insights daily current events (paper – 1, upsc …sep 01, 2016 · • the basic dance steps of...

www.insightsonindia.com

Insights

www.insightsias.com

INSIGHTS DAILY CURRENT EVENTS (PAPER – 1, UPSC MAINS)

September 2015

Topic: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues.

Sree Narayana Jayanthi Celebrated

The 161st birth anniversary of Sree Narayana Guru was celebrated across the Kochi district with processions, feasts and art/cultural shows recently.

• To commemorate the birth anniversary public meetings were organised in various parts of the Kochi district in Kerala, highlighting the teachings of Narayana Guru.

Who was Narayana Guru?

Narayana Guru (1854 – 1928) was a social reformer. He has been credited with transforming the social fabric of kerala and changing the beliefs of keralites in ways unimaginable at that point in time.

• He was born into an Ezhava family in an era when people from such communities, which were regarded as Avarna, faced much social injustice in the caste-ridden society of Kerala.


Insights

www.insightsias.com

Contributions/achievements:

• He led a reform movement in Kerala, rejected casteism, and promoted new values of spiritual freedom and social equality.

• He stressed the need for the spiritual and social upliftment of the downtrodden by their own efforts through the establishment of temples and educational institutions.

• In the process, he denounced the superstitions that clouded the fundamental Hindu cultural convention of caste.

• He preached the ‘oneness’ of humanity, crossing the boundaries of caste and creed.

• In 1888, he installed an idol of siva at Aravippuram in Kerala in his effort to show that the consecration of god’s image was not a monopoly of the brahmins. This is popularly known as Aravippuram movement.

• The above event also inpired many socio religious reform movements in the south including Temple Entry Movement.

Sources: The Hindu, Wiki.


Insights

www.insightsias.com

PM salutes Freedom Fighter Bagha Jatin, on the centenary of his martyrdom

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has saluted Freedom Fighter Bagha Jatin, on the centenary of his martyrdom.

• 100 years ago, on September 10, Bagha Jatin succumbed to severe bullet injuries in Balasore hospital following a gallant battle with British Police.

About Bagha Jatin:

• He was born in Kaya village in Kushtia district of the undivided Bengal, part of present day Bangladesh, in 1889

• Jatin ignited the flame of revolution against the colonial British rule in Indian subcontinent.

• In 1904, a young Jatindranath Mukherjee fought with a Royal Bengal tiger all alone, killed it with the help of a dagger and earned the epithet ‘Bagha Jatin’.

• Bagha Jatin was the principal leader of the Jugantar party. • He is one of the founders of the Anushilan Samiti, the principal

revolutionary organisation operating in Bengal in the early 20th century.

• Bagha Jatin proudly took the path of violence and dedicated himself to the cause of Purna Swaraj (total independence) as opposed to the framework of Indian National Congress.

• Bagha Jatin successfully organised armed uprising against the British in cooperation with Germany.

• Mahatma Gandhi, in 1925, had described Bagha Jatin as a ‘divine personality’.


Insights

www.insightsias.com


Topic: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

Supreme Court lifts stay on Santhara ritual of Jains

The Supreme Court has restored the Jain religious practice of a ritualistic fast unto death by staying an order of the Rajasthan High Court, which compared it to an act of suicide.

• The order came based on petitions filed by Jain community members. They had complained that the High Court, based on incorrect observations on Jainism, criminalised the philosophy and essential practice of Sallekhana/Santhara, a fundamental component of the Jain principle of ahimsa (non-violence).

• The petitions also said the High Court order infringed on secularism. It criminalised Santhara without even consulting scholars or findings.

Background:


Insights

www.insightsias.com

• The Rajasthan High Court had recently ruled that the voluntary religious practice of santhara was a form of suicide and, therefore, illegal.

• Jains had protested against the order, saying suicide was sin, whereas santhara was religion.

• In its order, the Rajasthan high court had agreed that the practice amounted to suicide and hence, had made it a criminal offence.

• Some also argued that the order violated the Fundamental Rights guaranteed under Article 21 and 25 of the constitution.

What is Santhara?

• Santhara means a fast unto death. A person after taking a vow of 'Santhara' stops eating and even drinking water and awaits death.

• In Jainism, the concept of choosing the manner and time of one's death is a centuries-old ritual. The devout Jains believe that Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankar, allowed Santhara, or Sallekhana, as the ultimate test of spirituality, will power, whose ultimate goal is purifying body and mind and facing death voluntarily.

• According to the ritual, which Jains believe has been prevalent for thousands of years, a person voluntarily gives up food and water, either because of an incurable illness or due to the belief that the end is near. It is reserved only for the old and the invalid and is practised rarely.

