GS SCORE

'PRELIMS 2017'
Current Affairs

India n Culture
For Civil Services Examination

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INDEX
1. Schemes for Cleanliness of Tourist Places
a) Swachh Bharat - Swachh Smarak
b) Swachh Bharat - Swachh Pakwan (Hunar Zaika)
c) ‘Swachh Bharat - Swachh Paryatan’
d) Swatchh Smarak Swatchh Bharat’ App
2. National Tourism Policy, 2015
3. Schemes for Development of Cultural Heritage
a) Sanskriti App
b) Cultural Mapping of India

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c) Cultural Heritage Youth Leadership Programme

4.
d)
e) OR
Preservation of Cultural Heritage of Himalayas
Nearly 100 Monuments Identified for Portal on “Must-See Monuments
Schemes for Monument Development
a) HRIDAY
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b) SWADESH DARSHAN
c) PRASAD SCHEME
d) Adarsh Smarak Yojana
e) Monuments of National Importance
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5. Cultural Scheme Monitoring System

6. Schemes for promotion of Culture
a) Culture Ministry to Grade Artists, Writers for Selection Process
b) Schemes for Serious Literature and Litterateurs
c) National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities
d) National Mission on Manuscripts
e) National Mission on Libraries
f) Gandhi Heritage Sites Mission
7. International Initiatives for Cultural Development and Recognition
a) Project Mausam
b) International Buddhist Conclave
c) World’s Heritage
d) UNESCO inscribes Yoga in the representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of
Humanity
e) UNESCO Creative Cities Network
f) UNESCO Global Geopark

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8. National Virtual Library of India

9. Animal Sports in India
a) Jallikattu
b) Kambala
c) Bulbul Fight
d) Bullock Cart Racing
10. GI Tag
– Definition:
– GI vs. Trademark
– Rights under GI
– Famous Goods
– Latest Addition
11. Festivals in News

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OR
12. International Yoga Day
13. Rashtriya Ekta Diwas
14. Buddhist Circuit
15. Miscellaneous News
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a) Katas Raj Temple

b) Bhakti Saint Ramanuja
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INDIAN CULTURE
Schemes for Cleanliness of Tourist Places
Introduction The maintenance of cleanliness at tourist spots is primarily the responsibility
of the State Government/UT Administration/concerned agency responsible
for maintenance of tourist spots.  However, Ministry of Tourism has taken
following initiatives under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan:
a) Swachh Bharat - • Taking a cue from Swachh Bharat, this is an initiative to see a cleaner
Swachh Smarak India for protecting and preserving the sanctity of monuments of
national heritage.
• To aid this, Ministry of Tourism launched a special e-poster with Prime
Minister’s message requesting the tourists and the people of the nation
to wholeheartedly engage themselves in the cleanliness of their

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surroundings and help create a Swachh Bharat, Swachh Smarak.
b) Swachh Bharat - Swachh • The street food vendors constitute a significant percentage of the
Pakwan (Hunar Zaika)
• OR
hospitality service providers and have a pan India presence.
This program is aimed at upgrading the skills and hygiene standards
of Street Food Vendors, so that they become a distinctive aspect of the
Indian tourism.
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• The Ministry of Tourism has partnered with the National Association
of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) for the specific purpose of
orientation, skill testing and certification of the vendors.
c) ‘Swachh Bharat - • Ministry of Tourism has requested all States/UTs to assess the
Swachh Paryatan’ requirement of toilet facilities at all popular tourist sites, provide a list
of existing non-functional toilets already constructed, frame specific
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project proposals for toilets to be considered for release of grant under

CFA, identify an agency for construction and maintenance and follow
the standardized model on the lines of Build and Operate pattern for
construction of wayside amenities.
d) Swatchh Smarak • The application will allow visitors and tourists to click photographs of
Swatchh Bharat’ App litter and garbage, if any, in the vicinity of nearly 25 monuments
covered by the Adarsh Smarak scheme and then post them on the app.
• The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has collaborated in the clean
monument initiative and will attend to the complaints.

National Tourism Policy, 2015

Introduction Draft of the National Tourism Policy, 2015 has been prepared after rounds
of consultations held with Stakeholders, State Governments and Union
Territory Administrations and Experts and veterans in the field of Tourism.
Highlights The main highlights of the draft new Policy is:-
1. Focus of the Policy on employment generation and community
participation in tourism development.
2. Stress on development of tourism in a sustainable and responsible
manner.
3. An all-encompassing policy involving linkages with various Ministries,
Departments, States/Union Territories and Stakeholders.

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Schemes for Development of Cultural Heritage
a)  Sanskriti App
b) Cultural Mapping of India
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c) Cultural Heritage Youth
Leadership Programme
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4. Setting up of “National Tourism Advisory Board” and “National
Tourism Authority” proposed.
5. Setting up of a dedicated university for tourism & hospitality education.
6. Emphasis on technology enabled development in tourism.
• Sanskriti is a Mobile App to view cultural events of India. The main
categories of events that can be viewed are Music, Theatre, Dance,
Exhibitions, Film Shows, Literature, Lectures and Programs for
children.
• Features:
1. This Application provides updates on the Events organized under
Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
2. It gives the list of events and automatically detects current location of
the mobile and the city is selected accordingly. User can also select
city of his choice and see the listings.
3. User can also search the events by Venue, Date or Location.
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4. There are 9 categories in the App i.e Music, Dance, Theatre, Exhibition,
Film Shows, Children, Literature, Lectures and Others. There are
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number of sub categories in all categories.
• The mandate of Ministry of Culture is to preserve, promote, explore
and share India’s culture and heritage along with its ethos and values
for the benefit of mankind.
• In pursuance of this vision, among others, Ministry of Culture has
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been administering a few finance-based schemes to identify, nurture
hand-hold and train the upcoming and budding artistes on a sustained
basis.
• This is carried out by way of grant of scholarships, fellowships,
pensions, and other forms of grants/assistance. With a view to reach
every nook and corner throughout the length and breadth of the
country; there is a need to have data-base of such art forms and artists,
which we refer to as “Cultural Mapping”.
• This could consolidate the data at one place in a systematic manner
and help us to streamline and rationalize various financial grant schemes
being implemented by the Ministry for artists and cultural organizations,
and ensure effectiveness, transparency and value for money.
• The work of entry of data of artists has been assigned to CCRT, New
Delhi.  Till date data on more than 1 Crore artists has been collected.
In order to collect the data of artists, Ministry is also taking the help of
State Govt. and other organizations.
• The Ministry of Culture had mooted a project proposal titled “Cultural
Heritage Youth Leadership Programme (CHYP)”.
• The objective of the Scheme is to enrich the awareness of culture
amongst youth, in order to promote cultural awareness; mutual
understanding and respect, as also to develop a love for India’s rich
heritage, with a view to developing appropriate leadership qualities
amongst youth.
• The focus of the programme will be on the less privileged children
residing in backward areas. Usage of vernacular languages for
propagation, will be made to the extent possible, for carrying out these
activities.

