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30.01.18 Arunachal Pradesh(APPSC) Current Affairs

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NORTH-EASTERN STATES

  • Territorial integrity of North eastern states won’t be compromised: Rajnath

 

  • Territorial integrity of Assam and other northeastern states will not be compromised when the final Naga peace accord is inked, home minister Rajnath Singh assured Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

 

  • The insurgent group NSCN-IM’s key demand is to integrate the Naga-inhabited areas of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Manipur, which has been strongly opposed by the three states, currently ruled by the BJP.

 

  • The NSCN-IM has been engaged with peace talks with the interlocutor of the central government since 1997 when it announced a ceasefire agreement after a bloody insurgency movement which started in Nagaland soon after the country’s Independence. 

     

    INTERNATIONAL

     

    • ‘Aadhaar’ is Oxford’s first Hindi word of the year

     

    • Dictionaries at the Jaipur Literature Festival.

     

    • ‘Aadhaar’ also becomes the first Oxford Dictionaries Hindi Word of the Year.

     

    • The accompanying shortlisted words include Notebandi, Swachh, Vikaas, Yoga and Bahubali.

     

    ·        India Cheapest Country To Live In After South Africa: Survey

     

    • India is ranked second only to South Africa as the cheapest country to live or retire, according to a recent survey of 112 countries by GoBankingRates.
    • The survey ranked nations on the bases of four key affordability metrics. The metrics are Local purchasing power index, rent index, Groceries index, and Consumer price index.
    • India’s local purchasing power is 20.9% lower, rent is 95.2% cheaper, groceries are 74.4% cheaper, local goods and services are 74.9% cheaper.
    • The top three most expensive countries in the survey are Bermuda (ranked 112), Bahamas (111), and Hong Kong (110).

     

     

    NATIONAL

     

    ·        Economic Survey 2018:  Brief Summary

     

    • The Economic Survey, an annual publication of the Finance Ministry, is presented in both houses of Parliament during the Budget Session. It is a review of the developments in the country’s economy over the previous one year.
    • Sticking to the practice started last year, finance minister Arun Jaitley will present Union Budget 2018 on 1 February.
    • It presents a summary of the performance of the government’s major development programmes undertaken during that period.
    • It also details the main policy initiatives of the government.

     

    • The  Survey sees FY19 GDPgrowing 7-7.5% vs 75% in FY18.

     

    • The Due to higher expected increase in imports, net exports of goods and services are slated to decline in 2017-18.

     

    • The Exports biggest source of the boost to growth.

     

    • It points out that the GDP growth has averaged 7.3% for the period from 2014-15 to 2017-18, which is the highest among the major economies of the world.

     

    • Demonetisation helped share of financial saving to rise.

     

    • The ratio of domestic saving to GDP reached 29.2 percent in 2013 to a peak of 38.3 percent in 2007, before falling back to 29 percent in 2016.

     

    • The Sanitation coverage in rural India increased substantially from 39 percent in 2014 to 76 percent in January 2018. With the launch of Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) on October 2, 2014, the sanitation coverage in rural India increased substantially.

     

    • So far, 296 districts and 307,349 villages all over India have been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF).

     

    • India is gradually improving its performance in Science and Technology. In 2013, India ranked 6th in the world in scientific publications. Its ranking has been increasing consistently. The growth of annual publications between 2009 to 2014 was almost 14%. This increased India’s share in global publications from 3.1% in 2009 to 4.4% in 2014 as per the Scopus Database.

     

    • The foreign exchange reserves grew by 14.1% on a year-on-year basis from the end of Dec 2016 to end of Dec 2017.

     

    • The forex reserves as per 2016-17 were estimated at USD 370 billion. It grew to USD 409.4 billion in 2017-18.

