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Art and Culture

Yangli festival

Tiwa tribesmen celebrate Yangli festival in Karbi Anglong district of Assam in every three years.

• It was last celebrated in 2018.

The Festival:

• Yangli is one of the important festivals of the Tiwas as it is related with agriculture which is the mainstay of their economy.
• In this festival, the Tiwas worship for a bountiful harvest during this festival and to protect their crops from pest and other natural calamities.
• Tiwa is one of the major tribe of Assam, which celebrates this festival once in every three years.
• Sowing of paddy starts immediately after celebrating this festival.

About Tiwa Tribe:

• Tiwa Tribe is a community that centres itself on a traditional form of agriculture.
• Also known as Lalung, the indigenous community is recognized as a Scheduled Tribe (ST) within the state of Assam.
• The Tiwa community is far removed from the noise and influence of urban chaos.
• The Tiwas practice Jhum or shifting cultivation.

International Relations

Asian African Legal Consultative Organisation

Recently, a Seminar was organised on India's Presidency of Asian African Legal Consultative Organisation.

About:

• The Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO), originally known as the Asian Legal Consultative Committee (ALCC).
• It was constituted on 15 November 1956.
• It is considered to be a tangible outcome of the historic Bandung Conference, held in Indonesia, in April 1955.
• Seven Asian States, namely Burma (now Myanmar), Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), India, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, and the United Arab Republic (now Arab Republic of Egypt and Syrian Arab Republic) are the original Member States.
• Later, in April 1958, in order to include participation of countries of the continent of Africa its name was changed to Asian-African Legal Consultative Committee (AALCC).
• At the Fortieth Annual Session, held at the Headquarters of AALCC in New Delhi, in 2001, the name of the Committee was changed to Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO).

Polity and Governance

1st Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment

Recently, a Foundational Literacy and numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT) under Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram (New India Literacy Programme) was held across 10 States and UTs in the country.

About the programme:

• Aim: To assess the basic Reading, Writing and Numeracy skills of the neo-literates.
• The youth and students of schools and colleges were involved as volunteer teachers to organize teaching learning activities.
• Nav Bharat Saaksharata Karyakram or New India Literacy Programme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme approved by the Government of India for implementation during FYs 2022-27.
• The scheme is in alignment with the recommendations of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• The scheme targets all non-literates of age 15 years and above in the country, with more focus on females and educationally backward states. 
• It has five components, namely;
  • Foundational Literacy and Numeracy,
  • Critical Life Skills,
  • Basic Education,
  • Vocational Skills,
  • Continuing Education.
• The scheme is to be implemented through volunteer teachers.

Polity and Governance

Rajasthan Day 2023

March 30 is celebrated as the ‘Rajasthan Day’ to mark the formation of the state.

About:

• On this day in 1949, the four states, namely Jodhpur, Jaipur, Bikaner, and Jaisalmer, joined with the United State of Rajasthan, and the region came to be known as Greater Rajasthan.
• Formerly, Rajasthan was known as Rajputana, which means "The Country of the Rajputs".
• The meaning of Rajasthan is "The Abode of the Rajas".
• It is located in the northwest part of the country and is the home of cultural diversity.
• The state's features include Indus Valley Civilisation ruins, temples, forts, and fortresses in almost every city.
• It is divided into nine regions, namely: Ajmer State, Hadoti, Dhundhar, Gorwar, Shekhawati, Mewar, Marwar, Vagad, and Mewat.
• They are equally rich in their heritage and artistic contribution.

Polity and Governance

Swachhotsav: Special three-week campaign for sanitation

In the run up to the Women’s Day, Union Minister Shri Hardeep Singh Puri launched Swachhotsav, 3-week women-led swachhata campaign, under the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0.

About:

• Campaign aims to recognize and celebrate the transition from women in sanitation to women-led sanitation.
• Series of events and activities will be organized across cities to celebrate women from all walks of life.
• First edition of Women Icons leading Sanitation & Waste Management (WINS) Challenge-2023 announced during the event.
• WINS Challenge-2023 to recognize high-impact women entrepreneurs or women-led enterprises working to achieve urban swachhata.

Science and Technology

Lynx-U2 fire control systems

The defence ministry has signed a contract with Bharat Electronics Limited for the procurement of 13 ‘Lynx-U2’ fire control systems for the Navy.

About the technology:

• The Lynx-U2 system is a naval gun fire control system designed and developed indigenously.
• It is capable of accurately tracking and engaging targets amid sea clutter as well as air or surface targets.
• The ministry signed a contract with BEL, Bengaluru for “procurement of 13 Lynx-U2 fire control systems for the Indian Navy at a total cost of over Rs 1,700 crore under Buy Indian – IDMM (Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured) category.
• The fourth generation, completely indigenous systems, will be installed on New Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels to be built indigenously at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers and Goa Shipyard Limited.