Current affairs forms an important component of several competitive exams such as the UPSC Civil Services Examination, SSC CGL, Bank PO & PSU entrance tests, etc. Therefore, understanding terms/concepts/events that are in the news is critical for aspirants. We at PaGaLGuY bring you this series of articles in which we shall explain some of these important concepts/events for you. Let's get into details of the recently approved Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill.
The Union Cabinet approved the Compensatory Afforestation
Fund (CAF) Bill in April to facilitate prompt usage of thousands of crores of
rupees collected over the years as recompense for diverting forest land for 'non-forest
purposes' like setting up of industries and other infrastructure projects.
Collected over a period of 10 years, the funds amount to Rs
38000 crores, according to information from the Ministry of Environment,
Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). The aim of the bill is to enable
creation of institutions in the Centre, in the states and Union Territories
(UTs) to ensure appropriate utilisation of these funds. The amounts that are
being held at present in nationalised banks will be put to use in greater
public view, by transferring them to non-lapsable interest bearing funds
created under public accounts of the Centre and each of the states.
The bill will also ensure safety, security and, transparency
in utilisation of these amounts. Other highlights of the proposed bill include
establishment of a National Authority to use amounts credited to the national
body. Further, a monitoring group would also be set up to aid the National
Authority to check and evaluate afforestation activities carried out using the
CAF.
Apart from afforestation, activities like conservation of
flora and fauna and other ecological efforts will also be carried out using
these funds.
The institution will be formed in place of the Compensatory
Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) that operates currently
in an ad-hoc manner. CAMPA was formed after a Supreme Court order was issued to
that effect in 2004.
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Current affairs forms an important component of several competitive exams such as the UPSC Civil Services Examination, SSC CGL, Bank PO & PSU entrance tests, etc. Therefore, understanding terms/concepts/events that are in the news is critical for aspirants. We at PaGaLGuY bring you this series of articles in which we shall explain some of these important concepts/events for you.
In this article we are discussing Sri Lanka's 19th constitutional amendment.
Sri Lanka has created a historical moment by adopting the 19th constitutional amendment (19A) with overwhelming majority. The amendment is the revocation of the 18th amendment that empowered the president with extreme executive powers.
Important features of this amendment are as follows:
1.The terms of the president and parliament are reduced from six to five years.
2.A two-term limit has been introduced for presidential candidates.
3. President's power to dissolve the parliament can be exercised only after four & half years of commencement of the parliament. (Prior to the amendment s/he could do the same in one year.)
4.The constitutional council has been revived again. With the 18th amendment, the constitutional council was replaced with a five-member parliamentary council.
5. This amendment proposed the establishments of independent commissions. Though the executive power of the president has been reduced, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has not abolished the presidential system completely. The president still remains the head of the cabinet and can appoint ministers with the prime minister's advice. The court also held that the president should be responsible to the parliament and the executive power should be identified at all times as the power of the people.
Constitutional Council:
The constitutional council comprises 10 members out of which 3 are non-political members and 3 ex-officio members, namely the Speaker of the parliament, the prime minister & the leader of opposition. The council has been empowered to recommend names of people to be appointed as chairpersons of independent commissions. President cannot make such appointments without the recommendation of this council.
The 19th amendment has ended presidential dictatorship that has deteriorated the Sri Lankan democracy for the past decade. Executive powers are balanced now and the amendment has ensured the independence of judiciary. There is hope that this will bring good governance, reducing political interference & decentralisation of power.
Current affairs forms an important component of several competitive exams such as the UPSC Civil Services Examination, SSC CGL, Bank PO & PSU entrance tests, etc. Therefore, understanding terms/concepts/events that are in the news is critical for aspirants. We at PaGaLGuY bring you this series of articles in which we shall explain some of these important concepts/events for you. In this article, we will read about the recent excavation of human remains of the Harappan civilisation.
Rakigarhi village, which is 60km from Haryana's Hisar district
is in news again as excavation of four human skeletons that date back to the Harappan
or the Indus Valley civilisation. The work was started by Archaeologists of Haryana
Archaeology Department in collaboration with Seoul National University, South
Korea and Deccan College, Pune. This is a breakthrough discovery as for the
first time there is a possibility of rebuilding the Harappans' appearance, with the
help of DNA information acquired from the remains.
