1 • He was born in Naihati, Bengal on 27 June 1838. • He went on to become a significant figure in India's struggle for independence. • Bankim has left an indelible mark on modern nationalism and modern Hinduism. • His belief was that there was "no serious hope of progress in India except in Hinduism-reformed, regenerated and purified". • He got his education at the Hoogly College and Presidency Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay: College. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently • He went on to become one of paid homage to Bankim Chandra the earliest graduates of the Chattopadhyay on his 183rd birth University of Calcutta. anniversary. • He served in the Indian Civil Bankim Chandra Chatterjee or Bankim Service and retired as a Deputy Chandra Chattopadhyay,(27 June 1838 – Magistrate in 1891.It was this 8 April 1894) was an Indian novelist, work under the Raj that made poet and journalist. him deeply critical of India's colonial masters. About: Literary career: • He is considered among the pioneers of the shift in Indian, • Chattopadhyay wrote fourteen especially Bangla, literary novels and many serious, serio- tradition away from the verse comic, satirical, scientific and and towards prose. critical treatises in Bengali. He is • He was the composer of Vande known as Sahitya Samrat Mataram which has been India's (Emperor of Literature) in national song since 1937 and Bengali. sung by generations of Indians • The most noteworthy to evoke the motherland. contribution Bankim made to • Vande Mataram originally in the nationalistic imagination Sanskrit, personifying India as a was the political novel mother goddess and inspiring Anandamath. activists during the Indian ▪ The book is set against the Independence Movement. backdrop of what is known www.civilserviceindia.com 2 as the 'sanyahi bidhroho' • He also wrote other famous (rebellion of monks in late novels like like Kapalkundala in 18th century). 1866 which is considered to be ▪ The book is considered a call one of the finest works of Indian for the rise of Hindu literature, Mrinalini in nationalism, and portrayed 1869,,Vishbriksha in 1873, sanyasis (ascetics) fighting Chandrashekhar in1877, Rajani Muslims soldiers of the in 1877, Rajsimha in 1881,and British army. Devi Chaudhurani in 1884. ▪ It was in Anandamath, that • He started publishing a monthly Bankim wrote the poem literary magazine Bangadarshan 'Vande Mataram'. in April 1872. The magazine played an important role in Vande Mataram was announced as establishing a Bengali identity the National Song by Rajendra and nationalism. Prasad on January 24, 1950, in • His last work was Sitaram, recognition of its role in the published in 1886. Independence Movement, against the backdrop of demands that it be Fun Fact: Once Sri Ramakrishna made the national anthem of newly Paramahansa, playing on the meaning independent India. of Bankim (Bent A Little), asked him what it was that had bent him. Bankim It was accorded equal status to the Chandra jokingly replied that it was the National Anthem. kick from the Englishman's shoe for he Note: The song remains a popular was a well-known critic of the British evocation to national pride and has government. been interpreted and performed by Books and Authors: artistes all throughout. • He published his first fiction work, Rajmohan's Wife in English and it is regarded as the first Indian novel to be written in English. The story was an economic exploration of the Bengal family and domesticity. • His first work in Bangla was Fiercely Female: The Dutee Chand Durgeshnandini in 1865, which Story: Journalist Sundeep Mishra’s is considered the first Bangla book titled ‘Fiercely Female: The Dutee novel. Chand Story’ the book was released on www.civilserviceindia.com 3 22 June on ‘SoftCover’ —ThePrint’s e- venue to launch select non-fiction books. • This book chronicles Chand’s journey with a detailed narrative of the gender-identity controversy that made her an iconic figure in Indian sport. Border Infrastructure Poject: Raksha • The book was published by Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh dedicated to Westland Books. the nation 63 bridges in a virtual program from Kyungam in Leh district. About the Dutee Chand: Highlights: • Dutee Chand, the first openly Shri Rajnath Singh is an a three-day homosexual athlete from India, visit to Ladakh to review the security scripted history in 2019 when situation on the ground as India and she became the first Indian to China prepare for the 12th round of win gold in a 100-metre event at Corps Commander talks to take the World Universiade in forward the disengagement process in Naples. Eastern Ladakh. • Coming from a small village in Odisha, Dutee Chand went on to These bridges are built by Boarder hold the national record in the Roads Organization (BRO). women’s 100 metres. • She is only the fifth Indian to The combined cost of the projects is Rs participate in the women’s 100 240 crores. metres at the Olympics when Key Details: she qualified for the 2016 Rio