rawan239

Other Contemporary States

by
           
  Bihar   After Saadat Khan, *Safdarjung* became the king  who was an impartial ruler &
        carried out many reforms & was made the wazir of mughal empire. Shuja-ud-Daula
        succeded him to throne. He was also made the wazir of mughal empire but he sided
        with Ahmad Shah Abdali in the Third Battle of Panipat.
  Bengal   Murshid Quli Khan was an able ruler. Later his son in law Shuja-ud-din & his son
        Sarfaraz came in that order. Sarfaraz was defeated by Alivardi Khan of Bihar. Later
        Alivardi Khan was defeated by Raghuji Bhonsle & forced him to surrender Orissa.
        After the death of Alivardi khan his grandson Siraj-ud-daula tool over who lost to
        Britishers under Lord Clive.
  Hyderabad   Nizam-ul-mulk Asaf Jah founded the state of Hyderabad in 1724.
  Mysore &   Since the downfall of the Vijaynagar empire Wodeyar dynasty was ruling. But in
  Haider Ali   the 18th century two minister Nanjaraj & Devaraj usurped power early reducing the
        King Krishna Raj to a puppet. Haider Ali rose to become the Commander-in-Chief
        of the Mysore army & became the sultan after Nanjraj’s death. He was defeated by
        Peshwa Madhav Rao.
  Tipu Sultan   He defeated the combined forces of Marathas & Nizam in 1787 & soon after
        claimed himself Padshah at Seringapattam. He attempted to reduce the custom of
        jagirs& hereditary possession of poligars (small chieftans). He was a staunch
        muslim. He donated money to hindus but later got the temples abolished.
  Travancore   Martanda Verma  
  Rajput States   Marwar (Ajit Singh), Amer (Sawai Jai Singh)
  Rohilkhand   Area between Agra & Awadh. Muhammad Khan Bangash ruled who was defeated
        by Maharana Chhatrasal of Bundelkhand with the help of Marathas.
  Sikhs   Ruler of one of the 12 Misls called Sukarchakiya. He with the help of his brave
        commander Hari Singh Nalwa won Multan, Kashmir & Peshawar.

Climate Change

by
  • It is the long term change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods of time
  • Though it has been happening naturally for millions of years, in recent years it has accelerated due to anthropogenic causes and has been causing global warming.
  • UNFCCC defines climate change as – “a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods”

Partition of Bengal and The Swadeshi Movement

by

Partition of Bengal

 

  • With the partition of Bengal, Indian National Movement entered its second stage
  • On 20 July, 1905, Lord Curzon issued an order dividing the province of Bengal into two parts: Eastern Bengal and Assam with a population of 31 mn and the rest of Bengal with a population of 54 mn.
  • Reason given: the existing province of Bengal was too big to be efficiently administered by a single provincial government
  • The partition expected to weaken the nerve centre of Indian Nationalism, Bengal.
  • The partition of the state intended to curb Bengali influence by not only placing Bengalis under two administrations but by reducing them to a minority in Bengal itself as in the new proposed Bengal proper was to have seventeen million Bengali and thirty seven million Oriya and Hindi speaking people.
  • The partition was also meant to foster division on the basis of religion.
  • Risley, Home Secretary to the GoI, said on December 6, 1904 – ‘one of our main objects is to split up and thereby weaken a solid body of opponents to our rule.’
  • the nationalists saw it as a deliberate attempt to divide the Bengalis territorially and on religious grounds

 

