Daily Prelims Notes 19 February 2023

Daily Prelims Notes

19 February 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Underwater noise emissions by ships pose threat to Indian marine species
2. Rhododendrons
3. Blue forests
4. Elephants are irreplaceable seed dispersers
5. GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT)
6. National Land Monetisation Corporation (NLMC)
7. Second aubrite meteorite found in India in 170 years – Diyodar meteorite
8. African Union summit
9. Humpback Whales
10. Need for extra dose of polio
11. Contributions of Annie Besant

1. Underwater noise emissions by ships pose threat to Indian marine species

Subject : Economy

Section: Pollution

Context: The rising man-made (anthropogenic) underwater noise emissions (UNE) from ships in the Indian waters are posing a threat to the life of marine mammals like Bottlenose Dolphin, Manatees, Pilot Whale, Seal, and Sperm Whale.

More on the News:

• The main form of energy for multiple behavioural activities of marine mammals, which include mating, communal interaction, feeding, cluster cohesion and foraging, is based on sound.
• However, the sound that radiates from ships on a long-term basis affects them and results in internal injuries, loss of hearing ability, change in behavioural responses, masking, and stress.

Sources of Marine Noise Pollution:

• Shipping: Large commercial ships, as well as recreational boats, produce a significant amount of noise through their engines and propellers. This noise can be particularly loud in shallow water, and can impact marine life in the surrounding area.
• Seismic surveys: Seismic surveys are used to locate oil and gas reserves beneath the ocean floor. The surveys involve the use of air guns that produce intense bursts of sound, which can be harmful to marine life, particularly whales and dolphins.
• Underwater construction: Construction activities such as drilling, pile driving, and dredging can produce significant amounts of noise, which can impact marine life in the area.
• Military sonar: Military ships and submarines use sonar to detect other vessels and underwater obstacles. The high-intensity sound produced by sonar can be harmful to marine life, particularly whales and dolphins.

Effects of Marine Noise Pollution:

• Disorientation: Loud noises can disorient marine animals and cause them to become confused or disoriented, which can lead to injury or death.
• Behavioral changes: Noise pollution can alter the behavior of marine animals, such as their feeding patterns or migration routes, which can have long-term effects on the health of the population.
• Masking of communication: Loud noises can mask the communication signals of marine animals, making it difficult for them to locate potential mates, communicate with their offspring, and find food.
• Physiological stress: Exposure to loud noises can cause physiological stress in marine animals, which can weaken their immune system and make them more susceptible to disease.
• Strandings: Some marine animals, particularly whales and dolphins, are sensitive to sound and can become disoriented by loud noises. This can result in strandings, where the animals beach themselves and often die.
• More about effects https://optimizeias.com/noise-pollution-affects-dolphins-ability-to-communicate/

Global initiatives to tackle Marine noise Pollution

• International Maritime Organization (IMO): The IMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that is responsible for regulating shipping activities The organization has developed guidelines for reducing the noise produced by ships, such as limiting the speed of ships in certain areas to reduce noise levels.
• International Whaling Commission (IWC): The IWC is an intergovernmental organization that is responsible for the conservation and management of whale populations The organization has called for a reduction in underwater noise pollution, particularly from seismic surveys and military sonar, as a means of protecting whale populations.

2. Rhododendrons

Subject: Environment

Section: Biodiversity

Context: Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas are home to more than one-third of all types of rhododendrons found in India, reveals the latest publication of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI).

More on the News:

• Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas home to one-third (34%) of all Rhododendron types comprise only 0.3% of India’s geographical area but the region is. This highlights the ecological significance of the region as far as an indicator species like Rhododendron is concerned.
• They are facing a high threat due to anthropological pressures and climate change, according to scientists. The Rhododendron edgeworthii, with white campanulate flowers, recorded a huge habitat decline in both Darjeeling and Sikkim. Rhododendron niveum, with big purple flowers, found in the Lachung area of north Sikkim is facing threats due to rampant constructions.
• Rhododendrons are indicator species as far as climate change is concerned and have a prominent place in the botanical history of the country.

