General Knowledge & Current Affairs PDF

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 1: New Parliament Building NEW PARLIAMENT BUILDING In the 75th year of Independence, PM Modi inaugurated the new Parliament building, and installed the ‘Sengol’ near Lok Sabha Speaker’...

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 1: New Parliament Building NEW PARLIAMENT BUILDING In the 75th year of Independence, PM Modi inaugurated the new Parliament building, and installed the ‘Sengol’ near Lok Sabha Speaker’s chair. NEW PARLIAMENT BUILDING The building was designed by a team of architects led by Bimal Patel, and it was built by a consortium of Indian companies. This project is known as Central Vista redevelopment project. MAIN FEATURES OF THE NEW BUILDING SENGOL The Sengol is installed near the chair of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 2: Presidents of India RAJENDRA PRASAD He was elected twice as the president longest-serving President (Over 12 Years) President of the constituent assembly Bihar Gandhi Bharat Ratna in 1962 Resting Place – Mahaprayan Ghat SARVEPALLI RADHAKRISHNAN He was the first Vice President of India (1952-1962) and the second President of India (1962-1967) First Chairman of Rajya Sabha His birthday is celebrated as Teachers’ Day in India Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award (1954) Known as Philosopher President ZAKIR HUSSAIN He was the shortest-serving president and passed away in office. 2nd VP Governor of Bihar Co-founder of Jamia Milia Islamia University Known as educational Philosopher Bharat Ratna 1963 V.V. GIRI Shortest serving VP of India First Acting President of India Participated in 2nd round table conference (London, 1931) – Representing Labors in India Governor of Kerala Bharat Ratna 1975 National Labor Institute (UP) – named after him FAKHRUDDIN ALI AHMED First President to born in the 20th century 3rd National Emergency (First Internal Emergency) Union Minister in Indira Gandhi Government Second president to die in office NEELAM SANJIVA REDDY first chief minister of Andhra Pradesh two-time Speaker of the Lok Sabha and a Union Minister contested twice for the post of president. elected unopposed ZAIL SINGH Chief Minister of Punjab. Union Home Minister first Sikh to become president Operation Blue Star First President to use Pocket Veto Resting Place – Ekta Sthal R. VENKATARAMAN Union Finance Minister and Defence Minister Seventh vice president of India Opposite Candidate: V.R. Krishna Iyer Known as Industrial Architect of Tamil Nadu SHANKAR DAYAL SHARMA Chief minister (1952–56) of Bhopal State Eighth vice president of India Resting Place: Karma Bhumi K.R. NARAYANAN First Malayalee to become President, VP, and Chairman of Rajya Sabha First President to address Kerala Legislative Assembly The oldest person to be elected as the President of India was Kocheril Raman Narayanan. He was elected at the age of 76 years and 271 days Resting Place: Karma Bhumi A.P.J. ABDUL KALAM First Scientist Known as People’s President Missile man of India First President to visit Siachen Glacier (the world's highest battlefield) First President to sail in a Submarine (INS Sindhurakshak) First President to fly in fighter aircraft (Sukhoi - 30) October 15 – World Students Day – His Birthday Bharat Ratna - 1997 PRATIBHA PATIL First woman President of India Governor of Rajasthan from 2004 to 2007 PRANAB MUKHERJEE Union Finance Minister Bharat Ratna, in 2019 In 1986, Mukherjee founded another party, the Rashtriya Samajwadi Congress (RSC), in West Bengal. The RSC and INC merged three years later after a compromise was reached with Rajiv Gandhi. RAM NATH KOVIND Governor of Bihar High-level Committee on One Nation, One Election, Chairman DRAUPADI MURMU first tribal woman to serve as the President of India. Second woman, following Pratibha Patil, to hold the position of the President of India. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 3: Vice Presidents of India  VICE PRESIDENTS OF INDIA The First Vice President of India Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Vice President of India for two consecutive terms S. Radhakrishnan, Mohammad Hamid Ansari Shortest serving Vice President V.V. Giri The only one person who held the post of the President, Vice President and Chief Justice of India M. Hidayathullah GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 4: Prime Ministers of India  PRIME MINISTERS OF INDIA The first non parliament member to become the PM of India P.V. Narasimha Rao The First Rajya Sabha member to become the PM of India Indira Gandhi The first women PM in the world Sirimavo Bandara Nayake (Sri Lanka) The Second woman PM in the world Indira Gandhi  PRIME MINISTERS OF INDIA Oldest PM of India Morarjee Desai Youngest PM of India Rajiv Gandhi JAWAHAR LAL NEHRU Longest serving PM of India Pen name: Chanakya Birth Day – Nov 14 – Children’s Day Architect of Preamble Panchayat Raj was inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru on 2nd October 1959 at Nagur District in Rajasthan Bharat Ratna – 1955 First PM to die in Harness Resting Place: Shanthivan GULZARILAL NANDA First acting PM of India 27 May 1964 to 9 June 1964 (Jawaharlal Nehru) 11 January 1966 to 24 January 1966 (Lal Bhadur Shastri) He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 1997 LAL BAHADUR SHASTRI Also known as Man of Peace Slogan – Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan First person to receive Bharat ratna posthumously (1966) Resting Place: Vijay Ghat INDIRA GANDHI First woman Finance Minister of India First woman to get Bharat Rtana (1971) First PM to face Contempt of court National Emergency (Art. 352) – 1975 – Ground – Internal Disturbance {President – Fakruddin Ali Ahmed} Iron Lady of India First nuclear explosion – 18th May 1974 - “Smiling Buddha” 42nd Constitutional Amendment Resting Place: Shaktisthal MORARJI DESAI First non Congress PM Union Finance Minister Most number of Budgets – 10 44th Constitutional Amendment Bharat Ratna (1991) Nishan e Pakistan – Highest Civilian Award of Pakistan CHARAN SINGH Only PM who did not face the Parliament Bharat Ratna (2024) RAJIV GANDHI Father of Indian IT Father of Navodaya Vidyalayas Anti Defection Law – 52nd Amendment Birth Day – Aug 20 – Sadbhavana Divas Death Day – May 21 - Anti Terrorism Day Bharat Ratna 1991 The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sporting honor, has been renamed as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. V. P. SINGH First PM to step down after a vote of no confidence CHANDRA SHEKHAR Young Turk P. V. NARASIMHA RAO First PM from South India The first non parliament member to become the PM of India Father of economic reforms in India Bharat Ratna - 2024 ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE Second nuclear experiment at Pokran -1998 - Buddha smiles again First Indian to speak Hindi in the UN Bharat Ratna 2014 Birth Day – Dec 25 – Good Governance Day H.D. DEVE GOWDA Known as Son of the Soil I.K. GUJRAL Foreign relation principles developed by Gujral – Gujral Doctrine MANMOHAN SINGH First Sikh PM Governor of RBI (1982 - 85) Chairperson of UPSC, UGC First PM to visit Siachin Glacier Minister of Finance under P. V. Narasimha Rao NARENDRA MODI CM of Gujarat (2001 - 14) Order of the Nile (highest civilian honor of Egypt) – 2023 Legion of Honour (highest civilian honor of France) – 2023 The Narendra Modi Stadium, formerly known as Motera Stadium, is an international cricket stadium located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 5: OFFICE HOLDERS - NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF INDIA Droupadi Murmu VICE PRESIDENT OF INDIA Jagdeep Dhankar PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA D.Y. Chandrachud SPEAKER OF THE LOK SABHA Om Birla CHIEF ELECTION COMMISSIONER Rajiv Kumar COMPTROLLER AND AUDITOR GENERAL Girish Chandra Murmu CHAIRPERSON OF THE UPSC Dr. Manoj Soni ATTORNEY GENERAL R. Venkataramani SOLICITOR GENERAL Tushar Mehta MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS Amit Shah MINISTER OF FINANCE Nirmala Sitharaman MINISTER OF DEFENCE Rajnath Singh MINISTER OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS Subrahmanyam Jaishankar MINISTER OF EDUCATION Dharmendra Pradhan MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE Arjun Ram Meghwal CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF General Anil Chauhan CHAIRPERSON OF THE NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION Arun Kumar Mishra CHAIRPERSON OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR WOMEN Rekha Sharma CHAIRPERSON OF THE CENTRAL INFORMATION COMMISSION Heeralal Samariya CHAIRPERSON OF THE CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL Justice Ranjit Vasantrao CHAIRPERSON OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR MINORITIES Iqbal Singh Lalpura CHAIRPERSON OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR BACKWARD CLASSES Hansraj Gangaram Ahir CHAIRPERSON OF THE 16TH FINANCE COMMISSION OF INDIA Arvind Panagariya CHAIRPERSON OF THE NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL Justice Prakash Shrivastava GOVERNOR OF THE RESERVE BANK OF INDIA Shaktikanta Das CHAIRMAN OF THE SPACE COMMISSION & ISRO S. Somanath CHAIRPERSON OF THE LOKPAL A.M. Khanwilkar C H A I R M A N O F T H E 2 2 ND L A W C O M M I S S I O N Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari CHIEF OF THE ARMY STAFF General Manoj Pande CHIEF OF THE NAVAL STAFF Admiral R. Hari Kumar GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 6: SOLAR SYSTEM SUN natural source of light The Sun is 13,00,000 times bigger than the earth in terms of volume. Mercury smallest planet in the Solar System and the closest to the Sun Venus Earth’s twin ‘Evening Star’ or ‘Morning Star’ Mars Red Planet second smallest planet Jupiter Giant Planet largest planet in the solar system Saturn Ringed Planet Uranus Green Planet first planet that was discovered by the use of a telescope. Neptune Twin of Uranus Pluto dwarf planet It was reclassified from a planet to a dwarf planet in 2006. EARTH third planet from the sun the fifth-largest ‘Blue Planet’ Moon natural satellite of Earth GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 7: NATIONAL SYMBOLS OF INDIA National Bird Peacock National Flower Lotus National Tree Banyan tree National Anthem Jan Gana Mana National River Ganga National Aquatic Animal River Dolphin National Emblem National Animal Tiger National Song Vande Mataram National Fruit Mango GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 8: WORLD  FIRST IN WORLD First Country to make Constitution USA First Country to Legalise Euthanasia Netherlands First Country to give Legal Status to Homosexual Netherlands marriages First Country to ban capital Punishment Venezuela First Country to give voting right to women New Zealand First Country to Appoint Lokpal (Ombudsman) Sweden First Country to impose carbon tax New Zealand First Country to Introduce RTI Sweden  FIRST IN WORLD First Country to issue plastic currency Australia First Country to Clone Animal Scotland (Dolly) First Spacecraft to carry man on moon Apollo 11 First Country to organise Modern Olympic Games Greece First Country to win Football World Cup Uruguay First Space Shuttle Columbia  FIRST IN WORLD (FEMALE) First Woman President of a Country Maria Estela Peron (Argentina) First woman Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike (Sri Lanka) First woman to go to space Valentina Tereshkova (USSR) First Woman Vice-President of United States of Kamla Harris America First Woman Chief Economist for IMF Gita Gopinath First Woman appointed as UN Civilian Police Kiran Bedi Officer First Woman to lead World Trade Organisation Ngozi Okonjo  FIRST IN WORLD (MALE) First man to climb Mount Everest Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary (29th May, 1953) First Man to go into Space Major Yuri Gagarin (USSR) (1961) First Secretary of United Nation Trygve Lie (Norway) THE LARGEST, BIGGEST, SMALLEST, LONGEST, HIGHEST Tallest Building Burj Khalifa, Dubai United Arab Emirates (828 m) Largest Island Greenland Largest Desert Sahara, Africa Largest Continent Asia Smallest Continent Australia Largest Country (in area) Russia Largest Democracy India THE LARGEST, BIGGEST, SMALLEST, LONGEST, HIGHEST Largest Port Shanghai (China) Longest River Nile (6690 km) Tallest Statue Statue of Unity, Gujarat (India) Largest Airport (by size) King Fahd International Airport (Dammam, Saudi Arabia) COUNTRIES WITH CAPITALS AND CURRENCIES COUNTRY CAPITAL CURRENCY Argentina Buenos Aires Peso Bangladesh Dhaka Taka Belgium Brussels Euro Canada Ottawa Canadian Dollar Chile Santiago Peso China Beijing Yuan Greece Athens Euro COUNTRIES WITH CAPITALS AND CURRENCIES COUNTRY CAPITAL CURRENCY Iran Tehran Rial Iraq Baghdad Dinar Israel Jerusalem Shekel Japan Tokyo Yen Kenya Nairobi Shilling Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Ringgit Nepal Kathmandu Nepalese Rupee COUNTRIES WITH CAPITALS AND CURRENCIES COUNTRY CAPITAL CURRENCY Netherlands Amsterdam Euro Norway Oslo Krone Philippines Manila Peso Portugal Lisbon Euro Russia Moscow Ruble Sri Lanka Colombo Sri Lankan Rupee Turkey Ankara Lira  GEOGRAPHICAL EPITHETS City of Golden Gate San Francisco City of Palaces Kolkata Gift of the Nile Egypt Land of Morning Calm Korea Land of the Midnight Sun Norway Land of the Rising Sun Japan Land of White Elephant Thailand Sugar Bowl of the World Cuba  PARLIAMENTS OF THE WORLD COUNTRY NAME PARLIAMENT NAME China National People’s Congress France National Assembly Germany Bundestag Japan Diet Nepal Rashtriya Panchayat Russia Duma Spain Cortes GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 9: BOOKS AND AUTHORS  BOOKS AND AUTHORS Books Authors Natyashastra Bharata Indica Megasthanese Arthasastra Kautilya Young India M.K. Gandhi Harijan Navjivan Hindu Swarajya My Experiments With Truth Discovery of India Jawahar Lal Nehru Glimpses of World History An Autobiography  BOOKS AND AUTHORS Books Authors India Wins Freedom Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Unhappy India Lala Lajpat Rai India Divided Dr. Rajendra Prasad Geetanjali RavindraNath Tagore Home and The World Gora Hungry Stones Chandalika Visarjan Indian Struggle Subhash Chandra Bose  BOOKS AND AUTHORS Books Authors Mein Kampf Adolf Hitler The Merchant of Venice Shakespeare Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy Gulliver's Travels Jonathan Swift Origin of Species Charles Darwin Das Kapital Karl Marx Ain-i-Akbari Abul Fazal Akbar-Nama Wealth of Nations Adam Smith  BOOKS AND AUTHORS Books Authors Anandmath Bankim Chandra Chatterjee God’s Decree Kapil Dev Broken Wings Sarojini Naidu Development as Freedom Amartya Sen Eternal India Indira Gandhi Panchtantra Vishnu Sharma The White Tiger Aravind Adiga The Algebra of Infinite Justice Arundhati Roy The God of Small Things Greater Common Good  BOOKS AND AUTHORS Books Authors Annihilation of Caste B. R. Ambedkar Fall of a Sparrow Salim Ali India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium Dr A P J Abdul Kalam We, the people N A Palkhivala We Are Displaced Malala Yousafzai A Brief History of Time Stephen Hawkings GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 10: Physical Geography of the World  PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD The distance from the Earth to the Sun is called the astronomical unit Light Year: A light year is the distance covered by light in one year – (Astronomical distances are measured in light years.) – Unit of Distance  SPHERES OF THE EARTH LITHOSPHERE 1. Atmosphere: The cover of air that envelopes the Earth’s surface. 2. Lithosphere: The top crust that includes the land surface and the ocean floors. 3. Hydrosphere: The water surface that includes oceans, seas, rivers, and lakes. 4. Biosphere: The sphere where life exists, and is spread over all the above three spheres. ATMOSPHERE Ionosphere  IMPORTANT The most abundant element in the Earth’s crust is Oxygen, making up 46.6% of Earth’s mass The most abundant gas in the Earth’s atmosphere is Nitrogen (N2), which makes up about 78.084% of the atmosphere. The most abundant element in the universe is Hydrogen  IMPORTANT CANALS OF THE WORLD Canal Panama connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea Erie Canal connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes Kiel Canal connects the North Sea at Brunsbüttel to the Baltic Sea Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal connects China’s Yellow River and Yangtze River  OCEANS IN THE WORLD Oceans Pacific Ocean The largest and deepest of the earth’s oceans It covers around 46% of the Earth’s water surface Deepest Point: Mariana Trench Atlantic Ocean It is the second-largest ocean known for its Sargasso Sea, the only sea without a land boundary Indian Ocean It is the third-largest ocean the warmest ocean in the world Southern Also known as the Antarctic Ocean Ocean It is the fourth-largest ocean and it encircles Antarctica Arctic Ocean It is the smallest and shallowest of the world’s five major oceans It is located in the Northern Hemisphere’s Arctic north polar region  IMPORTANT STRAITS OF THE WORLD Strait Malacca Strait Connects Java Sea and Bay of Bengal It is located between Indonesia and Malaysia Palk Strait Connects Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean It is located between India and Sri Lanka Sunda Strait Connects the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean. It is located in Indonesia Bab-el-Mandeb BeringSea and Arabian Sea Strait It is located between Yemen and Djibouti Arctic Ocean Connects Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea  IMPORTANT WATERFALLS IN THE WORLD Waterfalls Angel Falls Located in Venezuela it is the highest waterfall in the world Victoria Falls One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World it is the largest waterfall in the world considering its height and width It is located on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe Niagara Falls Located on the border of USA and Canada Yosemite Falls Located in the USA Gullfoss Located in Iceland Tugela Falls Located in South Africa Rhine Falls Located in Switzerland it is the largest waterfall in Europe  IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY LINES Boundary Lines In Between Radcliffe Line (1947) India and Pakistan (Indo-Pak) It was named after Sir Cyril Radcliffe McMahon Line (1914) India and China (Indo-China) It was drawn by Sir Henry McMahon in consultation with Tibetan representatives in 1914. China disputes the legal status of this line but it is the de facto border between India and China Durand Line (1893) Pakistan and Afghanistan This line was delimited by Sir Mortimer Durand with the agreement of the erstwhile Amir of Afghanistan in 1893. Present-day Afghanistan does not recognize the Durand line  IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY LINES Boundary Lines In Between Hindenburg Line Germany and Poland Maginot Line France and Germany Oder Neisse Line Germany and Poland 38th Parallel Line North and South Korea 49th Parallel Line USA and Canada 24th Parallel Line Pakistan claims that it is the boundary between India and Pakistan in Rann of Kachchh  MAJOR MOUNTAIN PEAKS IN THE WORLD Mountains Mount Everest Located in the Himalayas it is the highest peak in the world Height: 8,848.86 meters K2 (Mount Godwin-Austen) It is the second-highest mountain peak in the world located on the China-Pakistan border Kangchenjunga It is the third highest mountain in the world located on the India-Nepal border highest mountain peak in India Kilimanjaro Tanzania Aconcagua Argentina Annapurna Nepal  CONTINENTS Number of Continents: 7 (Africa, Asia, Antarctica, Europe, North America, South America, and Australia) Largest Continent: Asia is the largest continent in terms of both size and population Smallest Continent: Australia is the smallest continent Most Countries: Africa is the continent with the most countries, with 54 countries on the African continent Cradle of Humankind – Africa  RIVERS OF THE WORLD Rivers Nile River located in northeastern Africa longest river in the world at about 4,132 miles It flows through 10 countries Amazon River second longest river in the world flowing more than 4,100 miles through the Amazon Rainforest in South America Ganga It starts in