The Harappan civilisation is divided into three phases,
namely Early Harappan (3000-2600 BCE), Mature Harappan (2600-1900 BCE) and Late
Harappan (1900-1500 BCE). Belonging to the Mature Harappan period, these remains
are of two men aged approximately 50 years, one woman aged 30 years and a child
aged 10 years old. This discovery makes Rakigarhi the biggest Harappan site in
Asia.
The excavation work was spread over an area of 50 acres. Work
on the four graves was started in January and was completed by April-end. Vasant
Shinde, is vice-chancellor of the college and the director of the
Rakhigarhi excavation. He is a specialist in Harappan civilisation and has
excavated Harappan sites at Farmana, Girawad and Mitathal that are all located in
Haryana.
The archaeologists recovered pottery, bangles, mini wheels, sling
balls, terracotta figurines of wild boar and dogs, toys of varied sizes and furnaces
and hearths. A seal with a tiger-like figure inscribed on it has also been
unearthed. Further, tools that could have been used for fishing and hunting
purposes have been recovered.
The remains that are being studied at a palaeontology lab in
South Korea will provide a valuable insight into the physical features of the
Harappans, their life and culture, among other things.
To get fresh updates about different exams on your Facebook & Twitter timelines, subscribe to our pages created specifically for them. We will post only exam specific links on these pages:
Current affairs forms an important component of several competitive exams such as the UPSC Civil Services Examination, SSC CGL, Bank PO & PSU entrance tests, etc. Therefore, understanding terms/concepts/events that are in the news is critical for aspirants. We at PaGaLGuY bring you this series of articles in which we shall explain some of these important concepts/events for you. In this article, we are discussing the future prospect of IBSA.
India, Brazil & South Africa (IBSA) is a tripartite group to promote international cooperation and facilitate understanding between the three developing countries. Formed in 2006, it acts as a forum to provide the countries with a platform for mutual cooperation in the field of agriculture, trade, culture, and defence.
IBSA is competing with BRICS for influence :
However, over the years IBSA has been losing its influence due to the growth of BRICS. South Africa joined BRIC in 2010 and since then this association of five countries (Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa) has been a potential competitor to IBSA. This is because BRICS has been able to outshine IBSA due to its dynamic expansion in a short period of time.
China especially has been increasing its influence by building economic corridors and progressing toward its ambitious MSR project. China and Russia are dominating the political leadership of BRICS and promoting their anti-West agenda through it. BRICS considers itself a counterpart of the G7 and aims to surpass them in the coming years.
India, Brazil and South Africa are emerging economies with a pro-democratic outlook. Though they have been seeking a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, they require strong support to achieve this as they are still on the path of economic recovery. BRICS is offering them the required bargaining potential for a permanent seat in the UNSC.
UNSC link :
However, the worthiness of having a permanent UNSC seat in shaping the future dynamics of world diplomacy and dominance is questionable. Over the last decade, UNSC has been proving to be in 'empty suit'. It has failed to prevent action by the United States in Iraq, to impede Russian annexation of Crimea, the crisis in Syria or Saudi Arabia's bombing of Yemen.
Revitalising IBSA :
It has the voice of three great developing democracies of the world. By recalibrating their future diplomatic strategy, it can be a pro-democratic powerhouse. The countries have some common security concerns like drug trafficking, money laundering, terrorism and maritime security. Considering the current direction of global issues, IBSA can step up to the western and Eurasian dominance.
General Knowledge is an important component for most competitive exams, namely the UPSC Civil Services Examination, SSC CGL, Bank PO & PSU entrance tests, etc. Therefore, an understanding of the concepts/terms are significant in our daily lives is critical for aspirants. To make your preparation easier and to help you score better, we at PaGaLGuY bring you brief articles on trending phenomena and concepts.
What is a Disorder?
It is any abnormality that arises in the human body due to the deficiency or absence of a gene/ hormone/vital function or due to external factors, thereby resulting in impaired function or structure.
Types of disorders
Disorders can be of four types depending on the factors that cause them. listed below are types of disorders:
Sex - linked genetic disorders
Autosomal genetic disorders
Autoimmune disorders
Lifestyle disorders
Sex Linked genetic disorders
A disorder caused by the abnormality of a gene located on the sex chromosome (X or Y).
