Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Castes

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had revamped the post-matric scholarship scheme earlier for students from the Scheduled Castes (SCs), including a new funding pattern of 60-40 for the Centre and States.

About the Scholarship

• It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme and implemented through State Government and UT administration.
• Under the scheme, the government provides financial assistance to students from SCs for higher education at post-matriculation and post-senior-secondary stages, which means Class XI onwards.
• It can be availed by those, whose household incomes are less than Rs 2.5 lakh annually.

What are the new changes?

• States would carry out verification of the student's eligibility and caste status and collect their Aadhaar and bank account details.
• Transfer of financial assistance to the students under the scheme shall be on DBT mode, and preferably using the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System.

• Starting from 2021-22, the Central share [60%] in the scheme would be released on DBT mode directly into the bank accounts of the students as per a fixed time schedule.

What do these changes aim at?

• The changes were aimed at enabling four crore students to access higher education over the next five years.
• Switching from the existing “committed liability” formula, the new funding pattern would increase the Centre’s involvement in the scheme.

Benefits sought from the changes

• The changes approved by the Cabinet were aimed at enrolling the poorest students, ensuring timely payments, and maintaining accountability.
• An estimated 1.36 crore students who would otherwise drop out after Class 10 would be brought into the higher education system under the scheme in five years.

Non-uniformity of Himalayas foresees significantly large earthquake events

• Scientists have found that the Himalayas are not uniform and assume different physical and mechanical properties in different directions — a property present in crystals that is called ‘anisotropy’.
• This could result in significantly large earthquake events in the Himalayas.
• The northwest region of India, an area covering Garhwal and Himachal Pradesh, has been hit by four destructive moderate to great earthquakes since the beginning of the 20th century — Kangra (1905), Kinnaur (1975), Uttarkashi (1991) and Chamoli (1999).
• These seismic activities manifest large-scale subsurface deformation and weak zones, underlining the need for deeper insights into the ongoing deformation beneath these tectonically unstable zones.
• Researchers from Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, studied the seismic waves in the Western Himalayas and concluded that the major contribution to the anisotropy is the strain induced by the Indo-Eurasia collision going on for 50 million years and deformation due to the collision is found to be larger in the crust than in the upper mantle.

PM releases Hindi Version of Odisha Itihaas by Dr. Harekrushna Mahtab

Odisha Itihaas

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently released the Hindi translation of the book, ‘Odisha Itihaas’, written by former chief minister Harekrushna Mahatab. 

Releasing the book, which is already available in Oriya and English, the Prime Minister said, “It is important that the diverse and comprehensive history of Odisha should reach the people of the country.”

Harekrushna Mahtab

• Dr. Mahatab was born in 1899 to a poor family at Agarpada village in Balasore.
• He was inspired by the ideals of Bagha Jatin and was influenced by Ramakrishna Mission.
• At a very young age, Mahatab joined the freedom struggle and even accompanied Mahatma Gandhi to various districts during his visit to the state in 1921. He eventually left his family to devote his life for the uplift of the Congress organization.
• He went on to become the first chief minister of the state from 1946 to 1950 and was re-elected in 1956. He also earned the sobriquet ‘Utkal Keshari’.
• He is also credited with setting up Bhubaneswar as the capital of the state, along with the construction of the Secretariat building, Raj Bhawan, and Assembly buildings.
• Considered a historian, during his term in jail, Mahatab translated a lot of History books. He translated Valmiki’s Ramayan from Sanskrit into Oriya and also wrote the Oriya version of the Gita.
• In 1946, during his stay at Patna camp jail, he published poems collected from political prisoners called “Bedira Jan Jan”.
• The idea behind ‘Odisha Itihaas’ took shape when Mahatab was imprisoned in Ahmadnagar for participating in the Quit India Movement. 

