1. THERAVADA BUDDHISM
Theravada, the "Doctrine of the Elders," is the name for the school of Buddhism that draws its scriptural inspiration from the Pali Canon, or Tipitaka, which scholars generally accept as the oldest record of the Buddha's teachings.
It is one of the two major branches of Buddhism, the other being Mahayana Buddhism.
Owing to its historical dominance in southern Asia (Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Burma), Theravada is also identified as "Southern Buddhism," in contrast to "Northern Buddhism," which migrated northwards from India into Tibet, China, Japan, and Korea.
Theravada is sometimes identified as "Hinayana" (the "Lesser Vehicle"), in contradistinction to "Mahayana" (the "Greater Vehicle"), which is usually a synonym for Tibetan Buddhism.
It is the dominant religion in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand and is practiced by minorities in India, Bangladesh, China, Nepal, and Vietnam.
In contrast to Mahayana and Vajrayana, Theravāda tends to be conservative in matters of doctrine and monastic discipline.
Beliefs:
Theravada Buddhism places a strong emphasis on individual spiritual striving and the pursuit of personal enlightenment (nirvana).
Monastic life, meditation, and moral conduct are central to this path. The monastic community as a whole is called the sangha.
Like all Buddhist traditions, Theravada Buddhism upholds the Four Noble Truths, which outline the nature of suffering (dukkha), its causes, its cessation, and the path to its cessation, which is the Eightfold Path.
Meditation is a central practice in Theravada Buddhism. The cultivation of mindfulness (sati) and insight meditation (vipassana) are key elements of the path to enlightenment.
Theravada Buddhists believe in the law of karma, which means that one's actions have consequences.
2. SAPTAKOSHI HIGH DAM
Nepal and India recently agreed to reduce the height of the proposed Saptakoshi High Dam amid concerns in Nepal over the potential inundation of a large swathe of land upstream of the dam.
It is a multipurpose project proposed to be constructed on the Saptakoshi River of Nepal (known as Koshi River in India).
The project is primarily aimed at controlling floods in southeast Nepal and northern Bihar and generating hydropower.
It is a bilateral project of the Indian and Nepalese governments under the Koshi agreement.
The proposed place lies 1.6 km upstream from Barahakshetra temple in the Sunsari district of Nepal.
3. THE KOSHI/KOSI RIVER
The Koshi River, also known as the "Saptakoshi" in Nepal, is a trans-boundary river that flows through India and Nepal.
It is the largest river basin in Nepal.
It is one of the biggest tributaries of the Ganga.
Course:
It originates from the Tibetan Plateau, crosses the Himalayas, and flows through the Mahabharat range and Siwalik hills, reaching the plains of eastern Nepal and finally meeting the Ganges in India.
The overall length of the river is 729 km (453 miles).
The Kosi river valley is bounded by steep margins that disconnect it from the Yarlung Zangbo River to the north, the Mahananda River to the east, the Gandaki to the west and the Ganga to the south.
Tributaries:
Indrawati, Sun Koshi, Tama Koshi, Likhu, Dudh Koshi, Arun, and Tamor are the major seven tributaries of the Koshi river system.
These seven tributaries meet at Triveni, from where it is called Sapta-Koshi.
Over the last 250 years, the Kosi River has changed its course. It has an unstable nature due to heavy silt.
The Koshi River, often dubbed the 'Sorrow of Bihar,' inflicts devastating floods and substantial damage each year.
4. MUTHUVAN TRIBE
These people live on the border hill forests of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
They speak slightly two different dialects and call each other Malayalam Muthuvan and Pandi Muthuvan.
They are animists and spirit worshippers and also worship the forest gods,
They believe that the spirits of their ancestors are to be the first migrants to the hill forests.
They are known for coexisting with the wildlife with their traditional knowledge.
These tribal people follow a unique system of governance called the 'Kani System'.
Under this system, each village is headed by a 'Kani', who is responsible for the administration of the village.
