other mammals.
They have U-shaped tissue in their voice boxes that permits them to breathe a lot of air very quickly.
Their voice boxes also contain a large “cushion” of fat and muscle not seen in other animals.
Whales “sing” by pushing the tissue against the fat and muscle cushion.
Baleen whales depend on the production of sound to communicate in the dark of the deep oceans.
- “For example, humpback females and their calves communicate with each other by voice, and humpback males sing to attract females,

Distribution

Baleen whales can be found in all oceans worldwide, from polar seas to temperate and tropical zones. Some species of baleen whales have limited distribution. For example:
- Southern right whales are found only in the southern hemisphere; northern right whales are found only in the northern hemisphere.
- Some populations of baleen whale species are resident to restricted areas. A population of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) is found year-round in the Gulf of California

Habitat

Some baleen whales are coastal (they stay near shore).
They forage along the productive continental shelf area.
Some species give birth and rear young in protected coastal bays and lagoons. Other species are oceanic (they roam the open seas).

Migration

Most baleen whales are highly migratory, moving toward high-latitude (polar) feeding areas in the summer and toward low-latitude (tropical) calving areas in the winter.
Variations in water temperature, food availability, and feeding habits may account for the movements of some animals.
Some individual whales do not migrate. These may be juveniles or post-reproductive adults and may stay in protected nearshore areas.

Discovery of temples in Telangana shows spread of Chalukya reign

Context: An excavation was undertaken, in Telangana, in the village of Mudimanikyam on the banks of river Krishna, which was part of the kingdom ruled by Badami Chalukyas.

More information:

After the end of the Kingdom (ruling present-day Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh), Mudimanikyam continued to have a thriving community, believing in the Hindu gods of Vishnu and Shiva.
As per the new discovery, the Jogulamba temples at Alampur and the submerged Yeleswaram sites in Telangana, are evidences that show the reach of Chalukya Badami kingdom (ruling from 543 AD to 750 AD).
An inscription dating to the rulers of Badami Chalukyas was also discovered.
The discovered temples highlight the ‘Deccan cosmopolitanism’ where there was space for more than two religions to co-exist. Along with Brahmanical religion, there was space for Buddhism and Jainism to flourish.

Chalukyas of Badami:

Introduction:

Chalukyas ruled over the Deccan plateau in India for over 600 years.
During this period, they ruled as three closely related, but individual dynasties.
- Chalukyas of Badami (also called Early Chalukyas), who ruled between the 6th and the 8th century.
- Chalukyas of Kalyani (also called Western Chalukyas or Later Chalukyas)
- Chalukyas of Vengi (also called Eastern Chalukyas).

Badami Chalukyas:

In the 6th century, with the decline of the Gupta dynasty and their immediate successors in northern India, major changes were seen in the areas south of the Vindhyas, the Deccan and Tamilakam.
The age of small kingdoms had given way to large empires in this region.
The Chalukya dynasty was established by Pulakeshin I in 543.
Chalukyas of Badami, ruled over an empire that comprised the entire state of Karnataka and most of Andhra Pradesh in the Deccan.
At their peak, the Chalukyas ruled a vast empire stretching from the Kaveri in the south to the Narmada in the north.
Pulakeshin I took Vatapi (modern Badami in Karnataka) under his control and made it his capital.
Pulakeshin II, commanded control over the entire Deccan and is perhaps the most well-known emperor of the Badami dynasty.
- Pulakeshin II extended the Chalukya Empire up to the northern extents of the Pallava kingdom.
- He halted the southward march of Harsha by defeating him on the banks of the river Narmada.
- Pallava Narasimhavarman, in 642, attacked and occupied Badami temporarily. Pulakeshin II, died in the battle.
- The Aihole inscription/prashasti, is a Sanskrit inscription at Meguti Jain temple in Aihole, Karnataka.
- The eulogy dated 634–635 CE, was composed by the Jain poet Ravikirti in honour of his patron king Pulakesin Satyasraya (Pulakeshin II).