Rhododendron

• They are native to many regions of the world, including Asia, Europe, North America, and Australia.
• Rhododendron is a large genus of flowering plants and is found mainly in Eastern Himalayas, Western Himalayas and Nilgiris. Some plants of Rhododendron are evergreen and some are deciduous in nature.
• The species is found in varied habitats from subtropical forests to alpine shrubs, rhododendrons range from dwarf shrubs to large trees.
• The cold, moist slopes and deep valleys of the eastern Himalayas form a conducive habitat for the luxuriant growth of Rhododendron species and rich diversity in the North Eastern States.
• The species has been designated as the State tree of Uttarakhand and its blooming in the Garhwal Himalayas is celebrated as ‘Phool Sankranti’, a festival of flowers.
• Rhododendrons are popular ornamental plants and are often grown in gardens and parks.
• They have been used in traditional medicine for their medicinal properties. In some regions, the bark, leaves, and flowers of these plants are used to treat a range of ailments, including fever, headache, and inflammation.

3. Blue forests

Subject :Environment

Section: Climate Change

Context: 5 “blue forests” that are vital to life on Earth.

Blue forests

• “Blue forests” are coastal and marine ecosystems, including mangrove forests, seagrass meadows and tidal salt marshes.
• They play an important role in protecting marine biodiversity and supporting the livelihoods of coastal and island communities by providing habitats for fisheries, filtering water, guarding shorelines and creating opportunities for tourism and recreation.
• Blue forests also play a vital role in addressing the impacts of climate change. Such ecosystems are highly efficient in storing and sequestering atmospheric carbon in biomass and sediments, storing up to ten times as much carbon per unit area than terrestrial forests. The ability of coastal vegetation to sequester carbon is called “blue carbon.”
• The destruction of these ecosystems can release buried carbon into the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide. This further contributes to climate change, and reverses the climate adaptation and mitigation benefits they provide to local communities and the world at large.

Types of Blue forest:

• Mangroves
  • Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees and shrubs which grow along coasts. They support a rich biodiversity and provide a nursery for fish and crustaceans. Mangroves also act as a form of natural coastal defence against storm surges, tsunamis, rising sea levels and erosion.
  • Every hectare of mangrove forest represents an estimated US$33–57,000 per year. They also extract up to five times more carbon from the atmosphere than forests on land.
  • Refer https://optimizeias.com/mangroves-3/
• Salt marshes
  • Salt marshes are found in bays and estuaries along tidal coastlines in parts of the world where there is low-lying land and a temperate climate. They are important nesting and feeding grounds for birds, and their shallow, brackish waters provide shelter for fish, molluscs and crustaceans.
  • Research shows that salt marshes, together with mangroves, peatlands and seagrass beds, store more carbon than all the world’s on-land forests combined.
• Seagrass meadows
  • Seagrasses are marine flowering plants found in shallow waters from the tropics to the Arctic Circle.
  • Seagrass meadows protect coasts from erosion, store carbon and contribute to food security by helping produce healthy fish stocks.
  • A powerful nature-based solution to climate change, even though they cover only 0.1 per cent of the ocean floor, seagrasses store around 18 per cent of oceanic carbon.
  • For more details https://optimizeias.com/seagrass/
• Rockweed
  • Rockweed comprises several species of macroalgae, recognizable by their air-filled bladders, which allow them to float upright at low tide.
  • It is a staple food in some societies, and it is the original source of iodine – it is now being recognized as a sustainable resource with vast economic potential as part of the blue economy.
  • Commercial ventures like rockweed farming can create new economic opportunities, particularly for women in rural communities.
• Kelp forests
  • Kelp forests are underwater ecosystems characterized by dense groupings of kelp, which are large brown algae that can grow to be several meters long.
  • These forests are found in cold, nutrient-rich waters around the world, including along the coastlines of California, Australia, South Africa, and many other regions.
  • Refer https://optimizeias.com/scientists-strive-to-restore-worlds-embattled-kelp-forests/

Blue Forest Project

• The Blue Forests Project is a global initiative focused on harnessing the values associated with coastal carbon and ecosystem services to achieve improved ecosystem management
• Project objective: promote better coastal ecosystem management by harnessing the values associated with carbon and ecosystem services.
• The project is an initiative of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and is managed by GRID-Arendal on behalf of the UN Environment.
• Project sites include locations in Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Thailand, Kenya, Madagascar and Mozambique, United States, and the United Arab Emirates.
• At these sites with local partners, on-the-ground activities include targeted research on carbon and ecosystem services, capacity building, and analysis of possible policy interventions.
• The project also aims to provide tools and set the stage for up-scaling and the replication of the blue forests approach around the world.

