Detailed solution

Model Test 101 (GS Paper I)

1. Kanubhai Gandhi (87), grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and a former NASA scientist, has recently passed away in Surat, Gujarat. He was famously captured in an iconic photograph as the boy tugging at Mahatma Gandhi’s walking stick during salt satyagraha at Dandi, Gujarat.

2. The 6th edition of India-Bangladesh Joint Military Exercise “SAMPRITI-2016” has started at Bangabandhu Senanibas in Tangail, Bangladesh

3. The 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has started at Marrakech in Morocco on November 7. In the 12-day global climate conference, delegates will deliberate on the details of implementing the Paris deal.

4. After 'Operation Calm down' in South Kashmir, Army is now focussing on another operation -- 'School Chalo', under which it identifies areas and provides students with free coaching and make them participate in extra-curricular activities.

Indian Army has launched “Operation school chalo” in South Kashmir under a local slogan ‘Chyem ne zaroorat Daulat-o-ubab, Faqat Gochum School te Kitab (I don’t need money and fame, I need books and school’

5. State-run airport developer, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Wednesday said it has received an encouraging response to its Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), receiving 45 proposals from 11 bidders covering more than 200 RCS air routes. The deadline for submitting initial proposals was Tuesday.

AAI said these initial proposals cover as many as 65 airports, of which there are 52 unserved and 13 underserved airports as per the provisions of the scheme.

"Counter-bids have now been invited against these initial proposals, the last date of submission for which is February 1, 2017,” AAI said, adding that the response has been very encouraging The Regional Connectivity Scheme is also called UDAN or "Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik".

6. Sri Lankabhimanya Wannakuwatta Waduge Don Albert Perera (5 December 1927 – 3 November 2016) better known by his adopted name Amaradeva, was a prominent Sri Lankan vocalist, violinist and composer. Primarily using traditional instruments like sitars, tablas and harmoniums, Amaradeva incorporates Sinhala folk music with Indian ragas in his work. Many

consider Pandit Amaradeva’s contribution to the development of Sinhala music as unmatched, hence without argue cited as the Maestro of Sri Lanka Music.

He was the recipient of many international honours, including Ramon Magsaysay Award, Padma Shri, for his contribution to music.

7. The First World Tsunami Awareness Day will be celebrated on November 5, 2016.

The significance of this day, the 5th November, to tsunami awareness can be traced back to the year 1854. A villager in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, was concerned about an impending tsunami after a high-intensity earthquake on November 5, 1854. He set up a fire to rice sheaves on the top of a hill. Fellow villagers, who went atop to put off the fire, were saved even as a tsunami destroyed their village down below. This was the first documented instance of a tsunami early warning. To commemorate that day of “Inamura no Hi” (the burning of rice sheaves), a resolution was jointly proposed by 142 countries including Japan as a follow up of the third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The United Nations designated the 5th November as World Tsunami Awareness Day.

The 2016 theme of WTAD is “Effective Education and Evacuation Drills”.

8. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Shri J P Nadda unveils Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA)

Let’s make safe pregnancy a social movement: J P Nadda

“Carrying forward the vision of our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) is aimed to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates through safe pregnancies and safe deliveries. The national programme will provide special free antenatal care to about 3 crore pregnant women across the country in order to detect and prevent high risk pregnancies.”

9. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently inaugurated Asia’s largest man-made “Jungle Safari” at Naya Raipur in Chhattisgarh. It is nearly 800-acre Nandanvan Zoo and Safari.

10. Kwon Taek Im, the renowned South Korean director, will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 47th edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. In

the 2016 IFFI, South Korea will be the focus country and its’ movies will be showcased

11. The Chief Minister of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal has recently launched the “Aware and Care” campaign by flagging off 100 Information Education Communication (IEC) mobile vans. The basic purpose of IEC vans is to apprise people about the diseases like cancer, hepatitis-C, cervical cancer and the preventive measures to be taken to cure the patients suffering from these diseases in the early stages.

12. Kim Byong-joon has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of South Korea on November 2, 2016.

13. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently launched the “Saur Sujala Yojana” at Naya Raipur in Chhattisgarh that would provide solar powered irrigation pumps to farmers at a subsidized price.

14. Maharashtra will be the first state in India to launch cyber police stations in each district to nab cyber criminals.

15. Kerala has become the 3rd Open Defecation Free (ODF) state in India on its foundation day (November 1, 2016) under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) – Gramin. With this, Kerala has become first high density populated state in India to achieve ODF status. Earlier, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim had declared themselves ODF states.

16. Byssinosis, also called "brown lung disease" or "Monday fever", is an occupational lung disease caused by exposure to cotton dust in inadequately ventilated working environments. Byssinosis commonly occurs in workers who are employed in yarn and fabric manufacture industries.

17. There are five main hormones that aid and regulate the digestive system in mammals. The five major hormones are: gastrin (stomach), secretin (small intestine), cholecytokinin (small intestine), gastric inhibitory peptide (small intestine), and motilin (small intestine). 18. Dehradun, Apr 22 (UNI) Offering tributes to Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali and his companions on the occasion of anniversary of Peshawar uprising, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said Garhwali's unique contribution to the freedom movement could never be forgotten.

Mr Rawat stated, in his message here today, that Peshawar uprising was a significant milestone for independence struggle of India as it laid a revolutionary foundation for crusade. Mr Rawat said the revolt against the British imperialism resulted in long-term jail sentence to Garhwali, but it could not shake his patriotism. On account of active participation in the fight for freedom, he was re-arrested in 1942 and sentenced to jail. Chief Minister said that after the Peshawar mutiny, Garwhali became prominent in freedom movement and Mahatma Gandhi felicitated him by naming him 'Garhwali'.

