Uttar Pradesh

• 09 Jan 2025

Green Mahakumbh

Why in News? 

On 31^st January 2025, Prayagraj is going to host Green Mahakumbh, uniting over 1,000 environmental and water conservation workers from across the country.  

• Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas has organized this unique event as part of the Gyan Mahakumbh, with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister acting as its chief patron. 

 Key Points 

• National-Level Discussion on Environment: 
  • The discussion will address issues related to nature, the environment, water, and cleanliness. 
  • Experts will share insights on balancing the five elements of nature and tackling associated challenges. 
  • The event will explore methods to raise awareness among Mahakumbh visitors about environmental protection and cleanliness campaigns. 
  • Government agencies, public representatives, and local citizens are working together to ensure the success of the Clean Mahakumbh initiative. 
• Swachhata Rath Yatra: 
  • The Swachhata Rath Yatra was also launched in Prayagraj to promote cleanliness and raise public awareness, attracting significant community participation. 
  • Objectives: 
    • It aims to present Prayagraj as a symbol of cleanliness for Mahakumbh devotees and tourists. 
    • By maintaining a pristine environment along the Mahakumbh Nagar route, the initiative ensures a welcoming atmosphere for millions of expected visitors. 
• Awareness Campaign Through Performances: 
  • Street play artists carrying color-coded dustbins demonstrated proper waste segregation for wet and dry waste. 
  • A cleanliness-themed music band performed alongside the chariot, reinforcing the message of maintaining a clean city. 
  • Safai Mitras (sanitation workers) and Municipal Corporation staff played a vital role in promoting and implementing cleanliness measures. 

 Maha Kumbh  

• Kumbh Mela comes under United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.  
• It is the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims on earth, during which participants bathe or take a dip in a sacred river.  
• It takes place on the banks of the Godavari river in Nashik, the Shipra river in Ujjain, the Ganges in Haridwar, and the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati river in Prayagraj. The confluence is referred to as the ‘Sangam‘. 

Caste Atrocity Complaint in UP

Why in News? 

Recently, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has acknowledged an atrocity complaint filed against a member of Uttar Pradesh’s Transgender Welfare Board. 

• The movement for horizontal reservation for transgender individuals in government jobs and education is gaining momentum in northern India, inspired by activists in southern States.  

 Key Points 

• Horizontal and Vertical Reservations: 
  • Vertical Reservations create a separate quota category under which all transgender individuals qualify, regardless of their socio-economic background. 
  • Horizontal Reservations allocate a percentage of seats for transgender individuals within each socio-economic category, addressing the layered discrimination faced by marginalized caste trans people. 
  • Trans activists nationwide advocate for horizontal reservations, highlighting vertical quotas' failure to address caste-based discrimination within the transgender community. 
• NCSC Action on Complaint: 
  • NCSC issued notices to the Saharanpur district administration and police, based on a complaint by a Dalit trans woman activist. 
    • She alleged that a member of Uttar Pradesh’s Transgender Welfare Board, harassed activists supporting horizontal reservations. 
    • She submitted a recording where the member allegedly used casteist and transphobic slurs, including deliberate misgendering. 
  • The member denied the allegations, claiming the voice in the recording was not hers and questioning the legality of recording calls. 
    • She accused the complainant of misusing constitutional provisions and plans to file complaints with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and NCSC. 
• Debate on Reservation Policy: 
  • The 2014 Supreme Court judgment directed reservations for transgender individuals as “Socially and educationally backward classes (SEBC),” sparking differing interpretations. 
    • In Madhya Pradesh, transgender individuals were added to the State OBC list in April 2023. 
    • High Courts, including Karnataka, Madras, and Calcutta, have ruled in favor of horizontal reservations. 
• Diverging Opinions on Reservation: 
  • One perspective supports vertical reservations, asserting that discrimination against transgender individuals stems from gender, not caste.  
    • It challenges the idea that transgender individuals retain their caste identity after transitioning, referencing the 2014 Supreme Court judgment. 
  • The opposing view critiques this interpretation as overlooking the caste diversity within the transgender community, emphasizing that horizontal reservations address the layered discrimination faced by marginalized caste transgender individuals. 
• Broader Implications: 
  • The Supreme Court refused to clarify the ambiguity in the 2014 judgment in March 2023. 
  • The debate underscores the need for nuanced policies to ensure equitable representation for transgender individuals across socio-economic categories. 

 National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSCs) 

• About: 
  • The NCSC is a Constitutional Body established with a view to provide safeguards against the exploitation of Scheduled Castes and to promote and protect their social, educational, economic and cultural interests. 
• Composition: 
  • The NCSC comprises a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson, and three additional Members. 
  • These positions are filled through the President's appointment, indicated by a warrant under his hand and seal. 
  • Their conditions of service and tenure of office are also determined by the President. 

Sambhal Mosque Case

Why in News? 

Recently, the Allahabad High Court sought responses from the Central and State governments, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and local authorities regarding a plea filed by the Shahi Jama Masjid committee in Sambhal, challenging a trial court’s order. 

 Key Points 

• Supreme Court’s Stay: 
  • The trial court had directed an Advocate Commissioner to survey the Shahi Jama Masjid while handling a suit claiming the mosque was built by destroying a temple. 
  • In November 2024, the Supreme Court stayed the trial court's proceedings and instructed that the matter should not be heard until the petition against the survey order is addressed in the Allahabad High Court. 
  • The Supreme Court also ordered that no new suits seeking surveys of any place of worship should be entertained until further notice. 
• Survey and Clashes: 
  • In 2024, the local court ordered a survey of the Mughal-era mosque following a petition claiming the mosque was built in 1526 after demolishing a temple dedicated to Kalki, Lord Vishnu's last incarnation. 
  • The eight plaintiffs in the suit demanded the right to access the mosque. 
  • Violence erupted in Sambhal on 24th November 2024 after clashes between police and protesters against the survey, resulting in five deaths and multiple injuries. 

 Historical Context of the Jama Masjid 

• The Jama Masjid in Sambhal is one of three mosques constructed during Babur’s reign (1526–1530). The others include the mosque at Panipat and the now-demolished Babri Masjid. 
  • Historian Howard Crane described the mosque’s architectural features in his work, The Patronage of Babur and the Origins of Mughal Architecture. 
  • Crane noted a Persian inscription stating that Babur ordered the mosque’s construction in December 1526 through his subedar, Jahangir Quli Khan. 

 Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) 

• ASI, under the Ministry of Culture, is the premier organisation for the archaeological research and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation. 
  • Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958 governs the functioning of ASI. 
• It administers more than 3650 ancient monuments, archaeological sites and remains of national importance. 
• Its activities include carrying out surveys of antiquarian remains, exploration and excavation of archaeological sites, conservation and maintenance of protected monuments etc. 
• It was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham- the first Director-General of ASI. Alexander Cunningham is also known as the “Father of Indian Archaeology”.