#The_Pahari_Schools (17th – 19th Century)
Comprises the present State of Himachal Pradesh, some adjoining areas of the Punjab, the area of Jammu, & Garhwal in Uttarakhand
Belong to Rajput paintings.
#BASOHLI_PAINTINGS (17TH – 18TH CENTURY)
known for its bold vitality of colour, lines & red borders
Emotional scenes from a text called “Rasamanjari” → Krishna legend
Favoured oblong format, with the picture space usually delineated by architectural detail, which often breaks into the characteristic red borders
Stylized facial type, shown in profile, is dominated by the large, intense eyes
#GULER_PAINTING (JAMMU)
Mainly consisting of portraits of Raja Balwant Singh of Jasrota (Jammu) designed by Nainsukh
Colours used are soft and cool unlike Basohli school
Style appears to have been inspired by the naturalistic style of the Mughal painting
#KULLU_MANDI_PAINTING
A folk style of painting in the Kulu-Mandi area, mainly inspired by the local tradition
The style is marked by bold drawing and the use of dark and dull colours
Revise- #Painting_state_theme
- #Folk_paintings
#Pre_Revision
Comprises the present State of Himachal Pradesh, some adjoining areas of the Punjab, the area of Jammu, & Garhwal in Uttarakhand
Belong to Rajput paintings.
#BASOHLI_PAINTINGS (17TH – 18TH CENTURY)
known for its bold vitality of colour, lines & red borders
Emotional scenes from a text called “Rasamanjari” → Krishna legend
Favoured oblong format, with the picture space usually delineated by architectural detail, which often breaks into the characteristic red borders
Stylized facial type, shown in profile, is dominated by the large, intense eyes
#GULER_PAINTING (JAMMU)
Mainly consisting of portraits of Raja Balwant Singh of Jasrota (Jammu) designed by Nainsukh
Colours used are soft and cool unlike Basohli school
Style appears to have been inspired by the naturalistic style of the Mughal painting
#KULLU_MANDI_PAINTING
A folk style of painting in the Kulu-Mandi area, mainly inspired by the local tradition
The style is marked by bold drawing and the use of dark and dull colours
Revise- #Painting_state_theme
- #Folk_paintings
#Pre_Revision
#Kalighat_Painting_Calcutta
Done by rural migrants who settled around the Kalighat Kali temple in the then British capital Calcutta. It is a product of the changing urban society of Calcutta in 19th century.
Use of Watercolours on mill paper, with brushes made of calf and squirrel hair.Used brush and ink from the lampblack
Theme: religious, social.
#Madhubani_Paintings (Mithila – Bihar)
Colorful auspicious images on the interior walls of homes on the occasion of rituals & festivity → painted by women
This ancient tradition, especially elaborated for marriages, continues today.There are paintings for each occasion and festival such as birth, marriage, Holi, Surya Shasti, kali puja, Upanayanam, Durga Puja etc.
Used to paint the walls of room, known as KOHBAR GHAR in which the newly wedded couple meets for the first time
Very conceptual, first, the painter thinks & then “draws her thought”
Painting is done with fingers, twigs, brushes, nib-pens, and matchsticks, using natural dyes and pigments, and is characterized by eye-catching geometrical patterns.
Originally the paintings depicted an assembly of symbolic images of the lotus plant, the bamboo grove, fishes, birds and snakes in union.
#Pattachitra_Odisha
Patta means cloth, and Chitra means picture. Hence, Pattachitra is a picture painted on a piece of cloth.
This form of art is closely related to the cult of Shri Jagannath and the temple traditions in Puri.
Pattachitra painting, the Chitrakars follow a traditional process of preparing the canvas. A gauze-like fine cotton cloth is coated with white stone powder and gum made out of tamarind seeds.
The gum of the kaitha tree is the chief ingredient, used as a base for making different pigments by adding available raw materials.
Natural colours obtained from coconut shells, lamp black etc. are used. There is no use of pencil or charcoal.
Pattachitra on palm leaf is known as Tala-pattachitra.
#Cheriyal_Scroll_paintings_Telangana
Cheriyal is a small village in Telangana.
Cheriyal paintings are generally the pictorial presentation of scenes from mythological epics such as Ramayana, Mahabharata, Garuda Purana, Krishna Leela, Markandeya Purana and other mythological scripts.
They are made on a long vertical piece of cloth in a narrative form. Traditional folk singers would narrate the stories using cheriyal as a tool for visual presentation.
The procedure of making the Cheriyal paintings was all organic in ancient times. Be it brush, canvas/cloth or the paints, all were made from the natural sources.
GI tag in 2007.
#Kalamkari_Paintings_Andhra_Pradesh
Kalamkari is a type of hand printed or hand block printed cotton textile.
Kalamkari refers to the ancient style of hand painting that is done with a tamarind pen, using natural dyes.
Developed under Vijaynagar rulers.
Mainly to decorate temple interiors with painted cloth panels scene after scene; Every scene is surrounded by floral decorative patterns
Kalamkari designs and colors are very vibrant and bright.
There are two unique styles of kalamkari art, namely, Srikalahasti and the Machilipatnam style.
Theme: Hindu mythology
#Warli_Painting_Gujarat_Maharashtra_border
These are the mural paintings done by Warli tribe. On floors & walls of ‘gond’ and ‘kol’ tribes homes and places of worship
Close resemblance to the mural paintings of Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh that date back to the pre-historic period.
Theme:More of secular nature, social, natural, Palaghata goddess (goddess of fertility).
Traditionally, the paintings are done on the walls using,Use of graphic vocabulary, including a triangle, a circle and a square.
The base is made of mud and cow dung that gives it a red ochre colour
White pigment colour is used, which is made of a mixture of gum and rice powder.
#Pre_Revision
Done by rural migrants who settled around the Kalighat Kali temple in the then British capital Calcutta. It is a product of the changing urban society of Calcutta in 19th century.
Use of Watercolours on mill paper, with brushes made of calf and squirrel hair.Used brush and ink from the lampblack
Theme: religious, social.
#Madhubani_Paintings (Mithila – Bihar)
Colorful auspicious images on the interior walls of homes on the occasion of rituals & festivity → painted by women
This ancient tradition, especially elaborated for marriages, continues today.There are paintings for each occasion and festival such as birth, marriage, Holi, Surya Shasti, kali puja, Upanayanam, Durga Puja etc.
Used to paint the walls of room, known as KOHBAR GHAR in which the newly wedded couple meets for the first time
Very conceptual, first, the painter thinks & then “draws her thought”
Painting is done with fingers, twigs, brushes, nib-pens, and matchsticks, using natural dyes and pigments, and is characterized by eye-catching geometrical patterns.
Originally the paintings depicted an assembly of symbolic images of the lotus plant, the bamboo grove, fishes, birds and snakes in union.
#Pattachitra_Odisha
Patta means cloth, and Chitra means picture. Hence, Pattachitra is a picture painted on a piece of cloth.
This form of art is closely related to the cult of Shri Jagannath and the temple traditions in Puri.
Pattachitra painting, the Chitrakars follow a traditional process of preparing the canvas. A gauze-like fine cotton cloth is coated with white stone powder and gum made out of tamarind seeds.
The gum of the kaitha tree is the chief ingredient, used as a base for making different pigments by adding available raw materials.
Natural colours obtained from coconut shells, lamp black etc. are used. There is no use of pencil or charcoal.
Pattachitra on palm leaf is known as Tala-pattachitra.
#Cheriyal_Scroll_paintings_Telangana
Cheriyal is a small village in Telangana.
Cheriyal paintings are generally the pictorial presentation of scenes from mythological epics such as Ramayana, Mahabharata, Garuda Purana, Krishna Leela, Markandeya Purana and other mythological scripts.
They are made on a long vertical piece of cloth in a narrative form. Traditional folk singers would narrate the stories using cheriyal as a tool for visual presentation.
The procedure of making the Cheriyal paintings was all organic in ancient times. Be it brush, canvas/cloth or the paints, all were made from the natural sources.
GI tag in 2007.
#Kalamkari_Paintings_Andhra_Pradesh
Kalamkari is a type of hand printed or hand block printed cotton textile.
Kalamkari refers to the ancient style of hand painting that is done with a tamarind pen, using natural dyes.
Developed under Vijaynagar rulers.
Mainly to decorate temple interiors with painted cloth panels scene after scene; Every scene is surrounded by floral decorative patterns
Kalamkari designs and colors are very vibrant and bright.
There are two unique styles of kalamkari art, namely, Srikalahasti and the Machilipatnam style.
Theme: Hindu mythology
#Warli_Painting_Gujarat_Maharashtra_border
These are the mural paintings done by Warli tribe. On floors & walls of ‘gond’ and ‘kol’ tribes homes and places of worship
Close resemblance to the mural paintings of Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh that date back to the pre-historic period.
Theme:More of secular nature, social, natural, Palaghata goddess (goddess of fertility).
Traditionally, the paintings are done on the walls using,Use of graphic vocabulary, including a triangle, a circle and a square.
The base is made of mud and cow dung that gives it a red ochre colour
White pigment colour is used, which is made of a mixture of gum and rice powder.
#Pre_Revision
#Saturn
The discovery of 20 new moons of Saturn has made Saturn the planet with the highest number of moons (82) against 79 moons of Jupiter.
Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun, with the largest planetary rings in the Solar System.
It is the second-largest planet after Jupiter.
The rings of Saturn are the most extensive of any other planet. This rings can’t be seen with the unaided eye. Generally, only 3 rings can be seen by regular telescopes, powerful telescopes can view 8 rings and when the spacecraft Cassini orbited Saturn, it counted well above 30 rings. It is important to understand that these rings are actually countless since they are comprised of millions of generally small rocks creating illusions of ring systems.
Saturn has the lowest density of all the planets.
Though it doesn’t have a solid surface, being enveloped in swirling gases and liquids deeper down, it is believed that Saturn has a core much smaller than Jupiter, almost twice the size of Earth – comprised mostly of metals like iron and nickel surrounded by rocky material, and other compounds, solidified by the intense pressure and heat.
NASA's Cassini spacecraft had detected an unusually high concentration of methane, along with carbon dioxide and dihydrogen, in the moons (Titan and Enceladus) of Saturn by flying through their plumes (in 2017).
#Enceladus
It is the sixth-largest moon of Saturn. It is about 500 kilometers (310 mi) in diameter, about a tenth of that of Saturn's largest moon, Titan.
Enceladus is mostly covered by fresh, clean ice, making it one of the most reflective bodies of the Solar System.
Enceladus is a small, icy moon which has an abundance of hydrogen molecules in water plumes. 98% of the gas in the plumes was found to be water and 1% is hydrogen and the remaining is a mixture of molecules of carbon dioxide, methane, and ammonia
Despite its small size, Enceladus has a wide range of surface features, ranging from old, heavily cratered regions to young, tectonically deformed terrains.
Methane could be formed by the chemical breakdown of organic matter present in Enceladus’ core.
#Titan
Titan is the largest moon of Saturn and the second largest moon in our solar system.
Jupiter's moon Ganymede is just a little bit larger.
It has liquid rivers, lakes, and seas on its surface (though these contain hydrocarbons like methane and ethane, not water).
Titan’s atmosphere is made mostly of nitrogen, like Earth’s, but is four times denser.
Unlike Earth, it has clouds and methane rain.
Because it is so far from the Sun it's surface temperature is (-179 degree Celsius).
#Methanogens
Most of the methane on Earth has a biological origin. Microorganisms called methanogens are capable of generating methane as a metabolic byproduct.
They do not require oxygen to live and are widely distributed in nature.
They are found in swamps, dead organic matter, and even in the human gut.
They are known to survive in high temperatures and simulation studies have shown that they can live in Martian conditions.
Methanogens have been widely studied to understand if they can be a contributor to global warming.
