UPSC Prelims News 12 October 2022

UPSC Prelims News of 12 October 2022

Context: Prime Minister of India inaugurated the first phase of the ‘Shri Mahakal Lok’ corridor in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain.

About Mahakaleshwar Corridor

Mahakal Maharaj Mandir Parisar Vistar Yojna is a plan for the expansion, beautification, and decongestion of the Mahakaleshwar temple and its adjoining area in Ujjain district.
Under the plan, the Mahakaleshwar temple premises of around 2.82 hectares is being increased to 47 hectares, which will be developed in two phases by the Ujjain district administration.
This will include the 17 hectares of Rudrasagar Lake.
The project is expected to increase annual footfall in the city from the current 1.50 crore to nearly three crore.

Significance of Mahakaleshwar Temple in Hinduism

Mahakaleshwar, which means the ‘Lord of time’, refers to Lord Shiva.
As per Hindu scriptures, the temple was constructed by Lord Brahma and is presently located alongside the holy river Shipra (a tributary of Chambal River).
Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Ujjain is one of the 12 jyotirlingas considered the most sacred abodes of Shiva.
As per records, the temple’s Mahakal Lingam is believed to be Swayambhu (self-manifested) and unlike any other jyotirlingas in the country, the idol of Mahakaleshwar faces south.
The shrine is revered as one the 18 Maha Shaktia Peeth in India.

Historical facts about Mahakaleshwar Temple

The temple finds a mention in the Meghadutam composed in the 4th century by Kalidasa.
In the 13th century, the temple complex was destroyed by Turk ruler Shams-ud-din Iltutmish during his raid on Ujjain.
The temple in its present form was built by the Maratha general Ranoji Shinde in 1734 CE.

Who governs the Mahakaleshwar Temple?

Before Independence, the Dev Sthan Trust used to look after the temple.
This was replaced by the municipal corporation of Ujjain post-Independence. The collectorate office of Ujjain district now manages the administration of the temple.

Context: The Second United Nations World Geospatial Information Congress (UN-WGIC) 2022 was held in Hyderabad.

More on the News

As per the government, India’s geospatial economy is expected to cross Rs 63,000 crore by 2025 at a growth rate of 12.8% and to provide employment to more than 10 lakh people mainly through Geospatial Start-Ups.’

What is Geospatial technology?

Geospatial technologies is a term used to describe the range of modern tools contributing to the geographic mapping and analysis of the Earth and human societies.
It is an emerging field of study that includes Geographic Information System (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS), Global Positioning System (GPS) and 3D Modelling.
Many fields use geospatial technologies, including cartography, transportation, logistics, agriculture, urban planning, meteorology, and healthcare.

Current Status of Geospatial Sector in India

According to India Geospatial Artha Report 2021, the Indian geospatial economy is currently valued at Rs 38,972 crore and employs approximately 4.7 lakh people.
India has a robust ecosystem in geospatial, with the Survey of India (SoI), ISRO, remote sensing application centres (RSAC) s, and the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
The past decade has seen an increase in the use of geo-spatial data in daily life with various apps. These include food delivery apps like Swiggy or Zomato, e-commerce like Amazon, cab hailing apps like Ola and Uber and many weather apps.

Context: Modhera village in Gujarat’s Mehsana district has been declared as India’s first solar-powered village.

More on the News:

More than 1000 solar panels have been installed on the village houses to generate 1kW electricity round the clock for the villagers. Solar electricity will be provided free of cost.
Both the central and state governments have invested more than Rs 80 crore in this solar-development project in two phases.

Modhera Sun Temple:

Modhera Sun temple is located on the river Pushpavati. It was built during the reign of King Bhima-I of the Chaulukya dynasty in 1026-27. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Architecture: The temple complex is constructed in Māru-Gurjara style (Chaulukya style). The temple complex has three components: the shrine (garbhagriha) in a hall (gudhamandapa), the assembly hall (sabhamandapa) and a sacred reservoir (kunda).
Features: The temple is constructed in such a way that during every equinox, the first ray of the rising sun would fall on a diamond placed on the head of the Sun God. The shrine would be lit up with a golden glow.
Historical evidence: Modhera is mentioned in the ancient scriptures like Skanda Purana and Brahma Purana. Modhera and its surrounding regions are referred as Dharmaranya.

Context: Israel and Lebanon have announced a historic deal, aimed at resolving a long-running maritime border dispute over Mediterranean waters.

Origin of Dispute:

The issue is more than a decade old when both the countries declared overlapping boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea.
Since both the countries do not have diplomatic relations, the UN was asked to resolve the issue.
- The dispute gained significance after Israel discovered two gas fields in the disputed region.

The Agreement:

The agreement aims to settle competing claims of Israel and Lebanon over offshore gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
The gas field is located on the maritime boundary between the two nations and this agreement would allow both countries to get royalties from the gas.
The agreement will also demarcate border between the maritime waters of Lebanon and Israel for the first time.