• Jainism is one of the world's most ancient religions, and Jain monks lead a life of extreme austerity and renunciation.

Some human rights activists say the ritual is "a social evil" and should be considered as suicide.

Is it really different from suicide?


Insights

www.insightsias.com

• It is difficult to argue that Santhara is different from suicide or euthanasia. In the end, the objective of all these concepts is death, the destruction of life and mortal body. But, the Jains believe the difference is in the motivation for both the acts.

• Suicide is a desperate measure, triggered by failure and setbacks in life; it is an act of cowardice, a surrender to the circumstance because of lack of will power. It is a decision forced upon the person by external circumstances. According to the Jains, Santhara is the exact opposite of this.

Sources: The Hindu.

Sabarimala to be national pilgrim centre

The Union government recently said that it will take necessary steps to declare Sabarimala a national pilgrim centre.

• The Union Ministry of Tourism would initiate steps to include Sabarimala in the national pilgrim tourism circuit by bringing it under the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spirituality Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) scheme.

About PRASAD scheme:

PRASAD scheme aims to create spiritual centres for tourism development within the nation.

• Twelve cities namely Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh), Gaya(Bihar), Dwaraka(Gujarat), Amritsar(Punjab), Ajmer(Rajasthan), Kanchipuram(Tamil Nadu), Vellankani(Tamil Nadu), Puri(Odisha), Varanasi(Uttar Prasesh), Mathura(Uttar Pradesh), Kedarnath (Uttarakhand) and Kamakhya (Assam) have been identified for


Insights

www.insightsias.com

development under Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spirituality Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) by the Ministry of Tourism.

• To implement the PRASAD scheme a Mission Directorate has been set up in the Ministry of Tourism.

• The Budget provision of Rs.15.60 crore has been made in Revised Estimate (RE) 2014-15.

Sources: The Hindu, PIB.

Satyabhama who reinvented Mohiniyattam passes away

Kalamandalam Satyabhama, a pioneer who accorded Mohiniyattam a well-knit structure for the first time, died recently at Ottappalam, Kerala.

• She was known for her experimental reforms in Mohiniyattam. • She helped make the traditional art form popular among dance buffs

in the state. • She has received several awards including the state government's

Nritha Natya Puraskaram and Padmashree.

Mohiniyattam: quick facts

• Mohiniyattam is it is one of the eight Indian classical dance forms recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi. The word Mohini means a maiden who steals the heart of the onlooker.

• It is perfomed by women. • The dance movements are graceful and the costumes are sober and

attractive. • Mohiniattam follows the Hastha Lakshanadeepika, a textbook for

Mudras. • Mohiniyattam involves delicate footsteps and subtle expressions.


Insights

www.insightsias.com

• The vocal music for Mohiniattam is classical Carnatic. • The basic dance steps of Mohiniattam are the Adavus - Taganam,

Jaganam, Dhaganam and Sammisram. • Mohiniattam maintains a realistic makeup and simple dressing. • The entire technique in Mohiniyattam is of a graceful, gliding

movement of the body, a circular use of the torso and a revolving in the half-bent position with the toe and heel used in a flowing rhythmic structure.


Sports Ministry Grants Recognition to Indian Kalarippayattu Federation as Regional Sports Federation (RSF)

With a view to promote and give due acknowledgement and importance to sports having regional spread, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has recognized the Indian Kalarippayattu Federation as Regional Sports Federation.

• This recognition means granting a major role to the Indian Kalarippayattu Federation (IKF) for promotion and development of Kalarippayattu sport in India.

about kalarippayattu:

• Kalaripayattu is a Martial art which originated as a style in Kerala during 3nd century BC to the 2nd century AD.

• The word kalari first appears in Sangam literature to describe both a battlefield and combat arena.

• It is also considered to be one of the oldest fighting system in existence.


Insights

www.insightsias.com

• It is now practiced in Kerala, in contiguous parts of Tamil Nadu. • Kalaripayattu techniques include a combination of steps (Chuvatu)

and postures (Vadivu). Chuvatu literally means ‘steps’, the basic steps of the martial arts. Vadivu literally means ‘postures’ or stances are the basic characteristics of Kalaripayattu training. Named after animals, they are usually eight in number.


Nuakhai

The entire western region of Odisha recently celebrated the agrarian festival of Nuakhai in gaiety and religious fervour.

• During the festival, the head of the family worships the household deity, offering rice and other food items. He then distributes the prashad among the family members. All family members take their food together on this occasion.

• Apart from the rituals of offering the new crop to the deity, the 'Nuakhai Juhar' is a major ritual of the festival, which is an exchange of greetings with friends, relatives and well-wishers.

