GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

The Union government announced the renaming of Port Blair to ‘Sri Vijaya Puram’ to “free the nation from colonial imprints”. Port Blair has long carried the name of Captain Archibald Blair, a British naval officer of the East India Company after whom the gateway to the island was named after. Earlier in January 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi named 21 large uninhabited islands in Andaman and Nicobar after Param Vir Chakra awardees. 

Who Was Captain Archibald Blair?

• Archibald Blair joined the Bombay Marine under the British East India Company in 1771. His first significant role as a midshipman involved surveying the coasts of India, Iran, and Arabia in 1772.
• French Captivity: In 1780, Blair was captured by a French warship while on an expedition to the Cape of Good Hope. He was imprisoned until 1784 and later handed over to the Dutch.
• Blair’s Role in Andaman Islands
  • His most notable work was surveying the Andaman Islands from December 1788 to April 1789. His detailed report led to the British decision to colonize the islands.
  • Blair discovered a natural harbour on the southern part of Great Andaman Island and initially named it Port Cornwallis in honor of Commodore William Cornwallis, the British-Indian navy’s Commander-in-Chief. This harbour was later renamed Port Blair in his own honor.
  • Settlement Efforts:
    • The first colony was established in South Andaman by Archibald Blair. He established a settlement on Chatham Island, initially called Port Cornwallis. This new location faced a series of disasters, including disease outbreaks, leading to its abandonment in 1796.
    • Blair was replaced by Major Alexander Kyd and returned to England in 1795.

Freedom Struggle in Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Infamously known as "Kala Pani" or "Black Waters," this remote convict colony became a place where prisoners in India, both political and non-political, were exiled.

• Rise of Penal Colonization: After the first war of independence in 1857, the British needed to suppress dissent more effectively. They decided to use the Andaman Islands as a penal settlement to isolate political and non-political prisoners. The Andaman Committee, led by Dr. F.J. Mouat, recommended this move.
• Prison Conditions and Rebellions: The harsh conditions led to multiple escapes and harsh reprisals. In 1858, 251 prisoners escaped, and the brutal execution of 88 escapees was ordered.
• Great Andamanese Resistance: The Great Andamanese tribe resisted British rule, culminating in the Battle of Aberdeen on May 17, 1859. Despite their bravery, the indigenous people suffered heavy casualties.
• Notable Events and Figures
  • Assassination of Lord Mayo: In 1872 Lord Mayo, the Viceroy of India, was assassinated by Sher Ali, a convict from Peshawar. This assassination highlighted the discontent among prisoners and sent shockwaves through the British administration.
  • Construction of Cellular Jail (1896-1906): The British constructed the Cellular Jail to impose stricter confinement on political prisoners. It became infamous for its brutal conditions and the torture inflicted on its inmates, including well-known revolutionaries and freedom fighters.
  • Hunger Strikes and Protests (1932-1937): Several hunger strikes were organized by political prisoners demanding better conditions. These strikes, particularly the ones in 1933, garnered national attention and led to protests on the mainland.
  • Japanese Occupation (1942): During World War II, the Japanese forces captured the Andaman Islands. The Indian Independence League, led by leaders like Subash Chandra Bose, raised the Indian flag on December 30, 1943, marking a significant event in India's fight for freedom.
  • End of Penal Settlement (1945): With the end of World War II and the reoccupation by British forces, the penal settlement was closed. All prisoners were granted pardons, marking the end of this dark chapter.

India’s coal industry plays a crucial role in the country’s energy landscape, providing the primary fuel for power generation and various industrial activities.

Recent Developments:

• Surge in Production: Over the past fiscal year, India has significantly increased its coal production. The total amount of coal produced has reached about 411.62 million tonnes (MT). This is a notable rise of about 5.85% compared to the same period last year when production was around 388.86 MT.
• Role of Coal India Limited (CIL): A significant portion of this increase is due to Coal India Limited, the country’s largest coal producer. CIL’s output has risen to 311 MT, which is up from 302.53 MT the previous year. This increase is about 2.80%.
• Coal Dispatches: The coal being sent out to various consumers, including power plants, has also seen an improvement. As of the same date, dispatches have grown to 442.24 MT, marking a 4.97% increase from the previous year’s 421.29 MT. Dispatches specifically to power plants have increased by 4.03%, reaching 362.65 MT.
• Stock Levels: Coal stockpiles, which are the reserves held by coal companies, have surged to 76.49 MT, a substantial 49.07% rise from last year. For domestic coal-based thermal power plants, the coal reserves have reached 36.58 MT, showing a growth of 43.68%.