the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayan Mountains, flowing across India and Bangladesh into the Bay of Bengal Mississippi River longest river in North America Yangtze River longest river in Asia Volga River longest river in Europe GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 11: INDIAN GEOGRAPHY  INDIA seventh largest country 2.42% of world’s area most populous country India shares longest boundary with Bangladesh It is surrounded by Arabian Sea in the South-West and Bay of Bengal in the South- East. Number of States – 28 Union Territories – 8 Longest Coastline - Gujarat  INDIA Active volcano - Barren Island in Andaman and Nicobar Islands Southern most point - Indira Point or Pygmalion point in Great Nicobar Northern most point - Indira Col Western most point - West of Ghaur Mota in Gujarat Eastern most point - Kibithu (Arunachal Pradesh)  IMPORTANT LAKES OF INDIA Lakes Chilika Lake Situated in Odisha it is the largest saline water lake in India Kolleru Lake Located between Krishna and Godavari deltas in Andhra Pradesh It is a freshwater lake. Loktak Lake Located in Manipur it is the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India Wular Lake Located in Jammu and Kashmir largest fresh water lake of India Dal Lake located in Jammu and Kashmir it is known for its houseboats and shikaras Pulicat Lake Located on the border of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu  IMPORTANT LAKES OF INDIA Lakes Vembanad Lake Situated in Kerala it is the longest lake in India Sambhar Lake Situated in Rajasthan it is India’s largest inland salt lake Nagarjuna Sagar Lake A man-made lake located in Telangana  AGRICULTURAL SEASONS IN INDIA Kharif Sown in June/July harvested in September/October e.g., rice, ragi, maize, cotton and jute. Rabi Sown in October/December harvested in April/May e.g., wheat, barley, peas, mustard, sesame.  AGRICULTURAL SEASONS IN INDIA Zaid Sown in February/March harvested in May/June e.g., urad, moong, melons  TRANSPORTATION IN INDIA Indian Railway system is the second largest in Asia and the fourth largest in the world. The longest railway platform in India and World is at the Shri Siddharoodha Swamiji station in Hubballi, Karnataka The first train ran in India between Bombay and Thane, a stretch of 34 km on 16th April, 1853. The first electric train in India was Deccan Queen. It was introduced in 1929 between Bombay and Poona. The first Metro train was introduced in Kolkata (West Bengal) on 24th October, 1984.  TRANSPORTATION IN INDIA Vande Bharat Express also known as Train 18, is an Indian semi-high speed electric (India’s fastest train) train made by Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, under make in India Programme. The Lucknow-New Delhi Tejas Express is the first Indian train operated by private operators, IRCTC, a subsidiary of Indian Railway Delhi Metro is the largest and busiest metro in India. The longest highway in India is the National Highway 44 (NH 44), (Srinagar to Kanyakumari) NH 548 is the shortest National Highways with the length of 5 km. First Water Metro – Kochi First Under Water Metro - Kolkata  MAJOR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS IN INDIA Indira Gandhi International Airport , New Delhi largest international airport in India sixth largest in the world Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport , Mumbai Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad Cochin International Airport, Kochi first international airport in India developed under the Public-Private Partnership model first ever airport in the world fully powered by solar energy Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad  IMPORTANT SANCTUARIES AND NATIONAL PARKS IN INDIA Jim Corbett National Park Located in Uttarakhand it is India’s oldest national park known for its efforts in conserving tigers Kanha National Park Situated in Madhya Pradesh known for its efforts in conserving the swamp deer Bandhavgarh National Park Located in Madhya Pradesh it has the highest density of Bengal tigers known in the world Kaziranga National Park Located in Assam, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for hosting two-thirds of the world’s great one-horned rhinoceroses  IMPORTANT SANCTUARIES AND NATIONAL PARKS IN INDIA Nagarhole National Park Situated in Karnataka, it is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve Ranthambore National Park Located in Rajasthan Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary Located in Kerala, it is a notable elephant and tiger reserve Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary Located in Gujarat it is the sole home of the Asiatic lions  BIOSPHERE RESERVES OF INDIA Biosphere reserves are sites established by countries and recognized under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme to promote sustainable development There are 18 Biosphere Reserves in India The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve was the first to be established in India in 1986 The Gulf of Mannar is the largest Biosphere Reserve in India The Panna Biosphere Reserve is the smallest  BIOSPHERE RESERVES OF INDIA Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve Located in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve Located in Uttarakhand Nokrek Biosphere Reserve Located in Meghalaya Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Located in Tamil Nadu  BIOSPHERE RESERVES OF INDIA Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve Located in West Bengal. Manas Biosphere Reserve Located in Assam Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve Located in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Simlipal Biosphere Reserve Located in Odisha  ENVIRONMENT RELATED IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT/CONFERENCE Ramsar Convention (1971) known as the Convention on Wetlands it was adopted in the city of Ramsar, Iran came into force in 1975 Stockholm Convention (2001) A convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) it was adopted in Geneva, Switzerland came into force in 2004 CITES (1973) The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora came into force in 1975 Bonn Convention (1979) Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals came into force in 1983  ENVIRONMENT RELATED IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT/CONFERENCE Vienna Convention (1985) A convention for the Protection of Ozone Layer came into force in 1988 Kyoto Protocol (1997) An international treaty which extends the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions Basel Convention (1989) Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes Earth Summit (1992) UN Conference on Environment and Development Rio-de-Janeiro GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 12: INDIAN HISTORY  INDIAN HISTORY The history of India has been broadly divided into three distinct periods: 1. Ancient India 2. Medieval India 3. Modern India BCE - “Before Common Era” (Same as the Period as BC - “Before Christ”) AD - “Anno Domini” (It is used to denote the years after the birth of Jesus Christ) – Same time period as CE - “Common Era”  ANCIENT INDIA PREHISTORIC PERIOD categorized into three archaeological periods: the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age STONE AGE: This period is further divided into three phases Paleolithic (2.6 million - 10,000 BC); This is the Old Stone Age, during which the use of stone tools first appears Mesolithic (10,000 - 4,500 BC): This period saw the development of microliths or small stone tools Neolithic (4,500 - 2,500 BC): This period is marked by the development of agriculture  INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION also known as the Harappan Civilisation The civilisation flourished in the basins of the Indus River. The IVC was rediscovered in the 20th century it is now considered one of the four great civilisations of the ancient world, alongside Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China. MAJOR SITES OF INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION ▪ Harappa - Situated on river Ravi in Montgomery district of Punjab (Pakistan) ▪ Mohenjodaro - Situated on river Indus in Larkana district of Sind (Pak). ▪ Lothal (Gujarat) - An important port town in the Indus Valley  VEDIC PERIOD Vedic civilisation started with the migration of Aryan people in NorthWestern part of India. The Vedas The four Vedas are Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, and Atharvaveda Each Veda has four parts: Samhitas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Upanishads The Rigveda is the oldest of the four Vedas  BUDDHISM Buddhism is the fourth largest religion in the world originated in India. It was founded by Gautama Siddhartha, in the 6th century BCE. THE BUDDHA Also Known as Sakyamuni or Tathagata Born in 563 BC in Lumbini in Nepal in Shakya Kshatriya Clan. Attained Nirvana or Enlightenment at 35 at Uruvela, Bodh Gaya in Magadha (Bihar) under the Pipal tree. Triratnas in Buddhism stand for 3 pillars Buddha - Its founder Dhamma - His teachings Sangha - Order of Buddhist monks and nuns  JAINISM Came into existence around 600 BC Founded by Rishabhadeva Jainism became the major religion under Vardhamana Mahavira who was the 24th Tirthankara or prophet of Jainism. There were 24 tirthankaras (great teachers) Jaina texts were written in Prakrit language. Five Doctrines of Jainism 1. Do not commit violence (Ahimsa) 2. Do not steal (Asteya) 3. Do not acquire property (Aparigraha) 4. Do not speak lie (Satya) 5. Observe continence (Brahmacharya)  DYNASTIES OF ANCIENT INDIA HARYANKA DYNASTY (6th century BCE–413 BCE) Founded by Bimbisara this dynasty was based in Magadha Udayabhadra (Known as Udayin) - shifted Capital to Pataliputra SHISHUNAGA DYNASTY (413 BCE–345 BCE) Founded by Shishunaga this dynasty convened the Second Buddhist Council. Nanda Dynasty (345 BCE–322 BCE) Founded by Mahapadma Nanda this dynasty was known for the time when Alexander invaded India  DYNASTIES OF ANCIENT INDIA Mauryan Dynasty (322 BCE–185 BCE) Founded by Chandragupta Maurya He has been called Sandrocottus by Greek scholars. Megasthenese was a Greek ambassador sent to the court of Chandragupta Maurya by Seleucus Nicator who wrote INDICA. Kautilya wrote Arthashastra in Sanskrit who was a contemporary of Chandragupta Maurya. Bindusara extended the kingdom further and conquered regions as far south as Mysore. Ashoka succeeded to the throne after the death of his father Bindusara in 273 BCE. Ashoka fought the Kalinga war in 261 BCE Sanchi Stupa was built by Ashoka.  