They have expertise in traditional medicines which are very effective and these medicines and the medicine men are confidentially preserved and passed on to the generations.
Occupation: Agriculture is the main occupation of these Muthuvan tribes, producing quite a number of products like ragi, cardamom and lemon grass.
5. NIOBIUM
The Union Cabinet recently approved royalty rates in respect of 3 critical and strategic minerals, namely, lithium, niobium, and Rare Earth Elements.
It is a rare, soft, malleable, ductile, gray-white metal.
Atomic symbol: Nb
It has a body-centered cubic crystalline structure.
It must be placed in a protective atmosphere when processed at even moderate temperatures because it tends to react with oxygen, carbon, the halogens, nitrogen, and sulfur.
Melting point: 2,477 degrees Celsius
Boiling point: 4,744 degrees Celsius
In air, an oxide layer forms over it whose color depends on its thickness. Shades of blue, green, and yellow are typical.
Niobium resists corrosion due to the oxide film.
The metal starts to oxidize rapidly in the air at 200 degrees Celsius.
The metal is inert to acids, even to aqua regia at room temperature, but is attacked by hot, concentrated acids, and especially by alkalis and oxidizing agents.
It is one of the five major refractory metals (metals with very high resistance to heat and wear).
It has the property of becoming superconducting at low temperatures.
Sources:
It is not found free in nature but in minerals such as columbite and tantalite.
Commercially, niobium is extracted by first forming the oxide (Nb2O5). The oxide is then reduced using carbon or hydrogen.
Major Producers: Brazil is the world's largest supplier, with Canada a distant second.
Applications:
It is used for the production of high-temperature-resistant alloys and special stainless steels.
It is also used in its pure form to make superconducting accelerating structures for particle accelerators.
Niobium alloys are used in surgical implants because they do not react with human tissue.
Niobium carbide is used in cutting tools.
Niobium-tin and niobium-titanium alloys are used as wires for superconducting magnets capable of producing exceedingly strong magnetic fields.
6. AMAZON RIVER - FACTS
It is the world's largest river by water volume and width.
It is the second-longest river in the world after the Nile.
Course:
Its journey begins high in the Andes Mountains.
The river then makes its way east through thousands of miles of rainforests and lowlands until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean on the northeastern coast of Brazil.
Length: 6,400 km
Width: During the dry season, the width of the Amazon River can be 4 km to 5 km in places – and in the wet season, this can increase to 50 km.
Drainage:
It has the largest drainage area of any river system.
Its watershed spans the countries of Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and Bolivia.
Roughly two-thirds of the Amazon’s main stream and by far the largest portion of its basin are within Brazil.
Water Discharge:
The Amazon releases high amounts of freshwater into the Atlantic Ocean at 300,000 m3 per second.
It accounts for one-fifth of the total volume of freshwater entering the oceans globally.
Tributaries:
It has more than 1,100 tributaries, of which seventeen measures over 1,500-kilometers long.
Notable tributaries include the Rio Negro, the Madeira River, and the Xingu River, among many others.
The Amazon Rainforest, which represents about half of the Earth’s remaining rainforest, also constitutes its single largest reserve of biological resources.
It is sometimes referred to as the "lungs of the Earth" due to its role in regulating the planet's oxygen and carbon cycles.
7. Mt. VESUVIUS
It is an active volcano that rises above the Bay of Naples on the plain of Campania in southern Italy.
It is the only active volcano in mainland Europe.
The volcano is classified as a complex stratovolcano because its eruptions typically involve explosive eruptions as well as pyroclastic flows.
A pyroclastic flow is a high-density mix of hot lava blocks, pumice, ash and volcanic gas.
It is most famous for the 79 AD eruption which destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
It is part of the Campanian volcanic arc, a line of volcanoes that formed over a subduction zone created by the convergence of the African and Eurasian plates.
This subduction zone stretches the length of the Italian peninsula, and is also the source of other volcanoes like Mount Etna, the Phlegraean Fields (Campi Flegrei), Vulcano, and Stromboli.
