भारत के प्रमुख राष्ट्रीय उद्यान व अभ्यारण्य

उद्यान व अभ्यारण्य	स्थान/शहर
असम:
काजीरंगा उद्यान	जोरहाट
मानस वन्य जीव अभ्यारण्य	बारपेट
गरम पानी वन्य जीव अभ्यारण्य	दिफू
अरुणाचल प्रदेश :
नामदफा वन्य जीव अभ्यारण्य	तिरप
पक्कुई वन्य जीव अभ्यारण्य	कोमेंग
उत्तर प्रदेश:
चंद्रप्रभा अभ्यारण्य	वाराणसी
दुधवा राष्ट्रीय उद्यान	लखीमपुर खीरी
उत्तराखंड:
जिम कॉर्बेट राष्ट्रीय उद्यान	नैनीताल
मालन पशु विहार	पौड़ी गढ़वाल
गोविन्द पशु विहार	उत्तरकाशी
उड़ीसा:
सिमिलीपाल वन्य अभ्यारण्य	मयूरभंज
आन्ध्र प्रदेश:
कावल वन्य जीव  अभ्यारण्य	आदिलाबाद
पखाल  वन्य जीव  अभ्यारण्य	वारंगल
नाला पति पक्षी विहार	नेल्लोर
किन्नारसानी  वन्य जीव अभ्यारण्य	खम्माम
कोल्लेरू ऐलिकेर्नारी	ऐल्लुरु
तमिलनाडु :
मुदुमलाई   वन्य जीव अभ्यारण्य	नीलगिरी
वेदान्तंगल  पंछी विहार	चिंगल्पेट
बांदीपुर  राष्ट्रीय उद्यान	बांदीपुर
दंदेली  वन्य जीव अभ्यारण्य	धारवाड़
शारावाथी घाटी वन्य जीव अभ्यारण्य	शिमोगा
रंगिथितु  पंछी विहार	मैसूरू
बन्नारघत्ता राष्ट्रीय उद्यान	बंगलूरु
भद्र अभ्यारण्य	चिकमंगलूर
नागरहोल राष्ट्रीय उद्यान	दुर्ग
सोमेश्वर वन्य जीव अभ्यारण्य	कनारा
तुंगभद्रा वन्य जीव अभ्यारण्य	बेलारी
पेरियार वन्य जीव अभ्यारण्य	इदुक्की
वेनाद वन्य जीव  अभ्यारण्य	कन्नानौर एवं कोझिकोड
इराम्बिकुलन राज्मल्ले  राष्ट्रिय उद्यान	इदुक्की
गुजरात :
बलराम राष्ट्रिय उद्यान	बनासकांठा
गिर राष्ट्रिय उद्यान	जूनागढ़
जम्मू कश्मीर :
दचिग्राम अभ्यारण्य	श्री नगर
पच्छिमी बंगाल :
जलदापारा वन्य जीव अभ्यारण्य	जलपाईगुड़ी
सुंदर वन टायगर  रिजर्व	चोबीस परगना
बिहार :
भीम पंथ अभ्यारण्य	मुंगेर
गौतम बुद्ध वन्य जीव अभ्यारण्य	गया
राजगीर अभ्यारण्य	राजगीर
झारखण्ड :
तोपचांची अभ्यारण्य	धनबाद
लाबलोंग अभ्यारण्य	हजारी बाग़
हजारी बाग़ राष्ट्रीय वन्य जीव अभ्यारण्य	हजारी बाग
डोल्मा वन्य जीव अभ्यारण्य	सिंह  भूमि
बेतला वन्य जीव  अभ्यारण्य	डाल्टन गंज
महुआदार वन्य जीव अभ्यारण्य	पलामू
मध्यप्रदेश :
पंचमढ़ी वन्य जीव अभ्यारण्य  माधव राष्ट्रीय उद्यान	होशंगाबाद शिव पुरी
बोरी अभ्यारण्य	होशंगाबाद
कन्हा किसली राष्ट्रीय उद्यान मंडल	बाला घाट
गाँधी सागर वन्य जीव अभ्यारण्य	मंदसौर
बांधवगढ़ राष्ट्रीय उद्यान	शहडोल
फासिल राष्ट्रीय उद्यान	मंडला
पन्ना राष्ट्रीय उद्यान	पन्ना
सतपुड़ा राष्ट्रीय उद्यान	होशंगाबाद
रातापानी वन्य जीव अभ्यारण्य	रायसेन
सिन्थोली वन्य जीव अभ्यारण्य	रायसेन
छत्तीसगढ़ :
इंद्रावती राष्ट्रीय उद्यान	बस्तर
बादलखोर वन्य जीव अभयारण्य	रायगढ़
भैरमगढ़ वन्य जीव अभयारण्य	बस्तर
उदयन्ती वन्य जीव अभयारण्य	रायपुर
सीतानदी वन्य जीव अभयारण्य	रायपुर
तमोई पिंगला वन्य जीव अभयारण्य	सरगुजा
संजय राष्ट्रीय  उद्यान	सरगुजा
कुटरू राष्ट्रीय अभयारण्य	बस्तर
सन सिंह गढ़ वन्य जीव अभयारण्य	राजगढ़
महाराष्ट्र :
बोरीवली राष्ट्रीय  उद्यान	मुंबई
पेंच राष्ट्रीय  उद्यान	नागपुर
नवेगांव राष्ट्रीय  उद्यान	भंडारा
राजस्थान :
रणथम्भौर वन्य जीव अभयारण्य व टायगर प्रोजेक्ट	सवाई माधोपुर
सरिस्का  वन्य जीव अभयारण्य	अलवर
केव्लादेवी घाना पक्षी विहार	भरतपुर
हिमाचल प्रदेश :
शिकरी देवी  वन्य जीव अभयारण्य	मंडी
रोहला राष्ट्रीय  उद्यान	कुल्लू
अंडमान निकोबार द्वीप समूह  :
रास आइलैंड राष्ट्रीय उद्यान	रास द्वीप

