General Studies Test – 02

• Lord Canning (1856-62) was the Governor-General of India during the 1857 revolt.
• Lord Canning served as the Governor-General of India from 1856 to 1862.
• During his tenure, the Government of India Act, 1858 was passed which created the office of the Viceroy to be held by the same person who was the Governor-General of India.
• Lord Canning also served as the first Viceroy of India.

• Godavari river is one of the longest rivers in India and its total length is about 1,465 km.
• The tributaries of the Godavari are Purna, the Wardha, the Pranhita, the Manjra, the Wainganga and the Penganga.
• The Godavari River rises in northwestern Maharashtra in the Western Ghats range, only about 80 km from the Arabian Sea, and flows for most of its course generally eastward across peninsular India.
• After traversing Maharashtra it enters northern Telangana and then Andhra Pradesh.
• The river then turns southeastward for the last 320 km of its course, flowing through a gap in the Eastern Ghats ranges and then across Andhra Pradesh state before reaching the Bay of Bengal.
• There it empties via its two mouths: the Gautami Godavari to the north and the Vasishta Godavari to the south.
• Rajahmundry is located on the banks of the River Godavari.
• Godavari river is also known as Dakshin Ganga.

• India's first indoor athletics centre was inaugurated in Odisha. 
• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the facility at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar.
• The indoor athletics centre is accompanied by a state-of-the-art indoor aquatic hub.
• These facilities aim to provide year-round training and competition for athletes without weather disturbances.
• The indoor athletics centre is capable of hosting indoor continental and regional championships.
• It is part of Odisha's efforts to strengthen its sports ecosystem and promote sporting excellence.
• The aquatic centre features a temperature-controlled Olympic-size swimming pool and accommodation facilities for athletes.
• The stadium was constructed at an approximate cost of Rs 120 crore.

• Keshab Chandra Sen led the formation of Brahmo Samaj of India in 1866.
• He embraced the comprehensive and radical scheme of social reform and also the amalgamation of “bhakti” into Brahamoism.
• He formed the Indian Reform Association (1870) and his efforts led to the enactment of the Native Marriage Act of 1872 (popularly known as the Civil Marriage Act).

• Article 148 to 151 of the Indian constitution deals with the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
• The authority of the comptroller and auditor general (CAG) of India is established by Article 148.
• Article 149 prescribes the duties of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

• Malaria and Kala Azar are caused by protozoa.
• Protozoa is a group of unicellular eukaryotic organisms.
• The protozoa causing malaria is Plasmodium.
  • Malaria disease is transmitted through the bite of an infected female anopheles mosquito.
  • This will leads to the destruction of Red blood cells and hence the deficiency of blood occurs.
  • The treatment of malaria id done by using medicines like chloroquine, quinine,peludrine etc.

• The Nameri Tiger Reserve (NTR) is situated in the northern part of the Sonitpur district of Assam.
• It is situated along the foothills of Arunachal Pradesh.
• The habitat is biologically rich and is famous for the white-winged wood duck.​

Other National Parks in Assam

• Kaziranga National Park
• Dibru - Saikhowa National Park
• Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park
• Manas National Park
• Nameri National Park
• ​​Project Tiger was launched by the Indira Gandhi government in 1973 from the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand.
• The tiger is an endangered species in the world.

• The Blue Revolution was first launched in India as the 'Nili Kranti Mission' during the 7th Five Year Plan (1985-1990).
• Fish Farmers Development  Agency (FFDA) was sponsored by the central government.
• The Intensive Marine Fisheries Program was subsequently launched during the 8th Five Year Plan (1992-97).
• As a result, the fishing harbors were later established over time in Vishakhapatnam, Kochi, Tuticorin, Porbandar, and Port Blair.
• The scheme was restructured by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare along with the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries into 'Blue Revolution' by merging it with the other ongoing schemes.
• The scheme was controlled by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB).

•  Gupteswar forest in Odisha's Koraput district has been declared as the fourth Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS) in the state.
• The site covers 350 hectares of demarcated area and is known for its sacred grooves traditionally worshipped by the local community.
• The biodiversity inventory reveals the presence of at least 608 faunal species, including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fishes, butterflies, moths, odonates, spiders, scorpions, and lower invertebrates.
• Notable faunal species documented include mugger crocodile, kanger valley rock gecko, sacred Grove Bush Frog, and various avifauna species.
• The limestone caves of Gupteswar are home to eight species of bats, two of which are under the near-threatened category.
• The forest boasts a rich floral diversity with numerous species of trees, shrubs, herbs, climbers, orchids, and threatened medicinal plants.
• The declaration of Gupteswar as a BHS aims to boost cultural attachment while conserving its precious biodiversity.

• 'Vande Mataram' song was sung for the first time at the Indian National Congress session at Calcutta in 1896.
• The president of the Calcutta session was Rahmatullah M. Sayani.
• Vande Mataram song :
  • The song was Sung by Rabindranath Tagore.
  • The song was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1874.
  • The song was published in the Bengali novel Anandamath in 1882.

• ​The Ashok Chakra is the top honour for valour during peacetime, followed by the Kirti Chakra and the Shaurya Chakra.
• It is given in recognition of bravery, selflessness, or other acts of valour off the battlefield.
• The first recipient was flying lieutenant Suhas Biswas in 1952.
• It is Param Vir Chakra's counterpart during peacetime.

• Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in North East India and is famous for the phumdis (heterogeneous mass of vegetation, soil and organic matter at various stages of decomposition) floating over it.
• The lake is located at Moirang in Manipur state, India.
• Loktak Day is observed every year on the 15th of October at the periphery of Loktak lake.
• This ancient lake plays an important role in the economy of Manipur. It serves as a source of water for hydropower generation, irrigation, and drinking water supply.
• The lake is also a source of livelihood for the rural fishermen who live in the surrounding areas and on phumdis, also known as phumshongs.

• Pondicherry is a union territory in India,
• Pondicherry was the capital of the French colony in India.
• Pondicherry is also called 'India's Little France'.
• The French laid their supremacy on Pondicherry in the year 1673.
• French East India Company set up a trading center at Pondicherry in 1674.
• The name Pondicherry was renamed Puducherry in 2006.

• The Quit India movement was started on 8 August 1942.
• The Quit India Resolution was passed on 8 August 1942 in the Bombay session.
• The Quit India movement was also known as the August Kranti.
• Failure of the Cripps Mission was the main cause for starting of the Quit India Movement in 1942.
• During this movement, Gandhi Ji gave the slogan ‘Do or die’.