Syama Prasad Mookerjee: PIB Notes
About Syama Prasad Mookerjee
- Birth: He was born on July 6, 1901, in Calcutta, Bengal Province.
- Family: His father Ashutosh Mukherjee served as a judge of the Calcutta High Court.
- Education: He earned BA, MA and LLB degrees from Calcutta University.
- Legal Career: He became a barrister at Lincoln’s Inn in 1927.
- Death: He died in Jammu Kashmir police custody at Srinagar on June 23, 1953.
Key Contributions of Syama Prasad Mookerjee
- Pre-Independence
- Vice Chancellor: He became the youngest Vice Chancellor of Calcutta University between 1934 and 1938.
- Bengal Legislative Council: He entered the BLC representing Calcutta University as a Congress candidate.
- Independent Candidate: He won the 1937 elections as an independent candidate.
- Finance Minister: He served as Bengal Province’s Finance Minister during 1941 and 1942.
- Hindu Mahasabha: He served as President of the All India Hindu Mahasabha from 1943 to 1946.
- Quit India Movement: He opposed the Quit India Movement launched in 1942.
- Post-Independence
- Constituent Assembly: He was elected to the Constituent Assembly from West Bengal on a Congress ticket.
- Union Minister: He became India’s first Industry Minister in Jawaharlal Nehru’s interim government in 1947.
- Delhi Pact: He resigned in 1950 over the Delhi Pact with Liaquat Ali Khan.
- Bharatiya Jana Sangh: He founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951.
- Article 370: He strongly opposed Article 370 during his parliamentary career.
- Hunger Strike: He launched a hunger strike against Union Government policies in Jammu and Kashmir.
Project 17A Frigates: PIB Notes
In News: Indian Navy to Commission INS Mahendragiri (F38)
- The Indian Navy will commission INS Mahendragiri at Visakhapatnam. INS Mahendragiri is the sixth indigenous stealth frigate under Project 17A.
- It is the first Indian Naval warship named after the Mahendragiri mountain range. The commissioning strengthens India’s indigenous warship building capabilities.
About Project 17A Frigates
- Project 17A: It is a programme for constructing indigenous stealth frigates for the Indian Navy.
- Design: The Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau designed the frigates in-house.
- Builder: Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited built INS Mahendragiri in Mumbai.
- Indigenous Content: The frigate contains more than 75 percent indigenous content.
- Aatmanirbhar Bharat: The project strengthens India’s indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem.
Key Features of INS Mahendragiri (F38)
- Stealth Features: The frigate incorporates advanced stealth features with reduced radar signature.
- Automation: It possesses a high degree of automation for efficient operations.
- Propulsion: It uses a Combined Diesel or Gas propulsion system.
- Combat Systems: The frigate carries an integrated Combat Management System.
- Weapons: It is equipped with indigenous missile, electronic warfare and anti-submarine systems.
- Operational Role: It can conduct anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine operations.
Operational Significance of INS Mahendragiri
- The frigate supports maritime security, power projection and sustained presence missions.
- It can undertake HADR, Search and Rescue and other maritime operations.
- INS Mahendragiri strengthens the Indian Navy’s overall combat capability.
- It reinforces India’s position as a leading indigenous warship building nation.
- The frigate supports India’s role as the Preferred Security Partner in the Indian Ocean Region.
