Raghupati Ragahav Raja Ram,
Patita Pavana Sita Ram
Sita Ram Sita Ram,
Bhaj Pyare Tu Sita Ram
Ishwara Allah Tere Nam,
Saba Ko Sanmati De Bhagavan

Mahatma Gandhi – A real hero for India

The last day of Gandhiji’s life. Gandhiji handed over the LSS draft to Pyarelal Nayyar to go through as he had written under tension and maybe there were some mistakes.
Gandhiji weighed 109 pounds. He had gained two pounds since he finished his last fast 12 days ago but was still suffering from a terrible cough.

Gandhiji began his Bangla lesson. During his Noakhali visit in 1946, he had started learning Bangla. Meanwhile, the killers were giving final shape to their conspiracy to assassinate the Mahatma. Nathuram Godse came up with a idea to go to the prayer ground wearing a black shawl and with an old-styled camera so that he could shoot Gandhiji while pretending to take a picture. They went down on the street to search for a camera but then they came to a conclusion that the plan was bad as hardly anyone used the old-styled cameras any longer.
Then they come up with the idea of buying a burqa and that Godse would pretend to be burqa-clad Muslim woman and thus could get in for a close shot. They bought the burqa but Nathuram found it very uneasy when he wore it. He thought firing from under might lead him to miss the target. So even this idea was dropped.
Finally Narayan Apte came with a simple but deadly plan. They decided that Nathuram should wear a loose and long shirt so that he can hide his pistol in the pocket of his trousers and so went to the market and purchased it.

At Birla House, Gandhiji was meeting many visitors. But the most important meeting was yet to take place. A meeting which would save a split in Congress and which would bridge the differences between his two disciples Nehru and Patel. Gandhiji had convinced Vallabhai Patel to withhold his resignation and that three of them (Gandhiji, Home Minister Vallabhai Patel and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru) would sit down together and thrash out the differences.

While Gandhiji was talking to Vallabhai Patel to avoid the split, Abha, came with his evening meal of goat’s milk, boiled vegetable and orange juice. After his meal, he sat on his spinning wheel, still talking to Patel. Nearby, the killers were wandering in the gardens beyond the room where Gandhiji turned his wheel.

Gandhiji was late for his prayer. Abha and Manu were scared to interfere in their conversation but finally Manu gestured at his watch. Gandhiji glanced at his old watch and said to Patel, “It’s time for me to go God’s meeting”. With Abha and Manu, his two great grand-nieces and walking sticks, Gandhiji went towards the prayer ground. Gandhiji was upset for the delay and said to them, “You are my watches, why should I consult a watch? I do not like this delay at all. I cannot tolerate even one minute’s delay for prayers.”

Godse was nervous but determined to accomplish his task. Manu saw an advancing stout young man in a khaki dress. Godse took the pistol from his pocket and bowed to touch Gandhiji’s feet. Manu thought he wanted to touch Gandhiji’s feet, and so she gently came in the way and murmured, “Brother, Bapu is already ten minutes late”. At that instant, Godse pushed Manu aside and before she could recover, he pulled the trigger three times. All the three bullets passed through the slender body of Gandhiji. The idol of non-violence could only gasp, “He Ram!” before slumping on the ground. It was 5.17 pm January 30, 1948.

An All India radio broadcast simply said: “Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in New Delhi at twenty past five this afternoon. His assassin was a Hindu.” The last sentence was included on order from Lord Mountbatten. With this, the slaughter had been avoided and it now remained to India to mourn.

Gandhiji had fought a lifelong battle for a free and united India; and yet, when the country was divided, he urged that the two parts respect and befriend one another. Other Indians were less forgiving. The assassin, who surrendered afterwards, was a Brahmin from Pune named Nathuram Godse, the editor of an extremist Hindu newspaper who had denounced Gandhiji as “an appeaser of Muslims”. Gandhiji’s death led to an extraordinary outpouring of grief, with rich tributes being paid to him from across the political spectrum in India, and moving appreciations coming from such international figures as George Orwell and Albert Einstein

The ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were split in portions and sent to all states of India to be scattered in rivers. Part of Gandhi’s ashes rest in Raj Ghat, near Delhi, India. Part of Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes are at the Lake Shrine in Los Angeles.

The nation remembers and pays its respectful homage to Gandhiji on his 64th death anniversary today, 30th January 2012. Gandhiji was shot dead by a Hindu fanatic on this day in 1948, almost 6 months after India won Independence under his leadership. At 1100 hours today, the entire nation pays homage by standing still and observing silence.

Yaa Kundendu tushaara haaradhavalaa, Yaa shubhravastraavritha|

Yaa veenavara dandamanditakara, Yaa shwetha padmaasana||

Yaa brahmaachyutha shankara prabhritibhir Devaisadaa Vanditha|

Saa Maam Paatu Saraswatee Bhagavatee Nihshesha jaadyaapahaa|

Timing of the year : January end/February

Popular as :Vasant Panchami

The Festival
Sarawati puja or Vasant Panchami, the festival of goddess of learning, is celebrated by Students, artists and professors. This ‘Panchami’ is also known as Saraswati Day, because it is believed that on this day, goddess Saraswati was born.
Time of the year
The puja of Ma Saraswati is held at a time when the winter comes to an end and spring begins. It is the time of the beginning of ‘Basanta Kaal’. In this time of the year, the weather remains fantastic. The weather is neither too cold, nor it is too hot. In other words, it remains pleasant. There is no need to put on a sweater, in our midst amidst this pleasant weather. So performing the puja creates no problems at all.

The mythological History
In the Vedas, Saraswati was a water deity and was revered for purifying, fertilizing and enriching powers. The next stage in Saraswati’s mythological history was her identification with the holy rituals performed on the banks of river Saraswati. She is said to have invented Sanskrit, the language of the Brahmins, of scriptures and scholarship. It is also believed that it was her who discovered soma or amrita in the Himalayas and brought it to the other gods. Later myths diminished the powers of Saraswati. She was said to be identical with Viraj, the female half or being created out of the substance of Purusha or Prajapati and thus the instrument of creation. As Brahma’s wife, she provides the power to execute what Brahma has conceived with his creative intelligence. She is the goddess of all the creative arts and in particular of poetry and music, learning and science.

Goddess Saraswati represents the union of power and intelligence from which organized creation arises. Saraswati possesses all the learning of the Vedas, scriptures, dancing, music and poetry. She is wisdom, fortune, intelligence, nourishment, brilliance, contentment, splendor and devotion. She is depicted as a gracefully seated or standing goddess, holding a veena, a musical instrument, a rosary and the scripture. The ‘bahon’ are the ‘rajhansa’ (swan) and the ‘mayur’ (peacock). The instrument symbolizes knowledge of the arts held in high esteem in Vedic tradition. The rosary points to the meditative qualities necessary to acquire knowledge. The scripture is knowledge in itself. The swan signifies discrimination between right and wrong, while the peacock points to the mundane, the unstable.

Celebration of Saraswati Puja
Saraswati Puja is also known as Boi Puja ( a worship of books). The puja starts early in the morning with aarti. The chanting of various monsters begins after the ‘aaroti’. Ma Saraswati is the goddess of learning, so those associated with the performance footsteps of Ma Saraswati in order to receive her special blessings. It is particularly popular among the students community. Basically students fear studies most. The puja is celebrated in all schools and colleges.

Families dressed in bright yellow gather together before the idol of Saraswati and pray for the blessing of knowledge. Flowers and wild berries are offered to the goddess and students place their books before the deity and do not do any reading or writing that day. An elaborate puja, with sandalwood, ghee, joss sticks, and incense is done to the sound of shlokas, conch shells, and drums. On this day, people eat vegetarian food and initiate children into the world of the written word. Traditionally, priests make children write the word ‘Om’.

All the young people gather in the pandal to celebrate the festival. Puja is performed by pujari or pandit, after puja, prasad is distributed among all the people present. Saraswati puja is also the day of eating plums.

Regional Celebrations
Saraswati Puja is celebrated in all over the country. Across the country, educational institutions celebrate the festival with great enthusiasm.

FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS – General

12. Definition.—In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires, “the State’’ includes the Government and Parliament of India and the Government and the Legislature of each of the States and all local or other authorities within the territory of India or under the control of the Government of India
13. Laws inconsistent with or in derogation of the fundamental rights.—
1. All laws in force in theterritoryofIndiaimmediately before the commencement of this Constitution, in so far as they are inconsistent with the provisions of this Part, shall, to the extent of such inconsistency, be void.
2. this Part aThe State shall not make any law which takes away or abridges the rights conferred by nd any law made in contravention of this clause shall, to the extent of the contravention, be void.
3. In this article, unless the context otherwise requires,
1. “law” includes any Ordinance, order, bye-law, rule, regulation, notification, custom or usage having in theterritoryofIndiathe force of law
2. “laws in force” includes laws passed or made by a Legislature or other competent authority in the territory of India before the commencement of this Constitution and not previously repealed, notwithstanding that any such law or any part thereof may not be then in operation either at all or in particular areas.
4. ¹ Nothing in this article shall apply to any amendment of this Constitution made under article 368.

Right to Equality

14. Equality before law.—The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within theterritory ofIndia.
15. Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.—
1. The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them.
2. No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to—
1. access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of public entertainment; or
2. the use of wells, tanks, bathing ghats, roads and places of public resort maintained wholly or partly out of State funds or dedicated to the use of the general public.
3. Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any special provision for women and children.
4. Nothing in this article or in clause (2) of article 29 shall prevent the State from making any special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.²
16. Equality of opportunity in matters of public employment.—
1. There shall be equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the State.
2. No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth, residence or any of them, be ineligible for, or discriminated against in respect of, any employment or office under the State.
3. Nothing in this article shall prevent Parliament from making any law prescribing, in regard to a class or classes of employment or appointment to an office ³[under the Government of, or any local or other authority within, a State or Union territory, any requirement as to residence within that State or Union territory] prior to such employment or appointment.
4. Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any provision for the reservation of appointments or posts in favour of any backward class of citizens which, in the opinion of the State, is not adequately represented in the services under the State.
   ⁴[(4A) Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any provision for reservation ⁵[in matters of promotion, with consequential seniority, to any class] or classes of posts in the services under the State in favour of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes which, in the opinion of the State, are not adequately represented in the services under the State].
   ⁶[(4B) Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from considering any unfilled vacancies of a year which are reserved for being filled up in that year in accordance with any provision for reservation made under clause (4) or clause (4A) as a separate class of vacancies to be filled up in any succeeding year or years and such class of vacancies shall not be considered together with the vacancies of the year in which they are being filled up for determining the ceiling of fifty per cent. reservation on total number of vacancies of that year.]
5. Nothing in this article shall affect the operation of any law which provides that the incumbent of an office in connection with the affairs of any religious or denominational institution or any member of the governing body thereof shall be a person professing a particular religion or belonging to a particular denomination.
17. Abolition of Untouchability.—“Untouchability’’ is abolished and its practice in any form is forbidden. The enforcement of any disability arising out of “Untouchability’’ shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law.
18. Abolition of titles.—
1. No title, not being a military or academic distinction, shall be conferred by the State.
2. No citizen ofIndiashall accept any title from any foreign State.
3. No person who is not a citizen of India shall, while he holds any office of profit or trust under the State, accept without the consent of the President any title from any foreign State.
4. No person holding any office of profit or trust under the State shall, without the consent of the President, accept any present, emolument, or office of any kind from or under any foreign State.

