• May 1 Every year - International Labour Day or May Day

• to commemorate the contributions of labourers and the

working class. • May Day was first
• The International Labour Organisation works towards
celebrated on 1st May,
setting international labour standards.
1890, after it was declared
by the first International
• History and Origin: Labour Day has its origins in the
Congress of Socialist
labour union movement in the United States in the 19th
Parties in Europe in July
Century. Labour day was designated as a day in support
1889.
of workers by trade unions and socialist groups in the
memory of the Haymarket affair of 1886 in Chicago, • In India, The first Labour’s
USA. Day was celebrated in
1923 in Chennai. This day
• Haymarket Affair was a peaceful rally in support of was observed by the
workers which led to a violent clash with the police, Labour Kisan Party of
leading to severe casualties. Those who died were hailed Hindustan.
as “Haymarket Martyrs”.

• Workers’ rights violations, straining work hours, poor

working conditions, low wages and child labour were the
issues highlighted in the protest.
Working Hours Regulation

• The issue of regulating (specifically increasing) the

working hours still persists. COVID-19 provided an
opportunity for various states to amend the Factories
Act, 1948. For instance, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
increased the number of working hours.

• Employers, particularly from the garment and

electronic industries are demanding flexible worktime
regimes to focus on exports.

• Indian economists follow the wrong approach of

expanding exports at the cost of labour rights and
human rights on the lines of Bangladesh and Vietnam.

As per the Global Right Index 2022, Bangladesh

ranked among the 10 worst countries where labour
rights are not guaranteed.

Global Right Index is released by International

Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

Similarly, Vietnam was ranked 4 indicating

systematic violation of labour rights.
What is Sustainable Development?
• Most widely accepted definition - Development which
meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs’.

• definition of Sustainable Development was given by

the Brundtland Commission in its report Our Common
Future (1987).

• SD calls for concerted efforts towards building an

inclusive, sustainable and resilient future for people
and planet.

• SDGs - 17 goals with 169 targets for 231 indicators

• This universal, integrated and transformative agenda

aims to spur actions that will end poverty and build a
more sustainable world over the next 15 years.

• SDGs are not legally binding.

 Status of India with respect to Sustainable Development Goal

• a mixed picture with positive and negative

trends.

• Some of the indicators that have substantially

improved in the last five years - Neonatal and
Under-Five Mortality, Full vaccination,
Sanitation, Electricity accessibility, Eliminating
adolescent pregnancy, Reducing
multidimensional poverty, Women with bank
accounts

• However, the national ‘On-Target’ does not

equally apply to all districts. For instance, 286
and 208 districts (out of 707) are not on track for
achieving neonatal and under-five mortality
respectively. Similarly, the improved sanitation
indicator excludes 129 districts.

• The current pace of improvement in 19 of the 33

SDG goals is very poor.
In News Today
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi
during the first meeting of Finance
Ministers and Central Bank Governors
under India’s G20 Presidency raised
concern about the slow progress on
Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).

• Due to the vast population of India,

realizing SDGs at the global level is tied to
the success of India.

• India should innovate a new policy path

that is both healthy and sustainable to
achieve the targets of SDGs in districts.

• India has showcased its ability to

deliver a real-time response in tackling
the COVID-19 pandemic
 Problem of Stray Dogs in India Problem of Waste Management
• In India, waste management is a major issue, with
• Stray dogs are a common sight in India’s a significant amount of waste being generated
cities and towns. The number of stray every day. According to a report by the Central
dogs has increased rapidly in recent Pollution Control Board, India generates
approximately 62 million tonnes of solid waste
years, leading to a crisis that affects not
annually, and this figure is expected to rise to 165
only the dogs themselves but also the million tonnes by 2030.
human population.
• Indian cities generate more than 1,50,000 metric
• An estimated 1.5-6 crore stray canines tonnes of urban solid waste every day.
roam around the streets in India.
• In the absence of food and shelters in cities, free-
ranging dogs become scavengers and search for
• More than 6.8 million Indians were bitten food around exposed garbage dumping sites. As a
by stray dogs in 2020. result, dogs tend to congregate in urban areas
around open landfills and other places where they
can find food.
• Stray dogs can carry diseases, cause
accidents, and attack people, making • The dogs often feed on rotting food and organic
them a serious problem that requires waste, which can carry harmful bacteria and
urgent attention. viruses that pose a serious risk to public health.
 • Defence minister of India Rajnath Singh is on a visit to
the Maldives from May 1 to 3,2023 to hold talks with the top
leadership of Maldives on various fronts.