Country & there National games

Country	Games
Argentina	Pato
Bahamas	Sloop
Bangladesh	Kabaddi
Brazil	Capoeira
Canada	Ice Hockey (winter), Lacrosse (summer)
Chile	Chilean rodeo
Colombia	Tejo
Mexico	Charrería
Korea (Rep.)	Tae Kwon Do
Philippines	Arnis
Puerto	Rico Paso fino
Sri Lanka	Volleyball
Uruguay	Gaucho
Afghanistan	Buzkashi
Anguilla	Yacht racing
Antigua and Barbuda	Cricket
Barbados	Cricket
Bermuda	Cricket
Bhutan	Archery
China	Table Tennis
Colombia Association	Football
Cuba	Baseball
Dominican	Republic Baseball
Finland	Pesäpallo
Grenada	Cricket
Guyana	Cricket
India	Field hockey
Ireland	Gaelic games
Jamaica	Cricket
Latvia	Basketball (summer sport)
Latvia	Ice hockey (winter sport)
Lithuania	Football
New Zealand	Rugby Union
Norway Cross-country	Skiing
Pakistan	Field Hockey
Papua New Guinea	Rugby league
Peru	Paleta Frontón
Slovenia Alpine	Skiing
Switzerland	Shooting, Gymnastics
Turkey	Wrestling & Jereed
United States	Baseball
Wales	Rugby union

Indian Gharana in vocal music

Gharana

The term Gharana in Indian Classical music means a school or a style of music. It implies a family and a Guru- Shishya Parampara wherein the style of rendition of the student was a typical trait of its gharana itself.Traditionally from the past itself all the maestros of a Gharana have been very possessive of their Gharanas and have always tried to ensure that their Gharana maintains its own distinct entity.There have been Gharanas in Hindustani Vocal, Tabla, Sarod etc.

There are the following Gharanas in Hindustani Vocal.

Kirana Gharana

Though many musicologists believe to have originated much earlier and one of the oldest schools of Indian Classical Music originated probably in the late eighteenth century, yet primarily shot into fame from the North Indian Town of Kirana -in Haryana, near Kurukshetra, birthplace of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan (1872-1937). Another notable feature of this gharana is that it is one of the few that includes the "thumri" (a light classical vocal form) as part of its khayal performance. However the Kirana Thumri is different from the 'purabi' (north Indian) style of the thumri, as it does not use the concept of 'laggi' or doubling of the tempo, in course of the thumri. Purists therefore feel that the Kirana Thumri lacks the lilt and emotive appeal of the north Indian thumri as it lays relatively less emphasis on laya.

