Today in History (April 7^th,1843)

The East India Company removed the legal support for slavery from the Indian Slavery Act 1843.

Summary of Today’s News

GI tag to Kannadipaya-the mirror mat

Kannadipaya, a distinctive tribal handicraft from Kerala, has recently been awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, providing market protection and an international platform for this traditional craft.

About Kannadipaya

• Kannadipaya is a traditional Kerala craft that involves weaving baskets, mats, and other everyday items using reed
• Crafted by the Urali, Mannan, and Muthuvan tribal communities, the product is made from Teinostachyum wightii, a type of bamboo known locally as ‘njoonjiletta.’
• The mats are characterized by a polished surface, smooth and reflective like a mirror, which is how it gets its name — “kannadipaya” (with kannadi meaning mirror and paya meaning mat).
• Typically measuring 0.75–1.0 meters by 2 meters, the mat is so flexible it can be rolled up into a bamboo culm less than 10 cm in diameter.
• Weaving a single kannadipaya takes over a month to complete.
• The mat is woven with a specific layer of bamboo slivers — the fourth or fifth, which are thin, shiny, and split from a reed bamboo species unique to the region.
• Collecting the bamboo is a ritual that takes place during the full moon, with each journey to and from the forest lasting an entire day and night.

Khelo India Games-Bihar

Bihar is set to host the Khelo India Youth Games and the Khelo India Para Games in May 2025.

Launched in 2018, the Khelo India initiative aims to revive India’s sports culture by promoting youth participation and identifying potential Olympians.

Key Components of Khelo India

• Sports Competitions and Talent Development: The program organizes annual events like the Khelo India Youth Games, University Games, and Winter Games to discover and nurture young talent.
• Creation and Upgradation of Sports Infrastructure: Khelo India focuses on developing and enhancing sports facilities across the country to provide world-class training environments.
• Khelo India Centres and Sports Academies: The initiative establishes centers and academies that offer specialized coaching in various sports disciplines.
• Fit India Movement: This initiative promotes physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle among citizens through various programs.
• Promotion of Inclusiveness through Sports: Khelo India works towards gender equality, disability inclusion, and the promotion of indigenous sports to ensure widespread participation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the new Pamban railway bridge

• Connects Rameswaram island (Tamil Nadu) with the mainland (Ramanathapuram).
• India’s first vertical lift sea bridge, built over the Palk Strait at a cost of ₹531 crore.
• Features a 72.5-metre vertical lift span, which can be raised to a height of 17 metres for ship movement.
• Length of the bridge: 2.07 km.

PM Modi’s remarks during the inauguration:

• Describes the bridge as an “engineering wonder” that “brings together technology and tradition.”
• Highlights the positive effects on the lives of lakhs of people and its contribution to ease of business and travel.
• Emphasizes the completion of a long-pending demand of the people.

Other announcements by the Prime Minister:

• Flagged off new train services between Rameswaram and Tambaram (Chennai).

Bridge benefits:

• Replaces the now-defunct British-era old Pamban railway bridge.
• Expected to enhance connectivity, benefiting trade and tourism in Tamil Nadu.
• Built with stainless steel reinforcement and high-grade protective paint due to the corrosive environment of the Palk Strait.
• The new bridge is three meters higher than the previous one.

Infrastructure growth in India:

• PM Modi credits modern infrastructure for India’s economic growth, which has doubled in the past 10 years.
• Investment in rail connectivity, roads, ports, airports, electricity, piped water, and gas supply increased sixfold.

Other significant infrastructure projects:

• Construction of the Chenab rail bridge (one of the highest in the world) in Jammu and Kashmir.
• The Atal Sethu sea bridge in Mumbai (longest sea bridge).
• The Bogibeel bridge (longest rail-cum-road bridge) over the Brahmaputra in Assam.
• Pamban bridge with a vertical lift span in the south.

Additional infrastructure developments:

• Dedicated freight corridor being developed.
• Bullet train project underway.
• Modern trains like Vande Bharat, Amrit Bharat, and Namo Bharat improving the rail network.

PM’s views on regional connectivity:

• Stronger path to a developed nation through better regional connectivity.
• Every state is getting better connectivity.

PM’s visit to Sri Ramanathaswamy temple:

• Offered prayers on the auspicious day of Rama Navami.

Judges’ Asset Disclosure in High Courts

• Out of 769 judges across 25 High Courts in India, only 95 judges (12.35%) have disclosed their assets and liabilities on official websites.
• This issue has gained attention following the discovery of partially burnt currency notes at the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma, a High Court judge.

Supreme Court Judges’ Transparency:

• All 33 serving Supreme Court judges have agreed to make their asset declarations public on the Supreme Court’s official website.

Asset Disclosure in High Courts:

• Kerala High Court: 41 out of 44 judges (93.18%) have disclosed their assets.
• Himachal Pradesh High Court: 11 out of 12 judges (91.66%) have disclosed their assets.
• Chhattisgarh High Court: Only 1 out of 16 judges has disclosed their assets.
• Madras High Court: Only 5 out of 65 judges have disclosed their assets.
• Delhi High Court: 7 out of 38 judges have disclosed their assets, a significant drop from 2018 when 29 out of 35 judges disclosed their assets.

Historic Disclosures in Delhi High Court:

• Delhi High Court archives show asset disclosures from 64 former judges (including retired, transferred, or promoted judges), dating back to 2010. However, current disclosure numbers are low.

Recent Developments:

• Supreme Court Judges: 30 out of 33 serving judges (including Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna) have already submitted their asset declarations on the official website.
• During a meeting on April 1, 2025, all 33 Supreme Court judges agreed to make their assets public, with disclosures expected once technical processes are sorted.

Push for Reform:

• A Parliamentary Standing Committee report from August 2023 called for a law requiring all High Court and Supreme Court judges to declare their assets annually.
• The report argued that public officials, including judges, should be required to disclose their assets, just like candidates running for elections.