7 August: National Handloom Day

Every year National Handloom Day is celebrated across India on 7 August 2019. The year 2019 marks 5th National Handloom Day. To mark the occasion, Union Minister of Textiles and Women and Child Development, Smriti Zubin Irani, will preside over a function at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi

National Handloom Day

Objective:

To honour handloom weavers in India.

To highlight India’s handloom industry.

Focuses on: The contribution of handloom to socio economic development of India and to increase income of weavers.

National Handloom Day 2019

Main Event: of National Handloom Day will be held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha with prime objective behind holding is to empower women and girls. Bhubaneswar has been chosen as venue for main event due to its rich tradition of Handlooms and as more than 50% of total weavers population of India resides in Eastern and North Eastern Regions and most of them are women.

Activities Undertake across country will include-

Distribution of Pehchan Cards and Yarn Passbooks

Distribution of MUDRA loan which is a flagship scheme of Union Government extend affordable credit to micro and small enterprises (MSME).

Distribution of lighting units and certificates for construction of work sheds.

The day would be observed at Weavers’ Service Centres in different States.

At 16 NIFT Campuses and Handloom Mela and exhibition, workshops, panel discussions, special stalls for handloom products at Gandhinagar and Kolkata NIFT campuses.

Live broadcast of discussion on Twitter from digital studio of IMG Reliance which will involve young designers and prominent personalities from handloom sector.

Symposium at Crafts Museum in New Delhi by Fashion Design Council of India with participants from Union Ministry of Textiles, master weavers, textile designers, fashion designers and textile experts.

Workshop through IGNOU or NIOS to impart information about educational opportunities to weave and their wards.

Background

In July 2015 Government of India declared 7 August as National Handloom Day with objective of generating awareness about importance of handloom industry to socio economic development of country.

Why 7 August? To commemorate Swadeshi Movement which was launched on 7 August 1905 in Calcutta Town Hall to protest against Bengal partition by British Government. Swadeshi Movement aimed at reviving domestic products and production processes.

1st National Handloom Day: It was inaugurated on 7 August 2015 by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, at centenary of Madras University in Chennai.

Month: Current Affairs - August, 2019