• The festival is a symbol of friendship, love and affection. • The people express their gratitude to the Almighty for the foodgrain

on the occasion of Nuakhai.

Nuakhai:

• Nuakhai is an agricultural festival mainly observed by people of Western Odisha in India. The word nua means new and khai means food, so the name means the farmers are in possession of the newly harvested rice.


Insights

www.insightsias.com

• It is observed to welcome the new rice of the season. • According to the Hindu calendar it is observed on panchami tithi (the

fifth day) of the lunar fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada or Bhaadra (August–September), the day after the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.

• This is the most important social festival of Western Odisha.


UNESCO award for Kerala temple

India has won the top UNESCO ‘Award of Excellence’ 2015 for the remarkable conservation efforts of the majestic Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple in Kerala.

• The UNESCO ‘Award of Excellence’ is the top prize in the Asia Pacific Heritage Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

• The award recognises the remarkable conservation effort undertaken at the sacred site which employed age-old rituals and conservation techniques drawn from Vastu Sastra focussing on architecture and construction.

About Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple:

• It is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva at city of Thrissur, of Kerala state.

• This temple is a classic example of the architectural style of Kerala. • It has monumental towers on all four sides and also a kuttambalam. • Mural paintings depicting various episodes from Mahabharata can be

seen inside the temple. The shrines and the Kuttambalam display vignettes carved in wood.


Insights

www.insightsias.com

• The temple, along with the mural paintings, has been declared as a National Monument the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (or AMASR Act).


Topic: Important Geophysical phenomena and changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

Spring tide, swell waves caused tidal flooding

Scientists at the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad, recently said that the tidal flooding and high wave activity reported from parts of the southern Kerala coast over the past few days were caused by the combined effect of a perigean spring tide and high swell waves originating in the southern Indian Ocean.

Background:

• Flooding since August 29 had triggered panic along the Alappuzha coast. The Vizhinjam coast in Thiruvananthapuram was battered by high waves, affecting fishing activities.

• INCOIS had issued a tidal flood alert on August 29, followed by a high wave warning for the coastal belt from Vizhinjam to Kasaragod in Kerala.

Spring Tides:

• Spring tides are especially strong high tides that occur during the full moon and new moon when the sun and moon are aligned with the earth, resulting in a collective gravitational pull on the earth’s water.


Insights

www.insightsias.com

• A perigean spring tide, also known as King tide, occurs during a Supermoon when the moon is closest to the earth (less than 3,60,000 km) during its orbit. Supermoons during the year 2015 are January 20 (new moon), February 18 (new moon), March 20 (new moon), August 29 (full moon), September 28 (full moon) and October 27 (full moon).

What happens when spring tide coincides with high swell waves?

• When spring tide coincides with high swell waves, it results in coastal erosion and flooding. It is estimated that the tidal surge since August 29 is two metres high in some coastal parts of kerala.

• The perigean spring tide on August 29 had coincided with high swell waves that originated in the southern Indian Ocean near Australia.

The swells occur almost every year with varying intensity. Triggered by turbulent weather conditions, swells are known to propagate northward to


Insights

www.insightsias.com

the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, causing freak flooding along the southern Indian coast.


Topic: Poverty and developmental issues.

India yet to achieve U.N. Millennium Development Goals

According to the Statistical Year Book, brought out recently by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) that is overseeing progress on the MDGs, India is not on track to meet the Millennium Development Goals, the deadline for which expires this year.

• The data show that only six of the 18 targets adopted as part of the eight goals in 2000 have been fully met.

• A report brought out by the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific also shows that India has met only four of the eight MDGs.

Current position:

• As per the official figures, India has managed to halve poverty rates from the 1990 levels, ensure gender parity in primary school enrolment, reversed incidence of HIV/AIDS, and reduced malaria and TB deaths.

• However, India continues to lag behind in checking maternal mortality and child mortality to expected levels. It has failed to address prevalence of hunger as well.

• As per the Census 2011 report, 89 million children in the age group 0-3 were malnourished, with 35.6 million among them underweight.


Insights

www.insightsias.com

• The failure to improve access to sanitation, with half of the country’s households lacking a latrine, remains a major concern as well.

• Even in areas where India claims to be close to meeting its targets, such as reversing the incidence of malaria and TB, the disease burden continues to be high in terms of absolute numbers.

• 1.8 million persons develop TB every year in india, and until recently, 3.7 lakh persons died annually, or 1,000 persons every day.

• The target to achieve a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020 may not also be achieved.

MDGs: What are they?


Insights

www.insightsias.com

These are eight international development goals that were established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000, following the adoption of the United Nations Millennium Declaration. They were set to be achieved by 2015.