d) Preservation of Cultural
Heritage of Himalayas
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• Over a period of time, the ‘approved implementing agencies’ and the
‘eligible institutions’ will focus on development of cultural leadership
amongst youth. It is recognized that in the initial phases this activity
would need to commence with generation of awareness, which would
gradually get widened and deepened, and will form the basis for
encouraging leadership qualities among the youth for propagators of
cultural awareness. In developing such leadership attributes care will
be taken to avoid any overlap with assistance for pursuing performing
arts, to the extent possible.
• The Ministry of Culture is promoting the preservation of cultural
traditions in Himalayan and North-East Indian States through its scheme
i.e. “Preservation and development of Cultural Heritage of the
Himalayas”.
• The objective of the scheme is to promote, protect and preserve the
cultural heritage of the Himalayas for which financial assistance is
provided to Institutions & Voluntary Organizations.
• This scheme is implemented in the states falling under the Himalayan
region viz. Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh,

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Uttrakhand and Sikkim. 
• The proper utilization of the fund is ensured through Audited Accounts

e) Nearly 100 Monuments

Identified for Portal on
•
Accountant.  OR
and Utilization certificate duly authenticated by the Chartered

Archeological Survey of India (ASI) is developing a Portal for the

“Must-see Monuments and Archaeological Sites of India”, under its
“Must-See Monuments protection.
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• The purpose of creating the portal is to highlight outstanding
monuments and sites in India, comprising world heritage properties,
sites under UNESCO’s Tentative List, ASI’s ticketed and other non-
ticketed prominent monuments. Nearly a hundred monuments have
been identified for this purpose.
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• Sites have been selected on the basis of their exceptional art and
architecture, planning and design, displaying exemplary engineering
skills and being a unique testimony to the civilization in the past. 
• The portal carries brief history regarding each monument and
information such as connectivity and access, weather conditions,
timings of opening and closing, facilities available at site, 360 Degree/
panoramic views (in collaboration with Google) and other Must-See
monuments in the vicinity.
• The portal is being with the hope that these will be visited by a large
number of people from India and abroad, and will contribute to their
visiting these outstanding sites. 

Schemes for Monument Development

a) HRIDAY • Union government has launched a Heritage City Development and
Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) scheme to preserve and rejuvenate
the rich cultural heritage of the country.
• In the initial phase, 12 heritage cities have been identified which will
be rejuvenated and developed under HRIDAY.
• The 12 cities are:  Amritsar, Varanasi, Gaya, Puri, Ajmer, Mathura,
Dwarka, Badami, Velankanni, Kanchipuram, Warangal and Amaravati.
• It aims to bring urban planning, economic growth and heritage
conservation together for heritage cities.

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• It also seeks beautification in an inclusive and integrated manner with
focus on cleanliness, livelihoods, skills, safety, security, accessibility
and faster service delivery of heritage cities.
• Heritage management plan (HMP) will be prepared for the identified
cities which will outline heritage resources and develop policies to
guide their conservation, restoration, future use and development.
• It will seek to improve last-mile connectivity heritage sites by
documentation, conservation of areas, providing more facilities for
women, senior citizens and differently abled citizens.
• HRIDAY will be dovetailed with the Tourism Ministry’s Pilgrimage
Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) scheme
which has an outlay of Rs 100 crore for augmentation of infrastructure
at pilgrimage sites across the country.
b) SWADESH DARSHAN • Swadesh Darshan has been launched for Integrated Development of
Tourist Circuits around Specific Themes.
• The objectives are:
1. Develop circuits having tourist potential in a planned and prioritized

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manner;
2. Integrated development of infrastructure in the identified theme-based
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circuits;
3. Promote cultural and heritage value of the country;
4. Provide complete tourism experience with varied thematic circuits;
5. Enhancing the tourist attractiveness in a sustainable manner by
developing world-class infrastructure in the circuit destination;
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6. Follow community-based development and pro-poor tourism approach;

7. Creating awareness among the local communities about the importance
of tourism for them in terms of increase in sources of income, improved
living standards and overall development of the area;
8. Promote local arts, culture, handicrafts, cuisine, etc., to generate
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livelihood in the identi-fied regions;

9. Harness tourism potential for its direct and multiplier effects in
employment generation and economic development;
10. Leverage public capital and expertise.
• Under Swadesh Darshan, the following five circuits have been identified
for development:-
1. North East Circuit
2. Buddhist Circuit
3. Himalayan Circuit
4. Coastal Circuit
5. Krishna Circuit
c) PRASAD SCHEME • National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual
Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) to beautify and improve the amenities
and infrastructure at pilgrimage centres of all faiths.
• The objectives are:
1. Integrated development of pilgrimage destinations in a planned,
prioritized and sustainable manner to provide complete religious
tourism experience.

