Post-Brexit Trade Deal

Why in News

Recently, the UK and the European Union (EU) have published the full text of the post-Brexit trade agreement aimed at governing their relationship when the UK definitively leaves the bloc's single market on 31^st December 2020.

Key Points

• The document lays out detail on trade, law enforcement, and dispute settlement among other arrangements. Despite the complexity of the document, which includes explanatory notes and side agreements on nuclear cooperation and the exchange of classified information, both sides have indicated they will rush through the adoption.
• The deal ensures the two sides can continue to trade in goods without tariffs or quotas but despite the breakthrough, key aspects of the future relationship between the 27-nation bloc and its former member remain uncertain.
• The two sides held extensive negotiations on three key issues:
  
  • Level Playing Field: It essentially means that in order to trade with the EU’s single market, the UK will have to follow the same rules and regulations to ensure that it does not have an unfair advantage over other EU businesses.
  • Rules of Governance: These will dictate how any deal is enforced as well as the penalties that will be imposed if one party violates the terms of a mutually-approved agreement.
  • Fishing Rights: The agreement gives free access to EU fleets to fish in UK waters, including up to six miles off the shoreline for a five-year transition period. At the end of the transition, everything will return to normal arrangements and the UK will have full control over its waters.
    
    • However, the UK's fishing industry has expressed disappointment on the agreement on fishing rights.
• Despite the deal, there are still unanswered questions about huge areas, including security cooperation and access to the EU market for Britain’s huge financial services sector.
• The European Commission (EC) has proposed the agreement be applied on a provisional basis until 28^th February 2021.
  
  • EC is the executive branch of the EU, which brings together the executives of all 27 member states.
• The European Parliament will be asked for its consent to the deal in 2021 and for the process to be concluded, the EC must adopt the decision.

Opportunities for India

• India should aggressively pursue free trade agreements (FTAs) separately with both the EU and the UK.
• Although it is premature to assess the gains for India from the agreement, India can explore opportunities in service sectors like IT, architecture, research and development and engineering in both the markets as the EU-UK pact does not cover the services sector.
  
  • Indian competitors like Vietnam have greater duty advantage in sectors like apparel and marine goods.
• India had a lot of contentious issues while negotiating FTA with the EU. However, after Brexit, the UK could have a different stand on those issues and so India should continue pursuing FTA talks.
• The Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) held that India-UK FTA would help in removing the customs duty disadvantages faced by domestic players in Britain.
  
  • However, Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) highlighted that there are no specific customs duty benefits for domestic goods from this agreement.
• The bilateral trade between India and the UK dipped to USD 15.5 billion in 2019-20 from USD 16.9 billion in 2018-19.

Source: FE

Governor’s Role in Calling an Assembly Session

Why in News

Recently, the Kerala Governor has turned down a request of the state Cabinet to summon a special sitting of the Assembly to debate the new three central farm laws.

Key Points

• Constitutional Provisions Related to Governor’s Role in Calling an Assembly Session:
  
  • Article 174: Says that the Governor shall from time to time summon the House or each House of the Legislature of the State to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit.
    
    • The provision also puts on the Governor the responsibility of ensuring that the House is summoned at least once every six months.
  • Article 163: Although it is the Governor’s prerogative to summon the House, according to Article 163, the Governor is required to act on the “aid and advice” of the Cabinet.
    
    • So when the Governor summons the House under Article 174, this is not of his or her own will but on the aid and advice of the Cabinet.
  • Exception:
    
    • When the Chief Minister appears to have lost the majority and the legislative members of the House propose a no-confidence motion against the Chief Minister, then the Governor can decide on his or her own on summoning the House.
      
