UPSC Daily Current Affairs| Prelim Bits 10-01-2025

Evolution of the Tabla

Why in News?                                  

Recently, the death of Ustad Zakir Hussain provided an occasion for the reopening of debates among the origins and evolution of the tabla.

• Word ‘tabla’ – It comes from the Arabic word ‘tabl’ which means Drum.
• Origin – While some trace its origin to Persian Naqarra, Hussain traced the origin story of the tabla through the evolution of the styles of dhrupad and khayal.

Dhrupad, a form of Indian Classical music, its origin can be traced back to the chanting of vedic hymns and mantras. It is a form of the Gandharva Veda, the Vedic science of music, which is a branch of Sama Veda.

• The most common disagreement concerns whether or not the tabla originated in pre-Islamic India.

• Evolution – The classical tabla is a relatively recent tradition, most likely beginning sometime in the 1700s.
• It became the main accompaniment instrument for the vocal style known as khyal which helped to raise tabla’s status and popularity.

Amir Khusrau was patronised by Sultan Alauddin Khalji (1296-1316) of Delhi.

• Major developments – It took place during the reign of Emperor Muhammad Shah of Delhi (1719-1748), whose court host the launch of the sitar and maturation of khayal vocalism.

Muhammad Shah was an aesthete, and a great patron of music and the other arts, because of which he was referred to as “Rangeela”, the Colourful.

• Tabla gharanas - they are different from vocal and other instrumental gharanas and rest on 3 broad principles
  • The technique.
  • The style of composition - Language/ construction/ phraseology of the tabla syllable in various compositions.
  • The individual philosophy of the great masters of each school.
• 6 gharanas of tabla – They are known by the places where they evolved.
  • Punjab, Purab (also known as the Banaras gharana), Delhi, Ajrara, Lucknow and Farrukhabad.
• Baaj (playing style) –It is more pakhawaj-based for the 1^st 2 gharanas.
• Purab’s crisp and clear sounds are very well suited to Kathak.
• Punjab gharana – A mathematical approach, with difficult divisions of beats, is preferred.
• It had offshoots or sub-gharanas such as Talwandi and Naiwala.

Reference

The Indian Express| Evolution of the Tabla and its Various Gharanas

Multi-taxon Global Freshwater Fauna Assessment

Why in News?

The recently published study of multi-taxon global freshwater fauna assessment has identified Western Ghats as a hotspot of threatened freshwater species.

• Study by – IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).
• Global assessment – It evaluates the extinction risk and conservation status for diverse freshwater fauna groups.
• It is the 1^st ever multi-taxon global freshwater fauna assessment for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
• It is a comprehensive assessments involving contributions from more than 1,000 species experts over 20 years.
• It underscores the historical underappreciation of freshwater ecosystems in global environmental governance
• Coverage – 23,496 Decapod crustaceans, Fishes and Odonates.
• Findings – It revealed that a staggering 1/4^th of the freshwater fauna are threatened with extinction, and a record of 89 confirmed and 187 suspected extinctions since 1500 AD.
• Hotspots of Threatened Freshwater Species
  • Lake Victoria - Kenya, Tanzania & Uganda.
  • Lake Titicaca - Bolivia & Peru.
  • Wet Zone - Sri Lanka.
  • Western Ghats - India.
• Threat in Western Ghats – It harbours over 300 freshwater fish species of which more than 1/3^rd face extinction.

Western Ghats is the only region in Asia with 2 endemic families of freshwater fishes which are exclusively found in groundwater and subterranean systems.

The iconic Humpbacked mahseer, a critically endangered megafish that can grow up to weigh 60 kg, was found in Western ghats.

• Among Indian States, Kerala has the highest number of threatened freshwater fishes, with 74 of its 188 fish species for which Red List assessments are available categorized as threatened.

Periyar River stands out as a critical conservation priority due to its high concentration of endemic and threatened freshwater fish species.

Climate change and severe weather events pose a substantial risk, impacting nearly 1/5^th of threatened freshwater species.

Reference

The Hindu| 1^st Multi-taxon Global Freshwater Fauna Assessment

EmpowHER Biz (Sapno Ki Udaan)

Why in News?

Recently, the EmpowHER Biz – Sapno Ki Udaan was launched to boost women entrepreneurship in retail.

• Launched by – Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) of NITI Aayog in partnership with New Shop (India’s largest 24/7 convenience retail chain) under its Award to Reward (ATR) program.

New Shop operates a network of over 200 round-the-clock convenience retail stores which are currently present in 35 cities across 18 states. It is committed to empowering over 10,000 entrepreneurs in India by 2030 as it continues to grow its footprint nationwide through a franchising model.

• Launched for – Women from Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
• Aim – To empower women entrepreneurs by equipping them with the skills and resources needed to succeed in the organized retail sector.        
• To create a robust retail ecosystem that empowers women entrepreneurs and drives sustainable growth in the sector.
• Role – It will offer mentorship and comprehensive training.
  • It will cover retail management, digital tools, financial literacy and business development to aspiring women entrepreneurs.
• It also provides for financial support, or the opportunity to join the New Shop franchising ecosystem
• Selection – 50 participants aged 18–35 selected, will be selected through an online application process based on specific criteria.
• Top 20 participants receive a 100% waiver on New Shop franchise fees.

Reference

PIB| Launch of EmpowHER Biz – Sapno Ki Udaan

Z-Morh Tunnel

Why in News?

The Z-Morh tunnel is to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister on January 13, 2025 that was started in 2018.

• Z-Morh tunnel – It is named after the Z-shaped stretch of road that the tunnel has replaced (Z-Morh translates to “Z-turn” in English)
• Aim – To provide all-weather connectivity to the Sonamarg tourist town.
• Location - Between Gagangir and Sonamarg in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Construction – It is built under the Mountain glacier of Thajiwas Glacier between Gagangir and Sonamarg.
• Need - At present, the Gagangir-Sonamarg stretch of the road gets blocked by heavy snowfall and avalanches that hit the area every year.
• Features – It is a 6.5 km long 2-lane road tunnel and the main tunnel is 10.8 metres long, with a modified
  • Horseshoe shaped tunnel – 7.5 metres.
  • D-shaped ventilation tunnel – 8.3 metres.
• Advantage - It takes only 15 minutes to travel the 6.5 km long tunnel compared to hours over the zig-zag road up and down the hills.
• Significance - It is to become the 1^st strategic corridor between Kashmir and Ladakh.
• It will also enhance military logistics and boost tourism and the economy.
• It will help the employment of local youth and boost tourism and allied activities in the area.

Z-Morh Tunnel together with the adjacent Zoji-La Tunnel, on the Srinagar-Leh Highway will provide year-round weather-proof connectivity to Baltal (Amarnath cave), Kargil and other places in the Ladakh region.

Zojila Tunnel, which is under construction will be the longest tunnel in Asia, which cut through the Himalayan range at Zojila Pass to reach the Kargil district in Ladakh.

Reference

The Hindu| Z-Morh Tunnel for Winter Tourism