The dynasty went into a brief decline following the death of Pulakeshin II due to internal feuds. Badami was occupied by the Pallavas for a period of thirteen years.
It recovered during the reign of Vikramaditya I, who succeeded in pushing the Pallavas out of Badami and restored order to the empire.
- Vikramaditya I took the title ‘Rajamalla’.
The empire was its peak again during the rule of the Vikramaditya II (733–744).
- He is known for his repeated invasions of the territory of Tondaimandalam (historical region located in the northernmost part of Tamil Nadu and southernmost part of Andhra Pradesh).
- He defeated Pallava Nandivarman II, and thus, avenged the earlier defeat of the Chalukyas by the Pallavas. He engraved a Kannada inscription on the victory pillar at the Kailasanatha Temple, in Kanchipuram.
- Vikramaditya II later overran the other traditional kingdoms of Tamil country, the Pandyas, the Cholas and the Cheras in addition to subduing a Kalabhra ruler.
The last Chalukya king, Kirtivarman II, was overthrown by the Rashtrakuta king Dantidurga in 753.

Architecture:

Their style of architecture is called ‘Chalukyan architecture’ or ‘Karnata Dravida architecture’.
The building material they used was a reddish-golden Sandstone.
The temple building activity was mostly concentrated in a relatively small area within, Aihole, Badami, Pattadakal and Mahakuta in modern Karnataka state.

(Aihole Inscription)

Temple building activity can be categorised into different phases:

1.The early phase began in the last quarter of the 6th century:

Cave temples developed at Aihole (one Vedic, one Jain and one Buddhist), followed by four developed cave temples at Badami (of which cave 3, a Vaishnava temple, is dated accurately to 578 CE).
- The Vedic temples sculpted images of Mahishasuramardhini, Varaha, Vishnu seated on Anantha (the snake) and Nataraja (dancing Shiva).

2.The second phase of temple building was at Aihole and Badami:

70 structures exist at Aihole and has been called one of the cradles of Indian temple architecture.
- Lad Khan Temple (dated to 450 but more accurately to 620).
- Meguti Jain Temple shows progress in structural design.
The structural temples at Pattadakal, built in the 8th century and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, marks the culmination and mature phase of Badami Chalukyan architecture.
- There are ten temples at Pattadakal, six in southern dravida style and four in the northern nagara style.
- Well known are the Virupaksha Temple (740–745) and the Mallikarjuna Temple (740–745) in the southern style.

Kerala capital sees massive turnout of devotees for Attukal Pongala

Context: Women celebrated the Attukal Pongala festival by making the ritual offering to the presiding deity of the Attukal Bhagavathy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

More Information:

The temple, Attukal Bhagavathy temple is also known as ‘Women’s Sabarimala’, since women form the major portion of the Devi’s devotees.
‘Attukal Pongala’ includes rituals such as, lighting of the ‘Pandara Aduppu’, the main hearth of the temple. After this, ritual offering is cooked by the women.
The presiding deity, Attukal Bhagavathy, is the divine incarnation of Kannaki, the protagonist of the Tamil epic, Silappadhikaram.
The story is that after destroying Madurai to avenge the injustice done to her husband Kovalan, Kannaki reached Kerala, and took rest at Attukal.
- Silappadhikaram is the earliest Tamil epic.
- It is a poem of 5,730 lines describing the tragic love story of an ordinary Kannaki and her husband Kovalan. The epic is set in a flourishing seaport city of the early Chola kingdom.
- Author: It is attributed to a prince-turned-Jain monk Illango Adigal (brother of Chera king Senguttuvan) and was probably composed in the 5th or 6th century CE.

Attukal Bhagavathy temple:

The Attukal Bhagavathy Temple is a Hindu religious shrine in Kerala, India.
Goddess 'Attukal devi', is the supreme mother, goddess of power and courage.
She is often referred as Kannaki, the heroine of Ilanko Adikal's 'Silappadhikaram'.
A festival that has figured in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the single largest gathering of women for a religious activity, the Attukal Pongala continues to draw millions of women with each passing year.
Attukal Temple is situated near the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, in Thiruvananthapuram.

