1. Aim: In the present world scenario, the human race has been in great need to be free from conflict, ill-feeling, greed, selfishness and uncertainty of life. We are in dire need of peace and harmony both, in our personal life and at the global level. The texts, doctrines and philosophy of Buddha Dhamma are best  guide for inter-faith dialogue, harmony and universal peace.

2. Peace: We recognize that peace is the foundation for human happiness and well-being, and that conflicts and violence are a significant threat to peace. We call upon all nations, organizations and individuals to work towards creating a world free from conflict, violence and war.

3. Environment Sustainability: We recognize that environmental degradation is one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity today. We affirm our commitment to protect the environment and promote sustainable development. We urge governments and individuals to take action to reduce carbon emissions, protect biodiversity, and preserve natural resources for future generations.

4. Wellbeing: We acknowledge that true happiness arises from inner peace and contentment. We encourage individuals to cultivate mindfulness, compassion, and wisdom, which are essential for promoting happiness and well-being.

5. Buddhist Pilgrimage as Living Heritage: We recognize the significance of Buddhist pilgrimage as a living heritage that promotes spiritual growth, cultural understanding and social harmony. We call upon governments to preserve and protect the sacred sites of Buddhism and promote their accessibility to people of all backgrounds.

6. Recommendations: There is a crucial need for a paradigm shift in human attitude towards nature. Drawing upon the Teachings of the Buddha for the welfare of all sentient beings, Members of the Sangha, Buddhist leaders, Scholars, followers and institutions can play a significant and effective role in addressing this multi-faceted crisis. Continuation of annual Global Buddhist Summit is one such important step in this direction.

7. Nalanda, one of the greatest seats of Dhamma education for nearly 700 years between the 5th and 12th centuries AD, precedes the modern system of university education. It was famous for value education and character building. These values need to be inculcated among youths to rejuvenate the society towards “Vasudeva Kuṭumbakam”.

DEVAS-ANTRIX DEAL

1. Context

2. What is Devas-Antrix Deal?

• Devas entered into a lease contract with ISRO’s private sector arm Antrix Corporation in 2005. According to the deal, ISRO would lease two satellites GSAT-6 and 6A to Devas for 12 years.
• Devas was supposed to provide multimedia services to cell phones in India using the S-band spectrum, with ISRO leasing 70 MHz of the S-band spectrum.
• Devas would provide multimedia services to mobile platforms in India using S-band transponders on the satellites, with ISRO leasing 70 MHz of S-band spectrum.
• The deal was terminated on February 25, 2011, by the government citing “security reasons“.
• The government decision was taken amid the 2G scam and allegations that the Devas deal involved the handing over of communication spectrum valued at nearly Rs 2 lakh crore for a pittance.

3. The signing of the deal

• In 2005, the deal was signed to provide multimedia services to mobile users using the leased S-band satellite spectrum.
• Under the deal, ISRO would lease to Devas two communication satellites (GSAT-6 and 6A) for 12 years.
• In return, Devas would provide multimedia services to mobile platforms in India using S-band transponders on the satellites.
• As a result of the deal, Devas introduced and utilized technologies like never before and was a huge revenue generator for Antrix.

4. Scrapping of the Deal

• The deal was canceled in 2011 on the ground that the auction of the broadband spectrum was mired in fraud.
• The decision was taken amid the 2G scam and allegations that the Devas deal involved the handing over of a communication spectrum valued at nearly Rs 2 lakh crore for a pittance.
• The government also held that it needed the S-band satellite spectrum for national security and other social purposes.

5. What happened after the termination of the deal?

• After the termination, Devas and its foreign investors approached various international tribunals and courts seeking compensation.
• This has led to arbitration between Antrix and Devas at the International Chambers of Commerce (ICC) and two bilateral investment treaty (BIT) arbitrations.
• India lost all three disputes. Devas was awarded compensation of $1.2 billion by an International Chamber of Commerce tribunal in 2015. Apart from that, Deutsche Telekom was awarded $101 million plus interest by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Geneva in 2020.
• Mauritius investors were awarded $ 111 million by the UN Commission on International Trade Law tribunal in 2020.
• The German investors claimed compensation for violation of an India-Germany bilateral investment treaty and the Mauritius investors for an India-Mauritius BIT.