Generally the sex-linked disorders and mutations (permanent alteration of the genes) are linked to the X chromosome since the X chromosome has more functional genes compared to the Y chromosome.
Males have X (from mother) and Y (from father) chromosome while females have XX chromosome, one inherited from each parent.
Since, males have only one X chromosome, they are at a higher risk for expression of sex-linked traits. However, females rarely inherit two defective X chromosomes and thus expression of sex-linked disorders in females is a rare phenomenon.
Also, if a female has one defective X chromosome and the other normal X chromosome, she will act as a carrier for the disorder i.e. her offspring/ child may be at a 50% risk.
X - linked disorders are of two types: X - linked dominant and X - linked recessive disorders.
X - linked dominant disorders require presence of only one defective X chromosome. Thus it can equally affect males and females. Eg. Fragile X chromosome and X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets.
X - linked recessive disorders require presence of two defective X chromosomes. These disorders are rare in females but always affect males (since they have only one X - chromosome). Eg. Haemophilia, Colour blindness
To get fresh updates about different exams on your Facebook & Twitter timelines, subscribe to our pages created specifically for them. We will post only exam specific links on these pages:
Current affairs forms an important component of several competitive exams such as the UPSC Civil Services Examination, SSC CGL, Bank PO & PSU entrance tests, etc. Therefore, understanding terms/concepts/events that are in the news is critical for aspirants. We at PaGaLGuY bring you this series of articles in which we shall explain some of these important concepts/events for you. This article will give you details about the cancellation of licenses of nearly 9000 NGOs that flouted FCRA regulations.
Cracking a whip against NGOs violating provisions of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) cancelled licenses of 9000 NGOs to received foreign funds, in April. The action was taken as the NGOs failed to file annual returns for three years (2009-2012), specifying amount of foreign funds received, their sources, the purpose it was received for and the manner of its use.
The second round of cancellation of licenses to receive foreign funds was started on May 6 and continued till June 9. A total of 4470 NGO licenses were cancelled.
Defaulting NGOs
The list of defaulting NGOs that were barred from receiving foreign monetary aid included prominent names like the Delhi University (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Supreme Court Bar Association, Escorts Heart Institute, Panjab University, Chandigarh, Gujarat National Law University, Gargi College, Delhi, Lady Irwin College, Delhi, Vikram Sarabhai Foundation, School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation, which works under the minority affairs ministry.
Foreign benefactors on govt's watch list
The government also ordered that funds from US-based philanthropic organisation, Ford Foundation was not to be disbursed to any NGO without prior approval from the MHA as the foundation was believed to be aiding activities that would damage India's socio-economic and political interests.
This move was in accordance with the Gujarat government's request to the ministry to take action against Ford Foundation as it was "interfering in the internal affairs" of the country and "abetting communal disharmony" through NGOs called Sabrang and Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), run by activist Teesta Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand, respectively. As on June 30, the FCRA registrations of these two NGOs were cancelled.
Similarly, Greenpeace India's license was suspended temporarily in April as it downplayed the funds it received from foreign sources and carried out transaction without informing authorities. All the seven bank accounts of the NGO were also frozen.
Netherlands' Bertha Foundation, the environmental organisation, Greenpeace International, and Climate Works Foundation, were also under scanner for similar violations along with 10 such establishments.
NGOs' reaction
After the restriction, representatives from the Ford Foundation's stated that they are confident of their compliance with the law. Also, that if the Indian government suggests methods to strengthen and improve their grant-making processes, the methods will be incorporated.
Greenpeace, on the other hand, stated that the government suspended its license to receive funds from abroad with an aim of closing it down. The NGO also countered MHA on several fronts after the suspension was issued.
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General Knowledge is an important for most competitive exams, namely the UPSC Civil Services Examination, SSC CGL, Bank PO & PSU entrance tests, etc. Therefore, an understanding of the concepts/terms are significant in our daily lives is critical for aspirants. To make your preparation easier and to help you score better, we at PaGaLGuY bring you brief articles on trending phenomena and concepts.
As we know, disorders are of various types depending upon the causal factors. This article will thus cover the second type of disorder known as autosomal genetic disorders.
