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GS Paper: GS1

  • What is Agni Kandakarnan Theyyam?

    Ritual dance Agni Kandakarnan Theyyam performing at the Kaliyattam festival has begun in Kannur, Kerala.

    What is Theyyam?

    • Theyyam is a popular thousand-year-old ritual form of dance worship in Kerala and Karnataka, India.
    • The people of these districts consider Theyyam itself as a channel to a god and they thus seek blessings from Theyyam.
    • There are about 456 types of Theyyam.
    • Theyyam is performed by males, except the Devakoothu theyyam; the Devakoothu is the only Theyyam ritual performed by women.
    • It is performed only in the Thekkumbad Kulom temple.

    Major types of performances

    • Vishnumoorthi: It is the most popular Vaishnava Theyyam. This theyyam narrates and performs the story of Hiranyakashipu’s death by the Lord Vishnu in his avatar of Narasimham.
    • Sree Muthappan Theyyam: It consists of two divine figures is considered as the personification of two divine figures— the Thiruvappana or Valiya Muttapan (Vishnu) and the Vellatom or Cheriya Muttapan (Shiva).
    • Padikutti Amma: It is believed to be the mother of Muthapan. The Padikutti Amma Theyyam is performed in the Palaprath Temple in Kodallur near Parassini Kadavu in the Meenam (a Malayalam month)

    Thee

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  • What is Perini Dance?

    A Perini dance performance by artistes in Hyderabad has left the audience awestruck.

    Perini Dance

    • Perini Sivathandavam is an ancient dance form, from Telangana, which has been revived in recent times.
    • It originated and prospered in Telangana, during the Kakatiya dynasty.
    • It is performed in honour of Lord Siva, the hindu god of destruction and it is believed that in ancient times this was performed before the soldiers set to war.
    • One can find evidence of this dance in the sculptures near Garbha Gudi (Sanctum Sanctorum) of the Ramappa Temple at Warangal.

    Performance details

    • The Perini siva Thandavam is a dance form usually performed by males.
    • It is called ‘Dance of Warriors’. Warriors before leaving to the battlefield enact this dance before the idol of Lord Śiva (Siva).
    • The dance form, Perini, reached its pinnacle during the rule of the ‘Kakatiyas’ who established their dynasty at Warangal and ruled for almost two centuries.
    • It is believed that this dance form invokes ‘Prerana’ (inspiration) and is dedicated to supreme dancer, Lord Siva.

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q.Which one of the following was a very important seaport in the Kakatiya kingdom? (CSP 2017)

    (a) Kakinada

    (b) Motupalli

    (c) Machilipatnam (Masulipatnam)

    (d) Nelluru

     

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  • Back in news: Visva-Bharati University

    The stalemate continues in Visva-Bharati University as students demand the reopening of hostels and conducting of online examinations.

    Visva-Bharati

    • Visva-Bharati is a central research university and an Institution of National Importance located in Shantiniketan, West Bengal, India.
    • It was founded by Rabindranath Tagore who called it Visva-Bharati, which means the communion of the world with India.
    • Until independence, it was a college.
    • Soon after independence, the institution was given the status of a central university in 1951 by an act of the Parliament.

    Its establishment

    • The origins of the institution date back to 1863 when Debendranath Tagore was given a tract of land by the zamindar of Raipur, zamindar of Kirnahar.
    • He set up an ashram at the spot that has now come to be called chatim tala at the heart of the town.
    • The ashram was initially called Brahmacharya Ashram, which was later renamed Brahmacharya Vidyalaya.
    • It was established with a view to encouraging people from all walks of life to come to the spot and meditate.
    • In 1901 his youngest son Rabindranath Tagore established a co-educational school inside the premises of the ashram.
    • From 1901 onwards, Tagore used the ashram to organize the Hindu Mela, which soon became a center of nationalist activity.

    Try this PYQ from CSP 2021:

    Q. With reference to Madanapalle of Andhra Pradesh, which one of the following statements is correct?

    (a) Pingali Venkayya designed the tricolour Indian National Flag here.

    (b) Pattabhi Sitaramaiah led the Quit India Movement of Andhra region from here.

    (c) Rabindranath Tagore translated the National Anthem from Bengali to English here.

    (d) Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott set up headquarters of Theosophical Society fi rst here.

     

     

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  • IPCC releases part of the Sixth Assessment Report

    What is the issue:

    The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the second part of its sixth assessment report. The first part was released in 2021.

    What is IPCC?

