Prelims Focus 19th May 2025

19/05/2025

97 3 minutes read

Gyan Bharatam Mission

In News: The Gyan Bharatam Mission is the revamped and restructured version of the National Manuscripts Mission, which is set to be launched by the Prime Minister of India on June 9, 2025.

What is the Gyan Bharatam Mission?

The mission is focused on the preservation, digitization, and dissemination of India’s vast manuscript heritage.
It aims to safeguard ancient manuscripts, many of which are invaluable for understanding India’s history, culture, science, and philosophy.
The initiative will leverage modern technology to make these manuscripts accessible to scholars, researchers, and the public globally.

Objectives of the Mission

Preservation: Protect and conserve fragile and ancient manuscripts that are at risk of deterioration.
Digitization: Convert physical manuscripts into digital formats to ensure their longevity and ease of access.
Research Facilitation: Provide a platform for scholars to study and interpret these manuscripts.
Public Awareness: Promote awareness about India’s rich manuscript heritage among the general public.
Integration with Modern Technology: Use AI, machine learning, and other advanced technologies for better cataloging, translation, and analysis.

Jammu & Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978

In News: Jammu & Kashmir Police have recently invoked the Public Safety Act (PSA) against 23 individuals in Srinagar, alleging their involvement in subversive activities and threats to national security and public order. These individuals are described as terror associates linked to proscribed terror outfits and miscreants engaged in public disturbances.

Key Provisions of the PSA

Detention Without Trial: The PSA allows authorities to detain individuals without formal charges or trial, even if the person is already in custody or recently granted bail.
No Right to Bail or Legal Representation: Detainees under the PSA cannot file bail applications or appoint lawyers, limiting their legal recourse.
Limited Legal Remedies: The only way to challenge a PSA detention is through a habeas corpus petition filed by relatives in higher courts.
Re-Detention: Even if a detention order is quashed by courts, the government can issue a fresh detention order.
Discretionary Powers and Legal Protection: District Magistrates issuing detention orders are protected legally as their actions are presumed to be done “in good faith”.
Grounds for Detention: Section 8 broadly defines grounds such as promoting enmity, instigation, or acts threatening public harmony, with final decisions resting with district authorities.
Duration of Detention: Detention can be up to one year for disturbing public order and up to two years for activities harmful to state security.

58th Jnanpith Award

In News: President Droupadi Murmu conferred the 58th Jnanpith Award on Sanskrit scholar Jagadguru Rambhadracharya and Urdu poet and lyricist Gulzar.

It is India’s highest literary honor, instituted in 1961 by the Bharatiya Jnanpith.
Bharatiya Jnanpith is a literary and research agency founded by Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain and Smt. Rama Jain.
It is offered for the work in 22 languages identified by the Constitution of India and, from 2013, in the English language.
Once a language receives the award, it will become ineligible for the following 3 years.
It is offered yearly to an Indian creator for their super contribution to literature.
The prize contains a cash award, a quotation, and a bronze replica of Vagdevi (Saraswati), the goddess of mastering.
The first recipient of the award was the Malayalam author G. Sankara Kurup who received the award in 1965 for his collection of poems, Odakkuzhal (The Bamboo Flute).

Rajon ki Baoli

In News: The Archaeological Survey of India restored the 16th- century stepwell, Rajon ki Baoli.

Built around 1506 by the Daulat Khan for the duration of the Lodi dynasty (at the reign of the Ibrahim Lodi), Rajon ki Baoli stands as a testament to Lodhi-era architecture and conventional water engineering.
The call ‘Rajon Ki Baoli’ comes from the masons (Raj Mistri) who have been living at the Baoli and using its water.
This 4-tiered stepwell was thoughtfully designed not only to store water but also to offer colour and rest to guests.
Its fashionable arched colonnades, ornate stucco medallions with floral and geometric patterns, and finely carved stone factors mirror the artistic sophistication of the time.