Partition Horrors Remembrance Day

Context: Prime Minister Modi paid  homage to the resilience of survivors on Partition Horrors Remembrance Day recalling the tragedy of Partition.

About Partition Horrors Remembrance Day

• Partition Horrors Remembrance Day (Vibhajan Vibhishika Smriti Diwas) is observed every year on 14th August.
• Origin: The Government of India declared 14th August as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day in 2021.
• Significance: The day honours those who lost their lives or were displaced, and ensures that future generations remain aware of the pain that accompanied India’s birth as an independent nation.

About the Partition

• The Indian Independence Act, 1947, passed by the British Parliament, provided for the partition of British India authorising the creation of two dominions India and Pakistan from 15th August 1947.
• It dissolved British suzerainty over princely states, allowing them to accede to either dominion.
• It provided for the division of assets, armed forces, and administrative machinery between the two nations.

Impact of Partition

• Mass Migration: Around 12–15 million people were displaced across the new India–Pakistan border in 1947, with migration largely determined by religious identity—Hindus and Sikhs moving to India, Muslims to Pakistan.
• Violence and Atrocities: Partition caused over 1 million deaths, widespread communal violence, and abduction of nearly 75,000 women, leaving lasting scars on society.
• Prolonged Impact: Families were uprooted, livelihoods destroyed, and communities torn apart, with trauma lasting for generations.

AITIGA Joint Committee

Context: Recently, India hosted the 10th Meeting of the ASEAN–India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) Joint Committee at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi.

About the Committee

• Purpose: To review and strengthen AITIGA, focusing on enhancing trade facilitation, accessibility, and effectiveness, building upon progress from eight previous negotiation rounds.
• Sub-Committees: Seven sub-committees met on the margins:
  • Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation (SC-CPTF)
  • Legal and Institutional Issues (SC-LII)
  • National Treatment and Market Access (SC-NTMA)
  • Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SC-SPS)
  • Rules of Origin (SC-ROO)
  • Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures (SC-STRACAP)
  • Trade Remedies (SC-TR)
• These sub-committees advanced detailed discussions aligned with the broader review process.

About ASEAN–India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA)

• Introduction: AITIGA is a comprehensive trade pact between India and ASEAN, forming a central pillar of their economic partnership.
• Establishment: The agreement was signed in 2009 and implemented from January 2010, marking India’s first major FTA with a regional bloc.
• Purpose: AITIGA aims to eliminate tariffs, expand market access, and simplify trade procedures, thereby deepening economic integration and boosting regional value chains.

About India–ASEAN Trade

• Trade Volume: ASEAN accounts for about 11% of India’s global trade, with bilateral trade reaching USD 123 billion in 2024–25.
• Nature of Trade: Key sectors include electronics, machinery, textiles, agricultural products, petroleum, and pharmaceuticals, reflecting the complementary strengths of India and ASEAN economies.

Sri Aurobindo Ghosh

Context: On 15 August 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to Sri Aurobindo Ghosh on his 153rd birth anniversary, recalling his contributions to spirituality, philosophy, and India’s nation-building.

About Sri Aurobindo Ghosh

• Early Life: Sri Aurobindo was born on 15 August 1872 in Calcutta.
  • He received early education in a Christian convent school in Darjeeling before pursuing higher studies in England at the University of Cambridge.
• Return to India: He returned to India in 1893 and held various administrative and professorial posts in Baroda from 1893 to 1906.

Contribution to Freedom Struggle

• Between 1902 and 1910, Aurobindo actively participated in India’s nationalist movement, calling for complete independence from British rule.
• In 1906 he joined as principal of National College, Calcutta but resigned the post in 1907 to join the National Freedom Movement.
• He edited the nationalist newspaper Bande Mataram (1905), inspiring youth with radical thought.
• He organized a secret society called ‘Lotus and Dagger’ for the upliftment of his motherland. 
• His political activities led to imprisonment in the Alipore Bomb Case (1908).
• In 1910, he moved to Pondicherry (then a French colony), where he withdrew from active politics to pursue spiritual practice and development of his philosophy of Integral Yoga.

Spiritual Contributions

• In 1926, he founded the Sri Aurobindo Ashram at Pondicherry, attracting seekers of spiritual transformation.
• He propounded the philosophy of Integral Yoga, aimed at achieving a divine life on earth by harmonising matter, life, mind, and the higher principle of the Supermind.