Founder&Genealogy

Though Ustad Bande Ali Khan is said to be the source of the Kirana elegance, yet it was Ustad Abdul Karim Khan who can be termed as the founder of its modern day style. The gharana"s ancestors go back to many generations before him, the most notable predecessor being the legendary Beenkar Ustad Bande Ali Khan and Rehman Baksh Khan (the grandfather of Faiyaz-Niaz Ahmed Khans). Essentially they were vocalists and Beenkars, but after Bande Ali Khan, the successors took to sarangi and vocal including Abdul Karim Khansaheb. Meanwhile, Abdul Karim Khansaheb's descendants were his daughters Hirabai Badodekar and Saraswati Rane and son Sureshbabu Mane all three having trained under Wahid Khan. Another brilliant singer was Roshanara Begum who died recently in Karachi and had learnt from both Karim Khan and Wahid Khan. Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, founded a school in Dharwar, Karnataka : Bhimsen Joshi, Gangubai Hangal and Kumar Gandharwa all came from that school.
Another notable feature of this gharana is that it is one of the few that includes the "thumri" (a light classical vocal form) as part of its khayal performance. However the Kirana Thumri is different from the 'purabi' (north Indian) style of the thumri, as it does not use the concept of 'laggi' or doubling of the tempo, in course of the thumri. Purists therefore feel that the Kirana Thumri lacks the lilt and emotive appeal of the north Indian thumri as it lays relatively less emphasis on laya.

The Peerless & Illustrious

Ustad Wahid Khan, Abdul Karim Khan, Hirabai Barodekar, Dr. Gangubai Hangal, Sarwaswati Rane, Bhimsen Joshi, Vasantrao Deshpande, Basavaraj Rajguru, Pandit Channulal Mishra, Sawai Gandharva ,Roshanara Begum, Prabha Atre, Phiroz Dastur are some of the great exponents of this gayaki.

Rasiklal Andharia, Saraswati Rane, Jitendra Abhisheki and Nachiketa Sharma, Child prodigy Arshad Ali are the torchbearers.

Presence of this gharana noticable in the Deccan plains of Maharashtra and Karnataka, as Abdul Karim Khansaheb migrated as a young musician to Baroda, from where he moved to Mysore.

                                                             Maihar Gharana

Provenance

This gharana is a relatively newer gharana as compared to others. Its foundation is rooted in a Madhya Pradesh town of Maihar.

Founder

Ustad Allaudin Khan, also profoundly known as "Baba" founded this gharana. He was a disciple of Ustad Wazir Khan (Rampur Gharana).


Maihar derives a lot of influence from Dhrupad. The Maihar Gharana uses different techniques such as Ladi (chain), where quick tremolo strokes are played, for sustaining the notes in the Jod section and Tar- Paran, where the strokes of the Pakhawaj are imitated. The Chikari sound, which is prominent in the Imdadkhani style, is absent in the Maihar style. This Gharana uses the second, third and fourth strings too, in a 'Raga', giving it different sounds. The techniques used, are Meend, Gamak, Zamzama, Sparsh and Krintan and the Taans used are the Phirat, Diri-Diri and Gamak style Taans. 

The Peerless & Illustrious 

Maihar is probably one of those few gharanas wherein the transition from one generation to ther has not necessarily been through family members only and has been infact been more through Guru-Shishya parampara only. Ustad Allaudin Khan, Pt. Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Pandit Nikhil Banerjee.

Ustad Allauddin Khan has been hailed as probably one of the greatest muscians world could ever see. He was extremely blessed and could play many instruments, justifying each of them properly. However in his later years he concentrated primarily on Sarod and Violin. 

                                                                     Agra Gharana

Founder

Agra Gharana is said to be founded by two vocalists Shamrang and Sasrang,who were exponents of the 'dhrupad-dhamar' style. 

The khayal rendition came into this school toward the mid -nineteenth century. A distinct feature of this school is the fine attention it pays to layakari (the understanding of rhythm), as a result of its association with the dhrupad and dhamar styles.

The Peerless & Illustrious

Ustad Faiyaz Khan.It was Ustad Faiyaz Khan who was responsible for lending the gharana the distinction it now bears as an individual school within khayal gayaki. His style of singing was one that laid great stress on a long alaap as of course layakari (rhythmic nuances).

composition, as per the Agra style is generally presented in the madhya-laya (medium tempo) with the use of bol-laya i.e the use of words within the bandish to play with rhythm rather than using aakar to do so. Similar in concept was that of bol-taan where the words within the composition were set to taan (vocal inflections) rather than using the aakar to do so. The taans in the Agra style begin from varying points and are controlled in the madhya laya, rather than being used swiftly to impress with speed.

