Puppetry of India

• In Sanskrit terminology, Puttalika and Puttika mean ‘little sons’. The root of Puppet is derived from the Latin word ‘Pupa’ meaning a doll.
• India is said to be the home of puppets, but it is yet to awaken to its unlimited possibilities.
• The earliest reference to the art of puppetry is found in Tamil classic ‘Silappadikaaram’ written around the 1st or 2nd century B.C.
• Natyashastra does not refer to the art of puppetry but the producer-cum-director of the human theatre has been termed as ‘Sutradhar’ meaning the holder of strings.

Types of Puppetry in India

A. String Puppets

• India has a rich and ancient tradition of string puppets or marionettes. Marionettes having jointed limbs controlled by strings allow far greater flexibility and are, therefore, the most articulate of the puppets.
• Rajasthan, Orissa, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are some of the regions where this form of puppetry has flourished.

1. Kathputli, Rajasthan

• The traditional marionettes of Rajasthan are known as Kathputli.
• Carved from a single piece of wood, these puppets are like large dolls that are colourfully dressed.
• Their costumes and headgears are designed in the medieval Rajasthani style of dress, which is prevalent even today.
• The Kathputli is accompanied by a highly dramatised version of the regional music. Oval faces, large eyes, arched eyebrows and large lips are some of the distinct facial features of these string puppets.
• These puppets wear long trailing skirts and do not have legs.
• Puppeteers manipulate them with two to five strings which are normally tied to their fingers and not to a prop or a support.

2. Kundhei, Orissa

• The string puppets of Orissa are known as Kundhei. Made of light wood, the Orissa puppets have no legs but wear long flowing skirts.
• They have more joints and are, therefore, more versatile, articulate and easy to manipulate. The puppeteers often hold a wooden prop, triangular in shape, to which strings are attached for manipulation.
• The costumes of Kundhei resemble those worn by actors of the Jatra traditional theatre. The music is drawn from the popular tunes of the region and is sometimes influenced by the music of Odissi dance.

2. Gombeyatta, Karnataka

• The string puppets of Karnataka are called Gombeyatta. They are styled and designed like the characters of Yakshagana, the traditional theatre form of the region.
• The Gombeyatta puppet figures are highly stylized and have joints at the legs, shoulders, elbows, hips and knees. These puppets are manipulated by five to seven strings tied to a prop.
• Some of the more complicated movements of the puppet are manipulated by two to three puppeteers at a time.
• Episodes enacted in Gombeyatta are usually based on Prasangas of the Yakshagana plays. The music that accompanies is dramatic and beautifully blends folk and classical elements.

3. Bommalattam, Tamil Nadu

• Puppets from Tamil Nadu, known as Bommalattam combine the techniques of both rod and string puppets.
• They are made of wood and the strings for manipulation are tied to an iron ring which the puppeteer wears like a crown on his head.
• A few puppets have jointed arms and hands, which are manipulated by rods. The Bommalattam puppets are the largest, heaviest and the most articulate of all traditional Indian marionettes.
• A puppet may be as big as 4.5 feet in height weighing about ten kilograms.
• Bommalattam theatre has elaborate preliminaries which are divided into four parts - Vinayak Puja, Komali, Amanattam and Pusenkanattam

B. Shadow Puppets

• Shadow puppets are flat figures. They are cut out of leather, which has been treated to make it translucent.
• Shadow puppets are pressed against the screen with a strong source of light behind it.
• The manipulation between the light and the screen make silhouettes or colourful shadows, as the case may be, for the viewers who sit in front of the screen.
• This tradition of shadow puppets survives in Orissa. Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

1. Togalu Gombeyatta, Karnataka

• The shadow theatre of Karnataka is known as Togalu Gombeyatta. These puppets are mostly small in size.
• The puppets however differ in size according to their social status, for instance, large size for kings and religious characters and smaller size for common people or servants.

2. Tholu Bommalata, Andhra Pradesh

• Tholu Bommalata, Andhra Pradesh's shadow theatre has the richest and strongest tradition. The puppets are large in size and have jointed waist, shoulders, elbows and knees.
• They are coloured on both sides. Hence, these puppets throw coloured shadows on the screen.
• The music is dominantly influenced by the classical music of the region and the theme of the puppet plays are drawn from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas.