• These are time-bound and quantified targets for addressing extreme poverty in its many dimensions-income poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter, and exclusion-while promoting gender equality, education, and environmental sustainability.

• They are also basic human rights-the rights of each person on the planet to health, education, shelter, and security.

• Since the adoption, there has been significant progress in many of the goals. But the progress has not been uniform. The progress differs from country to country and even within the country.

The eight millennium development goals are:

1. Eradicate Extreme Hunger and Poverty 2. Achieve Universal Primary Education 3. Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women 4. Reduce Child Mortality 5. Improve Maternal Health 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases 7. Ensure Environmental Sustainability 8. Develop a Global Partnership for Development

Each goal has specific targets, and dates for achieving those targets.


Insights

www.insightsias.com

Sources: The Hindu, Wiki, MDGs, UNDP.

Topic: Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.

Child marriages still shaming Kerala

Despite its hugely applauded human development indices and other laurels, child marriages in Kerala are still prevalent. This is evident from the recently released Census 2011 data.

What else the data say?

• There were 23,183 married girls below the age of 15 years in the State. That is, 0.604% of all girls in the State aged between 12 and 15 had entered wedlock prematurely and illegally. As many as 10,175 children were born to these child brides in the State.

• Malappuram, the most populous district in the State, logged the highest number (3,615) of married girls below age 15. But in percentage terms, this is below the overall State average (0.604).


Insights

www.insightsias.com

• The districts exceeding the State average are Pathanamthitta (0.808 pc), Alappuzha (0.735 pc), Thiruvananthapuram (0.730 pc), Kollam (0.667 pc) and Kannur (0.665 pc). While Malappuram had a 0.594% incidence, Thrissur had the lowest figure of 0.493%.

These figures show that detecting and stopping child marriages are still a huge challenge to the dozens of Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs) who have been appointed in the wake of enactment of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act in 2006.

Challenges faced by Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs):

• tacit approval to illegal marriages from local political and religious leaders

• very secretive nature of many such weddings • Lack of prosecutable evidence and lack of cooperation by the families,

neighbours and community leaders compound the situation • many people are unaware that even consensual sex after a child

marriage could entail 10 years in jail under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012

Sources: The Hindu.

Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health.

National Health Profile highlights poor doctor-patient ratio

Union Minister for Health J.P. Nadda recently released the National Health Profile 2015. It was prepared by the Central Bureau for Health Intelligence


Insights

www.insightsias.com

(CBHI) along with officials of the Ministry, the Directorate General of Health Services and the CBHI.

The data shows:

• Every government hospital serves an estimated 61,000 people in India, with one bed for every 1833 people. In undivided Andhra Pradesh, every government hospital serves over 3 lakh patients while in Bihar, there is only one bed for every 8800 people.

• Every government allopathic doctor serves a population of over 11,000 people, with Bihar and Maharashtra having the worst ratios. The number of qualified allopathic doctors registered with medical councils fell in 2014 to 16,000, or less than half the previous year’s number.

• India now has cumulatively 9.4 lakh allopathic doctors, 1.54 lakh dental surgeons, and 7.37 lakh AYUSH doctors of whom more than half are Ayurvedic doctors.

• India’s 400 medical colleges admit an estimated 47,000 students annually.

• The Centre’s share of total public expenditure on health has fallen over the last two years, and India spends less of its GDP on health than some of the world’s poorest countries.

• Among all States, undivided Andhra Pradesh had the highest public expenditure on health in 2012-13. Goa and the north-eastern States spent the most on health per capita while Bihar and Jharkhand spent the least.

• Out-of-pocket private expenditure on health has risen steadily over the years, with the cost of medicines, followed by that of hospitalisation accounting for the largest share of the household expenditure.

• Absolute spending, as well as its share in total non-food expenditure, rises with income levels. Kerala spends the most privately on health.


Insights

www.insightsias.com

• Deaths from most communicable diseases have been falling steadily in India. Despite recording over 10 lakh cases, deaths from malaria are officially down to just over 500 annually.

• However, 2014 saw a sharp spike in cases and deaths due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, a disease concentrated in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, and West Bengal.

• Japanese Encephalitis, concentrated in Assam and Uttar Pradesh also rose last year.

• Pulmonary tuberculosis remains the biggest communicable disease killer in India, accounting for over 63,000 deaths in 2014. Since disease data is largely reported from government health facilities only, it is likely to be heavily underestimated.

• Non-communicable diseases are on the rise with cardiovascular diseases according for a quarter of deaths from non-communicable diseases and cancer accounting for six per cent.


Insights

www.insightsias.com

Sources: The Hindu.

insights daily current events (paper – 1, upsc …sep 01, 2016 · • the basic dance steps of...

Documents