19. Tashi and Nungshi Malik (born on 21 June 1991) are the first siblings and twins to climb the Seven Summits and reach the North and South Poles and complete the Adventurers Grand Slam and Three Poles Challenge.

On Sunday, 19 May 2013, they successfully scaled Mount Everest, becoming the first twin sisters in the world to do so.

20. Uttarakhand is the abode of God and Goddess. There are many places in Uttarakhand which have relevance with great Epic Hindu like Ramanaya and Mahabharata. It is said that Great Saint Ved Vyas wrote the "Mahabharat Epics in Uttarakhand. This place is situated in Chamoli District of Uttarakhand ahead of famous Badri Nath Dham.

21. NUH SIPIHR OF AMÍR KHUSRÚ.

[“The Nine Heavens (or Spheres).” This is one of the separate poems of Amír Khusrú, written, as he tells us, in his old age. Its historical notices relate to the reign of Kutbu-d dín Mubárak Sháh, in whose time it was written.”]

22. Works of Kalidasa: Plays – There are three plays, the earliest of which is probably the Malavikaagnimitra ( Malavikaa and Agnimitra), a work concerned with palace intrigue. It is of special interest because the hero is a historical figure, King Agnimitra, whose father, Pushhpamitra, wrested the kingship of northern India from the Mauryan king Brihadratha about 185 B.C. and established the Sunga dvnasty, which held power for more than a century. The Vikramorvashiiya ( Urvashii Won Through Valor) is based on the old legend of the love of the mortal Pururavaas for the heavenly damsel Urvashii. The legend occurs in embryonic form in a hymn of the Rig Veda and in a much amplified version in the ShatapathabraahmaNa. The third play, AbhiGYaanashaakuntala ( Shakuntalaa Recognized by the Token Ring), is the work by which Kaalidaasa is best known not only in India but throughout the world.

Poems – In addition to these three plays Kalidaaa wrote two long epic poems, the Kumarasambhava ( Birth of Kumara) and the Raghuvamsha ( Dynasty of Raghu).

Mṛcchakaṭika, is a ten-act Sanskrit drama attributed to Śūdraka, an ancient playwright generally thought to have lived sometime between the third century BC and the fifth century AD.

23. The climate of areas bordering the Mediterranean Sea is used as a climate type that generally is described as humid due to winter rainfall but that is water-deficient during part of its growing season.

24. The Supreme Court can issue writ only in case of violation of any of the fundamental rights

contained in Part-III of the constitution, while the High Courts can issue writs not only in case of

violation of fundamental rights but also in case of violation of any legal rights of the citizens

provided that a writ is a proper remedy in such cases, according to well-established principles.

25. Departmentally Related Standing Committees

A full-fledged system of 17 Departmentally Related Standing Committees came into being in April, 1993. These Committees cover under their jurisdiction all the Ministries/ Departments of the Government of India. These Committees are as under :

Name of the Committee

1. Committee on Commerce

2. Committee on Home Affairs

3. Committee on Human Resource Development

4. Committee on Industry

5. Committee on Science & Technology,

Environment & Forests

6. Committee on Transport, Culture and Tourism

7. Committee on Agriculture

8. Committee on Information Technology

9. Committee on Defence

10. Committee on Energy

11. Committee on External Affairs

12. Committee on Finance

13. Committee on Food, Civil Supplies and

Public Distribution

14. Committee on Labour and Welfare

15. Committee on Petroleum & Chemicals

16. Committee on Railways

17. Committee on Urban and Rural Development

Out of the 17 Committees, 6 Committees (Sl. No. 1 to 6) are serviced by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat and 11 Committees (Sl. No. 7 to 17) by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

Each of these Standing Committees consists of not more than 45 members—30 to be nominated by the Speaker from amongst the members of Lok Sabha and 15 to be nominated by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha from amongst the members of Rajya Sabha. A Minister is not eligible to be nominated to these Committees.

The term of members of these Committees is one year.

26. Padmanabhaswamy Temple is located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. The temple is

built in an intricate fusion of the indigenousKerala style and the Dravidian style (kovil) of

architecture associated with the temples located in the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu, featuring

high walls, and a 16th-century Gopuram.

The principal deity Vishnu is enshrined in the "Anantha Shayanam" posture, the eternal yogic

sleep on the serpent Adisheshan.

27. The Bande Mataram was an English language newspaper founded in 1905 by Aurobindo

Ghosh. It was first published on 6 August 1906.

Sambad Kaumudi was a Bengali weekly newspaper published from Kolkata in the first half of

the 19th century by Ram Mohan Roy.

Chittaranjan Das (popularly called Deshbandhu "Friend of the country") (5 November 1869 –

16 June 1925) was an Indian politician and Founder-leader of the Swaraj (Independence) Party in

Bengal under British rule.

He brought out a newspaper called Forward and later changed its name to Liberty to fight

the British Raj. When the Calcutta Municipal Corporation was formed, he became its first

mayor.

Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya was born in the year 1861 and died in the 1946. He was a great

Indian educationist and freedom fighter, distinguished from others for his significant role in the

Indian independence and his support of Hindu nationalism. In his later life he was addressed as a

Mahamana for his great workings.

He was also the founders of Scouting in India as well as a highly influential English newspaper,

“The Leader” which was published from Allahabad in 1909.