6. What steps were taken by India?

• In 2014, the Indian government allocated the case to CBI to look into the 2005 deal.
• It highlighted the misuse of official positions for their benefit. The Enforcement Directorate also filed a charge sheet in 2018 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against a former managing director of Antrix and five Devas officials for corruption.

7. What has led to the Liquidation?

• Antrix filed a plea in the National Company Law Tribunal in January 2021 for the liquidation of Devas in India, which it said was incorporated fraudulently.
• On May 25, 2023, the NCLT ordered the liquidation, which was upheld by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal on September 8, 2021, and by the Supreme Court recently.
• The NCLT order held that the start-up was incorporated in a fraudulent manner and for unlawful purposes.

8. S-band Spectrum

• The S-band spectrum, which is part of the Devas-ISRO deal, is extremely valuable for mobile broadband services, in terms of usage as well as money.
• The frequency, also known as the 2.5 GHz band, is globally used for providing mobile broadband services using fourth-generation technologies such as WiMax and Long Term Evolution (LTE).
• This frequency band is unique because it has a substantial amount of spectrum (190 MHz) that can be put to use for mobile services.

9. Bilateral Investment Treaty

• An agreement made between two countries containing reciprocal undertakings for the promotion and protection of Private investments made by nationals of the signatories in each other's territories.
• BITs protect illegal nationalization and expropriation of foreign assets and other actions by a signatory of the BIT that may undermine the ownership or economic interest of a national of the other signatory.
• One of the main protections under a BIT is that it allows foreign investors to sue states directly by submitting claims for breach of the BIT to arbitration rather than to local courts.

10. Antrix Corporation Limited.

• Antrix Corporation Limited (ACL), Bengaluru is a wholly owned Government of India Company under the administrative control of the Department of Space.
• It was incorporated as a private limited company owned by the Government of India in September 1992.
• It is a marketing arm of ISRO for the promotion and commercial exploitation of space products, technical consultancy services, and transfer of technologies developed by ISRO.
• Another major objective is to facilitate the development of space-related industrial capabilities in India.

11. International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)

• ICC is the world's largest business organization working to promote international trade and responsible business conduct.
• It has been helping to resolve difficulties in international commercial and business disputes to support trade and investment since 1923.
• ICC headquarters is in Paris, France.

For Prelims: Devas-Antrix Deal, ISRO, GSAT-6 AND 6A, National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), S-band Spectrum, Bilateral Investment Treaty, Antrix Corporation Limited,  Long Term Evolution (LTE), and International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

Source: The Indian Express

RAVIDASSIA COMMUNITY

1. Context

In California, members of an under-the-radar, minority religious community are stepping into the public eye to advocate for making the state the first in the nation to outlaw caste bias.

They are the Ravidassia followers of Ravidass, a 14th-century Indian guru who preached caste and class equality.

There are about 20, 000 members of the community in California, most of them in the Central Valley.

2. Key points

• Guru Ravidass belonged to the lowest rung of the caste system formerly considered untouchable and also known as Dalit, which means "broken" in Hindi.
• Today, many Ravidassia members share that caste identity, but they are hesitant to make that widely known, fearing repercussions for being exposed to the larger community as "lower-caste".
• Members of the Fresno Ravidassia community say publicly championing the anticaste bias legislation is worth the risk, noting that fighting for equality is part of their history and their spiritual DNA.
• The faith itself emerged in response to the societal exclusion of the lowest caste members, including persistent roadblocks to land ownership. Caste-based discrimination was outlawed in India in 1947.