     

     

     

    ·        VINBAX: India and Vietnam hold first military exercise in Jabalpur

     

    • The India-Vietnam Bilateral Army Exercise (VINBAX-2018)was conducted at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.
    • It is the first military exercise between the two countries.
    • The six-day-long military exercise (from January 29 to February 3, 2018) was conducted as part of joint training undertaken with friendly foreign countries by Indian Army.
    • VINBAX-2018 was Table Top Exercise to carry out training for Peace Keeping Operations under United Nations (UN) mandate.
    • The Defence ties between India and Vietnam have been on an upswing with the primary focus being cooperation in the maritime domain.

    ·        International Bird Festival To Be Held In Dudhwa National Park

     

    • A three-day international bird festivalwill be held at the Dudhwa National Park, Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh in February 2018 with nearly 200 leading ornithologists expected to attend.
    • The purpose of the international bird festival is to promote eco-tourism in Dudhwa and to give it a distinct international identity besides highlighting its traditional Tharu arts, culture, and heritage.

     

    ·        Asias biggest auto testing track inaugurated in Madhya Pradesh

     

    • Union Minister Babul Supriyo and Madhya Pradesh Industrial minister Rajendra Shukla inaugurated Asia’s biggest auto testing track in Pithampur of Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh.
    • The country’s research and development activities in the sector of automobile engineering and technology will get a boost, due to the construction of the auto testing track in Pithampur.
    • Pithampur will emerge as a hub of the automobile industry in future.
    • Union Minister further mentioned that the state government has provided 4 thousand acre land to NATRiP and the National Auto Testing Track has been developed on 3 thousand acre land.
    • Automobile units can be established by the industrialists on the remaining one thousand acre land.

     

    ·        Sandeep Lamichhane Becomes 1st Nepal Player To Get IPL Contract

     

    • Sandeep Lamichhane became the first cricketer from Nepal to land a deal an IPL contract.
    • He was picked by Delhi Daredevils in the player’s auction.
    • The 17-year-old, the only Nepal player in the IPL auction, was sold at his base price of Rs 20 lakh.
    • The leg-spinner rose to prominence with a successful outing at the 2016 U-19 World Cup where he guided Nepal to a creditable eighth place.
    • He hogged the limelight by becoming the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 14 scalps in six innings.

Folk Dances of Arunachal Pradesh

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Folk Dances of Arunachal Pradesh

  • The state of Arunachal Pradesh in north-eastern India is home to many tribes originated mainly from Tibeto-Burman family.
  • Various tribal folk dance forms have emerged at times to celebrate the festivities and sometimes to elevate the spirit of goodness.
  • The Folk Dances of Arunachal Pradesh  can be broadly classified into four distinct groups of dances typically enacted for a host of purposes.
  • Festive Folk Dances of Arunachal Pradesh performances which are mainly festival orientated folk dances celebrated during special occasions.
  • Ritualistic dance is Folk Dances of Arunachal Pradesh done with much exuberance during certain rituals.
  • Recreational dances performed as part of recreational purposes
  • These dances are not performed as part of any ritual or festival though they are part of certain occasions creating a happy and cheerful atmosphere.
  • The Dance Drama or the Pantomimes which aim at depicting a mythical story entitled with a moral.
  • Dance forms an important aspect of the socio-cultural heritage of the peole.
  • They dance on important rituals, during festivals and also for recreation.
  • The Folk Dances of Arunachal Pradesh of the people of Arunachal are group- where both men and women take part.
  • There are however some dances such as igo dance of the Mishmi priests, war dance of the Adis, Noctes and Wanchos, ritualistic dance of the Buddhist tribes, which are male dances. Females are not allowed to participate in these dances.
  • Some of the popular folk dances of the people 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.

 

Mask-Folk Dances of Arunachal Pradesh

  • Religious beliefs of some tribal communities especially in Arunachal Pradesh have been influenced in some respect by Hinduism and Buddhism.
  • The Sherdukpens and the Monpas perform many kind of ritual masked dances of which Thutotdam is most fascinating.
  • The dancers put on masks representing skulls and wear costumes designed as skeletons.
  • The ritualistic dance depicts how the soul after death is received in the other world.
  • At Torgyap Festival many such kinds of masked dances are performed which aim at driving away evil spirits and ensuring prosperity, good harvest and favourable weather throughout the year.

