Governance through Cultural Gatherings

• 14 Oct 2019

SARAS Aajeevika Mela: It is a programme to transform rural India in general and the lives of rural women in particular.

• It is an initiative by the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) under the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), with an objective to bring the rural women Self Help Groups (SHGs) under one platform so that they can showcase their skills, sell their products, and help them build linkages with bulk buyers.
  
  • Through participation in SARAS Aajeevika Mela, these rural SHG women will get vital national level exposure to understand the demand and taste of urban customers.
  • Varied range of products like handicrafts, handlooms, and natural food products will be displayed.
• The Mela acts as an integrated approach towards women empowerment.

Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav

• The Ministry of Culture is organizing the 10^th edition of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav under the Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat initiative in Madhya Pradesh from 14^th to 21^st October 2019.
• The idea to organize such Mahotsav was conceived in the year 2015 by the Ministry of Culture with an intention to exhibit the rich cultural heritage of the country in all its rich and varied dimensions namely, Handicrafts, Cuisine, Painting, Sculpture and Performing Arts- Folk, Tribal, Classical and Contemporary- all at one place.
• The Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav will reconnect the people (especially the youth) with their indigenous culture, its multi-faceted nature, magnificence, and historical importance in the context of ‘India as a Nation’ over the millennia.

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat

• It was launched in 2015 to promote engagement amongst the people of different States/UTs so as to enhance mutual understanding and bonding between people of diverse cultures, thereby securing stronger unity and integrity of India.
• It is an initiative of the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
• The broad objectives of the initiative are as follows:
  
  • To CELEBRATE the Unity in Diversity of our nation and to maintain and strengthen the fabric of traditionally existing emotional bonds between the people,
  • To PROMOTE the spirit of national integration through a deep and structured engagement between all Indian states and Union Territories through a year-long planned engagement between states,
  • To SHOWCASE the rich heritage and culture, customs and traditions of different states for enabling people to understand and appreciate the diversity that is India, thus fostering a sense of common identity,
  • TO ESTABLISH long-term engagements, and
  • TO CREATE an environment which promotes learning between states by sharing best practices and experiences.

Source: PIB