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2. Harness pilgrimage tourism for its direct and multiplier effects on
employment generation and economic development.
3. Follow community-based development and pro-poor tourism concept
in development of the pilgrimage destinations.
4. Leveraging public capital and expertise.
5. Enhancing the tourist attractiveness in a sustainable manner by
developing world-class infrastructure in the religious destination.
6. Creating awareness among the local communities about the importance
of tourism for them in terms of increase in sources of income, improved
living standards and overall development of the area.
7. Promote local arts, culture, handicrafts, cuisine, etc., to generate
livelihood in the identified places.
• Under the PRASAD scheme thirteen sites have been identified for
development, namely: Amritsar, Ajmer, Dwaraka, Mathura, Varanasi,
Gaya, Puri, Amaravati, Kanchipuram, Vellankanni, Kedarnath,
Kamakhya and Patna.

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• Under the ‘PRASAD’ scheme the focus is on development and
beautification of the identified pilgrimage destinations. Whereas, in
the ‘Spiritual Circuit’ identified under the Swadesh Darshan scheme,

d) Adarsh Smarak Yojana •

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the thrust is on development of particular thematic circuit consisting
of various religious/spiritual destination in a State and Union Territory.
The Ministry of Culture aims to promote, preserve and conserve the
cultural heritage of the country.
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• The main functions of the Culture Ministry include maintenance and
conservation of heritage, historic sites and ancient monuments,
administration of libraries, promotion of literary, visual and performing
arts, observation of centenaries and anniversaries of important national
personalities and events.
• Other mandate of the Ministry is promotion of institutions and
organizations of Buddhist and Tibetan studies, promotion of institutional
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and individual non-official initiatives in the fields of art and culture,

entering into cultural agreements with foreign countries and creating
 cultural awareness from the grass root level to the international cultural
exchange level.
• Recently for conservation of monuments in India, ASI has identified 
25 monuments to be developed as Model Monuments. These
monuments would be provided necessary tourist facilities including
wi-fi, security, signages, encroachment free area, interpretation centres
showing short films about the importance of monuments and signboards
of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. 
e) Monuments of • The Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 defines an “Ancient
National Importance Monument” as follows:
• Ancient Monument means any structure, erection or monument, or
any tumulus or place of interment, or any cave, rock-sculpture,
inscription or monolith which is of historical, archaeological or artistic
interest and which has been in existence for not less than 100 years
• A monument or a site is declared to be of National Importance by the
Archaeological Survey of India provided it meets the following
requirements:
1. The monument or archaeological site is not less than 100 years old.
2. It has special historical, archaeological or artistic interest, making it
worthy of declaration as of national importance.

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3. It qualifies under specified provisions of definition of the Ancient
Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.
4. The interested public do not have major objections to such declaration.
5. The authenticity and integrity of the ancient monument or
archaeological site and remains have not been damaged.
6. It is free from major encumbrances.
• The central government maintains national monuments, while the state
government maintains state monuments.
• Vishnu Temple, Vishnugudi, District Wayanad, Kerala was declared
as a monument of National Importance.  The total number of centrally
protected monuments in the country is now 3686.

Cultural Scheme Monitoring System

Introduction The administration and implementation of the various schemes run by the
Ministry of Culture have been delegated to organizations under the charge
of the Ministry in order to facilitate and speed up processing.
Objective The system aims to ensure transparency and effective monitoring. In order

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to bring more transparency in various scheme implementation, this bureau
has introduced following initiatives
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• Individual Interviews
• Simplifications of various formats
• Applications have gone up 3 times more.
• Fast track clearing initiated  for backlog cases and EAC (Empowered
Advisory Committee) meetings
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Schemes for promotion of Culture

a) Culture Ministry To Grade • The Ministry of Culture has decided to divide all writers and artistes in
Artists, Writers For the country under these three categories. Depending on where they
Selection Process are placed, each person will enjoy suitable bounties, such as the chance
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to travel and participate in various events representing India.

• As a pilot project, the ministry has already graded 185 artistes into
three categories — O (Outstanding), P (Promising), W (Waiting) —
for representing India in festivals abroad. This grading was recently
done by a high-powered committee comprising the ministry’s
bureaucrats and selected artistes.
• The principle behind this idea is to minimize nepotism and the
dominance of cliques on the cultural scene.
• The plan is to create a cultural map of India, to have a database of
artistes eligible for performing at various levels, and to fix an
honorarium for each category. A memorandum from the ministry also
adds that an artiste can participate in an official event for the second
time only after a “cooling period of two years” since their previous
appearance. Presumably, this interval would ensure more number of
people get a chance to be featured across a range of platforms. The
system of grading artistes is not uncommon in India.
• All India Radio (AIR) has used it to audition performers since decades,
though under strict guidelines, supervised by committees that comprise
Grade A artistes, scholars and veterans in the field. In contrast, the
culture ministry seems to have left the complex task of arbitrating on
the merit of artistes to a troop of bureaucrats, with a handful of “experts”
thrown in, and little transparency on the specific criteria under which
each candidate will be judged.

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b) Schemes for Serious
Literature and Litterateurs
About Sahitya Akademi
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• Sahitya Akademi an autonomous organization under Ministry of
Culture is set up with the mandate of promotion of Indian literature
only. 
• Various schemes initiated for literature are:
1. It brings out books in 24 recognized languages.
2. It brings out three journals, Indian Literature, Samakaleen Bharatiya
Sahitya and Samskrit Pratibha.
3. Cultural Functions Grant Scheme
4. Award of Fellowship to Outstanding Persons in the Field of Culture,
which among other areas, also deals with promotion of literature and
litterateurs.
5. Financial Assistance Scheme for participation in International and
Domestic Book Fairs and International Events is a flagship scheme
which the Ministry directly implements. 

