General Studies Test – 05

• Eye helps us in visualizing objects and also helps us in light perception, color, and depth perception.
• The human eye consists of the following parts:
  • ​Sclera, cornea, iris, pupil, lens, retina, and optic nerve.

Retina:

• It is the light-sensitive surface of an eye on which the image is formed.
• The image is formed on the retina by successive refractions at the cornea. the aqueous humor, the lens, and the vitreous humor.
• The real and inverted image is formed on the retina.
• It converts the image into electrical nerve impulses for visual perception by the brain.

• Mahatma Gandhi suspended the Non-Cooperation movement in February 1922.
• Reason-in Chauri Chaura, Uttar Pradesh, a violent mob set fire to a police station and killed 22 policemen.
• Nationalist leaders like C.R. Das, Subhash Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru expressed their disagreement with Gandhi’s decision to withdraw the movement.
• In March 1922, Gandhi was arrested and sentenced to six years in jail.

• Nagarhole National Park is a national park located in Kodagu district and Mysore district in Karnataka, India.
• It is one of India's premier Tiger Reserves along with the adjoining Bandipur Tiger Reserve and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.
• This park was declared the thirty-sevenths Project Tiger, Tiger reserves of India in 1999.
• It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

• Gupta Dynasty ruled India between 320 AD and 550 AD.
• The Gupta empire was founded by Sri Gupta.

• Dekhni dance represents an attractive mixture of folk culture and Western music, danced mostly by Christian girls in fully Indian dress.
• The gestures in the dance appear to have been borrowed from the Kathak and Bharata Natyam.
• Dekhni in Konkani language means bewitching beauty.
• Dekhni dance is one of the oldest dance forms of Goa.
• Dekhni dance can be associated with those people who converted into Christianity from Hinduism during Portuguese rule.
• Dekhni Dance is performed by a group of girls caring earthen oil lamps in their hands.
• These girls are represented as the servants of God in this dance form. It represents the life of a devadasi.
• Ghumat Drum is the main instrument used in this dance.

• World Book and Copyright Day, also known as World Book Day, is celebrated annually on April 23rd to promote literature and the enjoyment of books.
• The date holds significance as several prominent authors, including William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, died on this day.
• UNESCO designated April 23rd as World Book Day during its General Conference in 1995, aiming to pay tribute to books and authors worldwide and encourage access to books.
• Each year, a different city is selected as the World Book Capital to promote reading and develop initiatives supporting the celebration of books.
• The theme for World Book and Copyright Day 2024 is "Read Your Way".
• The tradition of exchanging books and roses on April 23rd in Catalonia, Spain, inspired UNESCO's declaration of World Book and Copyright Day.
• UNESCO chose April 23rd to honor books and authors globally and promote reading as a fundamental human right.
• World Book and Copyright Day is now celebrated in over 100 countries worldwide, reflecting its international significance in promoting literature and reading.

Swami Vivekananda wrote the famous book 'Powers of the Mind'.

• It was published by Advaita Ashrama, a publication centre of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, India.
• It comprises talks delivered by Swami Vivekananda.

Swami Vivekananda

• ​He was born as Narendranath Datta.
• He was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna.
• He was a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world.
• He became a popular figure after the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago, where he began his famous speech with the words, "Sisters and brothers of America...," before introducing Hinduism to Americans.
• He founded the Vedanta Society of New York and the Vedanta Society of San Francisco (now Vedanta Society of Northern California).

• Max Verstappen clinched victory at the Chinese Grand Prix in 2024, securing his fourth win in five races.
• He dominated the race from the pole position, finishing with a comfortable lead of 13.7 seconds ahead of Lando Norris.
• Verstappen's victory marked his 23rd win in the last 27 races, showcasing his dominance in Formula 1.
• The Red Bull driver faced minimal challenge after briefly trailing following a pit stop.
• Verstappen's exceptional performance throughout the weekend demonstrated his mastery over the track and his car's capabilities.
• His next challenge awaits at the Miami Grand Prix, where the dynamics of the race will be different, as Verstappen himself acknowledged the varied conditions of the track and tires.

• The black soils are also called regur (from the Telugu word Reguda) and black cotton soils because cotton is the most important crop grown on these soils.
• most pedologist believe that these soils have been formed due to the solidification of lava spread over large areas during volcanic activity in the Deccan Plateau, thousands of years ago.
• Geographically, black soils are spread over 5.46 lakh sq km (i.e. 16.6 per cent of the total geographical area of the country).
• A typical black soil is highly argillaceous with a large clay factor, 62 per cent or more. It also contains 10 per cent of alumina, 9-10 per cent of iron oxide and 6-8 percent of lime and magnesium carbonates. Potash is variable (less than 0.5 per cent) and phosphates, nitrogen and humus are low

• The Tropic of Cancer is pass through Eight Indian States of India.
• It includes Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura, and Mizoram.
• It is an imaginary line that is at an angle of 23 1/2 degrees.
• It is North of the equator.
• it almost passes through the middle of India.
• Tropic of Cancer passes through the 17 countries and India is one of them.
• It crosses two times of Mahi River.

The Brahmagiri hills 

• It is located in the Western Ghats of Karnataka state.
• It is in between Kodagu district, Karnataka, and Wayanad district, Kerala state.

Kaveri river

• The river is joined by two tributaries known as the Hemavati and Lakshmantirtha.
• It is known as the sacred river of southern India.
• The Kaveri river rises on Brahmagiri Hill of the Western Ghats.
• It flows through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

• Meghalaya Plateau is an extension of Indian Peninsular Plateau.
• Traditionally, the Meghalaya plateau is divided into Garo, Khasi and Jaintia Hills.
• The region east of the Dhansiri River and west of the Singimari River is approximately 400 km long with an average width of 40 km, covering an area of 35,291 km².
• From the South-West monsoon, this region receives maximum rainfall.

Chilka Lake is located in Odisha.

• It is a brackish water lagoon.
• It is the largest saline water lake in India.
• Largest brackish water lagoon in Asia
• Chilka is at the mouth of the Daya river.
• One of the tentative UNESCO World Heritage sites in India.
• Designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar convention in 1981.
• Only lake in India included in ‘Destination Flyways’ by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

• Lord Irwin was the Viceroy during the First round Table conference.
• The first Round table conference was held in the year 1930.
• The Round Tables were held to discuss the reports of the Simon Commission.
• Lord Willingdon was the viceroy during the 3rd Round table conference.
• Lord Hardinge was the viceroy when the capital was shifted to Delhi in 1911.
• Partition of Bengal was held during the viceroy Lord Curzon's tenure in 1905.

• In March 1942, a mission was sent to India with constitutional proposal to seek Indian support for the 2^nd World War.
  • It was headed by Stafford Cripps.
• It proposed an Indian Union with dominion status.
• After the end of the war, a constituent assembly would be summoned to frame a new constitution.
• Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and Maulana Azad were the negotiators with the Cripps Mission officially.