GK & CA
Collection of weekly GK & CA since year 2016.
August, 2020
4851
Mudhol Hound
The Mudhol Hound, also known variously as the Maratha Hound, the Pashmi Hound and the Kathewar Dog, is a breed of sighthound from India.
In 2005 the Mudhol Hound was one of four Indian dog breeds featured on a set of postage stamps released to celebrate the country's canine heritage (Wikipedia)
4850
Neuralink ~ Elon Musk unveils pig with chip in its brain
Elon Musk has unveiled a pig called Gertrude with a coin-sized computer chip in her brain to demonstrate his ambitious plans to create a working brain-to-machine interface.
(Source: bbc.com)
4849
Mauritius oil spill
A Japanese bulk carrier MV Wakashio has broken apart off the Mauritius coast after spilling hundreds of tonnes of fuel oil.
(Source: bbc.com)
4848
JK Rowling Returns Kennedy Human Rights Award
"Harry Potter" creator JK Rowling said on Friday she would give back an award presented by the US Kennedy family after one of its members criticised her views on gender issues. (Source: NDTV)
Mon, 31 Aug, 20204847
LY971 ~ First direct commercial flight between Israel, UAE
The first historic commercial flight between Israel and the UAE left for Abu Dhabi from the Ben-Gurion airport. (Source: The Hindu)
Mon, 31 Aug, 20204845
Iconic Arambol tree stands again
90-year-old banyan tree in Girkavaddo, (Armbol, Panjim) was rerooted after a crowd funding campaign by foreigners.
(Source: Times of India)
4844
National Recruitment Agency
The proposed National Recruitment Agency (NRA) will conduct a common preliminary examination (IBPS, RRB, SSC) for various recruitments in the central government (Source: indianexpress.com)
Thu, 20 Aug, 20204843
Florida mosquitoes
750 million genetically modified insects to be released to reduce local populations. The aim is to reduce the number of mosquitoes that carry diseases like dengue or the Zika virus.
(Source: bbc.com)
4842
Chandrayaan-2 Completes A Year Around Moon
Chandrayaan-2 was launched on July 22, 2019 and inserted into the lunar orbit on August 20, , exactly one year ago. (Source: NDTV)
4841
Sputnik V
Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V developed by Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology (Russia) is based on human adenoviruses or human adenoviral vectors (Source: Times of India)
Thu, 20 Aug, 20204839
Faceless Assessment scheme
Removing the human interface between the taxpayer and the Income Tax (I-T) Department ~ Key features include - selection of a taxpayer using data analytics and AI, abolition of territorial jurisdiction, no need to visit the income tax office.
Sun, 16 Aug, 20204838
India celebrates 74th Independence Day
Canada’s Niagara Falls illuminated in colours of Indian flag on Independence Day. (Source: Hindustan Times)
4837
Kamala Harris
Kamala Devi Harris is an American politician and lawyer who has served as the junior United States senator from California since 2017. She is the Democratic vice presidential nominee in the 2020 election.
(Source: Wikipedia)
4836
Naga peace process
Nagaland Peace Accord is the accord signed-in on 3 August 2015 by the Government of India and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) to end the insurgency. Government’s Interlocutor for Naga Peace Talks R. N. Ravi (Source: Wikipedia)
Sun, 16 Aug, 20204835
MS Dhoni announces his retirement from international cricket
MS Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on Saturday, as he brought the curtain down on his illustrious 15-year career as an India cricketer (Source: NDTV)
4833
Ram temple
A grand three-storey stone structure on a raised platform with multiple turrets, pillars and domes. The temple will be 161 feet tall. The temple under construction will be "Nagara style" of architecture. (Source: NDTV
4832
Mahinda Rajapaksa takes oath as Sri Lankan Prime Minister
The SLPP has won 145 seats in the 225-member Parliament while the United National Party (UNP) has come in second with 54 seats (Source: The Hindu)
Sun, 09 Aug, 20204831
System of Proportional Representation
Electoral system that seeks to create a representative body that reflects the overall distribution of public support for each political party. These have been adopted in many countries, including Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Sri Lanka and Switzerland. (Source: britannica.com/)
Sun, 09 Aug, 20204830
Tabletop runway
A tabletop runway is a runway that is located on the top of a plateau or hill with one or both ends adjacent to a steep precipice which drops into a deep gorge.This type of runway creates an optical illusion which requires a very precise approach by the pilot. (Source: Wikipedia)
Sun, 09 Aug, 20204829
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
It is 75 years since the US dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August, leading to the end of World War Two.
(Source: bbc.com)
4827
Pragyan rover
Pragyan was the rover of Chandrayaan-2, a lunar mission developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation, which launched in July 2019. The rover was never deployed. (Source: Wikipedia)
Sun, 02 Aug, 20204826
India gets Rafale fighter jets from France
Rafale is an omni-role fighter capable of the entire spectrum of roles — air superiority and air defence, close air support, in-depth strikes, reconnaissance, anti-ship strikes and nuclear deterrence.
(Source: The Hindu)
4825
Pangong Tso
Pangong Tso or Pangong Lake is an endorheic lake in the Himalayas situated at an elevation of 4,225 m.
It is 134 km (83 mi) long and extends from Ladakh, India to the Tibetan Autonomous Region, China.
(Source: Wikipedia)
4824
National Education Policy (NEP) 2020
The NEP proposes sweeping changes including opening up of Indian higher education to foreign universities, dismantling of the UGC and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), introduction of a four-year multidisciplinary undergraduate programme with multiple exit options, and discontinuation of the M Phil programme. (Source: Indian Express)
Sun, 02 Aug, 20204822
Nasa SpaceX crew return: Astronauts set for ocean splashdown
SpaceX capsule departs ISS, set for ocean splashdown . US astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken have undocked their Dragon Endeavour capsule from the space station to begin their return to Earth. (Source: www.bbc.com)