Right to Freedom

19. Protection of certain rights regarding freedom of speech, etc.—
1. All citizens shall have the right—
1. to freedom of speech and expression;
2. to assemble peaceably and without arms;
3. to form associations or unions;
4. to move freely throughout theterritoryofIndia;
5. to reside and settle in any part of the territoryof India; ⁷[and]
6. to practise any profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business.⁸
2. ⁹[(2) Nothing in sub-clause (a) of clause (1) shall affect the operation of any existing law, or prevent the State from making any law, in so far as such law imposes reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the right conferred by the said sub-clause in the interests of ¹⁰[the sovereignty and integrity of India,] the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence.]
3. Nothing in sub-clause (b) of the said clause shall affect the operation of any existing law in so far as it imposes, or prevent the State from making any law imposing, in the interests of ¹⁰[the sovereignty and integrity of India or] public order, reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the right conferred by the said sub-clause.
4. Nothing in sub-clause (c) of the said clause shall affect the operation of any existing law in so far as it imposes, or prevent the State from making any law imposing, in the interests of ¹⁰[the sovereignty and integrity of India or] public order or morality, reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the right conferred by the said sub-clause.
5. Nothing in ¹¹[sub-clauses (d) and (e)] of the said clause shall affect the operation of any existing law in so far as it imposes, or prevent the State from making any law imposing, reasonable restrictions on the exercise of any of the rights conferred by the said sub-clauses either in the interests of the general public or for the protection of the interests of any Scheduled Tribe.
6. Nothing in sub-clause (g) of the said clause shall affect the operation of any existing law in so far as it imposes, or prevent the State from making any law imposing, in the interests of the general public, reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the right conferred by the said sub-clause, and, in particular, ¹²[nothing in the said sub-clause shall affect the operation of any existing law in so far as it relates to, or prevent the State from making any law relating to,—

1.                                                         i.            the professional or technical qualifications necessary for practising any profession or carrying on any occupation, trade or business, or
2.                                                       ii.            the carrying on by the State, or by a corporation owned or controlled by the State, of any trade, business, industry or service, whether to the exclusion, complete or partial, of citizens or otherwise.]

20. Protection in respect of conviction for offences.—
1. No person shall be convicted of any offence except for violation of a law in force at the time of the commission of the Act charged as an offence, nor be subjected to a penalty greater than that which might have been inflicted under the law in force at the time of the commission of the offence.
2. No person shall be prosecuted and punished for the same offence more than once.
3. No person accused of any offence shall be compelled to be a witness against himself.
21. Protection of life and personal liberty.—No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.
    [21A. Right to education.—The State shall provide free and Compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years in such manner as the State may, by law, determine.]¹³
22. Protection against arrest and detention in certain cases.¹⁴—
1. No person who is arrested shall be detained in custody without being informed, as soon as may be, of the grounds for such arrest nor shall he be denied the right to consult, and to be defended by, a legal practitioner of his choice.
2. Every person who is arrested and detained in custody shall be produced before the nearest magistrate within a period of twenty-four hours of such arrest excluding the time necessary for the journey from the place of arrest to the court of the magistrate and no such person shall be detained in custody beyond the said period without the authority of a magistrate.
3. Nothing in clauses (1) and (2) shall apply—

.            to any person who for the time being is an enemy alien; or

1.                                                        a.            to any person who is arrested or detained under any law providing for preventive detention.

4. No law providing for preventive detention shall authorise the detention of a person for a longer period than three months unless—

.            an Advisory Board consisting of persons who are, or have been, or are qualified to be appointed as, Judges of a High Court has reported before the expiration of the said period of three months that there is in its opinion sufficient cause for such detention:
Provided that nothing in this sub-clause shall authorise the detention of any person beyond the maximum period prescribed by any law made by Parliament under sub-clause (b) of clause (7); or

1.                                                        a.            such person is detained in accordance with the provisions of any law made by Parliament under sub-clauses (a) and (b) of clause (7).

5. When any person is detained in pursuance of an order made under any law providing for preventive detention, the authority making the order shall, as soon as may be, communicate to such person the grounds on which the order has been made and shall afford him the earliest opportunity of making a representation against the order.
6. Nothing in clause (5) shall require the authority making any such order as is referred to in that clause to disclose facts which such authority considers to be against the public interest to disclose.
7. Parliament may by law prescribe—

.            the circumstances under which, and the class or classes of cases in which, a person may be detained for a period longer than three months under any law providing for preventive detention without obtaining the opinion of an Advisory Board in accordance with the provisions of sub-clause (a) of clause (4);

1.                                                        a.            the maximum period for which any person may in any class or classes of cases be detained under any law providing for preventive detention; and
2.                                                       b.            the procedure to be followed by an Advisory Board in an inquiry under sub-clause (a) of clause

Right against Exploitation

23. Prohibition of traffic in human beings and forced labour.—
1. Traffic in human beings and begar and other similar forms of forced labour are prohibited and any contravention of this provision shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law.
2. Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from imposing compulsory service for public purposes, and in imposing such service the State shall not make any discrimination on grounds only of religion, race, caste or class or any of them.
24. Prohibition of employment of children in factories, etc.—No child below the age of fourteen years shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or engaged in any other hazardous employment.

Right to Freedom of Religion

25. Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion. –
1. Subject to public order, morality and health and to the other provisions of this Part, all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practise and propagate religion.
2. Nothing in this article shall affect the operation of any existing law or prevent the State from making any law:-

.            regulating or restricting any economic, financial, political or other secular activity which may be associated with religious practice;

1.                                                        a.            providing for social welfare and reform or the throwing open of Hindu religious institutions of a public character to all classes and sections of Hindus.>

Explanation I. – The wearing and carrying of kirpans shall be deemed to be included in the profession of the Sikh religion.
Explanation II. – n sub-clause (b) of clause (2), the reference to Hindus shall be construed as including a reference to persons professing the Sikh, Jaina or Buddhist religion, and the reference to Hindu religious institutions shall be construed accordingly.

26. Freedom to manage religious affairs.- Subject to public order, morality and health, every religious denomination or any section thereof shall have the right -

1. to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes;
2. to manage its own affairs in matters of religion;
3. to own and acquire movable and immovable property; and
4. to administer such property in accordance with law.
5. No religious instruction shall be provided in any educational institution wholly maintained out of State funds.
6. Nothing in clause (1) shall apply to an educational institution which is administered by the State but has been established under any endowment or trust which requires that religious instruction shall be imparted in such institution.
7. No person attending any educational institution recognised by the State or receiving aid out of State funds shall be required to take part in any religious instruction that may be imparted in such institution or to attend any religious worship that may be conducted in such institution or in any premises attached thereto unless such person or, if such person is a minor, his guardian has given his consent thereto.
8. Any section of the citizens residing in theterritoryofIndiaor any part thereof having a distinct language, script or culture of its own shall have the right to conserve the same.
9. No citizen shall be denied admission into any educational institution maintained by the State or receiving aid out of State funds on grounds only of religion, race, caste, language or any of them.
10. All minorities, whether based on religion or language, shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.
    [(1A)¹⁵ In making any law providing for the compulsory acquisition of any property of an educational institution established and administered by a minority, referred to in clause (1), the State shall ensure that the amount fixed by or determined under such law for the acquisition of such property is such as would not restrict or abrogate the right guaranteed under that clause.]
11. The State shall not, in granting aid to educational institutions, discriminate against any educational institution on the ground that it is under the management of a minority, whether based on religion or language.¹⁶

27. Freedom as to payment of taxes for promotion of any particular religion.—No person shall be compelled to pay any taxes, the proceeds of which are specifically appropriated in payment of expenses for the promotion or maintenance of any particular religion or religious denomination.
28. Freedom as to attendance at religious instruction or religious worship in certain educational institutions.—

Cultural and Educational Rights

29. Protection of interests of minorities.—

30. Right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions. —

31. [Compulsory acquisition of property.] Rep. By the Constitution (Forty-fourth Amendment) Act, 1978, s. 6 (w.e.f. 20-6-1979). ¹⁷[Saving of Certain Laws]
    ¹⁸[31A. Saving of laws providing for acquisition of estates, etc.—
    ¹⁹[(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in article 13, no law providing for—

.        the acquisition by the State of any estate or of any rights therein or the extinguishment or modification of any such rights, or

1. the taking over of the management of any property by the State for a limited period either in the public interest or in order to secure the proper management of the property, or
2. the amalgamation of two or more corporations either in the public interest or in order to secure the proper management of any of the corporations, or
3. the extinguishment or modification of any rights of managing agents, secretaries and treasurers, managing directors, directors or managers of corporations, or of any voting rights of shareholders thereof, or
4. the extinguishment or modification of any rights accruing by virtue of any agreement, lease or licence for the purpose of searching for, or winning, any mineral or mineral oil, or the premature termination or cancellation of any such agreement, lease or licence, shall be deemed to be void on the ground that it is inconsistent with, or takes away or abridges any of the rights conferred by ²⁰[article 14 or article 19:]
   Provided that where such law is a law made by the Legislature of a State, the provisions of this article shall not apply thereto unless such law, having been reserved for the consideration of the President, has received his assent:]

²¹[Provided further that where any law makes any provision for the acquisition by the State of any estate and where any land comprised therein is held by a person under his personal cultivation, it shall not be lawful for the State to acquire any portion of such land as is within the ceiling limit applicable to him under any law for the time being in force or any building or structure standing thereon or appurtenant thereto, unless the law relating to the acquisition of such land, building or structure, provides for payment of compensation at a rate which shall not be less than the market value thereof.]
(2) In this article,—
²²[

1. the expression ‘‘estate’’ shall, in relation to any local area, have the same meaning as that expression or its local equivalent has in the existing law relating to land tenures in force in that area and shall also include—

2.  any jagir, inam or muafi or other similar grant and in the States of ²³[Tamil Nadu] and Kerala, any janmam right

i.            any land held under ryotwari settlement;

ii.            any land held or let for purposes of agriculture or for purposes ancillary thereto, including waste land, forest land, land for pasture or sites of buildings and other structures occupied by cultivators of land, agricultural labourers and village artisans;]

1. the expression ‘‘rights’’, in relation to an estate, shall include any rights vesting in a proprietor, sub-proprietor, under-proprietor, tenure-holder, ²⁴[raiyat, under-raiyat] or other intermediary and any rights or privileges in respect of land revenue.]

²⁵[31B. Validation of certain Acts and Regulations.—Without prejudice to the generality of the provisions contained in article 31A, none of the Acts and Regulations specified in the Ninth Schedule nor any of the provisions thereof shall be deemed to be void, or ever to have become void, on the ground that such Act, Regulation or provision is inconsistent with, or takes away or abridges any of the rights conferred by, any provisions of this Part, and notwithstanding any judgment, decree or order of any court or Tribunal to the contrary, each of the said Acts and Regulations shall, subject to the power of any competent Legislature to repeal or amend it, continue in force.]
²⁶[31C. Saving of laws giving effect to certain directive principles.—Notwithstanding anything contained in article 13, no law giving effect to the policy of the State towards securing ²⁷[all or any of the principles laid down in Part IV] shall be deemed to be void on the ground that it is inconsistent with, or takes away or abridges any of the rights conferred by ²⁸[article 14 or article 19]; ²⁹and no law containing a declaration that it is for giving effect to such policy shall be called in question in any court on the ground that it does not give effect to such policy:
Provided that where such law is made by the Legislature of a State, the provisions of this article shall not apply thereto unless such law, having been reserved for the consideration of the President, has received his assent.
³⁰31D. [Saving of laws in respect of anti-national activities.] Rep. by the Constitution (Forty-third Amendment) Act,1977, s.2 (w.e.f.13-4-1978).

Right to Constitutional Remedies

32. Remedies for enforcement of rights conferred by this Part. -

1. The right to move the Supreme Court by appropriate proceedings for the enforcement of the rights conferred by this Part is guaranteed.
2. The Supreme Court shall have power to issue directions or orders or writs, including writs in the nature of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto and certiorari, whichever may be appropriate, for the enforcement of any of the rights conferred by this Part.
3. Without prejudice to the powers conferred on the Supreme Court by clauses (1) and (2), Parliament may by law empower any other court to exercise within the local limits of its jurisdiction all or any of the powers exercisable by the Supreme Court under clause (2).
4. The right guaranteed by this article shall not be suspended except as otherwise provided for by this Constitution.
   ³¹32A. [Constitutional validity of State laws not to be considered in proceedings under article 32.] Rep. by the Constitution (Forty-third Amendment) Act, 1977, s.3 (w.e.f. 13-4-1978).

