Himachal Administrative Services Point

2015-09-29T20:13:00.003+05:30

1. Ri Su Yong :- Ri Su Yong, the Foreign Minister of North Korea, visited India from 12 April to 14 April 2015. He was on a three-day visit to India and this was the first-ever visit of a foreign minister of North Korea to India. During the visit, foreign minister level talks were held covering issues of mutual interest including India’s security concerns were discussed. In this regard, India informed Yong about the significance of peace and stability in the Korean peninsula for India’s Act East policy.

2. Normandy Four :- Normandy Four group comprising of foreign ministers of four nations viz., Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France on 13 April 2015 agreed to form four working groups to observe the implementation of the ceasefire deal on Ukraine conflict that was signed in Minsk, Belarus on 12 February 2015.

3. New Zealand has won the title for only the second time since inception of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup competition in 1983. New Zealand’s first victory came in 2012 against Argentina.

4. Tree of Life:- A painting titled Tree of Life was gifted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to French President Francois Hollande during his visit to France from 9 April to 12 April 2015. The painting reflects traditional societal respect for nature in India and tree as a divine gift central to human life is a recurring element in Indian artistic practice. The painting is the work of Bhaskar Mahapatra, an Odisha artist and the art form is pigments on silk which he has been practicing for last thirty years along with rest of his family. He works from his home in the heritage crafts village of Raghurajpur.

5. Gandhinagar:- India’s first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) became operational on 11 April 2015 at GIFT City in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. It became operational after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley unveiled the rules and regulations for this global financial hub at a special ceremony organized at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar .

6. Arun Kumar Jha: - Arun Kumar Jha was appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).

7. Ananda Kumar and Dr Pramod Patil:- Two Indians namely Dr Ananda Kumar and Dr Pramod Patil on 29 April 2015 won the prestigious Whitley Awards (also known as Green Oscar) for their contribution to wildlife conservation. The awards were presented at a ceremony in Royal Geographical Society, London. Kumar was honoured for his work of using innovative communication systems to enable human-elephant co-existence in Southern India. Patil, on the other hand, was honoured for his work to protect the iconic great Indian bustard in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan.

8. Seychelles:- Seychelles on 26 April 2015 became the 161st member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). With this, Seychelles archipelago of 90000 inhabitants became one of its smallest members.

9. Mukesh Khanna:- Actor and producer Mukesh Khanna on 29 April 2015 was appointed as the Chairperson of the Children's Film Society of India (CFSI). He was appointed by Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting as successor of Amole Gupte. Mukesh Khanna is known for his iconic role as Shaktimaan, a 1990s superhero series. He is also remembered for his portrayal as Bhishma Pitamah in Mahabharat.

10. Nursultan A Nazabayev:- The incumbent President of Kazakhstan Nursultan A Nazabayev was on 27 April 2015 re-elected as president for the fifth successive term. Nazarbayev has been governing the country since the Soviet Union (or USSR) collapsed in early 1991.

11. CE-20:- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 28 April 2015 successfully tested an indigenous cryogenic engine CE-20 at Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. This engine will enable scientists to put satellites of up to the capacity of four tonnes in geostationary orbit. The engine will also give boost to India’s interplanetary probes and manned space missions. So far India's GSLVs were being powered by cryogenic engines given by Russia. But this development marks a milestone in the country's effort to develop a big cryogenic engine to fly satellites of up to five tonnes.

12. Siddhartha Gigoo:- Srinagar-born novelist Siddhartha Gigoo on 28 April 2015 won the 2015 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Asia region for his work Umbrella Man, a tale of surreal meditation on mental health and the environment.

13. Salman bin Abdulaziz:- Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz on 29 April 2015 appointed his nephew Mohammed bin Nayef as the new Crown Prince and as a Deputy Prime Minister. Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz was relieved from his duties.

14. Raja Rajeswari:- India-born Raja Rajeswari was on 27 April 2015 sworn-in as the criminal court judge of the New York City. With this, she became the first India-born woman judge of New York City. She was sworn-in as a criminal court judge by Mayor Bill de Blasio at a ceremony in New York. She took the oath of office along with 27 other judges appointed to the Family Court, Criminal Court, and Civil Court, which are a part of the New York State Unified Court System.

15. Omar Hassan al-Bashir:- Incumbent President of Sudan Omar Hassan al-Bashir on 27 April 2015 won the Presidential election of the country. He won another term in office with 94 percent of votes. The election has been boycotted by the opposition. It was also critisised by the European Union, United States, Britain and Norway, by terming that the country had failed to create a free, fair and conducive elections environment.

16. Yashwant Sinha: - Former Union Finance Minister and veteran BJP leader Yashwant Sinha was on 25 April 2015 conferred with the Officier de la Légion d’Honneur (Officer of the Legion of Honour) in recognition of his valuable contribution to thought on international issues.

17. Loretta Lynch:- Loretta Lynch was sworn in as first black female Attorney General of US. She succeeds former attorney general Eric Holder, who left the position on 24 April 2015 after serving as Attorney General for six years, five months after President Obama nominated her.

18. Lin Dan:- Lin Dan of China won men`s title at Badminton Asia Championships 2015 held in the central city of Wuhan, China. He won the title by defeating compatriot Tian Houwei.

19. Ratchanok Intanon:- Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand defeated top seed Li Xuerui of China to win Women’s Badminton Asia Championship.

20. Anil Kapoor: - Anil Kapoor was bestowed with the prestigious Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar Award 2015. Along with him Marathi actor Dilip Prabhavalkar was also bestowed with the prestigious Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar Award 2015.

21. Wladimir Klitschko:- Wladimir Klitschko of Ukraine on 25 April 2015 successfully defended his world heavyweight boxing title for the 18th time in a row. At Madison Square Garden in New York, Klitschko defeated his American challenger Bryant Jennings with a lopsided 12-round unanimous point decision.

22. Dharahara (Bhimsen) tower:- 19th century Dharahara (Bhimsen) tower at the center of Sundhara in Kathmandu, Nepal on 25 April 2015 was reduced to rubbles after an earthquake of magnitude 7.9 on the Richter scale struck the country. The nine-storey, 61.88-meter-tall (203-feet) tower was a part of the architecture of Kathmandu recognised by UNESCO. It was built in 1832 by Mukhtiyar (equivalent to Prime Minister) Bhimsen Thapa under the commission of Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari. The architecture of Dharahara was designed in Mughal and European style and resembled an Islamic minaret. The statue of Hindu deity Shiva was placed on the top of the tower. Dharahara tower was constructed for military use as a watchtower, and in cases of incidents of national importance, bugles were blown from the top floor of the tower. It was the second such tower built by Bhimsen Thapa. The first tower was built eight years earlier in 1824 and was 11 stories high, two stories taller than the
Dharahara. It was reduced to rubbles on 15 January 1934, when an earthquake of magnitude 8.0 struck Nepal. Besides, other historical and UNESCO World Heritage sites of Nepal which collapsed due to the earthquake were hilltop Monkey Temple of Swayambhunath, the oldest
Buddhist stupa in the Kathmandu valley, Basantapur Durbar square, Kasthamandap temple, Patan Durbar Square, gilded statue of King Bhupatindra Malla and others.