Image source: The Ravidassia community

3. About Guru Ravidass

• Ravidass was an Indian guru, mystic and poet who was one of the most renowned figures in the North Indian Bhakti Movement, which placed love and devotion to god above all and preached against the caste system.
• Ravidass was born in the 14th century in a village near Varanasi, India, to a family of cobblers and tanners who belonged to the then-untouchable or leather-working caste known as "Chamars".
• The Guru Granth Sahib, which is the sacred text of Sikhism, bears 40 verses or Shabads of Ravidass.

4. Ravidassia temple

• A Ravidassia place of worship is called a sabha, dera, gurdwara or gurughar, which could all be translated as a temple.
• Adherents cover their heads and remove their shoes before entering the prayer hall or place of worship.
• In California Ravidassia temples, the Guru Granth Sahib is the focal point of the prayer hall.
• The temples serve a post-worship meal as Sikh Gurdwaras also do, which is known as langar.
• Ravidassia temples often display idols and or pictures of Guru Ravidass in the prayer halls.

5. Identity of Ravidassia's 

• The Ravidassia identity is challenging to pin down because it cannot be compartmentalized.
• More recently, they have been trying to carve out a separate identity for themselves. But they also follow Sikh traditions.
• Many male Ravidassia members wear long hair in a turban and carry sikh articles of faith such as the Kada or bracelet, Kangha or wooden comb and kirpan, the sheathed, single-edged knife.
• Many men and women in the community also have Sikh last names, Singh and Kaur.
• The idols and images of Ravidass, however, can only be seen in a Ravidass temple.
• In addition, the community celebrates the birthday of their guru, which typically falls in February.
• Many Ravidass temples also observe the birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar.
• The faith also has followers who are Hindu and those who are from different parts of India.
• Ravidassia community members in California are largely of Punjabi descent.

6. Relationship with Sikhism

• The Ravidassia community's relationship with Sikhism is "flexible and nuanced". It is a much more complex idea of what their faith means to them.
• Some Ravidassia temples are autonomous spaces but in many cases, it is blended or overlapping rather than something entirely independent. There is still a commitment to this larger Sikh project.
• The path to unity may lie in making meaningful structural changes. The issue is that often, caste is not even acknowledged as a problem.

For Prelims: Ravidassia community, Sikhism, Caste system, North Indian Bhakti Movement,  For Mains:  1. Discuss the contributions of Guru Ravidas against the caste system? Explain Ravidas's community relations with Sikhism. (250 Words)

 

 

Previous Year Questions   1. The caste system of India was created for: (BARC UDC/JPA/JSK 2019)  A. Immobility of labour B. recognition of the dignity of labour C. economic uplift D. Occupational division of labour   Answer: D

 

Source: The Indian Express

DIPLOMACY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

 

1. Context

Due to its intensifying geopolitical competition with the U.S. and its security interests in the region, China is expanding its military outreach to Southeast Asian countries. The Chinese
People’s Liberation Army (PLA)’s global activities and influence campaigns are part of its broader reform process initiated by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2015, and form a fundamental element of China’s overall foreign policy.

2. What is the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) currently undertaking?

• The PLA and the Laotian People’s Armed Forces (LPAF) have recently concluded their bilateral military exercise, Friendship Shield 2023. The drills aim to foster interoperability to effectively “counter transnational armed criminal groups based in jungles and mountains.”
• This week-long exercise comes on the heels of Laos’ Foreign Affairs Minister Saleumxay Kommasith’s visit to China last month. The PLA Southern Theatre Command (PLA STC) is leading a massive delegation to the LPAF’s Kommadam Academy for the exercise.
• This includes 200 troops from the 75th Group Army’s combined-arms brigade, assault vehicles such as the 4x4 MRAP Dongfeng CSK141 (Mengshi), as well as equipment for maritime replenishment, mine clearance, explosive disposal, and epidemic prevention.
• Before this, in 2023, the PLA STC conducted the ‘Golden Dragon’ drills with Cambodia from late March to early April. This too came on the heels of a high-level meeting held between Zhang Youxia, Vice-Chairman of the Chinese Central Military Commission (CMC), and the army commander of the Royal Cambodian Army, Hong Manai, in February this year.
• All of these joint military endeavors were preceded by a visit from a Chinese Ministry of National Defence working group to Laos, Vietnam, and Brunei, where the two sides discussed “the relationship between the two militaries and regional security issues of common concern”.
• These are a few of the many instances of China’s military diplomacy with Southeast Asian countries. And in the past couple of months, the frequency of Chinese military drills with its ASEAN partners appears to have increased for two primary reasons.
• Firstly, Xi Jinping has put excessive emphasis on defence diplomacy under his flagship Global Security Initiative (GSI).
• Second, China’s threat perception of expanding the United States military engagement with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, especially those countries that China has disputes with the South and East China Seas region.