33. Power of Parliament to modify the rights conferred by this Part in their application to Forces, etc.³² – Parliament may, by law, determine to what extent any of the rights conferred by this Part shall, in their application to,—

.        the members of the Armed Forces; or

1. the members of the Forces charged with the maintenance of public order; or
2. persons employed in any bureau or other organisation established by the State for purposes of intelligence or counter intelligence; or
3. persons employed in, or in connection with, the telecommunication systems set up for the purposes of any Force, bureau or organisation referred to in clauses (a) to (c), be restricted or abrogated so as to ensure the proper discharge of their duties and the maintenance of discipline among them

34. Restriction on rights conferred by this Part while martial law is in force in any area. – Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provisions of this Part, Parliament may by law indemnify any person in the service of the Union or of a State or any other person in respect of any act done by him in connection with the maintenance or restoration of order in any area within the territory of India where martial law was in force or validate any sentence passed, punishment inflicted, forfeiture ordered or other act done under martial law in such area.
35. Legislation to give effect to the provisions of this Part. – Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution,—

1.        Parliament shall have, and the Legislature of a State shall not have, power to make laws—

2.        with respect to any of the matters which under clause (3) of article 16, clause (3) of article 32, article 33 and article 34 may be provided for by law made by Parliament; and

i.            for prescribing punishment for those acts which are declared to be offences under this Part;

ii.          and Parliament shall, as soon as may be after the commencement of this Constitution, make laws for prescribing                                punishment for the acts referred to in sub-clause (ii);

1. any law in force immediately before the commencement of this Constitution in the territory of India with respect to any of the matters referred to in sub-clause (i) of clause (a) or providing for punishment for any act referred to in sub-clause (ii) of that clause shall, subject to the terms thereof and to any adaptations and modifications that may be made therein under article 372, continue in force until altered or repealed or amended by Parliament.

*from the sources

Subhas Chandra Bose was born on January 23, 1897 in Cuttack, Orissa. His father Janaki Nath Bose was a famous lawyer and his mother Prabhavati Devi was a pious and religious lady. Subhas Chandra Bose was the ninth child among fourteen siblings.

Netaji Independence Movement: He was popularly known as Netaji and was a legend in the Indian Independence movement. Bose was elected president of the Indian National Congress for two consecutive terms in 1938 and 1939, but had to resign from the post following ideological conflicts with Mahatma Gandhi and after openly attacking the Congress’ foreign and internal policies. Bose believed that Mahatma Gandhi’s tactics of non-violence would never be sufficient to secure India’s independence, and advocated violent resistance. He established a separate political party, the All India Forward Bloc and continued to call for the full and immediate independence of India from British rule. He was imprisoned by the British authorities eleven times. His famous motto was “Give me blood and I will give you freedom”.

Netaji INA: In Singapore he took over the reins of the Indian Independence Movement and organised the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army) comprising mainly of Indian prisoners of war. Azad Hind Fauj proceeded towards India to liberate it from British rule. Enroute it lliberated Andeman and Nicobar Islands. The I.N.A. Head quarters was shifted to Rangoon in January 1944. Azad Hind Fauj crossed the Burma Border, and stood on Indian soil on March 18 ,1944. He is presumed to have died on 18 August 1945 in a plane crash over Taiwan. However, contradictory evidence exists regarding his death in the accident.

Self Confidence by some Simple Rules

Self confidence gives us the freedom to commit mistakes and cope with failure without making us feel worthless. If only we have confidence in ourselves, can we gain confidence of others? After all, most people are reluctant to back a project that’s being pitched by someone who is nervous, fumbling and overly apologetic. On the other hand, you might be persuaded by someone who spoke clearly, who held his or her head high, who answered questions assuredly, and who readily admitted when he/she did not know something.

So where do you rate yourself on the scale of 1-10 for your confidence level? Do you think you fall in the low confidence bracket? Here is some good news for you. And the good news is that self-confidence can be learned and built on.

Let’s start the process of building self-confidence. Remember there is no quick fix solution for it. Nonetheless, practice makes a man perfect. So all you have to do is try and implement the following given tips in your day to day life.

Recognize your insecurities: We all have insecurities in life. It can be anything from acne, to regrets, to friends at school. Giving a name to the things which make you feel unworthy, ashamed or inferior helps to combat them. You can try to pen down your thoughts and you will find that it makes you feel much lighter and happier. Remember that no one is perfect. The man or woman sitting next to you might have the same amount of insecurities as you have. If writing doesn’t come easily to you, you might want to talk it out with your friends or loved ones. Sharing your thoughts will help relieve the burden you have been carrying all alone.

Identify your successes: No matter how insecure you might feel, God has blessed each one of us with some talent. Discover the things you are good at and then focus on improving them. Give yourself permission to take pride in your talents. Give yourself credit for your successes. Inferiority is a state of mind in which you’ve declared yourself a victim. Do not allow yourself to be victimized.

Be thankful for what you have: A lot of the times, at the root of insecurity and lack of confidence is a feeling of not having enough of something, whether its emotional validation, good luck, money, etc. By acknowledging and appreciating what you do have, you can combat the feeling of being incomplete and unsatisfied. Finding that inner peace will do wonders for your confidence.

Be positive: Avoid self-pity or sympathy of others. Never allow others to make you feel inferior they can only do so if you let them. If you continue to loathe and belittle yourself, others are going to do and believe likewise. Instead, speak positively about yourself, about your future, and about your progress. Do not be afraid to project your strengths and qualities to others.

Dress sharp: Although clothes don’t make the man, they certainly affect the way he feels about himself. When you don’t look good, you don’t feel good. It changes the way you carry yourself and interact with people. This doesn’t mean you need to spend a lot on clothes. Rather than buying a bunch of cheap clothes, buy half as many select, high quality items. In long run this decreases spending because expensive clothes wear out less easily and stay in style longer than cheap clothes.

Walk faster: Your gait tells a lot about your personality. Is it slow? Tired? Painful? Or is it energetic and purposeful? People with confidence walk quickly. They have places to go, people to see, and important work to do. You can increase yourself confidence by putting some pep in your step. Walking 25% faster will make to you look and feel more important.

Compliment other people: When we think negatively about ourselves, we often project that feeling on to others in the form of insults and gossip. Refuse to engage in backstabbing gossip and make an effort to compliment those around you. In the process, youll become well liked and build self confidence. By looking for the best in others, you indirectly bring out the best in yourself.

Take the front seat: Back benchers might seem to have a lot of fun in schools and colleges but that does nothing to boost their self confidence. Don’t be afraid to get noticed. By deciding to sit in the front row, you can get over your irrational fear of getting noticed and build your self confidence.

Speak up: Its a general observation that many people are afraid to speak or ask questions in a group discussion or a public gathering. They are afraid that they might be judged for saying something stupid. Generally, people are much more accepting than we imagine. In fact most people are dealing with the exact same fears. By making an effort to speak up at least once in every group discussion, you’ll become a better public speaker, more confident in your own thoughts, and recognized as a leader by your peers.

Work out: A healthy mind resides in a healthy body. If you are fit, you are surrounded by positivity and energy. If you are out of shape you feel unattractive. This leads to demoralization. Just a little discipline in your life can help shape up your self confidence in a big way.

Smile: Last but not the least; try to smile as much as possible. People are always appreciative of a smiling face. You will be welcomed by anyone who comes in your contact. A smiling face is always received with warmth and affection. Acceptance and recognition from others helps in building self confidence.

Swami Vivekananda’s inspiring personality was well known both in India and in America during the last decade of the nineteenth century and the first decade of the twentieth. The unknown monk of India suddenly leapt into fame at the Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893, at which he represented Hinduism. His vast knowledge of Eastern and Western culture as well as his deep spiritual insight, fervid eloquence, brilliant conversation, broad human sympathy, colourful personality, and handsome figure made an irresistible appeal to the many types of Americans who came in contact with him. People who saw or heard Vivekananda even once still cherish his memory after a lapse of more than half a century.
In America Vivekananda’s mission was the interpretation of India’s spiritual culture, especially in its Vedantic setting. He also tried to enrich the religious consciousness of the Americans through the rational and humanistic teachings of the Vedanta philosophy. In America he became India’s spiritual ambassador and pleaded eloquently for better understanding between India and the New World in order to create a healthy synthesis of East and West, of religion and science.

In his own motherland Vivekananda is regarded as the patriot saint of modern India and an inspirer of her dormant national consciousness. To the Hindus he preached the ideal of a strength-giving and man-making religion. Service to man as the visible manifestation of the Godhead was the special form of worship he advocated for the Indians, devoted as they were to the rituals and myths of their ancient faith. Many political leaders of India have publicly acknowledged their indebtedness to Swami Vivekananda.

The Swami’s mission was both national and international. A lover of mankind, he strove to promote peace and human brotherhood on the spiritual foundation of the Vedantic Oneness of existence. A mystic of the highest order, Vivekananda had a direct and intuitive experience of Reality. He derived his ideas from that unfailing source of wisdom and often presented them in the soul-stirring language of poetry.

The natural tendency of Vivekananda’s mind, like that of his Master, Ramakrishna, was to soar above the world and forget itself in contemplation of the Absolute. But another part of his personality bled at the sight of human suffering in East and West alike. It might appear that his mind seldom found a point of rest in its oscillation between contemplation of God and service to man. Be that as it may, he chose, in obedience to a higher call, service to man as his mission on earth; and this choice has endeared him to people in the West, Americans in particular.

In the course of a short life of thirty-nine years (1863-1902), of which only ten were devoted to public activities — and those, too, in the midst of acute physical suffering — he left for posterity his four classics: Jnana-Yoga, Bhakti-Yoga, Karma-Yoga, and Raja-Yoga, all of which are outstanding treatises on Hindu philosophy. In addition, he delivered innumerable lectures, wrote inspired letters in his own hand to his many friends and disciples, composed numerous poems, and acted as spiritual guide to the many seekers who came to him for instruction. He also organized the Ramakrishna Order of monks, which is the most outstanding religious organization of modern India. It is devoted to the propagation of the Hindu spiritual culture not only in the Swami’s native land, but also in America and in other parts of the world.

Swami Vivekananda once spoke of himself as a ‘condensed India.’ His life and teachings are of inestimable value to the West for an understanding of the mind of Asia. William James, the Harvard philosopher, called the Swami the ‘paragon of Vedantists.’ Max Müller and Paul Deussen, the famous Orientalists of the nineteenth century, held him in genuine respect and affection. ‘His words,’ writes Romain Rolland, ‘are great music, phrases in the style of Beethoven, stirring rhythms like the march of Handel choruses. I cannot touch these sayings of his, scattered as they are through the pages of books, at thirty years’ distance, without receiving a thrill through my body like an electric shock. And what shocks, what transports, must have been produced when in burning words they issued from the lips of the hero!’

***************************************** HAPPY YOUTH DAY BY EDUTAIL TEAM ****************************************

Resume is a French word, meaning “summary” and signifies a brief account of one’s education, employment & other skills, used in applying for a new position. But, if you are a fresher,then the bottom line is: To look good on paper.

Freshers Resume Writing:

Top 10 Tips for Fresher Graduates

Going by the saying “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”, let’s decode some of the tips & tricks to construct an eye-grabbing resume.

1.    Own the Format:
•    There is no one correct resume format. A resume is essentially a way to showcase your profile in your very own personal style. Highlight what You think makes a more impressive statement.

2.    Include the Basics:
•    Objective – in about 2-3 lines to highlight your focus in life, amalgamated with your skills & job requirement, in order to attract the employer.
•    Contact Info – Relevant, Current & Correct.
•    Education – Mention both, the degrees as well as the credentials, in a complete fashion. Also, specify any certifications undergone for that extra edge.
•    Experience – This includes both, the job responsibilities held so far and the crux of projects undertaken during training (for fresher).
•    Skill-Set – List all the technologies you have worked in & other buzz words that describe your potential best.

3.    Entice with Specifics:
•    If you are multi-talented or are seeking jobs in different sectors, then you must modify your resume suiting the needs of that particular job.
•    Highlight your expertise and strength in that field to appear the most deserving of that spot. In such cases, you can neglect other irrelevant details, which otherwise may be vital.

4.   Important Pointer:
•    One interesting & efficacious thing to mention in your resume is the Volunteer Professional activities. These not only demonstrate your leadership, commitment & hardworking abilities but, also diversify your interest & skill set.
•    Now, one thing you can easily omit from your resume is References. Include them, only if asked.

5.    Advertise Yourself:
•    Don’t sell yourself short. You must have read it at multiple instances. But, it surely is an aspect worth noting. Be concise. Flaunt all your valuable assets, even if they don’t seem to fit, mention anyways. Your resume is like an advertisement, sell yourself well.

6.    Reverse It:
•    You must always list your qualifications & experiences or anything that has a chronology, in a reverse order. Last – first meaning, in order of relevance, from most to least and current to previous.

