04.04.25

Waqf Amendment 2024

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Here are the key points of the “Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024”:

  • Passage: Passed by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in early hours of Thursday, amid opposition claims of it being “anti-Muslim.”
  • Objective: Amends the Waqf Act, 1995, to improve Waqf board efficiency, update Waqf definitions, streamline registration, and boost technology use in record management.
  • Separation of Trusts: Muslim-created trusts are no longer considered Waqf, ensuring individual control.
  • Eligibility: Only practicing Muslims (for 5+ years) can dedicate property to Waqf.
  • Women’s Rights: Women must receive inheritance before Waqf dedication; provisions for widows/divorced women/orphans.
  • Ending Arbitrary Claims: Removes
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Section 40 of the 1995 Act, preventing arbitrary property declarations as Waqf.
  • Waqf Tribunals: Include a district judge, state government officer, and Muslim law expert; appeals to High Court within 90 days.
  • Government Land Disputes: Collector-ranked officer investigates government land claims.
  • Reduced Contributions: Waqf institutions’ mandatory contribution to boards reduced from 7% to 5%.
  • Annual Audit Reforms: Institutions earning over Rs 1 lakh must undergo audits by state-appointed auditors.
  • Centralized Portal: Automates Waqf property management for transparency.
  • Diverse Representation: Waqf Boards include non-Muslim members and representation from Shia, Sunni, Bohra, Aghakhani, and OBC Muslim communities; at least two women.
  • Limitation Act: The Limitation Act, 1963, applies to Waqf property claims.
  • Need: Addresses mismanagement, land encroachments, lack of judicial oversight, and misuse of powers under the 1995 Act.
  • Concerns: Increased government control, dilution of Muslim representation, ambiguity in defining “practicing Muslim,” removal of “Waqf by user” principle.
  • Benefits to Poor: Digitization, auditing, prevention of misuse, increased revenue for healthcare, education, housing, and livelihood programs.

    • Thailand

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    • India-Thailand Strategic Partnership: Established through a Joint Declaration, strengthening bilateral ties.
    • Digital Technology Cooperation: MoU signed between the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society of Thailand and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India. Importance: Advances digital infrastructure and collaboration in technological advancements.
    • Maritime Heritage Cooperation: MoU for the development of the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal, Gujarat, signed between Sagarmala Division and the Fine Arts Department of Thailand. Significance: Promotes cultural exchange and maritime heritage preservation.
    • MSME Cooperation: MoU between National Small Industries Corporation Ltd. (NSIC) and Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP). Importance: Facilitates growth and development in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises sector.
    • North Eastern Region (India) Development: MoU between the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) of India and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand. Significance: Enhances cooperation and development in India’s North Eastern Region.
    • Handicrafts and Handlooms Development: MoU between North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation Ltd. (NEHHDC) and Creative Economy Agency (CEA). Importance: Boosts the handicrafts and handlooms sector through creative economic initiatives.
    • Thailand’s Strategic Location: Centrally
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      positioned in Mainland Southeast Asia, serving as a bridge between India and ASEAN.
    • Key Economic Resources: Leading exporter of rubber, rice, fruits, and vegetables.
    • India’s Act East Policy: Thailand is a key pillar.

    Mount Marapi

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    • Mount Marapi Erupted: Recent eruption sent ash column 1.5km (4,900ft) above the peak. Why: Indicates volcanic activity and potential hazards.

    • Location: West Sumatra, Indonesia, in the Padang Highlands. Why: Establishes geographical context and area affected.

    • Type of Volcano: Stratovolcano (composed of layers of hardened lava, ash, and rocks). Why: Explains the volcano’s structure and eruption style.

    • Part of the Ring of Fire: A seismically active belt

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    around the Pacific Ocean. Why: Highlights the region’s overall volcanic and earthquake susceptibility.

  • Summit Features: Bancah caldera with a 1.4 km diameter and overlapping craters. Why: Describes the volcano’s distinctive summit.

  • Deadliest Event: 1979 lahar caused 60 deaths. Why: Demonstrates the volcano’s potential for serious disasters.

  • Confusion with Mount Merapi: Often mistaken for another volcano in Java. Why: Clarifies potential misunderstandings.

    • TESS: Exoplanet Hunter

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    • New Exoplanet Discovery: TESS recently aided in the detection of a new “warm Jupiter” exoplanet located over 1,000 light years away. This highlights TESS’s ongoing contribution to finding new worlds.

    • TESS Mission: Launched in March 2018 by NASA, TESS is designed to discover thousands of exoplanets orbiting bright dwarf stars. Its primary goal is exoplanet detection and characterization.