DYNASTIES OF ANCIENT INDIA Sunga Dynasty (185 BC- 75 BC) Founded by Pushyamitra Sunga (who killed last Mauryan King Brihadratha) His capital was Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh. Satavahanas Dynasty (1st century BCE–2nd century CE) Founded by Simuka Capital of the Satavahanas was Pratishtana (in Maharashtra). Official language of the Satavahanas was Prakrit. Chola Dynasty (300s BCE–1279 CE) Founded by Vijayalaya, this dynasty annexed Sri Lanka  DYNASTIES OF ANCIENT INDIA Gupta Period (320 CE to 543 CE) founded by Sri Gupta The Gupta dynasty is called the Golden Age or the Classical Age of ancient India. Kalidasa— poet and dramatist, Aryabhatta, Varahmihira and Brahmagupta—the great mathematician and astronomer, Dhanvantari—the great physician, all lived during this period. The first Gupta ruler to acquire the title of Maharajadhiraja - Chandragupta I Napoleon of India – Samudragupta  DYNASTIES OF ANCIENT INDIA Pushyabhuti Dynasty or Vardhan Dynasty (AD 606-647) founded by King Pushyabhuti The dynasty originated in the region of Thanesar, in present-day Haryana Harshavardhana was the last Hindu king of northern India. Banabhatta, one of the court poets of Harshavardhana, wrote Harshacharita, a biography of the king.  MEDIEVAL INDIA Medieval India, spanning from the 6th to the 18th centuries  SULTANATE OF DELHI (1206–1526) beginning of Muslim rule in India This can be divided into five distinct periods 1. The Slave Dynasty (1206–90) 2. The Khilji Dynasty (1290–1320) 3. The Tughlak Dynasty (1320–1414) 4. The Sayyid Dynasty (1414–51) 5. The Lodhi Dynasty (1451–1526)  SULTANATE OF DELHI (1206–1526) SLAVE DYNASTY Also known as Ilbari Dynasty Founded by Qutub-ud-din Aibak Qutub-ud-din Aibak laid the foundation of Qutub Minar First and last Muslim woman ruler of Medieval India. - Razia Sultan KHILJI DYNASTY Founded by Sultan Jalal-ud-din Khilji TUGHLAQ DYNASTY Founded by Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq also called the wise fool king  SULTANATE OF DELHI (1206–1526) SAYYID DYNASTY founded by Khizr Khan LODHI DYNASTY Bahlul Lodhi was the founder of this dynasty. The Lodhis were the first Afghans to rule India. First Battle of Panipat (1526) : between Ibrahim Lodhi–the ruler of Delhi and Babur–the ruler of Kabul. Babur invaded India and established the Mughal Dynasty.  MUGHAL EMPIRE (AD 1526-1707) BABUR Founder of Mughal empire introduced gunpowder in India defeated Ibrahim Lodhi in the First Battle of Panipat (AD 1526) he wrote Tuzuk-i-Baburi in Turkish language. HUMAYUN son of Babur and ascended the throne in 1530 AKBAR defeated Hemu at the Second Battle of Panipat (AD 1556) formulated religious order Din-i-Ilahi  MUGHAL EMPIRE (AD 1526-1707) JAHANGIR son of Akbar, ascended the throne after Akbar’s death in 1605 SHAHJAHAN He ascended the throne in 1628 after his father Jahangir’s death. Built Moti Masjid and Taj Mahal at Agra, Jama Masjid and Red Fort at Delhi. Golden Age of the Mughal architecture. AURANGZEB the son of Shahjahan ruled for 50 years He built Biwi ka Makbara on the tomb of his queen Rabaud-Durani at Aurangabad LITERATURE OF THE MUGHAL PERIOD  MODERN INDIA In 1498, Portuguese traders were the first to discover a sea route to India They were followed by the Dutch in 1595 the English in 1600. Finally, in 1664, the French came to India for trading purpose.  EAST INDIA COMPANY AND BRITISH RULE GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF BENGAL (1773-1833): The East India Company controlled Bengal through a post named as “Governor of Bengal”. After the passing of Regulating Act 1773, the post of Governor of Bengal was converted into “Governor-General of Bengal” first Governor of Bengal: Robert Clive The first Governor-General of Bengal was Warren Hastings GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA (1833-58): By Charter Act of 1833, the post name of Governor-General of Bengal was converted into “Governor-General of India” The first Governor-General of India was William Bentinck  EAST INDIA COMPANY AND BRITISH RULE VICEROY (1858-1947): After the revolt of 1857, the company rule was abolished and India came under the direct control of the British crown. The post of Governor General of India was changed to Viceroy of India. The first Viceroy of India was Lord Canning  IMPORTANT GOVERNORS-GENERAL & VICEROYS OF INDIA Governors-General & Events During Regime Viceroys Lord William Bentinck Abolition of Sati System (1829) Lord Dalhousie Laying down of first railway line connecting Bombay and Thane in 1853 Lord Canning Revolt of 1857 Establishment of three universities at Calcutta, Madras and Bombay in 1857 Abolition of East India Company and transfer of control to the Crown by the Government of India Act, 1858  IMPORTANT GOVERNORS-GENERAL & VICEROYS OF INDIA Governors-General & Events During Regime Viceroys Lord John Lawrence Establishment of the High Courts at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras (1865) Lord Ripon Government resolution on local selfgovernment (1882) father of local self-government in India Lord Hardinge II Transfer of capital from Calcutta to Delhi (1911). Lord Mountbatten India’s Independence (15 August 1947) C. Rajagopalachari Last Governor-General of India, before the office, was permanently abolished in 1950 The only Indian Governor-General  FIRST WAR OF INDEPENDENCE Also called the Sepoy Mutiny or the Revolt of 1857 Started at Meerut on 10th May, 1857. IMPACT OF THE REVOLT The control of Indian administration was passed on to the British Crown by the Government of India Act, 1858.  CHIEF NATIONAL ACTIVITIES THE INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS It was formed in 1885 by AO Hume The first session was held in Bombay under Presidentship of WC Bannerjee in 1885 The first woman president of the Indian National Congress (INC) was Mrs. Annie Besant The first Indian woman to hold the position was Mrs. Sarojini Naidu  CHIEF NATIONAL ACTIVITIES HOME RULE MOVEMENT (1916) Started by BG Tilak (April, 1916) at Poona and Annie Besant and S Subramania Iyer at Adyar, near Madras (September, 1916). Objective Self-government for India in the British Empire. During this movement, Tilak raised the slogan Swaraj is my Birth Right and I shall have it.  CHIEF NATIONAL ACTIVITIES JALLIANWALA BAGH MASSACRE On 13th April, 1919 People were agitated over the arrest of Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr Satya Pal on 10th April, 1919. General Dyer fired at people who assembled in the Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar. Michael O’ Dwyer was Lt. Governor of Punjab that time. Sardar Udham Singh killed Michael O’ Dwyer in Caxton Hall, London on March 13, 1940.  CHIEF NATIONAL ACTIVITIES LAHORE SESSION (1929) On 19th December, 1929, under the presidentship of JL Nehru, the INC, at its Lahore Session, declared Poorna Swaraj (complete independence) as its ultimate goal. 26th January, 1930 was fixed as the First Independence Day, to be celebrated every year. Later, this day was chosen as the Republic Day of India.  CHIEF NATIONAL ACTIVITIES DANDI MARCH (1930) Also called the Salt Satyagraha. Gandhiji started his march from Sabarmati Ashram on 12th March, 1930 for the small village Dandi to break the Salt Law. He picked a handful of salt and inaugurated the Civil Disobedience Movement.  CHIEF NATIONAL ACTIVITIES POONA PACT (1932) The Poona Pact was signed on September 24, 1932, between Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi The pact aimed to address the issue of political representation for the depressed classes in India The pact was a response to the British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald’s decision to give separate electorates to depressed classes The idea of separate electorate for the depressed classes was abandoned, but seats reserved for them in the Provincial Legislature were increased.  CHIEF NATIONAL ACTIVITIES DEMAND FOR PAKISTAN In 1930, Iqbal suggested that the North-West provinces and Kashmir should be made Muslim states within the federation. Rehmat Ali gave the term Pakistan in 1933. Muslim League first passed the proposal of separate Pakistan in its Lahore Session in 1940 (called Jinnah’s Two-Nation Theory).  CHIEF NATIONAL ACTIVITIES QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT Also called the Wardha Proposal, a Leaderless Revolt. The movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi on August 8, 1942, during World War II The movement demanded an immediate end to British rule in India Gandhi made a call to “Do or Die” in his Quit India speech delivered in Bombay on August 8, 1942, at the Gowalia Tank Maidan On 9th August, the Congress was banned and its important leaders were arrested. The movement ended in 1945 with the release of jailed freedom fighters  CHIEF NATIONAL ACTIVITIES MOUNTBATTEN (3RD JUNE, 1947) It was announced on June 3, 1947, and the division of India into two nations, India and Pakistan, came into effect on August 15, 1947 There would be a separate Consitutional Assembly for Pakistan to frame its Constitution. The princely states would enjoy the liberty to either join India or Pakistan, or could even remain independent.  CHIEF NATIONAL ACTIVITIES PARTITION AND INDEPENDENCE (AUGUST, 1947) Indian Independence Act, 1947 implemented on 15th August 1947 It abolished the sovereignty of British Parliament. Dominions of India and Pakistan were created. Each dominion was to have a Governor-General. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Home Minister, integrated all the states by 15th August, 1947.  