07 Nov
IPCI Info

CDS Previous year question paper English-2015

The “Combined Defence Services”Examination (CDS) is conducted twice a year by the Union Public Service Commission for recruitment into the Indian Military Academy, Officers Training Academy, Indian Naval Academy and Indian Air Force Academy. The Notification for the examination is usually released in the months of October and June, and the examinations are conducted in February and November respectively. Only unmarried graduates are eligible to sit for the exam. Successful candidates are admitted into the respective Academies after an interview conducted by the Services Selection Board (SSB).

Click here to download: CDS Previous year English paper

05 Nov
IPCI Info

Current Affairs Quiz- 4 November

Daily Important updates  for General Awareness quiz to all competitive examinations (IBPS Clerk & P.O, Bank Exam, MAH-CET, SSC (Staff Selection Commission) NDA, CDS etc 

1.The Union government has announced Rs 10,000-crore road and bridges development projects for which city in next five years?
a)Manipur
b)Meghalaya
c)Assam
d)Nagaland
e)None of these
Answer d)Nagaland
2.Who is Road and Highways Minister?
a)Jairam Ramesh
b)Nitin Gadkari
c)Dr Harsh Wardhan
d)Hamid Ansari
e)None of these
Answer b)Nitin Gadkari
3.Who has been appointed as Managing Director of Indian unit of Information Technology firm Unisys Corporation?
a)Ravikumar Sreedharan
b)Rajkumar Rao
c)Mahesh Kumar Jain
d)R R Reddy
e)None of these
Answer a)Ravikumar Sreedharan
4.Who has been appointed managing director of the Hyderabad-based Andhra Bank?
a)Suresh N Patel
b)Ramesh Mehta
c)K R Rao
d)P N Venkata
e)None of these
Answer a)Suresh N Patel
5.Who has been appointed as head of Kolkata-based UCO Bank and previously was executive director of Dena Bank?
a)R K Takkar
b)Anurag Kakkar
c)Suresh N Patel
d)Ramesh Garg
e)None of these
Answer a)Suresh N Patel
6.Who has been named as the Managing director of Corporation Bank?
a)J K Garg
b)Ramesh Shakil
c)R K Mathur
d)Kamlesh Jain
e)None of these
Answer a)J K Garg
7.All India Radios Programme has bagged the first prize under the Community Service Announcement category at the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) Prizes 2015 on which social issue?
a)Child labour
b)Dowry
c)Sexual Abuse
d)Drug Abuse
e)None of these
Answer a)Child Labour
8.Name the Malayamal programme, titled Which is part of an initiative taken up by Biju Mathew, Programme Executive at AIR Thiruvananthapuram on behalf of All India Radio?
a)Nilkkam Ivarkkoppam
b)Child on pyre
c)Water
d)Agony
e)None of these
Answer a)Nilkkam Ivarkkoppam
9.Oscar-winning writer and actor who won an Oscar in 1982 for best original screenplay for writing the film Chariots of Fire, about two athletes at the 1924 Olympic Games. died. Who was he?
a)Audrey Hepburn
b)Colin Welland
c)Ashton Kucher
d)Tim cook
e)None of these
Answer b)Colin Welland
10.Tata Motors on November 2 has signed-up football player as its brand ambassador. Name the football player?
a)Lionel Messi
b)David Beckham
c)Arild Stavrum
d)Reggie White
e)None of these
Answer a)Lionel Messi
11. Which country has rolled its first homegrown large passenger jet off the production line in Shanghai, vowing to challenge the dominance of Airbus and Boeing in the global commercial aviation market?
a)Japan
b)China
c)Germany
d)Korea
Answer a)China
12.Which Indian goalkeeper has added another feather to his cap by ensuring that he would be the first from his country to be part of a team scheduled to play in the Europa League next season?
a)Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
b)Vishal Kumar
c)Jaideep Sandhu
d)Sandeep Kumar
e)None of these
Answer a)Gurpreet singh sandhu
13.Former Janata Dal MLA ————–, who was on a fast unto death demanding liquor ban and strengthening of Lokayukta in Rajasthan, has died?
a)Gurcharan Chabbra
b)Rajendra Rathore
c)Ashok Gehlot
d)Gurpreet Singh
e)None of these
Answer a)Gurcharan chabbra
14. Who has been appointed as India’s Ambassador to strategically important Afghanistan, succeeding Amar Sinha. Nmae the senior diplomat?
a)Manpreet Vohra
b)Amar Kumar
c)Navtej Singh Sarna
d)Gurcharan Chabbra
e)None of these
Answer a)Manpreet Vohra
15. India and which country have signed two agreements on new and renewable sources of energy and cultural exchange. The agreements were signed in the presence of Vice President M. Hamid Ansari?
a)Indonesia
b)Japan
c)China
d)Riyaad
Answer a)Indonesia

