1. Diplomacy
  2. Economy
  3. Polity
  4. Culture
  5. Person in news
  6. Mock Questions for UPSC prelims CSAT

Diplomacy

  • Diaspora problems: 2014 Highest remittances (1) India (2) China (3) Philippines. (world bank data). Yet our Government not very keen to look after its migrants-  ⇒ Emigration Management Bill is still Pending.  ⇒ 3 different ministries look after emigration- (1) Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) gives passport (2) Ministry of Overseas Indian affairs gives emigration clearance (3) Home ministry looks after departures.  ⇒ Two kinds of passports: Emigration Check Required (ECR) and Emigration Check Not Required (ECNR). But Emigration clearance done only by 9 locations with shortage of staff.  ⇒ Cost of emigration very high- Indian Nurses have to pay ~3 lakh rupees to work in Middle East.  ⇒ In both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, shortage of staff at embassies to look after tasks like visiting migrant camps, bring back dead bodies etc.  ⇒ lack of a rehabilitation policy when migrants returns.
  • Government relaxes rules for Minority pilgrims from Pakistan (Hindu and Sikh). For each group of 50 people, there will be a group leader. Only group leader will have to report to Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) within 24 hours of arrival.
  • India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) trilateral highway deal will be signed in 2015, November to connect Moreh (India) to Mae Sot (Thailand) through a 3,200-km road link. This will help transforming India’s “Look East” to “Act East” policy.
India-Thailand-Highway

India-Thailand-Highway Map from Indianexpress

Economy

  • WTO: updated its 18 year old Information Technology Agreement (ITA)- 201 new goods added for duty-free trade. Means cheaper imports for consumers and boost for exporters. Although actual implementation will begin from 2016.
  • Banking: April 2014: RBI had given “in-principle” approval to Bandhan and IDFC to setup private commercial banks. Finally this month, RBI granted banking licence to IDFC Bank. They’ll launch operation from 1st October, with 20 branches and Rs.55,000 crore loan book.
  • GS3 Black Money: Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money gives Third report:   ⇒ amend law to stop routing of black money through donations in the education sector, religious bodies and charities  ⇒ donation can be made only through cheques  ⇒ if gold / jewelry donated in religious place, then donor’s name and PAN number must be recorded  ⇒ SEBI must identify final beneficiaries of P-Notes.  ⇒ SEBI must begin prosecution of people manipulating stock market, rather than just blacklisting them  ⇒ Create a central Know Your Client (KYC) Registry to create a database of all the various identity proofs — PAN, UID Aadhaar, passport number, driving licence or any other proof of identity. Whenever people enter into financial transaction, they must quote this number.
  • EPFO begins some reforms in PF withdrawal. Read following only if appearing for APFC exam Click ME

Polity

  • For All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) exam, CBSE had declared strict rules on clothes e.g. no full sleeves, no scarves etc. So Petition filed in Supreme court but SC says “Faith is not connected to the clothes you wear. For three hours, you adhere to the rules [of the CBSE] when you write the exams.  Do this for the sake of the exams, which have been already rescheduled.  The court cannot be moved for such small issues.

Culture

Nalanda University

Remains of Nalanda from Indianexpress

  • Nalanda: Frederick M Asher’s new book “Nalanda: Situating the Great Monastery”. It makes following claims  ⇒ None of the monks in Nalanda kept written record, but We get some glimpse from seventh-century Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang but continuity missing.  ⇒ Ashoka did not worship at Nalanda. Buddhist philosophy Nagarjuna did not live here (2nd or 3rd centuary).  ⇒ 5th Century AD: Gupta kings gave royal patronage.  ⇒ It was not big enough to hold even 3000 residents.  ⇒ no evidence that Nalanda taught  logic, grammar and literature, medicine, the arts and metaphysics etc. things. Therefore, Nalanda was not a ‘university’ but just a religious teaching centre. Even the ancient texts call it “great monastery” (Mahavihara) and not “great school”.  ⇒ no evidence that it attracted students from other parts of Asia.
  • Maha Pushakarams of river Godavari conducted for 12 days. A special telugu culture program “Godavari Akandha Harathi” organized at Pushkara ghat. 1000s of Kuchipudi dancers to perform ballet.
  • Humayun’s Tomb: UNESCO Cultural heritage status? YES.   ⇒ has ~150 graves of ruling family. Hence called the NECROPOLIS OF THE MUGHAL DYNASTY  ⇒ Financer: (Haji) Bega Begum (Humayun’s widow and Akbar’s step mother)  ⇒ Architect: Mirak Mirza  ⇒ Time: 14 years after Humayun’s death. (~1570)  ⇒ Material: red sandstone + marble borders  ⇒ Humayun’s tomb is prime example of Mughal Architecture. Mughal Architecture was inspired from Persian Architecture. Why in news? Because this Monday Discovery channel will run a program on it.

Person in news

Dead National level fencing champion Hoshiyar Singh thrown out from train by Railway police for refusing to pay bribe, died.
Sports Golf: Shubham Jaglan wins International Junior Golf Academy’s title at Las Vegas for age 9 to 10.
International Obama says Britain should not leave EU else it’ll lose influence

Turkey begins bombing ISIS in Syria.

Mock Questions for UPSC prelims CSAT

[columnize]

Q1. Buddha visited which of the following places?

  1. Pataligrama
  2. Sravasti
  3. Benares

Answer Choices

  1. Only 1 and 2
  2. Only 2 and 3
  3. Only 1 and 3
  4. all of them

Q2. According to Hiuen Tsang:

  1. King Harsha had invited Nalanda monks for Philosophical assembly at Kanauj.
  2. Nalanda continued as centre of intellectual activity till 12th Century
  3. Nalanda was a primarily centre for learning of Hinyana Buddhism.

Answer Choices

  1. Only 1 and 2
  2. Only 2 and 3
  3. Only 1 and 3
  4. None of them

Q3. Correct statements about Humayun’s Tomb

  1. It is made up of red stones
  2. Many consider it to be inspired from Taj Mahal’s design
  3. Both A and B
  4. Neither A nor B

Q4. Retired Judge M.B. Shah is associated with which of the following Committees?

  1. black money
  2. illegal mining of Iron ore in Odisha and Goa
  3. Both A and B
  4. Neither A nor B

Q5. Lichtenstein is surrounded by

  1. Switzerland
  2. Austria
  3. Germany

Answer Choices

  1. Only 1 and 2
  2. Only 2 and 3
  3. Only 1 and 3
  4. all 3 of them

[/columnize]