CURRENT AFFAIRS 2019 – 2020 for KAS MAINS facebook.com/kasmentor www.kasmentor.com 9061474766 / 9061484877 MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS Paper I A. History A.1 Ancient and Medieval Period A.1.1 Salient features and major landmarks of ancient and medieval India. Megalithic Culture in Pothamala Hills o New menhirs were found on the Pothamala hills on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. o Pothamala hills houses hundreds of cobbled stone structures, pointing to the existence of a structured graveyard of a prehistoric civilisation dating back around 3,000 years. o These menhirs are the largest-ever recorded Menhirs in Kerala. o Menhirs are monolithic slabs that are erected above the ground and may be small or gigantic in height. o Menhirs are endemic to certain regions only and are a feature of megalithic culture. A.2.2 India – Struggle for independence; A.2.4 India after Independence, Post independent consolidation and reorganisation; A.2.5 Independent India and her neighbours. Indian Union Muslim League(IUML) o Context: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Aditynath recently equated the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) with the pre-partition Muslim League. o It was a political party established in 1906 in the British Indian Empire. Its strong advocacy for the establishment of a separate Muslim-majority nation-state, Pakistan, successfully led to the partition of British India in 1947 by the British Empire. facebook.com/kasmentor www.kasmentor.com 9061474766 / 9061484877 o Soon after Partition, the All India Muslim League, which had led the movement for Pakistan, was disbanded. Over the next few months, the party of Mohammed Ali Jinnah was succeeded by the Muslim League in West Pakistan and The All Pakistan Awami Muslim League in East Pakistan. o In East Pakistan, the Awami Muslim League championed the cause of Bengali nationalism, and sought to chart a course independent from Punjabi-dominated West Pakistan. Under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, East Pakistan ultimately broke free from the West. o In independent India, the All India Muslim League was succeeded by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). o The IUML fought elections under the Constitution of India, and has always had a constant, if small, presence in Lok Sabha. o The IUML is the strongest in Kerala, and has a unit in Tamil Nadu as well. It has long been recognised by the Election Commission of India as a state party in Kerala. A.3 Kerala History Kerala History Congress o The meet will deliberate on a multitude of multi-disciplinary human interactions and encompass technical sessions on subjects including film and media, art, architecture, literature, historiography, archaeology, anthropology, and higher education. o Objectives: . Promotion and encouragement of the scientific study of Kerala History; . Holding Congresses and publishing the Proceedings, Bulletins, Memoirs, Journals and other works; . Encouragement to Local history, Oral history, Family history etc; . The management and disposal of funds, property and endowments for the purposes stated above; . Performance of all other acts conducive to the fulfillment of the objectives of the Congress; . Co-operation with other organizations in India and abroad holding similar objectives. facebook.com/kasmentor www.kasmentor.com 9061474766 / 9061484877 B. Cultural Heritage of Kerala B.1.Cultural Heritage of Kerala Art Forms, literature, sculpture, architecture, salient features of society The Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) o Kerala Literature Festival (KLF), found in 2016, is an annual literary festival held in Kozhikode. o Organised by DC Kizhakemuri Foundation (DCKF). o The four-day festival includes debates and discussions, cultural activities, cartoon and painting exhibitions, mini film fests and cookery show. Epiphany festival o The Epiphany festival was celebrated in parts of India, such as Goa and Kerala. o In Goa, the celebration is known by its Portuguese name ‘Festa dos Reis’, and in parts of Kerala by its Syriac name ‘Denha’. o Epiphany is among the three oldest and major festival days in Christianity, the two others being Christmas and Easter. o It is celebrated on January 6 by a number of Christian sects, including Roman Catholics, and on January 19 by some Eastern Orthodox churches. o Epiphany is a feast day, or a day of commemoration, which in Christianity marks the visit of the Magi (meaning the Three Wise Men or Three Kings) to the Infant Jesus. Different harvest festivals in India. o Vaisakhi- Celebrated by Sikhs. o Vishu- Kerala. o Rongali Bihu- Assam. o Naba Barsha- Bengal. o Puthandu Pirappu- Tamil Nadu. PettaThullal o The ritualistic sacred dance to celebrate the victory of good over evil in the legend of Lord Ayyappa who killed the demon princess Mahishi, which denotes the beginning