Project Deepak
Context: Project Deepak of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) celebrated its 66th Raising Day on May 04.
About Project Deepak
- Project Deepak is a strategic road construction project of the Border Roads Organisation, established in 1961.
- Area of Operation: Covers strategic districts of Himachal Pradesh (Shimla, Kinnaur, Kullu, and Lahaul-Spiti), focusing on border connectivity.
- Strategic Infrastructure: Built and maintains key routes like the Hindustan–Tibet Road and parts of the Manali–Leh axis, crucial for defence logistics and mobility.
- Role in National Security: Manages 1,100+ km of high-altitude roads, ensuring connectivity to remote border areas and strengthening military preparedness.
- Disaster Response: Actively involved in rescue and relief operations, e.g., evacuating 300+ motorists (Baralachala, 2023).
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Border Roads Organisation (BRO)
- Establishment: BRO was set up in 1960 to develop and maintain road infrastructure in border areas.
- Ministry: Functions under the Ministry of Defence, highlighting its strategic and defence role.
- Primary Role: Builds and maintains border roads, tunnels, bridges, and airfields in difficult terrains like the Himalayas and deserts.
- Strategic Importance: Ensures connectivity to remote border regions, enhancing military logistics and national security.
Project Freedom
Context: US President Donald Trump has launched “Project Freedom” amid escalating United States–Iran tensions and disruption of the Strait of Hormuz.
About Project Freedom
- Project Freedom is an initiative of the United States Navy to guide stranded commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Objective: Restore maritime traffic and global energy supply chains, as the strait handles ~20% of world oil trade.
- Security Measures: Creation of an enhanced security zone, with deployment of guided-missile destroyers, 100+ aircraft, and ~15,000 personnel.
- Initiative arises amid U.S.–Iran tensions, naval blockade, and mine threats, making usual shipping routes hazardous.
- Significance: The initiative will ensure freedom of navigation, stabilise global oil markets, but risks escalation with Iran and fragile ceasefire breakdown.
National AI Skilling Programme for the Creative Sector
Context: The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB), in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), had launched a national AI skilling initiative for the creative sector.
About the National AI Skilling Programme for the Creative Sector
- Partnership: The programme was developed in partnership with Google and YouTube.
- Scholarships: Provides 15,000 AI skill scholarships for creative sectors like media, animation, gaming, and digital storytelling.
- Objective: To build a skilled AI-ready workforce in media, entertainment, animation, gaming, and digital storytelling.
- Nodal Agency: Implemented by Indian Institute of Creative Technologies with curriculum support from industry partners.
- Two-Phase Training:
- Foundation (Online): Covering Generative AI, prompting, responsible AI.
- Specialisation (Hybrid): Project-based practical training in creative production and AI tools.
- Significance: Strengthens India’s creative economy, promotes AI adoption, and enhances employment opportunities in digital industries.
Syama Prasad Mookerjee
Context: After Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) first-ever victory in West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the Bengali leader who founded the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) predecessor, Bharatiya Jana Sangh, in 1951.
About Syama Prasad Mookerjee
- Birth: He was born on July 6, 1901.
- Education: He studied at Presidency College in Calcutta and at Lincoln’s Inn in London.
- Academic Achievement: He became the youngest Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta at the age of 33.
Political Career
- Early Legislative Career: He was elected to the Bengal Legislative Council in 1929 and 1930, first as a member of the Indian National Congress and later as an independent.
- Role in Provincial Government (1941–1942): He served as Finance Minister in the Progressive Coalition government led by A. K. Fazlul Huq, which was formed in opposition to the All-India Muslim League.
- Approach to Communal Harmony: He emphasised the need for cooperation between Hindus and Muslims for effective governance.
- Hindu Mahasabha Leadership: Syama Prasad Mookerjee was the President of the Hindu Mahasabha (1943–46).
- Role in Government: At that time, he was serving as Minister of Industry and Supply in the government led by Jawaharlal Nehru.
Resignation over Nehru–Liaquat Pact
- Agreement between India and Pakistan: In April 1950, Jawaharlal Nehru and Liaquat Ali Khan (then Prime Minister of Pakistan) signed the Nehru–Liaquat Pact calling upon both countries to provide equality, freedom and justice to their minorities.
