Fundamental Duties

Recently, the Chief Justice of India said fundamental duties in the

Constitution are not merely to serve a "pedantic or technical" purpose.

CJI’s opinion

Our Constitution is the fundamental document that regulates the

relationship between the citizens and the government.

While it has granted us inalienable rights, it places upon us certain

fundamental duties.

The fundamental duties are not merely pedantic or technical, they were
incorporated as the key to social transformation.

Fundamental Duties

Incorporation of Fundamental Duties:

When the Constitution was adopted in the year 1949, there were no
provisions regarding Fundamental Duties to the Citizens though there
was a Part III for Fundamental Rights.
The Fundamental Duties of citizens were added to the Constitution by the 42nd Amendment in 1976, upon the recommendations of the Swaran
Singh Committee that was constituted by the Government.

The Committee suggested that steps needed to be taken to ensure that the individual did not overlook his duties while in the exercise of his
Fundamental Rights.

The fundamental duties were incorporated in Part IV-A of the Constitution.

The concept of Fundamental duties was taken from the former USSR.

Article 51(A) describes 11 fundamental duties.

10 came with the 42nd Amendment;

11th was added by the 86th Amendment in 2002.

It shall be the duty of every citizen of India:

To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem;

To cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom;

To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;

To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so;
To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or
sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women;

To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture;

To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, ,rivers, wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures;

To develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;

To safeguard public property and to abjure violence;

To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and
achievement;

Who is a parent or guardian, to provide opportunities for education to his child or, as the case may be, ward between the age of six and fourteen
years.

Significance of Fundamental Duties

It serves as a constant reminder to the citizens that while enjoying their rights, the citizens should be aware of their duties towards their nation and
towards other citizens.

These serve as a warning to the people against the anti-social activities that disrespect the nation like burning the flag, destroying public property
or disturbing public peace.
These help in the promotion of a sense of discipline and commitment towards the nation.

It helps the Court in determining the constitutionality of the law.

Criticism of Fundamental Duties

They are made non-justiciable in nature.

Important duties such as tax-paying, family planning etc are not covered.

Vague and ambiguous provisions which are difficult to be understood by a common man.

Superfluous provisions since they would generally be followed even if they were not included.

Nature of Fundamental Duties

Fundamental duties are essentially taken from Indian tradition, mythology, religions and practices.

Essentially these were the duties that are the codification of tasks integral to the Indian way of life.

It also drew on examples of “ancient India '' and Hindu scripture Bhagvad Gita to reason that “people in India have had a tradition of performing
their duties' '.
The Fundamental Duties are intended to serve as a constant reminder to every citizen that while the Constitution conferred on them certain
Fundamental Rights specifically.

● It also requires citizens to observe certain basic norms of democratic conduct and democratic behaviour because rights and duties are
correlative.

The Verma Committee on Fundamental Duties of the Citizens (1999) identified the existence of legal provisions for the implementation of some of
the Fundamental Duties.

The committee provided with the provisions like:

No person can disrespect the National flag, Constitution of India and the National Anthem under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act,
1971.

The Protection of Civil Rights Act (1955) provided for punishments in case of any offence related to caste and religion.

However, whereas Fundamental Rights are justiciable, the Fundamental Duties are non-justiciable.

It means that the violation of fundamental duties, i.e. the non-performance of these duties by citizens is not punishable.

These duties are not enforceable by law. However, a court may take them into account while adjudicating on a matter.
Parsi New Year/ Navroz
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1852137

In News

Paris New Year (also called Navroz) is celebrated every year on August
16 by the Parsi Community.

Parsi New Year/ Navroz

About:

Navroz or Nowruz is an Iranian and Persian New year. The word ‘now’
means ‘new’ and ruz means ‘day’. Therefore, the word literally
translates to a new day.’

It is celebrated in countries having significant Persian cultural influence

like Iran, Iraq, India, Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia.

History:

The festival of Nowruz is named after the Persian king, Jamshed, who
is credited for creating the Persian or the Shahenshahi calendar.

Jamshed saved the world from an apocalypse that came in the form of
winter and was destined to kill everyone.
According to scriptures, in the realm of King Jamshed, there was no excessive heat or cold and no premature deaths and everyone lived happily.