#Cassini_Mission
Launched in 1997.
The mission is a cooperation between NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency.
This was the first landing ever accomplished in the outer Solar System.
Cassini is the fourth space probe to visit Saturn and the first to enter orbit.
Its design includes a Saturn orbiter and a lander for the moon Titan. The lander, called Huygens, landed on Titan in 2005.
#Pre_Revision
The discovery of 20 new moons of Saturn has made Saturn the planet with the highest number of moons (82) against 79 moons of Jupiter.
Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun, with the largest planetary rings in the Solar System.
It is the second-largest planet after Jupiter.
The rings of Saturn are the most extensive of any other planet. This rings can’t be seen with the unaided eye. Generally, only 3 rings can be seen by regular telescopes, powerful telescopes can view 8 rings and when the spacecraft Cassini orbited Saturn, it counted well above 30 rings. It is important to understand that these rings are actually countless since they are comprised of millions of generally small rocks creating illusions of ring systems.
Saturn has the lowest density of all the planets.
Though it doesn’t have a solid surface, being enveloped in swirling gases and liquids deeper down, it is believed that Saturn has a core much smaller than Jupiter, almost twice the size of Earth – comprised mostly of metals like iron and nickel surrounded by rocky material, and other compounds, solidified by the intense pressure and heat.
NASA's Cassini spacecraft had detected an unusually high concentration of methane, along with carbon dioxide and dihydrogen, in the moons (Titan and Enceladus) of Saturn by flying through their plumes (in 2017).
#Enceladus
It is the sixth-largest moon of Saturn. It is about 500 kilometers (310 mi) in diameter, about a tenth of that of Saturn's largest moon, Titan.
Enceladus is mostly covered by fresh, clean ice, making it one of the most reflective bodies of the Solar System.
Enceladus is a small, icy moon which has an abundance of hydrogen molecules in water plumes. 98% of the gas in the plumes was found to be water and 1% is hydrogen and the remaining is a mixture of molecules of carbon dioxide, methane, and ammonia
Despite its small size, Enceladus has a wide range of surface features, ranging from old, heavily cratered regions to young, tectonically deformed terrains.
Methane could be formed by the chemical breakdown of organic matter present in Enceladus’ core.
#Titan
Titan is the largest moon of Saturn and the second largest moon in our solar system.
Jupiter's moon Ganymede is just a little bit larger.
It has liquid rivers, lakes, and seas on its surface (though these contain hydrocarbons like methane and ethane, not water).
Titan’s atmosphere is made mostly of nitrogen, like Earth’s, but is four times denser.
Unlike Earth, it has clouds and methane rain.
Because it is so far from the Sun it's surface temperature is (-179 degree Celsius).
#Methanogens
Most of the methane on Earth has a biological origin. Microorganisms called methanogens are capable of generating methane as a metabolic byproduct.
They do not require oxygen to live and are widely distributed in nature.
They are found in swamps, dead organic matter, and even in the human gut.
They are known to survive in high temperatures and simulation studies have shown that they can live in Martian conditions.
Methanogens have been widely studied to understand if they can be a contributor to global warming.
#Cassini_Mission
Launched in 1997.
The mission is a cooperation between NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency.
This was the first landing ever accomplished in the outer Solar System.
Cassini is the fourth space probe to visit Saturn and the first to enter orbit.
Its design includes a Saturn orbiter and a lander for the moon Titan. The lander, called Huygens, landed on Titan in 2005.
#Pre_Revision
#Gamma_Ray_Burst_Explosions
The emission from the most notable Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) explosion away from 4.5 billion light-years has been traced by Indian researchers.
GRBs are immensely energetic explosions that have been observed in distant galaxies.
They are the brightest and most energetic electromagnetic events known to occur in the universe.
Bursts can last from ten milliseconds to several hours.
After an initial flash of gamma rays, a longer-lived “afterglow” is usually emitted at longer wavelengths (X-ray, ultraviolet, optical, infrared, microwave and radio).
The intense radiation of most observed GRBs is thought to be released during a supernova or superluminous supernova as a high-mass star implodes to form a neutron star or a black hole.
The explosions are both extremely energetic (a typical burst releases as much energy in a few seconds as the Sun will in its entire 10-billion-year lifetime) and extremely rare.
All observed GRBs have originated from outside the Milky Way galaxy, although a related class of phenomena, soft gamma repeater flares, are associated with magnetars within the Milky Way.
It has been hypothesized that a gamma-ray burst in the Milky Way, pointing directly towards the Earth, could cause a mass extinction event.
#Gamma_Rays
The highest-energy light in the universe.
Gamma rays can have over a billion times the energy of the type of light visible to our eyes.
They are produced by the hottest and most energetic objects in the universe, such as neutron stars and pulsars, supernova explosions, and regions around black holes.
On Earth, gamma rays are generated by nuclear explosions, lightning, and the less dramatic activity of radioactive decay.
Gamma-ray astronomy is the astronomical observation of gamma rays with photon energies above 100 keV(Kilo Electron Volt).
Gamma rays are so energetic that they are harmful to life on Earth.
Earth's atmosphere absorbs gamma rays, preventing them from affecting life on the ground.
Astronomical observations of gamma-ray sources are therefore done with high-altitude balloons or satellites, above the protective blanket of Earth's atmosphere.
The gamma rays possess high energy they can pass right through any lens or mirror, making it very difficult to focus them in a visible-light telescope.
#Fermi_Gamma_Ray_Space_Telescope
The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, formerly called the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST), is a space observatory being used to perform gamma-ray astronomy observations from low Earth orbit.
Fermi was launched on June 11, 2008. It is named after Enrico Fermi, an Italian-American scientist who did pioneering work in high-energy physics.
Fermi maps the entire sky every three hours, Fermi provides an important window into the most extreme phenomena of the universe, like gamma-ray bursts, black-hole jets, and pulsars.
Fermi is an astrophysics and particle physics partnership, developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, along with important contributions from academic institutions and partners in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, and the U.S.
#Pre_Revision
The emission from the most notable Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) explosion away from 4.5 billion light-years has been traced by Indian researchers.
GRBs are immensely energetic explosions that have been observed in distant galaxies.
They are the brightest and most energetic electromagnetic events known to occur in the universe.
Bursts can last from ten milliseconds to several hours.
After an initial flash of gamma rays, a longer-lived “afterglow” is usually emitted at longer wavelengths (X-ray, ultraviolet, optical, infrared, microwave and radio).
The intense radiation of most observed GRBs is thought to be released during a supernova or superluminous supernova as a high-mass star implodes to form a neutron star or a black hole.
The explosions are both extremely energetic (a typical burst releases as much energy in a few seconds as the Sun will in its entire 10-billion-year lifetime) and extremely rare.
All observed GRBs have originated from outside the Milky Way galaxy, although a related class of phenomena, soft gamma repeater flares, are associated with magnetars within the Milky Way.
It has been hypothesized that a gamma-ray burst in the Milky Way, pointing directly towards the Earth, could cause a mass extinction event.
#Gamma_Rays
The highest-energy light in the universe.
Gamma rays can have over a billion times the energy of the type of light visible to our eyes.
They are produced by the hottest and most energetic objects in the universe, such as neutron stars and pulsars, supernova explosions, and regions around black holes.
On Earth, gamma rays are generated by nuclear explosions, lightning, and the less dramatic activity of radioactive decay.
Gamma-ray astronomy is the astronomical observation of gamma rays with photon energies above 100 keV(Kilo Electron Volt).
Gamma rays are so energetic that they are harmful to life on Earth.
Earth's atmosphere absorbs gamma rays, preventing them from affecting life on the ground.
Astronomical observations of gamma-ray sources are therefore done with high-altitude balloons or satellites, above the protective blanket of Earth's atmosphere.
The gamma rays possess high energy they can pass right through any lens or mirror, making it very difficult to focus them in a visible-light telescope.
#Fermi_Gamma_Ray_Space_Telescope
The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, formerly called the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST), is a space observatory being used to perform gamma-ray astronomy observations from low Earth orbit.
Fermi was launched on June 11, 2008. It is named after Enrico Fermi, an Italian-American scientist who did pioneering work in high-energy physics.
Fermi maps the entire sky every three hours, Fermi provides an important window into the most extreme phenomena of the universe, like gamma-ray bursts, black-hole jets, and pulsars.
Fermi is an astrophysics and particle physics partnership, developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, along with important contributions from academic institutions and partners in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, and the U.S.
#Pre_Revision
#India_Industrial_Land_Bank (IILB):
It is a GIS-based portal with all industrial infrastructure-related information such as connectivity, infra, natural resources and terrain, plot-level information on vacant plots, line of activity, and contact details.
It acts as a one-stop repository of all industrial infrastructure-related information.
It serves as a decision support system for investors scouting for land remotely.
It has around 4,000 industrial parks mapped across an area of 5.5 lakh hectare of land and is expected to achieve pan-India integration by December 2021.
It is under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
As an additional tool for investors, for making industrial parks and related information easily accessible, the DPIIT developed first version of India Industrial Land Bank (IILB) Mobile App in collaboration with MeitY and Invest India.
#Digital_India_Land_Records_Modernisation_Programme (DILRMP)( 2008)
It is a Central Sector scheme that has been extended up to 2020-21
The Department of Land Resources (Ministry of Rural development) has proposed a further extension to 2023-24, to complete its original targets as well as expand its ambit with a slew of new schemes.
It attempts to build upon the commonalities that exist in the arena of land records in various States to develop an appropriate Integrated Land Information Management System (ILIMS) across the country, on which different States can also add State-specific needs as they may deem relevant and appropriate.
#ILIMS: The system will contain information on parcel ownership, land use, taxation, location boundaries, land value, encumbrances and many more.
New initiatives have been taken under the program like the National Generic Document Registration System (NGDRS), ULPIN( Unique Land Parcel Identification Number scheme--14-digit identification number) linking of revenue court to land records, integration of consent based Aadhar numbers with land records etc.
#NGDRS: It is aimed at providing one Nation one software for registration of documents & properties to 'empower citizens'.
DILRMP's next phase will include linkage of land record databases with banks.
#Bhoomi_Rashi_Portal
is an e-Governance initiative of the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.
The portal intends to expedite the process of land acquisition for National Highways
#Bhoomi_Project --Karnataka gov. For Online Delivery of Land Records
#Shamlat_land
It is one that does not come under habitation and cultivation and is considered as consolidated land holdings for common use.
#Bhumi_Panduga
These are celebrations marking the beginning of farm operations every year.
Celebrated by Koya tribes in Andhra Pradesh.
For men, hunting is mandatory as part of the festival. The catch is distributed among all the families in the hamlet equally during a feast every evening.
Usually celebrated in the month of June.
#St_Ketevan_of_Georgia
St. Queen Ketevan was a 17th century Georgian Queen.
Her relics were found in 2005 at the St. Augustine Convent in Old Goa, on the basis of medieval Portuguese records, people aware of the matter said.
The relics are believed to have been brought to Goa in 1627 and interred in St. Augustine Complex.
The Indian External Affairs Minister has recently handed over the holy relics of 17th century Queen St. Ketevan to Georgia.
#Pre_Revision
It is a GIS-based portal with all industrial infrastructure-related information such as connectivity, infra, natural resources and terrain, plot-level information on vacant plots, line of activity, and contact details.
It acts as a one-stop repository of all industrial infrastructure-related information.
It serves as a decision support system for investors scouting for land remotely.
It has around 4,000 industrial parks mapped across an area of 5.5 lakh hectare of land and is expected to achieve pan-India integration by December 2021.
It is under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
As an additional tool for investors, for making industrial parks and related information easily accessible, the DPIIT developed first version of India Industrial Land Bank (IILB) Mobile App in collaboration with MeitY and Invest India.
