• 22 Aug 2024

Rajasthan on High Alert Amid Bharat Bandh

Why in News?

• Rajasthan is on high alert following a Bharat Bandh organized by the Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti.
• The protest is in response to the Supreme Court's ruling that requires states to identify and exclude the 'creamy layer' among Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) from reservation benefits.

Key Points

• The Supreme Court ruled that states are constitutionally allowed to sub-classify SCs and STs based on varying levels of backwardness.
• The seven-judge Bench ruled that states can now sub-classify SCs within the 15% reservation quota to provide better support for the most disadvantaged groups.
• The Supreme Court has ruled that the 'creamy layer' principle, previously applied only to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) (as highlighted in Indra Sawhney Case), should now also be applied to SCs and STs.
• This means states must identify and exclude the creamy layer within SCs and STs from reservation benefits.

Constitutionality of Organising a Bandh, Hartal, or Similar Protests

• Article 19(1)(c) of the Indian Constitution gives citizens the fundamental right to form associations or unions.
• Article 19 restricts the state's power in relation to the rights of its citizens, particularly the right to freedom of speech and expression.
• Article 19(1)(a) grants citizens the right to freedom of speech and expression, which includes expressing opinions, beliefs, and convictions through various means.
  • Demonstrations, as visible representations of ideas, are protected under freedom of speech, provided they are non-violent and orderly.
  • Strikes are not included within the scope of freedom of speech.
• Article 19 does not explicitly grant citizens the fundamental right to organise hartals, bandhs, or chakkajams.

RECPDCL Transfers Rajasthan Power Project to Apraava

Why in News?

REC Power Development and Consultancy Limited (RECPDCL), a subsidiary of REC Limited, handed over the Rajasthan IV-A Power Transmission project to Apraava Energy Private Limited (AEPL).

• The project is designed to facilitate the evacuation of power from the Rajasthan Renewable Energy Zone Phase IV, covering the Jaisalmer and Barmer complexes.

Key Points

• Rajasthan IV-A Power Transmission Project:
  • Project Scope:
    • Construction of a 765/400 kV, 4x1500 MVA pooling station.
    • Construction of a 400/220 kV, 5x500 MVA pooling station.
    • Laying of 184.56 kilometers of 400 kV transmission line.
  • Timeline: The project is expected to be completed within two years.
  • Capacity Addition: The project will significantly enhance the region's power transmission capacity.
  • Impact: The project will support Rajasthan’s renewable energy objectives.
  • Significance: This handover is part of the broader goal to achieve 500 GW of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030.
  • Type of Model: The project will be developed on a Build, Own, Operate, and Transfer (BOOT) basis. This development is a significant step in enhancing power transmission infrastructure in the region.
    • BOOT model is one type of operator model used in project management. In this model actual investor delegates the building, operation and maintenance of a project to another company for a limited time.

Election Commission Halts Haryana Recruitment Results

Why in News?

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has halted the announcement of results for ongoing recruitment processes in Haryana until the completion of the Assembly elections.

Key Points

• Recruitment Details: The affected recruitments include vacancies for Constables in the Haryana Police, posts of Trained Graduate Teachers (TGT) and Physical Training Instructors (PTI) by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC), and various posts by the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC).
• Reason for Halt: This decision was made following a complaint from the opposition party alleging violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
• Commission’s Findings: The ECI determined that there was no violation of the MCC in the recruitment processes, as they were initiated before the election dates were declared.
  • However, to maintain fairness and a level playing field, the results will not be released until the election process is concluded.

Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC):

• The Haryana Staff Selection Commission is a government body responsible for recruiting staff for Group B, C, and D positions across various departments and subordinate offices within the Government of Haryana.

Election Commission of India

• About:
  • The Election Commission of India (ECI) is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering Union and State election processes in India.
    • It was established in accordance with the Constitution on 25^th January 1950 (celebrated as National Voters' Day). The secretariat of the commission is in New Delhi.
  • The body administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and State Legislative Assemblies in India, and the offices of the President and Vice President in the country.
    • It is not concerned with the elections to panchayats and municipalities in the states. For this, the Constitution of India provides for a separate State Election Commission.
• Constitutional Provisions:
  • Part XV (Article 324-329): It deals with elections and establishes a commission for these matters.

