Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• India’s groundwater governance is in better shape
• Why we need to focus on mental health

GS Paper 3

• Regional RBIs: The case for baby RBIs
• Becoming The Global Factory: How To Nail It This Time
• Question From The Homeless In Hills
• The moral and intellectual crises in economic policies

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• The Indus Waters Treaty, and why India has issued notice to Pakistan seeking changes
• 12 cheetahs from South Africa to arrive in India by February-end
• Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas, and criticism of the holy book
• Study explains migration events that brought genetic diversity among Nepalese population
• What is BharOS software and how different is it from Google’s Android OS?
• MeitY Startup Hub and Meta shortlists 120 Startups and Innovators for the XR Startup Program
• Padma award is an honour for the Etikoppaka toy craft, says C.V. Raju

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

India’s groundwater governance is in better shape

News: The article explains the facts and statistics about groundwater in India.

What are some facts and statistics about groundwater resources in India? 

India has nearly 18% of the world’s population. It occupies about 2.4% of the total geographical area and consumes 4% of the total water resources.  

A World Bank report says that India is the largest groundwater user. A rapidly growing economy and population are straining the country’s groundwater resources. 

India has distinct and varying hydro-geological settings. Groundwater is the backbone of India’s agriculture and drinking water security. It meets nearly 80% of the country’s drinking water and two-thirds of its irrigation needs. Groundwater is pivotal to India’s water security. 

What are the steps taken by the government for protecting groundwater resources? 

Jal Shakti Ministry was created by merging the erstwhile Ministries of Water Resources with Drinking Water and Sanitation. This was to give impetus to the management of water resources with special focus on demand and supply management.  

The Jal Shakti Abhiyan was launched for community participation in the management of water resources through asset creation, rainwater harvesting and extensive awareness campaigns. 

Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABY): It looks to inculcate behavioural change through incentivisation. The goal is “participatory groundwater management”.  

National Project on Aquifer Management (NAQUIM): It envisages the mapping of subsurface aquifers to help gather authentic data and enable informed decision-making. Around 24 lakh square kms of the country has been mapped. Region-wise aquifer management plans are being prepared and shared with States. 

Monitoring stations: There are around 65,025 monitoring stations in India. The numbers are set to go beyond 84,000.  The focus will be on identified high groundwater extracting industrial and urban clusters and groundwater stressed regions.  

Samples from fixed locations are obtained to check for the presence of heavy and trace metals.  

Dynamic groundwater assessments will be done annually now and a groundwater estimation committee formed to revise the assessment methodology.  

A software, ‘India-Groundwater Resource Estimation System (IN-GRES)’, has also been developed. 

What are the impacts of steps taken by the government for protecting groundwater resources? 

The groundwater resource assessment report 2022 shows a brighter future for groundwater situations in the country as the initiatives taken by various governments have begun yielding results.  

According to the latest assessment, there has been a 3% reduction in the number of ‘overexploited’ groundwater units and a 4% increase in the number of ‘safe’ category units as compared to 2017.  

There was an improvement in groundwater conditions in 909 units. The assessment also showed a reduction in annual extraction. Overall extraction saw a declining trend of about 3.25% since 2017. 

Around 9.37 BCM of additional groundwater potential was created through artificial water conservation structures.  

The government’s interventions for creating a positive impact on the overall groundwater scenario in India reflect the spirit of cooperative federalism.  

What is the way forward to ensure sustainable management of groundwater resources? 

India will need adequate groundwater resources to manage anthropogenic pressures.  

It is important to ensure source sustainability to provide safe drinking water to all rural households by 2024, under the Jal Jeevan Mission. 

Communities will have to manage their groundwater resources in a better way with the help of various government agencies and non-governmental organisations. 

In the context of climate change, more efforts must be made to find solutions that are essential for sustainable development.  

Steps must be taken to make India a water surplus nation, thus fulfilling the objective of a key United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, of water for all.

Why we need to focus on mental health

News: The article explains the prevalence of mental health and its impacts.

What are some facts and statistics related to mental health? 

Suicide rates in India are amongst the highest when compared to other countries at the same socio-economic level. According to WHO, India’s suicide rate in 2019 was at 12.9 per 1,00,000 population.  

Suicide has become the leading cause of death among those aged 15–29 in India. 