23. Sangeeta Bhatia:- Sangeeta Bhatia, an Indian-origin scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), on 26 April 2015 won the prestigious 2015 Heinz Award in the Technology, the Economy, and Employment category. Bhatia who developed artificial human microlivers for drug testing was awarded for her work in tissue engineering and disease detection. Microliver is a miniature model organ that makes it possible to test drug reactions efficiently and predictively, and could eventually lead to an artificial human liver.

24. Operation Maitree: - The operation was launched in quake hit Nepal. The operation involve two dozen military aircraft and choppers along with bus services through road route. India also pressed nearly 1000 trained personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) into service.

25. Thomas Bach:- Thomas Bach, the president of International Olympic Committee (IOC), was on 22 April 2015 named as ambassador of HeForShe campaign by UN Women.HeForShe is a solidarity campaign for gender equality established by United Nations (UN) Women. The campaign was launched by the UN Women Global Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson in September 2014. HeForShe encourages men and boys to join in on the fight for women's rights and gender equality all over the glove. Their goal is to enlist one billion men and boys to become advocates for women's rights worldwide. In November 2014, Farhan Akhtar was named as UN Women's Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia towards the empowerment of women and girls. He serves as an advocate for HeForShe initiative in advocating for gender equality and women's empowerment

26. The New York Times on 20 April 2015 won two prestigious Pulitzer prizes for coverage of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The coverage is described by the Pulitzer board as courageous and vivid journalism that engaged the public and held authorities accountable. For its Ebola coverage, The New York Times staff won the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting and freelancer Daniel Berehulak won Pulitzer Prize for the feature photography.

27. Chhurim Sherpa:- Chhurim Sherpa, first woman to climb the 8850 metre (29035 feet) Mount Everest summit twice in a week was in news on 19 April 2015. Sherpa was in news as during her third ascent to Mount Everest she will take a cricket bat and two jerseys of deceased Australian cricketer Phil Hughes. The belongings of Hughes are being carried to the summit as a mark of tribute to the player. He died in November 2014 after he was hit on the back of his head by a ball while batting during a domestic match in Sydney.

28. Vivek Pridarshi:- The Supreme Court of India (SC) on 17 April 2015 appointed Vivek Priyadarshi to head the team probing the Indian Premiere League (IPL) scandal. The decision was taken by a SC bench headed by Justice TS Thakur. He succeeds BB Mishra as the head of the probing team who was retired on 31 March 2015. The bench took the decision on the recommendation of a three member panel headed by former Chief Justice of India (CJI) RM Lodha.

29. Vankadarath Saritha:- Vankadarath Saritha was in news as on 17 April 2015 she became the first woman bus driver of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). She is a 30-year-old driver from Nalgonda in Telangana. She has been posted in day-time duty at the Sarojini Nagar depot and will start working officially from 20 April 2015.

G.K. JUNE 2015

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1. Lakhnaur Sahib village:- A national level museum of Sikh heritage will be setup in Lakhnaur Sahib village close to Ambala City, Punjab. Lakhnaur Sahib is a historical village as the mother of tenth Sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh, Mata Gujari belonged to the place. Guru Gobind Singh had also spent a few years of his childhood in the village

2. Construction of a memorial for former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao was completed in the fourth week of June 2015 at the Ekta Sthal Samadhi Complex in New Delhi. Already, Ekta Sthal Samadhi Complex hosts memorials of former Presidents Shankar Dayal Sharma, K R Narayanan, R Venkatraman, Giani Zail Singh and former Prime Ministers - Chandrasekhar and I K Gujral.

3. Vishwanath Tripathi:- Veteran Writer Vishwanath Tripathi was on 27 June 2015 selected for the 28th Moorti Devi Award for the year 2014 for his book Vyomkesh Darvesh. Vyomkesh Darvesh is a lifetime story of Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi.

4. Satnam Singh Bhamara : He became the first Indian national to join National Basketball Association (NBA) of USA. He is 19 years old. The Punjab-born player was the 52nd overall pick at the 2015 draft by the Dallas Mavericks. He will represent the team during the upcoming 2015-16 season. Earlier, in July 2014, Sim Bhullar became the first basketball player of Indian origin to join the NBA. He hails from Canada and his parents are from Punjab. He played for a brief period for the Sacramento Kings during the 2014-15 season.

5. Nadia:- The district administration of Nadia, West Bengal was on 26 June 2015 conferred with the United Nations Public Service Award 2015 for eliminating open defecation in the district . The award was presented by acting Secretary General of the UN Lenni Montiel along with Head UN Women Stefani Senese to District Magistrate of Nadia and Sabhapati of Nadia Zilla Parishad on conclusion of United Nations Day Celebrations 2015 held at Medellin, Columbia.

6. Zaheer Abbas was named as the President of International Cricket Council (ICC) on 24 June 2015 during the ICC Annual Conference in Barbados. He assumed the role of ICC President with immediate effect for one-year term.He succeeded Mustafa Kamal of Bangladesh as the 13th ICC President. Kamal resigned from the post of ICC President on 1 April 2015.

7. Winner of three Wimbledon titles in a day, who died on 29 May 2015 at the age of 89 - Doris Har

8. Person who was sworn-in as 19th Governor of Arunachal Pradesh on 1 June 2015 - Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa

9. Former cricketers who were inducted into the BCCI’s newly-constituted cricket advisory committee on 1 June 2015 - Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman

10. Person who was appointed as the new Chancellor of the Nalanda University, Bihar on 30 May 2015 - George Yeo, the former Foreign Minister of Singapore

11. The women, who on 1 June 2015 was designated as the new President of the Indian Ocean island nation, Mauritius by its government - Ameenah Gurib-

12. 92 year 65 days old cancer survivor, who became the oldest woman to finish a marathon at San Diego’s Rock 'n' Roll Marathon of 26.2 miles (42.2 kilometers) - Harriette Thompson

13. President of FIFA who resigned on 2 June 2015 amid the corruption scandal that has engulfed the football’s governing body - Sepp Blatter

14. Indian shot putter who on 3 June 2015 won gold medal in men's shot put event in the 21st Asian Athletics Championships - Inderjeet

15. Person elected as the President of United Nations General Assembly’s 70th session - Mogens Lykketoft of Denmark

16. China on 12 June 2015 unveiled 800-year-old Buddha statue (Qianshou Guanyin) famous for its 1000 hands in - Dazu County in Sichun province

17. • IPS officer of 1980-batch of Tamil Nadu cadre who was appointed as the Director of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) - Archana Ramasundaram

18. • Parliament of Japan (Diet) on 17 June 2015 passed a bill to lower the voting age from - 20 to 18.

19. Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on 18 June 2015 launched a weather alert service named - NOWCAST.
20 • Journalist and writer Aakar Patel appointed as Executive Director of Amnesty International (AI) India on 18 June 2015 and see its India operations and its efforts to end human rights abuses - India and worldwide.

Oscar / Academy Awards 2015

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87th Academy Award, popularly called Oscar Awards, was conferred on 22 February 2015. The award ceremony was held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

The Oscar Awards for the year 2015 were presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in 24 categories.

The awards were produced by Neil Meron and Craig Zadan and directed by Hamish Hamilton. Actor Neil Patrick Harris hosted the ceremony for the first time.

The list of winners of 87th Academy Awards

Best Picture: Birdman
Best Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for Birdman
Best Actor: Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything
Best Actress: Julianne Moore for Still Alice
Best Supporting Actor: JK Simmons for Whiplash
Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette for Boyhood
Achievement in Costume Design: Milena Canonero for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling: Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Foreign Language Film: Ida directed by Pawel Pawlikowski
Best Live Action Short Film: The Phone Call
Best Documentary Short Subject: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Original Screenplay: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo for Birdman
Achievement in Sound Mixing: Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins, Thomas Curley for Whiplash
Achievement in Sound Editing: Alan Robert Murray Bub Asman for American Sniper
Achievement in Visual Effects: Ian Hunter, Scott Fisher, Andrew Lockley and Paul Franklin for Interstellar
Best Animated Short Film: Feast directed by Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed
Best Animated Movie: Big Hero Six 6
Achievement in Production Design: Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Achievement in Cinematograph: Emannuel Lubezki for Birdman
Achievement in Film Editing: Tom Cross for Whipalsh
Best Documentary Feature: Citizen Four directed by Laura Poitras
Best Original Song: John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn for Glory
Best Original Score: Alexandre Desplat for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Adapted Screenplay: Graham Moore for The Imitation Game

Swine Flue

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What is Swine Influenza?

Swine Influenza is an infection which is caused by various type of swine influenza virus. Swine influenza virus, which is endemic in pigs, is any strain of influenza family of virus.

In 2009 it was found out that the Swine Influenza Virus strains contains influenza A and influenza C, which are two of the six viruses known. Out of the three viruses which cause human influenza (attack of virus of influenza family on humans) two are common with the viruses which attack pigs. Influenza A is very common in pigs while Influenza C being rare. Sub groups of Influenza A have been found in strains of swine influenza virus, which are H1N1, H1N2 and H2N3 to mention some.

How it is transferred?

Swine Influenza is easily transferred amongst pigs but rarely to human beings. People in regular exposure with the pigs are at high risk of infection. Influenza is quite common in pigs, with about half of breeding pigs having been exposed to the virus in the US. People who work with poultry and swine are at increased risk of zoonotic infection, and constitute a population of human hosts in which zoonosis can co-occur.

Zoonosis is infectious diseases of animals which are transferred to humans. Ebola, Swine Influenza is examples of zoonosis.

The 2009 H1N1 virus was not zoonotic swine flu, as it was not transmitted from pigs to humans, but from a human to human. Vaccination of these workers against influenza and surveillance for new influenza strains among this population may therefore be an important public health measure.

Direct transfer of influenza from pigs to humans is rare because since 1958 only 50 such cases have been reported. The transmission from swine to humans occurs mainly in swine farms, where farmers are in close contact with pigs.

Influenza spreads between humans through coughing or sneezing, which results in fellow humans coming in contact with the virus. The virus is not transmitted through food.

Recent global incidences of Swine influenza

The United States was attacked by the influenza in 1976. The outbreak is remembered for its mass immunization process that resulted in only one death.
In 2009, India along with US and Mexico faced swine flu pandemic due to the outbreak of H1N1 virus. Over 1800 deaths were reported due to the flu. In 2010, World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that swine influenza pandemic was over.

How it can be prevented?

Prevention techniques usually recommended to prevent spread of the virus among humans include using standard infection control, which includes frequent washing of hands, especially after being out in public.

Experts agree hand-washing can help prevent viral infections, including ordinary and the swine flu infections. Public health and other responsible authorities have action plans which may request or require social distancing actions, depending on the severity of the outbreak.

Farmers and veterinarians are encouraged to use face masks when dealing with infected animals. The use of vaccines on swine to prevent their infection is a major method of limiting swine-to-human transmission.

Vaccines to treat Swine Influenza

Vaccines are available for different kinds of swine flu. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the use of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza) for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses.

However, the majority of people infected with the virus make a full recovery without requiring medical attention or antiviral drugs

World Bank released a report on Social Inclusion and Sustainable Development in Himachal Pradesh

2015-03-12T19:45:00.002+05:30

World Bank on 28 January 2015 released a report titled Scaling the Heights: Social Inclusion and Sustainable Development in Himachal Pradesh.

It is the first report of its kind for Himachal Pradesh. It is a macro-social account of the state’s achievements over the past several decades. Simultaneously, it is an interdisciplinary attempt to understand the confluence of factors that allowed the state to move toward social inclusion and sustainable development.

Main highlights of the Report

Per capita income in Himachal Pradesh is the second highest in the country – an impressive achievement given that more than 90 percent of its residents live in rural areas.

Educational attainment is among the highest in the country, and the share of women in the workforce is larger than in most other states.

Himachal Pradesh is the first state in the country to have banned the use of plastic bags. The state is also a trail-blazer in sanitation and is the first among its north Indian neighbours to come close to becoming open defecation free.

Cultural factors have also led to strong women’s participation in development programs, helping the state reach high levels of sanitation, immunization and school attendance.

The policies adopted and the quality of their implementation is the foremost propeller of inclusive development in the State

Poverty headcount is nearly one-third the national average. Rural poverty showed an impressive four-fold decline, falling from 36.8 percent in 1993–94 to 8.5 percent in 2011, benefitting all social groups in both rural and urban areas.

Educational attainment is among the highest in the country, particularly among excluded groups. More members of SC and ST groups have completed secondary or higher levels of schooling, both in rural and urban areas compared to other states, including southern states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The big success story is in female labour force participation which stands second in the country after Sikkim. More than 60 percent women in rural areas were in the labor force in 2011–12, significantly higher than the all-India average of 27 percent

Although fewer women worked in urban areas yet 28 percent of women in the State were in labour force. These levels were on par with Kerala and Tamil Nadu and double that of neighboring states.

Urban areas in Himachal Pradesh lag behind rural areas in human development outcomes. Therefore, as urbanization levels increase, the state will have to ensure that urban growth is well-planned, enabling its residents to access key services and partake in the new economic opportunities that cities and towns have to offer.

Panchyati Raj

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1. In the history of Panchayati Raj in India, on 24 April 1993, the Constitutional (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 came into force to provide constitutional status to the Panchayati Raj institutions.

2. Panchayati raj system exists in all the states except Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram. Also all the UTs except Delhi.