Model Code of Conduct (MCC)

• The MCC is a consensus document. The political parties have themselves agreed to keep their conduct during elections in check and to work within the Code.
• It helps the EC in keeping with the mandate it has been given under Article 324 of the Constitution, which gives it the power to supervise and conduct free and fair elections to the Parliament and State Legislatures.
• The MCC is operational from the date on which the election schedule is announced until the date of the result announcement.
• The government cannot announce any financial grants, promise construction of roads or other facilities, and make any ad hoc appointments in government or public undertaking during the time the Code is in force.

Janmashtami in Uttar Pradesh

Why in News?

Uttar Pradesh is underway with Janmashtami celebrations, particularly in Ayodhya and Vrindavan, where devotees are visiting temples and shopping for the festival.

Key Points

• Krishna Janmashtami, also called Gokulashtami or Shrikrishna Jayanti, is a major Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu.
• Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated on the Ashtami (eighth day) of Krishna Paksha in the Bhadrapada month of the lunisolar Hindu calendar, usually in August or September.
• One of the key highlights of Janmashtami is the "Dahi Handi" event.

Important Fairs of Uttar Pradesh

• Taj Mahotsav:
  • It is a vibrant 10-day festival held annually at Shilpgram in Agra. This celebration draws inspiration from the rich Mughal and Nawabi culture that thrived in Uttar Pradesh during the 18^th and 19^th centuries.
• Kumbh Mela:
  • The Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, celebrated by Hindus.
  • The festival is held at Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik every four years by rotation.
    
    • Pilgrims gather to bathe in the sacred rivers (Ganges, Yamuna, Saraswati, Godavari, and Shipra), seeking spiritual purification.
• Ganga Mahotsav:
  • The Ganges River is very important to India and has supported many civilizations along its banks. A festival is celebrated in Varanasi during the Karthik month to thank the river goddess for her blessings and to ask for more.
    • The ghats are decorated with lights and flowers, and on Karthik Poornima, people gather by the river to light and float earthen lamps.

Californium

Why in News?

Recently, police in Gopalganj, Bihar, seized 50 grams of a substance believed to be Californium, a highly radioactive metal worth Rs 850 crore.

• However, initial tests by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) revealed no radioactivity.

Key Points

• About Californium:
  • Californium is named after the American state of California and the university.
  • It was first synthesized in 1950 by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.
  • Californium is a silvery-white synthetic radioactive metal with the atomic number 98 on the periodic table.
  • It is not found naturally and is produced through nuclear reactions, specifically by bombarding curium with helium ions.
    • Curium is a hard metal having an atomic number of 96 and symbol Cm. This metal is artificially produced in the nuclear reactors.
    • A helium ion is a positively charged atom of helium, typically denoted as He+. It is formed when a helium atom loses one or more of its electrons.
  • Properties:
    • Californium is highly radioactive and is both valuable and hazardous.
    • It belongs to the actinide series on the periodic table.
    • Notable isotopes include Cf-251, which is the most stable with a half-life of 898 years, as well as Cf-249 and Cf-250, which have shorter half-lives.

• Radioactivity:
  • It is the property of some unstable atoms (radionuclides) to spontaneously emit nuclear radiation, usually alpha particles or beta particles often accompanied by gamma-rays.
• Department of Atomic Energy:
  • The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) was set up under the direct charge of the Prime Minister through a Presidential Order on August 3, 1954.
  • As per this order, all businesses of the Government of India, related to Atomic Energy and to the functions of the Central Government under the Atomic Energy Act, 1948 were directed to be transacted in the Department of Atomic Energy.
• Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC):
  • BARC is India’s leading nuclear research facility that operates under the Department of Atomic Energy.
  • As a multi-disciplinary research center, BARC is equipped with extensive infrastructure for advanced R&D, spanning the full range of nuclear science, engineering, and related fields.
  • It also serves as the primary research support for the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), which manages all of India's nuclear reactors.