POPULAR NAMES OF PERSONALITIES Popular Name Personality Bapu Mahatma Gandhi CR C Rajagopalachari Desh Bandhu Chitranjan Das Grand Old man Dadabhai Naoroji Lal, Bal, Pal Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore Iron Man Vallabhbhai Patel Lion of the Punjab Lala Lajpat Rai  POPULAR NAMES OF PERSONALITIES Popular Name Personality Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Nightingale of India Sarojini Naidu  CREMATORIUMS OF FAMOUS PERSONS Crematorium Personality Raj Ghat Mahatma Gandhi Shanti Van Jawaharlal Nehru Vijay Ghat Lal Bahadur Shastri Shakti Sthal Indira Gandhi Kisan Ghat Charan Singh Abhay Ghat Morarji Desai Veer Bhumi Rajiv Gandhi Ekta Sthal Giani Zail Singh, Chandra Shekhar Mahaprayan Ghat Dr Rajendra Prasad GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 13: Gandhiji  GANDHIJI Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Born on October 2, 1869 (International Day of Non-Violence), in Porbandar, Gujarat. Father of Nation (first called by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose) Political Mentor: Gopal Krishna Gokhale Death: Shot dead by Nathuram Godse (30"' January, 1948). 30th January is observed as Martyrs' Day  GANDHIJI Nominated for the Nobel peace prize five times. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBO) is celebrated every year on 9th January, to commemorate his return from South Africa. Gandhi first featured on Indian currency in 1969, when a special series was issued to commemorate his 100th birth anniversary.  GANDHIJI CHAMPARAN SATYAGRAHA (1917): The first civil disobedience movement by Gandhi in the freedom struggle. The horrific massacre at Jallianwala Bagh took place in the backdrop of protests against the Rowlatt Act. As a result, Mahatma Gandhi launched the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920. GANDHIJI Who called “Half Naked seditious fakir” to M.K Gandhi? - Winston Churchill Who called first time as “Mahatma”? - Ravindranath Tagor Who is considered as spiritual Teachers of Gandhi ji? - Leo Tolstoy Autobiography: 'The Story of My Experiments with Truth' GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 13: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose NETAJI SUBHAS CHANDRA BOSE born on 23rd January 1897 ('Parakram Diwas’) Spiritual Guru – Vivekananda Political mentor: Chittaranjan Das He worked as the editor for Das’s newspaper–Forward, and later started his own newspaper, Swaraj. He founded a new party, 'the Forward Bloc' NETAJI SUBHAS CHANDRA BOSE Famous Slogan: Give me blood, I shall give you freedom His most renowned achievement was the founding of “Azad Hind Fauj” (Indian National Army) He served as the President of the Indian National Congress in 1938 and 1939. On Azad Hind Radio, Bose on 6th July 1944, addressed Mahatma Gandhi as the 'Father of the Nation'.  BHARAT RATNA The Government of India decided to confer the Bharat Ratna to Subhash Chandra Bose in 1992. However, this decision was opposed by some members of his family and others who had refused to accept the fact of his death As a result, the award was announced but not conferred This is the only case in India when the award was announced but not conferred  BOOKS WRITTEN BY SUBHAS CHANDRA BOSE Ideas of a Nation Letters To Emilie Schenkl 1934-1942 On to Delhi: speeches and writings The Indian Struggle, 1920–1942 An Indian Pilgrim (An Unfinished Autobiography) GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 14: ART AND CULTURE  8 CLASSICAL DANCES OF INDIA Name of Classical Dance Place of Classical Dance Bharatanatyam Tamil Nadu Kathak Northern India Kathakali Kerala Kuchipudi Andhra Pradesh Manipuri Manipur Mohiniyattam Kerala Odissi Odisha Sattriya Assam GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 15: AWARDS  BHARAT RATNA The Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award was established by the first President of India Dr Rajendra Prasad, in 1954. PADMA AWARDS It was established by the first President of India Dr Rajendra Prasad, in 1954. ✓ announced every year on the occasion of Republic Day. ✓ 3 Types Padma Vibhushan Padma Bhushan Padma Shri.  GALLANTRY AWARDS WARTIME AWARDS Param Vir Chakra: It is the highest award for bravery or some act of valor or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea, or in the air. The medal is made of bronze. Maha Vir Chakra: It is the second highest award for gallantry in the presence of the enemy. The medal is made of silver. Vir Chakra: This award is given for acts of bravery in the presence of the enemy. A silver medal is given as the award.  GALLANTRY AWARDS PEACETIME AWARDS Ashoka Chakra: It is awarded for the most conspicuous bravery or some act of valor other than in the face of the enemy. The medal is made of gold gilt. Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra are also awarded for conspicuous bravery or some act of valour other than in the face of the enemy. Kirti Chakra is made of silver while Shaurya Chakra of bronze.  JNANPITH AWARD ✓ It is the oldest and the highest Indian literary award presented annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith to an author for their "outstanding contribution towards literature". ✓ Instituted in 1961 JNANPITH AWARD The first recipient of the award G. SANKARA KURUP (1965) Odakkuzhal  JNANPITH AWARD 58TH JNANPITH AWARD FOR THE YEAR 2023 Gulzar: An acclaimed Urdu poet, lyricist, and filmmaker Jagadguru Rambhadracharya: A renowned Sanskrit scholar and educator  NATIONAL SPORTS AWARDS Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award Arjuna Award Dronacharya Award Dhyan Chand Award DADASAHEB PHALKE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Waheeda Rehman India’s highest recognition in the world of cinema Presented first in 1969 The first recipient of the award was actress Devika Rani DADASAHEB PHALKE The father of Indian cinema directed India's first full-length feature film, Raja Harishchandra Note: First sound movie of India: Alam Ara INTERNATIONAL GANDHI PEACE PRIZE awarded annually by the Government of India. This award is given to individuals and institutions for their contributions towards social, economic, and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods INTERNATIONAL GANDHI PEACE PRIZE The prize is decided by a five-member jury headed by the Prime Minister of India. The first ever Gandhi Peace Prize for 1995, was conferred to Dr Julius K. Nyerere, former President of Tanzania The winners of the 2023 International Gandhi Peace Prize was Gita Press: A Hindu religious publications house located in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India  INDIRA GANDHI PEACE PRIZE ✓ The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development was instituted in the memory of the former prime minister by a trust in her name in 1986. ✓ The Indira Gandhi Peace Prize for 2023 has been given to Ali Abu Awwad, a peace activist, and Daniel Barenboim, a classical pianist.  INDIRA GANDHI ✓ First and only female Prime Minister of India ✓ First woman to receive Bharat Ratna ✓ First woman to present the budget ✓ Crematorium: Shakti Sthal ✓ Southern most point of India: Indira Point ✓ Northern most point: Indira Col ✓ Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi  OSCAR ✓ The 96th Academy Oscars awards 2023 ✓ Los Angeles’ Dolby theatre ✓ Started -1929 ✓ Record for winning the most of the Academy Awards: Walt Disney (26) OSCAR 2023 OSCAR INDIA  GOLDEN GLOBE ✓ 81st edition of the Golden Globes ✓ Started 1944 ✓ First Indian to win Golden Globe : A.R. Rahman 2024 Winners ✓ Best Film – Drama: Oppenheimer ✓ Best Male Actor in a Film – Drama: Cillian Murphy for Oppenheimer ✓ Best Female Actor in a Film – Drama: Lily Gladstone for Killers of the Flower Moon  NOBEL PRIZE ✓ Alfred Nobel Famously known for the invention of dynamite First awarded in 1901 ✓ 10th December ✓ 6 Fields ✓ The youngest Nobel Laureate : Malala Yousafzai ✓ The oldest Nobel Laureate : Leonid Hurwicz  NOBEL PRIZE – INDIA Winner Year Subject Rabindranath Tagore 1913 Literature Sir C.V. Raman 1930 Physics Har Gobind Khorana 1968 Physiology or Medicine Mother Theresa 1979 Peace Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar 1983 Physics Amartya Sen 1998 Economic Sciences Venkatraman Ramakrishnan 2009 Chemistry Kailash Satyarthi 2014 Peace Abhijit Banerjee 2019 Economic Sciences  NOBEL PRIZE Between 1901-2022, 60 women have been awarded the Nobel Prize. Only one woman, Marie Curie, has been honoured twice, with the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911.  NOBEL PRIZE The work of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize thrice.  NOBEL PRIZE Malala Yousafzai is the youngest Nobel Laureate who received the Peace Prize in 2014 at the age of 17.  NOBEL PRIZE Rabindranath Tagore was the first Indian to receive a Nobel Prize in the year 1913 for Literature.  NOBEL PRIZE 2023 Field Nobel Prize Laureate Contribution for their discoveries concerning nucleoside Medicine or base modifications that enabled the Physiology development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID19 Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman  NOBEL PRIZE 2023 Field Nobel Prize Laureate Contribution For experimental methods that generate Physics attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier  NOBEL PRIZE 2023 Field Nobel Prize Laureate Contribution For the discovery and synthesis of Chemistry quantum dots Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus and Alexei I. Ekimov  NOBEL PRIZE 2023 Field Nobel Prize Laureate Contribution For his innovative plays and prose which Literature give voice to the unsayable Jon Fosse  NOBEL PRIZE 2023 Field Nobel Prize Laureate Contribution For her fight against the oppression of Peace women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all Narges Mohammadi  NOBEL PRIZE 2023 Field Nobel Prize Laureate Contribution Economic for having advanced our understanding Sciences of women’s labour market outcomes Claudia Goldin  MAGSAYSAY AWARDS 1957 Ramon Magsaysay, the former President of Philippines. Nobel Prize of Asia RAMON MAGSAYSAY AWARD 2023  RIGHT LIVELIHOOD AWARD ✓ Launched in 1980 ✓ By Jakob von Uexkull, a German-Swedish philanthropist. ✓ Categories: Environmental health, human rights, health and education, peace and sustainable developments ✓ Also known as Alternative Nobel RIGHT LIVELIHOOD AWARD  WORLD FOOD PRIZE ✓ It was established in the year 1986 by Norman Borlaug ✓ Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture Heidi Kühn for her farmer-focused development model that revitalizes farmland, food security, livelihoods and resilience after devastating conflict.  