4. Elephants are irreplaceable seed dispersers

Subject: Environment

Section : Species in news

Context: Indian elephants are optimal seed dispersers of three large forest trees in West Bengal.

More on the News:

• The dispersal of seeds far away from the parent tree maintains the high numbers of tree species in tropical forests. Trees depend on their fruit-eaters for seed dispersal, including elephants: the seeds of fruits they consume pass through their guts, come out undigested with dung and germinate when conditions are right.
• Using a combination of field data and theoretical modelling, scientists find that no herbivore can replace Indian elephants as the optimal seed dispersers of three large forest trees in West Bengal.
• Scientists at Bengaluru’s Indian Institute of Sciences and Princeton University, USA, quantified the role of Indian elephants and other herbivores (including Indian gaur, cattle, monkeys and wild squirrels) in dispersing the seeds of three tree species – the elephant apple tree (Dillenia indica), the slow match tree (Careya arborea) and chaplash, a jackfruit tree endemic to north-eastern India (Artocarpus chaplasha) in Buxa Tiger Reserve, West Bengal.
• The team collated previous field data, including camera-trapping and watching fruiting trees to see what fruits and how many each herbivore ate, counting seeds in dung and testing how many germinated.
• Using this and available data from literature, they quantified aspects of seed dispersal such as the time that seeds spent in animals guts, the distance that the seed was dispersed and natural processes that killed dispersed seeds.
• Incorporating these into a probability-based model, the team’s study published in Conservation Biology found that without elephants, the number of seeds that survived after dispersal decreased to between 26% and 72% for each of the three tree species if other animals fail to compensate for the elephants.
• Though compensatory fruit removal by other animals negated this pattern, seed dispersal distance still declined by 30% for elephant apple and 90% for chaplash.
• Elephants dispersed seeds between 40 and 50 km, far higher than gaur (10 km) and cattle and buffaloes (5 km).

5. GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT)

Subject :Polity

Section: Federalism

Concept :

• The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council recently accepted the Group of Ministers’ (GoM) recommendations on long pending constitution of GST appellate tribunal in the country.

GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT):

• The Central Goods and Service Tax Act, 2017 (CGST Act) in Section 109 mandates for the constitution of a GSTAT and its Benches.
• The GSTAT will be the specialized appellate authority for resolving disputes under the GST laws.

Composition:

• The GST Tribunal will have one principal bench in New Delhi and as many benches or boards in states as decided by each state, subject to approval of the council.
• North-eastern states could opt for one bench for 2-3 states and an additional bench for very far-flung areas.
• The principal bench and state boards would have two technical and two judicial members each, with equal representation from the Centre and states.
• All four members would not sit for hearing each case. It depends on the threshold or value of dues involved.

6. National Land Monetisation Corporation (NLMC)

Subject : Polity

Section: National Organisation

Concept :

• The National Land Monetisation Corporation (NLMC) has decided to utilise international property consultancy firms to help strategise and implement transactions from start to finish and expedite the monetisation plans for government-owned land assets across the country.
• NLMC has now invited proposals from international property consultancy firms (IPCs) or other firms engaged in transaction advisory services, asset monetisation or project monetisation.

National Land Monetisation Corporation

• NLMC was announced in the 2021-22 Union Budget.
• National Land Monetisation Corporation is steered by the Department of Public Enterprises to undertake monetisation of non-core assets such as surplus land and building assets of central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) and other government agencies.
• The new company will have an initial authorised share capital of ₹5,000 crore and paid-up share capital of ₹150 crore.

Composition :

• The Board of Directors of NLMC will comprise senior Central Government officers and eminent experts to enable professional operations and management of the company.
• The chairman, non-government directors of the NLMC will be appointed through a merit-based selection process.
• Functions:
• Government assets will be transferred to NLMC to hold, manage and monetise.
• Advise and support other government entities, including CPSEs, in identifying their surplus non-core assets and monetising them in a professional and efficient manner to generate maximum value realisation.
• NLMC will undertake surplus land asset monetisation as an agency function.
• NLMC will act as a repository of best practices in land monetisation, assist and provide technical advice to the government in implementation of the asset monetisation programme.

7. Second aubrite meteorite found in India in 170 years – Diyodar meteorite

Subject : Geography

Section: Physical Geography ( Geomorphology)

Concept :

• On August 17, 2022, a meteorite streaked over India, breaking apart as it descended through the air, to scatter over two villages in Banaskantha, Gujarat.
• The meteorite is a “rare, unique specimen” of aubrite, analysis by a group of scientists at the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, has revealed.
• India has been the site of hundreds of meteorite crashes but this is only the 2nd recorded aubrite crash. The past was in 1852 in Basti, Uttar Pradesh.