Why It Matters?

• Energy Security: The increase in production and stockpiles is crucial for maintaining energy security, especially as coal is a primary energy source for India’s power generation.
• Resilience: Despite facing challenges like adverse weather conditions that could have disrupted mining operations, the coal sector has shown remarkable resilience.
• Future Outlook: The growth in coal production and dispatches suggests that India is bolstering its energy infrastructure and preparing to meet increasing energy demands.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited the replica of the East Gate of Sanchi’s Great Stupa standing in front of Humboldt Forum museum in Berlin.

About The Great Stupa of Sanchi (Madhya Pradesh)

• The Great Stupa of Sanchi was commissioned by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE.
  • Ashoka, reigned during the 3rd century BCE, embraced Buddhism and undertook the construction of this monumental stupa as a means to enshrine the Buddha's relics.
  • The stupa represents one of the oldest and largest stone structures in India.
• The Sanchi complex saw ongoing construction and embellishments until as late as the 12th century CE.
• During the Gupta dynasty, Sanchi was expanded much further. These feature a Buddhist temple and a lion pillar.

Important Feature

• Chhatra: While the core stupa itself is a plain hemispherical structure topped with a chhatra (a parasol symbolizing the protection of the Buddha's relics), the surrounding complex includes various stupas, temples, and monasteries.
• Toranas (Gateways): The Great Stupa is renowned for its four intricately carved gateways, known as toranas, which are oriented towards the four cardinal directions.
  • They were constructed in the 1st century BCE during the reign of the Satavahana dynasty.
  • The four gateways are arranged chronologically as follows: southern, northern, eastern, and western.
  • These toranas are composed of two square pillars topped with three curved architraves (beams) that feature spirally-rolled ends.
  • Each torana is adorned with elaborate bas-reliefs and sculptures that depict scenes from the Buddha’s life, Jataka Tales (stories of the Buddha’s past lives), and other Buddhist iconography.
    • In Europe, the East Gate (one of the four toranas) is the most famous of the Sanchi toranas due to its plaster cast, made by Lieutenant Henry Hardy Cole for the Victoria and Albert Museum in the late 1860s.
    • This cast was the basis for numerous replicas displayed across Europe.

The East Gate and Its Replicas

• The Sanchi complex fell into ruin until its rediscovery by British officer Henry Taylor in 1818.
• The first formal survey and excavation were conducted by Alexander Cunningham in 1851, who later founded the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
• The site was restored in the early 20th century under ASI director-general John Marshall, with financial support from the begums of Bhopal.
• Before the restoration efforts of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Sanchi was frequently looted.
• The Humboldt Forum's replica of the East Gate involved advanced technology, including 3D scanning, modern robotics, and collaboration between German and Indian sculptors. The replica was crafted using artificial stone and enlarged photographs of the original torana to ensure accuracy.
• Artistic Details of the East Gate
  • Upper Architrave: Depicts the seven Manushi Buddhas, representing previous Buddhas in the lineage, with the historical Buddha being the latest incarnation.
  • Middle Architrave: Illustrates the Great Departure, portraying Prince Siddhartha leaving his palace in Kapilavastu to seek enlightenment as an ascetic.
  • Lower Architrave: Shows Emperor Ashoka visiting the Bodhi tree, where the Buddha attained enlightenment.

China recently announced that its troops have disengaged (process where military forces pull back or withdraw from positions they occupied) from four locations in eastern Ladakh, including the Galwan Valley.

Locations of Disengagement

The disengagement has occurred in the following four areas in eastern Ladakh:

• Galwan Valley: The Galwan river valley is strategically located between Ladakh in the west and Aksai Chin in the east, which is currently controlled by China as part of its Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. 
  • Galwan River has its source in Aksai Chin, on China’s side of the LAC, and it flows from the east to Ladakh, where it meets the Shyok river on India’s side of the LAC. 
    • The LAC lies east of the confluence of the Galwan and Shyok rivers in the valley.
  • At its western end are the Shyok river and the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulet Beg Oldie (DSDBO) road. Its eastern mouth lies not far from China’s vital Xinjiang Tibet road, now called the G219 highway.