Autosomal genetic disorders
A disorder caused by the abnormality of a gene located on the autosome (other than sex chromosome)
Autosomal genetic disorders can be of two types: Autosomal Dominant and Autosomal Recessive
Autosomal Dominant means the gene will express itself (expression of the disorder in humans) even when there is only one defective chromosome in the pair (since genes are always in pairs). Eg. Huntington disease, Familial Hypercholesterolaemia
Autosomal Recessive means both chromosomes of the pair have to be defected for the expression of the disorder in humans. Eg. Sickle cell anemia, Cystic fibrosis, Beta thalassaemia
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General Knowledge is an important for most competitive exams, namely the UPSC Civil Services Examination, SSC CGL, Bank PO & PSU entrance tests, etc. Therefore, an understanding of the concepts/terms are significant in our daily lives is critical for aspirants. To make your preparation easier and to help you score better, we at PaGaLGuY bring you brief articles on trending phenomena and concepts.
In the first of this series we will look at recipients of Indian Civilian Awards for this year.
1. Bharat Ratna
India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna was
posthumously conferred on well-known educationist and freedom fighter, Madan Mohan Malaviya. Former Prime
Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was
also conferred the honour.
2. Padma Vibhushan
The second highest civilian award, this year was conferred
on 9 individuals, including Indians as well as foreigners.
Prof Malur Ramaswamy Srinivasan- Science and Engineering
Kottayan K. Venugopal- Public Affairs
Karim Al Hussaini Aga Khan (Foreigner) - Trade and Industry
3. Padma Bhushan This year Padma Bhushan was conferred on 20 people including Indians as
well as foreigners. They were honoured for their contribution in various
fields.
Jahnu Barua- Art-
Dr Vijay Bhatkar- Science and Engineering
Shri Swapan Dasgupta- Literature and Education
Swami Satyamitranand Giri- Others
N Gopalaswami- Civil Service
Dr Subhash C Kashyap- Public Affairs
Dr (Pandit) Gokulotsavji Maharaj- Art
Dr Ambrish Mithal- Medicine
Sudha Ragunathan- Art
Harish Salve- Public Affairs
Dr Ashok Seth- Medicine
Rajat Sharma- Literature and Education
Satpal- Sports
Shivakumara Swami- Others
Dr Kharag Singh Valdiya- Science and Engineering
Prof Manjul Bhargava (NRI/PIO) - Science and Engineering
David Frawley (Vamadeva) (Foreigner) - Others
Bill Gates (Foreigner) - Social Work
Melinda Gates (Foreigner) - Social Work
Saichiro Misumi (Foreigner) - Others
4. Padma Shri- This
category has a total of 75 awardees. We will look at some of the prominent
ones.
General Knowledge is an important component for most
competitive exams, namely the UPSC Civil Services Examination, SSC CGL, Bank PO
& PSU entrance tests, etc. Therefore, an understanding of the
concepts/terms are significant in our daily lives is critical for aspirants. To
make your preparation easier and to help you score better, we at PaGaLGuY bring
you brief articles on trending phenomena and concepts.
Here we will look at recipients of the Indian Gallantry awards this year.
Ashoka Chakra
The nation's highest peacetime gallantry award Ashoka Chakra
was awarded posthumously to army man Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh of 57 Battalion of
the Rashtriya Rifles (13 Rajputana Rifles).
Kirti Chakra
1.
Captain Jaidev of the 3rd battalion of the
Rashtriya Rifles
2.
Kosh Bahadur Gurung
3.
Subedar Ajay Vardhan (posthumously)
Shaurya Chakra
This honour was bestowed on 12 army personnel, some of which
are as follows:
1.
Lt. Colonel Sankalp Kumar, 24th
Battalion of the Punjab Regiment (posthumously)
General Knowledge is an important component for most competitive exams, namely the UPSC Civil Services Examination, SSC CGL, Bank PO & PSU entrance tests, etc. Therefore, an understanding of the concepts/terms are significant in our daily lives is critical for aspirants. To make your preparation easier and to help you score better, we at PaGaLGuY bring you brief articles on trending phenomena and concepts. In this article, read about sports, literature and film awards for 2015.
Sports
Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award: Hockey player Balbir Singh Senior
Literature
1. Jnanpith Award is the highest literary honour in India. Marathi writer Bhalchandra Nemade was bestowed with the honour. One his famous novels is Kosala (Cocoon, 1963).
