Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2 Why in News? Recently, Karnataka has categorized the two dominant communities, Vokkaligas and Lingayats, as “moderately backward” from the “backward” category in a move that could increase their share in reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC). What are the Key Points of the Move? Karnataka currently has32% quota for OBC, and 17% and 7% quota for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, respectively, taking the total to 56%. The Panchamasali sub-sect of Veerashaiva Lingayats has demanded inclusion in the 2A category which has 15% quota from their current 3B category which has 5% quota. The Cabinet’s decision is based on the recommendations....Read More

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1 The Geographical Indications Registry at Guindy, Chennai, has received an application from the Tribal Development Council, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, seeking the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for the Nicobari hodi craft. This is the first application from the Union Territory seeking a tag for one its products. About Hodi Craft The hodi is the Nicobari tribe’s traditional craft.  It is an outrigger canoe, very commonly operated in the Nicobar group of islands.  The technical skills for building a hodi are based on indigenous knowledge inherited by the Nicobarese from their forefathers.  The hodi is built....Read More

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1 During the G20 Summit, Prime Minister mentioned Baliyatra, literally ‘voyage to Bali’, on the banks of the Mahanadi in Cuttack, which celebrates the ancient trade relations between India and Indonesia. This year’s Baliyatra, which concluded on Thursday, also found a place in the Guinness World Records for achieving an impressive feat of origami, the creation of beautiful paper sculptures. Historical significance Baliyatra, literally ‘voyage to Bali’, is one of the country’s largest open-air fairs, which is organised every year to commemorate the 2,000-year-old maritime and cultural links between ancient Kalinga (today’s Odisha) and Bali and....Read More

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1 Chhattisgarh celebrates its 23rd State Foundation Day on 1st November 2022 and as a part of the celebrations, Raipur will host the 3rd National Tribal Dance Festival. The National Tribal Dance Festival will be celebrated from 1st November 2022 to 3rd November 2022. National Tribal Dance Festival National Tribal Dance Festival is one of Chhattisgarh’s grand festivals which celebrates diverse tribal communities and their culture not just in India but from across the globe. It is organised under the Tourism and Culture Department of Chhattisgarh. This festival aims to unite the tribal communities and provides....Read More

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1 P. promotes tombs of Muslim devotees of Krishna for tourism. Raskhan or Syed Ibrahim Khan  He was a 16th century Sufi Muslim poet born either in Amroha or Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh.  He became a follower of Krishna and spent his life in Vrindavan.  He accepted Krishna as the supreme god (Svayam Bhagavan) and became a Vaishnava. He died in 1628 AD. His samadhi is at Mahaban, about six miles east of Mathura. He translated Bhagavata Purana into Persian. The poetry of Raskhan focuses on Lord Krishna. Rachnavali is the collection of Raskhan’s poetry His....Read More

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1 The government recently revamped the scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0) to develop sustainable and responsible destinations with tourist and destination centric approach. 15 states with two or three destinations each have been identified to be developed under the scheme which seeks to provide financial support to strengthen tourist infrastructure  Swadesh Darshan 2.0 Fifteen States are part of the first phase which include Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Two destinations from each State have been identified Some of the prominent places identified are Jhansi and Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, Gwalior, Chitrakoot....Read More

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1 Prime Minister reviewed the construction of the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) site at Gujarat’s Lothal. Lothal was not only a major trading centre of the Indus Valley Civilisation, but it was also a symbol of India’s maritime power and prosperity. Where is Lothal? Lothal was one of the southernmost sites of the Indus Valley civilization, located in the Bhāl region of what is now the state of Gujarat.  The port city is believed to have been built in 2,200 BC.  Lothal was a thriving trade centre in ancient times, with its trade of beads,....Read More

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2 Hampi, Khajuraho on list for G20 culture track. As part of India’s G20 Presidency between December 2022 and November 2023, the Government is planning to host five key meetings focusing on the “culture track” at Khajuraho, Bhubaneswar, Hampi and Agra. These cities have been chosen mainly for well-known monuments and UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Taj Mahal and Agra Fort (UP), the Hindu and Jain temples of Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh), the Konark Sun Temple around 65 km from Bhubaneswar (Odisha), and the sites at Hampi (Karnataka).  For the culture track, a G20 Secretariat has....Read More

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1 UNESCO has released a list of 50 exclusive and iconic heritage textile crafts of India under the title “Handmade for the 21st Century: Safeguarding Traditional Indian Textile”. What are the textiles listed in the UNESCO document? The UNESCO document lists the histories and legends behind the textiles, describes the complicated and secret processes behind their making, mentions the causes for their dwindling popularity, and provides strategies for their preservation. Some of the textiles mentioned are:  Khes from Panipat, Chamba rumals from Himachal Pradesh, Thigma or wool tie and dye from Ladakh and Awadh Jamdani from....Read More

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1 Bathukamma festival will be celebrated at the India Gate with the Telugu people living in the nation’s capital, prominent personalities and even lady officers under the aegis of the Culture Ministry. Bathukamma Festival Bathukamma festival is celebrated for nine days during Durga Navratri. It comes during the latter half of monsoon, before the onset of winter. It falls two days before Dassera. The most abundant of these flowers are – ‘gunuka’ and ‘tangedu’. The ‘shilpakka pandlu’ (or ‘sitaphalalu’), custard apples or  ‘poor man’s apple’, are great attraction during this season. The word Bathukamma means- ‘Mother....Read More