PIB Summary- 19th April, 2025 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

PM hails inclusion of the Gita and Natyashastra in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register

What is UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register?

• Launchedin 1992, the Memory of the World Programme seeks to:
  • Preserve documentary heritage of global significance.
  • Facilitate universal access to this heritage.
  • Raise awareness about the importance of safeguarding such knowledge systems.

Types of Documentary Heritage Included:

• Manuscripts
• Printed books
• Archival records
• Oral traditions
• Audio-visual materials
• Digital documents

Criteria for Inclusion:

• A documentary heritage must meet one or more of the following:
  • World significance (influence across nations/cultures)
  • Uniqueness or rarity
  • Integrity and authenticity
  • Threatened status (risk of loss or destruction)
  • Impact on history, culture, religion, science, or literature

Some major entries across the world include:

• India’s Entries in UNESCO Memory of the World Register
  • IAS Tamil Medical Manuscript Collection (1997)
  • Saiva Manuscripts (2005)
  • Rigveda Manuscripts (2007)
  • Tarikh-e-Khandan-e-Timuriyah (2011)
  • Laghukalachakratantrarajatika (Vimalaprabha) (2011)
  • Shantinatha Charitra (2013)
  • Gilgit Manuscripts (2017)
  • Maitreyavyakarana (2017)
  • Abhinavagupta Manuscripts (2023)
  • Ramcharitmanas (2024)
  • Panchatantra (2024)
  • Sahrdayaloka & Locana (2024)
  • Shrimad Bhagavad Gita (2025)
  • Bharat Muni’s Natyashastra (2025)

Significance of the Inclusion

• Global Recognitionof Indian Heritage:
  • Validates India’s intellectual and spiritual contributions to world civilization.
  • Elevates the status of Indian classical knowledge systems on the global stage.
• Soft Power& Cultural Diplomacy:
  • Boosts India’s soft power projection globally.
  • Reinforces India’s image as a civilizational state with deep cultural roots.
  • Aligns with India’s push for “Vishwa Guru” (world teacher) narrative.
• Preservationand Scholarly Access:
  • Enables international collaboration in preserving these texts.
  • Facilitates digitization, translation, and wider academic access.

About the Texts Recognized

• Bhagavad Gita:
  • A 700-verse dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, part of the Mahabharata.
  • Synthesizes spiritual, ethical, and philosophical wisdom.
  • Influential on leaders (e.g., Gandhi, Vivekananda, Aurobindo) and global thinkers.
• Natyashastra:
  • Attributed to Bharat Muni, foundational text on dramaturgy and performing arts.
  • Covers theatre, dance, music, aesthetics, stage design, makeup, and emotional expression (Rasas).
  • Basis of Indian classical dance and theatre like Kathak, Bharatanatyam, and Koodiyattam.

Cultural and Political Context

• Reflects India’s renewed focus on cultural resurgence under initiatives like Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, and Vikasit Bharat 2047.
• Part of larger efforts to reclaim indigenous knowledge systems marginalized during colonial rule.
• Highlights synergy between culture and governance in current policy discourse.

Implications

• For Indian Society:
  • Encourages younger generations to reconnect with traditional texts.
  • Promotes interdisciplinary learning linking philosophy, performance, and literature.
• For the World:
  • Offers non-Western epistemologies to global knowledge systems.
  • Serves as a bridge between ancient traditions and contemporary human values.

Challenges Ahead

• Need for accurate translations, authentic commentaries, and contextual pedagogy.
• Risk of politicization or misinterpretation in global academic circles.
• Ensuring inclusive representation of India’s diverse traditions beyond Sanskritic texts.

India’s Fight Against Anemia

Overview: Why Anemia is a Public Health Challenge

• High Prevalence: 67.1% of children and 59.1% of adolescent girls in India are anemic (NFHS-5). 3 in 4 Indian women have low dietary iron intake.
• Causes: Nutritional: Iron, folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin A deficiencies. Non-nutritional: Parasitic infections (e.g., worms), malaria, haemoglobinopathies (like thalassemia), fluorosis. Socio-economic: Early pregnancies, poor maternal care, food insecurity.
• Impact: Impaired cognitive and physical development in children. Reduced productivity and learning capacity in adolescents and adults. Increased maternal and neonatal mortality, low birth weight (LBW) babies, and complications during pregnancy.
• Relevance: GS 2 (Health, Social Issues, Governance)

Government Response: From Policy to Practice

• Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB)– Launched 2018
  • A flagship program with a 6x6x6 strategy:
    • 6 Target Beneficiaries:
      • Preschool children (6–59 months)
      • Children (5–9 years)
      • Adolescents (10–19 years, girls and boys)
      • Pregnant women
      • Lactating mothers
      • Women of reproductive age (15–49 years)
    • 6 Interventions:
      • Prophylactic Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation: Tailored by age and physiological status; color-coded tablets/syrups.
      • Biannual Deworming: Through National Deworming Days (Feb 10 & Aug 10).
      • Behaviour Change Communication (BCC): ‘Solid Body, Smart Mind’ campaign promoting 4 key behaviors (diet, hygiene, deworming, IFA intake).
      • Testing & Point-of-Care Treatment: Use of digital devices to detect and treat anemia on-site, especially in schools and ANC clinics.
      • Mandatory Fortification: Iron-fortified foods in ICDS, mid-day meals, and other public health programs.
      • Addressing Non-Nutritional Causes: Focus on areas with high prevalence of malaria, fluorosis, and genetic disorders.
  • 6 Institutional Mechanisms:
    • Coordinated efforts from NHM, ICDS, Education, WCD, PRIs, and Urban Local Bodies.
    • Integration with POSHAN Abhiyaan and School Health Programme under Ayushman Bharat.

Progress and Outcomes

• Mass Outreach: 15.4 crore children/adolescents received IFA supplements in Q2 FY 2024–25.
• Digital Monitoring Tools: Real-time tracking of screening and IFA supply chain using mobile dashboards and MIS.
• Expanded Coverage: Implemented across all villages, blocks, and districts via existing platforms like NIPI and WIFS.
• Cross-Sectoral Convergence: AMB aligns with education, nutrition, rural development, and women’s welfare sectors.

Global & Indian Scenario

• Global Burden (2019): ~500 million women (15–49 years) and 269 million children under 5 affected. 37% of pregnant women globally anemic.
• India (NFHS-5): Increase in anemia prevalence compared to NFHS-4, highlighting persistent nutritional gaps.

Supporting Government Programs

• National Health Mission (NHM): Provides funding, IEC activities, and training to states for AMB implementation.
• National Iron Plus Initiative (NIPI): Supplies age-appropriate IFA and deworming tablets.
• Weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS): Focuses on adolescents (10–19 years) in schools and out-of-school settings.
• POSHAN Abhiyaan: Integrates AMB with a larger effort to improve nutritional indicators among women and children.

Challenges Ahead

• Rural-Urban and Gender Divide: Girls and women in rural areas more vulnerable due to cultural taboos, food insecurity, and low awareness.
• Monitoring & Compliance: Despite digital tools, ensuring regular intake and adherence remains a field-level challenge.
• Behavioural Barriers: Resistance to supplementation due to myths, side-effects (like nausea), or lack of awareness.

Way Forward

• Community Involvement: Leverage ASHAs, AWWs, teachers, and peer educators to improve last-mile outreach.
• Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC): Targeted IEC campaigns addressing food taboos, adolescent nutrition, and maternal diets.
• Innovation & Technology: Expansion of AI-based anemia screening tools and mobile data systems.
• Policy Strengthening: Greater budgetary allocation, decentralised planning, and state-specific strategies.