1

Current affairs

The IMF also acts as a lender of last resort, disbursing its foreign exchange reserves

for short periods to any member in difficulties.

microcephaly, in which infants are born with abnormally small heads.
Aedes mosquito which transmits dengue also transmits Zika virus.
DAVA (Drug Authentication and Verification Application)project:--> Department of

Commerce
An express highway is a controlled-access highway, generally six-lane or more, where

entrance and exit are controlled by the use of slip roads.

IMD launches a system to monitor aerosols and black carbon in atmosphere:--

>SAMAR:--> System of Aerosol Monitoring and Research (SAMAR).

Easwar panel suggests friendlier direct tax laws
Sikkim becomes the first fully organic state of India
5/25 scheme set up by the Reserve Bank of India may see restructuring of stressed
loans of about Rs 80,000 crore in this financial year.
5/25 scheme allows banks to extend the re-payment schedule of loans to 25 years,

with an option to re-finance them at the end of five years.

International Solar Alliance :--> comprises of countries with land between the Tropic
of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer which typically have 300 or more days of
sunshine a year. It is expected to have 121 members.:-->Countries, other than tropic

countries, can join as partners.

New thrush species found in eastern Himalayas
Green cement:--> made out of industrial wastes:-->cutting down carbon emissions

by over 80%.
The anti-bacterial properties of the cement can be used for construction of

underground seweage pipes and toilets as well.

Sundarbans buzzes with discovery of solitary bee:-->The new species play a

significant role in pollination, though it does not produce honey.

Dinosaur Fossils Found In Kutch Region Of Gujarat:-->The fossil belonged to the

time when India and Madagascar were one landmass and the Himalayas yet to form.
For most upper-caste communities, endogamy (that is marrying within ones caste)
started nearly 70 generations ago, or around the time of the Hindu Gupta period

around 1,500 years ago.

A lot of social transformation took place during the Gupta period. Notable among
these was the enforcement of social strictures against marriage between castes, as

enshrined in the Dharmasastra.

Hybrid Annuity Model:-->government will invest 40% of the construction cost for

building highways and the balance will come from the private developer.
The government will invest money in five equal installments based on the targeted

completion of the road project.

Sangita Kalanidhi award: prestigious award bestowed annually upon an expert of
Carnatic Music by the Madras Music Academy

Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare has launched an online software,

Anubhav for showcasing outstanding work by retiring employee and sharing

experience of working with the Government

Marvin Minsky, the artificial intelligence pioneer who helped make machines think,
leading to computers that understand spoken commands and beat grandmasters at

chess, recently passed away

National Youth Day was celebrated across the country on 12th January. It also marks

the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda

Chettinad saree inherits the intricacies of now out-of-vogue and over a centuryold

Kandangi pure silk sarees. wins indian handloom tag

Kambala is an annual Buffalo Race held traditionally under the auspices of local land

lords and households or Patel of village, in coastal Karnataka, India

Muziris Heritage Project was recently inaugurated by the President in Kerala.
It is a seaport which is mentioned in the 1st century travelogues, ancient Sangam

texts and Roman naturalist Pliny the Elders encyclopaedic work, Natural History
Bubnal Gram Panchayat in Shirol Taluka in southern Maharashtra has become the

first all- woman panchayat in the state.

Kerala launches Indias first Gender Equality convergence Centre:--> Gender PArk
Uncover project of the Geological Survey of India:--> focused on probing for deep

seated/ concealed mineral deposits.

Aurora:-->They commonly occur at high northern and southern latitudes, less
frequent at midlatitudes, and seldom seen near the equator. color of the aurora
depends on which gas oxygen or nitrogen is being excited by the electrons, and
on how excited it becomes. The color also depends upon how fast the electrons are

moving, or how much energy they have at the time of their collisions.
Antarctica acts as a global heat sink.
Article 361 (1) of the Constitution gives the President and the Governor protection
from legal action. However, such immunity to the governor does not take away the
power of the supreme court to examine the validity of his action on the ground of
mala fide. Hence, the court will go ahead and validate the governors

recommendations and their relevance to the imposition of Presidents rule

Ayush-64, an ayurvedic formulation for treatment of Malaria.
Ayush-82, an ayurvedic Formulation for management of Diabetes.
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme :-->tri-ministerial effort of Ministries of Women
and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare and Human Resource

Development.
GuillainBarr syndrome (GBS):-->body's immune system attacks the Central

nervous system related with Zika virus

Project Sunrise:--> is a five year programme aimed at complementing the ongoing
National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) which is to primarily improve coverage,
quality and scale of HIV interventions among People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) in
eight North East States Project Sunrise will implement more customized flexible
approach so as to increase the availability and accessibility to clean needles and
syringes through secondary distributors such as Government health care facilities,
preferred healthcare providers, non-traditional outlets and peer volunteers.

Common Services Centers (CSCs) are a strategic cornerstone of the Digital India
programme. They are the access points for delivery of various electronic services to

villages in India, thereby contributing to a digitally and financially inclusive society.

Amnesty international report:-->titled State of the Worlds Human Rights Report

2015-16
Foreign Exchange Management Act,1999 (FEMA) A civil law having quasi judicial
powers, for investigating suspected contraventions of the Exchange Control laws and

regulations with powers to impose penalties on those adjudged guilty.

Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) A Criminal Law, with the
officers empowered to conduct investigations to trace assets derived out of the
proceeds of crime, and to provisionally attach/ confiscate the same, to arrest and

prosecute the offenders found to be involved in Money Laundering.

The TPP has set very high standards for the international trading regime. And hence,
this pact is likely to indirectly impact Indias exports in several industrial sectors such

as textiles, plastics, leather, clothing, cotton and yarn.

Once China is granted MES(Market Economy Statsus), it will severely limit Indias
ability to resort to antidumping as the authorities (DGAD) will have to accept the
production costs and selling price in China as the benchmark. It will in turn mean
lesser chances of anti-dumping duties being imposed or lesser anti-dumping duties

even if they are imposed.

MES:--> Market economy Status
Govt sets up 2 panels to ensure consistency in tax policies
Tax Policy Council (TPC):-->headed by the Union Finance Minister and will take
important policy decisions.
Tax Policy Research Unit (TPRU):-->headed by the Revenue Secretary and will be a
multi disciplinary body.
TPRU will carry out studies on various topics of fiscal and tax policies and assist the

TPC in taking appropriate policy decisions

Gravitational waves do not interact with matter and travel through the Universe
completely unimpeded. take a taut rubber sheet and place a heavy object on it. That
object will cause the sheet to sag around it. If you place a smaller object near the first
one, it will fall toward the larger object. A star exerts a pull on planets and other

celestial bodies in the same manner

Union Environment minister recently launched the Environment Information
System (ENVIS) portal. Environmental Information System (ENVIS), a Central

Sector Scheme of the Environment Ministry has been implemented since 1982
Himalayan griffon, also known as Himalayan vulture. Near Threatened by the IUCN.
Syrian war enters sixth year
solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), developed by researchers in South Korea, may replace
lithium-ion batteries in smartphones, laptops, drones, and other small electronic

devices.
The Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth
voluntary youth movement which promotes intangible aspects of Indian cultural
heritage by promoting Indian classical music, classical dance, folk music, yoga,
meditation, crafts and other aspects of Indian culture

Cheraman Juma Masjid is believed to be the first mosque built in India by Arab
traders around 629 AD, The mosque has an ancient oil lamp that is always kept
burning and believed to be over a thousand years old. People from all religions bring

oil for the lamp as an offering

BBB:-->Bank board Bureau:-->3Ex officio+3 expert+chairman
The Supreme Court has also made it clear that there cannot be a quota on the basis of

economic backwardness in the Indra Sawhney case in 1992.

Vidyut PRAVAH- Electricity, Price Availability and Highlights mobile application.
National Agriculture Market (NAM) has been incorporated by the Department of

Agriculture & Cooperation:-->E-mandi

World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF):-->india

133/180
NDB :-->bank will be headquartered in Shanghai, China and its first President is

Kundapur Vaman Kamath

Panama disease caused by a soil-borne fungus is threatening banana crops across

Kerala, posing a potential crisis for farmer

Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), built with Belgian

assistance. It is located in Nainital, Uttarakhand

The new state is known as a quantum spin liquid.
ISRO scientists have developed the worlds lightest synthetic material called silica

aerogel or blue air or frozen smoke

Planet with triple-star system found:--> KELT-4Ab, a gas giant planet,
US Trade Representatives annual Special 301 report, that identifies trade barriers to
U.S. companies and products due to a foreign governments intellectual property

regime, has placed India on the Priority Watch List,

IRNSS Is Now NAVIC: navigation with Indian constellation.
Worlds First White Tiger Safari has been opened in Madhya Pradesh.
Teak has the highest capacity for carbon sequestration among trees in India .A teak
tree with a girth of 10-30 cm can absorb 3.70 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide from the

atmosphere.
April 22: Earth Day:-->Theme for Earth Day 2016: Trees for the Earth!
White Cheeked Macaque has become a new primate species in India
potassium chlorate, a banned explosive:-->Puttingal Devi temple near Kollam.

Potassium chlorate has very powerful oxidising ability.

Nauru will be WBs smallest member by land mass, at 21 square kilometers. By

joining the World Bank

Maharashtra will be the first State in the country to enact a law against social boycott

of individuals or families by caste panchayats.

Europe has become the worlds first region to wipe out malaria,
Mogao Caves:-->Mogao cavetemples of Dunhuang are a World Heritage Site.
Gaya-model lantern in Colombo
Water staircases are steplike variations of density of water due to steplike changes in

temperature and salinity.

the topography of Antarctica and the depth of the ocean surrounding it are
influencing winds and ocean currents, respectively, to drive the formation and

evolution of Antarcticas sea ice cover and help sustain it.

Justice Lodha Comitte:-->Reform in Medical council of India

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will set interest rates to keep retail inflation

within targets. Inflation targets will be set once every five years.
Doppler Weather Radar at Cherrapunji.
Currently, India has a visa-free entry regime for Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives.
Pam Rajput Committee report set up by the MWCD in 2012 :-->New Draft National

Policy for Women

A Census Town is an area with urban characteristics like a minimum population of

5,000, at least 75% of the male

main working force engaged in non-agricultural activities and population density of

at least 400 persons per sq.km.

A Statutory Town is one with a municipality, corporation, cantonment board or
notified town area committee.