Diyodar Meteorite

• Aubrite meteorite is a coarse-grained igneous rock that formed in oxygen-poor conditions and contains exotic minerals not found on Earth.
• For example, the mineral heideite was first described in the Basti meteorite.
• The meteorite has been named the Diyodar meteorite after the taluka in which the villages are located.
• Around 90% of the Diyodar meteorite was composed of orthopyroxene.
• Aubrites are typically light-colored with a brownish fusion crust. Most aubrites are heavily brecciated; they are often said to look “lunar” in origin.
• Aubrites are primarily composed of large white crystals of the Fe-poor, Mg-rich orthopyroxene, or enstatite, with minor phases of olivine, nickel-iron metal, and troilite, indicating a magmatic formation under extremely reducing conditions.
• Source of origin: Scientists are not yet sure of their origin, but some signs indicate that they could be from the asteroid 3103 Eger or from the planet Mercury.

Pyroxenes

• Pyroxenes are silicates consisting of single chains of silica tetrahedra (SiO 4); orthopyroxenes are pyroxenes with a certain structure.
• Pyroxenes such as diopside and jadeite have been used as gems. Spodumene was historically used as lithium ore. Rocks with pyroxene have also been used to make crushed stone that is used in construction.
• Aubrites have crashed in at least 12 locations worldwide since 1836, including 3 in Africa and 6 in the U.S.

Meteorite

• A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from space that survives its passage through the Earth’s atmosphere and lands on the Earth’s surface.
• Difference between Meteor, Meteorite and Meteoroid:
• The difference between a meteor, meteorite and meteoroid is nothing but where the object is.
• Meteoroids are objects in space that range in size from dust grains to small asteroids.
• But when meteoroids enter the Earth’s atmosphere, they are called meteors.
• But if a meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere and hits the ground, it is called a meteorite.

8. African Union summit

Subject: International Relations

Section: International Organizations

Concept:

• Israel condemned the “severe” expulsion of a diplomat from the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, accusing Iran of orchestrating the move with help from Algeria and South Africa.

About African Union

• The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African Continent.
• Formation:
  • In 1963, the Organization of African Unity was founded by the independent states of Africa. The organization aimed to promote cooperation between African states.
  • The 1980 Lagos Plan of Action was adopted by the Organization of African Unity. The plan suggested that Africa should minimize reliance upon the West by promoting intra-African trade.
  • In 2002, the Organization of African Unity was succeeded by the African Union, which had as one of its goals to accelerate the “economic integration of the continent”.
• The most important decisions of the AU are made by the Assembly of the African Union, a semi-annual meeting of the heads of state and government of its member states.
• The AU’s secretariat, the African Union Commission, is based in Addis Ababa, The most important decisions of the AU are made by the Assembly of the African Union, a semi-annual meeting of the heads of state and government of its member states.
• The AU structure promotes participation of African citizens and civil society through the Pan-African Parliament and the Economic, Social & Cultural Council (ECOSOCC).
• The AU’s secretariat, the African Union Commission, is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

African Continental Free Trade Area:

• It was established in 2018 by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCTA).
• AfCFTA seeks to create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business persons and investments, and thus pave the way for accelerating the establishment of the Continental Customs Union and the African customs union.
• The AfCFTA preliminary work is on steps such as incremental tariff reduction, elimination of non-tariff barriers, supply chains and dispute settlement.
• It is expected to boost intra-African trade by about USD35 billion by the end of 2022.
• The larger market area will likely attract investment for continental infrastructure development.
• The increased trade will create jobs, enhance Africa’s global competitiveness, improve social welfare and position Africa for greater industrialisation.

9. Humpback Whales

Subject : Environment

Section : Species in news

Concept :

• Recent studies on eastern Australian humpback whale population have shown behavioural plasticity in mating strategies can increase a population’s ability to cope with anthropogenic impacts.
• It was found that as male density increased over time, the use of mating tactics shifted towards more males engaging in non-singing physical competition over singing.

