23rd The Hindu Extra Explanation

Protagonist: the leading character or one of the major characters in a play, film, novel, etc/an advocate or champion of a particular cause or idea.

Seafarer: a person who regularly travels by sea

What is Datta Peeta controversy?

A Dattatreya temple and a dargah named after 16th century Sufi saint Baba Budan are located atop the hills, eponymously named Bababudangiri. For years, the site has been shrouded under dispute between Hindus and Muslims over worshipping rights. The controversy came to be known as the Babri of the south.

The Polavaram Project is an under construction multi-purpose irrigation project on the Godavari River in the Eluru District and East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh. The project has been accorded National project status by the Central Government of India.

About Special Category Status (SCS):

• Special category status is a classification given by the Centre to assist development of states that face geographical and socio-economic disadvantages.
• This classification was done on the recommendations of the Fifth Finance Commission in 1969.
• It was based on the Gadgil formula. The parameters for SCS were:
  • Hilly Terrain;
  • Low Population Density And/Or Sizeable Share of Tribal Population;
  • Strategic Location along Borders With Neighbouring Countries;
  • Economic and Infrastructure Backwardness; and
  • Nonviable Nature of State finances.
• SCS was first accorded in 1969 to Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Nagaland. Since then eight more states have been included (Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand).
• There is no provision of SCS in the Constitution.
• Special Category Status for plan assistance was granted in the past by the National Development Council to the States that are characterized by a number of features necessitating special consideration.
  • Now, it is done by the central government.
• The 14^th Finance Commission has done away with the ‘special category status’ for states, except for the Northeastern and three hill states.
  • Instead, it suggested that the resource gap of each state be filled through ‘tax devolution’, urging the Centre to increase the states’ share of tax revenues from 32% to 42%, which has been implemented since 2015.

Global Security Initiative (GSI) was put forward by Chinese President. The GSI looks to counter the US Indo-Pacific strategy and the Quad (India, US, Australia, Japan grouping).

• However, China did not provide much clarity or details about the proposed global security initiative.

What is GSI, as Envisaged by China?

• Principle of Indivisible Security: With growing threats posed by unilateralism, hegemony and power politics, and increasing deficits in peace, security, trust and governance, mankind is facing more and more intractable problems and security threats.
  • Thus, China held that the Global security initiative is envisaged to uphold the principle of “indivisible security”.
  • The principle of “indivisible security” means that no country can strengthen its own security at the expense of others.
• Asian Security Model: GSI calls for a “common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable” security and building an Asian security model of mutual respect, openness and integration”.
• Opposing Sanctions: This would oppose the use of unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction, appearing to refer to Western sanctions.
• Tackling New Cold War: Indo-Pacific’ strategy to divide the region and create a ‘new Cold War’, and the use of military alliances to put together an ‘Asian version of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
  • According China, the Quad grouping was equivalent to the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance involving Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the U.S. and U.K. and the AUKUS pact, as a key element in what he called U.S. plans to build an “Asian NATO”.

What is Chabahar Port?

• The port of Chabahar is located in southeastern Iran in the Gulf of Oman.
•  It is the only Iranian port with direct access to the ocean.
• It’s located in the Sistan-Balochistan province on the energy-rich Iran’s southern coast.
• The Chabahar port is considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with central Asian countries.

It will make way for India to bypass Pakistan in transporting goods to Afghanistan using a sea-land route. 

• At present, Pakistan does not allow India to transport its territory to Afghanistan.