• Pangong Lake (North and South Banks): Pangong Lake, situated at a height of almost 4,350m, is the world's highest saltwater lake.
  • Extending to almost 160km, one-third (45 km) of the Pangong Lake lies in India and the other two-thirds in China. The Line of Actual Control (LAC) passes through the lake, and both countries have conflicting claims over the territory surrounding it.
  • It is accessible via a high-altitude mountain pass, the Chang La, which is one of the highest motorable passes in the world.
  • Khurnak Fort lies on the northern shore of Pangong Tso and has been in Chinese-held territory since 1958. Before 1958, the boundary between India and China was considered at the Khurnak Fort but the latter has wrested control since then
• Gogra and Hot Spring: Both Hot Spring (PP15) and Gogra (PP17A) are part of the 65 patrolling points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh.
  • PP15 is located in an area known as the Hot Springs, while PP17A is near an area called the Gogra post.
  • Both of these are close to the Chang Chenmo river in the Galwan sub-sector of the LAC in eastern Ladakh.
  • While Hot Springs is just north of the Chang Chenmo river, Gogra Post is east of the point where the river takes a hairpin bend coming southeast from Galwan Valley and turning southwest.
  • The area is north of the Karakoram Range of mountains, which lies north of the Pangong Tso lake, and south east of Galwan Valley.

OpenAI has launched new AI models named o1 and o1-mini. The o1 model is part of OpenAI’s secretive Project Strawberry, focusing on enhancing AI's reasoning abilities. It is designed to tackle complex tasks in science, coding, and mathematics, the o1 model represents a significant leap in AI capabilities.

About

• The o1 model is engineered to approach problems more thoughtfully, mimicking human-like problem-solving. It evaluates queries from multiple perspectives, checks its outputs, and learns from errors.
• Although the new models lack the ability to browse the web or process uploaded files and images like the GPT-4o model, they can refine their “thinking process” by trying new strategies and recognising mistakes.
• Performance:
  • In a mathematics contest, the o1 model solved 83% of problems, a major improvement over earlier versions that solved only 13%.
  • In coding tasks, it outperformed 89% of participants.
• Availability and Access:
  • Current Access: Available in ChatGPT for Plus and Team subscribers, with a weekly message limit (30 for o1-preview and 50 for o1-mini).
  • Future Updates: OpenAI plans to expand availability and introduce a feature for automatic model selection based on user prompts.

Differences Between o1 and o1-mini

• o1 Model: It offers advanced reasoning and problem-solving abilities. It is suitable for complex tasks and applications requiring deep problem-solving capabilities.
• o1-mini Model: It is smaller, faster, and more cost-effective version of the o1 model. It is 80% cheaper than the o1 model. It is designed for efficiency in coding tasks and applications where extensive world knowledge is less critical.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the United Nations’ special global summit, "The UN Summit of the Future," in New York. The summit aims to forge a new international consensus for a better future. Amid this, concerns are growing about the effectiveness of the UN in addressing contemporary global challenges, highlighting the need for significant reform within the organization.

UN’s Ineffectiveness and Calls for Reform

• Historical Inefficiency: The UN, established in 1945 with an initial membership of 50 countries, is increasingly perceived as ineffective in dealing with modern challenges. The organization struggles with geopolitical tensions and wars, failing to live up to its foundational goals as articulated by early figures like Dag Hammarskjöld.
• Rebuilding Trust Theme: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has emphasized the necessity of reforming the UN’s outdated multilateral system, framing it as a choice between reform or rupture.
• Historical Influences: The UN’s foundations were influenced by early 20th-century Western intellectuals who favored Anglo-Saxon dominance, shaping the institution's original framework. This mindset persists in various forms, affecting the UN’s adaptability and inclusiveness.

The Challenges Facing the UN

• Geopolitical and Operational Paralysis: The UN is struggling to address conflicts such as those in Ukraine and Gaza and to enforce Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) due to internal inefficiencies and geopolitical conflicts. The WTO’s dispute resolution mechanism is also stalled due to US vetoes.
• Inadequate Reform Mechanisms: India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj, has criticized the UN Security Council’s ineffectiveness in resolving ongoing conflicts, questioning the UN’s capacity to provide solutions to pressing global issues.
• Resistance to Change: India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, has highlighted the reluctance of permanent Security Council members to alter the rules that would diminish their power, underscoring a major barrier to meaningful reform.

Future of the UN and India’s Role

• Need for Reform: The UN’s current structure is viewed as outdated, with many non-English-speaking countries gaining influence but struggling to effect meaningful change within the organization.
• India’s Position: Prime Minister Modi may use the summit to advocate for a more prominent role for emerging powers like India within the UN framework, emphasizing the need for reform to better reflect global power dynamics.
• Voicing Concerns: Modi’s address could include discussions on the need for greater representation and effectiveness in UN operations, aligning with India's broader push for reform in international institutions.