#Digital_India_Land_Records_Modernisation_Programme (DILRMP)( 2008)
It is a Central Sector scheme that has been extended up to 2020-21
The Department of Land Resources (Ministry of Rural development) has proposed a further extension to 2023-24, to complete its original targets as well as expand its ambit with a slew of new schemes.
It attempts to build upon the commonalities that exist in the arena of land records in various States to develop an appropriate Integrated Land Information Management System (ILIMS) across the country, on which different States can also add State-specific needs as they may deem relevant and appropriate.
#ILIMS: The system will contain information on parcel ownership, land use, taxation, location boundaries, land value, encumbrances and many more.
New initiatives have been taken under the program like the National Generic Document Registration System (NGDRS), ULPIN( Unique Land Parcel Identification Number scheme--14-digit identification number) linking of revenue court to land records, integration of consent based Aadhar numbers with land records etc.
#NGDRS: It is aimed at providing one Nation one software for registration of documents & properties to 'empower citizens'.
DILRMP's next phase will include linkage of land record databases with banks.
#Bhoomi_Rashi_Portal
is an e-Governance initiative of the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.
The portal intends to expedite the process of land acquisition for National Highways
#Bhoomi_Project --Karnataka gov. For Online Delivery of Land Records
#Shamlat_land
It is one that does not come under habitation and cultivation and is considered as consolidated land holdings for common use.
#Bhumi_Panduga
These are celebrations marking the beginning of farm operations every year.
Celebrated by Koya tribes in Andhra Pradesh.
For men, hunting is mandatory as part of the festival. The catch is distributed among all the families in the hamlet equally during a feast every evening.
Usually celebrated in the month of June.
#St_Ketevan_of_Georgia
St. Queen Ketevan was a 17th century Georgian Queen.
Her relics were found in 2005 at the St. Augustine Convent in Old Goa, on the basis of medieval Portuguese records, people aware of the matter said.
The relics are believed to have been brought to Goa in 1627 and interred in St. Augustine Complex.
The Indian External Affairs Minister has recently handed over the holy relics of 17th century Queen St. Ketevan to Georgia.
#Pre_Revision
#Supernovae
Supernovae (SNe) are highly energetic explosions in universe.
Such explosion releases an enormous amount of energy. Supernovae releasing high energy are called #Super_Luminous_Supernova (SLSNe).
Such events are very rare because they generally originated from very massive stars.
Number distribution of such starts in galaxy is sparse. Minimum mass limit is about 25 times that of the sun in order to generate Super Luminous Supernova.
Among the massive stars, #SLSNe-I has been counted to 150 entities spectroscopically.
These ancient objects are not much understood because their underlying sources are unclear and their high peak luminosity is unexplained.
Apparent look of SNe was very similar to other objects in field.
However, after estimating brightness, it turned out to be very blue object reflecting its brighter character
#SN_2020ank was first discovered by Zwicky Transient Facility on January 19, 2020. It was studied by scientists from Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) Nainital.
#ARIES
Established in: 1954
ARIES is a leading research institute which specializes in Astronomy, Astrophysics and Atmospheric Sciences.
It is an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.
It is situated at Manora Peak, in Nainital, Uttarakhand.
#2_m_Himalayan_Chandra_Telescope(HCT)
The 2-m Himalayan Chandra Telescope(HCT) is located at the Indian Astronomical Observatory(IAO) in Ladakh.
The telescope is operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore.
The telescope is being used for scanning the night sky in search of stellar explosions, comets, asteroids, and exoplanets
#Volatiles_Investigating_Polar_Exploration_Rover or #VIPER
NASA's mission, will be launched in 2003
VIPER is a mobile robot.
It is the first resource mapping mission on any other celestial body.
NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) will be providing the launch vehicle and lander for what’s going to be a 100-day mission.
Objectives of the mission:
To explore the Moon’s South Pole region.
Help create lunar resource maps.
Evaluate the concentration of water as well as other potential resources on its surface
#Lemru_Elephant_Reserve_Chattisgarh
It is a natural elephant habitat with very few human habitations and has been an elephant bearing area from ancient times.
The reserve is in a coal-bearing area with an estimated value of Rs 100,000 crore.
The identified reserve area has very good availability of elephant food and has approximately 27 perennial rivulets of water present inside the forest for the elephants.
#Pre_Revision
Supernovae (SNe) are highly energetic explosions in universe.
Such explosion releases an enormous amount of energy. Supernovae releasing high energy are called #Super_Luminous_Supernova (SLSNe).
Such events are very rare because they generally originated from very massive stars.
Number distribution of such starts in galaxy is sparse. Minimum mass limit is about 25 times that of the sun in order to generate Super Luminous Supernova.
Among the massive stars, #SLSNe-I has been counted to 150 entities spectroscopically.
These ancient objects are not much understood because their underlying sources are unclear and their high peak luminosity is unexplained.
Apparent look of SNe was very similar to other objects in field.
However, after estimating brightness, it turned out to be very blue object reflecting its brighter character
#SN_2020ank was first discovered by Zwicky Transient Facility on January 19, 2020. It was studied by scientists from Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) Nainital.
#ARIES
Established in: 1954
ARIES is a leading research institute which specializes in Astronomy, Astrophysics and Atmospheric Sciences.
It is an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.
It is situated at Manora Peak, in Nainital, Uttarakhand.
#2_m_Himalayan_Chandra_Telescope(HCT)
The 2-m Himalayan Chandra Telescope(HCT) is located at the Indian Astronomical Observatory(IAO) in Ladakh.
The telescope is operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore.
The telescope is being used for scanning the night sky in search of stellar explosions, comets, asteroids, and exoplanets
#Volatiles_Investigating_Polar_Exploration_Rover or #VIPER
NASA's mission, will be launched in 2003
VIPER is a mobile robot.
It is the first resource mapping mission on any other celestial body.
NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) will be providing the launch vehicle and lander for what’s going to be a 100-day mission.
Objectives of the mission:
To explore the Moon’s South Pole region.
Help create lunar resource maps.
Evaluate the concentration of water as well as other potential resources on its surface
#Lemru_Elephant_Reserve_Chattisgarh
It is a natural elephant habitat with very few human habitations and has been an elephant bearing area from ancient times.
The reserve is in a coal-bearing area with an estimated value of Rs 100,000 crore.
The identified reserve area has very good availability of elephant food and has approximately 27 perennial rivulets of water present inside the forest for the elephants.
#Pre_Revision
#Avicennia_marina
It is one of the most prominent mangroves species found in all mangrove formations in India.
It is a salt-secreting and extraordinarily salt-tolerant mangrove species that grows optimally in 75% seawater and tolerates >250% seawater.
It is among the rare plant species, which can excrete 40% of the salt through the salt glands in the leaves, besides its extraordinary capacity to exclude salt entry to the roots.
Scientists at the DBT-Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar and SRM-DBT Partnership Platform for Advanced Life Sciences Technologies, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Tamil Nadu have reported for the first time a reference-grade whole genome sequence of Avicennia marina.
#State_Forest_Report_2019
According to the Forest Survey of India, 2019, Mangroves’ cover in the country increased by 54 sq km (1.10 percent) in comparison to the 2017 assessment. The significant points put across by the State Forest Report 2019:
Mangroves face limiting factors like:
Lack of Oxygen
High Salinity
Diurnal Tidal Inundations
Mangroves adapt the following to live with their limiting factors:
Succulent Leaves
Sunken Stomata
Pneumatophores (Aerial Roots)
Vivipary
Stilt roots
Buttresses
Mangroves make 1 percent of the tropical forests of the world.
India has 3 percent of the total mangrove cover in South Asia.
There are some important mangrove species in India:
Avicennia Officinalis
Morinda Citrifolia
Rhizophora mucronata
Sonneratia Alba
Avicennia Alba
Bruguiera Cylindrica
Heriteira Littoralis
Phoenix paludosa
Ceriops Tagal
Mangrove Cover in India is 4975 sq km (0.15 percent of the total geographical area.)
Mangrove cover is divided as:
Very Dense – 1476 sq km (29.66 percent)
Moderately Dense – 1479 sq km (29.73 percent)
Open Mangroves – 2020 sq km (40.61 percent)
West Bengal has 42.45 percent of India’s mangrove cover (highest in the country
#Himalayan_Yak
IUCN : Vulnerable
IUCN considers the wild species of yak under Bos mutus, while the domestic form is considered under Bos grunniens.
CITES: Appendix I
WPA,1972: Schedule I
The Yak belong to the Bovini tribe, which also includes bison, buffaloes, and cattle. It can tolerate temperatures as low as-40 degrees Celsius.
Adapted for living at high altitudes, they have long hair that hangs off their sides like a curtain, sometimes touching the ground.
Yaks are highly valued by Himalayan peoples. According to Tibetan legend, the first yaks were domesticated by Tibetan Buddhism founder Guru Rinpoche.
They are also known as the lifeline of pastoral nomads in high altitudes of the Indian Himalayan region.The yak-rearing states of India are Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir
They are endemic to the Tibetan Plateau and the adjacent high-altitude regions.
Yaks are most comfortable above 14,000 feet. They climb to an elevation of 20,000 when foraging and usually don't descend any lower than 12,000 feet.
The number of yaks across the country declined by almost 24.7% between 2012 and 2019.
#Pre_Revision
It is one of the most prominent mangroves species found in all mangrove formations in India.
It is a salt-secreting and extraordinarily salt-tolerant mangrove species that grows optimally in 75% seawater and tolerates >250% seawater.
It is among the rare plant species, which can excrete 40% of the salt through the salt glands in the leaves, besides its extraordinary capacity to exclude salt entry to the roots.
Scientists at the DBT-Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar and SRM-DBT Partnership Platform for Advanced Life Sciences Technologies, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Tamil Nadu have reported for the first time a reference-grade whole genome sequence of Avicennia marina.
#State_Forest_Report_2019
According to the Forest Survey of India, 2019, Mangroves’ cover in the country increased by 54 sq km (1.10 percent) in comparison to the 2017 assessment. The significant points put across by the State Forest Report 2019:
Mangroves face limiting factors like:
Lack of Oxygen
High Salinity
Diurnal Tidal Inundations
Mangroves adapt the following to live with their limiting factors:
Succulent Leaves
Sunken Stomata
Pneumatophores (Aerial Roots)
Vivipary
Stilt roots
Buttresses
Mangroves make 1 percent of the tropical forests of the world.
India has 3 percent of the total mangrove cover in South Asia.
There are some important mangrove species in India:
Avicennia Officinalis
Morinda Citrifolia
Rhizophora mucronata
Sonneratia Alba
Avicennia Alba
Bruguiera Cylindrica
Heriteira Littoralis
Phoenix paludosa
Ceriops Tagal
Mangrove Cover in India is 4975 sq km (0.15 percent of the total geographical area.)
Mangrove cover is divided as:
Very Dense – 1476 sq km (29.66 percent)
Moderately Dense – 1479 sq km (29.73 percent)
Open Mangroves – 2020 sq km (40.61 percent)
West Bengal has 42.45 percent of India’s mangrove cover (highest in the country
#Himalayan_Yak
IUCN : Vulnerable
IUCN considers the wild species of yak under Bos mutus, while the domestic form is considered under Bos grunniens.
CITES: Appendix I
WPA,1972: Schedule I
The Yak belong to the Bovini tribe, which also includes bison, buffaloes, and cattle. It can tolerate temperatures as low as-40 degrees Celsius.
Adapted for living at high altitudes, they have long hair that hangs off their sides like a curtain, sometimes touching the ground.
Yaks are highly valued by Himalayan peoples. According to Tibetan legend, the first yaks were domesticated by Tibetan Buddhism founder Guru Rinpoche.
They are also known as the lifeline of pastoral nomads in high altitudes of the Indian Himalayan region.The yak-rearing states of India are Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir
They are endemic to the Tibetan Plateau and the adjacent high-altitude regions.