7.   White Spaces:
•    Being a fresher is an advantage in resume-writing. Due to ample paper space, try to highlight your key skills by surrounding them with White Spaces. This helps in easy scan & non-cram presentation of your resume.

8.    Formatting Counts:
•    Use of appropriate fonts (Times New Roman, Arial etc.), margins (1.5 inches preferably) & indentation is a key to a presentable resume. Don’t make a fancy sheet overloaded with creativity.
•    Also, always make a .doc (Word Document) with a size within 100Kb or maximum 2 pages with, a decent file name.

9.    Fresh-eye proofreading:
•    Apart from essential spell-check, grammatical anomalies & punctuations make sure to get your resume proofread by people attentive to details and do consider their objective critiques.

10.   Viewability:
•    Especially for fresher, an important aspect is to target the recruiters best-suited. To market your resume & make it viewable, use right sources & right networking.

Apart from these above mentioned thumb rules, you can always refer some pre-designed resumes for help. But, always try to own it!

Some Promise which have to be been done in this year

New Year’s Eve has always been a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, forward to the coming year. It’s a time to reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make and resolve to follow through on those changes. Did your New Year resolutions make our top ten lists?

1. Spend More Time with Family & Friends

Recent polls conducted by General Nutrition Centers, Quicken, and others shows that more than 50% of Americans vow to appreciate loved ones and spend more time with family and friends this year. Make plans to meet up with friends for an evening of camaraderie at a favorite Pittsburgh restaurant or take the family to one of these popular Pittsburgh places for family fun. Work shouldn’t always come first!

2. Fit in Fitness

The evidence is in for fitness. Regular exercise has been associated with more health benefits than anything else known to man. Studies show that it reduces the risk of some cancers, increases longevity, helps achieve and maintain weight loss, enhances mood, lowers blood pressure, and even improves arthritis. In short, exercise keeps you healthy and makes you look and feel better. Why not make this the time to start getting in shape for one of these popular Pittsburgh Area Charity Walks, Runs or Rides?

3. Tame the Bulge

Over 66 percent of adult Americans are considered overweight or obese by recent studies, so it is not surprising to find that weight loss is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. Setting reasonable goals and staying focused are the two most important factors in sticking with a weight loss program, and the key to success for those millions of Americans who made a New Year’s commitment to shed extra pounds.

4. Quit Smoking

If you have resolved to make this the year that you stamp out your smoking habit, over-the-counter availability of nicotine replacement therapy now provides easier access to proven quit-smoking aids. Even if you’ve tried to quit before and failed, don’t let it get you down. On average, smokers try about four times before they quit for good. Start enjoying the rest of your smoke-free life! Even Allegheny County is trying to go smoke-free, and it’s taken them a few tries as well. Locally, there are a variety of free support services, hotlines and smoking cessation classes to help you kick the smoking habit.

5. Enjoy Life More

Given the hectic, stressful lifestyles of millions of Americans, it is no wonder that “enjoying life more” has become a popular resolution in recent years. It’s an important step to a happier and healthier you! Consider one of Pittsburgh’s holistic healing centers for products designed to bring balance to your body, mind and soul. Or just get out and try something new! Take up a new hobby or try your hand at skiing. Go to a theater performance, or head to the local spa. Pittsburgh offers a wealth of artistic and recreational activities to meet just about anyone’s wishes.

6. Quit Drinking

While many people use the New Year as an incentive to finally stop drinking, most are not equipped to make such a drastic lifestyle change all at once. Many heavy drinkers fail to quit cold turkey but do much better when they taper gradually, or even learn to moderate their drinking. If you have decided that you want to stop drinking, there is a world of help and support available. Pittsburgh Alcoholics Anonymous offers meetings throughout the greater Pittsburgh area. There is also a Pittsburgh group for Parents of Teenage Alcohol and Drug Abusers. There are also a number of treatment-based programs, as well as support groups for families of alcoholics.

7. Get Out of Debt

Was money a big source of stress in your life last year? Join the millions of Americans who have resolved to spend this year getting a handle on their finances. It’s a promise that will repay itself many times over in the year ahead.

8. Learn Something New

Have you vowed to make this year the year to learn something new? Perhaps you are considering a career change, want to learn a new language, or just how to fix your computer? Whether you take a course or read a book, you’ll find education to be one of the easiest, most motivating New Year’s resolutions to keep. The Community College of Allegheny County offers a wide variety of “lifelong learning” courses, and local YMCA’s offer great recreational training for beginners of all ages. Most local colleges and universities offer distance and adult education programs. Or if the arts are more your thing, places such as the Carnegie Museum of Art and the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts offer adult studio classes

9. Help Others

A popular, non-selfish New Year’s resolution, volunteerism can take many forms. Whether you choose to spend time helping out at your local library, mentoring a child, or building a house, there are many nonprofit volunteer organizations that could really use your help. The Pittsburgh Cares organization makes it easy by connecting volunteers with projects to fit practically any schedule. Or if your time is really in short supply, maybe you can at least find it in you to donate the furniture, clothing and other household items that you no longer need, rather than leaving them out by the curb to fill up our landfills.

10. Get Organized

On just about every New Year resolution top ten list, organization can be a very reasonable goal. Whether you want you’re home organized enough that you can invite someone over on a whim, or your office organized enough that you can find the stapler when you need it, these tips and resources should get you started on the way to a more organized life. Pittsburgh has quite a few professional organizers who can help you reduce the clutter in your life and find peace in your home. Professional Pittsburgh organizer Patty Creamer even offers a six-month But I Might Need it Someday! Recourse.

Here is some unique collection of question which are really very rare please have a look to it side.

Qustions:

1. What programming language is GOOGLE developed in?

2. What is the expansion of YAHOO?

3. What is the expansion of ADIDAS?

4. Expansion of Star as in Star TV Network?

5. What is expansion of “ICICI?”

6. What does “baker’s dozen” signify?

7. The 1984-85 season. 2nd ODI between India and Pakistan at Sialkot – India 210/3 with Vengsarkar 94*. Match abandoned. Why?

8. Who is the only man to have written the National Anthems for two different countries?

9. From what four word expression does the word `goodbye` derive?

10. How was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu better known?

11. Name the only other country to have got independence on Aug 15th?

12. Why was James Bond Associated with the Number 007?

13. Who faced the first ball in the first ever One day match?

14. Which cricketer played for South Africa before it was banned from international cricket and later represented Zimbabwe ?

15. The faces of which four Presidents are carved at Mt.Rushmore?

16. Which is the only country that is surrounded from all sides by only one country (other than Vatican )?

17. Which is the only sport which is not allowed to play left handed?

******************************************************************

Answers: 

1. Google is written in Asynchronous java-script and XML, or its acronym Ajax

2. Yet Another Hierarchy of Officious Oracle

3. ADIDAS- All Day I Dream About Sports

4. Satellite Television Asian Region

5. Industrial credit and Investments Corporation of India

6. A baker’s dozen consists of 13 items – 1 more than the items in a normal dozen

7. That match was abandoned after people heard the news of Indira Gandhi being killed.

8. Rabindranath Tagore who wrote national anthem for two different countries one is our ‘s National anthem and another one is for Bangladesh- (Amar Sonar* *Bangla)

9. Goodbye comes from the ex-pression: ‘god be with you’.

10. Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu is none other Mother Teresa.

11. South Korea .

12. Because 007 is the ISD code for Russia (or the USSR , as it was known during the cold war)

13. Geoffrey Boycott

14. John Traicos

15. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln

16. Lesotho surrounded from all sides by South Africa .

17. Polo.

*See how Lokpal Bill can curb the politicians (Circulate it to create awareness)

Existing System

1.No politician or senior officer ever goes to jail despite huge evidence because Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) and CBI directly come under the government. Before starting investigation or initiating prosecution in any case, they have to take permission from the same bosses, against whom the case has to be investigated.
2. No corrupt officer is dismissed from the job because Central Vigilance Commission, which is supposed to dismiss corrupt officers, is only an advisory body. Whenever it advises government to dismiss any senior corrupt officer, its advice is never implemented.
3. No action is taken against corrupt judges because permission is required from the Chief Justice of India to even register an FIR against corrupt judges.
4. Nowhere to go – People expose corruption but no action is taken on their complaints.
5. There is so much corruption within CBI and vigilance departments. Their functioning is so secret that it encourages corruption within these agencies.
6. Weak and corrupt people are appointed as heads of anti-corruption agencies.
7. Citizens face harassment in government offices. Sometimes they are forced to pay bribes. One can only complaint to senior officers. No action is taken on complaints because senior officers also get their cut.
8. Nothing in law to recover ill gotten wealth. A corrupt person can come out of jail and enjoy that money.
9. Small punishment for corruption- Punishment for corruption is minimum 6 months and maximum 7 years.

System Proposed by civil society

1.Lokpal at centre and Lokayukta at state level will be independent bodies. ACB and CBI will be merged into these bodies. They will have power to initiate investigations and prosecution against any officer or politician without needing anyone’s permission. Investigation should be completed within 1 year and trial to get over in next 1 year. Within two years, the corrupt should go to jail.
2. Lokpal and Lokayukta will have complete powers to order dismissal of a corrupt officer. CVC and all departmental vigilance will be merged into Lokpal and state vigilance will be merged into Lokayukta.
3. Lokpal & Lokayukta shall have powers to investigate and prosecute any judge without needing anyone’s permission.
4. Lokpal & Lokayukta will have to enquire into and hear every complaint.
5. All investigations in Lokpal & Lokayukta shall be transparent. After completion of investigation, all case records shall be open to public. Complaint against any staff of Lokpal & Lokayukta shall be enquired and punishment announced within two months.
6. Politicians will have absolutely no say in selections of Chairperson and members of Lokpal & Lokayukta. Selections will take place through a transparent and public participatory process.
7. Lokpal & Lokayukta will get public grievances resolved in time bound manner, impose a penalty of Rs 250 per day of delay to be deducted from the salary of guilty officer and award that amount as compensation to the aggrieved citizen.
8. Loss caused to the government due to corruption will be recovered from all accused.
9. Enhanced punishment – The punishment would be minimum 5 years and maximum of life imprisonment.

*It may be depending upon the various thought

विज्ञान से सम्बंधित सामान्य ज्ञान

1. सूर्य की किरणों से कौनसा विटामिन प्राप्त होता है ?

उत्तर: विटामिन-डी

2. चांदी का कौनसा यौगिक मुख्यतः फोटोग्राफी में प्रयुक्त होता था ?
उत्तर: सिल्वर ब्रोमाइड

3. हीरा एवं ग्रेफाइड किसके अपरूप हैं ?
उत्तर: कार्बन के

4. एंटोमोलॉजी (Entomology) में किसका अध्ययन किया जाता है ?
उत्तर: कीटों(Insects) का

5. परिस्थिति विज्ञान इकोलॉजी (Ecology) का सम्बन्ध किस विषय से है ?
उत्तर: वातावरण से

6. जेनेटिक्स (Genetics) में किसका अध्ययन किया जाता है ?
उत्तर: आनुवांशिकता एवं गुणसूत्र का

7. पृथ्वी की भ्रमण गति कितनी है ?
उत्त: 28 किमी/मिनट

8. 1 किग्रा पदार्थ के तुल्य उर्जा किस क्रम की होती है ?
उत्तर: ~1017 जूल

9. विद्युत की वह मात्र, जिससे 108 ग्राम सिल्वर कैथोड पर एकत्रित होती है, क्या कहलाती है ?
उत्तर: एक फैराडे

10. विभिन्न देशों के ६ माइक्रो सैटेलाइट्स के साठ २३ सितम्बर, २००९ को कौनसा उपग्रह विमोचित किया तथा कक्षा में स्थापित किया गया ?
उत्तर: ओशनसैट-2(Oceansat-2)
Economy Affairs of India 2010

1. सकल राष्ट्रीय बचत एवं निवेश की आकलन व्यवस्था पर किस समिति ने अपनी रिपोर्ट सरकार को मार्च 2009 में प्रस्तुत की थी ?
उत्तर: रंगराजन समिति ने

2. जिस दर पर भारतीय रिजर्व बैंक वाणिज्य बैंकों के प्रथम श्रेणी के बिलों की पुनर्कटौती करता है उसे क्या कहा जाता है ?
उत्तर: बैंक दर

3. संगम योजना का उद्देश्य क्या है ?
उत्तर: विकलांगों के कल्याण को सुनिश्चित करना

4. सेंसेक्स की व्याप्ति में आने वालों की वर्तमान संख्या क्या है ?
उत्तर: 30

5. विश्व व्यापार संगठन(WTO) के महानिदेशक पास्कल लामी किस देश के हैं ?
उत्तर: फ़्रांस के

6. राष्ट्रीय कृषि एवं ग्रामीण विकास बैंक(NABARD) की स्थापना किस समिति की सिफारिश पर की गयी थी ?
उत्तर: शिवारामन समिति की सिफारिश पर

7. ‘कापार्ट’ का सम्बन्ध किससे है ?
उत्तर: ग्रामीण कल्याण कार्यक्रमों की सहायता व मूल्यांकन से

8. ‘कपार्ट’(CAPART)का पूर्ण रूप क्या है ? इसका मुख्यालय कहाँ स्थित है ?
उत्तर: Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology, मुख्यालय-नयी दिल्ली

9. वर्तमान में औद्योगिक श्रमिकों के लिये उपभोक्ता कीमत सूचकांक(CPI) का आधार वर्ष क्या है ?
उत्तर: 1982

10. सूखा आंशकित क्षेत्र कार्यक्रम’(DPAP) की वित्त व्यवस्था केंद्र तथा तत्समबंधित राज्य द्वारा किस अनुपात में की जाती है ?
उत्तर: 75:25

It is impossible to worry while you’re laughing.

