ANNA BHAU SATHE

Why in news?

• Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) founder president and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has demanded that social reformer, writer and folk poet of Maharashtra Anna Bhau Sathe be conferred with Bharat Ratna. He requested the Maharashtra Government to get all writings of Anna Bhau translated into all Indian languages and English so that everybody could know his ideology.

Facts about Anna Bhau Sathe

• Speaking at Wategaon near Kolhapur in Maharashtra, the birth place of Anna Bhau Sathe, at the latter’s 103rd birth anniversary, Mr. Rao said the writings of Anna Bhau were not just for people of Maharashtra but for people of India and the world.
• Matang community, to which Anna Bhau belonged, was one of the oldest communities of India. Great poet Kalidasa wrote about Matang community, the descendants of Matanga Maharishi of ancient India.
• Anna Bhau was known as ‘Lokshayar’ (people’s poet), the title given to very rare few, and recognising his contribution to the field of people’s literature his bust was installed in the All Russia Library in Moscow.
• Anna Bhau, is also known as a pioneer of dalit literature, although the latter was known as Indian Maxim Gorky.

GS PAPER – 3

GI-TAGS IN NEWS

Why in news?

• Seven products from across India including four from Rajasthan were given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai. The Jalesar Dhatu Shilp (metal craft), Goa Mankurad mango, Goan Bebinca, Udaipur Koftgari metal craft, Bikaner Kashidakari craft, Jodhpur Bandhej craft and Bikaner Usta Kala craft were the ones which got the tag.

1. Mankurad Mango – Goa

• The application for the Goa Mankurad mango was filed by All Goa Mango Growers Association, Panaji, Goa. The Portuguese named the mango as Malcorada meaning poor coloured and with time this word transformed to ‘Mankurad’ aamo. Aamo means mango in Konkani language.

1. Bebinca – Goa

• For the Goan Bebinca, the application was filed by All Goa Bakers and Confectioners Association. Bebinca is a type of pudding and a traditional Indo¬Portuguese dessert. It is also known as the Queen of Goan desserts.

1. Jalesar Dhatu Shilp (metal craft) – Uttar Pradesh

• At Jalesar in Etah district in Uttar Pradesh, which was the capital of Magadha King Jarasandha, over 1,200 small units are engaged in making Jalesar Dhatu Shilp. This place is known for making decorative metal craft as well as brassware.

1. Udaipur Koftgari metal craft – Rajasthan

• Udaipur Koftgari metal craftsmen practices the ancient art of Koftgari used in making ornamental weaponry. The weapons are exquisitely ornamented by a complicated process of etching of design, heating and then cooling intertwined with the process of embedding gold and silver wire into the metal, pressing and flattening it to a smooth surface using moonstone and finally polishing.

1. Bikaner Kashidakari craft – Rajasthan

• Kashidakari work is done majorly on objects associated with marriage, especially gift items, and makes use of mirror work.

1. The Jodhpur bandhej craft – Rajasthan

• The Jodhpur bandhej craft is the Rajasthani art of tying and dyeing. It is the art of printing varied patterns on fabrics using the tie and dye method.

1. The Bikaner Usta Kala craft – Rajasthan

• It is also known as gold nakashi work or gold manauti work, due to the prominence of golden colour in an actual manner developed by gold in the previous period. Due to this, the craft has longevity. 

GS PAPER – 3

Sharp skew in national big cat map: 20% of tiger area has less than 1% of tiger population

Why in news?

Recently, Environment ministry in association with NTCA has released the All India Tiger Estimate (AITE). Between 2014 and 2018, tigers retreated from nearly 18,000 sq km, or 20%, of its national range which was offset by the new areas they colonised in that period.

About the report:

• One-fifth of India’s tiger reserve area spanning 16 tiger reserves caters only 25 — or less than one per cent — of India’s 3,682 tigers (AITE).
• The bottom 16 by number of tigers per 100 sq km — has more than five tigers. Seven have one tiger each, and five reported none.
• In all, there are 53 tiger reserves covering a combined area of 75,797 sq km.
• The report is published quadrennially and records a net gain of 715 tigers over the previous estimate in 2018

GS PAPER – 2

Rajya Sabha passes the Multi­State Cooperative Societies Bill

Why in news?

The Rajya Sabha recently passed the Multi State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2023.The recently formed I.N.D.I.A staged a walkout.

What happened?

• The opposition has been demanding a probe in the Manipur ethnic violence.
• The RS chairman has agreed for a short-duration discussion but the opposition has been demanding a debate instead.
• They have demanded that the Prime Minister should make an statement in the House as PM has given the statement outside the parliament.
• The Bill, which had been approved by Lok Sabha on July 25, 2023, was passed in Rajya Sabha by voice vote.

About the bill?

• The Bill provides norms for appointing employees, ensuring no nepotism practices exist.
• The Bill seeks to establish a ‘Cooperative Election Authority’ with a view to introducing electoral reforms in the cooperative sector.