28. “The constitutional guarantee of speedy trial is an important safeguard to prevent undue and oppressive incarceration prior to trial; to minimize concern accompanying public accusation and to limit the possibilities that long delays will impair the ability of an accused to defend himself”. The right to a speedy trial is first mentioned in that landmark document of English law, the Magna Carta. The constitutional philosophy propounded as right to speedy trial has though grown in age by almost two and a half decades, the goal sought to be achieved is yet a far-off peak. It a concept which deals with speedy disposal of cases to make the judiciary more effective and to impart justice as fast as possible. Article 21 declares that “no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to the procedure laid by law.”

In Sheela Barse v. Union of India court reaffirmed that speedy trial to be fundamental right. Right to speedy trial is a concept gaining recognition and importance day by day.

29. The Prarthana Samaj (also ‘Prayer Society’ in english) was founded in Maharashtra by Dr. Atmaram Pandurang in 1867 under the influence of Brahmo leader Keshab Chandra Sen. Later, Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade and historian Ramkrishna Bhandarkar also joined the Prarthana Samaj.

The Servants of India Society was formed in Pune, Maharashtra, on June 12, 1905 by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, who left the Deccan Education Society to form this association. Along with him were a small group of educated Indians, as Natesh Appaji Dravid, Gopal Krishna Deodhar and Anant Patwardhan who wanted to promote social and human development and overthrow the British rule in India. The Society organized many campaigns to promote education, sanitation, health care and fight the social evils of untouchability and discrimination, alcoholism, poverty, oppression of women and domestic abuse. The publication of The Hitavada, the organ of the Society in English from Nagpurcommenced in 1911.

Sir Pherozeshah Mehta, KCIE (4 August 1845 – 5 November 1915) was a Parsi Indian political leader, activist, and a leading lawyer of Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay), India, who was knighted by the British Government in India for his service to the law. His political ideology

was, as was the case with most of the Indian leaders of his time, moderate. Hence, he was not directly opposed to the British Crown's sovereignty, but only demanded more autonomy for Indians to self-rule.

When the Bombay Presidency Association was established in 1885, Pherozeshah Mehta became its president, and remained so for the rest of his years. He encouraged Indians to obtain western education and embrace its culture to uplift India. He contributed to many social causes for education, sanitation and health care in the city and around India.

The Theosophical Society was officially formed in New York City, United States, on 17 November 1875 byHelena Petrovna Blavatsky, Colonel Henry Steel Olcott, William Quan Judge, and others.

30.

The credit for the discovery of the Valley of Flowers goes to the British mountaineers Franks S.

Smythe and R.L. Holdsworth who incidentally reached this valley after a successful expedition of Mount Kamet in 1931.

31. MN Sharma (93), the first chief architect of Chandigarh, has recently passed away in Chandigarh. He recently wrote a book “Making of Chandigarh: Le Corbusier and After”, which brought the chronology of the events of the making of the city in his book. He was the first chief architect of Chandigarh, who closely worked with legendary Swiss-born French architect Le Corbusier.

32.

33. Under Parppida Mission, the government plans to ensure housing for all, while “Ardram” proposes to upgrade basic facilities in government hospitals without inflating rates. At least 1,000 schools are supposed to be elevated to international standards under “Life”, a scheme that will focus on improving liveability conditions.

34. Dhamma was not a particular religious faith or practice, or an arbitrary formulated royal policy. Dharma related to generalized norms of social behavior and activities; Ashoka tried to synthesize various social norms which were current in his time. It cannot be understood by assuming it is one of the various religions that existed at that time. To understand why and how Ashoka formulated Dharma and its meaning, one must understand the characteristics of the time in which he lived and to refer to Buddhist, Brahmanical and other texts where norms of social behavior are explained.

35. India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Palestine for setting up of Palestine-India Techno Park at Ramallah in Palestine

36. The Punjab government has observed November 1 as ‘No Tobacco Day’ in an effort to discourage tobacco use in the State.

37. Varāhamihira (505–587 CE), also called Varaha or Mihir, was an Indian astronomer, mathematician, andastrologer who lived in Ujjain. He was born in Avanti (India) region, roughly corresponding to modern-day Malwa, to Adityadasa, who was himself an astronomer. According to one of his own works, he was educated at Kapitthaka. He is considered to be one of the "Nine Jewels" (Navaratnas) of the court of legendary ruler Yashodharman Vikramaditya of Malwa.

Varahamitra's main work is the book Pañcasiddhāntikā (or Pancha-Siddhantika, "[Treatise] on the Five [Astronomical] Canons) dated ca. 575 CE gives us information about older Indian texts which are now lost. The work is a treatise on mathematical astronomy and it summarises five earlier astronomical treatises, namely the Surya Siddhanta, Romaka Siddhanta, Paulisa

Siddhanta, Vasishtha Siddhantaand Paitamaha Siddhanta. It is a compendium of Vedanga Jyotisha as well as Hellenistic astronomy (including Greek, Egyptian and Roman elements). Varahamihira was the first one to mention that the ayanamsa, or the shifting of the equinox is 50.32 seconds.

38. The iqtas could be big (whole province) or small. The assignees of bigger iqtas-known as muqti or lOali-had dual obligation, tax collection and administration. They collected revenue from their iqta, defrayed their own expenses, paid the troops maintained by them and sent the bawazil (surplus) to the Centre. Their accounts were checked by the royal auditors of the dilOan-i-lOizarat.

The holders of small iqtas were individual troopers. They had no administrative responsibilities. They appropriated, for their personal use, the land revenue collected by them. In return, when the central government called them for service or inspection, they had to be present with horses and arms. Muhammad of Ghur was the first to introduce the iqta system in India, but it was lltutrnish who gave it an institutional form. The iqtadari system witnessed numerous changes during the Sultanate period. Initially, iqta was a revenue-yielding piece of land which was assigned in lieu of salary. However, during Firuz Shah Tughlaq's reign, it became hereditary.