    • Successor to Kepler: TESS follows in the footsteps of the Kepler space telescope, building on its legacy of exoplanet discovery. It continues the search for planets beyond our solar system.

    • Transit Method: TESS identifies exoplanets by monitoring the brightness of stars for periodic dips caused by planets transiting (passing in front of) the star. This method allows scientists to determine the planet’s diameter and orbital size.

    • Habitable Zone: TESS helps identify planets within the “habitable zone,” the region around a star where liquid water could exist, potentially supporting life. This informs the search for potentially habitable planets.

    • Extended Mission: While its primary two-year mission ended on July 4, 2020, TESS is now in an extended mission, continuing its exoplanet survey. This allows for further discoveries and a more complete understanding of planetary systems.

    • Planet Diversity: TESS is finding a variety of planets, from small, rocky worlds to gas giants, showcasing the diverse range of planetary systems in our galaxy. This contributes to a broader understanding of planet formation and evolution.

    • Primary Mission Completion: TESS completed its primary mission by imaging roughly 75% of

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      the starry sky in a two-year survey. This large-scale survey has already yielded significant results.

    • 66 New Exoplanets: During its primary mission, TESS discovered 66 new exoplanets. This demonstrates the mission’s success in finding new worlds.

    Kannadippaya

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    • GI Tag Awarded: Kannadippaya, a traditional tribal handicraft from Kerala, receives Geographical Indication (GI) tag, ensuring market protection and global platform.

    • Beneficiaries: GI tag awarded to Unarvu Pattikavargha Vividodesha Sahakarana Sangam and Vanasree Bamboo Craft & Vanavibhava Shekarana unit, both in Idukki district.

    • First of Its Kind: Kannadippaya is the first tribal handicraft product from Kerala to receive the GI tag.

    • Unique Features: Named “mirror mat” due to reflective pattern. Made from soft inner layers of reed bamboo, offering warmth in winter and cooling in summer.

    • Tribal Craft: Preserved primarily by Oorali, Mannan, Muthuva, Malayan, and Kadar tribes, plus

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      Ulladan, Malayarayan, and Hill Pulaya artisans in Idukki, Thrissur, Ernakulam, and Palakkad.

    • Bamboo Sources: Best quality uses Teinostachyum wightii; other Ochlandra sp. bamboo species are also used.

    • Historical Significance: Historically presented to kings by tribal communities as a mark of honor.

    • KFRI’s Role: Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) crucial in securing GI tag.

    • Empowerment: GI recognition will empower tribal artisans, allowing them to become entrepreneurs.

    • Market Challenges: Concerns raised about lack of structured market, urging government support for promotion.

    • Reviving Interest: Emphasizing the importance of reviving interest among younger generations through national and international visibility.

    • Eco-Friendly Demand: GI tag will open international markets for kannadippaya due to global demand for eco-friendly products.

    Fram2: Polar Mission

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    • Fram2 Mission Launch: SpaceX launched the Fram2 mission on March 31, 2025, aboard a Crew Dragon capsule from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
    • First Human Polar Orbit: This is the first crewed mission to undertake a polar orbit, a trajectory previously untraveled by humans.
    • Private Spaceflight: Financed by crypto entrepreneur Chun
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    Wang, the mission involves four private astronauts.
  • Research Focus: The 3-5 day mission will conduct 22 research experiments, primarily studying the impact of spaceflight and microgravity on the human body.
  • Crew Composition: The crew consists of Chun Wang, Norwegian film director Jannicke Mikkelsen, German robotics researcher Rabea Rogge, and Australian adventurer Eric Philips.
  • Polar Orbit Characteristics: Polar orbits offer complete Earth surface coverage, ideal for observation, but face higher radiation exposure and complex rescue scenarios compared to equatorial orbits.
  • SpaceX Dominance: Fram2 highlights SpaceX’s increasing dominance in private human spaceflight, especially as Boeing’s Starliner faces delays.
  • No Government Backing: Unlike many recent Dragon missions focusing on national prestige, Fram2 is privately funded and driven by individual research interests.

    • Artificial Rains

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    • Delhi Exploring Artificial Rain: Delhi’s Environment Minister is exploring cloud seeding to combat air pollution.

    • Cloud Seeding Explained: Cloud seeding enhances rainfall by dispersing chemicals into clouds, encouraging raindrop formation. Silver iodide, potassium iodide, and dry ice are commonly used.

    • How it Works: Chemicals

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      act as condensation nuclei for water vapour, forming larger droplets that fall as rain. This depends on atmospheric conditions.