Attukal Pongala:

Attukal Pongala Mahotsavam is a 10 days festival which falls on February-March every year.
The festival begins with the traditional Kappu Kettu and Kudiyiruntha ceremony, in which, the idol of Devi, is embellished with Kappu (Bangles).
The 9th day of the festival, 'Pooram day' is the major attraction.
Pongala/Naivedyam (rice cooked with jaggery, ghee, coconut as well as other ingredients) is prepared in the open in small pots to please the Goddess Kannaki.

Privilege Committees of Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha

Context: SC stays Lok Sabha privileges panel proceedings on West Bengal BJP MP’s ‘injury complaint’.

Parliamentary privileges

Each House of Parliament and its Committees collectively and members of each House individually enjoy certain rights, privileges and immunities without which they cannot perform their functions efficiently and effectively.
The object of parliamentary privilege is to safeguard the freedom, the authority and the dignity of Parliament.
They are enjoyed by individual members, because the House cannot perform its functions without unimpeded use of the services of its members and by each House collectively for the protection of its members and the vindication of its own authority and dignity.
The Constitution has also extended the parliamentary privileges to those persons who are entitled to speak and take part in the proceedings of the house i.e. attorney general of India and Union Ministers.

Collective Privileges	Individual privileges
Enjoyed by each house of the parliament collectively	Enjoyed by the members of each house individually
Right to publish its reports, debates and proceedings	MPs cannot be arrested during the session of Parliament and 40 days before the beginning and 40 days after the end of a session.
Exclude strangers from its proceeding for secret sittings	Freedom of speech in parliament (article 105) and freedom of speech in state assembly (article 194).
Make rules to regulate its own procedure and conduct of business	Exempted from jury service, can refuse to give evidence, and appear as a witness in a case pending in a court when parliament is in session
Punish members as well as outsiders for breach of its privileges or its contempt
Right to receive immediate information of the arrest, detention, conviction, imprisonment, and release of a member
Institute inquiries and order the attendance of witnesses
Courts are prohibited to inquire into the proceedings of a house or its committees
No legal process can be served within the precincts of the House without the permission of the presiding officer

Committee of Privileges

Examines the cases of breach of privileges of the house and its members and recommend appropriate action.
Members: 15 members in Lok Sabha and 10 members in Rajya Sabha respectively.
The speaker refers the issue of disqualification under the anti-defection rules to this committee for enquiry.
can summon relevant individuals for examination and study pertinent documents.
After reviewing the incidents or cases brought before it, the Parliament Privileges Committee makes recommendations "as it may deem fit”.
The privilege committee of the Rajya Sabha is chaired by the Deputy Chairperson but in Lok Sabha, there is no such rule.

Made from Red Ant, Kai Chutney of Odisha receives GI Tag

Context: Red Ant Chutney, locally known as Kai Chutney made by tribal people in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district has received Geographical Indication Tag in January, 2024.

About Kai Chutney

Kai Chutney is made with red weaver ants in Simlipal Tiger reserve by tribal's in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha.
The chutney has healing properties, boosts immunity, ensures nutritional security of the tribal people. Red Weaver Ants contain valuable proteins, calcium, zinc, vitamin B12, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, copper, amino acids etc.
Red Weaver Ants are locally known as Kai Pimpudi in the region.

About Red Weaver Ants

Red Weaver ants form colonies with multiple nests in trees.
Each nest is made of leaves stitched together with silk produced by their larvae.
They reside in trees like mango, sal, jambu and jackfruit.
Red Weaver Ants consist of three categories of ants - Workers, Major Workers and Queens.
Workers and Major workers are mostly orange coloured with a size of 5-6 mm for workers and 8-10 mm for major workers with strong legs and large mandibles.
Queens are larger in size with 20-25 mm and green-brown colour.
They feed on small insects and other invertebrates like beetles, flies and hymenopterans. They do not sting but have a painful bite into which they can secrete irritant chemicals from their abdomens.