WORLD FOOD PRIZE Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work in global agriculture, conceived the Prize. WORLD FOOD PRIZE First Recipient M.S. SWAMINATHAN Father of India’s Green Revolution  AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTIONS ✓ BLACK REVOLUTION Petroleum Production ✓ RED REVOLUTION Meat, Tomato Production ✓ GREEN REVOLUTION Food Grains/ Agriculture production ✓ BLUE REVOLUTION Fish Production ✓ BROWN REVOLUTION Leather/Cocoa Production ✓ ROUND REVOLUTION Potato Production ✓ GOLDEN FIBRE REVOLUTION Jute Production ✓ SILVER FIBRE REVOLUTION Cotton Production ✓ GOLDEN REVOLUTION Overall Horticulture, Honey, Fruit Production ✓ SILVER REVOLUTION Egg/Poultry Production ✓ WHITE REVOLUTION Dairy/Milk Production ✓ YELLOW REVOLUTION Oil Seed Production  ABEL PRIZE ✓ Named after: Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel ✓ Established by: the Norwegian Government in 2002 ✓ Nobel prize for Mathematics ABEL PRIZE  THE BOOKER PRIZES ✓ It is a literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland.  THE BOOKER PRIZES First Indian to Win the Booker Prize Arundhati Roy 'God of Small Things'  THE BOOKER PRIZES 2023 Paul Lynch Prophet Song  THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE ✓ The International Booker Prize is awarded annually for the finest single work of fiction from around the world which has been translated into English and published in the UK and Ireland. THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE 2023  FIFA AWARDS 2022 LIONEL MESSI Best Men's Player  FIFA AWARDS 2022 AITANA BONMATI Best Women's Player Ballon d’Or Ballon d’Or Feminin Lionel Messi Aitana Bonmatí BALLON D’OR AWARDS The most number of Ballon d’Or was received by Lionel Messi. He tops the list with 8 awards followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with 5 awards.  KERALA PURASKARAM 2022 ✓ The Kerala Puraskaram is a prestigious award given by the Government of Kerala, India, to distinguished personalities who have made comprehensive contributions in various fields ✓ Kerala Jyothi ✓ Kerala Prabha and ✓ Kerala Sree  KERALA PURASKARAM 2022 ✓ Kerala Jyothi: ▪ The highest honor ▪ was awarded to T. Padmanabhan for his contributions to the field of literature ✓ Kerala Prabha: ▪ The second highest honor ▪ was awarded to Retd. Justice M. Fathima Beevi for her contributions to the field of social service and civil service, and to Nataraja Krishnamurthy (Soorya Krishnamurthy) for his stellar contributions to arts  KERALA PURASKARAM 2022 ✓ Kerala Sree: ▪ The third highest honor ▪ was awarded to Punalur Somarajan (social services), Dr. V.P Gangadharan (health), Ravi D.C (industry and commerce), K.M Chandrasekhar (civil service), and Ramesh Narayan (arts-music) GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 16: FATHER’S OF VARIOUS FIELDS  FATHER’S OF VARIOUS FIELDS Father of Different Fields Names Father of Missile Program A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Father of Economics Adam Smith Father of Modern Computer Alan Turing Father of Relativity Albert Einstein Father of DNA Fingerprinting Alec John Jeffreys Lalji Singh (India) Father of Telephone Alexander Graham Bell Father of Anatomy Andreas Vesalius Father of Modern Chemistry Antoine Lavoisier  FATHER’S OF VARIOUS FIELDS Father of Different Fields Names Father of Biology/Political Science Aristotle Father of Electricity Benjamin Franklin Father of Computer Charles Babbage Father of Evolution Charles Darwin Father of Geometry Euclid Father of Indian Nuclear science Homi J. Bhabha Father of Modern Democracy John Locke Father of Mobile Phone Martin Cooper Father of Indian Space Program Vikram Sarabhai GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 17: VITAMIN DEFICIENCY DISEASES  VITAMINS The fat-soluble vitamins - A, D, E, and K The water-soluble vitamins - C and the B-complex vitamins ✓ In 1912, Casimir Funk originally coined the term “vitamin” ✓ Only vitamins not prepared in our body – Vitamin D  VITAMINS - CHEMICAL NAMES VITAMIN CHEMICAL NAME A Retinol B₁ Thymine B₂ Ariboflavin B₃ Niacin or Nicotinamide B₅ Pantothenic Acid B₆ Pyridoxine B₇ Biotin B₁₂ Cyano Cobalamin C Ascorbic acid D Calciferol E Tocopherol K Phylloquinone  VITAMINS - DEFICIENCY DISEASES VITAMIN DEFICIENCY DISEASES A Night blindness & Xerophthalmia B₁ Beri-Beri B₂ Cracking of skin, cracking of lips, & tongue. B₁₂ Anaemia C Scurvy D Rickets K Excessive bleeding due to injury GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 18: GENERAL SCIENCE  GENERAL SCIENCE Which animal never drinks water in its entire life? Kangaroo rat What is the number of periods in which Periodic table is 7 divided? Who is called the father of taxonomy Carl Linnaeus People with which blood groups are considered as AB+ universal recipient Which is the edible part of a potato plant Stem The green colour of the leaves is due to the presence of Chlorophyll Universal Blood donor O-  GENERAL SCIENCE Which organelle is known as the powerhouse of the cell Mitochondria The basic unit of all living organisms is A cell Reproductive part of plant is Flower Sex determination of child is done by whose chromosome? Father Which transition metal is in liquid state? Mercury Einstein's mass energy relation is given by which = mc2 expression? Jaundice in human beings affects which of the body part? Liver GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 19: OFFICE HOLDERS - KERALA  OFFICE HOLDERS - KERALA DESIGNATION NAME Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Minister for Revenue and Housing K. Rajan Minister for Transport K. B. Ganesh Kumar Minister for Sports V. Abdurahiman Minister for Finance K. N. Balagopal Minister for Higher Education and Social R. Bindu Justice Minister for Local Self Governments, Rural M. B. Rajesh Development and Excise Minister for Public Works and Tourism P. A. Mohammed Riyas  OFFICE HOLDERS - KERALA DESIGNATION NAME Minister for Law P. Rajeev Minister for Health and Woman and Child Veena George Development Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly A.N. Shamseer Advocate General of Kerala Gopalakrishna Kurup Kerala HC Chief Justice Justice Ashish Jitendra Desai DGP Dr Shaik Darvesh Saheb GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 20: INDIA ECONOMY  INDIAN ECONOMY There are three sectors of Indian economy namely 1. primary sector, 2. secondary sector and 3. tertiary sector.  INDIAN ECONOMY 1. PRIMARY SECTOR: The primary sector of the economy is involved in the extraction or harvesting of products from the Earth. Some of the activities include agriculture, mining, forestry etc. 2. SECONDARY SECTOR : The secondary sector of the economy is involved in the production of finished goods. Activities include metal working, automobile manufacturing, textile etc. 3. TERTIARY SECTOR: The tertiary sector of the economy is also called as the service sector. Some of the activities which are part of this sector are retail, transportation, banking etc.  NATIONAL INCOME OF INDIA ✓ National Income is the net value of all the final goods and services produced by its nationals during a financial year ( 1st April to 31st March). ✓ The first scientific attempt to measure National Income in India was made by ✓ Professor VKRV Rao in 193 1 -32. ✓ Gross Domestic Product ( GDP) is an important aspect of National Income. It refers to the total value of all the goods and services produced during a given period of time.  PLANNING IN INDIA ✓ In 1938, National Planning Committee was formed under the chairmanship of Jawaharlal Nehru. ✓ After independence, Planning Commission was established by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1 950 for planned economic development of India. ✓ In January 2015, NITI ( National Institution for Transforming India ) Ayog, a policymaking think-tank of government, was established. It replaces Planning Commission ✓ The chairman of NITI Ayog is Prime Minister  NITI AAYOG ✓ Replaced Planning Commission ✓ National Institution for Transforming India Aayog ✓ Formed on: January 1, 2015 ✓ government advisory body ✓ Chairperson: Prime Minister ✓ Vice-Chairperson: Suman Bery ✓ CEO - B. V. R. Subrahmanyam  AGRICULTURE ✓ India ranks second worldwide in farm outputs. ✓ As per the Indian economic survey 2020 -21, agriculture employed more than 50% of the Indian workforce and contributed 20.2% to the country's GDP.  GREEN REVOLUTION ✓ Green Revolution was launched in the year 1966 as a part of new agricultural strategy. ✓ Green Revolution was the brain child of Norman Borlaug. (Father of Green Revolution in the World) ✓ In India, it was made successful by Dr MS Swaminathan. (Father of Green Revolution in India) ✓ The achievements of Green Revolution were rise in the production of wheat and rice and increase in employment opportunities.  NORMAN BORLAUG ✓ father of the Green Revolution ✓ 1970 Nobel Peace Prize laureate WORLD FOOD PRIZE ✓ The prize was created in 1986 by Norman Borlaug ✓ recognizes contributions in any field involved in the world food supply ✓ Dr. M.S. Swaminathan was the first recipient of this award in 1987.  M. S. SWAMINATHAN ✓ Father of the India’s Green Revolution ✓ first World Food Prize Laureate in 1987 ✓ Bharat Ratna – 2024 ✓ The United Nations Environment Programme has called him "the Father of Economic Ecology".  AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTIONS ✓ BLACK REVOLUTION Petroleum Production ✓ RED REVOLUTION Meat, Tomato Production ✓ GREEN REVOLUTION Food Grains/ Agriculture production ✓ BLUE REVOLUTION Fish Production ✓ BROWN REVOLUTION Leather/Cocoa Production ✓ ROUND REVOLUTION Potato Production ✓ GOLDEN FIBRE REVOLUTION Jute Production ✓ SILVER FIBRE REVOLUTION Cotton Production ✓ GOLDEN REVOLUTION Overall Horticulture, Honey, Fruit Production ✓ SILVER REVOLUTION Egg/Poultry Production ✓ WHITE REVOLUTION Dairy/Milk Production ✓ YELLOW REVOLUTION Oil Seed Production  BANKING IN INDIA ✓ The first bank of limited liability managed by an Indian was Oudh Commercial Bank established in 1881. ✓ The largest bank Imperial Bank of India was nationalised in 1955 and renamed as State Bank of India ✓ India's first all women bank, Bharatiya Mahila Bank ( BMB ) was inaugurated in Mumbai on 19th November, 2013.  