Current Affairs - Places In News

In April 2024, India initiated process to send holy water from Sarayu river for consecration ceremony of Seetha Amma Temple in Sri Lanka, strengthening bilateral ties.

• Ceremony on May 19 follows request from Sri Lanka for sacred water.
• UP Tourism Department tasked with transporting holy water.
• Initiative hailed by Ram Temple Trust for enhancing cultural relations.
• Temple construction in Sri Lanka marks significant spiritual bond.
• Temple symbolizes reverence for Goddess Sita and historic significance.

On 22nd April 2024, Defence Minister, accompanied by Army Chief, visited Siachen, the world’s highest battlefield, to assess India’s military readiness.

• Review conducted over a week after Indian Army's 40th anniversary in Siachen.
• Singh, along with Army Chief Gen. Manoj Pande, evaluates security situation.
• Interaction with soldiers deployed at Siachen highlights frontline engagement.
• Siachen Glacier, at 20,000 feet, poses extreme challenges to soldiers.
• Indian Army's 'Operation Meghdoot' established full control in April 1984.
• Continued reinforcement of Indian Army's presence in Siachen.
• Landmark deployment of a woman Army officer at Siachen in January last year.
• Siachen control symbolizes Indian Army's resilience and technological advancements.

In April 2024, Mount Ruang in Indonesia's North Sulawesi erupted, sending columns of smoke and lava, prompting evacuations as authorities maintain highest alert level.

• Volcanology agency confirms eruption, with plume rising 400 meters above peak.
• Highest alert level maintained, indicating ongoing volcanic activity.
• Residents advised to stay at least six kilometers away from the crater.
• Indonesia, part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire", experiences frequent seismic and volcanic events.
• Evacuations continue as authorities monitor the situation closely.

Adani Group establishes world's largest renewable energy park in Gujarat's Khavda region, with a colossal 45 GW capacity.

• Initially barren and lacking infrastructure, Khavda's potential recognized by Gautam Adani, prompting extensive development.
• Solar panels and windmills installed to harness abundant solar radiation and strong wind speeds.
• Adani Green Energy Ltd to invest Rs 1.5 lakh crore to generate 30 GW of clean electricity, aiming for 500 GW from non-fossil sources by 2030.
• Park's strategic location near Pakistan border presents unique challenges, including sandstorms and remote accessibility.
• Extensive infrastructure development, including roads, drainage systems, and water treatment plants, undertaken to support the project.

On 7th April, India illuminated Qutub Minar in Rwandan flag colors, commemorating 1994 genocide.

• Secretary Dammu Ravi attends Rwanda's 30th genocide commemoration.
• Rwanda marks 30 years since the devastating 1994 genocide.
• President Kagame leads commemoration in Kigali, with global leaders.
• Former US President Clinton present, acknowledges administration's failure.
• Dammu Ravi visits Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya, discusses bilateral interests.

Authorities in Khabarovsk, Russia, declare a state of emergency after a radiation source is found near residential areas.

• State of emergency declared in Khabarovsk, Russia, due to a radiation source discovery.
• Elevated radiation levels detected near a power pylon close to residential buildings.
• No injuries reported; citizens' health not threatened, says Russia's consumer safety watchdog.
• Radiation levels to be monitored for the next two days.
• Investigation underway to determine the source of radiation.

Paradip Port achieved a record-breaking cargo throughput of 145.38 million tonnes in FY24.

• Surpasses Deendayal Port to become India's largest major port in terms of cargo volumes.
• Achieves highest-ever coastal shipping traffic of 59.19 million metric tonnes in FY24.
• Thermal coal shipping reaches 43.97 million metric tonnes, contributing to growth trajectory.
• Poised to cross the 300 million tonnes capacity mark with the commissioning of the Western Dock project.
• Freezes tariff for cargo handling at 2022 levels for the next 3 years to promote business development.
• Declares northern dock capable of handling 16 meters draught cape vessels, enhancing operational capabilities.

On 9th March, PM revealed a 125-foot bronze statue of Ahom general Lachit Borphukan at his burial site in Assam's Jorhat district.

• The statue is part of the Lachit Barphukan Maidam Development Project at Hollongapar, spanning 16.5 acres and aimed at boosting tourism. The project cost is Rs 214 crore.
• Lachit Borphukan was a celebrated army commander of the Ahom kingdom known for his victory in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat against the Mughal forces, led by Raja Ramsingh-I.
• Renowned sculptor Ram Vanji Sutar crafted the statue, previously acclaimed for the Statue of Unity in Gujarat.
• Besides the statue, the project includes a gallery showcasing the Ahom dynasty's history, another gallery focusing on contemporary Assam, and the construction of an auditorium with a capacity of 500 people.

Recently, Union Railways Minister announced that trains are expected to ply on the Chenab bridge, which is being claimed as the world's highest railway bridge, by January-February 2024.

• The Chenab bridge is situated at a height of 359 m, making it taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, which stands at 330 m.
• The Chenab bridge will pave the way for trains to run seamlessly along the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, connecting Kashmir to the rest of India.
• The plan is to run Vande Bharat trains along the stretch and also Vande Metro trains between Jammu and Srinagar.
• Running Vande Metro trains between Jammu and Srinagar will reduce the travelling time between the two towns to 3.5 hours.

