03 January 2020: PIB Summary & Analysis

Read the daily PIB update and stay up-to-date on current affairs for the UPSC exam.

January 3rd, 2020 PIB:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Indian Science Congress
2. Savitribai Phule Jayanti
3. 20th Bharat Rang Mahotsav
4. Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar)
5. The National Council of Science Museums
6. Mobile Science Exhibition (SCIENCE EXPLORER)
7. UNESCO World Heritage Sites
8. UNESCO creative cities network (UCCN)
9. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
10. Patola Saree

Indian Science Congress

Context:

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the 107th Indian Science Congress (ISC) at University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru.

Objective:

The 107th Indian Science Congress is an effort to bridge the gap between the technology developers and the farmers in rural India. The 107th Indian Science Congress has placed a special focus on rural development through science and technology.

Larger Background: 

  • The Indian Science Congress Association was set-up in the year 1914 in Kolkata and has a membership of more than 30,000 scientists.
  • The ideology behind setting up the association was that scientific research in India might be stimulated if an annual meeting of research workers for the advancement of science could be arranged.
  • The five-day summit is expected to witness participation from several policymakers, scientists, academicians, inventors and politicians from across the world.

India’s global position in the Science &Technology (S&T) sector: 

    • India currently stands 3rd globally in the number of peer-reviewed science and engineering publications.
    • It’s also growing at a rate of about 10 percent in the sector in comparison to the global average of 4 percent. 

Significance:

Dissemination of scientific information and inculcation of scientific attitude among masses at large is the need of the hour.

  • It will provide an opportunity to academicians, science journalists, activists, filmmakers, scientists and other communicators from all over the world to meet, deliberate and exchange their views on how to develop science communication.
  • The 107th Indian Science Congress will provide a platform to the farmers who inculcated innovative approaches in agriculture yielding significant outcomes.
  • The Women’s Science Congress would prepare a vision document or a road map for women in science and technology and recommend policies to enhance the role and utilize the full potential of women in science and technology. 

How will S&T boost India’s rural development?

  • Science and Technology plays a significant role in helping the government programmes reach the needy.
  • Science and technology levels the playing field by making opportunities accessible to all and it also plays a unifying role in society.
  • New developments in science and technology in rural areas have allowed for the absorption of industrial and service sector jobs.
  • Easier access to technology over the years has also improved the standard of living in rural areas, by giving people access to better energy options, provision of water and electricity, better health facilities and infrastructure.

Savitribai Phule Jayanti

Context: 

PM pays tribute to Savitribai Phule on her jayanti.

Background: 

    • Savitribai Phule was an Indian social reformer, educationalist, and poet.
    • She played an important role in improving women’s rights in India. She is regarded as the mother of Indian feminism.
  • Her efforts:
    • She worked to abolish the discrimination and unfair treatment of people based on caste and gender.
    • She campaigned against child marriage.
    • Savitribai started the Mahila Seva Mandal to raise awareness about women’s rights. She supported widow remarriage too. 
    • She and her husband, Jyotirao Phule, opened a school for women in Pune during 1848; at a time when public education was limited.
    • She initiated the first Satyashodhak marriage-a marriage solemnised in austerity.
  • She is regarded as an important figure of the social reform movement in Maharashtra. All her efforts, though diverse, had a unanimous effect of posing a brave and pioneering challenge to the caste system and patriarchy.

20th Bharat Rang Mahotsav

Context:

The 20th Bharat Rang Mahotsav was organised in New Delhi.

For more information on this read

Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar)

Context:

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, presented the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards for the year 2017 at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Larger Background: 

  • The Sangeet Natak Akademi is India’s national academy for music, dance and drama.
  • It is the highest Indian recognition given to practising artists.
  • The awards are given in the categories of music, dance, theatre, other traditional arts and puppetry, and for contribution/scholarship in performing arts.
  • Akademi Puraskar carries Rs 1,00,000/- (rupees one lakh) along with a Tamrapatra and Angavastram.

Significance:

  • The Akademi is an autonomous body of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India and is fully funded by the Government for implementation of its schemes and programmes.
  • The Akademi establishes and looks after institutions and projects of national importance in the field of the performing arts.

The National Council of Science Museums

Context:

National Council of Science Museums, of the Culture Ministry, collaborated with Google Arts & Culture for the largest interactive online exhibition on inventions and discoveries.

Larger Background: 

  • The National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) had collaborated with Google Arts & Culture for ‘Once upon a Try’: Epic journeys of invention and discovery.
  • It’s the largest online exhibition about inventions and discoveries ever curated, as an attempt to explore humanity’s greatest inventions and discoveries in an interactive online exhibition. 
  • The online exhibition contains collections, stories and knowledge from over 110 renowned institutions, across 23 countries, highlighting millennia of major breakthroughs and the great minds behind them.

National Council of Science Museums (NCSM)

  • The National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) was established in 1978, as a central coordinating agency for national science museums.
  • It’s an organization jointly under the Ministry of Culture and the Department of Science & Technology (DST). It’s considered an autonomous Science & Technology institution.
  • NCSM is the world’s largest network of science centres and museums that functions under a single administrative umbrella which is primarily engaged in popularizing science and technology.
  • NCSM is formed by the government based on the recommendations of Taskforce formed by the Planning Commission in the early 1970s to assess the activities of the Science Museums.

Mobile Science Exhibition (SCIENCE EXPLORER)

Context:

The first-ever Mobile Science Exhibition (SCIENCE EXPLORER) of National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) was organised in Leh for entire Ladakh Region. 