RESERVE BANK OF INDIA ✓ Central Bank of the country ✓ It act as guardian of banks ✓ It was set-up on the basis of Hilton Young Commission recommendation in April, 1935 ✓ Its first Governor was Sir Osborne Smith. ✓ RBI was nationalized in 1949 and its first Indian Governor was CD Deshmukh. ✓ Current Governor: Shakti Kanta Das ✓ Headquarters: Mumbai  INDIAN STOCK EXCHANGE ✓ There are 7 stock exchanges in India ✓ Among them two are national level stock exchanges namely Bombay Stock Exchange ( BSE ) and National Stock Exchange (NSE ).  BOMBAY STOCK EXCHANGE ✓ located on Dalal Street, known as the Wall Street of Mumbai ✓ Established in 1875 by cotton merchant Premchand Roychand ✓ it is the oldest stock exchange in Asia ✓ The BSE is the world's 8th largest stock exchange  NATIONAL STOCK EXCHANGE ✓ It is the country's leading stock exchange ✓ located in the financial capital of Mumbai, India. ✓ National Stock Exchange was incorporated in the year 1993 ✓ It is the 7th largest stock exchange in the world by total market capitalization GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 21: INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS  INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND ✓ conceived at a UN conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, United States, in July 1944. ✓ came into operation on 27th December 1945 ✓ Managing Director: Kristalina Georgieva ✓ First Deputy Managing Director: Gita Gopinath ✓ Headquartered in Washington, D.C. ✓ India is a founder member of the IMF.  WORLD BANK ✓ The United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference, also known as the Bretton Woods Conference held in 1944 led to the formation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF in 1945) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD in 1944). - (The IBRD later became the World Bank.) ✓ The original focus of the IBRD was the reconstruction of countries ravaged by the Second World War through loans.  WORLD BANK ✓ Established: July 7, 1944 ✓ Headquartered in Washington, D.C. ✓ President: Ajay Banga  WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION ✓ headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland ✓ regulates and facilitates international trade. ✓ The WTO is the world's largest international economic organization ✓ It officially commenced operations on 1 January 1995, pursuant to the 1994 Marrakesh Agreement, thus replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) that had been established in 1948.  Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala ✓ Director-General of the World Trade Organization ✓ Nigerian-American economist ✓ first woman and first African to lead the World Trade Organization as Director- General. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 22: INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS  United Nations Organisation (UNO) ✓ formed in 24th October, 1945. ✓ It came into existence after World War II, when the leaders of the world, including American President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Churchill, decided to create a world organisation that would help to ensure peace. ✓ successor to the League of Nations, which was founded after World War I. ✓ The original membership of 51 nations has grown to 193 members.  United Nations Organisation (UNO) ✓ The United Nations Headquarters is in New York City. ✓ The name United Nations (UN) was adopted at the suggestion of President Roosevelt. ✓ The first regular session of the UNO was held in London in January 1946 ✓ Trygve Lie (Norway) was elected the first Secretary-General of the UNO  United Nations Organisation (UNO) Aims and Objectives The main objectives of the UN are: To maintain peace and security in the world. To work together to remove poverty, disease, and illiteracy and encourage respect for each other’s rights of basic freedom. To develop friendly relations among nations. To be a center to help nations achieve these common ends.  United Nations Organisation (UNO) Permanent Members There are five permanent members of the Security Council, namely China, France, Russia, UK, and USA. Powers of the Permanent Members Each permanent member enjoys the power of veto. If any of the permanent members rejects a proposal by exercising its vote, the proposal is rejected by the Council, even though the other 14 members may favor the same.  United Nations Organisation (UNO) ✓ First Secretary General of the United Nations – Trygve Lie ✓ Current Secretary General of the United Nations – Antonnio Gutteres  United Nations Organisation (UNO) Dag Hammarskjold, the second Secretary General of the United Nations is the only UN Secretary- General to die in office.  United Nations Organisation (UNO) The principal bodies of the UN are given as follows. (i) The General Assembly (GA) (ii) The Security Council (SC) (iii) The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) (iv) International Court of Justice (ICJ) (v) Trusteeship Council (TC) (vi) Secretariat  General Assembly ✓ Headquarters: New York. ✓ All other UN bodies report to the General Assembly ✓ The General Assembly discusses and makes recommendations on any subject mentioned in the UN Charter ✓ The General Assembly meets every year in regular sessions beginning on the third Tuesday in September each year.  Security Council ✓ Headquarters: New York. ✓ Membership: 15 members ✓ There are five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the UK, and the USA) and 10 non-permanent members. ✓ The non-permanent members are elected by the General Assembly by a two thirds majority of the members present and voting. ✓ Tenure: In every two years, ten non-permanent members retires on rotation basis. The retiring members are not eligible for immediate re-election.  Security Council Functions: ✓ The Security Council is responsible for international peace and security. ✓ It is also responsible for admission of new members, suspension and/or expulsion of old members. ✓ It elects judges together with the General Assembly for the International Court of Justice. ✓ the five permanent members enjoy the power of veto. As a result, if any permanent member rejects a proposal, it is deemed to have been rejected by the Council, even though the other 14 members may be in favor of it.  The Economic and Social Council ✓ Headquarters: New York. ✓ Membership: It consists of representatives of 54 member countries elected by a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly. ✓ The Economic and Social Council carries on the functions of the UN with regard to international, economic, social, cultural, educational, health and related matters. ✓ It also supervises the work of other UN bodies.  International Court of Justice ✓ Headquarters: Hague (Netherlands). ✓ Membership: The International Court of Justice consists of 15 judges who are elected by the General Assembly and the Security Council. No two judges can be of the same nationality ✓ These judges are elected for a term of nine years. ✓ The International Court of Justice gives advisory opinion on legal matters to the bodies and special agencies of the UN when solicited.  International Court of Justice ✓ Current Indian ICJ Judge – Dalbeer Bandari ✓ First Indian ICJ Judge – Dr. B.N. Rao ✓ First Indian ICJ President: Nagendra Singh ✓ Current ICJ President: Nawaf Salam  Trusteeship Council ✓ Headquarters: New York. ✓ Functions: To safeguard the interest of inhabitants of territories which are not yet fully self-governing and are governed by an administering country. ✓ With the independence of Palau in 1994, the council suspended operations.  The Secretariat ✓ Headed by: A Secretary-General who is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. ✓ Tenure: Five years and eligible for re-election after the term expires. ✓ Functions: It is the chief administrative office of the UN which coordinates and supervises the activities of the UN.  Some Important UN Agencies Name Estd in Headquarter Purpose International 1865 Geneva Sets international regulations Telecommunication for radio telegraph, Union (ITU) telephone and space radio communications. International Labour 1919 Geneva To improve conditions and Organisation (ILO) living standards of workers. International 1945 Washington Promotes international Monetary Fund (IMF) DC monetary cooperation.  Some Important UN Agencies Name Estd in Headquarter Purpose United Nations 1945 New York To promote children’s welfare International Children’s all over the world. Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Food and Agricultural 1945 Rome To improve living conditions of Organisation (FAO) rural population. United Nations 1946 Paris To promote collaboration Educational, Scientific among nations through and Cultural education, science and Organisation (UNESCO) culture  Some Important UN Agencies Name Estd in Headquarter Purpose World Health 1948 Geneva Attainment of highest Organisation (WHO) possible level of health by all people. International Atomic 1957 Vienna To promote peaceful uses of Energy Agency (IAEA) atomic energy. General Agreement 1995 Geneva Setting rules for world trade to on Tariff s and Trade reduce tariffs. (from 1994 it is known as World Trade Organization)  SOUTH ASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR REGIONAL CO-OPERATION (SAARC) ✓ The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of states in South Asia. ✓ Its member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. ✓ SAARC was founded in Dhaka on 8 December 1985. ✓ Its secretariat is based in Kathmandu, Nepal.  SOUTH ASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR REGIONAL CO-OPERATION (SAARC) ✓ The idea of the SAARC was first mooted in 1979 by the former Bangladesh President Zia-ur- Rahman during his visit to Sri Lanka.  