Agnes Smedley
Agnes Smedley
American feminist Agnes Smedley played a key role in assisting Indian freedom fighters in the U.S. and in Europe in the beginning of the th century. An unbashed feminist, fearless journalist and writer as well as relentless activists for the causes she believed in, Smedley inspired socially concerned writers like Alice Walker, because she wrote about povetry without romanticizing it. The span of her activism covered the three continents - America , Europe, and Asia. During World war I , Smedley grew close with Lala Lajpat Rai, M.N.Roy and Sailendranath Ghose and agreed to serve as communication centre for Indian revoloutionaries then in US. In 1929, she finished her autobiographical novel Daughter of Earth.
Item Response Theory(IRT)
Item Response Theory(IRT)
Item Response Theory(IRT) attempts to model students ability using question level performance instead of aggregate test level performance. Instead of assuming all questions contribute equally to our understanding of a students abilities, IRT provides a more nuanced view on the information each question provides about a student. The Human Resource Development ministry and NCERT carried out a survey using the IRT to test the learning curve of class III, V and VIII.
5/20 Rule
5/20 Rule
5/20 is an anti-competition policy. According to 5/20 rule indian carriers wanting to fly on international routes need to have a fleet of at least 20 aircrafts and must have operated for at least five years. This rule works against the interest of Indian carriers. Presently, a one-day old airline registered abroad with a one-aircraft fleet can fly into india, no holds barred. Hence, the aviation ministry is pushing for it to scrap the rule. Under the proposed new rule, an Indian carrier - including a startup - would only require the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA) nod to fly abroad.
MAJOR RIVERS(By Length)
MAJOR RIVERS(By Length)
Nile, Africa - 6,825km
Amazon, South America -6,437 km
Chang Jiang(Yangtze), Asia - 6380 km
Mississippi, North America - 5,971 km
Yenisey-Angara, Asia - 5,536 km
Huang (Yellow), Asia - 5,464 km
Ob-Irtysh, Asia - 5,410 km
Amur, Asia - 4,416 km
Lena, Asia - 4,400 km
Congo, Africa - 4,370 km
MAJOR ISLANDS(By sizes)
MAJOR ISLANDS(By sizes)
Australia: 7,617.930 sq. km; widely considered part of a continental landmass, not officially an island. but without doubt it is the largest island on the planet, and when combined with oceania, the smallest continent on the earth.
Greenland: 2,175,500 sq.km
New Guinea : 792,500 sq.km
Borneo : 725,500 sq km
Madagaskar : 587,000 sq km
Baffin : 507,500 sq km
Sumatra : 427,300 sq km
Honshu : 227,400 sq km
Great Britain : 218,100 sq km
Victoria : 217,300 sq km
Major Seas(By size)
Major Seas(By size)
South China Sea-2,974,600 sq km
Caribbean sea-2,515,900 sq km
Mediterranean Sea-2,510,000 sq km
Bering Sea-2,261,100 sq km
Gulf of Mexico-1,507,600 sq km
Arabian Sea-1,498,320 sq km
Sea of Okhotsk-1,392,100 sq km
Sea of Japan(East Sea)-1,012,900 sq km
Hudson Bay-730,100 sq km
East China Sea-664,600 sq km
Dry cask storage
Dry cask storage
Dry cask storage is a method of storing high-level radioactive waste, such as spent nuclear fuel that has already been cooled in thespent fuel pool for at least one year and often as much as ten years. Casks are typically steel cylinders that are either welded orbolted closed. The fuel rods inside are surrounded by inert gas. Ideally, the steel cylinder provides leak-tight containment of the spent fuel. Each cylinder is surrounded by additional steel, concrete, or other material to provide radiation shielding to workers and members of the public.DEEPEST OCEANS & SEAS
DEEPEST OCEANS & SEAS
- Pacific Ocean-35,827 ft (10924 m).
- Atlantic Ocean-30,246 ft(9,219 m)
- Indian Ocean-24,460 ft(7,455 m)
- Southern Ocean- 23,736 ft(7,235 m)
- Caribbean Sea-22,788 ft (6,946 m)
- Arctic Ocean-18,456 ft(5,625 m)
- South China Sea-16,456 ft(5,016 m)
- Bering Sea-15,659 ft(4,773 m)
- Mediterranean Sea-15,197 ft(4,632 m)
- Gulf of Mexico-12,425 ft(3,787 m)
OCEANS GREATEST DEPTHS
OCEANS GREATEST DEPTHS
- Mariana Trench, Pacific Ocean-35,827 ft
- Puerto Rico Trench, Atlantic Ocean-30,246 ft
- Sunda Trench, Indian Ocean-24,460 ft
- South Sandwich Trench, Southern Ocean-23,736 ft
- Arctic Basin, Arctic-18,456 ft
International Hydrographic Organization (IHO)
International Hydrographic Organization (IHO)
The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is an inter-governmental organisation representing the hydrographic community.The principal role of the IHO is to ensure that the world’s seas, oceans and national waters are properly surveyed and charted. It does this through the setting of international standards, the co-ordination of the endeavours of national hydrographic offices, and through its capacity building programme.
The IHO enjoys observer status at the United Nations where it is the recognised competent authority on hydrographic surveying and nautical charting.
Functions
The IHO develops hydrographic and nautical charting standards. These are subsequently adopted and used by its member countries in their surveys, nautical charts, and publications. The almost universal use of the IHO standards means that the products and services provided by the world's national hydrographic and oceanographic offices are consistent and recognisable by all seafarers and for other users.