International Trade Using Vostro Accounts

Context: Russia has managed to use up most of its rupee balance (more than $8 billion) that had piled up in special vostro accounts of Indian banks.

What are Vostro Accounts?

Vostro accounts are accounts a bank holds on behalf of another foreign bank.
A Rupee Vostro account is used to facilitate international trade transactions in Indian rupee. Rupee Vostro accounts keep a foreign entity's holdings in the Indian bank, in Indian rupees.

How do Transactions Take Place?

When an Indian importer wants to make a payment to a foreign trader in rupees, the amount will be credited to this Vostro account, and when an Indian exporter needs to be paid for supplying goods or services, this Vostro account will be deducted, and the amount will be credited to the exporter's account.
Even though rupee invoicing for international transactions was allowed earlier, countries with whom we run trade deficits were reluctant to use this rupee settlement because the vostro accounts are left with surplus amounts.
To overcome this, the RBI released a notification allowing international trade settlement in India rupees. It allowed surplus rupee held in vostro accounts to invest in rupee assets like Government securities.

Narsimha Rao, Chaudhary Charan Singh and M. S. Swaminathan conferred Bharat Ratna

Context: Prime Minister conferred the Bharat Ratna on former Prime Ministers Chaudhary Charan Singh and P V Narasimha Rao, and agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan who led India’s Green Revolution. Earlier, Karpoor Thakur (for his social justice legacy) and L.K. Advani was conferred the Award.

More Information from the news article:

At five, this is the maximum number of Bharat Ratnas announced in a year. In 1999, four Bharat Ratnas were announced.
P. V. Narasimha Rao, served as the 9th prime minister of India from 1991 to 1996:
- He is known for introducing various liberal reforms to India's economy.
- When he held the Industries Portfolio, he dismantled the Licence Raj.
- In 1991, Rao employed Manmohan Singh as his finance minister to embark on important economic transition.
- With Rao's mandate, Manmohan Singh launched India's globalisation angle of the reforms that implemented the International Monetary Fund (IMF) policies to rescue the almost bankrupt nation from economic collapse.
Chaudhary Charan Singh served as the 5th prime minister of India:
- Charan Singh followed Mahatma Gandhi in non-violent struggle for independence and was imprisoned several times.
- In 1930, he was jailed by the British for contravention of the salt laws.
- Charan Singh opined that the right of ownership was important to the farmer. He wanted to preserve and stabilize a system of peasant proprietorship.
- He was the chief architect of land reforms in the U.P. and he took a leading part in formulation and finalization of the Debt Redemption Bill 1939, which brought great relief to rural debtors.
- As the 5^th Chief Minister of U.P., he was instrumental in bringing about the Land Holding Act 1960 which was aimed at lowering the ceiling on land holdings to make it uniform throughout the State.
- His birthday on 23 December is celebrated as Kisan Diwas in India.
M.S. Swaminathan:
- He is credited as the architect of the Green Revolution.
- Swaminathan's collaborative scientific efforts with Norman Borlaug and other scientists and backed by public policies, saved India and Pakistan from certain famine-like conditions in the 1960s.
- His leadership as director general of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines was instrumental in his being awarded the first World Food Prize in 1987.
- The United Nations Environment Programme has called him ‘the Father of Economic Ecology’.
- He coined the term ‘Evergreen Revolution’ in 1990 to describe his vision of ‘productivity in perpetuity without associated ecological harm’.
- It was the Swaminathan Committee that recommended in 2006 that the MSP should be 1.5 times the cost of production that a farmer incurs.

Awards given by Government of India:

About Bharat Ratna:

The designation ‘Bharat Ratna,’ which translates to 'Jewel of India,' signifies the highest civilian honour presented by the Republic of India.
Established in 1954, the Bharat Ratna is granted to extraordinary individuals who have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments.
Originally focused on recognizing achievements in art, science, literature, and public service, the criteria underwent an expansion in December 2011 to encompass excellence in 'any field of human endeavour.'
Selection process:
- Recommendations for the award can only be made by the Prime Minister to the President, with a maximum of three nominees honoured annually.
- In 1999, an exception saw four individuals receiving the honour.
- Although no monetary reward accompanies the honour, recipients receive a unique Peepal-leaf shaped medal and a certificate known as a ‘Sanad.’
- In the hierarchy of the Indian Order of Precedence, Bharat Ratna recipients hold the seventh rank.

