UPSC Essentials: Key terms of the past week with MCQs

— After Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and the Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand, Mahakal temple is the third ‘jyotirlinga’ site to see a major upliftment exercise. The Rs 800-crore Mahakal corridor is four times the size of the Kashi Vishwanath corridor, which the PM had inaugurated late last year.

Key takeaways

— Puranas say that Lord Shiva pierced the world as an endless pillar of light, called the jyotirlinga. There are 12 jyotirlinga sites in India, considered a manifestation of Shiva. Besides Mahakal, these include Somnath and Nageshwar in Gujarat, Mallikarjuna in Andhra Pradesh, Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Kedarnath in Uttarakhand, Bhimashankar, Triyambakeshwar and Grishneshwar in Maharashtra, Viswanath at Varanasi, Baidyanath in Jharkhand, and Rameshwar in Tamil Nadu.

— Mahakal is the only jyotirlinga facing the south, while all the other jyotirlingas face east. This is because the direction of death is believed to be the south. In fact, people worship Mahakaleshwar to prevent an untimely death.

— A local legend says that there once was a king called Chandrasena who ruled Ujjain and was a Shiva devotee. The Lord appeared in his Mahakal form and destroyed his enemies. Upon the request of his devotees, Shiva agreed to reside in the city and become its chief deity.

— The Mahakal temple finds a mention in several ancient Indian poetic texts. In the early part of the Meghadutam (Purva Megha) composed in the 4th century, Kalidasa gives a description of the Mahakal temple. It is described as one with a stone foundation, with the ceiling on wooden pillars. There would be no shikharas or spires on the temples prior to the Gupta period.

— The city of Ujjain was also one of the primary centres of learning for Hindu scriptures, called Avantika in the 6th and 7th centuries BC. Later, astronomers and mathematicians such as Brahmagupta and Bhaskaracharya made Ujjain their home.

— Also, as per the Surya Siddhanta, one of the earliest available texts on Indian astronomy dating back to the 4th century, Ujjain is geographically situated at a spot where the zero meridian of longitude and the Tropic of Cancer intersect. In keeping with this theory, many of Ujjain temples are in some way connected to time and space, and the main Shiva temple is dedicated to Mahakal, the lord of time. In the 18th century, an observatory was built here by Maharaja Jai Singh II, known as the Vedh Shala or Jantar Mantar, comprising 13 architectural instruments to measure astronomical phenomena.

— It is said that during the medieval period, Islamic rulers gave donations to priests for offering prayers here. In the 13th century, the temple complex was destroyed by Turk ruler Shams-ud-din Iltutmish during his raid on Ujjain. The present five-storied structure was built by the Maratha general Ranoji Shinde in1734, in the Bhumija, Chalukya and Maratha styles of architecture. A century later, its marble walkways were restored by the Scindias.

Point to ponder:India got rid of the mentality of its colonial past and is restoring its past glory. Do you agree?

1. MCQ:

Which of the following statements is not true with respect to Mahakal temple and Ujjain?

a) In the early part of the Meghadutam (Purva Megha) composed in the 4th century, Kalidasa gives a description of the Mahakal temple.

b) Mahakal is the only jyotirlinga facing the west, while all the other jyotirlingas face east.

c) The city of Ujjain was also one of the primary centres of learning for Hindu scriptures, called Avantika in the 6th and 7th centuries BC.

d) Astronomers and mathematicians such as Brahmagupta and Bhaskaracharya made Ujjain their home.

— The Interpol has said India has failed to provide sufficient information to support its case, and that the UAPA has been criticised for being “misused” to target minority groups and human rights activists without “respecting” their right to due process and a fair trial, The Indian Express has learnt.

— While acknowledging that Pannun is a “high-profile Sikh separatist”, the Interpol has said that his activities have a “clear political dimension”, which cannot be the subject of a Red Corner Notice according to Interpol’s Constitution, The Indian Express reported on October 12.

Key takeaways

What is the Interpol?

— The Interpol, or International Criminal Police Organization, is an inter-governmental organisation comprising 195 member countries, which helps police forces in all these countries to better coordinate their actions.

— According to the Interpol website, the organisation enables member countries to share and access data on crimes and criminals, and offers a range of technical and operational support.

