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29th, August, 2022

 

Topic: NCRB report: Punjab’s suicide rate below national average

 

Importance: Punjab PCS Prelims and Mains

Punjab PCS Prelims: Polity (Current Events)
Punjab PCS Mains:
  • Paper 4: General Aptitude I: Topic: Society
  • Paper 7: General Aptitude IV: Topic: Situations in Civil Service -Problem Solving and Decision Making

 

What is the news?

  • Suicides in Punjab decreased by about half a per cent in 2021.

What is the national average?

  • National average of 12 suicides per lakh population.

 

What is the status in Punjab?

  • Punjab reported only 8.1 suicides per lakh population.

 

Challenges:

  • Punjab figures on top in the country in the share of deaths (1,164) in the category of illness and family problems.
  • The state, figures second in the country in deaths due to illicit/spurious liquor.

 

Who shared this report?

  • This was revealed in a report on accident and suicide deaths by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

 

About National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) :

  • NCRB was set-up in 1986 to function as a repository of information on crime and criminals so as to assist the investigators in linking crime to the perpetrators based on the recommendations of the Tandon Committee, National Police Commission (1977-1981) and the MHA’s Task force (1985).
  • It functions under the Union Home Ministry. Apart from publishing annual reports, its functions include “Collection, coordination and exchange of information on inter-state and international criminals to the respective states”.
  • NCRB also acts as a “national warehouse” for the fingerprint records of Indian and foreign criminals, and assists in locating interstate criminals through fingerprint search.

 

How does the NCRB collect information for its report?

  • The NCRB report contains data received from the 36 states and Union Territories across the country. Similar data is furnished for 53 metropolitan cities, or those having a population of more than 10 lakh as per the 2011 census, by respective state-level crime records bureaus.
  • This information is entered by state/UT police at the police station/ district level, and is then validated further at the district level, then the state level, and finally by the NCRB.
(News Source: The Tribune & Indian Express)

 

 

Topic: Person in news & Geography

 

Importance: Punjab PCS Prelims and Mains

Punjab PCS Prelims: Geography (Current Events)
Punjab PCS Mains:
  • Paper 4: General Aptitude I: Section 2: Topic: Geography: World’s physical geography

 

What is the news?

  • A senior Punjab Police official unfurled India’s Tricolour on the top of the world’s tallest free standing mountain and the highest mountain of African continent in Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro at the height of 5,895 metres, the High Commissioner of India in Tanzania announced.

About Mount Kilimanjaro:

  • Located in Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s tallest mountain at about 5,895 meters (19,340 feet).
  • It is the largest freestanding mountain rise in the world.

 

What does it mean?

  • Meaning it is not part of a mountain range.

 

  • Also called a stratovolcano (a term for a very large volcano made of ash, lava, and rock), Kilimanjaro is made up of three cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira.
  • Kibo is the summit of the mountain and the tallest of the three volcanic formations.
  • While Mawenzi and Shira are extinct, Kibo is dormant and could possibly erupt again. Scientists estimate that the last time it erupted was 360,000 years ago. The highest point on Kibo’s crater rim is called Uhuru, the Swahili word for “freedom.”
  • The mountain is also known for its snow-capped peak; however, scientists warn that the snow might disappear within the next 20 years or so.
(News Source: The Tribune)

 

 

 

Topic: Sports

 

Importance: Punjab PCS Prelims and Mains

Punjab PCS Prelims: Society and Culture (Performing Arts)

 

What is the news?

  • A national gold medal with 30 per cent of vision, and daughters of daily-wagers were part of the 22-member “gatka” team that performed in front of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during the inaugural ceremony of “Khedan Vatan Punjab Dean” .

About Gatka:

  • Gatka is a style of stick fighting between two or more practitioners, with wooden sticks (called Soti) intended to simulate swords. It was one of basic technique of self-defence for Sikh warriors during the martial period of great Sikh Gurus.
  • It is primarily used as self-defence and practiced by the Gatkabaaz before opting for usage of sword/Kirpan.
  • In Gatka game, the ‘Stick’ and ‘Farri’ are used to substitute the sword and shield respectively for practice and safety purposes. When one exponent attacks, the opponent blocks it and then counter-attacks the player. It entails a sequence of maneuvers involving a pattern of footwork coupled with offensive and defensive skills.
  • The present form further perfected into a sport in the late 19th century, which is performed and played in two sub-styles called Virasat (traditional) and Khed (sport) respectively since 1920.
  • The word ‘Gatka’ is of Indian origin. The martial art, in which Gatka is used as a weapon for self-defence, is called Gatkabaazi or Gatkebaazi.
  • Because the main equipment (weapon) used in this martial art is Gatka (Soti), so people often call this martial art Gatka itself, instead of Gatkabaazi or Gatkebaazi. Now, it is very common to use word Gatka for all sports and traditional martial arts.

