General Studies Paper-1 Context: Prime Minister Modi paid homage to the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh. What was the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre? The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, also known as the Amritsar massacre, occurred on 13th April 1919 and marked one of the darkest chapters in India’s colonial history. To celebrate the Baisakhi festival and protest the arrest of prominent nationalist leaders Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr. Satyapal under the Rowlatt Act, a large crowd of men, women, and children had gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh. Colonel Reginald Dyer ordered British Indian Army troops to open fire on a peaceful gathering of....Read More

General Studies Paper-1 Context: Recently, India celebrated the legacy of Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar on Ambedkar Jayanti, a towering figure in India’s fight against caste-based discrimination. BR Ambedkar & ‘Annihilation of Caste’ Origins of Annihilation of Caste: Originally written as a speech for a 1936 meeting of progressive Hindus under the Jat-Pat Todak Mandal, the address was never delivered due to its provocative content. Instead, Ambedkar published it himself, making it a foundational text for anti-caste thought in India. Core Arguments of the ‘Annihilation of Caste’ Caste as Social Tyranny: Ambedkar rejected the view that caste is merely a division....Read More

General Studies Paper-1 Context: Recently, National Press Day was observed with the theme ‘Changing Nature of the Press’, reflecting the evolving dynamics of the media landscape, and marking the day the Press Council of India (PCI) began its operations in 1966. About The media, often referred to as the fourth pillar of democracy, plays a crucial role in nation building. Its influence spans across political, economic, and social spheres, making it an indispensable part of a functioning democracy. The press played a pivotal role in India’s struggle for independence, acting as a powerful tool for dissemination of information; raising awareness....Read More

General Studies Paper - 1 Context: The Prime Minister of India paid tributes to social reformer Savitri Bai Phule & Rani Velu Nachiyar on their Jayanti. Savitribai Phule (3 January 1831 – 10 March 1897) She was a woman from the Mali Community and went on to become an educator, a challenger to caste hierarchies and barriers, and a writer. Married Jyotirao Phule at an early age. At a time when it was considered unacceptable for women to even attain education, she with her husband went on to open a school for girls in Pune, in 1848. This became the....Read More

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1 The script, once patronised by Meitei rulers but which fell into disuse with the advent of Hinduism and eventually disappeared, is now enjoying a new lease of life after a decades-old movement for its revival. About the Meitei Script Meitei script or Meetei Mayek is an abugida (pseudo-alphabet system) used for the Meitei language, one of the official languages of Manipur. The earliest epigraphic record of the script is a stone inscription from Khoibu village which was erected on the orders of Meidingu Kiyamba (1467-1508). ‘Meidingu’ are kings who belong to the Ningthouja clan whose....Read More

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1 Nation pays homage to Bharat Ratna Dr BR Ambedkar on his 67th Mahaparinirvan Diwas. Lakhs of followers from all over the country gathered at Chaityabhoomi in Dadar in Mumbai to pay tribute to the great leader. This year, a large number of people are expected to visit the Chaityabhoomi and other places associated with Dr. Ambedkar as the followers could not visit these places for the past two years due to the global pandemic. About Dr. B.R.Ambedkar Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was born on 14 April 1891 in Mhow, Central Province (now Madhya Pradesh). He was....Read More

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1 Prime Minister paid tributes to India's first President Rajendra Prasad and lauded him as a legendary leader who epitomized courage and scholarly zeal. About Dr. Rajendra Prasad Rajendra Prasad was born in Zeradai, District Siwan in Bihar on 3 December 1884. His father Mahadev Sahai was a scholar of Persian and Sanskrit. His mother Kamleshwari Devi was a pious lady. Education He joined the famed Calcutta Presidency College in 1902. In 1915, Prasad appeared in the examination of master's in law from the Department of Law, University of Calcutta, passed the examination and won a....Read More

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1 In a significant development in the Tibetan Buddhist circles, the Nyingma sect has identified a boy from Spiti in Himachal Pradesh as the reincarnation of the late Taklung Setrung Rinpoche, a scholar known for his knowledge of Tibetan Tantric school. The Nyingma Sect The Nyingma sect is the oldest of all Buddhist sects, and Taklung Setrung Rinpoche was a profound scholar renowned for his expertise in Tibetan Tantric school.  It is founded on the first lineages and translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan in the eighth century, during the reign of King Trisong....Read More

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1 The birth anniversary of Tippu Sultan was observed recently, bringing his contested legacy to the forefront of political discourse once again. About Tipu Sultan He was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore and the eldest son of Sultan Hyder Ali of Mysore. In the wider national narrative, Tipu has so far been seen as a man of imagination and courage, a brilliant military strategist who, in a short reign of 17 years, mounted the most serious challenge the Company faced in India. Contribution of Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan is the fearless ‘Tiger of Mysore’,....Read More

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1 November 24 is commemorated as the Shaheedi Divas of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth guru of the Sikhs, who stood up against forcible conversions by the Mughals, and was executed on the orders of Aurangzeb in 1675. About Guru Tegh Bahadur Tegh Bahadur was born in Amritsar on April 21, 1621 to Mata Nanki and Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh guru, who raised an army against the Mughals and introduced the concept of warrior saints. As a boy, Tegh Bahadur was called Tyag Mal because of his ascetic nature.  He spent his early childhood in....Read More