It is said that the festival came to India courtesy of an 18th-century wealthy tradesman from Surat, Nusservanji Kohyaji, who often traveled to Iran
and began celebrating Nowruz in India.

Nowruz celebrations in India:

In India, the festival is observed around August 16-17 by the Parsi community following the Shahenshahi calendar which does not account for leap
years, which means the holiday has now moved by 200 days from its original day.

It is inscribed in the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of India.

What is Zoroastrianism?

Zoroastrianism is one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions. It was founded by the Prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra) in ancient Iran
approximately 3500 years ago.

It was created over 3,500 years ago in ancient Iran by Prophet Zarathustra.

For 1000 years Zoroastrianism was one of the most powerful religions in the world. It was the official religion of Persia (Iran) from 600 BCE to
650 CE. It is now one of the world's smallest religions.

Zoroastrians believe there is one God called Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord) and He created the world.
The Zoroastrian book of Holy Scriptures is called The Avesta.

Zoroastrians are roughly split into two groups:

The Iranians

The Parsis

The Parsis (‘Parsi’ is Gujarati for Persian) are the largest single group in India, with an estimated 2.6 million Zoroastrians worldwide.

Zoroastrians (Parsis) are one of the notified minority communities

150th Birth Anniversary of Sri Aurobindo
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1852137

In News

August 15, 2022 marks the 150th birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo.

Aurobindo Ghose

About:

Popularly known as yogi Rishi Aurobindo.

He was a revolutionary, nationalist, poet, educationist and philosopher.

Birth: Born on August 15, 1872, in Calcutta.

Early life and Education: At the age of seven he was taken to England
for education.

Roles played as a

Service officer and professor:

In 1893 returned to India and worked in the Princely State of Baroda

in the service of the Maharaja and as a professor at Baroda College.
Revolutionary:

In 1906, he quit the job in Baroda and went to Calcutta.

Became one of the leaders of the Nationalist movement and took a leading role in secret preparations for an uprising against the British
Government in India.

He was the first political leader in India to openly put forward the idea of complete independence for the country in his newspaper Bande
Mataram.

Aurobindo’s pragmatic strategies to get rid of British rule marked him as “the Prophet of Indian Nationalism”.

Yogi

In 1910 he withdrew from politics and went to Pondicherry in order to devote himself entirely to his inner spiritual life and work.

He evolved a new method of spiritual practice, which he called Integral Yoga and founded the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1926

Literary works:

The Life Divine, The Synthesis of Yoga and Savitri.

He wrote a series on Bankim Chandra’s Vande Mataram, attributing divine nationhood to “Mother India” and depicting the independence struggle
as the sacred cause of freedom.

In 1943, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize for literature and then again in 1950 for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Teachings: Propounded a philosophy of divine life on earth through spiritual evolution.

Death: December 5, 1950.

Women Heroes of India’s Freedom Struggle
In News

Recently, on the occasion of Independence Day address to the nation,

the PM of India paid tribute to women freedom fighters for showing the
world the true meaning of India’s “Nari shakti”.

Rani Laxmibai

The queen of the princely state of Jhansi, Rani Laxmibai is known for
her role in the 1857 revolt.

Initial days:

Born Manikarnika Tambe in 1835, she married the king of Jhansi.

The couple adopted a son before the king’s death.

The resentment and the revolt:

The British East India Company refused to accept her adopted son as
the legal heir under the Doctrine of Lapse and decided to annex Jhansi.
Refusing to cede her territory, the queen decided to rule on behalf of the heir, and later joined the uprising against the British in 1857.
Cornered by the British, she escaped from Jhansi fort.
She was wounded in combat near Gwalior’s Phool Bagh, where she later died.
Sir Hugh Rose, who was commanding the British army, is known to have described her as “personable, clever…and one of the most dangerous
Indian leaders”.
Jhalkari Bai
Jhalkari Bai & Rani Laxmibai:
Jhalkari Bai was a soldier in Rani Laxmibai’s women’s army, Durga Dal.
She rose to become one of the queen’s most trusted advisers.
She is known for putting her own life at risk to keep the queen out of harm’s way.
Legacy:
To date, the story of her valour is recalled by the people of Bundelkhand, and she is often presented as a representative of Bundeli identity.
According to the Ministry of Culture’s Amrit Mahotsav website, “Many Dalit communities of the region look up to her as an incarnation of God
and also celebrate Jhalkaribai Jayanti every year in her honour.”
Durga Bhabhi
About:
Durgawati Devi was popularly known as Durga Bhabhi.
She was a revolutionary who joined the armed struggle against colonial rule.