The Mission Indradhanush, depicting seven colours of the rainbow, aims to cover all

those children by 2020 who

are either unvaccinated, or are partially vaccinated against seven vaccine preventable

diseases which include

diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B
Alloxan a chemical is mixed with the white flour or maida which induces
diabetes. Alloxans structure mimics that of glucose, which allows it to be absorbed by

the pancreas and once inside the organ, it destroys insulin-producing beta cells
Red Line Campaign on antibiotics
Indias Red Line campaign, launched in February this year, began marking
prescription-only antibiotics with a red line to curb their irrational use and create

awareness on the dangers of taking antibiotics without being prescribed.

The campaign was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Potassium bromate in same cancer class as coffee. potassium bromate, a carcinogen.
Potassium bromate is the chemical additive widely prevalent in bread and refined
flour added to wheat flour to strengthen the dough and to allow it to rise higher. It
bleaches the dough and increases its elasticity by making tiny bubbles that help the

bread rise.
However, the real problem arises when bromate flour isnt baked for long enough or
at a high enough temperature, or if too much potassium bromate is added in the first

place
The chemical is said to cause renal tubular tumours (adenomas and carcinomas)

thyroid follicular tumours peritoneal mesotheliomas in laboratory animals.

T.S.R. Subramanian for the evolution of the soon-to-beannounced national education

policy has submitted its report to the Human Resource Development Ministry
Australia was the first country to successfully introduce plain packaging in 2012 and
has since seen a decline in smoking
Protection to public servants upheld
Income Declaration Scheme offers people with undisclosed income to declare it by

paying a penal tax rate of 45% on such income

high-level study to determine and recommend measures to improve its tooth-to-tail
ratio

tooth-to-tail ratio, referred to as T3R in the Army, is the ratio of fighting arms, which
wage the actual battle such as infantry and armoured wings, to support services, such

as logistics, signals and ordnance.

Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code make defamation a criminal offence
Oil-for-drugs deal likely with crisis-hit Venezuela
NSG was set up in 1974 as a reaction to Indias nuclear tests to stop what it called the

misuse of nuclear material meant for peaceful purposes.

Currently, it has 48 members
Starting next financial year, the government intends to put in place a seven-year
strategy as part of what will be called a National Development Agenda (NDA) to

convert the long-term vision into a policy statement that can be implemented.
Unlike the five-year plans, which largely focused on social and economic sectors, the

NDA will also extend to defence and internal security.

The NDA will be reviewed every three years with the first mid-term appraisal due in
2019-20, the year the next Finance Commission award is implemented and a new

Lok Sabha is elected.

Google tax:-->payments for online advertisements made by Indian business entities
to nonresidents (such as Google, Yahoo, Twitter, Facebook) where the aggregate
payment in a financial year to a non-resident exceeds Rs 1 lakh. Only B2B

transactions attract this levy.

union government has launched National LED programme Unnat Jyoti by

Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) in Madhya Pradesh

The theme for this years Technology Day is Technology enablers of Startup India.
Scientists, including one of Indian-origin, have created smart paper with sensing

capabilities that can respond to gesture commands and connect to the digital world
Helium microscope helps to study samples without damaging them
Water sensing from the skies in pipeline:-->a plan to map Indias groundwater

reserves by a helicopter-based electromagnetic survey.

heliborne transient electromagnetic technique, as it is called, involves sending

electromagnetic pulses to
the ground in timed bursts and analysing the unique pattern that these waves

make as they bounce off the freshwater or saline water reserves.

New IPR policy retains access to cheap drugs-->Policy will allow compulsory
licensing with restrictions in case of a public health emergency such as epidemics and

it is compliant with the World Trade Organizations guidelines.

Scramjet is a supersonic combustion engine that uses oxygen from the atmosphere
for fuel, making it lighter and faster than fuel-carrying rockets. This is helpful for

flying at hypersonic speed Mach 5 and above

India successfully launches reusable launch vehicle RLV-TD
Lagrangian points are the locations in space where the combined gravitational pull of
two large masses roughly balance each other. Any small mass placed at that location
will remains at constant distances relative to the large masses. There are five such

points in Sun-Earth system and they are denoted as L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5.
A halo orbit is a periodic three-dimensional orbit near the L1, L2 or L3.
Indian Railways signed MoU with Haryana & Punjab to plant trees alongside Railway
Track

The sangai is an endemic, rare and endangered subspecies of brow-antlered deer. It is

also state animal of Manipur

While walking on the floating biomass, Sangai often balances itself which looks as if it
is dancing on the green grassland and therefore popularly called as dancing deer of

Manipur.
Ken-Betwa project: Panna Tiger Reserve
Himachal Pradesh propagating mahseer fish for conservation:-->
Golden mahseer is known as the tiger of Indian rivers longest-living freshwater fish,
Indian Navy has launched the state-of-the-art harbour defence systems
Australia has decided to provide a three-year multiple-entry visitor visa for Indians
Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diode(FOLED) touchscreen display:-->Scientists
claim to have developed the worlds first holographic flexible smartphone that lets

users interact with 3D videos and images without any headgear or glasses.
The Indian Navy has phased out its iconic Sea Harrier maritime fighter planes. The
Sea Harriers, part of INAS 300 (Indian Naval Air Squadron 300, also called White
Tigers), were inducted into the navy in 1983 and were deployed onboard INS Vikrant

and INS Viraat.

Bene Israel community in the western part of India carries genetic proof of the

Jewish roots.
`No More 50 campaign has been launched Maharashtra in order to press for

stronger animal rights law so

that the culprits do not get away by merely paying Rs 50 for their unlawful action
under the prevailing Act

An Indian Air Force (IAF) team has successfully concluded Red Flag Alaska 16-1, an
advanced aerial combat training exercise at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, United

States of America
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena

recently released Simhastha Declaration at Ninora village in Ujjain.

ICICI Bank, Indias largest private sector bank, has announced the launch of
contactless business credit card in association with Jet Airways for small and mid-

sized enterprises (SMEs) and their employees

100 years since the signing of the Sykes-Picot Agreement, the secret Anglo-French
pact reached during the First World War that proposed splitting the Middle East up

into zones of foreign control. Also known as the Asia Minor agreement,
The first tropical cyclone, Roanu, of the season in the Bay of Bengal has caused

devastation for thousands in Sri Lanka.

UN Environment report- Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-6): Regional
Assessments- nearly 40 million Indians will be at risk from rising sea levels by 2050,
with people in Mumbai and Kolkata having the maximum exposure to coastal

flooding in future due to rapid urbanisation and economic growth.

U.S. President Barack Obama has lifted a decades-old arms export embargo on
Vietnam

Andhra Pradesh is all set to become the state with highest solar capacity in the

country.
Odisha governor has promulgated an ordinance for the mandatory use of Odia in all

official communication.
Ministry of Power and the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) have launched Indias first integrated web portal (www.nzeb.in) designed to

promote and mainstream Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) in India.

Lakshadweep has become the first Union Territory (UT) to sign 247 Power for All

document.
The Verdun battle was one of the longest in World War I, lasting more than 300 days
from February to December 1916, and its commemoration has come to signify the
reconciliation between Germany and France after decades of hostility and distrust

following two world wars

Zika virus may not cause microcephaly: Study
Some researchers say Brazils microcephaly cases could be blamed to the pesticide
pyriproxyfen. Pyriproxyfen is used to eliminate the larvae of the mosquitoes that
spread Zika, which include the female Aedes aegypti mosquito, Zikas primary vector.

The pesticide is introduced into the drinking water in some areas of Brazil.
UNSC Member:-->The Councils 10 non-permanent seats are allocated according to a
rotation pattern set by the Assembly in 1963, to ensure a proportionate
representation over time from the different parts of the world: five from African and
Asian States; one from Eastern Europe; two from Latin American States; and two

from Western European and Other States.

India is planning to remove China from the prior referral category (PRC) for issuing
of research visas.
Prior referral category (PRC) country means visas are issued by the respective Indian
missions and consulates after running a thorough background check on individual

applicants.
Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCoC):-->

HCoC is a global ballistic missile proliferation regime established in 2002. It is a

voluntary legally nonbinding multilateral body aimed at preventing the spread of
ballistic missiles that can deliver weapons of mass destruction.
The HCOC does not ban ballistic missiles, but it does call for restraint in their
production, testing, and export. Presently, there are 137 signatories
Austria is the administrative Central Contact of the Code, coordinating the

information exchange under HCOC

The Shangri-La Dialogue hosted annually by independent think-tank International
Institute for Strategic Studies,
The dialogue, also called as IISS Asia Security Summit, was launched in 2002 by
British think tank the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the
Singaporean government. This annual dialogue brings together defence ministers
and military chiefs from 28 Asia-Pacific countries to talk about security in the region.
It gets its name from the location of the meeting, the Shangri-La hotel in Singapore

Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) is all set to establish a

representative office at the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) to
resolve international commercial disputes.
Arb-Med-Arb:
Arb-Med-Arb is a process where a dispute is first referred to arbitration before
mediation is attempted. If parties are able to settle their dispute through mediation,
their mediated settlement may be recorded as a consent award. The consent award is
generally accepted as an arbitral award, and, subject to any local legislation and/or
requirements, is generally enforceable in approximately 150 countries under the New
York Convention. If parties are unable to settle their dispute through mediation, they

may continue with the arbitration proceedings

India has removed conference visas for Chinese participants from the prior referral
category.
Pelindaba treaty:-->
Pelindaba Treaty signed in 1996, also known as the African Nuclear Weapon Free
Zone Treaty, aims at preventing nuclear proliferation and preventing strategic
minerals of Africa from being exported freely. The treaty was signed in 1996 and
came into effect with the 28th ratification on 15 July 2009
The Treaty prohibits the research, development, manufacture, stockpiling,
acquisition, testing, possession, control or stationing of nuclear explosive devices in
the territory of parties to the Treaty and the dumping of radioactive wastes in the
African zone by Treaty parties.
The Treaty also prohibits any attack against nuclear installations in the zone by
Treaty parties and requires them to maintain the highest standards of physical
protection of nuclear material, facilities and equipment, which are to be used
exclusively for peaceful purposes.
It also requires all parties to apply full-scope International Atomic Energy Agency
safeguards to all their peaceful nuclear activities.
It covers the entire African continent along with few islands. Presently, the treaty has

been ratified by 40 countries.

Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) between India and US
agreement will give two nations access to logistic support from each other besides
refuelling and birthing facilities. It requires both countries to provide their bases, fuel

and other kinds of logistics support to each others fighter jets and naval warships
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
----------------------------------------------------------------

It is a Eurasian political, economic and military organisation which was founded in

2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan,
and Uzbekistan. These countries, except for Uzbekistan, had been members of the
Shanghai Five, founded in 1996; after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the
members renamed the organisation
SCO is seen as a counter to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)

India and Pakistan were accepted as full members of the organization in July 2015
Data exclusivity
------------------------------------is a form of legal monopoly protection for a drug, over and above the patent
protections. This is given expressly to compensate for the investment made during
clinical trials. It implies that regulators cannot approve a similar drug with similar

data for the next five years, delaying the entry of generic, affordable versions
Patent term extensions
------------------------------------
are given to compensate the company for delays in processing patent applications. A
company gets a 20-year patent monopoly on a drug from the date that the application
is filed. Sometimes processing these applications takes time and the companies get
only 13 years instead of 20. A patent term extension will give another five-year
monopoly to the innovator company, again delaying the entry of generic drugs in the

market
Deep seabed polymetallic sulphides (PMS)
--------------------------------------------------------------containing iron, copper, zinc, silver, gold, platinum in variable constitutions are
precipitates of hot fluids from upwelling hot magma from deep interior of the oceanic
crust discharged through mineralized chimneys. PMS in the Ocean Ridges have
attracted worldwide attention for their long term commercial as well as strategic

value
International Continental Scientific Drilling Program
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recently Cabinet approves Indias Membership of the International Continental
Scientific Drilling Program . It is a multinational program to further and fund
geosciences in the field of Continental Scientific Drilling. It was founded in February
1996 in the German Embassy in Tokyo as a result of the German Continental Deep

Drilling Program.
India and Korea have unveiled a Korea Plus initiative to promote and facilitate

Korean investments in India.

Ministry of External Affairs is planning to send out groups of AYUSH experts to help
set up departments of AYUSH in the leading universities of the member countries of

the U.N
Saudis National Transformation Plan, an ambitious multi-year program released

recently.
Saudi Arabia is considering a plan to tax millions of foreign residents as the kingdom

seeks to reduce its reliance on oil revenue after the plunge in crude prices.
Namibia is the fourth largest producer of uranium
Norway model?
---------------------
Some economists have suggested that one of the options Britain could follow in the
wake of a Brexit vote is the Norway model

Norway, along with Liechtenstein and Iceland are members of the European
Economic Area (EEC). They have access to the single market while staying out of the
EU. They also make contributions to the EU budget. There is separate secretariat in

Brussels to manage the relationship between the EU and EEA countries.

India to become full member of Missile Technology Control Regime
MTCR(Missile Technology Control Regime)
-----------------------Established in April 1987, the voluntary MTCR aims to limit the spread of ballistic
missiles and other unmanned delivery systems that could be used for chemical,
biological, and nuclear attacks
The MTCR regime urges its 34 members, which include most of the worlds key
missile manufacturers, to restrict their exports of missiles and related technologies
capable of carrying a 500-kilogram payload at least 300 kilometers or delivering any

type of weapon of mass destruction.

Cabinet has given an ex-post facto approval for amending public sector recruitment
rules to allow the selection of candidates from the private sector and state public
sector enterprises. The move is expected to bring in greater efficiency but there are

some concerns that need to be addressed

The present indices of IIP and WPI have base year of 2004-05
Axis Bank launches Indias first certified green bond at London Stock Exchange
Green Bond
---------------------------Green bonds are like any other debt instrument but the funds raised from such a

bond sale are used exclusively for renewable energy projects.

The government has announced a radical liberalisation of the Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) regime by easing norms for a host of important sectors including
defence, civil aviation and pharmaceuticals, opening them up for complete foreign

ownership
Its 100% FDI in most sectors, including defence
Defence:-->49% automatic route, bbeyond this Govt. Route
Ecommerce:-->100% govt. route
Airlines:-->100% india based, 49% foreign carrier
airport project :100% automatic route
Govt. clears civil aviation policy, makes flying cheaper
---------------------------------------------------------------------------Capping of fare: Rs 1,200 for 30 minutes and Rs 2,500 for hour-long flights.
A single window for all aviation related transactions, complaints, etc.
5/20 rule scrapped. Under the new rules, airlines must still have 20 planes before
they can fly internationally, but no longer need to have operated for five years.
India will have an open-sky policy for countries beyond the 5,000-km radius from
Delhi on a reciprocal basis.
The government will look to develop about 350 dilapidated or underused airstrips

across India into no frills airports.

Torpid airports may convert into SEZs
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The government is looking at converting some unused airports into special economic
zones where aircraft leasing companies can park their planes and showcase them to
potential customers.

IIT Madras researchers have found that silver can slowly dissolve in water if heated to
about 70 degree C in the presence of glucose.
Silver foils are used to decorate sweets and often such foils are eaten along with the

sweets. Silver vessels are also used for cooking.

Bengalurus Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has come up with a new bone
reconstruction method similar to sutures. For this, they are using is an unlikely
ingredient: maltitol,derived from maltose, a sweetening agent found in most sugar-

free foods such as ice-creams

CarbFix
--------------------------------------------experiment called CarbFix, scientists pumped CO2 and water 540 metre
underground into volcanic rock at the Hellisheidi geothermal power plant in Icelandthe worlds largest geothermal facility. After two years, 95% of the gas was captured

and converted.
New elements on the periodic table are named
==========================================
nihonium (Nh), moscovium (Mc), tennessine (Ts) and oganesson (Og).
Living Bone Grown In Lab For First Time made possible by a new technique which
uses autologous stem cells derived from a small sample of the recipients fat and

precisely replicates the original anatomical structure of the bone.

Why blue light emitted by LED is harmful?
=======================================
Blue light directly affects sleep by suppressing the production of the hormone
melatonin, which mediates the sleepwake cycle in humans. Compared with
conventional street lighting, the blue-rich white LED street lighting is five times more
disruptive to sleep cycle.
blue light leads to a long-term increase in the risk for cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular
diseases and obesity caused by chronic sleep disruption Contrary to the popular
notion that bright LED lighting increases road safety, discomfort and disability glare
caused by unshielded, bright LED lighting negatively impacts visual acuity, thus

decreasing safety and creating road hazards

Einstein ring
================================================
predicted by Einsteins theory of General Relativity, are quite rare but scientifically
interesting.
An Einstein ring is a distorted image of a very distant galaxy, which is termed the
source. The distortion is produced by the bending of the light rays from the source
due to a massive galaxy, termed the lens, lying between it and the observer. The
strong gravitational field produced by the lens galaxy distorts the structure of spacetime in its neighbourhood, and this does not only attract objects which have a mass,
but also bends the paths of light. When the two galaxies are exactly aligned, the image
of the more distant galaxy is converted into an almost perfect circle which surrounds
the lens galaxy. The irregularities in the circle are due to asymmetries in the source
galaxy.

Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Pathfinder spacecraft has positioned

itself in gravitational stasis at the first Langrangian Point (L1) that lets its
instruments hang in freefall. This is expected to filter out extraneous cosmic noise so
the spacecraft can achieve its mission: measuring gravitational waves, the sound of
the universe. Lisa Pathfinder was launched by Europe last December

Revered nilgai turns farmers enemy in Bihar

Ships get relief from piracy related insurance premium at Indian ports
J&K militants use app to evade Army snooping
============================================
a new app called Calculator which is used by terrorists.
technology is based on the concept of cognitive digital radio that enables users to
turn their smartphones into peer-to-peer, off-grid communication tools.
technology was first used by a U.S.-based company during Hurricane Katrina so that
the affected residents could remain in touch with each other. Terror outfits have
modified this technology and created the application Calculator, which can be
downloaded on smartphones attached to the off-air network created specifically for

them
age of superannuation of all doctors of the Central Health Service to 65 years with

effect from 31st May 2016.

worlds longest tunnel has officially been opened. The 57-kilometre (35-mile)

Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) is longest tunnel now

Using the Very Large Array (VLA), located in New Mexico, US, an international team
of scientists has detected a faint signal emitted by hydrogen gas in a galaxy more than

five billion light years away.

Pench Kanha Tiger Corridor: NH7
Home Ministry has signed an agreement to join the global terror database

maintained by the Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) of the U.S.

Shri Narendra Modi has been conferred with Amir Amanullah Khan Award,
Afghanistans highest civilian honour Afghan national hero, Amanullah Khan
(Ghazi), who championed the cause of Afghanistans freedom. He was the ruler of the
Emirate of Afghanistan from 1919-1929 who led Afghanistan to independence.
Previous recipients include: US President George Bush, Kazakh President Nursultan
Nazarbayev, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, NATO General James Jones,
former Afghan President spiritual leader Sibghatullah Mujaddedi, and Afghan Chief

Justice (CJ) Abdul Salam Azimi.

Landsat study, Arctic regions of North America are getting greener due to changing

climate.
Assams Guwahati became the first city in the country to have its own city animal
with the district administration declaring the Gangetic river dolphin as the mascot. It

is locally known as Sihu"

World Environment Day (WED) : Theme 2016:--> Go Wild for Life"
Angola is the host country of this year.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje recently launched two apps.

RajVayu for sharing information about air quality index of Jaipur, Jodhpur and

Udaipur.
Drishti for monitoring of pollution levels in industrial regions
Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country to have a State Data
Centre (SDC), designed using green data centre concept, to offer 101 people-oriented

service online through an integrated data base

Pakistan tops the list of countries figuring in the Malware Infection Index 2016

prepared by Microsoft.
India is placed at the 8th position.
India and Seychelles are working together to ensure safety and security in the Indian
Ocean. In this regard, both countries have agreed to jointly build a naval base in
Assumption Island

navies of India, Japan and the U.S. have started the annual Malabar naval exercises

in Japan, close to islands contested by China.

medieval cities hidden under jungle in Cambodia near Angkor Wat have been
revealed using lasers shedding new light on the civilisation behind the worlds largest

religious complex.
LiDAR technique:-->Light Detection And Ranging, (sometimes Light Imaging,

Detection, And Ranging)

Norway has become the first country in the world to prohibit deforestation.
Navy sail boat INSV Mhadei steered by an all-woman, six-member crew that will
attempt to circumnavigate the world next year recently entered Port Louis,

Mauritius
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency of the UNs World
Health Organisation has said that drinking very hot coffee and other drinks

probably causes cancer of the oesophagus above 65degree centigrade

Rajasva Gyan Sangam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked senior tax officials
to aim for widening the tax net from the present 5.4 crore households to 10 crore
households all non-agricultural income households mainly, by changing their
attitudes towards taxpayers. He has given a five-point charter to tax administrators

embodied in the word RAPID.

