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On 28th May, India paid tribute to the freedom fighter, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (Veer Savarkar) on his birth anniversary. He was an Indian independence activist, politician, lawyer and writer. He is also known as Swatantryaveer Savarkar. Important points: Born on 28th May,1883 in Bhagur, a village near Nashik in Maharashtra. Founded a secret society called Abhinav Bharat Society. Went to …

Recently, the death anniversary of Begum Sultan Jahan was observed. She was a Philanthropist, Prolific writer, Feminist, Symbol of Women Empowerment, First female Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University. Important points Birth: In 1858 (Bhopal). She was the last Begum of Bhopal. Ruled from 1909 to 1926 after which she was succeeded by her …

The Prime Minister addressed “Virtual Vesak Global Celebrations” on Buddha Purnima. The event is being organised by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) and will witness the participation of all the supreme heads of the Buddhist Sanghas from around the world. Important points: It is celebrated to mark the birth of Gautam Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. It …

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has formulated Kharif Strategy 2021 to achieve self-sufficiency in edible oils. Kharif Season Crops are sown from June to July and Harvesting is done in between September-October. Crops are: Rice, maize, jowar, bajra, tur, moong, urad, cotton, jute, groundnut, soyabean etc. States are: Assam, West Bengal, coastal regions of …

Recently, the Punjab government has announced the formation of Malerkotla as the 23rd district of the state. Section 5 of the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887 says the “State government may, by notification, vary the limits and alter the numbers of tehsils, districts and divisions into which the State is divided.” History of Malerkotla: The Malerkoltla …

International Museum Day is observed on 18th May every year to raise awareness among people about the museums. 2021 Theme: The Future of Museums: Recover and Reimagine. Important points: The Day was instituted in 1977 by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) ICOM is a membership association and a non-governmental organisation which establishes professional and ethical standards for museum activities. …

Recently, Cyclone Tauktae made landfall in Gujarat. The cyclone has left a trail of destruction as it swept through the coastal states of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. Important points: It is a tropical cyclone, named by Myanmar. It means ‘gecko’, a highly vocal lizard, in the Burmese language. Typically, tropical cyclones in the North Indian Ocean region (Bay …

Two people were arrested under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 for possessing uranium without licence and selling it illegally. On testing, the sample was confirmed as natural uranium by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). Important points: Uranium occurs naturally in low concentrations in soil, rock and water. It is a hard, dense, malleable, ductile, silver-white, …

The Prime Minister of India paid tribute to Gopal Krishna Gokhale on his Jayanti. Gopal Krishna Gokhale was a great social reformer and educationist who provided exemplary leadership to India’s freedom movement. Important points: Birth: 9th May, 1866 in Kotluk village in present-day Maharashtra (then part of the Bombay Presidency). Gokhale worked …

The Prime Minister of India paid tributes to Maharana Pratap on his Jayanti. Important points: Rana Pratap Singh also known as Maharana Pratap was born on 9th May 1540 in Kumbhalgarh, Rajasthan. He was the 13th King of Mewar and was the eldest son of Udai Singh II Maharana Udai Singh II ruled the kingdom of Mewar, with his capital at …

The Prime Minister paid tribute to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore on 160th Jayanti on 7th May, 2021. Important points: He was born in Calcutta on 7th May 1861. He was also referred to as ‘Gurudev’, ‘Kabiguru’, and ‘Biswakabi’ He is regarded as the outstanding creative artist of modern India and hailed by W.B Yeats, Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali poet, novelist, and painter, who …

Recently, scientists have obtained new data about Venus by bouncing radio waves off the planet. The scientists transmitted radio waves toward Venus 21 times from 2006 to 2020 from NASA’s Goldstone Antenna in the Mojave Desert of California and studied the radio echo, which provided information on certain planetary traits. Important points: Latest Findings: A …

According to a recent study based on fossil leaves, Indian monsoon 25 million years ago resembled present day Australia’s. Understanding the past dynamics of Indian monsoon will help in climate modelling for future monsoon prediction. Important points: The morphological characters of fossil leaves from different geological ages collected from Deccan Volcanic Province, East Garo Hills of Meghalaya, …

A study published in Geophysical Research Letters of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) says that due to the significant melting of glaciers because of global temperature rise, Earth’s axis of rotation has been moving more than usual since the 1990s. While this change is not expected to affect daily life, it can change the length of …

Sri Akhand Path was inaugurated at Gurdwara Guru Ke Mahal, the birthplace of the ninth Sikh guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, to mark the 400th Prakash Purab (birth centenary) of the Guru. Important points: Guru Teg Bahadur (1621-1675): Guru Tegh Bahadur was the ninth Sikh Guru, often venerated as the ‘Protector of Humanity’ (Srisht-di-Chadar) by the Sikhs. Known as a great teacher, …

Recently, a powerful earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter Scale jolted Assam and other parts of Northeast. According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) report, the tremors have been attributed to Kopili Fault zone closer to Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT). NCS is the nodal agency of the Government of …

Recently, the US President officially recognised the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915-16 as an act of genocide. The Armenian diaspora marks 24th April as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. Important points: According to Article II of the United Nations (UN) Convention on Genocide of December 1948, genocide …

The Prime Minister of India greeted the people on occasion of ‘Mahavir Jayanti’ (25th April 2021). Mahavir Jayanti is one of the most auspicious festivals in the Jain community. Important points: This day marks the birth of Vardhamana Mahavira, who was the 24th and the last Tirthankara and who succeeded …

The Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) emissions from a volcanic eruption in the Caribbean (La Soufriere Volcano) have reached India, sparking fear of increased pollution levels in the northern parts of the country and acid rain. The Caribbean is the region roughly south of the United States, east of Mexico and north …

Italy recently launched the first “Mega Food Park” in India involving food processing facilities. It is the first Italian-Indian Food Park project launched in the country. About the Project The name of the project is “Mega Food Park”. The main aim of the project is to develop an interaction between …