Editorial Passage 1

The traditional crochet lace craft of Narasapur receives a Geographical Indications (GI) tag to preserve its unique identity amidst competition from machine-made lace from China. The craft has survived the Indian famine (1899) and the Great Depression (1929). By the early 1900s, above 2,000 women were involved in the craft in the Godavari region.

Similarly, Majuli masks and manuscript painting gain GI recognition, enhancing their cultural significance and safeguarding against decline. Today, many of its traditional practitioners are working to take the art out of their traditional place in sattras, or monasteries, and give them a new, contemporary life.

These GI tags aim to rejuvenate and promote traditional crafts, ensuring their continued legacy and heritage preservation. A GI tag is conferred upon products originating from a specific geographical region, signifying unique characteristics and qualities. Essentially, it serves as a trademark in the international market.

Source – https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/

Editorial Passage 2

A total of 8,565 migrants died on land and sea routes worldwide last year, the U.N. migration agency said March 6, a record high since it began tallying deaths a decade ago.
The International Organisation for Migration said the biggest increase in deaths last year was on the treacherous Mediterranean Sea crossing, to 3,129 from 2,411 in 2022. However, that was well below the record 5,136 deaths recorded in the Mediterranean in 2016 as huge numbers of Syrians, Afghans and others fled conflicts toward Europe.
IOM said the total number of deaths among migrants in 2023 was nearly 20% more than in 2022. It said most of the deaths last year, about 3,700, came from drowning.
The migration agency cautioned that the figures likely underestimate the real toll, and factors such as improved data collection methods play a part in its calculations.

Source- https://www.thehindu.com/news/