Madhya Pradesh

• 10 Mar 2025

Bhimbetka

Why in News? 

Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission, along with his members, visited the UNESCO World Heritage Site Bhimbetka. During the visit, he closely examined the state's historical heritage and India's rich cultural legacy, appreciating its grandeur. 

 Key Points 

• About the Visit: 
  • He observed the artistic and historical significance of the themes of the Bhimbetka rock paintings (mass dance, hunting, war, etc.) and the mineral colours used in them (ochre, red, white). 
  • The Commission was also informed about the proposed 'Rock Art Eco Park Museum’. 
• Bhimbetka: 
  • Location:  
    • It is situated south of Bhopal in the Vindhya mountain range of Madhya Pradesh , where there are rock shelters with more than 500 rock paintings. 
    • Bhimbetka caves were discovered by V.S. Wakankar in the year 1957-58. 
    • It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 2003 . 
  • Time period:  
    • The oldest paintings are estimated to be 30,000 years old and are still preserved due to their location inside caves. 
    • The paintings of Bhimbetka date back to the Upper Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Chalcolithic, Early Historic and Medieval periods . 
    • However most of the paintings are from the Mesolithic era. 
  • Painting Technique:  
    • It uses various colours obtained from natural resources like red ochre, purple, brown, white, yellow and green etc. 
  • Themes of the paintings:  
    • Everyday life of prehistoric men is often depicted in stick-like human figures. 
    • Various animals such as elephants, bison, deer, peacocks and snakes are depicted. 
    • Hunting scenes and battle scenes with men at arms. 
    • Simple geometric designs and symbols. 

 Finance Commission  

• Introduction 
• About: 
  • The Finance Commission is a constitutional body , constituted under Article 280 of the Constitution. 
  • Its main objective is to ensure equitable allocation of revenue resources between the Union and the States . 
  • It is a quasi-judicial body , which provides fair and balanced recommendations in financial matters. 
• Constitution and tenure: 
  • The Finance Commission is constituted by the President every five years or mid-term as required . 
  • The Commission works to maintain fiscal balance and strengthen cooperative federalism. 
  • Its recommendations are helpful in establishing financial coordination at all levels of government . 
• Historical perspective: 
  • The first Finance Commission was constituted in 1951 . 
  • Till now 15 Finance Commissions have been constituted and currently the 16th Finance Commission is functioning. 

National Lok Adalat

Why in News?  

On 8 March 2025, the State Legal Services Authority ordered the organization of the National Lok Adalat in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. 

Key Points  

• About the issue: 
  • In this National Lok Adalat, an opportunity was provided to settle the pending cases of power theft and irregularities under Section 135 of the Electricity Act 2003 through  mutual agreement . 
  • The Energy Minister appealed to the consumers to contact the concerned electricity office to avoid legal action and avail the rebate . 
• Scope and eligibility
  • Low pressure category domestic , agricultural, non-domestic up to 5 kilowatt and industrial consumers up to 10 horse power will come under this scheme. 
  • Only those consumers who are involved in electricity theft/unauthorized use for the first time will get the exemption. 
  • Consumers who have already received relief from Lok Adalat/Court will not get relief again. 
  • No rebate will be given on the outstanding amount of normal electricity bills . 

Lok Adalat 

• Introduction: 
• The term 'Lok Adalat' means 'People's Court' and is based on Gandhian principles. 
• According to the Supreme Court , this is an old form of adjudication system prevalent in ancient India and continues to be valid even today. 
• It is one of the components of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) system which provides informal, inexpensive and speedy justice to the common people. 
• The first Lok Adalat camp was organized in the year 1982 in Gujarat as a voluntary and conciliation agency for decisions without any statutory backing. 
• In view of its growing popularity over time , it was given statutory status under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. This Act makes provisions for the organisation and functioning of Lok Adalats.