Prelims Focus 31st January 2025

31/01/2025

227 3 minutes read

Carnatic music

In News: A two-day Carnatic music festival commenced in Bengaluru on January 31, 2025, showcasing the rich traditions of Carnatic music through performances by musicians from both Kerala and Karnataka. This event aims to foster cultural exchange and celebrate the artistic heritage of South India by providing a platform for these talented artists to share their music with a broader audience.

About

Carnatic music, also known as Karnataka Sangita, is a classical music tradition that has its roots in South India, particularly in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and parts of Telangana and Odisha.
It is one of the two primary forms of Indian classical music, the other being Hindustani music.
The origins of Carnatic music can be traced back to ancient Hindu texts and traditions, particularly the Samaveda.

Key Features

Vocal Emphasis: Carnatic music places a significant emphasis on vocal performance. Most compositions are designed to be sung, and instrumental performances are often modeled after vocal styles.
Raga and Tala: The music is based on specific melodic frameworks called ragas and rhythmic cycles known as talas. Each composition adheres to these structures while allowing for improvisation within them.
Instrumentation: Typical performances feature a small ensemble including a lead vocalist, a violinist for melodic support, a mridangam player for rhythm, and a tambura for drone accompaniment. Other instruments like the ghatam and kanjira may also be included.

Kara Sea

In News: Amid a rapid expansion of Russian activity in the Arctic region, a nuclear-powered icebreaker named “50 Let Pobedy” (also known as 50 Years of Victory) suffered damage after colliding with a cargo vessel in the Kara Sea.

The Kara Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Siberia (Russia).
It is bordered by the Barents Sea (west), the Laptev Sea (east), and the Novaya Zemlya archipelago (southwest).
Major rivers flowing into the Kara Sea: Ob, Yenisei, and Pyasina Rivers, making it a crucial part of the Arctic hydrological system.
The Kara Sea is a strategic and resource-rich region with increasing geopolitical significance due to climate change, resource exploration, and the Northern Sea Route.
As Arctic tensions rise, understanding its implications is crucial for India’s energy security and Arctic policy.

Mundaka Upanishad

In News: The third section of the Mundaka Upanishad is vital because the word “Satyameva Jayate”, India’s national motto, occurs in verse 6.

It is one of the ten precept Upanishads on which Sri Shankaracharya wrote remarks and is part of the Atharvaveda.
The name Mundaka literally means ‘head’ of the frame.
The text is based in 3 Mundakas or “chapters,” and it includes dialogues among the sage Angiras and his disciple Shaunak.
The philosophical textual content explores the nature of closing fact (Brahman) and the connection between the individual soul (Atman) and the typical soul (Brahman).
The important subject matter of the Mundaka Upanishad revolves around the pursuit of knowledge that ends in liberation (moksha) and the distinction between higher and lower expertise.

Retinal Diseases

In News: Over 2.2 billion people worldwide enjoy imaginative and prescient impairment, with causes which include inherited retinal diseases (IRDs).

They also are referred to as Retinal dystrophies.
They are the most genetically diverse group of disorders in people.
They are because of strange improvement or dysfunction of the photoreceptors or retinal pigment epithelium.
They result from mutations in over 300 genes answerable for retinal features.
They may be inherited in distinctive styles, which includes autosomal recessive, autosomal dominant, X-linked, and much less normally, mitochondrial and digenic inheritance.
Effect: IRDs are genetic conditions causing progressive vision loss, often leading to blindness.
- Vision loss can arise rapidly after delivery or steadily over the years, and early intervention can also slow or prevent blindness.
Prevalence: They cause innovative vision loss, with more than 5.5 million people affected globally.
In India: The incidence of IRDs is appreciably better in India as compared to global averages.
- One in 372 individuals in rural South India, one in 930 in city South India, and one in 750 in rural Central India laid low with these situations.
Treatment and Developments: RNA-based precision therapeutics are rising as a recreation-changer for genetic issues, such as IRDs.
- Unlike DNA or genome-enhancing treatment options, RNA-based therapies provide a safer opportunity as they make transient changes that don’t bring over to future generations, reducing the risk of unintended long-term outcomes.
- A have a look at CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology and L.V. Prasad Eye Institute in 2024 advanced a precision therapy for a specific form of IRD in India.