Comprehensive Notes on Fit India Movement, Youth Achievers, and Traditional Indian Art

Fit India Movement and Initiatives

  • Launch Details:

    • Founder / Key figure: Launched by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi.
    • Launch Date: 29 August 2019 (celebrated as National Sports Day).
    • Venue: Indira Gandhi Stadium, New Delhi.
    • Scope and Purpose: A nationwide movement in India aimed at encouraging citizens to remain healthy and fit by integrating sports and physical activities into everyday life.

  • Objectives of Fit India:

    • To promote fitness as easy, fun, and free.
    • To spread awareness on fitness and various physical activities that promote fitness through focused campaigns.
    • To encourage indigenous sports.
    • To make fitness reach every school, college/university, panchayat/village, etc.
    • To create a platform for citizens of India to share information, drive awareness, and encourage sharing of personal fitness stories.

  • Fit India School Certification Metrics:

    • Boards: 56
    • States/UTs: 36
    • Fit India School Flag (School Certification by Request): 452,778
    • Fit India 3 Star: 43,328
    • Fit India 5 Star: 13,057

  • Indigenous Games Promoted in Schools and Communities:

    • Akhada kushti
    • Jalka
    • Dhopkhel (Dhopkehel)
    • Gilli Danda (Gilli Dhanda)

Notable Young Achievers of India

  • Arjun Deshpande:

    • Profile: Young entrepreneur who launched his enterprise at the age of 16.
    • Venture: Founded Generic Aadhaar pharma, a pharmaceutical startup.
    • Mission: Provides every citizen of India access to their basic right to good quality medicines at an affordable price.
    • Key Collaboration: In 2018, business icon Mr. Ratan Tata collaborated with and invested in his innovative startup.
    • Recognitions: Received widespread national and international recognition from institutions including Business World magazine, Blackbook Germany, Forbes India, Western Michigan University, TEDx, IIT Mumbai, and Brut India.

  • Neeraj Chopra:

    • Profile: Indian track and field athlete competing in the javelin throw.
    • Titles: Reigning Olympic champion, World champion, and Diamond League champion in javelin throw.
    • Historical Records:
    • First Asian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in javelin throw.
    • First Asian athlete to win a gold medal at the World Championship.
    • Gold medal in Men's Javelin throw at the World Athletics Championship 2023.
    • Gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
    • Gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
    • Gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games achieved with a national record-setting throw.
    • National Honours:
    • Arjuna Award (2018)
    • Padma Shri (2019)

  • Ridhima Pandey:

    • Profile: 14-year-old environmental activist from Uttarakhand, India.
    • Activism: One of 16 teenagers who filed an official legal complaint with the United Nations (UN) to highlight rapid climate change and press for immediate environmental action.
    • Awards: Won the prestigious "Champions of the Earth" Award from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2019, which is among the highest environmental honors granted by the UN.

  • Abhiraj Bahl:

    • Profile: Entrepreneur and alumnus of IIT Kanpur.
    • Venture: Co-founder of UrbanClap alongside his partner Varun.
    • Impact: Simplified urban India's core daily needs by providing reliable access to local home and personal services (ranging from plumbers fixing broken pipes to photographers for events).

  • Ramesh Babu Praggnanandhaa:

    • Profile: International chess prodigy.
    • Grandmaster Milestone: Achieved the title of Grandmaster in 2018 at the age of 12, becoming one of the youngest grandmasters in global chess history.
    • Competitions: Has competed extensively across national and international open and junior chess championships, acquiring multiple titles and accolades.

Traditional Indian Art Forms and Famous Paintings

  • Historical Foundation of Indian Art:

    • Indian painting represents one of the world's most ancient forms of creative artistic expression.
    • Traditional mural and cave painting styles found at sites like Ajanta, Bagh, and Sittanavasal showcase a deep appreciation for the beauty of nature.

  • Rajput Paintings:

    • Origin: Originated in Rajasthan during the Rajputana era.
    • Themes: Primarily depicts Radha-Krishna and their mystical love.

  • Bharat Mata by Abanindranath Tagore:

    • Artist: Painted by Abanindranath Tagore, founder of the Bengal School of Art.
    • Iconography: Depicts Bharat Mata as a saffron-clad woman dressed like a sadhavi, holding a book, sheaves of paddy, and a piece of white cloth in one hand, and a garland in the other.
    • Historical Role: Served as an iconic symbol for Indian nationalists during the Indian freedom movement.

  • Madhubani Art:

    • Region: Practised in the Mithila region of Bihar.
    • Technique: Crafted using a variety of specialized tools.
    • Imagery: Commonly portrays royal figures, such as a king, queen, and attendants worshipping beneath a tree.

  • Mughal Miniature Paintings:

    • Characteristics: Imperial miniature portraiture crafted by a combination of Persian, Muslim, and Hindu artists within the Mughal court dynasty.
    • Example Subject: Famous portraits depicting Mughal emperors, such as Jahangir.

  • Kalighat Paintings:

    • Origin & Style: A well-recognized style originating as part of Bengal art.
    • Themes: Commonly portrays religious themes, including representations of Lord Vishnu in his Narasimha avatar.

  • Kerala Mural Paintings:

    • Form: World-renowned fresco technique created on the interior walls of temples across South India.
    • Style: Characterized by the use of rich, vivid colors to portray Indian spiritual themes, Hindu mythology, and depictions of Lord Krishna.

  • Ahalya by Raja Ravi Varma:

    • Artist: Created by the master Indian painter Raja Ravi Varma.
    • Composition: Depicts the mythological figure Ahalya standing beside a tree while holding a basket of flowers.

  • Kalamkari (Andhra Paintings):

    • Origin & Age: A 3000-year-old traditional organic folk art form originating in Andhra Pradesh.
    • Etymology & Method: Named Kalamkari after the word kalam (meaning pen). Uses natural and earthy colors applied by hand and woodblocks to craft decorative panels.
    • Style: Shares prominent stylistic similarities with traditional Persian motifs.

  • Pithora Paintings:

    • Origin & Culture: Folk art culture originating in central Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
    • Practitioners: Traditionally painted by the Rathwa and Bhilala tribal communities on the interior walls of their residential homes.