3. The 3-tier system of Panchayati Raj consists of a) village level panchayat b) block level panchayat c) district level panchayat.

4. Powers and responsibilities are delegated to Panchayats at the appropriate level :-

a) Preparation of plan for economic development and social justice.

b)Implementation of schemes for economic development and social justice in relation to 29 subjects given in Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution.

c)To levy, collect and appropriate taxes, duties, tolls and fees.

5. Panchayatsamiti is a local government body at the tehsil or Taluka level in India. It works for the villages of the Tehsil or Taluka that together are called a Development Block. The PanchayatSamiti is the link between the Gram Panchayat and the district administration.

a)Function of Panchayatsamiti:-Implement schemes for the development of agriculture.

b) Establishment of primary health centres and primary schools.

c) Supply of drinking water, drainage, construction/repair of roads.

d) Development of cottage and small-scale industries and opening of cooperative societies.

e) Establishment of youth organisations

6. In the district level of the panchayati raj system you have the "zillaparishad". It looks after the administration of the rural area of the district and its office is located at the district headquarters. The Hindi word Parishad means Council and ZillaParishad translates to District Council. It is headed by the "District Collector" or the "District Magistrate" or the "Deputy Comminissioner". it is the link between the state government and the panchayatsamiti (local held government at the block level)

7. The Royal Commission on Decentralisation - 1907 under the chairmanship of C.E.H. HOBHOUSE recognised the importance of panchayats at the village level.

8. Mahatma Gandhiji favoured Village Swaraj and strengthening the village panchayat to the fullest extent and on the other end, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar opposed this idea.

9. The Balwantrai Mehta Committee (1957):- In 1957,BalwanRai Mehta Committee studied the Community Development Projects and the National Extension Service and assessed the extent to which the movement had succeeded in utilising local initiatives and in creating institutions to ensure continuity in the process of improving economic and social conditions in rural areas. The Committee held that community development would only be deep and enduring when the community was involved in the planning, decision-making and implementation process.The suggestions were for as follows :- a) an early establishment of elected local bodies and devolution to them of necessary resources, power and authority, that the basic unit of democratic decentralisation was at the block/ samiti level since the area of jurisdiction of the local body should neither be too large nor too small. The block was large enough for efficiency and economy of b) administration, and small enough for sustaining a sense of involvement in the citizens,

c) such body must not be constrained by too much control by the government or government agencies, d) the body must be constituted for five years by indirect elections from the village panchayats, e) its functions should cover the development of agriculture in all its aspects, the promotion of local industries and others f) services such as drinking water, road building, etc., and the higher level body, ZillaParishad, would play an advisory role.

10. With the coming of theJanta Party into power at the Centre in 1977, a serious view was taken of the weaknesses in the functioning of Panchayati Raj. It was decided to appoint a high-level committee under the chairmanship of Ashok Mehta to exa¬mine and suggest measures to strengthen PRIs. The Committee had to evolve an effective decentralised system of development for PRIs. They made the following recommendations :-A) the district is a viable administrative unit for which planning, co-ordination and resource allocation are feasible and technical expertise available, B) PRIs as a two-tier system, with MandalPanchayat at the base and ZillaParishad at the top,C) the PRIs are capable of planning for themselves with the resources available to them,D) district planning should take care of the urban-rural continuum,E) representation of SCs and STs in the election to PRIs on the basis of their population, F) four-year term of PRIs,G) participation of political parties in elections,H) any financial devolution should be committed to accepting that much of the developmental functions at the district level would be played by the panchayats.

11. The G.V.K.RaoCommittee was appointed to once again look at various aspects of PRIs. The Committee was of the opinion that a total view of rural development must be taken in which PRIs must play a central role in handling people's problems. It recommended the following :-I) PRIs have to be activated and provided with all the required support to become effective organisations, II)PRIs at the district level and below should be assigned the work of planning, implementation and monitoring of rural development programmes, and III) the block development office should be the spinal cord of the rural development process.

12. L.M. Singhvi Committee studied panchayatiraj. The Gram Sabha was considered as the base of a decentralised democracy, and PRIs viewed as institutions of self-governance which would actually facilitate the participation of the people in the process of planning and development. It recommended : A) local self-government should be constitutionally recognised, protected and preserved by the inclusion of new chapter in the Constitution, B)non-involvement of political parties in Panchayat elections.

13. The suggestion of giving Panchayaticonstitutional status was opposed by the Sarkaria Commission, but the idea, however, gained momentum in the late 1980s especially because of the endorsement by the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who introduced the 64th Constitutional Amendment Bill in 1989. The 64th Amendment Bill was prepared and introduced in the lower house of Parliament. But it got defeated in the RajyaSabha as non-convincing. He lost the general elections too. In 1989, the National Front introduced the 74th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which could not become an Act because of the dissolution of the Ninth LokSabha. All these various suggestions and recommendations and means of strengthening PRIs were considered while formulating the new Constitutional Amendment Act.

14. The Constitutional (73rd Amendment) Act, passed in 1992 &came into force on April 24, 1993. It was meant to provide constitutional sanction to establish "democracy at the grassroots level as it is at the state level or national level". Its main features are as follows :

• The Gram Sabha or village assembly as a deliberative body to decentralised governance has been envisaged as the foundation of the Panchayati Raj System.

• A uniform three-tier structure of panchayats at village (Gram Panchayat — GP), intermediate or block (PanchayatSamiti — PS) and district (ZillaParishad — ZP) levels.

• All the seats in a panchayat at every level are to be filled by elections from respective territorial constituencies.

• Not less than one-third of the total seats for membership as well as office of chairpersons of each tier have to be reserved for women.

• Reservation for weaker castes and tribes (SCs and STs) have to be provided at all levels in proportion to their population in the panchayats.

• To supervise, direct and control the regular and smooth elections to panchayats, a State Election Commission has to be constituted in every State and UT.

• The Act has ensured constitution of a State Finance Commission in every State/UT, for every five years, to suggest measures to strengthen finances of PRIs.

• To promote bottom-up-planning, the District Planning Committee fDPC} in every district has been accorded constitutional status.

• An indicative list of 29 items has been given in Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution. Panchayats are expected to play an effective role in planning and implementation of works related to these 29 items.

15. Ministry of Panchayati Raj looks into all matters relating ofPanchayati Raj and Panchayati Raj Institutions. It was created in May 2004.

16. The launching of Community Development Programmed on 2nd October 1953 the National Extension Service was launched.

17. On 2nd October 1959, Rajasthan came to be the first State to establish Panchayati Raj.Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru, the 1st Prime Minister of India had inaugurated Panchayati Raj in India at Nagaur in Rajasthan on 2nd October, 1959.

18. Madhya Pradesh was the first state in the country to comply with the spirit and letter of the act-1992

19. Amendment to article 243D of the Constitution of India for enhancing reservation for women in Panchayats to 50 %.

20. Art.40 – the state shall take steps to organise village panchayats&endow them with such powers & authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as units of self government.

