What’s in Today’s Article?

• Sarhul festival Latest News
• Sarhul
• Sarhul: Three-Day festival
• Sarhul’s Transformation Over The Years
• Significance of Sarhul
• Sarhul Festival FAQs

Sarhul festival Latest News

• Adivasis in Jharkhand and the Chhotanagpur region will celebrate the Sarhul festival on April 1, 2025 to mark the new year and the arrival of spring.

Sarhul

• Sarhul is the festival of the New Year celebrated in the state of Jharkhand by the tribal communities as part of the local Sarna religion. 
• It is celebrated in the Hindu month of Chaitra, three days after the appearance of the new moon.
• It is also a celebration of the beginning of spring. 

Nature Worship in Sarhul

• Sarhul, meaning "worship of the Sal tree," is a significant Adivasi festival rooted in nature worship. 
• The Sal tree is revered as the abode of Sama Maa, the village-protecting deity.

Symbolic Union of Sun and Earth

• The festival symbolizes the union of the Sun and the Earth. 
• A pahan (male priest) represents the Sun, while his wife (pahen) symbolizes the Earth, signifying the essential connection between sunlight and soil for sustaining life.

Celebration of Life’s Cycle

• Sarhul marks the renewal of life. 
• Only after its rituals are completed do Adivasis begin agricultural activities like ploughing, sowing, and forest gathering, emphasizing the festival’s deep ties to nature and sustenance.

Sarhul Among Different Tribes

• Sarhul is celebrated by various tribes, including the Oraon, Munda, Santal, Khadia, and Ho, each with unique names and traditions associated with the festival.

Evolution from Hunting to Agriculture

• Anthropologists noted that Sarhul originally centered around hunting but gradually evolved into an agriculture-based festival, reflecting the changing lifestyle of Adivasis in Chhotanagpur.

Sarhul’s Journey Beyond Chhotanagpur

• In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Adivasi communities, including the Munda, Oraon, and Santal, carried Sarhul with them when they were sent as indentured laborers to distant lands. 
• Today, Sarhul is celebrated in Assam’s tea gardens, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan.

Sarhul: Three-Day festival

• Sarhul is a three-day festival celebrated at Sarna Sthals, sacred groves near villages in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Bihar. These groves are central to the festival's rituals.

Preparations and First Day

• Homes and Sarna Sthals are decorated with triangular red and white Sama flags. 
• The pahan (priest) observes a fast, collects ceremonial water, and oversees the cleaning of houses and sacred sites. Sal flowers are gathered for rituals.

Main Rituals on the Second Day

• The main ceremonies take place at the Sarna Sthal, where Sal flowers are offered to the deity and a rooster is sacrificed for prosperity and a good harvest. 
• Holy water is sprinkled, and villagers perform traditional dances like Jadur, Gena, and Por Jadur. 
• Young men also participate in ceremonial fishing and crab-catching.

Final Day: Community Feast and Blessings

• The festival concludes with a grand community feast, where people share handia (rice beer) and traditional delicacies. 
• The pahan blesses the villagers, marking the end of the celebrations.

Sarhul’s Transformation Over The Years

• In the 1960s, Adivasi leader Baba Karthik Oraon, a champion of social justice and tribal culture, initiated a Sarhul procession from Hatma to Siram Toli Sarna Sthal in Ranchi. 
• Over the past 60 years, processions have become a central part of the festival, with Siram Toli emerging as a major gathering point.

Political and Identity Assertion

• Sarhul has increasingly become a platform for Adivasi identity assertion. 
• Some tribal groups use the festival to emphasize their distinctiveness from Hinduism, advocating for the inclusion of the Sarna religion in India's caste census.

Debate Over Religious Identity

• While Sarna followers seek recognition as a separate religious group, other groups argue that Adivasis are part of Hinduism. 

Significance of Sarhul

• Sarhul: A Festival Where Nature Takes Center Stage
  • Unlike mainstream Indian festivals that celebrate human achievements, Sarhul Festival honors nature, with the Sal tree as its chief guest.
• A Festival Without Idols: Pure Worship of Nature
  • Sarhul’s rituals are refreshingly simple—no idols or temple processions, just deep reverence for nature. 
• Preserving Adivasi Heritage in a Changing World
  • As urbanization threatens tribal traditions, Sarhul stands as a cultural movement reinforcing Adivasi identity.
• A Lesson for Modern Celebrations
  • It teaches that true celebration lies in respecting nature, not in extravagance. 

Sarhul Festival FAQs

Q1. What is the Sarhul festival?

Ans. Sarhul is an Adivasi festival celebrating spring and nature worship in Jharkhand.

Q2. Why is the Sal tree important in Sarhul?

Ans. The Sal tree represents the village deity, Sama Maa, and is central to Sarhul’s rituals.