On March 19, 2023, the UAE-based Emaar Group, known for developing the Burj Khalifa, announced its first foreign direct investment (FDI) project in Jammu and Kashmir.

• The project will include the development of a shopping mall and an IT tower in Srinagar, which will create new job opportunities.
• The "Mall of Srinagar" will cover 10-lakh sq. feet and will have 500 shops, many of which will be run by UAE-based companies.
• The overall investment for the project is estimated to be Rs 500 crore.
• The announcement was made on the day of an India-UAE investors' meet hosted in Srinagar, which was considered a unique opportunity for discussing investment opportunities in J&K.

On March 1, 2023, Education Minister announced in the presence of other dignitaries that Deakin University and University of Wollongong would become the first foreign education institutions to establish campuses in GIFT City, Gujarat.

GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City) is a planned business district in Gujarat, India, designed to provide state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities for businesses in the finance and technology sectors.

Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has declared Andaman and Nicobar Islands as India’s first Swachh Sujal Pradesh.

• With this accomplishment, all villages on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have received the Har Ghar Jal certification and have been verified as ODF plus open defecation free.

There are three important components of Sujal and Swachh state:

1. Safe and secure drinking water supply and management;
2. ODF Plus: ODF Sustainability and Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM), and
3. Cross-cutting interventions like convergence, IEC, action planning, etc.

Recently, about hundred bottlenose dolphins were slaughtered in the Faroe Islands, marking the biggest hunt of this species to take place in 124 years.

• It is a tradition that dates back around 1,200 years. The latest hunt occurred during Ólavsøka, a summer festival that takes place every year on July 29.
• The Faroe Islands are located in the North Atlantic Ocean at 62º latitude North and 7º longitude West. It is part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

The National Monument Authority recently submitted a report to the Union Ministry of Culture to declare Mangarh Hillock a ‘Monument of National Importance’.

• The hillock, situated at the Gujarat-Rajasthan border, is a site of a tribal uprising where a massacre of over 1500 Bhil tribal freedom fighters took place in 1913.
• The place is also known as the Adivasi Jallianwala.

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shri Anurag Singh Thakur recently visited the Allard Square in Saint Tropez in France.

• During his visit to the place, the Minister paid floral tributes at the busts of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (first Maharaja of Sikh Empire), Jean-Francois Allard (General in Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s army) and his spouse Princess Bannu Pan Dei (She was born in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh).
• Gen Allard was one of the officers in Napoleon’s court and entered into the service of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and rose to command the maharaja’s army.
• Allard is also credited with raising the ‘Fauj-i-Khas’, a model brigade in the lines of Napoleon’s army.
• While in Punjab, Allard fell in love with the princess of Chamba and married her and took her to St Tropez in 1834.
• Allard returned to Punjab and died in 1839 after a brief illness in Peshawar.
• Bannu Pan Dei continued to live in a large house built by Allard in St Tropez. She passed away in 1884.
• The busts of the Maharaja and Bannu Pan Dei were unveiled in St Tropez in 2016 as a mark of growing India-France relationship.

• It is the highest volcano in Indonesia that recently erupted.
• It is located in Lumajang district in East Java province.
• Indonesia, an archipelago, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity because it sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped series of fault lines.

• Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has announced a special package worth 13 crore rupees for the development of tourism infrastructure and amenities at Nongkhnum Island in West Khasi Hills district.
• Nongkhnum is known as the second largest river island in Asia after Majuli in Assam.

• Recently, Croatian scientists have issued a public appeal for the protection of the Adriatic Sea, stressing that this is a precondition for the sustainable development of the society.
• The scientists claim that the changes are irreversible, from the increase in the temperature of the Adriatic Sea, the increase in levels and salinity to the appearance of storm waves.
• The scientists claim that various non-domicile, thermophilic species of fish, algae, bacteria and gelatinous organisms are increasingly appearing in the Adriatic.
• These invasive and poisonous organisms might significantly changes the biodiversity of the Adriatic Sea, according to the scientists.
• One of the phenomena includes the mass appearance of jellyfish, which ultimately harms tourism.
• Tourist activities with climate change put the greatest pressure on the Adriatic, and the consequence is that a larger amount of various harmful substances come into the sea.
• The danger for the Adriatic is also due to uncontrolled construction along the coast.

About Adriatic Sea

Source: Wikipedia

• The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans.
• The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to the northwest and the Po Valley.
• The countries with coasts on the Adriatic are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Montenegro and Slovenia.
• The Adriatic contains more than 1,300 islands, mostly located along the Croatian part of its eastern coast. It is divided into three basins, the northern being the shallowest and the southern being the deepest.

• On 23 September 2021, the foundation stone was laid for the development of Parshuram Kund located at Lohit District of Arunachal Pradesh.
• Parshuram Kund is a Hindu pilgrimage site is dedicated to sage Parshuram.
• Devotees and sadhus take a holy dip in its water each year on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, in the month of January.
• The project is sanctioned under the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive’ (PRASHAD) Scheme of Ministry of Tourism.
• The ‘National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive’ (PRASHAD) is a Central Sector Scheme with complete financial assistance by the Government of India.