21. Part IX of the constitution envisages three tier system of panchyats. Art. 243 to 243-O contain provision of panchyat.

22. A person who has attained the age of 21 years is eligible to be a member of panchyat.

23. S K Dey : The first Minister for panchayati raj in India.

24. The K. Santhanam Committee was appointed to look solely at the issue of PRI finance, in 1963.

Doing away board exam resulted in decline of standard of Education

2014-03-14T18:58:00.003+05:30

Exam is thought of as a way to train students for the tough tests they undergo later in life. If home is thought to be the first place of education, school comes next. Its importance lies in its being as a place which allows a child to have first interaction with the outside world. The all-round development of a child depends a lot on the school where he or she reads. But doing board examination in school has resulted in the deterioration of education standards. Reports show that without annual examinations, the quality of education is going down. Students don’t work hard under the impression that they would be promoted to the next class without any evaluation. The current trend of declaring all students pass up to class VIII is very dangerous.

The present system of evaluation will show the children educated on paper, but they won’t be up to the mark on the learning scale. Compulsory elementary education to every child does not mean education on paper only. The standard of education must be maintained and it should be ensured that each student studies the prescribed books and learns his lessons. The best way to test it is examination.

Making English language compulsory in UPSC Examination

2014-03-14T18:55:00.001+05:30

In today’s India, administrators have to be able to communicate effectively in English. To that extent, the UPSC exam must ensure that a successful candidate has a minimum level of proficiency in the language. But using English as a merit-ranking device may not produce an optimum outcome. While candidates who study in English-medium schools are likely to know the language better than others, there is no reason to assume their overall knowledge base or skill set is better than those who have studied in other languages. Allowing candidates to answer a common set of questions in the language they are most comfortable in is the best way to assess their suitability. Of course, the post-entrance training process can and must be used to improve standards of English. The thrust should be laid on selecting candidates who possesses knowledge skills and above all high degree of integrity, selfless devotion to public and strict adherence to the finest ideals of our liberal, progressive and forward looking constitution.

General Knowledge-2013-14

2014-03-09T09:57:00.000+05:30

1. Karen Tan:- Singapore has appointed Karen Tan as Permanent Representative to UN.

2. K K Paul:- Former Delhi Police Chief and member of U.P.S.C has recently been apponted as the new Governor of Meghalya.

3. Najeeb Jung:- Former Jamia Millia Islamia Vice Chancellor was appointed as the Delhi Lt. Governor replacing Tejendra Khanna.

4. Ganeve Lalji:- Lt. Ganeve Lalji created history by becoming the first woman to be appointed as a key aide to an Army Commander as part of Indian Army Chief General Bikrim Singh’s effort to provide more avenues to women in the forces.

5. Amrita Singh:- PM daughter was recently awarded with the India Abroad Publisher’s special award for excellence 2012 by ‘India abroad’. She was honoured for her ground breaking work in the field of human right law.

6. Tribal World:- The Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation of Odisha Limited recently opened the outlet called ‘Tribal world’ at the Biji Patnai Airport in Bhubneshwar in order to put on the podium tribal art as well as heritage of Odisha.

7. Chumar:- The troops of Chinese PLA intruded the Chumar sector in Ladakh and vandalised the observation bunkers and cut down the wires of Cameras which were used to overlook the Chinese Territory.

8. OSINT:- OSINT stands for Open Source Intelligence Solution , also named as Delhi Police internal surveillance System to snooping. The system will be used to extract and analyse information on the internet (on social network and internet communication)

9. Operation Rahat:- It is the name of IAF operation to rescue stranded pilgrims in Uttrakhand and H.P. after heavy rains wrecked havoc in North India.

10. 13^th Amendment:- 13^th Amendment is the amendment that followed the Indo-Srilanka Accord of July 1987. Srilanka had agreed to devolve some authority to the province. India has repeteadly emphasised to Lanka on the need to fully implement the constitutional provision dealing with devolution of powers to province without dilution and to go beyond it to ensure meaningful development.

11. Mountain Strike Corps:- The cabine committee on security recently gave its approval for raising a mountain strike corps along the China border. The proposed ‘Mountain Strike Corps’ would be headquarted at Panegarh in West Bengal.

12. Black Forest:- The Black forest in Colorado USA came into news in connection with the devastation fire .

13. Takism Square:- Takism Square in Istanbut, Turkey came into news in connection with widespread protest against the government move to build mall or museum at Gazi Park, near Takism square. It is one of the few green spaces left in the city.

14. Rangacheng:- The place in Andaman and Nicobar islands came into news in connection with the installation of the early Tsunami Warning System, which can predict a Tsunami immediately after an earthquake.

15. Balochistan:- The Residency, a national monument that was used by Muhammed Ali Jinnah during his last days at Ziral was blown up by the militants of the Balochistan Liberation Army.

16. Gareth Bale:- Gareth Bale, who was chosen as the best player in the English Premier League last season came into news recently as he became the most expensive player of all time with his transfer from Tothenham Hotspur to Real Madrid with a transfer fee of 100 million Euros.

17. Christiano Ronaldo:- He became the highest paid footballer in the world when his contract with Real Madrid was recently renewed for 5 years for a whopping $206 million.

18. Leader Paes:- He became the oldest player to win a Grand Slam tennis men’s double at the US Open partnering with Radek Stapanek of Czech Republic. It was his 14^th Grand Slam title at all.

19. Tony Abbot:- He recently became the new Australian PM after his party –Liberal National Party Coalition came into power.

20. Devendra Jhajharia:- Rajasthan para athelete and Javelin thrower gave India its first ever Gold Medal in the World Para Atheletics Championships in Lyon, France.

Latest Who is Who?

2014-03-08T16:03:00.001+05:30

1. Roshni:- Roshni is the placement linked skill development scheme launched recently to target rural men and women, mostly tribal in the Maoist affected areas.

2. Panmunjom:- The border truce village between feuding neighbours North Korea and South Korea came into news in connection with the talk between them first after two years. .

3. S. Ramadorai:- Former CEO of Tata Consultancy Service was recently named as Chairman of Air Asia India by Air Asia Chief Mr. Tony Fernandez.

4. Kishanganga Hydel Project:- 330MW power project in Jammu and Kashmir came into news as the Internatioanl Court of Arbitration recently ruled in favour of India’s position on the diversion of Kishanganga water.

5. Mauritia:- Recently geoscientists have discovered the remains of a lost ancient continent between India and Madagascar. The continent fragments known as Mauritia which detached 60 million years ago while Medagascar and India drifted apart found buried under huge masses of Lava.

6. REX: - It is the name of the world’s first bionic man, that has been created using nearly &1 millino worth of State of the Art limbs and organs.

7. Nik Wallenda:- He became the first person in the world to crossthe Grand Canyon on a 2inch steel cable.

8. Rafael Nadal:- Rafael Nadal of Spain recently won the French Open men’s singles title 2013. He became the first man to capture the same Grand Slam title eight times.