Humpback whales

• The humpback whale is one of the four species of baleen whales.
• They are large, toothless whales that have baleen plates to filter their prey from seawater.
• They have streamlined bodies ranging from 6 to 33 m in length., reaching up to 17 m in length and over 30,000 kg in weight.
• Humpback whales occur worldwide in all major oceans. While they generally demonstrate a preference for continental shelf areas, they are also known to cross deep offshore waters, and spend time over and around seamounts in the open ocean.
• IUCN Status : Least Concern.

Migration

• Humpback whales with the exception of the Endangered Arabian Sea population perform some of the longest migrations of any whale species, swimming up to 10,000 km each year.
• They migrate because they feed and breed in very different places.
• In the Southern Hemisphere, humpback whales spend the summer in the cold waters of Antarctica, feeding on Antarctic krill, which are small shrimp-like crustaceansAnimals with a hard outer body made up of different sections e.g., crabs, prawns, barnacles. which live in large groups called swarms.
• In the wintertime, humpbacks migrate north to mate and give birth in warmer, sub-tropical waters.
• The Arabian Sea humpback whales are the only sedentary whales in the world, feeding and breeding in the same area.

10. Need for extra dose of polio

Subject : Science and technology

Section: Health

Concept :

• An additional dose of injectable polio vaccine has been introduced in West Bengal as part of the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) for children in India.
• As per the announcement, additional dose will be given at nine months, in addition to the existing doses in the current UIP.
• There were four oral doses and two injectable doses before the additional third dose was introduced in January 2023.
• West Bengal is considered among high risk areas for polio.
• According to a noted virologist, an additional dose of inactivated poliovirus (IPV) at nine months is expected to protect against any Vaccine Associated Paralytic Polio or Vaccine Derived Polioviruses.

What is Polio?

• Polio also called as Poliomyelitis.
• It is a viral disease that destroys the nerve cells present in the spinal cord, causing paralysis or muscle weakness to some parts of the body.
• It is a contagious disease affecting the nervous system and is caused by Picornaviridae – a poliovirus.
• The virus is transmitted by person-to-person through the following ways –
• Through the faecal-oral route.
• By contaminated water or food.
• This virus primarily grows and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can attack thenervous system and will cause polio and paralysis on an advanced level.
• There are three individual and immunologically distinct wild poliovirus strains:
  • Wild Poliovirus type 1 (WPV1)
  • Wild Poliovirus type 2 (WPV2)
  • Wild Poliovirus type 3 (WPV3)
• Symptomatically, all three strains are identical, in that they cause irreversible paralysis or even death.
• However, there are genetic and virological differences, which make these three strains separate viruses which must each be eradicated individually.
• WPV2 and WPV3 have been eradicated globally but WPV1 remains in circulation in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
• WPV2 was eradicated in 1999.
• There is no cure, but it can be prevented through immunisation.

Vaccines:

• Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV):It is given orally as a birth dose for institutional deliveries, then primary three doses at 6, 10 and 14 weeks and one booster dose at 16-24 months of age.
• Injectable Polio Vaccine (IPV):It is introduced as an additional dose along with the 3rd dose of DPT (Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus) under the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).

Polio Eradication:

• For a country to be declared polio-free, the wild transmission of all three kinds of Polioviruses has to be stopped.
• For eradication, cases of both wild and vaccine-derived polio infection have to be reduced to zero.
• Eradication of a disease refers to the complete and permanent worldwide reduction to zero new cases through deliberate efforts. If a disease has been eradicated, no further control measures are required.
• However, elimination of a disease refers to reduction to zero or a very low defined target rate of new cases in a defined geographical area. It requires continued measures to prevent re-establishment of disease transmission.

How did India achieve its polio-free status?

• Rotary International launched its polio eradication campaign, Polio Plus, in 1985, it was in 1986 that it provided a $2.6 million grant to Tamil Nadu for a pilot polio vaccination campaign.
• In 1995, the Union government announced the first National Polio Immunisation Day.
• In 2012, the World Health Organisation removed India from the list of endemic countries.
  • The last case of poliovirus type 2 was recorded in India in October 1999 at Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.
  • The last case of poliovirus type 3 was on October 22, 2010, at Pakur, Jharkhand.
  • The last case of poliovirus type 1 was recorded on January 13, 2011, at Howrah, West Bengal.
  • To prevent the virus from coming to India, the government since March 2014, has made the Oral Polio Vaccination (OPV) mandatory for those travelling between India and polio-affected countries, such as Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Syria and Cameroon.