      • The actions of the Governor, when using his discretionary powers can be challenged in court.
• Supreme Court’s (SC) Ruling Related to Governor’s Role:
  • In 2016, the SC looked into the constitutional crisis in Arunachal Pradesh after the Governor had imposed President’s Rule in the state. The SC ruled
    • In ordinary circumstances during the period when the Chief Minister and his council of ministers enjoy the confidence of the majority of the House, the power vested with the Governor under Article 174 to summon, prorogue and dissolve the house(s) must be exercised in consonance with the aid and advice of the chief minister and his council of ministers.
      • Summon: Summoning is the process of calling all members of the Parliament/Assembly to meet.
      • Prorogue: Prorogation means the termination of a session of the House.
      • Dissolve: A dissolution ends the very life of the existing House, and a new House is constituted after general elections are held.
    • The court read the power to summon the House as a “function” of the Governor and not a “power” he enjoys.
• Sarkaria Commission (1983) on Governor’s Role:
  • So long as the Council of Ministers enjoys the confidence of the Assembly, its advice in these matters, unless patently unconstitutional, must be deemed as binding on the Governor.
  • It is only where such advice, if acted upon, would lead to an infringement of a constitutional provision, or where the Council of Ministers has ceased to enjoy the confidence of the Assembly, that the question arises whether the Governor may act in the exercise of his discretion.
• Consequences in Kerala Case:
  • If the Kerala government insists on holding the special session, there can be no legal ground to deny a request for summoning the session as:
    • The Governor’s powers are limited with regard to summoning the House.
    • If the Governor refuses, the Governor’s refusal can also be challenged in court.

Governor

• The Governor’s appointment, his powers and everything related to the office of Governor have been discussed under Article 153 to Article 162 of the Indian Constitution.
  • One person can be appointed as Governor for two or more States.
• The role of the Governor is quite similar to that of the President of India.
  • The Governor performs the same duties as the President, but for the State.
  • The Governor stands as executive head of a State and the working remains the same as that of the office of President of India.
• It is stated that the Governor has a dual role.
  • He is the constitutional head of the state, bound by the advice of its council of ministers.
  • He functions as a vital link between the Union Government and the State Government.
• Eligibility:
  • Article 157 and Article 158 of the Constitution of India specify eligibility requirements for the post of governor. They are as follows:
    • A governor must:
      • Be a citizen of India.
      • Be at least 35 years of age.
      • Not be a member of the either house of the Parliament or house of the state legislature.
      • Not hold any office of profit.
• Appointment:
  • He is appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal.
• Term:
  • The term of governor's office is normally 5 years but it can be terminated earlier by:
    • Dismissal by the President on the advice of the council of ministers headed by the Prime Minister of the country.
      • Dismissal of governors without a valid reason is not permitted.
      • However, it is the duty of the President to dismiss a governor whose acts are upheld by courts as unconstitutional and malafide.
    • Resignation by the governor.
• Discretionary Powers:
  • Appointment of the Chief Minister: Generally, the leader of the party with majority is appointed as the Chief Minister. But in a situation where no party gets an absolute majority, the Governor exercises his discretionary powers in appointing the Chief Minister.
  • Dismissal of a Ministry: A minister holds offices during the pleasure of the Governor. When the ministry loses support of the house, the governor will dismiss the ministry. But he cannot dismiss it until it loses majority support.
  • Advising the President for proclamation of Emergency: The Governor advises the President to proclaim emergency when he is satisfied that the Government cannot carry on in accordance with the provisions of the constitution, under Article 356.
  • Reservation of a bill for the consideration of the President: However, situations are mentioned in Article 200, when he will reserve the bill, yet he can use discretion regarding this matter.
  • Dissolution of Legislative Assembly: The Governor summons, prorogues and dissolves the Legislative Assembly, according to Article 174. When the ministry loses the majority and the Governor is satisfied, he may dissolve the House.

Source:IE

Inner-Line Permit in Manipur

Why in News

Recently, the Union Home Minister has highlighted the importance of Inner-Line Permit (ILP) system in Manipur, while inaugurating several development projects in Manipur.

• The projects include Thoubal Multipurpose Project (Thoubal Dam), Integrated Command and Control Center at Imphal, etc.
  
  • Thoubal multipurpose project was first considered by the Planning Commission in 1980 and the original cost of the project was Rs. 47.25 crores.
  • A scheme for it was launched in 2004 but nothing happened till 2014 and the project remained on paper.
  • It is located on river Thoubal, a tributary of Manipur river and will irrigate 35,104 hectares.

Key Points

• ILP was a long-standing demand of the people of Manipur and denying it would have been an injustice to the indigenous people.
• Hence, Manipur, along with Dimapur district of Nagaland, was brought under the purview of the ILP System in December 2019.
  
  • Dimapur was the only place in Nagaland which was not under the ILP system because the district is a commercial hub and has a mixed population (often referred to as ‘Mini India’).
• Pressure groups in the northeast view this permit as a shield against the entry of illegal immigrants.
• Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Mizoram were exempted from the provisions of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019 due to the ILP.
  
