Koodiyaattam is one of the oldest traditional theatre forms of Kerala.
It is based on Sanskrit theatre traditions.
It is the only surviving specimen of the ancient Sanskrit theatre.
It is used to be a combined dance drama conducted by the Chakkiyars, who provided the male cast and the Nangiars, playing the female roles.
Themes are based on Hindu mythology.
It is widely believed that Kulasekhara Varma Cheraman Perumal, an ancient King of Kerala, was the creator of Koodiyattam in the present form.
His book 'Aattaprakaram' is considered as the most authoritative work on the art form till date.
It is officially recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
Pilibhit Tiger Reserve is one of India’s 41 Project Tiger reserve and is located in Uttar Pradesh.
It lies along the India-Nepal border in the foothills of the Himalayas and the plains of the ‘Terai’ in Uttar Pradesh.
River Sharda and River Ghaghara (Tributaries of River Ganga) mark the boundary of the Tiger Reserve.
Social Media Policy
The Election Commission is drafting a social media policy that will allow it to monitor content that transgresses the code of conduct and also checks the misuse of the social media for proxy publicity.
Currently, Election Commission’s media certification and monitoring committee is responsible for checking code of conduct on print and electronic media for advertisements of political nature.
Under the new policy, candidates for all assembly and general elections are required to submit details of their social media pages in their affidavits.
All political advertisements on websites or social media sites are required to secure a pre-certification from the commission.
They also have to submit expenditure incurred on online campaigning, including payments made to websites for carrying advertisements.
TRIFED
Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) is celebrating World Honey Bee Day to create awareness about Beekeeping and uses of its products.
It is a national-level apex organization functioning under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
The objective of TRIFED is socio-economic development of tribal people by undertaking marketing development of the tribal products.
It serves the interest of Tribal people by ensuring better remunerative price for their Minor Forest Produce and tribal art and handicraft products.
It is also engaged in skill up gradation and capacity building to develop the marketing of Minor Forest Produce.
Kala Azar
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar, is the most severe form of leishmaniasis.
Leishmaniasis is caused by the protozoan Leishmania parasites.
It is transmitted to humans through infected sandflies.
It is characterized by irregular bouts of fever, weight loss, enlargement of the spleen and liver, and anaemia.
The parasite migrates to the internal organs such as the liver, spleen, and bone marrow, and, if left untreated, may result in the death.
Mekedatu Project
It is a proposed project by Karnataka involving the construction of a reservoir across the Cauvery River at Mekedatu, located about 110 km from Bengaluru.
It is proposed to have a storage capacity of 66.50 tmc ft and will meet the drinking water needs of Bengaluru.
Tamil Nadu objected the project saying that it would affect the flow of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award, 2007, mandated an annual allocation of 419 tmcft to Tamil Nadu in the entire Cauvery basin, 270 tmcft to Karnataka, 30 tmcft to Kerala and 7 tmcft to Puducherry.
The Centre has notified the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) in 2013.
