Knowledge Nugget: What President's invite box to Independence Day guests contains — A quick look for UPSC exam
(Relevance: The items in the invite box, both on the occasion of Independence Day and Republic Day, are carefully selected to showcase the rich culture of our country. These items are also important from an examination point of view, as the UPSC has asked questions on such art forms or GI products that have been in the news.)
The eastern states are the focus of around 450 invites being sent this year by Rashtrapati Bhawan for the 'At Home' to be held on August 15 to mark the 79th Independence Day. The invite box has been curated in a way that the paintings and other artifacts can be used independently by the invitees as souvenirs. The guests at the event include the PM and his Cabinet, diplomats from various missions, senior officials and eminent personalities.
1. A cloth bag with a hand-painted Madhubani tag holds a box woven from sikki grass, a lesser known traditional craft form from Bihar. Inside the box is a bamboo frame carrying an invite and four other paintings, showcasing popular artforms from West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand, besides Bihar.
2. The invitation kits have been put together by the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, in collaboration with over 100 artisans, mostly women, from the four states. While nine Madhubani artists from Bihar and 15 bamboo artisans from Jharkhand worked from NID Bengaluru campus, the others worked from their respective villages.
3. According to an official, the idea behind the August 15 invite is to showcase both popular and lesser-known art and craft forms from the four eastern states – Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, and Jharkhand.
4. The choice of craft form is also symbolic. The openable frame carrying the printed invite is crafted by tribal artisans from Jharkhand, where bamboo weaving is deeply rooted in tradition. The invite takes the symbolic form of a door, representing the welcoming spirit of Rashtrapati Bhavan.
5. The frame has hand-painted Madhubani motifs and houses four paintings typical of the four eastern states. These are Tikuli art, Pattachitra, Talapatra Chitra, and Paitkar painting.
⇒ Tikuli art is an 800-year-old folk painting style from Patna. It dates back to the Mauryan period. Ashok Kumar Biswas, a prolific Tikuli Painter credited for revival and modification of this art, was awarded the Padma Shri in 2024. The name Tikuli comes from the word 'tikli', which means 'bindi' or 'dot' in Hindi.
⇒ The Patua community of Medinipur, Bengal practises Pattachitra. According to the government website of paschimmedinipur, 'The word 'pata' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'patta' which means cloth.The painters are called Patuas.'
⇒ Talapatra Chitra is the palm leaf scrolls of Odisha. In this a long rectangular piece of palm leaves are joined one after the other with the help of cotton thread to perform the painting. It has received the GI tag.
⇒ Paitkar painting is an old tribal scroll tradition from Jharkhand's Amadubi village. The word Paitkar is derived from the local word Patekar, or the Pata artists of the region. It is known for its narrative tradition and performance.
1. During the 76th Republic Day celebration this year, the invites for the At Home, hosted by the President on the evening of January 26, showcased a selection of unique artisanal handicrafts from the southern region of our country.
2. It included Pochampally Ikat fabric (Telangana), Etikoppaka toys (Andhra Pradesh), Kancheepuram silk (Tamil Nadu), Ganjifa art (Karnataka) and Screw-pine weaving (Kerala).
3. A roll-up pencil pouch made of Pochampally Ikat fabric of Telangana was included. The symmetrical pattern in the fabric is achieved through the Ikat resist-dye technique. It is a GI-tagged product.
4. Etikoppaka toys of Andhra Pradesh are a 400-year-old craft that has become synonymous with eco-friendly creativity and cultural heritage. In 2017, the toys received official recognition with a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, a hallmark of their authenticity and cultural significance.
5. A pouch made of Kancheepuram silk (Tamil Nadu), and a screw-pine weaved bookmark (Kerala) were also included. The craft of Kanjeevaram sari weaving spans 400 years, and is traditionally practised within temple confines by dedicated artisans.
6. The items are enclosed in a bamboo box with Kalamkari (Andhra) motifs. Kalamkari originates from the words 'Kalam', meaning pen in Persian and 'Kari', an Urdu word for craftsmanship. It is a work of art created by a pen. The 'pen' is a short piece of bamboo or a stick from the date palm tree, pointed at the end to form a nib.
Consider the following pairs:
How many pairs given above are not correctly matched?
(a) Only one pair
(b) Only two pairs
(c) Only three pairs
(d) All four pairs
(Source: Message from eastern states in President's 'At Home' invite to Independence Day guests )
Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.
🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for July 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
3 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Union edu min visits IIT-Delhi, interacts with students
Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday visited the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, where he interacted with undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students, as well as innovators and researchers, officials said. He also announced that he would revisit the institute to review innovations being developed by students. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan interacts with the students of IIT Delhi for the Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of 'Samridhh Bharat' in New Delhi on Sunday. (ANI Photo) During his interaction, Pradhan engaged with students to learn about their aspirations, areas of research, technological challenges under pursuit, and their perspectives on national opportunities. 'During the interaction, the Education Minister underlined the importance of self-reliance… He stressed that the present moment offers a unique opportunity to emphasise the need for achieving self-reliance, ignite collective action for driving national priorities and fulfil the vision of 'Samridhh Bharat' by 2047,' said an official. Encouraging students to bring forward innovative ideas, Pradhan assured them that the government 'stands shoulder to shoulder with India's innovators and researchers for shaping a brighter future and for establishing India as a global hub of solutions.' He also underlined the crucial role of IITs as 'the bedrock of a self-reliant India.' 'After meeting these students, I can confidently say that by 2047, India will be a developed nation, in line with the dreams of the Prime Minister. I can see a golden future being created on the shoulders of our youth in the coming 20–25 years,' Pradhan said. Speaking on the occasion, Vineet Joshi, secretary, department of higher education, reiterated the Prime Minister's Independence Day message on the role of youth in making the country self-reliant. He added that the department is extending full support to higher education institutions in advancing innovation, strengthening research capacities and addressing national challenges.