3. Sahitya Akademi announced Bhasha Samman (awarded to individuals
with outstanding translation in recognised languages). This year it was awarded
to four scholars, namely.
a. K
Meenakshi Sundaram - For contributions
in classical and medieval literature (southern) for 2013
b. Acharya
Munishwar Jha - For contributions in classical and medieval literature
(Eastern) for 2014
c. Charu
Pande and Mathuradutt Mathpal - Jointly for enrichment of Kumauni
Films
1. 62nd
National Film Awards: The Directorate of Film Festivals present the National Film Awards to
honour outstanding contribution to cinema. It is awarded to both feature films
as well as non-feature films. Further, there are two categories: Golden Lotus
Award and the Silver Lotus Award.
The
Golden Lotus or Swarna Kamal Award
1. Best Feature Film- Court
Director- Chaitanya Tamhane
Language- Marathi, Hindi, English and
Gujarati
2. Best Popular Film (providing
wholesome entertainment)- Mary Kom
Director-Omung Kumar
Language- Hindi
3. Best Debut Film of a Director- Asha
Jaor Majhe
Director- Aditya Vikram Sengupta
Language- Bengali
4. Best Children's Film- Kaaka Muttai
Director- M Manikandan
Language- Tamil
5. Best Children's Film- Elizabeth
Ekadashi
Director-Paresh Mokashi
Language- Marathi
6. Best Direction- Chotushkone
Director- Srijit Mukherjee
Language- Bengali
7. Best Non-Feature Film- Tender is the
Sight
Director-Torsha Banerjee
Language- English
8. Best Non-Feature Film Direction-
Aaranyak
Director- Renu Sawant
Language- English and Marathi
The
Silver Lotus or Rajat Kamal Award
Best Actress- Kangana Ranaut for
Queen
Best Actor- Sanchari Vijay for Nanu
Avanalla Avalu
Best Child Artist- J Vignesh and
Ramesh for Kaaka Muttai
Best Male Playback Singer- Sukhwinder
Singh for Haider
Best Female Playback Singer- Uttara
Unnikrishnan for Saivam
Best Cinematography and Screenplay
(original) - Chotushkone
Best Music Direction- Vishal
Bharadwaj for Haider
Best Film on Environmental
Preservation/Conservation- Ottaal (Malayalam)
2. Dada
Saheb Phalke Award- This
prestigious award was presented to actor-filmmaker Shashi Kapoor. He was
also a recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 2011 and has won two national awards.
3. 60th
Filmfare Awards- These awards are presented to filmmakers,
producers, actors and actresses, singers and music composers, among others from
the Hindi film industry.
Best Film- Queen
Best Director- Vikas Bahl for Queen
Best Actor- Shahid Kapoor for Haidar
Best Actress- Kangana Ranaut for
Queen
Best Supporting Actor- Kay Kay Menon
for Haider
Best Supporting Actress- Tabu for
Haider
Best Music Director-
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy for 2 States
General Knowledge is an important component for most competitive exams, namely the UPSC Civil Services Examination, SSC CGL, Bank PO & PSU entrance tests, etc. Therefore, an understanding of the concepts/terms are significant in our daily lives is critical for aspirants. To make your preparation easier and to help you score better, we at PaGaLGuY bring you brief articles on trending phenomena and concepts. In this article we will look into various international awards won this year.
1. The
Nobel Prize: It is
annually awarded to recognise outstanding work and contributions of many people
in several fields. Here is the list of personalities who have been honoured
with the Nobel Prize for the year 2014.
·
The
Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to Indian child rights activist Kailash
Satyarthi for his struggle against child labour, and to Pakistani activist
Malala Yusafzai for her efforts to promote women's education.
·
Chemistry- Eric Betzig, Stefan W Hell, William E
Moerner for the development of multiscale models for complex chemical systems.
·
Physics- Isamu Hakasaki, Hiroshi Amano, Shuji Nakamura for the invention of efficient blue
light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light
sources.
·
Medicine- The Nobel Prize in Medicine was
divided this year; one half was awarded to John O' Keefe. The other half was
jointly awarded to May-Britt Moser and Edvard I. Moser for their discoveries of
cells that constitute a positioning system in the brain.
·
Literature- Patrick Modiano for the art of memory
with which he has evoked the most ungraspable human destinies and uncovered the
life-world of the occupation.
·
The Sveriges
Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel- Jean
Tirole for his analysis of market
power and regulation.
