Current Affair 1:

SHREYAS Scheme for SC and OBC students.

 

News:

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Current Affair 2:

Special Session of Parliament in Lok Sabha

 

We will learn here some facts.

India does not have a fixed parliamentary calendar. By convention, Parliament meets for three sessions in a year.

 

What the Constitution says?

The summoning of Parliament is specified in Article 85 of the Constitution.

Like many other articles, it is based on a provision of The Government of India Act, 1935. The 1935 Act mentioned central legislature had to be summoned to meet at least once a year, and that no more than 12 months could elapse between two sessions.

BUT BR AMBEDKAR DOESN’T LIKE THIS:

Dr B R Ambedkar stated that the purpose of this provision was to summon the legislature only to collect revenue, and that the once-a-year meeting was designed to avoid scrutiny of the government by the legislature. His drafting of the provision reduced the gap between sessions to six months, and specified that Parliament should meet at least twice a year.

Although there is no specific provision in the Constitution that deals with special sessions, a few such sessions have been convened in the past. The most recent instance was in June 2017 when the PM Narendra Modi-led government held a special session to roll out the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Is there a fixed timetable?

Although the Constitution doesn’t provide for a fixed number of sessions or days of sitting, three sessions are typically held each calendar year — the Budget, Monsoon, and Winter sessions. Notably, an attempt was made in 1955 to finalise a fixed calendar. It was accepted by the government of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, but was not implemented. Since then, dates have been shuffled, and the duration has also varied as per the legislative agenda of the government.

When is a ‘special session’ conducted?

The term ‘special session’ is not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution or in the rulebooks of the two Houses of Parliament. There are no specific guidelines on how or when such a session can be convened.

However, Article 352, which deals with the proclamation of Emergency, refers to a ‘special sitting’ of the House. This clause was added through the 44th Amendment Act in 1978, which included safeguards against the Emergency.

Had special sessions conducted in the past?

The first such sitting was held on the eve of Independence in 1947 to mark the transfer of power from the British to India. This was followed by a special session in 1962 during the Indo-China war when the Winter Session was advanced to discuss the Chinese aggression. The Question Hour was suspended during the session.

 

The government convened a sitting in August 1972 to mark 25 years of Independence. In 1992, a midnight session was called to mark the 50th anniversary of the Quit India Movement. A few years later, in August 1997, a six-day special session was called to commemorate 50 years of Independence.

Current Affair 3:

Sacred Ensembles of Hoysalas in UNESCO World Heritage List

 

The Hoysala temples at Belur, Halebid, and Somanathapur in Karnataka were declared as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The Chennakeshava temple at Belur and the Hoysaleshwara temple at Halebidu — both in Hassan district and Keshava temple at Somanathapur in Mysuru district got tags.

All three temples are protected by the ASI and the nominations were entered as ‘The Sacred Ensembles of Hoysalas’.

Features of temples:

The Hoysala temples are known for evolving a distinct style that is ornate with temple architecture following a stellate plan built on a raised platform. The material used in temple construction is choloritic schist which is also known as soapstone that are soft and amiable to carving.

The temples have horizontal friezes and many of the sculptures are signed by artists which is unique in the history of Indian art:

while the doorways show intricate carvings showcasing the excellence achieved by the Hoysala artist.

While the construction of the Chennakeshava temple at Belur commenced during the period of king Vishnuvardhana in 1117 CE and took 103 years to complete, the Hoysaleshwara temple was commissioned in 1121 CE while the Keshava temple at Somanathapur was commissioned by Somanatha Dandanayaka during the regime of Narasimha III in 1268 CE.

See some sculptures:

Current Affair 4:

Khadi and Village Industries Commission

 

News:

About:

The Commission was formed as per the Article 43 of DPSP:

If you read Article 43:

The broad objectives that the KVIC has set before it are:

1. The social objective of providing employment.
2. The economic objective of producing saleable articles.
3. The wider objective of creating self-reliance amongst the poor and building up of a strong rural community spirit.

 

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