RPF Constable General Awareness Test – 03

• Shivanasamudra is a renowned waterfall on the Kaveri River in Chamarajanara district, near Mandya. Shivanasamudra is a must-see after the monsoon season for the visual pleasure it provides.
• Gagana Chukki and Bhara Chukki are the two waterfalls that make up Shivanasamudra. Despite being on the same Kaveri river, the viewing sites for Gagana Chukki and Bhara Chukki are around 15 kilometers apart.
• There is a well-maintained viewing deck where you can see the Gagana Chukki and Bharachukki waterfalls. River water cascading down tall rock cliffs, surrounded by beautiful green trees, ensures a fascinating image and photographer's delight.

• DRDO conducted the first successful flight test of an indigenously developed Agni-5 missile with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-Entry Vehicle ( MIRV) technology.
• The flight test named Mission Divyastra was carried out from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.
• MIRV is a technology enabling a single missile to deploy multiple nuclear warheads independently to different targets.
• This technology significantly enhances the effectiveness and flexibility of missile systems.
• MIRVs are possessed by a select group of nations including the US, UK, Russia, France, and China.
• India's successful development of MIRV technology represents a significant advancement in its defense capabilities and strategic position.
• MIRVs allow for a single missile to hit multiple targets simultaneously, increasing the potency of a country's nuclear arsenal.

• Krystyna Pyszkova from the Czech Republic won the Miss World 2024 title in Mumbai. 
• She succeeded Karolina Bielawska from Poland as the reigning Miss World.
• Pyszkova is the second Miss World winner from the Czech Republic, following Tatana Kucharova in 2006.
• She is a Czech model pursuing degrees in law and business administration.
• Pyszkova founded the Krystyna Pyszko Foundation and advocates for sustainable development through education.
• Fluent in multiple languages, including English, Polish, Slovak, and German, she opened an English school for underprivileged children in Tanzania.
• Pyszkova enjoys playing the transverse flute and the violin and has a passion for music and art.

• Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited is a Maharatna CPSU and (HPCL) is a Government Company within the meaning of Section 617 of the Companies Act 1956.
• The Registered Office of the Corporation is at Petroleum House, 17 Jamshedji Tata Road, Churchgate, Mumbai.
• HPCL is an amalgamation of the erstwhile foreign oil companies ESSO and Caltex, which were taken over by the Government of India in 1974 and 1976 respectively.
• HPCL is one of the largest integrated Public Sector Undertaking, engaged in the business of refining Crude Oil and marketing of various petroleum products like Asphalt, Diesel, Kerosene, LPG, Lube Oils, Petrol, branded products like ATF (Aviation Turbine Fuel), Power, Turbojet, Naphtha, throughout India and at select foreign countries.
• HPCL owns and operates two refineries situated at Mumbai (West coast of India) and Visakhapatnam (East Coast of India).
• HPCL has focused on its business throughout India by segmenting its business outlook into Retail(Petrol Pumps), LPG, Industries & Commercial (Bulk Fuels supplies to industries, ships), Lubes, Aviation, Refineries, etc.

• Every year on 22 April, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.
• The theme for the year 2023 is "Invest in our Planet."
• Earth Day was first observed in 1970 when 20 million took to the streets to protest against environmental degradation on the call of US Senator Gaylord Nelson.
• The event was triggered by the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, as well as other issues such as smog and polluted rivers.

First Plan (1951-1956) :

• The First Five-year Plan was launched in 1951 which mainly focused on the development of the primary sector.
• The First Five-Year Plan was based on the Harrod–Domar model with few modifications.
• This then Prime Minister was Jawaharlal Nehru and Gulzarilal Nanda was the vice-president.
• It mainly addressed the agrarian sector, including investment in large dams and irrigation.

Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)

• The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India is mentioned in the Constitution of India under Article 148 to 151.
• Here is a brief description of these articles:
• Article 148: This article provides for the establishment of the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).
• It also deals with the appointment, oath, salary, and other conditions of service of the CAG.
• Article 149: This article defines the duties and powers of the CAG.
• It states that the CAG shall perform such duties and exercise such powers in relation to the accounts of the Union and of the States and of any other authority or body as may be prescribed by or under any law made by Parliament.
• Article 150: This article states that the accounts of the Union and of the States shall be kept in the form prescribed by the President on the advice of the CAG.
• Article 151: This article states that the reports of the CAG relating to the accounts of the Union shall be submitted to the President, who shall cause them to be laid before each House of Parliament.
• Similarly, the CAG's reports related to the accounts of a State shall be submitted to the Governor, who shall cause them to be laid before the Legislature of the State.