The usage of the title 'Bharat Ratna' as a prefix or suffix is exempt from Article 18(1) of the Constitution, as established by the Supreme Court's precedent in Balaji Raghavan/S.P. Anand v. Union of India in 1995.
The first recipients in 1954 included C. Rajagopalachari, the last Governor-General of the Dominion of India; Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the second President and first Vice President of India; and Nobel Prize Laureate and Physicist C. V. Raman.
Originally, the statutes did not allow for posthumous awards, but in January 1955, amendments were made to permit them. The first posthumous honouree was former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.
Despite typically being conferred upon India-born citizens, notable exceptions include Mother Teresa, a naturalized citizen, and non-Indians such as Abdul Ghaffar Khan (originally from British India, later a citizen of Pakistan) and Nelson Mandela, a citizen of South Africa.
The Bharat Ratna, along with other personal civil honours, faced brief suspensions during the periods of July 1977 to January 1980 and August 1992 to December 1995, due to changes in the national government and legal challenges to their constitutional validity.
In 1992, controversy arose over the posthumous award to Subhas Chandra Bose, leading to a cancellation following a Supreme Court decision in 1997, a unique instance where the award was announced but not conferred.
Recipients whose awards have been revoked must surrender their medals, and their names are struck from the register.
There is no Bharat Ratna Award winners list for 2020 and 2021.

Several special entitlements:

The medallion and its miniature counterpart.
A Sanad (certificate) signed by the President of India.
Treatment as a state guest by state governments when traveling within a state.
Assistance from Indian missions abroad upon request.
Eligibility for a diplomatic passport.
Lifetime complimentary executive class travel on Air India.
Occupying the seventh position in the Indian order of precedence.

Traditional Paddy of Tamil Nadu

Context: Traditional paddy to be cultivated on 10k acres in Tamil Nadu.

Traditional Paddy

Aruvadham Kuruvai: -This rice is believed to increase bone strength and prevent bone related ailments. It contains antioxidants equivalent to blue berries. It cures the problem of loss of appetite in children and also rectifies nutritional deficiencies.

Karunkuruvai arisi : -It is believed to control Diabetes and Cholesterol levels and is also a Blood Pressure regulator. It also improves the strength of the body.

Poonkar: - Poongar rice is found to contain Zinc, Magnesium, and Molebidinum, which is essential for everyday well-being. Apart from the above-mentioned minerals, it also contains Iron, which is essential for good blood count and heart health.

Thooyamalli: - With its high nutritional content, including carbohydrates, fiber, and essential minerals, Thooyamalli parboiled rice is considered a healthy choice, especially for those with gluten intolerance, as it is gluten-free.

Seeraga Samba: - It is a rich source of carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and essential minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and zinc. It is also low in fat and gluten-free, making it a healthier option compared to other varieties of rice. Seeraga samba rice is commonly used in the preparation of biryanis, pulao, and other rice dishes.

Mappillai Samba: -This Rice variety increases stamina, provides energy especially for school going/studying children. It specifically aids helps build a healthy body and an alert mind.

Karuppu Kavuni: - Packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, this forbidden rice offers a nutritional punch that sets black rice apart from its counterparts. Black rice supports heart health, aids in blood sugar regulation, enhances skin health, promotes weight management, and provides antioxidant protection.

India to display relics of Lord Buddha in Thailand

Context: India will be holding an exposition of some of the relics of Lord Buddha in Thailand in February. The relics will be kept at the National Museum, Bangkok at first and then would be exhibited at different venues in Thailand.

