GS1

GS-1 SWACHH ICONIC PLACES (SIP) Ministry of Jal Shakti announces selection of 12 sites for transforming them into ‘Swachh Tourist Destinations’ under Phase-IV.       Details: The Swachch Iconic Places initiative, under the Swachch Bharat Mission, is a special clean-up initiative focused on select iconic heritage, spiritual and cultural …

GS-1 MANNATHU PADMANABHAN PM pays tributes to Sri MannathuPadmanabhan Ji on his PunyaTithi.  About MannathuPadmanabhan: MannathuPadmanabhan (1878 – 1970) was an Indian social reformer and freedom fighter from Kerala. He took part in anti-untouchability agitations and advocated opening temples for people of all castes. He also participated in the Vaikom …

GS-1 SENKAKU ISLAND DISPUTE Recently, China called the Japan-USA mutual security pact a product of the Cold War following USA’s criticism of the presence of Chinese coast guard vessels in Japanese-claimed territorial waters. Important points: Th e 1960 Japan-USA mutual security treaty assures the USA would come to Japan’s aid …

GS-1 SOLAR ROTATION Kodaikanal Solar Observatory Digitized Data probes Sun’s rotation over the century. Who conducted the study? Researchers led by a Ph.D. student from the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), an autonomous institute under Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India Collaborators from Max Planck …

GS-1 NCBC CHAIRMAN ON SUB-CATEGORISATION OF OBC The chairman of National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC), Bhagwan Lal Sahni, said that the NCBC is in favour of four subcategories of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). This move complies with the recommendation of the Justice Rohini Commission.     Justice Rohini …

GS-1 DECLINING RAINFALL IN CHERRAPUNJI A recent study that looked at the rainfall pattern in the past 119 years found a decreasing trend at Cherrapunji (Meghalaya) and nearby areas. The village of Mawsynram in East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya has beaten Cherrapunji to become the wettest place in the world. Mawsynram receives over 10,000 millimetres of …

GS-1 HUNAR HAAT Recently, the Governor of Maharashtra inaugurated a HunarHaat in Mumbai. HunarHaat is an exhibition of handicrafts and traditional products made by artisans from the minority communities. These are organised by the Ministry of Minority Affairs under USTTAD (Upgrading the Skills & Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development) scheme. The USTTAD scheme aims to promote …

GS-1 PM PAYS TRIBUTES TO CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ ON HIS JAYANTI ChhatrapatiShivajiMaharaj, great Maratha ruler was born on 19 February 1630 at Shivneri Fort in District Pune in the present-day state of Maharashtra. ShivajiMaharaj Biography Some records claim Shivaji’s date of birth as 6 April 1627 but 19 February 1630 …

GS-1 DICKINSONIA FOSSIL DISCOVERED IN BHIMBETKA Researchers have found the first-ever fossil in India of a Dickinsonia —the Earth’s ‘oldest animal’, dating back 570 million years — on the roof of what’s called the ‘Auditorium Cave’ at Bhimbetka. Dickinsonia Dickinsonia is an extinct genus of basal animal that lived during …

GS-1 UNANI DAY 2021 World Unani Day is observed on February 11 annually. It is celebrated on the birth anniversary of great Unani scholar and social reformer Hakim Ajmal Khan (1868 – 1927). He was a Unani medical educationist and founder of scientific research in the Unani system of medicine. …