28 February 2024

MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS

Q1.  What does the term “intangible cultural heritage” mean to you? Why is it crucial to preserve India’s intangible cultural heritage? What are the several steps being taken to safeguard India’s intangible cultural heritage?

GS I – Culture-related issues

Introduction:

• “The practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognise as part of their Cultural Heritage” are referred to as “Intangible Cultural Heritage” (UNESCO, 2003). Oral traditions, performing arts, local knowledge, and traditional skills are a few examples of intangible heritage.
• The intangible heritage components that serve to highlight the significance of cultural heritage and its diversity are what make up UNESCO’s prized List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. With the implementation of the Convention for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008, the list was created.

The significance of safeguarding India’s intangible cultural heritage:

• Understanding the variety of Indian culture ingrained in its intangible legacy is beneficial.
• It speaks to Indians of all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds and captures the country’s multicultural identity.
• In order to “protect the intangible cultural heritage of communities nationally & globally,” it seeks to increase the “visibility of communities’ cultural practices and know-how.”
• Its value lies not in the cultural expression per se, but in the abundance of information, expertise, and abilities that are passed down from one generation to the next.
• At the national and international levels, there is a need to guarantee the protection of the many components of India’s intangible cultural heritage that come from its numerous states.
• The draft National List of India’s Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) has also been made public by the Union Ministry of Culture.
• An attempt to acknowledge the diversity of Indian culture ingrained in its intangible heritage is the National ICH List. This project is also included in the Ministry of Culture’s Vision 2024.

Actions taken to safeguard and maintain ICH:

• An effort to acknowledge the diversity of Indian culture ingrained in its intangible heritage is made through the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of India.
• Its goal is to guarantee the protection of the diverse components of India’s intangible cultural heritage at the national and international levels by increasing public awareness of them.
• An attempt to acknowledge the diversity of Indian culture ingrained in its intangible heritage is the National ICH List. This project is also included in the Ministry of Culture’s Vision 2024.
• With the aim of reviving and revitalising various institutions, groups, individuals, identified non-MOC institutions, non-government organisations, researchers, and scholars so they may engage in activities/projects for strengthening, protecting, preserving, and promoting India’s rich intangible cultural heritage, the Ministry of Culture has developed a scheme named “Scheme for Safeguarding the Intangible Heritage and Diverse Cultural Traditions of India.”
• The Plan will include all officially recognised ICH domains, including performing arts, social practices, rituals, and celebrations; knowledge and practices related to nature and the universe; traditional craftsmanship; and oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of intangible cultural heritage.
• The draft National List of India’s Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) has also been made public by the Union Ministry of Culture.
• In accordance with the 2003 Convention, India has successfully added 14 Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) items to the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

• In order to address areas crucial for the survival and propagation of these forms of cultural heritage, India boasts a vast basket of living and diverse cultural traditions, traditional expressions, and intangible cultural heritage that includes masterpieces. These forms of cultural heritage require institutional support and encouragement. The need for an institutionalised and centralised scheme for coordinated efforts towards professionally enhancing awareness and interest in Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), safeguarding, promoting, and propagating it systematically is being felt, even though such preservation efforts are being carried out in a dispersed manner.

Q2. Ageism is bad for your health, both mentally and physically. It contributes to issues like lowered life expectancy, general health, and social isolation. Additionally, it leads to more instances of ageism and the social stigma associated with ageing. Examine.  

GS II – Health-related issues

Introduction:

• Ageism is the stereotyping and/or prejudice against people or groups due to their age. This could be systemic or incidental. According to a new United Nations research on ageism, ageist attitudes are thought to be held by every second individual in the globe. These attitudes are said to cost societies billions of dollars annually and result in poorer physical and mental health as well as a lower quality of life for older people.
• Ageism affects both older and younger populations globally and persists as a pernicious and frequently ignored problem in the fields of development, human rights, and health.
• Furthermore, it frequently interacts with other types of bias (including ableism, sexism, racism, and mentalism) and has an adverse effect on people that keeps them from realising their full potential and making a complete contribution to their community.
• The worrying situation is highlighted in the recent Global Report on Ageism, which was released in March 2021 by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations.
• According to estimates, ageist views are held by one in every two people on the planet. This results in lower physical and mental health as well as a lower quality of life for older people, costing societies billions of dollars annually.
• The enormous volume of this data equates to billions of “stereotyped thoughts towards ageing,” which endangers the lives of the elderly everywhere.

Problems and worries pertaining to ageism:

• Ageism is now a global issue that affects everyone, including ourselves, our relationships, and our institutions.
• Mandatory retirement ages and discriminatory employment practices are two instances of institutional ageism.
• Ageism can be found in self-limiting behaviours that can result from internalised stereotypes about what a person of a given age can be or do, in policies that support healthcare rationing based on age, and in practices that restrict younger people’s opportunities to participate in decision-making in the workplace.
• The majority of people on the planet despise the elderly.
• In addition to having far-reaching negative effects on our health, longevity, and well-being, ageism can undermine intergenerational solidarity, alter our self-perception, and limit our potential to gain from the contributions of both younger and older populations.
• Ageism lowers our quality of life and promotes harmful health behaviours including smoking, binge drinking, and eating an unhealthy diet.
• India needs to overcome ageism, particularly given the country’s young workforce.
• Many firms who are set on reducing payroll to let go of older personnel have used the pandemic as a pretext.
• Sixty-one percent of persons over 45 who participated in an AARP poll reported having witnessed or experienced age discrimination.
• An analysis of scholarly research on age bias in recruiting and promotion reveals that companies might not fairly assess job seekers’ prospective productivity.

Actions required to counteract ageism:

• One method to assist elders feel connected to others and give them much-needed stimulation is to arrange scheduled, mutually beneficial activities and programmes that bring youngsters and young adults and seniors together.
• Examples include senior citizens helping the younger generation through mentoring programmes; these individuals volunteer in schools as tutors, reading aides, or providers of career and family advice.
• Additionally, there are instances of initiatives when younger generations visit senior centres and communities as part of service learning projects; elementary schools could encourage young kids to visit senior communities to learn from the stories of the elderly or to become pen pals with local seniors.
• Even instances of elderly people and young people cohabiting exist: daycare facilities that offer both adult day care and childcare services are becoming more and more common.
• The youth can lead the charge to alter these narratives at an early age. Age-friendly societies can be fostered through intergenerational bonding, which can also strengthen family bonds and promote respect for values and viewpoints. The continuing United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021–2030 will be in accordance with this. The Decade advocates for integrated care for the elderly and a worldwide campaign against ageism. Thus, every year on International Youth Day, we have an occasion and a crucial reminder to defend the human rights and dignity of our nation’s senior citizens. Generational solidarity is essential to sustainable development.