Yaks are most comfortable above 14,000 feet. They climb to an elevation of 20,000 when foraging and usually don't descend any lower than 12,000 feet.
The number of yaks across the country declined by almost 24.7% between 2012 and 2019.
#Pre_Revision
#Hardware_Wallet
Hardware wallet is a special type of cryptocurrency storage which maintains and secures private crypto keys of users in hardware device.
This wallet is known for providing security and utility when users interact with blockchains.
It allows users to work on multiple blockchains simultaneously.This is translated as utility factor because users can manage Bitcoin, Ethereum & Alt. Coins, Lumens etc on a single device.
On the hardware wallet, everything is backed up and accessible with a recovery phrase or with password or key.
The hardware is in form of a small, portable, plug-in device which allows users to access cryptocurrency from anywhere.
Cryptocurrency is not stored in the hardware of wallet itself. But it is stored in blockchains.
Wallet allows users to access in a portable fashion. It is more like a credit card which can access account from any ATM or swiping platform.
Popular hardware wallets include Trezor, Ledger, KeepKey and Prokey.
#Hardware_Vs_Software_Wallet
Cryptocurrency keys can be stored in two kinds of wallets - software and hardware.
Software wallets are like smartphone apps that digitally store private keys.
Most software wallets don’t charge users to store private keys, but may collect commission for trading via the app.
These wallets can be vulnerable to malware.
Hardware wallets are physical devices act like cold storage for confidential keys.
The passwords are protected by a PIN, making it difficult for hackers to extract private keys as the information is not exposed to the Internet
#Cryptocurrencies
A cryptocurrency is a digital asset designed to work as a medium of exchange wherein individual coin ownership records are stored in a ledger existing in a form of a computerized database.
It uses strong cryptography to secure transaction records, to control the creation of additional coins, and to verify the transfer of coin ownership.
It typically does not exist in physical form (like paper money) and is typically not issued by a central authority.
Cryptocurrencies typically use decentralized control as opposed to centralized digital currency and central banking systems.
#Bryum_bharatiensis
Scientists in India have discovered a native moss species in Antarctica.
It has been named Bryum bharatiensis – after India and India’s Antarctic station Bharati.
This is the first time a plant species has been discovered in the four decades of the Indian Antarctic mission
#Indian_mission_on_the_Antarctic
The Indian Antarctic Program is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional program under the control of the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences.
It was initiated in 1981 with the first Indian expedition to Antarctica.
The program gained global acceptance with India’s signing of the Antarctic Treaty and subsequent construction of the #Dakshin_Gangotri Antarctic research base in 1983, superseded by the #Maitri base from 1990.
The newest base commissioned in 2015 is #Bharati, constructed out of 134 shipping containers.
#Indian_mission_on_the_Arctic
#Himadri_Station is India’s first Arctic research station located at Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway. It is located at the International Arctic Research base, Ny-Ålesund.
It was inaugurated on the 1st of July, 2008 by the Minister of Earth Sciences. It is followed by IndARC.
The United States Geological Survey estimates that 22% of the world’s oil and natural gas could be located beneath the Arctic.
ONGC Videsh has signed joint-venture with Russia for oil exploration there.
#Pre_Revision
Hardware wallet is a special type of cryptocurrency storage which maintains and secures private crypto keys of users in hardware device.
This wallet is known for providing security and utility when users interact with blockchains.
It allows users to work on multiple blockchains simultaneously.This is translated as utility factor because users can manage Bitcoin, Ethereum & Alt. Coins, Lumens etc on a single device.
On the hardware wallet, everything is backed up and accessible with a recovery phrase or with password or key.
The hardware is in form of a small, portable, plug-in device which allows users to access cryptocurrency from anywhere.
Cryptocurrency is not stored in the hardware of wallet itself. But it is stored in blockchains.
Wallet allows users to access in a portable fashion. It is more like a credit card which can access account from any ATM or swiping platform.
Popular hardware wallets include Trezor, Ledger, KeepKey and Prokey.
#Hardware_Vs_Software_Wallet
Cryptocurrency keys can be stored in two kinds of wallets - software and hardware.
Software wallets are like smartphone apps that digitally store private keys.
Most software wallets don’t charge users to store private keys, but may collect commission for trading via the app.
These wallets can be vulnerable to malware.
Hardware wallets are physical devices act like cold storage for confidential keys.
The passwords are protected by a PIN, making it difficult for hackers to extract private keys as the information is not exposed to the Internet
#Cryptocurrencies
A cryptocurrency is a digital asset designed to work as a medium of exchange wherein individual coin ownership records are stored in a ledger existing in a form of a computerized database.
It uses strong cryptography to secure transaction records, to control the creation of additional coins, and to verify the transfer of coin ownership.
It typically does not exist in physical form (like paper money) and is typically not issued by a central authority.
Cryptocurrencies typically use decentralized control as opposed to centralized digital currency and central banking systems.
#Bryum_bharatiensis
Scientists in India have discovered a native moss species in Antarctica.
It has been named Bryum bharatiensis – after India and India’s Antarctic station Bharati.
This is the first time a plant species has been discovered in the four decades of the Indian Antarctic mission
#Indian_mission_on_the_Antarctic
The Indian Antarctic Program is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional program under the control of the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences.
It was initiated in 1981 with the first Indian expedition to Antarctica.
The program gained global acceptance with India’s signing of the Antarctic Treaty and subsequent construction of the #Dakshin_Gangotri Antarctic research base in 1983, superseded by the #Maitri base from 1990.
The newest base commissioned in 2015 is #Bharati, constructed out of 134 shipping containers.
#Indian_mission_on_the_Arctic
#Himadri_Station is India’s first Arctic research station located at Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway. It is located at the International Arctic Research base, Ny-Ålesund.
It was inaugurated on the 1st of July, 2008 by the Minister of Earth Sciences. It is followed by IndARC.
The United States Geological Survey estimates that 22% of the world’s oil and natural gas could be located beneath the Arctic.
ONGC Videsh has signed joint-venture with Russia for oil exploration there.
#Pre_Revision
#Damini_App
was developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM-Pune) and Earth System Science Organization (ESSO) under the ministry of earth sciences.
The app monitors the lightning occurrence all over India and alerts the user of lightning near them by a GPS notification under 20 km and 40 km.
Further, the Damini app also triggers warning about lightning strikes three hours in advance which can help reduce losses to life and property.
#Lightning
It is a very rapid and massive discharge of electricity in the atmosphere. It is the process of occurrence of a natural ‘electrical discharge of very short duration and high voltage between a cloud and the ground or within a cloud’, accompanied by a bright flash and sound, and sometimes thunderstorms.
Inter cloud or intra cloud (IC) lightning are visible and harmless.
It is cloud to ground (CG) lightning, which is harmful as the ‘high electric voltage and electric current’ leads to electrocution.
It is a result of the difference in electrical charge between the top and bottom of a cloud.
The lightning-generating clouds are typically about 10-12 km in height, with their base about 1-2 km from the Earth’s surface. The temperatures at the top range from -35°C to -45°C.
As water vapour moves upwards in the cloud, it condenses into water due to decreasing temperatures. A huge amount of heat is generated in the process, pushing the water molecules further up.
As they move to temperatures below zero, droplets change into small ice crystals. As they continue upwards, they gather mass, until they become so heavy that they start descending.
It leads to a system where smaller ice crystals move upwards while larger ones come down. The resulting collisions trigger release of electrons, in a process very similar to the generation of electric sparks.
The moving free electrons cause more collisions and more electrons leading to a chain reaction.
The process results in a situation in which the top layer of the cloud gets positively charged while the middle layer is negatively charged.
In little time, a huge current, of the order of lakhs to millions of amperes, starts to flow between the layers.
It produces heat, leading to the heating of the air column between the two layers of cloud.
It is because of this heat that the air column looks red during lightning.
The heated air column expands and produces shock waves that result in thunder sounds.
The Earth is a good conductor of electricity. While electrically neutral, it is relatively positively charged compared to the middle layer of the cloud. As a result, an estimated 20-25% of the current flow is directed towards the Earth.
The most lightning activity on Earth is seen on the shore of Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela.
At the place where the Catatumbo river falls into Lake Maracaibo, an average 260 storm days occur every year, and October sees 28 lightning flashes every minute - a phenomenon referred to as the Beacon of Maracaibo or the Everlasting Storm
According to a report published by the Climate Resilient Observing Systems Promotion Council (CROPC), the number of deaths due to lightning strikes reduced by nearly 37% in 2019-20.
CROPC is a non-profit organisation that works with the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Lightning-linked fatalities formed 33% of total deaths in natural disasters in 2019-20.
An increase of one degree Celsius would increase the frequency of lightning strikes by 12% , warned California University.
#Increased_Lightning_Strikes_in_India
As many as 18.5 million lightning strikes were recorded in India between April 2020 and March 2021, according to India’s 2nd annual report on lightning by Lightning Resilient India Campaign
LRIC is a joint initiative of Climate Resilient Observing-Systems Promotion Council , NDMA, IMD, MoES, World Vision India, UNICEF
It aims to reduce the death toll <1200 a year by 2022.
This is an increase of 34% compared to previous year; at least 13.8 million strikes were recorded between April 2019 and March 2020.
#Pre_Revision
was developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM-Pune) and Earth System Science Organization (ESSO) under the ministry of earth sciences.
The app monitors the lightning occurrence all over India and alerts the user of lightning near them by a GPS notification under 20 km and 40 km.
Further, the Damini app also triggers warning about lightning strikes three hours in advance which can help reduce losses to life and property.
#Lightning
It is a very rapid and massive discharge of electricity in the atmosphere. It is the process of occurrence of a natural ‘electrical discharge of very short duration and high voltage between a cloud and the ground or within a cloud’, accompanied by a bright flash and sound, and sometimes thunderstorms.
Inter cloud or intra cloud (IC) lightning are visible and harmless.
It is cloud to ground (CG) lightning, which is harmful as the ‘high electric voltage and electric current’ leads to electrocution.
It is a result of the difference in electrical charge between the top and bottom of a cloud.
The lightning-generating clouds are typically about 10-12 km in height, with their base about 1-2 km from the Earth’s surface. The temperatures at the top range from -35°C to -45°C.
As water vapour moves upwards in the cloud, it condenses into water due to decreasing temperatures. A huge amount of heat is generated in the process, pushing the water molecules further up.
As they move to temperatures below zero, droplets change into small ice crystals. As they continue upwards, they gather mass, until they become so heavy that they start descending.
It leads to a system where smaller ice crystals move upwards while larger ones come down. The resulting collisions trigger release of electrons, in a process very similar to the generation of electric sparks.
The moving free electrons cause more collisions and more electrons leading to a chain reaction.
The process results in a situation in which the top layer of the cloud gets positively charged while the middle layer is negatively charged.
In little time, a huge current, of the order of lakhs to millions of amperes, starts to flow between the layers.
It produces heat, leading to the heating of the air column between the two layers of cloud.
It is because of this heat that the air column looks red during lightning.
The heated air column expands and produces shock waves that result in thunder sounds.
The Earth is a good conductor of electricity. While electrically neutral, it is relatively positively charged compared to the middle layer of the cloud. As a result, an estimated 20-25% of the current flow is directed towards the Earth.
The most lightning activity on Earth is seen on the shore of Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela.
At the place where the Catatumbo river falls into Lake Maracaibo, an average 260 storm days occur every year, and October sees 28 lightning flashes every minute - a phenomenon referred to as the Beacon of Maracaibo or the Everlasting Storm
According to a report published by the Climate Resilient Observing Systems Promotion Council (CROPC), the number of deaths due to lightning strikes reduced by nearly 37% in 2019-20.
CROPC is a non-profit organisation that works with the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Lightning-linked fatalities formed 33% of total deaths in natural disasters in 2019-20.