Know Your State: Odisha

• Situated on the coast along the Bay of Bengal, Odisha stands for its ancient glory and modern endeavour.
• Odisha topography comprises fertile plains along the coast and forested highlands towards the interior.
• The Odia people are generally of Indo-Aryan stock.
• The state is mostly famous for the Lord Jagannath temple which is situated in puri.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

• Odisha, with a rich heritage that is more than two thousand years old, has a glorious history of its own.
• It was known under different names in different periods: Kalinga, Utkal or Odradesha.
• Seaports flourished along the coast as early as the 4th and 5th centuries B.C., when the sadhabs, the Odishan seafaring merchants, went to the islands of Java, Sumatra, Borneo and Bali with their merchandise.
• Kalinga made its mark in Indian history when the Nanda dynasty ruled the kingdom of Magadha.
• Ashoka, the Great invaded Kalinga in 261 B.C. and conquered her.
• The inscriptions on Hati Gumpha (Elephant Cave) on the Udayagiri Hill in Bhubaneswar record the story of his reign.
• In the fourth century A.D. Emperor Samudragupta invaded Odisha and overcame the resistance offered by five of her chiefs.
• Odisha came under the rule of King Sasanka and later King Harsha Vardhana in the 7th century A.D. when the Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang visited Odisha.
• The end of the 8th century saw the emergence of Jajpur-on-Baitarani as an epicentre of Brahminical religion.

MODERN HISTORY

• The Hindu state of Odisha came under the Muslim rule in 1568 A.D. when King Mukunda Deva lost to the Sultan of Bengal, Suleiman Karni. Subsequently, Odisha came under the Mughals and the Marathas and finally in 1803 A.D., under the British.
• Odisha formed a part of greater Bengal but didn't lose its own separate cultural identity. The political capital shifted to Patna when the state of Bihar-Odisha was carved out of Bengal.
• Odisha became a separate province in 1936 A.D. with Cuttack as its capital. The new capital was built in Bhubaneswar after independence.
• However, the state took its present shape only in 1949 with the merger of the princely states including Mayurbhanj.

COASTAL PLAINS

• The Odisha Coastal Plains are the depositional landforms of recent origin and geologically belong to the Post-Tertiary Period.
• The 75-metre contour line delimits their western boundary and differentiates them from the Middle Mountainous Region. This region stretches from the West Bengal border, i.e. from the River Subarnarekha in the north to the River Rushikulya in the south.
• This region is the combination of several deltas of varied sizes and shapes formed by the major rivers of Odisha, such as the Subarnarekha, the Budhabalanga, the Baitarani, the Brahmani, the Mahanadi, and the Rushikulya. Therefore, the coastal plain of Odisha is called the “Hexadeltaic region” or the “Gift of Six Rivers”.
• It stretches along the coast of the Bay of Bengal having the maximum width in the Middle Coastal Plain (the Mahanadi Delta), narrow in the Northern Coastal Plain (Balasore Plain) and narrowest in the Southern Coastal Plain ( Ganjam Plain).
• The North Coastal Plain comprises the deltas of the Subarnarekha and the Budhabalanga rivers and bears evidence of marine transgressions.
• The Middle Coastal Plain comprises the compound deltas of the Baitarani, Brahmani and Mahanadi rivers and bears evidence of past ‘back bays’ and present lakes.
• The South Coastal Plain comprises the lacustrine plain of Chilika lake and the smaller delta of the Rushikulya River.

THE MIDDLE MOUNTAINOUS AND HIGHLANDS REGION

• The region covers about three-fourths of the entire State. Geologically it is a part of the Indian Peninsula which is a part of the ancient landmass of the Gondwanaland.
• This region mostly comprises the hills and mountains of the Eastern Ghats which rise abruptly and steeply in the east and slope gently to a dissected plateau in the west running from north-east (Mayurbhanj) to the north-west (Malkangirig).

CENTRAL PLATEAUS

• The plateaus are mostly eroded plateaus forming the western slopes of the Eastern Ghats.
• There are two broad plateaus in Odisha :
  1. 1. The Panposh – Keonjhar -Pallahara plateau comprises the Upper Baitarani catchment basin
     2. The Nabrangpur – Jeypore plateau comprises the Sabari basin.