These are: revenue, accountability, probity, information and digitisation
The Centre has announced that non-resident Indians (NRIs) can now open National

Pension Scheme (NPS) accounts online.

Russias new Project 22220 nuclear-powered icebreaker dubbed Arktika was
recently launched from the Baltic Shipyard in Russias second-largest city of St.

Petersburg
A Chinese supercomputer built using domestic chip technology has been declared the

worlds fastest. The Sunway TaihuLight

India has retained its ranking as the tenth-highest recipient of foreign direct

investment in 2015,
China has launched its first dark sky reserve for astronomical observation in the
Tibetan prefecture of Ngari, bordering Nepal and India. The reserve covers an area of

2,500 square kilometre and aims to limit light pollution by stepping up protection of

dark-sky resources for education and tourism development.

As part of a Swachh Bharat Mission drive, the Union Ministry of Environment and
Forests has decided to do away with garbage bins in 10 prominent wildlife parks and

make visitors take their litter home

Global Fraud Report 2015-16 by risk mitigation consultancy Kroll:-->prevalence of

fraud in India is the third-highest among all countries

Panama has opened the long-awaited $US5.4 billion ($7.2 billion) expansion of its
shipping canal, completed after nearly a decade of work forecast to boost global trade

and improve the 80-kilometre shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
The UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation has been counting too, and
found there are 197 endangered languages in India, with 42 classified as Critically
Endangered. Included in the list is Nihali, traced to the pre-Aryan and pre-

Munda period.
Indigenously-built heavyweight anti-submarine torpedo Varunastra has been
successfully inducted in the navy, making India one of the eight countries to have the

capability to design and build such a system.

American Bison declared US' National Mammal

ICAR to develop water-thrifty GM sugarcane

The water-guzzling sugarcane crop is blamed for worsening the acute water shortage

in parched areas of Maharashtra.

Section 3 d) of Indian Patent Act, 1970. It is this section that US drug firms have been

seeking to nullify because it prevents them from evergreening of patents.

World Population Day :The theme this year is Investing In Teenage Girls
Healty earth Green Farm:Soil health card scheme
PMKSY:-->Per drop more crop, 75:25,90:10, Targeted completion, Interlinking of

perenial rivers,
PMFBY:-->2% Kharif, 1.5% Ravi, 5% Horticulture premium rest by state and Centre

smart technology for quick estimation and early settlement Local calamities added
Financial Inculsion
===================
From Jan dhan to Jan Suraksha
PMJDY:-->Basic bank account:-->Mera Khata Bhagya Vidhata, Zero Balance,

Accident insurance:1 Lakh, Medical Insurance:30K

PMJJBY:-->aadhar+Linked Bank Account:18-50:,

330/annum, by LIC
PMSBY:-->2 lakh, Accident Insurance, 18-70, Rs.12/Annum, by General Insurance

Company
APY:-->Pension, 1K-5K, Minimum contribution period:20 Year, 18-40, Central govt.

50% or 1K whichever is minimum

Urban Reforms
===========================
Smart Cities:
------------------------

Lakh

,Life

Insurance,

Min. of Urban Development, Green field and Brown Field Proejct, smart solution,
24x7 electricity, water and sanitaion, transportaion, safety and security, IT, Waste to
Energy, Renewable energy, low carbon footprint, Socially inclusive
Identification: From Smart city challenge competiton
Funding : 100 Crore/year for 5 year
Area Based approach, Retrofitting, Redevelopment

AMRUT: 500 Cities

------------------------Min. of Urban Development
Population criteria >1 Lakh
Important cities
Project Based approach:
Cooperative Federalism:-->States have the flexibility of designing of schemes
50K Crores for next 5 years
upto 50% of project cost : upto 10 lakh population
upto 1/3 of project cost: beyond 10 lakh

HRIDAY
---------------------------------Min. of Urban Development
preserve and rejuvinate : urban planning, economic growth and heritage
conservation
Heritage Management plan
12 cities
dovetailed with PRASAD scheme

PRASAD
------------------
Min. of Tourism
Creating spiritual Centre(Not Cities)
12 Cities

Swadesh Darshan
---------------------
Min. of Tourism
Theme based tourist Circuit
13 Circuit: Atleast 3 major tourist destination+ not in same town+ not separated by
long distance+ well defined entry and exit points
North east circuit:Ethnicity
Buddhist Circuit:Religion
Himalayan Circuit:Tourist Significance
Coastal Circuit:Tourist Significance
Krishna Circuit:Religion

RURBAN Mission
===========================
Shyama prasad mukherjee National Rurban Mission
Smart villages on Cluster Approach
Would Replace PURA
Reduce the migration
300 cluster by 2020 across the country
selection Criteria:demography, Economy, Tourism,

Piligrimage

significance,

Transportaion corridor impact

Cluster:-->Geograpical contiguous gram panchayat
population Criteria:25k-50k on plain and coastal area, 5K-15K on desert and Hilly
area
14 components
30% of project cost per cluster:-->The Critical Gap Funding (CGF) addresses the gaps
in funding the mission.

Flagship Missions
========================================
Make in India:--> Manufacture hub, 100 million job ,skill enehancement in 25
sector,
Zero defect and Zero Effect
Service sector also included
Features:
Ease the regulatory process,
investor assistance,
Back end support,
EBiz portal,
self certification,
security clearance within 3 month,
dovetailed with :Skill india and Digital India
Ease of doing business:130

Digital India:-->Digital empowered knowledge economy by 2019

9 pillars:
Broadband highway:2.5lakh gram panchayat,
Information for all:Online hosting of documents
Universal Mobile access:smart phone, teledensity
public internat access programme: common service center in 2.5 lakh villages: to
offer multiple services
Electronic manufacturing: semiconductor fabrication firm
Early Harvest Programmes:Biometric, hotspot,
E-Kranti: e-health care, epolice, e-court
IT for Jobs:
E-Governance:
Innovation and Enterprenureship Programees
============================================
Startup India:
---------------------------
strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation and start up
compliance regime based on self certification:
startup india Hub:single point of contact for entire startup ecosystem
Register within a day
Patent protection: lower cost and speedy
10K crore funding
Credit gurantee Fund: 500 crore / year
Exemption form Capital gain tax and income tax

startup fest
Atal innovation Mission
80% reduction in patent Fee

Atal Innovation Mission

---------------------------------
innovation promotion platform
2 functions: SETU and innovation promotion

Stand up India
------------------
enterprenureship among:women , SC and ST
loan :10 lakh to 1 Crore
Rupay debit card
pre loan training
through SIDBI

Swachh Bharat Mission

---------------------------------
Swachh bharat Grameen: Min. of Drinking water and sanitation
Swachh Bharat Urban: min. of Urban Development
Swachh Vidyalaya Campaign:separate toilets in School, cleaning of schools
Swachh bharat Kosh:CSR contributions

Swachh Bharat Mission:

by 2019: 150 birth ceremony of Gandhi
elimination of open defecation
conversion of insanitary toilets to pour-flush toilets
Swachh Bharat Urban: 10.4 crore household, community toiltes, Public toilets
Swachh bharat Grameen:bio fertilizer, unit cost: 12K rupees
Swachh Vidyalaya Campaign: clean school, behavioural component
Swachh bharat Kosh: Tax rebate, swachh bhart cess:0.5%
Swachh survekshan report:2016 , 73 cities, Mysure topper

Namami Ganga

--------------------------->Ganga Rejuvination
8 state, 47 town , 12 rivers
Nodal Ministry: Water resource ministry:
Setting river centric urban Planning
Rational agricultural practices and eeficient irrigation treatment plans
Ganga Pedia: similar to wikipedia
Teritorial Army: Ganga task Force

Deen Dayal Upadhaya Grameen Kaushal Yojana

==========================================
min age:15 years

10 lakh rural youth

complement Skill India programme
Himayat:J&K
LWE and NE: Roshini
Deen Dayal upadhaya Gramin Kaushal Yojana:Min. or Rural Development
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikash Yojana: min. of Skill Development and
Enterprenureship through NSDC youth including 10th and 12 dropout
Nai Manzil: Contemporary education System for Madrasa student
USTTAD: conserving traditional arts and crafts of minority community
Nai Roshni: leadership training for women
Manas: upgradaing enterprenureship skills of Minority youths
learn and Earn: central sector scheme for Skill development of Minorities
Women Related:
=========================================================
BBBP:-->Nodal:MWCD
Celebrate the girl child and enable her Education
100 dictrict: +61 additional district
11 stated with low CSR

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana

---------------------------------------------
Girl:indian Citizen:Below 10
invest: Parent and Guardian
min:1000, multiple of 100 max:1.5 Lakh
Till 10: parent
at 10: child
No Premature withdrawal
till 18 years: marriage or education
Max tenure: 21 years from date of opening account or marriage whichever is earlier
if not married:--> interest will be accrued
One Stop Crisis Centres
================================
support and assistance to women affected by Violence , both in private and public
sphere
Below 18 Year: Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children Act),2000 and

POCSO,2012
services Provisioned:
Medical Assistance:refer to hospital and provide ambulance
Police Assistance:assist in Filing FIR
psycho-social support and councelling:Empannel councellor
Legal Aid:Lawyer
Shelter: both short stay and long stay
Swadhar:
=================================
scheme for women in Difficalut circumstances: (Natural disaster, deserted by family
and out of Jail)
STEP:Support to Training and Employment programme for Women
========================================================
self reliance, poor
Skill Upgradation to Poor and assetless women in traditional sector
by socailly viable routes
Ujjwala:
=================================
Prevent trafficking of women and children for commercial sexual exploitation

Target group / Bneficiary

4R Appraoch:
Rescue:from place of Exploitation
Rehabilitaion:immediate and long term
Reintigration:into family and society
Repatriation:of cross border victims

