General Studies Test – 08

• A Century is Not Enough: My Roller-coaster Ride to Success (2018) is an English autobiography written by former Indian cricketer and captain Sourav Ganguly.
• The novel was first released on 24 February 2018 by Juggernaut. Ganguly talked in-depth about his cricketing career in this book.
• He has addressed various phases of his career in cricketing, including several international tours, World Cups, and the IPL.

• The Battle of Ghaghra was fought in the year 1529.
  • The Battle of Ghaghra, fought in 1529, was a major battle for the conquest of India by the Mughal Empire.
  • It followed the first Battle of Panipat in 1526 and the Battle of Khanwa in 1527.

• Shanti Stupa at Dhauli located near Bhubaneswar, is a small town on the bank of the river Daya.
• It is said to be the witness of the reform of Ashoka’s character after the Kalinga War.
• The Shanti Stupa at Dhauli is a significant Buddhist site and attracts followers of Lord Buddha.
• Shanti Stupa of Dhauligiri is also known as the Peace Pagoda.

• It is one of the fundamental rights listed in the Constitution that each citizen is entitled to.
• It entitles the citizens of India to move the Supreme Court or High Courts for the enforcement of these rights.
• In the Constituent Assembly debate, Dr. B.R Ambedkar said that Article 32 is the heart and soul of the Constitution.
• Article 32 falls under Part III of the Constitution which includes the fundamental rights of individuals.

• Swami Dayanand Saraswati:-​
  • Dayananda Saraswati [1824-1883] was the first to give the call for Swarajya – "India for Indians" – in 1876.
  • For his own inspiration, Swami Dayanand went to the Vedas which he regarded as infallible.
  • He rejected all later religious thought if it conflicted with the Vedas.
  • This total dependence on Vedas and their infallibility gave his teachings orthodox coloring.
  • He was opposed to idolatry, ritual, and priesthood and particularly to the prevalent caste practices and popular Hinduism as preached by Brahmins
  • ​Swami Dayanand met Keshub Chandra Sen, Vidyasagar, Justice Ranade, Gopal Hari Deshmukh, and other modern religious and social reformers.
  • He took inspiration from the Vedas and considered them to be ‘India’s Rock of Ages, the infallible, and the true original seed of Hinduism.
  • He gave the slogan “Back to the Vedas”.
  • Dayananda’s slogan of ‘Back to the Vedas’ was a call for a revival of Vedic learning and Vedic purity of religion and not a revival of Vedic times.
  • He accepted modernity and displayed a patriotic attitude to national problems.
• Arya Samaj:-
  • Arya Samaj is a Hindu reform movement founded by 'Swami Dayanand Saraswati'.
  • Dayanand Saraswati had inspired the Arya Samaj from Swami Virjanand of Mathura in Bombay in 1875.
  • Arya Samaji believed in pure Vedic tradition and rejected idol worship, avatars, sacrifice, false rituals, and superstitions.
  • In this, untouchability and caste discrimination were opposed and women and Shudras were also given the right to wear Yagyopaveet and read the Vedas.

• Iltutmish was the first Turkish ruler who issued pure Arabic coins.
• His contribution to the currency system is maximum because he introduced silver tanka and copper jital.
• Iltutmish got the name of the Khalifa inscribed on the coins.
• Till the time of Aibak, small gold coins of Turkey were used which were prevalent in this country.
• Iltutmish was the first Sultan whose coins were similar to the coins of western countries.
• His silver tanka was of 175 grains.

​Hence, we can conclude that the first silver tanka of the Delhi Sultanate was issued by the Iltutmish.

• Bharatanatyam:
  • Bharatanatyam is the oldest and major classical dance form of India that originated in Tamil Nadu.
  • Bharatanatyam is a solo dance performed only by women.
• Kathakali:
  • It is a classical Indian dance form which is a story play genre of art and is the folk dance form of Kerala.
  • Kathakali is the most difficult style of the traditional dance form.
  • Kathakali is based on the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata.
• Kathak:
  • It is a classical dance form that originated in Northern India of Uttar Pradesh referred to as Kathakars or storytellers for portraying epic tales from Hindu scriptures, Mahabharata and Ramayana.
• The Sattriya dance form was introduced in the 15th century A.D by Srimanta Sankardev.
  • It is a classical dance of Assam.
  • It was recognized as a classical dance by Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2000.