Contribution to freedom struggle:

Durgawati Devi was born in Allahabad in 1907 and married to Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) member Bhagwati Charan
Vohra.

Durgawati, along with other revolutionaries, also ran a bomb factory in Delhi.

A member of the Naujawan Bharat Sabha, she helped Bhagat Singh escape in disguise from Lahore after the 1928 killing of British police officer
John P Saunders.

During the train journey that followed, Durgawati and Bhagat Singh posed as a couple and Rajguru as their servant.

Later, as revenge for the hanging of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev, she made an unsuccessful attempt to kill the former Punjab Governor,
Lord Hailey.

Rani Gaidinliu

Initial days:

Rani Gaidinliu was born in 1915 in present-day Manipur

She was a Naga spiritual and political leader who fought the British.

She joined the Heraka religious movement which later became a movement to drive out the British.
Significant contributions:

She rebelled against the Empire and refused to pay taxes, asking people to do the same.

The British launched a manhunt, but she evaded arrest, moving from village to village.

Gaidinliu was finally arrested in 1932 when she was just 16 and later sentenced to life.

She was released in 1947.

Legacy:

Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, according to the Amrit Mahotsav website, described Gaidinliu as the “daughter of the hills”, and gave her the
title of ‘Rani’ for her courage.

Rani Chennamma

About:

The queen of Kittur, Rani Chennamma, was among the first rulers to lead an armed rebellion against British rule.

Kittur was a princely state in present-day Karnataka.

Issues and revolt:

She fought back against the attempt to control her dominion in 1824 after the death of her young son.

She had lost her husband, Raja Mallasarja, in 1816.

She is seen among the few rulers of the time who understood the colonial designs of the British.

Rani Chennamma defeated the British in her first revolt but was captured and imprisoned during the second assault by the East India Company.

Begum Hazrat Mahal

About:

Begum Hazrat Mahal, also known as the Begum of Awadh, was the second wife of Nawab of Awadh Wajid Ali Shah, and the regent of Awadh in
1857–1858.

The fight:

Nawab of Awadh Wajid Ali Shah, was exiled to Calcutta after the 1857 revolt.

Begum Hazrat Mahal, along with her supporters, took on the British and wrested control of Lucknow during the revolt of 1857.

She was forced into a retreat after the colonial rulers recaptured the area.

Velu Nachiyar

About:

Rani Velu Nachiyar was a queen of Sivaganga estate from c. 1780–1790.

She was the first Indian queen to wage war with the East India Company (EIC) in India.
She is known by Tamils as Veeramangai.

Initial days:

Born in Ramanathapuram in 1780, she was married to the king of Sivagangai.

Conflict & war with the EIC:

After her husband was killed in battle with the East India Company, she entered the conflict, and won with support of neighbouring kings.

She went on to produce the first human bomb as well as establish the first army of trained women soldiers in the late 1700s.

Her army commander Kuyili is believed to have set herself ablaze and walked into a British ammunition dump.

She was succeeded by her daughter in 1790, and died a few years later in 1796.
Guidelines to Regulate Digital Lending
https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/explained-why-has-th
e-rbi-come-out-with-a-framework-to-regulate-digital-lending/articl
e65765047.ece

Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) instituted a framework for

regulating the digital lending landscape in the country.

About Digital Lending

Digital Lending:

Digital lending utilises automated technologies and algorithms for

decision making, customer acquisition, disbursements and recovery.

Not only does it lower costs but also ensures speedy disbursal.

Digital lenders are of three kinds:

Those regulated by the RBI

Those authorised as per other statutory/regulatory provisions but not

regulated by RBI
Entities lending outside the purview of any statutory/ regulatory provisions.

Working Mechanism:

Lending Service Providers (LSPs) act in partnership with Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) who disburse credit (or a line of credit) to
the customer using the former’s platform, making it a multi-sided platform.