Under Vesuvius, the lower part of the subducting slab has torn and detached from the upper part to form what is called a "slab window."
This makes Vesuvius' rocks slightly different chemically from the rocks erupted from the other Campanian volcanoes.
8. JADERI NAMAKATTI - GI TAG
These are clay sticks that are white in colour, usually available in finger-like shape with a smooth texture.
Jaderi is a small village in Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu.
There are around 120 families in Cheyyar taluk whose primary occupation has been the making of namakatti for more than hundreds of years now.
Namakatti is made up of the rich deposit of hydrous silicate minerals that form fine grain particles of clay.
The clay is processed and shaped in a finger-like structure.
The production of namakatti depends on the climatic condition as it needs a lot of sunlight to dry.
It is used to adorn the foreheads of idols, men, and temple elephants as well as traditionally to treat stretch marks caused by childbirth.
9. KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK
It is located in the state of Assam.
It is part of the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspots.
It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and houses two-thirds of the total world population of greater one-horned rhinoceros.
It is recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International for the conservation of avifaunal species.
Flora:
It is a mix of eastern wet alluvial grasslands, semi-evergreen forests and tropical moist deciduous forests.
It is primarily famous for its dense and tall elephant grasses intermixed with small swamplands.
It also includes an abundant cover of water lilies, water hyacinths and lotus.
Fauna:
It is home to the One-horned rhinoceros, Leopard, Fishing Cat, other Lesser cats, royal Bengal tiger, Large Indian Civet and Small Indian Civet etc
It is also one of the last remaining homes of the endangered and endemic western hoolock gibbon, the only species of apes found in India.
It is one of the last homes of the critically endangered Bengal florican.
10. PALLIKARANAI MARSHLAND
It is a freshwater marsh and partly saline wetland situated about 20 kilometres south of the city of Chennai,Tamil Nadu.
On its eastern periphery, the Marsh is flanked by the Buckingham Canal.
The diverse ecosystem of the marshland supports some 115 bird species, ten mammals, 21 reptiles, ten amphibians, 46 fish, nine molluscs, five crustaceans, and seven butterfly species.
These include notable species such as Russell’s viper (Daboia siamensis) and birds such as the glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), grey-headed lapwings (Vanellus cinereus) and Pheasant-tailed jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus).
Apart from its biodiversity value, the wetland also plays a vital role in the prevention of flooding for the city of Chennai, soaking up water during wet periods and releasing it during dry spells.
The site is threatened by invasive and non-native species, household sewage, urban wastewater and droughts.
It is one of the Ramsar sites from India.
11 PALK STRAIT
It is a strait that lies between the Tamil Nadu state of India and the island nation of Sri Lanka.
The strait is named after Robert Palk, who was a governor of Madras Presidency (1755-1763) during the British Raj period.
It is bounded on the south by Pamban Island (India), Adam’s (Rama’s) Bridge (a chain of shoals), the Gulf of Mannar, and Mannar Island (Sri Lanka).
It connects the Bay of Bengal in the northeast with the Gulf of Mannar in the southwest.
The southwestern portion of the strait is also called Palk Bay.
The strait is 40 to 85 miles (64 to 137 km) wide, 85 miles long, and less than 330 feet (100 metres) deep.
Several rivers flow into it, including the Vaigai River of Tamil Nadu.
The port of Jaffna, the commercial centre for northern Sri Lanka, lies on the strait.
12. ADAM'S BRIDGE
Adam's Bridge, also known as Rama's Bridge or Rama Setu, is a chain of limestone shoals, between Pamban Island, also known as Rameswaram Island, off the south-eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, India, and Mannar Island, off the north-western coast of Sri Lanka.
Geological evidence suggests that this bridge is a former land connection between India and Sri Lanka.
The bridge is 50 km long and separates the Gulf of Mannar (south-west) from the Palk Strait (northeast).
