Category: Culture

INDIA & PORTUGAL TO SET UP NATIONAL MARITIME HERITAGE MUSEUM

GS 1: Art & Culture

Why in News?

India has partnered with Portugal to set up a National Maritime Heritage Museum at Lothal in Gujarat.

Highlights:

  • The Indian Navy will be the stakeholder in the project and the Portuguese Navy will assist as they have experience in it by administering the maritime museum in Lisbon, Portugal.
  • India is to follow a similar model of the maritime museum.
  • In March 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the project and the Government of India has allocated a grant for building the maritime museum.
  • The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Shipping through its Sagarmala programme.
  • The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) along with the State government and other stakeholders is also involved in setting up the museum.
  • The initial discussion about the partnership was held during the visit of Portuguese Defence Minister João Gomes Cravinho to India in April 2019.
  • A Defence Ministry-led delegation will visit Portugal to study the existing museum.

Maritime Museum:

  • A maritime museum is a museum that specializes in displaying the objects related to ships and travel on large bodies of water.
  • A subcategory of maritime museums are naval museums, which focus on navies and the military use of the sea.

ASI DECLARED CHAUKHANDI STUPA AS OF NATIONAL IMPORTANT MONUMENT

GS 1: Art & Culture

Why in News?

Chaukhandi Stupa, an ancient Buddhist site located in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, has been declared as a Monument and Protected Area of National Importance by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Chaukhandi Stupa:

  • Chaukhandi Stupa is a lofty mound of brick whose square edifice is surrounded by an octagonal tower.
  • It was built to mark the place where Lord Buddha met his first disciples as he traveled from Bodhgaya to Sarnath.
  • The Chaukhandi Stupa is said to be originally a terraced temple during the Gupta period, that was from 4th to 6th Century.
  • Govardhan,the son of Raja Todarmal gave the present shape to the Chaukhandi Stupa.
  • He built an octagonal tower to commemorate the visit of Humayun,the great Mughal ruler.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI):

  • ASI was formed on 1861 and is headquartered at New Delhi, India.
  • ASI is the premier organization for the archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage in India.
  • It functions under the Ministry of Culture.
  • ASI is responsible for the regulation of all archaeological activities in the country as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 and Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972.

66th NATIONAL FILM AWARDS TO BE DECLARED AFTER GENERAL ELECTIONS, 2019

GS 1: Art and Culture

Why in News?

  • Since the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in force, which facilitates level playing field to all political parties and the candidates and inter alia seeks to ensure that the power of media is not used in such a manner which affects the general conduct and level playing field during the election process.
  • It has been decided to declare the awards after the election process is over and the MCC concludes.

National Film Awards:

  • The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremonies in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government’s Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973.
  • Every year, a national panel appointed by the government selects the winning entry, and the award ceremony is held in New Delhi, where the President of India presents the awards.
  • This is followed by the inauguration of the National Film Festival, where the award-winning films are screened for the public.
  • Declared for films produced in the previous year across the country, they hold the distinction of awarding merit to the best of Indian cinema overall, as well as presenting awards for the best films in each region and language of the country.

WORLD HERITAGE DAY 2019

World Heritage Day:

  • The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in 1982 had decided to celebrate April 18 as as the International Day for Monuments and Sites or World Heritage Day.
    Approved by UNESCO in 1983 during its 22nd General Conference, the day is dedicated to recognising sites of historical importance, raising awareness regarding them, and stressing on the need to restore and preserve them.
  • The day promotes cultural importance, while also highlighting the many impediments in doing so.
  • Every year, a theme is proposed for the day which guides the celebrations and the many activities that ICOMOS National and International Scientific Committees and by other bodies
  • The theme for this year’s celebrations is ‘Rural Landscapes’, which is related to the theme of the 2019 ICOMOS Scientific Symposium on Rural heritage that will take place in Marrakesh, Morocco in October

Rural Landscapes:

  • ICOMOS defines rural landscape as, “Principles concerning rural landscapes as heritage”,adopted by the ICOMOS General Assembly in 2017.
  • Rural landscapes are defined as “terrestrial and aquatic areas co-produced by human- nature interaction used for the production of food and other renewable natural resources, via agriculture, animal husbandry and pastoralism, fishing and aquaculture, forestry, wild food gathering, hunting, and extraction of other resources, such as salt. Rural landscapes are multifunctional
  • At the same time, all rural areas have cultural meanings attributed to them by people and communities: all rural areas are landscapes.
  • Rural landscape has been a site of both tangible and intangible heritage and has also helped in maintaining a balance between the environment and human

 

 

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology

GS 1: Art and Culture

Why in News?

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the new Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
  • On the occasion, he also unveiled the statue of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya at the campus and visited the Deendayal Museum in the Institute campus.