The latest set of regulations are based on recommendations received from its Working Group on ‘Digital Lending including lending through online
platforms and mobile apps’ (WGDL).

The working group will evaluate digital lending activities and assess the penetration and standards of outsourced digital lending activities in RBI
regulated entities.

Identify the risks posed by unregulated digital lending to financial stability.

Regulated entities and consumers.

Suggest regulatory changes to promote orderly growth of digital lending.

What are the new regulations?

Transparency:

Lending must be carried out by entities that are either regulated by the RBI or possess permission to operate under a relevant law.
Loan disbursals and repayments:

The RBI has mandated that all loan disbursals and repayments are to be executed directly between the bank accounts of the borrower and the
entity.

Thus, it eliminates the presence of a nodal pass-through or pool account of the LSP.

Key fact statement (KFS):

Before executing the contract, lenders would have to inform the borrower in a standardized format about all fees, charges as well as the
annual percentage rate (APR).

Annual rate:

It refers to the annual rate that is charged for borrowing a loan and is inclusive of processing fees, penalties and all other charges associated
with it.

This would also help borrowers make better comparisons with industry peers.

Cannot raise the credit limit:

LSPs cannot raise the credit limit of their customers without prior consent.

Grievance redressal officer:

To address the need for a dedicated resolution framework, entities would have to appoint a grievance redressal officer
RB-IOS:

The ecosystem would also fall under the purview of the RBI’s Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS) should the complaint not be resolved
within 30 days of receipt.

Regulation of Data:

All data collected by the apps should be “need-based” and must be with prior and explicit consent of the borrower.

Users can also revoke previously granted consent.

The information to be collected must be stated in the privacy policy during enrolment.

RBI has put forth that user consent would be mandatory for sharing any personal information with a third-party.

Major Issues

LSPs often resort to reckless lending practices by endowing credit beyond a borrower’s repayment capacity.

The absence of standardised disclosure and regulatory norms made it cumbersome to assess a participant’s operational legitimacy.

There were about 1,100 lending apps available for Indian android users of which about 600 were illegal.

They were either unregulated by the RBI or had NBFC partners with an asset size of less than 1,000 crore, prompting doubts on its operability.
The space is largely dominated by NBFCs: Its customers particularly include small borrowers without a documented credit history and thus, not
served by traditional financial institutions.

Others: The concerns primarily relate to unbridled engagement of third parties, mis-selling, breach of data privacy, unfair business conduct,
charging of exorbitant interest rates, and unethical recovery practices.

Way Forward

This regulation would also address concerns emanating from TechFin which are companies that are primarily tech-based service providers, say
e-commerce, and also offer financial services.

Share: The share of digital lending may be small at present, but given their scalability they may potentially become significant players soon.

With the economic activity reviving at a decent pace post pandemic and our expectations of a GDP growth of 7.3% this fiscal it is expected that
demand for loans across the credit ecosystem will be higher this fiscal despite higher inflation and interest rates.

The guidelines are aimed at curbing rising malpractices in the digital lending ecosystem.
Fragility of the Northeast’s Integration
https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/india-at-75-the-fragility-of-
the-northeasts-integration/article65772603.ece

The integration of Northeast India into mainstream Indian life has been
on the national agenda from the very start of India’s journey as an
independent nation.

Background

British Assam was virtually the entire Northeast of today, excluding

two kingdoms, Tripura and Manipur.

In these kingdoms too, though no Inner Line was introduced, the British
brought in similar administrative mechanisms separating “excluded”
hills from the revenue plains.
The Sixth Schedule was India's first administrative instrument for undivided Assam’s tribal belt.

The Schedules mandated the formation of Autonomous District Councils in which, among others, tribal customary laws were given legitimacy.

In 1972, most of these autonomous regions were bifurcated from Assam.

Meghalaya became a State, while Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram were made Union Territories. These two were upgraded to States in 1987.

Tripura and Manipur, which were made Part-C States after merger with India in 1949, were also upgraded to States in 1972.

DoNER was created by the Union Government in 2001, and in 2004 it was upgraded to a full-fledged Ministry.