    • The IPCC, an intergovernmental body was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
    • It was later endorsed by the UN General Assembly. Membership is open to all members of the WMO and UN.
    • The IPCC produces reports that contribute to the work of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the main international treaty on climate change.
    • The objective of the UNFCCC is to “stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic (human-induced) interference with the climate system.”

    What are the Assessment Reports?

    • Every few years, the IPCC produces assessment reports that are the most comprehensive scientific evaluations of the state of earth’s climate.
    • Instead, it asks scientists from around the world to go through all the relevant scientific literature related to climate change and draw up the logical conclusions.
    • So far, five assessment reports have been produced, the first one being released in 1990.
    • The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report was a critical scientific input into the UNFCCC’s Paris Agreement in 2015.

    Highlights of the recent report

    • Rapidly advancing climate change: From the melting of the Greenland ice sheet to the destruction of coral reefs, climate related impacts are hitting the world at the high end much more quickly than previously assessed by the IPCC.
    • Limitations of technology: The use of some technologies designed to limit warming or reduce CO2 could make matters worse rather than better.
    • Impact of urbanization: While large cities are hotspots for climate impacts, they also offer a real opportunity to avoid the worst impacts of warming.
    • Limited opportunity for mitigation: The report has warned the opportunity for action will only last for the rest of this decade.

    Some projections of the first part of 6th Report

    • Regional focus: It is expected that this report would likely state what the scenarios for sea-level rise in the Bay of Bengal region is, not just what the average sea-level rise across the world is likely to be.
    • Rise of extreme events: There is expected to be bigger focus on extreme weather events, like the ones we have seen in the last few weeks.
    • Vulnerabilities of urban areas: Densely populated mega-cities are supposed to be among the most vulnerable to impacts of climate change. The report is expected to present specific scenarios the climate change impacts on cities and large urban populations, and also implications for key infrastructure.
    • Synergy of climate action is needed: IPCC is expected to present a more integrated understanding of the situation, cross-link evidence and discuss trade-offs between different options or pathways, and also likely to cover social implications of climate change action by countries.

    Here is what the previous assessment reports had said:

  • [pib] International Monsoons Project Office (IMPO)

    Union Minister of Science & Technology has launched the International Monsoons Project Office (IMPO).

    International Monsoons Project Office (IMPO)

    • IMPO will be hosted at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, an institution under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt of India, initially for five years.
    • Setting up the IMPO reiterates the importance of monsoons for the national economy.
    • It would encompass activities and connections related to international monsoon research that would be identified and fostered under the leadership of the World Climate Research Programme.
    • Both the World Climate Research Programme and World Weather Research Programme are international programmes coordinated by the United Nations World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

    Significance of IMPO

    • Setting up the IMPO in India would mean expanding an integrated scientific approach to solve the seasonal variability of monsoons, enhancing the prediction skill of monsoons and cyclones.
    • It would promote knowledge sharing and capacity building in areas of monsoon research crucial for agriculture, water resources and disaster management, hydropower and climate-sensitive socio-economic sectors.
    • It is a step towards making India a global hub for monsoon research and coordination in a seamless manner for addressing common and region-specific aspects of the monsoons around the world.

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    Back2Basics:

    Various terms related to Indian Monsoon

  • Who was Lachit Borphukan?

    The Prime Minister has paid tribute to Lachit Borphukan on Lachit Diwas.

    Who was Lachit Borphukan?

    • The year was 1671 and the decisive Battle of Saraighat was fought on the raging waters of the Brahmaputra.
    • On one side was Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb’s army headed by Ram Singh of Amer (Jaipur) and on the other was the Ahom General Lachit Borphukan.
    • He was a commander in the Ahom kingdom, located in present-day Assam.
    • Ram Singh failed to make any advance against the Assamese army during the first phase of the war.
    • Lachit Borphukan emerged victorious in the war and the Mughals were forced to retreat from Guwahati.

    Lachit Diwas

    • On 24 November each year, Lachit Divas is celebrated state-wide in Assam to commemorate the heroism of Lachit Borphukan.
    • On this day, Borphukan has defeated the Mughal army on the banks of the Brahmaputra in the Battle of Saraighat in 1671.
    • The best passing out cadet of National Defence Academy has been conferred the Lachit gold medal every year since 1999 commemorating his valor.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.What was the immediate cause for Ahmad Shah Abdali to invade and fight the Third Battle of Panipat?

    (a) He wanted to avenge the expulsion by Marathas of his viceroy Timur Shah from Lahore

    (b) The frustrated governor of Jullundhar Adina Beg khan invited him to invade Punjab

    (c) He wanted to punish Mughal administration for non-payment of the revenues of the Chahar Mahal (Gujrat Aurangabad, Sialkot and Pasrur)

    (d) He wanted to annex all the fertile plains of Punjab upto borders of Delhi to his kingdom

     

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  • Who was Narsinh Mehta?