Across the world, the prevalence of some mental health disorders is consistently higher among women as compared to men. 

The pandemic has further exacerbated the problem. According to a study published in Lancet, it might have increased the prevalence of depression by 28% and anxiety by 26% globally between 2020 and 2021. The large increases have been noted among younger age groups. 

How social media is exacerbating stress and mental ill health for young people? 

Social media detracts from face-to-face relationships, which are healthier.  

It reduces investment in meaningful activities. It erodes self-esteem through unfavourable social comparison. 

What are the impacts of poor mental health? 

It is a leading cause of disability globally. It is closely linked to poverty in a vicious cycle of disadvantage. People living in poverty are at greater risk of experiencing mental health conditions.  

On the other hand, people experiencing severe mental health conditions are more likely to fall into poverty through loss of employment and increased health expenditure.  

Stigma and discrimination often further undermine their social support structures. This reinforces the vicious cycle of poverty and mental ill-health.  

What are issues related to the treatment of mental health? 

Currently, only 20-30% of people with mental illnesses receive adequate treatment. One major reason for such a wide treatment gap is the problem of inadequate resources.  

Less than 2% of the government health budget is devoted to mental health issues.  

There is a severe shortage of mental health professionals. According to one estimate, the number of psychiatrists in the country is less than those in New York City. 

What is the way forward to overcome the challenges related to mental health? 

We need a “whole-of-society” approach for the mental health of our people. This should be based on the following four pillars- 

Remove deep stigma around mental health issues: It prevents patients from seeking timely treatment and makes them feel shameful, isolated and weak. 

Make mental health an integral part of the public health programme: This will reduce stress, promote a healthy lifestyle, screen and identify high-risk groups and strengthen mental health interventions like counselling services.  

Special emphasis will need to be given to schools. In addition, we should pay special attention to groups that are highly vulnerable to mental health issues such as victims of domestic or sexual violence, unemployed youth. 

Create a strong infrastructure for mental health care and treatment: Substantial investments will be needed to address the gaps in the mental health infrastructure and human resources. 

Mental health services should be made affordable: All government health assurance schemes, including Ayushman Bharat, should cover the widest possible range of mental health conditions.  

Similarly, the list of essential medicines includes only a limited number of WHO-prescribed mental health medications.  

A comprehensive review of these policies will be needed to ensure that financial and other barriers do not prevent people from using services or push them into poverty. 

GS Paper 3

Regional RBIs: The case for baby RBIs

News: The article explains the possibility of regional RBIs for India. 

What is the need for regional RBIs in India? 

The administration, the legislature, the judiciary, and a host of other institutions have state-level bodies. All also perform a regulatory role. This can be applied to India’s monetary authority, the RBI. 

Despite its admirable competence and proven track record, the RBI is perhaps not working as expected. The task before it is simply too large. India has become very big on all economic parameters. 

RBI doesn’t have the capacity to supervise an economy that’s growing so fast and becoming larger by the year.  

There exists variation in regional inflation rates. The all-India inflation number is just too broad to be useful. It misses the considerable inter-state variation. It fails to capture things like urban-rural divergence within the same state. 

The US has 12 Federal Reserve Banks, whose 24 branches constitute the Federal Reserve System. Each of these operates within the boundaries of its own designated area. 

A key aspect of the US state Feds is to represent the region in the Federal Reserve System. For this, they possess a deep understanding of the regional economy. 

RBI also has 25 regional offices. It is twice more than twice the number of the US Reserve Banks. But these aren’t independent entities. They are branches with a vertical hierarchy. 

Becoming The Global Factory: How To Nail It This Time

News: India has seen economic growth in recent years and received $84 billion in foreign direct investment despite declining global demands, pandemic and war. 

This shows that India has huge potential to attract additional FDI in the real sectors. 

How is India in a better economic position? 

Implemented systematic changes: India is in a better position now because of numerous systematic changes made by India in telecommunications, power, infrastructure and talent. India also has a huge educated population with most of them being youth. 

Increasing Per Capita Income: According to a report by Morgan Stanley, the number of households earning over $35,000/year will increase fivefold in the next decade, reaching over 25 million. 

This will increase the GDP to more than $7. 5 trillion by 2031 and an 11% annual compounding of market capitalisation to $10 trillion over the next decade. 

