Prelims Focus 12th March 2025

Jadayaswamy Festival

In News: Jadayaswamy pageant was recently celebrated in Tamil Nadu.

• The Badagas network (aboriginal Tribes) of the Nilgiris celebrate the Jadayaswamy festival at Jackanarai village near Kotagiri in Tamil Nadu.
• The Badagas stay in villages, referred to as “Hattis”.
• Badaga people communicate in the language known as “Badugu”.
• The festival is devoted to Jadayaswamy, a deity respected by the Badagas. It symbolizes faith, devotion, and the renovation of ancestral traditions.
• Eight villages organise a procession to the Jadayaswamy temple and perform a firewalk every year.

Bills of Lading Bill, 2024

In News: The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, introduced the Bills of Lading Bill, 2025.

• • Aim: To replace and simplify the legal framework for transport documents.
    • To offer a current, comprehensive, and user-friendly method to maritime delivery.
  • The Bill replaces the Indian Bills of Lading Act, 1856, a colonial-technology regulation governing maritime shipping.
  • The current law is outdated, which includes only three sections, and does not meet the evolving international exchange and shipping industry needs.

• Features: 

• • It brings India’s maritime shipping law as per global requirements.
  • It simplifies the language and reorganizes provisions for easier understanding without changing their substance.
  • It offers the Central Government the authority to find guidelines for the law’s powerful implementation.
  • A wellknown repeal and saving clause can be delivered to facilitate a free transition.

Dalai Lama’s reincarnation

In News: The debate over the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation has intensified due to conflicting claims between the 14th Dalai Lama and the Chinese government regarding the authority to determine his successor.

• The Dalai Lama has suggested multiple methods for succession, including selecting a successor while alive, reincarnating outside Chinese-controlled Tibet, or even ending the reincarnation tradition altogether. He has emphasized that the decision should rest with Tibetan Buddhist leaders and the Tibetan people, not external forces like China.
• In 2011, he proposed an alternative mechanism where he could “emanate” into another person while still alive, bypassing traditional reincarnation procedures. He also hinted at potentially appointing a successor who is a high lama or scholar.
• The Dalai Lama has rejected China’s authority over the process and warned that any successor chosen by Beijing would not be accepted by Tibetans.

International Symposium on Health Technology Assessment (ISHTA), 2025

In News: The International Symposium on Health Technology Assessment (ISHTA) 2025 is a significant event focused on advancing healthcare through evidence-based policymaking.

Overview and Theme

• Theme: “Bridging Evidence to Policy: Health Technology Assessment for Affordable Healthcare”
• Objective: To showcase the impact of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in promoting affordable healthcare, supporting innovative technologies, and encouraging value-based pricing for efficient resource allocation.
• Organizers: The symposium is organized by the Department of Health Research (DHR), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) India Country Office and the Centre for Global Development (CGD).

Key Features and Sessions

• Format: The event includes keynote presentations, panel discussions, oral and poster presentations, and a “Marketplace” showcasing HTA studies.
• Sessions: Topics covered include the impact of HTA on affordable healthcare, value-based pricing, integration of innovative healthcare technologies, and strengthening health systems in low- and middle-income countries.

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