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Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters, is the central institution for literary dialogue,
publication and promotion in the country and the only institution that undertakes literary activities in 24 Indian
languages, including English. Besides the 22 languages enumerated in the Constitution of India, the Sahitya

OR
Akademi has recognized English and Rajasthani as languages in which its programme may be implemented.
Akademi gives 24 awards annually to literary works in the languages it has recognized and an equal number
of awards to literary translations from and into the languages of India, both after a yearlong process of
scrutiny, discussion and selection.
It also gives special awards called Bhasha Samman to significant contribution to the languages not formally
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recognized by the Akademi as also for contribution to classical and medieval literature.
It has also system of electing eminent writers as Fellows and Honorary Fellows and has also established
fellowship in the names of Dr. Anand Coomaraswamy and Premchand.
c) National Mission on • National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities was launched on 19th
Monuments and Antiquities March 2007.
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• Objectives of NMMA
1. Documentation and creation of suitable database on built heritage and
sites for information and dissemination to planners, researchers etc.
and for better management of such cultural resources.
2. Documentation in a uniform format developed by NMMA, of all
Antiquities that are available in the form of Registered Antiquities,
Catalogued Antiquities with Central as well as State Governments,
Private museums and collections, Universities, etc.
3. Promote awareness and sensitize people concerning the benefits of
preserving the historical and cultural aspects of built heritage, sites
and antiquities
4. Extend training facility and capacity building to the concerned State
Departments, Local bodies, NGOs, Universities, Museums, Local
communities etc.
5. Help in developing synergy between institutions like Archaeological
Survey of India, State Departments, concerned Institutions and NGOs
to generate close interaction.
d) National Mission on • The National Mission for Manuscripts (NAMAMI) is an autonomous
Manuscripts organisation under Ministry of Culture, Government of India,
established to survey, locate and conserve Indian manuscripts, with
an aim to create national resource base for manuscripts, for enhancing
their access, awareness and use for educational purposes.

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• It is a national effort in the form of a mission for logical, radical and
urgent response to a very contemporary challenge – of reclaiming the
in heritance contained in manuscripts, often in a poor state of
preservation.
• India can rightfully claim to be the largest repository of manuscripts in
the world.  It is not only the largest repository of literary heritage, but
is also the forerunner in conservation efforts. National Mission for
Manuscripts is first such national level comprehensive initiative in the
world which caters to the need of conserving manuscripts and
disseminating knowledge contained therein. NMM has covered a long
distance since its inception in 2003 towards fulfilling its motto,
‘conserving the past for the future’. It works through a network of
neary100 centres and 350 sub-centres, spread all over the country.
e) National Mission on • Government of India has taken various initiatives to transform India
Libraries into a knowledge based society. Public libraries have a major role to
play in realizing this goal. In order to revamp the Public Library System
& Services, and to provide digital content based services to the citizens
at large, the Ministry of Culture has launched the scheme of National

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Mission on Libraries (NML).
• Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation has been declared as the
OR
nodal agency for the National Mission on Libraries for administrative,
logistic, planning and budgeting purposes.
• The Scheme has the following four components:
i. Creation of National Virtual Library (NVLI),
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ii. Setting up of NML Model Libraries,

iii. Quantitative & Qualitative Survey,
iv. Capacity Building for library professionals.
f) Gandhi Heritage • The mandate to the Mission will be to develop the Gandhi Heritage
Sites Mission Sites according to the comprehensive list prepared by the Panel of
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Gandhi Heritage Sites. 

• The mission would be entrusted with the identification, collation and
assessment of information on ‘Gandhi Heritage‘ material for its
management and deployment, an official statement issued here said.
• The mission‘s task would also include the determination of conservation
methodology and priorities for documents and objects, particularly
from the point of view of archival storage and museology and for
physical structures and sites, as also guidelines for their subsequent
maintenance.
• The dissemination of information based on relevant material for
identification, collation and assessment and conservation would be
through a web-based portal, publication‘s, audio/visual (CDs, digital
prints, etc.) and communication through core sites while specifying,
where necessary, function and use and the significance of the site
• Gandhi Heritage Sites Mission has taken up several projects. These
include upgradation and modernization of Gandhi Ashram Trust at
Noakhali (Bangladesh); upgradation of the Gandhi Smarak
Sangrahalaya, Barrackpore, Kolkata; curating exhibition of permanent
nature at Pietermaritzburg Railway Station, South Africa and creation
of data base relating to Gandhi Heritage Sites etc.

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International Initiatives for Cultural Development and Recognition

a) Project Mausam • Project ‘Mausam’ is a Ministry of Culture project to position itself at
two levels: at the macro level it aims to re-connect and re-establish
communications between countries of the Indian Ocean world, which
would lead to an enhanced understanding of cultural values and
concerns; while at the micro level the focus is on understanding national
cultures in their regional maritime milieu.
• Goals:
1. Reviving lost linkages with nations: Countries along the Indian Ocean
have shared links with each other for millennia. Project ‘Mausam’ seeks
to transcend present-day national and ethnic boundaries, documenting
and celebrating the common cultural values and economic ties of the
Indian Ocean ‘world’. This will not only strengthen current ties between
countries across the Ocean, but also set a precedent for new bridges of
co-operation and continued relations and interactions.
2. Creating links to existing World Heritage sites: Providing a platform
to connect discrete Cultural and Natural World Heritage sites across