Infrastructure Related:
===========================================
7500 Km coast line
20% indian population lives in coastal areas
Contribution of coastal states: 60% of GDP
12 major port 200 non-major port
95% of inida's trade and 70% by value through maritime transport

Sagarmala:
=========================
Port led development
Atleast 2 way highway
World class PPP programmes
empower coastal communities

Bharat Mala

Bharat Mala:
A road build across india's vast west to east land Border
From GJ to Mizoram at a cost of 14K Crore and linking MH to Bengal
garland the territory of India

Setu Bharatam
============================
road safety
All NH free from railway level crossing by 2019
208 rail over bridge
Green Highway Policy 2015
===============================
Plantation,. Beautification and Mainteance policy
Eco friendly NH
MoRTH
140,000Km of NH
According to Agro climatic condition
Local Employement to rural job Gurantee Scheme
Strong Monitoring: ISRO's Bhuvan satelite and GAGAN Satelite system

MUDRA Yojana
======================================
Finance Institution
Regulate and Refinance all MFI
Shishu: upto 50K
Kishore:50k-5 Lakh
Tarun:5lakh-10 Lakh
Non-corporate small Business customer
Gold Schemes
===================================
Gold monetisation scheme
min:30gm
Interest in gold gram
lock in period
min tenure:1 year
rate:Prevailing market price
Short term:1-3 year
medium :5-7 year
Long term:12-15 year
interest:by govt. in consultation with RBI
No capital gains Tax

Sovereign Gold Bonds

------------------------------------
No physical gold
Indian Gold Coin
===============
24 Carat, BIS hallmark
Ashok chakra and Mahatma Gandhi on sides
Shram Suvidha Portal
=================
Labour Identification Number
single online return form
mandatory upload of retuen within 72hrs
Timely redressal of grievances
Universal Account Number

What would happen if the earth did not rotate?

The portion of the earth facing the sun would always experience day, thus bringing
continuous warmth to the region. The other half would remain in darkness and be
freezing cold all the time. Life would not have been possible in such extreme

conditions
Christmas is celebrated in Australia in the summer season?
Asia is separated from Europe by the Ural mountains on the west
Africa:--> the only continent through which the Tropic of Cancer, the Equator and
the Tropic of Capricorn pass.

India also has research stations in Antarctica. These are named as Maitri and

Dakshin Gangotri.
The three chief movements of ocean waters are the waves, the tides and the ocean

currents.
The Aravali range in India is one of the oldest fold mountain systems in the world.
Mt.Kilimanjaro in Africa and Mt.Fujiyama in Japan are examples of Volcanic

mountains.
Plateaus are very useful because they are rich in mineral deposits.
Great Himalaya:-->Himachal-->Shiwalik
Impact of latitude : the difference between longest day and shortest day increases

with latitude
CALL TO ACTION SUMMIT 2015 was organized for ending preventable child and

maternal deaths.
Meloxicam affects cattle the same way as diclofenac, but is harmless for vultures
Venus is considered as Earths-twin because its size and shape are very much similar

to that of the earth.

rules made for the Buddhist sangha were written down in a book called the Vinaya

Pitaka.
best-known of the rulers who controlled the Silk Route were the Kushanas,
Plants having leaves with reticulate venation have tap roots while plants having

leaves with parallel venation have fibrous roots.

In autumn lots of leaves are burnt in cities like Delhi. Some of the gases produced by

burning leaves are similar to the gases released by the vehicles moving on the road
The Gram Panchayat has a Secretary who is also the Secretary of the Gram Sabha.

This person is not an elected

person but is appointed by the government. The Secretary is responsible for calling

the meeting of the Gram Sabha and

Gram Panchayat and keeping a record of the proceedings
When the grains of sand are very fine and light, the wind can carry it over very long

distances. When such sand is deposited in

large areas, it is called loess. Large deposits of loess found in China.
Nadir Shahs invasion and the conquest of Delhi in 1739 resulted in the migration of
Mughal artists to the hills to escape the uncertainties of the plains. Here they found

ready patrons which led to the founding of the Kangra school of painting.
Mahatma Gandhi said: No one need to wait for anyone else to adopt a humane and

enlightened course of action."

The British believed that a country had to be properly known before it could be
effectively administered.

Culture

Mandapeshwar Caves is an 8th Century rock-cut shrine dedicated to Shiva located

near Mount Poinsur in Borivali, a suburb of Mumbai in Maharashtra

sarnath: cream colour sand stone
prakarna:huge ambulatory : nayak style
minakshi temple and tirupati temple
vesara:--chalukya:-karnataka style
stellate plan:-->Hoyasala art

islamic style: changed from Trabeate to arcuade style of architecture:--> initiate Jali

work, use of figures and animals is discouraged ,use of water

since islamic cultre flourished in a hot climate. hence they used water effectively to

cool the atmosphere and the residential complexes

also used for mirror effect
pietra dura technique
slave dyansty:-->mamluk style:-->converting existing structure into mosque
Qutub Minar:--. built by demolishing a hindu temple
khilji Dynasty:--seljuk style
Tughlaq Dynasty: more on strength:-->Battar style:-->Sloping wall to give more

strength
Lodi:-->Tomb Making:-->Double dome
Bengal School:bricks, Balack marble
Malwa: absence of Minar, European influence: Rani Rupmati Mahal
Jaunpur School:-->Developed by sharqi dynasty:-->sharqi Style:--> Absence of

Minar:-> Babri Masjid

Bijapur School:--> 3 Arched facet and Bubbous Dome(Almost spherical), Use of

Chajja(cornices),Rich Stone Carving: Gol Gumbaz

Akbar:red sand stone, Agra Fort, Fatehpur sikri, Govind dev temple Brindavan
Jehangir:--> White marble use, Pietra dura widely used, Build his own tomb:-->Moti

Masjid lahore
shah jahan:-->Moti masjid,(Lahore) ,Peacock Throne, mosque building reached

climax
Rajput: Hanging balcony
Iberian: Brick, Gorthic: Red sandstone
Neo Roman style:1911:-->capital shifted to Delhi:-->Edward Lutyen:-->Upturned

dome, circular building

Laurie Baker:-->merged building with environment, local available materials,

architect of Poor
Earliest rock painting: Bhimbetka MP: 5000BC
Upper paleolithic Rock Painitng:--> use of white, dark, red and Green ,

Green:Dancer, red:Hunter
Mesolithic:Mostly Red Colour, smaller than Upper paleolithic, Group Hunting.
Chalcolithic:-->mainly Green and Yellow Colour
Kamasutra:-->Gupta Age: Sadanga:Rup veda, Praman, Lavan Yogam,

sadrishyam, vernika bhanga

Ajanta:frsco and mural, Jataka Story: Buddhist theme
Sitalabansi: initiated by Mahendra varman: Jain painitng
Elora: all 3 religion
lepakshi Painitng:-->vijayanagar: Secular, complete absence of primary colour
pala: mostly manuscripts,
Double Chin: Apabhramsa Painitng, fish eye
Mughal Painitng: brilliant colour, Foresighting Technique:-->objects are drawn in a

way that they look closer and smaller than they are
Persian influence started in mughal Painting in Humayun Time
Akbar: Gave patronage to Indian Painters:-->Indian influence started in Mughal

painting
Jehangir:-->lover of nature.,Mughal Painitng Reached its climax(Portrait Painting)

shahjahan:-->too much use of gold,silver and bright colour, Pencil sketching widely

used
Aurangzeb:-->Discouraged art:-->Regional school of painting started
Rajasthani Painitng:Mostly religious
Mewar School:-->Raagmala Painting:-->Fusion of Music+Poetry and Painting
Kishangad Paining:-->Love Theme of Radha and Krishna, Use of Primary Colours,

Bani Thani
Bundi School-->painting of Local vegetation in Detail, Both Primary and Secondary

colour,
Bundi:-->Aravali Region, local vegetation painting, use of gold, pointed nose
Pahari school: Lord metaclafe discovered(1835-36)
Kangra School:-->Translated poetry into Painting
Thanka School:Ladakh Region, chineese influence, Use of silk, Chinese dragon,
Tanjore:chola empire, hindu god and goddess
Mysore painting:--Use of Zinc Oxide:-->Gesso Paste
1967:--> Famine in Mithila Region:-->Madhubani Paintings Transformed from wall

painitng to card paintings

Madhubani Painintg:-->Use of coloured rice(Aripan), left no space empty, outline

drawn directly by brush, No sketching, Dominated by female artists

Warli:-->MH-->daily life scence, Cowdung:Background, Rice Paste painting
Manjusha:-->Bhagalpur region, Angika Art, (Ang Janapada),Snake Painting,(Snake

motif always present), Painting executed on boxes of jute and paper

Bengal School:-->Modern Indian painting,:-->Reactionary themes
Swara: Tone or pitch
Raga: Melody:in every raga there are minimum 5 notes
6 raga in Hindustani music, Time specific
Taal:-->Rhythm: Range3-108 beats
since improvisation is allowed in Hindustani music hence substyles exist. and hence

Gharanas exist in Hindustani Music

Dhrupad:Oldest:-->Devdasi:-->Temple Music:-->Raja Man singh Tomar
Khayal:-->Idea, Thought:-->Amir Khusro:--> delicate and Romantic
Agra Gharana:--Khayal):-->Also called Rangeela Gharana
Dhamor style:--(Khayal) Related to Lord Krishna,and Holi Festival,erotic content
Thumri:--(khayal):-->Related to Bhakti Movement:-->Hindi , Awadhi and Braj

Bhasha
Tappa Style:-->Initially sung by camel drivers in NW, Quick Phrases and quick turns,
Folk Music:-->Follows rules of Natyashashtra, Guru-Shishya tradition:-->Dance

Oriented, :-->Music of People

Ghazal:-->Amir Khusro, never exceed 12 couplets
Carnatic Music:-->Pallavi-->Anu Pallavi-->Varnam-->Ragamallika(Ending)
PaAnuVaRa:
Folk Music
---------------------------------------------------------
Alha:-->MP:-->Heroic Ballad
Paani Hari:-->RJ:-->women fetching water
Pai Song:-->MP:-->Festival song during rainy season
Lavani:-->MH:-->most famous:-->Percussion instrument
Maand:-->RJ:-->Glory of Rajput
Dandiya:-->GJ:-->Navratri
Khongjam Parva:-->Manipur:-->Narration of Battle of Khongjam:-->British army
and Manipur resistance forces 1891
Zikir:Assam:embodies teaching of islam