3. Ravanachhaya, Orissa

• The most theatrically exciting is the Ravanachhaya of Orissa. The puppets are in one piece and have no joints. They are not coloured, hence throwing opaque shadows on the screen.
• The manipulation requires great dexterity since there are no joints. The puppets are made of deer skin and are conceived in bold dramatic poses.
• Apart from human and animal characters, many props such as trees, mountains, chariots, etc. are also used. Although, Ravanachhaya puppets are smaller in size-the largest not more than two feet have no jointed limbs, they create very sensitive and lyrical shadows.

C. Rod Puppets

Rod puppets are an extension of glove-puppets, but are often much larger and supported and manipulated by rods from below. This form of puppetry now is found mostly in West Bengal and Orissa.

1. Putul Nautch, West Bengal

• The traditional rod puppet form of West Bengal is known as Putul Nautch. They are carved from wood and follow the various artistic styles of a particular region. In the Nadia district of West Bengal, rod puppets used to be of human size like the Bunraku puppets of Japan. This form is now almost extinct.
• The Bengal rod-puppets, which survive are about 3 to 4 feet in height and are costumed like the actors of Jatra, a traditional theatre form prevalent in the State. These puppets have mostly three joints. The heads, supported by the main rod, is joined at the neck and both hands attached to rods are joined at the shoulders.
• The technique of manipulation is interesting and highly theatrical. A bamboo-made hub is tied firmly to the waist of the puppeteer on which the rod holding the puppet is placed. The puppeteers each holding one puppet, stand behind a head-high curtain and while manipulating the rods also move and dance imparting corresponding movements to the puppets.
• While the puppeteers themselves sing and deliver the stylized prose dialogues, a group of musicians, usually three to four in numbers, sitting at the side of the stage provide the accompanying music with a drum, harmonium and cymbals.
• The music and verbal text have close similarity with the Jatra theatre.
• The Orissa Rod puppets are much smaller in size, usually about twelve to eighteen inches. They also have mostly three joints, but the hands are tied to strings instead of rods.
• Thus elements of rod and string puppets are combined in this form of puppetry. The technique of manipulation is somewhat different. The Orissa rod-puppeteers squat on the ground behind a screen and manipulate.
• Again it is more operatic in its verbal contents since impromptu prose dialogues are infrequently used. Most of the dialogues are sung. The music blends folk tunes with classical Odissi tunes. The music begins with a short piece of ritual orchestral preliminary called Stuti and is followed by the play.
• The puppets of Orissa are smaller than those from Bengal or Andhra Pradesh. Rod puppet shows of Orissa are more operatic and prose dialogues are seldom used.

2. Yampuri, Bihar

• The traditional Rod puppet of Bihar is known as Yampuri. These puppets are made of wood.
• Unlike the traditional Rod puppets of West Bengal and Orissa, these puppets are in one piece and have no joints.
• As these puppets have no joints, the manipulation is different from other Rod puppets and requires greater dexterity.

D. Glove Puppets

Glove puppets, are also known as sleeve, hand or palm puppets. The head is made of either papier mache, cloth or wood, with two hands emerging from just below the neck. The rest of the figure consists of a long flowing skirt. These puppets are like limp dolls, but in the hands of an able puppeteer, are capable of producing a wide range of movements. The manipulation technique is simple the movements are controlled by the human hand the first finger inserted in the head and the middle finger and the thumb are the two arms of the puppet. With the help of these three fingers, the glove puppet comes alive.

The tradition of glove puppets in India is popular in Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal and Kerala. In Uttar Pradesh, glove puppet plays usually present social themes, whereas in Orissa such plays are based on stories of Radha and Krishna. In Orissa, the puppeteer plays on the dholak with one hand and manipulates the puppet with the other. The delivery of the dialogues, the movement of the puppet and the beat of the dholak are well synchronised and create a dramatic atmosphere.

