UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 22nd December 2022 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Context

Kerala Chief Minister will inaugurate a palm-leaf manuscript museum with modern audio-visual technology at the renovated Central Archives, Fort in Thiruvananthapuram.

About Palm-Leaf Manuscript Museum:

• It was set up by the Department of Archives, Kerala Government.
• The ₹3-crore museum has eight theme-based galleries where select manuscripts from one of the biggest palm-leaf collections in the country will be displayed.
• As many as 187 old and rare manuscripts stored at Central Archives and the department’s regional offices in Ernakulam and Kozhikode will be housed in the museum.
• The manuscripts in ancient scripts such as Vattezhuthu, Kolezhuthu, Malayanma, and ancient Tamil and Malayalam are present in the museum.
• The manuscripts which delve into aspects as diverse as tax, administration, and trade to education, prisons, and festivals in the erstwhile Travancore, Kochi, and Malabar provide a fascinating glimpse of history that is rarely accessible to the common man.
• Besides palm-leaf manuscripts, scrolls, bamboo splints, and copper plates are included in the collection.

Galleries:

• The first gallery ‘History of Writing’ is an introduction to the evolution of writing, particularly in Kerala, and introduces visitors to the Marayur cave paintings and engravings and the stamps and seals used in Harappa, through their replicas.
• The other galleries are ‘Land and people’, ‘Administration’, ‘War and peace’, ‘Education and health’, ‘Economy’, ‘Art and culture’, amid the Mathilakom records (a collection of 3,000 cadjan manuscript rolls possessed by Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple).

Source: The Hindu

Context

Lalbazar, on the boundary with Jharkhand, is becoming a hub for dokra metalcraft.

About Dokra Metal Crafts:

• Dhokra is a form of ancient bell metal craft practiced by the Ojha metal smiths living in states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Telangana.
• However, the style and also the workmanship of this artisan community varies in different states.
• Dhokra or Dokra, is also known as bell metal craft.
• Its documented history is about 5,000 years old.
• Making dokra art is a difficult process. Each figurine takes about a month to make.
• Dokra artifacts are mainly made in brass and are highly unique wherein the pieces do not have any form of joints. The whole object is fully handcrafted.
• The traditional designs are considered highly aesthetic in nature and a collector’s delight.

What is the process?

• There are many processes involved, for which seven to eight varieties of clay is required, apart from other raw material.
• The method of making Dokra is done by combining the metallurgical skills with that of the lost wax technique.
• The handicrafts are known for combining the metallurgical skills with wax technique for making artefacts of distinctive look and beauty.
• The lost wax technique is a distinct form where the mould is used only once and broken, which makes the figure one of its kind in the handicraft market.
• There are two process of lost wax casting.
• The first one is Solid casting which is the method followed in the South and hollow casting, practiced in other states.

Source: Indian Express

Context

Recently, three sites- Gujarat’s Vadnagar town and the iconic Sun Temple at Modhera, and the Rock-cut Sculptures of Unakoti in Tripura have been added to the tentative list of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNCESO) World Heritage Sites. 

What are the Key Facts about Three Sites?

• Vadnagar:
  • It is located in the Mehsana district in Gujarat is a city with deep historical roots.
  • Also called Chamatkarpur, Anandpur, Snehpur and Vimalpur, the city of Vadnagar was mentioned in the Puranas as well.
  • Home to many archaeological treasures, Vadnagar is famous for its torans, a pair of 12^th century Solanki-era columns, 40 feet tall and built in red and yellow sandstone to celebrate a war victory.
  • In 640 AD, Chinese Buddhist traveller, Hiuen Tsang visited the city, and is said to have mentioned it in his travelogue.
  • During excavations in 2008-09, ruins of a Buddhist monastery were also unearthed in Vadnagar.
  • Vadnagar is home to Tanariri Performing Arts College, named so to honour the valour of two sisters, Tana and Riri, who had sacrificed their lives when asked by Akbar to sing in his court, which was against their custom.
• Modhera Sun Temple:
  • The Sun Temple at Modhera is located on the left bank of the river Pushpavati, a tributary of river Rupan in Becharaji taluka of Mehsana district.
  • This east-facing temple is built with bright yellow sandstone.
  • The temple description states that it is built in Maru-gurjara architectural style, consists of the main temple shrine (garbhagriha), a hall (gadhamandapa), an outer hall or assembly hall (Sabhamandapa or rangamandapa) and a sacred pool (Surya Kunda), which is now called Ramakunda.
  • Ramakunda is a massive rectangular stepped tank perhaps the grandest temple tank in India.
  • Every year, at the time of the equinoxes, the sun shines directly into this central shrine of the temple.
• Rock-cut Sculptures of Unakoti:
  • It is Shaivite pilgrimage and dates back to 7^th or 9^th century if not earlier.
  • Unakoti means one less than a crore and it is said that these many rock cut carvings are available here.
  • As per Hindu mythology, when Lord Shiva was going to Kashi along with one crore gods and goddesses, he made a night halt at this location.
  • He asked all the gods and goddesses to wake up before sun rise and proceed for Kashi.
  • It is said that in the morning, except Shiva himself, no one else could get up so Lord Shiva set out for Kashi himself cursing the others to become stone images.
  • As a result, we have one less than a crore stone images and carvings at Unakoti.
  • The images found at Unakoti are of two types, namely rock-carved figures and stone images.
  • Among the rock cut carvings, the central Shiva head and gigantic Ganesha figures deserve special mention.
  • The central Shiva head is known as ‘Unakotiswara Kal Bhairava’.
  • On each side of the head-dress of the central Shiva, there are two full size female figures – one of Durga standing on a lion and another female figure on the other side.
  • In addition, three enormous images of Nandi Bull are found half buried in the ground.
  • Every year a big fair popularly known as ‘Ashokastami Mela’ is held in the month of  April which is visited by thousands of pilgrims.