3. Initiatives by China to Enhance Engagement in South Asia:

According to the American Enterprise Institute’s China Global Investment Tracker, China has committed around 100 billion USD in the economies of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. China is now the largest overseas investor in the Maldives, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

• Afghanistan: Beijing was a part of the trilateral China-Pakistan-Afghanistan foreign ministers dialogue which focuses on facilitating Afghan domestic political reconciliation, enhancing regional connectivity, and improving regional common development. The trilateral discussions also agreed to push “forward under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)” and “to enhance connectivity by extending the CPEC to Afghanistan”.
• Bangladesh: China and Bangladesh pledged to deepen defense cooperation, especially in the areas of “defense industry and trade, training, equipment, and technology. China is also the largest arms supplier of the Bangladeshi military, providing 71.8% of weapons from 2008 to 2018.
• Bhutan: It does not have diplomatic relations with China.
• Maldives: China’s relationship with the Maldives is near-exclusively focused on leveraging BRI to develop Maldives as well as to raise Chinese influence there to counter India.
• Nepal: Chinese President went to Nepal in 2019. This was the first visit by a Chinese head of state in 23 years. The countries have signed agreements to accelerate Infrastructure building in Nepal and improve connectivity between them. Both countries have also announced the launch of a feasibility study of the China-Nepal cross-border railway.
• Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka handed over Hambantota port on a 99-year lease to China to repay its loan to China. Hambantota is geostrategically located on the Indian Ocean, potentially bolstering Beijing’s String of Pearls.

4. How does the GSI challenge the ASEAN's cohesiveness?

• The GSI invited varied responses from the ASEAN, which reflect the classic divergences in intra-association stances on bandwagoning and hedging between China and the U.S.
• First, in November 2022, during the ASEAN-China Summit in Cambodia, all parties cautiously agreed to “take note of the GSI proposed by China with core elements consistent with the principles and spirit of the Treaty of Amity,” and “looked forward to further details of the GSI.”
• Over the past few months, the divergences have become visible. As per ISEAS’s ‘State of Southeast Asia Survey 2023’, on average, 27% of those surveyed in the 10 ASEAN place confidence in the GSI. 
• These figures, alone, are not enough to determine how ASEAN countries respond to China’s expanding comprehensive national power. For example, China’s heavy Belt and Road investments have been welcomed by Indonesia. 
• Moreover, despite tensions in the South China Sea, Indonesia has been proactively applauding Chinese support in the advancement of its vaccine programme and its high-speed rail network.
• On the other hand, in Myanmar, despite a majority of observers placing little to no confidence in the GSI, China is making political, military and economic inroads.
• Since the junta takeover, the development of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor has only accelerated, while new satellite imagery shows China building a surveillance military base on Great Coco Islands in Myanmar. 
• This also impacts India because the Great Coco Islands lie just 55 km north of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and their militarisation by China poses a strategic threat to India’s national security.

5. Increasing proximity of the U.S. with the Philippines

• China continues to face competition from the U.S. in its bid to establish a sphere of influence over Southeast Asia.
• The Proximity of the U.S. with the Philippines, with whom China shares a disputed maritime border in the Luzon Strait in the South China Sea, is worrisome for China.
• What has perhaps recently irked China the most is the Philippines' decision to provide the U.S. with access to four military bases in addition to the five bases the U.S. already had access to, under the 2014 Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement between the two sides.
• China has accordingly structured the message around its exercises with Cambodia, Singapore, and Laos as a warning to the Philippines, with a Chinese military commentator Fu Qinghao saying that these exercises " make a model for other countries in the region, including the Philippines, which has been leaning towards the U.S.

