27 Aug 2022: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. ‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ on the Representative List of ICH of Humanity in 2021
2. "Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar/Clean Coast, Safe Sea" Campaign

1. ‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ on the Representative List of ICH of Humanity in 2021

Syllabus: GS 1, Art and Culture.

Prelims: Representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Mains: Indian culture and salient aspects of arts.

Context: The successful inscription of ‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ on the Representative List of ICH of Humanity in 2021 was recently celebrated by the Ministry of Culture.

Details:

• The Ministry of Culture along with the Sangeet Natak Akademi(designated nodal agency in India for ICH) in association with the National Museum Institute and National Museum, organized the celebration of the successful inscription of ‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity(ICH) in 2021.
• It was incorporated on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during its 16th session held in Paris, France in December 2021.
  • The inclusive nature of Durga Puja celebrations involving the marginalized sections of the population was appreciated by the committee.
  • The festival transcends the barriers of creed, caste, and economic inequalities and assimilates everyone in its celebration.
  • Women’s participation in safeguarding the element was also commended.
  • Durga Puja is not only a celebration of feminine divinity but is an excellent combination of music, dance, culinary practices, rituals, crafts, and cultural aspects.

India’s rich culture:

India plays an active role in strengthening the intercultural dialogue among different countries. India itself have :

• Forty UNESCO World Heritage sites.
• Fourteen intangible cultural heritage elements inscribed on the Representative List – the latest addition being Durga Puja of Kolkata.
• Nine documentary heritage elements recognized in the International Memory of the World Register.
• Six Creative Cities.

India’s membership:

• India was recently elected as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage for the period of 2022-2026.
• The elections for the same were held during the 9th General Assembly of the 2003 Convention held at UNESCO headquarters, Paris, in July 2022.
• For four vacant seats in the Asia-Pacific group, 8 countries, namely, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Thailand, presented their candidature. 
• India registered the win in the elections by a decent majority of 110 votes out of the total 155 State Parties present and voting. 
• The aim of India is to strengthen the scope and impact of the Convention and mobilize the capacity of different stakeholders across the world in order to effectively safeguard intangible heritage of all the countries. 
• India has also made a clear guideline for the promotion and protection of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity in its present term. 
• India has promised to focus on-
  • Strengthening community participation
  • Building international cooperation 
  • Encouraging academic research on cultural aspects
  • Aligning the work of the Convention with that of UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDG).

Related links: World Heritage Convention 1972, World Heritage Committee [UPSC Notes PDF]

2. “Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar/Clean Coast, Safe Sea” Campaign

Syllabus: GS 3, Environment.

Prelims: Swach Sagar, Surakshit Sagar campaign.

Mains: Environmental conservation.

Details of the campaign:

• The campaign is launched by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) along with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the Indian Coast Guard,  other central ministries/ social organizations, and educational institutions 
• Its aim is to improve coastal and ocean health via community action.  It is a 75-day citizen-led initiative.
• The campaign will culminate on International Coastal Clean-up Day (17th September 2022).
• The major objective of the campaign is to alter and save the environment through behavioral change. The three goals of the campaign are:
  • Consume Responsibly
  • Segregate the waste at home
  • Responsible waste disposal
• The coastal clean-up campaign is running at 75 beaches along the coastline of India with around 75 volunteers for every kilometer of the coastline. 
• The purpose of the campaign is to target lifestyle and nudge the behavior of the general public to promote environmental sustainability.
• It is in line with the Global Initiative on ‘Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) Movement’; which calls for citizen-centric efforts to strengthen the idea of sustainable development.
• Awareness drive is also conducted with the help of school children,  NCC cadets, Scouts, NSS volunteers, and civil society organizations at various beaches.

Read previous PIB here.

August 27th, 2022, PIB:- Download PDF Here