Q3. How is Sarhul celebrated?

Ans. It includes nature worship, dances, feasts, and community rituals at sacred groves.

Q4. What is the historical significance of Sarhul?

Ans. It reflects the transition of Adivasis from hunting to agriculture and cultural identity assertion.

Q5. How has Sarhul evolved over time?

Ans. It has grown into a major cultural and political movement emphasizing tribal identity.

Source: IE | SF | Aadivasi

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Labour Laws Latest News
• Background
• Overview of the Four Labour Codes
• News Summary
• Women’s Participation in the Workforce
• Way Forward
• Indian Labour Codes and Parliamentary Review FAQs

Labour Laws Latest News

• The Labour Standing Committee of Parliament has pulled up the Union Labour Ministry for not convening the Indian Labour Conference (ILC) during the last 10 years.

Background

• India's labour regulatory landscape underwent a landmark transformation with the consolidation of 29 central labour laws into four comprehensive Labour Codes between 2019 and 2020. 
• The move aimed to simplify the regulatory framework, improve ease of doing business, and ensure wider coverage of social and labour protections to workers across formal and informal sectors.
• Despite their passage in Parliament, these codes are yet to be fully operationalised due to delays in framing and implementing rules by States. 
• A recent report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour, Textiles, and Skill Development has urged the Ministry of Labour and Employment to expedite the process and also reconvene the long-pending Indian Labour Conference (ILC).

Overview of the Four Labour Codes

• The Code on Wages, 2019
  • This code amalgamates four existing laws related to wages, including the Minimum Wages Act and the Payment of Wages Act. 
  • It ensures universal minimum wage coverage across employment types and streamlines payment procedures.
• The Industrial Relations Code, 2020
  • This code consolidates laws governing trade unions, industrial disputes, and conditions for layoffs and closures. 
  • It aims to create a balance between worker rights and employer flexibility and introduces provisions for fixed-term employment.
• The Social Security Code, 2020
  • Covering various benefits such as provident fund, gratuity, maternity benefits, and health insurance, this code brings both organised and unorganised sector workers under a common social security net. 
  • It also enables the creation of social security funds for gig and platform workers.
• The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020
  • This code amalgamates 13 existing laws and addresses the safety, health, and welfare conditions of workers across different establishments. 
  • It includes provisions for working hours, welfare facilities, and appointment of safety officers.

News Summary

• In its report tabled in Parliament, the committee, MP Basavaraj Bommai, highlighted delays and inconsistencies in the implementation of these labour codes.
• Progress on Rulemaking
  • As of early 2024, 32 States and Union Territories had pre-published rules under all four codes. However, States like West Bengal and Lakshadweep had not done so. 
  • The committee noted that rule publication does not equate to enforcement and stressed the need for actual on-ground implementation, supported by administrative readiness and awareness drives.
• Tripartite Consultations and the Indian Labour Conference
  • The committee criticised the Ministry for not holding the Indian Labour Conference since 2015. 
  • The ILC is India’s primary platform for tripartite dialogue between government, employers, and worker unions. The committee argued that such a forum is vital, particularly during structural reforms like the rollout of the labour codes.
  • Despite multiple requests by trade unions and stakeholders, the Ministry had not shared any timeline for the next ILC session. 
  • The committee emphasised that informal or bilateral consultations cannot replace the institutional significance of the ILC.

Women’s Participation in the Workforce

• On a positive note, the committee highlighted the rising Worker Population Ratio (WPR) among women, citing data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS). 
• Women's WPR rose from 28.7% in 2019–20 to 40.3% in 2023–24, a significant shift driven by policy interventions, digital job platforms, and increased awareness.
• To sustain and build on this trend, the panel recommended:
  • Special employment outreach in rural, tribal, and underdeveloped areas
  • Active promotion of the National Career Services (NCS) portal
  • Greater efforts by industries to encourage female workforce participation through flexible work options

Way Forward

• The committee’s report strongly advocated for:
  • Expedited implementation of the four labour codes through close coordination with State governments
  • Resumption of the Indian Labour Conference to ensure inclusive policymaking
  • Capacity-building efforts for labour officials to ensure effective rule enforcement
  • Data-driven monitoring mechanisms to evaluate the real-world impact of the labour reforms
• Given India’s rapidly changing employment landscape, marked by gig work, platform-based jobs, and informal labour, such reforms are critical to ensuring worker protection, job formalisation, and economic inclusivity.

Indian Labour Codes and Parliamentary Review FAQs

Q1. What are the four labour codes introduced in India between 2019 and 2020?

Ans. The four codes are on Wages, Industrial Relations, Social Security, and Occupational Safety and Health.

Q2. Why is the Indian Labour Conference significant?

Ans. It enables structured dialogue between government, employers, and workers to shape labour policies.