11. Contributions of Annie Besant

Subject : History

Section :Personalities

Concept :

• Annie Besant, born on October 1, 1847, in Ireland, was a well-known political activist, freedom fighter, and supporter of the anti-Church movement and women’s rights.
• In the 1870s, Besant joined the National Secular Society and the Fabian Society, both of which advocated for freedom of thought and liberation from the tyranny of the Catholic Church in England.
• Besant traveled to India for the first time in 1893 and later settled there, becoming involved in the Indian nationalist movement.
• She founded the Indian Home Rule League, of which she later became president, in 1916. She was also a key figure in the Indian National Congress.

Background :

• Annie Besant was born in London to an Irish-origin family as Annie Wood. Besant’s father died when she was five years old, leaving her family impoverished.
• She married a vicar, Frank Besant, when she was 20 years old. They had two children but divorced legally due to religious differences.
• Besant was a staunch supporter of Irish independence.
• She also began to question her religious beliefs. She went so far as to criticize the Church of England. She was a feminist political and religious activist, which caused her problems in society.
• She advocated for intellectual freedom, secularism, women’s rights, birth control, workers’ rights, and Fabian socialism. She was particularly opposed to the church meddling in people’s lives.
• After meeting Helena Blavatsky in1889, Besant became a Theosophist.
• Her search for socialist movement and spiritual solace led her to the Theosophical Society. During her time as a member of society, she developed an interest in Hinduism and its spiritual ideals.
• From 1907 to 1933, Annie Besant served as the society’s president.
• A few days after arriving in India, she was inspired by the ongoing struggle for independence against British rule and gradually became an active participant in it.

Annie Besant – Role in India’s Independence

• In 1902, Annie Besant wrote that “India was not ruled for its benefit, but rather for the benefit of its conquerors.”
• She promoted national awakening while combating social ills such as caste discrimination and child marriage. She devoted a lot of time and effort to improving education in India.
• Annie Besant entered politics when she joined the Indian National Congress. When she first joined, the Congress was merely a debating body whose members deliberated on which resolutions to pass.
• These resolutions were mild in nature, requesting more representation for middle-class Indians in the British government. It had yet to grow into a mass movement demanding complete independence.
• When World War I broke out in 1914, Britain enlisted the help of its colonies against its adversaries. But, according to Annie Besant, this was where India’s opportunities lay.
• Annie Besant founded the All India Home Rule League in September,1916 (Tilak home rule league was formed in April 1916). This was India’s first faction to demand complete independence. The league worked all year to establish a network of local branches and organize agitations.
• The colonial authorities, for their part, placed her under house arrest as a result of her activities. Other political parties threatened more riots if she was not released.
• As a result, the government was forced to make minor concessions. One of them was that once the war was over, the possibility of self-rule would be considered.
• In September 1917, Annie Besant was released. In December of that year, she was elected president of the Indian National Congress for a one-year term.
• The new Congress leadership would be handed over to Mahatma Gandhi at this time. He was a key supporter of her release from house arrest.
• Annie Besant would fight for India’s independence until the end of her life. She would go on speaking tours in India and abroad to spread the word about the independence movement.

Educational Reforms

• Annie Besant advocated for research into ancient Indian religions, philosophies, and doctrines.
• She also founded the Central Hindu School in 1898 at varanasi, to promote education.
• Later it has became the Banaras Hindu University with the efforts of Madan Mohan Malaviya in 1916.
• By 1918, she had founded the following:
  • Madras Parliament
  • Madanapalle College (now in Andhra Pradesh)
  • Adyar Arts League
  • Bombay Home Rule League
  • Girls’ College in Benares
  • Order of the Brothers of Service
• She is one of the founders of Women’s Indian Association in 1917 — from which grew the All-India Women’s Conference in Poona (now Pune) in 1927 and the Women’s Indian Association at Adyar.
• Unfortunately, she fell out of favor with the Indian National Congress due to her opposition to Gandhi’s non-cooperation and civil disobedience agenda, which she saw as a threat to the rule of law.
• Despite her admiration for Gandhi as a man who lived a life guided by honesty and compassion, she advocated for constitutional methods of bringing about democratic change.
• Gandhi’s policies were implemented, and the disasters she had predicted occurred across India. Despite becoming unpopular and losing her political status, she continued to work for India.
• Annie Besant remained a member of the Theosophical Society until she fell ill in 1931. She passed away on September 20, 1933, at the age of 85, in Adyar, Madras Presidency