— The Interpol general secretariat coordinates the organisation’s day-to-day activities. It is run by a secretary general (currently Jurgen Stock of Germany, who has been Interpol’s chief executive since 2014), with its headquarters in Lyon, France, with a global complex for innovation in Singapore, and several satellite offices in different regions.

— Interpol has a National Central Bureau (NCB) in each member country, which is the central point of contact for both the general secretariat and the other NCBs around the world. Each NCB is run by police officials of that country, and usually sits in the government ministry responsible for policing. (Home Ministry in India.)

— Interpol manages 19 police databases with information on crimes and criminals (from names and fingerprints to stolen passports), accessible in real-time to countries. It also offers investigative support such as forensics, analysis, and assistance in locating fugitives around the world, according to the Interpol website.

What is a Red Notice (RN)?

— Criminals or suspects often flee to other countries to evade facing justice. A Red Corner Notice, or Red Notice (RN) alerts police forces across the world about fugitives who are wanted internationally.

— Interpol says “Red Notices are issued for fugitives wanted either for prosecution or to serve a sentence. A Red Notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.”

— RNs contain information that helps identify wanted persons, such as their names, dates of birth, nationality, and physical attributes such as the colour of their hair and eyes, as well as pictures and biometric data such as fingerprints, if they are available. RNs also mention the crime(s) they are wanted for.

— A RN is published by Interpol at the request of a member country. The fugitives may be wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence. The country issuing the request need not be the home country of the fugitive; Interpol acts on the request of a country where the alleged crime has been committed.

— As of October 12, the Interpol website contained a list of 7,135 public RNs in circulation. The number of valid RNs which are not public is several times more. These RNs are restricted for use by law enforcement authorities only. An RN is published on Interpol’s website only in cases where the help of the public is needed to locate an individual, or if those individuals pose a threat to public safety.

Among the most popular Indians on this list are jeweller Mehul Choksi and diamantaire Nirav Modi.

Is an RN a warrant of arrest?

— An RN is only an international wanted persons’ notice; it is not an international arrest warrant. Interpol itself does not want individuals; they are wanted by a country or an international tribunal.

— This means the Interpol cannot compel law enforcement authorities in any country to arrest the subject of an RN. It is up to individual member countries to decide what legal value to give to an RN, and the authority of their national law enforcement officers to make arrests.

— The Interpol says that an RN must comply with its constitution and rules. It says on its website that “every Red Notice request is checked by a specialised task force to ensure it is compliant with (Interpol) rules”.

— The Interpol argues that an RN is issued only after a competent court has taken cognisance of a chargesheet against the fugitive.

Point to ponder: A better global police to counter emergent challenges is the need of the hour. Comment.

3. MCQ:

Which of the statement is not true with respect to Interpol?

a) The Interpol, or International Criminal Police Organization, is an inter-governmental organisation of UN which helps police forces in all these countries to better coordinate their actions.

b) Interpol cannot compel law enforcement authorities in any country to arrest the subject of an Red Notice. 

c) Interpol itself does not want individuals; they are wanted by a country or an international tribunal.

d) Interpol connect all member countries via a communications system called I-24/7. 

SLBM launch and INS Arihant

Why in news?

— The Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on Friday (October 14) that the indigenous ballistic missile nuclear submarine INS Arihant had successfully launched a nuclear capable Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) in the Bay of Bengal with “very high accuracy”.

— The MoD said the test is significant for the nuclear ballistic submarine, or SSBN, programme, which is a crucial element of India’s nuclear deterrence capability.

Key takeaways

The Submarine

— Launched in 2009 and Commissioned in 2016, INS Arihant is India’s first indigenous nuclear powered ballistic missile capable submarine built under the secretive Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project, which was initiated in the 1990s.

— INS Arihant and its class of submarines are classified as ‘SSBN’, which is the hull classification symbol for nuclear powered ballistic missile carrying submarines. While the Navy operates the vessel, the operations of the SLBMs from the SSBN are under the purview of India’s Strategic Forces Command, which is part of India’s Nuclear Command Authority.

— In November 2019, after INS Arihant completed its first deterrence patrol, the government announced the establishment of India’s “survivable nuclear triad” — the capability of launching nuclear strikes from land, air and sea platforms. Then Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had tweeted: “India has achieved completion of her nuclear triad with the first successful deterrence patrol by INS Arihant. This places India in the league of the few countries that can design, construct and operate Strategic Strike Nuclear Submarines (SSBN).”