  • The provisions on citizenship for illegal migrants would not apply to tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram or Tripura as included in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution and the area covered under the ILP system.
  • In December 2019, the Meghalaya Assembly adopted a resolution for implementing the ILP regime in the state and urged the centre to include it in the ILP system.

Inner Line Permit System

• Implemented under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) 1873, the ILP is an official travel document which allows inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected/restricted area for a limited period.
  
  • This Act was enacted during the British era to protect the Crown’s own commercial interests by preventing ‘British subjects’ (Indians) from trading within these regions.
    
    • In 1950, the Indian government replaced ‘British subjects’ with ‘Citizen of India’.
  • An imaginary line known as the inner-line was created to divide between the two communities so that neither party could go beyond the line without a permit from the appropriate authorities.
  • Under Section 2 of the Regulation of 1873, the ILP was only applicable to the three North-Eastern States viz. Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
  • On 11^th December 2020, the President signed the order extending ILP to Manipur, which became the fourth state where the ILP regime is applicable.
• It is a special permit obligatorily required by “outsiders” from other regions of the country to enter the notified states.
• It is issued by the concerned State Government and can be issued for travel purposes solely.
• Foreigners need a Protected Area Permit (PAP) to visit tourist places which are different from ILPs needed by domestic tourists.
  
  • Under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order 1958, all areas falling between the 'Inner Line', as defined in the said order, and the International Border of the State have been declared as a Protected Area.
  • A foreign national is normally not allowed to visit a Protected/Restricted Area unless it is established to the satisfaction of the Government that there are extraordinary reasons to justify such a visit.

Merger of Manipur with India

• Before 15^th August 1947, by peaceful negotiations, the rulers of most of the states signed the ‘Instrument of Accession’ which meant that their state agreed to become a part of the Union of India.
• The Maharaja of Manipur, Bodhachandra Singh, signed the Instrument of Accession with the Indian government on the assurance that the internal autonomy of Manipur would be maintained.
• Under the pressure of public opinion, the Maharaja held elections in Manipur in June 1948 and the state became a constitutional monarchy.
  
  • Thus, Manipur was the first part of India to hold an election based on universal adult franchise.
• The Government of India succeeded in pressuring the Maharaja into signing a Merger Agreement in September 1949, without consulting the popularly elected Legislative Assembly of Manipur.
• On 21^st January 1972, Manipur along with Meghalaya and Tripura became full-fledged states under the North Eastern Region (Reorganisation) Act, 1971.
  
  • The political map of Northeast India underwent a major change and the two Union Territories of Manipur and Tripura and the Sub-State of Meghalaya got statehood.

Source: TH

Nanotechnology and Health

Why in News

A team of scientists has created a nanomicelle that can be used for effective drug delivery to treat various cancers including breast, colon and lung cancer.

• Nanotechnology or nanotech is the technology that involves the manipulation of matter on atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scales. This includes particles of a scale of 1 to 100 nanometers.

Key Points

• Nanomicelles:
  
  • Formation:
    
    • Nanomicelles are formed when amphiphilic molecules assemble themselves to create a globular structure that is only around 5 to 100nm in diameter.
    • Different agents are used to create nanomicelles, however, they are usually made through surfactant molecules that may be non-ionic, ionic, and cationic detergents. Some nanomicelles may also be developed from a mixture of lipids and detergents.
  • Use in Drug Delivery:
    
    • They are amphiphilic, i.e. have a hydrophilic outer shell and a hydrophobic interior. This dual property makes them a perfect carrier for delivering drug molecules.
      
      • The hydrophilic shell makes the micelle water soluble that allows for intravenous delivery while the hydrophobic core carries a payload of drug for therapy.
    • Once injected intravenously, these nanomicelles can easily escape the circulation and enter the tumours where the blood vessels are found to be leaky. These leaky blood vessels are absent in the healthy organs.
• Importance of Targeted Delivery:
  
  • The goal for cancer therapy is destroying the cancer cells without harming healthy cells of the body.
  • Chemotherapeutics approved for treatment of cancer are highly toxic with various side effects.
  • Thus the need arises for effective targeted drug delivery.
• Other Uses of Nanotechnology in Health Care:
  