The Swadeshi Movement

  • The Swadeshi movement had its genesis in the anti-partition movement which was started to oppose the British decision to partition Bengal.
  • Mass protests were organized in opposition to the proposed partition.
  • Despite the protests, the decision to partition Bengal was announced on July 19, 1905
  • It became obvious to the nationalists that their moderate methods were not working and that a different kind of strategy was needed.
  • Several meetings were held in towns such as Dinajpur Pabna, Faridpur etc. It was in these meetings that the pledge to boycott foreign goods was first taken.
  • The formal proclamation of the Swadeshi movement was made on 7 August 1905 in a meeting held in the Calcutta town hall. The famous boycott resolution was passed.
  • The leaders like SN Banerjee toured the country urging the boycott of Manchester cloth and Liverpool salt.
  • The value of British cloth sold in some of the districts fell by five to fifteen times between September 1904 and September 1905.
  • The day the partition took effect – 16 October 1905 – was declared a day of mourning throughout Bengal.
  • The movement soon spread to the entire country.
  • Militant nationalists
    • The extremists were in favor of extending the movement to the rest of India and carrying it beyond the programme of just Swadeshi and boycott to a full fledged political mass struggle. The moderates were not as willing to go that far.
    • The differences between the extremists and moderates came to had in 1907 Surat session where the party split with serious consequences for the Swadeshi Movement.
    • In Bengal, the extremists acquired a dominant influence over the Swadeshi movement.
    • They proposed the technique of extended boycott which included, apart from boycott of foreign goods, boycott of government schools and colleges, courts, titles and government services and even the organization of strikes.
    • Aurobindo Ghose: Political freedom is the lifebreath of a nation.
    • Boycott and public burning foreign cloth, picketing of shops selling foreign goods, became common in remote corners of Bengal as well as in many towns across the country.
    • The militant nationslists, however, failed to give a positive leadership to the people. They also failed to reach the real masses of the country, the peasants.
  • The movement also innovated with considerable success different forms of mass mobilization such as public meetings, processions and corps of volunteers.
  • The Swadesh Bandhab Samiti set up by Ashwini Kumar Dutt, a school teacher, in Barisal was the most well known volunteer organization.
  • During the Swadeshi period, traditional festivals were used to reach out to the masses. The Ganapati and Shivaji festivals were popularized by Tilak. Traditional folk theatres such as jatras were also used.
  • Another important aspect was the great emphasis given to self-reliance or Atmasakti as a necessary part of the struggle against the government.
  • Self-reliance was the keyword. Campaigns for social reforms were carried out.
  • In 1906, the National Council for Education was setup to organize the education system.
  • Self-reliance also meant an effort to set up Swadeshi or indigenous enterprises.
  • Marked impact in the cultural sphere
    • The songs composed by Rabindranath Tago, Mukunda Das and others became the moving spirit for nationalists.
    • Rabindranath’s ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’, written at that time, was to later inspire the liberation struggle of Bangladesh and was adopted as the national anthem of the country in 1971.
    • Nandalal Bose, who left a major imprint on Indian art, was the first recipient of a scholarship offered by the Indian Society of Oriental Art founded in 1907.
  • The social base of the national movement was now extened to include certain zamindari section, lower middle class and school and college students. Women also participated in large numbers.
  • Drawback: Was not able to garner the support of the mass of Muslims, especially the muslim peasantry. The British policy of communalism responsible for this.
  • By mid-1908, the movement was almost over. The main reasons were:
    • The government, seeing the revolutionary potential of the movement, came down with a heavy hand.
    • The split of the congress in 1907 had weakened the movement.
    • The movement lacked an effective organization and party structure.
    • The movement decline dpartially because of the logic of the mass movements itself – they cannot be endlessly sustained at the same pitch of militancy and self-sacrifice.
  • The anti-partition movement, however, marked a great revolutionary leap forward for Indian nationalism.
  • The decline of Swadeshi engendered the rise of revolutionary terrorism.
  • Assessing the movement
    • Cultural impact
    • Social Impact
    • Economic impact
    • Role of students and Women
    • All India aspect of the movement
    • From passive protest to active boycott

 

addtext_com_MTM0NzA5MTgyMzcw

August Offer (1940)

by

After the WWII began, British sought cooperation from India. August Offer offered three proposals. Firstly, it called for an immediate expansion of Viceroy’s Executive Council with the inclusion of India representatives; secondly, an advisory body with the members from British India and Indian princely states which were supposed to meet at consequent intervals was established and thirdly, two practical steps were decided to be taken in which it was to come at an agreement with the Indians on the form of the post representatives body should take and the methods by which it should come to a conclusion. It further  planned to draw out the principles and outlines of the Constitution itself.

Congress did not accept the offer.

 

E Governance

by

The “e” in e-Governance stands for ‘electronic’. Thus, e-Governance is basically associated with carrying out the functions and achieving the results of governance through the utilization of ICT (Information and Communications Technology), So it is the application of information and communication technology (ICT) for delivering government services, exchange of information, communication transactions, integration of various stand-alone systems and services between government-to-customer (G2C), government-to-business (G2B), government-to-government (G2G) as well as back office processes and interactions within the entire government framework.[1] Through e-governance, government services will be made available to citizens in a convenient, efficient and transparent manner. The three main target groups that can be distinguished in governance concepts are government, citizens and businesses/interest groups.

 

Types of Government Interaction in e-governance.

  • G2G: Government to Government 

  • G2C:Government to Citizen 

  • G2B: Government to Business

  • G2E:Government to Employee

 

  1. G2G (Government to Government): When the exchange of information and services is within the periphery of the government, is termed as G2G interaction. This can be both horizontal, i.e. among various government entities and vertical, i.e. between national, state and local government entities and within different levels of the entity.