9. Mamnoon Hussain:- Indian born Mr. Mamnoon Hussain, a close aide of PM Mr. Nawaz Sharif was elected as the 12^th President of Pakistan for a 5-years term.

10. Adly Mansour:- The Chief Justice of Egypt’s Supreme constitutional Court, was sworn in as the interm President of Egypt after the military ousted Islamist President Mr. Mohamed Morsey following massive street demonstrations.

11. Hemant Soren: - He was recently sworn in as the Chief Minister of the coalition government in Jharkhand led by JMM.

12. Sujata Singh:- India’s Ambassador to Germany and the most senior IFS officer was recently appointed as the India’s new foreign secretary replacing incumbent Mr. RAnjan Mathai. She became third women to head the country’s foreign office after Ms. Chokila Iyer and Ms. Nirupama Rao.

13. Nisha Desai Biswas:- An accomplished Indian-American administrator was recently appointed as the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia.

14. Ajay Kakkar:- Indian origin peer has been made the Chairman of the influential House of Lords Appointment Commission, an advisory body which selects new independent members of the UK’s House of Lords.

15. Karen Tan:- Singapore has appointed Karen Tan as Permanent Representative to UN.

16. K K Paul:- Former Delhi Police Chief and member of U.P.S.C has recently been apponted as the new Governor of Meghalya.

17. Najeeb Jung:- Former Jamia Millia Islamia Vice Chancellor was appointed as the Delhi Lt. Governor replacing Tejendra Khanna.

18. Ganeve Lalji:- Lt. Ganeve Lalji created history by becoming the first woman to be appointed as a key aide to an Army Commander as part of Indian Army Chief General Bikrim Singh’s effort to provide more avenues to women in the forces.

19. Amrita Singh:- PM daughter was recently awarded with the India Abroad Publisher’s special award for excellence 2012 by ‘India abroad’. She was honoured for her ground breaking work in the field of human right law.

20. Tribal World:- The Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation of Odisha Limited recently opened the outlet called ‘Tribal world’ at the Biji Patnai Airport in Bhubneshwar in order to put on the podium tribal art as well as heritage of Odisha.

21. Chumar:- The troops of Chinese PLA intruded the Chumar sector in Ladakh and vandalised the observation bunkers and cut down the wires of Cameras which were used to overlook the Chinese Territory.

22. OSINT:- OSINT stands for Open Source Intelligence Solution , also named as Delhi Police internal surveillance System to snooping. The system will be used to extract and analyse information on the internet (on social network and internet communication)

23. Operation Rahat:- It is the name of IAF operation to rescue stranded pilgrims in Uttrakhand and H.P. after heavy rains wrecked havoc in North India.

24. 13^th Amendment:- 13^th Amendment is the amendment that followed the Indo-Srilanka Accord of July 1987. Srilanka had agreed to devolve some authority to the province. India has repeteadly emphasised to Lanka on the need to fully implement the constitutional provision dealing with devolution of powers to province without dilution and to go beyond it to ensure meaningful development.

25. Mountain Strike Corps:- The cabine committee on security recently gave its approval for raising a mountain strike corps along the China border. The proposed ‘Mountain Strike Corps’ would be headquarted at Panegarh in West Bengal.

26. Black Forest:- The Black forest in Colorado USA came into news in connection with the devastation fire .

27. Enniskillen:- The Place in Ireland came into news in connection with G-8 Summit.

28. Takism Square:- Takism Square in Istanbut, Turkey came into news in connection with widespread protest against the government move to build mall or museum at Gazi Park, near Takism square. It is one of the few green spaces left in the city.

29. Rangacheng:- The place in Andaman and Nicobar islands came into news in connection with the installation of the early Tsunami Warning System, which can predict a Tsunami immediately after an earthquake.

30. Balochistan:- The Residency, a national monument that was used by Muhammed Ali Jinnah during his last days at Ziral was blown up by the militants of the Balochistan Liberation Army.

31. Gareth Bale:- Gareth Bale, who was chosen as the best player in the English Premier League last season came into news recently as he became the most expensive player of all time with his transfer from Tothenham Hotspur to Real Madrid with a transfer fee of 100 million Euros.

32. Christiano Ronaldo:- He became the highest paid footballer in the world when his contract with Real Madrid was recently renewed for 5 years for a whopping $206 million.

33. Leader Paes:- He became the oldest player to win a Grand Slam tennis men’s double at the US Open partnering with Radek Stapanek of Czech Republic. It was his 14^th Grand Slam title at all.

34. Tony Abbot:- He recently became the new Australian PM after his party –Liberal National Party Coalition came into power.

35. Devendra Jhajharia:- Rajasthan para athelete and Javelin thrower gave India its first ever Gold Medal in the World Para Atheletics Championships in Lyon, France.

Quiz -2

2013-11-08T14:58:00.000+05:30

Q.1 At which place was Gandhiji born?

Q.2 Which of the following plays left a deep impression on Gandhiji?

Q.3 While holding a first-class ticket Gandhiji was ordered by a railway official to shift to the van compartment. On his refusal to comply with the unjust order, a constable was called to push him out bag and baggage. Identify the railway station where this incident took place.

Q.4 Who of the following desired to convert Gandhiji to Christianity in South Africa?

Q.5 Who of the following satyagrahis succumbed to jail hardships during the satyagraha movement launched by Gandhiji in South Africa?

Q.6 At which place was the first permit office opened on July 1, 1907 for the registration of Indians under the Registration Act?

Q.7 In the course of resistance against which of the following in South Africa did Gandhiji first use his new political weapon which came to be known later on as 'Satyagraha'?

Q.8 Searle's Supreme Court judgement which caused great resentment among Indians, leading to mass protests, related to _____________.

Q.9 Gandhiji, the hero of the satyagraha struggle of the Indians in South Africa, landed in Bombay on ____________.

Q.10 Who advised Gandhiji to remain as an observer and student in the country for a year before taking part in Indian Politics?

Q.11 Gandhiji's first major struggle in the country was stagged on the soil of Champaran district in Bihar in 1917 in connection with indigo plantation. Who was largely instrumental in persuading Gandhiji to visit Champaran and lead the struggle over there?

Q.12 Despite the solution of the problem of indigo cultivators, Gandhiji regarded his task at Champaran unfinished. In his opinion the main cause of the suffering of the poor tenants was their ignorance. For its removal, he started a number of schools over there. The first school was started at________.

Q.13 Identify the place from where Gandhiji started his recruiting campaign for the War on behalf of the British Government.

Q.14 To initiate and organize against the passing of the notorious Rowlatt Bills, a small conference was held at Gandhiji's Sabarmati Ashram. Gandhiji drafted a satyagraha pledge. On which day of February 1919 was the satyagraha pledge was signed?

Q.15 In connection with the inauguration of the so-called Rowlatt satyagraha, Gandhiji started a Satyagraha Sabha in ______________.