An increase of one degree Celsius would increase the frequency of lightning strikes by 12% , warned California University.
#Increased_Lightning_Strikes_in_India
As many as 18.5 million lightning strikes were recorded in India between April 2020 and March 2021, according to India’s 2nd annual report on lightning by Lightning Resilient India Campaign
LRIC is a joint initiative of Climate Resilient Observing-Systems Promotion Council , NDMA, IMD, MoES, World Vision India, UNICEF
It aims to reduce the death toll <1200 a year by 2022.
This is an increase of 34% compared to previous year; at least 13.8 million strikes were recorded between April 2019 and March 2020.
#Pre_Revision
#Kashi_Annapurna_Temple
This temple is dedicated to goddess Annapurna, the Hindu goddess for nourishment and is a form of the goddess Parvati.
The current Annapurna Mandir was constructed in the 18th century by Maratha Peshwa Bajirao I.
The temple is constructed in Nagara architecture.
#Baji_Rao_I
It was Baji Rao I who instead of Deccan focused the Maratha attention to North. He can be said the first Indian, who could sniff the weakness of the Mughals and decaying Mughal empire
The famous saying “Attock to Cuttack“, refers to the Maratha Kingdom as visualized by Baji Rao-I, who wanted to plant the Saffron Flag on the walls of Attock.
Baji Rao-I fought 41 battles and lost none.
Maratha confederacy included the Kingdoms of Scindias under Ranoji Shinde of Gwalior, Holkars under Malharrao of Indore, Gaekwads under Pilaji of Baroda, and Pawars under Udaiji of Dhar.
He was able to get 1/3rd of the Bundelkhand after death of Maharaja Chhattrasal
Baji Rao I transferred the seat of administration of the Marathas from Satara to Pune.
#Nagara_Style
In North India it is common for an entire temple to be built on a stone platform with steps leading up to it.
Further, unlike in South India it does not usually have elaborate boundary walls or gateways.
While the earliest temples had just one tower, or shikhara, later temples had several.
The garbhagriha is always located directly under the tallest tower.
There are different names for the various parts of the temple in different parts of India; however, the most common name for the simple shikhara which is square at the base and whose walls curve or slope inward to a point on top is called the '#latina' or the #rekha_prasada type of shikara.
#Phamsana, which tends to be broader and shorter than latina ones.
Their roofs are composed of several slabs that gently rise to a single point over the centre of the building, unlike the latina ones which look like sharply rising tall towers.
#valabhi type
These are rectangular buildings with a roof that rises into a vaulted chamber
#Ramappa_Temple
The Ramalingeswara Temple which is popularly known as the Ramappa temple built by royal Kakatiyas.
The temple got its name Ramappa because of its chief sculptor Ramappa.
It's probably the only temple in the country to be known by the name of its sculptor.
The medieval Deccan Ramappa Temple which dates back to 1213 AD, was built by the patronage of the Kakatiya ruler Kakati Ganapathi Deva under the authority of his Chief Commander Rudra Samani at the place known as Ranakude in the Atukuru province.
The temple is situated in Palampet village of the Venkatapur Mandal, in Mulug Taluq of Warangal.
The Ramappa temple finds its hold on a 6 feet high platform on a cruciform plan.
The temple's chamber is crowned with a shikharam and is surrounded by pradakshinapatha.
At the entrance of the temple, we can find a Nandi mandapam. An imposing Nandi vigraham stands on it.
#Kakatiya_Dynasty was the South Indian dynasty that ruled Andhra Pradesh in India from 1083 CE to 1323 CE.
#Pre_Revision
This temple is dedicated to goddess Annapurna, the Hindu goddess for nourishment and is a form of the goddess Parvati.
The current Annapurna Mandir was constructed in the 18th century by Maratha Peshwa Bajirao I.
The temple is constructed in Nagara architecture.
#Baji_Rao_I
It was Baji Rao I who instead of Deccan focused the Maratha attention to North. He can be said the first Indian, who could sniff the weakness of the Mughals and decaying Mughal empire
The famous saying “Attock to Cuttack“, refers to the Maratha Kingdom as visualized by Baji Rao-I, who wanted to plant the Saffron Flag on the walls of Attock.
Baji Rao-I fought 41 battles and lost none.
Maratha confederacy included the Kingdoms of Scindias under Ranoji Shinde of Gwalior, Holkars under Malharrao of Indore, Gaekwads under Pilaji of Baroda, and Pawars under Udaiji of Dhar.
He was able to get 1/3rd of the Bundelkhand after death of Maharaja Chhattrasal
Baji Rao I transferred the seat of administration of the Marathas from Satara to Pune.
#Nagara_Style
In North India it is common for an entire temple to be built on a stone platform with steps leading up to it.
Further, unlike in South India it does not usually have elaborate boundary walls or gateways.
While the earliest temples had just one tower, or shikhara, later temples had several.
The garbhagriha is always located directly under the tallest tower.
There are different names for the various parts of the temple in different parts of India; however, the most common name for the simple shikhara which is square at the base and whose walls curve or slope inward to a point on top is called the '#latina' or the #rekha_prasada type of shikara.
#Phamsana, which tends to be broader and shorter than latina ones.
Their roofs are composed of several slabs that gently rise to a single point over the centre of the building, unlike the latina ones which look like sharply rising tall towers.
#valabhi type
These are rectangular buildings with a roof that rises into a vaulted chamber
#Ramappa_Temple
The Ramalingeswara Temple which is popularly known as the Ramappa temple built by royal Kakatiyas.
The temple got its name Ramappa because of its chief sculptor Ramappa.
It's probably the only temple in the country to be known by the name of its sculptor.
The medieval Deccan Ramappa Temple which dates back to 1213 AD, was built by the patronage of the Kakatiya ruler Kakati Ganapathi Deva under the authority of his Chief Commander Rudra Samani at the place known as Ranakude in the Atukuru province.
The temple is situated in Palampet village of the Venkatapur Mandal, in Mulug Taluq of Warangal.
The Ramappa temple finds its hold on a 6 feet high platform on a cruciform plan.
The temple's chamber is crowned with a shikharam and is surrounded by pradakshinapatha.
At the entrance of the temple, we can find a Nandi mandapam. An imposing Nandi vigraham stands on it.
#Kakatiya_Dynasty was the South Indian dynasty that ruled Andhra Pradesh in India from 1083 CE to 1323 CE.
#Pre_Revision
#Kesaria_Buddha_stupa
The stupa is said to be the tallest and the largest Buddhist stupa in the world.
It is located in Kesariya, at a distance of 110 kilometers from Patna, in the East Champaran district of Bihar.
The first construction of the Stupa is dated to the 3rd century BCE. The original Kesaria stupa probably dates to the time of Ashoka (circa 250 BCE), as the remains of a capital of a Pillar of Ashoka were discovered there.
Two great foreign travelers, Fahien and Hsuan Tsang, had visited this place in ancient times.
The discovery of gold coins bearing the seal of the famous emperor Kanishka of the Kushan dynasty (AD 30 to AD 375) goes on to further establish the ancient heritage of Kesaria.
The current stupa dates to the Gupta Dynasty between 200 AD and 750 AD and may have been associated with the 4th century ruler Raja Chakravarti.
The stupa mound may even have been inaugurated during the Buddha's time, as it corresponds in many respects to the description of the stupa erected by the Licchavis of Vaishali to house the alms bowl the Buddha has given them.
In ancient times, Kesaria was under the rule of the Mauryas and the Licchavis
#Stupa
Stupas were burial mounds prevalent in India from the vedic period.
Architecture: Stupas consist of a cylindrical drum with a circular anda and a harmika and a chhatra on the top.
Anda: Hemispherical mound symbolic of the mound of dirt used to cover Buddha’s remains (in many stupas actual relics were used).
Harmika: Square railing on top of the mound.
Chhatra: Central pillar supporting a triple umbrella form.
Material Used: The core of the stupa was made of unburnt brick while the outer surface was made by using burnt bricks, which were then covered with a thick layer of plaster and medhi and the toran were decorated with wooden sculptures.
Piprahwa Stupa in Uttar Pradesh is the oldest one.
#Immunity_Debt
It is a situation where people avoided each other during the pandemic lockdowns, they failed to build up the immunity against viruses that comes from normal contact.
The phenomenon occurs because measures like lockdowns, hand-washing, social distancing and masks are not only effective at controlling Covid-19, but it also suppress the spread of other illnesses that transmit in a similar way, including the flu, common cold, and lesser-known respiratory illnesses like RSV
#Respiratory_Syncytial_Virus (RSV)
It is a common respiratory illness.
It causes symptoms such as trouble breathing.
It’s the most common cause of inflammation of the small airways in the lungs (bronchiolitis) and pneumonia.
It is spread when a child comes into contact with fluid from an infected person’s nose or mouth.
This can happen if a child touches a contaminated surface and touches his or her eyes, mouth, or nose.
It may also happen when inhaling droplets from an infected person’s sneeze or cough.
In adults, it generally only produces very mild symptoms, but it can make young children extremely ill, or even be fatal.
#Open_source_software
OSS is code that is designed to be publicly accessible — anyone can see, modify, and distribute the code as they see fit.
Benefits of OSS:
OSS is often cheaper, more flexible, and has more longevity than its proprietary peers because it is developed by communities rather than a single author or company.
Software and bugs go hand-in-hand. Proprietary software does what is called ‘blackbox’ testing. In open-source, the code is open, which makes it possible for many more people to look at the code, and they can do a much better job than blackbox testing
More collaboration, learning and development of OSS.
#Pre_Revision
The stupa is said to be the tallest and the largest Buddhist stupa in the world.
It is located in Kesariya, at a distance of 110 kilometers from Patna, in the East Champaran district of Bihar.
The first construction of the Stupa is dated to the 3rd century BCE. The original Kesaria stupa probably dates to the time of Ashoka (circa 250 BCE), as the remains of a capital of a Pillar of Ashoka were discovered there.
Two great foreign travelers, Fahien and Hsuan Tsang, had visited this place in ancient times.
The discovery of gold coins bearing the seal of the famous emperor Kanishka of the Kushan dynasty (AD 30 to AD 375) goes on to further establish the ancient heritage of Kesaria.
The current stupa dates to the Gupta Dynasty between 200 AD and 750 AD and may have been associated with the 4th century ruler Raja Chakravarti.
The stupa mound may even have been inaugurated during the Buddha's time, as it corresponds in many respects to the description of the stupa erected by the Licchavis of Vaishali to house the alms bowl the Buddha has given them.
In ancient times, Kesaria was under the rule of the Mauryas and the Licchavis
#Stupa
Stupas were burial mounds prevalent in India from the vedic period.
Architecture: Stupas consist of a cylindrical drum with a circular anda and a harmika and a chhatra on the top.
Anda: Hemispherical mound symbolic of the mound of dirt used to cover Buddha’s remains (in many stupas actual relics were used).
Harmika: Square railing on top of the mound.
Chhatra: Central pillar supporting a triple umbrella form.
Material Used: The core of the stupa was made of unburnt brick while the outer surface was made by using burnt bricks, which were then covered with a thick layer of plaster and medhi and the toran were decorated with wooden sculptures.
Piprahwa Stupa in Uttar Pradesh is the oldest one.
#Immunity_Debt
It is a situation where people avoided each other during the pandemic lockdowns, they failed to build up the immunity against viruses that comes from normal contact.
The phenomenon occurs because measures like lockdowns, hand-washing, social distancing and masks are not only effective at controlling Covid-19, but it also suppress the spread of other illnesses that transmit in a similar way, including the flu, common cold, and lesser-known respiratory illnesses like RSV
#Respiratory_Syncytial_Virus (RSV)
It is a common respiratory illness.
It causes symptoms such as trouble breathing.
It’s the most common cause of inflammation of the small airways in the lungs (bronchiolitis) and pneumonia.