  • Nanotech detectors for heart attack.
  • Nanochips to check plaque in arteries.
  • Nanocarriers for eye surgery, chemotherapy etc.
  • Diabetic pads for regulating blood sugar levels.
  • Nanoparticles for drug delivery to the brain for therapeutic treatment of neurological disorders.
  • Nanosponges are polymer nanoparticles coated with a red blood cell membrane, and can be used for absorbing toxins and removing them from the bloodstream.
  • NanoFlares are used for detection of cancer cells in the bloodstream.
  • Nanopores are used in making DNA sequencing more efficient.
• Recent Use of Nanotechnology:
  
  • Antiviral nano coating on face masks and Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits.
• Risks of Nanotechnology:
  
  • Since this field is still at its nascent stage, the likely risks are contentious.
  • The regulatory authorities like the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Health and Consumer Protection Directorate of the European Commission have started assessing the potential risks posed by the nanoparticles.
  • Nanotoxicology is the study of potential health risks of nanomaterials.
    
    • The human body can easily take up the nanomaterials as they are small in size. However, there is a need for detailed research on how it would behave inside an organism. The behaviour of nanoparticles based on their size, shape and surface reactivity must be thoroughly analysed before launching them into the market.
  • Nanopollution is the generic term that is used to describe the waste generated by the nanodevices or nanomaterials during the manufacturing process.

Governmental Initiatives to Promote Nanotechnology

• Nano Science and Technology Mission (NSTM):
  
  • NSTM, launched in 2007, is an umbrella programme that aims to promote research and development in nanotechnology. The objectives include the promotion of research, infrastructure development to support the research, development of nanotechnology, human resources, and international collaborations.
• Nano Science and Technology Initiative (NSTI):
  
  • It was set up by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in 2001 to focus on issues related to infrastructure development, research and application programmes related to nanomaterials including drugs, drug delivery, gene targeting and DNA chips.

Source:TH

Iceberg A68a

Why in News

Iceberg A68a, which calved from Antarctica in 2017, has been floating off the coast of South Georgia island.

• This has prompted fears about the impact the iceberg could have on the island’s abundant wildlife.

Key Points

• Iceberg:
  
  • An iceberg is ice that broke off from glaciers or shelf ice and is floating in open water.
  • Icebergs travel with ocean currents and either get caught up in shallow waters or ground themselves.
  • The US National Ice Center (USNIC) is the only organisation that names and tracks Antarctic Icebergs.
    
    • Icebergs are named according to the Antarctic quadrant in which they are spotted.
• A68a:
  
  • Shaped like a closed hand with a pointing finger, the iceberg known as A68a split off in 2017 from Larsen Ice Shelf on the West Antarctic Peninsula, which has warmed faster than any other part of Earth's southernmost continent.
  • On its journey, smaller icebergs have calved from the iceberg and the biggest section of the iceberg is called A68a and spans an area of roughly 2,600 sq. km.
    
    • Recently, the two icebergs that calved from A68a - have been named by the USNIC. They are called A68e and A68f.
  • All the berg fragments are entrained in a fast-moving stream of water known as the Southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current Front.
    
    • The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is the most important current in the Southern Ocean, and the only current that flows completely around the globe.
    • The ACC, as it encircles the Antarctic continent, flows eastward through the southern portions of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.
  • It has been drifting towards the remote island of South Georgia, which is a British Overseas Territory (BOT).
    
    • The fear is that if the iceberg grounds itself near the island, it could cause disruption to the local wildlife that forages in the ocean. Penguins and seals will have to travel farther in search of food.
    • On the other hand, there are some positives of an iceberg being stuck in the open ocean, since icebergs carry dust which fertilises ocean plankton, which draws up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
  • The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) will launch a research mission to study A68a’s impact on the ecosystem.
    
    • BAS is a component of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). NERC is part of UK Research and Innovation.
    • It delivers and enables world-leading interdisciplinary research in the Polar Regions.

Calving of Glaciers

• Meaning:
  
  • Calving is the glaciological term for the mechanical loss (or simply, breaking off) of ice from a glacier margin.
  • Calving is most common when a glacier flows into water (i.e. lakes or the ocean) but can also occur on dry land, where it is known as dry calving.
• Process:
  
  • Before calving occurs, smaller cracks and fractures in glacier ice grow into larger crevasses.
  • The growth of crevasses effectively divides the ice into blocks that subsequently fall from the snout into an adjacent lake (where they are known as icebergs).
    