Source: The Hindu

GS-II

Delhi Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) Vinai Kumar Saxena has directed Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to implement a 2016 order of the Committee on Content Regulation in Government Advertising (CCRGA).

About Committee on Content Regulation in Government Advertising (CCRGA):

• The CCRGA was formed by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in April, 2016.
  • It was formed on the directions of the Supreme Court in its judgment in the Common Cause vs. Union of India case (2015).
• The body is set up to regulate the content of Central and State government advertisements in all media platforms.
• The SC had also mandated States to constitute their own respective bodies.
• While some States have set up committees to regulate public advertising content, some have given consent to the CCRGA to monitor their advertisements.

Major Guidelines of the Supreme Court:

• The SC, in its order in 2015 had also issued a set of guidelines for public-funded advertising by governments.
• Some of the guidelines mentioned include that government advertising should –
  • maintain political neutrality,
  • avoid glorification of political personalities,
  • projecting a positive impression of the party in power,
  • projecting a negative impression of parties critical of the government.
• The advertisements should not be used at patronising media houses.

What is the present controversy?

• In 2016, the CCRGA issued notices to the Delhi government on allegations of violation of the SC-mandated guidelines in publishing advertisements.
• Delhi Government’s Response –
  • In its response, the Delhi government informed the CCRGA that it was going to form a committee of its own as per the 2015 order of the SC.
    • SC order mandated that States have to set up their own respective bodies to regulate government advertisements’ content.
• However, the Delhi High Court ruled in August, 2016 that Union Territories are not authorised to constitute their own committees and will therefore, come under the jurisdiction of the CCRGA.
• The CCRGA, after its investigation, passed an order that a number of Delhi government advertisements had violated the guidelines on various fronts.
  • The committee also directed the Delhi government Directorate of Information and Publicity (DIP), which issues government campaigns, to identify specific advertisements, quantify the money spent on them, and recover it from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
  • After quantifying an amount of approx. Rs. 97 crores spent on these advertisements, the DIP in 2017 had directed AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to pay Rs. 42 crores to the State exchequer immediately.
  • The remaining amount shall be paid within the next 30 days.
• However, even after 5 years since the DIP passed the order, the AAP has not paid the above mentioned amount.

Delhi Government’s Response:

• The party, since forming the government in 2015, has been defending its spending on advertisements stating that it is for public knowledge of different government schemes and various awareness campaigns.

Source: The Hindu

Context

Delhi Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) Vinai Kumar Saxena has recently directed Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to implement a 2016 order of the Committee on Content Regulation in Government Advertising (CCRGA).

About Committee on Content Regulation in Government Advertising (CCRGA):

• It is a three-member body.
• It was formed by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in April, 2016, on the directions of the Supreme Court in its judgment in the Common Cause vs. Union of India case in May, 2015.
• The body is set up to regulate the content of Central and State government advertisements in all media platforms.
• The SC had also mandated States to constitute their own respective bodies.
• While some States have set up committees to regulate public advertising content, some have given consent to the CCRGA to monitor their advertisements.
• The SC, in its order had also issued a set of guidelines for public-funded advertising by governments.
• Some of the guidelines mentioned include that government advertising should maintain political neutrality and avoid glorification of political personalities or projecting a positive impression of the party in power or a negative impression of parties critical of the government.
• They also should not be used at patronising media houses.

Source: The Indian Express

GS-III

Context

Kerala Chief Minister recently assured people living on the extremities of protected forests spread across 115 densely populated panchayats in the State that they would not lose their land or livelihood to the Supreme Court-suggested one-kilometre buffer zone around ecologically sensitive localities (ESZ).

About Eco-Sensitive Zones:

• As per the National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016), issued by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, land within 10 km of the boundaries of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries is to be notified as eco-fragile zones or Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZ).
• While the 10-km rule is implemented as a general principle, the extent of its application can vary.
• Areas beyond 10-km can also be notified by the Union government as ESZs, if they hold larger ecologically important “sensitive corridors”.

Why are Eco-Sensitive Zones created?

• According to the guidelines issued by the Environment Ministry in 2011, Eco-Sensitive Zones are created as “shock absorbers” for the protected areas, to minimize the negative impact on the “fragile ecosystems” by certain human activities taking place nearby.
• These areas are meant to act as a transition zone from areas requiring higher protection to those requiring lesser protection.
• They are not meant to hamper the daily activities of people living in the vicinity, but are meant to guard the protected areas and “refine the environment around them”.

What are activities prohibited in an Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZ)?

• Commercial mining, saw mills, commercial use of wood, etc., apart from regulated activities like felling of trees.

What are the permitted activities?

• Ongoing agricultural or horticultural practices, rainwater harvesting, organic farming, among others.

Source: The Hindu

Context

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences recently said that Samudrayaan Mission is aimed at sending three personnel to 6000-metre depth in a vehicle called ‘MATSYA 6000’.