Importance of Northeast

Growth Engine: The Northeast has the potential to become the growth engine of the country. It is in the context of the future of the region, with
lots of development opportunities it has.

Act East Policy: North Eastern Region is geographically contiguous to Myanmar, which is a part of South-East Asia. Therefore, it has the potential
to act as the Indian ‘Gateway to SouthEast Asia’.

This is important in the context of the Indian relationship with countries like Thailand and Singapore, with which we share a good rapport. They
are high-income countries and can help India in the alleviation of poverty in the region.
Strategic Location: North Eastern Region of India is a landlocked region, with no access to seas. This is complicated by the presence of the
Siliguri Corridor, called chicken’s neck for India.

Siliguri Corridor is a mere 21 km wide corridor that connects India with its North Eastern Region. In the event of a war, India would need to
safeguard the corridor, so that any potential advances by the Chinese in the Northern part of the North-East region can be suitably repelled by the
Indian armed forces.

Carbon Sink: India has vowed to create an additional 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon sink per year under its Nationally Determined Contributions
as a part of the Paris Summit. North-Eastern India with its dense forest cover can play a huge role in such endeavour. Mizoram is the best state in
India in terms of forest cover.

Energy Resources: Due to the presence of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, the North-Eastern region has immense potential as far as
hydroelectric energy is concerned. Similarly, it has been a source of crude oil and natural gas in the form of Digboi oil fields. Potential oil and
natural gas reserves have been found at the Arakan Basin.

Agricultural Resources: The North Eastern region is blessed with natural resources which are important for the economic growth of the country.
For e.g. the tea plantations of Assam earn a significant value of foreign exchange for the country. Similarly, Bamboo is useful in the cane and
furniture industry. Bird’s Eye Chilli from Mizoram has the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

Tourism: The North Eastern region can be a hub for tourist activity due to its lush green landscape, unique tribal culture, fresh air, comfortable
climate and distinct topography. It can be harnessed as a source of eco-tourism and rural tourism.

The North Eastern Region is ideal for both passive and adventure forms of Ecotourism with wildlife sanctuary/parks, good scenic beauty,
waterfalls, forests etc.
Challenges to the Development of the NER

Difficult Terrain: North Eastern Region is majorly a mountainous region, except the state of Assam, which has plains as a major part of its area.
This makes it difficult for the government schemes to be implemented in the area, because of the problem of access to the remote areas.

Backward Areas: Also, unlike the mainland, people of the North East Region are still content with a simple lifestyle and lack of technology in their
day-to-day lives. The standard of living continues to be low, due to the absence of high-income generation opportunities.

For e.g., the farmers practice primitive methods of agriculture, with the tribals still practising Shifting agriculture in the country.

Connectivity: As stated above, the North Eastern Region is a landlocked region. Therefore, it has limited access to the sea. Similarly, it has a
difficult terrain that renders expressways and wider roads infeasible.

This is complicated by the absence of railway infrastructure in the region.

Lack of Physical and Social Infrastructure: NER has complained of step motherly treatment from the mainland, especially in the context of
development projects in the region.

Insurgency: One of the major regions for the lack of development in the region is the lack of political and social stability in the country. The
artificial boundaries of the British legacy have not been fully accepted by the tribal communities of the region, which is compounded by political
opportunism.

The region is still caught in the vicious circle of violence due to political reasons and the diversion of youth towards the insurgent groups, which
leads to a lack of skill enhancement and consequent lack of opportunity.
Initiatives of the Government of India

Mission Organic Value Chain Development (MOVCD-NER): The program has been implemented in the North-Eastern states since 2017.
The aim of the mission is to promote organic farming in the region. It seeks to replace traditional subsistence farming with a cluster-based
approach.

Sub Mission on Seeds and Planting Material (SMSP): It aims to increase the availability of seeds of the High Yielding Varieties of crops. The
overall objective is to double farmers’ income by 2022, as envisioned by the Government. The scheme is run alongside other support
programs like Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), integrated farming systems etc.

North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS): The aim of the scheme is to enhance the physical infrastructure related to
power, connectivity and water supply, and social infrastructure in the form of health infrastructure. It is a Central Sector Scheme.