Humor cuts stress levels in half.

Laughing helps you to stay happy and healthy and helps you return to good health when ill.

Laughter increases, by 20%, the activity of killer cells within the body which serve to destroy viruses and tumor cells.

Train yourself to look for the comedy in your chaos.

A sense of humor is the number one survival skill.

George Bernard Shaw once said, “When you find something funny search it for hidden truth.”

“The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.” Voltaire

Humor helps us cope, conquer, and carry on.

A good laugh is not only the result of humor, it is often also the cause.

The body heals with play, the mind heals with laughter and the spirit heals with joy.

The best exercise is jumping for joy.

“Joy is the serious business of heaven.” C.S. Lewis.

We begin to solve our problems when we begin to see the humor in them.

“Time spent laughing is time spent with the gods.” Japanese proverb.

When we feel like laughing the least , we need it most.

If it feels good to laugh, then laugh to feel good.

A sense of humor is not inherited, it is learned.

It is impossible to worry while you’re laughing.

Humor cuts stress levels in half.

Laughing helps you to stay happy and healthy and helps you return to good health when ill.

Laughter increases, by 20%, the activity of killer cells within the body which serve to destroy viruses and tumor cells.

Train yourself to look for the comedy in your chaos.

A sense of humor is the number one survival skill.

George Bernard Shaw once said, “When you find something funny search it for hidden truth.”

“The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.” Voltaire

Humor helps us cope, conquer, and carry on.

A good laugh is not only the result of humor, it is often also the cause.

The body heals with play, the mind heals with laughter and the spirit heals with joy.

The best exercise is jumping for joy.

“Joy is the serious business of heaven.” C.S. Lewis.

We begin to solve our problems when we begin to see the humor in them.

“Time spent laughing is time spent with the gods.” Japanese proverb.

When we feel like laughing the least , we need it most.

If it feels good to laugh, then laugh to feel good.

A sense of humor is not inherited, it is learned.

LIC has been one of the pioneering organizations in India who introduced the leverage of Information Technology in servicing and in their business. Data pertaining to almost 10 crore policies is being held on computers in LIC. We have gone in for relevant and appropriate technology over the years.

1964 saw the introduction of computers in LIC. Unit Record Machines introduced in late 1950’s were phased out in 1980’s and replaced by Microprocessors based computers in Branch and Divisional Offices for Back Office Computerization. Standardization of Hardware and Software commenced in 1990’s. Standard Computer Packages were developed and implemented for Ordinary and Salary Savings Scheme (SSS) Policies.

Now agent get their all policy detail in their personal portal. by getting the password agent as well as policy holder can also submit his premium through internet for this he/she demand for password from Branch manager of LIC. By this he/she can easily filled up his premium within specific time.

Through Internet : Payment of premiums can be made through Internet through Service Providers viz.HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Times of Money, Bill Junction, UTI Bank, Bank of Punjab, Citibank, Corporation Bank, Federal Bank and Bill Desk.

WELCOME PONDACITY,

Ponda is a city and a municipal council in North Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. It is located in the central part of Goa. Ponda lies about 29 km south-east of Panaji and 18 km north-east of Margao and is also the capital ofPonda taluk. Ponda is well connected by road to the Goan Capital Panaji and the main railway junction of Margao. It is the industrial centre of the state of Goa with many large factories and industrial estates. Ponda is also the fastest growing city in Goa with a population of approximately 20,000. Goa’s major engineering college, the Goa Engineering College, is located at nearby Farmagudi. Ponda is popularly known as the Cultural Capital of Goa.

Ponda formed part of the Novas Conquistas or the “New Conquests” of the Portuguese. It was ruled by the Sonde Rajas under theVijaynagarKingdomor the Bijapur Sultanate. TheterritoryofPondawas not under Portuguese rule in the 16th Century and hence was seen as a safe haven by the Hindus fleeing persecution by the Jesuits and Portuguese. Later Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj conqured it from Bijapur Sultanate in 1675. It remained in the hands of Marathas till 1764. Saundekar raja was the vassal of Maratha Chatrapati who ruled this territory. The forests of Ponda were ideal places for Hindus to form make shift temples with the Idols they had salvaged from the broken temples of Sashti (Salcette). These make shift temples were slowly renovated as the Hindus prospered again and now most of the Major Hindu temples inGoaare found here. The Portuguese eventually took over the area in 1791 from the Raja of Sonda along with Quepem, Canacona and Sanguem. It began as an administrative center with the establishment of administrative offices and court and soon became a commercial center. Most of the area known as Ponda today was a part of “Quela” (Kavalem) village. However religious zeal of the Portuguese had ebbed by the 18th century andPortugalitself had seen many political and religious changes due to the prevailing inquisition. Therefore Ponda continued to have a Hindu Majority even during the Portuguese rule.

NAVRATRI

Nav’ means ‘nine’ and ‘ratri’ means ‘night’. Thus, ‘Navratri’ means ‘nine nights’. There are many legends attached to the conception of Navratri like all Indian festivals. All of them are related to Goddess Shakti (Hindu Mother Goddess) and her various forms. It is one of the most celebrated festivals of Hindu calendar, it holds special significance for Gujratis and Bengalis and one can see it in the zeal and fervor of the people with which they indulge in the festive activities of the season. Dandiya and Garba Rass are the highlights of the festival in Gujarat, while farmer sow seeds and thank the Goddess for her blessings and pray for better yield. In older times, Navratri was associated with the fertility of Mother Earth who feed us as her children. The first three days of Navratri are dedicated to Goddess Durga (Warrior Goddess) dressed in red and mounted on a lion. Her various incarnations – Kumari, Parvati and Kali – are worshipped during these days. They represent the three different classes of womanhood that include the child, the young girl and the mature woman. Next three days are dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity), dressed in gold and mounted on an owl and finally, last three are dedicated to Goddess Saraswati (Goddess Of Knowledge), dressed in milky white and mounted on a pure white swan. Sweetmeats are prepared for the celebrations. Children and adults dress up in new bright-colored dresses for the night performances. In some communities, people undergo rigorous fasts during this season that lasts for the nine days of Navratri. The festival culminates on Mahanavami. On this day, Kanya Puja is performed. Nine young girls representing the nine forms of Goddess Durga are worshiped. Their feet are washed as a mark of respect for the Goddess and then they are offered new clothes as gifts by the worshiper. This ritual is performed in most parts of the country. With commercialization, the festival has moved on to be a social festival rather than merely a religious one. However, nothing dampens the spirit of the devout followers of Goddess Durga, as they sing devotional songs and indulge in the celebrations of Navratri, year by year.

Navaratri Puja Vidhi

Certain items are required to perform the Navratri pooja. These may include the idol or picture of Goddess Durga, Durga Sapthashati book, water in Kalash (pitcher), fresh washed mango leaves, one coconut, roli (red color for tilak), moli (red sacred thread), chawal (rice), paan (betel leaves), supari (beetle nuts), cloves, cardamom, kumkum (vermilion) and gulal. You will also need few incense sticks, a deep and matchstick. The flowers used for Navratri puja may include rose, lotus and red hibiscus. Stalks of Bilwa (bael) leaves are also used for the puja. You may offer fresh pomegranate and sweets such as laddoo and peda, as prasad. You will require a Panchpatra containing spoon and water, bael leaves. Take a mat as well, to sit. In order to perform the puja, take bath in the morning and wear laundered clothes. Then, fill the kalash with water and place mango leaves on its mouth. Place a coconut inside the kalash. Now, tie moli on the neck of the pitcher. Place the idol or picture of Ma Durga at your puja room and then worship the deity with roli, rice, flowers, balepatra, kumkum and gulal. Thereafter, you may add burning coal to a clay pot and pour ghee (clarified butter) over it. Offer a small piece of the sweetmeat to the fire. Keep adding ghee to the fire at regular intervals. Make sure that you maintain the light throughout your puja. Once the puja is over, fold your hands and encircle the flame for three times. Light the incense sticks and deep and perform the aarti. You may sing arti song while doing the aarti. You may chant Durga Saptashati or Devi Kavach or ask a pundit to do it, to conclude the puja.

Days of Navratri

1st – 3rd day of Navratri On the first day of the Navaratras, a small bed of mud is prepared in the puja room of the house and barley seeds are sown on it. On the tenth day, the shoots are about 3 – 5 inches in length. After the puja, these seedlings are pulled out and given to devotees as a blessing from god. These initial days are dedicated to Durga Maa, the Goddess of power and energy. Her various manifestations, Kumari, Parvati and Kali are all worshipped during these days. They represent the three different classes of womanhood that include the child, the young girl and the mature woman.

4th – 6th day of Navratri During these days, Lakshmi Maa, the Goddess of peace and prosperity is worshipped. On the fifth day which is known as Lalita Panchami, it is traditional, to gather and display all literature available in the house, light a lamp or ‘diya’ to invoke Saraswati Maa, the Goddess of knowledge and art.

7th – 8th day of Navratri These final days belong to Saraswati Maa who is worshipped to acquire the spiritual knowledge. This in turn will free us from all earthly bondage. But on the 8th day of this colourful festival, yagna (holy fire) is performed. Ghee (clarified butter), kheer (rice pudding) and sesame seeds form the holy offering to Goddess Durga Maa.

Mahanavami The festival of Navratri culminates in Mahanavami. On this day Kanya Puja is performed. Nine young girls representing the nine forms of Goddess Durga are worshiped. Their feet are washed as a mark of respect for the Goddess and then they are offered new clothes as gifts by the worshiper. This ritual is performed in most parts of the country.

