Kolar Gold Mines, Bihar’s Additional Reservation Struck down, Energy Projects in Sri Lanka

Jonnagiri Gold Project

• The full-scale production of the country’s first large private gold mine in Andhra Pradesh will begin.
• The Jonnagiri gold project, in which the pilot scale operation has already started, will produce about 750 kilogrammes of gold per annum.

• The Karnataka government cleared a proposal of the Centre for reviving gold mining and auctioning 13 tailing dumps spread over 1,003.4 acres at the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) by the Bharat Gold Mines Ltd. (BGML).
• The mines located at the KGF are owned by BGML, a PSU, which was established in 1972, under the Department of Mines with its office at the KGF.
• As much as 33 million tonnes of tailing dumps (extraction waste) is estimated at the KGF.
• It is estimated that one tonne of dump yields one gram of gold on processing.
• Karnataka cleared the proposal of the Centre under column 17 of the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act, 1957, seeking the State’s consent for reviving gold mining at the KGF.
• Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) is famous for being the oldest and deepest gold mine in India. It was established by the British in 1880 and operated until 2001, producing about 800 tonnes of gold during its lifespan.
• The mine was known for its challenging working conditions, as the miners had to descend to depths of up to 3.2 km and face high temperatures, humidity, and pressure.
• In Karnataka, Hutti is another active gold mine in India, producing about 1.8 tonnes of gold per year. The Hutti mine has a history of over 2,000 years, as mentioned in the ancient Hindu texts of Mahabharata and Ramayana and has a processing plant that can handle 3,000 tonnes of ore per day.
• Gold exploration in Karnataka led to the discovery of open pittable gold deposits in the Archaean greenstone belts of Dharwar Craton. These deposits are in the Dharwar – Shimoga belt.

Dig Deeper: Read about India’s gold consumption’s role in Current Account Deficit. Also, read about the recently discovered gold ore in Sonbhadra region.

• The Patna High Court set aside the amendments passed by Bihar to increase the reservation for Backward Classes (BC), Extremely Backward Classes (EBC), Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) from 50% to 65% in educational institutions and government jobs in the State.
• The High Court considered the argument that after the caste survey, this decision on the reservation was taken based on the proportion of castes, and not based on adequate representation in government jobs.

Bihar Jaati Adharit Ganana (Bihar caste-based survey)

• The survey provided information on Bihar’s caste distribution: 27.13% OBC, 36.01% EBC, 19.65% Scheduled Caste, 1.68% Scheduled Tribe, and 15.52% General Caste.
• It also showed that Muslims make up 17.71% and Hindus 82% of the population. The total population of Bihar is 13 crores.

The Indian Constitution includes several provisions to ensure social justice and equality through reservations

• Article 15(4): Empowers the State to make special provisions for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes, SCs, and STs (First Amendment, 1951).
• Article 15(5): Allows the State to make special provisions for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes, SCs, and STs in educational admissions, excluding minority institutions (93rd Amendment, 2005).
• Article 15(6): Provides up to 10% reservation for economically weaker sections in educational institutions, excluding minority institutions (103rd Amendment, 2019).
• Article 16(4): Empowers the State to reserve appointments or posts for backward classes not adequately represented in public services.
• Article 16(4A): Allows reservations in promotions with consequential seniority for SCs and STs if underrepresented in government services (77th Amendment, 1995).
• Article 16(4B): Permits considering unfilled SC and ST vacancies as a separate class in succeeding years, bypassing the 50% reservation ceiling (81st Amendment, 2000).
• Articles 330 and 332: Reserve seats for SCs and STs in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
• Article 243D: Ensures seat reservations for SCs and STs in Panchayats.
• Article 243T: Provides seat reservations for SCs and STs in Municipalities.
• Article 335: Mandates considering SC and ST claims in appointments to Union or State services while maintaining administrative efficiency.

• The Supreme Court, in the Indira Sawhney case, had imposed a cap of 50% on reservations.
• 65% reservation together with the 10% Economically Backward Class (EWS) quota, the Bill had pushed reservation in Bihar to 75%, well past the 50% ceiling set by the Supreme Court.
• The Indira Sawhney judgment (1992) upheld 27% reservation for OBCs based on the Mandal Commission’s recommendations and capped total reservations at 50%.
• It introduced the ‘creamy layer’ concept, excluding affluent OBCs from benefits, and ruled against reservation in promotions. The judgment called for periodic review and judicial scrutiny of backward class identification and suggested establishing permanent Backward Class Commissions.
• This landmark ruling balanced affirmative action with principles of equality and merit in India’s reservation policy.