Games. Mr. Singh inaugurated a 50-metre-long bridge constructed on the Leh-Loma Road in Ladakh. • Defence This single span steel super \\ structure bridge replaces an National existing bailey bridge. • The Leh-Loma Road, which connects Leh with places such as Chumathang, Hanley and Tso 50 New Kendriya Morori Lake, is vital for access to forward areas in Eastern Ladakh. Vidyalaya to be setup through the country www.civilserviceindia.com The Union Cabinet, 4 • This will ensure unhindered living in the border villages as movement of heavy weapon well. systems including guns, tanks About BRO: and other specialized equipment. • It refers to the Border Roads Organization. Amongst the rest 62 bridges, he • In order to ensure coordination virtually inaugurated - and expeditious execution of • 11 in Ladakh, projects, the Government of • 4 in Jammu & Kashmir, India (GoI) set up the Border • 3 in Himachal Pradesh, Roads Development Board • 6 in Uttarakhand, (BRDB) with the Prime Minister • 8 in Sikkim, as Chairman of the Board and • 29 in Arunachal Pradesh and Defence Minister as Deputy • 1 each in Nagaland and Manipur. Chairman. The BRO was formed on 7 May 1960 to secure India's BRO’S Infrastructure Poject: borders and develop infrastructure in remote areas of • With the inauguration of 63 the north and north-east states bridges in one go, BRO has of the country. surpassed its own record of 44 • It develops and maintains road bridges launched in 2020. networks in India's border areas • These 63 bridges, combined with and friendly neighboring 12 roads dedicated to the nation countries. by Rajnath Singh on June 17, • It is responsible for the 2021, form a bouquet of 75 construction and maintenance infrastructure projects of roads along the borders with completed by the BRO. China and Pakistan. About the Bridges: • Officers from the Border Roads Engineering Service (BRES) and • BRO used the latest technologies personnel from the General in building of these bridges. Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) • These are Class-70 bridges and form the parent cadre of the can bear the load of movement Border Roads Organisation. of Tanks and other heavy • BRO has been entirely brought vehicles. under the Ministry of Defence. • These bridges facilitate strategic Earlier it received funds from the and quicker access not just to Ministry of Road Transport and Armed forces but to people Highways. www.civilserviceindia.com 5 • The current Director General of Key Details: BRO is Lt. Gen. Rajeev Chaudhary. • The ship will transit across the Additional Info: Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, Suez • Shri Rajnath Singh, on the Canal, Mediterranean Sea, North development of Ladakh, said a Sea and Baltic Sea while making number of welfare schemes are port calls at Djibouti, Egypt, being implemented, including Italy, France, UK, Russia, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Netherlands, Morocco, and National Rural Livelihood Arctic Council countries like Mission, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sweden and Norway. Sadak Yojana, Pradhan Mantri • During port visits, the ship is Kaushal Vikas Yojana and scheduled to participate in Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman bilateral exercises like Ex Nidhi. Konkan with UK Royal Navy, Ex • He also reaffirmed the Varuna with French Navy and Ex government’s commitment to Indra with Russian Federation start the democratic process in Navy, to strengthen military the region. relations, develop interoperability and project long-range sustenance. • The deployment will also see participation by the ship in the Russian Navy Day celebrations from July 22 to 27. Aim: INS Tabar: INS Tabar was recently • These engagements are aimed at deployed to participate in joint further strengthening maritime exercises with friendly navies in Europe security in the region and and Africa. consolidating combined Highlights: operations against maritime threats. It will visit a number of ports in Africa and Europe till the September end, About INS Tabar: 2021. • The Indian Navy's Talwar-class It will also participate in a number of stealth frigate, INS Tabar, was joint exercises with friendly navies. built in Russia for the Indian Navy. www.civilserviceindia.com 6 • The ship, which is one of the borders against advanced Indian Navy's first stealth weaponry. frigates, is outfitted with a • The design principles of diverse array of weapons and Indrajaal are based on delivering sensors. autonomy to the armed forces. • The ship is part of the Western • The synergic combination of 9- Fleet of the Indian Navy, which 10 modern technologies helmed is stationed in Mumbai and is by Artificial Intelligence (AI), part of the Western Naval cybersecurity and robotics. Command. • Capable of real-time situational awareness, Indrajaal comprises all current weapons suite and infrastructure along with a honeycombed cell structure to provide a seamlessly built over a combination of 9-10 technologies for 24×7 persistent monitoring, tracking and action.