What’s in Today’s Article?

• Why in the News?
• About Nagara Style of Temple Architecture
• Features of Nagara Style of Temple Architecture
• Key Differences between Nagara Style & Dravida Style of Temple Architectures

Why in the News?

• The Ram temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh will be inaugurated on January 22.
• Chandrakant Sompura, 81, and his son Ashish, 51, have designed the complex in the Nagara style of temple architecture.

About Nagara Style of Temple Architecture

• The Nagara Style of temple architecture emerged sometime in the 5^th century AD, during the late Gupta period, in northern India.
  • It is seen as a contemporary to the Dravida Style of architecture in southern India which too emerged in the same period.
• Temples classified as Nagara Style are found in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh (areas bordering Odisha) and West Bengal (southwest and Sundarbans areas).
• The sub-styles or schools are Orissa school, Chandel school and Solanki school.

Features of Nagara Style of Temple Architecture

• The plan of a Nagara style of temple is four-sided.
• The garbhagriha is a perfect square whereas the whole temple plan could be oblong.
  • The garbhagriha or sanctum sanctorum houses the image or idol of the main deity.
• The pathway leading to the garbhagriha is the mandapa where the worshipers accumulate to have darsana.
• In the early stage of temple construction, the roofs were flat.In the next stage of temple construction, the roof became pyramidal.
• This was the shikhara, a tall spire that tapered at the top.
• In the later stages, more additions were made to the temple complex.
• More mandapas were added and the garbhagriha was surrounded by a pradakshinapatha or a circumambulatory path.
• In some cases, gavaksa (windows) were added to allow cross ventilation for air and light.
• A Nāgara temple generally rests on a high platform- jagati over which is constructed a small platform called pitha.
• Rising above this is a smaller platform- adhisthana, which forms the base for the construction of superstructure of the temple.
• Among the other components of a Nagara temple are: bhadra, sirsa, amalaka, bijapuraka, rathika.
• When it comes to decorating the temples, the Nagara temples are intricately ornamented by carvings and sculptures.
• The entrance to the temple is highly decorated with images of gods and goddesses, floral and geometric designs.
• The bottom of the door frame depicts either dvarapalas or Ganga and Yamuna.
• On the walls and pillars of the temple, the sculptures and carvings depict devakanyas, apsaras, yaksas, yaksis, amalakas and floral garlands.

Key Differences between Nagara Style & Dravida Style of Temple Architectures

Q1) What is Vesara Style of Temple Architecture?

It is a hybrid form of temple architecture formed by an amalgamation of the northern Nagara style and the southern Dravida style of temple architecture.

Q2) Who built the Sun Temple of Modhera?

Modhera Sun temple is located at Modhera village of Mehsana district, Gujarat on the bank of river Pushpavati. It is a Hindu temple built by Bhimdev I of the Solanki dynasty in 1026 AD and dedicated to the Sun. 

Source: What is the Nagara style, in which Ayodhya’s Ram temple is being built | Official Source

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Why in News?
• Recent Population Trends in China
• Factors Responsible for the China’s Falling Population
• How Could a Falling Population Impact China?
• Way Ahead for China

Why in News?

• The year 2023 saw 11.1 million deaths and 9 million births in China, marking the second year in which the country’s total population has reduced to a recently released total figure of 1.4 billion.
• In the same year, India overtook China as the most populous country in the world.

Recent Population Trends in China

• Since 2016, the Total Fertility Rate or TFR (the number of children a woman, on average, is expected to bear in her lifetime) has been falling in China.
  • According to the 2020 Census, China’s TFR was 1.3 births per woman - marginally up from the 1.2 in the 2010 and 2000 censuses, but way below the replacement rate of 2.1.
• The replacement rate is the number of children a woman is to have to replace the present generation in the future.
  • A couple having two children would mean maintaining the same level of population in the future as well.

Factors Responsible for the China’s Falling Population

• China’s one-child policy:
  • Introduced in 1980, the One-child policy restricted couples to have only one child or face harsh penalties.
  • The Communist Party of China, in power since 1949, did so in a bid to accelerate economic growth.
  • In 2016, the One-child policy officially ended and couples were allowed to have up to 2 children, which was increased to 3 children in 2021. However, this has not helped achieve the goals of population growth.
• Other factors:
  • Women’s education and employment allow them the agency to make choices about their reproductive health.
  • High pressures of modern society, with increasing competition for jobs, is also a factor. People are marrying later and sometimes choosing not to have children or to have only one child.
  • It is a vicious cycle - an economic slowdown should mean young couples delay having children and the resulting decline in fertility rates eventually pushes the economy’s productivity rates lower.

How Could a Falling Population Impact China?

• The working-age population between 15 to 59 years, which is seen as being productive in an economy, has now fallen to 61% of the total population.
• The proportion of those aged 60 and older has increased. Life expectancy has also increased for both men and women over time as a result of advanced healthcare systems.
• In the short run, the trend will result in the need for greater investments in elderly care, including palliative care, and hiring more medical professionals and nursing staff.
• In the longer run, it could lead to greater pressure on the young population to support the ‘dependants’ (those under the age of 15 and over the age of 59).
• It also comes at a time when China’s overall economic growth is lower than expected and yet to go back to the highs it reached in the 2000s.

Way Ahead for China

• It is necessary to strengthen guidance for young people’s views on marriage, parenthood and the family.
• To promote policies that support parenthood and actively cope with the ageing of the population.
• Telling good stories about family customs, guide women to play a unique role in promoting the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation and establishing good family customs, and create a new culture of family civilization.

Q1) How is the total fertility rate (TFR) defined?