Ja-jin-ja:Arunchal Pradesh:sung during marriages

Sugam Sangeet

--------------------------------------------------------------------Bhajan:-->Bhakti Movement
Kirtan:-->Song and Dance:-->Bengal:Gita govind
Shabad:-->Sikh Guru
Qawali:-->Invented by Amir Khusro:-->Sufi saints
Abhanga:-->MH:-->Praise of Vithova god:-->Tukaram,, Namdev
Bhatiyali:-->Bengal:-->boat community

Rabindra Sangeet

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tagore songs
classical + Bengal Folk
2000 rabindra sangeet presently sung

Gana Sangeet

-----------------------------------------------------------sung in chorus
theme: Social Message, patriotism, protest
Vande Mataram
sangeet Natak Academy
1952, Dr. Rajendra Prasad
music, Dance , Drama and Performing arts
SPIC MACAY:-->Kiran Seth:-->1977:-->IIT Delhi
dance considered complete art
2 basic aspect of dance :
Tandava:-->male characteristics firmness, strength
Lasya:-->Feminine feature of grace, bhava, rasa
classical Dance:-->Followed rules of Natya Shashtra
essence of 4 vedas:
o pathya form Rigveda
o Abhinaya from yajurveda
o Geet from samveda
o Rasa from Atharva veda

BharatNatyam:

--------------------------------->Oldest
Tamil Nadu
>Bha:Bhaav, Ra:Raag, Ta:Taal, Natyam:Dance
>Evolved from Devdasi system
>High Styled
>Solo Dance
>Fire dance:-->manifesation of fire in the human body
>Knees are mostly Bent
>Kataka Muktha Hasta:-->three fingers are joined to symbolise OM

-- >Allaripu, Jatiswaram, Shabdam, Jawali, Thillana

Kuchipudi

--------------------------------------->Andhra Pradesh
>Bhagavata Purana
>Maifestation of earthly element in human body
>tarangam:-->feet on edges of brass plate
>Jala Chitra nrityam:-->draws picture on the floor with her toes

Kathakali

-------------------------------------------->Kerala
>eternal confilct between good and evil
>katha:story, Kali:drama
>movement of eye and eye brows
>minimal use of props
>elaborate facial makeup
>Green:Nobility, Red:Royalty, Black:evil
>Symbolises the element of sky or ether
>performeed in open air theaters with brass lam p for lighting
Kathakali: called ballet of east

Mohoniattam
---------------------
>Kerala
>Grace and elegance
>Feminine dance of Vishnu
>lasya aspect
>costume:white and off white with gold brocade
>symbolises air element of body
>Solo dance

Odissi
--------------------------------------->Mahari and gotipua
>Tribhanga mudra
>Symboilises water element of body
>Graceful, sensuality and beauty

Manipuri
------------------------------------------
>Rabindra nath Tagore brought back this dance into lime light
>devotion
>tandava and lasya
>limited use of mudras
>Pung drum
>Knees never bent

-- >Figure 8:Nagabhanda Mudra

Kathak
--------------------->UP
>Story telling
Knees minimum bent
>Dhrupad music
>Dancer do the singing themselves
>intricate foot work
Jugal bandi
Without chanting and singing: Gat bhava

Sattriya
----------------->Assam
>Devotional aspect
>dance generally performed by male monks: Bhokots
>elaborate hand gesture and foot work

Mayurbhanj Chaau:-->dancers do not wear masks

Ramlila:UP
Raslila:Gujarat
Bhuta:-->spirit:-->traditional practice of worshipping the dead ancestor prevalent in

Kannara district of karnataka

Nautanki:-->mentioned in Ain-e-Akbari
Ramman:-->Uttarakhand
Mudiyettu: Complete absence of Hand gesture
safdar hashmi:-->Halla Bol: Father of political theater
Kathputli:Absence of legs
Ravanachhaya:Shadow Puppetry:Odisha:No joints
saka samavat:-->saka rulers to mark victory over kushana
Hijri:12 month, 354 days , starting month:Moharram
9th month:Ramzan
Shehri:morning breakfast, Iftar:evening Food
Zilhijja:Last month
Linguistic Diversity Index:-->
Apastambha: Reference of angle and right angle
Aryabhatta:499AD:Astronomy, Trigonometry, Algebra, Geometry
Brahmagupta:mentioned Zero
Feroz Shah Tughlaq:observatory at delhi
Feroz shah Bahmani: observatory at Daulatabad
Charaka:1st century AD:-->Royal doctor of Kanishka: Father of Ayurveda Medicine
Sushruta:4th Century AD:-->Father of Surgery
Unani Brought by muslims in 11th Century
iltutmis:-->silver Tanka and copper Jittal
Mohd. Bin Tughlaq: Token currency
Pahul:sanctified water offered

Saguna Bhakti:-->devotees of Ram and Krishna-->Tulsidas, Mirabai, Surdas,

Chaitanya
Nirguna bhakti:Formless god-->Nanak and Kabir
Guru Nanak:==>denounced piligrimage, sacrifice, rituals :spiritual life can be

attained while doing duties as a householder

Ramanand;-->All men are equal in the eyes of the god
Suhawardi Silsila:-->lived comfortable life, didnot approved sama(listening to music

and songs as a stimulating the spiritual urge)

Dara sikoh:--> follower of Qadri silsila
Qadri Silsila:-->similar to Sulawardi silsila but emphasied on music
Firdausi Silsila:Hunger is the root cause of all troubles
Judaism:-->Jews:--> Oldest religion.
God has promised to bless Abraham the ancestor of jewish people and his

descendants , if they worship and remain faithful to god

This convenant was renewed by God with Abraham's son Issac and Isaac's son Jacob,
(Jacob also called Israel). and hence all descendants of Jacob were called children of
Israel. Later god gave 10 comandants to Moses (saint), on Mt. Sinai which explained

how the Israels should live.

Difference between Shia and shunni is political not spiritual
Muslim:5 Duties:Touhid, Namaaz, Roza, Zakat, Haj
Zend avesta initially written in Sanskrit:

World Environment Day (WED) by UNEP

The theme for 2014 was:-'Small Islands and Climate Change',
Theme for 2015 was Seven Billion Dreams; One Planet; Consume with Care.
Theme for 2016:
fly ash containing toxic pollutants like lead, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, sulphur, mercury

and radioactive uranium/ thorium isotopes

The air pressure is zero at Moon. If astronauts did not wear these space
suits, the counter pressure exerted by the body of the astronauts would make the

blood vessels burst. The astronauts would bleed

The India Aspiration Fund is expected to catalyse tens of thousands of crores of

equity investment into start-ups and MSMEs (micro and small enterprises).
Lichens: fungus provides shelter, water and minerals; and algae provides food
India Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) is a joint venture between India and USA
In 1893, the split in Arya Samaj happened on the issue of eating meat
Kayakalp' from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) relates to

Health sector awards

Sound rocket: Probing upper atmosphere
Brahma Kamal: State flower of Uttarakhand
The Sakharov Prize is an annual award given by the European Parliament for Defence

of human rights and freedom of thought

D.K. Basu Guidelines given by the Supreme Court relate to Reservation in public

sector employment
Generally, metallic minerals are found in igneous and metamorphic rock
Sedimentary rock formations of plains and young fold mountains contain

nonmetallic minerals
Ek Bharat Shreshtha

Bharat'

initiative

will

be

launched

soon

under

which every state will choose another state each year and then promote its

language and culture

Moscow Declaration:BRICS:2015 Addressing common regional and global socio-

economic challenges by utilising science, technology and innovation

Terrorism is generally the subject-matter of SCO negotiations

meetings
Fighting piracy is generally dealt by the IOR-ARC, ASEAN and other such littoral

bodies
The Oak trees are native of the Himalayan region, not exotic
Sunrise industries' is a colloquial term for a sector or business that is in

and

its infancy, but is growing at a rapid pace. A sunrise industry is typically

characterized by high growth rates, numerous start-ups and an abundance of venture

capital funding
Patan Patola, an ancient tradition, relates to the Art of double ikat weaving in western

Indian state of Gujarat

EDD+ provides for evaluation of the financial value for the carbon stored in the trees.

This allows polluters to purchase carbon offsets

FAO and the World Health Organization created the Codex Alimentarius
Commission in 1961 to develop food standards, guidelines and texts such as codes

of practice under the Joint FAO/ WHO Food Standards Programme

MDG Goal6 :Reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS achieved by INDIA

International Poverty Line: World Bank: World Development Report (WDR) on

Poverty
Minimum Support Prices (MSP):Pulses and Oilseeds
Gold Monetisation Scheme (GMS) 2015: All resident Indians
Rhizobium is a soil bacteria that fixes nitrogen, so it can't manufacture food.
Low amounts of Mg lead to a decrease in photosynthetic and enzymatic

activity within the plants

The latitudinal extent influences the duration of the day and night, as one moves

from south to north

APJ Abdul Kalam Amrut Yojna: To curb malnutrition among tribal children by
providing nutrition to pregnant women for 6 months when the child's growth is at its

peak. It was recently approved by Maharashtra government

The National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD) is under Ministry of

Environment and Forests

Decennial Census exercises in India are conducted and administered under MHA
Moisture is carried in lower atmosphere in case of tropical storms, whereas it is

carried in upper atmosphere in extratropical storm. Both storms bring rain

China-Pakistan economic corridor (CPEC): Gwadar port in Pakistan to the injiang

region in China
AIIB: Proportionate Voting
Deen Dayal Upadhyay Grameen Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY): separates the power of
rural farmer households from Main supply to ensure efficient power supply to

farmers
EEZ:UNCLOS
A nation with a Gini score of 0 has perfect income equality, and score of 100 has

perfect inequality
Culturable waste land is left uncultivated for more than 5 agricultural years
Dialysis works on the principles of the diffusion of solutes and ultra-filtration of fluid

across a semi-permeable membrane.

