Youth and Cultural Heritage

The candidates are required to attempt three essays, one from each of the three sections, in about 800 words each.

Objective:

This paper is designed to test candidate’s –

1. Knowledge / awareness of a variety of Subjects and
2. Ability to compose a sustained piece of writing in the form of an essay.

UPSC contents:

• Candidates will be required to write an essay on a specific topic. The choice of subjects will be given.
• They will be expected to keep closely to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in orderly fashion, and to write concisely.
• Credit will be given for effective and exact expression

TSPSC Contents:

(Candidates should write three Essays, selecting one from each Section compulsorily. Each Section contains three Questions. Each Essay carries 50 marks.)

Section-I

1. Contemporary Social Issues and Social Problems.
2. Issues of Economic Growth and Justice.

Section-II

1. Dynamics of Indian Politics.
2. Historical and Cultural Heritage of India.

Section-III

1. Developments in Science and Technology.
2. Education and Human Resource Development.

APPSC Contents

1. Current affairs
2. Socio- political issues
3. Socio- economic issues
4. Socio- environmental issues
5. Cultural and historical aspects
6. Issues related to civic awareness
7. Reflective topics

Areas of Testing:

This paper would test the following:

1. Ability to compose a well-argued piece of writing
2. Ability to express coherently (= Clearly) and sequentially
3. Awareness of the subject chosen

Evaluation / Marking:

Credit will be given for the following:

1. Observing established rules and format for essay writing

1. Word limit
2. Clear presentation
3. Logical and Short structure
4. One paragraph à One idea
5. Organized presentation
6. Transition between the paragraphs
7. Explanatory jargon
8. Concrete information

1. Grammatical correctness of expression
2. Originality of thought and expression.

Dimensions:

1. Contemporary
2. Historical
3. Geographical & Environmental
4. Political & Governance
5. Social & Cultural
6. Economic
7. Technological
8. Ethical

 

 

GENERAL ESSSAY Answer

 

Youth and Cultural Heritage

Note:

This is a model answer. Not an authentic answer by public service commission. You may add more number of dimensions or you may ignore a couple the dimensions presented in the answer.

The tabulated style of presentation is for the convenient understanding and to remember the content easily. You may adopt a different approach.

2020 AP Group 1:

The Role of the Youth in Preserving India’s Cultural Heritage

Essay Structure

Why this topic is important for essay?	Revival of cultural heritage across the country
Introduction	Bansi Lal Pet Metla Baavi revival
Main body	Meaning of culture Who are youth Present position of youth Areas of participation of the youth Dimensions Measures taken by the government Issues Further measures needed
Conclusion	Preserve the youth to preserve the culture.

Line of Thinking:

The thinking dimensions for writing an essay on the role of the Youth in preserving the cultural heritage –  As I always suggest, the candidate has to touch various dimensions to answer an essay in a 3600 approach. As a rule of thumb,  you may consider the UPSC GS prelims syllabus aspects to cover maximum dimensions like – Current affairs 2.     Historical Geographical Economic Political Scientific Environmental In addition to this, the candidate may also consider the following dimensions – Cultural Moral Social Security Note: Remember that any dimension must be in line with the topic given. Never deviate from the topic
Historical dimension	The role youth in the past.
Economic dimension:	Economic significance of the youth participation
Political dimension	Need for political support to encourage the youth
Geographically	Across various places how the youth is participating
Scientific field	Developing the technological solutions to preserve the cultural heritage
Ethical	Ethical responsibility of all
Environmental	Ecological culture
Cultural	Participation through cinema, dance and music, art an architecture.

 

Answer guidelines:

Introduction	The youth of the Rain Water Project in association with the GHMC have participated in the revival of the 300 year old Stepwell in Bansilalpet, Secunderabad.
Meaning	Culture is the way of life that includes dance, music, food, dress, habitation, theatre, art and architecture etc. Heritage is the legacy that we have acquired from the past and our ancestors. Cultural heritage is the life styles of the people that the present generation have inherited from the past. There are two types of cultural heritage: Immovable heritage i.e. buildings, historic places and monuments. Moveable heritage: Includes books, documents, moveable artworks, music and other artefacts. Youth has the responsibility to protect this cultural heritage and take it forward to the next generations.
Who are youth	From the economic point of view, youth implies the working population who are in the age of 18 to 60. However, from psychological point of view, youth implies any one who keep on improving their knowledge and pushes the limits of working.
The present position of the youth	At present India has entered into the window of demographic dividend. The benefits of this Generation Z can be reaped in any field including the preservation of cultural heritage.
Areas of participation	Youth can be made to participate in all aspects of preserving the cultural heritage i.e. both movable and immovable. Youth may participate as – Tourists Tourist Guides Service providers – like drivers, restaurant hosts, hotel hosts etc. Civil Engineers Technology providers Volunteers
Dimensions
History of preservation	The heritage sites in India are protected by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958, which was amended in 2010. As per this law it protects heritage sites, Monuments, Archaeological sites and Sculptures
Geographical dimension	Across different parts of the country there are various cultural and heritage sites that are revived and waiting to be revived. Ranging from a. Ramappa temple in Telangana b. Lepakshi temple in Andhra. c. Ajanta caves in the west d. Sundarban Naitonal park in the western India. e. Fatehpur Sikri in the North f. Mahabalipuram in the South.
Economic significance of preserving the cultural heritage.	The cultural industries are key components of modern economies. The prevalence of cultural sites, services and art forms tend to boost tourism, sustain livelihoods, and attract investment.
Political support	Government is supporting the youth efforts to preserve the cultural heritage. For instance in the 2023 budget – the schemes like – ‘Dekho Apna Desh’, ‘Swadesh Darshan’ and the idea to set up ‘Unity Malls’ in the state capitals will likely promote tourism in the country. Youth can leverage this opportunity for the heritage preservation and employment opportunities
Environmental aspects	Youth can also participate in the preserve the ecological heritage sites like Western ghats and Great Himalayan National Park etc.
Technological aspects	The youth is building the nation as a start up nation with third largest unicorns. Vizara is one such company. A new way of documenting and showcasing Indian cultural heritage using cutting-edge technologies like AR &VR, 3D-Printing, IoT, and AI
Cultural aspect The soft power	Youth is preserving the cultural heritage through music, dance, theatre, short films etc. 2023 Oscar nominated movies from India Elephant whispers, All that Breathes proves this point.
Ethical aspect	It is the moral responsibility of every citizen but not merely the youth. For instance one of the Fundamental Duties says that – it is the duty of every citizen India  to value and preserve the rich heritage of the country’s composite culture (Article 51-A-f)
Potential areas of participation	Using the social media to promote proud heritage of India through Travel Vlogs, twitter, Instagram etc. Safeguard the culture from getting extinct Pass it on to the generations to come Accept it to take it forward Rural tourism, local tourism, food tourism etc.
Issues	Growing cases of insulting, disrespecting, physical attacks and looting and cheating the tourists, particularly the foreign tourists. Limited Trained Manpower in structural safety and limited infrastructure. Lack of efforts in mainstreaming heritage preservation as a career and providing skills remains a formidable challenge. Inadequate courses offered by the universities in the preservation of cultural heritage. There is a lack of convergence between modern-day engineering education and traditional knowledge of construction materials and practices. Heritage conservation efforts in the private sector in India largely address only the aesthetic aspect with architects typically steering these projects and structural safety is not in focus. Failure to leverage the modern technologies like AI and robotics There is no civic sense among the youth to preserve and maintain the cleanliness of the Incredible India. Cultural preservation requires lot of funding. Declining spirit of tolerance in a culturally diverse society.
Way forward
Government of India Policy	Directive Principles of State Policy: The State shall protect every monument or place of artistic or historic interest. Ministry of Culture acts as the nodal agency for cultural preservation. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) under the Ministry of Culture, is the premier organization for the archaeological research and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation. The National Monuments Authority (NMA) established in accordance with the RAMASR Act is responsible for the conservation and preservation of monuments and sites Incredible India Program Adopt a heritage scheme 2017: Corporate companies and PSUs may adopt heritage sites. Those entities are known as the Monument Mitras.
Budget 2023 “For the Amrit Peedi”	Sustainable tourism practices and extensive use of digital interfaces 50 destinations will be developed as ‘a complete package of tourism’ under the 2023 budget. leverage its ongoing G-20 presidency as an opportunity to push India as a preferred tourist destination
Further measures	1.      Nurturing the youth in cultural preservation through – a.      Education b.     Etiquette training c.      Technology training d.     Sensitivity training 2.      Networked governance to promote the youth in preserving the cultural heritage of India – communion between – a.      Government – union, state and local b.     Corporate sector c.      Civil society 3.      More budgetary allocation
Conclusion	Swami Vivekananda introduced the western society about the supremacy of Indian culture. Swamiji expected the youth of this nation to preserve the cultural heritage of India. Preserve the youth – they preserve the culture.