• In line with India’s commitment to capacity building of

friendly countries and partners in the region, he is
expected to hand over one fast patrol vessel and a landing
craft to the Maldives National Defence Forces.

• India’s decision to provide the military platforms to the

Maldives came amid China’s persistent efforts to expand
its overall influence in the region.

• In recent years, India’s relationship with the Maldives,

particularly in the areas of defence and security, has been
improving, as the Maldives is an important maritime
neighbour for India in the Indian Ocean region.

• India’s vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in

the Region) along with its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy as
well as Maldives’ ‘India First’ policy seek to work together
to jointly develop the capabilities within the Indian Ocean
region.
 What is String of Pearls?

• China’s ‘String of Pearls’ strategy

ensues establishing maritime bases in
Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Pakistan,
Bangladesh and Djibouti to enhance its
influence and military network.

• India argues that China is trying to

surround it with a network of dual-use
port facilities in the Indian Ocean.

• Concern – Defence , Energy security

• Encircling India - String of Pearls,

Debt Trap, CPEC, Belt and Road
Projects

• Why encircling? - Malacca dilemma,

US Factor, Growing Indian Economy,
Regional Supremacy
India’s Counter - Necklace of Diamonds

• India has been creating a “Necklace of

Diamonds” to counter the “String of
Pearls” created by China

• The ‘Necklace’ comprises

• Changi Naval Base in Singapore

• Chabahar Port in Iran

• Assumption Islands in Seychelles

• Sabang port in Indonesia

• Duqm Port in Oman

 In News Today

Significance of this discovery

• Researchers at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research
Institute in Pune claim to have shed new light on the • This discovery marks a shift in the historiography
ancient Sanskrit poetess Shilabhattarika, establishing
of the Badami Chalukyas by placing
her as the daughter of Chalukyan emperor Pulakeshin II
of Badami (610-642 CE). Shilabhattarika as having lived in the 7th century
CE, rather than the current theory which has her
• Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute houses South as the wife of the 8th century Rashtrakuta ruler
Asia’s largest collection of manuscripts and rare texts. Dhruva.

• This was achieved through the decoding of inscriptions • This gains significance as Shilabhattarika stood
on copper plates, which were found to contain a out as a poetess in the male-dominated field of
Sanskrit text with 65 lines inscribed in the late-Brahmi classical Sanskrit literature in ancient India.
script.

• Shilabhattarika was praised for her elegant and

• The charter, which is believed to date back to the reign
of the Badami Chalukya ruler Vijayaditya (696-733 CE), beautiful compositions by the Sanskrit poet-critic
was held together by a copper ring featuring a varaha Rajashekhara, who lived in the 9th-10th century
(boar) seal, which is a trademark of the Badami CE and was the court poet of the Gurjara-
Chalukyas. Pratiharas.

• The plates revealed that Vijayaditya, who ruled from • Noted Marathi poetess Shanta Shelke too has
696-733 CE, had donated the village of Sikkatteru to a drawn inspiration from Shilabhattarika’s verses to
vedic scholar named Vishnu Sharma on the request of
compose one of her most iconic songs— toch
Mahendravarma, the son of Shilabhattarika.
chandrama nabhat (it is the same moon in the sky).
Pulakesin II (609 AD – 642 AD)
• The greatest of the Chalukya kings.

• Extended the Chalukya rule to most parts of the Deccan.

• His birth name was Eraya. Information about him is obtained from the
Aihole inscription dated 634. This poetic inscription was written by his
court poet Ravikirti in Sanskrit language using the Kannada script.

• Xuanzang visited his kingdom. He has praised Pulakesin II as a good

and authoritative king.

• Though a Hindu, he was tolerant of Buddhism and Jainism.

• He conquered almost entire south-central India.

• He is famous for stopping Northern king Harsha in his tracks while he

was trying to conquer southern parts of the country.

• He had defeated the Pallava king Mahendravarman I but was defeated

and killed by Mahendravarman’s son and successor Narasimhavarman I in
a series of battles he had with the Pallavas.

• For the next 13 years, Badami remained under Pallava control.

• Pulakesin II received a Persian mission as depicted in an Ajanta cave

painting. He maintained diplomatic relations with the King of Persia Khusru
II.

• His death saw a lapse in Chalukya power.