Culture
PM Mementos e-Auction:
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- Bihar is showcasing 40 folk art treasures, including Madhubani and Sikki art, at the 7th Prime Minister’s Mementos e-Auction organized by the Ministry of Culture through the National Gallery of Modern Art, Delhi.
- The auction features mementos gifted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with proceeds supporting the Namami Gange Project for the Holy River Ganga.
- Bihar’s collection highlights mythological, festival, and ritual-themed artworks that reflect community traditions and preserve oral narratives through symmetrical and colourful styles, practiced by local women and communities.
- Bihar’s Artistic Highlights:
1. Madhubani Painting of Lord Krishna and Gopis: Originating from the Mithila region of Bihar, Madhubani painting is renowned for its bold lines, intricate patterns, and the use of natural colours.
2. Mithila Painting Depicting a Woman with a Lotus and Shiva Lingam: Mithila painting is also known as Madhubani painting.
3. Sikki Art Frame of Lord Ram and Sita: The primary material is Sikki grass, a unique, naturally growing golden-coloured fiber.
(PIB)
Schemes in News
Namami Gange Project:
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- It is the flagship programme of the Government of India launched in 2014 for the rejuvenation, conservation, and pollution abatement of the Ganga River and its tributaries.
- Key objectives are to reduce pollution (through sewage treatment and regulation of waste), improve water quality, and restore riverine biodiversity.
- The project creates and upgrades sewage treatment infrastructure, promotes river surface cleaning, develops ghats, and implements afforestation and biodiversity conservation along the Ganga.
- It has led to measurable improvements in water quality, increased populations of key river species (like the Gangetic dolphin), and is globally recognized as a major river restoration initiative.
(PIB)
Places in the News
Tirah Valley:
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- It is a strategically significant, historically isolated mountainous region in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
- Historical Significance: The Tirah Campaign (1897–1898) was a hard-fought British and Indian expedition against the Afridi and Orakzai tribes in the mountainous Tirah region to recover British prestige after the tribes’ revolt and capture of the Khyber Pass.
(TH)
Defense and security
Cold Start:
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- Army, Navy, and Air Force will conduct a joint exercise in the first week of October to test drones and counter-drone systems.
- The main goal is to assess and enhance the preparedness of India’s armed forces against sophisticated air threats, particularly those involving drone technology.
- The exercise aims to evaluate the effectiveness of current air defense systems and pinpoint their weaknesses in a real-world scenario.
(TH)
Awards in the News
71st National Film Awards ceremony:
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- President gives the Dada Saheb Phalke Award to Mohanlal, the best male actor award to Shah Rukh Khan for Jawan and Vikrant Massey for 12th Fail; and best female actor award to Rani Mukerjee for Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway.
- National Film Awards were established by the Government of India in 1954 to recognize and promote excellence in Indian cinema across artistic, technical, and social dimensions, with the aim of encouraging cultural unity and integrity through films.
- The awards are presented in three major categories: Feature Films, Non-Feature Films, and Best Writing on Cinema.
- The awards ceremony is held annually in New Delhi, where the President of India presents the awards, typically followed by the National Film Festival that screens winning films for the public.
- The highest honour within the National Film Awards is the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, which is given for lifetime achievement in Indian cinema.
- Winners are selected by a national panel of independent juries appointed by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).
- The awards promote not only mainstream Hindi cinema but also films in numerous Indian languages recognized under the Constitution, as well as regional and non-feature categories.
(TH)
Miscellaneous
Rosh Hashanah:
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- Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year.
- This begins the “Days of Awe,” a period of intense introspection leading up to Yom Kippur (the holiest day of the year in Judaism).
- It commemorates the creation of the world and the first human beings, emphasizing the special relationship between humanity and God.
- It is a day of judgment, where God is believed to judge people for their actions in the past year and determine their fate for the coming one.
10th National Ayurveda Day:
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- The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) celebrated the 10th National Ayurveda Day at its Headquarters in New Delhi, with the theme “Ayurveda for People & Planet,” highlighting Ayurveda’s role in fostering harmony between individuals and the environment.
- It emphasized Ayurveda’s promotive, preventive, curative, and rehabilitative aspects, and its use of natural resources to promote sustainable growth and global acceptance.
- Ayurveda supports both individual health and sustainable planetary growth.
- The event advocated integrating Ayurveda with spiritual lifestyle and naturopathy for holistic well-being.
(PIB)
PRACTICE MCQ’S
Q1. Consider the following statements about some specific New Year celebrations:
1. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year.
2. Nowruz is the Persian New Year.
3. Songkran is the Japanese New Year.
4. Shōgatsu is the Thai New Year.
Which of the statements given above are incorrect?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 3 and 4 only
d) All the above
Answer: C
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year.
Statement 2 is correct: Nowruz is the Persian New Year.
Statement 3 is incorrect: Thai New Year (Songkran)
Statement 4 is incorrect: Japanese New Year (Shōgatsu)
Q2. Consider the following statements about The Namami Gange Project:
1. It is the flagship programme of the Government of India launched in 2016.
2. The aim is to clean and rejuvenate the Ganga River by focusing on pollution control.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: B
Explanation:
Statement 1 is incorrect: It is the flagship programme of the Government of India launched in 2014.
Statement 2 is correct: The aim is to clean and rejuvenate the Ganga River by focusing on pollution control through sewage treatment, industrial effluent management, and river surface cleaning.
Q3. With reference to the National Film Awards, consider the following statements:
1. The National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC), under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, delivers the National Film Awards.
2. The awards are presented annually by a national jury appointed by the government and are typically conferred by the President of India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: C
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: The National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC), under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) of the Government of India, delivers the National Film Awards.
Statement 2 is correct: Yes, the awards are presented annually by a national jury appointed by the government and are typically conferred by the President of India.
Q4. Consider the following statements about Madhubani Painting:
Statement I: Originated in the Mithila region of Bihar and is also known as Mithila art.
Statement II: Traditionally created by women on house walls, linked to the domestication of cattle and the harvest season.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is not correct
d) Statement-I is not correct but Statement-II is correct
Answer: C
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: Originated in the Mithila region of Bihar and is also known as Mithila art.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The most famous painting style from Jharkhand is Sohrai painting, a traditional mural art form practiced by women in the Hazaribagh region, especially during the Sohrai harvest festival.
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