UPSC Essentials | Experts Talk: Devdutt Pattanaik on why and how should future bureaucrats study Art & Culture

About our Expert: Devdutt Pattanaik is a renowned writer who specialises in mythology and culture. His work majorly revolves around mythology in modern times, especially in areas of management, governance, and leadership. He has authored over 50 books and over 1000 columns, with bestsellers such as My Gita, Jaya, Sita, Shyam, Business Sutra, and the 7 Secret Series. He is known for his TED talks, podcasts and his shows on television. His book- Indian Culture, Art & Heritage for Civil Services Exam (Pearson) is very popular among UPSC Aspirants. 

Devdutt, in a new YouTube series with The Indian Express — Art & Culture with Devdutt Pattanaik takes the aspirants through many levels and dimensions of various themes of the subject. The objective is to provide value-added, knowledge-enriching, and thought-provoking content that UPSC aspirants will find relevant in all three levels of the examination – prelim, main, and personality tests. Students/Aspirants/Art and Culture enthusiasts get an opportunity to get their questions answered by Devdutt through video or text conversation. These interactions with students in the form of questions will be an important component of our series. For this, tune in every Thursday, at 8 pm.

Manas: In today’s world when everyone talks of utility and benefits, what is the utility of Art & Culture for civil services aspirants or future bureaucrats?

Devdutt Pattanaik: To appreciate the value of Art and Culture, we have to observe the lives of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) or people of Indian origin who have migrated to other countries. Many move for better economic prospects. When their children are born, they are worried about why their children are not as they are and how they can make them Indian. This is when you realise the value of art and culture because what parents give their children informally and unconsciously are art and culture.

That is what a future bureaucrat is responsible for. Because, going forward, when we say we are an independent country, what is it that we want to be independent for? We want to ensure that our art and our culture go forward, benefit us and benefit the world at large. This includes our language, stories, songs, dances, theatres, paintings, literature, etc.

Do we want our cultures to end up in museums which happens to many tribal communities around the world? The culture of such communities is taken over by progress and development and the only memories of those tribals can be found in museums – the houses that they built, tools that they use, the language they speak, their technologies, jewellery, history, customs, practices, deities, etc.

Ask yourself, do you want to end up India in a museum? Or do you want India’s culture to thrive in the future? That is what a future bureaucrat is bound to protect. A country is not just its resources, its wealth, and its natural wealth. A country’s cultural wealth is equally important and that is the job of a bureaucrat to protect.

Manas: Since the syllabus is not detailed, how would you decode the content of Art & Culture for UPSC?

Devdutt Pattanaik: It is relatively simple. Sit down in your house and look around. What is the culture of your house and how will you express it? You will notice some of the following things which you should list down:

1. The Architecture of the house

2. The language your family uses

3. The food in your kitchen

4. The customs followed in your house – daily, weekly, monthly, and annually

5. The artifacts in your house – photographs, jewellery, books, etc.

Some things are changing such as currencies, technologies and many other things are not.

You will realise that art and culture are not necessarily outside but in your house. This is something important to remember. Now, ask yourself what is culture? Culture is the way of life that humans create to live a decent life. Animals don’t create cultures, humans do!

In Hindi we say, ‘Roti, Kapda aur Makaan’. Roti is not just food but anything which is of economic importance. Kapda is just a cloth but jewellery or any other article we want to cover and decorate our bodies. Makaan can be related to architecture, urban planning, and designs of temples, palaces, etc. Then, there are also transports. We have built a new Parliament. It is a cultural expression of our democracy. Statues of leaders are also expressions of culture. Do you realise that culture is something we are still creating? Some of them are kept in museums while others are a part of our day-to-day lives.

What do we create and present to express ourselves as Indians when we travel abroad: the clothes, the songs, the dances, the language? All these things have to be listed out.

Manas: How should Art and Culture be studied for competitive exams?

Devdutt Pattanaik: Whenever a cultural or an artistic object is presented in front of me, I follow three kinds of framework:

1. Desha, Kaala, Guna framework

2. For Guna, I go deeper and follow another framework: Satyam, Shivam, and Sundaram framework

3. Lakshmi, Durga, Saraswati framework