Some of the sandbanks are dry, and the sea in the area is very shallow, being only 1 to 10 metres deep in places, which hinders navigation.
Scientists believe Ram Setu is a natural structure formed due to tectonic movements and sand getting trapped in corals.
The structure has significance in both Hindu and Muslim mythology. While the Hindus believe this is the bridge built by Lord Ram and his army to cross to Lanka and fight Ravan, as per Islamic legend, Adam used this bridge to reach Adam’s Peak in Sri Lanka, where he stood on one foot for 1,000 years in repentance.
13. INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION
IPU is the international organization of Parliaments.
It was established in 1889 in Paris to promote representative democracy and world peace.
The IPU facilitates parliamentary diplomacy and empowers parliaments and parliamentarians to promote peace, democracy, and sustainable development around the world.
It was the first multilateral political organization in the world, encouraging cooperation and dialogue between all nations.
Slogan: “For democracy. For everyone”
Today, the IPU comprises 179 member parliaments and 13 associate members.
It promotes democracy and helps parliaments become stronger, younger, gender-balanced, and more diverse.
It also defends the human rights of parliamentarians through a dedicated committee made up of MPs from around the world.
The IPU moved its headquarters to Geneva in 1921.
Funding: The IPU is financed primarily by its members out of public funds.
Structure:
IPU Assembly:
It is the principal statutory body that expresses the views of the IPU on political issues.
It brings together parliamentarians to study international problems and make recommendations for action.
Governing Council:
It is the plenary policymaking body of the IPU.
It is composed of three representatives from each member parliament.
The President of the IPU is ex-officio President of the Governing Council.
The Council establishes the annual programme and budget of the IPU.
Occasionally, the Council considers substantive issues and adopts thematic resolutions and policy statements.
A number of committees and working groups are subordinated to it and report to the Council on their work.
Executive Committees:
In accordance with the IPU statutes, this 17-member body oversees the administration of the IPU and provides advice to the Governing Council.
The 15 members of the Executive Committee are elected by the Council for a four-year term.
The President of the IPU is an ex officio member and President of the Committee.
Standing Committees: There are three Standing Committees set up by the IPU Governing Council to assist the Assembly in its work.
Meeting of Women Parliamentarians:
It is a separate organ of the IPU, which meets on the occasion of the first round of Statutory Meetings of the IPU and reports on its work to the Governing Council.
The meeting can be attended by the parliamentarians of both sexes.
The agenda of the meeting includes one but not more than two substantive items for debate, which may relate to the competence of the Assembly.
14. WRIT - JURISDICTION OF HIGH COURTS
According to Articles 12-35 of the Indian Constitution, every citizen is given a number of Fundamental rights.
Article 32 and Article 226 provide a remedy for the protection of fundamental rights by allowing the Supreme Court and the High Court’s, respectively, to issue writs when a citizen's basic rights are violated.
It allows the courts to issue formal orders to the authorities in cases of violations of fundamental rights by government authorities or government bodies.
Article 226 empowers the High Courts to issue writs not only for the enforcement of fundamental rights but also for any other legal right. Thus, writ jurisdiction of the High Court is wider than that of Supreme Court (SC) because the SC can issue writs only for the enforcement of fundamental rights under Article 32.
The remedy provided under Article 226 of the Constitution is a discretionary remedy of the court and thereby cannot be claimed as a matter of right.
Thus, unlike the Supreme Court, which must issue writs when fundamental rights are violated (since the right to approach the SC in case of a violation of a Fundamental Right is in itself a Fundamental Right), the High Court has discretion when granting writs.
Under Article 226, a writ petition can be filed before any High Court within whose jurisdiction the cause of action arises, either wholly or in part.
It is immaterial if the authority against whom the writ petition is filed is within the territory or not.
TYPES OF WRITE MENTIONED IN THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION
Habeas Corpus:
‘Habeas Corpus’ literally means “to have a body of”.