1. Pavakoothu, Kerala

• In Kerala, the traditional glove puppet play is called Pavakoothu. It came into existence during the 18th century due to the influence of Kathakali, the famous classical dance-drama of Kerala, on puppet performances. In Pavakoothu, the height of a puppet varies from one foot to two feet. The head and the arms are carved of wood and joined together with thick cloth, cut and stitched into a small bag.
• The face of the puppets are decorated with paints, small and thin pieces of gilded tin, the feathers of the peacock, etc. The manipulator puts his hand into the bag and moves the hands and head of the puppet. The musical instruments used during the performance are Chenda, Chengiloa, Ilathalam andShankhathe conch. The theme for Glove puppet plays in Kerala is based on the episodes from either the Ramayana or the Mahabharata.

UNEP report on CO2 Emissions

In its recent report, UNEP highlighted that CO2 emissions from the building sector are highest in 2019. The building sector emitted more than a third of global energy-related carbon dioxide.

Of the total global emissions, building operations accounted for 28% & construction-related industries (cement, glass, etc) accounted for 10%. The use of fossil fuels for power generation & carbon-intensive electricity sector contributed to the increased CO2 emissions.

Steps were taken by the Indian government for green buildings:

1. The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) was formed by the Confederation of Indian Industry in 2001.

• It is the first rating program exclusively for the residential sector.
• It is India's premier body for green building certification and related services.
• It aims to create a sustainable building environment & wants India to be a leader in it.

2. Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) is the National Green Building Rating System.

• It is an assessment tool to measure and rate a building’s environmental performance.
• The rating is based on energy consumption, waste generation, renewable energy adoption etc.

3. Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has launched the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC).

• It aims to optimize energy savings & launched a five-star rating scheme.
• Buildings that comply with the provisions are termed as ECBC Compliant Building.

4. Energy Conservation – New Indian Way for Affordable & Sustainable homes (ECO-NIWAS) was launched as an online interactive portal.

• It aims to increase awareness about sustainable building and energy-efficient homes.

5. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) India is another Green Building rating program.
6. The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) plays a very crucial role in developing green building capacities.

Ease of Doing Business Rankings

The ease of doing business index is an index created jointly by Simeon Djankov and Gerhard Pohl, two leading economists at the World Bank Group. The report is released by the World Bank.

Why in news: 2020 data irregularities controversy: Several major newspapers – including the Financial Times, The Economist, and The Wall Street Journal – report that the data of China, Azerbaijan, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia among others were suspected to be “inappropriately altered” in the 2020 Doing Business publication. In light of the data irregularities found in both the 2018 and 2020 reports, the World Bank announced on 27 August 2020 that it would pause the Doing Business publication while it conducts a review of data changes for the last five reports and an internal audit of data integrity.

• In August, the World Bank had decided to pause the publication the report due to irregularities in the data. As per new report, China’s slipped from 85^th rank to 78^th rank.
• The rankings of three other countries - Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Azerbaijan have also changed.
• As per 2020 report, India is placed at 63^rd position among 190 countries, jumped by 14 positions from the previous year position. India’s rank remains unchanged after adjusting irregularities in the data.

About Doing Business project:

It provides objective measures of business regulations and their enforcement across 190 economies and selected cities at the subnational and regional level.

Launched in 2002, looks at domestic small and medium-size companies and measures the regulations applying to them through their life cycle.

Performance of India:

1. India improved its ranking by 23 places to secure 77^th rank in World Bank’s latest 'Ease of Doing Business' report, 2019.
2. India went up 14 rungs in the 2020 survey to score a 63, making it the one of world’s top 10 most improved countries for the third consecutive time.
3. However, India failed to achieve government’s target of being at 50th place. It was 77^th last year.
4. This is the third year in a row that India has made it to the top 10 in Doing Business, which is a success which very few countries have done over the 20 years of the project.

Challenges:

1. India still lags in areas such as enforcing contracts (163rd) and registering property (154th).
2. It takes 58 days and costs on average 7.8% of a property’s value to register it, longer and at greater cost than among OECD high-income economies.
3. It takes 1,445 days for a company to resolve a commercial dispute through a local first-instance court, almost three times the average time in OECD high-income economies.

What helped India improve its ranking?

1. Sustained business reforms over the past several years.
2. India conducted four reforms in the 12-month period to May 1. Among other improvements, India made the process of obtaining a building permit more efficient.
3. Importing and exporting also became easier for companies with the creation of a single electronic platform for trade stakeholders, upgrades to port infrastructure and improvements to electronic submission of documents.