North Eastern Council (NEC): It is a statutory body constituted under the North Eastern Council Act 1971. All the Governors and Chief
Ministers of the states are its members. It is chaired by the Union Home Minister, while its Vice-chairman is the Minister of Development of
the North Eastern Region.

Peace Efforts: The government of India has tried its best to accommodate the demands of the tribal groups and other inhabitants in the
region, within the framework of the Indian Constitution. The outcomes are visible in the form of the Nagaland Peace Accord and Bodo Peace
Accord, which have decreased the prevalence of violence and insurgency in the region, bringing the focus back to the development of the
region.

Earlier initiatives like Mizo insurgency, Bru or Reang resettlement are good efforts in this regard.
Connectivity Projects: To create alternate routes to the region and decrease its dependence on the Chicken’s Neck, the Indian government has
planned additional routes through South East Asia:

Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Project: It is a massive connectivity project to connect the Haldia port to Mizoram through Myanmar. The route
envisages a marine journey from Haldia to Sittwe port in Myanmar. Sittwe would be connected to Lawngthai in Mizoram, through a combination
of inland water transport and highway.

Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Corridor: The project has been envisaged to enhance economic connectivity between China and India
while benefiting Myanmar and Bangladesh, which lie on the route. India is less enthusiastic for the projects like Kolkata to Kunming Bullet Train
(K2K Project), which China has mooted as a part of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). However, India has kept the BCIM corridor alive, claiming
that the idea predated the BRI project.

National Bamboo Mission: The Mission envisages promoting holistic growth of the bamboo sector by adopting an area-based, regionally
differentiated strategy.

The aim is to increase the area under bamboo cultivation and marketing.

Seven Sisters of Northeast India

The ‘seven sisters’ of Northeast India comprise Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura.

Sikkim is also a part of the Northeast but is not included in the Seven Sisters because while the other seven states are contiguous, Sikkim is sort of
a neighbour, divided by the Siliguri Corridor.

Sikkim is also referred to as the ‘Brother’ of the Seven Sisters.

What is the Siliguri Corridor?

India’s North East is geographically isolated from the rest of India and is connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land called the Siliguri
Corridor also known as Chicken’s Neck.

It is about 200 km long and 60 km wide. At its narrowest, it is just 17 km wide.

The corridor extends from the Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Terai areas of West Bengal towards the North East.

The region is important for trade, commerce and tourism for West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

All land trade between the North East and the rest of the country happens through this corridor.
PIN Codes
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-pin-code-history-
independence-day-8090323/#:~:text=How%20does%20the%20PIN%2
0code,third%20represents%20the%20sorting%20district.

In News

Postal Index Number (PIN) completed 50 Years .

About PIN code

According to the Department of Posts, there were 23,344 post offices,

primarily in urban areas, in India at the time of Independence.

The country was growing rapidly and the postal network had to keep
pace.

Therefore ,it was introduced in India on August 15, 1972.

The person behind the initiative was Shriram Bhikaji Velankar,

additional secretary in the Union Ministry of Communications and a
senior member of the Posts and Telegraphs Board.
Objective

It was meant to ease the process of mail sorting and delivery in a country where different places, often, have the same or similar names, and letters
are written in a wide variety of languages.

How does the PIN code work?

The PIN is made up of six digits.

The first number indicates the postal region — Northern, Eastern, Western, Southern; and number 9, which signifies the Army Postal Service.

The second number denotes a sub-region, and the third represents the sorting district.

The remaining numbers narrow the geography further to the specific post office making the delivery.

Global Scenario

Globally, in the US, the Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) code was introduced July 1, 1963, under the aegis of the Postal Service Nationwide
Improved Mail Service plan to improve the speed of mail delivery.

In the UK, the sorting of mail started getting mechanised in the mid-1960s.

The key to mechanisation is an alphanumeric postal code that provides for sorting by machine at every stage of handling, including the carrier’s
delivery route.

Japan created its postal code address system in July 1968, and automatic postal code reader-sorters exist in major post offices of the country.
National Flag of India
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/when-constituent-assembly-
adopted-the-flag-of-freedom-8090465/

In News

This year, the Prime Minister of India led the nation in recalling the
monumental courage and efforts of all those who dreamt of a flag for
free India when we were fighting colonial rule.

National Flag of India

Dr Rajendra Prasad announced that the first item on the agenda was “a
Motion by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru about the Flag”.