This writ is used to release a person who has been unlawfully detained or imprisoned.
By virtue of this writ, the Court directs the person so detained to be brought before it to examine the legality of his detention.
If the Court concludes that the detention was unlawful, then it directs the person to be released immediately.
Mandamus:
Mandamus’ means ‘we command’.
It is issued by the Court to direct a public authority to perform the legal duties which it has not or refused to perform.
It can be issued by the Court against a public official, public corporation, tribunal, inferior court or the government.
It cannot be issued against a private individual or body, the President or Governors of States, or against a working Chief Justices.
Prohibition:
It is issued by the High Court or the Supreme Court to the subordinate court or the tribunal to prevent them from exceeding their jurisdiction which hasn’t been vested upon them under the law.
It cannot be applied to statutory bodies, administrative agencies, or private individuals or businesses.
Only judicial and quasi-judicial organisations are subject to it.
Certiorari:
It is issued by the High Court or the Supreme Court to the judicial or quasi-judicial authorities when such authority passes the order without having jurisdiction in such case, exceeding the jurisdiction conferred upon it, or when it violates the principle of natural justice.
It is issued against a lower court or tribunal in order to transfer the matter to another superior body for careful consideration.
Quo Warranto:
It is issued by the court to inquire into the legality of the claim made by the person who is holding a public office.
The ministerial office cannot be the target of it.
This writ is used to determine who has the legal authority to hold a public office in the event of a disagreement.
15. HEPATITIS - C
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Egypt became the first country to achieve “gold tier” status on the path to elimination of hepatitis C as per the global health body criteria.
It is a viral infection that affects the liver.
It can cause both acute (short term) and chronic (long term) illness. It can be life-threatening.
Transmission:
It is spread through contact with infected blood.
This can happen through sharing needles or syringes, or from unsafe medical procedures such as blood transfusions with unscreened blood products.
It can be passed from an infected mother to her baby and via sexual practices that lead to exposure to blood.
Hepatitis C is not spread through breast milk, food, water or casual contact such as hugging, kissing and sharing food or drinks with an infected person.
Symptoms: It can include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine and yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice).
Geographical distribution
This virus infection occurs in all WHO regions.
The highest burden of disease is in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and European Region.
New HCV infections are usually asymptomatic, few people are diagnosed when the infection is recent.
In those people who develop chronic HCV infection, the infection is often undiagnosed because it remains asymptomatic until decades after infection when symptoms develop secondary to serious liver damage.
There is no vaccine for hepatitis C, but it can be treated with antiviral medications.
16. SARASWATI SAMMAN 2022 to SIVASANKARI
Recently, Tamil writer Sivasankari was presented with the ‘Saraswati Samman’ 2022 for her book of memoirs Surya Vamsam
It is given annually for outstanding literary works in 22 Indian languages in the last 10 years.
It is among the highest recognitions in the field of Indian literature.
The selection follows a rigorous three-tier process leading up to a final decision by Chayan Parishad
It was instituted by the K.K. Birla Foundation. (the Vyas Samman and the Bihari Puraskar are other literary awards instituted by the foundation.)
It carries a citation, a plaque and prize money of 15 lakh rupees.
17. NAVRATNA STATUS
The government categorises all Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) into three categories, namely Maharatna, Navratna, and Miniratna.
Criteria to grant Navratna status:
To get Navratna status, the PSU should be a Miniratna-I, Schedule 'A' company, should have obtained an 'excellent' or 'very good' MoU rating in three of the last five years, and must have a composite score of 60 in six performance indicators.
For a company to achieve Navratna status, it must report a net profit of more than Rs 5,000 crore for three consecutive years, and maintain an average annual turnover of Rs 25,000 crore for three years, or have an annual average net worth of over Rs 15,000 crore for three years.
Navratna companies can achieve ‘Maharatna’ status by meeting specific performance benchmarks and fulfilling certain eligibility criteria.
How does Navratna status benefit PSUs?