It is spread when a child comes into contact with fluid from an infected person’s nose or mouth.
This can happen if a child touches a contaminated surface and touches his or her eyes, mouth, or nose.
It may also happen when inhaling droplets from an infected person’s sneeze or cough.
In adults, it generally only produces very mild symptoms, but it can make young children extremely ill, or even be fatal.
#Open_source_software
OSS is code that is designed to be publicly accessible — anyone can see, modify, and distribute the code as they see fit.
Benefits of OSS:
OSS is often cheaper, more flexible, and has more longevity than its proprietary peers because it is developed by communities rather than a single author or company.
Software and bugs go hand-in-hand. Proprietary software does what is called ‘blackbox’ testing. In open-source, the code is open, which makes it possible for many more people to look at the code, and they can do a much better job than blackbox testing
More collaboration, learning and development of OSS.
#Pre_Revision
#Arctic_Amplification
The phenomenon highlights that over the past 30 years, the Arctic has warmed at roughly twice the rate as the entire globe.
Global warming and climate change are impacting the Arctic more than the rest of the world.
A team of scientists have identified iodic acid (HIO3) as a novel driver of new aerosol particle formation in the Arctic which is responsible for Arctic Amplification or Arctic Warming.
Presence of Iodic acid in the region had not been observed previously, these aerosol particles influence the formation of clouds.
As these clouds reflect solar radiation (known as Aerosol Radiative Forcing) but also retain heat on the Earth's surface, they have an influence on the warming of the Arctic.
#Comparison with Antarctic
There is no Antarctic amplification. Antarctic warming has been similar to the global average, although some parts are warming much faster.
Reason: Antarctica is surrounded by the vast Southern Ocean, which is soaking up much of the atmosphere’s excess heat.
#Iodic_acid(HIO3)
Iodic acid is a conjugate acid and is an iodine oxoacid. It is soluble in water and also exists in a pure state. Iodic acid can be obtained by oxidizing iodine with strong oxidizers like nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, chloric acid and chlorine. It is also known as monoiodic acid, trioxoiodic acid, hydrogen trioxoiodate, hydroxidodioxidoiodine and iodic(V) acid. The property value of hydrogen bond donor and hydrogen bond acceptor are 1 and 3 respectively.
Uses Of Iodic Acid
It is used in the salt industry to synthesize sodium and potassium iodate to increase the iodine content in the salt.
In analytical chemistry, it is used as a strong acid.
It is used as a standardized solution for both weak and the strong acid
#Aerosol
Aerosols are defined as a combination of liquid or solid particles suspended in a gaseous or liquid environment.
In the atmosphere, these particles are mainly situated in the low layers of the atmosphere (< 1.5 km) since aerosol sources are located on the terrestrial surface.
However, certain aerosols can still be found in the stratosphere, especially volcanic aerosols ejected into the high altitude layers.
The origin of atmospheric aerosols is either natural or the result of anthropogenic activities.
Natural sources of aerosols include sea salt generated from breaking waves, mineral dust blown from the surface by wind, and volcanoes.
Anthropogenic aerosols include sulfate, nitrate, and carbonaceous aerosols, and are mainly from fossil fuel combustion sources.
Significance:
Reflect more energy from the sun back to space.
In remote places with cleaner air, the effect of aerosol particle formation on clouds is found to be much larger.
Affect the atmospheric chemical composition.
Can reduce visibility.
Have important impacts on air quality and human health (e.g. aerosols can cause damage to heart and lungs).
Serve as nuclei for cloud droplets or ice crystals in ice clouds.
#Pre_Revision
The phenomenon highlights that over the past 30 years, the Arctic has warmed at roughly twice the rate as the entire globe.
Global warming and climate change are impacting the Arctic more than the rest of the world.
A team of scientists have identified iodic acid (HIO3) as a novel driver of new aerosol particle formation in the Arctic which is responsible for Arctic Amplification or Arctic Warming.
Presence of Iodic acid in the region had not been observed previously, these aerosol particles influence the formation of clouds.
As these clouds reflect solar radiation (known as Aerosol Radiative Forcing) but also retain heat on the Earth's surface, they have an influence on the warming of the Arctic.
#Comparison with Antarctic
There is no Antarctic amplification. Antarctic warming has been similar to the global average, although some parts are warming much faster.
Reason: Antarctica is surrounded by the vast Southern Ocean, which is soaking up much of the atmosphere’s excess heat.
#Iodic_acid(HIO3)
Iodic acid is a conjugate acid and is an iodine oxoacid. It is soluble in water and also exists in a pure state. Iodic acid can be obtained by oxidizing iodine with strong oxidizers like nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, chloric acid and chlorine. It is also known as monoiodic acid, trioxoiodic acid, hydrogen trioxoiodate, hydroxidodioxidoiodine and iodic(V) acid. The property value of hydrogen bond donor and hydrogen bond acceptor are 1 and 3 respectively.
Uses Of Iodic Acid
It is used in the salt industry to synthesize sodium and potassium iodate to increase the iodine content in the salt.
In analytical chemistry, it is used as a strong acid.
It is used as a standardized solution for both weak and the strong acid
#Aerosol
Aerosols are defined as a combination of liquid or solid particles suspended in a gaseous or liquid environment.
In the atmosphere, these particles are mainly situated in the low layers of the atmosphere (< 1.5 km) since aerosol sources are located on the terrestrial surface.
However, certain aerosols can still be found in the stratosphere, especially volcanic aerosols ejected into the high altitude layers.
The origin of atmospheric aerosols is either natural or the result of anthropogenic activities.
Natural sources of aerosols include sea salt generated from breaking waves, mineral dust blown from the surface by wind, and volcanoes.
Anthropogenic aerosols include sulfate, nitrate, and carbonaceous aerosols, and are mainly from fossil fuel combustion sources.
Significance:
Reflect more energy from the sun back to space.
In remote places with cleaner air, the effect of aerosol particle formation on clouds is found to be much larger.
Affect the atmospheric chemical composition.
Can reduce visibility.
Have important impacts on air quality and human health (e.g. aerosols can cause damage to heart and lungs).
Serve as nuclei for cloud droplets or ice crystals in ice clouds.
#Pre_Revision
#RBI_Retail_Direct_Scheme
It is a one-stop solution to facilitate investment in Government Securities by individual investors.
Retail investors (individuals) will have the facility to open and maintain the ‘Retail Direct Gilt Account’ (RDG Account) with RBI.
RDG Account can be opened through an ‘Online portal’ provided for the purpose of the scheme.
The Non-Resident retail investors eligible to invest in Government Securities under Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 are eligible under the scheme.
The scheme allows that an investor would be able to bid in G-Secs auctions and buy them in the secondary market as well.
#Gilt_Account
A Gilt Account can be compared with a bank account, except that the account is debited or credited with treasury bills or government securities instead of money. In other words, it’s an account for holding government securities.
#Retail_investor
A retail investor is someone who buys and sells equity shares, commodity contracts, mutual funds, or exchange traded funds (ETFs) through traditional or online brokerage firms or other types of investment accounts.
#Government_Security
A G-Sec is a tradable instrument issued by the Central Government or the State Governments.
It acknowledges the Government’s debt obligation. Such securities are short term (usually called #treasury_bills, with original maturities of less than one year- presently issued in three tenors, namely, 91 day, 182 day and 364 day) or long term (usually called Government bonds or dated securities with original maturity of one year or more).
In India, the Central Government issues both treasury bills and bonds or dated securities while the State Governments issue only bonds or dated securities, which are called the State Development Loans (SDLs).
G-Secs carry practically no risk of default and, hence, are called risk-free gilt-edged instruments.
#Gilt_edged_securities are high-grade investment bonds offered by governments and large corporations as a means of borrowing funds
#Beresheet
The first Beresheet, or “Genesis,” spacecraft, built by SpaceIL and state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries.
It suffered an engine failure as it prepared to land and crashed abruptly on the surface of the moon.
Beresheet 2
Aim- To send three spacecraft, an orbiter and two landers to the moon and for conducting experiments and collecting data on behalf of school students
Till now, this can only be achieved by the U.S., Russia and China.
#Artemis_mission- Crewed spaceflight program of the NASA that aimed to launch the first woman and the next man” on the Moon. It will be launched by 2024.
#Emirati-made lunar rover-The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has decided to send an unmanned spacecraft to the moon in 2024.
#Pre_Revision
It is a one-stop solution to facilitate investment in Government Securities by individual investors.
Retail investors (individuals) will have the facility to open and maintain the ‘Retail Direct Gilt Account’ (RDG Account) with RBI.
RDG Account can be opened through an ‘Online portal’ provided for the purpose of the scheme.
The Non-Resident retail investors eligible to invest in Government Securities under Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 are eligible under the scheme.
The scheme allows that an investor would be able to bid in G-Secs auctions and buy them in the secondary market as well.
#Gilt_Account
A Gilt Account can be compared with a bank account, except that the account is debited or credited with treasury bills or government securities instead of money. In other words, it’s an account for holding government securities.
#Retail_investor
A retail investor is someone who buys and sells equity shares, commodity contracts, mutual funds, or exchange traded funds (ETFs) through traditional or online brokerage firms or other types of investment accounts.
#Government_Security
A G-Sec is a tradable instrument issued by the Central Government or the State Governments.
It acknowledges the Government’s debt obligation. Such securities are short term (usually called #treasury_bills, with original maturities of less than one year- presently issued in three tenors, namely, 91 day, 182 day and 364 day) or long term (usually called Government bonds or dated securities with original maturity of one year or more).
In India, the Central Government issues both treasury bills and bonds or dated securities while the State Governments issue only bonds or dated securities, which are called the State Development Loans (SDLs).
G-Secs carry practically no risk of default and, hence, are called risk-free gilt-edged instruments.
#Gilt_edged_securities are high-grade investment bonds offered by governments and large corporations as a means of borrowing funds
#Beresheet
The first Beresheet, or “Genesis,” spacecraft, built by SpaceIL and state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries.
It suffered an engine failure as it prepared to land and crashed abruptly on the surface of the moon.
Beresheet 2
Aim- To send three spacecraft, an orbiter and two landers to the moon and for conducting experiments and collecting data on behalf of school students
Till now, this can only be achieved by the U.S., Russia and China.
#Artemis_mission- Crewed spaceflight program of the NASA that aimed to launch the first woman and the next man” on the Moon. It will be launched by 2024.
#Emirati-made lunar rover-The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has decided to send an unmanned spacecraft to the moon in 2024.
#Pre_Revision
#Cairo_Consensus
The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) was convened in 1994 under the auspices of the United Nations and was organized by a secretariat composed of the Population Division of the then UN Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis (now the Department of Economic and Social Affairs) and UNFPA.
The Cairo Consensus called for the promotion of reproductive rights, empowering women, universal education, maternal and infant health to untangle the knotty issue of poverty and high fertility. The consensus also demands an increase in the rate of modern contraceptive prevalence, male contraception.
#Justice_K_S_Puttaswamy_vs_Union_of_India 2017
The SC held that reproductive rights include a woman’s entitlement to carry a pregnancy to its full term, to give birth, and to subsequently raise children; and that these rights form part of a woman’s right to privacy, dignity, and bodily integrity.
In 1989, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) recommended that 11th July be observed by the international community as World Population Day
#United_Nations_Population_Fund
It is a subsidiary organ of the UN General Assembly and works as a sexual and reproductive health agency.
The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) establishes its mandate.
It was established as a trust fund in 1967 and began operations in 1969.
In 1987, it was officially renamed the United Nations Population Fund but the original abbreviation, ‘UNFPA’ for the United Nations Fund for Population Activities was retained.
UNFPA works directly to tackle Sustainable Development Goals on health (SDG3), education (SDG4) and gender equality (SDG5).