39. entire population of a village could be divided into two classes, the rayats and the village servants. With the exception of a Marwari, who was the village moneylender, the whole non-Maratha population consisted of village servants who were entitled to some share in the crops grown for services rendered to the people of the village. The Patil, besides being allotted in am lands for htl> services, also received a small monthly salary. The office was still hereditary. The Kulkarni was the village accountant and was invariably a Brahmin.

40. The Odisha government has launched new scheme “Madhubabu Aain Sahayata Sibir’ (MASS)” to provide legal assistance to the deprived sections of the society.

41. Ayagar System

1. The assemblies of the Chola times were allowed to continue in name but all there powers

were taken away. Instead they were superimposed by 12 hereditary functionaries @ village level

each looking after different functions. They used to get tax-free land grants. This system was

called the Ayagar

2. The Ayagars were appointed by the state and were hereditary. in lieu of the salary they

were paid a part of the LR and also grated some tax free land. No land transaction could happen

without the permission of the Ayagar. One could also sell his office or mortgage it.

42. A manigramam is a large, influential guild of South Indian merchants. Tamil inscriptions record a tank construction by an important person and the tank is placed under the guard of the local Manigramam members.

Manigramam guild was a localized merchant body which first appeared along the Kerala coast in the ninth century A.D and gradually flourished in Tamil Nadu in the Pallava and Chola periods and then became supra-regional in character by being active in South-east Asia.

43. Rajatarangini is a metrical legendary and historical chronicle of the north-western Indian subcontinent, particularly the kings of Kashmir. It was written in Sanskrit by Kashmiri historian Kalhana in the 12th century CE.

Bilhana wrote 'Vikramankadeva Charita' in Sanskrit. The poem reflects his grandeur and the system of administration of Vikramaditya

he Mudrarakshasa is a historical play in Sanskrit by Vishakhadatta that narrates the ascent of the king Chandragupta Maurya to power in India.

44. The Wazir or the Prime Minister

His office was called the diwan-i-wazarat. The in-charge of the office was naib wazir.

Diwan-i-insha or the in-charge of royal correspondence

Diwan-i-insha was the third important minister. He was in charge of the royal correspondence. A

member of Dabir (writers) assisted him

Diwan-i-ariz or diwan-i-arz or the army master

The post of Diwan-i-ariz was next to the Wazir. He was the controller general of the military

establishment. It was his duty to recruit troops and to maintain the descriptive rolls of men and

horses. He was also to arrange to held review in order to inspect the forces

Barid-i-mamalik was the head of the information and intelligence department/

45. Tughlaq instituted economic policies to increase the material welfare of his people. Many rest houses (sarai), gardens and tombs were built. A number of madrasas were opened to encourage literacy. He set up hospitals for the free treatment of the poor and encouraged physicians in the development of Unani medicine. He provided money for the marriage of girls belonging to poor families under the department of Diwan-i-khairat. He commissioned many public buildings in Delhi. He built Firoz Shah Palace Complex at Hisar in 1354 CE, over 300

villages and dug five major canals, including the renovation of Prithviraj Chauhan era Western Yamuna Canal, for irrigation bringing more land under cultivation for growing grain and fruit. For day-to-day administration, Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq heavily depended on Malik Maqbul, previously commander of Warangal fort, who was captured and converted to Islam. When Tughlaq was away on a campaign to Sind and Gujarat for six months and no news was available about his whereabouts Maqbul ably protected Delhi. He was the most highly favoured among the significant number of the nobles in Tughlaq's court and retained the trust of the sultan. Sultan Feroze Shah Tughlaq used to call Maqbul as 'brother'. The sultan remarked that Khan-i-

Jahan (Malik Maqbul) was the real ruler of Delhi.

46. India has been ranked 133rd out of 183 countries in the 2016 Global Youth Development Index (YDI), which is compiled by the Commonwealth Secretariat on the countries’ prospects for young people in employment, education, health, civic and political spheres. The list is topped by Germany, followed by Denmark, Australia, Switzerland and United Kingdom(UK).

47. India’s first “Design Yatra” has started in Kozhikode, Kerala on October 29 to spread awareness and take designs to the masses.

48. Mariano Rajoy Brey , the leader of conservative Popular Party (PP), is the newly re-elected Prime Minister of Spain

49. Shashikala Kakodkar (7 January 1935 – 28 October 2016), popularly known as Tai (Elder sister in Marathi), was a prominent leader of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party(MGP). She served as the Chief Minister of Goa, Daman and Diu on two occasions, and also was the President of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party. She is the first (and as of 2017, the only) woman to serve as the Chief Minister of Goa, Daman and Diu.

50. Elie Wiesel (87), the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and human rights activist, has recently passed away in Manhattan, United States. He was best known for his major role in promoting Holocaust education and for perpetuating the memory of the Holocaust in the post-World War II era with his book “Night”.

51. The GSM Association (commonly referred to as 'the GSMA') is a trade body that represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Approximately 800 mobile operators are full GSMA members and a further 300 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem are associate members. The GSMA represents its members via industry programmes, working groups and industry advocacy initiatives. It also organises the mobile industry’s largest annual exhibition and conference, the GSMA Mobile World Congress, and several other events.

The GSMA is headquartered in London with regional offices in Atlanta, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Barcelona, Brussels, Brasilia, Nairobi and New Delhi.