Larger Background: 

  • Mobile Science Exhibition (MSE) programme, was originally launched as a Mobile Science Museum (MSM) in 1965.
  • It’s mission being ‘If the people cannot visit the museum, let the museum visit the people at their doorsteps.’
  • It’s the largest and the longest-running outreach programme of NCSM.

Significance:

  • It has been very successful in:
    • Supplementing formal education with a non-formal mode of science education
    • Creating a scientific awareness in society and,
    • Nurturing scientific temper and creative potential of the young people in the areas where MSE programmes are conducted.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Context:

Pink City Jaipur has been declared as India’s 38th UNESCO World Heritage site.

Larger Background: 

  • India’s nomination of the Jaipur City, Rajasthan got inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO during the 43rd Session of the World Heritage Committee held at Baku, Azerbaijan.
  • The nomination was done in compliance with the UNESCO guidelines of 2017.
  • The successful inscription of Jaipur City brings the total number of World Heritage Sites in India to a total of 38, which include 30 Cultural properties, seven Natural properties and one mixed site.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

  • A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as of special cultural or physical significance.
  • The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which is composed of 21 UNESCO member states.
  • Each World Heritage Site remains part of the legal territory of the state. 

Conditions for selection:

  • To be selected, a World Heritage Site must be an already classified landmark, unique in some respect as a geographically and historically identifiable place having special cultural or physical significance.
  • It may signify a remarkable accomplishment of humanity and serve as evidence of our intellectual history on the planet.

UNESCO creative cities network (UCCN)

Context:

UNESCO announced that the cities of Mumbai and Hyderabad are joining the UNESCO network of Creative Cities. Mumbai has been designated a Creative city of film and Hyderabad a Creative city of gastronomy. In India, they join Chennai and Varanasi, UNESCO Cities of music, and Jaipur, UNESCO City of crafts and folk arts.

UCCN:

  • It was created in 2004. 
  • The UNESCO Creative Cities aims to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) through innovative thinking and action.
    • SDG 11 aims for Sustainable Cities and Communities.
  • The network covers seven creative fields: crafts and folk arts, media arts, film, design, gastronomy, literature and music.
  • The UNESCO Creative Cities Network has a total of 246 cities after the addition of 66 new cities.

Significance: 

  • By joining the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), the cities pledge to share best practices and develop partnerships involving public and private sectors as well as civil society to strengthen the creation, production and distribution of cultural activities.
  • The cities work together towards a common mission of placing creativity and the creative economy at the core of their urban development plans to make cities safe, resilient, inclusive and sustainable.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)

Context:

Excavation carried out by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in Maharashtra’s Phupgaon, indicated towards Iron Age Settlement.

Larger Background:

    • The team of ASI took up an intensive survey in the region between Chandur Bazar to Dariyapur of Purna basin at Phupgaon, Amravati district of Maharashtra.
    • The site is situated in the vast meander of the river Purna, a major tributary of Tapi, which used to be a perennial river, but at present is completely dried-up due to the dam construction in the upper stream.
  • Insights:
    • ASI is of the view that the excavation at Phupgaon has provided important insights into Iron Age people of Purna river basin.
    • Chronologically, the site could be placed between 7th C BCE and 4th C BCE.
    • A further detailed study of the site with chronometric dating is being taken up to reveal further aspects of the Iron Age of Vidarbha.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI):

    • The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an attached office in the Ministry of Culture and was set up in 1861. ASI is the successor of The Asiatic Society of India.

Objective: 

 

    • Their primary objective is preservation, conservation and environmental development of centrally protected monuments and sites, including World Heritage Monuments and antiquities.
    • Its main functions include providing research and training in different areas of Archaeology.
  • It regulates all the archaeological activities in the country as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 and the Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972.

Patola Saree

Context:

In a historic initiative taken by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), a silk processing plant has been set up in Gujarat.

Patola Silk Saree:

  • Patola, the trademark Saree of Gujarat, is considered to be very costly and worn only by the Royals or the Aristocrats. It was conferred with a GI tag in 2014.
  • Based on their origin, there are essentially two varieties of Patola sarees – the Rajkot Patola and the Patan Patola. Rajkot Patolas are single ikat weaves while Patal Patolas are double ikat weaves.
  • A double ikat weave, Patola sarees originated in the town of Patan in Gujarat and is a characteristic weave of the silk weavers of the Salvi caste of Karnataka and Maharashtra, who migrated to Gujarat. 
  • After the decline of the Solanki Empire, it was a sign of social status amongst Gujarati women.
  • Traditionally, every region in India has had its own unique weave for the Silk Saree. Patola Silk Saree is amongst the top five silk weaves. 
  • Patola sarees are considered sacred in a number of communities. 
  • Its immense value is not just because of its intricacy but also because of the tremendous amount of skill and perseverance that goes into making it.

Background:

  • The cocoons will be brought from Karnataka and West Bengal and Silk yarn will be processed in house, thus reducing the cost of production and giving a major boost to the sale of famous Gujarati Patola Sarees.
    • The sarees are considered to be costly as the raw material silk yarn is purchased from Karnataka or West Bengal, where silk processing units are situated, thus increasing the cost of the fabric manifolds.

Significance: 

  • It would help cut down the cost of production of silk yarn drastically and increase the sale and availability of raw material for Gujarati Patola Sarees locally.
  • It is an effort to generate livelihood and boost sales of Patola Sarees by making silk more readily available at a low cost, for the Patola Saree manufacturers in the nearby areas.
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