Indian Express
3 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Delhi Confidential: Seattle Warmth
Amid the frostiness in India-US ties over trade tariffs, senior Seattle functionaries hailed Indian-Americans at an event organised to celebrate India's Independence Day. On the day, the Tricolour was unfurled on top of the Space Needle, an icon of the city's skyline. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and other dignitaries acknowledged the contributions of the Indian-Americans in shaping Seattle's journey to become a tech hub in the Pacific Northwest. Claiming Space Off the political landscape for quite some time, former Union minister Uma Bharti was recently the chief guest at an event in Bareilly's Aonla Assembly segment where a statue of freedom fighter Avanti Bai Lodhi was unveiled. Organised by UP Cabinet minister Dharampal Singh, the event was attended by a number of senior Lodh community leaders, including Union Minister of State B L Verma and MP Sakshi Maharaj. The leaders highlighted the role of OBCs, especially the Lodh community, in strengthening the BJP. Sources said the event was aimed at seeking better political representation for the community at a time when Dharampal is being seen as among the probables for the UP BJP president's post. Desirable, Undesirable After assuming additional charge as the Delhi Police chief, S B K Singh assigned an unusual task to the Special CPs (law and order) of both zones — to list 'undesirable' individuals who get their photographs clicked with police officers. Insiders say Singh got to know that some shady individuals establish contact with police officers, get clicked with them and misuse such photographs to their advantage in unlawful activities. He also made it clear that any contact with such characters should be avoided and asked the Special CPs to prepare a list of such individuals and submit it to the Special CP (intelligence) by August 31.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
From Nehru's kinship to Modi's firepower: India shifts tone on Pak
NEW DELHI: "Our neighbour is Pakistan, which is a part of us, part of our hearts and arms. How do we even think of fighting them? This is like harming ourselves. And, if they are aggressive, they will harm themselves. This is a strange relationship between India and Pakistan. Strange relationship where there is sorrow and anger but ultimately that relationship is so close and for thousands of years that laws can't eradicate it. And, if something harms India, it will definitely harm Pakistan as well," Jawaharlal Nehru told the nation from the Red Fort in 1957 on Independence Day. Nearly seven decades later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday struck a markedly different note. Signalling no rethink on the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) under present circumstances, he declared that India will not distinguish between terrorists and their sponsors, pointing directly at Pakistan's leadership. Prime Minister Modi underlined that the country would not succumb to "any sort of nuclear blackmail." "The Indus Waters Treaty was an injustice to the people of India. The rivers of India were irrigating the enemy country while our own farmers were deprived of water. Now, the right over India's share of water belongs only to India and its farmers. A compromise on farmers' interests and national interests is not acceptable to us. Not anymore," he said. Modi added, "India will no longer tolerate nuclear blackmail. If the enemy dares to commit any more misadventure, the armed forces will give them a befitting reply. India has decided that blood and water will not flow together." Recalling last month's strikes, Modi said, "Operation Sindoor was the expression of that outrage... Penetrating hundreds of kilometres into enemy territory, they reduced terrorist headquarters to dust... Pakistan is still sleepless." This stark contrast captures the transformation in India's attitude towards Pakistan. PM Modi's language of deterrence and retaliation has replaced the earlier vocabulary of kinship and restraint. From invoking Balochistan, Gilgit and PoK in his 2016 speech to citing deep-penetration strikes in 2025, his addresses reflect a conscious break from decades of what he has called misplaced sentimentality. By comparison, the Nehruvian era was shaped by reconciliation despite provocations. Nehru's framing of Pakistan as inseparable from India's "heart and arms" translated into policies like the IWT and territorial concessions under the Noon-Nehru Pact. Even in the face of aggression, he sought to preserve ties. Indira Gandhi's decisive 1971 victory did not fundamentally alter that mindset. Returning 90,000 Pakistani prisoners of war, according to experts, without securing a settlement on Kashmir reflected a continued view of Pakistan as a "brother". Rajiv Gandhi's Independence Day speeches largely bypassed Pakistan, centring instead on domestic modernisation. Even after terror struck deep, restraint prevailed. In 2009, less than a year after the 26/11 attacks, Manmohan Singh's address spoke only of honouring "special assurances and concessions provided to J&K" - a line that avoided naming Pakistan directly. From Nehru's fraternity to Modi's firepower, the arc of Independence Day speeches reveals how India's strategic outlook on Pakistan - and China - has hardened from conciliatory sentiment to hard-nosed realism.