1) In the Union Budget 2011-12, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee proposed to increase the Income Tax Exemption Limit for individual tax payers from Rs 1 lakh 60 thousand to _?
a.1 lakh 80 thousand
b.1 lakh 90 thousand
c. 2 lakh
d.2 lakh 20 thousand
2) A team from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, discovered that a green alga invades tiny developing salamander embryos. What is this phenomenon called?
a)Symbiosis
b)Photosynthesis
c) Ecdysis
d) Aestivation
3) Which of the following Bollywood Actress won the Best Actress trophy at the 13th London Asian Film Festival for her performance in Onir’s I AM?
a.Nandita Das
b.Juhi Chawla
c.Tabu
d.Konkona Sen Sharma
4) Noted Social worker Anna Hazare on 5 April 2011 started his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to protest against the reported delay in bringing in which of the following bills to effectively deal with corruption?
a. Lokpal Bill
b. The Competition (Amendment) Bill
c. The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India Bill
d. The Appropriation (No.3 ) Bill
5) Who won the National Jute Board-Kolkata international squash at Calcutta Racket Club on 3 April 2011 after defeating Omar Mosaad?
a.Karim Darwish
b.Khawaja Adil Maqbool
c. Ritwik Bhattacharya
d. Peter Nicol
6) Read the following statements:
1.He won the ATP Miami Masters crown by defeating Nadal and thus remained unbeaten in 2011.
2.He captured all four titles- the Australian Open, Dubai, elite Masters titles at Indian Wells and Miami in 2011.
3.He had won his first Miami Masters title in 2007.
4.He joined Roger Federer, Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras as the only players to win the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami in the same year.Identify the tennis player being referred to.
a.Novak Djokovic
b.Roger Federer
c. Andy Murray
d.Rafael Nadal

7) At the National Conference on Kharif Strategies, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on 6 April 2011 mentioned that India has achieved an all-time high production of foodgrains. What was the estimation regarding foodgain production in 2010-11?
a.235.88 million tonnes
b.215 million tonnes
c. 261.34 million tonnes
d. 222.66 million tonnes

Which of the following steel plants in India achieved record production of 5.71 million tonnes (mt) of hot metal (a 6.3 per cent growth over 2009-10), 5.33 mt of crude steel (4.3 per cent) and 4.57 mt of saleable steel (4.3 per cent)?
a.Bhillai Steel Plant
b.Rourkela Steel Plant
c. Bokaro Steel Plant
d.Salem Steel Plant
9) The Department of Information Technology (DIT) on 5 April 2011 published a draft policy on which of the following to enable the government departments to provide services, including payment of utility bills and filing of tax with the use of a medium?
a.Mobile governance
b.E-governance
c. Service Delivery Gateway
d.Applications Inter-operability
10) Which of the following was not proposed in the Union Budget 2011-12 presented by pranab Mukherjee?
1.Special vehicles were proposed to be created in the form of Infrastructure Debt Funds to attract foreign funds.
2.Rs. 300 crore expenditure was proposed to promote horticulture centres in rain fed areas for increasing crop productivity.
3.For the manufacturing sector, the budget proposed reduction of basic customs duty on raw silk from 30 to 5 per cent.
4.Concessional 10 per cent Excise Duty was also proposed for fuel cell or Hydrogen cell-technology-based vehicles.
a.1 & 3
b.Only 2
c.Only 4
d.3 & 4
11) Sectors Budgetary Allocations
1.Agriculture & Allied Activities A. Rs 14362 crore
2.Rural Development B. Rs 38852 crore
3.Defence Sector C. Rs 55438 crore
4.Industries & Minerals D. Rs 164415 crore
A B C D
a.1 4 2 3
b.2 1 3 4
c. 3 1 4 2
d.4 2 3 1
12) In the Budget it was proposed to provide sum of money for implementation of vegetable initiative to set in motion a virtuous cycle of higher production and incomes for the farmers. What was the proposed amount?
a.Rs 500 crore
b.Rs 300 crore
c. Rs 10000 crore
d. Rs 650 crore
13) According to an extensive genetic study on modern humans, two conclusions were drawn out.
i) There is an enormous amount of diversity in the African hunter-gatherer populations.
ii) The genetic diversity among 27 present-day African populations originated in southern Africa and progressed to northern Africa.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a) Both i and ii
b) Neither I and ii
c) Only i
d) Only ii
14) A massive Tsunami caused by a devastating earthquake of the 8.9 magnitude hit about 400 km north-east of Tokyo, capital of Japan. Consider the following statements regarding Tsunami.
i) A Tsunami is a series of ocean waves that sends surges of water, reaching heights of over 100 feet onto land.
ii) Most tsunamis, about 80 percent, happen within the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire, a geologically active area where tectonic shifts make earthquakes and volcanoes common.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a) Both i and ii
b) Only i
c) Only ii
d) Neither i nor ii
15) Which one of the following Indian states recently released a Braille version of the RTI (Right to Information) Act and its rules for the benefit of visually challenged?
a) Gujarat
b) Bihar
c) Haryana
d) Madhya Pradesh
16)Engineering and construction major L&T announced that it has achieved financial closure for which of the following with the help of 10-bank consortium led by SBI pitching in with Rs 11478 crore debt?
a.Kolkata Metro Rail Project
b.Pune Metro Project
c.Delhi Metro project
d.Hyderabad Metro Rail project
17) Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was offered and accepted the honour of being chosen to get an honorary commission in which of the following?
a.Indian Navy
b.Territorial Army
c. Indian Air Force
d. Indian Para-military Force
18) Which of the following real estate firms on 5 April 2011 announced a gift in the shape of villas worth Rs. 9 crore to skipper M.S. Dhoni and his teammates following their victory in the World Cup 2011?
a.DLF
b.Amrapali
c. Unitech
d.Tata Construction & Projects Ltd
19) Roger Federer won his fourth Australian Open Tennis Championship and 16th Grand Slam on 31 Jan 2010. Who did he defeat in the final of the Australian Open 2010?
a. Rafael Nadal
b. Andy Murray
c. Fred Perry
d. Rod Laver
20) Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana was proposed to be being extended to the beneficiaries of which of the following Union Government schemes?
a.Mahatma Gandhi NREGA beneficiaries
b.Beneficiaries of Swavlamban pension scheme
c.Indira Gandhi National old Age Pension scheme beneficiaries
d.Beneficiaries of Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana
21) Which of the following companies announced their alliance with Chennai Super Kings as the official team partner for the upcoming IPL Season 4?
a. ONGC
b. Indian Oil Corporation
c. Hindusthan Petroleum
d. Gulf Oil Corporation
22) Scientists have identified five genes which raise the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Consider the following statements regarding Alzheimer’s disease.
i) Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of Dementia.
ii) Problems that happen due to the Alzheimer’s are personality-disorder, decision making, abstract thinking and loss of initiative.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a) Only i
b) Only ii
c) Both i and ii
d) Neither i nor ii
23) A giant predatory theropod dinosaur, similar in stature and size to Tyrannosaurus rex, has been identified by palaeontologists. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
i) The new dinosaur, named Zhuchengtyrannus magnus, probably stood four metres tall, was 11 metres long and weighed around six tonnes.
ii) Like T. rex, it was a carnivore with huge powerful jaws.
iii) It ran on back legs, with small front limbs.
a) Only i and ii
b) Only i and iii
c) Only ii and iii
d) All i, ii and iii are correct

24) Solvay, the Belgian soda ash maker which sold a drugs unit a year ago, agreed to buy which of the following French companies to add specialty chemicals spanning ingredients for moisturisers and car-part polymers?
a.Rhodia
b.Danisco
c.Cognis
d.Le Zèbre
25) Gilead Sciences, a California based bio-pharmaceutical research firm, and its patent partner, Roche Holding AG, have sued which of the following Indian generic drug makers in March 2011 for allegedly infringing a US patent for Tamiflu, a drug used in treatment of bird and swine-flu infections?
a.Dr Reddy’s
b.Natco Pharma
c. Ranbaxy Laboratories
d. GlaxoSmithKline
26) AT&T on Sunday announced that it had agreed to buy T-Mobile USA from which of the following telecom companies for $39 billion?
a.Deutsche Telekom
b.Sprint Nextel
c.Verizon Wireless
d.Comcast

27) What is the prize-money of the golf tournament ‘Avantha Masters’ that began on 11 Feb 2010?
a. €1.5 million
b. €1 million
c. €2.5 million
d. €2 million
28) An international team of scientists, led by the Australian National University recently discovered evidence that the body’s immune cells often share information about foreign substances with each other to ward of invaders. The study can help increase the immunity level in human body against pathogens and cancer. Which of the followings are the symptoms of Cancer?
i) Weight Loss
ii) Excessive Sweating
iii) Lumps and Swelling (tumour)
iv) Enlargement of Spleen
Please choose the correct option:
a) i, ii, iii and iv
b) i and ii only
c) i, ii and iii
d) only i

29) Which of the following companies in April 2011 filed a petition in the Supreme Court to block penal action initiated by the Income Tax authorities on its contested $2.5-billion tax bill?
a. Vodafone International
b. Bharti Airtel
c. Uninor
d. Tata Teleservices
30) Vivendi agreed to buy Vodafone Group’s 44% stake in which of the French mobile-phone operator’s for euro 7.95 billion ($11.3 billion) to win full control of its largest unit and secure more stable earnings?
a.T-Mobile
b.Orange
c. Virgin Mobile
d. SFR
31) A consortium comprising two companies acquired the IPL’s global Internet, mobile and audio rights, along with television rights in specific territories outside India, for the next four years. The consortium bagged the rights with a winning bid of Rs 261.6 crore in Chennai on 20 March 2011. Which are the two companies included in the consortium?
a. TIL & Nimbus Communication
b. Reliance Big Pictures & Zoom
c. TIL & Colors
d. Zoom and UTV Motion Pictures
32) Which chess player won his maiden Grand Master norm in the Chennai Open 2010 International Grand Master chess tournament on 1 Feb 2010?
a. R. Siddharth of Chennai
b. Kravtsiv of Ukraine
c. P. Shyam Nikhil of Tamil Nadu
d. Maxim Turov of Russia
33) Who was appointed member of ICC Cricket Committee as a representative of national coaches on 11 Feb 2010?
a. Gary Kirsten
b. Mark Taylor
c. Kumar Sangakkara
d. Tim May
34) At the European Geosciences Union meeting in Vienna, the scientists calculated that the Earth sees about __ thunderstorms every hour.
a) 670
b) 580
c) 760
d) 960
35) HCL Technologies on Thursday announced the expansion of its Smart Grid partner ecosystem by entering into strategic alliances with two data management software firms focused on the smart grid market. Which are the two firms with which HCL has entered into an alliance?
1. Infosys
2. eMeter
3. Cape Gemini
4. Tridium
a. 1 & 2
b. 2 & 3
c. 2 & 4
d. 1 & 4
36) The Gujarat Government banned controversial book, entitled Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and his struggle with India. Who is the author of the book?
a) Joseph Lelyveld
b) Joseph Ponting
c) Hugh Grant
d) Vikram Seth
37) Which one of the following states imposed a blanket ban on plastic bags?
a) Delhi
b) Haryana
c) Himachal Pradesh
d)Tamil Nadu
38) Who is the Chairperson of the Central Board Film Certification?
a) Sharmila Tagore
b) Karan Johar
c) Nafisa Ali
d) Om Puri
e) None of these
39) Ali Akbar Salehi is the foreign minister of
a) Israel
b) Iran
c) Afghanistan
d) Indonesia
40) Who is the new chief of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)?
a) AP Singh
b) Arun Shourie
c) Sanjeev Tripathi
d) BK Gupta
41) When is the National Youth Day observed?
a) January 14
b) February 14
c) August 31
d) January 12
42) What is Tejas?
A) Spacecraft
B) Missile
C) Submarine
D) Light combat aircraft
43) Who became the world number one badminton player?
a) Saina Nehwal
b) Wang Xin
c) Sania Mirza
d) Wang Shixian
44) Name the cricketer who beat Michael Clarke by a comfortable 15-vote margin to bag the Allan Border Medal besides being named Australia’s ODI Player of the Year in Feb 2010?
a. Shane Watson
b. Simon Katich
c. Mitchell Johnson
d. Sachin Tendulkar

45) In India’s first sale of rupee perpetual bonds by a non-finance company Rs 1500 crore ($332 million) was raised. Name the non-finance company.
a.Tata Steel
b.Pantallons Retail
c. RIL
d.Maruti Suzuki
46) With his victory in the men’s large hill ski jump on 20 Feb 2010 at the Vancouver Olympics, he became the first person to win four individual gold ski jumping medals. Name this sportsperson.
a. Simon Ammann (Switzerland)
b. Ahonen Janne (Finland)
c. Alexander Nicholas (USA)
d. Bardal Anders (Norway)