North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ✓ intergovernmental military alliance of 32 member states ✓ Established in the aftermath of World War II. ✓ the organization implements the North Atlantic Treaty, signed in Washington, D.C., on 4 April 1949. ✓ its independent member states agree to defend each other against attacks by third parties. ✓ Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium ✓ NATO formed with twelve founding members ✓ 32nd Member - Sweden  Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) ✓ It is a political and economic union of states in Southeast Asia. ✓ Established 8 August 1967 ✓ headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia. ✓ 10 Member States  BRICS ✓ BRICS is an intergovernmental organization ✓ Members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates ✓ The founding countries of Brazil, Russia, India, and China held the first summit in Yekaterinburg in 2009, with South Africa joining the bloc a year later. ✓ Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates joined the organization on 1 January 2024. ✓ Headquarters: BRICS Tower, Shanghai, People's Republic of China  Interpol ✓ International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL ✓ It is the world's largest international police organization. ✓ It is headquartered in Lyon, France ✓ founded on 7 September 1923 at the close of a five-day 1923 International Police Congress in Vienna as the International Criminal Police Commission (ICPC) ✓ In 1956, the ICPC adopted a new constitution and the name Interpol GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 23: Taxation in India  Taxation in India ✓ The taxation system in India is such that the taxes are levied by the Central Government and the State Governments. Some minor taxes are also levied by the local authorities such as the Municipality and the Local Governments. ✓ To run the government and manage the affairs of a state, money is required. So the government imposes taxes in many forms on the incomes of individuals and companies.  Classification of Taxes TAXES Direct Indirect Taxes Taxes  Direct Taxes ✓ A direct tax can be defined as a tax that is paid directly by an individual or organization to the imposing entity (generally government). ✓ The Central Board of Direct Taxes deals with matters related to levying and collecting Direct Taxes and formulation of various policies related to direct taxes. ✓ Eg: real property tax, personal property tax, income tax or taxes on assets, FBT, Gift Tax, Capital Gains Tax, etc.  Indirect Taxes ✓ an indirect tax is a tax collected by an intermediary (such as a retail store) from the person who bears the ultimate economic burden of the tax (such as the consumer). ✓ The intermediary later files a tax return and forwards the tax proceeds to the government with the return. ✓ Eg; sales tax, a specific tax, a value-added tax (VAT), or goods and services tax (GST) GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 24: Olympics  Olympic Games ✓ The Olympics are an international sporting event that takes place every four years. ✓ Olympics trace their roots back around 3,000 years to Ancient Greece's Peloponnese region. ✓ While the precise starting date remains uncertain, 776 BC is a commonly mentioned year in historical records. ✓ The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece in 1896  Olympic Rings ✓ The Olympic symbol consists of five interlocking rings of different colors (blue, yellow, black, green, and red) on a white background. ✓ These rings represent the five continents of the world and symbolize the unity and diversity of nations through sports. ✓ blue represents Oceania, black Africa, red The Americas, yellow Asia and green Europe  Upcoming Events ✓ Summer Olympics 2024: Paris, France ✓ Winter Olympics 2026: Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy ✓ Summer Olympics 2028: Los Angeles, USA ✓ Summer Olympics 2032: Brisbane, Australia GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 25: India in Olympics  India in Olympics ✓ India first participated at the Olympic Games in 1900, with a lone athlete Norman Pritchard winning two medals – both silver – in athletics. ✓ First Asian nation to win an Olympic medal.  India in Olympics ✓ At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Karnam Malleswari won a bronze medal in the Women's 69 kg weightlifting category. It was the first-ever Olympic medal won by an Indian woman.  India in Olympics ✓ At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Abhinav Bindra came on top in the Men's 10 metre air rifle event and became the first Indian to win an individual gold medal.  India in Olympics ✓ At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Shuttler P. V. Sindhu won a silver medal in Women's singles badminton, becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal and also the youngest Indian Olympic medalist.  India in Olympics ✓ At the 2020 Summer Olympics, Neeraj Chopra won the gold in Javelin Throw, becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal in track and field and the second Indian to win an individual Olympic gold. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 26: Grand slams  Grand slams ✓ The Grand Slam of tennis comprises these four major tournaments: I. Australian Open II. French Open III. Wimbledon IV. US Open  Grand slams ✓ Australian open - 1st grand slam of the year ✓ US open - last grand slam of the year ✓ The Australian and United States tournaments are played on hard courts, the French on clay, and Wimbledon on grass. ✓ Wimbledon is the oldest, founded in 1877, followed by the US in 1881, the French in 1891, and the Australian in 1905. ✓ As of January 2024, Novak Djokovic held the record for the most men's tennis Grand Slam titles, with a total of 24.  Grand slams - Indians ✓ So far, Sania Mirza, Rohan Bopanna, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupati, are the only four Indian tennis players to have won a Grand Slam in their careers. ✓ With 18 Grand Slam titles, Leander Paes is India’s most successful tennis player and is regarded as one of the best doubles players of all time. ✓ Mahesh Bhupati was the first Indian to win a Grand Slam while Sania Mirza is the only Indian woman to win a Grand Slam. ✓ India’s last Grand Slam came through Rohan Bopanna at the Australian Open 2024.  Rohan Bopanna ✓ Bopanna has played six Grand Slam finals, winning twice and losing four times. ✓ Rohan Bopanna won his first tennis Major at the 2017 French Open ✓ Along with his Australian partner Matthew Ebden, Bopanna won the 2024 Australian Open men's doubles event to become the oldest man (at 43 years and nine months) to win a Grand Slam title in the Open Era. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE & CURRENT AFFAIRS Topic 28: Elections in India  Elections in India ✓ India's democracy is the largest democracy in the world. ✓ The ECI, established as a permanent Constitutional Body, is entrusted by the Constitution with the superintendence, direction, and control of the entire electoral process for Parliament, State Legislatures, and the offices of the President and Vice-President of India. ✓ The first chief election Commissioner was Sukumar Sen. ✓ The State Election Commission (SEC) is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering elections to the 3rd tier of governance i.e. the Local Government, which includes the Panchayati Raj Institutions and the Urban Local Bodies.  Elections in India VOTE FROM HOME ✓ ‘Vote-from-home’, the facility given by the Election Commission of India, for people above 85 years of age and differently-abled persons, has benefited a number of voters. ✓ The Union Law Ministry amended the Conduct of Elections Rules-1961 to change the definition of senior citizens who are eligible to choose the postal ballot facility from those “above 80 years" to those “above 85 years". ✓ The ‘Vote from Home’ Initiative has been introduced for the first time in the Assembly Elections of which state? Answer: Karnataka  Elections in India Indelible ink ✓ The ink used contains silver nitrate ✓ It was first used during the 1962 Indian general election in India. ✓ The ink was developed by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL), a Research Institute of CSIR, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India ✓ manufactured by Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd.  Elections in India Electronic voting ✓ The EVMs were first trialed in 1982 in the by-election to Paravur assembly constituency in Kerala in a limited number of polling stations. ✓ In 2004, in the General Election, the EVMs were used in all 543 Parliamentary Constituencies for the first time. Since the time, all state assembly and parliamentary elections are held using the EVMs.  Elections in India VVPAT ✓ Voter-verified paper audit trail ✓ Voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) was introduced on a trail basis in a by- poll in September 2013 in Noksen (Assembly Constituency) in Nagaland. ✓ In 2019, the Supreme Court directed that a small percentage (2%) of the VVPATs shall be verified to ensure the reliability before certifying the final results.  Elections in India NOTA ✓ The Supreme Court of India judged that citizens have the right to cast a negative vote by exercising the "None of the above" (NOTA) option. ✓ In November 2013, NOTA was introduced in five state elections.  Electoral Reforms in India ✓ Lowering of Voting Age: The 61st Constitutional Amendment Act of 1988 reduced the voting age from 21 years to 18 years for the Lok Sabha as well as the assembly elections to make youth a part of the political process. ✓ Electronic Voting Machines (EVM): First-time use of EVMs occurred in the general election in Kerala in May 1982. In 2004, in the General Election to the Lok Sabha, the EVMs were used in all 543 Parliamentary Constituencies in the country.  Electoral Reforms in India ✓ Declaration of criminal antecedents, assets, etc., by candidates: In 2003, the Election Commission issued an order directing every candidate to disclose the information on the matters of conviction, accusation, assets, and any liabilities. ✓ Increase in security deposit: In 2009, the amount of security deposit to be paid by the candidates contesting elections to the Lok Sab