Dig Deeper: Read about the delayed census at all India level and concerned authorities like the Office of Registrar General and Census Commissioner.

• Indian Railways successfully conducted a trial run of an eight-coach MEMU train on the world’s highest single-arch railway bridge, Chenab Bridge, in Jammu and Kashmir.
• This marks a significant step towards starting rail services on the route from Reasi to Baramulla in Kashmir.
• The electrification work on this section utilized state-of-the-art ROCS (Rigid Overhead Conductor System).
• The Chenab bridge is 35 meters taller than the Eifel tower; it is part of the Rs 35000 crore Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project which aims to boost connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir by providing connectivity in complex topography and weather conditions.

TA-912

• Three days after the tragic crash involving a goods train and Kanchenjunga Express in West Bengal.
• Eastern Railway has banned the issuance of Travel Authority (TA-912) authorising loco pilots to cross signals in red during signal failures.

• The Chenab bridge falls under the ambitious project of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat which aims to connect Kashmir to the other states in the country
• The tests ensuring the stability and safety of the world’s highest bridge include high-velocity winds test, extreme temperatures test, earthquake-prone test and hydrological impacts due to water level increase.
• Vande Bharat Metro train will run between Jammu and Srinagar once the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project becomes fully operational.

Dig Deeper: Read about the Kavach system and hurdles in its all-India implementation.

• A limbless amphibian has been added to the fauna of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.

• A team of herpetologists recorded the striped caecilian (Ichthyophis spp) in the tiger reserve for the first time during a rapid herpetofauna survey.
• The survey, supported by experts from Assam Don Bosco University, Wildlife Institute of India, D.R. College, Madhab Choudhury College, Help Earth, Aaranyak, and the Turtle Survival Alliance, highlights the vulnerable and least-studied nature of herpetofauna, which includes reptiles and amphibians.
• Kaziranga’s diverse ecosystem, with flood plains, wetlands, grasslands, and hill tracts, provides an ideal habitat for herpetofauna.
• The tiger reserve houses 24 amphibian species, 74 reptile species, and 21 of India’s 29 species of tortoises and freshwater turtles.
• Caecilians, as limbless amphibians that burrow under soil, are among the least studied yet critically linked to evolution and intercontinental speciation.

Dig Deeper: Read about the critically endangered amphibian species of the IUCN Red data book in India.

• At least 38 people had died after consuming spurious liquor in Tamil Nadu. 82 others were receiving treatment in hospitals.
• This tragedy echoes a similar incident a year ago in Tamil Nadu, where liquor sales are state-controlled through approximately 5,000 outlets.
• Alcohol content varies in different liquors: about 5% in beer, 12% in wine, and 40% in distilled spirits.
• The primary alcohol in recreational beverages is ethanol, a psychoactive drug that reduces neurotransmission, causing intoxication.
• Ethanol (C2H5OH) is metabolized in the liver and stomach into acetaldehyde and then acetate, with adverse effects attributed to acetaldehyde.
• Spurious liquor often contains methanol, a toxic substance.

• The World Health Organization states no level of alcohol consumption is safe, with long-term use leading to dependence, cancer, heart disease, and potentially death.

Dig Deeper: Read about the comparison between Ethanol and Methanol.

• External Affairs Minister of India visited Colombo, focusing on key energy sector initiatives between India and Sri Lanka.
• He participated in commissioning a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) and handing over new homes built with Indian assistance.
• Significant discussions included plans for LNG supply, a petroleum pipeline linking the two countries, and advancing oil and gas exploration projects.
• Construction of the Sampur Solar Power Plant is set to commence in July 2024.
• Enhancing efficiency in India-backed projects to bolster Sri Lanka’s liquid milk industry and fertilizer production.
• Talks included projects for developing Trincomalee and expanding the Kankesanthurai port.

Dig Deeper: Go through the map of Sri Lanka and take note of the locations mentioned above along with Chinese Projects in Lanka.