LARGEST OCEAN ON EARTH(By Size)
LARGEST OCEAN ON EARTH(By Size)
- Pacific Ocean : 155,557,000 sq km
- Atlantic Ocean: 76,762,000 sq km
- Indian Ocean: 68,556,000 sq km
- Southern ocean: 20,327,000 sq km
- Arctic Ocean: 14,056,000 sq km
Note: The Southern ocean was approved in 2000 by the International Hydrographic Organization. It is now the fourth largest ocean.
EARTH RECKONER
EARTH RECKONER
- Estimated Weight mass : 5,940,000,000,000,000,000,000 metric tons
- Estimated Age : 4.6 billion years
- Current Population : 7,000,000,001
- Surface Area: 510,066,000 sq km
- Land Area: 148,647,000 sq km 29.1%
- Ocean Area: 335,258,000 sq km
- Total Water Area: 361,419,000 sq km 70.9%
- Type of Water: 97% salt, 3% fresh
- Circumference at the equator: 40,066 km
- Circumference at the poles: 12,710 km
- Radius at the equator: 6,376 km
- Radius at the poles: 6,355 km
- orbit speeds: The earth orbits the sun at 66,700 mph(107,320 km per hour)
- sun orbit: The earth orbits the sun every 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds.
General studies topics of 2013
General studies topics of 2013
- Need for Second State Reorganization Commission ( Telengana Issue and recurring demand for new states)
- Ordinance Route for passing important bills and bypassing Parliament
- Panchayati Raj Institutions - Reflecting over 20 years of getting Constitutional Status
- Estimating Poverty Line - Away from Reality
- Depreciating Rupee and Increasing Current Account Deficit
- Govt. Initiatives to Empower Women
- Disaster Management ( Uttarakhand Floods / Eco-tourism / Sustainable Development / Climate Change)
- Nuclear Energy ( Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project & INS Arihant )
- Corporate Social Responsibility - Corporate or Social ?
- Indo-Bangladesh Relations ( Elections in Bangladesh / Growing Influence of Hardline Islamists / Shahbagh Movement / Boundary Issues / Water Sharing )
- Arab Spring - Revolutions in Middle East Countries (Tunisia / Egypt / Syria) - Growing Reach of Muslim Brotherhood
- State Sponsored Espionage by USA (Snowden and Manning) - Intimidation of Whistleblowers
Vajiram & Ravi- Ethics Integrity & Aptitude Part B - III(1).pdf Corporate Government
Vajiram & Ravi- Ethics Integrity & Aptitude Part B - III(1).pdf Corporate Governance paper 4
Vajiram & Ram- Ethics Integrity & Aptitude Part B - I
Vajiram & Ram- Ethics Integrity & Aptitude Part B - I(Paper 4)
Development Issues- VAJIRAM(Governmental Policies and interventions for development in various sector)
Development Issues- VAJIRAM(Governmental Policies and interventions for development in various sector)
History Optional UPSC Mains 2013 Question Paper 1 2 Mrunal Org
History Optional UPSC Mains 2013 Question Paper 1 2 Mrunal Org
Lord William Bentick
Viceroys and GG's of India
Lord William Bentick(1828-35)
- First Governor General of India as designated by Government of India Act 1833.
- Known as the benevolent Governor General.
- Banned practice of sati in 1829, suppressed Thugi in 1830(military operation led by William Sleeman)
- Banned female infanticide
- Created the province of Agra in 1834.
- English was to be court language in higher court but persian continued in lower courts. English was made the official language of india in 1835.
- The regulation of 1833 on land revenue settlement by Mertins Bird(called as the father of land revenue settlement in North). Use of filed maps and filed registers were prescribed for the first time.
- Inquiry into titles of Inam lands.
- 1830, annexation of chachar took place.
- 1831, annexation of Titu Mir and Kols.
- 1831, annexation of Mysore.
- Treaty of perpetual friendship with Ranjit Singh.
- Abolished provincial circuits courts; a separate Sadr Diwani Adalat was set up in Allahabad and Sadr Nizamat Adalat at Delhi.
- Education Reforms. Appointed Macaulay as president of committee of public instruction.
Colonial Era (Timelineof Indian History)
Colonial Era (1818 AD to 1947 AD)
The Colonial Era started with the British taking control over almost all the
parts of India and ended with the freedom of India in 1947. The major events
that took place during the Colonial Era are:
Date
|
Events Happened
|
1829 AD
|
Prohibition of Sati
|
1857 AD
|
- First Indian war of
Independence, known as Indian Mutiny
|
1885 AD
|
Indian National Congress was
formed
|
1930 AD
|
Dandi Salt March, Simon
Commission, First Round Table Conference
|
1915 AD
|
Home Rule League was founded by
Annie Besant
|
1919 AD
|
Massacre at Jallianwalabagh
|
1931 AD
|
Bhagat Singh was hanged by the
British, Second Round Table Conference, Gandhi-Irvin Pact
|
1919 AD
|
Khilafat Movement, Jalianwala Bagh
Massacre, Rowlat Act
|
1937 AD
|
Congress won power in many states,
World War II broke out
|
1921 AD
|
Civil Disobedience Movement
|
1928 AD
|
Murder of Lala Lajpat Rai
|
1942 AD
|
Quit India Movement, Rise of
Subhash Chandra Bose
|
1922 AD
|
Quit India Movement suspended
after the Chauri-Chura violence
|
1946 AD
|
Muslim League adamant about the
formation of Pakistan
|
1947 AD
|
India gained independence and
witnessed partition
|