                                                        Gwaliar Gharana
Provenance

Early Nineteenth Century near Gwalior.

Founder

Ustad Nathan Khan and Pir Baksh are acknowledged to be the founders of Gwalior Gharana.

Nathan Khan migrated from Lucknow to Gwalior with his grandsons Hassu and Haddu Khan, who later came to be the chief contributors to the gayaki of this gharana. Bade Mohammed Khan was another reputed vocalist of this gharana credited with introducing the concept of 'taan' into the khayal. The taan came to be one of the major distinguishing features between dhrupad and the khayal style of singing. Bade Muhammad Khan preceded Haddu-Hassu Khans. He was the main source of inspiration to the younger duo.


The highlight of Gwalior gayaki is its simplicity in presentation. Lucidity is important to the Gwalior style that subscribes to the view that easy presentation is the simplest way to involve the listener. It is therefore that exponents of this gharana largely sang ragas such as Yaman, Sarang, Bhairav, Bhup, and Basant etc. These being ragas which the listener easily identify, ensures that they concentrate more on the finer nuances being displayed rather than focusing their energies on identifying the raga and its basic form. 

The Peerless & Illustrious

Pt. Shri Balkrishnabuva Paluskar (1849-1927), Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar (1872-1931), Rehamat Khan (died-1920, who lived on Maharashtra), Aptebua, Paranjpebua, Vasudevbua, Shankar Pandit, Eknath Pandit, Anant Manohar Joshi, Krishnarao Shankar Pandit, Gajananrao Joshi, Sharadchandra Arolkar, Omkarnath Thakur, Vinayakrao Patwardhan, Narayanrao Vyas, B.R.Deodhar, D.V.Paluskar, Kumar Gandharva and Shankar Rao Bodas.
L.K.Pandit, Jal Balaporia, Laxman Rao Bodas, Malini Rajurkar, Veena Sahasrabuddhe, Padma Talwalkar and Ulhas Kashalkar are the torchbearers
Probably the oldest gharana in Khayal Gayaki, where others are said to originate from.

                                                        Patiala Gharana

Many musicologists believe Patiala"s roots are traced to Delhi Gharana.
Founder
Ali Baksh (1850-1920) and Fateh Ali Khan (1850-1909).
Sarangi has had a profound infuence on this gharana which can be noticed clearly in its gayaki. One of the reasons for this has been that its founders, also known as "Alia-Fattu" were trained under Ustad Kale Khan, who was a reputed sarangi player of that era.

The Peerless & Illustrious

Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan has no doubt been one of the greatest musicians and the paragon of Patiala Gharana. His three octave range combined with the versatility of his singing and compositions may never be surpassed.Other famous figures of Patiala Gharana have been Ustad Barkat Ali Khan, Ustad Munawwar Ali Khan, Begum Praveen Sultana.

Amanat Ali- Fateh Ali Khan of Lahore, Pandit Jagdish Prasad, Ajoy Chakraborty, Raza Ali (BGAK"s grandsons), Mazhar Ali Khan, Jawad Ali Khan (BGAK"s grandsons), Malti Gilani, Manorama Ahuja, Promila Puri are the torchbearers.

                                                 Indore Gharana

Indore gharana is one of the vocal gharanas of Indian classical music. It was founded by Ustad Amir Khan,[1] who studied the styles of Abdul Wahid Khan, Aman Ali Khan, Rajab Ali Khan and Abdul Karim Khan and amalgamated the essence of the styles of these four maestros with his own intellectual approach to music, and conceived the Indore gharana of music.

Amir Khan grew up in Indore, but he did not like the factionalism inherent in the gharana tradition. In an interview to Akashvani Indore he said

In fact I want only one gharana in classical music, which should be termed as Hindustani Music, and it should have different departments. These are gharanas. If the main thing is kept in this form, then our mutual recriminations with respect to music will be reduced. Many separate styles were formed out of one style of a gharana, as in the case of languages. Many languages came out of one language, similarly styles and gharanas were formed in music. Now a days, I am singing in the name of Indore Gharana.