 

  1. G2C (Government to Citizen): The interaction amidst the government and general public is G2C interaction. Here an interface is set up between government and citizens, which enables citizens to get access to wide variety of public services. The citizens has the freedom to share their views and grievances on government policies anytime, anywhere.

 

  1. G2B (Government to Business): In this case, the e-governance helps the business class to interact with the government seamlessly. It aims at eliminating red-tapism, saving time, cost and establish transparency in the business environment, while interacting with government.

 

  1. G2E (Government to Employees): The government of any country is the biggest employer and so it also deals with employees on a regular basis, as other employers do. ICT helps in making the interaction between government and employees fast and efficient, along with raising their level of satisfaction by providing perquisites and add-on benefits.

E-governance can only be possible if the government is ready for it. It is not a one day task, and so the government has to make plans and implement them before switching to it. Some of the measures include Investment in telecommunication infrastructure, budget resources, ensure security, monitor assessment, internet connectivity speed, promote awareness among public regarding the importance, support from all government departments and so forth.

Benefits of E-governance

  • Reduced corruption
  • High transparency
  • Increased convenience
  • Growth in GDP
  • Direct participation of constituents
  • Reduction in overall cost.
  • Expanded reach of government

Through e-governance, the government plans to raise the coverage and quality of information and services provided to the general public, by the use of ICT in an easy, economical and effective manner. The process is extremely complicated which requires, the proper arrangement of hardware, software, networking and indeed re-engineering of all the processes to facilitate better delivery of services.

E Governance in India

e-Governance in India has transformed to promote inclusive growth that covers electronic services, products, devices and job opportunities. An initiative driving this growth is the Digital India. The Digital India programme is a flagship programme of the Government of India with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.

National E-governance Plan
The National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) has been formulated by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEITY) and Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) in 2006.
The NeGP aims at improving delivery of Government services to citizens and businesses with the following vision: “Make all Government services accessible to the common man in his locality, through common service delivery outlets and ensure efficiency, transparency & reliability of such services at affordable costs to realise the basic needs of the common man.”

 

Recent initiatives and Mission mode Projects

§  UID

The unique identification project was conceived as an initiative that would provide identification for each resident across the country and would be used primarily as the basis for efficient delivery of welfare services. It would also act as a tool for effective monitoring of various programs and schemes of the government.

 

  • e-Governance in Municipalities

It is a unique initiative of the Government of India conceptualized under the umbrella of the overall National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) and the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (Jnnurm) aimed at improving operational efficiencies within Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

 

§  Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems

Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) MMP aims at creating a comprehensive and integrated system for enhancing the efficiency and effective policing at all levels and especially at the Police Station level through adoption of principles of e-Governance, and creation of a nationwide networked infrastructure for evolution of IT-enabled state-of-the-art tracking system.

 

§  Public Distribution System

Computerization of the PDS is envisaged as an end-to-end project covering key functional areas such as supply chain management including allocation and utilization reporting, storage and movement of food grains, grievance redressal and transparency portal, digitization of beneficiary database, Fair Price Shop automation, etc.

 

§  Health

ICT for programme management has been undertaken by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in the Mother and Child Tracking System (MCTS) programme and the Ministry envisages a more comprehensive use of ICT including for Hospital Information Systems, supply chain management for drugs and vaccines, providing ICT tools to ASHA and ANM workers.

 

§  e-procurement

Ministry of Commerce & Industry (Department of Commerce) has been nominated as the Nodal Ministry for implementation of e-Government Procurement (e-GP) Mission Mode Projects (MMP).

 

§  e-Courts

The e-Court Mission Mode Project was conceptualized with a vision to transform the Indian judiciary by making use of technology. The project had been developed, following the report submitted by the e-Committee under Supreme Court on national policy & action plan on implementation of information communication tools in Indian judiciary.

 

§  e-Biz

The e-Biz Mission Mode Project, being executed by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, was conceptualized with the vision

 

  • Direct Cash transfer

To facilitate disbursements of Government entitlements like NREGA, Social Security pension, Handicapped Old Age Pension etc. of any Central or State Government bodies, using Aadhaar and authentication thereof as supported by UIDAI.

 

  • M Governance

M-Governance is not a replacement for e-Governance, rather it complements e- Governance. M-Governance, is the use of mobile or wireless to improve Governance service and information “anytime, anywhere”.

  • Mobile Seva

It aims to provide government services to the people through mobile phones and tablets. It has been developed as the core infrastructure for enabling the availability of public services through mobile devices.

