Civil Service Bytes

Here are the major topics which have been in news recently and there is a possibility that UPSC might pose a question from any of the latest happenings. Policy to adopt world heritage sites UNESCO, with the help of 21 member World Heritage Committee and advisory bodies such as International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), within the framework of its Operational Guidelines, decides about the cultural and natural sites to be included on the World Heritage list.  Such cultural and natural sites must display the necessary Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), fulfill one or more out of 10 prescribed criteria (as given below), maintain the condition of authenticity and integrity and should be in a good state of conservation.  There are 32 sites from India declared as World Heritage sites - 25 are cultural sites and 7 are natural sites. The Criteria for the assessment of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) as per UNE...

TRADITIONAL THEATRE When there is intensity of emotions, there is a natural kind of rhythm in the expressions. It is this natural rhythm from which emerges the traditional theatre-form. In this art form, sorrow, joy, frustration, hatred and love have their role and place . In this social portrayal, there is also the individual’s role which is given due importance. Traditional theatre forms incorporate not only the common man’s interests but there is also a classical element in them. This classical facet, however, takes on regional, local and folk coloring. It is possible, that those associated with the classical world of Sanskrit drama, went to the neighbouring regions after its decline and intermingled with the local theatre forms. This kind of synthesis, give-and-take must have taken place on various levels such as written, verbal, classical, contemporary, national and local. In traditional theatre forms there are special styles of dance portraying the entry on to the stage ...

A puppet  Most remarkable and ingenious inventions of the man.  More than his live counterpart  More captivating and enduring in a puppet. Ancient Hindu philosophers have paid the greatest tribute to puppeteers. They have likened God Almighty to a puppeteer and the entire universe to a puppet stage.  Srimad Bhagavata , the great epic depicting the story of Lord Krishna in his childhood say that with three strings- Satta ,  Raja  and  Tama , the God manipulates each object in the universe as a marionette.  In Sanskrit terminology  Puttalika  and  Puttika  means ‘little sons’. The root of Puppet is derived from the latin word ‘Pupa’ meaning a doll. India is said to be the home of puppets, but it is yet to awaken to its unlimited possibilities. The earliest reference to the art of puppetry is found in Tamil classic ‘ Silappadikaaram ’ written around the 1st or 2nd century B.C.  , the masterly treatise on dramatur...

In a bid to undo historical injustice meted out to primitive tribal communities living in central India, the government of Madhya Pradesh has for the first time recognised the habitat rights of seven villages in Dindori district, mostly inhabited by the Baigas. In a meeting held in village Rajni Sarai on January 13, the district administration told the villagers they are free to access all their ancestral rights over land and forests. The administration also assured them that the government will not be able to transfer any land for non-community uses without “consent”. District Collector Chhavi Bhardwaj, who started the process of recognising habitat rights in 2014, told  Down To Earth that around 9,308 hectares in the seven villages—Dhaba, Rajni Sarai, Dhurkutta, Limauta, Jilang, Silpidi and Ajgar—have been granted to about 900 families under Section 3 (1) d of Forest Rights Act, 2006. Ekta Parishad, a non-profit based in Tilda in Chhattisgarh, was instrumental in en...

The Centre issued a notification to permit jallikattu, Tamil Nadu’s traditional bull-taming sport, ahead of the Pongal festival. The notification overturns a 2011 notification that prohibited the exhibition or training of bulls, and some other animals, as performing animals. The Supreme Court had in 2014 upheld the 2011 government order. “Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu, bullock cart race in Maharashtra, ‘Kambala’ in Karnataka and some sort of race using bullocks in Punjab have been traditionally and culturally practiced for centuries. The Supreme Court had banned using bulls for Jallikattu events or bullock-cart races across the country and directed governments and the Animal Welfare Board of India to take steps to prevent infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering on animals.   Jallikattu   is a bull taming sport played in Tamil Nadu as a part of Pongal celebrations on Mattu Pongal day. Bulls are bred specifically for the sporting event and a specific breed of c...

What were the Differences between Indus civilization & Vedic Culture? The Indus civilization and Vedic culture constitute two great corner stone's in the history of Indian culture and civilization. When we make a comparison between the two, we notice more differences than similarities. Our sources of information of the Harappan civilization are mainly archaeological, while the Vedic culture is mostly known from the literary sources - the Vedas. Differences: Harappans are said to have been the original inhabitants of India while the Aryans, the founders of Vedic culture, are believed to have come to India from Central Asia. The Harappan civilization was urban in nature as is evidenced by its town-planning, drainage system, and granary and so on. The Vedic culture was rural. There is almost complete absence of towns in the Rigvedic period. At best the Rigvedic Aryans lived in fortified places protected by mud walls; and these cannot be regarded as towns in the Harap...