Mural Paintings 

 Syllabus: GS Paper-1-Art & Culture 

 Why in News? 

 · Pre-Historic rock painting and Kakatiya art work has found at the Rudragiri Hills in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh. 

 · The first cave shows the mural painting of Kakatiyas which portrays the intense battle between Vanara brothers-Vali and Sugriva

· The second cave depicts the grand sketch of Hanuman, accompanied by the symbol of conch. 

 · The third cave shows the pre-historic rock paintings from the Mesolithic era. 

 Rudragiri Hills:

 · They are present in the Eastern Ghats. 

 · It features five naturally formed rock shelters at its foothills facing westwards

. · These rock shelters served as the living quarters for the people during the Mesolithic age

. · They witness the luminous rock paintings of that era. 

 Kakatiya Kingdom: 

 · It was a South Indian dynasty which ruled the present-day Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Parts of eastern Karnataka and southern parts of Odisha. 

 · They had ruled between 12^th and 14^th centuries.

 · The capital of Kakitayas was Orugallu which is now called as Warangal.

 · Prataparudra I is the pioneer of the Kakatiya dynasty who had assumed the power in 1163 CE.

· Ganapati Deva and Rudrama Devi are the most important rulers of Kakatiya Dynasty. 

 · Ramappa temple which received the UNESCO world heritage site was built by Ganapathi Deva.

Mural Paintings: 

 · It is the piece of artwork painted on the wall. · It was existed from 2^nd century B.C. to 8-10^th century A.D.

· Examples: 1. Ajanta caves 2. Ellora caves 3. Bagh caves 4. Ravana Chhaya rock-shelter etc.

BIMSTEC

Syllabus: GS Paper-2-International Relations 

 Why in News? 

Foreign Minister of India has attended the BIMSTEC retreat in Bangkok. 

 Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC): 

 Background: 

· It was founded in 1977 through the Bangkok declaration. 

 · It was formed with four member countries. 

 · It used to be called by the name BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation.

· Later Myanmar is included in 1997 which resulted in the formation of BIMST-EC. 

 · Nepal and Bhutan were last to join in 2004.

· It is a regional multilateral organisation where the member countries are located in the adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal. 

 · There are 7 member countries. They are: 

 1) Bangladesh 2) Bhutan 3) India 4) Sri Lanka 5) Myanmar 6) Thailand 7) Nepal 

 The headquarters of BIMSTEC is located at Dhaka in Bangladesh. 

 Objectives:

· Economic development 

 · Promoting Equality and Partnership

 · Accelerating support in social fields such as education, technology development etc.

 · Mutual assistance in the areas of common interests. 

 Significance for India: 

 It mainly helps India in 3 important policies:

 · Act East policy-which connects India with Southeast Asia. 

 · Neighbourhood First-importance to the country’s neighbour.

 · Economic development in north-eastern states of India. 

 · In addition, it aims to counter China’s influence around the Bay of Bengal countries.

National Highway Authority of India 

 Syllabus: GS Paper-2-Polity

Why in News?

The NHAI has constituted a committee of Road Safety Experts to carry out safety inspections of Bengaluru-Mysuru Access Controlled Highway. 

 National Highways Authority of India:

 · It was established in the year 1988. 

 · It was formed under the National Highways Authority of India Act, 1988.

 · It is an autonomous agency which is responsible for the management and development of the national highways network in the country.

 · It works under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. 

 Structure: 

 · Chairman

 · Six full-time members

 · Four part-time members 

 Initiatives of NHAI:

 · Bharatmala Pariyojana-Launched in the year 2017.

 · It was launched to develop 34,800 km of roads. 

 · Its main aim is to improve connectivity, reduce travel time, promote tourism etc. 

 · Electronic Toll Collection-It enables automatic deduction of toll charges. 

 · The deduction can be done by using radio-frequency identification tags or FAST tags.

 · Hybrid Annuity Model-Introduced in the year 2016.

· It was launched to attract private investments in the highway projects. 

 · Under this scheme, 40% of the project cost will be paid during construction in 5 equal instalments by the NHAI.

 · The remaining 60% will be paid as an annuity over 15 years along with maintenance cost.

DPT 

 Syllabus: GS Paper-3-Science & Technology 

 Why in News? 

· India reported a record 93% DPT3 immunization coverage in the year 2022.

· It is the 3^rd dose of Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus vaccine. 

 · In the year 2021, India recorded only 85%. 