6. China's aggressive behavior in Southeast Asia

• To defend its claims and interest in the region, China is likely to pursue both aggressive military posturing and diplomacy in Southeast Asia.
• In early May, for example, Chinese surveillance vessel Xiang Yang Hong 10, accompanied by a contingent of eight other maritime vessels, attempted to intimidate the navies of India and ASEAN countries engaged in the first edition of a multilateral naval drill in the South China Sea.
• Satellite intelligence also shows China preparing a new naval base in the Ream region of Cambodia.
• However, despite China's military and economic inroads in the region, it must prove to ASEAN countries sitting on the fence that it can exercise restraint and act by the provisions of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (which has yet to come into force).
• This is also essential for it to win the ASEAN's confidence for the GSI, which will otherwise, and for good reason, continue to cautiously hedge and balance between American and Chinese influence operations in the region.

For Prelims: South China Sea, ASEAN, People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Laotian People’s Armed Forces (LPAF), and Global Security Initiative (GSI). For Mains: 1. What is Defence Diplomacy and explain its significance. How does the Global Security Initiative (GSI) challenge the ASEAN's cohesiveness? (250 Words)

Previous year Question

1. Which one of the following statements best reflects the issue with Senkaku Islands, sometimes mentioned in the news? (UPSC 2022) A. It is generally believed that they are artificial islands made by a country around the South China Sea. B. China and Japan engage in maritime disputes over these islands in the East China Sea. C. A permanent American military base has been set up there to help Taiwan to increase its defense capabilities. D. Though the International Court of Justice declared them as no man's land, some South-East Asian countries claim them. Answer: B   2. Southeast Asia has captivated the global community's attention over space and time as a geostrategically significant region. Which among the following is the most convincing explanation for this global perspective? (UPSC 2011) A. It was the hot theatre during the Second World War. B. Its location is between the Asian powers of China and India. C. It was the arena of superpower confrontation during the Cold War period. D. Its location between the Pacific and Indian oceans and its pre-eminent maritime character. Answer: D

 Source: The Hindu

DIPLOMACY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

 

1. Context

Due to its intensifying geopolitical competition with the U.S. and its security interests in the region, China is expanding its military outreach to Southeast Asian countries. The Chinese
People’s Liberation Army (PLA)’s global activities and influence campaigns are part of its broader reform process initiated by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2015, and form a fundamental element of China’s overall foreign policy.

2. What is the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) currently undertaking?

• The PLA and the Laotian People’s Armed Forces (LPAF) have recently concluded their bilateral military exercise, Friendship Shield 2023. The drills aim to foster interoperability to effectively “counter transnational armed criminal groups based in jungles and mountains.”
• This week-long exercise comes on the heels of Laos’ Foreign Affairs Minister Saleumxay Kommasith’s visit to China last month. The PLA Southern Theatre Command (PLA STC) is leading a massive delegation to the LPAF’s Kommadam Academy for the exercise.
• This includes 200 troops from the 75th Group Army’s combined-arms brigade, assault vehicles such as the 4x4 MRAP Dongfeng CSK141 (Mengshi), as well as equipment for maritime replenishment, mine clearance, explosive disposal, and epidemic prevention.
• Before this, in 2023, the PLA STC conducted the ‘Golden Dragon’ drills with Cambodia from late March to early April. This too came on the heels of a high-level meeting held between Zhang Youxia, Vice-Chairman of the Chinese Central Military Commission (CMC), and the army commander of the Royal Cambodian Army, Hong Manai, in February this year.
• All of these joint military endeavors were preceded by a visit from a Chinese Ministry of National Defence working group to Laos, Vietnam, and Brunei, where the two sides discussed “the relationship between the two militaries and regional security issues of common concern”.
• These are a few of the many instances of China’s military diplomacy with Southeast Asian countries. And in the past couple of months, the frequency of Chinese military drills with its ASEAN partners appears to have increased for two primary reasons.
• Firstly, Xi Jinping has put excessive emphasis on defence diplomacy under his flagship Global Security Initiative (GSI).
• Second, China’s threat perception of expanding the United States military engagement with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, especially those countries that China has disputes with the South and East China Seas region.

