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Today in History ( January 20th,2009)
Barack Obama became the first black and 44th President of the United States. He served for two consecutive terms (2009-2017).
Let’s Revise
Q.1) Yadgir Fort, which was seen in news, is located in which state?
A) Karnataka
B) Gujarat
C) Madhya Pradesh
D) Tamil Nadu
Answer: A
Rationale: The Karnataka government has announced a ₹100 crore plan to develop Yadgir Fort under the “One District, One Spot” initiative to promote tourism. Of the total, ₹33 crore will come from the MLA grant, and ₹67 crore from the state government. Located in Yadgir district, the fort is one of the largest in Karnataka, built on a monolith with dimensions of 850m in length, 500m in width, and 100m in height. The fort contains inscriptions from various historical dynasties, including the Kalyana Chalukyas, Yadavas, and Bahmani Sultans.
Q.2) Chashma Nuclear Power Plant, which was seen in news, is located in which country?
A) Pakistan
B) Nepal
C) Myanmar
D) Bangladesh
Answer: A
Rationale: Pakistan has built its largest nuclear power plant, the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit 5 (C-5), with a capacity of 1200 MWe. The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) granted the plant a license after reviewing safety, radiation protection, and nuclear security measures. C-5 features a Chinese Hualong third-generation Pressurised Water Reactor, designed for 60 years of operation. The plant, costing USD 3.7 billion, is Pakistan’s third nuclear facility of this design.
Q.3) What is “INS Surat” that was recently seen in news?
A) Fleet tanker
B) Kamorta-class corvettes
C) Nuclear powered aircraft carrier
D) Stealth Destroyer
Answer: D
Rationale: Project-15B has 4 ships. INS Visakhapatnam, INS Mormugao, INS Imphal, and INS Surat is the fourth and final ship of the Project-15B Vishakhapatnam Class stealth destroyer. It is designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built by Mazagaon Dock Limited. It has 72% indigenous content and is India’s first AI-enabled warship.
Q.4) Where was the 24th Rashtriya Vanvasi Krida Pratiyogita (National Sports For Forest Dwellers) held?
A) Bhopal
B) Raipur
C) Ranchi
D) Bhubaneshwar
Answer: (B)
Rationale: The 24th Rashtriya Vanvasi Krida Pratiyogita held in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Tribal athletes from across India, including the Andaman-Nicobar Islands and Manipur, participated in the event. The event was organized by the Vanvasi Vikas Samiti under the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram. More than 800 tribal youth from 33 provinces are competing in sports like football and archery.
Summary of Today’s News
Unrest Against Martial Law in South Korea
South Korea has been going through serious political unrest after President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law.
About
• The President was impeached on December 15th.
• Criticism of President Yoon grew after he took office in 2022.
• He faced backlash for his domestic and foreign policies and for allegedly interfering in investigations about corruption claims involving his wife.
• His declaration of martial law was seen as an attempt to weaken South Korea’s democracy.
Political History of South Korea
• From 1910 to 1945, South Korea was under harsh colonial rule by Japan.
• After World War II, the U.S. suggested dividing Korea into two zones: the Soviet Union took control of the North, and the U.S. controlled the South.
• After independence, the U.S. supported Rhee Syngman, who became South Korea’s leader.
• In 1948, Rhee won the first presidential election of the Republic of Korea but ruled with authoritarian control.
• Rhee’s rule lasted 12 years until a student uprising in 1960 forced him to resign.
• In 1961, Major-General Park Chung Hee led a military coup and ruled South Korea for 18 years, creating a dictatorship with the Yushin Constitution. He was assassinated in 1979.
• Chun Doo-Hwan, a general, took power in another military coup and extended martial law across South Korea.
• The Gwangju Uprising in 1980 saw students protest the military government, leading to brutal violence by the military.
• Chun’s authoritarian rule ended in 1987 with the June Democratic Struggle, which led to South Korea’s democratization.
• In 1988, President Roh Tae-woo helped South Korea move toward becoming a liberal democracy.
• Because of this history of dictatorship, President Yoon’s future in politics became uncertain, even after he lifted martial law the day after imposing it.
What is Martial Law?
• Martial law is when the military temporarily takes over civilian government functions like policing, the courts, and even governance.
• It is usually declared in emergencies such as war, rebellion, or natural disasters.
• While martial law can help maintain order during crises, it often undermines democracy and can lead to abuses of power, censorship, and authoritarian rule.
• Countries with martial law provisions include South Korea, the United States, the Philippines, Pakistan, and Thailand.
Does India Have Martial Law?
• The Indian Constitution does not define martial law directly.
• Article 34 mentions limiting rights under martial law in specific areas but does not outline the process for declaring it.
• Martial law is considered a last resort, and India has never officially declared it since gaining independence.
• Instead, India has constitutional emergency provisions under Articles 352 (national emergency), 356 (state emergency), and 360 (financial emergency). These have sometimes been criticized for being overused, especially during the Emergency of 1975-77.
• The Supreme Court has ruled that certain rights, such as the right to habeas corpus, cannot be suspended during emergencies, meaning any future martial law would be subject to judicial review.
Conclusion
Martial law can restore order in chaotic times, but it risks violating basic rights and damaging democratic values. Understanding its consequences is important, as history shows that martial law can easily shift from a necessary action to an authoritarian measure.