 

 

State Executive:-Governor,Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers

by

The Governor is the head of the state executive. He is also the representative of the Centre in  the  state.  The Governor acts as the nominal head whereas the real power lies in the hand of the  Chief Ministers of the states and the Chief Minister’s Council of Ministers.

Article 153 of the Constitution states that there shall be a Governor for each State.  One person can be appointed as Governor for two or more States. Article 154 vests the executive power of the State in the Governor.  Article 155 says that “The Governor of a State shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal”.  Article 156 provides that “The Governor shall hold office during the pleasure of the President”.  The term of the Governor is prescribed as five years.   The only qualifications for appointment as Governor are that he should be a citizen of India and must have completed the age of thirty-five years.

The powers of the Governor can be categorized as

(i) Executive powers:-Governor is the head of the State executive and The executive power of the State shall be vested in the Governor and shall be exercised by him either directly or through officers subordinate to him in accordance with this Constitution.Governor appoints the Chief Minister of the State. Other ministers are also appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister. The ministers including the Chief Minister hold office during the pleasure of the Governor.

(ii) Legislative powers:- Governor  has the right of addressing and sending messages, summoning, deferring and dissolving the State Legislature. The Governor inaugurates the state legislature and the first session of each year, by addressing the Assembly, outlining the new administrative policies of the ruling government.The Governor lays before the State Legislature, the annual financial statement and also makes demands for grants and recommendation of ‘Money Bills’.The Governor constitutes the State Finance Commission. He also holds the power to make advances out of the Contingency Fund of the State in the case of any unforeseen circumstances.All bills passed by the Legislative Assembly become a law, only after the Governor approves them. In case it is not a money bill, the Governor holds the right to send it back to the Vidhan Sabha for reconsideration. But if the Vidhan Sabha sends back the Bill to the Governor the second time, then he has to sign it.The  Governor  has  the  power  to  reserve  certain  bills  for  the President. The Governor has the power to promulgate an ordinance when the Legislative Assembly is not in session, and a law has to be brought into effect immediately. However, the ordinance is presented in the state legislature in the next session, and remains operative for a total of six weeks, unless it is approved by the legislature.

 

(iii) Financial powers:-Money bills in the State legislature cannot be introduced without prior recommendation of the Governor.  Governor ensures that the Budget of the state is laid before the assembly every year. The “Contingency Fund of the state” is maintained and administered by the Governor of the state. Governor can advance money out of it for meeting unforeseen expenditures, but the money has to be recuperated with the authority of the state legislature. The Governor of the state receives the report of the States auditor general pertaining to the accounts of the legislature and puts it before the state legislature.

(iv) Judicial powers:-Under Article.161, Governor has the power to grant pardon, reprieve or remission of punishment or to  suspend,  remit or  commute  the  sentences  of  any  person,  convicted  of  any  offence against any law relating to the matter which the executive authority of the state extends.

(v) discretionary powers:-When no party gets a majority in the Legislative Assembly, the Governor can either ask the leader of the single largest party or the consensus leader of two or more parties (that is, a coalition party) to form the government. The Governor then appoints the leader of the largest party as Chief Minister.

Constitution of Indian under article 163 states that  There shall be a Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister at the head to aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of his functions, except in so far as he is by or under this Constitution required to exercise his functions or any of them in his discretion.Chief Minister is the head of the government in the State. The Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister as its head exercises real authority at the State level. The Council of Ministers has the following categories of ministers: Cabinet Ministers, Minister of State and Deputy Ministers.

The Chief Minister is the link between the Governor and the council of ministers. He is required to communicate to the Governor the workings of the various wings of the government. Similarly, the advice and suggestions of the Governor are communicated to the council of ministers by the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister has a pivotal role in the financial matters of a state, including the budget, basic infrastructural and developmental priorities of the state, financial planning and economic growth of the state and others.

Functions and powers of Council of Ministers:-

(1) Formulation State Policies. The Council of Ministers has the responsibility of formulating and determining the policies of the state. All the policies are discussed and decided upon by it.
(2) Running Administration. The ministers are responsible for the running the administration of the State in accordance with the policies of the government and the laws passed by the legislature.
(3) Appointment – making powers. The Cabinet, in fact the Chief Minister, makes all appointments in the state. All the appointments of the high dignitaries of the state made by the Governor on the advice of the State Council of Ministers.
(4) Law Making. It is the ministry which really decides the legislative programme. Most of the bills are introduced by the ministers in the state legislature. The Governor summons, prorogues and dissolve the State Legislature upon the advice of the Council of Ministers.