• Article 324 in the Indian Constitution gives power to the Election Commission to direct, control, and conduct elections to all Parliament, to the Legislature of every state, and of elections to the offices of the President and Vice President held under the Constitution.
• Article 324 of the Constitution vests the “superintendence, direction and control of elections” in an Election Commission consisting “of the Chief Election Commissioner and such number of other Election Commissioners, if any, as the President may from time to time fix”.
• Election Commission
  • An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of the electioneering process of any country.
  • The Election Commission of India is a permanent and independent body established by the Constitution of India directly to ensure free and fair elections in the country.
  • The body administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, State Legislative Councils, and the offices of the President and Vice President of the country.

• In cricket, the distance between the two wickets is 22 yards, and there is a stump on either side.
• The cricket field is 20.12 metres long and 3.05 metres wide, respectively.
• A large field is used to play the game of cricket.
• In the centre of the cricket field, a pitch that is 22 yards long and 10 feet wide is created.
• The stumps are each 28 inches in height.
• Above the wickets is a 4.5-inch length by 0.5-inch thick bail.

• The blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the various parts of the body are called Arteries.
• The main artery is the aorta, the principal high-pressure duct linked to the left ventricle of the heart.
• The smaller branches of the arteries are called capillaries and arterioles.
• Veins are vessels of the blood which carry blood to the heart.
• The septum is the cartilage that divides the heart into right and left chambers, this prevents the mixing of blood.

• Sambhar Saltwater lake, located in Rajasthan, is the largest inland salt lake in India.
• Its size and depth differs from season to season (i.e: Size = 190 - 230 sq km and depth =60cm - 3m).
• It has been listed as a wetland of ‘international importance’ under the Ramsar Convention, in 1990.
• It receives water from six rivers, namely Samaod, Khari, Mantha, Khandela, Medtha, and Roopangarh.
• Flamingoes, pelicans and waterfowls are usually seen at Sambhar Lake.
• It accommodates one of the largest salt manufacturing hubs in the country.
• Sambhar Lake is part of the desert circuit in the Centre’s Swadesh Darshan Scheme.
  • It was launched in 2014 -15 for the integrated development of theme-based tourist circuits in the country, by the Ministry of Tourism.

• The Ghaghara River:-
  • It is also known as the Karnali River in Nepal and the Mapcha Tsangpo in Tibet is a perennial river that flows across international borders.
  • It rises on the Tibetan Plateau's northern Himalayan slopes, passes through Nepal's Himalayas, and then merges with the Sharda River at Brahmaghat in India.
  • Together, they make up the Ghaghara River, a significant Ganges tributary on its left bank.
  • The longest river in Nepal, it spans 507 km (315 mi).
  • The Ghaghara River runs through Bihar for 1,080 kilometers before joining the Ganges near Revelganj (670 mi).
  • It is the second-biggest tributary of the Ganges in terms of length after the Yamuna and the largest by volume.

• Sweden formally joined NATO as the 32nd member of the transatlantic military alliance, ending decades of post-World War II neutrality, as concerns about Russian aggression in Europe have spiked following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.​
• Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Secretary of State Antony Blinken presided at a ceremony in which Sweden’s “instrument of accession” to the alliance was officially deposited at the State Department.
• Sweden, along with Finland, which joined NATO last year, both abandoned long-standing military neutrality that was a hallmark of the Nordic states’ Cold War foreign policy after Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022.
• Article 5 of NATO’s treaty obliges all members to come to the aid of an ally whose territory or security is under threat.
• It has only been activated once – by the U.S. after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks – and is the collective security guarantee that Sweden has sought since Russia invaded Ukraine.

• Kanchenjunga, located at the easternmost part of the Himalayas in Sikkim, India, stands as the third highest mountain in the world and the highest in India among your given options.
• The peak has an elevation of 8,586 meters (28,169 feet) above sea level.
• The name "Kanchenjunga" translates to "Five Treasures of Snow" after the five peaks that make up the mountain. These 'treasures' symbolize the five repositories of god, namely gold, silver, gems, grain, and holy books.
• It is a part of the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, which is a protected parkland.
• The first successful ascent of Kanchenjunga was recorded on May 25, 1955, by a British team led by Charles Evans. The summit team stopped a few feet short of the actual summit out of respect for the local Sikkimese belief that the top of the mountain is sacred.
• It is known for its dramatic scenery, including glaciers and a stunning panorama of the Himalayan range. The ranges of Kanchenjunga are a popular trekking destination.
• Kanchenjunga has five peaks, of which three are on the border of North Sikkim district of Sikkim, India, and Taplejung District of Nepal, and the remaining two are in the Taplejung District of Nepal.

• According to 2011 census, Nayagarh district in Odisha has the lowest Child Sex Ratio (915).
• Whereas the district with highest Child Sex Ratio is Rayagada.