— The second submarine in the Arihant class, SSBN Arighat, is reported to have been launched in 2017, and said to be undergoing sea trials at present. In December last year, UK-based magazine Jane’s Defence Weekly reported, citing satellite imagery sources, that India had launched its third Arihant-class submarine.

— In addition, India operates 15 conventional diesel electric submarines (classified as SSK), and some more are on the way.

The Missile

— The Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs), sometimes called the ‘K’ family of missiles, have been indigenously developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The family is codenamed after Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the centre figure in India’s missile and space programmes who also served as the 11th President of India.

— As these missiles are to be launched from submarines, they are lighter, more compact and stealthier than their land-based counterparts, the Agni series of missiles which are medium and intercontinental range nuclear capable ballistic assets. The development of the K family missiles has been done in consonance with the ATV project.

— Part of the K family is the SLBM K-15, which is also called B-05 or Sagarika. It has a range of 750 km. INS Arihant can carry a dozen K-15 missiles on board. India has also developed and successfully tested K-4 missiles from the family, which have a range of 3,500 km.

— In January 2020, two successful tests of the K-4 missile were conducted from submerged platforms, off the coast of Andhra Pradesh within a span of six days. These tests were a key step towards ultimately deploying K-4s on the INS Arihant. It is also reported that more members of K-family — reportedly carrying the code names K-5 and K-6, with a range of 5,000 km and 6,000 km respectively — are under development.

The Strategic Significance

— The capability of being able to launch nuclear weapons submarine platforms has great strategic significance in the context of achieving a nuclear triad, especially in the light of the “No First Use” policy of India. The sea-based underwater nuclear capable assets significantly increases the second strike capability, and thus validates the nuclear deterrence. These submarines can not only survive a first strike by the adversary, but can also launch a strike in retaliation, thus achieving ‘Credible Nuclear Deterrence’.

— The development of these capabilities is important in the light of India’s relations with China and Pakistan. With China having deployed many of its submarines, including some that are nuclear powered and nuclear capable, India’s capacity building on the nuclear powered submarines and of the nuclear capable missile which can be launched from them, is crucial for nuclear deterrence.

— In November 2018, after INS Arihant had become fully operational, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had tweeted, “In an era such as this, a credible nuclear deterrence is the need of the hour. The success of INS Arihant gives a fitting response to those who indulge in nuclear blackmail.”

— A 2021 US Department of Defence Report on Military and Security Development involving China states, “The PLA Navy currently operates six nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), six nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs), and 46 diesel-powered attack submarines (SSs). The PLAN will likely maintain between 65 and 70 submarines through the 2020s, replacing older units with more capable units on a near one-to-one basis.”

— Pakistan Navy, on the other hand, operates five diesel-electric submarines and three mini submarines of under 150 tonne displacement.

The Posture

— MoD statement after Friday’s launch from Arihant stressed on the strategic postures of ‘credible minimum deterrence’ and ‘no first use’ which are pivotal to India’s nuclear doctrine, made public in January 2003, after the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had reviewed the progress in operationalizing of India’s nuclear doctrine.

— The key points in the doctrine made public at the time were: building and maintaining a credible minimum deterrent; a posture of ‘no first use’ denoting that the nuclear weapons will only be used in retaliation against a nuclear attack on Indian territory or on Indian forces anywhere; and that nuclear retaliation to a first strike will be massive and designed to “inflict unacceptable damage”.

— The doctrine says that the nuclear retaliatory attacks can only be authorised by the civilian political leadership through the Nuclear Command Authority. However at the time, the Cabinet Committee on Security had also reviewed and approved the arrangements for alternate chains of command for retaliatory nuclear strikes in all eventualities.

Point to ponder: What is India’s doctrine of Nuclear No First Use?

4. MCQ:

With reference to the strategic significance of SLBM launch from Arihant consider the following statements and answer the question below:

1. The submarines can achieve ‘Credible Nuclear Deterrence’.

2. It stressed on the strategic postures of ‘no first use’.

Which of the above statements are true?

a) Only 1                          b) Only 2

c) Both 1 and 2               d) Neither 1 nor 2