Arpos Folk Dances of Arunachal Pradesh

  • The Monpas perform Arpos dance in which about twenty-five dancers, wearing helmets and carrying sword and shields like ancient warrior, depicts how the ancestors of the tribe conquered their enemies.
  • The performance concludes with a dance number called Gallong Chham in which about ten dancers perform wearing very colourful costumes and sumptuous headgear.
  • Of all the masked pantomimes that the Sherdukpens perform, the most fasicinating is the Yak dance.
  • The dummy animal is formed by two men concealed behind a black cloth that forms its body.
  • The head of the dummy Yak is made of wood. On its back sits the figure of a goddess. Three masked men dance around the dummy animal.
  • They represent the legendary hero Apapek and two sons.
  • Verrier Elwin in The Art of the North-East frontier of India reports,”The lamas of the Yang Sang Chu valley in northern Siang have masked dances which they perform every year at the week-long festival of Drubachuk to ensure prosperity, happiness and health.

 

Bardo Chham Folk Dances of Arunachal Pradesh

  • Bardo Chham is a folk dance of Arunachal Pradesh and a crucial ritual among the ethno-various group of north-east people.
  • Folk dances are performed during festivals and likewise as leisure routine.
  • These primitive tribal communities living at the Himalayan skirt for centuries were able to retain their targeted tradition of thousand years.
  • Their zests for existence and nature have enabled these rough working tribes of north east Himalayas choreograph some superb folk dances. One of the most widespread folks dance of Arunachal Pradesh incorporating the struggles of Adi tribe, Igu dance of Mishmi clergymen, ritualistic performances of Buddhist tribe.

Adi Tribal Folk Dances of Arunachal Pradesh

  • Adi tribal dance from India’s north-east! This is being performed at the Brahmaputra Festival in Siang, Arunachal Pradesh, India.
  • Dances form a vital element in the zest and joy of living of Arunachali tribal.
  • They dance on important rituals, during festivals and also for recreational reasons.
  • They vary from highly stylised religious dance dramas of the Buddhists to the martial steps and colourful performances.

Ponung Folk Dances of Arunachal Pradesh

  • It is the famous folk dance of Adi tribal people.
  • This is a dance performed by women alone.
  • The purpose of this festival is to ask for a good harvest and welfare of the village community.
  • This dance is performed on all-important & auspicious occasions.
  • Among the Adis dance had evolved almost into an art form for entertainment and recreation.
  • The ‘Phoning’ dance of Adis is performed by teams of young girls in perfect rhythmic unison.
  • Similar group dance in colourful costumes are performed by Nishis and Tagins of Upper and Lower Subansiri Districts.
  • Adi village has a rich cultural life. The tribal people are famous for their Ponung that is dancing with the accompaniment of songs.
  • A group of girls dance in a circle holding each other by stretching their hands over each others shoulders while the leader-usually a man called the Miri – dances and sings in the centre-holding aloft and shaking a sword like musical instrument called ‘Yoksha’.
  • First he sings a line and then it is repeated in chorus by the maidens rhythmically in circle at a low pace. On all important occasions ponung is arranged.

The Wancho Dance

  • The Wancho tribes perform dances during appropriate occasions like festivals, ceremonies etc.
  • Ozele festival of Wanchos is celebrated in February-March after the sowing of millet.
  • It lasts for four days and was observed in Longkhau village.
  • The dance is performed from about 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. inside the chief’s house.
  • Among the male-folk, boys, youths and adults take part while among women, only girls and those young married women who have not joined the husband’s family, take part in the dance.Folk Dances of Arunachal Pradesh
  • The dancers, dressed in their fineries, stand in a circle surrounding a bonfire.
  • The girls stand on one side of the circle holding each other’s hands.
  • The male dancers hold a sword in the right hand and most of them place the left hand over the shoulder of the dancer to the left.
  • The male dancers start singing when all take a short step with the right foot to the right, flex the knees with an accompanying forward swing of the sword and gently bring the left foot up to the heel of the right one.
  • They repeat this sequence of movements.
  • When the singing of the male-dancers, end, which is generally on the eighth or ninth step, all stamp their right foot twice on the ground.
  • The female dancers take up the singing in reply.
  • They stamp the right foot twice on the ground during their turn of singing, once generally in the fourth step and the next at the end of the singing which generally falls on the ninth step.
  • Again the male dancers take up the singing and thus the dance continues.

