05 Feb 2022: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Statue of Equality
2. ICRISAT
3. One District One Product

1. Statue of Equality

Syllabus: GS I, Indian Heritage and Culture

Prelims: Statue of Equality

Mains: Contributions of Indian philosophers and spiritual thinkers towards promoting equality and harmony

Context: In order to promote the doctrine of equality, the Prime Minister unveiled the 216 feet tall statue of saint Shri Ramanujacharya in Hyderabad. This statue has been recognised as the Statue of Equality commemorating the venerable personality on his 1000th birth anniversary. 

About the Statue of Equality:

Image source: www.thehindubusinessline.com

• This statue is made of panchaloha which is a combination of five metals namely gold, silver, copper, brass and zinc. 
• It is mounted on a 54 feet high base building named ‘Bhadra Vedi’. 
• The Bhadra Vedi has floors devoted to a Vedic digital library and research centre, ancient Indian texts, a theatre, an educational gallery detailing many works of Shri Ramanujacharya.
• The statue was installed in the ashram of Sri Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar Swamy. 
• The statue has been conceptualised by Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swami of Sri Ramanujacharya ashram. 
• The launch programme witnessed a 3D presentation mapping on the life journey and teaching of Shri Ramanujacharya.
• The statue is surrounded by Divya Desams which are ornately carved temples. 

Shri Ramanujacharya: 

• Shri Ramanujacharya, the 11th century Bhakti Saint, advocated the message of equality that was propagated across humanity. 
• He put forth his composition for Sanskrit Granth and gave the Tamil language equal importance in Bhakti Marg. 
• He preached the concept of equality among people irrespective of caste and creed which is also reflected in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. 
• Ramanujacharya aimed to promote the Vishishtadvaita philosophy which attempted to drive away from blind faith. 
• Vishishtadvaita philosophy is the non-dualistic school of Vedanta philosophy. 
• Bhakti which is a reverence towards the divine entity formed an integral part of his teachings.
• He fought for the entry of Dalits into the temples and propagated that for a human being, the character is important and not caste.

Also read: Bhakti Movement – Origin, Saints, Timeline.

2. ICRISAT

Syllabus: GS III, Issues of buffer stocks and food security

Prelims: About ICRISAT

Mains: Interventions of government and international agencies to tackle climate change

Context: The Prime Minister addressed the 50th anniversary of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Patancheru, Hyderabad along with the inauguration of ICRISAT’s Climate Change research facility on Plant Protection and Rapid Generation Advancement Facility. 

About the Institute:

• ICRISAT is an international organisation that conducts agricultural research for the development in Asia & sub-Saharan Africa.
• It was founded in 1972 by a consortium of organisations convened by the Ford and Rockefeller foundations. 
• Its charter was signed by the FAO and the UNDP. 
• It is managed by a full-term Director-General functioning under the overall guidance of an international governing board. 
• It assists farmers in the improvement of crop varieties and hybrids. 
• This institute also provides guidance to the farmers to fight the implications of climate change through various research projects and the upcoming plans to establish facilities to help the farmers adopt a climate-resilient ecosystem. 
• It is headquartered in Patancheru in Hyderabad with several regional centres at Bamako, Nairobi, Niamey, Kano, Addis Ababa. 
• Ever since its inception, India has granted the institute a special status as a UN Organisation operating in the Indian subcontinent with immunities and tax privileges.

3. One District One Product

Syllabus: GS II, Welfare Schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and the State 

Prelims: ODOP programme

Mains: Technological interventions to resolve the connectivity issues faced by the farmers

Context: Government offers a giant technology boost to the One District One Product Mission.

Details of the issue:

• Under the initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Lakadong Turmeric has been listed under the ODOP mission.
• For the first time, a fly-off event took place with the usage of drones for the delivery of the product from the hinterland.
• This model of technology infusion will be a landmark for resolving the connectivity issues of the farmers to bring their produce to the market. 
• The Lakadong Turmeric is grown in the West Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya with the highest curcumin content of about 7-9% which can be a major boost to the economy of the district. 
• Curcumin has a number of health benefits and it is used traditionally in Indian cuisine. It plays an exemplary role in anti-inflammatory responses and boosts immunity. 

Read more about the ODOP Mission in the linked article.

Read previous PIB here.

February 5th, 2022, PIB:- Download PDF Here