Strip cropping: Leaving strips of grass to grow between the crops
Lepcha:Sikkim
When growing plants detect light, a hormone called auxin, synthesised at the shoot

tip, helps the cells to grow longer

NSSO;MOSPI
Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP's): Refrigeration cycle
toffee-sized, low-cost silicon locket (chip) that could be used to monitor ECG
Cryonics: Cryopreservation of humans and animals with the intention of future

revival
NH-7 was laid and is maintained by Central Public Works Department
Satish Chandra committee is related to Civil Services Reforms
Global Innovation and Technology Alliance (GITA): CII+DST
Methanol: Liquor poisoning
World Development Indicators' report is published by World Bank
Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO): situated on an island in the middle of a lake
2015 has been designated as the International Year of the Snow Leopard in selected

countries
Tyndal Effect
Light soils have less water retention capacity

Federico Fellini Gold Medal was created by UNESCO in 1995 to pay tribute to major

figures in the film industry, and to notable efforts to boost the art of film
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) not ratified by INDIA
Macronutrients can be broken into two more groups: primary and secondary

nutrients.
The primary nutrients are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). These
major nutrients usually are lacking from the soil first because plants use large

amounts for their growth and survival.

The secondary nutrients are calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S). There
are usually enough of these nutrients in the soil so fertilization is not always needed.
Also, large amounts of Calcium and Magnesium are added when lime is applied to

acidic soils
'Photoperiodism: 'Photoperiodism
Digital MLAs initiative in Maharashtra is related to Digitization of the legislative

process
Home charges were made of three components:
o Interest payable on Indian debt.
o Interest on the railways
o Civil (e.g. Secretary of State office in London) and military charges
Manishankar Aiyer committee:Local Bodies
Representation of Peoples Act 1950 (RPA Act 1950) provides for the following:
o Qualification of voters.
o Preparation of electoral rolls.
o Delimitation of constituencies.
o Allocation of seats in the Parliament and state legislatures.
RPA Act 1951 provides for Actual conduct of elections.
o Administrative machinery for conducting elections.
o Poll
o Election offences.
o Election disputes.
o By-elections.
o Registration of political parties
Yemen Crisis:Operation Raahat
Joint programme of the Government of Kerala and NABARD:Kudumbashree
Farzad-B gas field is frequently in news for India's willingness to participate in the

Iranian gas field

London Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes

and Other Matter

It was the Mathura school which carved female figures
The position of women had also become miserable during the Gupta period
Brahmanism reigned supreme during the Gupta period
Chalukya administration was highly centralized unlike that of the Pallavas and the

Cholas
Chalukyas had a great maritime power
Aihole Inscription:Chalukya
Rashtrakuta:Decentralised administration
Vijayanagar Empire: king enjoyed absolute authority in executive, judicial and

legislative

matters
Sugar Development Fund (SDF) can be used for:
o Development of cane in their areas;

o Rehabilitation/Modernisation projects;
o Setting up of ethanol plants;
o Setting up of cogeneration power projects;
o Rehabilitation of potentially sick viable sugar undertaking etc.
o Cane growers can apply for a loan from the SDF for these projects
A "free trade area" (FTA) is formed when at least two states partially or fully
abolish custom tariffs on their inner border. However, this may not include complete

abolition on investment flow.

A "customs union" introduces unified tariffs on the exterior borders of the union

(CET, common external tariffs).

A "monetary union" introduces a shared currency.
A "common market" add to a FTA the free movement of services, capital and labor

(not a Customs Union).

An "economic union" combines customs union with a common market. A "fiscal

union" introduces a shared fiscal and budgetary policy.

Dhirendra Singh Committee: Defence Acquisition Council (DAC)
The Battle of Tarain is related to the Hindu princes of north India fighting against

Muhammad Ghori
The reign of Firoz Tughlaq was more notable for his administration.
o He strictly followed the advice of the ulemas in running the administration.
o He pleased the nobles and assured hereditary succession to their properties.
Thus

the

iqta system was not only revived but also it was made hereditary.
As per the Islamic law he levied the taxes. Jiziya was strictly imposed on

o
o

NonMuslims.
He was the first Sultan to impose irrigation tax.
But at the same time he dug irrigation canals and wells

A department called Diwan-i-Khairat was created under the reign of Firoz Tughlaq

C4 pathway plants tolerate higher temperatures.

C4 plants have greater productivity of biomass than C3 plants
Garo & Khasi:Matrilineal
Samanta:Independent Rulers who provides military support and governs a

territory :Gupta Administration

An agrahara was land granted to a Brahmana, who was usually exempted from
paying land revenue and other dues to the king, and was often given the right to

collect these dues from the local people

Ajivika: Niyati doctrine
Krishi Karman awards are given by the Union government to best performer States
for raising country's food grain production
Shahmina refers to a type of shawl made from Pashmina wool
Land under Delhi sultanate:
o Iqta land-lands assigned to officials as iqtas instead of payment for their
o

services.
Khalisa land-land under the direct control of the Sultan and the revenues

collected were spent for the maintenance of royal court and royal household.
Inam land-land assigned or granted to religious leaders or religious

institutions
Chogyal:Sikkim
Lingayats: After death a devotee will not return to this world
amara-nayakas:Vijayanagar Empire: Military commanders who were given

territories to govern
mansab is of Arabic origin meaning rank or position. The system, hence, determined
the rank of a government official

A liquidity trap occurs when low / zero interest rates fail to stimulate consumer

spending and monetary policy becomes ineffective

A liquidity trap means consumers' preference for liquid assets (cash) is greater than

the rate at which the quantity of money is growing

Milkiyat lands were cultivated for the private use of zamindars, often with the help of

hired or servile labour

Paradox of Thrift': Individuals save more during a recession which further depletes
growth

prospects
Fiscal deficit is the difference between Government's total expenditure and its total

receipts excluding borrowing

United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) maintains the ceasefire

between Syria and Israel

Major General Jai Shanker Menon of India has been appointed as the Head of
Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer

Force (UNDOF)
'Sterilization' by RBI is related most with Foreign capital flows
Deepak Parekh Comittee: Infrastructure financing
'Gatka': A martial art associated with the Sikh history
Gatka is a style of stick fighting between two or more practitioners, with wooden

sticks (called Soti) intended to simulate swords

Ashta Pradhan: council of eight ministers that administered the Maratha Empire
World Economic Forum (WEF): Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny,

Geneva
The Global Health Initiative was launched at one of its meetings
Naqqar khana:A drum house from where ceremonial music was played in Mughal

palaces
Byssinosis:An occupational lung disease caused by exposure to cotton dust in

inadequately ventilated working environments

The Union Ministry of Environment,

(MoEFCC) has declared Wild Pig as vermin in Uttarakhand for a year

APEC:India not a member
Anti-diabetic ayurvedic drug:BGR-34 by CSIR(Blood Glucost Regulator)
All activities are permitted unless restricted in protected forests, whereas in reserved

forests all activities are restricted unless permitted

State of the World's Forests' report is published by FAO
Bahamani Architecture: Influenced due to MBT transferred his capital from Delhi

to Daulatabad
Karbi tribe of Assam:Follow animism
Foliation refers to repetitive layering in metamorphic rocks
Effective Revenue Deficit is Revenue deficit minus grants for creation of capital

Assets
Pavarana: Confession by monks of their offences committed during their stay in

Forest

and

Climate

Change

the

monasteries during the rainy season

MSP: The prices are decided or hiked by CCEA on the basis of the

recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)

Annual Survey of Industries is published by MOSPI

UNEP: Global Environment Outlook

Exercise Force Eighteen,: Military exercise of ASEAN+8
NDP = GDP Depreciation
Mekong Ganga Cooperation: Cooperation in tourism, culture, education, and

transportation linkages between India and some East Asian nations

Dalhousie:Non-Regulation System: Commissioners were appointed to deal with

the administrative problems.

Mahila E-Haat: Union Women and Child Development Ministry and Rashtriya

Mahila Kosh (RMK)

It is open to all Indian women citizens above 18 years of age and women Self
Help Groups (SHGs) desiring for marketing their legal products/services. The
entire business on the e-Haat platform can be easily handled through mobile

phone
Ricardian equivalence: As per Ricardo, when the government increases
spending by borrowing today, which will be repaid by taxes in the future, it will have
the same impact on the economy as an increase in government expenditure that is

financed by a tax increase today

Pallava period: Caste system: Rigid, Rise of Hinduism, and fall of Buddhism and

Jainism
WPI:Economic advisor of DIPP
International Women's Day 2016: Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender

equality
International Womens Day 2015: Re-Thinking Womens Empowerment and Gender

Equality in 2015 and beyond

Philips curve:there is a 'trade off' between inflation and unemployment i.e. an

inverse relationship between them.

Jana-gana-mana was first sung in 1911 at the Kolkata Session of the Indian National

Congress
The highest weightage in Consumer Price Index (Combined) is constituted by:Food

and associated items

Producer Price Index the prices that are used for calculation excludes Taxes and

Profits
Hannover Messe 2015 was a/an: annual global exhibition held in Germany which

provided a platform for India to gain entry to international markets

Financial Stability Board (FSB): By G20
The budget consists of two types of expenditure:
o the expenditure 'charged' upon the Consolidated Fund of India and
o the expenditure 'made' from the Consolidated Fund of India .
The charged expenditure is non-votable by the Parliament, that is, it can only be

discussed by the Parliament, while the other type has to be voted by the Parliament
NR Madhava Menon Comittee: Government advertisements in print and media
Drishti' deployed by the Indian Metrological Department helps to provide real time

visibility information to pilots

Sahitya Akacdemy Awards: Sahitya Academy fellowship, Ananad, Premchand
IIP:CSO
Eurozone Crisis Hit countries: started with Greece but spread rapidly to Ireland,
Portugal, and Spain and subsequently Italy

Comparative Rating Index of Sovereigns (CRIS) introduced by Finance Ministry

,India, performance of one nation is compared with all other nations

Asia's largest optical telescope Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational
Sciences
(ARIES)

was

unveiled

at

Nainital:

oint

collaborative

technological

effort between Indian and Belgian scientists

Vaikom Satyagraha of 1924-25 was launched against Untouchability in Hindu society
The Satyagraha (in Travancore, Kerala) aimed at securing freedom of
movement for all sections of society through the public roads leading to the Sri

Mahadevar Temple at Vaikom.