(Fig.: Case containing four pieces of the Holy relics of Lord Buddha)

More about the news:

Relics of Lord Buddha along with the relics of two of his disciples, Sariputta and Maudgalyayana (or Maha Moggallana) preserved in Madhya Pradesh’s Sanchi are being sent.
These relics (known as Kapilavastu relics) are under the protection of the National Museum, India, were excavated from Piprahwa in Siddharthnagar, Uttar Pradesh.
- Siddharthnagar, is an ancient city of Kapilavastu region.
- Kapilavastu, where Buddha is believed to be born in 563 BC (in the Sakya Kshatriya clan).

In 1952, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) took ownership of Piprahwa and this enabled further excavations at the site.
The collection of sacred relics has been earlier taken to Sri Lanka in 1976 and 2012, Mongolia in 1993 and 2022, Singapore in 1994 and 2007, South Korea in 1995 and Thailand also in 1995.
These relics are categorised as ‘AA’ (rare) antiquities, which means they are not meant to be lent for exhibitions, within India or in foreign nations.
However, the exposition in Thailand was being held upon a ‘special request’ by the Thai Government.
The event will be organised by the Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with the Indian Embassy in Thailand, the International Buddhist Confederation and the Madhya Pradesh government.

About Buddhism:

Buddhism belongs to the Shramana school of religious movements (means one who performs acts of austerity and ascetic).
Mahabhiraskramana or the Great Going Forth is the event when Gautam Buddha left his home and discarded worldly life.
Buddha died in 483 BC near Kushinara (Kushinagar, UP) and the event is known as Mahaparinirvana.

Religious teachings of Buddha:

Buddhism is based upon triratnas i.e., Buddha(the enlightened), Dhamma(doctrine) and Sangha(commune).
The core of his doctrine is expressed in the Ariya-sachchani (Four Noble Truths):
- there is suffering (dukkha);
- it has a cause (dukh samudaya);
- it can be removed (nirodha); and
- There is a path leading to the cessation of sorrow (dukh nirodha gamini pratipada)

The way to achieve this is following the Atthanga-magga (Eight-fold Path)/ Ashtangik marga/ Madhya Marga (one between extreme indulgence and extreme asceticism. It consists of right view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration.
Buddha was against caste system and opened the gates of Buddhism for all castes.
Buddha suggested that when desires are conquered, nirvana will be attained (free from the cycle of birth and rebirth).

Relics associated with Buddha

Mahaparinibbaṇa Sutta (in Digha Nikaya) mentions that after attaining Parinirvana, the body of Buddha was cremated and the ashes divided among his lay followers.
First it was considered that ashes should go to the Sakya clan, to which the Buddha belonged.
However, a Brahmin named Drona divided the ashes of the Buddha into eight portions, for erecting stupa over the sacred relics.
- to Ajatasattu, king of Magadha;
- to the Licchavis of Vaishali;
- to the Sakyas of Kapilavastu;
- to the Bullis of Allakappa;
- to the Koliyas of Ramagama;
- to the Brahmana of Veṭhadipa;
- to the Mallas of Pava;
- to the Mallas of Kushinagara.

Stupas erected over the bodily relics of Buddha (Saririka stupas) are the earliest surviving Buddhist shrines.
Two other important relics were distributed:
- Drona (the Brahmin who distributed the relics) received the vessel in which the body had been cremated;
- Moriyas of Pipphalivana received the remaining ashes of the funeral pyre.
Research and excavations support the authenticity of the stupa at Piprahwa,as well as the Relic Stupa of Vaishaliand the Ramabhar Stupa at Kushinagar.
- But the archaeological investigations to date have not definitively identified other remaining stupas.

Mahavaṃsa and Ashokavadana mentions that Mauryan emperor, Ashoka, collected seven of the eight relics of Gautama Buddha, and redistributed them across 84,000 stupas. These stupas were constructed around the world.
As per the 5^th century scholar, Buddhaghosha, the Theravada tradition of Buddhism, believes that a proper Buddhist monastery was that which possessed the relics.
Relics of Buddha's noble disciples, Sariputta and Maudgalyayana (or Maha Moggallana) are preserved in Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh.