• On 14 August 2021, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the Tiburon Peninsula in the Caribbean nation of Haiti on the island of Hispaniola. With more than 8,200 buildings damaged or destroyed, and deaths currently estimated at 1,297. It is currently the deadliest earthquake of 2021.
• According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred as a result of oblique-reverse faulting on the Enriquillo–Plantain Garden fault zone. The fault is a transform plate boundary that separates the Caribbean Plate from the Gonave Microplate.
• Earlier, Haiti witnessed another worst earthquake in 2010 that killed some 300,000 people.

• Recently, the Swarnim Vijay Varsh Victory Flame was taken to this Island.
• The Landfall Island is the northernmost Island of the Andaman & Nicobar Island chain.
• The island is situated between North Andaman Island and Myanmar's Coco Islands. It is separated from North Andaman Island by the Cleugh Passage.

• The Taliban militants have recently captured the strategic border crossing of Spin Boldak along the frontier with Pakistan.
• Spin Boldak is a border town and the headquarters of Spin Boldak District in the southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan, next to the border with Pakistan.
• It is linked by a highway with the city of Kandahar to the north, and with Chaman and Quetta in Pakistan to the south.
• Spin Boldak has the second major port of entry between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Wesh-Chaman border crossing. It is also a major transporting, shipping and receiving site between the two neighboring countries.

• Recently Islam Qala had fallen to the Taliban.
• It is a border town in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, near the Afghanistan–Iran border. It is the official entry by land from neighboring Taybad, Iran.
• It plays an important role when it comes to the economy of Afghanistan because a substantial volume of trade between Afghanistan and other countries passes through this town.

• The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) rescued nine crew members from sinking vessel Ganga-I off Cinque Island on June 23, 2021.
• The Cinque Islands are a pair of islands in the Andaman Archipelago, on the north side of Duncan Passage, between Rutland Island and Passage Island. They are part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory of India.
  • North Cinque Island: North Cinque Island or Gue-a-lue is an uninhabited island of the Andaman Islands.
  • South Cinque Island: South Cinque Island or Ga-o-ta-koi is an uninhabited island of the Andaman Islands.
• The Cinque Islands are a famous underwater diving spot. The strait between North Cinque and Rutland is called Manners Strait.

• PM Narendra Modi addressed an event at Sivasagar's Jerenga Pothar, an open field where the legendary Joymati sacrificed her life for her husband in the 17th century.
• Formerly known as Rangpur, Sivasagar was the seat of the powerful Ahom dynasty, who ruled Assam for six centuries (1228-1826).
• From 1671 to 1681, the Ahom kingdom was undergoing a period of tumult under ‘ministerial superiority’, meaning the nobles and prime ministers were more important than the king, who were often puppets.
• It was at this time that Sulikhpaa— also known as ‘Lora Raja’ or the boy prince — and his prime minister Laluksala Borphukan were tracking down, and killing, possible heirs, to ensure a clear passage to the throne.
• Prince Godapani, Joymoti’s husband, was next in line, but he escaped to the Naga Hills before Lora Raja and his men could capture him.
• It was then that Lora Raja sought out Godapani’s wife Joymoti, hoping she would tell him about his whereabouts “However, despite being tortured for days, tied to a thorny plant, in an open field, Joymoti refused to divulge any information. She died, sacrificing her life for her husband, who ultimately became the king, ushering in an era of stability and peace in Assam.

• Recently, there is discussions/collusion towards renaming Aurangabad city in Maharashtra as Sambahji Nagar.
• Originally called Khadki, the city in its present-day avatar was founded in 1610 by the Deccan-based military commander Malik Ambar (Nijamshahi dynasty), originally a slave from Ethiopia, who relentlessly fought against the Mughals.
• Malik Ambar’s son Fateh Khan later changed its name to Fatehnagar.
• In 1636, Aurangzeb, who had not yet become the Mughal emperor, captured Fatehnagar and made it part of the Mughal empire.
• In 1653, he renamed it Aurangabad, and it was made the regional capital of the Mughal Empire.
• He tortured and later killed Chhatrapati Sambahji Maharaj, son of Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Aurangabad where he lived until his death.
• After the Mughals’ hold over power weakened in the early 18th century, Aurangabad became part of the Hyderabad Nizams’ territory.
• It was part of the Bombay state briefly after India attained independence.
• Since the formation of Maharashtra in 1960, Aurangabad has been a part of the state.

• Recently, China had objected to the grant for Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS) in eastern Bhutan’s Trashigang district bordering India and China, claiming that the location was disputed, during the virtual meeting of the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
• The GEF Council gathered to decide on funding for various environmental projects across the world. The work programme was adopted, as the majority of the GEF council members supported Bhutan’s view and the draft summary of the chair was approved by the council, despite objection from the Chinese council member.
• Bhutan’s western and middle sector (Jakarlung, PasamlungChumbi Valley) have been in dispute with China but, the eastern sector has not been part of the boundary talks and China had not claimed rights over Sakteng wildlife sanctuary earlier.