UNFPA is not supported by the UN budget, instead, it is entirely supported by voluntary contributions of donor governments, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector, foundations and individuals
UNFPA flagship State of World Population Report 2021 titled ‘My Body is My Own’ was published.
#Human_Papilloma_Virus
HPV causes penile cancer in men and cervical, vaginal, anal & vulvar cancer in women.
It can also cause throat or rectum cancer in both men and women.
The virus is transmitted through intimate contact like – sexual intercourse, oral or anal sex.
It poses a higher risk for
HIV-infected persons, smokers, and people dependent on hormonal contraceptives.
The Vaccine – In India, two vaccines namely “Gardasil” & “Cervarix” are available.
#Honorary_Consuls
Together with diplomatic missions, an honorary consul promotes economic and cultural relations.
They are private individuals who take care of their tasks on a part-time basis without remuneration.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)’s approval is essential before the formal appointment.
Honorary consuls do not accept passport applications nor do they handle matters pertaining to visas or residence permits.
Honorary consuls cannot serve as attorneys in judicial proceedings or as legal advisers.
#The_Press_Council_of_India
was first set up in the year 1966 by the Parliament on the
recommendations of the First Press Commission.
Aim: To preserve the freedom of the press and maintain and improve the standards of the press in India.
The present Council functions under the Press Council Act, 1978. It is a statutory, quasi-judicial authority functioning as a watchdog of the press, for the press and by the press.
Limitations of PCI:
They cannot penalize newspapers, news agencies, editors and journalists for violation of the guidelines.
The PCI only overviews the functioning of print media. It can enforce standards upon newspapers, journals, magazines and other forms of print media.
It does not have the power to review the functioning of electronic media like radio, television and internet media.
#Pre_Revision
The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) was convened in 1994 under the auspices of the United Nations and was organized by a secretariat composed of the Population Division of the then UN Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis (now the Department of Economic and Social Affairs) and UNFPA.
The Cairo Consensus called for the promotion of reproductive rights, empowering women, universal education, maternal and infant health to untangle the knotty issue of poverty and high fertility. The consensus also demands an increase in the rate of modern contraceptive prevalence, male contraception.
#Justice_K_S_Puttaswamy_vs_Union_of_India 2017
The SC held that reproductive rights include a woman’s entitlement to carry a pregnancy to its full term, to give birth, and to subsequently raise children; and that these rights form part of a woman’s right to privacy, dignity, and bodily integrity.
In 1989, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) recommended that 11th July be observed by the international community as World Population Day
#United_Nations_Population_Fund
It is a subsidiary organ of the UN General Assembly and works as a sexual and reproductive health agency.
The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) establishes its mandate.
It was established as a trust fund in 1967 and began operations in 1969.
In 1987, it was officially renamed the United Nations Population Fund but the original abbreviation, ‘UNFPA’ for the United Nations Fund for Population Activities was retained.
UNFPA works directly to tackle Sustainable Development Goals on health (SDG3), education (SDG4) and gender equality (SDG5).
UNFPA is not supported by the UN budget, instead, it is entirely supported by voluntary contributions of donor governments, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector, foundations and individuals
UNFPA flagship State of World Population Report 2021 titled ‘My Body is My Own’ was published.
#Human_Papilloma_Virus
HPV causes penile cancer in men and cervical, vaginal, anal & vulvar cancer in women.
It can also cause throat or rectum cancer in both men and women.
The virus is transmitted through intimate contact like – sexual intercourse, oral or anal sex.
It poses a higher risk for
HIV-infected persons, smokers, and people dependent on hormonal contraceptives.
The Vaccine – In India, two vaccines namely “Gardasil” & “Cervarix” are available.
#Honorary_Consuls
Together with diplomatic missions, an honorary consul promotes economic and cultural relations.
They are private individuals who take care of their tasks on a part-time basis without remuneration.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)’s approval is essential before the formal appointment.
Honorary consuls do not accept passport applications nor do they handle matters pertaining to visas or residence permits.
Honorary consuls cannot serve as attorneys in judicial proceedings or as legal advisers.
#The_Press_Council_of_India
was first set up in the year 1966 by the Parliament on the
recommendations of the First Press Commission.
Aim: To preserve the freedom of the press and maintain and improve the standards of the press in India.
The present Council functions under the Press Council Act, 1978. It is a statutory, quasi-judicial authority functioning as a watchdog of the press, for the press and by the press.
Limitations of PCI:
They cannot penalize newspapers, news agencies, editors and journalists for violation of the guidelines.
The PCI only overviews the functioning of print media. It can enforce standards upon newspapers, journals, magazines and other forms of print media.
It does not have the power to review the functioning of electronic media like radio, television and internet media.
#Pre_Revision
#Kongu_Nadu
‘Kongu Nadu’ is neither a place with a PIN code nor a name given formally to any region.
It is a commonly used name for part of western Tamil Nadu.
In Tamil literature, it was referred to as one of the five regions of ancient Tamil Nadu.
There were mentions of ‘Kongu Nadu’ in Sangam literature as a separate territory.
The name derives from Kongu Vellala Gounder, an OBC community with a significant presence in these districts.
The region includes prominent businesses and industrial hubs at Namakkal, Salem, Tirupur and Coimbatore.
Unlike Telangana or Uttarakhand, there has never been demand or discussions about a separate Kongu Nadu in the modern political history of Tamil Nadu
#Sangam_Age
The period roughly between the 3rd century B.C. and 3rd century A.D. in South India (the area lying to the south of river Krishna and Tungabhadra) is known as Sangam Period
According to the Tamil legends, there were three Sangams (Academy of Tamil poets) held in the ancient South India popularly called #Muchchangam.
The First Sangam, is believed to be held at Madurai. No literary work of this Sangam is available.
The Second Sangam was held at Kapadapuram, only #Tolkappiyam survives from this.
The Third Sangam was also held at Madurai. A few of these Tamil literary works have survived
#Tolkappiyam was authored by #Tolkappiyar and is considered the earliest of Tamil literary work. Though it is a work on Tamil grammar but it also provides insights on the political and socio-economic conditions of the time
#Ettutogai (Eight Anthologies) consist of eight works – Aingurunooru, Narrinai, Aganaooru, Purananooru, Kuruntogai, Kalittogai, Paripadal and Padirruppatu.
The #Pattuppattu (Ten Idylls) consists of ten works – Thirumurugarruppadai, Porunararruppadai, Sirupanarruppadai, Perumpanarruppadai, Mullaippattu, Nedunalvadai, Maduraikkanji, Kurinjippatttu,Pattinappalai and Malaipadukadam.
#Pathinenkilkanakku contains eighteen works about ethics and morals. The most important among these works is #Tirukkural authored by #Thiruvalluvar, the tamil great poet and philosopher.
The two epics #Silappathikaram is written by #Elango_Adigal and #Manimegalai by #Sittalai_Sattanar.
The Greek authors like Megasthenes, Strabo, Pliny and Ptolemy mentioning about commercial trade contacts between the West and South India.
The Ashokan inscriptions mentioned about the Chera, Chola and Pandya rulers to the south of Mauryan empire.
Hathigumpha inscription of Kharavela of Kalinga also has mention of Tamil kingdoms.
#Royal_emblem –
Tiger for the Cholas,
Carp/Fish for the Pandyas
Bow for the Cheras.
#Society
#Tolkappiyam refers to the Five-fold division of lands –
#Land_deity_occupation
Kurinji (hilly tracks)--Murugan-- hunting and honey collection
Mullai (pastoral)--Mayon(Vishnu) --cattle-rearing,dairy products
Marudam (agricultural)--Indra-- Agriculture
Neydal (coastal)--Varunam-- fishing and salt manufacturing
Palai (desert)--Korravai--robbery
Tolkappiyam also refers to four castes namely arasar(Ruling Class), anthanar, vanigar(carried on trade and commerce) and vellalar(Agriculturists).
Ancient primitive tribes like Thodas, Irulas, Nagas and Vedars lived in this period.
There were women poets like Avvaiyar, Nachchellaiyar, and Kakkaipadiniyar who flourished and contributed to Tamil literature
#Pre_Revision
‘Kongu Nadu’ is neither a place with a PIN code nor a name given formally to any region.
It is a commonly used name for part of western Tamil Nadu.
In Tamil literature, it was referred to as one of the five regions of ancient Tamil Nadu.
There were mentions of ‘Kongu Nadu’ in Sangam literature as a separate territory.
The name derives from Kongu Vellala Gounder, an OBC community with a significant presence in these districts.
The region includes prominent businesses and industrial hubs at Namakkal, Salem, Tirupur and Coimbatore.
Unlike Telangana or Uttarakhand, there has never been demand or discussions about a separate Kongu Nadu in the modern political history of Tamil Nadu
#Sangam_Age
The period roughly between the 3rd century B.C. and 3rd century A.D. in South India (the area lying to the south of river Krishna and Tungabhadra) is known as Sangam Period
According to the Tamil legends, there were three Sangams (Academy of Tamil poets) held in the ancient South India popularly called #Muchchangam.
The First Sangam, is believed to be held at Madurai. No literary work of this Sangam is available.
The Second Sangam was held at Kapadapuram, only #Tolkappiyam survives from this.
The Third Sangam was also held at Madurai. A few of these Tamil literary works have survived
#Tolkappiyam was authored by #Tolkappiyar and is considered the earliest of Tamil literary work. Though it is a work on Tamil grammar but it also provides insights on the political and socio-economic conditions of the time
#Ettutogai (Eight Anthologies) consist of eight works – Aingurunooru, Narrinai, Aganaooru, Purananooru, Kuruntogai, Kalittogai, Paripadal and Padirruppatu.
The #Pattuppattu (Ten Idylls) consists of ten works – Thirumurugarruppadai, Porunararruppadai, Sirupanarruppadai, Perumpanarruppadai, Mullaippattu, Nedunalvadai, Maduraikkanji, Kurinjippatttu,Pattinappalai and Malaipadukadam.
#Pathinenkilkanakku contains eighteen works about ethics and morals. The most important among these works is #Tirukkural authored by #Thiruvalluvar, the tamil great poet and philosopher.
The two epics #Silappathikaram is written by #Elango_Adigal and #Manimegalai by #Sittalai_Sattanar.
The Greek authors like Megasthenes, Strabo, Pliny and Ptolemy mentioning about commercial trade contacts between the West and South India.
The Ashokan inscriptions mentioned about the Chera, Chola and Pandya rulers to the south of Mauryan empire.
Hathigumpha inscription of Kharavela of Kalinga also has mention of Tamil kingdoms.
#Royal_emblem –
Tiger for the Cholas,
Carp/Fish for the Pandyas
Bow for the Cheras.
#Society
#Tolkappiyam refers to the Five-fold division of lands –
#Land_deity_occupation
Kurinji (hilly tracks)--Murugan-- hunting and honey collection
Mullai (pastoral)--Mayon(Vishnu) --cattle-rearing,dairy products
Marudam (agricultural)--Indra-- Agriculture
Neydal (coastal)--Varunam-- fishing and salt manufacturing
Palai (desert)--Korravai--robbery
Tolkappiyam also refers to four castes namely arasar(Ruling Class), anthanar, vanigar(carried on trade and commerce) and vellalar(Agriculturists).
Ancient primitive tribes like Thodas, Irulas, Nagas and Vedars lived in this period.
There were women poets like Avvaiyar, Nachchellaiyar, and Kakkaipadiniyar who flourished and contributed to Tamil literature
#Pre_Revision
#Electron_Bubble
An electron bubble is the empty space created around a free electron in a cryogenic gas or liquid, such as neon or helium. They are typically very small, about 2 nm in diameter at atmospheric pressure.
An electron injected into a superfluid form of helium creates a Single Electron Bubble (SEB) — a cavity that is free of helium atoms and contains only the electron. The shape of the bubble depends on the energy state of the electron.
