Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA)

AFSPA extended in parts of Arunachal, Nagaland for six more months.

• Unbridled Power – AFSPA gives armed forces and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) the power to maintain public order in “disturbed areas”.
• Armed forces have the authority to prohibit a gathering of five or more persons in an area, can use force or even open fire after giving due warning if they feel a person is in contravention of the law.
• If reasonable suspicion exists, the army can also arrest a person without a warrant; enter or search a premises without a warrant; kill anyone acting against the law and ban the possession of firearms.
• Any person arrested or taken into custody may be handed over to the officer in charge of the nearest police station along with a report detailing the circumstances that led to the arrest.

• Origin – The Act came into force in the context of increasing violence in the Northeastern States decades ago, which the State governments found difficult to control.
• The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Bill was passed by both the Houses of Parliament and it was approved by the President on September 11, 1958.
• It became known as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958.
• States under AFSPA – Nagaland, Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir.
• The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958, was completely withdrawn in Meghalaya in 2018, Tripura in 2015 and Mizoram in the 1980s.

• Issued by – Both the State and Central governments can issue notification regarding the AFSPA.
• The MHA issues periodic “disturbed area” notification to extend the AFSPA only for Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
• The notification for Manipur and Assam is issued by the State governments.

Puppet Forms

Ravanachhaya – Odisha 

• The puppets are in one piece and have no joints.
• They are not coloured, hence throw opaque shadows on the screen.
• 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.

Gombeyatta – Karnataka         

• 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.
• Episodes enacted in Gombeyatta are usually based on Prasangas of the Yakshagana plays.

Kathputli – Rajasthan

• Carved from a single piece of wood, these puppets are like large dolls that are colorfully dressed. 
• Puppeteers manipulate them with two to five strings which are normally tied to their fingers and not to a prop or a support.

Red Fort

• The Red Fort Complex was built by the fifth Mughal Emperor of India, Shah Jahan.
• It was built as the palace fort of Shahjahanabad, the new capital of the Mughal Emperor.
• Named for its massive enclosing walls of red sandstone, it is adjacent to an older fort, the Salimgarh, built by Islam Shah Suri in 1546, with which it forms the Red Fort Complex.
• The private apartments consist of a row of pavilions connected by a continuous water channel, known as the Nahr-i-Behisht (Stream of Paradise).
• The Red Fort is considered to represent the zenith of Mughal creativity which, under the Shah Jahan, was brought to a new level of refinement.
• The Red Fort Complex is a layered expression of both Mughal architecture and planning, and the later British military use of the forts.
• Red Fort was recognised UNESCO World Heritage Centre in 2007.

Digital Markets Act (DMA)

European Union investigates Tech giants under new digital Law.

• The Digital Markets Act (DMA) was established by the European Union.
• DMA establishes a set of narrowly defined objective criteria for qualifying a large online platform as a so-called gatekeeper.
• This allows the DMA to remain well targeted to the problem that it aims to tackle as regards large, systemic online platforms.
• These criteria will be met if a company:
  1. Has a strong economic position, significant impact on the internal market and is active in multiple EU countries.
  2. Has a strong intermediation position, meaning that it links a large user base to a large number of businesses.
  3. Has (or is about to have) an entrenched and durable position in the market, meaning that it is stable over time if the company met the two criteria above in each of the last three financial years.

• Benefits – Business users who depend on gatekeepers to offer their services in the single market will have a fairer business environment.
• Innovators and technology start-ups will have new opportunities to compete in the online platform environment without having to comply with unfair terms and conditions limiting their development.
• Consumers will have more and better services to choose from, more opportunities to switch their provider if they wish so, direct access to services, and fairer prices.
• Gatekeepers will keep all opportunities to innovate and offer new services.
• They will simply not be allowed to use unfair practices towards the business users and customers that depend on them to gain an undue advantage.
• To ensure that the new gatekeeper rules keep up with the fast pace of digital markets, the Commission will carry out market investigations.
• These will allow the Commission to:
  1. Qualify companies as gatekeepers.
  2. Update dynamically the obligations for gatekeepers when necessary.
  3. Design remedies to tackle systematic infringements of the Digital Markets Act rules.

Lalit Kala Akademi (National Academy of Fine Arts)

Lalit Kala Akademi chief’s powers curbed by Culture Ministry.

• The Lalit Kala Akademi was inaugurated in New Delhi on August 5th, 1954, by the then Minister for Education, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
• The youngest of the three Akademies founded by the Government of India, the Lalit Kala Akademi was established in pursuance of the dream of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru for a cultural and national identity.

• The Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) was the first of the three to be established in 1953, followed shortly by Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA), and Sahitya Akademi (SA).

• The academy promotes Indian arts both within India and outside India.
• It is autonomous body registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860.
• The organisation functions through its General Council, Executive Board and other Committees. 
• Lalit Kala Akademi is the Government’s apex cultural body in the field of visual arts in India.
• The Akademi is fully funded by the Ministry of Culture.
• It has headquarters at New Delhi and regional centres at Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow and Shimla.
• Journals – It publishes bi-annual art journals, Lalit Kala Contemporary (English), Lalit Kala Ancient (English) and Samkaleen Kala (Hindi).
• Lalit Kala Akademi National Exhibition of Art – It is held every year to exhibit works of brilliance and to give appreciation and recognition to outstanding artists.
• The exhibition covers artworks from extensive series of mediums like paintings, sculptures, graphics, photographs, drawings, installation and multimedia.
• The Akademi conducts international exhibition on contemporary art in New Delhi every three years.
• It also conducts the National Exhibition of Photography and Art.