Increase in manufacturing: India is transitioning from being a global office to a global factory in the manufacturing sector. The combination of data and technology will help India in leading the world. 

India is currently the fifth largest economy in the world and is on track to surpass Japan in the next five years and be on a par with Germany. 

Growth of the banking sector: The improvement in the banking network in the country has improved the flow of funds and given a boost to the number of bank accounts.  The bank account has increased from 43 per 1,000 people in 1972 to about 1,600 per 1,000 now. 

Other Initiatives: Such as Production-Linked Incentives, the China Plus One strategy and plans like Gati Shakti have given a boost to the overall economy of the nation and have ensured ease of doing business in India.  

Increase in FIIs: India has also been the destination for large Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) and it is witnessing a rise in sales of homes, automobiles and credit card spending across the country. 

However, challenges such as geopolitical disruptions and rising energy and commodity costs exist in India, but these can be mitigated by bringing up policies and eliminating obsolete laws and regulations. 

Question From The Homeless In Hills

News: The land subsidence of Joshimath has been caused due to the failure of the government as well as the judiciary. Moreover, it is not only Joshimath but there are other places also in Uttarakhand where the problem exists. 

How has the judiciary failed in preventing natural calamities in Uttarakhand? 

There were three such instances where timely action by the judiciary could have prevented the current Joshimath crisis.

Kedarnath flood, 2013: The Supreme Court in suo moto petition ordered that no further clearances should be granted to any hydroelectric power project in Uttarakhand.  The court also constituted an expert body to study the impact of hydroelectric power projects on the environmental degradation of Kedarnath. 

Justice Radhakrishnan committee found that under-construction and existing projects had aggravated the 2013 disaster and it recommended the cancellation of 23 out of 24 proposed HEPs in Uttarakhand. 

However, later another bench ordered the reconsideration of six of the proposed 24 projects. These six projects also got clearance from MoEF, ultimately leading to the environmental crisis in Uttarakhand. 

Case of widening Chardhaam route, 2018: The PIL petitioners argued that widening the route would lead to the cutting of the mountains and trees. This can cause landslides. SC took cognisance and ordered in 2020 that a narrower Intermediate Width would be implemented. 

However, in 2021 a new SC bench ordered the implementation of the Double Lane project in Uttarakhand. 

Rishi Ganga flood, 2021: After the flood, locals filed a PIL in the Uttarakhand High Court praying for the cancellation of the Rishiganga and Tapovan-Vishnugad HEPs, along with rehabilitation of Raini village. However, the court rejected the petitions and even fined the petitioners. 

Now, after the Joshimath land subsidence problems caused by the construction of HEP. Hence, the failure of the government and judiciary to address the issue resulted in the Joshimath crisis. 

The moral and intellectual crises in economic policies

News: The article explains the intellectual and moral crisis affecting the Indian economy.

What is the crisis of employment in India? 

Job creation has not kept pace with the demand for jobs. Moreover, most jobs don’t pay enough and have no social security. The paradigm of economic growth and globalisation followed by Indian governments is a cause of the problem. 

There is less employment because the organised manufacturing and service sectors are also employing fewer people per unit of capital in order to improve their own labour productivity. 

The Indian economy’s problem is the large size of its informal sector and the small scale of its enterprises. Employment in the formal sector is also becoming informal with outsourcing, contract employment, and gig work.  

Young men need jobs too. Increasing numbers of young and underemployed males are leading to more crime and violence, and sexual assaults of women in Indian cities. 

Concepts of “economies of scale” are changing to “economies of scope”, and enterprise forms from concentrated to dispersed units. 

How women’s participation in the workforce is not conducive to the employment scenario in India? 

As per economists, more women in the workforce will lead to faster growth.  

This distorted view of the economy ignores reality. More Indian women have been working outside their homes to earn money than in any other country perhaps.  

They are working in a) large numbers on farms, as caregivers and domestic workers, and weavers and producers of handicrafts in small enterprises, b) as teachers and as Anganwadi and ASHAs providing essential services to communities. The essential services that women provide to society are not considered productive work for the economy.  

They are being pulled into the limited jobs provided by the formal economy. Pushing more women into the formal economy will improve the “female participation rate” in the formal economy and may add to GDP too.  