DPT Vaccine:

· The DPT vaccine is a class of combination vaccines for the children against three diseases. 

They are: 1. Diphtheria 2. Pertussis 3. Tetanus

 Diphtheria:

· It is caused by the bacteria known as Corynebacterium diphtheria

· The symptoms of Diphtheria are Common cold, fever, chills, sore throat etc.

 · This disease will spread by close contact, cough, sneezes etc.

 Pertussis:

 · It is caused by the bacteria known as Bordetella pertussis.

· It is also known with the name whooping cough. 

 · It is highly contagious respiratory infection 

 · It is one of the most dangerous diseases in infants. 

 · It spreads easily through the droplets of coughing or sneezing

 Tetanus: 

· It is caused by the bacteria known as Clostridium Tetani.

· It is acquired through the infection of a cut or wound. 

 · It cannot be transmitted from one person to other.

 · It can be treated with the vaccine known as Tetanus-Toxoid-Containing Vaccine

 · Symptoms of Tetanus are: a) Jaw cramping b) Muscle spasms c) Seizures etc.

INS Sahyadri and INS Kolkata

Syllabus: GS Paper-3-Defence

Why in News? 

 Two frontline Indian Naval ships, INS Sahyadri and INS Kolkata, mission deployed in the South Eastern IOR, arrived in Jakarta on 17^th July, 2023. 

 INS Sahyadri:

· It is a 3^rd indigenously designed and built Project-17 class stealth frigate.

 · It is equipped with cutting edge weapons and sensors. 

 · Those sensors enable to identify and eliminate threats from the air, surface and subsurface.

 · It is a member of the Eastern fleet of Indian Navy which is located in Visakhapatnam.

 · It was constructed at the Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai. 

 INS Kolkata:

· It is the first indigenously designed and built stealth destroyer of the Project 15-A class.

 · It was constructed at the Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai.

 · It was commissioned in the year 2014.

· The ships propulsion system consists of four strong reversible gas turbines. 

 · The turbines allow it to reach speed of more than 30 knots.

National Mineral Development Corporation 

 Syllabus: Prelims-Important Organizations 

 Why in News?

NMDC has raised the iron prices by 1050 per tonne for lump ore.

 NMDC:

· It was incorporated in the year 1958. 

 · It involved in the exploration of Iron Ore, copper, rock phosphate, limestone etc.

· It is known for being the largest exporter and producer of iron ore in India.

 · It produces about 35 million tonnes of iron from three zones of Chhattisgarh and Karnataka.

 · It is a fully owned public enterprise of the Government of India.

 · It works under the administrative control of the Ministry of Steel.

 · It was recognized as the Navaratna public sector in the year 2008. 

 · The headquarters of NMDC is located in the Hyderabad. 

 Objectives:

· To meet the demands of both the domestic and international markets of iron ore.

 · It aims to meet the international value-added and per capita income requirements. 

 · To maintain its leadership as the India’s largest Iron ore producer 

 Mines of NMDC:

· Bailadila Iron Ore mine, Kirandul complex, Dantewada, Chhattisgarh. 

 · Bailadila Iron Ore mine, Bacheli complex, Dantewada, Chhattisgarh

 · Iron Ore mine at Donimalai in Karnataka. 

 · Project Diamond Mining in Panna, Madhya Pradesh.

Nelson Mandela International Day

Syllabus: Prelims-Important Events 

 Why in News?

 · National Museum, South African High commission and Vivekananda International foundation jointly organise exhibition

. · The name of the exhibition is India’s Historical Journey with Africa: Matching ahead together.

· The aim of the exhibition is to commemorate the Mandela day in honour of Mandela’s values. 

 About: 

 · The UN General assembly has announced July 18 as Nelson Mandela International day.

 · Mandela day was declared in the year 2009. 

 · It was introduced to recognize the former South African President’s contribution to peace and freedom in the society.

 · He was known for being the first democratically elected black president.

 · This day remembers his fight against poverty, gender inequality, racism and also the abolition of human rights.

 · Theme for the Mandela day 2023-The legacy lives on through you: Climate, food and Solidarity.

 Nelson Mandela: 

· He was a South African anti-apartheid Revolutionist. 

 · He was also a political leader and philanthropist.

 · He served as the President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. 

 · He cherished the ideal of free society all his life.

 · Autobiography: Long Walk to Freedom.

Global Biofuel Alliance 

 Syllabus: Prelims-Important Organizations 

Why in News?