It was adopted in its present form during the meeting of the Constituent
Assembly held on 22 July 1947, a few days before India's independence
from the British on 15 August 1947.

In India, the term "tricolour" refers to the Indian national flag.

Designed by: Pingali Venkayya.

Description :

The National flag of India is a horizontal tricolour of deep saffron (Kesari) at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in
equal proportion.

The ratio of the width of the flag to its length is two to three.

In the centre of the white band is a navy blue wheel which represents the chakra.

This Dharma Chakra depicted the "wheel of the law" in the Sarnath Lion Capital made by the 3rd-century BC Mauryan Emperor Ashoka.

The chakra intends to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation.

Its design is that of the wheel which appears on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka.

Its diameter approximates the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes.
Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System
(ATAGS)
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/what-is-atags-indigenous-ho
witzier-i-day-21-gun-salute-8090428/

In News

Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) is a indigenous

howitzer used in Independence Day 21-gun salute.

Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS)

About:

It is an indigenously developed howitzer gun 155 mm x 52 calibre

designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO).

Howitzers is an umbrella term for a category of long-range artillery

guns.

The ATAGS project was started in 2013 by DRDO to replace older guns
in service in the Indian Army with a modern 155 mm artillery gun.
Features:

The armament system of ATAGS mainly comprises barrel, breech mechanism, muzzle brake and recoil mechanism to fire 155 mm calibre
ammunition held by Army with a longer range, accuracy and precision and provides greater firepower.

The ATAGS is configured with all electric drive to ensure maintenance free and reliable operation over a longer period of time.

It has advanced features in terms of high mobility, quick deployability, auxiliary power mode, advanced communication system, automatic
command and control system with night firing capability in the direct fire mode.

The specialised gun system is compatible with C4I (command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence) systems like the Artillery
Combat Command and Control System (ACCCS) called Shakti for technical fire control, fire planning, deployment management, and operational
logistics management of the Army.

Future role:

The development process of ATAGS by the DRDO coincides with development of Howitzer Dhanush for Advanced Weapons and Equipment
India of the erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board.

In 2019, the Army and the Ministry of Defence gave bulk production clearance to produce 114 Dhanush.
Rhine River
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-global/germany-e
conomy-rhine-river-drought-8092627/

In News

Water levels on the Rhine river are very low because of unusually hot
and dry weather, preventing many vessels from navigating the critical
European shipping route fully loaded.

About Rhine river

It is a waterway of western Europe culturally and historically one of the

great rivers of the continent and among the most important arteries of
industrial transport in the world.

It rises in two headstreams high in the Swiss Alps.

It flows from two small headways in the Alps of east-central

Switzerland north and west to the North Sea, into which it drains
through the Netherlands.

It is an important link between industrial producers and global export

terminals in North Sea ports such as Rotterdam and Amsterdam, while
canals and other rivers link the Rhine to the Danube, making it possible
to ship to the Black Sea as well.
Dornier Maritime Surveillance Aircraft
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/india-to-hand-over-dorni
er-maritime-surveillance-aircraft-to-sri-lanka-navy/article65770998.ece

In News

Recently, India handed over a Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft to

the Sri Lanka Navy to further boost bilateral defence partnership.

About Dornier aircraft

Manufacturer:

It is being manufactured by state-run aerospace major Hindustan

Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Capabilities

Dornier 228 Maritime Patrol Aircraft is a Short Take-Off and Landing

(STOL).

It is a multirole light transport aircraft used by the Indian Navy for

electronic warfare missions, maritime surveillance, and disaster relief
systems and has been in production since 1981.
Significance of the move

Security requirement: The aircraft is being provided to Sri Lanka from the inventory of the Indian Navy to help the country meet its immediate
security requirement.

Countering Chinese: The handing over of the Dornier aircraft by India comes a day before Chinese ship 'Yuan Wang 5' docs at the Southern port of
Hambantota.

Benefits to people: The capability of the aircraft to undertake search and rescue operations exemplifies its direct benefit to the people.

SAGAR: Such cooperation is envisaged to add further capability and capacity to Sri Lanka and is in line with the vision of Security and Growth
for All in the Region (SAGAR).