Places in News
Veera Kovil sacred grove
▪ Located in Kasampatty, near Alagar Kovil, in Dindigul district.
▪ Entry is highly restricted; only men from a particular family can enter for rituals, Women are not allowed.
▪ Recently notified as a Biodiversity Heritage Site by the Tamil Nadu government.
▪ Forest Department clarifies the grove is on revenue land, not under forest control.
▪ Acts as a natural gene bank; surrounding lands are also rich due to seed dispersal..
Eminent Persons
Jyotiba Phule
▪ Jyotiba Phule was born on April 11, 1827.
▪ His vision remains a foundational pillar for social justice movements in India today.
Education & Women’s Rights:
▪ Along with wife Savitribai, founded India’s first girls’ school in 1848.
▪ Opened 18 more schools in 3 years; also launched night schools for workers and farmers.
▪ Advocated universal primary education and financial incentives for schooling.
Social Reform Movements:
▪ Founded the Satyashodhak Samaj (Society of Truth Seekers) in 1873 to counter caste-based reform monopolies like Brahmo Samaj.
▪ Championed rights of Dalits, women, and the poor, working with the British while opposing Hindu orthodoxy.
Views on 1857 Revolt:
▪ Opposed the sepoy mutiny, seeing it as a return to upper-caste theocracy under the Peshwas.
▪ Focused instead on social transformation and education.
Major Works & Ideas:
▪ In Gulamgiri (Slavery), he equated caste oppression with American slavery.
▪ Advocated economic upliftment of lower castes and land reforms in Shetkaryanche Asud
(Farmer’s Whip).
Awards & Honours
Bharatiya Bhasha Award
• Tamil writer S. Ramakrishnan has been announced as the recipient of the Bharatiya Bhasha Award.
• S. Ramakrishnan, who has written more than a hundred books, received the Sahitya Akademi Award for 2018 for his novel “Sancharam”.
• He has received various awards including the Tagore Literary Award, Iyal Award, Maxim Gorky Award, and Gnanvani Award.
• Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad is a renowned literary organization established in 1975 in Kolkata to promote Indian languages.
• Founded by Sitaram Sekhasaria and Bhagirath H. Kanodia, it plays an important role in developing Indian literature through book publishing and implementing various literary projects.
• The organization presents awards under the name “Bharatiya Bhasha” to honor writers who have made outstanding contributions to Indian languages.
• This award consists of a prize money of one lakh rupees, a memento, and other recognitions.