Arunachal Pradesh Trade & Commerce

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Arunachal Pradesh Trade & Commerce

The entire North-east India had a long tradition of trade relations with eastern Himalayan sub-region comprising Bhutan, Tibet, China and Myanmar (Burma). It is more so in case of Arunachal Pradesh, because most of the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh migrated from these countries. Therefore, they had maintained ethnic, cultural, commercial and even matrimonial relationships with their neighboring territories through ages.

The tribes of Arunachal Pradesh living along the international border had trade connections with China, Tibet, Bhutan and Myanmar through several trade routes). While the tribes living along the southern border of Arunachal Pradesh had trade relations with Assam, the eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh had trading relations

With Burma, and the western and the northern part of Arunachal Pradesh had well developed trade links with the Tibetans.

Arunachal Pradesh Trade & Commerce

Trade Dynamics

History has recorded a number of trade routes between Arunachal Pradesh and its neighbouring countries. As many as 27 trade routes (passes) including the famous

Tawang route which passed via Tawang and Tsona Dzong have been identified between Arunachal Pradesh and Tibet. Local goods of Tibet and Bhutan were brought through these trade routes to be exchanged for local goods of Arunachal and Assam at different trade fairs (Mela) held annually coinciding with certain religious festivals in the foothills.

 

On the eastern border of Arunachal Pradesh four trade routes have been identified including the famous Pangsu Pass between Arunachal Pradesh and Burma. A large number of hill tribes from the present Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh used to carry on trade in tea, blankets, matches, etc., at various places in Burma including in Bhamo, the most important trading centre on the bank of river Irrawaddy in Burma. The major articles from Burma side were amber (Jangphi), gum, nora cloth, silver, etc.

 

To speed up the process of development in the State, the present ‘inward looking’ paradigms of developmental policy is to be supplemented by an ‘outward looking’ approach based on market and trade. The changing scenario in international trade under WTO regime, India’s emphasis on signing trade agreements with several foreign countries including the South and South-east Asian countries (a few of which share common border with Arunachal Pradesh) and the ‘Look East’ policy of India can be of great help for Arunachal Pradesh in its efforts to introduce this ‘outward looking’ development strategy. ‘The global pattern of agrarian transformation initiated by GATT/WTO suggests that the major portion of third

world peasantries have no future simply as subsistence cultivators’

 

Prospects of Trade with Neighbouring Countries—Exploring New Frontiers

 

Arunachal Pradesh has potentials for producing some of the goods which currently India is exporting to various countries including those bordering Arunachal Pradesh.

China, the ASEAN region, Bangladesh and other SAARC countries which are geographically close to Arunachal Pradesh import substantial portion of each of

the above items in which Arunachal Pradesh has export potential.

 

Biodiversity:

Arunachal Pradesh with 2.54 per cent of country’s geographical area is custodian of more than 23.52 per cent of the flowering plants of India. It is one of the richest botanical treasure houses of the country. A few valuable items of such rich biodiversity of the State, identified on the basis of market demand, could be commercially exploited for economic benefit of the State.

 

Orchids:

Out of 925 varieties of orchids available in India, more than 500 varieties are found in Arunachal Pradesh due to its favourable soil and climatic conditions.

In fact, approximately 200 varieties are unique to the State and 60 per cent of these are ornamental in nature with high demands in international markets. Thus,

Arunachal Pradesh can be a major exporter of orchids.