Performances in the Indore gharana are noted by the vilambit tempo in the styele of Abdul Wahid Khan, and the taans reminiscent of Rajab Ali Khan. The merukhand structure is similar to that practiced by Ustad Aman Ali Khan of the Bhendibazaar gharana. The khayal gayaki in the Indore gharana retains the slow development and restraint from frills as in the dhrupad. Mohan Nadkarni says of Amir Khan's music that whereas Bade Ghulam Ali Khan's music was extroverted and exuberant, Amir Khan's was an introverted, dignified 'darbar' style

Amir Khan's conviction about the importance of poetry in khyal compositions (he used to compose under the pen name, Sur Rang), has also marked the singing of the Indore gharana.

Characteristics of the Indore gharana include:

·         slow-tempo raga development

·         improvisation mostly in lower and middle octaves

·         tendency towards serious and expansive (darbari) ragas

·         emphasis on melody

·         bol alap and sargam using merukhand patterns

·         sparing application of murki and other embellishments to preserve introspective quality

·         use of kan swaras (acciaccatura) in all parts of performance

·         rare use of tihai

·         careful enunciation of text of bandish - the bandish performance may or may not include antara

·         multiple laya jatis in a single taan

·         mixture of taan types in a single taan

·         use of ruba'idar tarana (considered similar to chhota khyal)

After Amir Khan's death in a car accident in Kolkata in 1974, the Indore gharana has become a powerful stream in modern Hindustani music. Direct disciples of Amir Khan included Pandith Amarnath, Shankar Lal Mishra, Kankana Banerjee, Purvi Mukherjee, and others. However, a number of influential musicians including Sultan Khan have grown up in its folds.

Prominent exponents

·         Amir Khan

·         Pandit Amarnath

·         Munir Khan

·         Sultan Khan (musician)

·         Shanti Sharma

·         Singh Bandhu

·         Kankana Banerjee

·         Baldev Raj Verma

·         Aloke Chattopadhyay

·         Mahendra Toke

·         Ramneek Singh

Delhi Gharana

The Delhi Ghaana was represented by Tanras Khan and Shabbu Khan. The highlights of Delhi Gharana are pleasing vistaar and exquisite compositions.

Founders - Ustad Mamman Khan

Exponents - Some of the notable exponents of Delhi Gharana are Chand Khan, Nasir Ahmed Khan, Usman Khan, Iqbal Ahmed Khan and Krishna Bisht.

                                                       Rampur Sahaswan

Provenance- Rampur

Founder-  Ustad Inayat Hussain Khan (1849-1919)

It was after Inayat Khansaheb settled in Rampur that this gharana emerged into its own. The gharana came into prominence and grew in fame at the court of the Rampur maharaja, where Inayat Khan started performing as a musician. Rampur, being highly influenced by the dhrupad tradition, was again in many ways the reason for the 'dhrupad' influence in Inayat Khan"s style.

The Peerless & Illustrious

Ustad Mushtaq Hussain Khan, Ustad Nisar Hussain Khan, Pt. Ramkrishnabuwa Vaze, Khadim Hussain Khan, Chajju Khan, Nazir Khan, Ishtiaq Hussain, Sarfaraz Hussain, Ghulam Taqi, Ghulam Sadiq, Ghulam Mustafa, Hafeez Ahmed, Maqbool Hussain and Rashid Khan.

                                                  Bhendi Bazaar Gharana

Founder and Provenance

Founded by three brothers Chajju Khan, Ustad Nazir Khan and Ustad Khadim Hussain Khan, towards the last decade of the 19th century in the Bhendi Bazar area of Bombay.

A significant characteristic of this gharana is its presentation of Khayals using akaar. Quite interestingly, there is also an emphasis on breath control and the rendition of passages for a prolonged period of time.

Other distinctive stylistic elements include the presentation of sargam (solfa) taans in a varied number of permutations and combinations. This technique is used especially in the 'Badhat' (advanced) stage of raga presentation. The method of using sargam taans is also used to play with rhythm. Besides these, other principles within this school include a focus on clear intonation and word articulation of the lyrical content of the composition.

Tools such as Gamak taans, Sapaat taans and the Meendh are also employed to enhance the beauty of the raga in course of presentation

.
The Peerless & Illustrious
Ustad Aman Ali Khan, Shrimati Anjanibai Malpekar

Jaipur Atrauli

Two Indian towns, Jaipur and Atrauli. The history being that while the family of Alladiya Khansaheb was originally from Atrauli, a town near Aligarh, they moved to Jaipur findingemployment in the court of the Maharaja of Jaipur. 

