Jaipur City, Rajasthan

Context:

• Funds worth ₹100 crore to boost Jaipur’s UNESCO heritage status.

News:

• The heritage conservation and development of the Walled City of Jaipur, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019, will be taken up with a budgetary expenditure of ₹100 crore.
• Famous for its buildings constructed with pink facade, the Walled City had impressed the International Council on Monuments and Sites, which recommended the world heritage status for it.
• The grant of heritage status took into account the grid plan based architecture of streets with colonnades, which intersect the centre, creating large public squares called chaupars.

About Jaipur City:

• The walled city of Jaipur, in India’s north-western state of Rajasthan was founded in 1727 by Sawai Jai Singh II.
• Jaipur was conceived and developed in a single phase in the 18th century CE with a grid-iron model inspired from the Prastara plan of the Vastu Shastra, a treatise of traditional Hindu architecture.
• Unlike other cities in the region located in hilly terrain, Jaipur was established on the plain and built according to a grid plan interpreted in the light of Vedic architecture.
• The streets feature continuous colonnaded businesses that intersect in the centre, creating large public squares called chaupars.
• Markets, shops, residences and temples built along the main streets have uniform facades.
• The city’s urban planning shows an exchange of ideas from ancient Hindu and early modern Mughal as well as Western cultures.
• The grid plan is a model that prevails in the West, while the organization of the different city sectors (chowkris) refers to traditional Hindu concepts.
• Designed to be a commercial capital, the city has maintained its local commercial, artisanal and cooperative traditions to this day.

Multinational Air Exercise Tarang Shakti

About Exercise Tarang Shakti:

• It is a biennial multinational air combat exercise hosted by the Indian Air Force.
• The first edition of the exercise held (ongoing) in 2024.
• The multinational air exercise is being held in two phases.
• 11 countries are being participated with assets including Australia, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, the UAE, the UK, and the United States.
• In addition, 18 other countries are participating as observers.
• The Tarang Shakti is the first and largest international air exercise hosted by India.
• A total of 150 aircraft being deployed by IAF and other air forces.
• Tejas Mk 1, Su-30MKI, Mirage 2000, Rafale, Dhruv, SEPECAT Jaguar, 3 C-130J, 2 Il-78MKI, 2 Netra AEW&CS, Prachand, Apacha, and Rudra were included.

Green Turtle

About Green Turtle:

• It is one of the largest sea turtles and the only herbivore among the different species.
• Green turtles are in fact named for the greenish color of their cartilage and fat, not their shells.
• In the Eastern Pacific, a group of green turtles that have darker shells are called black turtles by the local community.
• Green turtles are found mainly in tropical and subtropical waters.
• Like other sea turtles, they migrate long distances between feeding grounds and the beaches from where they hatched.
• Classified as endangered, green turtles are threatened by overharvesting of their eggs, hunting of adults, being caught in fishing gear and loss of nesting beach sites.

Why they matter?

• Green turtles graze on seagrasses and algae, which maintain the seagrass beds and makes them more productive (much like mowing the lawn to keep it healthy).
• Seagrass consumed by green turtles is quickly digested and becomes available as recycled nutrients to the many species of plants and animals that live in the sea grass ecosystem.
• Seagrass beds also function as nurseries for several species of invertebrates and fish, many of which are of considerable value to commercial fisheries and therefore important to human food security.

Foreigners’ Tribunals

Context:

• Declared as non-citizens by Foreigners’ Tribunals, 28 in Assam sent to ‘transit camp’

About Foreigners’ Tribunals (FTs):

• Established under the Foreigners’ (Tribunal) Order of 1964, the FTs are quasi-judicial bodies headed by members to adjudicate cases of individuals suspected to be foreigners.
• The Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964 was enacted by the Central government through the use of powers granted under Section 3 of the Foreigners Act, 1946.
• The Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964 applies to the whole of India, yet, FTs exist only in Assam as of now.
• In other states if any illegal immigrant is found, he is produced before a local court and dealt with as per the Foreigners Act, 1946.
• Prior to the 2019 amendment to the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964 only the Centre was empowered to establish FTs in states but after this amendment the power has been granted to states as well.
• Each FT is headed by a member drawn from judges, advocates, and civil servants with judicial experience.

Functions of FT:

• According to the 1964 order, an FT has the powers of a civil court in certain matters such as summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person, examining him or her on oath, and requiring the production of any document.
• A tribunal is required to serve a notice in English or the official language of the State to a person alleged to be a foreigner within 10 days of receiving the reference from the authority concerned.
• An FT has to dispose of a case within 60 days of reference.
• Section 9 of the Foreigners Act says that the onus of proving that such person is not a foreigner shall, notwithstanding anything mentioned in the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, lie upon such person.
• If the person fails to provide any proof of citizenship, the FT can send him or her to a transit camp, for deportation later.

