Prelims Exam

Gudi Padwa

• Celebrated on the first day of Chaitra month in the Hindu calendar, marking the Marathi and Konkani Hindu new year.
• Gudi Padwa translates to “Gudi” (flag) and “Padwa” (first day of lunar fortnight). A Gudi is hoisted on this day.
• Significance:
  • Arrival of spring and reaping of Rabi crops.
  • Believed to be the day Lord Brahma created the universe.
  • Beginning of harvest season in Maharashtra.
  • Promotes traditional arts through Gudi making and rangoli drawing.

Ural River

• Europe’s third longest river, originating in the southern Ural Mountains and flowing 2,428 kilometers to the Caspian Sea.
• Historically known as the Yaik, it forms a natural boundary between Europe and Asia.
• Economic Importance:
  • Natural waterway for trade and transportation (navigable up to Oral, Kazakhstan).
  • Hydroelectric power generation through dams (e.g., Iriklinsky dam).

Girl Empowerment Mission (GEM)

• Launched by NTPC Limited, India’s largest integrated power company, as a CSR initiative.
• Aimed at girls from underprivileged sections to tackle gender inequality.
• Program:
  • One-month workshop during summer holidays.
  • Focuses on health, hygiene, safety, fitness, sports, and yoga.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

• Self-regulating business model promoting social accountability.
• Benefits:
  • Improves society.
  • Enhances company brand image.
• Categories:
  • Environmental impacts
  • Ethical responsibility
  • Philanthropic endeavors
  • Financial responsibilities
• Mandatory provision in India under the Companies Act, 2013.

Peter Higgs: Physicist Behind Higgs Boson Particle

• British physicist who proposed the Higgs boson (God particle) in 1964 to explain particle mass.
• Theorised a subatomic particle that gives mass to other particles.
• Theory confirmed in 2012 at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider.
• Awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics with Francois Englert.

Lavender Cultivation

• CSIR interventions led to the growth of lavender cultivation and product development in India.
• Lavender:
  • Small evergreen shrubs with purple flowers.
  • Native to the Mediterranean region but suitable for India’s rainfed temperate regions.
  • Success in J&K earned it the name “Purple Revolution.”
• Benefits:
  • Therapeutic and aromatic herb.
  • Growing domestic and international markets for Kashmiri lavender.
  • Profitable for farmers with sustained demand and organized activities.