Founder-  Ustad Alladiya Khan (1855-1943)

The Peerless & Illustrious

Significant artists of this gharana include the disciples of Ustad Alladiya Khan, such as Moghubai Kurdikar and Pandit Bhaskarbuwa Bakhale, Alladiya Khan"s brother Haider Khan and sons Manji Khan and Burji Khan, Nivruttibuva Sarnaik, Abdul Majid Khan and sons Muhammad Sayeed and Muhammad Rasheed, Kesarbai Kerkar and Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur

Kishori Amonkar, Padma Talwalkar, Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, Shruti Sadolikar are the torchbearers.

Benaras Gharana

The Benaras Gharana is influenced by the folk tradition of the areas adjoining U.P. It is Khayal oriented. Musical ornamentation is used to highlight the words. It is equated to the Bol banav Thumri, which creates certain moods through combinations of words and melody. Laggi Chanti is played towards the end of the Thumri rendition. Restraint in rendering is a feature of this style and the talas used are mainly Dadra, Deepchandi, and Addha. Ada is not included.

The Peerless & Illustrious

Maujuddin Khan, Badi Moti Bai, Rasoolan Bai, Siddeshwari Devi and Mahadev Mishra. 

Jaipur Mewati Gharana

Provenance- Mewat.

Founder-     Ghagge Nazir Khan

The Peerless & Illustrious

Pandit Jasraj

Sanjeev Abhyankar and Rattan Sharma are the torchbearers

National Film Awards

The National Awards for films, which were started as an annual incentive by the Government of India , for the making of artistic, competent and meaningful films have come a long way, to cover the entire national spectrum of Indian Cinema, to judge merit by the highest possible yardstick and to become the most coveted and prestigious award in the country.

From 1954, when the very first awards for the films of 1953 were given down to the current year when the top awards for the films of 2009 were recently given, there lies the 25 years old story of an awards scheme, which is surely the most unique of its kind.

In no other country, has State encouragement to good cinema taken such a vast and monetarily rewarding form year after year. In turn, this has influenced and encouraged the making of creative, serious, cinematic and significant films over the years.

Obviously, the impact is bound to be on a comparatively small section, in a country where films are mass produced and the industry has hit the record of being the biggest in the world over the past few decades. But what is gained in quality makes up for what is lost is bulk. Every year, the best works as well as individual achievements stand out on the highest national level, for all to see. This itself provides a tremendous spur and initiative for better film making, by creating a desire to win recognition and also the substantial cash prizes going with it.

Another commendable aspect of the National Awards is to encourage good films in all languages which is a marathon task, considering that India makes films in some twenty languages and dialects. Similarly, awards for documentaries, whether short or full length, have been given in different categories.

If we take a quick look-back at the decades which have rolled by, we find that the Awards, which were initially called “State Awards”, had started off in a small way, with two President’s Gold Medals,  two certificates of merit and silver medals for a dozen regional films. For the first six years, it was the practice to give the regional best award to the national best film itself. Later, a medal or certificate of merit was given to two or three films in each language.

Separate awards for artistes and technicians were instituted in 1968 for the films of 1967, Nargis Dutt and Uttam Kumar being the first actress and actor to get them. For some time, these were called Urvashi and Bharat Awards but the names of the Awards were later changed.

In their aim and purpose, the National Awards have undergone several changes since their inception. In the early years, except for a rare case like Pather Panchali, the content seemed to be given more weightage than the form. It was believed that laudable social themes, sentiments of patriotism, messages for national welfare and so on made the films worthy of National Awards even in the absence of cinematic values. At times, producers thought that including dialogues or songs about government-approved plans and campaigns, portraying national leaders and their ideas and appealing to the patriotic spirit would make the films qualify for the awards.

But over time, with film-makers exploring different facets of the medium and enlightened cineastes being appointed on the Jury, this has changed enormously and now the form cum technique is considered as important as the content and thematic ideas.

And thus, as the National Awards step into their 58th year for the films of 2010, we can hope that the scheme shaping into its full maturity and shorn of all shortcomings will encourage and bring to light all attempts at better film making, from whatever source they come and in whichever language they may be.

National Awards aim at encouraging the production of films of aesthetic and technical excellence and social relevance contributing to the understanding and appreciation of cultures of different regions of the country in cinematic form and thereby also promoting integration and unity of the nation.

The National Awards along with cinema's highest honour, Dadasaheb Phalke award, are presented by the President of India in a solemn function in the presence of the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Chairpersons of the three juries, representatives of Film Federation of India and Confederation of All India Cine Employees and senior official. Since the Awards for 2007, two live playback singing performances are also held during the ceremony.