Sunil Mittal, the founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, has been appointed as the chairman of global telecom body Global System Mobile Association (GSMA) for a two-year term

52. The Union Agriculture Ministry has constituted Dr. Munialappa committee to monitor bird flu situation and help the state governments in taking steps to contain the spread of avian influenza (H5N8)

53. Sakharov Prize

Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought

Presented by European Parliament

Reward(s) €50,000

First awarded 1988 Currently held by

Nadia Murad Basee and Lamiya Aji Bashar

Nadia Murad Basee and Lamiya Aji Bashar have been honoured with the 2016 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. Both are survivors of sexual enslavement by Islamic State (IS) The annual Sakharov prize for freedom of thought, established in 1988, is named after the Soviet physicist and outspoken dissident Andrei Sakharov and is awarded to individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to the fight for human rights across the globe.

54. China tops the list of fruit production with 154.364 million tonnes (MT) in 2013 followed by India (82.631 MT), Brazil (37.774 MT), USA (26.986 MT), Spain (17.699 MT), Mexico (17.553 MT), Italy (16.371 MT) and Indonesia (16.003 MT).

55. Ministry of AYUSH has decided to celebrate the National Ayurveda Day every year on Dhanwantari Jayanti. This year, it is being celebrated on 28th October 2016. In this context, the logo for the National Ayurveda Day is being launched. The silhouette of lord Dhanwantari in the centre of the logo represents the lord of Medicine. The five petals in logo symbolize Pancha Mahabhuta and three circles beneath signify Vata, Ptta, Kapha, the fundamental principles of Ayurveda. An oval leaf encircling the elements depicts the essence of healing through Nature based on these fundamental principles.

On the occasion of National Ayurveda Day, the Ministry of AYUSH is organizing a one day National Seminar on ‘’Prevention and Control of Diabetes through Ayurveda’’ on 28th October 2016 at New Delhi.

56. Delegates from 24 countries and the European Union have agreed that the Ross Sea in

Antarctica will become the world's largest marine protected area (MPA).

Some 1.57m sq km (600,000 sq miles) of the Southern Ocean will gain protection from commercial fishing for 35 years.

Environmentalists have welcomed the move to protect what's said to be the Earth's most pristine marine ecosystem.

They hope it will be the first of many such zones in international waters. At this meeting in Hobart, Australia, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic

Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) agreed unanimously to designate the Ross Sea as an MPA, after years of protracted negotiations, New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully announced.

The Ross Sea, its shelf and slope only comprise 2% of the Southern Ocean but they are home to 38% of the world's Adelie penguins, 30% of the world's Antarctic petrels and around 6% of the world's population of Antarctic minke whales.

57. Paul Beatty has won the 2016 Man Booker Prize for his racial satire, ‘The Sellout’ at a ceremony in London’s Guildhall. With this, he becomes the first American writer to win the Man Booker Prize.

58. India has been ranked 87th out of 144 countries on the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Index for 2016, improving from its 108 position in 2015.

59. Junko Tabei (77), who was the first woman to climb the world’s highest peak “Mount Everest”, has recently passed away in Tokyo, Japan. She reached the summit of Mt.Everest in 1975. In 1992, she also became the first woman to scale the “Seven Summits”, or the tallest mountains on each of the seven continents.

60. Krishi Innovation Science Application Network Dr. Harsh Vardhan, the Union Science and Technology Minister, has launched a new initiatives Biotech-KISAN (Krishi Innovation Science Application Network) scheme in New Delhi to empower farmers, especially women. Under the scheme, fellowship will be given to women farmers for training and education in the farm

practice.

61.

62. Carlos Alberto (72), former Brazilian World Cup-winning football captain, has recently passed away in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He scored one of the greatest goals in FIFA World Cup history while captaining Brazil to glory in the 1970 final against Italy in Mexico

63. India has been ranked 130th out of 190 countries in the World Bank’s Ease of doing business index for 2017. The list is topped by New Zealand, followed by Singapore, Denmark, Hong Kong

64. All oceanic regions of the world can experience tsunamis, but in the Pacific Ocean and its marginal seas, there is a much more frequent occurrence of large Tsunamis.

65. The 4th edition of the India-Sri Lanka joint military exercise “MITRA SHAKTI 2016” has started at Sinha Regimental Centre in Ambepussa

66. Demographic transition (DT) refers to the transition from high birth and death rates to

lower birth and death rates as a country or region develops from a pre-industrial to an

industrialized economic system. The theory was proposed in 1929 the

American demographer Warren Thompson, who observed changes, or transitions, in birth

and death rates in industrialized societies over the previous 200 years. Most developed

countries have completed the demographic transition and have low birth rates;

most developing countries are in the process of this transition.

Stage Four

This occurs where birth and death rates are both low, leading to a total population which is high and stable. Death rates are low for a number of reasons, primarily lower rates of diseases and

higher production of food. The birth rate is low because people have more opportunities to choose if they want children; this is made possible by improvements in contraception or women gaining more independence and work opportunities. The DTM is only a suggestion about the future population levels of a country, not a prediction.

Countries that are at this stage (Total Fertility Rate of < 2.5 in 1997) include: United States, Canada, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, the majority of Europe, Bahamas, Puerto Rico(US territory), Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Singapore, Iran, China, Turkey, Thailand, and Mauritius.

67.

68. Dalmatia is one of the four historical regions of Croatia, alongsideCroatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria.

Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of the Adriatic Sea, stretching from island of Rab in the north to the Bay of Kotor in the south. The hinterland (Dalmatian Zagora) ranges in width from fifty kilometres in the north, to just a few kilometres in the south; it is mostly covered by the rugged Dinaric Mountains. 79 islands (and about 500 islets) run parallel to the coast, the largest (in Dalmatia) being Brač,Pag and Hvar. The largest city is Split, followed by Zadar, Dubrovnik, and Šibenik..