    • Cloud Seeding Types: Hygroscopic seeding accelerates droplet merging in liquid clouds; glaciogenic seeding introduces ice-forming agents into supercooled clouds.

    • Alternative Technologies: Static artificial rain-inducing systems use natural ionization. Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI) reflects sunlight to reduce smog.

    • Previous IIT-Kanpur Trials: IIT-Kanpur scientists have conducted cloud seeding trials, with some success in monsoon months. Trials in 2018 had 5 successful runs out of 6.

    • Collaboration & Permissions: The Minister is seeking cooperation from government agencies for permissions to conduct cloud seeding in Delhi.

    • Fighting Air Pollution: Delhi is committed to using all necessary solutions to combat air pollution,

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      including artificial rain.

    • Reviewing Other Measures: The meeting also reviewed a static artificial rain-inducing system.

    Asola Bhatti Sanctuary

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    • Camera Traps Installation: Delhi’s forest department will install 45 motion-based camera traps in Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary.
    • Purpose: To gather data on the park’s wildlife.
    • Location: South Delhi Ridge, Delhi-Haryana border, southern Delhi.
    • Ecological Significance:
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      Part of the Southern Ridge, merging with the Indo-Gangetic Plain, exhibiting biodiversity significance.
    • Wildlife Corridor: Crucial component of the North Aravalli Leopard Wildlife Corridor, linking Sariska National Park (Rajasthan) to the Delhi Ridge.
    • Vegetation Type: Northern Tropical Thorn Forests, as per Champion & Seth (1968).
    • Flora Adaptations: Xerophytic
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      adaptations like thorns and wax-coated leaves.
    • Key Flora: Neem, Peepal, Jamun trees.
    • Key Fauna: Nilgai, Indian Porcupine, Indian Hare, Indian Grey Mongoose, Monkeys
    • Avian Diversity: Over 200 bird species, including Indian Peafowl, Red Junglefowl, and Indian Grey Hornbill.

    Seaweeds

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    • Seaweed Farming Boom: Seaweed farming is gaining global recognition as a sustainable and profitable industry. The global seaweed industry is valued at $5.6 billion and growing rapidly.
    • Government Initiatives: The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) aims to boost India’s seaweed production to 1.12 million tonnes in five years, with a dedicated budget of ā‚¹640 crore from 2020-2025.
    • Nutritional Powerhouse: Seaweed is nutrient-dense, containing 54 trace elements, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. It helps combat diseases and boosts immunity.
    • Sustainable Agriculture: Seaweed cultivation requires no land, freshwater, fertilizers, or pesticides, making it an eco-friendly and sustainable agricultural resource.
    • Ecological Importance: Seaweed contributes to oxygen generation, carbon sequestration, and marine biodiversity, playing a significant role in climate regulation.
    • Economic Benefits: Seaweed farming provides livelihood opportunities, is used in fertilizers,
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    animal feed, and biofuels, and boosts marine-based economies. Seaweed is also emerging as a biostimulant in farming.
  • Key Uses: Seaweed is used in food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and as thickening/gelling agents like alginate, agar, and carrageenan.
  • Success Stories: Women in Tamil Nadu have achieved financial independence through seaweed farming under the PMMSY scheme. Tissue culture techniques are boosting Kappaphycus alvarezii production.
  • Government Support: The government promotes seaweed-based organic fertilizers and supports the sector through policies, infrastructure, and collaborations.

    • Devaraya I and Vijayanagara Empire

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    • Copper Plates Unveiled: 15th-century copper plates from Devaraya I’s coronation were unveiled in Bengaluru.
    • Historical Significance: The plates provide key historical details about the Sangama Dynasty and Vijayanagara Empire.
    • Dating & Script: Dated to 1406 CE (Saka 1328), the plates are inscribed in Sanskrit, Kannada, and NāgarÄ« scripts.
    • Unique Seal: Features a Vamana seal instead of the traditional Varaha emblem of the Vijayanagara Empire. This is a noteworthy deviation from the standard royal insignia.
    • Genealogy: Traces the Sangama Dynastyā€™s lineage from Chandra, Yadu, Sangama, and his five
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      sons (including Harihara and Bukka).
    • Coronation Confirmation: Confirms the previously unverified coronation date of Devaraya I.
    • Land Grant: Records a land grant named Devarāyapura-agrahāra, dividing land among Brahmins with different Vedic expertise.
    • ASI Involvement: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is involved in studying and preserving the plates, emphasizing their historical importance and urging the public to report similar finds.
    • Rare Find: The plates are significant as the first coronation copper plate of Vijayanagara Empire that surfaced till date.