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Two Indian climbers were rescued from Mt. Annapurna in Nepal. Annapurna is a mountain situated in the Gandaki Province, Nepal. It is the tenth highest mountain in the world at 8,091 metres. The entire massif and surrounding area are protected within the 7,629-square-kilometre Annapurna Conservation Area, the first and largest conservation area in Nepal. For decades, Annapurna …

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission launches National Campaign “Sangathan se Samriddhi”. Nodal ministry: The Ministry of Rural Development’s Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). “Sangathan Se Samridhhi– Leaving no Rural Woman Behind” is a national campaign aimed at mobilizing 10 crore women from eligible rural households. This special drive aspires to bring all the …

Utsa Patnaik, an economist of national and international repute, has been selected for the Malcolm Adiseshiah Award, 2023. The award is given every year by the Malcolm & Elizabeth Adiseshiah Trust. The prestigious national award honours outstanding social scientists selected by a national-level jury specially constituted for this purpose, from the nominations received. The award will …

India will host an international summit on Buddhism in New Delhi. Delegates from 30 countries will participate with the exception of China and also Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. The maiden conference being organised by the Union Culture Ministry and the International Buddhist Confederation will discuss contemporary global issues through a Buddhist perspective. The delegates include prominent scholars, monks, diplomats and members of Buddhist …

It is said that he arrived at the location of the shrine after reaching India in 52 AD. Devotees believe he performed a miracle and left a footprint on the hilltop. Who was Saint Thomas? In Christian mythology, it is believed that when Jesus Christ set out to preach his beliefs and message, he …

Union Home Minister Amit Shah conferred the prestigious Maharashtra Bhushan Award on veteran social worker Appasaheb Dharmadhikari. Who is Appasaheb Dharmadhikari? Also known as Dattatreya Narayan Dharmadhikari, he was born in the village of Revdanda in Raigad district on May 14, 1946. He is dedicated towards what he calls “social awakening”. To spread this message, regular congregations or Shri …

The Caste System is not merely a division of labour. It is also a division of labourers. Civilised society undoubtedly needs division of labour. But in no civilised society is division of labour accompanied by this unnatural division of labourers into watertight compartments it is a hierarchy in which the …

Kerala celebrates Vishu with traditional zeal Key details: Vishu is celebrated in Kerala to mark the start of the Malayalam new year. The word “Vishu” in Sanskrit means “equal” and hence it celebrates the spring equinox, when day and night are nearly equal. Vishu Kani: Vishu Kani is an assortment of auspicious items. It is …

Vice President greets the nation on the eve of Mahavir Jayanti Mahavir Jayanti is an important religious festivals in Jainism. It celebrates the birth of Lord Mahavir, the twenty-fourth and last. Birth of Lord Mahavira: Mahavir was born in the year 599 BCE in Kundagram (which is today’s Kundalpur in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar). He was born in a …

Nagaraja Thira’ was performed recently at the Sree Muchilottu temple at Kuthiravattom in Kozhikode. ‘Thira’, like Theyyam, is a dance that is part of a religious ritual performed in the temples of Kerala. While the person participating in Theyyam is considered god, the person taking part in ‘Thira’ is considered as possessed by god This art form …

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has greeted the people on Utkal Dibasa. Utkala Diwas, also known as the Odisha Diwas, is the foundation day of Odisha. Every year, the state celebrates April 1 as the day of its origin. On this day, the state of Odisha was declared an independent province when divided by Bihar. The state …

Northwest India has seen multiple spells of rainfall due to western disturbances. Out of the 10 States and Union Territories of northwest India, six have recorded a large excess in rainfall so far this month, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Chandigarh. A western disturbance is an extratropical cyclone that originates in the Mediterranean region and provides heavy winter rain to the Indian subcontinent’s northern regions. A Western Disturbance is defined …

The Dalai Lama has named a US-born Mongolian boy as the tenth Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa, the head of the Janang tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and the Buddhist spiritual head of Mongolia, a report by the Times said. Janang Tradition The Janang is one of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Its origins in Tibet can be …

Lebanon was thrown into mass confusion after its government at the last minute delayed the start of daylight saving time by a month. Meanwhile, Greenland has chosen to stay with daylight saving time forever. What is daylight saving time? Daylight saving time (DST) is the practice of setting the clocks forward …

This quote is part of a passage/essay written by Bhagat Singh. In this passage, Bhagat Singh outlines why reason, rather than blind faith, should drive anyone who believes in progress. Usage of the term faith: first, as a synonym for religious beliefs (‘old faiths’) and second, simply as faith (complete trust or confidence in someone or something) itself. Meaning …

Lights at public places and some temples in different cities including Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi were turned off between 8.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. as part of the global ‘Earth Hour’ event. Earth Hour was launched in 2007 by the World Wildlife Fund and its partners in Sydney, Australia. Earth Hour is described …

The Parsi community in India, which follows Zoroastrianism, celebrated Nowruz on March 21, marking the beginning of the New Year. Nowruz begins on the first day of the Farvardin, the first month of the Iranian solar calendar at the spring equinox, and continues for 12 days. In 1079 AD, a Persian king Jalaluddin Malekshah introduced …

Tipu Sultan was feared and envied not just during his reign (1782-99) by his fiercest enemies, the British, when he became the stuff of folklore in England. In the Passage to England, news of his fearless opposition inflated his strengths and exaggerated his vices. He and his island abode, ‘Seringapatam’, …

Vice President pays tribute to Sardar Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru on Shaheed Diwas. ‘Shaheed Diwas’ is commemorated every year on March 23 to remember the sacrifice made by the revolutionary leaders Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Hari Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar who were hanged at the Lahore Central Jail in 1931. The trio was found guilty of the murder of deputy police superintendent JP Saunders in 1928, to avenge the death of Lala Lajpat Rai. Contributions …

March 23 is a milestone in the history of India’s Independence struggle. It was on this day, in 1919, that Mahatma Gandhi was in Chennai on the invitation of Kasturi Ranga Iyengar. Gandhiji had hitherto been struggling to find a way to counter the draconian and recently enacted Rowlatt Act …