Functions of The Chief Minister:-

  • Chief Minister is the real head of the State Government. Ministers are appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister. The Governor allocates portfolios to the ministers on the advice of the Chief Minister.
  • Chief Minister presides over the Cabinet meetings. He/she coordinates the functioning of different ministries. He/she guides the functioning of the Cabinet.
  • Chief Minister plays a key role in framing the laws and policies of the State Government. Bills are introduced by the ministers in the State legislature with his/her approval. He/she is the chief spokesman of the policies of his government both inside and outside the State Legislature.
  • The Constitution provides that the Chief Minister shall communicate to the Governor all decisions of the Council of Ministers relating to the administration and the affairs of the State and proposals for legislation.
  • The Chief Minister furnishes such information relating to the administration of the affairs of the State and proposals for legislation as the Governor may call for.
  • If the Governor so requires, the Chief Minister submits for consideration of the Council of Ministers any matter on which a decision has been taken by a minister but which has not been considered by the Cabinet.
  • The Chief Minister is the sole link of communication between the Cabinet and the Governor. The Governor has the right to be informed by the Chief Minister about the decisions taken by the Council of Ministers.

 

Framing of Indian Constitution

by

Making of the constitution

  • 1934: Idea of constituent assembly put forward by M N Roy
  • 1935: INC officially demands constituent assembly
  • 1938: JL Nehru’s declaration on the constitution of India
  • 1940: Nehru’s demand accepted in the form of August Offer
  • August Offer
    • PM: Winston Churchill
    • While rejecting INCs demand for independence of India after the war on the ground that INC is not representative of the minorities, three offers were made
    • Expansion of Viceroy’s executive council with the inclusion of Indian representatives
    • An advisory body with the members from British India and Indian princely states which were supposed to meet at consequent intervals was established
    • Two practical steps were decided to be taken in which it was to come at an agreement with the Indians on the form which the post representatives body should take and the methods by which it should come to a conclusion.
    • It further planned to draw out the principles and outlines of the Constitution itself
    • Congress rejected the offer
  • 1942: Cripps Mission
    • PM: Winston Churchill Sec of State: Leo Amery                                Viceroy: Linlithgow
    • On the framing of an independent constitution to be adopted after the WW II
    • Cripps proposals rejected by the ML which wanted India to be divided into two autonomous states
  • 1946: Cabinet Mission
    • PM: Clement Attlee Viceroy: Lord Wavell
    • Members: Pethick Lawrence (sec of state for India), Stafford Cripps, A V Alexander
    • Simla Conference
    • May 16 plan
      • United dominion of india would be given independence
      • Muslim majority and Hindu majority provinces to be grouped
      • Central government to run foreign affairs, defence and communications while rest of the responsibility would belong to the provinces, coordinated by the two groups
    • Interim cabinet was formed. ML joined the cabinet but decided to boycott the constituent assembly
  • 1946, Nov: Constituent Assembly formed under the Cabinet Mission Plan
  • First meeting of CA on December 9, 1946. Sacchidanada Sinha was elected the temporary Presidetn
  • Dec 11, 1946: Rajendra Prasad and H C Mukharjee elected as the President and VP of the assembly respectively.
  • BN Rao was the constitutional advisor to the assembly
  • Dec 13, 1946: Objectives Resolution moved by JL Nehru
  • Jan 22, 1947: Objectives resolution adopted
  • June 3, 1947: Mountbatten plan. Partition of the country announced.
  • Jan 24, 1950: Final session of the CA. It however continued as a provisional body from Jan 26, 1950 till the formation of the new Parliament after the first general elections in 1951-52

Major Committees of CA

Committee Chairman
Union Powers Committee JL Nehru
Union Constitution Committee JL Nehru
Committee for Negotiating with States JL Nehru
Steering Committee Rajendra Prasad
Rules of Procedure Committee Rajendra Prasad
Provincial Constitution Committee Sardar Patel
Committee on Fundamental Rights and  Minorities.