The total fertility rate in a specific year is defined as the total number of children that would be born to each woman if she were to live to the end of her child-bearing years and give birth to children in alignment with the prevailing age-specific fertility rates.

Q2) What are the pros and cons of the rising population in India?

India’s youth bulge is a double-edged sword. To gain from it, India will need to create enough jobs for the millions who enter its workforce every year - a challenge at which it is currently failing. 

Source: China’s population fell for the second year in a row in 2023. But why?

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• Growing Sporting Culture in India
• Recent performances of India in international sports
• Steps taken by the govt to promote sports
• News Summary

Why in news?

• Prime Minister Modi declared the “Khelo India Youth Games 2023” open at the Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai.
• The event, which is being held for the first time in a south Indian state, will feature over 5,600 athletes.

Growing Sporting Culture in India

Recent performances of India in international sports

• Tokyo Olympics 2020
  • India had its best-ever Olympics in Tokyo 2020 - with 7 medals, including an Olympic Gold in athletics, which is a first in the history of India.
  • India also had its best ever Paralympics with 19 medals
• Asian Games 2022
  • India bagged its highest-ever medals (107) in 60 years with 75 per cent more gold medals than in Asian Games 2018.
    • It bagged medals in 16 new sporting categories.
  • The remarkable achievement of Indian women athletes in this tournament is highlighted by the fact that they clinched around 50% of the total medals of Indian contingent.
  • Indian para-athletes too have created history with India's highest-ever medal tally in the Para Asian Games with 111 medals, including 29 Gold medals.
  • This is India's best-ever performance since the inception of the Games where India was ranked 5th in the overall medal tally.
• Other sports
  • This was followed by the Thomas Cup win for the first time in 72 years.
  • Also, the current World Boxing Champion, Nikhat Zareen, is from India.

Steps taken by the govt to promote sports

• Increased budget of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
  • The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports received a budget allocation of Rs 3397.32 crore for 2023-2024, which is an 11% increase from the previous year.
• Institution involved
  • Various Sports Promotional Schemes across the country are implemented through:
    • Sports Authority of India (SAI),
    • National Centres of Excellence (NCOE),
    • SAI Training Centre (STC),
    • Extension Centre of STC,
    • National Sports Talent Contest (NSTC).
• Schemes
  • The Khelo India Scheme is being implemented by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports through its five verticals which promote sports in the entire country including the rural areas.
    • Khelo India is the basic platform to showcase sporting skills at the national level.
  • Under the 'Talent Search and Development' vertical of this scheme, Khelo India Athletes are identified, selected, and provided annual financial assistance of Rs 6.28 lakh per annum per athlete.
  • The Ministry organizes national-level multisport competitions, namely, Khelo India Youth Games, Khelo India University Games and Khelo India Winter Games.
  • TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) is another flagship program of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports which is an attempt to provide assistance to India's top athletes.
  • ‘Meet the Champions’ initiative is aimed at making children aware about sports and nutrition with the help of the country’s best sportspersons.
    • It is a unique school visit campaign that was kicked off by Olympic Gold medallist Neeraj Chopra in December 2021.
• Sports Infrastructure - Khelo India Centres (KICs)
  • The launch of 1000 KICs at the district level with employment generation for local coaches has been a significant landmark in the sports ecosystem in India.
  • The Central Government's partnership with various states has resulted in 31 Khelo India Centres of Excellence.
    • These Centres are primed to be state-of-the-art training centres for senior and elite athletes with a focus on specific sporting disciplines.
  • Besides, 257 Khelo India accredited academies, 500 private academies, and 27 adopted schools where Khelo India athletes train added to the strength of the sporting infrastructure.
  • Close to 17,500 playfields have been geo- tagged so that parents can easily find a place for their children to play around their residential area.
• Towards promoting inclusivity in sports
  • Special provisions are made for women athletes, such as organising the Khelo India Women's Leagues to promote their participation in sports.
  • Constant efforts are on to include youngsters from all parts of the country, with special emphasis on Jammu and Kashmir and the LWE-affected areas.
  • There is also a special space of inclusion being created for divyang athletes.
    • In June 2023, a contingent of 198 divyang Indian athletes participated in the Special Olympics Summer Games 2023 in Berlin.
    • The Government extended financial support of Rs 7.7 crore towards the participation of the Indian contingent.
    • It also held a preparatory coaching camp at the Sports Authority of India's JLN Stadium, New Delhi to prepare for the world event.

News Summary

• PM Modi inaugurated the opening ceremony of the 6^th Khelo India Youth Games 2023 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu ( Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium)
  • The games will be played across four cities of Tamil Nadu from January 19 to January 31 featuring 26 sporting disciplines with a mix of conventional sports and traditional ones.
• The mascot for the games is Veera Mangai.
  • Rani Velu Nachiyar, fondly called Veera Mangai, was an Indian queen who waged a war against British colonial rule.
  • The mascot symbolizes the valour and spirit of Indian women, embodying the strength of women power.
• The logo for the games incorporates the figure of poet Thiruvalluvar.

Q1) Which queen is known as Veeramangai?

Rani Velu Nachiyar was the first queen to fight against the British colonial power in India. She is known by Tamils as Veeramangai.

Q2) Who kept Thiruvalluvar Statue in Kanyakumari? 

Located on a rock, right next to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanniyakumari, the breathtaking statue of Thiruvalluvar was created by the Indian sculptor V. Ganapathi Sthapathi and was dedicated to the people of Tamil Nadu on January 1, 2000 by the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi.

Source: PM Modi inaugurates Khelo India Youth Games, says country working diligently to host Olympics in 2036 | PIB