National
Ladakh wood carving get GI tag
⇒ Wood carving from Union Territory Ladakh get Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
» Ladakh is known for its pristine glory as a secluded tourist attraction. It is, however, not just the location of this place that makes it unique, but also its art, culture, and craftsmanship that confers this place a unique identity.
- Among the arts and crafts of Ladakh, one such sublime art is woodcarving, which has been there for centuries and is passed down to generations as a means of invaluable cultural inheritance.
- It is the importance, uniqueness, and unparallel craftsmanship of this art that earned it recognition by being the first local art to be granted a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
Key Points:
- Wood carving, which is known as Shingkos in Ladakh, is a traditional form of art in the handicraft field and is part of the five major fields of knowledge in the traditional education system of Ladakh.
- The traditional knowledge system in Ladakh is classified into ten fields of knowledge, which are further divided into major and minor fields of study.
- The craft of woodcarving is an integral part of the social and religious spheres of life.
- With growing tourism in the region, the wood carving industry has also got a boost. A special mention is imperative for Choktse, which is a Ladakhi-style table and the carving of eight lucky symbols; both have become major ethnic souvenirs from Ladakh.
- Choktse table has woodcarving art engravings of lotus, jewels, dragons, and other Buddhist symbols believed to be the harbingers of long life. The woodcarving art of Ladakh is ubiquitous.
- The widespread craftsmanship of woodcarving also helps the promotion of rural artisans, giving a boost to the middle-class families associated with this industry.
» The grant of the GI tag for wood carving in Ladakh is a significant achievement for the local artisans.
New method of visual detection of SARS-CoV-2
⇒ A team of researchers has developed a new method of visual detection of SARS-CoV-2, which can identify the infection at an early stage.
» A new sandwich based lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) for the detection of Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2(SARS-CoV-2) could provide an efficient substitute for RT-PCR tests. It can detect that RBD antigen of the SARS-CoV-2 at an early stage of infection with a visual line of detection (LOD).
- Popularly used gold standard techniques such as RT-PCR and ELISA are usually time-consuming, require skilled labor, specific equipment and are not feasible for on-site detection.
» In order to overcome this challenge, a team of researchers from DBT-National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB) and Gandhi Medical College developed a rapid and robust platform for early and on-field detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus.
- A smartphone app (Color grab) has been used for the qualitative analysis of the test strip.
- The developed LFIA working on the principle of antigen-antibody interaction holds the potential to be used for detection of SARS-CoV-2 without any requirement of skilled personnel and subsequently reduce the spread of the virus.
Other Points:
- The developed LFIA strips can be useful as a portable, point of care device (PoC) for on-site detection of SARS-CoV-2 particularly at home or even in rural areas.
- Moreover, the cost of LFIA strips is much less as compared to standard RT-PCR test making it a more economical option for people who cannot afford the RT-PCR test.
Ministry of I&B partners with Amazon India
⇒ Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting Shri Anurag Thakur announced a partnership between the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and Amazon India in the field of media, entertainment and public awareness on 05 April 2023.
About the collaboration:
» The Letter of Engagement (LoE) leads to a multidimensional partnership between the various organizations under the Ministry and various verticals of Amazon.
- On the Government’s side, these include National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), Prasar Bharati, Publications Division, and the media training institutions of Film & Television Institute of India (FTII) and Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI).
- On Amazon’s side, the LoE involves participation of Amazon Prime Video, Alexa, Amazon Music, Amazon e-marketplace, and IMDb.
Public Awareness and Highlighting India’s Cultural Heritage:
- The Letter of Engagement with Amazon also includes aspects on promotion of Indian heritage through a dedicated catalogue of Publication Division’s books on India’s culture on the Amazon e-commerce website, and promotion of Indian music on Amazon Music and Alexa.
- Speeches of the Hon’ble President and the Hon’ble Prime Minister, content related to key events of national importance and public interest campaigns, and daily news bulletins would be disseminated through Alexa and Amazon Music.
Promotion of Indian Talent:
- As part of the talent development component, Amazon Prime Video (APV) would sponsor scholarships, create internship programmes, and offer job opportunities for students of FTII and SRFTI. APV would undertake skill building activities in partnership with NFDC, conduct masterclasses by Indian and international film personalities in academic institutions for media and entertainment industry, and launch initiatives for honing the talent of the winners of the ‘75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow’ program.
- To increase global discoverability of Indian talent Amazon would work with NFDC to increase the ease of availability of information about Indian artists on IMDb, a global database for the creative industry.
Showcasing Indian Content at a Global Stage:
- As part of the collaboration with the Ministry, International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Award winning films, and films produced as part of India’s international co-production treaties would be onboarded by Amazon Prime Video for being available to a global audience. APV would also explore possibilities of development of films and web-series highlighting India’s achievements to the world.
- APV and MiniTV would onboard the rich archival content owned by Prasar Bharati and NFDC for easy access to the youth of the country, and across the world. Amazon would continue to collaborate with NFDC for featuring content, technology exhibitions, creator workshops, and talent interactions at the prestigious International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and regional film festivals.
International
First-ever Urban Climate Film Festival, 2023
⇒ The first-ever Urban Climate Film Festival was launched on 24th March 2023 at the M.L Bhartia Auditorium, Alliance Française, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi.
The inaugural session was chaired by Shri Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa. The Ambassadors of France and the European Union to India delivered the inaugural addresses.
Organised by:
- The National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) is organising the first Urban Climate Film Festival through the CITIIS program under U20 engagement events.
- The festival is being organised with support from the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India, the French Development Agency (AFD), and the European Union.
During the Festival, a curated selection of films from different countries is being showcased to create wider awareness of the impact of climate change on life in cities and engage the public in the dialogue on sustainable urban development.
The objectives of the festival are to:
- Employ the powerful medium of film to enlighten audiences about the environmental, social and economic impacts of climate change on urban settlements
- Spark conversations about building climate-resilient cities and invite inputs from the public
- Encourage citizens to undertake “environmentally responsible behaviours” in line with the U20 Priority Areas and the Hon. Prime Minister’s clarion call through the LiFE Mission
Program:
- The program in Delhi on 25th to 26th March 2023, included 11 award-winning films from countries like India, France, Germany, Belgium, Poland and the USA and interactive sessions.
- After a successful run in Delhi, the festival travelled to Mumbai, where it was hosted at Alliance Française de Bombay from 27 April to 29 April 2023.
- Urban Climate Film Festival also took place in New Town, Kolkata from 3-5 June 2023 and in Nungambakkam, Chennai from 27-29 July 2023.
- The selected films will be screened at the festival in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad over subsequent months.
About the National Institute of Urban Affairs:
- The National Institute of Urban Affairs is a Central Autonomous Body under the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.
- It is a national think-tank undertaking cutting-edge multi-disciplinary research, knowledge exchange and capacity development, policy planning and advocacy in the domain of urban development.
- It is also serving as the technical secretariat for U20, the urban engagement group of G20.
About the CITIIS Program:
- CITIIS (City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain) is a joint program of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the French Development Agency (AFD), the European Union (EU), and NIUA.
- The program is assisting 12 Smart Cities in India implement innovation-driven and sustainable urban infrastructure projects, some of which have components dedicated to benefit the ecosystem, improve air and water quality, protect indigenous flora and fauna, and foster urban biodiversity.