3. Initiatives by China to Enhance Engagement in South Asia:

According to the American Enterprise Institute’s China Global Investment Tracker, China has committed around 100 billion USD in the economies of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. China is now the largest overseas investor in the Maldives, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

• Afghanistan: Beijing was a part of the trilateral China-Pakistan-Afghanistan foreign ministers dialogue which focuses on facilitating Afghan domestic political reconciliation, enhancing regional connectivity, and improving regional common development. The trilateral discussions also agreed to push “forward under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)” and “to enhance connectivity by extending the CPEC to Afghanistan”.
• Bangladesh: China and Bangladesh pledged to deepen defense cooperation, especially in the areas of “defense industry and trade, training, equipment, and technology. China is also the largest arms supplier of the Bangladeshi military, providing 71.8% of weapons from 2008 to 2018.
• Bhutan: It does not have diplomatic relations with China.
• Maldives: China’s relationship with the Maldives is near-exclusively focused on leveraging BRI to develop Maldives as well as to raise Chinese influence there to counter India.
• Nepal: Chinese President went to Nepal in 2019. This was the first visit by a Chinese head of state in 23 years. The countries have signed agreements to accelerate Infrastructure building in Nepal and improve connectivity between them. Both countries have also announced the launch of a feasibility study of the China-Nepal cross-border railway.
• Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka handed over Hambantota port on a 99-year lease to China to repay its loan to China. Hambantota is geostrategically located on the Indian Ocean, potentially bolstering Beijing’s String of Pearls.

4. How does the GSI challenge the ASEAN's cohesiveness?

• The GSI invited varied responses from the ASEAN, which reflect the classic divergences in intra-association stances on bandwagoning and hedging between China and the U.S.
• First, in November 2022, during the ASEAN-China Summit in Cambodia, all parties cautiously agreed to “take note of the GSI proposed by China with core elements consistent with the principles and spirit of the Treaty of Amity,” and “looked forward to further details of the GSI.”
• Over the past few months, the divergences have become visible. As per ISEAS’s ‘State of Southeast Asia Survey 2023’, on average, 27% of those surveyed in the 10 ASEAN place confidence in the GSI. 
• These figures, alone, are not enough to determine how ASEAN countries respond to China’s expanding comprehensive national power. For example, China’s heavy Belt and Road investments have been welcomed by Indonesia. 
• Moreover, despite tensions in the South China Sea, Indonesia has been proactively applauding Chinese support in the advancement of its vaccine programme and its high-speed rail network.
• On the other hand, in Myanmar, despite a majority of observers placing little to no confidence in the GSI, China is making political, military and economic inroads.
• Since the junta takeover, the development of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor has only accelerated, while new satellite imagery shows China building a surveillance military base on Great Coco Islands in Myanmar. 
• This also impacts India because the Great Coco Islands lie just 55 km north of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and their militarisation by China poses a strategic threat to India’s national security.

5. Increasing proximity of the U.S. with the Philippines

• China continues to face competition from the U.S. in its bid to establish a sphere of influence over Southeast Asia.
• The Proximity of the U.S. with the Philippines, with whom China shares a disputed maritime border in the Luzon Strait in the South China Sea, is worrisome for China.
• What has perhaps recently irked China the most is the Philippines' decision to provide the U.S. with access to four military bases in addition to the five bases the U.S. already had access to, under the 2014 Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement between the two sides.
• China has accordingly structured the message around its exercises with Cambodia, Singapore, and Laos as a warning to the Philippines, with a Chinese military commentator Fu Qinghao saying that these exercises " make a model for other countries in the region, including the Philippines, which has been leaning towards the U.S.

