GS1

The NOTA (none of the above) option will, hereafter, be a part of the electronic voting machines for urban local bodies (ULBs) in Tamil Nadu. This has been made possible by the State Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Department through a notification issued in April. With this, the State …

U.S. hands over 105 antiquities to India following agreement The countries had agreed to work towards preventing illegal trafficking of cultural artefacts during P.M’s state visit to the U.S. last month. The United States on Monday handed over 105 trafficked antiquities to India. India and the U.S. have also agreed to …

Kohinoor left Indian shores in the early 1850s and is currently embedded in the crown of the British monarch. The retrieval of Kohinoor is a contentious since it was surrendered by Maharaja Dalip Singh as part of the 1849 peace treaty with the British. Under the provisions of the Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972 the …

From among the excavations of the Keezhadi archaeological site, situated 13 km from Madurai, ivory chess pieces, ivory dice and terracotta hopscotch stones were found Speaking on “Keezhadi: Sangam Age Site Excavations” at an event organised by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Chennai Chapter, at …

In C.S. Chellappa’s Tamil novel, Vaadivaasal (the place of entry for bulls in an arena), there is a scene which captures the spirit of bull tamers in Tamil Nadu. After being gored by the invincible bull ‘Kaari’, Picchi’s father Ambuli would tell him, “Swear on your father. After me, this arena will …

Amidst Rising Global Temperatures, thawing permafrost is likely to destabilize thousands of industrial sites and linked contaminated areas in the Arctic. The arctic is dotted with industrial facilities such as oilfields and pipelines, mines and military bases. The consequences of global warming and thawing permafrost were not taken into account for long and permafrost was considered as a …

Maharashtra Government orders SIT probe over dispute regarding forceful entry of into the Temple. The Trimbakeshwar Mahadev Temple: Trimbakeshwar town is an ancient Hindu Pilgrim center located at the source of the Godavari River, 28 kms from Nashik in Maharashtra. Trimbakeshwar Mahadev Temple is considered one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. Trimbakeshwar means …

According to experts Mocha is the strongest cyclone on earth so far in this year.​​​​​​​ It has been categorized as an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and as a ‘Super Cyclone’ by global weather website Zoom Earth. Mocha became the strongest cyclone ever recorded in the North Indian Ocean, including …

Context: The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural heritage (INTACH) has objected to the demolition of the Paralakhemundi railway station built in 1899 and has sought heritage status for it. The Paralakhemundi railway station: Located in the Gajapati district, Paralakhemundi railway station, is one of the oldest stations of Odisha. …

The Khooni Darwaza is a key piece of the India’s history, as it has witnessed the events of the revolts of 1857. It was built by Sher Shah in the 16th century. Ronald Vivian Smith in his book ‘Delhi: Unknown Tales of a City’ has mentioned “Lal Darwaza” built by Sher Shah in his new …

The Indian Railways has taken up the renovation of the historic Paralakhemundi railway station, one of India’s oldest and the first in Odisha’s Gajapati district. Paralakhemundi Light Railway (PLR) Naupada (a small town, now in Andhra Pradesh) got rail lines in 1894, as part of construction of Cuttack-Khurda Road railway line extending up to …

The global warming trends over the Indian region are very different. An assessment of climate change over the Indian subcontinent, published by the Ministry of Earth Sciences in 2020, said annual mean temperatures had risen by 0.7 degree Celsius from 1900. This is significantly lower than the 1.59 degree Celsius rise for land temperatures across the world. Why is warming over India lower? The increase in …

MyGov, in collaboration with Ministry of Culture, launches ‘YUVA PRATIBHA – Singing Talent Hunt. To promote Indian music at the grassroots level on a national scale by identifying and recognising the new and young talent in various singing genres. Genres:  Folk Songs Patriotic Songs Contemporary Songs Eligibility: The contest is open to all Indian citizens. …

Context: The ongoing violence between the Kuki-Zomi tribals and the largely Hindu Meiteis in Manipur is the first time in three decades that the state has witnessed direct clashes between two ethnic groups. The Manipur valley is encircled by skirts of low hills that spread into Nagaland and Mizoram. In these hill areas live 15 Naga tribes and the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi …

Delhi’s first ‘Haunted Heritage Walk’ to kick off from Malcha Mahal. Organized by Delhi Tourism department. Among the other sites that the walk will cover include: Bhooli Bhatiyari ka Mahal, Feroze Shah Kotla and the Tughlaqabad Fort. Aim: The Tourism department is identifying “haunted” sites in the national capital to conduct heritage walks. A detailed plan on …

With the situation worsening in violence-hit Manipur, the state government authorised all District Magistrates to issue “shoot at sight orders” in “extreme cases”. A shoot-at-sight or firing order may be passed in terms of the statutory powers relating to the arrest or prevention of offences or for disbanding unlawful assemblies under the CrPC, 1973. Section 144 of the CrPC enables …

Odisha is preparing for the first cyclone of 2023, Cyclone Mocha. It is expected to form over the Bay of Bengal. Odisha is particularly vulnerable to cyclones. The 1999 super cyclone that hit Odisha was one of the deadliest natural disasters in Indian history. The cyclone made landfall with wind speeds of up to 260 kmph, causing massive destruction and claiming …

Since 2019, members of the Kondh tribe in Odisha have added one more event to their calendar of festivals and celebrations called Bihan Mela It is literally the seed festival. It includes both hybrid and indigenous varieties of paddy, millets, maize and sorghum. How is it celebrated? Women, who are at the helm of this festival, carefully collect seeds of the indigenous varieties and store …

Researchers recently embarked on a mission after which they claim to have shed new light on Shilabhattarika. The celebrated Sanskrit poetess of ancient India was established as the daughter of the famed Chalukyan emperor Pulakeshin II of Badami (in modern Karnataka). Shila-bhattarika was a Sanskrit poet. One of her poems mentions the Narmada River (Reva) and the Vindhya mountains. The …

Prime Minister of India praises “Abhilekh patal” a portal with over 1 Crore Pages of Historical Records of the National Archives Abhilekh is a Sanskrit term used in India for records since ancient times and Patal is a Sanskrit word meaning a board, platform, or a surface. A combination of both these words has been adopted as an acronym for Portal for Access to Archives and Learning. It is …