RIVERS

• Rivers that have a source outside the State (the Subarnarekha, the Brahmani and the Mahanadi).
• Rivers having a source inside the State(the Budhabalanga, the Baitarini, the Salandi, and the Rushikulya).
• Rivers having a source inside the Odisha, but flow through other states (the Bahudu, the Vansadhara, and the Nagavali).
• Rivers have a source inside Odisha, but are tributary to rivers which flow through other states (the Machkund, the Sileru, the Kolab, and the Indravati).

ART AND ARCHITECTURE

• The early monuments date back to the third century B.C. The remnant of an Ashokan pillar turned into a Siva Lingam and enshrined in the Bhaskaresvara temple at Bhubaneswar and the lion capital of an Ashokan pillar, presently in the State Museum, speaks volumes of Odisha's past glory.
• The rock-cut caves of Khandagiri and Udaygiri and the inscriptions recording Kharavela's short but eventful reign during the first century B.C. constitute the second phase of the evolution of Odishan art.
• The Naga and Yaksha images found in places around Bhubaneswar belong to the post-Kharavela era.
• The Sailodbhava dynasty of Banpur is responsible for the earliest temples around Bhubaneswar.
• The Bhaumakaras, the Somavamsis and the illustrious Gangas are particularly known for temple building. The Parsuramesvara temple at Bhubaneswar is the earliest extant temple.
• The Lingaraj Temple at Bhubaneswar, Jagannath Temple at Puri and Sun Temple at Konark belonging to the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth centuries respectively stand as silent witnesses to Odisha's glorious past.
• Rajarani Temple and Mukteswar Temple at Bhubaneswar, Biraja Temple at Jajpur, Kichakeswari Temple at Khiching and the temples at Ranipur-Jharial are also a few other examples of Odishan architecture.
• Odisha is also known for her exquisite handicrafts. Silver filigree work of Cuttack, horn work of Cuttack and Parlakhemundi and the famous applique work of Pipili deserve special mention.
• Pattachitra, a form of folk painting of Odisha, is a unique craft.
• Brass and bell metalware, particularly vases and candle stands, are beautiful and long-lasting.
• The Blackstone bowls and plates of Nilagiri and Khiching and multi-coloured stone statues are other attractions.
• Silk and cotton handloom products, especially saris are simply bewitching.
• The Sambalpuri saris and Maniabandhi patas are matchless in their texture and designs.

FESTIVALS AND FAIRS

• The people of Odisha rejoice in festivals and fairs.
• Chandan Yatra, Snana Yatra and Ratha Yatra are observed with special gaiety and fervour at Puri.
• Durga Puja is observed throughout the state, more particularly at Cuttack.
• Kali Puja or Diwali is celebrated in different parts of Odisha.
• Bali Yatra of Cuttack on the full moon day in the month of Kartika reminds the glory of Odishan traders in the long past.
• Chaitra Parva, a festival of Chhou dance, is celebrated at Baripada.
• Makar, Holi, Mohurram, Id and Christmas are also celebrated throughout the state.

FACTS

• River Mahanadi originates from the Amarkantak hills of the Bastar Plateau in the Raipur district of Madhya Pradesh.
• The Chillika Lake is blakish water lagoon located in the southern part of the Odisha coastal plane. Its salinity declines to a minimum during the Monson.
• The 33 sandstone caves on the Udaygiri and Khandagiri hills in Bhubaneshwar were probably carved under King Kharavela.
• Orissa has 62 tribes including the Santhals, Savaras, Juangs, Gonds, Bondas etc.
• Odia Language got the Classical language status in 2014.
• Wheeler Island has been renamed Abdul Kalam Island.

Sri Sri Harichand Thakur

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has paid homage to Sri Harichand Thakur on his Jayanti.