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology:

  • Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology is a state-of-the-art institution spread over 25 acres and built at an estimated cost of Rs. 289 crore.
  • The Institute comprises of an auditorium with a seating capacity of 1000 people, an open-air theatre and an Archaeological Museum.
  • The Institute is an academic wing of the Archeological Survey of India under the Ministry of Culture.
  • The Institute provides students with the necessary supportive, enthusiastic and challenging academic atmosphere which enables them to achieve their full potential in the field of Archaeology.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI):

  • Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), under the Ministry of Culture, is the premier organization for the archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage in India.
  • The genesis of systematic archaeological pursuits in India can be traced to the efforts of Sir William Jones, who put together a group of antiquarians to form the Asiatic Society on 15th January 1784 in Calcutta.
  • The first legislative attempt to make the government intervene in case of risks to monuments was through Bengal Regulation XIX of 1810.
  • ASI regulates all archaeological activities in the country as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 and Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972.

Curriculum on Experiential learning – GandhijisNaiTalim

Why in News?

  • Union HRD Ministry released the curriculum on Experiential Learning – GandhijisNaiTalim.
  • This curriculum was brought out simultaneously in 13 languages i.e., Assamese, Tamil, Bengali, Odiya, Kannada, Malyalam, Punjabi, Marathi, Telugu, Gujarati, Urdu, Hindi and English.
  • It is in consultation with the state councils of educational research and training along with the universities in the country.
  • The curriculum was a holistic approach of developing body, mind and soul (hand, head and heart), by making a productive art, craft or community engagement activity as the centre of learning.
  • On the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s upcoming 150th birth anniversary celebrations, a movement is on across the educational institutions in the country to promote NaiTalim, Work Education and Experiential Learning.
  • A special effort is on school and teacher education in the areas of work education and experiential learning through the education departments of Universities as well as Central and State Governments and the SCERTs.

Launching of the book:

  • Marking the occasion of Teacher’s Day, the book titled “Experiential Learning – Gandhiji’sNaiTalim is launched today.
  • The book contains basic principles of Gandhiji’sNaiTalim (our notes and interpretations), along with the Work and Education curriculum for Schools, D.Ed, B.Ed and Faculty Development Programmes for teachers.
  • This book and this project is a joint effort of the Universities in the state, state SCERT and Mahatma Gandhi National Council of Rural Education (MGNCRE), formerly known as National Council of Rural Institutes (NCRI).

Heritage Circuit and North East Circuit

Why in News?

  • The Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned two new projects under Heritage and North East Circuits of Swadesh Dashan Scheme for Rs. 164.95 Crores in Punjab and Tripura.

Heritage Circuit:

  • Under Heritage Circuit in the state of Punjab, the project covers sites of Anandpur Sahib – Fatehgarh Sahib – Chamkaur Sahib – Ferozpur – Amritsar – Khatkar Kalan – Kalanour – Patiala at the cost of Rs. 99.95 crores.
  • The project includes development of Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar for Rs. 8 Crores, development of Tourist Infrastructure and Heritage Path at Anandpur Sahib for Rs. 28.99 crores, development of Tourist Infrastructure at Fatehgarh Sahib among others.
  • The facilities being developed include Virtual Reality Shows (Jallianwala and Hussainiwala Border), beautification and landscaping, interpretation centres, façade development, wayside amenities, parking, CCTV and Wi-Fi facilities, Cafeterias, Open Air Theatre, drinking water facility etc.

North East Circuit:

  • Under North East Circuit in Tripura, the sites of Surma Cherra- Unakoti- Jampui Hills- Gunabati-Bhunaneshwari- Matabari- Neermahal- Boxanagar- Chotta khola- Pilak- Avangchaarra are covered with total project cost of Rs. 65 Crores.
  • The project envisaged infrastructural development of the sites with special emphasis on developing an Interpretation Centre, Tourist Visitor Centres, Cafeteria, Last Mile Connectivity, Illumination of sites and monuments, Wayside Amenities, Floating Jetties, Camping Grounds, Parking Facilities, Adventure Activities, Ghat Development at above sites.

Swadesh Darshan Scheme:

  • The Tourism Ministry had launched ‘Swadesh Darshan’ scheme with an objective to develop theme-based tourist circuits in the country.
  • These tourist circuits will be developed on the principles of high tourist value, competitiveness and sustainability in an integrated manner.
  • The scheme is 100% centrally funded for the project components undertaken for public funding.
  • To leverage the voluntary funding available for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives of Central Public Sector Undertakings and corporate sector .
  • Funding of individual project will vary from state to state and will be finalised on the basis of detailed project reports prepared by PMC (Programme Management Consultant).

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