Fluorine

•  The most electronegative element on the periodic table is Fluorine (F).
• Electronegativity is a measure of how strongly an atom can attract a bonding pair of electrons.
• The electronegativity of fluorine is approximately 4.0 on the Pauling scale, the highest of any element.
•  Fluorine is the 9th element on the periodic table, belonging to the group of halogens (Group 17 or VIIA).
• It has 9 protons and 9 electrons in its most widespread isotope.

97th Amendment Act, 2011

• The right to form cooperative societies is a fundamental right that has been provided in the Indian Constitution.
• It is enshrined in Article 19(c) of the Constitution, which guarantees the freedom to form associations or unions.
• This right was added to the Constitution by the 97th Amendment Act of 2011.
• Article 19(1)(c) guarantees all citizens the right "to form associations or unions or co-operative societies".
• However, this right, like other rights under Article 19, is not absolute and is subject to reasonable restrictions under clause (4) of the same article, namely "in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order or morality or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence".

• The principle of lapsed
  • The doctrine was introduced by Lord Dalhousie in 1848.
  • The doctrine stated that any Indian princely state under the suzerainty of the East India Company would have its princely status abolished and be annexed into directly ruled British India if the ruler was either "manifestly incompetent or died without a male heir".
  • The doctrine was used by Dalhousie to annex a number of princely states, including Satara, Jaitpur, Sambalpur, Baghat, Chota Udaipur, Jhansi, and Nagpur.
  • The doctrine was a controversial policy, and it was one of the factors that contributed to the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
  • The doctrine was repealed by Lord Ripon in 1884.
• Lord Dalhousie
  • Lord Dalhousie was the Governor-General of India from 1848 to 1856.
  • Dalhousie also expanded British control over India by waging wars against a number of Indian rulers.
  • He defeated the Sikhs in the First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-1846) and the Burmese in the Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852-1853).

• The failure of the Cripps Mission and the fear of an imminent Japanese invasion of India led Mahatma Gandhi to begin his battle for the British to leave India.
• Mahatma Gandhi believed that an interim government could be made only after the British left India and the Hindu-Muslim problem sorted out.
• Detail of the movement:
  • The All India Congress Committee gathered at Bombay on 8 August 1942 and passed the famous Quit India Resolution.
  • On the same day, Gandhi gave his call of ‘do or die’.
  • On 8th and 9th August 1942, the government seized all the prominent leaders of the Congress.
  • For once, this pre-prepared action of the government left the Indian people without leadership.
  • Mahatma Gandhi was held in prison at Poona.
  • Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Abul Kalam Azad, and other leaders were detained in the Ahmednagar Fort.
  • At this time, leadership was provided by Ram Manohar Lohia, Achyuta, and S.M. Joshi.
  • The role of Jayaprakash Narain in this movement was significant.

• Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)
  • The administration of the Union and State election processes in India is the responsibility of the independent, constitutional Election Commission of India (ECI).
  • The Constitution was established on January 25, 1950, which is also known as National Voters' Day.
  • The organization administers elections for the President and Vice President of India as well as the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and State Legislative Assemblies.
  • In the commission, there are two Election Commissioners (EC) and the Chief Election Commissioner.
  • The CEC and election commissioners are chosen by the President of India.
  • They are appointed for a definite period of six years, or until they reach the age of 65.

• The Edge of Time is a biography of Kalpana Chawla, an India-born NASA astronaut.
• The book is written by her husband, Jean-Pierre Harrison, and covers her life from birth in India to graduate studies in the US, followed by an aerospace career culminating in her 1994 selection into the NASA astronaut corps.
• It details her astronaut training and two space shuttle flights, STS-87 in 1997, and the ill-fated STS-107 in 2003.

• The highest point in the world is located on the peak of the Great Himalayas in southern Asia.
• It is located on the border of Nepal and China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
• Mount Everest is a high summit in the Himalaya range. It is situated between Nepal and Tibet, a Chinese autonomous area.
• It is the tallest point on Earth, standing at 8,849 meters (29,032 ft).