However, it will not solve the basic problem related to the lack of enough good jobs in formal sectors of India’s economy for the young population.  

Why is the overemphasis on the growth of GDP not good for society and nature? 

The paradigm of “growth, growth, growth” treats human society and nature as a means to goals of producing more wealth for investors and more GDP.  

According to this paradigm of growth, the human needs for safety, health and sufficient income of workers only increase the cost of doing business. These are not concerns of the investors. The state must take care of them. 

What is the way forward for economic policy? 

Growth of GDP is not the purpose of human civilization.  

India’s leaders must find a path to reach “poorna swaraj” related to social, political, and economic freedoms for all Indians.  

Economic growth must create equal opportunities for all to learn and earn with dignity and not harm the natural environment that sustains all life.   

A new paradigm of economic science and policy is required.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

The Indus Waters Treaty, and why India has issued notice to Pakistan seeking changes

Source: The post is based on the following articles

“The Indus Waters Treaty, and why India has issued notice to Pakistan seeking changes” published in Indian Express on 28th January 2023

“River Bends – Pakistan should stop subverting the Indus Water Treaty” published in The Times of India on 28th January 2023

What is the News?

India has issued a notice to Pakistan seeking modification of the more than six-decade-old Indus Waters Treaty(IWT) that governs the sharing of waters of six rivers in the Indus system between the two countries. 

What is the Indus Water Treaty?

Click Here to read

What is the dispute over the hydel projects?

The notice appears to be a fallout of a longstanding dispute over two hydroelectric power projects that India is constructing – the Kishanganga hydroelectric project on the Kishanganga river, a tributary of Jhelum and Ratle Hydroelectric Plant on the Chenab.

Pakistan has raised objections to these projects, and dispute resolution mechanisms under the Treaty have been invoked multiple times. But a full resolution has not been reached.

In 2015, Pakistan asked that a Neutral Expert should be appointed to examine its technical objections to the Hydel projects. 

But in 2016, Pakistan retracted the request and approached the World Bank seeking the constitution of a Court of Arbitration under the relevant dispute redressal provisions of the Treaty.

Instead of responding to Pakistan’s request for a Court of Arbitration, India moved a separate application asking for the appointment of a Neutral Expert. India had argued that Pakistan’s request for a Court of Arbitration violated the graded mechanism of dispute resolution in the Treaty.

What exactly is the dispute resolution mechanism under the treaty?

The dispute redressal mechanism provided under the treaty is a graded mechanism.

There are three possible steps to decide on objections raised by either side: 1) working within the “Permanent Indus Commission” (PIC) of the Indian and Pakistani delegation of water experts that meet regularly, 2) consulting a World Bank-appointed neutral expert or 3) setting up a court process to adjudicate the case through the World Bank and the Permanent Court of Arbitrage(PCA).

India has held that each step must be fully exhausted before both sides agree to move on to the next step. Pakistan had moved on without waiting for India’s concurrence.

Why has India sent notice to Pakistan?

The immediate trigger for India to send the notice to Pakistan was to address the issue of two parallel mechanisms for a solution to the differences over the Hydel projects.

Under the pact, any difference needs to be resolved under a three-stage approach. However, in the case of the Kishenganga and Ratle Hydro Electric Projects, the World Bank started two concurrent dispute redressal processes at the insistence of Pakistan, which India felt was a breach of the IWT.

Hence, under such circumstances, India has issued a “notice of modification” of the Indus Water Treaty. 

However, an amendment or modification can happen only through a duly ratified Treaty concluded for that purpose between the two governments. Pakistan is under no obligation to agree to India’s proposal.

As of now, it is not clear what happens if Pakistan does not respond to India’s notice within the 90-day period.

12 cheetahs from South Africa to arrive in India by February-end

Source: The post is based on the article “12 cheetahs from South Africa to arrive in India by February-end” published in The Hindu on 28th January 2023

What is the News?

India and South Africa have signed an agreement to translocate 12 cheetahs to India.

About Cheetah’s Reintroduction Programme

In India, the Cheetah’s population got completely wiped out in the early 1950s, mainly due to over-hunting and habitat loss. 

Under the ‘Action Plan for Reintroduction of Cheetah in India’, cheetahs will be brought from African countries to various national parks over the next few years.

How many Cheetah’s will be sent to India from South Africa?