- Demand for Enforcement Mechanism: Mookerjee argued for the inclusion of a penal clause to provide for sanctions against the side that failed to honour the agreement.
- Resignation from Cabinet: When such a provision was not included, he resigned from the Cabinet.
- Political Reorientation: Following his resignation, he founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh with support from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
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Mexico City
Context: Recent imagery by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) shows Mexico City sinking at about 25 cm/year.
- Data is derived from the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar Mission (NISAR), a joint mission of NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Key Facts
- Rate of Subsidence: Nearly 2 centimetres per month, amounting to about 24–25 centimetres per year in some areas.
- Cumulative Impact: More than 12 metres of sinking has occurred over the past century.
- Affected Landmarks: Key sites such as the main airport, the Angel of Independence, and the Metropolitan Cathedral show visible tilting.
- Scale of Exposure: Around 22 million people are affected across nearly 7,800 square kilometres.
Causes of Subsidence
- Geological Base: Mexico City is built on the former bed of Lake Texcoco, consisting of soft and highly compressible clay, which makes it highly prone to land subsidence.
- Groundwater Extraction: Excessive withdrawal has depleted aquifers, leading to gradual land subsidence.
- Urban Pressure: Rapid urbanisation has increased stress on fragile land and water systems.
Impact of Subsidence
- Infrastructure Damage: Subsidence is damaging metro systems, drainage networks, water supply systems, roads, and housing.
- Water Crisis: Aquifer depletion has intensified urban water scarcity.
- Structural Instability: Uneven subsidence has caused tilting of buildings and weakening of foundations.
Significance of NISAR Mission
- Real Time Monitoring: Enables high resolution tracking of land deformation.
- Subsurface Insights: Helps understand aquifer behaviour and underground changes.
- Global Utility: Useful for disaster warning, fault line monitoring, and climate change studies.
About Mexico City
- Location: It is the Capital of Mexico, located in the Valley of Mexico.
- Altitude: Situated at about 2,200 metres above sea level.
- Seismicity: Located in a seismically active zone, prone to earthquakes.
India’s First Paperless Judiciary, Sikkim
Context: Sikkim became India’s first paperless State judiciary, declared by the Supreme Court of India, marking a milestone in digital justice delivery.
About Paperless Judiciary
- A paperless judiciary refers to a fully digital court system where filing, hearings, records, and case management are conducted electronically without physical paperwork.
- Key Features
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- E-Filing and Digital Documentation: Cases, affidavits, and evidence are submitted online, eliminating the need for physical filing and reducing procedural delays.
- Virtual Hearings: Courts conduct proceedings via video conferencing, enabling remote participation of litigants, lawyers, and judges.
- Real-Time Case Tracking: Digital platforms allow parties to monitor case status, orders, and judgments instantly, enhancing transparency.
Key Features of Sikkim’s Updated Judiciary System
- End-to-End Digitisation: Entire judicial processes—from filing to judgment delivery—are conducted electronically, ensuring seamless workflow.
- Integration of AI Tools: Use of tools like SUPACE (Supreme Court Portal for Assistance in Court’s Efficiency) and SUVAS ((Supreme Court Vidhik Anuvaad Software) enhances legal research, translation, and case management efficiency.
- Expanded Access via e-Seva Kendras: Physical facilitation centres assist citizens lacking digital literacy, ensuring inclusivity.
- Alignment with e-Courts Mission Mode Project: Sikkim’s model reflects Phase III goals of the national digital judiciary initiative focusing on full digitisation and integration.
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Advantages of a Paperless Judiciary
- Improved Access to Justice: Digital platforms reduce geographical barriers, especially benefiting remote and hilly regions.
- Enhanced Efficiency: Automation and reduced paperwork streamline processes, leading to faster case disposal.
- Greater Transparency and Accountability: Real-time updates and digital records make judicial processes more open and traceable.
Sikkim’s initiative demonstrates that a digital judiciary can enhance efficiency and access, but inclusive infrastructure and safeguards are essential for equitable and secure justice delivery.
5 May 2026
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