    Recently Junagadh University discovered a new species of spider and named it Narsinhmehtai in honour of Narsinh Mehta, the 15th-century poet who was a devotee of Lord Krishna.

    Narsinh Mehta

    • Mehta is believed to have been born in Talaja in present-day Bhavnagar district in 1410 and died in Junagadh in 1480s.
    • The family had its origin in Vadnagar in north Gujarat, and the caste name is believed to be Pandya but as members of the family were officers in kingdoms of those days.
    • They were called Mehta (one who keeps books of accounts) which later on became the family name.
    • His father died when Mehta was just 5 and it is believed that Mehta learnt to speak only when he was eight years old, after a holy man asked him to utter the name of Lord Krishna.
    • His elder brother Bansidhar and Bansidhar’s wife raised Mehta and arranged his marriage.

    Miracles in his life

    • Mehta used to spend time in Krishna-bhakti (devotion to Lord Krishna) even after his marriage to Manekba, paying little attention to family duties.
    • Mehta is believed to have run away from home and done tapashcharya at a Shiva temple in Talaja for seven days.
    • After that, Mehta relocated with his family to Junagadh.
    • Nonetheless, folklore has it that Lord Krishna, by impersonating as Mehta, helped the devout poet organise shraadhha (a ritual performed post death of a family member) of his father, marriage of his son Shamaldas etc.
    • One of his bhajans narrates how Ra Mandlik, the then ruler of Junagadh had imprisoned him, accusing the poet of not having seen Lord Krishna and yet claiming to have done so.

    His poetry

    • Mehta penned more than 750 poems, called padd in Gujarat.
    • They mainly deal with devotion to Lord Krishna, gyan (wisdom) vairagya (detachment from worldly affairs).
    • Others like Shalmshano Vivah, Kunvarbainu Mameru, Hundi and Harmala are believed to be autobiographical accounts of different occasions in his life.
    • Vaishanavajn to tene kahiye, Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite bhajan is Mehta’s creation.

     

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  • What are CRZ norms?

    The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) inspected a bungalow owned by a Union Minister for alleged violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms.

    What is the news?

    • The Union Minister’s bungalow named has been illicitly constructed within 50 metres of the sea in violation of the CRZ rules.
    • The crackdown assumes significance in the escalating verbal spats between the two political rivals (which were allies for years).

    What are CRZ norms?

    • In India, the CRZ Rules govern human and industrial activity close to the coastline, in order to protect the fragile ecosystems near the sea.
    • They restrict certain kinds of activities — like large constructions, setting up of new industries, storage or disposal of hazardous material, mining, reclamation and bunding — within a certain distance from the coastline.
    • After the passing of the Environment Protection Act in 1986, CRZ Rules were first framed in 1991.
    • After these were found to be restrictive, the Centre notified new Rules in 2011, which also included exemptions for the construction of the Navi Mumbai airport and for projects of the Department of Atomic Energy.
    • While the CRZ Rules are made by the Union environment ministry, implementation is to be ensured by state governments through their Coastal Zone Management Authorities.

    Where do they apply?

    • In all Rules, the regulation zone has been defined as the area up to 500 m from the high-tide line.
    • The restrictions depend on criteria such as the population of the area, the ecological sensitivity, the distance from the shore, and whether the area had been designated as a natural park or wildlife zone.
    • The latest Rules have a no-development zone of 20 m for all islands close to the mainland coast, and for all backwater islands in the mainland.

    New Rules under CRZ regulations

    • The government notified new CRZ Rules with the stated objectives of promoting sustainable development and conserving coastal environments.
    • For the so-called CRZ-III (Rural) areas, two separate categories have been stipulated.
    • In the densely populated rural areas (CRZ-IIIA) with a population density of 2,161 per sq km as per the 2011 Census, the no-development zone is now 50 m from the high-tide level, as against the 200 m stipulated earlier.
    • In the CRZ-IIIB category (rural areas with population density below 2,161 per sq km) continue to have a no-development zone extending up to 200 m from the high-tide line.
    • The new Rules have a no-development zone of 20 m for all islands close to the mainland coast, and for all backwater islands in the mainland.

     

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  • United Nations Refugee Convention, 1951

    Model laws on asylum and refugees that were drafted by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) decades ago but not implemented by the government could be revised by an expert committee.

    Why in news?