69. Varun Singh Bhati, a Para high jumper from India, has won bronze at 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.

70. The Gobi Desert is a large desert region in Asia. It covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Taklamakan Desert to the west, by the Hexi Corridor and Tibetan Plateau to the southwest, and by the North China Plain to the southeast. The Gobi is most notable in history as part of the great Mongol Empire, and as the location of several important cities along the Silk Road.

The Gobi is a cold desert, with frost and occasionally snow occurring on its dunes.

71. chernozem: A fertile black soil rich in humus and with a lighter lime-rich layer beneath, typically occurring in the temperate grasslands of the Russian steppes and North American prairies.

72. The Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt (Lower Egypt) where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea.

The Nile is considered to be an "arcuate" delta (arc-shaped), as it resembles Corpse flower as seen from above.

73. Jammu and Kashmir (J & K) has the highest life expectancy in India for all ages, barring life expectancy at birth, as per recently data released by the Registrar General of India (RGI). Though, Kerala has the highest overall life expectancy at birth, followed by Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir.

74. The National Solidarity Day is observed every year on October 20 in India. It is the date on which China attacked India in 1962.

75. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently laid the foundation stone of Urja Ganga gas pipeline project of Rs. 51,000-crore in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

76. Chanderi sari is a traditional sari made in Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh, India.

According to local historical records and folklore, Chanderi was founded by Lord Krishna's cousin Shishupala.

The famous weaving culture started during the 2nd century and 7th century. It has situated on the boundary of two cultural regions of the state, Malwa and Bundelkhand.

77. Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms typically begin three to fourteen days after infection. This may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash. Recovery generally takes two to seven days. In a small proportion of cases, the disease develops into the life-threatening dengue

hemorrhagic fever, resulting in bleeding, low levels of blood platelets and blood plasma leakage, or into dengue shock syndrome, where dangerously low blood pressure occurs.

Dengue is spread by several species of mosquito of the Aedes type, principally A. aegypti.

78. American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930. From 1930 until 2006, Pluto sat comfortably beyond Neptune as the ninth planet in our solar system.

In 2006, however, changes were made. The truth is, nothing about Pluto changed, but the definition of a planet did. Once these changes became official, Pluto no longer fit the definition of a planet.

According to new rules adopted by the International Astronomical Union, a celestial body must meet the following criteria in order to qualify as a planet:

A planet must be round.

A planet must orbit the sun.

A planet must have “cleared the neighborhood" of its orbit. This means that as a planet travels, its gravity sweeps and clears the space around it of other objects. Some of the objects may crash into the planet, others may become moons.

Pluto follows the first two rules: It is round, and it orbits the sun. It does not, however, follow the third rule. It has not yet cleared the neighborhood of its orbit in space. Because it does not follow this rule, Pluto is no longer considered a planet.

79. The Ajanta Caves in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state of India are about 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BCE to about 480 or 650 CE.

The Ajanta Caves constitute ancient monasteries and worship halls of different Buddhist traditions carved into a 250 feet wall of rock. The caves also present paintings depicting the past lives and rebirths of the Buddha, pictorial tales from Aryasura's Jatakamala, as well as rock-cut sculptures of Buddhist deities in vogue between the 2nd century BCE and 5th century CE.

The paintings in cave 1, which according to Spink was commissioned by Harisena himself, concentrate on those Jataka tales which show previous lives of the Buddha as a king, rather than as deer or elephant or another Jataka animal.

80. "Farmers in the Indus valley were the first to spin and weave cotton. In 1929 archaeologists recovered fragments of cotton tetiles at Mohenjo-Daro, in what is now Pakistan, dating to between 3250 and 2750 BCE. Cottonseeds founds at nearby Mehrgarh have been dated to 5000 BCE. Literary references further point to the ancient nature of the subcontinent's cotton industry. The Vedic scriptures, composed between 1500 and 1200 BCE allude to cotton spinning and weaving . . .." So goes a remarkable new book, Empire of Cotton A Global History by Sven Beckert, which traces the development of the cotton industry in depth.

The Indus Valley civilization, as we find it, was highly developed and must have taken thousands of years to reach that stage. It was, surprisingly enough, a predominantly secular

civilization, and the religious element, though present, did not dominate the scene. It was clearly also the precursor of later cultural periods in India.

81. Taxation is a powerful instrument of fiscal policy in the hands of public authorities which greatly effect the changes in disposable income, consumption and investment.

82. Income tax, Corporation Tax, Service tax are levied and collected by Centre but are appropriated by both states and centres as per distribution formula recommended by Finance Commission.

Residuary Power of Taxation Union Government has exclusive powers to impose taxes which are not specifically mentioned in the state or concurrent lists. Some taxes imposed using these powers include Gift tax, wealth tax and expenditure tax.

Entertainment Tax:

This tax is imposed by state government on all the financial transactions related to entertainment

like cinema, stage shows, entertainment events, amusement parks and sports events. Different tax

rates are applicable for these services in various states. This explains why Bangalore moviegoers

are unhappier than Chennai cinema buffs – the latter enjoy a very low entertainment tax.

