Banarasi Pashmina

Why in news?

• Recently, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) launched “Banarasi Pashmina” to boost self-sustainability & Artisanal Creativity.

About Banarasi Pashmina:

• For the first time that Pashmina products are being produced outside the region of Leh-Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir.
• KVIC will be selling the “Made-in-Varanasi” Pashmina products through its showrooms, outlets and through its online portal.
• It creates a fusion of diverse artistry from Leh-Ladakh, Delhi and Varanasi.
• It aims to generate sustainable employment opportunities for women in Ladakh and diversify the skills of traditional weavers in Varanasi.
• It would ensure round-the-year livelihood to women artisans in Leh-Ladakh where spinning activities are suspended for nearly half the year due to the extreme cold.

About Pashmina:

• The word Pashmina comes from the Persian word 'Pashm' which means 'soft gold’.
• Pashmina comes from an animal fibre Cashmere, derived from the Changthangi goat of Ladakh.
  • Changthangi goat is indigenous to the high altitude regions of Leh-Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir.
• It is well known for its warmth, lightweight, and softness in addition to its characteristic dye absorbing property.
• Pashmina wool is the finest version of cashmere and it is thinner than human hair.
• In 2019, the Bureau of India Standards (BIS) published an Indian standard for identification, marking and labelling the Pashmina Shawls for its purity.
• In 2021 >> The Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom, Kashmir has announced a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Geographical Indication (GI)-certified hand-made Pashmina shawls

Add ons:

• Pashmina has been accredited by the Guinness Book of World Records for being the costliest cloth in the world.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Consider the following statements:

1. Pashmina is obtained from plant fibre

2. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) had published an Indian Standard for identification, marking and labelling of Pashmina products to certify its purity

3. Kashmir Pashmina has been accorded Geographical indication (GI) tag

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1,2 and 3

Answer