Way forward

• India's rapid growth will offer opportunities for both local and global business and will also create jobs that are the need of the hour due to the rising demographic dividend.
• Better rank in ease of doing business and greater awareness about opportunities in the Indian business sector would attract foreign investors to invest in India and will also bring advanced technologies to the country.
• If India aims to reach a higher rank in the index then there is a lot of work that needs to be done.
• India’s jump in ease of doing business rankings will hopefully be a spur for further reforms, which, if successful, will lead both to a better business environment and greater prosperity for all.

Himalayan trillium

Trillium govanianum- the Himalayan herb is often called Nagchatri in local areas. It is found in temperate and sub-alpine zones of the Himalayas at an altitude from 2,400-4,000 metres above sea level.

• In India, it is found in four states only - Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand.
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has placed Himalayan trillium in “Endangered” category. Its population is expected to decline by at least 50% between 2010 and 2079.

Causes for the decline:

1. Overexploitation.
2. Longer life cycle i.e. slows to reach reproductive maturity.
3. Poor capacity for seed dispersal.
4. Due to its high medicinal quality, it is vulnerable to trading.

It can cure diseases like dysentery, wounds, skin boils, inflammation, sepsis, as well as menstrual and sexual disorders. It can be also used as an anti-cancer and anti-ageing agent.

WCCB wins Asia Environmental Enforcement Award-2020

• The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has received the Asia Environmental Enforcement Award-2020.
• It is awarded by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• WCCB got the award twice in three years.
• It has been awarded this year under the Innovation category.

Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)

• It is a statutory body constituted under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Ministry: Ministry of Environment and Forests.
• Mandate: To combat organized wildlife crime in the country.
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• WCCB has developed an online Wildlife Crime Database Management System to get real-time data to analyse trends in wildlife crimes across India.
• This system has been successfully used for carrying out operations such as Operation Save Kurma, Thunderbird, Wildnet, Lucknow, Birbal, Thunderstorm, Lucknow-II etc resulting in huge seizures of Tiger/Leopard Skin/bones, Rhino Horn, Elephant Ivory etc.

Governing Council of NITI Aayog

• The sixth meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister with following agenda:

1. Making India a Manufacturing Powerhouse
2. Reimagining Agriculture
3. Improving Physical Infrastructure
4. Accelerating Human Resources Development
5. Improving Service Delivery at Grassroots Level
6. Health and Nutrition

• Governing Council is the premier body tasked with evolving a shared vision of national development priorities, sectors and strategies with the active involvement of States in shaping the development narrative.
• It comprises the Prime Minister of India, Chief Ministers of all the States and Union Territories with Legislature, Lt Governors of other UTs, Union Ministers (Ex-Officio Members) and Special Invitees.
• It seeks to foster Cooperative Federalism through structured support initiatives and mechanisms with the States on a continuous basis.
• It seeks to design and assist the implementation of strategic, long-term policy frameworks and programme initiatives while monitoring their progress and efficacy.
• It presents a platform to discuss inter-sectoral, inter-departmental and federal issues to accelerate the implementation of the national development agenda.

Draft Act on Land Titles

Following are the provisions proposed under the draft Act:

• Setting up of State land authority: Under the proposal, each state is to set up a land authority that will have a title registration officer (TRO) who will prepare a title record based on document-based claims from the presumptive owners and any claimants.
• Draft list of presumptive ownership: The authority will then publish a draft list of the presumptive ownership of every plot (on which it has received applications) and invite claims within a given deadline from anyone else with an interest in the property.
• Dispute resolution: The TRO will be free to mention any number of people as owners of a particular plot if satisfied with their documents. If the official cannot come to a decision, he or she might refer the case to the land dispute resolution officer (LDRO), appointed under the land authority.
• Record of titles: A “record of titles” will then be notified. Over the next 3 years, “land titling appellate tribunals”, made up of retired or serving district judges, will hear disputes arising out of the orders passed by the TRO and the LDRO.
• Conclusive title: Once 3 years have passed since the notification, the title will be deemed conclusive, open to challenge only through writ petitions in the higher courts.
• Plots already enmeshed in court cases will remain outside the ambit of the conclusive titling process.