2. The
Pulitzer Prize- This award
celebrates the 'written word' and is awarded
to recognise excellence in journalism, literature, drama and music, among
others. Let's look at some of the prominent categories.
a. Journalism
Public
Service Reporting:
The Post and Courier for 'Till Death Do Us Part,' a series that detailed
on why South Carolina is among the deadliest states in the US for women and made
the issue important enough to put it on state's agenda.
The Boston Globe for stories, videos, photos and graphics collated to
expose a badly regulated, profit-driven housing system that made life unsafe
and deadly for thousands of college students in Boston.
The Wall Street Journal for 'Deadly Medicine,' an outstanding reporting
project documenting the significant cancer risk to women of a common surgery that
prompted a change in the prescribed medical treatment.
Investigative
Reporting
The Wall Street Journal staff for 'Medicare Unmasked,' a project that gave citizens
of the US unparalleled access to previously confidential information on the
motivations and practices of their health care providers.
David
Jackson, Gary Marx and Duaa Eldeib of the Chicago
Tribune for exposing the risks faced by abused children placed in
Illinois's residential treatment centers.
Eric
Lipton of The New York Times for
reporting that cleared the air about how the influence of lobbyists can sway
congressional leaders and state attorneys general, warping justice toward the
wealthy and the well-connected.
International
Reporting
The New York Times staff for bold front-line reporting and vivid human
stories on Ebola in Africa, giving people news about the scope and details of
the outbreak while holding authorities accountable.
Richard
Marosi and Don Bartletti of the Los
Angeles Times for reporting on the fetid conditions and cruel practices
inside the multibillion dollar industry that supplies vegetables from Mexican
fields to American supermarkets.
Ned
Parker and a team from Reuters for
intrepid reports on the disintegration of Iraq and the rise of ISIS, linking
the ballooning catastrophe to a legacy of sectarianism, corruption and violence
seeded by the U.S. invasion.
b. Drama
Between
Riverside and Crazy, a play by Stephen Adly Guirgis
Marjorie
Prime by Jordan Harrison
Father
Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2, 3) by Suzan-Lori Parks
c. Biographies
The
Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in
Europe, by David I. Kertzer
Louis
Armstrong: Master of Modernism by Thomas Brothers
Stalin:
Volume I: Paradoxes of Power, 1878-1928 by Stephen Kotkin
d. Music
Anthracite
Fields by Julia Wolfe
Xiaoxiang
by Lei Liang
The
Aristos by John Zorn
3. 87th Academy Awards (The Oscar)
Best
Film- Birdman
Best
Director- Alejandro González Iárritu for Birdman
Best
Actress- Julianne
Moore for Still Alice
Best
Actor- Eddie
Redmayne for The Theory of Everything
Best
Screenplay (Adapted) - Graham Moore - The Imitation Game
Best
Screenplay (Original)- Alejandro González Iárritu, Nicolás Giacobone,
Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo - Birdman
Best
Original Score- Alexandre Desplat - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best
Documentary Feature- Citizenfour - Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy, Dirk
Wilutzky
Best
Cinematography- Birdman: Emmanuel Lubezki
Best
Animated Feature Film- Big Hero 6
Best
Animated Short Film- Feast
Best
Documentary Short Subject- Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
The UPSC has declared the results of the UPSC Civil Services 2014 exam. 1236 candidates have been recommended by the Commission for appointment to various posts. 254 candidates have been kept on the reserve list. As per the UPSC notification, the number of
vacancies reported by the Government include IAS - 180, IFS - 32 and IPS - 150.
The top 4 posts have been secured by girls and there are 5 girls among the top 6 candidates.
i hv a query... Pls help,, cani change the photograph uploaded in the upsc application form ? In a hurry, i uploaded a pic with not a white background., is there any way ?
Current affairs forms an important component of several competitive exams such as the UPSC Civil Services Examination, SSC CGL, Bank PO & PSU entrance tests, etc. Therefore, understanding terms/concepts/events that are in the news is critical for aspirants. We at PaGaLGuY bring you this series of articles in which we shall explain some of these important concepts/events for you. In this article, we are discussing the Universe.
The Universe (Cosmos):
It consists of everything that physically exists namely, matter, energy and momentum.
It is a three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur.
The order in the universe is provided by the gravitational force, which is the fundamental force of the universe.