05 Nov
IPCI Info

Forbes ranks PM Narendra Modi at No.9 on its list of world’s most powerful people in 2015

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been ranked as the world’s ninth most powerful person by Forbes magazine in a 2015 list which is topped by Russian President Vladimir Putin.nrendra
Modi was placed 14th in the 2014 Forbes list of world’s powerful people
Forbes while releasing the list today at the same time said governing 1.2 billion people in India requires more than “shaking hands” and that Modi must pass his party BJP’s reform agenda and keep “fractious opposition” under control.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is at the second spot followed by US President Barack Obama (third) and Pope Francis (fourth) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (fifth).

Apart from Modi who is at the ninth position, others in the top ten are Microsoft Founder Bill Gates at the sixth place, US Federal Reserve Chairperson Janet Yellen (7), UK Prime Minister David Cameron (8) and Google’s Larry Page(10)

04 Nov
IPCI Info

The Legatum Prosperity Index 2015 released

The annual Legatum Prosperity Index ranks 142 countries across eight categories: the Economy, Entrepreneurship & Opportunity; Governance; Education; Health; Safety & Security; Personal Freedom; and Social Capital.
Overall prosperity ranking: Norway (1), Switzerland (2), Denmark (3), New Zealand (4) and Sweden (5) topped the table, while Burundi (138), Chad (139), Haiti (140), Afghanistan (141) and Central African Republic (142) were at the bottom.
ndia ranked 99 overall in terms of prosperity out of the 142 countries surveyed. India continued to improve prosperity that is evident from its ranking of 106 and 102 in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

04 Nov
IPCI Info

International Film Festival for the persons with disabilities

First international film festival for the persons with disabilities (IFFPD) will be held in Delhi from 1st to 3rd December 2015. Announcing this here today Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Shri Lov Verma said the festival organized to recognise the spirit of the persons with disabilities and will show case cinemas that open our world to their mind space, and sensitise on issue relating to disabilities.

03 Nov
IPCI Info

31 October: National Unity Day in India

The National Unity Day was observed across India on 31 October 2015 to commemorate the birthday of Sardar Vallabhai Patel. On this occasion of 140th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, PM Narendra Modi flagged off Run for Unity at Rajpath in New Delhi

02 Nov
IPCI Info

Later Vedic Period (1000 – 600 B.C.)

The Aryans further moved towards east in the Later Vedic Period. The Satapatha Brahmana refers to the expansion of Aryans to the eastern Gangetic plains. Several tribal groups and kingdoms are mentioned in the later Vedic literature. One important development during this period is the growth of large kingdoms. Kuru and Panchala kingdoms flourished in the beginning. Parikshat and Janamejaya were the famous rulers of Kuru kingdom. Pravahana Jaivali was a popular king of the Panchalas. He was a patron of learning. After the fall of Kurus and Panchalas, other kingdoms like Kosala, Kasi and Videha came into prominence. The famous ruler of Kasi was Ajatasatru. Janaka was the king of Videha with its capital at Mithila. His court was adorned by scholar Yajnavalkya. Magadha, Anga and Vanga seem to be the easternmost tribal kingdoms. The later Vedic texts also refer to the three divisions of India – Aryavarta (northern India), Madhyadesa (central India) and Dakshinapatha (southern India).

Political Organization
Larger kingdoms were formed during the later Vedic period. Many jana or tribes were amalgamated to form janapadas or rashtras in the later Vedic period. Hence the royal power had increased along with the increase in the size of kingdom. The king performed various rituals and sacrifices to strengthen his position. They include Rajasuya (consecration ceremony), Asvamedha (horse sacrifice) and Vajpeya (chariot race). The kings also assumed titles like Rajavisvajanan, Ahilabhuvanapathi, (lord of all earth), Ekrat and Samrat (sole ruler). In the later Vedic period, a large number of new officials were involved in the administration in addition to the existing purohita, senani and gramani. They include the treasury officer, tax collector and royal messenger. At the lower levels, the administration was carried on by the village assemblies. The importance of the Samiti and the Sabha had diminished during the later Vedic period.