As per agreement, 12 Cheetah’s will be translocated to India from South Africa.

The Cheetah’s will be reintroduced at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, where eight such cats were brought from Namibia in 2022 under a similar agreement.

The initial batch of cheetahs from South Africa will be followed by the transport of batches of 12 annually for the next “eight to 10 years”.

What is the significance of the Reintroduction of Cheetah’s into India?

Restoring cheetah populations is considered to be a priority for India.

It will have vital and far-reaching conservation consequences which would aim to achieve a number of ecological objectives including re-establishing the function role of cheetah within their historical range in India and enhancing the livelihood options and economies of the local communities.

Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas, and criticism of the holy book

Source: The post is based on the article “Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas, and criticism of the holy book” published in Indian Express on 28th January 2023

What is the News?

Bihar Education Minister has said that the Ramcharitmanas spreads hatred in society.

What is Ramcharitmanas?

Ramcharitmanas is an epic poem in the Awadhi language composed by the 16th-century Indian bhakti poet Tulsidas.

It is divided into seven chapters (Kand) that tell the story of Lord Ram from birth to his becoming King of Ayodhya.

The Ramcharitmanas is based on the Ramayana, sage Valmiki’s great epic. It is the holiest book of the Indo-Gangetic region and among the world’s most-read holy books.

Who is Goswami Tulsidas?

Tulsidas was a Brahmin whose original name was Ram Bola Dubey. He composed the Ramcharitmanas on the bank of the Ganga in Varanasi.

Tulsidas lived in the time of Emperor Akbar, and some believe that he was in touch with Abdurrahim Khan-e-Khanan, the son of Akbar’s commander Bairam Khan, and they possibly exchanged some poetic communication as well.

Which portions of Ramcharitmanas are criticized?

The main criticism is of a chaupai in Sundar Kand. Lord Ram is on the coast, but the Sea is refusing to make way. When the Lord threatens to dry the Sea out, he says, imbeciles, illiterates, shudras and women sakal tadana ke adhikari. While the Geeta Press Ramcharitmanas translates “taadan” as shiksha (education), some critics say it means beating or reprimanding.

In Uttar Kand, Kagbhushundi (the crow) tells Garuda, the king of birds: Lower castes like Teli, Kumhar, Chandal, Bheel, Kol and Kalwar, etc. become sanyasis by tonsuring their heads after their wife dies or they lose their wealth.

Later, Kagbhushundi says, Educating a lower-caste person is like feeding milk to a snake. This was the line that the Bihar Minister mentioned.

Study explains migration events that brought genetic diversity among Nepalese population

Source: The post is based on the article “Study explains migration events that brought genetic diversity among Nepalese population” published in PIB on 27th January 2023

What is the News?

According to a study, Tibeto-Burman communities were pre-historic Himalayan settlers, and their East Asian ancestry can be traced back to Neolithic immigration mostly from Tibet around 8 KYA (Kilo Years Ago).

About the origin of modern human population

It is widely accepted that modern humans originated in Africa around 200000 years ago (KYA) and migrated out of Africa between 60 and 70 KYA. Several populations arose in this process, each with its own evolutionary history. 

Genetic drift, endogamy, admixture, isolation and natural selection are a few evolutionary processes that have contributed to genetic diversity among human populations worldwide, including susceptibility and resistance to genetic diseases, infectious diseases, therapeutic response to drugs, and other conditions. 

About Nepal’s Genetic Diversity

Nepal has one of the world’s richest ethnic, cultural, linguistic and social diversity and harbours several anthropologically well-defined populations. 

It harbours populations that are phenotypically similar to East Asians (Mongolians/ Tibetans/ Chinese/ southeast Asians); some are similar to South Asians and some are similar to West Eurasians. 

Why there is genetic diversity among the Nepalese population?

To understand the genetic diversity of Nepal, scientists conducted a maternal mitochondrial DNA study of several Nepalese populations.

The scientists found that except for the high-altitude Sherpa population of Nepal, most of the Tibeto-Burman speaking communities of Nepal harbour significant genetic contributions from Tibet, Myanmar and South Asia showing shared ancestry with the populations from southeast Tibet, Northeast India, North India (Uttarakhand), Myanmar and Thailand.