Practice Question

Q. Evaluate the current challenges facing the United Nations in fulfilling its objectives in the contemporary global context. Discuss the need for structural reforms within the UN and analyze India’s potential role in advocating for these changes. Consider historical influences and geopolitical factors in your response.

Recent reports on the collapse of several under-construction bridges in Bihar underscore significant quality control and project implementation issues within India's infrastructure sector. The government aims to transform India into a developed nation by 2047, emphasizing infrastructure improvements through initiatives such as the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan and the Smart Cities Mission. Despite increasing capital expenditure to Rs 11.11 lakh crore in Budget 2024, the sector faces persistent challenges, including time delays and cost overruns.

Project Delays and Cost Overruns

• Statistics on Cost Overruns: As of December 2023, 431 infrastructure projects with investments of Rs 150 crore or more experienced cost overruns totaling Rs 4.82 lakh crore, highlighting severe financial inefficiencies.
• Extent of Delays: Out of 779 delayed projects, 36% were behind schedule by 25 to 60 months, with 23% delayed by 13 to 24 months and 15% by over 60 months, indicating a systemic issue in timely project completion.
• Impact on Infrastructure Development: These delays and cost overruns impose additional financial burdens on the government, diverting funds from other critical projects and inflating procurement costs, thereby hindering overall infrastructure growth.

Gaps in Project Management

• Implementation Challenges: The current project management practices reveal gaps in planning and execution, especially in urban infrastructure, where there is often insufficient capacity and oversight by local self-government institutions.
• Need for Comprehensive Planning: Inadequate planning during the project conception stage results in increased expenditures and inefficiencies. Effective project management and planning are essential for managing large-scale infrastructure projects.
• Overhaul of Traditional Practices: Modernizing project management practices with real-time data management and global best practices is crucial for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of infrastructure projects.

Program Management Approach

• Successful Models: The Shendra-Bidkin industrial corridor in Maharashtra exemplifies the effective use of a Program Management Approach, coordinating multiple projects to optimize resource use and achieve unified objectives.
• Proposed Agency for Professional Training: Establishing an agency to conduct professional courses in project management, akin to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, will enhance project execution standards and develop a skilled workforce.
• Government’s Role and Funding: With substantial taxpayer funding allocated for infrastructure, it is imperative to implement robust program management systems to prevent project failures and ensure efficient use of resources for future-ready infrastructure.

Practice Question

Q. What are the key challenges faced by India's infrastructure sector? How can a holistic Program Management Approach and professional training help address these issues? Illustrate your answer with examples of successful models and policy frameworks.

The latest retail inflation data from the National Statistical Office has highlighted ongoing challenges in achieving stable prices, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate rising marginally to 3.65% in August from 3.60% in July. This increase is attributed to a sharp rebound in vegetable inflation, which has affected overall food price gains.

Inflation Dynamics 

• Vegetable Inflation Surge: In August, inflation for vegetables surged to 10.7%, a 380 basis point increase from the previous month, causing food price inflation to rise to 5.66%. Notably, prices for widely consumed items like potatoes and onions remained in high double digits.
• Food Inflation in Rural Areas: Food inflation in rural areas exceeded 6%, impacting the agrarian sector where private consumption is struggling to recover. This rise in food prices is expected to adversely affect consumption and economic growth in these crucial regions.
• Core Inflation Concerns: Core inflation, excluding volatile food and fuel prices, inched up to 3.38% in August after a 17-month decline. The increase in prices charged by manufacturers indicates heightened cost pressures, complicating the inflation outlook.

Challenges to Inflation Control

• Disinflation Difficulties: Achieving the RBI’s medium-term inflation target of 4% is proving challenging due to persistent food and core inflation. The current economic conditions have made it difficult to stabilize inflation without undermining broader economic momentum.
• Monsoon Volatility: The variability in monsoon patterns adds uncertainty to the inflation outlook. The spatial and temporal unpredictability of rainfall impacts agricultural output and, consequently, food prices, further complicating efforts to control inflation.
• Policy Response: RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das has acknowledged the difficulties in achieving the final stages of disinflation. Authorities are committed to addressing inflationary pressures and ensuring that inflation does not impede economic growth.

Practice Question:

Q. How does the vegetable and core inflation impact the overall economic stability?