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the Indian Ocean ‘world’ by providing a cross-cultural, transnational
narrative.
3.
OR
Redefining ‘Cultural Landscapes’: Identifying gaps in listing of sites
and filling in lacuna by providing a holistic, multi-layered perspective
and drawing relationships between the existing categories of ‘Natural’
and ‘Cultural’ Heritage. This would redefine the concept of ‘Cultural
Landscapes,’ and allow for a fresh, multi-faceted approach to
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understanding past and present-day relationships.
4. Achieving transnational nomination under World Heritage:
Advocating for ‘Indian Ocean Maritime Routes’ to attain transnational
nomination under World Heritage, increasing scope for visibility,
research, sustainable tourism, heritage development and promoting
other Cultural Conventions across the Indian Ocean region.
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b) International Buddhist • With a view to showcasing and projecting the Buddhist heritage and
Conclave pilgrim sites of India, the Ministry of Tourism has organised the
“5 th  International Buddhist Conclave (from 2 nd  to 6 th  October
2016)” in Varanasi-Sarnath in collaboration with the State Governments
of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
• Participants in the Buddhist Conclaveincluded international Buddhist
opinion makers, tour operators and media, as well as State Governments
and domestic tour operators promoting pilgrimages to the Buddhist
sites in the country.
• The International Buddhist Conclave is also one of the initiatives being
taken by India as its commitment as the land of origin of Buddhism
and to improve the experience of pilgrims as well as tourists wishing
to savor the essence of Buddhist heritage, at the Buddhist sites of the
country.
• The Conclave include Presentations, Panel discussions, Business to
Business Meetings between international and domestic tour operators
and State Governments, an exhibition highlighting Buddhist attractions
in India, as well as visits to important Buddhist sites in and around
Varanasi, Sarnath and Bodhgaya.
• International Buddhist Conclaves have earlier been organized in New
Delhi and Bodhgaya (February 2004); Nalanda and Bodhgaya
(February 2010), Varanasi and Bodh Gaya (September 2012) and
Bodhgaya – Varanasi (2014).

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c) World’s Heritage • The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and
preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world
considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied
in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the
Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, by UNESCO in
1972.
• UNESCO’s World Heritage mission is to:
1. Encourage countries to sign the World Heritage Convention and to
ensure the protection of their natural and cultural heritage;
2. Encourage States Parties to the Convention to nominate sites within
their national territory for inclusion on the World Heritage List;
3. Encourage States Parties to establish management plans and set up
reporting systems on the state of conservation of their World Heritage
sites;
4. Help States Parties safeguard World Heritage properties by providing
technical assistance and professional training;

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5. Provide emergency assistance for World Heritage sites in immediate
danger;
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6. Support States Parties’ public awareness-building activities for World
Heritage conservation;
7. Encourage participation of the local population in the preservation of
their cultural and natural heritage;
8. Encourage international cooperation in the conservation of our world’s
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cultural and natural heritage.

• Recently Khangchendzonga National Park (India) – Located at the
heart of the Himalayan range in northern India (State of Sikkim), the
Khangchendzonga National Park includes a unique diversity of plains,
valleys, lakes, glaciers and spectacular, snow-capped mountains covered
with ancient forests, including the world’s third highest peak, Mount
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Khangchendzonga. Mythological stories are associated with this

d) UNESCO inscribes Yoga in •
the representative list of
Intangible Cultural
Heritage of Humanity
• As of 2010 the programme compiles two lists. The
mountain and with a great number of natural elements (e.g. caves,
rivers, lakes, etc.) that are the object of worship by the indigenous
people of Sikkim. The sacred meanings of these stories and practices
have been integrated with Buddhist beliefs and constitute the basis for
Sikkimese identity.
UNESCO established its lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage with the
aim of ensuring the better protection of important intangible cultural
heritages worldwide and the awareness of their significance. Through
a compendium of the different oral and intangible treasures of
humankind worldwide, the program aims to draw attention to the
importance of safeguarding intangible heritage, which UNESCO has
identified as an essential component and as a repository of cultural
diversity and of creative expression.
longer Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of
Humanity comprises cultural “practices and expressions [that] help
demonstrate the diversity of this heritage and raise awareness about its
importance.” The shorter List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need
of Urgent Safeguarding is composed of those cultural elements that
concerned communities and countries consider require urgent measures
to keep them alive.

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• In India it includes:
1. Indian ancient practice of yoga 
2. Buddhist chanting of Ladakh: recitation of sacred Buddhist texts in
the trans-Himalayan Ladakh region, Jammu and Kashmir, India
3. Chhau dance
4. Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan
5. Mudiyettu, ritual theatre and dance drama of Kerala
6. Ramman, religious festival and ritual theatre of the Garhwal Himalayas,
India
7. Kutiyattam, Sanskrit theatre
8. Ramlila, the traditional performance of the Ramayana
9. Tradition of Vedic chanting
10. Traditional brass and copper craft of utensil making among the
Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, Punjab, India

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11. Sankirtana, ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur
12. Novruz, Nowrouz, Nooruz, Navruz, Nauroz or Nevruz marks the New

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Year and the beginning of spring across a vast geographical area
covering, inter alia, Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan,
Turkey and Uzbekistan.
• Derived from the Sanskrit word yuj, Yoga means union of the
individual consciousness or soul with the Universal Consciousness or
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Spirit. Yoga is a 5000 year old Indian body of knowledge. 
• The aim of Yoga is Self-Realization, to overcome all kinds of sufferings
leading to ‘the state of liberation’. This is one of the oldest sciences of
the world, originated in India, which is very useful for preserving and
maintaining one’s physical and mental health and also for ‘spiritual
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evolution’.
e) UNESCO Creative • The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was created in 2004
Cities Network to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified
creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development.
• By joining the Network, cities commit to sharing their best practices
and developing partnerships involving the public and private sectors
as well as civil society in order to:
1. Strengthen the creation, production, distribution and dissemination of
cultural activities, goods and services;
2. Develop hubs of creativity and innovation and broaden opportunities
for creators and professionals in the cultural sector;
3. Improve access to and participation in cultural life, in particular for
marginalized or vulnerable groups and individuals;
4. Fully integrate culture and creativity into sustainable development plans.
• The Network covers seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Arts, Media
Arts, Film, Design, Gastronomy, Literature and Music.
• The Creative Cities Network is a privileged partner of UNESCO, not
only as a platform for reflection on the role of creativity as a lever for
sustainable development but also as a breeding ground of action and
innovation, notably for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development.

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• Two Indian cities for first time have been designated as members of
UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network (UCCN).
• Two cities are Varanasi City (Uttar Pradesh): It has been added in the
City of Music category of network and Jaipur City (Rajasthan): It has
been added in the City of Crafts and Folk Art category of network.
f) UNESCO Global Geopark • UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where
sites and landscapes of international geological significance are
managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and
sustainable development.
• UNESCO Global Geoparks empower local communities and give them
the opportunity to develop cohesive partnerships with the common
goal of promoting the area’s significant geological processes, features,
periods of time, historical themes linked to geology, or outstanding
geological beauty.
• A UNESCO Global Geopark enhance awareness and understanding
of key issues facing society, such as using our earth’s resources
sustainably, mitigating the effects of climate change and reducing
natural disasters-related risks.