For instance, the bubble is spherical when the electron is in the ground state (i.e. state of lowest energy).
There are also multiple electron bubbles that contain thousands of electrons.
#Superfluidity is the frictionless flow and other exotic behaviour observed in liquid helium at temperatures near absolute zero (−273.15 °C), and similar frictionless behaviour of electrons in a superconducting solid. In each case the unusual behaviour arises from quantum mechanical effects.
#Few_Electron_Bubbles
FEBs, on the other hand, are nanometre-sized cavities in liquid helium containing just a handful of free electrons. The number, state, and interactions between free electrons dictate the physical and chemical properties of materials.
FEBs form an interesting system that has both electron-electron interaction and electron-surface interaction.
FEBs were found to be stable for at least 15 milliseconds (quantum changes typically happen at much shorter time scales) which would enable researchers to trap and study them.
#Helium
Helium is a chemical element with the symbol He and atomic number 2.
It is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas, the first in the noble gas group in the periodic table.
Its boiling point is the lowest among all the elements.
#Discovery_of_Helium
Atmosphere Surrounding the Sun:
Helium was discovered in the gaseous atmosphere surrounding the Sun by the French astronomer Pierre Janssen, who detected a bright yellow line in the spectrum of the solar chromosphere during an eclipse in India in the year 1868.
Joseph Norman Lockyer recorded the same line by observing the sun through London smog and, assuming the new element to be a metal, he named it helium.
On Earth:
The British chemist Sir William Ramsay discovered the existence of helium on Earth in 1895.
In India:
In 1906 a young Englishman by the name of Morris Travers extracted helium in small quantities by heating up monazite sand abundantly available in Kerala beach, in a pioneering effort.
#Monazite is a primarily reddish-brown phosphate mineral that contains rare-earth elements.
#Rajmahal_volcanic_basin in Jharkhand is the storehouse of helium trapped for billions of years, since the very birth of Earth from the Sun.
#USA-the biggest storehouse and important exporter of helium.
Qatar is a possible exporter but acute political and diplomatic wrangles have made Qatar unreliable.
#Chemotaxis
Chemotaxis in microbiology refers to the migration of cells toward attractant chemicals or away from repellents.
Somatic cells, bacteria, and other single-cell or multicellular organisms direct their movements according to certain chemicals in their environment.
This is important for bacteria to find food (e.g., glucose) by swimming toward the highest concentration of food molecules, or to flee from poisons (e.g., phenol).
Chemotaxis in other Organisms
A sperm cell finds the ovum using chemotaxis.
White blood cells that are needed for healing injuries find the site of injury or inflammation by chemotaxis.
Butterflies also track flowers, and male insects reach their targets by using chemotaxis.
E.coli, bacterial resident of the human intestine, show chemotaxis in response to different chemicals present in human gastrointestinal tract
#Pre_Revision
An electron bubble is the empty space created around a free electron in a cryogenic gas or liquid, such as neon or helium. They are typically very small, about 2 nm in diameter at atmospheric pressure.
An electron injected into a superfluid form of helium creates a Single Electron Bubble (SEB) — a cavity that is free of helium atoms and contains only the electron. The shape of the bubble depends on the energy state of the electron.
For instance, the bubble is spherical when the electron is in the ground state (i.e. state of lowest energy).
There are also multiple electron bubbles that contain thousands of electrons.
#Superfluidity is the frictionless flow and other exotic behaviour observed in liquid helium at temperatures near absolute zero (−273.15 °C), and similar frictionless behaviour of electrons in a superconducting solid. In each case the unusual behaviour arises from quantum mechanical effects.
#Few_Electron_Bubbles
FEBs, on the other hand, are nanometre-sized cavities in liquid helium containing just a handful of free electrons. The number, state, and interactions between free electrons dictate the physical and chemical properties of materials.
FEBs form an interesting system that has both electron-electron interaction and electron-surface interaction.
FEBs were found to be stable for at least 15 milliseconds (quantum changes typically happen at much shorter time scales) which would enable researchers to trap and study them.
#Helium
Helium is a chemical element with the symbol He and atomic number 2.
It is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas, the first in the noble gas group in the periodic table.
Its boiling point is the lowest among all the elements.
#Discovery_of_Helium
Atmosphere Surrounding the Sun:
Helium was discovered in the gaseous atmosphere surrounding the Sun by the French astronomer Pierre Janssen, who detected a bright yellow line in the spectrum of the solar chromosphere during an eclipse in India in the year 1868.
Joseph Norman Lockyer recorded the same line by observing the sun through London smog and, assuming the new element to be a metal, he named it helium.
On Earth:
The British chemist Sir William Ramsay discovered the existence of helium on Earth in 1895.
In India:
In 1906 a young Englishman by the name of Morris Travers extracted helium in small quantities by heating up monazite sand abundantly available in Kerala beach, in a pioneering effort.
#Monazite is a primarily reddish-brown phosphate mineral that contains rare-earth elements.
#Rajmahal_volcanic_basin in Jharkhand is the storehouse of helium trapped for billions of years, since the very birth of Earth from the Sun.
#USA-the biggest storehouse and important exporter of helium.
Qatar is a possible exporter but acute political and diplomatic wrangles have made Qatar unreliable.
#Chemotaxis
Chemotaxis in microbiology refers to the migration of cells toward attractant chemicals or away from repellents.
Somatic cells, bacteria, and other single-cell or multicellular organisms direct their movements according to certain chemicals in their environment.
This is important for bacteria to find food (e.g., glucose) by swimming toward the highest concentration of food molecules, or to flee from poisons (e.g., phenol).
Chemotaxis in other Organisms
A sperm cell finds the ovum using chemotaxis.
White blood cells that are needed for healing injuries find the site of injury or inflammation by chemotaxis.
Butterflies also track flowers, and male insects reach their targets by using chemotaxis.
E.coli, bacterial resident of the human intestine, show chemotaxis in response to different chemicals present in human gastrointestinal tract
#Pre_Revision
#The_Crafts_Council_of_India
CCI is a non-profit organisation that promotes activities to preserve and develop handicraft industry in India. Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay who wanted to help the craft persons to get regular work and recognition for their craft, established the CCI in 1976.
Although their headquarter is
located in Chennai, they have over ten State Councils that are affiliated to the parent organisation.
They achieved a global platform after being affiliated to the World Crafts Council.
Their main objective is to safeguard the interests of crafts personnel and to preserve craft traditions.Over the years they have established a series of shops that display the arts and
crafts patronised by the Crafts Council. This shop has been named ‘Kamala’ after the founder
of the CCI.
#Sessa_Orchid_Sanctuary
Located in Arunachal Pradesh.
Notified in November 1989 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The Sanctuary is a natural home to more than 236 species of orchids, as well as a wealthy diversity of mushrooms and other medicinal plants.
It is the only one of its kind in the country, where these flowering plants grow wild
Last year, the government of Arunachal Pradesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding with
the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) India to create a Red Listing of
orchids at the state level, a global process to assess the risk faced by different species.
#Kanwar_Yatra
It is a pilgrimage organised in the Hindu calendar month of Shravana.
Saffron-clad Shiva devotees generally walk barefoot with pitchers of holy water from the Ganga or other holy rivers.
In the Gangetic plains, the water is taken from pilgrimage sites such as Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand, Sultanganj in Bihar and Prayagraj, Ayodhya or Varanasi from Uttar Pradesh.
Devotees carry the pitchers of holy water on their shoulders, balanced on decorated slings known as Kanwars.
The water is used by the pilgrims to worship Shivalingas at shrines of importance.
The first Kanwar yatra was believed to have been undertaken by Parashuram, the renowned and loyal devotee of Shiva.
The Yatra follows some strict rules. Once the kanwar is filled with holy water, the pitchers should never touch the ground.
An important festival with similarities to the Kanwar yatra in North India, called the Kavadi festival, is celebrated in Tamil Nadu, in which Lord Muruga is worshipped.
#Gravelyia_boro
Gravelyia boro is a newly discovered burrow spider.
It was found in the Jharbari range of western Assam’s Chirang Reserve Forest.
Its name has been derived from the bodo community one of the largest ethno-linguistic group in Assam
#Dexippus_kleini is an oriental jumping spider. It has been recorded for the first time after it was originally described 129 years ago by Swedish arachnologist, Tord Tamerlan Teodor Thorell. The spider was discovered by him about 2,600 km away in Sumatra.
Spider species
Gravelyia boro belongs to #Nemesiidae_family that comprises of 184 species worldwide.
Dexippus kleini belongs to #Salticidae_family which is the largest family of all spiders on earth
Burrow spider lives underground some 10-15 cm below sandy-loamy surface.
Burrow with opening up to 1 cm wide were under cover of some herbs and shrubs.
Jumping spider is a slow mover. But is capable of jumping up to 25 mm in length in search of prey.
Jharbari Jumper is among few salticids that was recently rediscovered in India after a century.
#Pre_Revision
CCI is a non-profit organisation that promotes activities to preserve and develop handicraft industry in India. Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay who wanted to help the craft persons to get regular work and recognition for their craft, established the CCI in 1976.
Although their headquarter is
located in Chennai, they have over ten State Councils that are affiliated to the parent organisation.
They achieved a global platform after being affiliated to the World Crafts Council.
Their main objective is to safeguard the interests of crafts personnel and to preserve craft traditions.Over the years they have established a series of shops that display the arts and
crafts patronised by the Crafts Council. This shop has been named ‘Kamala’ after the founder
of the CCI.
#Sessa_Orchid_Sanctuary
Located in Arunachal Pradesh.
Notified in November 1989 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The Sanctuary is a natural home to more than 236 species of orchids, as well as a wealthy diversity of mushrooms and other medicinal plants.
It is the only one of its kind in the country, where these flowering plants grow wild
Last year, the government of Arunachal Pradesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding with
the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) India to create a Red Listing of
orchids at the state level, a global process to assess the risk faced by different species.
#Kanwar_Yatra
It is a pilgrimage organised in the Hindu calendar month of Shravana.
Saffron-clad Shiva devotees generally walk barefoot with pitchers of holy water from the Ganga or other holy rivers.
In the Gangetic plains, the water is taken from pilgrimage sites such as Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand, Sultanganj in Bihar and Prayagraj, Ayodhya or Varanasi from Uttar Pradesh.
Devotees carry the pitchers of holy water on their shoulders, balanced on decorated slings known as Kanwars.
The water is used by the pilgrims to worship Shivalingas at shrines of importance.
The first Kanwar yatra was believed to have been undertaken by Parashuram, the renowned and loyal devotee of Shiva.
The Yatra follows some strict rules. Once the kanwar is filled with holy water, the pitchers should never touch the ground.
An important festival with similarities to the Kanwar yatra in North India, called the Kavadi festival, is celebrated in Tamil Nadu, in which Lord Muruga is worshipped.
#Gravelyia_boro
Gravelyia boro is a newly discovered burrow spider.
It was found in the Jharbari range of western Assam’s Chirang Reserve Forest.
Its name has been derived from the bodo community one of the largest ethno-linguistic group in Assam
#Dexippus_kleini is an oriental jumping spider. It has been recorded for the first time after it was originally described 129 years ago by Swedish arachnologist, Tord Tamerlan Teodor Thorell. The spider was discovered by him about 2,600 km away in Sumatra.
Spider species
Gravelyia boro belongs to #Nemesiidae_family that comprises of 184 species worldwide.
Dexippus kleini belongs to #Salticidae_family which is the largest family of all spiders on earth
Burrow spider lives underground some 10-15 cm below sandy-loamy surface.
Burrow with opening up to 1 cm wide were under cover of some herbs and shrubs.
Jumping spider is a slow mover. But is capable of jumping up to 25 mm in length in search of prey.
Jharbari Jumper is among few salticids that was recently rediscovered in India after a century.
#Pre_Revision