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The Supreme Court called for a “pan-India mechanism” to determine whether political vendetta or vindictiveness is a motive behind the Union government unleashing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on officials and Ministers in Opposition-ruled States, and States then retaliating by arresting the Central agency’s officers.
A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and K.V. Viswanathan said that Tamil Nadu should be the testing ground for the implementation of such a mechanism.
The Bench expressed concern about the fate of the country if States and Central agencies are engaged in a vindictive game of one-upmanship by filing cases and arresting each others’ officers.
The court was hearing a petition by the ED, represented by Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta, complaining that Tamil Nadu was not sharing details of its investigation into FIRs and complaints against Ministers, officials, and others in the State in cases of corruption, illegal sand mining, and disproportionate assets.
Hindu temple existed at Gyanvapi mosque site: ASI survey report (Page no. 1)
(GS Paper 1, Culture)
The western wall of the Gyanvapi mosque located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, is the remaining part of a pre-existing Hindu temple, says the ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey report of the structure prepared by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The ASI report concluded that it can be said there existed a temple prior to the construction of the existing structure, that is the mosque.
“The western wall of the Gyanvapi mosque existing structure is the remaining part of a pre-existing Hindu temple. This wall, made of stones and decorated with horizontal mouldings, is formed by remaining parts of western chamber, western projections of the central chamber and western walls of the two chambers on its north and south.
The central chamber attached to the wall still exists unchanged whereas modifications have been made to both the side chambers,” the ASI report, a copy of which is with The Hindu, said.
The Arabic-Persian inscription found inside a room mentions that the mosque was built in the 20th regal year of Aurangzeb (1676-77 CE).
Editorial
An exchange (Page no. 12)
(GS Paper 2, Governance)
While the Centre has announced the first set of recipients of a fellowship programme called Vaibhav (VAIshwik BHArtiya Vaigyanik), the premise of the initiative remains intriguing.
Scientists of Indian origin, or of Indian ancestry, can apply to spend up to three months in a year, for three years, at a host research laboratory in India.
In that period, these researchers are expected to begin a project or technology start-up, build long-term connections with the institute, collaborate with the host faculty and bring in new ideas to the field, in Indian university and research settings.
As the programme gains momentum, officials say, new kinds of relationships could emerge: the Indian origin faculty could be encouraged to take on students, more associates and even supervise degrees that could lead to a genuine transfer of knowledge, innovation and work culture and perhaps optimistically, the non-resident Indian scientist even considering staying on in India.
Text & Context
Why is there no snowfall in Kashmir? (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
January is usually the month where Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are blanketed with snow. This winter has, however, seen these regions extremely dry. Places like Gulmarg and Pahalgam, known to be popular destinations for skiing, have been unable to offer avenues for the winter sport.
Himachal Pradesh, a State famous for several mountain resorts, has witnessed dry slopes and valleys of brown grass. The Himalayan ranges of Uttarakhand have also reported minimal snowfall, with the first bout of snow in January at Auli, a popular hill resort, only reported on January 19.
Records from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) suggest that Himachal Pradesh has registered its driest January since 1901, with a 99.7% shortfall in January rain compared to what is normal. Until this year, the record for the driest January was 1996, which reported a 99.6% shortfall.
News
Padma Vibhushan for Padma Subrahmanyam, Venkaiah, Chiranjeevi, Vyjayanthimala (Page no. 16)
(Miscellaneous)
Former Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu, actors Chiranjeevi and Vyjayanthimala Bali, and Bharatanatyam dancer Padma Subrahmanyam will be conferred the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second-highest civilian award, the Union government announced on the eve of Republic Day. Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of Sulabh International, will be conferred the award posthumously.
Late actor Vijayakanth, M. Fathima Beevi, the first woman judge to be appointed to the Supreme Court of India, Satyabrata Mookherjee, former president of Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal, and Togdan Rinpoche, spiritual leader of the Drikung Kagyu tradition in Ladakh, will be conferred the Padma Bhushan posthumously.
Young Liu, chairman of Taiwan’s Foxconn Group, has also been conferred a Padma Bhushan.
Actor Mithun Chakraborty; singer Usha Uthup; O. Rajagopal, BJP leader from Kerala; Tejas Madhusudan Patel, cardiologist from Gujarat; Ram Naik, veteran BJP leader and former Uttar Pradesh Governor; Hormusji N. Cama, senior publisher leading the Gujarati newspaper Bombay Samachar; industrialist Sita Ram Jindal; veteran Marathi film director Dattatray Ambadas Mayaloo; Hindi music director Pyarelal Sharma (of Laxmikant-Pyarelal duo); and senior journalist Kundan Vyas have been conferred the Padma Bhushan this year.