47) The Indian Government in April 2011 issued a notice to which of the following companies to terminate licences for Kerala, West Bengal and Assam for delay in roll- out of services in these three circles?
a.Sistema Shyam Teleservices
b.Tata Teleservices
c. Reliance
d. BSNL
48) Open market operations, one of the measures taken by RBI in order to control credit expansion in the economy means —
(A) Sale or purchase of Govt. securities
(B) Issuance of different types of bonds
(C) Auction of gold
(D) To make available direct finance to borrowers
(E) None of these
49) Capital Market Regulator is—
(A) RBI
(B) IRDA
(C) NSE
(D) BSE
(E) SEBI
50) As we all know Govt. of India collects tax revenue on various activities in the country. Which of the following is a part of the tax revenue of the Govt.?
(i) Tax on Income
(ii) Tax on Expenditure
(iii) Tax on Property or Capital Asset
(iv) Tax on Goods and Services
(A) Both (i) and (iii) only
(B) Both (ii) and (iv) only
(C) All (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv)
(D) Only (ii), (iii) and (iv)
(E) None of these
ANSWERS:
1) A 2) A 3) B 4) A 5) A 6) A 7) A A 9) A 10) B 11) A 12) B 13) A 14) A 15) A 16) D 17) B 18) B 19) B 20) A 21) D 22) C 23) D 24) A 25) B 26) A 27) A 28) A 29) A 30) D 31) A 32) A 33) A34) C 35) C 36) A 37) A 38) A 39) B 40) C 41) D 42) D 43) B 44) A 45) A 46) A 47) A 48) A 49) E 50) C

New Section
1. Which period is called the ‘banking swadeshi’ period when many Indians established many banks?
1)1870-1940
2)1910-1947
3)1906-1911
4)1947-1991
5)1942-1947
2. The banks established in Swadeshi period are …………?
1) Bank of India
2) Corporation bank
3) Indian Bank
4) Bank of Baroda
5) All of the above
3. In which part of India, many banks are established, which is called the ‘Cradle of Indian Banking System’?
1) Northern Assam
2) Southern Tamilnadu
3) Eastern Rajasthan
4) Southern Karnataka
5) Western Maharastra
4. The most banks in India failed between ………… Not less than 100 banks failed due to various reasons?
1) 1923-1928
2) 1953-1958
3) 1923-1948
4) 1903-1928
5) 1913-1918
5. Which party issued a paper by name ‘Stray thoughts on Bank Nationalization’ signaling the nationalization of banks in India?
1) Communist Party of India
2) Janatha Party
3) Congress Party
4) Republican Party
5) National Conference
6. Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertaking) Bill passed in ……………paving way to the nationalization of banks in India?
1) 1974
2) 1969
3) 1975
4) 1981
5) 1961
7. Who said the nationalization of banks is the ‘masterstroke of political sagacity’?
1) Indira Gandhi
2) Raj Narayan
3) Jayaprakash Narayan
4) Jawahar Lal Nehru
5) Atal Bihari Vajpayee
8. How many banks were nationalized in 1969?
1) 18
2) 6
3) 14
4) 20
5) 5
9. Which bank was not nationalized in 1969?
1) Allahabad Bank
2) Bank of Baroda
3) State Bank of India
4) Bank of India
5) Bank of Maharastra
10. How many banks were nationalized as a second dose in 1980?
1) 4
2) 9
3) 6
4) 18
5) 12
11. Bad debts mean …………?
1) amounts owed to a company that are going to be paid
2) amounts owed to a company that are not going to be paid
3) amounts owed to a company that are going to be paid within 2 years
4) amounts owed to a company that are not going to be paid within 8 years
5) None
12. GST council (Goods and Services Taxes Council) in the Constitution 115th Amendment Bill headed by ………… to make recommendations the taxes to be levied, goods to be exempted, GST rate etc?
1) Prime Minister
2) Finance Minister
3) Commerce Minister
4) Revenue Minister
5) Finance Secretary
13. The current limit of External borrowings is $ 20 billion. This Current limit is now raised to $ ………… billion?
1) 21
2) 40
3) 70
4) 60
5) 30
14. …………is not the provision of the National Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation & Resettlement Bill?
1) In the given area, least 80% of the population must agree to acquisition of land by the government.
2) Land owners to be compensated with twice the registered or stamp value of the land in urban areas and six times in rural areas.
3) Single law has the provisions of Acquisition of land and rehabilitation
4) The government can appoint middle man to have talks with the local population to decrease the compensation
5) Compensation reflects the market rates
15. Food Security Bill proposed by National Advisory Council (NAC) proposes 90% ration in Rural Areas and …………% ration in Urban Areas. (National Advisory Council headed by Sonia Gandhi)
1) 50
2) 70
3) 100
4) 90
5) 25
16. The Union government decisions are given. Pick the correct one?
1) National Legal Aid and Reforms commiscommission coming soon
2) Supreme Court ordered the return of 156 hectares of land to farmers in Uttar Pradesh, allocated to construct posh buildings.
3) The postal department issues postal stamps on President of India’s house Rastrapathi Bhavan
4) Five PIO ( Person of India Origin) universities will be set up in the future.
5) All of above
17. Project ‘Surakhya’ an Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) introduced by …………?
1) Odisha
2) Chattisgarh
3) Arunachal Pradesh
4) Madhya Pradesh
5) Goa
18. ‘Nanhe Haath Kalam Ke Saath’ ( tiny hands with pen) phase II announced against the social evil of Child Labour by …………?
1) Karnataka
2) Andhra Pradesh
3) Uttar Pradesh
4) Rajasthan
5) Goa
19. SAARC Interior Ministers conference was recently held in …………?
1) Sri Lanka
2) India
3) Afganistan
4) Bhutan
5) Nepal
20. Mahatma Gandhi led ………….listed in the top ten of the most influential protests in the world as mentioned by ‘Time magazine’?
1) Non-cooperation Movement
2) Swadeshi Movement
3) Salt Satyagraha
4) Quit India Movement
5) Champaran Satyagraha
21. A person who expects share prices in general to decline and who is likely to indulge in SHORT SALES is called …………?
1) Bear
2) Bull
3) Dog
4) Duck
5) Lame Duck
22. ………… was re elected as the UN Secretary General?
1) Irina Bocova
2) Robert Zollick
3) Ban Ki-moon
4) Hillay Clinton
5) Christine Legarde
23. Meghdoot awards conferred by …………?
1) Air India
2) Department of Water Resources
3) Postal Department
4) Department of Communications
5) Supreme Court
24. ‘Areva’ a French company belongs to following sector?
1) Nuclear
2) Toy
3) Auto makers
4) Mobiles
5) Book
25. In the list of nationalized banks, which bank was merged with Punjab National Bank in 1993?
1) Bank of India
2) Bank of Baroda
3) Andhra Bank
4) New Bank of India
5) Central Bank of India
26. …………was the prime minister of India during the nationalization of banks in 1969 and in 1980?
1) Jawahar Lal Nehru
2) Lal Bahadur Sastri
3) Indira Gandhi
4) Morarji Desaii
5) P.V.Narasimha Rao
27. Who among the following is not the present Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India?
1) K.C.Chakravarthy
2) Subhir Gokarn
3) Y.Malegam
4) Anand Sinha
5) H. R.khan
28. On 3 August 2011, ……….. panel submitted its report to Reserve Bank of India on ‘customer service in banks’
1) Rangarajan
2) Malegam
3) Subba Rao
4) H.R.Khan
5) Damodaran
29. …………firmly tell many rules and regulations relating to Non-Performing Assets?
1) Banking Regulation Act 1949
2) Foreign Exchange Management Act 1999
3) SEBI Act 1992
4) Indian Contract Act 1872
5) Negotiable instrument act 1881
30. On 30 June 2011 …………liberalized FDI norms by allowing the Indian companies to pay in the form of Equity in to the foreign suppliers instead of payment in the form of foreign exchange?
1) SEBI
2) Ministry of Finance
3) Ministry of Commerce
4) FDA
5) RBI
31. …………tied up with Met Life to enter in to insurance business recently?
1) Andhra Bank
2) Union Bank of India
3) Corporation bank
4) Allahabad Bank
5) Punjab National Bank
32. …………started, the saga of Liberlization of banks as a prime minister?
1) Indira Gandhi
2) Nehru
3) Lal Bahadur Sastri
4) P.V.Narasimha Rao
5) Atal Bihari Vajpayee
33. Which committee suggested the banking reforms?
1) Kalia
2) Deepak Mohanty
3) Narasimham
4) Syamala Gopinath
5) Goparia
34. The decade 1990-2000 is the era of Techsavvy private banks. Which are established during this period?
1) Global Trust Bank
2) UTI bank
3) ICICI
4) HDFC
5) All of above
35. Global Trust Bank was merged with ……..?
1) HDFC
2) Oriental Bank of Commerce
3) State Bank of India
4) Syndicate Bank
5) IDBI
36. …………was merged with HDFC bank?
1) Bank of Rajasthan
2) Global Trust Bank
3) Centurion Bank
4) Bank of Bombay
5) Imperial Bank of India
37. …………has offered to India a loan of Rs.6,800 crore for building 24,000 km of all weather roads in the rural seven economically poor and hilly areas States
1) IMF
2) IFC
3) World Bank
4) IDA
5) ADB
38. India’s first indigenous payment gateway is …………?
1) India Expenditure
2) India Payment
3) India Challan
4) India Pay
5) India Rupee
39. …………opened a Lockless branch at Shani Shingnapur (Maharastra) respecting the local customs?
1) State Bank of India
2) Bank of Maharastra
3) Union Bank of India 4) ICICI
5) UCO bank
40. …………and Life Insurance Corporation of India( LIC) tie up to launch Credit-Card services to the customers and employees of LIC?
1) Axis Bank
2) ICICI
3) State Bank of India
4) HDFC
5) Kotak Mahendra Bank
41. Tehri Hydro Development Corporation got $ 648 million from …………?
1) IMF
2) IDA
3) ADB
4) AFD
5) IBRD
42. On 10 August 2011, in which state National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) proposed to give huge loans in the endosulfan-hit areas?
1) Odisha
2) Andhra Pradesh
3) Uttar Pradesh
4) West Bengal
5) Kerala
43. The best alternative banking service to branch banking to be the part of Financial Inclusion?
1) Establishment of small branches
2) Setup ATMs
3) Issuing of ATM cards
4) Giving Credit Cards
5) Mobile banking
44. Giving focused attention to integrated development of infrastructure in selected cities is the main theme of …………scheme?
1) PURA
2) JNNURM
3) MGNREGA
4) IAY
5) RAY
45. ………..became first state to sign an agreement on Emission Reduction Purchase with the World Bank to curb the carbon emissions?
1) Andhra Pradesh
2) Himachal Pradesh
3) Haryana
4) Goa
5) Maharashtra
46. MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region is the familiar for ………… industry?
1) Toy
2) Leather
3) Petroleum
4) Cotton
5) Fruits
47. The Award list given. Pick the correct one?
1) 12th IIFA (International Indian Film Academy) top awards announced in Toranto
2) Life Achievement Award got by Asha Bhonsle
3) Best film award got by Dabangg
4) Best Actor Award got by Shahrukh Khan
5) All of above
48. Guido Mantega used the word ‘Currency War’ referring …………?
1) India
2) China
3) New Zeland
4) Russia
5) USA
ANSWERS
1)3 2)5 3)4 4)5 5)3 6)2 7)3 8)3 9)3 10)3
11)2 12)2 13)5 14)4 15)1 16)5 17)1 18)4
19)4 20)3 21)1 22)3 23)3 24)1 25)4 26)3
27)3 28)5 29)1 30)5 31)5 32)4 33)3 34)5
35)2 36)3 37)3 38)4 39)5 40)1 41)5 42)5
43)5 44)2 45)2 46)3 47)5 48)2.

Taxes

Value Added Tax

VAT is the indirect tax on the consumption of the goods, paid by its original producers upon the change in goods or upon the transfer of the goods to its ultimate consumers. It is based on the value of the goods, added by the transferor. It is the tax in relation to the difference of the value added by the transferor and not just a profit.

All over the world, VAT is payable on the goods and services as they form a part of national GDP. It means every seller of goods and service provider charges the tax after availing the input tax credit. It is the form of collecting sales tax under which tax is collected in each stage on the value added of the goods. In practice, the dealer charges the tax on the full price of the goods, sold to the consumer and at every end of the tax period reduces the tax collected on sale and tax charged to him by the dealers from whom he purchased the goods and deposits such amount of tax in government treasury.Method of Collection

There are two methods for collection of VAT in India. In the first method, tax is charged separately on the basis of the tax which is paid on purchase, and the tax that is payable on the sale (shown separately in the invoice). Therefore, the difference between the tax paid on purchase and the tax payable on sale as per the invoice is the VAT.

In the second method, tax is collected and charged on the aggregate value of the tax payable on sale and purchase, by applying the rate of tax applicable to the goods. Therefore, the difference between the sale price and purchase price would be VAT. It means VAT is the tax which consumers ultimately face, which is collected at each stage.