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• The creation of innovative local enterprises, new jobs and high quality
training courses is stimulated as new sources of revenue are generated
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through geotourism, while the geological resources of the area are
protected.
• A set of criteria as established by UNESCO must first be met for a
geopark, as nominated by the corresponding government, to be
included in the GGN:
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a) the existence of a management plan designed to foster socio-economic

development that is sustainable (most likely to be based on agritourism
and geotourism);
b) demonstrate methods for conserving and enhancing geological heritage
and provide means for teaching geoscientific disciplines and broader
environmental issues;
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c) joint-proposals submitted by public authorities, local communities and

private interests acting together, which demonstrate the best practices
with respect to Earth heritage conservation and its integration into
sustainable development strategies.

National Virtual Library of India

Introduction Research, academics and also general users from various sectors are today
depending more on digital information. Corresponding to this demand an
increasing amount of digitized data and services based on such data are
being initiated.
In fact immense amount of information are digitized under several projects
carried out by various Agencies and Govt. Departments like MOC, HRD,
DIT, CDAC, Prasar Bharati, AIR, State Govts, etc. Most of them are
available on the web, but are dispersed. There is no comprehensive database
built for all such resources.
Thus government has come up with concept of Virtual library.
Beneficiaries The target users of NVL will be: students, researchers, doctors, professionals,
and novice users, including educationally, socially, economically,
physically disadvantaged groups. They can be built incorporating many
modules to cater to information needs.

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Animal Sports in India

a) Jallikattu Jallikattu is a bull’s game day event happening in Tamil Nadu as a part of
Pongal celebrations. Bulls are bred specifically by some private rich persons
of the village& temples for the event.
Animal activists, the FIAPO (Federation of India Animal Protection
Agencies) and PETA India have protested against the practice over the years.
In May 2014, the Supreme Court of India banned the practice but due to
protest, it has been initiated again.
b) Kambala Kambala Kannada is an annual Buffalo Race (he-buffalo) held traditionally
under the auspices of local landlords and households or Patel of the village,
in coastal Karnataka, India. The ‘track’ used for Kambala is a paddy field
filled with slush and mud. 
c) Bulbul Fight Every Makar Sankranti, which coincides with Assam’s harvest festival
Bhogali Bihu, bulbul fights are organised in the Hayagriva-Madhava Temple
in Hajo, 30 km from Guwahati.

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d) Bullock Cart Racing In parts of rural Maharashtra, bullock cart races have, for long, been a
source of recreation and entertainment. Bullock races last around 25 seconds.
Maximum distance is 500 metres. 

GI Tag
Definition
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A geographical indication (GI) is a sign that identifies a product as originating
from a particular location which gives that product a special quality or
reputation or other characteristic.
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Under the Geographical Indications Act, it is not necessary to file an
application to protect the GI. 
GI vs. Trademark A GI is distinct from a trade mark. A GI informs consumers that a product
comes from a certain place and has special qualities due to that place of
origin, while a trade mark is used to distinguish a business’ goods or services
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from those of its competitors. A GI may be used by all producers or traders

whose products originate from that place and which share typical
characteristics, while a trade mark gives its owners the right to prevent
others from using the trade mark.
Rights under GI A geographical indication right enables those who have the right to use the
indication to prevent its use by a third party whose product does not conform
to the applicable standards. For example, in the jurisdictions in which the
Darjeeling geographical indication is protected, producers of Darjeeling
tea can exclude use of the term “Darjeeling” for tea not grown in their tea
gardens or not produced according to the standards set out in the code of
practice for the geographical indication.
However, a protected geographical indication does not enable the holder
to prevent someone from making a product using the same techniques as
those set out in the standards for that indication. Protection for a geographical
indication is usually obtained by acquiring a right over the sign that
constitutes the indication.
Geographical indications are typically used for agricultural products,
foodstuffs, wine and spirit drinks, handicrafts, and industrial products.
Famous Goods The famous goods which carry this tag include Basmati rice, Darjeeling Tea,
Chanderi Fabric, Mysore Silk, Kullu Shawl, Kangra Tea, Thanjavur Paintings,
Allahabad Surkha, Farrukhabad Prints, Lucknow Zardozi and Kashmir
Walnut Wood Carving, Sangli Raisins (Maharashtra), Parmigiano Reggiano
(Italy), Banaras Metal Repouse Craft (Uttar Pradesh), Beed Custard Apple

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(Maharashtra), Jalna Sweet Orange (Maharashtra), Uttarakhand Tejpat
(Uttarakhand), Waigaon Turmeric (Maharashtra), Purandar Fig (Maharashtra),
Jalgaon Brinjal (Maharashtra), Solapur Pomegranate (Maharashtra) and
Kashmiri Hand Knotted Carpet (Jammu & Kashmir).
Latest Addition Jainagar-er moa: It is made of puffed rice and date palm jiggery. It is
famous in Jainagar in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
Sarpuria: Made of milk cream and is famous in Krishnagar area of Nadia
district.
Sitabhog and Mihidana: They are rice-based sweets from Burdwan.
Chengalikodan banana: Chengalikodan banana is known for its unique
shape, size, colour and taste. 
Bangalore Rose Onion: It grows in Bangalore and its surrounding areas.
It is famous for its high demand compared to other varieties.
Kaipad Rice that is cultivated in the blackish water tracts of northern parts
of the Kerala.
Dahrmavaran Saris comes from Dharmavaran, a cluster of weavers in
Anantpur, Andhra Pradesh. The Saris have broad solid colour borders with