In their 58th year now, the National Film Awards continue to underline cinematic excellence. The awards have over the years brought the best talent present in India Cinema to national limelight. In its over a half a century long history, the National Film Awards have nurtured numerous talent who are now national icons and also known internationally.

Biodiversity and its Importance

What is Biodiversity?

Biological diversity or Biodiversity is the variety of life around us - life of all kinds, from the largest animal to the smallest plant. Its complexity is measured in terms of variations at genetic, species, and ecosystem levels.

South Africa's biodiversity is of the highest in the world! Our country's geology and topography - its mountains, plateau and coastal plains - result in a wide range of soils and climates, constituting as variety of habitats which support a high number of plant and animal species. There are about 240 species of mammals, more than 700 species of birds, almost 500 species of reptiles and amphibians and 630 species of butterflies, besides countless other animals.

Why is Biodiversity Important?

Biodiversity is important for several reasons. It provides economic benefits, protects human health and safety, and offers recreational or aesthetic enjoyment. Every living thing has a place in what we call the "balance of nature", and upsetting that balance can have untold effects, from which, more often than not, we are the losers.

Biodiversity provides "Our Living Bank Balance”:

Biodiversity is a necessity, not a luxury. Although we may not readily appreciate it, biodiversity provides us with many of the things that sustain our lives. Plants, animals and micro-organisms supply humans with a multitude of free ecological services, such as generating soil, controlling pests, balancing atmospheric gasses and many other biological processes. These processes are vital to our existence, and for the health of the planet. For this reason it is essential for our well-being that we protect biodiversity - the variations in species, their lives and their habitats - because biodiversity is necessary for sustaining life and our standard of living.

Biodiversity is important because of its economic significance:

All farm crops and animals are descendants of wild organisms, and they are also a component of biodiversity. Some old crop varieties have more taste or disease resistance, and they may be better suited to future changes in the climate. Fruit crops rely on the many insects that pollinate their flowers. We also take food from the wild, like venison or salmon. Fisherman, with their nets and rods, are simply harvesting the natural biodiversity of the oceans or rivers.

Biodiversity is an important part of sustainable development:

Biodiversity is a measure of sustainable development - growth today that does not deprive the quality of life of future generations. Sustainable development is regarded as a major target for industry and the planning system, and measuring biodiversity is the only way to be sure that this target is being achieved. 

Biodiversity is important as a provider of natural services:

The natural world also provides many services, which we may not always readily recognise.  Spekboom, for example, has an important role in locking up carbon dioxide, one of the gases produced from the burning of fossil fuels that are causing "global warming". The tiny plants that float in the top few metres of the sea also absorb huge amounts of this carbon dioxide, as long as the sea remains healthy. Rain forests and ponds contribute to natural water purification.

Biodiversity is important as a source of natural products:

Although we are able to produce more and more drugs synthetically, we still rely on plants for many of our medicines. Medicines for heart disease, for example, are still produced today from wild foxgloves. Wild plants are constantly being screened in search of cures for cancer, AIDS and other diseases. We can never tell which species might prove useful: chemicals extracted from jellyfish, for example, are now being used by medical researchers studying the development of cancers.

Biodiversity is an important part of our cultural heritage:

Plants and animals are part of our traditions and culture.  The Western Cape's Floral Regions are also key assets for our eco-tourism industry. People come from far afield to admire the colours and patterns of the South African countryside - features which are themselves produced by biodiversity.

Biodiversity is a hidden treasure that enriches all our lives. Few of us will ever see a huge Southern Right Whale in the wild, or even the tiniest chamelon, the leaf chameleon. However, most of us would like to know that we might have a chance to see them one day. And biodiversity is not just about rarities. The turtle dove, the daisy and the garden spider are equally important parts of biodiversity.

Threats to Biodiversity:

The Western Cape’s biological diversity (Biodiversity) and vast natural resources are under threat from global warming, pollution and escalating development.

Particular threats include:

·         population growth

·         pollution (industrial emissions that cause acid rain)

·         global climate change (the greenhouse effect and destruction of the ozone layer)

·         habitat destruction (burning or felling of old-growth forests)

·         overexploitation of natural resources (illegal trade of fauna and flora)

·         invasion by introduced species

These and other human activities cause species to become extinct and thus threaten biodiversity. Once species and habitats are lost they can never be replaced.