23rd India-Russia Annual Summit | 70th Mahaparinirvan Diwas | India’s Groundwater Contamination Crisis

23rd India-Russia Annual Summit

Syllabus: GS2/IR

Context

• India and Russia held their 23rd annual bilateral summit, marking a major milestone — 25 years of the Declaration on Strategic Partnership (2000).

Key Outcomes of the Visit

• Economic Programme 2030: The Leaders welcomed the adoption of the Programme for the Development of Strategic Areas of India – Russia Economic Cooperation till 2030 (Programme 2030).
• Trade Target: timely achievement of the revised bilateral trade target of USD 100 billion by 2030.
• Strategic Agreements Signed: India and Russia exchanged sixteen agreements in areas related to defence, trade, economy, healthcare, academics, culture and media.
• Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Push: Both sides are working towards the early conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union.
• Migration Cooperation: India will soon be launching a free 30-day e-tourist visa and a 30-day Group Tourist Visa for Russian citizens.
• Cooperation in Global and Multilateral Platforms: The Russian side has decided to join the International Big Cat Alliance.

70th Mahaparinirvan Diwas

Syllabus: GS1/History

In News

• President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tributes to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on Mahaparinirvan Diwas at the Parliament complex in New Delhi.

Mahaparinirvan Diwas

• Meaning – Parinirvana, regarded as one of the major principles as well as goals of Buddhism, is a Sanskrit term which means release or freedom after death.
• As per the Buddhist text ‘Mahaparinibbana Sutta’, the death of Lord Buddha at the age of 80 is considered as the original Mahaparinirvan.
• Observed on – 6th December is observed to commemorate the unfathomable contribution to society given by Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and his achievements.
• Owing to Dr. B.R.Ambedkar’s status as a Buddhist leader, his death anniversary is referred to as Mahaparinirvan Diwas.

Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar

• Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was a social reformer, jurist, economist, author, polyglot (knowing or using several languages), orator, a scholar and thinker of comparative religions.
• Birth – He was born in 1891 in Mhow, Central Province (now Madhya Pradesh).

Brief Profile

• He is known as the Father of the Indian Constitution and was India’s first Law Minister.
• He was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution.
• He was a well-known statesman who fought for the rights of the Dalits and other socially backward classes.

Contributions

• He led the Mahad Satyagraha in March 1927 against Hindus who were opposing the decision of the Municipal Board which had barred the untouchables from using water from the mahad tank.
• In 1926, the Municipal Board of Mahad (Maharashtra) passed an order to open the tank to all communities.
• He participated in all three Round Table Conferences.
• In 1932, Dr. Ambedkar signed the Poona pact with Mahatma Gandhiji, which abandoned the idea of separate electorates for the depressed classes (Communal Award).
• However, the seats reserved for the depressed classes were increased from 71 to 147 in provincial legislatures and to 18% of the total in the Central Legislature.
• His ideas before the Hilton Young Commission served as the foundation of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Election and Designation

• In 1937, he was elected to the Bombay Legislative Assembly as a legislator (MLA).
• He was appointed to the Executive Council of Viceroy as a Labour member in 1942.
• In 1947, Dr. Ambedkar accepted PM Nehru’s invitation to become Minister of Law in the first Cabinet of independent India.

Shift to Buddhism

• He resigned from the cabinet in 1951, over differences on the Hindu Code Bill. He converted to Buddhism in 1956.
• He was awarded India’s highest civilian honour the Bharat Ratna in 1990.

Important Works

Journals

• Mooknayak (1920), Bahishkrit Bharat (1927), Samatha (1929), Janata (1930).

Books

• Annihilation of Caste, Buddha or Karl Marx, The Untouchable: Who are They and Why They Have Become Untouchables
• Buddha and His Dhamma
• The Rise and Fall of Hindu Women

Organizations

• Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha (1923)
• Independent Labor Party (1936)
• Scheduled Castes Federation (1942)

Death

• He died on 6th December 1956.
• Chaitya Bhoomi is a memorial to B R Ambedkar, located in Mumbai.

Relevance of Ambedkar in Present Times

• Caste-based inequality in India still persists. While Dalits have acquired a political identity through reservation and forming their own political parties, they lag behind in social (health and education) and economic dimension.

India’s Groundwater Contamination Crisis

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment

Context

• The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) highlights a disturbing rise in toxic contaminants across India’s aquifers.

India’s Groundwater Contamination Crisis

• India holds 18% of the world’s population but only 4% of its freshwater resources, placing enormous pressure on available water systems.
• India depends on groundwater for about 85% of its rural drinking water needs and around 60% of irrigation water.

Crisis of Groundwater Contamination

• India’s aquifers show simultaneous contamination with, Arsenic, Fluoride, Nitrate, Uranium, Salinity and Heavy metals.

Government Initiatives

• Jal Shakti Abhiyan (2019): Focuses on water conservation and groundwater recharge in water-stressed districts.
• Amrit Sarovar Mission: Aims to develop and rejuvenate 75 water bodies per district.
• National Aquifer Mapping Program (NAQUIM): Helps delineate and understand aquifers for sustainable management.
• Atal Bhujal Yojana – It was launched to improve groundwater management in priority areas with critical and overexploited blocks.