Q.16 Which of the following prohibited works of Gandhiji was selected by the Satyagraha Sabha for dissemination by the satyagrahis as a mark of civil disobedience n the context of Rowlatt agitation.

Q.17 According to Gandhiji, the Khilafat issue offered a golden opportunity for the promotion of the Hindu-Muslim unity in the country. He urged Hindus to lend full support to the Indian Muslims on this issue. The Khilafat issue related to the policy of the British Government towards

Q.18 Before the civil disobedience or non-co-operation movement could be effectively launched, Gandhiji suspended it because of an outbreak of mob violence at Chauri Chaura in the sate of.....

Q.19 For writing which of the following articles, published in Young India, was Gandhiji convicted for the first time in the country by the Government?

Q.20 A wave of violent communal riots swept over country in 1924 on account of which Gandhiji felt very much upset and was in great distress, knowing not what to do. The terrible riots that broke out at a particular place led Gandhi to do penance by observing a fast for 21 days. Which was that place?

Q.21 On which day of March 1930 Gandhiji started with a band of chosen volunteers on his famous Dandi March to break the law by manufacturing illegally but openly, salt from the sea?

Q.22 In how many days was the 241 mile-journey from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi covered on foot by Gandhi and his volunteers?

Q.23 Who was nominated by Gandhiji to lead the satyagrahais on the Dandi March in the event of his arrest?

Q.24 Who described Gandhi's march to Dandi in the following words?
"Like the historic march of Ramachandra to Lanka, the march of Gandhi will be memorable."

Q.25 Identify the concession granted by the Government under the Gandhi-Irwin Pact.

Q.26 Who made the following observation on the Gandhi-Irwin Pact?
"Was it for this that our people had so gallantly fought for a year? Were all our brave words and deeds to end in this? The independence resolution of the Congress, the pledge of January 26, so often repeated? So I lay and pondered on that March night, and in my heart there was a great emptiness as of something precious gone, almost beyond recall."

Q.27 Identify the Muslim nationalist leader who, according to the original plan, was to accompany Gandhiji as a delegate to the Second Round Table Conference, but the Viceroy did not nominated him.

Q.28 Who acted as Gandhiji's adviser at Second Round Table Conference?

Q.29 While in London for taking part in the Second Round Table Conference, Gandhiji stayed at the Kingsley Hall Settlement in the East End as the guest of _____________.

Q.30 Though at the Round Table Conference in London Gandhiji could gain nothing, he was the richer for having secured many friends and the goodwill of the people. Who of the following eminent persons refused to meet him?

Q.31 Who among the following national leaders was arrested by the Government even before Gandhiji's arrival in the country from London?

Q.32 As a protest of Ramsay MacDonald's Communal Award, which threatened to separate the so-called untouchables from the Hindu society, Gandhiji's historic fast unto death at the Yeravda jail commenced on__________.

Q.33 The Poona or Yeravda Pact was the immediate outcome of the fast that Gandhiji had undertaken on the issue of the Communal Award and it was only after it had been signed by all the parties concerned that paved the way for him to break his fast. The draft of the Pact was prepared by ______________.

Q.34 Having divested himself of the responsibility of leadership of the Congress, Gandhiji gave full attention to the revitalization of rural India and the organization of the All-India Village Industries Association. Which of the following became the headquarters of training and research in village industries?

Q.35 The historic August session of the All-India Congress Committee, at which the Quit India Resolution was passed, was held at Gowali Park in ___________.

Q.36 Whom was Gandhiji referring to when he talked about his political heir at the meeting of the A.I.C.C. held in Wardha on January 15, 1942?

Q.37 Which of the following slogans is associated with the name of Gandhiji?

Q.38 Gandhiji began a twenty-one day fast on February 10, 1943 in jail which provided a burst of political activity. This fast was undertaken by him to ____________.

Q.39 The book "Unto This Last" greatly captivated and transformed Gandhiji. So much so that his translated into Gujrati. Who was it's author?

Q.40 What title did Gandhiji give to his Gujrati translation of "Unto This Last"?

Q.41 Gandhiji made a distinction between "Passive Resistance" and "Nonviolence". What was the distinction?

Q.42 A special attraction of one of the Gandhi museums is the exhibition depicting Gandhi's life through figurines prepare by Sushila Patel. Identify the place of this museum.

Q.43 What is the name of the building which served as Gandhi's residence in Mumbai from 1917-1934?

The correct answers

1. (a) Porbandar	2. (c) Both (a) and (b)
3. (c) Martizburg	4. (a) A. W. Baker
5. (d) All of them	6. (a) Pretoria
7. (c) Asiatic Law Amendment Act	8. (c) Invalidation of Indian marriages
9. (a) January 9, 1915	10. (c) Anne Besant
11. (b) Raj Kumar Shukla	12. (b) Barharwa
13. (c) Kheda	14. (c) 24th
15. (b) Bombay	16. (d) All of the three
17. (a) Turkey	18. (b) Uttar Pradesh
19. (d) All the three	20. (a) Kohat
21. (d) Twelfth	22. (b) 24
23. (d) Abbas Tyabji	24. (a) Motilal Nehru Top
25. (c) Both (a) and (b)	26. (a) Jawaharlal Nehru
27. (a) M. A. Ansari	28. (b) Madan Mohan Malvia
29. (a) Muriel Lester	30. (a) Winston Churchill
31. (c) Both (a) and (b)	32. (b) September 10, 1932
33. (b) A. V. Thakker	34. (b) Maganwadi
35. (a) Bombay	36. (c) Jawaharlal Nehru
37. (a) Do or Die	38. (d) Both (b) and (c)
39. (b) John Ruskin	40. (d) Sarvodaya
41. (a) Passive resistance is the resistance offered by the weak because they are unable to offer armed resistance, whereas nonviolence is the resistance offered by the strong because the are unwilling to offer armed resistance.	42. (b) Mumbai
43. (c) Mani Bhavan

What You Know About Mahatma Gandhi?

2013-11-08T14:54:00.001+05:30

Q.1. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on

Q.2. At which place was Gandhiji born?

Q.3. What was Gandhiji's age when he got married to Kasturbai?

Q. 4. Gandhiji confessed his guilt of stealing for the purpose of smoking in a letter, promising never to steal in future and asking for adequate punishment. To whom was this letter addressed?

Q.5. About how old was Gandhiji when he reached London to become a barrister?

Q.6. To become a barrister in England, one had to join one of the Inns of Courst. After obtaining admission, Gandhiji joined the Inner Temple on

Q.7. Devdas was Gandhiji's

Q.8. Gandhiji, the votary of nonviolence was shot dead on January 30, 1948 at Birla House, New Delhi, shortly after 5 p.m. while going to the prayer meeting. Which was that fateful day of the week?

Q.9. In which South African unit had most of the India emigrants taken up abode?

Q.10. While holding a first-class ticket Gandhiji was ordered by a railway official to shift to the van compartment. On his refusal to comply with the unjust order, a constable was called to push him out with bag and baggage. Identify the railway station where this incident took place.