Some of the sacred Relics in India:

Kapilavastu relics:
- During an excavation in 1898, five small vases was found containing bone fragments, ashes, and jewels in a stupa in Piprahwa. (the Archaeological Survey of India has identified Piprahwa as Kapilavastu)
- The inscription on the lid, refers to the relics of Buddha and his community, the Sakya: ‘Sukiti bhatinam sa-bhaginikanam sa-puta-dalanam iyam salila nidhare Bhaddhasa bhagavate sakiyanam.’
- Means: ‘this shrine for relics of the Buddha, is that of the Sakyas. The brethren of the distinguished One, in association with their sisters and with their children and their wives.’
Buddha Relic Stupa was built by Lichhavis in Vaishali (Bihar) as a mud stupa in the 5th century BCE.
Devni Mori, Gujarat (a Buddhist archaeological site): Mortal remains of the Buddha belonging to the third or fourth century were found during an excavation in 1962–1963.
Dhamma Vinaya Monastery Pune, Maharashtra, was constructed and relics of Gautam Buddha's and Arhant’s were enshrined.
- An Arhant is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved nirvana (spiritual enlightenment).

Global Vipassana Pagoda was constructed in October 2006 in Mumbai, and the relics of the Buddha were enshrined in the central locking stone of the dome, making it the world's largest structure containing relics of the Buddha.
Lalitgiri, Odisha: A casket was discovered, believed to contain bones of Buddha.

To read about Buddhism, follow the link: https://compass.rauias.com/current-affairs/india-to-host-maiden-global-buddhist-summit/

Kala Azar

Context: In a significant step forward towards eliminating Kala Azar, India has achieved the target of reporting less than one case per 10,000 population across all blocks in 2023. (633 blocks, mainly in four states Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, where the disease was endemic).

For eradicating the parasitic disease, India has to keep case count below 1 per 10,000 population in all blocks for two more years.

Kala Azar:

Visceral leishmaniasis or kala-azar is a slow progressing Neglected Tropical Disease caused by a protozoan parasite of genus Leishmania.
The zoonotic infection is transmitted by the sand fly (a blood-sucking pest) found in moist (humid) mud and sand close to livestock.
The parasite primarily infects the reticuloendothelial system and may be found in abundance in bone marrow, spleen and liver.
Signs and symptoms: Fever, weight loss, fatigue, anaemia, and enlargement of the liver and spleen.
Occurrence: It is the second-largest parasitic killer in the world after Malaria. Mainly affects poor people in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and is associated with malnutrition, population displacement, poor housing, weak immune system and lack of financial resources.
It is treatable and requires a medical diagnosis. If left untreated, the fatality rate in developing countries is over 95%.
- Some of the kala-azar cases manifest as Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) after a few years of treatment.
- PKDL is a condition when Leishmania invades skin cells, resides and develops there and manifests as dermal lesions.

National Kala-Azar Elimination:

India’s National Health Policy (2002) envisaged kala-azar Elimination by 2010, which was later extended to 2015, 2017, and then 2020. Now, Kala-azar is targeted for elimination by 2023 through World Health Organisation’s Neglected Tropical Disease RoadMap goal is 2030.

Guinea worm disease

Context: The world is on the brink of eradicating Guinea worm disease. There were more than 3.5 million cases of this disease in the 1980s, but according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) weekly epidemiological report, there were just 14 cases in 2021, 13 in 2022, and 6 in 2023.

Guinea worm disease:

Guinea worm disease, also known as dracunculiasis, is a neglected tropical disease caused by the parasitic worm Dracunculus medinensis.
It is transmitted through drinking contaminated water containing copepods, tiny crustaceans that serve as intermediate hosts for the worm larvae.
Symptoms: Painful blister formation usually on the legs or feet from where the adult female worm emerges (around 1 metre long). Sometimes, secondary bacterial infections occur at the wound.
Treatment: Slow and careful extraction of the worm.
Prevention: Access to safe drinking water and education about hygiene practices.
Eradication in India: India eliminated Guinea worm disease in the 1990s through a rigorous campaign of surveillance, water safety interventions, and education. India received Guinea worm disease-free certification from the WHO in 2000.