About Shri Shri Harichand Thakur

• Harichand Thakur, sometimes known as Shri Shri Harichand Thakur worked among the untouchable people of Bengal Presidency. He formed the Matua sect of Hindus.
• According to historian Sekhar Bandyopadhyay, Thakur “experienced Atma darshan or self-revelation, through which he realized that he was the incarnation of God himself, born in this world to bring salvation to the downtrodden”.
• Thakur, whose family were Vaishnavite Hindus, founded a sect of Vaishnavite Hinduism called Matua.
• This was adopted by members of the Namasudra community, who were then also known by the pejorative name of Chandalas and considered to be untouchable.
• The sect was opposed to caste oppression and, inspired the community towards education and social upliftment”.
• It has subsequently attracted adherents from other caste communities that were marginalised by the upper castes, including the Chamars, Malis, and Telis.

India-Seychelles Virtual Meet

Recently, the Prime Minister of India will take part in a high-level virtual event with the President of the Republic of Seychelles & jointly inaugurated several Indian projects in Seychelles.

Major Highlights

• Seychelles is central to India’s vision of ‘SAGAR’ – ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region.
• During times of need, India was able to supply essential medicines and 50,000 doses of Made in India vaccines to Seychelles. 
• Seychelles was the First African country to receive the Made in India COVID-19 vaccines.
• India has contributed to the construction of the new Magistrates Court Building in Seychelles.
• For strengthening the maritime security of Seychelles, India has handed over a Made-in-India Fast Patrol Vessel to the Seychelles Coast Guard.
• India handed over a One Mega Watt solar power plant in the Seychelles built with India’s assistance.
• The virtual Summit between the two sides also saw the handing over of 10 High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) implemented by the High Commission of India in collaboration with local bodies and educational and vocational institutions.

India- Seychelles Relations- Background

• India and Seychelles' relationship was established in 1976 after its independence.
• In 1986, India executed ‘Operation Flowers are Blooming’ in Seychelles at the request of the erstwhile President Rene to avert a coup

India’s Assistance to Seychelles:

• Two petrol vessels – the Tarmugli (2006) and the Tarasa (2014) – were gifted by India to the Seychelles government to augment surveillance and patrolling capacity of Seychelles
• India has provided Seychelles with equipment such as Dornier Do 228s and Chetak helicopters as part of the maritime security arrangement against terrorism and piracy
• In 2012, India had pledged US $ 50 million as Line of Credit and US$ 25 million as grant to the Government of Seychelles
• Further, India and Seychelles collaborate for conducting hydrographic surveys, and launched a coastal surveillance radar project- Coastal Surveillance Radar System (CSRS).
• In August 2015 India signed a taxation agreement with Seychelles for allowing the exchange of information to curb tax evasion
• Further, India and Seychelles signed an agreement for constructing and operating a joint military facility on Assumption Island, situated to the north of Madagascar. The deal was to include 30-year access to the base as well as permission to station Indian military personnel on the ground.
• However, the project got halted as it could not be ratified by the Seychelles parliament

Significance of Seychelles for India

Access to Africa and Pan-African e-network Project:

• Seychelles provides a link to East African countries with whom India historically had socio-economic ties and at present forms a large market for Indian firms.
• Seychelles is a part of the Pan African e-Network project between India and the African Union that seeks to connect the 53 member states of the African Union through a satellite and fibre optic network to India and to each other. The project seeks to enable access to and sharing of expertise between India and African states, particularly in the medical and education field.

Indian Diaspora:

• The Indian Diaspora mostly of Tamilian and Gujarati origins represents 8 per cent of the Seychelles population.
• India and Seychelles have shared historical socio-cultural ties.
• Further, the Indian Diaspora has been influential in Seychelles and fostered diplomatic ties between the nations

Trade and Energy Security:

• Seychelles is located in close proximity to the oil sea lanes and oil-producing nations. These sea lanes are vital for India’s external trade and energy security.