India has a well-developed tax structure with clearly demarcated authority between Central and State Governments and local bodies. Central Government levies taxes on income (except tax on agricultural income, which the State Governments can levy), customs duties, central excise and service tax. Value Added Tax (VAT), stamp duty, state excise, land revenue and profession tax are levied by the State Governments. Local bodies are empowered to levy tax on properties, octroi and for utilities like water supply, drainage etc. Indian taxation system has undergone tremendous reforms during the last decade. The tax rates have been rationalized and tax laws have been simplified resulting in better compliance, ease of tax payment and better enforcement. The process of rationalization of tax administration is ongoing in India. 83. Tom Hayden (76), an American social and political activist, has recently died in Santa Monica, California. He was best known for his major role as an anti-Vietnam war, civil rights and radical intellectual counterculture activist.

84. Deficit financing in advanced countries is used to mean an excess of expenditure over

revenue—the gap being covered by borrowing from the public by the sale of bonds and by

creating new money. In India, and in other developing countries, the term deficit financing is

interpreted in a restricted sense.

The National Planning Commission of India has defined deficit financing in the following way.

The term ‘deficit financing’ is used to denote the direct addition to gross national expenditure

through budget deficits, whether the deficits are on revenue or on capital account.

There are various purposes of deficit financing.

These are:

i. To finance defence expenditures during war

ii. To lift the economy out of depression so that incomes, employment, investment, etc., all rise

iii. To activate idle resources as well as divert resources from unproductive sectors to productive

sectors with the objective of increasing national income and, hence, higher economic growth

iv. To raise capital formation by mobilizing forced savings made through deficit financing

v. To mobilize resources to finance massive plan expenditure

If the usual sources of finance are, thus, inadequate for meeting public expenditure, a

government may resort to deficit financing.

85. Objectives Of Tax:

Tax is permanent instrument for collecting revenues. It is a major source of revenue in the developed world and has been appearing as an important source of revenue in the developing world as well. It has been an instrument of social and economic policy for the government. The main objectives of tax are as follows:

1. Raise More Revenue

2. Prevent Concentration Of Wealth In A Few Hands

3. Redistribute Wealth For Common Good

4. Boost Up The Economy

5. Reduce Unemployment

6. Remove Regional Disparities

86. Cripps proposal also outlined the composition of the constitution making-body and how it

would be elected, adding that until the formation of the new constitution the British Government

would remain responsible for the defence of India. The Cripps proposals were an attempt to

satisfy the Congress by the promise of a Constituent Assembly and the League by the provision

that any province would be at liberty to reject the Constitution and form a new constitution by

agreement with the British Government.

The Cripps proposals were rejected by the Congress in its meeting 11th April, 1942. The

Working Committee reiterated the demand for freedom before the people could participate in the

defence of the country on a national basis.

The Working Committee expressed its disapproval of the proposed Composition of the

Constitution making body and the right of the rulers of the Indian States to decide the future of

millions of people living in these states. This was a “negation of both democracy and self

determination.” The proposals therefore were rejected by the Congress as Vague and incomplete.

Why Cripps Mission failed?

The main reasons for failure of Cripps mission include (1) its rejection by almost all political dispensations in the country (2) its proposals included no real transfer of power (3) the Viceroy and Secretary of State worked behind the door to sabotage the mission etc.

87. Non-cooperation movement was started by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920 to drive the British out of the country.

Causes of the Movement

1. Disillusion at the end of the war: There were some Indians who did not want to cooperate

with the government during the war but Gandhiji thought it improper to take advantage of the

weak position of the rulers. With the outbreak of the World War I, India came to be involved in

the War as a part of the British Empire.

The British Government utilized India’s wealth, money and manpower for its own interest.

About 1.25 million Indian soldiers fought on behalf of the British in different war fronts and

many of them sacrificed their lives. They also donated about six crores and 21 lac pounds as war

subscription.

So, Indians expected that in return of this valuable service, the British Government would grant

autonomy to them at the end of the War. But they were greatly disillusioned. This dis-

satisfaction was one of the causes of the Non-cooperation Movement by Gandhi.

2. Home Rule movement: Indians were disappointed to see the British government adopting

repressive measures. In response to it Tilak and Besant started Home Rule movement. The

Lucknow Pact had brought the Congress and the Muslim League closer together. The return of

the Extremists to the Congress in 1916 gave the Congress a militant character.

The Home Rule movement prepared the ground for Non-Cooperation Movement.

3. Economic distress caused by the World War I: The War brought about great economic

distress to the Indians. At the end of the war, the economic condition took a turn of the worse.

Prices shot up. Price of cloths, sugar etc., began to soar. Foreign goods began to be imported.

Both the peasants and the workers suffered due to the impact of war. The price of agricultural

products did not increase. The workers being unemployed had to live in half starvation.

According to Louis Fischer, not only political leaders, but also the soldiers and even the peasants

claimed compensations for shedding Indian blood.

4. Montague-Chelmsford Act: The Mont-Ford Act of 1919 could not satisfy the Congress. The

actual scheme of reforms fell far short of nationalists’ demands.

Impact of the Rowlatt Act: The passing of the Rowlatt Act and the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy

gave a new turn to Indian politics. Gandhiji became firm in the policy of non-cooperation. The

Rowlatt Act tried to put restriction upon the liberty of speech and Press, and this was taken to be

a signal for still greater repressive measures from the British government. The whole of the

nation rose in indignation against the government, and like a wild fire there was a wave of an

agitation all over the country.

5. The Khilafat movement: The Khilafat leaders were told that they should not expect anything

more. So, the Khilafat Committee accepted the suggestion of non-cooperation and asked Gandhi

to lead the movement.

Thus it was apparent that the Congress had to work out something soon, for it was clear that the

people were becoming impatient for action. So, the all India congress Committee met to decide

on its course of action. The Nagpur session of the congress confirmed the resolution of starting

non-cooperation movement. Gandhiji assured the nation that the Swaraj would be achieved

within a year.