Appeal against Order of FT:

• The review application can be filed within 30 days of the date of the order and the FT will decide the case on merits.
• In case of an adverse order by the FT it can be appealed against in the High Court and subsequent appeal can be filed in Supreme Court.

Brunei

Context:

• Amid South China Sea tensions, Prime Minister of India is in Brunei to discuss defence ties

About Brunei:

• It is an independent Islamic sultanate on the northern coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia.
• It is bounded to the north by the South China Sea and on all other sides by the East Malaysian state of Sarawak, which also divides the state into two disconnected segments of unequal size.
• The western segment is the larger of the two and contains the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan.
• Brunei achieved independence in 1984, having been a British protectorate since 1888.
• It is a member of the Commonwealth and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).
• The government of Brunei is a constitutional absolute monarchy ruled by the Sultan.

India-Brunei Cooperation:

• The bilateral ties amongst India and Brunei are now elevated to the Enhanced Partnership level.
• India is helping Brunei in hosting the ASEAN Centre for Climate Change.
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the operation of Telemetry, Tracking and Telecommand Station for Satellite and Launch Vehicles was signed during the recent visit of the Indian PM.
• For India, a state like Brunei, which is located in the centre of the Indo-Pacific circle, has very important geopolitical and geostrategic significance. 
• India is connecting with various states in the region, including Brunei, under a multilateral forum called the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF).
• This forum was established in 1993 to boost space pursuits in the Asia-Pacific region.
• To checkmate China’s Space Silk Road initiative, there is a need for larger engagement with smaller Southeast Asian nations in the domain of space.

Defence Acquisition Council (DAC)

Context:

• DAC clears 10 capital acquisition proposals worth ₹1.45 lakh crore

About DAC:

• It has been created as an overarching structure with the following composition:-
• Chairman: Raksha Mantri (RM)

Members:

• Raksha Rajya Mantris (RRMs)
• Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)
• Chief of Army Staff (COAS)
• Chief of Naval Staff (CNS)
• Chief of Air Staff (CAS)
• Defence Secretary and other Secretaries of Ministry of Defence.

FUNCTIONS:

• Give ‘in principle’ approval to Capital acquisitions in the Long Term Perspective Plan (LTPP) covering a 15-year time span at the beginning of a Five Year Plan period. (The approval will, in particular, identify the ‘Make’ projects in the Perspective Plan where long gestation periods are involved).
• Give ‘in principle’ acceptance of necessity to each Capital acquisition project for incorporation in the forthcoming Five Year Plan, at least nine months before the commencement of the first year of that plan. The approval will involve the identification of
• Either – ‘Buy’ Projects (outright purchase)
• Or – ‘Buy and Make’ projects (purchase followed by licensed production/ indigenous development)
• Or – ‘Make’ Projects (indigenous production and R&D)
• Monitor the progress of major projects on a feedback from the Defence Procurement Board.

Padma Awards

Context:

• Padma award nominations to be accepted until Sept 15

About Padma Awards:

• The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India announced annually on the eve of Republic Day.
• The Awards are given in three categories:
• Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service)
• Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher order)
• Padma Shri (distinguished service)
• The award seeks to recognize achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved.
• The Padma Awards are conferred on the recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.
• The nomination process is open to the public. Even self-nomination can be made.
• The Government of India instituted two civilian awards-Bharat Ratna & Padma Vibhushan in 1954.
• These awards announced every year on the occasion of Republic Day except for brief interruption(s) during the years 1978 and 1979 and 1993 to 1997.
• All persons without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex are eligible for these awards.
• However, Government servants including those working with PSUs, except doctors and scientists, are not eligible for these Awards.
• The award seeks to recognize works of distinction and is given for distinguished and exceptional achievements/service in all fields of activities/disciplines.
• The award is normally not conferred posthumously.
• However, in highly deserving cases, the Government could consider giving an award posthumously.
• A higher category of Padma award can be conferred on a person only where a period of at least five years has elapsed since conferment of the earlier Padma award.
• However, in highly deserving cases, a relaxation can be made by the Awards Committee.
• The awards are presented by the President of India usually in the month of March/April every year where the awardees are presented a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a medallion.
• The recipients are also given a small replica of the medallion, which they can wear during any ceremonial/State functions etc., if the awardees so desire.
• The names of the awardees are published in the Gazette of India on the day of the presentation ceremony.
• The total number of awards to be given in a year (excluding posthumous awards and to NRI/foreigners/OCIs) should not be more than 120.
• The award does not amount to a title and cannot be used as a suffix or prefix to the awardees’ name.

Padma Awards Committee:

• All nominations received for Padma Awards are placed before the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.
• The Padma Awards Committee is headed by the Cabinet Secretary and includes Home Secretary, Secretary to the President and four to six eminent persons as members.
• The recommendations of the committee are submitted to the Prime Minister and the President of India for approval.