Blue Economy:

• Seychelles has been a pioneer in advancing the concept of ‘blue economy, which includes aspects like environment, hydrocarbons, marine economy, renewable energy and exploration of continental shelf.
• The blue economy also forms part of the economic agenda of the Indian Ocean Commission and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
• Since 2015, India and Seychelles have been collaborating in the field of Blue economy. The cooperation will benefit India by:
• Enhancing India’s strategic cooperation in the field of blue economy;
• Commercial benefits from export of human resources, expertise and technology
• Increase India’s access to ocean-based resources in cooperation with Seychelles

Trade and Commerce:

• India is an important trading partner of Seychelles with a valuation of approximately 34.6 million USD as total trade
• Indian companies have been active on the island nation since 1978 and the local bus transportation in capital is run by TATA and Ashok Leyland.
• Seychelles’s mobile network is run by the Indian mobile network Airtel
• Seychelles banking services are developed by the Indian software company – Polaris Software Lab.
• Indian exports to Seychelles between 2015 and 2016 were around 0.02% (USD 32.56 million dollars) of total India’s exports. Imports stood at USD 1.17 million.
• The major products of exports to Seychelles are motor cars and vehicles, cereals, medicaments and insulated wires and cables

Strategic foothold in Indian Ocean Region:

• The Assumption Island in Seychelles and Agalega in the Mauritius along with India’s listening post in Madagascar are strategically important for India in the Indian Ocean Region.
• India can effectively monitor the activities of foreign navies in the Indian Ocean region with the development of a naval base in the region
• Further, the growing Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean Region highlights the need for having a strong foothold in the region and Seychelles is crucial for it. A naval base in Assumption Island of the Seychelles will help India limit the increasing presence of China in the region.

Indo-French Maritime Cooperation:

• France has historical foothold and an influential Diaspora in Seychelles. Further, France has renewed its security cooperation with Seychelles. France has offered support in capability building and managing maritime security threats
• India and France have common interests in Indian Ocean Region and Seychelles can play an important node for India-France maritime cooperation

Security Issues:

• East African nations have struggled to keep up with the rapidly evolving maritime security scenarios.
• There is growing menace of piracy off the Mozambique coast which is an important channel for trade destined for and from the Indian Ocean Region. The issue of piracy has also adversely affected Indian trade along the route.
• India and Seychelles has coastal surveillance radar project. The project aims at better management and responding to maritime security threats.

UN Permanent Seat:

• Having good diplomatic ties with Seychelles might help in securing Seychelles vote which will further add to India’s claim for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council.

Issues and Challenges

The China Factor:

• Recently, the Indian Ocean Region has become increasingly contested. China has secured diplomatic, military, and economic arrangements with countries such as Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Pakistan
• India is concerned over encirclement by China through the strategy referred to as the “string of pearls” initiative.
• The increasing Chinese ties with Seychelles has risen concerns for India as it tries to limit growing Chinese presence in the IOR

Internal issues in Seychelles

• The Assumption Island Project has halted due to a number of setbacks
• The biggest setback came when Detailed Project Report (DPR) was leaked on YouTube raising concerns over the nature of the deal
• To remove fear that the Island was sold off to India and getting amidst Indo-China dispute, revisions were made in the deal. The revised deal included clarifications about the non-use of the facility for war purposes
• However, protests over the deal continued and it faced much political opposition. As a result, the deal was not ratified in the Seychelles Parliament

Chequebook Diplomacy

• India unlike China does not have economic leverage to deploy its resources as been manifested by the latter through its Belt Road Initiative and other interventions witnessed in Africa and South Asian countries

Way Forward:

• India’s assistance to Sechyelles in the areas from defence, human capacity building, tourism and infrastructure is accordance to SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) initiative which aims to ensure free, open and inclusive Indian Ocean Region
• Seychelles is an integral part of the Project Mausam-which aims to restore India’s ancient maritime routes and cultural links with nations in the Indian Ocean Region. This furthers India’s formidable stand to counter China’s growing presence in the region.
• Through various initiatives India has been engaging diplomatically, economically and strategically with Seychelles and other Island nations to keep its foothold in the Indian Ocean Region intact.