Some of this ancestry exhibit the signature of early admixture and are widespread in several Nepalese populations including a few Himalayan populations from Uttarakhand, India.

What is BharOS software and how different is it from Google’s Android OS?

Source: The post is based on the article “What is BharOS software and how different is it from Google’s Android OS?” published in The Hindu on 25th January 2023

What is the News?

IIT Madras-incubated company has recently developed the BharOS system.

What is the BharOS System?

BharOS is an indigenous, or homegrown, mobile operating system(OS) like Android or iOS.

It has been developed to reduce the dependence on foreign OS in smartphones and promote the use of locally developed technology.

Features of BharOS system

Native Over the Air: BharOS would offer Native Over the Air (NOTA) updates, meaning that security updates and bug fixes will be automatically installed rather than users having to check for updates and implement them on their own.

No Default Apps(NDA) setting: It means that users do not have to keep or use pre-installed apps in this mobile operating system.

– Going with an NDA design for BharOS was intentional as it will let users have more control over the apps on their mobile phones based on the user’s trust in the app and the kind of data they store on their phone.

Private App Store Services: It will use a system known as Private App Store Services (PASS), which will examine and curate the apps that are safe for the users.Users will be able to use other apps, as long as they meet BharOS’ PASS standards.

Who is using BharOS currently?

BharOS Services are currently being provided to organizations that have stringent privacy and security requirements and whose users handle sensitive information that requires confidential communications on restricted apps on mobiles.

Such users require access to private cloud services through private 5G networks.

How BharOS is Different from Google Android?

Technically, BharOS is very similar to Android because they share the same basics. Because BharOS uses AOSP or Android Open Source Project, the functionalities and the methodologies both OS use are essentially the same. 

What sets BharOS apart from Android, is that it is free from Google Services and Apps. Google has used its preinstalled apps and services to collect data, sometimes without explicitly asking a user. Similarly, other apps from Google’s PlayStore share data with third-party services.

BharOS does not come with any such preinstalled services or apps, and hence, is deemed to be more secure.

MeitY Startup Hub and Meta shortlists 120 Startups and Innovators for the XR Startup Program

Source: The post is based on the article “MeitY Startup Hub and Meta shortlists 120 Startups and Innovators for the XR Startup Program” published in PIB on 27th January 2023

What is the News?

MeitY Startup Hub(MSH), an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) and Meta have announced the list of 120 startups and innovators for the XR Startup Program.

What is an XR Startup Program?

Launched in: 2022

Launched by: MeitY Startup Hub(MSH), an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) and Meta.

Aim: To discover, nurture, and accelerate Extended Reality (XR) technology startups and innovators across India.

Segments: It includes two segments namely:

Accelerator Challenge: The Accelerator will nurture and foster 40 early-stage startups working with XR technologies through a well-designed 6-month program.

– Each startup will get access to many benefits, including a grant of ₹ 20 lakhs, mentorship by industry experts and researchers, access to a network of potential strategic partners and investors and opportunities to participate and present at relevant industry events.

Grand Challenge: It will encourage early-stage innovators in sectors like Education, Learning and Skills, Healthcare, Gaming and Entertainment, Agritech & Climate Action and Tourism & Sustainability.

– The innovators will be provided support to upscale from the R&D phase to developing workable products and services.

Padma award is an honour for the Etikoppaka toy craft, says C.V. Raju

Source: The post is based on the article “Padma award is an honour for the Etikoppaka toy craft, says C.V. Raju” published in PIB on 27th January 2023

What is the News?

Shri C V Raju from Etikoppaka village, Visakhapatnam,Andhra Pradesh has been conferred with Padma Shri for preserving the traditional method of making Etikoppaka toys.

What are Etikoppaka toys?

Etikoppaka toys are traditional toys made by artisans of Etikoppaka village located on the banks of Varaha River in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh.

Features: Toys are made of soft wood and lacquer color. Coloured with natural dyes derived from seeds, lacquer,roots and leaves. The way of toy making is also known as turned wood lacquer craft.

– The artisans mainly use the wood from trees known as ‘ankudu’ (Wrightia Tinctoria) that is soft in nature.

– These toys have no sharp edges. They are rounded on all sides and hence present little chance of injury to children.

GI Tag: In 2017, the Etikoppaka toys acquired a Geographical Indications(GI) tag.