    • Glacier Snout: It is the lowest end of a glacier, also called glacier terminus or toe.
• Impact on Glacier Mass Balance:
  
  • In lake-terminating (or freshwater) glaciers, calving is often a very efficient process of ablation and is therefore an important control on glacier mass balance.
    
    • Ablation: It implies combined processes (such as sublimation, fusion or melting, evaporation) which remove snow or ice from the surface of a glacier or from a snow-field.
    • Glacier mass balance: It is simply the gain and loss of ice from the glacier system.
• Global warming has increased the frequency of this process.
• Recent Cases of Calving:
  
  • Up to the end of the 20^th century, the Larsen Ice Shelf had been stable for more than 10,000 years.
  • In 1995, however, a huge chunk broke off, followed by another in 2002. This was followed by the breakup of the nearby Wilkins Ice Shelf in 2008 and 2009, and A68a in 2017.
  • Hydrofracturing - when water seeps into cracks at the surface, splitting the ice farther down - was almost certainly the main culprit in each case.
    
    • Hydrofracturing is a water well development process that involves injecting high pressure water via the well into the bedrock formation immediately surrounding it.
    • It was originally developed for the oil and gas industry to increase oil and gas well production.
    • On a global scale, drilling or hydrofracturing result in significant greenhouse gas emissions, leading to global warming.

Source: IE

Main Bhi Digital Drive for Street Vendors

Why in News

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) is going to launch ‘Main Bhi Digital (me too digital)’ drive for the street vendors to enable them to accept and make payments digitally.

• The drive has been encouraged by the success of the Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PMSVANidhi) scheme, launched in the wake of the Covid-19 lockdown, to provide vendors microcredit.

Key Points

• Main Bhi Digital Drive:
  
  • As part of the new drive, between 4^th January to 22^nd January 2021, over 10 lakh street vendors across the country who have availed of the Rs. 10,000 loan will be trained in using digital payments.
  • The vendors would be able to not just receive payments digitally but also pay for material they procure from sellers using unique QR codes.
  • The mobile phones of the vendors will be equipped with the software needed for the transactions, and training provided to them on safe and secure payments.
• PMSVANidhi Scheme:
  
  • It is a scheme of the MoHUA launched in June 2020 which entitles the street vendors to Rs. 10,000 interest-free loan as working capital to restart their businesses.
  • Data shows that only 20% of the beneficiaries are digitally enabled.
• Street Vendors in India:
  
  • Anyone who doesn’t have a permanent shop is considered a street vendor.
    
    • According to government estimates, street-vending accounts for 14% of the total (non-agricultural) urban informal employment in the country.
  • There are an estimated 50-60 lakh street vendors in India, with the largest concentrations in the cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad.
  • Issues:
    
    • Licence caps are unrealistic in most cities, for example, Mumbai has a ceiling of around 15,000 licences as against an estimated 2.5 lakh vendors.
      
      • This means most vendors hawk their goods illegally, which makes them vulnerable to exploitation and extortion by local police and municipal authorities.
    • Often, local bodies conduct eviction drives to clear the pavements of encroachers, and confiscate their goods. Fines for recovery are heavy.
  • Organizations for Street Vendors:
    
    • National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI): It is a membership based organization of 1,024 street vendors organizations representing 10,00,000 street vendors from almost all parts of India.
    • National Hawker Federation (NHF): It is an association of street vendors across 28 States in the country, with 1,188 Unions, including 11 Central Trade Unions and over 20 International Trade Unions abroad.
• Other Initiatives for the Street Vendors:
  
  • The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 : It was enacted to regulate street vendors in public areas and protect their rights.
    
    • The Act defines a “street vendor” as a person engaged in vending of articles of everyday use or offering services to the general public, in any public place or private area, from a temporary built up structure or by moving from place to place”.
  • The government has also launched its first-ever official socio-economic survey of vendors, to bring street vendors under schemes such as :
    
    • Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana.
    • Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana.
    • Jan-Dhan Yojana.
    • Building and Other Construction Workers Act 1996.
    • Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan Yojana.
    • Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana.

Way Forward

• Despite multiple schemes running for the street vendors, there are various gaps in implementation, identification, awareness and accessibility of various schemes which should be plugged in a timely manner.
• Benefits like maternity allowances, accident relief, natural death compensation, education support for children for higher studies, pension during any crisis should be provided to them.