Fundamental forces in universe:
Force Range Nature Produced by
Gravitational Long Range Attractive Mass of objects
Electrical Long Range Attractive/repulsive Charged particles
Magnetic Long Range Attractive/repulsive Movement of charged particles
Nuclear Short Range Attractive/repulsive Change of pi meson in nucleus
The universal constant: During the inter-relationship between fundamental forces and objects, their value remains unchanged in space of time. Eg. Charge of electron, Mass of electron etc.
The origin of the universe: The universe originated billions of years ago. Here are some approximate calculations of the time of its origin as provided by scientists:
Universe : 13.78 Billion yrs
Sun : 5 Billion yrs
Earth : 4.5/4.6 Billion yrs.
Note : Billion yrs : 10^9 yrs
Million yrs : 10^6 yrs
Theories about Origin of the universe:
Various scientists and philosophers have put forth various theories regarding the origin of Universe.
a) German philosopher Immanuel Kant had written about the origin of universe in his book 'Universal Natural History and Theory of Heaven'
b) Nebular Hypothesis by Pierre-Simon Laplace, a mathematician: According to this theory, the planets were formed of cloud of material associated with the Sun.
c) By Chamberlain & Moulton(1900): This theory gives a hypothesis stating that due to a clash of another star with the Sun, a cigar shaped material separated and continued to revolve around the Sun.
Theories regarding the existence of companion star of the Sun are called binary theories.
Otto Schmidt & Carl Weizascar (1950): Their idea considered that the sun was surrounded by solar nebula containing mostly hydrogen and helium. The friction and collision of particles form a disk-shaped cloud and planets were formed through the process of accretion.
To get fresh updates about different exams on your Facebook & Twitter timelines, subscribe to our pages created specifically for them. We will post only exam specific links on these pages:
Current affairs is an important component of several competitive exams such as the UPSC Civil Services Examination, SSC-CGL, Bank PO & PSU entrance tests, etc. Therefore, understanding the terms/concepts/events that make news is critical for aspirants. We at PaGaLGuY bring you this series of articles explaining some of these important concepts/events. In this article, we are discussing the origin of the Universe.
There are 4 major theories regarding the origin of the Universe.
1 ) The Big Bang theory
a) This theory is also called the expanding universe hypothesis. According to this, the universe is presently expanding. Edwin Hubble provided evidence about expansion of the universe in 1920.
b) This theory advocates the idea that all the matter in the universe was in form of one 'tiny ball' (singular atom) with small volume, infinite temperature and infinite density.
c) This tiny ball exploded around 13.7 billion years ago and lead to the expansion of universe.
d) This state of expansion is a result of primordial explosion of the universe. Due to this, the universe was fragmented and galaxies were formed. The universe is still expanding due to the flight of galaxies, which are moving away and apart from each other.
2. Continuous Creation theory / Steady State theory
a) This theory explains the formation of new galaxies in the universe by the flight of galaxies.
b) This theory explains that the spatial and temporal density of the universe is constant.
c) To maintain the spatial and temporal density of universe, the continuous process of flight of galaxies form new galaxies in void.
d) This view was later rejected because it does not explain the source of matter and energy released for the formation of new galaxy.
3. Oscillating Universe theory
a) This theory combines both Big Bang and Big Crunch theories.
b) It tends to explain alternate stages of universe which are as follows:
* Sate of Explosion/ Expansion: The state of expansion is due to the sudden release of heat and pressure in the cosmos. Due to this, the density eventually declines.
* State of Implosion/Contraction: The state of implosion is the hypothetic state wherein the expansion of the universe eventually reverses and the universe recollapses, ultimately ending in a black hole singularity or causing a reformation of the universe starting with another big bang. There will be increase in density during the state of implosion.
c) Each state occurs for 41 billion years.
d) At present, the universe is in the state of expansion. This state will continue for next 28 billion years. Once completed, the universe will not be able to hold the mass and volume and hence it will start contracting.
4. Quasi Steady State Cosmology (QSS)
This is the latest view on the origin of universe.
This theory was given by Fred Hoyle, Geoffrey Burbidge and Jayant Naralikar in 1993.
The theory explains the 'Creation Field' that is the source of matter & energy in the universe for creation of new galaxies.
These creation fields are also called mini-bangs or mini-creation events.
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