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contrast pallus woven with brocaded gold patterns.
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Festivals in news
S.no. Festival Place Deity/lord
1. Nabakalebar Rath Yatra Puri Lord, Jagannath, Balabhadra,
Subhadra and Sudarshan.
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2. Sinhastha Kumbh Mela Ujjain

3. Hundred Drums Wangala Festival Meghalaya Post-harvest festival of the Garos
tribes
4. ‘Festival of Flowers’ Telangana Spring Festival of Goddess Gauri
5. Nuakhai Orissa Festival of harvest
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6. Tendong Lho Rum Faat Festival Sikkim Festival of worshipping mountains,

rivers, lakes and caves
7. Chapchar Kut festival Mizoram Celebrated to mark three different
stages of the agricultural cycle
8. Losar festival Ladakh (J&K) Tibetan new year
9. Sajibu Cheiraoba festival Manipur Celebration of New Year
10. Medaram Sammakka Sarakka Telangana Offering to the Goddess
11. Myoko festival Arunachal Pradesh Worship of sun and moon
12. Chinakkathoor Pooram Kerala festival of colours and tuskers, held
annually at the Sree Chinakkatho or
Bhagavathy Temple, Palappuram 
13. Hornbill festival Nagaland The festival is a tribute to Hornbill;
the most admired and revered bird for
the Nagas for its qualities of alertness
and grandeur.
14. Galdan Namchot Leh It is mainly celebrated to
commemorate the birthday and the
Buddhahood of the Tibetan saint-
scholar, Tsongkhapa.

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15. Perumthitta Tharavad Kottamkuzhy Kerala Perumthitta Theyyam festival is one

of the oldest ritual art forms of
Kerala where most of the Theyyam
forms are on display. Theyyam dance
is not a single dance form rather
a collection of about 400 dance
forms each representing a
mythological, historical character.
16. Wangala Festival Meghalaya Wangala Festival of Meghalaya
which is also known as the “100
Drum Wangala Festival” is practiced
traditionally by Garos. It is the annual
harvest festival of Meghalaya and is
celebrated in the honor of Misi
Saljong, The Great Giver. 
17. Alpashi Utsavam Kerala Alpashi Festival is held at the Sree
Padmanabhaswamy temple in
Thiruvananthapuram, one of the most

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renowned temples in Kerala. It is
an annual ritual where the deities are

OR bathed. The procession starts from

the temple and proceeds to the
Shanghumugham beach.

InternationalYoga Day
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Definition • Derived from the Sanskrit word yuj, Yoga means union of the
individual consciousness or soul with the Universal Consciousness or
Spirit. Yoga is a 5000 year old Indian body of knowledge. 
• The aim of Yoga is Self-Realization, to overcome all kinds of sufferings
leading to ‘the state of liberation’. This is one of the oldest sciences of
the world, originated in India, which is very useful for preserving and
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maintaining one’s physical and mental health and also for ‘spiritual
evolution’.
• Yoga has spread all over the world by the teachings of great personalities
like Swami Shivananda, Shri T. Krishnamacharya, Swami
Kuvalayananda, Shri Yogendara, Swami Rama, Sri Aurobindo,
Maharshi Mahesh Yogi, Acharya Rajanish, Pattabhijois, BKS. Iyengar,
Swami Satyananda Sarasvati and the like. 
• These different Philosophies, Traditions, lineages and Guru-shishya
paramparas of Yoga lead to the emergence of different Traditional
Schools of Yoga e.g. Jnana-yoga, Bhakti-yoga, Karma-yoga, Dhyana-
yoga, Patanjala-yoga, Kundalini-yoga, Hatha-yoga, Mantra-yoga,
Laya-yoga, Raja-yoga, Jain-yoga, Bouddha-yoga etc. Each school has
its own principles and practices leading to altimate aim and objectives
of Yoga. 
Recognition • WHO has recognized Yoga as one of several traditional therapeutic
systems originates in India and Yoga training and therapy departments
are being opened in reputed, established medical Institutions and
hospitals. 
• The First International Yoga Day, which was celebrated across the
globe today with the theme ”Yoga for Harmony and Peace”.
• Outside India, the 1st International Day of Yoga was celebrated in all
the Countries of the world (except war torn Yemen) by the Ministry of

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External Affairs in association with Ministry of AYUSH and various
Yoga organizations.
• This year the International Yoga day will be celebrated in Chandigarh.
Other steps taken in field of yoga:
a) Ministry of AYUSH through Ministry of Culture has filed nomination
to inscribe Yoga as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity under
UNESCO.
b) For imparting Yoga Training to Uniformed Service Personnel, Morarji
Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY), an autonomous body
under this Ministry had started at its premises, a three and half months
duration course titled as 'Certificate Course in Yoga Science' for Para-
Military Personnel.
c) A Central Sector Scheme titled as "Yoga Training for Police
Personnel" formulated by the Ministry of AYUSH has been launched
w.e.f. 1st April, 2015 in all the Districts of the Country.
d) Ministry of AYUSH has supported DoPT to start Yoga training
programme for Central Government Employees and their family

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members in 40 Griha Kalyana Kendras across the Country. MDNIY
has provided the Yoga instruction and technical support
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e) Quality Control of India, at the behest of Ministry of AYUSH, has
developed a Scheme for Voluntary Certification of Yoga
Professionals. The focus of the scheme is to certify the competence
of Yoga professionals providing Yoga lessons/classes as Teachers
or by any other nomenclature.
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f) The Sports Ministry has decided to recognize Yoga as a sports

discipline and place it in the Priority category. Under this the Yoga
Federation of India is likely to receive more funding to conduct its
national championships as well as host international events in the
country.