Source:IE

Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY SEHAT: J&K

Why in News

Recently the Prime Minister has launched the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) Social Endeavour for Health and Telemedicine (SEHAT) scheme via video-conferencing to extend health insurance coverage to all residents of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

Key Points

• AB-PMJAY SEHAT Scheme:
  
  • The Scheme provides free of cost insurance cover. It provides financial cover upto Rs. 5 lakh per family on a floater basis to all residents of the UT of J&K.
    • Floater basis, means that it can be used by one or all members of the family. The whole family is insured under one plan.
  • The scheme would work in convergence with Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY).
• Benefits:
  
  • Full coverage to residents of J&K:
    
    • At present, about 6 lakh families of the UT are getting the benefit of the Ayushman Bharat Scheme. After the health plan, all 21 lakh families will get the same benefit.
  • Portability of treatment:
    
    • Treatment will not be limited to government and private hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir only. Rather, various hospitals are connected under this scheme in the country.
    • The hospitals empanelled under PM-AY scheme shall provide services under this scheme as well.
  • Universal Health Coverage:
    
    • The scheme will ensure Universal Health Coverage and focus on providing financial risk protection and ensuring quality and affordable essential health services to all individuals and communities.
      
      • Universal Health Coverage (UHC) includes the full spectrum of essential, quality health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care.
      • UHC enables everyone to access the services, protecting people from the financial consequences of paying for health services out of their own pockets and reducing the risk that people will be pushed to poverty.
• Ayushman Bharat PMJAY Yojana:
  
  • The PMJAY, world’s largest health insurance/assurance scheme fully financed by the government, provides a cover of Rs. 5,00,000 per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation across public and private empanelled hospitals in India.
  • Pre-hospitalisation and Post-hospitalisation expenses such as diagnostics and medicines are also included in the scheme.

Source:PIB

Eminent Dance Scholar Sunil Kothari Passes Away

Why in News

Recently, eminent dance scholar and critic Sunil Kothari passed away at the age of 87.

Key Points

• He was conferred with the fourth highest civilian award, Padma Shri, in 2001.
• He authored 20 books on Indian classical dances and wrote extensively on Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Manipuri dance forms.
  
  • His scholarly work, “Sattriya: Classical Dance of Assam”, helped in creating a better understanding of the dance form in the national and global circuit.
  • His other notable contributions include New Directions in Indian Dance and Kuchipudi Indian Classical Dance Art.
• He was elected as a Fellow of Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Indian Classical Dances

• The Indian classical dances have two basic aspects:
  
  • Tandava (movement and rhythm) and Lasya (grace, bhava and rasa).
• The three main components of them are:
  
  • Natya: the dramatic element of the dance i.e. the imitation of characters.
  • Nritta: the dance movements in their basic form.
  • Nritya: expressional component i.e. mudras or gestures.
• The nine rasas are: Love, Heroism, Pathos, Humour, Anger, Fear, Disgust, Wonder and Peace.
• The Natya Shastra written by Bharat Muni is the most prominent source for the Indian aestheticians for establishing the characteristics of the dances.
• There are 8 classical dances in India:
  
  • Bharatnatyam (Tamil Nadu)
  • Kathak (North India)
  • Kathakali (Kerala)
  • Mohiniyattam (Kerala)
  • Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh)
  • Odissi (Odisha)
  • Sattriya (Assam)
  • Manipuri (Manipur)
• Contemporary classical dance forms have evolved out of the musical play or sangeet-nataka performed from the 12^th century to the 19^th century.

Sangeet Natak Akademi

• It is India's national academy for music, dance and drama.
• It was created by a resolution of the Ministry of Education (formerly the Ministry of Human Resource Development), Government of India, in 1952 with Dr P V Rajamannar as its first Chairman.
• It is presently an autonomous body of the Ministry of Culture and is fully funded by the Government for implementation of its schemes and programmes.
• The Akademi establishes and looks after institutions and projects of national importance in the field of the performing arts. Few important ones are:
  
  • National School of Drama, New Delhi (set up in 1959).
  • Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy, Imphal (set up in 1954).
  • Kathak Kendra (National Institute of Kathak Dance), New Delhi (set up in 1964).
  • National Projects of Support to Kutiyattam (Sanskrit theatre of Kerala), Chhau dances of eastern India, Sattriya traditions of Assam, etc.

Source: TH