Navratna PSUs have a comparative advantage over other companies as they have been granted financial independence to invest up to Rs 1,000 crore without seeking approval from the Union government.
The board of the 'Navratna' companies has autonomy to incur capital expenditure on the purchase of new items or for replacement without any monetary ceiling and to enter into technology joint ventures or strategic alliances, among others.
The status gives the Board of Directors of these CPSEs the power to allow mergers and acquisitions in India and abroad.
However, they need an approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) to make investments abroad.
The Chief Executive of the PSE gets the power to approve business tours abroad of functional directors up to five days’ duration (other than study tours, seminars, etc) in emergencies, under intimation to the Secretary of the administrative ministry.
RITES Limited, a PSU under the Ministry of Railways involved in transport consultancy and the engineering sector, has now been upgraded to Navratna status
The list of other 15 Navratna PSUs of India include Bharat Electronics Limited, Container Corporation of India Limited, Engineers India Limited, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited, National Aluminium Company Limited, National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited, Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited, NMDC Limited, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, Shipping Corporation of India Limited, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, ONGC Videsh Ltd, Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Limited and IRCON.
18. PRESIDENT'S COLOURS AWARD - NAGA REGIMENT (3RD BTN)
It is the highest honour that can be awarded to any military unit, military training establishments, or state/UT Police Forces of India.
It is bestowed upon a military unit in recognition of exceptional service rendered to the nation, both in peace and in war.
It is also known as “Rashtrapati ka Nishaan” in Hindi.
History:
The tradition began under colonial rule, but on November 23, 1950, the ‘king’s colour’ of the erstwhile British Indian regiments was laid to rest in Chetwode Hall, Dehradun, to make way for the ‘colours’ of the President of the Republic of India.
The Indian Navy was the first Indian Armed Force to be awarded the President Colour by Dr. Rajendra Prasad on May 27, 1951.
Award:
It is a type of special flag, also known as ‘Nishaan’, which is awarded to a military unit in an organised ceremony.
The flag consists of a golden border in the middle and the insignia of a respective military unit, training establishments, and police forces in the centre.
Sometimes, it may also contain the motto, important achievements, and battle participation of those military units to which the award is bestowed.
During any ceremonial parade, the President’s Colour, i.e., the special flag of a military unit, is kept in a special position, and soilders often march with the President’s Colour on important dates, like their establishment anniversary.
19. RAMSAR CONVENTION
This convention was signed on 2nd February 1971 to preserve the ecological character of their wetlands of international importance.
It is named after Ramsar, the Iranian city where the treaty was signed in 1971, and places chosen for conservation under it are given the tag ‘Ramsar site’.
At present there are a total 75 Ramsar sites in India. (VERY IMPORTANT)
20. GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX 2023 (INDIA - 111 OUT OF 125 COUNTRIES)
It is a tool for comprehensively measuring and tracking hunger at global, regional, and national levels.
It is prepared jointly by Irish aid agency Concern Worldwide and German organisation Welt Hunger Hilfe.
How it is calculated?
GHI scores are based on the values of four component indicators
Undernourishment:(the share of the population whose caloric intake is insufficient)
Child stunting: (the share of children under the age of five who have low height for their age)
Child wasting: ( the share of children under the age of five who have low weight for their height)
Child mortality: (the share of children who die before their fifth birthday)
The GHI score is calculated on a 100-point scale reflecting the severity of hunger, where zero is the best score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst.
Key findings of GHI-2023
India’s ranking is based on a Global Hunger Index score of 28.7 on a 100-point scale.
This categorises India’s severity of hunger as “serious”.
The 2023 GHI score for the world is 18.3, which is considered moderate.
Latin American and the Caribbean is the only region in the world whose GHI scores have worsened between 2015 and 2023.
South Asia and Africa South of the Sahara are the world regions with the highest hunger levels, with GHI scores of 27.0 each.
Sources: The Hindu & Vajiram&Ravi
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