Sales tax is levied on the sale of a commodity, which is produced or imported and sold for the first time. If the product is sold subsequently without being processed further, it is exempt from sales tax.

Sales Tax is a levy on purchase and sale of goods in India and is levied under the authority of both Central Legislation (Central Sales Tax) and State Governments Legislations (Sales Tax). The government levies Sales Tax principally on intra-state sale of goods. States also levy tax on transactions which are “deemed sales” like works contracts and leases.

In addition to Sales Tax, some states also levy additional tax, surcharge, turnover tax and the like. Ordinarily, Sales tax is recovered from the buyer as a part of consideration for sale of goods.

Sales tax is paid by every dealer on the sale of any goods made by him in the course of inter-state trade or commerce, despite the fact that no liability to tax is raised on the sale of goods under the tax laws of the appropriate state.

Sales Tax ID number

A state Sales Tax ID number is essentially a business version of your Social Security number, under which you collect and pay tax for any service or product you sell, which in turn, qualifies for taxation in your state.

The rule of thumb for Sales Tax is that most services are exempt and most products are taxable except for food and drugs, though recent history reflects that states have been gradually adding to the list of services that are taxable.

Service Tax

Service tax is a tax levied on services rendered by a person and the responsibility of payment of the tax is cast on the service provider. It is an indirect tax as it can be recovered from the service receiver by the service provider in course of his business transactions. Service Tax was introduced in India in 1994 by Chapter V of the Finance Act, 1994 . It was imposed on a initial set of three services in 1994 and the scope of the service tax has since been expanded continuously by subsequent Finance Acts. The Finance Act, extends the levy of service tax to the whole of India, except the State of Jammu & Kashmir.

The Central Board of Excise & Customs (CBEC) under Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance, deals with the task of formulation of policy concerning levy and collection of Service Tax. In exercise of the powers conferred, the Central Government makes service tax rules for the purpose of the assessment and collection of service tax. The Service Tax is being administered by various Central Excise Commissionerates, working under the Central Board of Excise & Customs. There are six Commissionerates located at metropolitan cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Bangalore which deal exclusively with work related to Service Tax. Directorate of Service Tax at Mumbai over sees the activities at the field level for technical and policy level coordination.

Registration

A person liable to pay service tax should file an application for registration within thirty days from the date on which the service tax on particular taxable service comes into effect or within thirty days from the commencement of his activity.

Every service provider of a taxable service is required to take registration by filing the Form ST-1 (External website that opens in a new window) in duplicate with the jurisdictional Central Excise Office (External website that opens in a new window).

A ‘registered’ service provider is referred to as an ‘assessee’.

A single registration is sufficient even when an assessee is providing more than one taxable services. However, he has to mention all the services being provided by him in the application for registration and the field office shall make suitable entries/endorsements in the registration certificate.

A fresh registration is required to be obtained in case of transfer of business to another person.

Any registered assessee when ceases to provide the taxable service shall surrender the registration certificate immediately.

In case a registered assessee starts providing any new service from the same premises, he need not apply for a fresh registration. He can simply fill in the Form S.T.1 for necessary amendments he desires to make in his existing information. The new form may be submitted to the jurisdictional Superintendent for necessary endorsement of the new service category in his Registration certificate.

In case of Individuals or Proprietary Concerns and Partnership Firm, service tax is to be paid on quarterly basis. The due date for payment of service tax is the 5th of the month immediately following the respective quarter. (Quarters are : April to June, July to September, October to December and January to March). However, payment for the last quarter i.e. January to March is required to be made by 31st of March itself. In case of any other category of service provider than specified above, service tax is to be paid on a monthly basis, by the 5th of the following month. However, payment for the month of March is required to be made by 31st of March itself. Service tax is to be paid on the amount realized / received by the assessee during the relevant period ( i.e. a month or a quarter as the case may be).

The unique feature of Service Tax is reliance on collection of tax, primarily through voluntary compliance. System of self-assessment of Service Tax Returns by service tax assesses was introduced w.e.f. 01.04.2001. The jurisdictional Superintendent of Central Excise is authorized to cross verify the correctness of self assessed returns. Tax returns are expected to be filed half yearly. Central Excise officers are authorized to conduct surveys to bring the prospective service tax assesses under the tax net.

Service tax is payable @ 10% of the ‘gross amount’ charged by the service provider for providing such taxable service. The Education Cess is payable @ 2%, and Secondary and Higher Education Cess payable @ 1% of the service tax payable.

Service Tax Exemptions

The Central Government can grant partial or total exemption by issuing an exemption notification. But it cannot be granted by the Government with retrospective effect. The general exemptions are :-

Small service providers whose turnover is less than Rs.4 lakhs per annum are exempt from service tax.

There is no service tax on export of services.

Services provided to UN and International Agencies and supplies to SEZ(Special Economic Zones) are exempt from service tax.

Service tax is not payable on value of goods and material supplied while providing services. Such exclusion is permissible only if Cenvat credit on such goods and material is not taken.

Wealth Tax

The Wealth Tax Act is an important direct tax legislation, which came into existence on 1 st April 1957. Wealth tax is levied on the benefits derived from property ownership. The tax is to be paid year after year on the same property on its market value, whether or not such property yield any income.

An assessee or a person, who is liable to pay wealth tax under the Wealth Tax Act, includes legal envoy, perpetrator or administrator of a deceased person and a person deemed to be an agent of a non-resident. Under the Act, tax is charged on the following persons in respect of the wealth held by them during the assessment year:

A company.

A Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), which is a type of assessee recognised under the Act, consisting of all persons lineally descended from a common ancestor and deriving income from joint family corpus. Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, and Sikh families have been so recognised.

An association of persons or a body of individuals.

Non-corporative taxpayers whose accounts are to be statutorily audited.

Those who fall in the 1-by-6 category (External website that opens in a new window).

Chargeability to tax also depends upon the residential status of the assessee and the citizenship of a person.

It may be noted here that productive assets like shares, debentures, bank deposits and investments in mutual funds are exempt from wealth tax. The non-productive assets include jewellery, bullion, motorcars, aircraft, urban land, etc. Foreign nationals are exempt from wealth tax on non-Indian assets. The details of Wealth Tax can be accessed through Acts and Rules as framed by the Constitution. Click on the links below for more:

Wealth Tax Act (External website that opens in a new window)

Wealth Tax Rules (External website that opens in a new window)

To file your Wealth Tax Returns, you need to fill Form BA, Form A and Form B. Visit the link below to download these forms.

Download forms for Return of Net Wealth

Income Tax

Income tax is a tax paid to the central government on personal income. It is the direct tax paid on income by an individual or a company/firm within a given financial year. The Indian Income Tax department is governed by the Central Board for Direct Taxes (CBDT)and is part of the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance , Government of India.

Detailed information on all types of taxation in India can be found here.

The Income Tax Act, 1961 as amended by Finance Act 2010 , under Section 139 makes it obligatory upon any person to file return if the person’s total income or the total income of any other person in respect of which he is assessable under this Act during the previous year exceeded the maximum amount which is not chargeable to income-tax.

Provided that a person referred to, who is not required to furnish a return under this sub-section and residing in such area as may be specified by notification in the Official Gazette, and who during the previous year incurs an expenditure of fifty thousand rupees or more towards consumption of electricity or at any time during the previous year fulfils any one of the following conditions, namely:

is in occupation of an immovable property exceeding a specified floor area, whether by way of ownership, tenancy or otherwise, as may be specified; or

is the owner or the lessee of a motor vehicle other than a two-wheeled motor vehicle, whether having any detachable side car having extra wheel attached to such two-wheeled motor vehicle or not; or

has incurred expenditure for himself or any other person on travel to any foreign country; or

is the holder of a credit card, not being an “add-on” card, issued by any bank or institution; or

is a member of a club where entrance fee charged is twenty-five thousand rupees or more.

The tax liability to be computed for AY 2012 -2013 is as per the under:-

(i) In case of individuals (other than women and individuals who are of the age of 60 years or more at any time during the financial year 2011-12) -

Income (In Rs.): Tax Liability (In Rs.)

Upto Rs.1,80,000 : Nil

Between Rs.1,80,001 – Rs.5,00,000 : 10%

Between Rs.5,00,001 – Rs.8,00,000 : 20%

Above Rs.8,00,000 : 30%

(ii) In case of women (other than women who are of the age of 60 years or more at any time during the financial year 2011-12)-

Income (In Rs.) : Tax Liability (In Rs.)

Upto Rs.1,90,000 : Nil

Between Rs.1,90,001 – Rs.5,00,000 : 10%

Between Rs.5,00,001 – Rs.8,00,000 : 20%

Above Rs.8,00,000 : 30%

(iii) In case of individuals who are of the age between 60 and 80 years at any time during the financial year 2011-12-

Income (In Rs.) : Tax Liability (In Rs.)

Upto Rs.2,50,000 : Nil

Between Rs.2,50,001 – Rs.3,00,000 : 10%

Between Rs.3,00,001 – Rs.5,00,000 : 20%

Above Rs.5,00,000 : 30%

(iv) In case of individuals who are of the age of 80 years or more at any time during the financial year 2011-12-

Income (In Rs.) : Tax Liability (In Rs.)

Upto Rs.5,00,000 : Nil

Between Rs.5,00,001 – Rs.8,00,000 : 20%

Above Rs.8,00,000 : 30%

The king of all the festivals, Parvadhiraj Paryushana has come now. This festival has the highest power of doing auspicious to the worshippers. This festival takes the soul to the upper condition. It lights the lamps of life i.e. pious life. This festival also shows the path of salvation. It is compared with water works through which one can clean one’s soul from the dirt of Karmas. This also makes the sinful persons pious and virtues. The souls which are already aware about the merits and sins, can do their duties, but those people who are still passionate towards worldly pleasures become aware of new motivation. So this festival is celebrated.

Why should we welcome the festival?

This festival makes the life clean by washing away all the blackness of sins and Karmas. The soul shines with brightness. It also becomes sweet with pious smell of friendly feelings.

The festivals are of two types-(1) Worldly and (2) Beyond world. In the worldly festivals, the feelings of worldly pleasures are important. This is the cause of Karma-bondage. So they are not the real festivals. While, the festivals which are beyond this world-Divine festivals, are the steps to take the soul to the upper position. Here, the worldly pleasures are not important. There are five signals to increase the feelings giving up.

(1) Monthly Dhar

(2) Dhar of fifteen days

(3) Dhar of Eight days

(4) Kalpa Dhar and

(5) Tela Dhar

According to these five important days, we do rites and can get Divine pleasure. In this festival, forgiveness becomes important. It is the soul of this festival.

‘Namo’ and ‘Khamo’ are the two slogans. When a person puts these two elements in life, it gives a new light in life.

Jai Shri Krishna

Janmashtami (also known as Krishnastami or Gokulastami) is the birthday of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu, believed to have been born About five thousand years ago in Mathura in ‘Dwapar Yuga’

. It is celebrated in the August/September months, on the Ashtami of Krishna Paksh or the 8th day of the dark fortnight in the month of Bhadon and is celebrated over two days. The first day is Krishnashtami or Gokulashtami. The second day is called Kalastami or more popularly Janmashtami. This celebration is said to be revealed originally by the Sri Krishna himself to Yudhishthira, the eldest of Pandavas, as mentioned in the Bhavishyottara Puran. He was born to Vasudev and Devki, who were imprisoned by Devki’s evil brother Kansa and was brought up by Nand and Yashoda. The birth of Lod Krishna is believed to be symbolic of our imprisonment in worldly illusions, where He took birth with us and led us to salvation and peace, vanquishing all evils depicted by Kansa in the story.

The Ceremony of Dahi-Handi – During this ceremony a large earthenware pot is filled with milk, curds, butter, honey fruits etc. and is suspended from a height between 20 to 40 feet. Sporting young men and boys come forward to claim this prize. To do so they construct a human pyramid by standing over each other’s shoulders till the pyramid is tall enough to enable the topmost person to reach the pot and claim the contents after breaking it.

Normally, currency notes are tied to the rope by which the pot is suspended. This prize money is distributed among those who participate in the pyramid building. This ceremony replicates Krishna’s love for milk and butter. In his childhood, the Lord Krishna along with his mates used to raid the houses of his neighbors in search of milk and butter.