    • India is not having a specific law for refugees and asylum-seekers.
    • Though India has not signed the United Nations Refugee Convention, 1951, the refugees and asylum seekers were entitled to the rights in Articles 14, 20 and 21 of the Constitution.

    UN Refugee Convention, 1951

    • The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees was the first comprehensive attempt to define refugees and charted a detailed guideline for host countries to ensure the adequate protection and preservation of the rights of all refugees.
    • It puts out clearly who a refugee is and what kind of assistance, rights and legal protection a refugee is entitled to receive.
    • It also lays down the obligations of refugees towards the host countries.
    • The Convention also specifies certain categories of people, such as war criminals, who do not qualify for refugee status.

    Definition of Refugee:

    The 1951 convention defines a refugee as:

    1. A person who is outside his or her country of nationality or habitual residence
    2. Has a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of his or her race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion
    3. Unable or unwilling to avail him— or herself of the protection of that country, or
    4. Unable to return there, for fear of persecution

    Various Rights conferred to Refugees

    • The right not to be expelled, except under certain, strictly defined conditions.
    • The right not to be punished for illegal entry into the territory of a contracting State.
    • The rights to work, housing, education, public relief and assistance, freedom of religion, access courts, and freedom of movement within the territory.
    • The right to be issued identity and travel documents.
    • The right to be protected from refoulement apply to all refugees.

    Why hasn’t India signed this convention?

    • Dispute over definition: Another reason why India has not signed the Convention is the narrow definition of refugee under it. For instance, it does not include deprivation of economic rights as an eligibility criterion.
    • National security: It is believed that the chief reason is related to security issues.
    • Porous and open borders: South Asian borders are porous and any conflict can cause a huge displacement of people.
    • Cultural strain: Finally, sometimes refugees also pose a threat to law and order due to cultural differences. Ex. North East states.
    • Strain on economy: An influx of people during such times can put a lot of strain on the resources of the local economy and also, it can cause an imbalance in the delicate demography of the region.
    • Many inhabited refugees: India has already houses many refugees and in many cases, without the support of the UN.
    • Loss of sovereignty: Signing the convention would have meant allowing international scrutiny of ‘India’s internal security, political stability and international relations’.
    • Ad-hocism of the convention: The convention lacks a strong implementation policy which has given rise to ad-hocism and warehousing of refugees.

    Way forward

    • The inability of international refugee law to reconcile itself with the practical realities that constrain states has culminated in its failure to provide asylum to persecuted persons.
    • In these circumstances, India needs a specific legislation governing refugees and asylum seekers.
    • Such a law would give legal sanctity and uniformity, ensuring the protection of human rights.
    • Along with this, each state must take responsibility for hosting refugees during their darkest hours by devising a burden-sharing system.

     

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  • In news: Tarapur Massacre of 1932

    Bihar CM has announced that February 15 would be celebrated as “Shahid Diwas” in memory of the 34 freedom fighters who were killed by police in Tarapur town of Bihar’s Munger district 90 years ago.

    Why such move?

    • The Tarapur massacre was the biggest carried out by the British police after the one in Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar in 1919.
    • The freedom fighters had never got their due, the CM said.
    • PM Modi too had referred to the Tarapur massacre in his Mann ki Baat radio address of January 2021.

    Tarapur Massacre: Course of events

    • On February 15, 1932, a group of young freedom fighters planned to hoist an Indian national flag at Thana Bhavan in Tarapur.
    • Police were aware of the plan, and several officers were present at the spot. Around 2 pm, even as the police carried out a brutal lathicharge, Gopal Singh succeeded in raising the flag at Thana Bhavan.
    • A 4,000-strong crowd pelted the police with stones, injuring an officer of the civil administration.
    • The police responded by opening indiscriminate fire on the crowd.
    • After about 75 rounds were fired, 34 bodies were found at the spot, even though there were claims of an even larger number of deaths.

    Trigger for protest

    • The hanging of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru in Lahore on March 23, 1931, sent a wave of grief and anger around the country.
    • Following the collapse of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, the Mahatma was arrested in early 1932.
    • The Congress was declared an illegal organization, and Nehru, Patel, and Rajendra Prasad were also thrown in jail.
    • In Munger, freedom fighters Srikrishna Singh, Nemdhari Singh, Nirapad Mukherjee, Pandit Dasrath Jha, Basukinath Rai, Dinanath Sahay, and Jaymangal Shastri were arrested.
    • A call given by the Congress leader Sardar Shardul Singh Kavishwar to raise the tricolour over government buildings resonated in Tarapur.

     

    Back2Basics:

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/explained-jallianwala-bagh-massacre/

     

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