1) Mohiniattam: It originated in the state of Kerala. The dance is performed by women in honor of the Hindu god Vishnu in his incarnation as the enchantress Mohini.
- Mohiniattam is exclusively danced by women. It is also softer than the very vigorous Kathakali. It is also noted for the Shringara (erotic) depictions of divine love.
- Traditionally, the dance was performed solo, but in the 21st century it may also be performed in groups. It is characterized by graceful, swaying body movements with no abrupt jerks or sudden leaps. It belongs to the Lasya style- feminine, tender and graceful.
- The most characteristic element of the “form” component of Mohiniattam is the circular or spiral movement of all the limbs of the body. This gives it a swaying effect which resembles the movement of a pendulum and thus it is called aandolika
2) Dickinsonia fossil: Dickinsonia fossil found in Bhimbetka in 2021 is old beehive
- It is an extinct genus of basal animal that lived during the late Ediacaran period in what is now Australia, Russia and Ukraine.
- These creatures arose in a world devoid of predators, and had no need for hard protective carapaces or skeletons.
- The discovery of cholesterol molecules in fossils of Dickinsonia lends support to the idea that Dickinsonia was an animal.
3) Burkina Faso: It is a land locked country in West Africa and a former French colony.
- The country’s name, means “land of the honest men”.
- Since 2015, the country has been fighting an Islamist insurgency that spilled over from neighbouring Mali. Landlocked Burkina Faso, one of West Africa’s poorest countries despite being a gold producer, has experienced numerous coups since independence in 1960.
- The Prime Meridian passes through the country.
4) Law Commission of India: IT is a non-statutory body constituted by the GOI from time to time.
- It functions to the Ministry of Law and Justice as an advisory body.
- The first Law Commission was established in 1834 by the Charter Act of 1833 and was chaired by Lord Macaulay. In 1955, the first independent Law Commission was created.
- Objective: To carry out research in the field of law and makes non binding recommendations to the Government (in the form of Reports) as per its terms of reference.
- The Law Commission has so far submitted 277 Reports. The commission consists of legal experts and is headed by a retired judge. The Commission is constituted for a 3 year term.
5) Keeladi Excavation: The excavations in the Keeladi region since 2015 prove that an urban civilisation existed in Tamil Nadu in the Sangam age.
- The settlement lies on the bank of the Vaigai River. This is a large-scale excavation carried out in Tamil Nadu after the Adichanallur archaeological site. This site is estimated to be from the period between the 5th century BCE and the 3rd century CE.
- The word ‘Sangam’ is the Tamil form of the Sanskrit word Sangha which means a group of persons or an association. This sangama was an academy of poets who flourished in three different periods and different places under the patronage of the Pandyan kings.
- The Sangam literature, which was largely consolidated from the third Sangam, sheds light on people’s living conditions at the start of the Christian era.