6. China's aggressive behavior in Southeast Asia

• To defend its claims and interest in the region, China is likely to pursue both aggressive military posturing and diplomacy in Southeast Asia.
• In early May, for example, Chinese surveillance vessel Xiang Yang Hong 10, accompanied by a contingent of eight other maritime vessels, attempted to intimidate the navies of India and ASEAN countries engaged in the first edition of a multilateral naval drill in the South China Sea.
• Satellite intelligence also shows China preparing a new naval base in the Ream region of Cambodia.
• However, despite China's military and economic inroads in the region, it must prove to ASEAN countries sitting on the fence that it can exercise restraint and act by the provisions of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (which has yet to come into force).
• This is also essential for it to win the ASEAN's confidence for the GSI, which will otherwise, and for good reason, continue to cautiously hedge and balance between American and Chinese influence operations in the region.

For Prelims: South China Sea, ASEAN, People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Laotian People’s Armed Forces (LPAF), and Global Security Initiative (GSI). For Mains: 1. What is Defence Diplomacy and explain its significance. How does the Global Security Initiative (GSI) challenge the ASEAN's cohesiveness? (250 Words)

Previous year Question

1. Which one of the following statements best reflects the issue with Senkaku Islands, sometimes mentioned in the news? (UPSC 2022) A. It is generally believed that they are artificial islands made by a country around the South China Sea. B. China and Japan engage in maritime disputes over these islands in the East China Sea. C. A permanent American military base has been set up there to help Taiwan to increase its defense capabilities. D. Though the International Court of Justice declared them as no man's land, some South-East Asian countries claim them. Answer: B   2. Southeast Asia has captivated the global community's attention over space and time as a geostrategically significant region. Which among the following is the most convincing explanation for this global perspective? (UPSC 2011) A. It was the hot theatre during the Second World War. B. Its location is between the Asian powers of China and India. C. It was the arena of superpower confrontation during the Cold War period. D. Its location between the Pacific and Indian oceans and its pre-eminent maritime character. Answer: D

 Source: The Hindu

AHILYABAI HOLKAR

1. Context 

Marking the 298th Birth anniversary of Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar on May 31, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced that his government would rename Ahmednagar after her. The government has decided to name Ahmednagar district after Punyashlok Ahilya Devi Holkar.

Ahilya Devi's work was as big and great as the Himalayan mountains. Giving her name will increase the honour of this district.

2. How did Ahmednagar get its name?

• Located in the Western region of Maharashtra, Ahmednagar has been a part of some prominent kingdoms, starting from 240 BC, "When the vicinity is mentioned about the Mauryan Emperor Ashok.
• In the Medieval period, the region was ruled by the Rashtrakuta Dynasty, the Western Chalukyas and then the Delhi Sultanate.
• In the last case, the rule was not direct and a revolt by Afghan soldier Alladin Hasan Gangu led to the establishment of the Bahmani Kingdom in the Deccan.
• In the following years, Ahmednagar, then known as Nizamshahi, became one of the five independent kingdoms to emerge from that empire.
• In 1486, Malik Ahmad Nizam Shah assumed the Bahmani Sultanate's prime minister position.
• He successfully defeated the king of the Bahmani kingdom, who tried to dislodge him for power, in 1490.
• Four years later, he laid the foundation of a city close to where he had defeated the army, on the left bank of Sina River. This city was named after him: Ahmednagar.
• Nizam Shah also later captured the fort of Daulatabad and stationed his army there.
• By his kindness, peaceful demeanour and efficiency, he could win the loyalty of the local and foreign Muslims and also of the Maratha peasants and worriers.
• Since his origin was Hindu, he found no difficulty in winning over the confidence of Brahmins, who were highly regarded by the Hindus.
• Jawaharlal Nehru, in his book A Discovery of India (1946), wrote of him, "Ahmad Nizam Shah, the founder of Ahmadnagar in 1490, was the son of Nizam-ul-Mulk Bhairi, a minister of the Bahmani kings.
• This Nizam-ul-Mulk was the son of a Brahmin accountant named Bhairu. Thus the Ahmednagar dynasty was of indigenous origin.