Economic Condition
Iron was used extensively in this period and this enabled the people to clear forests and to bring more land under cultivation. Agriculture became the chief occupation. Improved types of implements were used for cultivation. Besides barley, rice and wheat were grown. Knowledge of manure was another improvement. Industrial activity became more varied and there was greater specialization. Metal work, leather work, carpentry and pottery made great progress. In addition to internal trade, foreign trade became extensive. The Later Vedic people were familiar with the sea and they traded with countries like Babylon. A class of hereditarymerchants (vaniya) came into existence. Vaisyas also carried on trade and commerce. They organized themselves into guilds known as ganas. Besides nishka of the Rig Vedic period, gold and silver coins like satamana and krishnala were used as media of exchange.

Social Life
The four divisions of society (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras) or the Varna system was thoroughly established during the Later Vedic period. The two higher classes – Brahmana, and Kshatriya enjoyed privileges that were denied to the Vaisya and Sudra. A Brahmin occupied a higher position than a Kshatriya but sometimes Kshatriyas claimed a higher status over the Brahmins.Many sub-castes on the basis of their occupation appeared in this period. In the family, the power of the father increased during the Later Vedic period. There was no improvement in the status of women. They were still considered inferior and subordinate to men. Women also lost their political rights of attending assemblies. Child marriages had become common. According the Aitreya Brahmana a daughter has been described as a source of misery. However, the women in the royal household enjoyed certain privileges.

Religion
Gods of the Early Vedic period like Indra and Agni lost their importance. Prajapathi (the creator), Vishnu (the protector) and Rudra (the destroyer) became prominent during the Later Vedic period. Sacrifices were still important and the rituals connected with them became more elaborate. The importance of prayers declined and that of sacrifices increased. Priesthood became a profession and a hereditary one. The formulae for sacrifices were invented and elaborated by the priestly class. Therefore, towards the end of this period there was a strong reaction against priestly domination and against sacrifices and rituals. The rise of Buddhism and Jainism was the direct result of these elaborate sacrifices. Also, the authors of the Upanishads, which is the essence of Hindu philosophy, turned away from the useless rituals and insisted on true knowledge (jnana) for peace and salvation.

02 Nov
IPCI Info

Rig Vedic Age or Early Vedic Period (1500 – 1000 B.C.)

Rig Vedic Age or Early Vedic Period (1500 – 1000 B.C.)During the Rig Vedic period, the Aryans were mostly confined to the Indus region. The Rig Veda refers to Saptasindhu or the land of seven rivers. This includes the five rivers of Punjab, namely Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej along with the Indus and Saraswathi. The political, social and cultural life of the Rig Vedic people can be traced from the hymns of the Rig Veda. Political Organization The basic unit of political organization was kula or family. Several families joined together on the basis of their kinship to form a village or grama. The leader of grama was known as gramani. A group of villages constituted a larger unit called visu. It was headed by vishayapati. The highest political unit was called jana or tribe. There were several tribal kingdoms during the Rig Vedic period such as Bharatas, Matsyas, Yadus and Purus. The head of the kingdom was called as rajan or king. The Rig Vedic polity was normally monarchical and the succession was hereditary. The king was assisted by purohita or priest and senani or commander of the army in his administration. There were two popular bodies called the Sabha and Samiti. The former seems to have been a council of elders and the latter, a general assembly of the entire people.

Social Life
The Rig Vedic society was patriarchal. The basic unit of society was family or graham. The head of the family was known as grahapathi. Monogamy was generally practiced while polygamy was prevalent among the royal and noble families. The wife took care of the household and participated in all the major ceremonies. Women were given equal opportunities as men for their spiritual and intellectual development. There were women poets like Apala, Viswavara, Ghosa and Lopamudra during the Rig Vedic period. Women could even attend the popular assemblies. There was no child marriage and the practice of sati was absent. Both men and women wore upper and lower garments made of cotton and wool. A variety of ornaments were used by both men and women. Wheat and barley, milk and its products like curd and ghee, vegetables and fruits were the chief articles of food. The eating of cow’s meat was prohibited since it was a sacred animal. Chariot racing, horse racing, dicing, music and dance were the favorite pastimes. The social divisions were not rigid during the Rig Vedic period as it was in the later Vedic period.