Literary Contributions

• Bande Mataram (newspaper, 1905)
• Bases of Yoga
• Bhagavad Gita and Its Message
• The Future Evolution of Man
• Rebirth and Karma
• Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol
• The Hour of God

Legacy: Sri Aurobindo passed away on 5 December 1950 in Pondicherry, leaving behind a legacy of philosophy, poetry, and nationalistic thought that continues to inspire India and the world.

Recognitions

• Romain Rolland regarded him as the highest synthesis of the genius of the East and the West and the ‘Prince among the Indian thinkers’.
• Tagore painted him as the ‘Messiah of Indian culture and civilisation’
• C.R. Das called Aurobindo as the ‘poet of patriotism, the prophet of nationalism and the lover of humanity’

Arctic Reindeer

Context: A new study (2025) warns that Arctic reindeer or the North American caribou populations could decline by up to 80% by 2100 due to climate change impacts.

About Arctic Reindeer

• Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) are large herbivorous mammals adapted to cold environments and are central to Arctic ecosystems.
• Adaptability: They are highly adapted to the cold.
• Their hollow hairs trap insulating air, their noses warm incoming air, facial hair grows long in winter to shield the muzzle, and they lower extremity temperatures (their legs become colder) to conserve body heat.
• Unique Feature: They can grow antlers with up to 44 points  which can grow to 1.4 metres long in males.
  • This is the only deer species in which females also have antlers.
• Habitat: They inhabit tundra and boreal forest regions across North America, Europe, and Eurasia.
• Ecological Importance: Reindeer play an important role in Arctic ecology by controlling plant diversity and influencing nutrient cycles.
• Threats: Climate change poses the greatest threat by altering food availability, snow cover, and migration routes.
  • Warming temperatures trigger habitat shifts and increase insect harassment, reducing survival rates.
  • Rapid loss of ice and permafrost threatens ecosystems by releasing soil carbon.
  • Human activities, including oil exploration, mining, and infrastructure, further fragment habitats.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable

About Arctic 

• The Arctic is the northernmost polar region of Earth.
  • It includes the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Alaska (US), Canada, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden.
• India engaged with the Arctic by signing the Svalbard Treaty in 1920.

Bioactive Peptides

Context: Recent study shows that bioactive peptides in fermented foods can support personalized nutrition for India’s diverse population, varying by genetic and dietary factors.

What are Bioactive Peptides?

• Bioactive peptides (BAPs) are short protein fragments, usually 2–20 amino acids long, formed during food fermentation, digestion, or enzymatic hydrolysis.
• Sources: Common fermented foods rich in bioactive peptides include yogurt, idli, miso, natto, kimchi, dhokla and fermented fish, which are widely consumed across cultures.

Significance of Bioactive Peptides

• Health Regulation: BAPs can help manage blood pressure, blood sugar, immunity, and inflammation.
• Functional Properties: They exhibit antimicrobial, antioxidant, antihypertensive, and immune-modulatory effects.
• Population-specific Benefits: Their effectiveness varies across populations due to genetic polymorphisms, gut microbiota composition, dietary habits, and health conditions.
• Precision Nutrition Potential: They support personalised dietary interventions, aligning with India’s diverse genetic and cultural food patterns.

Humayun’s Tomb

Context: Recently, six people died after a roof and wall collapsed at Dargah Sharif Patte Shah, located near Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi.

About Humayun’s Tomb

• Built in 1570, Humayun’s Tomb was the first major garden tomb in the Indian subcontinent, influencing later Mughal monuments, including the Taj Mahal.
• Built By: The tomb was commissioned by Empress Bega Begum (Haji Begum), Humayun’s first wife.
• Designed by : Persian architects Mirak Mirza Ghiyas and his son Sayyid Muhammad.
• Unique Features
• • It introduced the charbagh garden style with symmetrical quadrants and water channels.
  • The mausoleum rests on a high-terraced platform with a double dome clad in marble.
  • Known as the “Dormitory of the Mughals”, it houses over 150 graves of Mughal family members.
  • It is surrounded by several monuments like Nila Gumbad and Isa Khan’s tomb.
• UNESCO Heritage Status: Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
  • The tomb has been restored by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.

About Humayun

• Humayun (1508–1556), the eldest son of Babur, was the second Mughal emperor whose reign was marked by political struggles, exile, and later restoration of power.
• Early Reign and Challenges: He inherited administrative and financial instability, faced defeats at Chausa (1539) and Kannauj (1540) against Sher Shah Suri, and spent 15 years in exile.
• Return and Influence: With Persian support, he regained Delhi in 1555 but died in 1556.
• Legacy: His reign was documented in Gulbadan Begum’s Humayun-Nama.

DOWNLOAD PDF