Q3. Which States have yet to publish rules for labour codes?

Ans. West Bengal and Lakshadweep have not yet pre-published rules under the four labour codes.

Q4. What trend was observed in women's workforce participation?

Ans. Women’s Worker Population Ratio increased from 28.7% in 2019–20 to 40.3% in 2023–24.

Q5. What is the role of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour?

Ans. It reviews labour policies, examines Ministry actions, and submits reports to Parliament with recommendations.

Source: TH

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Deep-Sea Mining Impact Latest News
• Deep Sea Mining
• Key Findings of the Study
• Deep-Sea Mining and Its Future
• Deep-Sea Mining Impact FAQs

Deep-Sea Mining Impact Latest News

• A new study, ‘Long-term impact and biological recovery in a deep-sea mining track’, published in Nature, reveals that a section of the Pacific Ocean seabed mined over 40 years ago has not yet recovered. 
• Conducted by scientists led by Britain’s National Oceanography Centre, the study found long-term sediment changes and a decline in larger marine organisms. 
• The findings come amid increasing calls for a moratorium on deep-sea mining. Recently, 36 countries attended a UN International Seabed Authority meeting in Jamaica to discuss whether mining companies should be permitted to extract metals from the ocean floor.

Deep Sea Mining

• Deep sea mining involves extracting mineral deposits and metals from the ocean’s seabed. 
• It is classified into three types:
  • Collecting polymetallic nodules from the ocean floor
  • Mining massive seafloor sulphide deposits
  • Stripping cobalt crusts from underwater rocks

Significance of Deep Sea Mining 

• These deposits contain valuable materials like nickel, rare earth elements, and cobalt, which are essential for renewable energy technologies, batteries, and everyday electronics such as cellphones and computers.

Technological Developments in Deep Sea Mining

• The engineering methods for deep sea mining are still evolving. Companies are exploring:
  • Vacuum-based extraction using massive pumps
  • AI-driven deep-sea robots to selectively pick up nodules
  • Advanced underwater machines to mine materials from underwater mountains and volcanoes

Strategic Importance

• Governments and companies see deep sea mining as crucial due to depleting onshore reserves and rising global demand for these critical materials.

Key Findings of the Study

• The study examined the long-term impact of a small-scale mining experiment conducted in 1979 on a section of the Pacific Ocean seafloor. 
• The experiment involved removing polymetallic nodules, and scientists analyzed the affected 8-meter strip during an expedition in 2023.

Key Findings

• Long-Term Environmental Impact: The mining led to lasting changes in the sediment and a decline in marine organism populations.
• Partial Recovery Observed: While some areas showed little to no recovery, certain animal groups were beginning to recolonize and repopulate.

Broader Concerns About Deep Sea Mining

• Previous studies have warned about negative effects of deep sea mining below 200 meters, including:
  • Harmful noise and vibrations
  • Sediment plumes and light pollution
• A 2023 study in Current Biology found that deep sea mining significantly reduces animal populations and has a wider ecological impact than previously estimated.

Significance for Policy and Environmental Debate

• The study provides crucial data for assessing the long-term effects of deep-sea mining and guiding future regulations by the International Seabed Authority (ISA).
• Findings suggest that while some marine life begins to recover, full ecosystem restoration remains uncertain and may take decades.
• The research forms part of the Seabed Mining and Resilience to Experimental Impact (SMARTEX) project, which aims to support informed decision-making on deep-sea mining's societal and ecological implications.

Deep-Sea Mining and Its Future

• The Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) is a vast, mineral-rich region in the Pacific Ocean, home to unique deep-sea biodiversity and crucial metal resources.
• CCZ is a vast plain in the North Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Mexico.
• It is known to hold large volumes of polymetallic nodules containing minerals used in electric vehicles and solar panels including manganese, nickel, copper, and cobalt.
• Governments and companies are increasingly considering deep-sea mining to meet global demand for critical minerals needed in renewable energy and technology.
• The ISA is currently evaluating whether and under what conditions deep-sea mining should be permitted.

Deep-Sea Mining Impact FAQs

Q1. What is deep-sea mining?

Ans. Extracting minerals like cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements from the ocean floor.

Q2. What are the key findings of the study?

Ans. Mining leaves lasting sediment changes and reduces marine biodiversity, with recovery taking decades.

Q3. Why is deep-sea mining controversial?

Ans. It threatens fragile ecosystems, disrupts biodiversity, and raises environmental concerns.

Q4. How does deep-sea mining affect marine life?

Ans. It disturbs habitats, creates harmful sediment plumes, and causes long-term biodiversity loss.

Q5. What is the International Seabed Authority’s role?

Ans. The ISA regulates deep-sea mining activities and debates future environmental safeguards..

Source: IE | BGS | OE