Two sub committees ( FR , Minorities)

 Sardar Patel

(J B Kriplani, H C Mukharjee)
Drafting Committee B R Ambedkar
  • Drafting Committee was setup on Aug 29, 1947. It had seven members
    • B R Ambedkar
    • Alladi Krisnaswamy Ayyer
    • N Gopalaswamy Ayyangar
    • K M Munshi
    • TT Krishnamchari
    • N Madhava Rau
    • Syed Mohammad Saadullah
  • Nov 26, 1949: Constitution was adopted
  • The Preamble was enacted after the entire Constitution was already enacted

 

 

Folk Songs of Arunachal Pradesh

by

Folk Songs of Arunachal Pradesh

  • The folk song of Pailibos relate more to their folk history, mythology and description of their known past.
  • Themes of songs are like fables involving creatures or the animal and urgent words signifying moral deduction.
  • Music & dance are an integral part of every festival and occasion, taking place in Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Every festival is celebrated with much fun & fair, which also includes music and dance.
  • The folk dances and Folk Songs of Arunachal Pradesh are are generally performed in groups, in which both men & women participate.
  • There are also famous tribal songs and dances generally performed on marriage occassions, harvet time or on every aspecious event.
  • Dance forms an important aspect of the socio-cultural heritage of the people of Arunachal Pradesh.
  • The people of Arunachal dance on important rituals, during festivals and also for recreation. The dances of the people of Arunachal are group dances, in which both men and women participate.
  • There are some dances such as igo dance of the Mishmi priests, war dance of the Adis, Noctes and Wanchos Tribal dance, ritualistic dance of the Buddhist tribes, which are specifically male dances. Females are not allowed to take part in these dances.Folk Songs of Arunachal Pradesh

Experience the Dance & Music

  • Some of the popular folk dances of the people of Arunachal Pradesh are Aji Lamu (Monpa), Roppi (Nishing), Buiya (Nishing), Hurkani (Apatani), Popir (Adi), Pasi Kongki (Adi), Chalo (Nocte), Ponung (Adi), Rekham Pada (Nishing), Lion and Peacock dance (Monpa) and so on.
  • Most dances are performed to the accompaniment of songs sung generally in chorus.
  • Musical instruments like drums and Cymbals are played along with the songs sung for the dances.

Following are their chief folksong, sung on different occasion:

Ja-Jin-Ja  Folk Songs of Arunachal Pradesh:

  • On occasion of feasts and merriment, during marriages or other social meets, this song is sung.
  • This song is sung especially during the social gatherings such as marriages, family feasts and friendly get-togethers.
  • The song lightens up the mood and provides a spirit of mirth and merriment to the people.
  • This folk song is sung by both males and females but gradually everyone lends their voice as the celebration peaks.

Baryi Folk Song Folk Songs of Arunachal Pradesh:

  • It is a song which narrate their history, their religious lore and mythology.
  • Its whole cycle takes hours to complete. It is also a feature of festivals or of occasion of important social or religious gatherings.
  • Both Ja-Jin-Ja and Baryi produce a nostalgic feeling in Pailibos as the glories of the past ancestors are narrated through them.

Nyioga Folk Songs of Arunachal Pradesh:

  • It is sung when a marriage ceremony is concluded and the bridal party returns leaving the bride in her home. The theme is that of the joy. It contains pieces of advice to the bride for her future life.

ZIRO FESTIVAL OF MUSIC

  • This festival is Arunachal’s own version of the Sunburn Festival.
  • Ziro Festival of Music is the biggest outdoor music festival in the state and is the most happening event in Arunachal Pradesh as well.
  • Music lovers from all over the state and the North East region gather at Ziro, where this festival takes place.
  • It is a four-day festival where the music lovers enjoy the performances of international and domestic music artists.
  • Folk acts from all across the North East are also organized; therefore it is a good opportunity to learn about the different cultures here.
  • People make merry and spend four unforgettable days at the Ziro Festival of Music.

Musical Instruments used during singing

  • Music is an important component of the performing arts like dance and drama, and of rituals. Each community has its own style of music and tradition of songs.
  • There are essentially two ways to make music:
  1. With the human voice
  2. With an instrument.
  • The musical instruments are classified on the basis of the scientific principle used to create the sound they make. They are briefly described below.
  1. Percussion Instruments: These instruments are struck to produce sound. Often these are used to produce the taal or beat and do not produce all the musical note or cymbals.
  2. Wind Instruments: These need air to flow through them to produce soundóbansuri or flute.
  3. String Instruments: These are instruments that use one or many tightly tied strings that when struck vibrate to create soundóthe veena or ektara.
  4. Drums: A drum is made of a membrane stretched across a hollow frame and played by striking the dholak or mridangam.