Economic Condition
The Rig Vedic Aryans were pastoral people and their main occupation was cattle rearing. Their wealth was estimated in terms of their cattle. When they permanently settled in North India they began to practice agriculture. With the knowledge and use of iron they were able to clean forests and bring more lands under cultivation. Carpentry was another important profession and the availability of wood from the forests cleared made the profession profitable. Carpenters produced chariots and ploughs. Workers in metal made a variety of articles with copper, bronze and iron. Spinning was another important occupation and cotton and woolen fabrics were made. Goldsmiths were active in making ornaments. The potters made various kinds of vessels for domestic use. Trade was another important economic activity and rivers served as important means of transport. Trade was conducted on barter system. In the later times, gold coins called nishka were used as media of exchange in large transactions.

Religion
The Rig Vedic Aryans worshiped the natural forces like earth, fire, wind, rain and thunder. They personified these natural forces into many gods and worshipped them. The important Rig Vedic gods were Prithvi (Earth), Agni (Fire), Vayu (Wind), Varuna (Rain) and Indra (Thunder). Indra was the most popular among them during the early Vedic period. Next in importance to Indra was Agni who was regarded as an intermediary between the gods and people. Varuna was supposed to be the upholder of the natural order. There were also female gods like Aditi and Ushas. There were no temples and no idol worship during the early Vedic period. Prayers were offered to the gods in the expectation of rewards. Ghee, milk and grain were given as offerings. Elaborate rituals were followed during the worship.

02 Nov
IPCI Info

THE VEDIC CULTURE

The cities of the Harappan Culture had declined by 1500 B.C. Consequently, their economic and administrative system had slowly declined. Around this period, the speakers of Indo-Aryan language, Sanskrit, entered the north-west India from the Indo-Iranian region. Initially they would have come in small numbers through the passes
in the northwestern mountains. Their initial settlements were in the valleys of the north-west and the plains of the Punjab. Later, they moved into Indo-Gangetic plains. As they were mainly a cattlekeeping people, they were mainly in search of pastures. By 6th century B.C., they occupied the whole of North India, which was referred to as Aryavarta. This period between 1500 B.C and 600 B.C may be divided into the Early Vedic Period or Rig Vedic Period (1500 B.C -1000 B.C) and the Later Vedic Period (1000B.C – 600 B.C).

Original Home of the Aryans
The original home of the Aryans is a debatable question and there are several views. Different scholars have identified different regions as the original home of the Aryans. They include the Arctic region, Germany, Central Asia and southern Russia. Bala Gangadhara Tilak argues that the Aryans came from the Arctic region on astronomical calculations. However, the theory of southern Russia appears to be more probable and widely accepted by historians. From there, the Aryans moved to different parts of Asia and Europe. They entered India in about 1500 B.C. and came to be known as Indo-Aryans. They spoke the Indo-Aryan language, Sanskrit.

Vedic Literature
The word ‘Veda’ is derived from the root ‘vid’, which means to know. In other words, the term ‘Veda’ signifies ‘superior knowledge’. The Vedic literature consists of the four Vedas – Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. The Rig Veda is the earliest of the four Vedas and it consists of 1028 hymns. The hymns were sung in praise of various gods. The Yajur Veda consists of various details of rules to be observed at the time of sacrifice. The Sama Veda is set to tune for the purpose of chanting during sacrifice. It is called the book of chants and the origins of Indian music are traced in it. The Atharva Veda contains details of rituals. Besides the Vedas, there are other sacred works like the Brahmanas, the Upanishads, the Aranyakas and the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. The Brahmanas are the treatises relating to prayer and sacrificial ceremony. The Upanishads are philosophical texts dealing with topic like the soul, the absolute, the origin of the world and the mysteries of nature. The Aranyakas are called forest books and they deal with mysticism, rites, rituals and sacrifices. The author of Ramayana was Valmiki and that of Mahabharata was Vedavyas.

UPSC Mains Exam related question:

1. The Vedic Literature such as the four Vedas and the Brahmanas and other later Vedic literature.
2. The Rig Vedic polity, society and economy.
3. Religious life of the Rig Vedic people.
4. The changes during the Later Vedic period in the sphere of polity and society.
5. The increasing rites and rituals in the religious life of the Later Vedic people.