Q.11. At which place was Gandhiji arrested for the first time by the British Government for sedition?

Q.12. On which day of March 1930 Gandhiji started with a band of chosen volunteers on his famous Dandi March to break the law by manufacturing illegally, but openly, salt from the sea?

Q.13. When was the Gandhi - Irwin Pact signed?

Q.14. Subhash Chandra Bose was elected President of the Congress in 1938 with Gandhiji's goodwill. He wanted a second term, but Gandhiji did not approve of it. Despite the disapproval, Bose fought the election and won it, defeating the official candidate by over 200 votes. Gandhiji took it as a personal defeat. Identify the candidate.

Q.15. On being arrested for his "Quit India" programme, where was Gandhiji detained?

Q.16. Lord Mountbatten arrived in India on 22nd March 1947 as the new Viceroy in the place of Lord Wavell to finalise the process of the transfer of power. His first act was to invite Gandhiji to meet him in that connection. When did Gandhiji meet him for the first time?

Q.17. The book "Unto This Last" greatly captivated and transformed Gandhiji. So much so that he translated it into Gujarati. Who was its author?

Q.18. Which of the following, according to Gandhiji, is an essential principle of satyagraha?

Q.19. Gandhiji's "The Story of My Experiments with Truth" was originally written in Gujarati. Who translated it into English?

Q.20. Which one of the following books is the work of Gandhiji?

Q.21. Identify the year in which Birla House, New Delhi, where Gandhiji very often used to stay and where he was shot dead, was turned into a government - run Gandhi museum.

Q.22. Identify the leader who last met Gandhiji for about an hour and left him just few minutes before he was shot dead on January 30, 1948 while on his way to the prayer meeting.

Q.23. In February 1933 Gandhiji started the publication of a weekly paper, Harijan, to promote the anti - untouchability campaign. Its first issue was out on February 11, 1933 from

Q.24. When on August 15, 1947 the transfer of power took place, the Congress President issued a message to the nation and saluted Mahatma Gandhi as "the maker of freedom achieved in a unique way." He said "never before was so great an event consummated with such little bloodshed and violence." Who was the Congress President?

Q.25. What did Gandhiji mean by "Swaraj"?

Q.26. When did Gandhiji take the vow of brahmacharya or celibacy of life?

Q.27. When did Gandhiji get his head shaved, discard his clothes and settle for a loin cloth?

Q.28. Who worked a Private Secretary to Mahatma Gandhi?

Q.29. Who in South Africa gave Gandhiji 'Unto This Last' to read which proved to be one of the most decisive books of his life?

Q.30. To put the ideas of 'Unto This Last' into practice, Gandhiji founded the Phoenix Settlement near Durban which came into being in the middle of the year ________________.

Q.31. Who described Gandhi's march to Dandi in the following words? "Like the historic march of Ramchandra to Lanka, the march of Gandhi will be memorable"

Q.32. The historic August session of the All-India Congress Committee, at which the Quit India Resolution was passed, was held at Gowali Park in __________________.

Q. 33. Gandhiji accorded very high priority to communal harmony in his programme of actions. At which place did he undertake his last fast for it on January 13, 1948?

Q.34. After the attainment of political independence in 1947, Gandhiji felt that the Congress, as a propaganda vehicle and a parliamentary machine, had outlived its usefulness. So to keep the Congress away from unhealthy competition with political parties and communal bodies, Gandhiji towards the end of January 1948 sketched a draft constitution for the Congress to transform itself into ______________.

Q.35. Which of the following did Gandhiji describes as his two lungs?

Q.36. The differences with Gandhiji led Subhas Chandra Bose to resign the Presidentship of the India National Congress in 1939. Leaving the Congress he formed a new party called __________________.

Q.37. Identify the Viceroy who wrote home these words after his first meeting with Gandhiji: "Mr Gandhi's religious and moral views are, I believe, admirable, but I confess that I find it difficult to understand the practice of them in politics."

Q. 38. What was the profession of Gandhiji's father?

Q. 39 How many children did Putlibai have?

Q. 40. What was the name of Gandhi's domestic help?

Q. 41. What was the name of Gandhiji's sister?

Q. 42. Who inspired Gandhi with ' Ram Nam' in his childhood?

Q. 43. What was Gandhiji's nickname in childhood?

Q. 44. Which spelling did Gandhiji spell wrong as a child when the school inspector gave dictation to the class?

Q. 45. Where did Gandhiji receive his primary education?

Q. 46. Which mythological character impressed Gandhiji for life when he saw a play on his life?

Q. 47. Who asked Gandhiji to eat meat in order to become strong?

Q. 48. How old was Gandhiji when his father died?

Q. 49. In which year did Gandhiji pass his matriculation in England ?

Q. 50. What were the vows taken up by Gandhiji before he left for England?

Q. 51. Which institution did Gandhiji join as a member during his stay in England?

Q. 52. Which book influenced Gandhiji greatly, which he read in England?



*1. (c) 1869*	*2. (a) Porbandar*	*3. (d) 13 years*
*4. (a) Father*	*5. (b) 19 years*	*6. (c) November 6, 1888*
*7. (d) Youngest Child*	*8. (c) Friday*	*9. (b) Natal*
*10. (c) Maritzburg*	*11. (d) Ahmedabad*	*12. (d) Twelfth*
*13. (b) March5, 1931*	*14. (c) Pattabhi Sitaramayya*	*15. (d) Ahmedabad Prison*
*16. (c) March 31, 1947*	*17. (b) John Ruskin*	*18. (d) All three*
*19. (b) Mahadev Desai*	*20. (d) both (b) & (c)*	*21. (c) 1971*
*22. (a) Vallabhbhai Patel*	*23. (c) Poona*	*24. (a) J B Kripalani*
25. (b) freedom for the meanest of the countrymen	*26. (b) 1906*	*27. (b) 1921*
*28. (b) Mahadev Desai*	*29. (b) H S L Polak*	*30. (b) 1904*
*31. (a) Motilal Nehru*	*32. (a) Bombay*	*33. (b) Delhi*
*34.(c) Lok Sevak Sangh*	*35. (b) Ahimsa and Truth*	*36. (b) Forward Bloc*
*37. (c) Lord Reading*	*38. (b) Diwan*	*39. (b)* One daughter and three sons
*40. (b) Rambha dai*	*41. (b) Raliat*	*42. (c)* *Rambha Dai*
*43. (b)* *Manu or Moniya*	*44. (b)* *Kettle*	*45. (d)* *Rajkot*
*46. (a) Harishchandra*	*47. (a) Sheikh Mehtab*	*48. (c)* *16years*
*49. (b) 1890*	*50. (d) All the above*	*51. (a)* ) Vegetarian Society
52. (c) Plea for Vegetarianism

What You Know About Mahatma Gandhi?

2013-11-08T14:53:00.001+05:30

Q.1. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on

Q.2. At which place was Gandhiji born?