🔆 Government Securities (G-Sec) :

✅ A Tradable instrument issued by the Central Government or the State Governments.
✅ A G-Sec is a type of debt instrument issued by the government to borrow money from the public to finance its Fiscal Deficit.
✅ Kinds :
◽️Short : Term (usually called treasury bills, with original maturities of less than one year
◽️Long : Term (usually called Government bonds or dated securities with original maturity of one year or more)
✅ Issuer :
🔸️ Central Government - issues both, treasury bills & bonds or dated securities
🔸️ State Government - Only bonds or dated securities [State Development Loans (SDLs)]
✅ G-Secs carry practically no risk of default and, hence, are called risk-free gilt-edged instruments.
✅ Issue Mechanism : The RBI conducts Open Market Operations (OMOs) for sale or purchase of G-secs to adjust money supply conditions.

#Economy
#prelims_facts

🔆  The Central Information Commission (CIC) :
 
✅ Constituted - Under the Right to Information Act, 2005
✅ Members - Chief Information Commissioner, not more than ten Information Commissioners.
✅ Appointment - By President
✅ Status - Statutory Body (Non-Constitutional body)
✅ Headquarters -  New Delhi.
✅ Appointment -  On The Recommendation of a Committee Consisting of :
🔸The Prime Minister as the Chairperson,
🔸The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and
🔸A Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.
✅ Not Eligible for Reappointment .
✅ Powers - To Investigate RTI complaints, pass orders for the supply of information, and impose penalties for defaults.
✅ Functions - The Commission is required to receive and inquire into a complaint from any person [Under RTI ACT] :

#polity #prelims_facts

🔆Committees on Western Ghats:

📍Sanjay Kumar Committee:
✅Formed to review state objections on ESA demarcations and validate proposed exclusions.
✅Will conduct field visits to verify if demands for village exclusions from ESA listings are justified.
✅Seeks to finalize the ESA status for villages, restricting activities harmful to biodiversity.

📍Madhav Gadgil Committee (2011):
✅Established by UPA government to propose protection measures for the Western Ghats.
✅Recommended designating the entire Western Ghats as ecologically sensitive.
✅Proposed the creation of a dedicated ecological authority to regulate development.
✅Report suggested rigorous conservation, but its recommendations were not fully adopted.

📍Kasturirangan Committee (2012):
✅Formed as a follow-up to the Gadgil Committee to provide a more moderate approach.
✅Based ESA demarcations on 37% of the Western Ghats, focusing on forested areas.
✅Emphasized a balance between conservation and developmental needs, allowing limited activity in specific areas.

#prelims_facts
#mains

Cyclone Fengal
location - Puducherry, Tamilnadu
- low intensity storm
- more destruction due to slow movement (more rainfall in a region)
#GS1 #GS3 #prelims_facts

Rare Earth Element #prelims_facts #prelims

Local winds #prelims_facts

High-Risk Food Classification:

✅ High-risk foods are those requiring stringent safety protocols due to their potential to impact public health if mishandled.
✅Authority: Governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
✅Law Governing: Regulated under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
📍Why Classification:
✅To ensure enhanced consumer safety through rigorous testing and monitoring.
✅To replace the dual certification process, streamlining regulatory requirements.
🔸Other Products Under High-Risk Category:
✅Dairy products and analogues.
Meat, poultry, fish, and seafood.
Eggs and egg products.
✅Prepared and fortified foods (e.g., fortified rice kernels).
✅Specialised food products for nutritional uses.
📍Significance of Classification:
✅Promotes higher safety standards via mandatory inspections and audits.
✅Simplifies industry compliance by eliminating redundancy, such as BIS certification.
✅Increases consumer trust in food safety measures.

#gs1 #prelims_facts

Black carbon sources and impact
# prelims #prelims #prelims_facts

“Scientists discover the largest coral colony on Earth in the Solomon Islands: Key insights on its size and age”
It’s the largest coral known to date. The coral is comparable in size to two basketball courts or five tennis courts.

Physical Characteristics:

1. It is lying at a depth of 40 feet below the surface. Its height (16 feet) indicates an estimated age of over 300 years.
2. It is visible from space due to its sheer size and striking colors.
3. It belongs to the Pavona clavus species. It is predominantly brown but includes vibrant hues of yellow, blue, and red.
4. It provides habitat, shelter, and breeding grounds for various marine species, including shrimp, crabs, and fish.
5. It has been compared to finding the world’s tallest tree due to its ecological importance.

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🔆 WORLD BANK

✅ The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) + International Development Association (IDA).
✅ Established : 1944 , Bretton Woods Conference (USA)
✅ To regulate International monetary & Financial order after World War 2 .

