Feb 3, 2023
The Union government choosing to confer Padma Shri Mr. C. V. Raju in the art category is an honour to the Etikoppaka wooden toy craft, and it will go a long way in promoting the art.
In the backdrop of the ill-effects of the computer and mobile games, Etikoppaka toys are most relevant for the ₹7 lakh-crore worth toy industry across the world. Explain. (150 words, 10 marks).
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About Padma Awards The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honors of India announced annually on the eve of Republic Day (except for brief interruption(s) during the years 1978 and 1979 and 1993 to 1997). The Awards are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan- for exceptional and distinguished service. Padma Bhushan- for distinguished service of higher order. Padma Shri- for distinguished service. The award seeks to recognize achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved. All persons without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex are eligible for these awards. However, Government servants including those working with PSUs, except doctors and scientists, are not eligible for these Awards. The nomination process is open to the public. Even self-nomination can be made. The award is normally not conferred posthumously. However, in highly deserving cases, the Government could consider giving an award posthumously. The recipients are also given a small replica of the medallion, which they can wear during any ceremonial/State functions etc., if the awardees so desire. The names of the awardees are published in the Gazette of India on the day of the presentation ceremony. The total number of awards to be given in a year (excluding posthumous awards and to NRI/foreigners/OCIs) should not be more than 120. The award does not amount to a title and cannot be used as a suffix or prefix to the awardees’ name. Who decides the awards to be given? The Padma Awards are conferred on the recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year. The Padma Awards Committee is headed by the Cabinet Secretary and includes Home Secretary, Secretary to the President and four to six eminent persons as members. The recommendations of the committee are submitted to the Prime Minister and the President of India for approval. History of the awards: The Government of India instituted two civilian awards-Bharat Ratna & Padma Vibhushan in 1954. The latter had three classes namely Pahela Varg, Dusra Varg and Tisra Varg. These were subsequently renamed as Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri vide Presidential Notification issued on January 8, 1955. |
News Source: The Hindu
Etikoppaka is located at a distance of 4 km from Narasipatnam,in the Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh. It is a small village located on the banks of the Varaha River. Etikoppaka is famous for its 400-year old tradition of wooden carvings and artefacts, particularly toys, mythological figures, and Mohenjo Daro and Harappa shapes.
Etikoppaka’s toy-making legacy is thought to have been inherited in the early 1800s from Nakkapalli, a village 25 kms away from Etikoppaka (originally known as laccapalli). The artisans from this region migrated to Etikoppaka in the early twentieth century because of the abundance of suitable wood-producing trees.
The Etikoppaka toys are made of wood from trees locally known as ‘ankudu’ (Wrightia Tinctoria) and coloured with natural dyes derived from seeds, lacquer, bark roots, and leaves after they have been shaped to the desired shape.
The total number of awards to be given in a year (excluding posthumous awards and to NRI/foreigners/OCIs) should not be more than 120.
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