 

Consider this also –

Cultural Revival in India

India’s culture, our traditions, and our way of life have been called timeless by travellers of ancient.

Symbols of Indian culture:

1. Handicrafts
2. locally made products – such as Khadi
3. Products from cottage industries like forest produce

Moreover, no concrete steps were being taken to bring back stolen Indian heritage that was being showcased around the world; often displayed as proud colonial conquests.

THE GUJARAT CONNECTION

Gujarat has systematically revamped and redeveloped cultural centres across the state.

1. Development of tourism-related infrastructure around the ancient Indus-valley sites like Dholavira and Lothal,
2. Redevelopment of the Lakhpat Gurudwara
3. Building a whole festival around the culture and traditions of the Rann of Kutch.
4. Promotion of Uttarayan (where people traditionally flew kites) as the International Kite Festival.
5. Vibrant Gujarat Summits were accompanied by mega exhibitions showcasing Gujarat’s history, it’s culture, geography, and past achievements.
6. Navratri celebrations

Expressions of Indian culture by the PM

1. On his getting elected as the Prime Minister, his first action – bowing down at the steps of the Parliament . The Indian Parliament is often called the ‘Temple of Democracy’.
2. Sporting the attire, headdresses, and local style of the places he visits
3. At the Chess Olympiad he sported a chessboard pattern Veshti
4. On his visit to Himachal Pradesh he wore the Kumaoni cap
5. Wearing a complete local attire in the Northeast.
6. Purchasing traditional handloom items from small village/cottage workshops on the occasion of Women’s day. (his triggered a flood of orders being placed from across the country and may easily have been a life-changing event for many small artisans.)
7. In 2015, he urged people to buy at least one Khadi product for Gandhi Jayanti and regularly promoted the same which resulted in a four-fold sale in Khadi between 2014 and 2022.

Cultural revival:

1. Push to retrieve stolen heritage:

The government has been actively following up with nations around the world for the repatriation of stolen artifacts to India.

1. Due to the Prime Minister’s personal involvement, this push to retrieve India’s stolen heritage has resulted in around 250 artifacts coming home since 2014. That is over 250 in about 8 years, in comparison, just one artifact was returned to India between 2004-2014 (one full decade).
2. Even during official visits of world leaders to India, PM Modi makes it a point to take them to culturally and historically important locations.

Example:

1. Japanese PM Shinzo Abe attending the Ganga Aarti in Varanasi
2. Chinese President Xi Jinping to Mahabalipuram
3. French President Macron to Varanasi
4. South Korean President Moon Jae into Swaminarayan Temple in Delhi

Visits of foreign dignitaries are not restricted to the power corridors of New Delhi but are organised to showcase India’s vibrant culture.

MAKING CULTURE ACCESSIBLE

1. Redevelopment projects have added necessary infrastructure and amenities to spiritual and cultural sites across the country.

Improved access to Kashi Vishwanath shrine in Varanasi in terms of travel and darshan.

Example:

• UDAN scheme provided airports in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities
• Vande Bharat express runs between the National Capital and Varanasi (in addition to a plethora of other new and existing trains).
• Infrastructure improvement:

1. Multi-level parking spaces
2. Widened roads have all but ended the traffic woes
3. Ghats are now sparkling clean

(The Prime Minister himself picking up a broom while launching the Swachh Bharat Mission from the ghats of Kashi.)

1. Kashi Vishwanath Corridor

1. Similar redevelopment projects have been successfully completed across the country be it Somnath, Konark, Deoghar, or Kedarnath.
2. Schemes that have helped bring the culture closer to the people and vice versa.

1. The PRASAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual Augmentation Drive)
2. Swadesh Darshan

1. The Kashi Tamil Sangamam event is organized which is a programme to celebrate, reaffirm and rediscover the age-old links between Tamil Nadu and Varanasi.
2. The Indian Railways is also launching 190 theme-based Bharat Gaurav trains focussed on experience of Indian culture and heritage.
3. The Prime Minister even in his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio programme, makes it a point to wish the country for a festival or cultural event that may be celebrated in just one part so that people are aware of cultures in different parts of India, he noted.

The PM even during his monthly Mann ki Baat makes it a point to wish the entire country for a festival or a cultural event that may be celebrated primarily in just one part so that the people are aware of the culture in different parts of India; and proud of it.

India has emerged as the number one soft power as the world acknowledges New Delhi’s importance. The respect Indians command in foreign lands now is an acknowledgment of its soft power status.