 

History and Origin of Gatka:

  • Gatka is a Punjabi word which literally translates to wooden sticks, which are used instead of swords. Having been passed down generations and preserved in Sikh history, Gatka uses the sword as the main weapon, amongst others.
  • It is associated with the Sikh history and an integral part of the vast arena of Sikh Shastar Vidiya (skills to use weapons). The sixth Guru, Sri Guru Hargobind Ji had promoted the flamboyant techniques of Shastar Vidiya, (Sikh Martial Art), among the Sikhs who passed on these skills through generations.
  • The tenth Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji was known as the greatest master of weaponry of his time.
  • Sri Guru Har Gobind Singh Ji used to carry 2 swords- Miri and Piri, which stood for strength and spirituality, respectively. It is a form that can only be used to defend yourself and others only when all other means have failed.
  • The people who play it are called Nihangs, or armed Sikh warrior. During the 16th & 17th century, Gatka was extensively used by Sikh warriors to defend themselves from Mughals and their atrocities. Guru Gobind Singh Ji is known as the greatest Gatka warrior of all times.

 

Modern-day Gatka Practice:

  • The Gatka performance that we see today was developed in the early 19th century. It has been divided into the traditional (Rasmi) and sports (Khel) style. As a sport, formal rules were drafted in 1936. Interestingly enough, Punjab University, Patiala is the only place which offers a 1-year diploma course in mastering this art form. 75% of the total fee, which is Rs. 25,000 Is sponsored by the NGO ‘Sarbat da Bhala’ and the student only has to pay the remaining 25% of the fee.
  • Gatka is an integral and entertaining part of the many Sikh festival, processions, and Gurdwaras, especially post its revival and formalised by the International Gatka Federation in 1987. Today, it is a proper sport which finds itself being played at the national level, courtesy of the Gatka Federation of India which was formed in 2008. It is a mark of the preservation and propelling of a dying yet a fine form of martial arts from the medieval times, encasing, upholding and safeguarding our rich culture and history.
  • The Punjab government has now officially recognized Gatka as a sport in its policy,and the players enjoy the 3% quota during admissions, as do the players of other sports.
(Source: the tribune,holodify & gatkaa)

 

 

Topic: Environment 

 

Importance: Punjab PCS Prelims and Mains

Punjab PCS Prelims: Environment

Punjab PCS Mains:

  • Paper &: General Aptitude IV: Topic from Section-2: Environment

 

What is the news?

  • The Punjab’s efforts to protect and conserve threatened Indus river dolphin has got the much-needed boost, as the aquatic mammal has been included in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

 

Background:

  • The Department of Forest and Wildlife Preservation had been pushing the case of Indus river dolphin, which was discovered in Harike and the lower Beas river system in 2007. Earlier, it was believed that Indus River Dolphin had become extinct in India, for it was not sighted for a long period.

 

About Indus river dolphin:

  • Indus river dolphin (platanista gangetica minor) was thought to be a subspecies of Ganges dolphin (platanista gangetica gangetica). However, recent scientific studies have established that Indus river dolphin is a separate species with the name “platanista minor”.
  • Dolphin specialist Gill Braulik had, in March 2021, established that Indus dolphin was a separate species.

 

Comprehensive survey:

  • A comprehensive survey and population estimation carried out by the department in partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF India) put the number of dolphins at seven to nine.
  • Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) RK Mishra said:
  • The small number of dolphin population makes it even more important to protect and conserve the species. Its inclusion in the Schedule I has given legal protection to conservation efforts.
  • In the past, the department had carried out various activities, including surveys involving locals for generating awareness. Besides, it appointed “Beas Mitras” and declared Indus dolphin as the state aquatic animal of Punjab in 2019.

 

The salient features of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 are as follows:

1. Prohibition of hunting: It prevents hunting of any animal specified that is in Schedules I, II, III and IV of the act. There is however one exception, i.e. any wild animal listed in the above-stated schedules can only be killed if permission from the Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) of the state is granted. This permission is granted only when;
i) The wild animal becomes too dangerous for humans or;
ii) is disabled or suffering from a disease from which it cannot recover.

2. Prohibition of Cutting/Uprooting Certain Plants: It does not permit the uprooting, damaging, possessing or selling of any specified plant from any forest land or any protected area. As an exception, the CWLW, however, may allow the uprooting and collection of certain plants for educational or research purposes.

3. Declaring and Protecting Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks: The Central Government can declare any given area as a Wildlife Sanctuary, provided the area is of adequate significance in terms of ecology, fauna, flora, geomorphology etc. The government also appoints a Collector to administer the area that the government has declared as a Sanctuary.

4. The Wildlife Protection Act also provides for the constitution of bodies to be set up under this act. For example, the National and State Board for Wildlife, Central Zoo Authority, National Tiger Conservation Authority etc.

5. Government Property: The wild animals that are hunted, animal articles or meat of a wild animal etc. are considered to be the property of the Central Government.

6. It provides legal powers to officers to punish the offenders.

7. It provides trade and commerce in some wildlife species within a license for sale, possession, transfer etc,

8. It imposes a ban on trade and commerce in scheduled animals.

Note: Some Government bodies that have been established under this Act are;

i) NBWL – National Board of Wildlife serves as the apex body for reviewing wildlife-related matters.
ii) Standing Committee of NBWL – It is chaired by the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and approves or restricts projects within protected wildlife areas.
iii) SBWL – State Board of Wildlife is the apex body at the state level.

(News Source: The Tribune)