Insights Daily Current Events, 23 February 2015
GARUDA SHAKTI-III
What is it?
It is the 3rd exercise in the on going series of joint exercises between armies of India and Indonesia.
Aim of the exercise:
The exercise is aimed at building and promoting positive military to military relations between the armies of the two nations.
Sources: PIB.
PUCL moves NHRC against ‘police violence’ on Odisha tribals
The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) recently appealed to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to provide immediate protection to tribals of Sundergarh district in Odisha.
Why?
- The PUCL has alleged that the tribals are being tortured by the police for opposing the State government’s move to bring tribal villages in the district under the Rourkela municipal corporation.
The district is governed under Schedule V of the Constitution, framed to protect tribals in the Scheduled Areas of nine States.
About NHRC:
- It is a statutory body established in 1993.
- It consists of a Chairman and 4 members. Chairman should be a retired Chief Justice of India. Members should be either sitting or retired judges of the Supreme Court or a serving or retired Chief Justice of a High Court and 2 persons having practical knowledge in this field.
- Ex officio members are the chairmen of National Commission for Scheduled Caste, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, National Commission for Minorities and National Commission for Women.
- The chairman and members are appointed on the recommendation of a 6 member committee consisting of Prime Minister, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, leaders of opposition in both the houses of parliament and Union Home Minister.
- Term of the chairman and members is 5 years or 70 years whichever is earlier.
- After retirement they are not eligible for further reappointment.
- Removal: President has to refer the matter to Supreme Court and if after enquiry Supreme Court holds it right then they can be removed by the President.
- The commission is not empowered to enquire into matters which were committed one year before.
- Its recommendations are just advisory and not binding in nature.
- It submits Annual report to the Central government and to the concerned state governments.
Sources: The Hindu, nhrc.nic.in.
Dancer performs Kuchipudi for 12 hours
A Kuchipudi dancer recently presented a 12-hour non-stop performance of Kuchipudi dance in Andhra Pradesh.
Kuchipudi:
- Kuchipudi is one of the classical dance forms of the South India. Kuchipudi derives its name from the Kuchipudi village of Andhra Pradesh.
- Kuchipudi exhibits scenes from the Hindu Epics, legends and mythological tales through a combination of music, dance and acting.
- Like other classical dances, Kuchipudi also comprises pure dance, mime and histrionics but it is the use of speech that distinguishes Kuchipudi’s presentation as dance drama.
- In its early form, the female roles were played by boys and young men of beautiful looks. The director (called Sutradhar) played the most important role. He combined the role of conductor, dancer, singer, musician, comedian, all in one. In modern times the Kuchipudi dance is considerably different than it originally used to be. Most of the performances are solo, done by female dancers.
Origin:
- In 17th century Kuchipudi style of Yakshagaana was conceived by Siddhendra Yogi a Vaishnava poet and visionary who had the capacity to give concrete shape to some of his visions. He was steeped in the literary Yakshagaana tradition being guided by his guru Teerthanaaraayana Yogi who composed the Krishna-Leelatarangini in Sanskrit.
- It was Lakshminarayan Shastry (1886-1956) who introduced many new elements including solo dancing and training of female dancers in this dance style.
Important features:
Kuchipudi has many features that are common to other classical dances of India.
- Kuchipudi carries the sensuousness and fluidity of Odissi with the geometric line of today’s Bharata Natyam.
- As in all other classical dance forms of India, the Kuchipudi dance is both interpretive and lyrical, making use of abstract dance sequences as well.
- Kuchipudi dance retains its devotional character with stress on dramatic outlook.
- It is because of these qualities and features Kuchipudi dance enjoys great popularity and is recognized as one of the leading classical dance styles of India.
Accompanying music:
The music that accompanies the dance is according to the classical school of Carnatic music and is delightfully syncopatic. The accompanying musicians, besides the vocalist are: a mridangam player to provide percussion music, a violin or veena player or both for providing instrumental melodic music, and a cymbal player who usually conducts the orchestra.
Sources: The Hindu, ccrtindia.gov.in.
P5+1 nations meeting on nuclear deal ends in Geneva
The meeting of the foreign ministers of the P5+1 nations aimed to smoothen out major bumps in reaching a nuclear deal with Iran has ended with a positive note.
- The negotiations have mainly been over Iranian uranium enrichment and the pace of removing sanctions, which the US wants to stagger over time.
- Theese nations are trying to broker a deal with Iran to end a more than a decade-long standoff over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme in return for an easing of sanctions.
Iran, however, has maintained that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.
P5+1 Countries:
- The P5+1 is a group of six world powers which in 2006 joined the diplomatic efforts with Iran with regard to its nuclear program.
- The group includes 5 permanent members of UNSC and Germany.
- Five permanent members of the UN Security Council are United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom, and France.
Sources: BS, Wiki.
Mock Questions:
1)Consider the following statements regarding National Human Rights Commission (NHRC):
- It is a constitutional body.
- The Chairman of the Commission should be a retired Chief Justice of India.
- The recommendations made by the Commission are just advisory and not binding in nature.
Which of the above statements are true?
a)Only 1.
b)Only 1 & 2.
c)Only 2 & 3.
d)None.
2)Consider the following statements regarding Kuchipudi dance:
- It is a classical dance.
- Speech is used in Kuchipudi dances.
Which of the above statements are true?
a)Only 1.
b)Only 2.
c)Both.
d)None.