Indian scientists have developed an eco-friendly biopolymer using nanotechnology
for
water-softening and water purification applications. This biopolymer has been
obtained

from naturally occurring 'Chitosan' which is found in Hard outer skeleton of shellfish
K S Radhakrishnan committee: Protecting Good Samaritans who help road
accident victims from harassment by authorities
G7 countries include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK and US
Genetic Engineering Approval Committee has been established under MoEF&C
Finance ministry comprises five departments, namely,
o (i) Economic Affairs,
o (ii) Expenditure,
o (iii) Revenue,
o (iv) Disinvestment; and
o (v) Financial Service
The Communist Party of India was founded in Tashkent
Multidimensional poverty Index

CITES is an international agreement to which States (countries) adhere voluntarily

Brahmagupta:ZERO
Fahien visited India during the reign of Chandragupta II
The 'Madrid Protocol' relates to International Trademark System
Oort Cloud: Thick bubble of icy debris surrounding our solar system
Dutch astronomer Jan Oort first proposed the idea of this region of space to explain
the origins of comets with that take thousands of years to orbit the sun

EPA Development Index (EDI) is a composite index brought out in the Education

for All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report, produced by UNESCO every year
Pareto optimality" is a situation where resources are allocated in a way in which it is
impossible to make any one individual better off without making at least one
individual worse off

Art 350B: Officer of Linguistic minority

Arctic: Greek : Great Bear: Polar Bear
Antarctic: Penguin
'Unicorn Club' : Private start-up companies valued at $1 billion or more
electrostatic precipitation devices is the potential production of toxic ozone and NOx
Kerala and Pudducherry: more female population than male population
Black Foot: Arsenic poisoning
Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram RBSK aims at early identification and early
intervention for children from birth to 18 years to cover 4 'D's viz. Defects at birth,

Deficiencies, Diseases, Development delays including disability

Bakasht lands: Lands claimed by the landlords from tenants who have held them

for innumerable years

Taxes are said to be buoyant if the tax revenues increase more than proportionately
in response to a rise in national income or output.
Sometimes this perception is then linked to the Laffer Curve - the idea that tax

revenues will increase in response to lower rates because of higher compliance

Okun's law states that a one point increase in the cyclical unemployment rate is

associated with two percentage points of negative growth in real GDP

Grants from the Centre to the States under the recommendations of Finance
Commission are known as Statutory grants

Crowding out effect:Impact of government borrowing on private borrowing

Harita-Priya (Harmonized Information of Agriculture, Revenue and Irrigation for a
Transformation Agenda Precision Technology for Agriculture) Project is meant to
collect very specific climate data from farms and give farmers personalised

information through SMS

Primary Deficit" = The fiscal deficit - interest liabilitie

Two kinds of nitrogen-fixing bacteria are recognized: free-living (nonsymbiotic)

bacteria, including the cyanobacteria (or blue-green algae) Anabaena and Nostoc and
genera such as Azotobacter, Beijerinckia, and Clostridium; and mutualistic
(symbiotic) bacteria such as Rhizobium, associated with leguminous plants (e.g.,

various members of the pea family), and certain Azospirillum species, associated with

cereal grasses
Goldilocks zone: A habitable zone, sometimes called a Goldilocks zone, is the
region around a star where orbiting planets similar to the Earth can support liquid

water. It is neither too hot, nor too cold.

Rashtrakuta rule was tolerant to multiple popular religions
Abor Tribes: Arunachal Pradesh follows animism
Second generation biofuels are also known as advanced biofuels.
What separates them from first generation biofuels the fact that feedstock used in

producing second generation biofuels are generally not food crop

The only time the food crops can act as second generation biofuels is if they have
already fulfilled their food purpose. For instance, waste vegetable oil is a second
generation biofuels because it has already been used and is no longer fit for human

consumption. Virgin vegetable oil, however, would be a first generation biofuel

Pakke Tiger Reserve in East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh has won the

'India Biodiversity Award 2016

Living Planet Index (LPI), prepared by the World Wide fund for Nature (WWF)
Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan: Swachh Bharat Mission
Global Risks Report: World Economic Forum
Stagflation is a situation in an economy when Inflation and unemployment are high

alongwith a slow economic growth rate

Muhtasibs were appointed in all the provinces. These officials were asked to see that
people lived their lives in accordance with the sharia. Thus, it was the business of
these officials to see that wine and intoxicants such as Mang were not consumed in
public places. They were also responsible for regulating the houses of ill repute,

gambling dens, etc. and for checking weights and measures.

Rangpur rice bowl of Bangladesh that is irrigated by Teesta river
The Vijayanagara kings claimed to rule on behalf
Virupaksha.

Rulers

also

indicated

their

close

links

with

of

the
the

god

godsby

using the title Hindu Suratrana this meant Hindu Sultan

The Hague Code of Conduct (HCOC) is International Code of Conduct against

Ballistic Missile proliferation

Pushti marg is a Vaishnav

is based on the philosophy of The ultimate truth is one and only one Brahm.
National
Board
for
Wildlife
is
chaired
by
Indias

Minister and its vice chairman is Minister of Environment

Betla National Park located in Jharkhand states district Palamu was the first park

which was included in the Project Tiger and gained the status of a Tiger Reserve
Invest India=DIPP+FICII
Ocean health Index (OHI) prepared by Conservation International
Ahadis during the Mughal period were employed by the kingdom for warfare or

fighting
Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water and Sanitation (which were separate

ministries earlier) are now under the MoRD

The Deccan peasants uprising 1875 was directed mainly against the excesses of the
Marwari and Gujarati money lenders.

sect

founded

by

Vallabhacharya.

It

Prime

Social boycott of moneylenders by the peasants was later transformed into armed
peasant revolt in the Poona and Alimadnagar districts of Maharashtra.
By June 1875 nearly a thousand peasants were arrested and the uprising
completely suppressed. The Government appointed the Deccan Riots Commission to

investigate into the causes of the uprising

Oxfam: Fighting poverty
Abhaya This gesture is also called Gesture of Fearlessness or blessing or
fearless mudra. Generally, this position is shown with the palms(s) facing outward
and the fingers extended upwards (image below).

Gesture of Argument (vitarka) also called The Gesture of Debate or discussion

mudra. In this gesture the tips of thumb and index finger touched forming a circle.
All the other fingers are extended upwards. This is the mystic gesture of Taras and
Bodhisattvas, often used when explaining the Buddhas teachings.

Gesture of Witness (bhumisparsha) This gesture is also called touching the

earth mudra or calling the earth to witness mudra. The right arm hangs down over
the right knee. The hand with the palm turned inward and all the fingers extended
downward with the finger touching the lotus throne. The left hand lies on the lap with
palm upward. This gesture symbolizes Shakyamunis victory over Mara. The Dhyani
Buddha Akshobhya shows the same Mudra.

Gesture of Charity (varada) This gesture is also called Gift bestowing Gesture of
Compassion or conferring boon or grace mudra. The arm is extended all way

down with palm facing outwards. You can find varadamudr sometimes also as a lefthand gesture. This is the mudra of Dhyani Buddha Ratnasamhava, Bodhisattva
Avalokiteshvara and (sometimes) standing Buddha Shakyamuni.

Tirumurais is well known as a composition of Alvars and Nayanar saints in the

twelfth century
Global Hunger Index (GHI) : International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Agharikas during the reign of Harsha were the officers who looked after lands given

in charity
Nilgiri:Kurunji Flower:12 Years
The jizya was viewed in lieu of obligating nonMuslims to perform the jihad, which

is a religious duty for Muslims and not necessarily for members of other religions.
Indian association merged in INC
Lord Dufferin: microscopic minority
Curzon:peaceful demise
Anti partion campaign started on 7th Aug 1905
Yuganter:Barindra kumar Ghosh and bhupendranath Dutta
Rashbhari bose and sachin sanyal:Secret society
Rashbihari:Attack on lord hardinge(1912) Delhi Conspiracy
Sachin sanyal:Bandi Jibon
1908:Praful Chaki and Khudiram ghosh:Kingsford :Alipore bomb case
Vasudev balwant phadke:1908: Ramosi rebellion
Savarkar:mitra mela and abhinav bharat
1905:india House:London:shyamji Krishna Verma, The sociologist:Journal
1909:Madanlal Dhingra:Killed Curzon in London,
Berlin:Birendranath Chatopadhaya:Talwar newspaper
Paris:Madam bhikaji cama:Bande Mataram:Journal
Ghadar:Barkutullah, Lala hardayal, sohan singh bhakna:United India

House:Seatle:People from all sects

Taraknath Das:The free Hindustan
1913:The Ghadar:NewspaperSan Francisco
1914:Komgata Maru:baba Gurdit Singh
Defence of India Act, March 1915
Annie Besant:Theosophical society of India
Dec 1915 Bombay:entry of Tilak
George Aundale:Home rule in Madras
Montagu Chelmsford:Reform
Indian opinion:Gandhi
Traty of Sevres:Ottoman Empire
Khilafat Movement
Congress Working Committee
Kisan Sabha:Eka Movement, Mapila Movement
CDM: Bardoli:

Responsivist:Hindu Interest
Saunder:Lahore Conspiracy dec 1928
August Offer:Individual Satyagrah
Brahma Datt:3rd Individual Satyagrahi
Usha Mehta:underground radio
Paris Summit:
Environment Kuznets curve

Each successive INDC to be higher

Clean environment cess:400
Cabinet Decision only needed:Ratify
1 member 1 vote
Ratified by:55 parties 55% of global emission
Prince 40:Solar cake
Wind turbine:Stall regulated, Pitch regulated
Biomass:
o Anerobic Digestion:CH4
o Refuse Derived Fuel:cheaper<LPG
o Gassifiers:Partial oxidation
Fischer Tropsch diesel
3rd Gen biofuels:Algae hydrogen
Kakrapur: 1-3 Incident
4-7 accident
China not in MTCR
MTCR:Consensus
Farzbad B:Iran Persian gulf
HELP:Graded royalty inversely Risk and cost
Club good:Excludable but No rival in consumption
Public good:No directly paid no exclude
Derived demand:
Composite demand:commodity with multiple alternate use
Demand Elasticity:responsive to price/demand
o Normal: prise rise: demand down
o Positive Cross elastcity: Tea price rise:- coffee demand rise:Substitute
o Negative:Complementary
o Zero cross elasticity:No impact
Price elasticity
o Unitary elasticity: Ep=1
o Perfectly inelastic: Ep=0
o Perfectly Elastic:Ep=Infinite
Veblen Goods:when demand curve is positive

Giffen goods: when demand curve is positive :Inferior good without

substitution:Income effect dominate

Ngo Pratham:ASER
PISA:OECD every 3 year
Roti city bi pa sa(p6)