 · Global Biofuel Alliance will be established during the 14^th Clean Energy Ministerial and Eighth Mission Innovation conference. 

 · The conference will held from July 19^th-22^nd, 2023 in Goa. 

 Global Biofuel Alliance:

 · It will be established by 3 countries. They are: 1. India 2. Brazil 3. US. 

 · These three countries are the leading producers of the biofuels.

 · It is one of the priorities under the India’s G20 Presidency. 

· Its aim is to facilitate the cooperation and intensify the use of sustainable biofuels including the transportation sector. 

 · It plays an important role in strengthening markets and facilitating global biofuel trade.

 · It will place emphasis on concrete policy lesson-sharing and provision of technical support for national biofuels programs worldwide.

 · It will work in collaboration with and international agencies as well as initiatives such as:

1. The Clean Energy Ministerial Bio-future Platform 2. The Mission Innovation Bioenergy initiatives 3. The Global Bioenergy partnership.

Biofuels:

· It is a hydrocarbon fuel which is produced from an organic matter in a short period of time.

 · It may be solid, liquid or gaseous in nature.

 · Solid form includes wood, dried plant material and manure

 · Liquid form includes Bioethanol and Biodiesel 

 · Gaseous form includes Biogas

Ghaggar River 

 Syllabus: Prelims-Important Rivers 

Why in News? 

The Ghaggar River and its tributaries has caused devastation in Haryana.

 Ghaggar-Hakra River: 

 · It is an intermittent river i.e., a seasonal river.

 · It flows only during the monsoon season.

 · The river is known as Ghaggar before the Ottu barrage in Haryana. 

 · Later it is called as Hakra in the Thar Desert. 

 · In the Pre-Harappan time, it was a tributary of the River Sutlej. 

 Origin: 

· It is originated Shivalik Hills of Himachal Pradesh. 

 · It flows through the Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. 

 Tributaries: · Kaushalaya · Markanda · Sarsuti · Tangri · Chautang

Questions

1.Consider the following statements regarding Kakatiya Kingdom: 

 Statement-I: Kakatiyas had ruled between 14^th and 15^th centuries 

 Statement-II: Prataparudra I is the pioneer of the Kakatiya dynasty 

 Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? 

 a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.

 b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.

 c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect 

 d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct.

2.Consider the following countries: 

 1)India 

 2) China

 3) Afghanistan 

 4) Thailand 

 How many of the above countries are members of BIMSTEC? 

 a) Only One 

 b) Only two 

 c) Only three 

 d) All four

3.Consider the following statements regarding NHAI: 

 Statement-I: NHAI was formed under the National Highways Authority of India Act, 1988. 

 Statement-II: It is an autonomous agency which is responsible for the management and development of the national highways network in the country. 

 Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? 

 a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I. 

 b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I. 

 c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect

 d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct.

4.Consider the following statements regarding DPT Vaccine: `

1. Diphtheria is also known with the name whooping cough 

 2. Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus are caused by the viruses. 

 3. Tetanus is acquired through the infection of a cut or wound

 How many of the above statements are incorrect? 

 a) Only One

 b) Only two 

 c) Only three

 d) None

5.Consider the following statements:

 Statement-I: Both INS Sahyadri and INS Kolkata were constructed at the Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai 

 Statement-II: INS Sahyadri is the first indigenously designed and built stealth destroyer of the Project 15-A class 

 Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? 

 a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I. 

 b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I. 

 c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect 

 d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct.

6.Consider the following statements regarding National Mineral Development Corporation: 

 Statement-I: It is the largest exporter and producer of iron ore in India. 

 Statement-II: The headquarters of NMDC is located in the Karnataka. 

 Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? 

 a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I. 

 b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I. 

 c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect 

 d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct.

7.Consider the following statements regarding Nelson Mandela International Day: Statement-I: It was announced by the UN General assembly in the year 2006. 

 Statement-II: Theme for the Mandela day 2023-The legacy lives on through you: Climate, food and Solidarity. 

 Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? 

 a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I. 

 b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I. 

 c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect.

 d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct.

8.Consider the following statements regarding Global Biofuel Alliance: 

 Statement-I: It will be established by 5 countries. 

 Statement-II: It is one of the priorities under the India’s G20 Presidency. Solidarity.

 Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? 

 a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I. 

 b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I. 

 c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect 

 d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct.

Comment your answers below.