of the last leg of the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage season. facebook.com/kasmentor www.kasmentor.com 9061474766 / 9061484877 o A study by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) has pointed to the presence of hazardous metals, including lead, arsenic, and cadmium, in this powder. o Plans are afoot to promote organic varieties of the brightly coloured powder as an alternative to chemical powder. Champions Boat League (CBL) o The Champions Boat League (CBL) has been conceived by tourism officials in Kerala on the model of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to transform the state’s legendary and historically-significant ‘vallamkali’ (snake boat races) into a world-class sporting event. o Snake boat races owe their origins as far back as the 13th century when princely kingdoms, located in present-day Alappuzha along the backwaters, would have raging battles in the water. o These battles used to be fought on the snake boats especially constructed for the purpose. Chamayam 2020’ - Cultural fete of transgender persons on Friday o ‘Chamayam 2020’ is the annual cultural fiesta of the transgender community at Kozhikode. o Organised by ‘Punarjani Cultural Society’, an organisation for the welfare of the community. o Kerala was the first issued a Transgender Policy in 2015 following Supreme Court rule on National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India Case in 2014. o ‘State Policy for Transgenders in Kerala 2015’, ensures transgender personalities equal access to social and economic opportunities, resources and services, right to equal treatment under the law, right to live life without violence and equitable right in all decision making bodies. Tirur Betel o The Geographical Indication (GI) under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has recently registered 4 new GIs. Palani Panchamirtham, an abishega Prasadam, is one of the main offerings for the presiding deity of Arulmigu Dhandayuthapaniswamy Temple, situated in palani Hills in Dindigul District of Tamil Nadu. facebook.com/kasmentor www.kasmentor.com 9061474766 / 9061484877 . Tawlhlohpuan is a medium to heavy, compactly woven, good quality fabric from Mizoram. Mizo Puanchei is a colourful Mizo shawl/textile, from Mizoram. Tirur betel mainly cultivated in Malappuram District of Kerala, is valued both for its mild stimulant action and medicinal properties. Even though it is commonly used for making pan masala for chewing, it has many medicinal, industrial and cultural usages. Gadhika Folk Art Fair and Product Exhibition o It is jointly organised by the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Tribes Development Department and the Kerala Institute for Research Training and Development Studies (KIRTADS).. o The Gadhika Mela is organised with the aim of displaying and marketing handicrafts and promoting the unique crafts of the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Tribes. o Gadhika is an art from practised among the Adiya community of Wayanad district. Dr Kalam Smriti International Excellence Award 2019 o Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been conferred the Dr Kalam Smriti International Excellence Award 2019 for her vision of a peaceful and prosperous South Asia and her contribution to fostering cooperation between India and Bangladesh. o The award has been instituted in the memory of former Indian President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. o Earlier, the Presidents of the Maldives, Ghana and Mauritius had received the award since its introduction in 2015. o The award is presented by Dale View, a non-governmental organisation registered under the Charitable Societies Act. It was created in 1978 in Kerala to bring about socio-economic development to rural areas through education. o The award is given every year to honour statesmen or leaders who have shown excellence in their fields to achieve the best for their countries. facebook.com/kasmentor www.kasmentor.com 9061474766 / 9061484877 India international seafood show (IISS) o The 22nd edition of India international seafood show (IISS) will be held in Kochi, Kerala from 7 to 9 February 2020. o It is a biennial show organized by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) in association with the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI). 9th Sargaalaya International Art and Craft Festival (SIACF) o The annual Sargaalaya International Arts & Crafts Festival is held at Sargaalaya Crafts Village, Iringal, Kozhikode District from December 20 to January 5. o Sargaalaya is an arts and crafts village in Iringal, Kozhikode district, Kerala, India. It was established in 2011 by The Kerala Tourism Department. o The Kerala State Tourism award function is also held at the crafts village. o Sargaalaya has over 60 stalls selling various ethnic crafts and it also houses The Crafts Design and Technology