✅ World Bank Groups :

🔸 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
🔸 International Development Association (IDA)
🔸 International Finance Corporation (IFC)
🔸Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
🔸International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)

✅ Reports :

🔸World Development Report
🔸Ease of doing business Index
🔸Global Economic Prospect report
🔸Remittance & Migration report
🔸World Development Indicators
🔸International Debt Statistics
🔸Ease of Living Index
🔸Universal Health Coverage Index
🔸The Service Trade Restriction Index
🔸India Development Update
🔸Logistics Performance index


#economy
#prelims_facts 

📜 Eminent Personalities of Ancient India 🇮🇳

✅ Alexander – Ruler of Macedonia, invaded India in 326 BC, reached river Beas.
✅ Ajatashatru – Son of Bimbisara, established Pataliputra.
✅ Arien – Greek historian, wrote about Alexander’s invasion.
✅ Ashwaghosa – Wrote Buddha Charita, Sutralankar, and Sandaranand.
✅ AmarSimha – Sanskrit scholar, wrote Amarakosha in Chandragupta’s court.
✅ Aryabhatta – Explained solar & lunar eclipses, declared Earth is round, wrote Aryabhattiyam.
✅ Bimbisara – Founded Magadha Empire (Haryanka Dynasty), first influential king.
✅ Banabhatta – Court poet of Harshavardhana, wrote Harsha Charita & Kadambari.
✅ Charak – Ayurvedic expert, wrote Charak-Samhita.
✅ Amoghavarsha – Famous Rashtrakuta ruler.
✅ Patanjali – Founded ‘Yoga Shastra’, Hindu philosophy school.
✅ Dhanananda – Powerful Magadha king; Alexander did not invade Magadha due to his reputation.
✅ Darius I – Persian ruler who invaded India in 6th century BC.
✅ Gautami Putra Satakarni – Most famous Satavahana king (2nd century).

📜 Other Key Personalities

✅ Harisena – Wrote Prayaga Prashasti (Allahabad Pillar Inscription of Samudragupta).
✅ Kharavela – Ruler of Kalinga in 1st century AD, known for Hathigumpha inscription.
✅ Kanishka – Kushan king, started Shaka Era, organized 4th Buddhist Council (Kundalvana, Kashmir).
✅ Karikala – Chola ruler, founded Puhar (Kaveri Pattinam).
✅ Kautilya (Chanakya) – Wrote Arthashastra, compared to Machiavelli.
✅ Kalidasa – Sanskrit poet; wrote Raghuvamsa, Abhijnana Shakuntalam, Meghadutam.
✅ Kamban – Tamil poet (11th century), wrote Ramayanam in Tamil.
✅ Mihir Bhoja – Famous Pratihara ruler (9th century).
✅ Kalhana – Kashmiri poet & historian, wrote Rajatarangini.
✅ Marco Polo – Venetian traveller, visited India (13th century).
✅ Menander – Indo-Greek king, embraced Buddhism, known as Milinda Panho.
✅ Nagarjuna – Buddhist monk, propounded Madhyamaka philosophy.
✅ Makkali Gosala – Founder of Ajivika Sect (6th century BC).
✅ Mihirkula – Huna conqueror, defeated by Yashodharma.
✅ Skandagupta – Last mighty Gupta ruler.

📜 Scholars & Scientists of Ancient India

✅ Sushrut – Doctor, wrote Sushruta-Samhita.
✅ Pulikeshi II – Powerful Chalukya king, defeated Harshavardhana.
✅ Pushya Mitra Sunga – Killed last Mauryan ruler, founded Sunga Dynasty (185 BC).
✅ Pliny – Roman historian, wrote Natural History, documented Mauryas of India.
✅ Panini – Sanskrit grammarian, wrote Ashtadhyayi.
✅ Varahamihira – Astronomer, wrote Brihat Samhita.
✅ Sankaracharya – Propagated Advaita philosophy, born in Kaladi, Kerala.

#history
#history #prelims_facts #prelims #ancient

🔆 Vedic and Associated Literature

📍 Shruti: "That which is heard"; the authoritative religious texts of Hinduism, including the four Vedas and their embedded texts: Samhitas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Upanishads.

📍 Smriti: "Remembered texts"; includes Vedangas, Puranas, epics, Dharmashastras, and Nitishastra.

📍 Vedas: The four ancient Sanskrit texts:
✅ Rig Veda
✅ Yajur Veda
✅ Sama Veda
✅ Atharva Veda

📍 Samhita: A collection of hymns associated with the Vedas.
📍 Brahmanas: Ritualistic texts explaining Vedic sacrifices.
📍 Aranyakas: "Forest books" forming part of the Vedic corpus.
📍 Vedangas: "Limbs of the Veda"; auxiliary texts.
📍 Gayatri Mantra: Verses from the Rig Veda invoking wisdom and enlightenment.
📍 Puranas: Hindu texts containing the history of various dynasties.
📍 Itihasa-Purana: Texts claiming to refer to past events.
📍 Dharmasutras: The earliest Dharmashastras, written in aphoristic style.
📍 Dharma-Shastra: Texts codifying social and ritual duties within the Varna system.

#history #prelims_facts #prelims #ancient_India #UPSC #PSC