 

Horticultural Crops:

Arunachal Pradesh is famous for production of apple, orange, pineapple, banana, walnut, kiwi and several spices (cardamom, black-pepper, ginger, etc.) including 4500 species of flowering plants. Nearly 55,000 hectares of land is under horticultural crops including spices. At present, Arunachal Pradesh is selling some of these fruit crops only to Assam and neighboring North-eastern states, but its soil and climate are so rich for flower and fruit crop plantation that it can be a major exporter of flowers, fruits and fruit products even to the neighboring countries.

 

Major Forest Products:

The vast area of forests of Arunachal Pradesh covering 51,540 sq km, which forms

about 62 per cent of the total geographical area of the State, are full of valuable timber trees like hollock, pine, chir, teak, etc., which grow naturally. The commercial use of these trees along with its scientific captive plantation can earn substantial revenue for the State. Value added products from such trees can also be exported to the neighboring countries.

 

Minor Forest Products (MFP)

 

(i) Herbal Plants: Arunachal Pradesh has a rich tradition of herbal health care. The tribes have so far identified over 500 species of plants, having medicinal properties. However, some of these ‘medicinal’ plants are yet to be authenticated by appropriate scientific testing. Due to lack of awareness, the State is yet to harness the full potentials of this wealth

 

(ii) Aromatic Plants: Arunachal Pradesh forests offer a vast array of aromatic plants such as citronella, lemon-grass, vanilla, patcholi, agaroo, etc., which can be used in aromatic industry for the manufacture of perfumes, incenses, etc., for export purposes.

 

Economic Mineral Resources of Arunachal Pradesh Trade & Commerce

Among the valuable minerals spotted in Arunachal Pradesh are petroleum, limestone, marble coal, dolomite, fuller’s earth and natural gas reserves are worth mentioning.

If properly assessed and explored with required infrastructural development, the products of some of these minerals can be used for making several value-added products locally in small and medium scale industries. Some of the value-added products can be exported to the neighboring countries.

 

Tourism Products

The State’s unique natural beauty, different species of wildlife, religious places, historical and heritage sites, diverse attractive tribal cultures, friendly and hospitable people could make Arunachal Pradesh, the Switzerland of the East. The sites which can be developed into world class tourist spots are Tawang for religious, adventure and eco tourists; Parusuramkunda and Malini Than, for religious and eco tourists; Namdapha Tiger Project, Mowling National Park, and ten wildlife sanctuaries of the State for wildlife tourists; ‘Lake of No Return’ on the border of Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar near Phangso Pass.

 

Hydro-electric Power

Arunachal Pradesh possesses immense potential of powers, primarily in the form of hydel. But the progress of this sector has not taken place on a scale proportionate to resource availability. The total unexploited hydel potential of the State is estimated to be 49000 MW. The National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) has undertaken survey and investigation works of Siang and Subansiri basins for establishing mega hydro power project with an installed capacity of 20700 MW. When this project will be completed, Arunachal Pradesh can be a major exporter of cheap hydel power not only to the entire North-east, but also to its neighbouring countries having power deficit like China and Myanmar.

 

Trade Routes

 

(i) Tezpur-Bomdila-Towang-Bum La (China)

(ii) Lakhimpur-Daparijo-Nacho (China)

(iii) Jonai-Sadiya-Mekha-Malvinil-Tajobum (China)

(iv) Sadiya-Tezu-Chirangal-Kahao (China)

(v) Tinsukia-Winstong-Mogung (Myanmar)

(vi) Khonsa-Wakha (Myanmar)

(vii) Ledo-Pangsou Pass-Myitkyina-Bhamo-Kunming

(Myanmar and China)

Out of these seven old border trade routes of Arunachal Pradesh, the most useful and economic route is the Ledo-Pangsou Pass-Myitkyina-Bhamo-Kunming route,

popularly known as StilWell Road.