88. Government of India Act 1919 was passed by British Parliament to further expand the participation of Indians in the Government of India. Since the act embodied reforms as recommended by a report of Edwin Montagu {Secretary of State for India} and Lord Chelmsford {Viceroy and Governor General}, it is also called as Montague-Chelmsford Reforms or simply Mont-Ford Reforms. The most notable feature of the act was “end of benevolent despotism” and introduction of responsible government in India. This act covered 10 years from 1919 to 1929.

Changes in Secretary of State for India:

No substantial changes were made in the office of Secretary of State for India. However, his salary was made a charged expenditure on British revenue this time. Further, the legislative council got the opportunity to criticise him at the time of budget.

89. The provincial state of Bengal had an area of 189,000 miles2 and a population of nearly 8 crores (80 million). It included the Hindi-speaking regions of Bihar, the Odia-speaking regions of Odisha as well as the Assamese-speaking region of Assam, making it a huge administrative entity. Moreover, the capital Calcutta was the capital of the entire British India. With the growing efforts of the Indian National Congress to secure the independence of India, Lord Curzon decided to address both these problems by partitioning Bengal into two entities, which would result in a Muslim-majority in the eastern half, and a Hindu-majority in the western half. This he hoped would reduce the administrative pressures as well divide the population on religious grounds, quelling the Indian Independence Movement.

90. Gopal Ganesh Agarkar (14 July 1856 – 17 June 1895) was a Chitpavan Brahmin social reformer, educationist, thinker from Maharashtra, India during the British rule.

He was the first editor of [Kesari (newspaper)|Kesari], a prominent Marathi weekly in those days which was started by Lokmanya Tilak in 1880-81. He subsequently left Kesari out of ideological differences with Tilak concerning the primacy of political reform versus social reform; with Agarkar believing that the need for social reform was more immediate. He started his own periodical Sudharak in which he campaigned against the injustices of untouchability and the caste system. Agarkar abhorred blind adherence to and glorification of tradition and the past. He supported widow re-marriage. Though Agarkar championed social reforms he let his wife observe all the old traditions of Hindu faith and never once came in her way.

91. Swaraj Party

Who founded the Swaraj Party? Motilal Nehru and Chittaranjan Das were the founders of

Swaraj Party. It was named as “Congress-Khilafat Swarajaya Party” in 1922.

What was the Swaraj Party? The Swaraj Party (also Swarajya Party) claimed to be an integral

part of the Congress. But it set up a separate organization under separate leadership of

Chittaranjan Das (C.R. Das) and Motilal Nehru. The Swaraj Party accepted almost entire

programme of the Congress.

Objectives

1. It decided to take part in elections.

2. The Swaraj Party declared that the national demand for self-government would be

presented in councils.

3. In case of the rejection of the demand of its elected members, their policy would be to

uniformly and consistently obstruct within the councils.

Gandhiji recognized the right of the Swarajists to pursue their ‘project’ of obstruction.

92. In December, 1929,the Indian National Congress declared that total independence for India was its avowed objective and to that effect January 26,1930 ,was celebrated as Independence Day throughout the country. People everywhere enthusiastically pledged themselves to fight for “purna swaraj”. Again this background , Gandhiji under the authority of the Congress took the first step and launched the civil disobedience movement known as the Salt Satyagraha.

93. Untouchable's Conference arranged by Shahu Maharaja of Kolhapur At Mangaon, Kolhapur. March, 1920

The 1920 Mangaon Conference is a landmark in the untouchables' struggle for self-respect and their search for dignity. During this conference Shahu Maharaj announced to the world the greatness of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. He literally anointed Dr. Ambedkar as the leader of the untouchables.

94. Gandhiji was aroused by the Rowlatt Act. In February 1919 he founded the Satyagraha Sabha. Its members took a pledge to disobey the Act and thus to court arrest. Here was new method of struggle. Big meetings and demonstrastions, refusal to cooperate with the government, boycott of foreign cloth and schools or individual acts of terrorism were the only forms of political work known to the nationalists. Satyagraha immediately raised the movement to a higher level. Nationalists could now act, instead of merely agitating and giving only verbal expression to their dissatisfaction and anger.

Gandhiji asked the nationalist workers to go to the villages. That is where India lives, he said. He increasingly turned the face of nationalism towards the common man and the symbol of this transformation was to be Khadi, which soon became the uniform of the nationalists. The people responded magnificently to Gandhi’s call. March and April 1919 witnessed a remarkable political awakening in India. There were hartals, strikes, and demonstrations. The entire country was electrified.

95. The United Nations Day is observed every year on October 24 to mark the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter.

The 2016 theme is “Freedom First”. This year’s UN Day will be used to highlight concrete actions people can take to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

96. India’s first startup magazine “Cofounder” has been launched by Adhish Verma and Arunraj Rajendran. The magazine will talk about real stories behind the early stage startups and entrepreneurs.

97. India has been ranked 38th among the 51 developing countries in female literacy as per New York-based International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity. The data from new research on female literacy show that India’s school education system is under-performing in terms of quality when compared to its neighbours viz. Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.

98. The Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) is located in Andhra Pradesh. It is in news because Lutrogale perspicillata (smooth-coated otter) has been sighted for the first time in the mangrove forest adjacent to the KWS in Krishna district.

99. The book “Andhere se ujale ki aur” has been authored by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

100. The Almatti Dam is a hydroelectric project on the Krishna River at the Bagalkot district in North Karnataka. It is in news because the dam has been chosen for the World Bank’s Award of Excellence for best utilization of funds (Rs. 72 crore) for renovation to increase the strength of the dam.