Image source: News on air

3. About Ahilyabai Holkar

• Ahilyabai was born in Chondi village of Ahmednagar to the village head Mankoji Shinde, who ensured that his daughter received an education, which was quite rare at that time.
• Malhar Rao Holkar, the army commander to Peshwa Bajirao, is believed to have spotted eight-year-old Ahilyabai at a temple service in Chondi.
• Impressed by her devotion and character, he decided to get his son, Khande Rao, married to her.
• After her husband died in the Battle of Kumbher against the king of Bharatpur in 1754, Ahilyabai took control of Malwa.
• She excelled at administrative and military strategies under the guidance of her father-in-law, who believed she should lead her people and not die by Sati after Khande Rao passed away.
• After the death of her father-in-law and son a few years later, she petitioned the Peshwa to become the ruler, backed by the support of her army.

4. Role in administration and temple-building

• In his book, Nehru said Holkar's rule, which lasted for thirty years (1765-1795) was almost legendary as a period during which perfect order and good government prevailed and the people prospered.
• She was a very able ruler and organizer, highly respected during her lifetime.
• Notably, her role in restoring Hindu temples is often discussed.
• When Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Samudra Darshan Path and the Somnath Exhibition Gallery they showcase the ruins of ancient Somnath, the temple built by Holkar in 1783.

For Prelims: Ahilyabai Holkar, Ahmednagar, Mauryan Empire,  Ashok, Rashtrakuta Dynasty, the Western Chalukyas, the Delhi Sultanates, Bahmani Kingdom, Sina River, A Discovery of India, Battle of Kumbher, Sati,  For Mains:  1. Who is Ahilyabai Holkar? Discuss her role in Administration and Temple building. (250 Words)

 

 

Previous Year Questions   1. With reference to the history of India, consider the following pairs: Famous Place               Present State 1. Bhilsa                       Madhya Pradesh 2. Dwarasamudra          Maharashtra 3. Girnagar                    Gujarat 4. Sthanesvara               Uttar Pradesh Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched? (UPSC 2020)  A. 1 and 3 only B. 1 and 4 only C. 2 and 3 only D. 2 and 4 only   Answer: A   2. Consider the following pairs: (UPSC 2022)  Site of Ashoka's major rock edicts                 Location in the State of 1. Dhauli                                                            Odisha 2. Erragudi                                                         Andhra Pradesh 3. Jaugada                                                         Madhya Pradesh 4. Kalsi                                                              Karnataka How many pairs given above are correctly matched? A. Only one pair B. Only two pairs C. Only three pairs D. All four pairs   Answer: B   3. Consider the following pairs: (UPSC 2016) Famous place           Region 1. Bodhgaya            Baghelkhand 2. Khajuraho           Bundelkhand 3. Shirdi                  Vidarbha 4. Nasik (Nashik)   Malwa 5. Tirupati              Rayalaseema Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?  A. 1, 2 and 4       B. 2, 3, 4 and 5      C. 2 and 5 only    D. 1, 3, 4 and 5   Answer: C   4. The famous queen Rani Ahilyabai is associated with the place of:  (MP Forest Guard 2017) A. Khajuraho B. Maheshwar C. Chanderi D. Ujjain   Answer: B   5. The author of the book titled 'Discovery of India' is _______. (Bihar CET B.Ed. 2018)  A. M. N. Roy B. Mahatma Gandhi C. Lala Lajpat Rai D. Jawaharlal Nehru   Answer: D   6. In which year Sati System was abolished by William Bentinck? (MPPSC 2015) A. 1825 A.D. B. 1827 A.D. C. 1829 A.D. D. 1830 A.D.   Answer: C   7. The first epigraphic evidence of Sati is found in which of the following inscriptions? (UGC NET History 2020) A. Eran Pillar inscription of Bhanugupta B. Junagadh inscription of Rudradaman C. Allahabad Pillar inscription of Samudragupta D. Madhuban inscription of Harsha   Answer: A

 

Source: The Indian Express