Rashtriya Ekta Diwas

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Introduction • With a view to foster and reinforce dedication to preserve and

strengthen' unity, integrity and security of nation, Rashtriya Ekta Diwas
(National Unity Day) was observed all over the country on 31st
October, 2015 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel.
• The occasion has provided an opportunity to re-affirm the inherent
strength and resilience of nation to withstand the actual and potential
threats to the unity, integrity and security of our country.
• The reason behind to mark his birthday as National Unity Day is, during
his term as Home Minister of India, he is credited for integration of
over 550 independent princely states into India from 1947-49 by
Independence Act (1947).
• Celebration of the occasion annually would help youth of the country
to be aware of and provides an opportunity to everyone to maintain
the integral strength of the nation. It makes Indian citizens to realize
the importance of national integrity.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's Contribution in Freedom struggle
• Patel rose against the forced servitude of Indians to Europeans. He
organised relief efforts at the time of plague and famine in the Kheda
district.

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• Vallabhbhai Patel initiated a village-to-village tour to involve
maximum people in the statewide revolt to refuse the payment of
taxes.
• Patel supported Gandhi's Non-cooperation Movement and toured the
state to recruit more than 300,000 members and raise over Rs. 15
lakh in funds.
• Satyagraha was led by Patel in Nagpur in the absence of Gandhi in
1923 against a law that restricted the hoisting of the Indian flag.
Contribution after independence
• As the first Home Minister, Patel's role was significant in integration
of several princely states into the Indian federation.
• He organised relief camps for refugees in Punjab and Delhi.
• Patel was the chairman of the committees that was responsible for
fundamental rights, tribal and excluded areas, minorities and
provincial constitutions.

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Buddhist Circuit
Introduction • The tourism ministry has launched a comprehensive plan with the World

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Bank for the development of buddhist heritage circuits in Uttar Pradesh
and Bihar that is estimated to create 10,000 jobs and indirect
employments.
• The buddhist circuits are the places of all high significance holy sites
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of buddhism; where lord buddha was born, attained enlightenment,
preached first sermon and reached nirvana.
• Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar are the primary pilgrimage
places of buddhist circuits associated with the life and teachings of the
lord buddha. There are numerous other sites where the buddha and
the saints that followed traveled during his life after his transformation,
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which are held in deep veneration. Visitors can travel through this
buddhist circuit today, to savor the splendid beauty and great appeal
of buddhism.
Places of buddhist circuits
a) Lumbini: Lumbini in southern Nepal is where Queen Mayadevi gave
birth to Prince Siddhartha. Pilgrimages focus on the sacred garden which
contains the site of the birth, the Mayadevi temple, the Pashkarni pond
and the Ashoka pillar. Designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange,
the sacred garden of Lumbini is a World Heritage Site with monasteries
from many Buddhist nations. It is recognised as a supreme pilgrimage
site and symbol of world peace.
The single most important place in Lumbini is the stone slab located
deep in the Sanctum Sanctorum. In addition to the Ashoa Pillar, the
other shrine of importance is the bas-relief image of Maya Devi, kept
in a small pagoda-like structure.
b) Bodhgaya: It was in Bodhgaya in Bihar, India that Prince Siddhartha
found Enlightenment (nirvana) under the bodhi tree after meditating
for 49 days.
Primary points of homage are the Mahabodhi Temple, the Vajrasan
throne donated by King Ashoka, the holy Bodhi Tree, the
Animeshlochana chaitya, the Ratnachankramana, the Ratnagaraha, the
Ajapala Nigrodha Tree, the Muchhalinda Lake and the Rajyatna Tree.

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c) Sarnath: Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath after achieving
enlightenment, about 10 km from the ancient holy city of Varanasi.
The sermon, setting in motion the wheel of the teaching
(dharamchakrapravartna) revealed to his followers the 4 noble truths,
the concept of the 3 jewels of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha via the 8
fold path, for inner peace and enlightenment. It was here that the
Buddha established his first disciples (sangha) to promote his new
doctrine.
d) Kushinagar: At Kushinagar close to Gorakhpur in eastern Uttar
Pradesh, India en route to Kapilavastu, Lord Buddha fell ill and left
this world in 543 BC. His mortal remains were preserved in eight
commemorative chortens, and then further distributed by King Ashoka
into 84,000 stupas across his kingdom and beyond. Important places
to see here are the Mukatanabandhana stupa and the Gupta period
reclining Buddha statue in red sandstone.
• Besides the above Four Major High Significant Buddhist Pilgrimage
sites, there are other places that hold special meaning in the life of
Lord Buddha.
a) Vaishali: The Buddha preached his last sermon before his death at

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Vaishali in Bihar, 60 km away from its capital Patna. It was here that
he told his disciple Ananda about his imminent demise. The Second
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Buddhist Council was held in Vaishala about 110 years later.
b) Rajgir & Nalanda University: About 70 km from Bodhgaya, Rajgir
he spread his doctrine. It was at the holy Griddhikuta Hill that he
expounded the precepts of his Lotus Sutra and the Perfection of Wisdom
Sutra. The Saptaparni Caves set on Vaibhar Hill were the venue of the
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First Buddhist Council, held to compile the teachings of the Buddha in

its authentic form, after his death. The world-renowned university of
Nalanda is another important landmark site.
c) Shravasti: About 150 km from the city of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh,
where he Buddha performed his first miracle.
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Miscellaneous News
a) Katas Raj Temple • The Katas Raj Temples near Chakwal in Punjab province of Pakistan
are attributed to the eras of the Hindu Shahis (kings) dating from about
615-950 CE and are dedicated to Lord Shiva. 
• Al-Biruni, Persian scholar and polymath, had computed the earth’s
circumference from here.
b) Bhakti saint Ramanuja • A complex with 108 temples and a towering 216-feet-high sitting statue
of 10th century Bhakti saint Ramanuja is taking shape on the outskirts
of Hyderabad.
• It has been called as the Statue of Equality.
• Ramanuja belonged to the Acaryas, believers who worked to systemize
the monotheistic theology of Vaishnavism. He was an exponent of a
qualified nondualism known as Vishishta-Advaita. He combined the
northern and southern traditions of Vaishnavism and strengthened the
religious belief and worship of Vishnu. He encouraged the general
population toward a devotional expression of Hindu spirituality by
teaching that the Divine entails rather than transcends all qualities.

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