 

Basic/General Features of Folk Music across India as well as Arunachal

  • India has a very rich and varied tradition of folk music.
  • The extreme diversity in rural culture spawns endless varieties of folk styles.
  • Each region has its own particular approach and repertoire.
  • There is a tendency to lump folk music along with tribal music, but strictly speaking this is not correct.
  • Where folk music is a rustic reflection of Indian society at large, tribal music often reflects cultures that are very different.
  • Some of these tribal cultures are throwbacks to society as it was thousands of years ago.
  • Folk and tribal music is not taught in the same way that Indian classical music is taught.
  • There are no formal periods of apprenticeship where the student is able to devote their entire time to learning music; the economic realities of rural life do not permit this.
  • Folk musicians must still attend to their normal duties of farming, hunting, or whatever their chosen occupation is.
  • Folk music is learned almost as if by osmosis. From childhood, the music is heard and imbibed as a simple matter of life.
  • There are many public activities that allow the villagers to practice their musical skills.
  • Folk music is an indispensable part of functions such as weddings, births and engagements.
  • There is a vast body of songs for each occasion.
  • There are also songs associated with harvesting and planting. In these activities, the villagers routinely sing of their fears, hopes and aspirations.
  • Folk music is also used for education.
  • There is a ceremony when a girl has her first period.
  • In this function, the elderly women in the village gather at the house (men are excluded), the girl is given her first langa and woni (the half sari which is worn by unmarried women), rich food and other presents.
  • At this time, the women sing songs that are extremely bawdy.
  • To an outsider, this would seem out of character for obviously respectable community members.
  • However, the purpose of such Folk Songs of Arunachal Pradesh is to provide the girl’s first instructions on her emerging womanhood and what her future duties as a wife will be.

Spread of Modern Education

by

1781: Hastings set up the Calcutta Madrasah for the study and teaching of Muslim law and related subjects

1791: Jonathan Duncan started a Sanskrit College at Varanasi for the study of Hindu law and philosophy.

1813: Charter of 1813 directed the Company to spend Rs. 1 lakh for promoting modern sciences in the country. This sum was however made available only in 1823.

1835: Macaulay’s minute.

English was made the medium of instruction in schools. Education of masses was however neglected. British advocated the ‘downward filtration theory’ for education. As per this theory, since the allocated funds could educate only a handful of Indians, it was decided to spend them in educating a few persons from the upper and middle classes who were expected to assume the task of educating the masses and spreading modern ideas among them.

1844: Compulsion for applicants for government employment to possess knowledge of English. This made the English medium schools more popular.

1854: Wood’s Dispatch asked the government of India to assume responsibility for the education of the masses. It thus repudiated the ‘downward filtration theory’. As a result, Departments of Education were instituted in all provinces and universities were setup in 1857 at Madras, Calcutta and Bombay.

The main reason why British adopted some measures towards education in India was because:

  1. They needed educated people to man their system of administration. It was not possible to get enough Englishmen to man all the posts.
  2. Another important motive was the belief that educated Indians would help expand the market for British manufactures in India.
  3.  Lastly, it was expected to reconcile the people of India to British rule.

Major drawbacks of the English education system:

  1. Neglect of mass education. Mass literacy in India was hardly better in 1921 than in 1821. High fees in schools and colleges led to the education becoming a monopoly of the rich.
  2. Almost total neglect of the education of girls. As late as 1921 only 2 percent Indian women could read and write.
  3. Neglect of scientific and technical education.
  4. The government was never willing to spend more than a scanty sum on education.

Development of Education

 

  • Charter act of 1813
    • Sanctioned 1 lakh rupees annually for promoting education and modern sciences
    • Not made available till 1823
  • Orientalist-Anglicist Controversy
  • Lord Macaulay’s minute (1835)
  • Wood’s Despatch (1854)
    • Rejected the downward filtration theory
    • Asked the government of India to assume the responsibility of education of the masses
    • English as medium for higher studies and vernaculars at school level
  • 1857: University of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras
  • Hunter Commission (1882-83)
    • State care required for promotion and spread of primary and secondary education
    • Transfer control of primary education to district and municipal boards
  • Raleigh Commission, 1902
  • Universities Act 1904
  • Saddler Education Commission (1917-19)
    • School course should cover 12 years
    • Less rigidity in framing university regulations
  • Hartog Committee (1929)
    • No hasty expansion or compulsion of education
  • Wardha Scheme of basic education (1937)
    • Vocation based education

 

Air Pollution

by

 

aggravated because of four developments:

Increasing traffic, growing cities, rapid economic development, and industrialization

contamination of air by the discharge of harmful substances

 

Major air pollutants and their sources

  1. Carbon monoxide (CO)
  • It is a colourless, odourless gas that is produced by the incomplete burning of carbon – based fuels including petrol, diesel, and wood.
  • It is also produced from the combustion of natural and synthetic products such as cigarettes.
  • It lowers the amount of oxygen that enters our blood. It can slow our reflexes and make us confused and sleepy.
  1. Carbon dioxide (CO2)

principle greenhouse gas

  1. Chloroflorocarbons (CFC)
  • gases that are released mainly fromair-conditioning systems and refrigeration.
  • When released into the air, CFCs rise to the stratosphere, where they come in contact with few other gases, which lead to a reduction of the ozone layer that protects the earth from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun.

