RAS question
Kalbelia dance was recognized by UNESCO in which year?
Correct answer: (A) 2010.
Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan were inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.
Explanation
Kalbelia is a Rajasthan performing tradition associated with the Kalbelia snake-charmer community. The UNESCO entry is titled "Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan" and places the element on the Representative List in 2010. That is why 2010, not any later year, is the correct exam answer. The key point is the formal UNESCO inscription: the dance is not merely a popular Rajasthani folk form, but an element recognised under UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage framework. For RAS purposes, the year matters because Rajasthan art-and-culture questions often test the exact pairing of a folk tradition, its community base and its national or international recognition.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) 2008 is too early; the UNESCO inscription for Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan is listed for 2010.
- (C) 2012 is incorrect because the recognised UNESCO listing year for this Rajasthan folk tradition is 2010.
- (D) 2015 is too late; Kalbelia had already been inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List in 2010.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan folk dances and UNESCO intangible cultural heritage recognition. It recurs in RAS because art-and-culture questions often ask candidates to link a tradition with its community and the exact year of formal recognition.