President’s nod to gallantry awards for 80 military personnel ahead of R-Day (Page no. 16)
(Miscellaneous)
President Droupadi Murmu has approved gallantry awards to 80 military personnel, including 12 posthumous, on the eve of the 75th Republic Day. These include six Kirti Chakras (three posthumous); 16 Shaurya Chakras (two posthumous); 53 Sena Medals (seven posthumous); one Nao Sena Medal and four Vayu Sena Medals.
The six Kirti Chakras were awarded to Major Digvijay Singh from 21 Para (Special Forces), Major Deependra Vikram Basnet from 4 Sikh Regiment and Havildar Pawan Kumar Yadav from 21 Mahar Regiment and posthumously to Captain Anshuman Singh from Army Medical Corps (AMC), Havildar Abdul Majid from 9 Para SF and Sepoy Pawan Kumar originally from Grenadiers and with the 55 Rashtriya Rifles in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The President also approved 311 defence decorations to armed forces and other personnel,” the Defence Ministry said. These include 31 Param Vishisht Seva Medals (PVSM); four Uttam Yudh Seva Medals (UYSM); 61 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals; 10 Yudh Seva Medals; 46 Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty); 10 Nao Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty); 14 Vayu Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty) and 135 Vishisht Seva Medals.
Higher education enrolment rose by 19 lakh in 2021-22: govt. survey (Page no. 18)
(GS Paper 2, Education)
The total enrolment in higher education increased to nearly 4.33 crore in 2021-22 from 4.14 crore in the previous academic session, with female enrolments in the science stream outnumbering male enrolments, according to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-22.
The survey released by the Ministry of Education on Thursday night pointed out that the overall female enrolment increased to 2.07 crore in 2021-22 from 2.01 crore in 2020-21.
“The total enrolment in higher education increased to nearly 4.33 crore in 2021-22 from 4.14 crore in 2020-21. There was an increase of around 91 lakh in the enrolment from 3.42 crore in 2014-15,” the AISHE report said.
“The female enrolment increased to 2.07 crore in 2021-22 from 2.01 crore in 2020-21. There was an increase of around 50 lakh in the female enrolment from 1.57 crore (32%) in 2014-15.”
Ph.D. enrolment
The report also said that female Ph.D. enrolment doubled to 0.99 lakh in 2021-22 from 0.48 lakh in 2014-15, the report said.
“In 2021-22, out of the total enrolment at undergraduate, postgraduate, Ph.D. and M.Phil levels, 57.2 lakh students are enrolled in the science stream, with female students (29.8 lakh) outnumbering male students (27.4 lakh),” the report added.
Business
‘Red Sea crisis may hurt companies, boost inflation’ (Page no. 19)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
Indian exporters of rice and marine products are most adversely affected by the strife in the Red Sea, while a prolonged crisis on the key shipping route can affect the profitability and working capital cycle of export-oriented industries and trigger supply chain issues that could renew inflationary pressures, CRISIL Ratings has said.
Companies typically use the Red Sea route through the Suez Canal to trade with Europe, North America, North Africa and part of the middle-east—regions that accounted for almost half of India’s exports and 30% of imports in 2022-23. Around 95% of India’s goods trade volumes are shipped through sea.
Increasing attacks on ships sailing in the Red Sea region have persuaded shippers to consider the alternative, longer route past the Cape of Good Hope, increasing transit costs.
On the import front, the impact is expected to be limited for import-dependent sectors like non-urea fertilisers at this point, but a sustained uptick in sourcing costs would need higher subsidy payments from the government, the firm noted.
World
Myanmar ethnic minority fighters claim to have seized port town (Page no. 20)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Fighters from a Myanmar ethnic minority armed group have seized control of a port town after more than two months of intense clashes with junta troops, they said.
The Arakan Army (AA) said late on Wednesday it “completely controlled” Pauktaw, a town of 20,000 people close to a crucial deepwater port in the capital of western Rakhine state.
AA fighters briefly seized Pauktaw in November, shattering a fragile ceasefire that had largely held since the military’s coup in 2021.
The junta has used artillery and naval ships to bombard the town almost daily since, and strafed it with gunfire from helicopters.
New Google Earth images of Pauktaw showed a block of the downtown area reduced almost entirely to rubble and damage to several buildings near its harbour. Several buildings in the police station compound were destroyed too.
Junta troops had left the town by boat on the evening of January 19.