 

  1. Lead

present in petrol, diesel, lead batteries, paints, hair dye products, etc.

affects children in particular. cause nervous system damage and digestive problems and, in some cases, cause cancer.

 

  1. Ozone
  • occurs naturally in the upper layers of the atmosphere.
  • at-the ground level, it is a pollutant with highly toxic effects.
  • Vehicles and industries are the major source of ground-level ozone emissions.
  • Ozone makes our eyes itch, burn, and water. It lowers our resistance to cold and pneumonia.

 

  1. Nitrogen oxide (Nox)
  • causes smog and acid rain. It is produced from burning fuels including petrol, diesel, and coal.
  • Nitrogen oxide can make children susceptible to respiratory diseases in winters.

 

  1. Suspended particulate matter (SPM)
  • consists of solids in the air in the form of smoke, dust, and vapour that can remain suspended for extended periods
  • The finer of these particles when breathed in can lodge in our lungs and cause lung damage and respiratory problems.

 

  1. Sulphur dioxide (S02)
  • a gas produced from burning coal, mainly in thermal power plants.
  • Some industrial processes, such as production of paper and smelting of metals, produce sulphur dioxide.
  • a major contributor to smog and acid rain.
  • Sulphur dioxide can lead to lung diseases

 

  1. Smog
  • a combination of the words fog and smoke. Smog is a condition of fog that had soot or smoke in it.
  • interaction of sunlight with certain chemicals in the atmosphere.
  • primary components of photochemical smog is ozone.
  • Ozone is formed through a complex reaction involving hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and sunlight. It is formed when pollutants released from gasoline, diesel- powered vehicles and oil-based solvents react with heat and sunlight from biofuels, the four most serious pollutants are particulates, carbon monoxide, polycyclic organic matter, and formaldehyde

 

Pollutants

  1. i) Volatile organic compounds

The main indoor sources are perfumes, hair sprays, furniture polish, glues, air

fresheners, moth repellents, wood preservatives, and other products.

 

  1. ii) Biological pollutants

It includes pollen from plants, mite, and hair from pets, fungi, parasites, and some bacteria.

iii) Formaldehyde

Mainly from carpets, particle boards, and insulation foam. It causes irritation to the eyes and nose and allergies.

  1. iv) Radon

It is a gas that is emitted naturally by the soil. Due to modern houses having poor ventilation, it is confined inside the house and causes lung cancers.

 

Fly Ash

Ash is produced whenever combustion of solid material takes place.

Composition

  1. Aluminium silicate (in.large amounts)
  2. silicon dioxide (Si02) and
  3. Calcium oxide (Ca0).

Fly ash particles are oxide rich and consist of silica, alumina, oxides of iron, calcium, and magnesium and toxic heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cobalt, and coppers

 

Policy measures of MoEF:

  • The Ministry of Environment and Forests vide its notification in 2009, has made it mandatory to use Fly Ash based products in all construction projects, road embankment works and low lying land filling works within 100 kms radius of Thermal Power Station.
  • To use Fly Ash in mine filling activities within 50 kms radius of Thermal Power Stations.
  • Arresters: These are used to separate particulate matters from contaminated air.
  • Scrubbers: These are used to clean air for both dusts and gases by passing it through a dry or wet packing material.

Government Initiatives

(1) National Air Quality Monitoring Programme

In India, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has been executing a nationwide programme of ambient air quality monitoring known as National Air Quality Monitoring

Programme (NAMP).

The National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) is undertaken in India

(i) to determine status and trends of ambient air quality;

(ii) to ascertain the compliance of NAAQS;

(iii) to identify non-attainment cities;

(iv) to understand the natural process of cleaning in the atmosphere; and

(v) to undertake preventive and corrective measures.

Annual average concentration of SOx levels are within the prescribed National Ambient

Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) were notified in the year 1982, duly revised in 1994 based on health criteria and land uses .

The NAAQS have been revisited and revised in November 2009 for 12 pollutants, which include. sulphur dioxide (S02), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter having size less than 10 micron

(PM10),particulate matter having size less than 2.5micron (PM2.5), ozone, lead, carbon monoxide (CO), arsenic, nickel, benzene, ammonia, and. Benzopyrene.

Exit mobile version